Table of Contents
Copyrights and Credits
Table of Contents Page
Chapter 3: Halloween—Boss Battle
Bonus Story: [Why Hello There] I Want to Interview Famous Players! [Famous People]
Newsletter
Color Gallery
Character Introduction
Chapter 1: Halloween—Day 2
Chapter 1:
Halloween—Day 2
GOOD MORNING! The weather is lovely today. Oh, wait, it’s actually quite cloudy. I suppose the climaxes of horror stories always take place during thunderstorms. It’s normal in games too, although in this particular game, thunderstorms actually have quite the negative impact. I doubt actual lightning strikes will come down around us like they did during the camping event, but the wind and rain are quite a headache on their own. It also makes it more difficult to see.
Anyway, let me take a look at the information gathered while I slept. Oh, there’s new entries. I’ll start with the two subjects I saw before I went to bed.
Nothing new regarding the kitty.
Nothing new regarding the pumpkins.
Well, there’s nothing that can be done if the cat ran away. But the lack of information about the pumpkins surprises me. Did they sprout legs like that weird mascot, Nishiko-kun, and run away? I’m imagining a pair of beautiful legs attached to a pumpkin. They would be orange, in this particular case. Actually, that’s enough of that—I need to focus.
I’ll take a look at the other new pieces of information next.
Hey, how did I end up here? Where am I?
I somehow ended up in a strange place. Now I can’t get to my destination!
Oh, how very horror-like. It sounds like a time loop scenario, but if they went to a “strange place,” perhaps that’s not actually the case. Ending up on the same route each time would be more like a time loop. This sounds like they got lost, so perhaps people are ending up in trances, or it’s like one of those stories of people who can never escape an enchanted forest after entering it.
The problem is what, exactly, causes this phenomenon? Since the barrier is destabilized, it must have something to do with Space Magic. I can’t rule out some sort of game mechanic unique to this area too. This is an official event, after all.
Perhaps residents are causing this somehow—more likely an evil NPC rather than the townsfolk. It’s certainly possible, but what could their motive be? I won’t get anywhere by sitting and pondering that, so hopefully it will come to light the more digging we do.
Okay, time to get to work.
I thank the church staff, ask to stay again tonight, and exit into town.
The campfire in the town square is still alive and roaring. I only see residents around too. The players must still be sleeping. Let me see who in my union is awake.
“Good morning. Is anyone up yet?”
“Yeah, I’m up!”
“Morning, Princess!”
“I don’t see many player markers around. Is everyone asleep?”
“They’re taking naps now that the sun’s up.”
“Since this event seems like it’s supposed to be a horror story, everyone thinks all the important stuff will happen at night.”
They’ve only just gone to bed? Well, I don’t intend on changing my sleep schedule.
For now, I’ll ask what happened after I went to sleep. It’s important to exchange information.
“There were quests you could only do at night, like looking for lost kids and checking on the bonfires.”
“So there was a quest about missing children? I thought something like that might come up.”
“Hmm, what else? They say it might rain tonight.”
“Oh, there’s a way to tell that?”
“I heard you can use a skill to look it up, but the accuracy’s kinda questionable.”
“Wind or storms will probably grant us some sort of modifiers too.”
“Although, that definitely depends on your race.”
I see. So a weather forecasting spell has been found now. Since he mentioned using a skill to look it up, it must be like Contrail, the spell that allows you to send letters.
Weather forecasts are sometimes already posted in certain towns. Perhaps they’re absent from others because no one with the weather forecasting skill lives in those towns. Most large towns have weather forecasts posted somewhere, but not this one, it seems.
All that said, few players are particularly concerned with this function. We haven’t determined any obvious ways in which weather makes the game more difficult, so right now, weather doesn’t matter for anything other than whether or not to wear a cloak outside. On the other hand, the farmers like Mr. Steiner do pay lots of attention to the weather.
“We’ve only seen the kitty from behind too.”
“And the pumpkins are just normal pumpkins, as far as we can tell.”
The cat was only seen from the back, so no one managed to get a look at its face. It runs away from light produced by players as well as bonfire light, making it impossible for anyone to get a proper glimpse of it. It was no different when the players chased after it too, or so I’m told. Hmm, this strikes me as suspicious.
The pumpkins that appeared to be moving turned out to be normal pumpkins too—in fact, none of thepumpkins in the area have given us any new revelations yet.
“The flying players didn’t find anything either.”
“And that’s about where we’re at now!”
“I see. Thank you all. I’m surprised how few developments there have been when the event is only four days long.”
“And the fourth day is for wrapping things up, so the main events should be happening today or tomorrow.”
“I really expected there to be something more.”
“It’s a horror event, right? I bet we’re building suspense up to day three, when everything happens at once!”
“That’s possible too.”
“I just hope Cthulhu stuff isn’t involved somehow.”
“What’d be wrong with that?”
“Because with those types of stories, it’s all about gathering information before leading up to one final conflict.”
“Exactly. Right now, it doesn’t seem like we’ll have any way of fighting back.”
“In other words, if we don’t find something now, we’ll be waving the white flag at the end of the event.”
“Yes, it will all be up to luck at that point.”
In a way, it’d be easier if this were a locked-room type of event—for example, one where the players are locked inside a mansion, fleeing from a crazed killer, all while searching every corner of the building for information. Compared to that, we have a nearly infinite amount of territory to search.
This current city event is on a massive scale due to how many people are playing.
“Hey there. I was just checking one of my books in real life.”
“Did you find anything?”
“It turns out that ‘Jack-O’-Lantern’ is one of Nyarlathotep’s avatars.”
“Are you for real?”
“He’s a bug-eyed man with a grinning jack-o’-lantern for a head. He also carries a smiling pumpkin with him, and in certain situations may even have a minion in tow (2d10).”
“No one’s said anything about seeing that man yet.”
“If you look at the light of his lantern and fail a POW check, you end up charmed. Then he leads you to a forest or a cliffside and kills you. Even if you succeed at resisting his charm, failing another POW check against Jack fills you with fear, so you’ll abandon your equipment and your fellow players to flee.”
“In this game, POW is probably spirit. That ‘fear’ doesn’t sound like a status ailment either.”
“Yeah, I bet it’s something unique.”
“There’s one more piece that seemed important. Jack can also hear and see through the glow of all other pumpkins too. Apparently, he can even make them shriek, and he can also control the vines of pumpkins growing in fields.”
“I haven’t heard reports of anything strange happening in the fields.”
It doesn’t sound like we have any information about field activity at this point.
If Nyar really is both the cat and the pumpkins, it doesn’t seem like he’s doing more than teasing us. He has quite the wicked personality, after all.
I believe I mentioned Hastur and Cyäegha on the BBS, but not the cat itself. I may as well tell the others, as there’s no value in keeping it a secret.
“I actually saw a cat in the Medium, but it had three burning eyes.”
“Three burning eyes? Isn’t that one of Nyar’s avatars?!”
“I got close to it, thinking it was a normal cat, and once I realized it was Nyar, he clicked his tongue at me.”
“Three burning eyes are the mark of the haunter of the dark, right? That thing is super weak against light.”
“Maybe it won’t run if we cast Night Vision instead of Light?”
“Nah, it still runs either way.”
“If it really is Nyar, we can’t stop him from having his fun with us. It’s impossible to know unless we see the cat’s face, but if it does turn out to have three eyes, please be very careful.”
“Roger that.”
“Got it!”
All right, I think I’ll try gathering information on my morning stroll. I just hope something in town has changed.
No, I can’t find any obvious differences from yesterday. After all that talk about the “barrier,” I wouldn’t be surprised if, at some point, we find that part of the town itself has disappeared. The residents only spoke of coming and going through the barrier, to be fair, so perhaps the campfire’s true purpose is just to prevent things from getting out of control.
Having made no significant discoveries, I have no choice but to return to the town square.
I’m hungry. Meat would really hit the spot right about now. I think I’ll make Hamburg steaks with demi-glace or soy sauce. Demi-glace sounds like a lot of work, so soy sauce it is.
I’ll need enough for my party, my sister, Tomo, and the others. Three parties’ worth of Hamburg steaks should do the trick. It’ll be first come, first served for whatever portion is leftover.
I’ll mix a few kinds of meat together, since I’m making so much. I open my cooking kit, mince the meat up nicely, chop up some vegetables, and mold the steaks into the right shape. Then I coat the steaks in an even layer of flour and put them in a frying pan. If the juices coming out of the patties are clear when I press down on them with chopsticks, I’ll know they’re ready and I can swap them out for the next batch.
“Hamburg steaks!” cry two voices in unison.
“Oh, good morning, you two.”
“Good morning!”
I see the twins are awake. I suppose it’s already that time of morning, as I spent an entire hour walking around to look for new changes.
“But there’s no rice!”
“Oh, you’re right, I’m missing a staple food. How about I make some bread instead?”
“Then they’ll be hamburgers!” they cheer in unison.
That sounds like a good idea. I’ll make buns to put them in. There’s just one little problem—I’ve never actually made bread in a bun shape before. But it’s too late to back down now. I want the twins to be able to enjoy their meal.
I stash my Hamburg steaks in my inventory for the time being to focus on making bread. I’ll aim for round slices, each a bit larger than the steaks themselves.
I’ll also ask the twins to work on grating daikon for me. Ms. Trine appears to be holding the stand for Mr. Ame to grate the daikon on.
“How much should we grate?” they ask.
“You can use the entire daikon since there are a lot of people to feed.”
“Okay!”
They’re certainly enjoying the task. I don’t know what could be so fun about grating a radish, but I won’t question it. All I want is the daikon grated, in the end. I don’t think their arms will get tired either, since this is a video game.
I season the grated daikon with my seasoning kit I obtained from a previous event and slice the buns horizontally. Then I add the grated daikon and Hamburg steaks, drizzle them with sauce, and close it up with the other half of the bun.
“Bread! Meat! Bread!” the twins chant.
I see. These are more like hamburger sandwiches, as a matter of fact, so I won’t argue.
I’d like the twins to try their servings right away. They can’t eat without Enchantment, so I’ll use it on the sandwiches before handing them over.
I clean up my cooking kit before eating my own sandwich. I’m sure my sister and the others are still sleeping, so I’ll leave them a message about the food.
Yes, as expected, this is actually quite difficult to eat. Although that really doesn’t come as a surprise, since the Hamburg steaks I made are the kind you usually eat with a dinner knife.
“Aaah! Hamph!”
The twins are in a fierce battle against their sandwiches too. I can see the juices from the meat dripping out of the bread. It would have been better to crush up the patties and let the bread absorb the juices for a while first. The twins, however, are just slurping them up instead.
As I work on tackling my own hamburger sandwich, Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly awaken. When Mr. Skelly approaches, he bends his legs just slightly, then spreads his arms in the shape of a “V” as he stands up tall. When a nearby player spots him, he joins and does the same thing at Mr. Skelly’s side.
“What are you doing?”
“Praise the Sun!” they both cheer. They shake hands energetically, like they’ve at long last met a kindred spirit. Of course, the sky marking their propitious meeting is completely overcast.
“You sure you wanna do that, you bag of bones?” Mr. Alf asks.
“It’s just a greeting! What’s the big deal?” Mr. Skelly replies.
I hand them both their own servings of food, as well as one for the player who’s joined us. He takes his hamburger sandwich and leaves us.
“Whoa, it’s meat!” cries Mr. Skelly.
“I don’t see any veggies on this hamburger. What’s with that?” Mr. Alf asks me.
“I mixed them into the meat. I promise,” I insist.
“Hmm. Well, all right then.”
The vegetables are inside the patties themselves. There’s at least a small amount of vegetables, so you can’t claim they’re missing.
“This is really good!” says Mr. Skelly.
“Now that I think of it, I haven’t had Hamburg steaks in a long time.”
“I usually order regular steaks instead,” he replies to Mr. Alf.
“Yeah, same here.”
One has to go to a restaurant to get Hamburg steaks if they don’t make them at home, but most restaurants with Hamburg steaks will also have regular steaks on the menu. I suppose the poor, defenseless Hamburg steak just can’t compete in their eyes. And actually, on top of that, it’s easier to make steaks than Hamburg steaks if you are willing to go to the trouble of cooking for yourself—assuming you aren’t concerned with hurdles like a specific doneness, anyway.
In any case, we undead, who don’t need to eat in the first place, gobble up our hamburger sandwiches.
“Hm? I’m reading that people ranked C or higher at the adventurers’ union are being recruited to ‘help the feudal lord move to his new home,’” Mr. Skelly informs us.
“During the festival?” Mr. Alf asks.
“Maybe because he’s already moved all the necessary stuff out? In addition to your ranking, you also have to swear to Stellura that you ‘won’t steal during the job’ if you want to get the offer.”
“You mean you can’t just swear not to steal in general?”
“Vows to Stellura are extremely binding and powerful. It’s best to narrow them down as much as possible. A vow not to steal in general will last forever, after all,” I inform them.
“But what if you never steal?” the twins chime in.
“The problem is that you’re not the one who decides whether or not you’re keeping your vows.”
This is actually a very important factor.
“Let’s say that the two of you, Mr. Ame and Ms. Trine, are in separate classes at school,” I begin.
“Uh-huh?”
“Then Ms. Trine borrows Mr. Ame’s dictionary without permission while he’s away at music class. Do you know what that means for your vow?”
“It breaks it?”
“Correct. Your vow is now broken.”
“I see, so we really aren’t the judges, are we?” Mr. Alf remarks.
“I guess that’s theft if you look at the action alone and ignore the fact that they’re siblings,” adds Mr. Skelly.
In cases like these, the outer one who comes to punish you will hear you out—even letting you go free if they accept your story. In my example, the twins would only need to prove their relationship with each other. However, different outer ones will have their own personal criteria for guilt, so it’s possible that some won’t even let you put up an argument at all.
“Breaking vows to the gods will result in very harsh punishments. You shouldn’t make them without the proper consideration,” I warn the others.
“I hear the lord’s quest comes with a really good reward, so I’m sure it’s a great job for honest people to take,” says Mr. Skelly.
“The festival continues into tomorrow too, so the reward could be really useful if people use it to help us,” Mr. Alf adds.
“Maybe that’s the lord’s plan,” Mr. Skelly suggests.
I eat breakfast and chat with my party members until 8 a.m., at which point outsiders start to awaken and begin their daily routines. I see a lot more player markers around the town now.
“Okay, what should we do for today?” I ask them.
“Right now, we’ve got the cat, the pumpkins, and the lost kids to look into,” Mr. Alf informs me.
“That’s about it. Oh, and maybe something’s going on at the lord’s manor. We can explore that place if we accept his job,” adds Mr. Skelly.
He still has belongings he needs moved. I heard that the manor usually has lookouts posted outside of it too.
Wait…
“I don’t think the lord’s manor will contain information vital to the main event,” I tell them.
“How come?” the twins chime in.
“They said the event is the exact same difficulty across every server, but only the server with the main event is a bit different. If you need a rank of C or above to help the lord move, that puts it at the same level as an escort mission.”
“And only second-wavers at best can get to a C rank right now, right?” Mr. Alf follows up.
“I doubt that rank requirement changes across servers, so doesn’t that prohibit it from being linked to the main event at all?” I explain.
“I see!” cry the twins.
“Hmm, so it’s a way of mitigating the difficulty, in a way. We won’t find anything unexpected there, but that also means there won’t be any hints either.”
“Although, it’d be easy enough for spirit body players to sneak in,” I remind him.
“Nah, I don’t think it’s worth the risk,” Mr. Skelly answers me.
That would be an illegal entry, and no one wants to risk becoming a red player.
“Should we start searching the surrounding areas now that we know the town doesn’t have any leads?” Mr. Alf suggests.
“The abandoned mine to the south needs some more eyes on it,” Mr. Skelly responds.
“Shall we explore the abandoned mine? We’ll need help if it turns out to be a maze inside. What’s the map like?” I ask them.
“It works just like a dungeon, so the others are planning to go in a group.”
“In other words, we can’t get a read on it until we go and see it ourselves?”
The mini-map in the dungeon doesn’t work like the overworld. The best way to clear it is to have multiple parties go down separate routes while combining their map data.
Party members usually only share this information with each other when it comes to normal dungeons, but since all data gets synchronized at the end of official events, it’s more beneficial to share it with everyone now.
Does that mean it’s time to explore the mine? I’m not too attached to any option right now. I could also use this accelerated time period to work on production, or I could go to the mine and raise my combat skills.
“Princess, could you come to the lord’s manor real quick? There’s something I want you to see.”
“The lord’s manor? Will I be able to enter without accepting his quest?”
“It shouldn’t be an issue for you. Thanks in advance!”
“Very well. Everyone, Mr. Cecil has just asked me to see him, so why don’t we head to the manor the lord is currently moving out of?”
“Okay!”
“Let’s do it!”
We head toward the lord’s former residence in the southwest of town.
If Mr. Cecil is asking for me, he must have found something relating to the church, the Nether, or the Medium. I assume there are maids on the scene there to supervise the move, so if Mr. Cecil couldn’t ask them about it, it must be the latter.
Information has been shared with you.
The amount of lumber in the storage shed meant to be used on the campfire seems to be decreasing.
“The lumber?” Mr. Alf asks.
“It looks like there are quests for harvesting more lumber and investigating the missing logs,” says Mr. Skelly.
“I thought you weren’t supposed to burn wood from trees immediately after cutting them down,” I recall.
“That’s right, now that you mention it. Maybe it works differently in this game…” Mr. Alf ponders.
“Yeah, I actually haven’t heard anything about live trees yet,” Mr. Skelly adds.
“Well, we don’t have Lumber skills anyway, so Primura and the like will have to take care of that for us,” Mr. Alf responds.
Our party would have to take on the investigation quest instead of the harvesting quest, but first, let’s stick to the plan and head to the manor.
Mr. Cecil is waiting right out in front of the manor. A maid stands at his side.
“Thank you for waiting,” I greet him.
“Hey there, Princess. Sorry about this, but I found something I’m really curious about.”
“Does this person work for the lord?” I ask him.
“Yep, she’s in charge of the move.”
She’s kept her head bowed ever since I began to chat with Mr. Cecil. He must have told her about me. If the lord trusts her enough to put her in charge of this job, I doubt she wants to risk harming his reputation in any way. Such is the life of a maid in a status-based society!
“What’s your name?” I ask her.
“I am Luana.”
“Hello, Ms. Luana. We haven’t been hired to work here, but may we still enter?”
“You may. However, I am obligated to inform my master of your presence.”
“That’s all right. Thank you for allowing us inside.”
We follow Mr. Cecil toward the entrance.
“You can already see it right there.” He points past the front doors, which are sitting wide open, to reveal a large clock in the entryway.
“A grandfather clock?” the twins observe.
There’s at least one facet of it we can all see right away. “It’s quite tall, isn’t it?”
“Damn, that thing’s fancy!” Mr. Skelly cries.
“It’s definitely over two meters tall,” Mr. Alf estimates.
We approach the clock to look it over.
“This is…a clock?” Mr. Skelly suddenly questions.
“Is this actually a clock at all?” asks Mr. Alf.
“There’s four hands!” the twins declare.
“The shape is unnatural, that’s for sure,” Mr. Cecil adds. “The part of the clock that sits on the ground is usually bigger.”
It’s well over two meters tall and just over one meter wide at the longest. Mr. Cecil is right—it definitely has an unnatural shape, almost like a coffin where a vampire would rest during the day. That is to say, it’s not rectangular. You could never have a clock like this in Japan, where earthquakes are so common. Since the top part is larger than the bottom, it’s much easier to tip over than the alternative.
Also, as the twins said, the clock has four hands instead of the usual second, minute, and hour hands alone.
It’s a very fancy clock covered in intricate engravings.
I wonder what it’s made of.
“Isn’t it strange?” Mr. Cecil asks me.
“Did you try Appraisal yet?”
“I did, but it didn’t tell me anything.”
“Then let me try it too. Is that all right, Ms. Luana?”
“Yes, but please be gentle.”
“Very well.”
Old Decoration
A very old piece of ornamentation that has sat in this spot for generations.
A single piece of advice is passed down from owner to owner. “The unprepared should not touch it.”
Outsiders view it as a clock, but they’ve never seen a clock with four hands before.
“The hands don’t match the time at all. There’s no pendulum either,” Mr. Skelly observes.
“Appraisal says it isn’t actually a clock. Also, the display isn’t the same as it is for normal game items,” I tell him.
“Yeah? Not even you can decipher it, Princess?” he asks.
I’m at a loss, although, if it is related to Cthulhu…that is, if it’s related to the Medium, then…
“Oh?” the group calls out at once.
“That would be my Book of the Elder Keys activating. Yes, that confirms my hunch.”
The bookmark hanging from my belt floats upward, freezes the pages that are flipping automatically, and displays information in a window above the open book.
Time-Clock
A transportation device that carries passengers to another time, place, or dimension.
Once you know a suitable method, open the front of the clock and enter inside to teleport.
If your method isn’t suitable, you’ll be transported to a random time or place, or perhaps both at once. There may be no means of returning in such cases.
It is lethal to use the clock without suitable knowledge of its function. That is due to the possibility that a sorcery gate will appear inside the clock should it malfunction.
This is a flavor item, unable to be moved from the event map, and impossible to use.
Thank you for finding it, but that is all.
“So, what is it?”
“I suppose I’d call it a joke from the developers?”
“Huh?” the whole group says together.
“I’ll take a screenshot.”
I screenshot the text and share it with the others.
“Okay, this clock is insane.”
“You plan to move this clock eventually, correct?” I ask the maid.
“Yes. There’s already a place for it in the new manor, but since I was instructed not to touch it without the proper preparation, I am unsure of how to transport it.”
The event map should be closed off once the event is over, so there’s no harm in leaving it here. Still, what’s my best option?
Hmm. I think I’ll make the most of this opportunity.
“Why don’t I transport it to the new manor? Although I’m not sure I can put it in my inventory.”
“You probably can, but considering who it belongs to, is that a good idea?”
“Yes, a player with my race probably shouldn’t be committing theft, should she? I need permission from the owner to transport this clock using Space Magic storage. May I ask for his approval?”
“Yes, at once.”
Well, it’s not like Ms. Luana is going to go and ask him herself. The person in charge of the scene can’t just up and leave like that. In other words, she’ll have to grab her nearest colleague and have them run straight to the lord. It’s a pain, but I hope they’ll forgive me for covering all my bases.
“Sis! Where’s breakfast?”
“I’m at the lord’s former manor right now.”
“’Kay!”
The other players have been hard at work while we focused on this mystery.
Mr. Skelly informs us that the team at the abandoned mine are steadily making progress. As they post their map data to the BBS periodically, they’re also recruiting different parties to check out the routes that aren’t filled in yet. So far, it sounds like everything is going swimmingly.
The players working on the harvesting quest are using Lumber to bring more logs to the storage area.
I think that “Investigate the Missing Lumber” is probably the main event quest. Players have been getting information from residents bit by bit, which keeps updating in our feeds. Perhaps the main event is finally starting?
Oh, my sister has arrived, bringing Tomo and the others with her.
I exit the manor and distribute hamburger sandwiches to the group.
“Whoa, there’s so much meat!” cries Rina.
“All meat and no veggies at all?”
“Like I give a damn!”
“I was craving meat, but then I had no rice, so I simply put the patties between bread instead. Ah, make sure to break up the patty and let the bread absorb the meat juices first, or you’ll regret it.”
“It’s overflowing with juices!”
Oh, that’s right. I should give one to Mr. Cecil too.
“What are you up to now, Sis?”
“We’re helping the lord move out of his old manor. Right now, we’ve only made this one discovery.”
I point at none other than the clock, of course. It’s still very visible through the open doors. I also show the others the screenshot.
“Whoa! There must be only one of these in the world, just like the Silver Key.”
“But the description says you can’t actually use it.”
We already have statue portals as furniture, after all. I doubt there’s any use for this clock.
“I keep getting shared information from the investigation quest. Do you think this is gonna be the main one?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Hmm, but I was still hoping to check out the mine too.”
“Oh?” the group chimes at once.
Investigation of the missing lumber has brought to light reports of suspicious tracks at the entrance to the abandoned mine. Form a group and investigate these strange tracks.
So there’s the connection to the abandoned mine.
“How is the mine team doing, Mr. Skelly?” I ask.
“Not too shabby. Although, they aren’t able to go down some branches off the paths yet.”
The players investigating the lumber will probably head to the mine now, so perhaps they can help out.
“It feels a bit too soon for the event’s climax, don’t you think?” I ask.
“Yeah, it seems like it should be on the third day, if anything,” Mr. Alf replies.
“That must mean the mine contains resources, and those resources will give us information. Then the climax comes after that.”
“Sounds likely, but there’s one problem. How is this event any fun if we just keep doing everything right?”
“The script seems to be based on the Cthulhu mythos, so ‘fun’ probably isn’t what they expect of us.”
“Our goal is to clear it with an S ranking to get the EXP. Let’s leave the fun to the other servers.”
Mr. Cecil is correct. If we get an S clear—the perfect ending—it probably won’t be much fun. When it comes to the Cthulhu mythos, the best you can hope for is that nothing happens at all.
Mythical beings tend to be absurdly strong, so you’ll be dead the moment you encounter them. The goal is usually to stop them or to flee, but without gathering information during these early stages, we won’t know the optimal method for beating a boss like that.
Are we to stop the summoning, retreat from the encounter, or flee that encounter altogether? Which will get us the ending we’re looking for?
I wish that, as a fantasy game, we had a chance of defeating this boss after encountering it, but mythological beings in FLFO are all at max level. We’re no match for such an enemy at this point in time.
Actually, maybe the summoning will fail, and the being will arrive in a weakened state. I suppose we’ll never know until it actually happens.
Information has been shared with you.
“Is this from the mine?” everyone asks instantly.
Deep within the eastern forest, “something” unfamiliar has been spotted.
But what could it be?
“The east?”
“Is that ‘something’ a mythical being? We should handle that afterward if so.”
“If it is a mythical being, it’ll probably be resolved quickest if we just send Sis in to talk to it,” Rina suggests.
“Sure, if it’s lost. But I don’t think she can do anything if it came here because of a broken contract.”
Assuming it isn’t here to demand us summoners overthrow the kingdom in exchange for our lives, of course. I’m sure it would be more interested in seeing the surface world for the first time in so long, not the lives of summoners like ours.
“Anyway, Tomo, did you manage to find a library in this town?” asks Sugu.
“Nope. As far as I could tell, there wasn’t one.”
“I wonder where we should go for research, then,” I ponder.
“Yeah, it’s hard to know if we should be investigating the stuff the players are finding in the mines.”
“It looks like there’s actually a library and a study right under this roof.”
There’s already information on the BBS from others who have explored the lord’s former residence.
“I guess that’s no surprise in a nobleman’s house.”
“Anything relating to outer ones will be very valuable. We’re only likely to find it here, at the lord’s new manor, or perhaps the church,” I speculate.
“Sure, assuming the books have been preserved properly.”
I just pray that they’re still intact enough to read.
The servant from before is back. He’s returned with a young man and guards as well.
“I thank you for waiting.”
“You must be a relative of the earl. Is that right?”
“My name is Sten Fosselle, the eldest son of Earl Fosselle. It is an utmost honor to make your acquaintance.”
I’m sure they didn’t want to send a servant to greet me. Being the eldest son makes the man before me the next generation’s earl, assuming nothing goes awry before then. I doubt they would send him my way if he was known for causing trouble, of course.
“You don’t mind if I transport this clock, do you?” I ask.
“Absolutely not. I thank you for your assistance.”
“All right, then let’s get this over with quickly.”
I make my way toward the Time-Clock.
Lord Sten strikes me as a nice young man. Fictional nobles tend to marry strictly for status, looks, or skills, so it goes without saying that an earl’s son would be very respectable on all fronts.
I put the clock in my inventory while accompanied by Lord Sten.
“I’m going to take this to the new house now. What about you guys?” I ask my party.
“Uhhh, I guess we’ll come too,” Mr. Skelly responds.
“Yeah, let’s do it,” says Mr. Alf.
All right, then it’s time for us undead to be on our way. We’ll be splitting up from Rina, Mr. Cecil, and the rest of them.
We head from the southwest of town to the northeast. It’s easy to get around when the lord’s son is with us—everyone just moves out of our way. Frankly, I could have used subspace teleportation to get there myself, but it draws a bit more attention than I would like.
Once we arrive at the new manor, we’re greeted by a group of servants led by the countess herself. It’s easier to identify her based on her clothing.
“This is my mother, Margaret.”
That makes her Lady Margaret.
I greet her briefly and turn my attention to the house. It’s a grand sight, seeing everyone lined up in front of the entrance, but they’re also blocking my path inside. I ask them to move and place the Time-Clock down.
“I would recommend treating this piece as a decoration and nothing more. May I ask where His Lordship is?”
“He’s currently stuck in a meeting,” the countess tells me.
“Regarding the missing children?” I ask.
“It would concern either the missing children, the strange figure in the eastern forest, or the recent lumber theft.”
“It sounds like one problem after another,” I sympathize.
“Yes, it’s quite the trouble. However, we’re deeply grateful for the help we’ve received from outsiders such as yourself.”
While I have her here, I think I’ll sit down for tea with the countess and gather whatever information I can.
I’ve finished speaking to the countess. Now I know that the missing children and the moving pumpkins aren’t actually unusual and that this happens somewhat frequently here. Even when warned not to leave their homes, there’s always one or two townsfolk who get carried away and end up missing the next morning. Each time the town finds out what happened, they’re struck with despair again.
The problem is that, this time, more people have gone missing than usual. Everyone knows that people taken to a separate dimension won’t be able to return and that there’s little chance of finding them, even with search parties. Still, due to the unusual number of victims this time, the residents suspect foul play.
It was a resident in charge of searching the eastern forest for these missing people who traveled deep into the woods—reaching a place no one else had been to—where they spotted the “shadow of something.” It seems important that they didn’t describe it as a human silhouette.
The culprit behind the missing lumber is still being investigated, led mainly by fellow outsiders, so the countess didn’t have much information about them. We probably know more about the progress than she does, since the event UI displays new information as it comes in.
The lord also informed Lady Margaret before his meeting that they should still have enough lumber to keep the campfire going.
The lord’s priorities go as follows:
1. Searching for the missing townsfolk
2. Acquiring more lumber
3. Investigating the lumber theft and its culprit
“Princess, the servants wanna know if you want lunch,” Mr. Skelly informs me.
“It’s already that late? I think I’ll stick to tea for now. Ah, although, these two children would certainly appreciate something sweet, like cookies. I’ll make sure to Enchant them so they can eat them properly.”
“Do exactly as our guest requests.”
“Yes, my lady.”
It’s only natural that the home of an earl would serve tea to any guest. Depending on the time of day, it’s probably normal to treat guests to meals too.
However, there’s one little problem. We’re no normal guests—we’re an outer one, a suit of armor, a skeleton, and spirit bodies. I can only imagine how awkward that makes things for the servants. Our cultures and races are so different from theirs, which forces the servants to outright ask us for our needs. It’s preferable to guesswork that results in serving us something we can’t consume, after all.
We take advantage of the hospitality, summarizing all the information we’ve gained, when the earl himself finally appears. The earl and countess both look young, but considering the age of their son, they must be somewhere between forty and fifty. My parents look extremely young too, so as much as I’d like to declare that these two can’t fool me, I can’t forget that unaging people do exist in this game.
I begin to speak with Earl Kurt Fosselle now that I have the chance to extract the latest information from him. Or, more accurately, the servants arrive with updates for him, which I’m able to overhear.
I share the outsiders’ information with him as well, of course. We have the advantage of receiving it in real time. The team working on the abandoned mine discovered some sort of base camp inside, so once they gather more members, they intend to battle the suspicious group of people residing at said base.
Information has been shared with you.
“Looks like they cleared the abandoned mine,” says Mr. Skelly.
“I wonder what they found…” I ponder.
“They say they’ve still gotta actually ransack the place.”
Investigation into the wood theft led to the abandoned mine, and after finally exploring it, they came across a place where people seemed to be living. These people were clad in robes and looked extremely suspicious. Since they definitely weren’t miners, the outsider adventurers defeated the creepy bunch and are now in the process of looting the area.
New bits of information keep coming in, each with the notification sound of a chiming bell.
Some sort of document has been discovered.
It’s covered in unfamiliar, indecipherable words, save for an epigraph at the very top of the page.
It reads: Dolor’s dames are known by three names, or together by one. Should their presence be your aim, then take these words and read on.. However, the one and only legible line is the title at the very top of the page.
It reads: “To Summon Our Ladies of Sorrow.”
“The last line’s in English. Can you read it, Princess?” Mr. Skelly asks.
“One of the words says ‘summon!’” the twins chime in.
I translate it for them. “It says ‘To Summon Our Ladies of Sorrow.’”
Information has been shared with you.
Some sort of document has been discovered.
It’s covered in unfamiliar, indecipherable words. However, the one and only legible line is the title at the very top of the page.
It reads: “To Summon Shub-Niggurath.”
“Really?! The three ladies and Shub-Niggurath?!” the twins cry out.
“The devs said there would be information meant to mislead us, right? Perhaps this is one of those things. We have to decide which one to investigate,” I speculate.
Information has been shared with you.
Some sort of formula has been discovered at the former residence of the earl. Can nobles really solve math problems like these? Even in our world, there aren’t many people capable of such a thing. Will we really be able to solve this?
Kruschtya Equation.
“An equation?” ask the twins.
“If it came from the manor, I would assume it’s not critical to the event. Lord Kurt, are you familiar with the Kruschtya Equation?”
“Kruschtya? Ah, you mean that unintelligible formula! We’re instructed to preserve it, even if we can’t solve it ourselves. I wouldn’t think there are many people capable of the task at all.”
Surely we’re not actually meant to solve the calculation ourselves. But then how do we use it?
Kruschtya Equation
Solution progresses as long as you look at this screen or keep this screen open while sitting down. Solution speed is influenced by intelligence, spirit, and equipped items.
I see. So, if we have the Kruschtya Equation UI open, it solves automatically based on our stats and equipment. It sounds like we can stay in any position if we keep the UI up, but if we’re sitting, we can work on other things in the meantime.
“Do they not want us to solve it? Solving the equation just makes Nyar show up,” says Mr. Alf.
“Is the equation his avatar?” I ask.
“As soon as you solve it, you’re the one who turns into Nyar.”
“That doesn’t sound very good,” I respond nervously.
“Based on where our progress is right now, I don’t think we’ll be able to solve it during the event at all.”
Without the stats of a pure magic player, the solution is out of my hands. I won’t touch it, myself. I don’t want the Book of the Elder Keys to explode—nor do I want to cross paths with Nyar.
Information has been shared with you.
The base inside the abandoned mine has been cleared and searched.
The captured occupants don’t seem eager to talk, but based on how they’re acting, there might still be more of them roaming free.
Investigate the recovered documents and track down the remainder of the suspicious group.
For now, you can bring your captives into town and let the professionals deal with them.
“It seems a new phase is upon us, my lieges. How shall we broach this development?” Mr. Musasabi messages the union.
“We should probably be looking into countermeasures while we also search for those survivors from the mine. What else is there to do?”
“But the survivors are probably trying to summon the beings from those documents. If we manage to decipher them, we might find a clue about where the survivors went.”
“Ah, I see.”
The servers with more people will have an easier time sending players to all corners of the map to investigate. But that just isn’t realistic on a server like ours.
“Our union will start by investigating the documents. Although, that will probably take us to the east,” I inform the others.
“The east and the south are the places that have been mentioned in the shared info, but we’ve cleared the south now. That just leaves the strange shadow in the east!”
“Are you here, Mr. Ertz?” I ask.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“I hear you’re in the north to gather lumber for that quest. Have you seen anything unusual?”
“Nope. We’ve got guards with us, but as far as I’ve seen and heard, it’s just a normal forest.”
“And the west is just a normal field too. I guess the east really is where we’ll make more progress.”
“My lieges, I am most curious about this strange shadow. Should this require a scouting mission?”
“Yeah, we could definitely send a few parties out for scouting. I’m sure the combat teams will enjoy it.”
After speaking with the party leaders in our union, we agree to keep the groups exploring the north and west in place, since we can’t seem to gather information about those areas in town. The team who went south will return to the city now that they’ve cleared the mine, gather whatever information they can, and then head east.
Aside from the few parties escorting the suspicious group back to town, everyone else can take unexplored routes for their return to help fill in the map. Some players in town and others who return from the escorting task will join the scouting mission in the eastern forest.
Of course, that’s not the story for our union members. Mr. Skelly posts updates about us on the BBS so the other players can plan around whatever we’re up to.
“We’ll be investigating the documents the suspicious men had in their possession,” I declare to the others.
The suspicious group was in possession of incomprehensible documents.
You’ll need different materials in order to decipher them, so search for something that might be of use.
To Summon Shub-Niggurath
Suspicious group’s note
The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young
Black Goddess of the Bountiful Harvest
To Summon Our Ladies of Sorrow
Suspicious group’s note
Our Lady of Tears
Our Lady of Sighs
Our Lady of Darkness
The event UI seems to be showing me the titles of different documents that exist.
To start, I’ll explain this to the earl and share our information with him. It will probably be quickest to have him assist us in finding the documents we need.
“Hmm. I see,” he replies.
“We’ll look into these documents, so please extract whatever information you can from the suspects.”
“Very well.”
“Also, are you in possession of any older documents? Specifically, anything that relates to outer ones,” I ask.
“I keep very old documents stored in my study, though I’m not certain they speak of the outer ones.”
“Can you think of anywhere else that might have them?”
“Perhaps the church, I imagine.”
The lord’s study and the church. I see.
I’ll be the one to handle any business with the church. I can leave the lord’s study to the others.
I’ll inform our union and have a nearby party come and help.
“All right, we’ll be heading to the church next. Please allow the next group of outsiders that shows up to look over your documents,” I inform him.
“Of course. I am deeply grateful for all the help you outsiders have offered our town.”
“Well, we’re acting in our own interests too.”
“But we’re the ones who benefit, in the end. For that, we truly are grateful. There needn’t be any more to it than that.”
I see. He cares more about the results than the motives. I suppose that’s only natural for a feudal lord.
“We ended up staying at your home for far too long. Excuse me, you two. Don’t you think you’ve had too much to eat?” I question the twins.
“But the food here’s yummy!” they cry back.
“Ha ha ha! The chef will be thrilled to hear you enjoyed it so much. Isn’t that right?” Lord Fosselle asks one of his servants.
“Absolutely. It’s normal for guests to leave food on their plate, so the chef was very happy to receive an order for seconds,” he replies.
I’m sure most guests at noble houses are there to attend the wives’ tea parties, where they probably don’t eat much at all. On the other hand, the twins are stuffing their cheeks without a care in the world, although I’m the one who has to Enchant all their food first.
It’s finally time to depart the lord’s manor after our long stay. It’s already close to 3 p.m., but I can hardly complain when I spent my morning relaxing—at least, before this new information came in.
As soon as we step outside the manor to head to the church, we find ourselves face-to-face with a bear.
“Howdy, Princess.”
“I see your party has come to help, Mr. Lucebarm. The earl may have a lead on some documents, so please ask him to lead you to them. The rest of us will be heading to the church as planned.”
“Sure thing.”
We bid farewell to the Fosselle family before we’re on our way.
Greetings, church. We meet again.
“Good day, Bishop Beriess.”
“If it isn’t Princess Nemeseia? How can I help you today?”
“I wanted to see if the church could help out with a little something I’m investigating.”
I explain the situation to Bishop Beriess.
“I see. So the suspicious group spotted in town was in possession of documents? They must be incredibly ancient if they detail the outer ones.”
The bishop instructs a nun to lead us to the library while he goes and retrieves the key.
The library in the corner of the church is more like a reference room, from the sound of it. It’s merely a room full of things like picture books for the children and anything the clergy members enjoy reading as a pastime. However, a locked door sits at the very back of the room—our destination today.
“Past here is where we store books that are difficult to handle, as well as anything particularly old,” the nun explains.
I won’t demand she go into more details. Sometimes it’s best not to know.
Bishop Beriess arrives shortly after and takes over for the nun.
“Let’s see. I believe the older materials are over here, and the unreadable ones are this way, if memory serves.”
He must not come to this room very often. Actually, that makes sense—no one would come to look at things they can’t even read. At most, the only visitors here would be the books’ and documents’ caretakers.
“It seems I was correct. If the materials you seek are here, they should be somewhere around this spot.”
“Thank you, Bishop Beriess. We’ll begin our search at once.”
He leaves me with the key and returns to his work. It’s time for our party to start digging through bookshelves. I’ll take the shelf of unreadable books, while the other four can work on the old texts.
My skills don’t seem to be activating. That means nothing’s here, right?
Information has been shared with you.
“Oh, I found something!” Mr. Skelly cries.
“What is it?” Mr. Alf asks.
“‘Black Goddess of the Bountiful Harvest.’ Ugh, I’ll pass!” he responds.
I take the thin book once Mr. Skelly is done flipping through the pages.
“Oh? The text is all garbled.”
“Wait, you can’t read it either, Princess?”
Let me check the item info.
Black Goddess of the Bountiful Harvest
A book detailing the Black Goddess of the Bountiful Harvest.
…The content is mistranslated in parts, so it will probably take some time to decipher.
“So it’s a translated copy of something, but just the parts relating to Shub-Niggurath? The translation seems to be the problem. Are we supposed to speculate what the original text said?” I ponder.
“It’s like a translated grimoire then? Or a mistranslated grimoire, I should say,” Mr. Skelly adds.
“That’s probably what it’s supposed to be. We also don’t know if it’s only a little mistranslated, or if it’s the entire thing,” I reply.
“What do we do?” the twins ask us.
Speculating what the original text said would be a waste of time. In that case…
“We just need to find out how the suspicious group translated the text.”
“Maybe those ‘suspicious group’s notes’ they had on them are the key,” suggests Mr. Skelly.
“Then we’ll need to find every last note they took that details their rules of translation in order to restore the original text. Actually, no, there’s no need to restore it.”
“But won’t you be able to read the original, Princess?” asks Mr. Skelly.
“Yes, but the suspicious group can’t, so is there any point?”
“Huh? Ah, right, our goal is to apprehend the other suspicious group members who are out there hiding, not translate accurate info about outer ones. Even if they got it wrong, this is supposed to be for a summoning!”
“Even if we manage to read the original text and learn its contents, since the suspicious group couldn’t read it, both parties would likely hold very different information. I highly doubt there’s more than one way to correctly carry out a summoning,” I speculate.
“So their summoning will fail if the conditions aren’t met?” the twins ask.
“That goes beyond just ‘not being fun.’ Nothing would happen if we left these guys alone in the first place at that rate! I doubt we’re meant to just ignore this,” Mr. Skelly infers.
“Probably not. Perhaps we’re supposed to translate the original text after all, if possible,” I speculate.
Information has been shared with you.
“Looks like they found something at the lord’s manor,” says Mr. Alf.
“‘Our Lady of Sighs.’ That would be Mater Suspiriorum,” I reply.
“I-I found something. It says ‘Our Lady of Tears,’” he tells us.
“That’s Mater Lachrymarum. That just leaves Mater Tenebrarum.”
Mr. Alf found the book while Mr. Skelly and I were conversing.
After a while, “The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young” is found at the lord’s manor. That would be the name for Shub-Niggurath.
However, that’s the last discovery made.
“I can’t find anything,” says Mr. Skelly.
“Us either,” the twins answer.
“Did we find all there is to find in the church? The manor had two books in it too,” Mr. Alf suggests.
“There’s nothing on my side either,” I inform the others.
“But where else is there to look?” asks Mr. Alf.
“Actually, the suspicious groups’ personal notes wouldn’t be in the lord’s manor or the church, would they? Perhaps they have a base in town, as well as the abandoned mine?”
“That’s possible,” say Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly in unison.
“Who breaks into places and leaves their items behind?”
The twins are right—that would make the suspicious group quite buffoonish. It would be hard work to break into a place like the church, so to go to those lengths only to leave their notes behind for us? Not to mention, why not just steal the books in the first place?
“They could be hiding out in an empty house somewhere,” Mr. Skelly suggests.
“Or they’re openly using a house they don’t own, lying to the neighbors and saying they just moved in,” Mr. Alf adds.
“I’ll ask the union if they have any ideas. Perhaps they’ve heard something during their investigation into the lumber.”
“Got it!” the four reply to me.
I open up the union channel and send my message.
“Yeah, there was a house like that.”
“I heard it too. But we couldn’t get in.”
“My party is on the way now, so wait and we’ll have an update soon.”
“We could ask the lord if he has the key or go straight to the realtor.”
“The lord sounds like the better choice. It’ll be faster to get help from the highest authority in town, right?”
“We’re here, but the house is different now. Looks like we can go in! The door’s locked, but I think we can break it down.”
“Hang on a minute. I’ve got the lord right here with me.”
“Okay!”
It seems as though the suspicious group does have a base in town. We should be able to start deciphering the texts once we find their remaining members.
“Sounds like they’re done exploring the abandoned mine too,” Mr. Skelly updates us.
“So this group was the culprit in the lumber theft? But they say some of the lumber’s still unaccounted for,” I read.
“Yeah. I doubt they were planning to light a fire in the mine, so maybe they’ve got it stashed in their base in town,” Mr Alf suggests.
“It’s possible. Wait, why haul all that wood to the abandoned mine in the first place?” asks Mr. Skelly.
“Perhaps…”
I ask the union members searching the second base if there’s any lumber around, but they tell me they haven’t seen any.
“No lumber in their base in town. That means they snuck it out of the city, hauled it to the abandoned mine, then took it to another location?” asks Mr. Alf.
“The site of the summoning?!” both twins cry.
“I can’t think of any other possibility. Oh, look at that. More documents have been found,” I note.
Information has been shared with you.
All documents have been collected.
It’s time to uncover what the group of fanatics were plotting.
Select Shub-Niggurath or one of the Our Ladies of Sorrow, watch the UI, or keep it open while sitting to make progress.
The progress of your deciphering will be shared with the entire server, and the rate of analysis is influenced by each player’s intelligence and spirit.
The maximum bonus will be applied to your progress speed due to obtaining all available documents.
* There is no need to remain physically with the documents or take them out from where they were found. You may work on deciphering in any location of your choosing.
“I see. In that case, let’s clean up here and head out,” I suggest.
“Why don’t we meet up, Princess? We’re probably near the climax of the event. Let’s all sit down and have a strategy meeting, since we can still decipher if we’re sitting.”
“Where shall we meet?”
“How about the field in the west? There’s a lot of us, you know.”
I agree with Mr. Cecil’s suggestion. Let’s all gather up for the time being.
I notify each party leader, clean up my work, lock the door behind us, and head out. After returning the key to Bishop Beriess and saying goodbye, our group sets off for the western field.
I see a large group has already gathered.
There are chairs, mats, and even plain wooden boards set out for everyone to sit on.
“Over here, Sis!”
My friends appear to be gathered in the center of the field.
Rina runs and leaps at me, so I wrap my arms around her in an embrace, stopping her momentum.
“Hey there. This deciphering process is really slow,” Mr. Cecil informs me.
“But there’s nothing else left for us to do. We’ll have to wait.”
“Yeah, I think so. At least we finally have a real goal we can accomplish.”
I hope Mr. Cecil doesn’t care that my sister is nuzzling against me. This sort of thing is normal for her, after all.
“Hopefully these documents contain the location of the summoning and instructions about how to handle any mythical beings,” I add.
“That would make sense. Although, this is an action game where you fight with swords and spells, so it won’t be like the TRPG at all.”
“Considering mythical beings will certainly be at the max level, there must be some sort of gimmick to handle them. Even if we find a spell that banishes them, it probably won’t work unless we manage to lower their health first, right?”
“Yeah, games often have items you can only use once you get the enemy’s health down first.”
Now that my sister has let go of me, I take a seat on a wooden bench without a backrest—like one you would find in a park. I suspect Ms. Primura was the one who made this.
“All right, which one should I start deciphering?”
“That’s a big sister, all right. Totally ignoring her little sister when she goes back in for a second cuddling…”
“This happens all the time, so it’s normal for me. Which one are you working on, Rina?”
“Shub-Niggurath!”
Ah… Well, they’ll all be deciphered in the end, so I suppose it doesn’t matter. I’ll go with Shub-Niggurath too.
“We called this a strategy meeting, but there’s no way to strategize until we finish deciphering and get some real information.”
“What else shall we do if not wait for the task at hand to be complete, my liege? The Halloween tickets exist so that we may exchange them for our desired goods whenever we please,” Mr. Musasabi explains.
“Let’s sit around and chat while we’re all here!”
“But it looks like it’s about to rain.”
“Yep, it does, but who knows for sure?”
I wonder what the weather forecast for today was like. It’s hard to remark on it when I don’t know how it works.
“Rain is confirmed for tonight. There’ll be a thunderstorm tomorrow, but no one knows what time yet.”
“Is that a spell? How does it work?” I ask.
“Supposedly, the spell lets you look up the weather once every hour.”
“Oh, if it isn’t Mr. Studylover. What happens in between those times, like at 2:30?” I ask him.
“Hey there. Right now, we only know how to get a forecast at the exact hour on the dot. Also, the further out the forecast is, the less accurate it seems to be.”
“And we don’t know about its modifiers or anything else yet?”
“Nope, not yet. You have to get Air Magic or Storm Magic up to level 30 to get the spell.”
“Derivatives of Wind Magic? So I’m entirely excluded from these branches.”
“You can’t take those because of your race, right? That’s quite a heavy penalty,” he says to me.
“But I make up for it by having very strong Light Magic and Dark Magic. I suppose I can’t complain.”
It sounds like the weather forecasting spell is out of my grasp. Well, my race isn’t particularly affected by weather in the first place.
“It’s gonna rain? We won’t get much EXP from hunting, so maybe the devs really do want us to sit down and decipher all this stuff.”
“The EXP reaped from an S clear shall more than make up for it, my liege.”
“Exactly.”
“We should prepare places to sleep now, before the rain gets here.”
“Let’s dig holes!”
“How about not?”
“We tried that in the camping event.”
“Yeah, the one where we got flooded, right?”
“That really sucked,” everyone groans at once.
I thought the camping event was quite fun. At this point in time, I can also flee into subspace to escape the rain.
“Hey, whatever happened with the cat and those pumpkins?”
“Who knows?” the group replies.
“Maybe the devs will explain them when the event’s finished.”
“Knowing them, they’ll probably answer if we just ask.”
“They definitely would,” the group agrees.
“The main event’s probably going to lead us to Shub-Niggurath or the ladies, right? It definitely won’t be the final fight, but if they do arrive, I think it’ll be tonight.”
“Yeah, maybe. That Krust… What’s it called again? Anyway, did anyone try solving that equation?”
“It’s the Kruschtya Equation, and only individual players can solve it. The entire server doesn’t share the solution. So yeah, it sounds impossible.”
“Besides, you probably drop dead the second you work it out.”
“Let’s try it, Princess!”
“Are you sure this is a good place for it?” I ask.
“Don’t get the rest of us mixed up in this.”
“Even with minimal damage, you should still die.”
“But the damage would have to be extreme if even Princess died.”
“Fear not, it’s just a fatal wound.”
“It’s too late for fear to stop anything at this point.”
In the TRPG, you become Nyar once you solve the Kruschtya Equation. It’s not a matter of gaining new information—it’s really more like a transformation.
“I think you lose all SAN and have your intelligence and education stats turn into Nyar’s values. If we do receive knowledge here, it could be like a new skill or something? Hmm…”
“Losing all sanity likely means an instant death in this game, as the character dies as an individual when they lose all SAN in the TRPG. I doubt we’d be able to run from Nyar once he arrives either,” I speculate.
“Yeah, there’s no way. The only person who might have a chance is you, Princess.”
“He would merely click his tongue at me and leave.”
“Actually, I’d like to see that.”
“But don’t you think he’d come after us if he sees us standing nearby?”
“Yeah, for sure,” the whole group agrees.
“It doesn’t seem like him to just leave without trying something first.”
Yes, the beings who dwell in the Medium do seem quite bored, after all.
“I dunno much about Cthulhu stuff. What is ‘Nyar,’ exactly?”
“He’s a being named Nyarlathotep,” I begin.
“Yeah?”
“Maybe it would be faster to describe him as the character that Nyaruko is based on. Although, this game mostly draws from the original stories, so obviously, he’s not a cute young girl here.”
“Oh yeah, I know that anime series.”
“To put it simply, he’s something of a nuisance who, despite his unparalleled strength, enjoys driving people to madness by granting them knowledge,” I explain.
“He’s also referred to as Crawling Chaos and The Faceless God. He has a thousand avatars with different personalities that can actually exist at the same time. I even hear they battle each other sometimes.”
“Nyarlathotep is incredibly intelligent. One could say that he looks down on everyone else but himself.”
“Okay, got it. He’s an evil, troublesome sort of guy.”
“That’s all the information you’ll need to get by.”
Only those with personalities similar to Nyar can fully comprehend him, after all.
Information has been shared with you.
Analysis of the suspicious group’s documents is underway.
Instead of summoning the inactive gods who never appear before mankind, they are attempting to summon mythical beings witnessed throughout civilization for millennia—the outer ones.
Pray to the outer ones, not the dormant gods. Rulers should be the strongest beings of all, and they must lead from the very top of all hierarchies.
…These are the beliefs the group shares blindly.
“All right, but who exactly are they praying to? Do they intend to make the outer ones their kings? This is no sane group of people, that’s for sure. Strength and political ability are completely different traits,” I remark.
“Well, yeah, I guess that’s what makes them ‘fanatics.’”
“Shall we send them all to the Medium? I’m sure they’ll wail with joy. The Medium’s inhabitants will also be pleased to have new to—I mean, new visitors after so long,” I suggest.
“Were you about to call them ‘toys?’”
“No, you must have misheard me.”
“Sis, should you be letting your character slip like that?”
“Ah, no, probably not. I don’t think I can let these fanatics off the hook now that I know what they’re planning, so I’m seriously considering sending them to the Medium.”
“What’s giving you pause?”
“Well, I’m speculating outcomes based on the Medium inhabitants I’ve met so far…”
As a member of the Stellura family, I feel personally attacked by this.
Outer ones, at a fundamental level, worship the gods. Almost every character in this game based on Cthulhu serves Stellura in particular.
Yog-Sothoth, the basis for Stellura, is enemies with the Lords of Tindalos and related characters in the TRPG, but that’s not the case in this game. Mh’ithrha, the Arch-Lord of Tindalos, has actually helped me out quite a bit.
Long ago, worshippers of Stellura, the vice-goddess, evolved into beings based on the Cthulhu mythos. That’s probably because Stellura herself is based on Yog-Sothoth, the viceroy god.
When these beings stopped being “normal”—though I’m not certain they were all humans before their evolution—Stellura created the realm known as the Medium and brought them there to live. This was because humans can be cruel to other races, and it probably creeped them out to see those who used to be humans lurking about.
Thus, the goddess they worshipped granted these beings a place where they belonged and introduced them to others who were just like them. I’m sure it was none other than an act of divine salvation to them. That’s why their gratitude toward Stellura is so strong—strong enough that they obey even Nyarlathotep without any disdain for him.
“In other words, the outer ones were all individuals who went through an evolution just like I did.”
“So they weren’t born like that?” Rina asks.
“The term ‘outer ones’ refers to us being immortal, unaging, and exempt from the cycle of reincarnation. Everything relating to the Cthulhu mythos, including my own race, is part of ‘the Stellura family of the outer ones.’”
“The Stellura family?”
“You’ll see it if you use Identify. Our ‘family’ shows who we’re devoted to.”
“Oh, you mean the ‘family’ part of your taxonomy!”
“Here, this is mine, and here’s the Pup Lord’s information.”
“Wow, you’re right. It’s really a ‘Stellura family.’ But why does it say Mh’ithrha is a lower class? That’s gotta be a lie.”
“I had the same thought, but his race is a Lord of Tindalos, after all. He’s referred to as the arch-lord because he’s at the top of that race.”
If my theory is right, these fanatics will be incurring the wrath of the higher-ups and will probably be attacked by whatever they manage to summon. I don’t know if killing the fanatics alone will be enough to satisfy their summon’s rage.
“The easiest method would be to allow the fanatics to summon their being and let them get killed off, but that’s not in our control. I think we have no choice but to stop the summoning. We might actually be able to reason with the Our Ladies of Sorrow, but I’m not sure about Shub-Niggurath, as I haven’t met her yet,” I explain.
“Our Ladies of Sorrow look like humans, so they might not be too bad. I dunno how we’d reason with something like Shub-Niggurath though.”
“And consider her size against the few dozen fanatics who summoned her.”
Information has been shared with you.
Analysis of the fanatics’ documents is underway (Shub-Niggurath).
Shub-Niggurath possesses a servitor race known as the Dark Young.
Approach the Dark Young with a gift for Shub-Niggurath, and they will rebuild you into the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
“Ah, so we’re gonna get information bit by bit as we make more progress.”
“Maybe that means we can learn the bare minimum of what we need before we actually finish deciphering.”
“But they probably ordered it so that the final pieces of information are the most helpful.”
“I like how they’ve stopped calling them ‘the suspicious group’ and switched to ‘fanatics.’”
“Oh, you’re right.”
“I assumed the Dark Young would be here if Shub-Niggurath is. But the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath are here too?”
“They deliver presents? How lovely!”
“It’s not lovely at all!”
“Just imagine how grotesque it’d be if the Blessed don’t retain a human form.”
“Aren’t the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath’s appearances assigned at random? This is an all-ages game, so they probably still look human, or at least somewhat human.”
“Are you implying that this game pulls its punches when it comes to creepy appearances?”
“Um, I guess not. I shouldn’t get my hopes up.”
“Good idea.”
Right, the Shoggoth were quite visually appalling too. I don’t know how we’d look at them without a filter or any special resistance.
Rain started to fall in the early evening, just as the forecast predicted, so I cover up in my cloak. I suppose I could cast Waterproofing Force Field, but I need a use for my cloak too.
The analysis is still underway. But where’s our information about the Our Ladies of Sorrow?
“Is it just me, or is it skipping the ladies?”
“Let’s see what happens once we’re halfway done. Based on the shared information so far, I wonder if this server got the Shub-Niggurath route.”
“Agreed. We’re getting way more information about her than the ladies, so I think it’s safe to assume.”
“Hey, I just got back from building the campfire.”
“Oh, good work!”
We mustn’t forget the campfire. The residents keep it up themselves, but it seems safest to help out if we want our S clear. Our non-magic using union members assist by transporting lumber and assembling the campfire.
Now that they’ve finished, they join us in deciphering the documents.
Information has been shared with you.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
You have determined a suitable location for the summoning.
Search the mountain deep within the eastern forest near the outskirts of Howard Town.
The summoning is believed to be planned for 6 p.m. on your third day in town.
If you wish to take even more precautions, you can do further research to look for additional countermeasures against the fanatics.
Deciphering the documents any further is likely to take more time.
You have obtained a suitable time for a summoning to occur.
A countdown leading up to the climax phase has now begun.
“Whooooa!” the group cheers.
“I bet we wouldn’t have gotten the countdown in time if we took too long getting through 50 percent of Shub-Niggurath’s document, huh?”
“Probably not. I wonder what happens then? Does the summoning just happen without any warning, or does the countdown show up right before it instead?”
“Please don’t tell me we have to fight a defensive war against Shub-Niggurath in the east.”
“There’s no SAN stat in this game, so we can probably run away. But I doubt we’re clearing any quests if we let the town get destroyed or something. That’d be pretty sad.”
Information has been shared with you.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Our Ladies of Sorrow).
You appear to be lacking vital information.
In all likelihood, the fanatics aren’t attempting to summon Our Ladies of Sorrow.
* These documents cannot be deciphered any further. Try another document instead.
“Ah, we can’t decipher that one anymore.”
“So all we know is their names and the fact that they exist?”
“Now we can focus solely on Shub-Niggurath!”
The problem is that our deciphering speed has dropped off dramatically for the Shub-Niggurath document. Well, perhaps the devs accounted for that, knowing we’d all switch to one priority at this point.
We have the bare minimum of information we’ll need, leaving us time to search for something to use as a countermeasure. At this rate of deciphering, we would have never garnered enough information if we’d started much later.
That also means that, the more we continue to decipher, the easier the climax will be on us.
“Why don’t we split up for now? The rain is starting to come down harder, and I think we should patrol the area now that the sun’s down.”
“We still need to make progress on the document, but it feels like a bad idea to skip out on patrols,” I add.
“I’d like to patrol if possible too.”
“Magic users can work on deciphering while the muscle-heads go on patrol.”
“I’d also like to add lookouts to the lumber storage shed,” I tell the others.
“Right, to keep out the fanatics we didn’t capture. Let’s send lookouts to the shed, the empty house, and the entrance to the abandoned mine.”
“Sounds like a plan. The lookouts can keep deciphering so long as they sit and chat among themselves. They don’t actually need to capture the fanatics either. We can probably send two parties to the empty house and the abandoned mine based on the limited number of entrances.”
“The sky would be a good place for lookouts too,” I suggest.
As we plan where we’ll station the lookouts, the rain starts to come down much harder than its previous drizzle.
“Ms. Clementia is definitely enjoying this,” I speculate.
“She is a plant after all, my liege.”
“Eclesith give off so much static electricity.”
“Hee hee hee!”
“Hey, stay away from me!”
Ms. Fairellen’s character crackles like lightning, which only seems to intensify due to the rain. I never knew the weather influenced her like that. I wonder what would happen if you dunked her in water?
“Shouldn’t you wait for the rest of nature’s special effects engine to kick in before you start doing your pop dance routine?”
“The thunderstorm will probably hit just before the summoning tomorrow.”
“We’re just rehearsing for that.”
“I see. It’s important to prepare, I guess.”
“The storm during the camping event was too intense to have any fun.”
“But enough of that. C’mon, let’s go patrol.”
“Okaaay.”
I predict we’ll be too busy stopping the summoning to have any fun tomorrow either. Well, perhaps it’s possible if the thunderstorm hits us well before the summoning.
“Shall we get a move on?” I suggest.
“Let’s do it!”
An unusual party of me, Mr. Skelly, and Ms. Trine will head to the church for deciphering. Mr. Alf and Mr. Ame will take on patrolling the town.
“Did anything eventful happen to the four of you last night?” I remember to ask them.
“Nope, not at all,” Mr. Alf tells me.
“We lost our Light user once you went to bed, Princess, so I spooked a few players. But that’s about it,” Mr. Skelly adds.
“Yeah, whenever this idiot scared someone, he’d go sprinting up to them to make it even worse.”
“It was a blast!”
Mr. Skelly did what now? I pity the rest of the players. That sounds like a ghost story students would tell at school.
Our group splits up in front of the church. Farewell, Mr. Alf and Mr. Ame. The three of us sit down and chat while we decipher the document. I think I’ll also work on Alchemy, since I can do that while sitting too. Crafting outside in the rain would just result in mind-numbing item quality—mind-numbing in the bad way, of course.
“How high is your Alchemist skill right now, Princess?” Mr. Skelly asks me.
“It’ll be maxed soon, so I’m wondering when I’ll hit the third tier. The revival medicine recipe gives me quite a lot of EXP due to how difficult it is to make.”
“I haven’t leveled up mine at all. My necromancy skills do boost it a little, though,” he replies.
“Dark Ritual gives EXP to Alchemist?”
“Uh-huh. I can’t use potions, and my weapon works with Carpentry, so Alchemy ends up mostly ignored. Maybe it would be faster to take my raw timber to Primura.”
“I also have a producer work on my ores for me. It just requires too many materials to do them myself. I believe that, for lumber, you now receive less wood than before, correct?”
“It hurts to have that one extra leftover piece, yeah.”
“Yes, I understand. Yet you have to go through the process or you won’t level your skills. I have a much easier time making revival medicine. Do you produce anything, Ms. Trine?”
“Nope, nothing! I can’t drink potions and can only make special equipment,” she tells me.
“Now that you mention it, has equipment been developed specifically for spirit body races yet?” I ask her.
“No. That’s why we can’t make real equipment, even though we can eat food with Enchant now. I bet the equipment needs some sort of unique material.”
“I suppose spirit bodies need their equipment to meld with their bodies, after all,” I reply.
“Uh-huh. When you use Spirit Body Transformation, all your equipment automatically drops on the ground.”
Spirit body races unlock Half Spirit Body, Spirit Body Transformation, and Physical Body Transformation when they hit level 30.
Spirit Body Transformation means you can’t interact with physical things anymore, but it also grants you Total Physical Immunity. You can no longer view these players with your eyes like normal either. The downside is that incoming magic attacks retain their normal damage, and that all equipment will be forcefully removed unless it’s a special variety. The skill doesn’t change anything relating to Light Magic or Holy Magic.
Physical Body Transformation boosts all stats relating to the body and grants you the ability to use most equipment, but physical damage reductions are removed. Again, Light Magic and Holy Magic remain unchanged.
Alchemist has reached level 60. You have gained 2 skill points.
By reaching the maximum level of Alchemist, you have unlocked Alchemy Master.
“Oh, I leveled up. I’ll take the third-tier skill right now.”
“Good work!” Mr. Skelly congratulates me.
Title: Alchemist has been upgraded into Title: Third-Rate Alchemist.
Title: Third-Rate Alchemist has been upgraded into Title: Second-Rate Alchemist.
Title: Second-Rate Alchemist has been upgraded into Title: First-Rate Alchemist.
Title: First-Rate Alchemist has been upgraded into Title: Supreme Alchemist.
Alchemy Master
Nature’s Creations
Crafting requires the same amount of materials as other production skills.
“Supreme Alchemist”
This title is granted to veteran alchemists who have mastered their craft to produce S-rank items.
MP used in production is reduced. Production difficulty is lowered. Grants a quality bonus to alchemized items.
“Oh! My required materials to craft have been standardized. So I finally reach that point now that I have the third-tier skill?”
“So that is a perk you get? Sounds like all the downsides of Alchemy are gone for you now. Not that I’m gonna start using it,” says Mr. Skelly.
“Me neither!” Ms. Trine chimes in.
“The benefits of Alchemy might actually surprise you. That said, it’s still easiest to simply make jerky with Cooking,” I explain.
“I hear that jerky is a great money generator, right? But chefs have to fight enemies too, or else they’ll run out of gold just buying ingredients for their food,” says Mr. Skelly.
“I’m able to hunt the main ingredients I use in my cooking. That makes it a much cheaper process. I have to purchase any seafood, but I’d still prefer to focus on Alchemy over Cooking now.”
“I know some people have Cooking up to a higher level than you, but does anyone in this game beat you at Alchemy? There might be players who sell ingredients for Alchemy too, though that sounds like a nightmare to me,” he replies.
“Right now, you need an Alchemy teacher, or else you can only craft C-grade items or below. I wonder if that restriction will ever change. Perhaps the improved Alchemy circle I gave to my teacher will help somehow.”
“That’s what you’ve been working on?”
“Yes, I made it with the Book of Eibon and Ancient Languages. Oh, that’s right, it’s the Book of the Elder Keys now, so perhaps I can improve the circle even more? I think I’ll take a look, since I have nothing else to do.”
Let’s see. I bet I can upgrade my Magical Energy Circle. I probably should have kept a copy of the one I gave to my teacher. I’ll have to go and see her once the event is over.
I think I’ll improve my Magical Energy Circle until it’s time for bed.
“It looks so cool!” says Ms. Trine.
“It’s like something from an anime,” Mr. Skelly replies.
Yes, I see how the magic circle floating in the air resembles an anime. I flick away the words written in the circle and use my magical energy to add new ones to the empty space. It turns out to be quite the challenge.
“Hmm, something about this is strange,” I say.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going too hot,” Mr. Skelly comments.
“I’d been improving it with the Book of Eibon, but it feels different on a fundamental level now. Or rather, I get the sense that my circle is going to change into something else entirely.”
“Oh yeah? Then you oughtta keep going and see what happens!”
“Hmm, well, for now I’ll just duplicate it.”
“It’s your bedtime, isn’t it, Princess?”
“Is it already that late? Perhaps it’s time for me to retire.”
“Night-night!” says Mr. Skelly.
“I’m going to bed too!” says Ms. Trine.
I head to the same church bedroom from the previous night to sleep.
Official BBS 1
Official BBS 1
[Fourth event] Halloween Day 2 [Server 1]
1. Management
This thread is for the fourth official event: Halloween.
Please use it as a general discussion thread for anything about the event.
Click here to see the Day 1 thread.
1222. Sightseeing Adventurer
Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!
1223. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, what’s the matter?
1224. Sightseeing Adventurer
I just saw something out the window.
1225. Sightseeing Adventurer
Aaah! The window! Look out the window!
1226. Sightseeing Adventurer
Knock it off, Mr. Skelly. Although, I’ll admit it was funny to watch.
1227. Honehone
I can’t help it! Everyone just reacted so perfectly.
1228. Sightseeing Adventurer
Damn you!
1229. Honehone
Sorry!
1230. Sightseeing Adventurer
What did he even do?
1231. Sightseeing Adventurer
He looks like a floating skeleton when he’s backlit, and whenever he spooked someone, he would just dash right toward them.
1232. Alfred
That’s because we can’t use the Light art now that Princess went to bed.
1233. Sightseeing Adventurer
Lmao, I see.
1234. Sightseeing Adventurer
Damn, that’s hilarious.
1235. Sightseeing Adventurer
He’s been playing out a ghost story in town?
1236. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s way more evil than it sounds.
3840. Sightseeing Adventurer
The day was lost! We have nothing!
3841. Sightseeing Adventurer
That’s amazingly bad luck you’ve got there.
3842. Sightseeing Adventurer
That line always pissed me off.
3843. Sightseeing Adventurer
I just couldn’t handle it.
3844. Sightseeing Adventurer
You’re going to get sacrificed to Mishaguji-sama.
3845. Sightseeing Adventurer
C’mon, swallow him whole!
3846. Sightseeing Adventurer
I feel like snakes swallow everything whole.
3847. Sightseeing Adventurer
Okay, this is now a chikuwa thread. Post about your last one.
3848. Sightseeing Adventurer
Also, you shouldn’t give commands to Mishaguji-sama like that, or he’ll eat you next.
3849. Sightseeing Adventurer
I had a perfect chikuwa yesterday. Crispy and seasoned just right.
3850. Sightseeing Adventurer
My last one was a little undercooked, boo hoo hoo.
3851. Sightseeing Adventurer
Damn it, I actually laughed.
3852. Sightseeing Adventurer
A good thread derail really hits the spot sometimes, lol.
3853. Sightseeing Adventurer
Good morning! Have we made any progress?
3854. Sightseeing Adventurer
Nope, none.
3855. Sightseeing Adventurer
Well, we don’t actually know that for sure.
3856. Sightseeing Adventurer
What should we do for the time being?
3657. Sightseeing Adventurer
Pray, eat breakfast, go to work, eat lunch, work some more, have dinner with your family, pray, and go to sleep.
3658. Sightseeing Adventurer
Uh, what are you talking about?
3859. Sightseeing Adventurer
Sounds like a clergy member or something.
3860. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’m glad I woke up early, but it looks like we made even less progress than I was hoping.
3861. Sightseeing Adventurer
So the people who slept haven’t had anything happen either? I guess that’s to be expected.
3862. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, nothing happened for me. I just woke up like normal.
3863. Sightseeing Adventurer
Okay, then I’m going to bed now too.
3864. Sightseeing Adventurer
Guess I’ll walk around and see what’s going on.
5124. Sightseeing Adventurer
I just heard there’s a chance that both the cat and the pumpkins are actually Nyar himself.
5125. Sightseeing Adventurer
Mr. Skelly and I just praised the sun together, then Princess gave me food.
5126. Sightseeing Adventurer
What kind of chain reaction is that?
5127. Sightseeing Adventurer
What do you mean “praised the sun?”
5128. Sightseeing Adventurer
The Souls thing?
5129. Sightseeing Adventurer
Odd thing for that bag of bones to do.
5130. Sightseeing Adventurer
Not to mention it’s cloudy today.
5131. Sightseeing Adventurer
Exactly.
5132. Sightseeing Adventurer
Don’t nitpick!
5133. Sightseeing Adventurer
So there’s the mine in the southern mountain in addition to the abandoned mine. Which should we search?
5134. Sightseeing Adventurer
I feel like the abandoned one’s more likely to have something in it.
5135. Sightseeing Adventurer
Agreed.
5136. Sightseeing Adventurer
I don’t mind going, but do you think we can clear it with only a few parties?
5137. Sightseeing Adventurer
Just don’t forget there’ll probably be monsters lurking around.
5138. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s not monsters I’m worried about.
5139. Sightseeing Adventurer
In fact, bring ’em on.
5140. Sightseeing Adventurer.
This.
5141. Sightseeing Adventurer
Let’s get some people together who can fight in enclosed spaces and check out the abandoned mine.
5142. Sightseeing Adventurer
You have to be C rank or higher to help the feudal lord move?
5143. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ah, so that rules me out.
5144. Sightseeing Adventurer
I can do it.
5145. Sightseeing Adventurer
Did they choose C because it’s the same rank you need to carry out escort missions?
5146. Sightseeing Adventurer
Probably. Although I’m sure they also care about the personalities of who they hire.
5147. Sightseeing Adventurer
Think his old house will be related somehow?
5148. Sightseeing Adventurer
I wonder if we’ll find something there.
5149. Sightseeing Adventurer
Honestly, I doubt it.
5150. Sightseeing Adventurer
How come?
5151. Sightseeing Adventurer
Because most outsiders aren’t ranked C or above yet. I don’t think this connects to the main event at all.
5152. Sightseeing Adventurer
I see. We should only send a small group to confirm.
5153. Cecil
I may as well go to the house myself while I have time.
5154. Sightseeing Adventurer
Sounds good.
7642. Sightseeing Adventurer
Looks like the lumber’s being stolen?
7643. Sightseeing Adventurer
According to the shared info, yeah.
7644. Sightseeing Adventurer
So now we’ve gotta get more lumber and investigate who took it.
7645. Sightseeing Adventurer
I don’t have the right skills to chop trees, so I’ll help with the investigation.
7646. Sightseeing Adventurer
Same here…
7647. Primura
I wanna go harvest the wood. Can anyone escort me?
7648. Mead
I can join you.
7649. Primura
Really? Okay, then let’s meet up in front of the lumber storage shed! Can anyone else with Lumber skills join?
7650. Sightseeing Adventurer
I might as well come along.
7651. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, I’ll help out too.
7652. Anastasia
Look what I found in the lord’s previous manor.
7653. Sightseeing Adventurer
Holy crap! What’s it doing there?
7654. Sightseeing Adventurer
“Time-Clock”?
7655. Sightseeing Adventurer
Wow. You can’t carry it around like the key?
7656. Sightseeing Adventurer
Maybe it’s meant to be set somewhere. Oh, wait, we already have statues that work like portals.
7657. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, and you can buy a mini statue for your housing.
7658. Sightseeing Adventurer
So it’s just one of the devs’ jokes we can’t even use?
7659. Sightseeing Adventurer
Based on how frequently the updates are coming in, the lumber investigation seems to be the thing to focus on.
7660. Sightseeing Adventurer
Agreed. How’s the abandoned mine looking?
7661. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s a lot bigger than we thought. Anyone around for backup?
7662. Sightseeing Adventurer
Seriously?
7663. Sightseeing Adventurer
Guess I’ll join you since the investigation seems to be going well.
7664. Sightseeing Adventurer
There’re some paths we can’t explore without more people.
7665. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s that big?
7666. Sightseeing Adventurer
Good luck. We’ll share the map with you.
7667. Sightseeing Adventurer
Thanks. I just hope this amounts to something.
9543. Sightseeing Adventurer
I hear a song that makes me want to spin a leek.
9544. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ievan Polkka?
9545. Sightseeing Adventurer
I just happened to hear someone performing it.
9546. Sightseeing Adventurer
I know that song. It makes me want to spin a leek too.
9547. Sightseeing Adventurer
Same here.
9548. Sightseeing Adventurer
Why not make an avatar for your weapon that looks like a leek?
9549. Sightseeing Adventurer
A blunt weapon might work.
9550. Sightseeing Adventurer
Or a piercing one.
9551. Sightseeing Adventurer
That way you can stab someone in the ass.
9552. Sightseeing Adventurer
What happens if you do?
9553. Sightseeing Adventurer
You seriously don’t know? It heals you if you’ve got a cold.
9554. Sightseeing Adventurer
How do you even come up with an answer like that?
9555. Sightseeing Adventurer
It was a reference to absorbing the leek’s nutrients rectally.
9556. Sightseeing Adventurer
There’s a fine line between genius and insanity.
9557. Sightseeing Adventurer
I just feel like a lot of idiots have probably tried it before.
9558. Sightseeing Adventurer
Most humans are idiots…including me.
9559. Sightseeing Adventurer
You’re so humble.
9560. Sightseeing Adventurer
Nine leeks should do the trick.
9561. Sightseeing Adventurer
You want to stick nine up there?
9562. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’ll dice them up for you to use instead. And you’ll thank me for it.
9563. Sightseeing Adventurer
How am I supposed to get them out if they’re diced?
9564. Sightseeing Adventurer
You’re not.
9565. Sightseeing Adventurer
Oh, you’re so honest.
9566. Sightseeing Adventurer
This feels like the time when Management would usually slide in…
9567. Management
Well… This isn’t so bad…
9568. Sightseeing Adventurer
They’re allowing it!
9569. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’ll send Management nine leeks to show my appreciation.
9570. Management
We’ll be sure to spin them to the rhythm of the music. After that, we’ll give them to Mr. Yamamoto.
9571. Sightseeing Adventurer
Lmao.
9572. Higher-up
Um, nine is a few more than I need.
9573. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, nine pre-spun leeks is kind of a lot.
9574. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, I think there’s people in this abandoned mine.
9575. Sightseeing Adventurer
People other than us?
9576. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, our party’s supposed to be the only one on this path…
9577. Sightseeing Adventurer
Oh, the lumber investigation just pointed to the abandoned mine too.
9578. Sightseeing Adventurer
I see. Let’s be a bit more careful in here.
9579. Sightseeing Adventurer
You don’t want the suspicious people running if they spot you. Actually, how many are there?
9580. Sightseeing Adventurer
No clue. We don’t have any info yet.
9581. Sightseeing Adventurer
Should we wait for the investigation team to join us?
9582. Sightseeing Adventurer
Just gimme the current map for now.
9583. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, post the damn thing!
9584. Sightseeing Adventurer
You guys always switch tones really quickly.
9585. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s fun.
9626. Sightseeing Adventurer
…It’s pretty empty in here.
9627. Sightseeing Adventurer
The deeper we go, the more the paths branch out…
9628. Sightseeing Adventurer
C’mon, let’s keep it up.
9629. Sightseeing Adventurer
What’s this now?
9630. Sightseeing Adventurer
We come this far and now we’re supposed to check the east?
9631. Sightseeing Adventurer
The people in town will have to handle that for us.
9632. Sightseeing Adventurer
Charge in, everyone!
14240. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, there’s a group of people in this mine.
14241. Sightseeing Adventurer
So the theft was a group effort?
14242. Sightseeing Adventurer
Apparently, there’s some sort of big chamber.
14243. Sightseeing Adventurer
Oh, so that’s where they gather?
14244. Sightseeing Adventurer
For now, I’ll go the other way and post the map.
14245. Sightseeing Adventurer
Roger that.
14246. Sightseeing Adventurer
Here you go!
14247. Sightseeing Adventurer
Let’s see. Maybe we can find another route to get to that chamber.
14248. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, let’s surround ’em!
14249. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ah, this path goes to the chamber too, so I’ll come back.
14250. Sightseeing Adventurer
Remind me what happens when you fight people in this game?
14251. Sightseeing Adventurer
What do you mean?
14252. Sightseeing Adventurer
We have to capture them, right? Do they die as soon as you use a sword on them?
14253. Sightseeing Adventurer
Oh, I see what you mean. It depends on what the specific quest outlines, so we don’t have an answer yet.
14254. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hopefully they’re not wanted “dead or alive.” That’d be the biggest hassle.
14255. Sightseeing Adventurer
Agreed.
14256. Sightseeing Adventurer
Wouldn’t it be more of a hassle to capture them alive?
14257. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s a problem unique to video games. It depends on the exact quest, but if capturing them is the only option, you can attack the target with swords or magic all you like and they won’t die. But if it’s “take them dead or alive,” they’ll just die.
14258. Sightseeing Adventurer
Aaah, I get it now.
14259. Sightseeing Adventurer
My theory is that a quest will pop up if we get closer to the group. What do you think?
14260. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’d like to read the quest details before we fight them if possible.
14261. Sightseeing Adventurer
It would suck if there’s some rules to the quest, so we should know in advance.
14262. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’ll try sending in a scout.
14263. Sightseeing Adventurer
Good luck!
14264. Sightseeing Adventurer
And there’s that quest.
14265. Sightseeing Adventurer
So we can only capture them. Good, that means we can beat ’em up.
14266. Sightseeing Adventurer
Test it on one enemy before you attack the rest.
14267. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, it might look like an accident if just one person gets hit. *innocent look*
14268. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, that’s true.
14269. Sightseeing Adventurer
He died, but I don’t care!
14270. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ignorance is bliss.
14271. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’ve arrived!
14272. Sightseeing Adventurer
Standby… Standby…
14273. Sightseeing Adventurer
Stay!
14274. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yes, sir.
14275. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hmm, let’s wait a little longer. We’ll storm the chamber in ten minutes.
14276. Sightseeing Adventurer
Got it!
14982. Sightseeing Adventurer
Charge! ☆
14983. Sightseeing Adventurer
Bankai! ☆
14984. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’m gonna rewrite your name with Xx’s and leet.
14985. Sightseeing Adventurer
Nooo!
14986. Sightseeing Adventurer
How cruel! How can you do that to a fellow human being?!
14987. Sightseeing Adventurer
And so, the accused was unable to defend himself.
14988. Sightseeing Adventurer
It suddenly got scary in here.
15317. Sightseeing Adventurer
…It’s over.
15318. Sightseeing Adventurer
Wow, those guys sucked.
15319. Sightseeing Adventurer
Black robe cult, couldn’t you have put up a better fight?
15320. Sightseeing Adventurer
We came, we saw, we conquered. That was boring.
15321. Sightseeing Adventurer
Now they’re getting insulted by the people who beat them to a pulp.
15322. Sightseeing Adventurer
But it’s probably a tough fight for the other servers if the enemies are on our level.
15323. Sightseeing Adventurer
Time to ransack the place!
15324. Sightseeing Adventurer
Makes you wonder who the real villains are.
15325. Sightseeing Adventurer
Try not to think about it.
15326. Sightseeing Adventurer
What’s yours is mine!
15327. Sightseeing Adventurer
Prepare to die!
16666. Sightseeing Adventurer
Eeeek!
16667. Sightseeing Adventurer
Our Ladies of Sorrow. Their names sure come up a lot…
16668. Sightseeing Adventurer
Maybe Management just likes them?
16669. Management
They’re easy to use due to their humanlike appearances.
16670. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ah, I see.
16671. Sightseeing Adventurer
Mommy Shub-Niggurath is in there too.
16672. Sightseeing Adventurer
What’s the Kruschtya Equation?
16673. Sightseeing Adventurer
What do you think it is?
16674. Sightseeing Adventurer
Maybe it’s Maybelline?
16675. Sightseeing Adventurer
Lmao.
16676. Sightseeing Adventurer
Damn it… How can I not laugh?
16677. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ah, isn’t that the equation that turns you into Nyar when you solve it? I’m guessing you just die instantly.
16678. Sightseeing Adventurer
So it’s a trap?
16679. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hang on, I think it’s impossible to solve this thing! At least, I can’t get anywhere with it.
16680. Sightseeing Adventurer
Me neither…
16681. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’m making a little progress, but I don’t think it’s solvable before the end of the event.
16682. Sightseeing Adventurer
Lmao, it requires crazy high stats.
16683. Sightseeing Adventurer
Maybe it’s just extra content? It came from the same manor as the clock, you know.
16684. Sightseeing Adventurer
The only one with a shot might be Princess.
16685. Sightseeing Adventurer
Frankly, I think it’s best left ignored. I can’t imagine anything good coming from it.
16686. Sightseeing Adventurer
Let’s focus on the documents for now.
16687. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yep.
Chapter 2: Halloween—Day 3
Chapter 2:
Halloween—Day 3
GOOD MORNING. The wind has intensified, sweeping the rain at us from the side rather than directly above. This is the exact sort of weather I would stay inside to avoid in real life.
Let’s check in. They still haven’t finished deciphering the document yet? I’ll open up the UI, join the efforts, and read the updates that happened overnight.
The shadow in the eastern forest has been confirmed to be a Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
You have uncovered a passage that appears to be related to the summoning.
If you continue your analysis, you may learn the length of the ritual and a means of opposing it.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
You have uncovered the steps of the Shub-Niggurath summoning ritual.
It seems unlikely that enough fanatics are still remaining to meet the ritual’s requirements. So what are they planning, exactly?
It might be best to proceed with deciphering at a quicker pace.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
The fanatics are attempting to summon a servitor race of the outer one, who will then in turn summon the outer one.
Indeed, that’s probably a more efficient way of summoning Shub-Niggurath.
Still, there aren’t likely to be enough fanatics left walking free to complete the ritual.
And why Shub-Niggurath? It doesn’t seem like you’ll be able to find an answer to that question.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
One person alone can complete the summoning ceremony, but it appears that, the more people involved, the faster it proceeds.
The remaining fanatics will probably all participate in the summoning. If you catch them in the act, it’s unlikely that anyone will manage to slip away.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
You have uncovered information about the servitor race the fanatics are attempting to summon.
You now know the spell required for Summon/Employ Dark Young.
“Ie! Ie! Shub-Niggurath! The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!
Iar mnar ug nagr tnaror yornrakh shrari!
Imrknarnkrom! Noykrom! Rajni! Ie ie Shub-Niggurath!
T’nro yornrk! O Goat! O Goat of the woods! Accept our living sacrifice!”
That seems to be the end.
It’s actually quite a lot of information. So we gained the Summon/Employ Dark Young spell while I was asleep? It must work like summoning a Byakhee, although the function is locked during the event, so we can summon neither at the moment.
Now for the main issue. The fanatics are trying to summon a Dark Young, not Shub-Niggurath herself, so we’d be fighting the Dark Young if they succeed. Or it might arrive with a Blessed too.
The fourth piece of information tells us that it would have been bad to allow the normal number of fanatics to participate in the ceremony. But now we need to let them start the ceremony and attack them partway through, capturing all of them before it can be completed.
I’m sure the fight will include some sort of gimmick. They’ll probably have guards protecting them during the ceremony, so we’ll have to handle them while we slowly whittle down the fanatics themselves. But I’d laugh if the fanatics were simply too focused on the ceremony to put up any sort of resistance.
Okay, time to get out of bed.
“Good morning.”
“Morning!”
“Princess, you’re up!”
“Has anything happened since I went to bed?”
“Nope, nothing.”
In the end, there’s still no information about the cat or the pumpkins. I suppose it would be strange for everything about them to come to light. It’s not uncommon for horror stories to end without explaining all of the mysteries.
I stretch my body, exit the room, and practice my stances in the church garden. It’s raining, but Laundry will help with that.
I think I’ve gotten my fill of training in.
I can’t practice my reflection and dodging skills without the training environment in the Nether, but complaining about it won’t do any good. It’s not as if I can travel freely during an official event, of course.
“Laundry,” I cast.
By fulfilling special requirements, extra arts have been granted through Ultra Magic Assist.
Domestic Spell Chant Voiding
Firestarter, Drinking Water
Heating, Cooling, Gentle Breeze
Laundry, First Aid
Conditions: Possess Ultra Magic Assist and utilize domestic spells a certain number of times.
In other words, I don’t need to chant these simple domestic spells so long as I have the third-tier skill? However, the problem is that “voiding” a chant and “chantless spells” are very different things, depending on the game you’re playing. From what I remember about chanting in this game…
Ah, I knew it. You still need a key phrase to activate them, and only the chant gauge disappears now. That means I can simply say “Laundry” and the spell will activate.
Well, I won’t complain about eliminating my chanting time, even if it was minimal in the first place. It’s just really hard to see how that helps for things like domestic spells. Perhaps it will reduce my stress a little, as I use them quite frequently for production.
This is always an issue when it comes to chant voiding and chantless spells. If this is how chant voiding works, then I can expect chantless spells to require no activation key whatsoever.
For now, I’ll head to the chapel. Actually, no, I’ll visit the lord’s manor. There isn’t much time left before the climax of the event, so I’ll work on deciphering the document at the earl’s place.
Time to teleport using subspace. Once I enter subspace, I’ll cast Laundry and Waterproofing Force Field before I exit.
“Oh, it’s Princess Nemeseia!”
“Good morning. May I enter?”
“Of course!”
It’s nice to have free entry when people recognize me. I sympathize with the guards for having to work in this rain.
I do feel bad for showing up without warning. I’m pretty sure that nobles care about that sort of thing more than most, but us players can’t be bothered with that much work.
“I’m sure the countess will come and greet me even if I say there’s no need, so please just tell her there’s no rush, at the very least.”
I’m the one who showed up unannounced, after all. Lady Margaret will also have to don a dress for visitors, even if it’s not the intricate kind noblewomen might wear to balls. I do feel bad, since it’s not as if I have any particular business with her family.
Once I’m led to a room inside, I sit down and work on deciphering.
My party members join me after waking up. Then I chat with the countess once she arrives.
“How is the search for the missing townsfolk going?” I ask her.
“Poorly, or perhaps I should say, ‘exactly as we predicted.’”
That’s right. There were no records of them ever finding townsfolk after they went missing in the past. They can’t search for long periods of time either, or else the search party members will end up disappearing too. This history is why the residents of Howard stay shut away in their homes.
“How many people are missing this time?” I ask.
“Seven have been reported. That puts it around three times greater than the worst incident on record.”
“In other words, two people at most have gone missing together, according to your records?”
It’s easy to think of the victims as fools, but this town does have a fanatical cult in it, after all.
“Is it possible that, instead of going to the spirit realm, they were kidnapped by the fanatics?” I suggest.
“Maybe the townsfolk are the ‘gifts’ mentioned in the documents,” says Mr. Alf.
“But the problem is that people have seen a Blessed One here,” I respond.
“Yeah. Actually, wait. How often can they even give Shub-Niggurath their gifts?”
“That’s a good point. The people went missing both yesterday and the day before.”
Mr. Alf is right to question this.
They aren’t killing people for sacrifices—their gifts are “remade” into something new, that is, death isn’t the end of the process. They can’t transform into the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath and then go their separate ways.
“They need a gate to connect to Shub-Niggurath, or at least some sort of ritual,” I explain.
“If they have a gate that can access Shub-Niggurath, is that any different than outright summoning her?” Mr. Alf asks.
“I’m reading that there’s an ability to remake Shub-Niggurath’s avatar,” says Mr. Skelly.
“She has an avatar?” ask the twins.
“No, there’s no way.” Mr. Alf and I simultaneously deny the twins’ question—the result of information Mr. Skelly was seeing on the BBS.
If an avatar of Shub-Niggurath existed, the fanatics would have already acted on it in some way. The avatars of outer gods are already quite monstrous, but they should also be able to summon their true bodies just like I can. That would be a bit extreme, considering this is an event.
“So the townsfolk must be kidnapped for some other purpose,” I speculate.
“Or maybe they really are getting pulled into the spirit realm,” Mr. Skelly suggests.
“We’ll probably figure it out once we decipher more of the document. We should hit 60 percent completion soon,” says Mr. Alf.
I just hope we can finish the remaining 40 percent in time.
At least we can leave the UI up and work on it while we’re sitting. There’s nothing we can do for the victims if they did go to the spirit realm, so perhaps we should act under the assumption that the fanatics kidnapped them.
Information has been shared with you.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
The Blessed of Shub-Niggurath, also known as Gof’nn Hupadgh Shub-Niggurath.
Once human sacrifices or devotees, these beings were captured by an avatar of Shub-Niggurath and reborn.
As a low-ranking servitor class, they often accompany the superior Dark Young.
Most Blessed retain their human bodies with only certain parts that are changed. They also keep any abilities they possessed as humans. On rare occasions, perhaps some may take drastically different appearances.
It’s possible that different Blessed will attack in different ways. Caution is recommended.
At the very least, we can confirm they know the spells Call/Banish Shub-Niggurath, Summon/Employ Dark Young, and Scarlet Circle.
We’ve received detailed information about the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
“Lady Margaret, are all the missing people on the younger side?”
“I suppose so. I don’t believe any had reached the age of adulthood yet.”
Judging by the information from the countess, it seems unlikely that any of them were people who fought for a living. I suppose that would make sense if they were all abducted by the fanatics. This means they aren’t likely to be a threat to us in battle.
“It says ‘an avatar of Shub-Niggurath,’” the twins make note.
“Yes, it certainly does,” I respond.
“There’s no denying that,” says Mr. Alf.
“Does that mean it’s in this game?” Mr. Skelly asks.
I still highly doubt it. But that doesn’t explain how a Blessed One was confirmed to have been spotted in the forest. We don’t have enough information yet, do we?
“Have you learned anything from the fanatics that were captured?” I ask the countess.
“I haven’t heard anything like that, no.”
Then the earl and his wife must be a dead end.
We know that the climax of the event is stopping the summoning of Shub-Niggurath, but nothing more. We’ll have to learn the specifics straight from the fanatics themselves.
“How’d they even learn about Shub-Niggurath in the first place? Is she a famous outer one?” asks Mr. Alf.
“I can’t imagine her coming here to punish people directly. I doubt she shows herself much at all. Perhaps it came from the books?” I speculate.
“The ones the documents are based on? But if they’re so poorly translated, do we really think they got the summoning instructions perfect?” asks Mr. Alf.
“Considering this is an event, it’s hard to imagine them messing up and failing the summoning,” I reply.
“Or did the Dark Young or the Blessed already exist here, and the fanatics came in contact with them first?”
If Mr. Alf is right, does that mean the Dark Young or Blessed came here during a time when the barrier between realms was weakened, and that suspicious group turned into a fanatical cult from an encounter with them?
Did they learn the summoning method from whichever being they came across? A servitor race would definitely know the Call/Banish spell.
“We still don’t know enough, but it does seem to make everything connect. I just don’t know why they would want to help summon Shub-Niggurath.”
“I bet they all have different motives,” Mr. Alf suggests.
“You mean the outer ones and the fanatics are after different things?” I ask.
“Wouldn’t it make more sense that way?”
“We did learn a bit about what the fanatics are aiming for, I suppose.”
We all chat among ourselves while we wait for more progress on the documents.
Information has been shared with you.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
The Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath.
They are wriggling, tremendous black masses. They stand from 3.6 to 6 meters tall. The Dark Young resemble trees…or at least, it may seem that way to you.
With worm-like appendages sprouting from their heads, they also possess four thicker tentacles attached to their bodies.
Green slime dribbles from the large, wrinkled mouths in the center of those bodies.
They walk on two thick, hoofed tentacles.
During battle, the Dark Young strike and swipe with their tentacles. They may also use their large bodies to charge at enemies. Should a victim be caught by their tentacles and brought up to that dreadful mouth, their only choices are to struggle or scream in vain. Rumor has it that these creatures let out a cry before attempting to trample a victim.
At the very least, we can confirm it knows the spell Call/Banish Shub-Niggurath.
This time, it’s information about the Dark Young.
“Now we’ve learned how two different servitor races will attack,” I summarize.
“Blessed Ones attack like normal people, unless part of their body has been changed to something they can attack with. In that case, we have to watch out. That’s about all, right?” asks Mr. Alf.
“Unlike the hunt during the sports festival, I don’t see this one turning into a battle, do you?” Mr. Skelly suggests.
He’s right. So long as we don’t pick a fight, it shouldn’t break out into combat. At least, I hope.
“There’s still not enough information to know for sure. But that information has to come from the fanatics’ current moves, not the documents,” I explain.
“It’d be great if we could get scouts into the eastern forest. I wonder if it’s possible?” asks Mr. Alf.
“In that case, I’ll ask the union.”
It’s not as if we have anything else to do while we’re deciphering.
I send a message to each party leader throughout the union.
“We haven’t seen anything strange in the forest.”
“It sounds like the shadows disappear as soon as they’re spotted once. No one’s laid eyes on a shadow since the first time.”
“We’re near the mountain, but we’re coming back since we got hit with an awful surprise attack.”
“A surprise attack? From the fanatics?”
“I dunno, but we’ll die if we don’t get out of here!”
“Oh yeah? We should go and check it out.”
The scouting in the east doesn’t seem to be going very well. Maybe the game won’t allow us in before the start of the climax. For now, I’ll share that information with my other party members.
“So there are people trying to scout the area? But they got attacked instead,” Mr. Skelly summarizes.
“We don’t even know who attacked them at the moment,” I explain.
“It could be an outer one, not a fanatic doing it to them,” he replies.
We’re not at a place where we can put the big picture together yet, so thinking about it too much will only be a waste of time.
Information has been shared with you.
A party of resident adventurers witnessed something black and massive in the eastern woods roughly one year and three months ago. However, the other adventurers and residents didn’t believe their story.
“A Dark Young?” I ask.
“Probably. Blessed Ones are supposed to be human-sized, after all,” says Mr. Alf.
“One year and three months ago. I see,” I remark.
We can probably assume that the Dark Young came here the last time the border between realms was weakened, not this time.
“If a Dark Young has been here all along, there’s probably also a Blessed One with it. Perhaps, if the missing people were kidnapped, they’re still alive at this point?” I theorize.
“Wouldn’t that make them future tributes?” asks Mr. Skelly.
Indeed, they’re likely the gifts for Shub-Niggurath. That would make rescuing them a possibility. But if they simply disappeared to somewhere in the spirit world, then there’s no helping them now.
“The Dark Young planned to summon Shub-Niggurath from the start and asked the people they encountered for help. Then those people came up with the idea of holding a summoning ritual?”
This would fit with Mr. Alf’s theory that the Dark Young was here all along. The fanatics wouldn’t need to know the exact ritual at all—they’re merely a third party there to assist. Once the ritual is complete, they’ll learn how to do it themselves.
“Nothing the fanatics do makes a lot of sense. Why bother with the ritual when they know the outer ones are a threat?” asks Mr. Alf.
“Being used as a pawn by an unsympathetic being would upset most people,” I add.
“I guess not caring about that stuff is what makes them ‘fanatics,’” he speculates.
“We could let them do as they please if they were only going to destroy themselves. But their plan is likely to harm innocent bystanders too,” I say.
“That’s the trouble!” the twins chime in.
If they’re going to die either way, I just wish they wouldn’t get anyone else killed. Well, I don’t really care to understand the fanatics’ logic either way. They’re just NPCs for the event, after all.
Information has been shared with you.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
Scarlet Circle
A magic spell and blood come together to tear apart the fabric of space, creating a Scarlet Gate.
The gate may be traversed. It also allows for summoning,
To activate Scarlet Circle, gather a group, stand in a ring, and begin to chant the spell. Once the blood of the sacrifice has been spilled, a circle of scarlet will appear. This is the gate.
The size and duration of the gate depends on how many Blessed are gathered there.
A fixed amount of blood is required. It can be drawn from one large creature or from multiple smaller animals. In a pinch, the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath themselves may be sacrificed.
This is the spell the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath know.
“What’s this?” asks Mr. Skelly.
“Are we going to have to use this?” Mr. Alf follows up.
This spell is the type that opens a gate with a sacrifice—or, more accurately, with the sacrifice’s blood as a catalyst. As an artifact, the Silver Key possess the same extraordinary power.
So these “gifts” aren’t to remake people into Blessed, nor are they offerings to Shub-Niggurath. They’re materials required to activate the spell. They don’t have to be humans either, if the gate can be opened with small animals instead. I wouldn’t expect summoners to choose their own species as gifts, but these are fanatics, after all. It’s wrong to expect standard logic from them. Being a “fanatic” means you jump right over lines that aren’t meant to be crossed.
“At this rate, we should be able to finish our deciphering. Perhaps we should gather our information and come up with a basic plan for now,” I suggest.
“Agreed. That way, we can change plans if new information comes in,” says Mr. Skelly.
“What’s the worst-case scenario we can think of for now?” asks Mr. Alf.
Our plan should start with the answer to that question.
“The worst that can happen is the fanatics messing up Shub-Niggurath’s summoning in a negative way. Lady Margaret, which gate in this town leads toward the royal capital?” I ask the countess.
“The royal capital is past our western gate.”
“According to the note found at the fanatics’ base, their goal is to set up an outer one as their ruler. If those conditions include overrunning the royal capital, you’ll be lucky if any part of this town still stands when they’re finished with it,” I tell her.
The summoning takes place in the east, while the route to the royal capital is in the west. That puts the town directly in the path of Shub-Niggurath’s destruction.
Unless we all attack her at once with enough magic spells to take out her HP, she can probably wipe us out with a single attack.
However, Shub-Niggurath is said to be fairly reasonable. Assuming the fanatics don’t interfere somehow, she shouldn’t pose a threat to us. The source material describes her as almost benevolent toward humans, so it’s very possible that she’s a friendly being in this game. Of course, that hopeful outlook assumes Management designed her based on that source material.
“Now what about the best possible outcome?” Mr. Alf asks.
“We speak with the outer one and convince her to join our side. However, I doubt my race will have any effect on that outcome,” I speculate.
The only time I was offered grace in this event was when it came to moving the Time-Clock, and that item was nothing more than a little joke. I doubt I can use my Book of the Elder Keys on Shub-Niggurath or the Our Ladies of Sorrow, or else I would be completely breaking the event. But it’s more fun this way, so I don’t particularly mind.
“That sounds right to me,” Mr. Alf replies.
“Now what’s most likely to happen?” the twins chime in.
“I think we can stop Scarlet Circle from activating. Our goal must be to rescue the missing townsfolk.”
“Will we really have to fight an outer one?” Mr. Skelly asks.
“I doubt we’d stand a chance, even with the thousands of outsiders we have here in town. I think the goal will be to play defense, unlike a normal battle. At least, I hope,” I tell him.
I’m sure we could take out at least one Dark Young, but considering it will probably begin wiping us out from the moment we attack it, I can’t imagine it will be much of a “fight,” per se. We had a similar problem with the goblin general from the first defensive war; the Dark Young is of course vastly more powerful, but the point is, our tanks won’t be able to carry out their usual roles.
“This is impossible!”
“You need really experienced scouts to infiltrate here. Otherwise, it’ll be a true nightmare if they catch you.”
“So it’s a stealth mission about who finds who first?”
“We’re learning how the Blessed attack this way. They’re really good at hiding too, so it’s gonna be a nightmare to get past ’em.”
“What if we fly in from the sky?”
“But it’s all over if they ever spot you up there.”
“Hmm, and there’s no way to hide either.”
The union leaders are exchanging information. It seems the area in the east will need to be penetrated with stealth.
“Ah!” I cry.
“‘Ah’?” the other four ask in unison.
“I think I’m going to try and get a look at the east.”
I almost forgot. I have the best reconnaissance skill of them all—my subspace travel.
The documents didn’t say anything about the Dark Young or the Blessed having access to subspace. That means I’ll probably be fine, but perhaps I’ll emerge from the sky just to be safe—as far away from the ground as I can get.
There’s the forest, the mountain—oh, found them!
Information has been shared with you.
Scouting of the east was successful.
At the foot of the eastern mountain, you’ve spotted a Dark Young, suspicious figures dressed in black robes, and six people resembling those who went missing in town. You’ve also noted what appears to be the stolen lumber.
Nothing resembling the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath seems to be lurking around, but they’re likely to be what’s obstructing your path in the forest.
For now, retreat back to town and prepare until the time of the summoning. If a battle breaks out, you imagine it will be a most hellish battle indeed.
I see the group of people in black robes, obviously the remainders of the fanatic group, as well as six children lying on the ground. The children look repulsed by the Dark Young, but their mouths are covered, so they can’t scream.
The Dark Young appears to be just under six meters tall, assuming the nearby men in robes are fully grown adults. That seems rather large, based on the information we previously received.
None of them are speaking with each other. I think I’ll return to the manor now. I doubt they’ll see me in the sky, but if they happen to look up, I’m totally exposed. There’s no point in lingering around here now.
The site of the ritual—the climax of the event—has been colored in on the map. Now we won’t get lost trying to find it.
“I’m back,” I greet my party.
“Good work out there. We saw the information you got,” Mr. Alf replies.
“Yes, however, Lady Margaret said that seven children were missing.”
“Correct. There are seven that I’ve heard of,” she replies.
“The fanatics had six children tied up, and we do intend to capture the culprits and rescue those children soon. However, one child appears to have gone to the spirit realm,” I explain.
“Or they joined the fanatics,” the twins suggest.
“That’s possible too,” Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly reply together.
“Well, wherever they went, they won’t be returning to a normal life.”
We wouldn’t be able to identify the last child if they’d joined the fanatics and were wearing a black robe too. However, since there won’t be any way to undo those actions once the battle starts, this isn’t something we need to concern ourselves with.
“They really were children at the ritual site, just like we heard. If the goal is to draw blood, wouldn’t adult men make for better victims?” I ask.
“The fanatics probably wanted people who were easy to capture and who wouldn’t put up a big fight. I guess that would make adult women easy targets too, but it’s likely that all adults here keep their guards up because of this world they live in, so they’re rarely found alone,” suggests Mr. Alf.
“That’s correct. Women never leave their homes alone once the sun begins to set. Especially not at this time of year.”
It’s Lady Margaret who answers Mr. Alf.
It sounds like it’s common knowledge among residents that they must be on high alert. There are still normal threats like thieves in this world too, after all. As a noblewoman, Lady Margaret’s movements are probably even more restricted.
“The other fanatics could be out hunting in the forest,” Mr. Skelly suggests.
“That’s true,” I reply.
Since there’s still some time before the ritual, it’s possible that the fanatics I saw weren’t the only ones left of their group. They could be hunting people, who are easy to catch but contain less blood, or monsters, who are harder to catch but have much more blood. Humans are capable of teaming up and forming counterattacks, so I would assume that monsters are their targets.
“Do we wait for the ritual now?” the twins ask us.
“It does feel like we’ve completed everything we need to do,” I respond.
“I guess we can pass the time with crafting now,” says Mr. Alf.
“Yeah, there’s limited things we can do if we’re deciphering at the same time,” Mr. Skelly adds.
We can sit with the UI open or stand and watch the UI, but nothing more. We’re allowed to craft so long as we’re sitting, but a lack of crafting materials is an issue.
Now that I think of it, I never gave out my revival medicine to other players. I’ll have to wait until we all group up again.
For now, I’ll work on deciphering while I chat with the countess and my party members.
Information has been shared with you.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
Shub-Niggurath, the Black Goddess of the Bountiful Harvest.
She is a giant, cloud-like being who foams and dissipates.
Parts of her may detach to form new appendages. With black, stringy tentacles and mouths leaking slime, she stands on short legs with the dark hooves of goats.
Shub-Niggurath is a large being, taking paths an average of ten to twenty meters wide. Anything less than half her own size will be mercilessly trampled by the goddess.
Her milk is believed to be of note, but the documents contain no further details.
Shub-Niggurath’s avatars are said to include “He Who Walks Behind the Rows” and “The Great God Pan,” but since there is no further information on them, it’s unlikely to relate to the situation at hand.
At the very least, we can confirm she knows all spells relating to outer ones.
Progress has been made in analysis of the fanatics’ documents (Shub-Niggurath).
We now know the spell Call/Banish Shub-Niggurath.
If worse comes to worst, use this spell to fight against her.
* Event will enter the banishing phase if Shub-Niggurath is successfully summoned.
You have learned the special spell Call/Banish Shub-Niggurath.
We managed to finish up with the documents before the final battle. Um, it seems we learned a spell too.
“Would we seriously have had to fight Shub-Niggurath head-on if we didn’t finish this?” asks Mr. Skelly.
“The spell is the safest method of handling her, indeed. We were probably meant to put up whatever fight we could if we didn’t find this,” I ponder.
“Sounds like it’s best not to get to the banishing phase at all,” says Mr. Alf.
We want to earn an S clear, after all. That probably involves saving all six townsfolk or capturing the remaining fanatics. The townsfolk would be sacrificed one by one if the ritual begins.
But that’s all speculation. I wonder how it will actually play out?
“It looks like it’s time. Shall we head out?” I ask the others.
“To the eastern field?” the twins ask.
“Yes, we’ll gather there for now,” I reply.
The winds seem to have died down. I cast Waterproofing Force Field, say goodbye to the earl and his wife, and exit their home.
The rain continues to come down as thunder roars from above. The campfire in the town square is still burning with its faint green light despite the weather, however. I give it a passing glance as I head down the main road and out the eastern gate.
The field outside the forest is full of well-equipped outsiders making their final preparations.
“Princess! Lovely weather today, isn’t it?” Ms. Clementia greets me.
“Yes, the ground is soaking wet and lovely.”
Ms. Clementia, a plant race, probably does see thunderstorms as lovely. As rare as they are, sun showers must be her favorite weather of all.
“Hmm, is my cloak gonna cause a problem?” my sister mutters. “I don’t want it to get soaked and cling to my body, or it’ll be too heavy to move. It will also make me weaker against any status ailments involving ice.”
“It’s probably better to have a cloak than to go without. You can always use spells to keep it dry.”
My own cloak is quite helpful, but I also have Waterproofing Force Field from Space Magic, so the rain never soaks through it as long as the spell is active. I think I’ll keep my cloak for as long as my priority is role-playing as an adventurer. That way, I can also add depth to my magic-using character by protecting my cloak with Waterproofing Force Field. The thing about role-playing is that it’s all up to you to do what you enjoy.
“Welcome!”
“I don’t know about skeletons…”
“True, I don’t see why a skeleton would care about the rain at all.”
Mr. Skelly wears a single robe over his bones, Mr. Alf is already a suit of armor, and the twins don’t seem bothered by the rain.
“It seems I’m the only one in our party who has to prepare if it’s raining.”
“So I should think of you as the nonconformist in this case, Sis?”
“I don’t think I’d mind the rain either if I was in sphere form. But I can’t do moves like parrying with that body.”
Indeed, in a party of inhuman races, it’s me who breaks all the norms. A mere ball of flesh can’t hold a sword. I could extend my tentacles out to quickly knock away enemies, but of course, that’s pointless when I take damage from it.
“Now that I think of it, can races like slimes and foxes take the form of humans?” I ask.
“They all hope it’s possible, but right now, no one’s reported that ability,” says Rina.
“Maybe they have to wait until they’re at a very high level. Or there’s some sort of condition they have to meet.”
It doesn’t seem like the kind of skill that will randomly unlock through a typical person’s play style, so it must have requirements to unlock it—be it a rare skill, art, or spell. It could also be an Ex skill, but I feel those are all quite vague.
For me personally, my character is an avatar due to my race’s unique backstory. This avatar was built for interacting with other people, which is why I look like a normal human on the outside. Being a monk of the Medium makes me clergy, which is also a very human occupation. I don’t think I would call someone like the Pup Lord a clergy member, for example. I think he’s more like a worshipper, while “clergy” feels like a title for people with human forms.
All right, I think I’ll gather the leaders from my union and pass out some revival medicine. I definitely think it will be useful if we end up in a battle.
I’d also like to work on strategies while the leaders are all here, but frankly, there’s no way of knowing how this situation will work out until we actually get there.
“Focus on healing.”
“It looks at you like it wants your salvation!”
“Show no mercy!”
“Reminds me of a certain ‘Kitakita’ person.”
“Hey, you got what I was going for.”
“But in the end, ‘follow orders’ is the only real option.”
“Exactly!” the group agrees.
Yes, that’s true outside of times when you’re just farming an area to level up. You always find yourself wondering, “Why did you use that attack on an enemy who was almost dead?!” The enemy just needs one more hit, but instead your party wastes buffs and debuffs before taking them down. It’s a very common thing that happens in video games.
I’m going to go ahead and ignore the group using the stormy winds to act like they’re dancing for a music video. They even have accompanying pop songs playing, and it’s hard not to laugh at how they change poses in time with the beat.
“There’s about an hour left. Should we get moving?” asks Mr. Alf.
“Yes, and I believe the obstructions in our way should be gone now too.”
“The impatient players already went that way, but they said there’s still enemies around.”
Mr. Lucebarm informs me that there’s still enemies on the path to the fanatics. Considering what we learned from the documents and how Scarlet Circle works, I would assume they’ll retreat on their own eventually.
I predict our quest description will change once the climax phase starts. For now, we’ll just have to keep waiting.
“Capture the remaining fanatics”
Fanatics are on the verge of summoning Shub-Niggurath, the Black Goddess of the Bountiful Harvest.
You don’t want anyone to suffer because of their stupidity. Crush their shortsighted ambitions to smithereens.
“The quest changed!” shouts the group.
“It’s the climax phase!”
“Indeed, it’s changed now. Shall we head out?” I ask everyone.
“Let’s do this!” they reply.
The thunderstorm has weakened a bit too. The crowd of players begins to walk toward the mountain, our visibility not too obstructed by the rain anymore.
Now who, exactly, is performing a rendition of the Nyaruko-san song?
“My SAN is draining! This is bad!”
“What’s waiting for us is a lot worse than bad. We could be wiped out right there on the spot.”
“We know there’s Blessed and a Dark Young. If we’re really unlucky, we’ll run into Mommy Shub-Niggurath too.”
“Woo-hoo! Your mom’s Shub-Niggurath!”
“She could be your big sister instead.”
There are male versions of Shub-Niggurath that exist too…but the same goes for Nyar and his female versions, so perhaps it doesn’t really matter. Gender is a trivial thing to beings like these.
I wonder what Shub-Niggurath will be like in this world? Personally, I have a theory that she used to be human. If that’s true, the longer she’s been an outer one, the stronger she probably is.
“Hmm, I haven’t heard anything from those impatient players.”
“You mean those whose only loyalty is to greed? I can’t imagine anything good will come of playing like that during an official event.”
Judging by Mr. Lucebarm’s conversation with Mr. Cecil, the frontliners have gone quiet. They would probably brag about it if they found something exciting.
“Should we hurry? We don’t want the fanatics preparing for our arrival.”
“Hmm. I don’t really see the need.”
“Nor do I,” I add.
I predict that the frontliners either have their hands full or have already found themselves in checkmate. This is still a horror event, after all. It doesn’t take a genius to guess what will happen to anyone who prioritizes their independence in such a story. This game’s devs are especially merciless too.
“The quest changed after we finished deciphering the documents and had one hour left until the climax phase. The ritual started before we actually finished so that we could attack the fanatics while they were grouped up. Also, there was only one location optimal for the summoning. If we get overly hasty and end up getting stuck until time runs out, people would probably complain that they missed out,” I explain.
“That’s right, the documents even said it might be better to wait until they’ve started,” says Mr. Alf.
“But won’t they run if they know they’ve been spotted?” ask the twins.
“It’s a little meta, but I don’t think the event would be designed in a way that a few parties going ahead of the rest would cause a problem.”
I’m sure Management predicted some players would be impatient or try to hog the whole event to themselves. There would be no hope for the rest of us if they allowed a single party to go forward and clear the climax phase. That’s why we don’t think there’s any need to rush.
“But what do we think it means that they’ve gone silent? They’d probably be wailing about it if they died and that was the end of it.”
“I can sort of imagine what situation they must be in now,” I reply.
“That being?” asks Ms. Kotatsu.
“I’m talking about Scarlet Circle,” I tell her.
“Ah, I see.”
The fanatics have received a supply of Scarlet Circle materials that came of their own free will. What happens next shouldn’t surprise anyone. Right now, they’re probably tied up on the ground next to those other children until it’s time for the summoning.
“They could easily target outsiders if they need a supply of blood,” I say.
“Right, because we just respawn when killed. It might be a good way to get their hands on blood.”
Outsiders can bleed too, since blood loss is one of our status ailments.
We chat among ourselves and press on through the forest in the heavy rain. It doesn’t look like we’ll have to deal with lightning strikes like during the camping event.
“That skeleton looks so cool, Sis.”
“Doesn’t he? Ideally, I’d like him to be twice my size.”
I didn’t want to travel through the woods on a ball of flesh, so Unit One in the tattered robe I gave him before is carrying me around. Since I went to the trouble of making him, it’s nice to get some use out of him now and then.
Chapter 3: Halloween—Boss Battle
Chapter 3:
Halloween—Boss Battle
WE ARRIVE AT THE SITE of the ritual a bit early.
The climax will probably begin if we charge in as one giant group, so we circle the perimeter and observe until it’s time to begin.
“Enemy submarine spotted!”
“Negative!” the group calls out in unison.
“Lol, I think there’s a few too many players on the Japanese soldier side.”
“Hang on, they’re dead!”
“And they’ll probably die for good,” I remark.
“Well, they’re the ones who tried to get a head start, so let’s just leave ’em alone.”
“But we let them get a bigger supply of blood. Did these players make things a lot harder for us?”
“How dare they?!” the group rages.
The frontliners were captured and are sprawled on the ground. The fanatics could only capture six children from town, but since this small group of outsiders volunteered to show up at their camp, they were more than happy to capture them.
Lady Margaret mentioned that seven children were missing, but I still only see six. None of the figures in black robes look small enough to be children, so perhaps the seventh really did depart to the spirit realm. Sadly, a journey like that is a one-way ticket.
“It looks like it’s just under six meters tall. That thing’s huge!”
“What a great model. It really looks like a baby goat. It’s super creepy, but better than the Shoggoth, at least.”
“Yeah, that thing was awful.”
“Should I put on the cute Shoggoth costume?”
“Don’t you dare. Did you actually exchange tickets for that thing?”
“You never know when you might use it.”
“That’s what gamers say when they refuse to manage their storage properly.”
A Dark Young and Blessed of Shub-Niggurath are sitting in a small clearing in the woods before us. A few robed fanatics are with them, along with the resident captives and the frontliners sprawled at their feet.
The ritual is about to begin.
As rain pours from above, the sky begins to crackle and light up. It’s lovely weather, just as Ms. Clementia described it—from a plant’s perspective, of course.
“Look at that. They’re really setting the mood.”
“Yep!”
“But all that is left for us is to exchange blows with them, my lieges.”
“I’m sure they’ll do more than just scream and run around.”
“Us fighters will be the ones letting out war cries and running in to strike at them!”
“We sound like a frightening group.”
The other fanatics seem to have arrived from deep in the woods, now carrying the prey they hunted. They must be gathering at the ritual site now that it’s almost time to begin.
“All right, time to clean ’em up.”
“Now, omniscience shall be mine!”
“If you’re the kinda guy who gets a laugh just by showing up on screen, now’s the time for you to leave.”
We chat as we begin to move. The best thing to do is surround the ritual site as best we can. We form a half circle around them. They can’t escape in one direction, since that’s where the mountain is, but we can’t surround it either.
It looks like they’re starting to move. The Blessed and the fanatics separate from the Dark Young to carry out the main part of the ritual.
Calculating ritual difficulty…
The ritual will now begin.
“The BGM changed!” everyone shouts.
Ah, this feels a lot more like a boss fight all of a sudden.
“Don’t let the fanatics get away!”
The summoning ritual has finally begun.
You don’t know what they might do if they escape. Don’t let a single one of these fanatics out of your sight.
Oh, I just lost control over my body. This happens when they show a cutscene before a boss fight.
“Kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi.”
“Hey, keep saying it!”
“Kabaddi, kabaddi, kaba… I can’t!”
“You lose. Guess that makes you the sacrifice!”
“That’s too harsh a penalty!”
Incidentally, this game does have an oxygen gauge, and you die if you run out.
I wonder how this fight is going to progress.
“Meeeeeeeh!”
“Its voice is so deep!”
Yes, that’s certainly a very nice bleat from the Dark Young…not that it’s a good thing, since it just put up its tentacles in a fighting stance!
“The game says it’s too agitated to hear us out!”
Fight the Dark Young until it calms down.
Before the ritual is scheduled to finish, any amount of players may participate in battle.
By deciphering the documents, you learned the Dark Young’s methods of attack. All players will see danger zones displayed regardless of what skills they possess.
Red: Avoid at all costs.
Orange: Attack is blockable with a group.
Yellow: High chance of survival, even on your own.
I see. In other words, if we can’t easily take it out, we have to stay calm and use our heads for a while. It’s like a test of endurance, but with extra conditions.
I bet stomps, charges, and binds will show up as red. Strikes are probably orange and sweeps are yellow, I’d imagine.
We regain control of our bodies and are given a brief time to set up our starting positions.
“That thing is trying to intimidate us, isn’t it?”
“Wight you are.”
“Shouldn’t a skeleton player be the one to say that?”
“Exactly! Ain’t it lich coming from me?”
“Aha! I didn’t realize Mr. Skelly was behind me!”
The Dark Young wriggles its many tentacles to threaten us. I thought the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath and the fanatics would be too busy with the ritual to move, but that doesn’t seem to be true of the Blessed. Four of the six of them spread out to protect the ceremony. From our perspective, the Dark Young is in the very center with the ritual occurring behind it, and a Blessed stands at both its left and right sides. It’s the perfect defensive positioning.
Most parties split up completely to take their positions. Long-range weapons will be used most of all, of course. Up front are the tanks, followed by close-range attackers, projectile users, short bow users, magic users, long bow users, and yumi users in that order. Players capable of high-angle fire stay at the very back.
As for magic, different spells have different ranges, but ball, arrow, and lance spells will be our main firepower, all of which have the same range as long bows. Anyone who wants to use explosion, pillar, or mine spells should stand next to short bow users. Priest-style players who want to cast support spells like heal and enchant should stay behind the yumi users.
You have more spells at your disposal the closer you get to the front, but of course, you’re more likely to take damage that way. It all comes down to each player’s stats, skills, and how they like to play. In my position, I intended to go to the front to cast spells.
Mr. Skelly stands beside me and summons a living armor in front of him. This expands the amount of spells at his disposal and allows his servant to block incoming attacks. It really shows how each player’s skills determine their role in the fight.
I recall Unit One and summon Lizzy. I’ll have her swing that axe of hers against the Dark Young’s tentacles.
“It’s not gonna charge us yet, right?” Mr. Skelly asks me.
“I think it’s quite unlikely. But I suppose it depends on how much speed it picks up.”
“I don’t want that thing running at us with its tentacles outstretched like that!”
We only learned the bare minimum of what spells the Dark Young is capable of. That probably means each Dark Young can have different abilities.
The time left until the end of the ritual is displayed with another countdown—probably how long it will take for the Dark Young to calm down. We’re also shown the remaining number of fanatics and children along with the Blesseds’ HP bars in the secondary target section of the UI. As for the Dark Young, our main target…
“Hey, it’s got ten bars of health!” everyone wails.
“That’s quite a lot,” I remark.
“Well, our objective is to catch the fanatics, not defeat the Dark Young. Let’s go with that assumption, since the quest doesn’t mention killing anything either,” Mr. Skelly suggests.
I certainly hope this fight isn’t too difficult to figure out.
The Dark Young’s thinner tentacles are slapping the tanks in the very front lines. These seem to be its weapon for normal attacks, as its four thick tentacles are still wriggling up in the air.
“Meeeeeeeh!”
“Holy crap! Aaaaah! I jumped away just in time!”
Part of the ground turns orange when it raises its four thick tentacles before slamming them down. Those who are able to run flee from the attack’s range, but the remaining players bear down and guard against it.
“Yikes! Those guys must not meet a stat requirement or something. The tentacles crushed them!” Mr. Skelly cries.
“Perhaps strength is the deciding factor you need to push back with.”
“But it could be more than just strength.”
Since the attack didn’t come our direction, Mr. Skelly and I have the time to observe while we fire spells at the Dark Young.
It appears the Dark Young used its thin tentacles to block an attack aimed at the fanatics. So it does protect them after all. Attacks coming from the right are also blocked by the Blessed on that side. There must be some specific timing when we have to get our attacks in.
“The goat barely takes any damage!”
“Gyah ha ha ha! That goat’s as hard as a rock!”
“Mohawk! There’s kids around!”
“Hee hee hee! That problem’s already been solved.”
“For real?”
“Yeah, I’m prayin’ they’ll imitate Princess instead!”
“That’s your solution?!” the group shouts back at him.
I remember him saying that during the camping event. It certainly takes the solution out of his hands, at least.
The Dark Young swings its tentacles around wildly, meaning we really have to focus. Whoa, here it comes! The area turns yellow, and judging by the tentacles’ motions, they’re coming in for a sweep.
“Time to play a little jump rope!”
“Come on, boys! Do it right for once!”
“That pisses me off! Don’t say that!”
As everyone hops to avoid the surprisingly fast tentacles surging in like a wave, I float into the air to dodge the sweep.
“I’m jealous of the flying players. I bet they’ve got it easy this time.”
“But it sounds like they’re not allowed to pass through to the ritual site.”
Other players have said that anyone who approaches the ritual, either by air or by land, is struck by a large mass of thin tentacles belonging to the Dark Young. Those same thin tentacles block all of our long-range attacks too. That’s why, even with so many HP bars, we haven’t even made a dent in it.
The Dark Young slams its tentacles in one spot, then sweeps the others closer to where we’re located.
“Not again!”
“Aaah, it makes my heart leap too!”
“Leap with your legs, not your he—hey!”
“It’s a different height this time?!”
Everyone was able to jump over the previous sweep, which was only leg-high, but this sweep came at the height of our stomachs. I float up even higher.
“You have to get on the ground!”
“Take th—what?! Bfff!”
“Oof!”
The tentacle passes over the heads of those who went into prone positions. As for those who tried to jump? Some people cleared it, but others had their legs struck, while others ended up face-down, kissing the dirt. Anyone who hesitated was mowed down mercilessly by the tentacle.
“I told you to get down.”
“Say it quicker…next time…”
Those struck in the face took quite a lot of damage.
“It doesn’t seem possible to dodge these ones without getting more distance first.”
“Agreed. I didn’t expect to have to go prone for some of them. Crouching doesn’t get you low enough.”
“There’s not enough space for it either.”
The further away from the Dark Young you go, the harder it is to dodge the tentacle strikes. You need multiple players combining their strength to stop those blows, but if they succeed, they stop anyone within a certain radius nearby from being hit. In other words, we should probably put tanks and off tanks behind the front lines too. That would give us more of an advantage.
I summon Unit One as a tank. Unit One, Mr. Skelly’s tank, and I will be able to block a tentacle strike, but since I block with my weapon, I’m curious about what the damage penetration will be like.
Actually, wouldn’t I fare better in the air for this fight? It’ll make more space on the ground for the others if I take off, and I don’t see any need for me to stay on my feet.
I think I’ll change locations after all. “I’m going to head into the sky, Mr. Skelly,” I inform him. He should be able to move around easier on his own, and I can link up with the twins in the air instead.
“Got it!”
The Dark Young hasn’t targeted players in the sky with any unique attacks yet. It strikes with its tentacles, but we can avoid those. The higher up you are, the faster attacks come compared to being on the ground, but it’s also much easier to dodge them in the air.
I launch spells at the Dark Young from above.
“Meeeeeeeh!”
Its voice is a bit higher pitched than before. Oh? All of its thin tentacles have gathered up as if to protect itself. I think I’ll need to get information from Magia Trace.
“It’s gathering magical energy, I see. I believe this animation shows it’s preparing for a magic attack,” I tell the others.
“For real?”
“Prepare for an incoming Dark Magic attack,” I warn.
“We’d rather it not… Wait, what?”
Wait, what?
A bunch of black circles appear around the Dark Young like a porcupine fish. There don’t seem to be any behind it, but the documents didn’t say anything about this kind of attack!
I don’t think I’ll be able to block the hits with Space Magic in time. It definitely looks like a shotgun-style attack, so using my invulnerability will just waste MP. I’ll have to use Light Burst and evade the hits as best as I can!
“Time to take anti-magic measures!”
“But I don’t have any of those!”
“Then just drop to the ground!”
“Lumen Wall.”
“Magic Guard.”
“Magic Barrier.”
A bunch of lines appear all around me thanks to Danger Sense. Once the Dark Young spreads its tentacles, it shoots out a large mass of spheres.
“Aaaah!” cry the players.
Oof! This is impossible! I only take half damage from Dark Magic, but that single attack still drained 40 percent of my health!
That leaves 60 percent for me, but players with less health or defensive skills are put down to 40 percent health. Some, like the musicians, are in the red zone now with their health down to 20 percent.
“That was scary!”
“Angels just fell from the sky, boss!”
A rain of angel corpses just fell from the sky, boss! It would be a horror movie if that were actually the original line.
It looks like the angel players took the worst of the damage. Angels and demons are both popular choices among the inhuman races, after all. At this point, it’s the players on the ground who took the least magic damage.
The twins are supposed to have incoming Dark Magic damage reduction too, but their base level is lower compared to the rest of us. The fact that they’re alive must mean there’s some other unique factor involved. I’m just glad they made it through that attack.
“Party Heal!” comes a chorus of voices.
The healers have begun to get us back on our feet. I’ll heal too, of course.
“Meeeeeeeh!”
“Damn you!”
“Duck, Nappa!”
The Dark Young wasted no time attacking us again with its thick tentacles.
I feel bad for the healers it’s targeting. They have to heal their parties and dodge attacks. Everyone else is able to safely use this opportunity to heal themselves.
Us flying players watch over them from above.
“Heh! You’ll have to go on without me…”
“Shut up and get back on your feet!”
“Someone…save me…please…”
“Resurrection!” the player casts.
“Hey, thanks!”
More people are dying than I expected.
When I see a player, a corpse, gloomily leaving the rest of the fight up to his friend, I hit him in the face with revival medicine.
Revival medicine seems to give more HP than normal revivals, but the perk of the Resurrection spell is that you can bring someone back without using anything other than MP. As someone who can craft high-quality revival medicine, I think it’s best to stock up on the potions to prevent running out, or in case I end up in a pinch.
“Attacks from behind aren’t hurting it,” the twins remark.
“Yes, that’s because the Blessed have put up a force field,” I reply.
“It’s a cocoon of light!”
The force field spans over them in the shape of a dome.
“Meeeeeeeh!”
“Again?!” everyone cries.
It strikes two spots on the ground and sweeps another two spots. I see, so its areas of choice to target must be completely random. That means nowhere is guaranteed to be safe.
“Ah ha ha ha! I know exactly how that move works—whoa!”
“What’s the point in knowing how it works if you can’t even dodge it?”
“Oh, drat! I can barely move!”
“Get the lead out, gramps!”
The close-range fighters have to get their attacks in while also dodging incoming hits. It seems like a very rough job. It’s too hard to jump, so they slice at the tentacles when they sweep by overhead or get a few hits in after dodging vertical strikes.
It’s a little—no, it’s very hard to get close to the Dark Young at all.
“Wha?! Aaaah! Someone help meeeee!”
“Holy crap, he’s been captured!”
Yes, he certainly has been. Will the Dark Young release that player if we attack it? It makes sense in theory, but I doubt it actually works like that.
The Dark Young brings the player up to his mouth, causing this person to lose HP at a rapid speed.
“Ah ha!”
“Why does he sound so happy about it?” the other players question.
Maybe he’s a little messed up in the head. I can picture a heart symbol attached to the end of his cries.
He dies once his HP hits zero and is tossed aside like garbage.
“Heh, what a horrible way to treat someone.”
“So if you’re close to the tentacles when they retreat from attacks, you’ll end up snagged by them, huh?”
“Meeeeh!”
Oh, is it just me, or was that bleat a little different?
“It’s going for something new! Not a normal strike attack!”
“Hang on, no way!”
The four thick tentacles rise up in the air as the ground turns red in multiple spots. That must mean it’s going to hit two spots with each tentacle, making a total of eight danger zones. That’s a very deadly attack over quite a wide range.
Since it’s another tentacle strike, us flying players can avoid it.
“Meeeeeeh!”
The thin tentacles have started to gather up protectively around the Dark Young—a sign that it’s preparing for a magic attack. But this time, it’s something even more frightening.
“Get behind me, Ametrine,” I order them.
“Light Magic will kill us!” they cry.
The magical energy gathering around the Dark Young turns white, and this time, it begins to make a massive amount of white spheres. It then fires them off with the same animation as last time.
“Demons just fell from the sky, boss!”
“Wraiths too!”
Dark Magic hurts the angels, but Light Magic actually packs more of a punch. Lots of demons and undead players died to that. Wraiths are popular undead races, and they have no chance of surviving that attack.
“Ha ha! Alf died!”
“Oh, shut up!”
“Do you have to use Reflect on that one as a tank?” I ask.
“Maybe. I can handle the Dark spells, but I guess I need to save my HP for Light attacks. If there’s no other way, I’ll just have to Reflect both.”
I did see Alf’s HP bar go all the way down to zero on my party list. He’d been at almost full health right before that too. That’s what happens when you’re a tank on the front lines like Mr. Alf. If those magic attacks contain your weakest attribute, you’ll die in a split second.
“Meeeeh!”
“Not again!” everyone cries.
Looks like it’s going in for a sweep this time. It sweeps four locations at once, but each tentacle is positioned at a different height. The players have the tough job of jumping, then crouching, then going prone. Oh no!
“Those tentacles are air-bound!”
After sweeping the tentacles across the ground from the outside in, the Dark Young whips them back out again into the sky toward flying players. The tentacles are even faster than they were on the ground, perhaps because they have more room to move.
Mr. Alf is still out of commission, but he should be back soon. There’s no need to go and revive him, it seems. As a tank, there are plenty of people around him who can do that for us.
“Meeeeeeeeeh!”
“Oh? That one was longer,” I notice.
“Is it a new attack?” the twins ask.
The Dark Young’s thin tentacles continue to wriggle endlessly, gathering magical energy at their tips.
“Looks like another magic attack, but it’s moving differently this time.”
“Its bleat was different too.”
“It shot something out!”
Black and white spheres the size of watermelons begin to shoot out and scatter all over. They naturally end up dotting the landscape, but they also hover in the sky as well. I wonder what these things are…
“Hyah ha ha ha! Look at all those bulges!” Mr. Mohawk cheers.
“Excuse me?” the players respond in unison.
“Wait, they’re actually bulging.”
“Yeah, they’re expanding. Doesn’t that mean…?”
“Oh crap!”
Yes, it’s quite obvious now. These spheres are going to explode.
“But how can we run when there’re so many? Do we have to destroy them?”
That player runs up to one of the black spheres, causes it to detonate, and takes ten other players down with him. Their HP disappeared in the blink of an eye.
“There you have it.”
“‘There you have it’?! This is bad news!”
“So they’re exploding mines, essentially,” I observe.
“Should we fly up to avoid them?” the twins ask.
“Even with our damage reductions, I’m not sure we could survive a mine explosion.”
The only real upside of using mines is that they pack a major punch—and I’ve no doubt these, laid by a Dark Young who gets plenty of damage boosts to compensate for being limited to Light Magic and Dark Magic, are as lethal as they come.
I try attacking a sphere with a spell, but it shows a different animation than normal when it lands.
“Argh! I don’t know anymore! What the hell are we supposed to do?!”
“That thing might actually wipe us all out at this rate.”
“In the end, they’re just magic mines, right? Telekinesis!”
“Hey, watch out!”
“Sorry, but I’ve gotta move them.”
That’s good news. It seems we can be rid of them just like any other kind of mine. I’ll inform the party leaders in our union.
We quickly fly away from the spheres that are bulging the most. The white ones pose the biggest threat to the twins, so we’ll stay away from them too. It’s all about finding the right position. We might survive the black mines, but we don’t stand a chance against the white. I also make Lizzy keep her distance.
“They’re so huge! Oh?”
The spheres have grown from the size of watermelons into that of exercise balls. Divine Revelation shows me the vast danger zone spanning from the center of each sphere. I won’t have enough time to escape like this. I tell the twins to flee while I chant a defensive spell, doing my best to put distance between myself and the mines.
A few seconds later, they shrink to the size of a handball before exploding just like a burst spell. I put my tentacles up like a shield around the twins.
“Magic Barrier!” I cast.
“Eek!” cry the twins.
“Aaaaah!” everyone screams.
My Magic Barrier made it just in time. This seems to be the best countermeasure for when I can’t make it out of range in time. The twins lost roughly 20 percent of their health with my tentacle shield, but I’m in a lot worse shape. Without time to use Gravitas Maneuver, I couldn’t get further away from the blasts. Lizzy, however, managed to dodge the mines.
“Ah, I think I might die,” I realize.
“Live…”
You’re beautiful. Actually, that wouldn’t be my line, would it? In that case… “I’m beautiful!” I declare.
“Pffft!” The people around us crack up.
“Yeah, I understand her logic, at least.”
Hey, don’t look away from me and start laughing. My vision allows me to see you all anyway.
More importantly, we need to heal up, or this is going to get very bad very quickly.
The countdown until the Dark Young calms down has changed colors. It looks like there’s a mountain of corpses all over the ground. Please help them all recover, healers down there.
After launching the mines, its thin tentacles started hitting the tanks while the thick tentacles remained still. This gives us some time to regroup and get back on our feet.
The timer has gone from red to orange. I don’t know what that means, specifically, but the countdown was still continuing even when it was in the red, so orange must be showing us that it’s some rank lower than red.
“Meeeeeeh!”
“Here come the thick ones!”
“We haven’t even finished healing yet!”
It looks like our short break is over.
The Dark Young launches strikes in two places and swipes another two places.
“Did we cycle through all its moves?”
“The mines appear to be its final move, my lieges.”
“What comes next again? A magic attack?”
“No, I think it does the same move twice in a row.”
“Meeeeeeh!”
Just as the union leaders speculated, the Dark Young repeats its previous move.
“Next shall be the Dark Magic attack!”
“There’s still angel players around, so have them fall back.”
We can shout for people outside of our union channel to fall back, but for everyone too far away to hear, there’s nothing left to do but pray for them.
Also, it seems like it’s hard for fellow members of the Stellura family to fight against each other. I’m still a new recruit, so my damage negation for Light Magic and Dark Magic is only half, but higher-tier races are immune to those elements—they may even absorb them to gain health. But since Light Magic and Dark Magic are also the only elements we can possess ourselves, perhaps the only strategy is to go for physical attacks instead of magic ones.
I get in a few hits as I watch the Dark Magic spell take out even more angels.
“That thing has automatic healing skills, right?”
“I fear this battle may be futile, my lieges.”
“The timer is still ticking for the Dark Young to calm down, right?” I note.
“It seems like our attacks are supposed to be draining that timer, not the boss’s HP.”
“It’s going to be really hard to keep up a large group of living players until this thing chills out.”
“Those spheres are a most deadly foe indeed.”
We can’t even attack the fanatics due to the force field around them. If we don’t find a countermeasure quickly, the spheres are going to wipe us all out.
“Let’s start by seeing what happens when we reflect the spheres back at it.”
“Good idea!”
“Did anyone count how long it takes for the mines to explode?”
“It was about ten seconds.”
“That’s enough time for us to work with.”
“Okay, then everyone close to it will reflect the spheres back, and the rest of us can try to come up with a strategy.”
“I shall do as you say, my liege.”
“Since it seems to be cycling the same attacks now, its moves must go in a definitive order.”
“Yeah, it’d be horrible if all the moves were randomized.”
It strikes two random areas and sweeps two random areas, then repeats this moveset again.
After that, it casts the Dark Magic AOE spell.
Finally, it repeats the randomized strikes and sweeps two times in a row just like before.
“Back on your feet, soldier. Resurrection!”
“Thanks a bunch!”
“That Resurrection spell really leaves you with no MP left, huh?”
“Yeah, it sucks.”
Everyone’s steadily recovering from the last attack, but if their revival comes at the wrong time, they’re just going to get hit by the tentacles again and die an instant death.
Perhaps the healers shouldn’t bother attacking this time.
“It’s supposed to be two more rounds of strikes in four places now.”
“Meeeeh!”
“Is it angling for a sweep?” I ask.
“Not exactly!”
It drags its tentacles once along the ground and once up in the air.
“It looks like the height and location is always random.”
“Light Magic should be coming next.”
“Meeeeeeh!”
“There it is!”
“If you’re weak to Light Magic, get back!”
The Light Magic AOE spell explodes.
After that, the Dark Young strikes its tentacles in four different places twice in a row.
“Is it random whether or not it does a strike or a sweep?”
“We can’t tell yet. It might be alternating between them.”
“I guess you’re right.”
Is it completely random? Or are some parts of these attacks predetermined?
“Meeeeeeeeeh!”
The thin tentacles begin to wriggle wildly, gathering magical energy at their tips.
“Here come the spheres!”
“I wanna test how attacks of the same element compare against attacks of the opposite element.”
“Hey, the animations look a little different when you do that!”
“You’re right!”
I see. I’ll try attacking a sphere with the opposite element too. A Light Magic sphere landed near me, so the twins and I attack it with Dark Magic. That seems to hurt it a bit, so we get help from nearby players, pummel it with spells, and destroy the sphere.
“Looks like you can’t destroy ’em with the same element, huh?! Aaaah!”
With that voice coming from a union member, I notice a Light Magic sphere detonating out of the corner of my eye. It plays the same animation as a burst spell, taking out everyone around it.
I observe my surroundings as I attack nearby spheres. This really is the worst of the Dark Young’s moves. I’d like as much information as I can gather.
The players at the front lines are playing sphere dodgeball with the Dark Young and Blessed of Shub-Niggurath. Frankly, with all its tentacles, us players don’t have any advantage against a Dark Young in a game like this.
They pass the spheres back and forth for about ten seconds, and once they explode on the players’ side, the surrounding players are killed. It really does deal a dreadful amount of damage. Meanwhile, when the players manage to toss the spheres back just in time, they merely detonate against the force field. With the wrong timing, one side or the other only gets grazed by the explosion at worst.
A few of the bombs hit the force field simultaneously. There’s a shrill cracking noise, and then the transparent force field appears to split apart, allowing light to filter through and illuminate the fissures.
“It broke!” everyone shouts.
“AOE attacks don’t work!”
The Dark Young and Blessed were able to block the majority of attacks directed at the fanatics, but the few strikes that got through hit the robed figures, instantly knocking them out.
The second round of attacks stop in midair—blocked by the new force field that’s been set back up.
“Are the fanatics just bonus enemies or something? They suck…”
“We even damaged the Blessed a little.”
“Um, is it just me, or has the time left before the Dark Young calms down increased?” I ask.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Yep, it went up.”
“We’re not allowed to break the force field? No waaay!”
“No, maybe the Dark Young’s mad that we attacked the Blessed.”
“That’s possible too. So we’re supposed to aim at the fanatics and no one else?”
“We can’t use AOE because of the risk we might hurt the children. Although, it’s impossible to shoot that far in the first place.”
“We’ll just need our archers to carry us.”
“Either them or the flying players, yeah.”
As we speak, the healers continue to revive and heal dead players. They’re prioritizing the tanks who’ve been losing their dodgeball matches right now. Without tanks to hold off the thin tentacles, the Dark Young will have no trouble doing away with us.
“Does using the same element make the spheres detonate faster?”
“You’re supposed to hit them with the opposite element.”
“Bows don’t work on them. The spheres detonate instantly.”
“It’s not completely pointless to use other methods, but anything other than the opposite element barely has any effect.”
“It’s a mine. It’s gonna blow up if it gets bumped.”
“Looks like using the same element within the first ten seconds makes the sphere blow up, destroying spheres of the opposite element around it. But we don’t know how many it can take out.”
“Ten seconds until detonation!”
We know which attacks come twice, which has allowed us opportunities to gather lots of information.
I slow my attack speed a bit to summarize this info and share it with the union.
Normal attack: Thin tentacles. The Dark Young attacks enemies within its range and defends against long-range attacks.
1/2. Simultaneously strikes two locations and sweeps two locations. Each location is random. Stand in lines and don’t stack up.
3. Dark Magic AOE shotgun spell. Races weak against Dark Magic will be instantly killed. Falling back is recommended.
4/5. Simultaneously strikes two locations and sweeps two locations. Each location is random. Stand in lines and don’t stack up.
6. Sweeps four times/strikes four locations twice. One sweep comes on the ground and one goes up in the air.
7. Light Magic AOE shotgun spell. Races weak against Light Magic will be instantly killed. Falling back is recommended.
8. Sweeps four times/strikes four locations twice. One sweep comes on the ground and one goes up in the air.
9. Scatters an assortment of Dark and Light spheres.
These spheres are combinations of mines and burst spells. They land in mine form, begin to swell, and burst ten seconds later.
The easiest way of eliminating them is to hit them against spheres of the opposite element. But be wary of nearby players who will be hurt.
Close-range physical attacks are a no-go. When the mines explode, anyone nearby will die instantly. Deal with the spheres the same way you would a mine.
You can hit the spheres with the opposite element. The same element has no effect. Any other element will have minimal effects.
When the spheres burst, they induce explosions of the same element. Bursts erase spheres of the opposite element, but the exact number is unknown.
Special moves:
A derivative move can occur from the normal strikes and sweeps. When the tentacles retreat, they attempt to grab hold of nearby players. Rescuing these players may be possible by attacking the tentacles, but you’re more likely to die before you get a chance.
By throwing multiple spheres from stage nine against the force field, you can shatter it with a single additional attack.
Attacking the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath may extend the timer for the Dark Young to calm down.
You have to target the fanatics specifically.
Be careful not to hit the kidnapping victims.
“Thanks for the summary!”
“Those of us on land don’t have time to read all that!”
“Yeah, seriously. There’s no mercy for us out here.”
Okay, time to return to attacking… Oh?
“What’s this?”
“It’s Scarlet Circle!”
“They’re sacrificing rabbits, but they’re trying to bring the children over too!”
“Not the kids!” everyone cries at once.
Ah, the Blessed looked at us and stopped. Have they calmed down? It’s the Dark Young who’s raging, it seems.
The Blessed release the rabbits and children and extend their hands toward the outsiders who rushed right for them, but those players drop to the floor to evade. Then they seize and slay the fanatics who were knocked out during the gap in the force field. Once the blood spills out of the fanatics’ wounds, it begins to move on its own and form the circle the spell is named for. Once the bloody circle is whole, two Blessed of Shub-Niggurath emerge from it.
“Th-there’s more of them!” everyone cries in unison.
Should I take it that Scarlet Circle will grow bigger, remain active for longer, and bring in more enemies over time? I just hope the force field doesn’t get stronger too. If it does, that probably means we’ll need to hit it with even more spheres next time.
“There’s a ton of corpses over on this side too.”
“C’mon, back on your feet!”
The Dark Young’s thin tentacles begin to move again once Scarlet Circle concludes.
“Are the kids gonna be sacrificed if we don’t break the barrier and kill the fanatics?”
“Are you sure we’re not supposed to capture the fanatics instead?”
“I don’t see the problem. The quest told us not to let them escape.”
“But dying for this cause is what they actually want.”
We don’t have time to waste capturing them, so their deaths are simply collateral damage—even a necessary sacrifice. It’s easier to put an end to thieves on the spot rather than apprehend them, right? Besides, it’s only natural to prioritize the children over the full-grown fanatics.
“Don’t they say that those with faith receive salvation?”
“Death is their salvation.”
“Except they’re going to the Abyss.”
“You can’t say that death will bring salvation for certain in this world. Well, I don’t know about the real world either, in that regard,” I say.
“Good point!”
Since the Dark Young’s HP isn’t draining at all, I doubt we’ll see changes in its attacks based on how much HP it has left. If anything changes, it will probably be due to the amount of time that’s passed. Also, since the Dark Young should be gradually calming down, its attacks might actually become more lenient. Frankly, our backs are against the wall in this current situation.
“What’s going on?”
“The Blessed are doing something?”
“S-something’s coming out of the circle!”
All of the Blessed now begin to summon their own minions. This isn’t uncommon in boss fights.
As the Dark Young’s thin tentacles give our tanks a good slapping, the minions charge forward to attack.
“Argh!”
“Off tanks! Now’s your time to shine!”
The minions have scampered down on top of the Dark Young’s thick tentacles, jumped over the heads of the frontliners and are now invading us backline players. The off tanks get their attention, probably so that close-range attackers can swoop in and take them out.
The players really haven’t had any chance to attack the Dark Young itself yet, since there’s such a limited amount of time for them to act. They have to avoid passing tentacle attacks, which only grants them a small window just after the Dark Young completes one of its strikes.
“Are these minions gonna be easier to kill?”
“No, there’s no way.”
“I suspect the more Blessed that appear, the more minions they’ll summon,” I tell the others.
“Ah, so it’s that sort of thing?”
The newly summoned Blessed possess the ability to use Scarlet Circle as well. I can just imagine the sheer number of enemies we’re going to have to fight later on.
“We cleared ’em all out, but what’s with the Dark Young?”
“It’s not moving!”
“Is it giving us time to recover?”
“Oh, here it comes!”
The thick tentacles start to move again.
It isn’t long before another pile of corpses has amassed on the ground.
“You guys oughta learn from Penguin Mercenary! You’re all dying way too much!”
“No thanks! ☆”
The person in the penguin costume is doing an excellent job. He’s gone without a single death and still has a lot of health left. It’s hard to miss him thanks to that outfit as well.
“Oh no, I’m almost out of MP!”
“What about your potions?”
“I used ’em all.”
“Then take one of mine.”
“Thanks!”
“You there! Did you know that potion contains an entire potion’s worth of magical energy?!”
“Knock it off! We’ll be dead if we mess up at all!”
“Whoa! Protect me, Princess!”
“It’s not very normal to use a princess as a meatshield, is it, Ms. Fairellen?” I ask her.
“Uha ha ha! I don’t mind the tentacle sweeps, since there’s only one at a time. But those spells are terrifying!” she replies.
“Yes, this event is much more difficult than the previous ones. It’s only us inhuman players who have flying abilities too.”
“I hate how certain elemental spells just tear you to shreds. Of course, us fairies are always on the verge of death anyway!”
Yes, that’s a constant for fairy races. They survive very well in the sky, but since we all start as races that can’t fly, it takes a while to get a knack for it. It must be very frightening to fly around while being so small.
That’s probably why angels and demons are so popular, as they’re the same size as humans. Angel players usually main defensive builds while demons favor attacks, with angels having the slight edge when it comes to suitability for flight—likely due to their wings.
“It’s sphere time! Aren’t you excited, everyone?”
“No, I hate them.”
“I love all round things!”
“May you be kicked by the Hounds of Tindalos.”
“If I get kicked by the Hounds of Tindalos, may you be kicked by Yog-Sothoth.”
“Kicked by Yoh-Sothoth?”
“It defies the very notion of what a ‘kick’ is!”
“Yes, Yog-Sothoth doesn’t have legs to speak of. I believe it’s Stellura who would come and give you a kick,” I suggest.
“Sounds more like a perk than a punishment.”
“But you’ll probably die if a god physically kicks you.”
“I’d rather die by the foot of a beautiful goddess than by one of those pointy dogs.”
I’m not exactly sure how we started discussing this.
The frontliners carry the spheres until the very last second and throw them at the force field to make them explode. We knock the others against their opposing elements to make them disappear or sweep them into a safe corner. Any mistakes during these steps will make the mines explode and take out anyone around them.
“Farewell, cruel world!”
“Don’t you dare die on me, or I’ll kill you!”
“What are you talking about? Are you trying to say, ‘The only one who can kill you is me’?”
“C’mon, back on your feet.”
“You always come and save me! I love that about you!”
“Oh, shut up. You’re on your own the next time you die.”
“There you go again!”
Um, they seem to be enjoying themselves.
It looks like we’re knocking out the remaining fanatics just fine. Of course, this turns them into more sacrifices for the enemies to work with, but the fanatics are simply reaping what they’ve sowed, of course.
“Ha ha! Mead just headshotted a fanatic with Meteor Shoot!”
“That sounds like overkill.”
It’s actually quite a sophisticated technique. Meteor Shoot has a bit of a delay, so she must have aimed for the fanatic before the force field was even broken.
“What should we do for steps six and eight?”
“It’s either a strike or a sweep, right?”
“After the spells, it goes for whatever its last unused attack is. It’s never repeated the previous attack again.”
I see. So it’s one or the other? It must never repeat the same move before and after it attacks us with spells.
Well, it’s those spells that are deadlier to us flying players, so I don’t care whatever it wants to do with its tentacles.
The twins, Ms. Fairellen, Ms. Cupid, and I end up battling alongside each other in the sky.
Despite all the deaths, it does feel as if we’ll manage to defeat this boss. Although…
“There’s just so many of them now,” I remark.
“Seventy-eight enemies in total, right?”
“I wonder how high that number will go.”
“But I think the Dark Young should be calming down soon.”
“I’m glad there’s fewer spheres now. It means fewer deaths.”
“Sure, but the bigger problem is that it’s harder to break the force field now.”
That’s because we have fewer opportunities to work with. As a result, this fight has only gotten harder. Of course, that does reduce the burden on our healers too.
“Aaaah! There’s way too many minions!”
As we predicted, the amount of minions appears to depend on the amount of Blessed.
The problem is that there’s likely a fixed amount of time before the Dark Young begins to attack. In other words, it’s a DPS check. If we’re too slow to defeat the minions, the Dark Young will begin to attack while minions are still up and active. The Dark Young’s attacks do kill any minions caught in the crossfire, fortunately—unfortunately, said minions are actually quite capable of messing with our timing if they strike at the right moment.
“Hey, how does it feel to be killed by enemies with names like ‘Minion A’ and ‘Minion B?’”
“Don’t put it like that!”
“If you ignore their names, they’re actually pretty scary.”
Minion A is a four-legged close-range attacker; Minion B walks on two legs and deals close-range physical attacks; Minion C is also bipedal but fires off long-range spells; Minion D is a flying type that uses long-range spells; Minion E is a flying type that uses close-range physical attacks… There’s actually quite a lot of variety. As for their appearances, well, they’re not the kinds of things easily described.
The very first minions summoned were just the four-legged type, but they began to vary more over time.
“There’re too many damn flying types!” everyone yells.
“It must be because we have so much space to fight up here,” I suggest.
“They can hardly move down there on the ground!” say the twins.
They’re right. After all, players on the ground have to group up and form squadrons. There simply isn’t any space to fight.
“They keep adding Es too!”
“Those damn Es are turning it into a free-for-all!”
“It’s dogfightin’ time!”
“There’re stray bullets flyin’ everywhere! I’m not having fun anymore!”
“Eeeeeeergh! Oof!”
The nearby angel players are stabbed by some sort of bug-like stingers from the Es, who then grapple them and hurtle them toward the ground. Taken altogether, the damage to the angels’ bodies, the falling speed, the grappling move that makes it impossible to get into a defensive position, and the damage from impact with the ground all amount to the players’ untimely deaths.
“The minions kick the players’ bodies away just before they hit the ground together.”
“What a disgusting thing to do. And they do it so casually.”
“So if you mess up your posture, they hit you with the screwdriver and kill you instantly.”
“How did it ever come to this?”
The players are plummeting to the ground head-first. Heads and necks are considered weak points on most players, so anyone who isn’t like our group needs to put up a fight or risk being killed.
“Take that! And that!” chant the twins.
They’re fighting minions while circling around each other.
“Wow! They really look like twins!”
“That’s the best description you can think of?”
“I’m too busy fighting to use my brain!”
Yes, I understand how combat takes up most of your attention. Ms. Cupid and Ms. Fairellen are really in a pinch. The same goes for Ms. Trine, who fights with magic, but she has Mr. Ame to cover for her.
“Looks like we have to make this a close-range battle, or we’re done for!”
“No! I refuse! I don’t know the meaning of the word ‘close-range!’ Aaaaah!” cries Ms. Fairellen.
“Ms. Ellen was just… Uh, she’s… Just now, they killed Ms. Ellen!”
“You might need to work on timing your canned reactions better,” I remark.
I revive Ms. Fairellen, who got up close and personal with the ground thanks to a Minion E.
“It’s just overkill at this point. I wish they’d show a little more mercy.”
“Ms. Ellen would’ve died even if they went easier on her. I say it’s her fault!”
“But it’s fun to always be on the verge of death!”
Resurrection brings players back with only a small amount of HP, but it’s faster than using an item, so it’s essential in situations like these. I’m so relieved that we found this spell before the event started. I fear we might have been defeated without it.
“I messed up, and I died for it. But who cares?!”
“What do you mean, ‘who cares’?! Do you have a screw loose?”
“That’s so mean!”
“C’mon, back on your feet.”
The Dark Young is moving again.
“It’s no use!” the twins cry in unison.
“There’s just so many enemies!”
When the Dark Young begins an attack, we have to stop focusing on the minions so that we can avoid being hit. The Dark Young’s attacks also wipe out lots of minions, so we’re quite fond of this strategy. That said, ever since the second minion summoning, we haven’t been able to wipe out all the minions in one round.
Unfortunately, it’s too difficult to attack the minions while avoiding the Dark Young’s hits. This boss fight is a battle of stamina, so there’s no need to overdo it and target the minions too. Anyone who gets greedy and dies trying to kill minions will have the wrath of the healers to deal with.
“Almost there. Almost there!”
“That was fast!”
“Another sphere attack awaits us, my lieges.”
“It’s too hard to aim for just the fanatics when there’s so many enemies around.”
“I’m sure the freaks will help us out.”
“Kill ’em, Mutt!”
“Heh! So my time has finally come? Just watch and learn!”
They’re passing the baton to Mr. Mutt? He seems very motivated despite being called a freak. His player name of “Vincent” actually sounds somewhat cool, but he’s been reduced to the sad nickname of “Mutt.”
“Mwah ha ha ha ha! You can’t stop me now! I’m coming in hot!”
We’re able to break the force field with ease thanks to so much practice. That gives Mr. Mutt an opportunity to charge in.
Actually, he’s doing something quite impressive—dodging the thin tentacle attacks from the Dark Young as he runs.
“Nice work, Mutt!”
“Ah, but…”
“Read the room. We don’t expect him to kill the boss or something.”
“What do you mean?!”
“Oh?!”
Now what’s this? A gauge has appeared with the text “Fist of Yog-Sothoth.” It’s filling up quite quickly. Perhaps it’s showing us with the UI what the Dark Young won’t telegraph directly.
“What the hell?! Something new happens when you get this far?! Ooof!”
“Mutt got knocked into the air!”
“I see. It doesn’t do that much damage, but the knockback is insane.”
“Would you even call that ‘knockback’?”
“It’s more like a home run.”
You have learned the special spell Fist of Yog-Sothoth.
What?! Let’s take a look at this.
Fist of Yog-Sothoth
Use an amount of MP at your discretion to strike one target with an invisible fist.
The more MP used, the more knockback distance and higher chance of fainting you inflict on your target.
Effects change depending on the target’s distance, size, and stance.
Once the event is over, we’ll have to test out what amounts of MP make the spell work the best.
“I got fainting level 5. There’s no time to get in a defensive stance, so I took a lot of damage when I landed!”
“The high-angle bow fire still hit the boss anyway, and your sense of humor isn’t on point yet. I give you zero points!”
“You’re too harsh a judge!”
“I guess I could praise you for not dying, at the very least.”
“But mutts never die.”
“Damn it!”
I’d actually like to thank Mr. Mutt, since we got a new spell out of it. Knockback spells are very powerful, even though the knockback dealt by this one depends on how much MP you use. I suppose it’s still hard to know for sure if we’ll actually use it very often.
The countdown until the Dark Young calms down suddenly freezes. It swings its thick tentacles down, but the ground never changes color. Instead, the tentacles stop before impact.
The Dark Young has cooled off. Choose your words carefully to weather the storm.
“Ugh!” everyone cries at once.
“Princess! We want our S clear, so you can take this one!”
“It’s likely that the fanatics will die if I do this part. Are you sure that’s all right?”
“But they’re already being sacrificed, and we’re supposed to stop them no matter what. I think it’s fine, right?”
“Yeah, I agree.”
“Actually, a lot of ’em have already ended up as sacrifices, haven’t they? There’s no point in keeping them alive now!”
“They tried to sacrifice kids. Show them no mercy!”
The Dark Young has retracted its large tentacles and is now wriggling them above its head. I suppose I’ll step forward now. I haven’t heard it do anything but cry out, but I’m sure Dark Young can speak, right?
“Are you feeling better now, Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath?”
“A comrade among the outsiders. Are you Nemeseia?”
It seems to work like telepathy. The Dark Young still has that nice, deep voice.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever met a member of your race before.”
“Indeed. But why does a comrade attempt to get in my way?”
“Our targets were the fools behind you, not you yourself. We’ve investigated their group and found them to be up to no good.”
“Is that so?”
Okay, I’ll keep the conversation going while also giving advice.
“The kids seem like the only thing that will change how we’re graded.”
“Yep. Can we get the Dark Young to bring them to us?”
The other players are right. I’d like to get the children under our possession, but it’s hard to act when I’m unsure of the Dark Young’s motivations.
“May I ask why you were attempting to summon Shub-Niggurath?”
“To return. We cannot return to our home without the help of others.”
That’s actually an incredibly simple reason. So that’s why they’ve been acting so intense? But if that’s really the Dark Young’s motivation, then we’ve essentially already won. After all, I have the Silver Key in my possession. Some of its use is restricted since we’re playing in an event map, but based on the conversation so far, I think there’s a good chance they’ll let me use the key to advance the event’s story.
Someone probably needs to maintain Scarlet Circle in order for it to stay active. In other words, not all of them can return home through it. That was why they attempted to summon their boss, Shub-Niggurath, so that they could all return together. Their only choice was to summon more Blessed of Shub-Niggurath through the circle and work together to summon Shub-Niggurath herself.
“They told us they would provide the blood needed for Scarlet Circle and assist our summoning ritual.”
“I see. I can help you all get home, so if possible, we’d like to take the children back and return them to their own homes as well. Does that sound acceptable?”
“You can take us home?”
“Yes, thanks to this.”
“The Silver Key!”
“If it fails, you’re welcome to sacrifice the robed men there to carry out your original plan.”
“Very well. Come forth.”
At the Dark Young’s orders, the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath bring the children out for the other players to collect.
There we go. What else might have an effect on our score, I wonder? The children are safe now, and the town wasn’t damaged. With my Silver Key, I don’t think enraging the Dark Young or Blessed is possible now that they have a way home. Oh, but then there were the fanatics’ initial motives too. What should we do about that?
No, perhaps it’s best not to say anything. I can bite my tongue, open up a gate, and let the Dark Young and Blessed take the fanatics back with them as worshippers. That will keep both us and the town safe. The children will go unharmed too. The Dark Young and Blessed receive some nice souvenirs to bring back to Shub-Niggurath, and the fanatics get their just deserts.
It’s the perfect plan, isn’t it? Even if the Silver Key doesn’t work, the fanatics will end up as sacrifices for Scarlet Circle. We’ll be able to walk away scot-free.
“Ugh! That smile on Sis’s face means trouble.”
“I can tell!”
“She’s smiling just like when someone challenges her to a fight. But that’s not the case here. Her dark side is coming out!”
“Rina.”
“…”
“The little sister clammed up!”
When I call my sister through the union, she crouches on the ground and buries her face in her knees. But thanks to my vision, I can still see anyone’s face should they turn it away from me. What a wonderful way to solve my problems.
Putting Rina aside, all the players probably want to see the Dark Young go home by this point. However, that gets in the way of my role-playing. Instead of my “afterlife” aspects, I could focus on being an outer one and ignore the wishes of the players.
Hmm…
“By the way, Dark Young, would you like to use these humans as souvenirs?”
“These fellows? I don’t mind taking them if they intend to serve us. But if that isn’t the case, they’ll only be in our way.”
Judging by the looks on their faces, they don’t seem interested in servitude whatsoever. Their AI is very realistic.
“What’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking that it’s best to exterminate them right now if you have no interest in taking them back with you.”
“Is that so?”
“Princess is kinda scary, isn’t she?”
“She loves bloodshed despite how she looks.”
“Our princess is a violent one!” the group chants.
You guys sure love to run your mouths, don’t you?!
But I’m left with no choice. I have to summon Shub-Niggurath with the Silver Key or risk sending the Dark Young into another frenzy. I’m sure it will calm right down as soon as its mother shows up. If the Silver Key doesn’t work—oh, the Summon Shub-Niggurath spell option is lit up. I can try it that way if I have to.
I’ll tell the union so I can have them work on what I need.
“Violation number one. The actions they’ve taken in the name of this ritual amount to kidnapping and burglary under human law.”
“The kids and lumber?” the other players chime in.
“Violation number two. This group have in their possession a method of summoning Shub-Niggurath.”
“And that’s no good,” the players respond.
“Violation number three. They foolishly attempted to outwit a Dark Young and the Blessed in order to use Shub-Niggurath for their own purposes.”
“Tell me more,” the Dark Young demands.
I share the information we gathered from our investigation with the Dark Young and the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
“I see…”
Ah, the Blessed and Dark Young reacted the same way. But I suppose that’s to be expected. They’re all outer ones, so it makes sense that they’d be angered by the same things. The Blessed weren’t actually raging during the ritual, but that was then, and this is now.
I wonder why the Dark Young still looks like it could swing its thick tentacles down at any moment. Well, I wouldn’t mind if it killed someone—so long as that satisfied its rage for good. That way, we won’t have to be on edge.
“She’s lying! We would never do such things!” one of the fanatics cries.
Ah, how lovely! Thank you for bringing about your own end!
It’s an act of suicide to tell a lie to any member of the Stellura family. Frankly, silence was the only thing that could have saved them. Our family—and people with Stellura’s blessing such as myself—have a single question that can instantly shut them up.
“I want you to swear those words on the name of Stellura, my master.”
“…!”
“I shall take your silence as an answer. However, since we haven’t worked out what to do with your lot yet, why don’t we call Shub-Niggurath and leave the decision in her hands?”
“Very well,” says the Dark Young.
I’m a bit nervous, since I’ve never met her before, but I can always flee with the Silver Key if she puts up a fight.
“Does anyone mind if I summon her?” I ask the players.
“A Shub-Niggurath summoning ritual makes me think of...”
“I know what you’re expecting, but this is an all-ages game.”
“Why?!”
“What do you mean, ‘why?’”
“Do you think the fanatics will put up a fight?”
“I’ll be using the Silver Key, so I don’t think they can interfere with the oath. My key opens a gate without all the steps, meaning there shouldn’t be any room for them to get in my way.”
“Then go for it!” the players tell me.
All right, I’ll proceed with the summoning. Do I even need to chant anything when using the Silver Key? It makes me a bit sad to skip it, so I’ll go with the famous spell.
“Iä! Iä! Shub-Niggurath… Summon Shub-Niggurath!”
Attempting to summon Shub-Niggurath.
Summoner: Comrade
Summonee status: Normal
Contract with summonee: None
Affinity level with summonee: Neutral to friendly
Unlike the usual animations where the Silver Key floats downward or directly in front of me, this time, it shot up in the air. Um, it’s actually too high up to see. Ah, I can use Lizzy to get a look.
Shub-Niggurath has been summoned by a player.
Entering banishing phase… Banishing phase deferred.
“Deferred?! Hey, there’s special BGM!”
A crack forms in the sky, large enough to span across all of our heads at the very least, as the BGM switches to a new track. Is that…an accordion?
From somewhere we can’t make out on the other side of the fissure, a translucent sort of mist or smoke—something—begins to pour out.
The mood has suddenly gotten much more intense. Her presence is simply overwhelming.
The fanatics have gone pale, fallen to their knees, and are now staring up at the sky. How rude. Isn’t this the being you people wanted to meet?
“Time for a SAN check!”
“They don’t have those in this game!”
“The SAN check will come in your dreams!”
“That’s more like it!”
I can’t tell whether the billowing substance is her trying to take a form we can comprehend or if she’s merely indulging the whims of gravity, but regardless, she’s gently descending toward us. As she starts to touch down, the clear haze takes on a dark color and coalesces into hooves that, somehow, produce deep indents in the soil when they make contact without making so much as a single sound.
She’s many times larger than the Dark Young, and she completely eclipses the nearby trees. The fact that she’s not mowed down a single one of said trees gives me the impression she’s trying to be polite. Is she refraining from materializing the portions of her form that are contacting them? If “materialized” is even the right word to use for this, anyway.
“What is your business with me, newcomer?”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Shub-Niggurath.”
“Be at ease, for we are comrades. Well?”
“There’s a bit of a situation here, you see.”
“Answer me, my child.”
I don’t really know how to describe Shub-Niggurath’s voice. I would call it something like a high-handed female tone.
The Dark Young, as beckoned by its mother, wriggles its tentacles and bleats. The rest of us players watch on. It’s a very surreal scene. I probably shouldn’t interrupt it.
“Would you call this a touching reunion?” I ask.
“Dunno,” the players respond at the same time.
“If it is, then aren’t we just getting in their way?”
“But so are those guys.”
“Maybe we should leave.”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
“But where do we go?”
“Heh!” everyone chuckles.
You are in the presence of the king of Lapu…of the goddess Shub-Niggurath!
Actually, where exactly does Shub-Niggurath rank in this world? Nyar was a prime minister, but I’m curious about Azathoth too. Of course, I’m not going to inquire about him right now.
It seems like the Dark Young is finished bleating his report.
“May I do as I please here?”
“Yes, absolutely. We won’t interrupt, and we’ll inform the other humans about what’s happened.”
“I see. Then take me to the public area.”
I’ll do as I’m told. Time for the Silver Key!
The fissure in the sky closes and the Silver Key descends to me. This time, it creates a giant gate, revealing a field of flowers on the other side—the Medium’s public area.
“It is time to return, my child. We shall do as my comrade and her allies request.”
“Meeeh!”
The many Blessed of Shub-Niggurath who joined the fight take the tied-up fanatics back with them too. The fanatics are screaming something, but we’re happy to ignore them. Right now, all our hearts are shouting the same thing at them: “Get out of our way so we can get our S clear already!”
Wasn’t this their desire in the first place? While they aren’t on the same level as Shub-Niggurath, of course, there are plenty of very powerful beings in the Medium. Well, I can’t guarantee that the “ruler” they wanted will be anything like the ruler of the Medium.
Once Shub-Niggurath turns back into a mist and passes through the gate, the key seals the pathway shut and returns to its place on my belt.
Shub-Niggurath and her kin have been banished.
Main event: “Capture the remaining fanatics” has been completed.
Calculating quest score…
“Hey, it’s taking a long time,” the other players comment.
“Starting today, are those guys gonna be part of the Shub-Niggurath family too?”
“It’s impossible to tell,” I reply.
Calculating quest score… Deliberating quest score…
“Now that’s just funny,” the players chuckle.
“I suppose we did go about it in a somewhat unique way,” I reply.
“Somewhat?”
“This is the result of sending me out to deal with the Dark Young. Please be content with whatever score we receive.”
“What’s done is done!” they declare.
Oh?
“Ha ha ha ha! It’s me, everyone!” Mr. Yatsuzuka greets us.
“Hey there!” the players reply.
“Mr. Yamamoto and the event team are discussing your score right now, so give ’em a little more time, okay?”
“What score do you predict?”
“You’ll probably get your S. You’ve got the points you need—you just did it in a weird way!”
Deliberation complete.
Fanatics’ objective: Uncovered through investigation
Dark Young’s objective: Identified
Rescue of captive children: Complete
Escaped fanatics: 0
Damage to town: 0
Outsiders immobilized: 12,964 times
Blessed of Shub-Niggurath slain: 0
Stop the Dark Young: Complete
Prevent the summoning of Shub-Niggurath: Complete?
Clear score: S clear!
You have been granted bonus rewards for your perfect completion of the event.
Rewards will be distributed to all players on Server 1.
In three minutes, kidnapping victims will be teleported to the eastern gate.
Your race level has increased.
Your servants’ levels have increased.
Book has reached level 50. You have gained 2 skill points.
The Book art Quick Cast has been improved.
Snake Sword has reached level 30. You have gained 2 skill points.
You have acquired No Restrictions through Snake Sword.
Ultra Magic Assist has reached level 10. You have gained 1 skill point.
You have acquired Scouting Spell through Ultra Magic Assist.
You have unlocked new options through Scouting Spell.
Aurora Magic has reached level 5.
You have acquired Serace Flak through Aurora Magic.
Holy Magic has reached level 40. You have gained 2 skill points.
You have acquired Party Heal through Holy Magic.
Chaos Magic has reached level 5.
You have acquired Haus Flak through Chaos Magic.
Space-time Magic has reached level 5.
You have acquired Slow through Space-time Magic.
Body Enhancement has reached level 10. You have gained 1 skill point.
Limb Enhancement has reached level 10. You have gained 1 skill point.
Soul Enhancement has reached level 10. You have gained 1 skill point.
Max HP Enhancement has reached level 10. You have gained 1 skill point.
Max MP Enhancement has reached level 10. You have gained 1 skill point.
Ars Magna has reached level 40. You have gained 2 skill points.
“Hell yeah!” cheer the players.
“That’s the good stuff!”
“The harder the boss, the better the rewards!”
“Server 1 doesn’t even have a ton of players, but there were so many deaths, ha ha!”
“Blame the Dark Young for that.”
“Yeah, it’s definitely that thing’s fault.”
“It was taking out the inhuman races in a single hit.”
“That means there’s nothing left to complete for day 4!”
“Woo-hoo!” the group cheers.
Mr. Yatsuzuka went back to where he came from.
There’s still one day left in this event, isn’t there? I believe it’s there for us to wrap things up and exchange our final tickets. I’ve already acquired what I want, so I’ll take it easy tomorrow and go over my rewards.
“There were a lot of criteria this time, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s because it was a city event.”
“It was the right move to ask the Dark Young what it was trying to achieve after all,” I remark.
“The question mark on ‘prevent the summoning’ made me laugh.”
“If you don’t want someone else to summon her, just summon her yourself, bro!”
“We couldn’t have even done that without the Silver Key!”
The easiest way to complete the battle was probably to let them sacrifice all the fanatics. That is, if we’d decided to take a normal route through it.
“How are the kids?”
“Looks like they’re asleep.”
“I believe they’ve fainted, actually.”
“Now that I think of it, we summoned Shub-Niggurath without any concern for what the children would think.”
“Well, that’s all in the past now!”
Everyone has a big smile on their face. They’re right, in the end. What’s done is done.
We’re transported back to the field outside the eastern gate, so we begin to make our way back to town.
“Good work, everyone!”
“Yeah, great job!”
“Now what do we do?”
“We could have a party!”
“That sounds fun, but what about the cat and the pumpkins?”
“Oh yeah,” everyone says at once.
“It feels like we’re just supposed to wait for the answers on those.”
“The event ends at 3 p.m. on the fourth day, so tonight’s our last chance.”
“Is that right?”
Horror stories usually take off after midnight, so I agree with their speculation. However, my current plan is to head to the earl’s home and report the outcome.
“I’m going to see the earl. How about you four?” I ask my party.
“Hmm, I don’t know,” says Mr. Alf.
“Since it’s the last night, how about we look around some more?” Mr. Skelly suggests.
“Yeah, I’m down for that,” Mr. Alf replies.
“And the twins?” I ask them.
“It’s early, but we might go to bed,” they reply.
“I’m sure you’re exhausted. That boss killed certain races in one hit, so you never had a moment’s rest that whole time.”
“We’re tired, but it was a lot of fun!” they cheer.
“I’m glad to hear that. Good night, then.”
“Good night!” they chime back.
Now that we’ve decided on plans, it’s time to go to the manor. The other players carrying the unconscious children will join me. We don’t know where they live, exactly, but they should be able to make it home once they wake up if they’re left at the earl’s house.
I figured meeting with the earl alone would be fine, but the countess is there waiting for us too.
I share all of our updates, including the fact that one of the children was likely lost. I also fill them in on the Dark Young’s objective, the fanatics’ goals, and how it all concluded.
“I see. We are truly grateful for your efforts. We’ll make sure these children are safely returned to their homes.”
“Yes, thank you.”
It took some time to give them the full report, so I think I’ll return to the church and go to bed now. The timing is perfect, but I’m also exhausted after fighting this game’s strongest foe yet. Other players fought the Shoggoth during the sports festival, but I retreated quickly enough that I never got that experience.
I bid farewell to the earl and countess, then exit the manor. It’s actually quite late in the day—at least for this world. Residents typically go to bed as soon as it starts to get dark.
I greet the nuns in the chapel and head to my room. Tomorrow, I’ll spend the day going over my skills.
Good night!
Official BBS 2
Official BBS 2
[Fourth event] Halloween Day 3 [Server 1]
1. Management
This thread is for the fourth official event: Halloween.
Please use it as a general discussion thread for anything about the event.
Click here to see the Day 2 thread.
8461. Sightseeing Adventurer
The weather sucks.
8462. Sightseeing Adventurer
Would you expect anything less for a horror event?
8463. Sightseeing Adventurer
I wonder if we’ll really be able to put up a fight against outer ones.
8464. Sightseeing Adventurer
Frankly, I don’t see any other outcome but us getting our asses kicked.
8465. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’m sure there’ll be some sort of gimmick since this is an event.
8466. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’ll definitely be really strong based on the setup so far.
8467. Sightseeing Adventurer
But it’d also be boring to just send Princess in alone and have her wrap things up.
8468. Sightseeing Adventurer
Our best battlers are kinda wasted in a city event. The fanatics were super weak too.
8469. Sightseeing Adventurer
I want my S clear, but you’re not wrong.
8470. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yep.
8471. Anastasia
I’m also hoping to do a little more than walk in and walk out. My main skill is combat, after all.
8472. Sightseeing Adventurer
See?
8473. Anastasia
What’s the point in having fighters if we can work everything out with words?
8474. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, like what are the police for if you can just say sorry every time you do something wrong?!
8475. Sightseeing Adventurer
So knights are the police in this world?
8476. Sightseeing Adventurer
…I’m bored.
8477. Sightseeing Adventurer
There’s nothing to do but wait around.
8478. Sightseeing Adventurer
I wonder if other servers are dealing with Our Ladies of Sorrow. They said how everyone’s main story gets selected as soon as the event starts.
8479. Sightseeing Adventurer
I wouldn’t be surprised.
8480. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s gotta be one mommy or the other.
8481. Sightseeing Adventurer
Insane choice of words.
8482. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s either Mommy Shub-Niggurath or the Ladies?
8483. Sightseeing Adventurer
Nyar might be an option too.
8484. Sightseeing Adventurer
I wonder about that.
8485. Sightseeing Adventurer
He’s still in avatar form, so I doubt he’s the main event for any server.
8486. Anastasia
The sheer number of avatars he has makes me inclined to agree.
8487. Sightseeing Adventurer
There’s the equation and potentially also the cat and all the pumpkins, right?
8488. Sightseeing Adventurer
I heard the curious players have been chasing the cat all over, but they haven’t learned anything yet.
8489. Sightseeing Adventurer
Looks like we can finish the deciphering in time.
8490. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yes!
8491. Sightseeing Adventurer
Do we really have to go to the mountain? That’s annoying.
8492. Sightseeing Adventurer
Idiots and smoke always climb to the greatest heights.
8493. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’m the one who makes it to the greatest heights.
8494. Sightseeing Adventurer
Then let’s do this, you big idiot.
8495. Sightseeing Adventurer
Okay.
8496. Sightseeing Adventurer
Lmao.
8497. Sightseeing Adventurer
That was kind of cute.
13517. Sightseeing Adventurer
I think the worst of the storm has passed.
13518. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, it’d make fighting too hard if the storm was raging, but it’s doable now.
13519. Sightseeing Adventurer
My clothes are sticking to my skiiiiin.
13520. Sightseeing Adventurer
Fortunately, leather equipment can’t rot in this game.
13521. Sightseeing Adventurer
And the smell isn’t too bad either.
13522. Sightseeing Adventurer
It would suck if they went as far as making wet leather smell bad.
13523. Sightseeing Adventurer
But zombies reek in this game.
13524. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, that’s part of their identity.
13525. Sightseeing Adventurer
A part I wish they’d lose.
13526. Sightseeing Adventurer
Did everything we had together mean nothing to you?!
13527. Sightseeing Adventurer
What are you talking about?
13528. Sightseeing Adventurer
I wonder what those Dark Young are like?
13529. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’m more scared of the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
13530. Sightseeing Adventurer
I hear they’re like the Tyrants from Resident Evil. Someone else take care of them for me, please.
13531. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ah, that might not be so bad…
13532. Sightseeing Adventurer
Nope, it’s bad!
13533. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yep, all signs point to bad.
13534. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’ll probably live up to our expectations, as much as we don’t want it to.
13535. Sightseeing Adventurer
I love Shub-Niggurath! I welcome her to our event!
13536. Sightseeing Adventurer
We won’t let you summon her, y’know.
13537. Sightseeing Adventurer
How come?!
13538. Sightseeing Adventurer
Because we’ll lose any hope of getting an S clear!
13539. Sightseeing Adventurer
That’s not gonna stop me!
13540. Sightseeing Adventurer
Looks like we have a fanatic among us.
13541. Sightseeing Adventurer
I wish we had Cthugha.
13542. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthugha Fomalhaut!
13543. Sightseeing Adventurer
He’ll burn the fields down.
13544. Sightseeing Adventurer
You’re the fire and I’m the ash.
13545. Sightseeing Adventurer
I wish I could be ash.
13546. Anastasia
How hot do you think Cthugha is, anyway?
13547. Sightseeing Adventurer
He might not actually be that hot, since he has to stay around long enough to burn down his surroundings.
13548. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, who’s your favorite character in the Cthulhu Mythos, Princess?
13549. Anastasia
I think I’d go with Yog-Sothoth. I know he’s just a mass of orbs, but there’s so much cool artwork of that character out there.
13550. Sightseeing Adventurer
I suppose that’s pretty fitting for your character in-game.
13551. Anastasia
I don’t know which of our names is the actual one, but that’s par for the course with Yog-Sothoth, after all.
13552. Sightseeing Adventurer
Speaking of Yog-Sothoth, “Spells: Any spell that he desires.”
13553. Sightseeing Adventurer
What’s that about?
13554. Cecil
In the TRPG, that’s the description of what spells Yog-Sothoth can use.
13555. Sightseeing Adventurer
LOL.
13556. Sightseeing Adventurer
The god of sorcerers isn’t to be trifled with.
13557. Sightseeing Adventurer
That’s… Ah…
13558. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yikes…
13559. Sightseeing Adventurer
Creepy, isn’t it? I prefer the monstrous Dark Young instead.
13560. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, as someone who doesn’t know Cthulhu stuff, they’re both just monsters to me.
13561. Lucebarm
If you don’t know anything, it’s fine to just judge the character based on what’s in front of you. Don’t overthink it.
13562. Akirina
In fact, knowing too much can get in your head and land you in deep trouble.
13563. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’ve been there.
13564. Sightseeing Adventurer
The creatures look like people who’ve undergone human experiments.
13565. Sightseeing Adventurer
So horrifying to look at.
13566. Sightseeing Adventurer
You guys do realize we’re going to go and fight one of them soon, right?
13567. Sightseeing Adventurer
I don’t wanna!
13568. Sightseeing Adventurer
You can’t make me!
13569. Sightseeing Adventurer
Shut up and get a move on!
13570. Sightseeing Adventurer
You can turn filters on if you really need them.
13571. Sightseeing Adventurer
That’s the ticket!
17471. Sightseeing Adventurer
Are Management a bunch of morons?!
17472. Sightseeing Adventurer
This is waaay too difficult. I can’t even laugh anymore.
17473. Sightseeing Adventurer
There are no more laughs to give!
17474. Sightseeing Adventurer
We’re done for!
17475. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, okay?
17476. Sightseeing Adventurer
Would we be screwed right now if we never figured out how to unlock Resurrection?
17477. Sightseeing Adventurer
Honestly, I feel like we don’t have enough revival items.
17478. Sightseeing Adventurer
I wonder if the other servers are surviving?
17479. Sightseeing Adventurer
I highly doubt it.
17480. Sightseeing Adventurer
But the other servers do have more people.
17481. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, plus there’s no level requirement to unlock Resurrection.
17482. Sightseeing Adventurer
These spells are so killer, lmao… Lmao…
17483. Sightseeing Adventurer
Aaaaah, we’re all gonna die~!
17484. Sightseeing Adventurer
Live, you refugee.
17485. Sightseeing Adventurer
Please stop whipping us!
17486. Sightseeing Adventurer
Come on, boys! Do it right for once!
17487. Sightseeing Adventurer
I am doing it right, damn it!
17488. Sightseeing Adventurer
Aaaah!
21111. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s awesome how Princess slips in the occasional joke, despite her looks.
21112. Sightseeing Adventurer
I haven’t seen that movie in a while.
21113. Sightseeing Adventurer
Balse!
21114. Sightseeing Adventurer
Unfortunately, Princess doesn’t have eyes.
21115. Sightseeing Adventurer
Holy cow!
21116. Management
Balse activation confirmed. Shutting down server.
21117. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, don’t do that!
21118. Sightseeing Adventurer
We’re in the middle of the best part!
21119. Sightseeing Adventurer
Silence, boy! How dare you speak to a god like that!
21120. Sightseeing Adventurer
What’s that from again?
21121. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ashitaka.
21122. Sightseeing Adventurer
Oh, Mononoke? Got it.
Chapter 4: Halloween—Day 4
Chapter 4:
Halloween—Day 4
GOOD MORNING, familiar ceiling. Today’s the final day of the event.
I’ll do my stretches and head out into the chapel.
“Morning, Princess!” the twins greet me.
“Good morning. Were you able to get some sleep?”
“Yeah, lots!”
After going to bed so early, the twins must have woken up early too.
“Are you looking over your new skills?” I ask.
“Yeah, they’re really good!”
I’ve just noticed the two of them increased by two levels.
I leveled up once to reach level 48, but I’m just below level 49 now. Mr. Skelly and Mr. Alf are at level 49 too, so we’ll all have to evolve at a later time.
I say my morning prayer, then it’s time to pull up yesterday’s log and give it a thorough look.
Quick Cast from Book was upgraded. That’s a passive skill, so I don’t need to test it.
Snake Sword
No Restrictions: You can now carry out complex movements.
Ultra Magic Assist
Scouting Spell: A spell that searches for nearby enemies.
Aurora Magic
Serace Flak: This attack spell blasts light in all directions from wherever you choose to position it.
Holy Magic
Party Heal: Heals all party members within the same area, including the caster.
Chaos Magic
Haus Flak: This attack spell blasts darkness in all directions from wherever you choose to position it.
Space-time Magic
Slow: Slows a target’s speed, putting them in a state of slow motion.
That’s about everything.
I remember other players using Party Heal during the fight with the Dark Young. I was late to take Holy Magic, and in my party, I’m the only player it will work on. I’ll have to shelve Party Heal in a party of undead. I might accidentally kill one of the others.
I won’t understand the rest until I actually try them. The adventurers’ union has wooden dummies, don’t they? I think that’s where I’ll head next.
I’m eager to use Snake Sword and the flak arts.
“I’m heading to the union to beat up some training dummies. Would you care to join me?”
“Yeah!”
I’ll take the twins to the union with me. I’m sure all the other players will have the same idea, so it might be crowded, but it’s still early enough in the day that there ought to be some room.
Adventurers’ unions have training areas for newbies. It depends on the region the union is in, but these areas are typically located in the garden or the basement. This town’s union training area appears to be in the garden, so that will be our destination.
There are definitely more players than usual at the union, but there are still dummies available for us to work with.
While the twins hit their dummies with spells and scythe attacks, I’ll start with Snake Sword.
No Restrictions is a passive art, but let’s see it. Wow, this is pretty impressive!
“You use Snake Sword, right, Princess? I didn’t know those swords could move around so much.”
“I learned the passive art No Restrictions after yesterday’s fight, so I’m able to manipulate it manually now. Ah! Ouch!”
“Looks like it’s hard to control, huh?”
“Theoretically, once I get used to it, this could solve the problem of not having enough arms and weapons. However, it seems I can’t intentionally reflect attacks with it.”
“If Snake Sword has that art, then Whip probably has the same one.”
“I suppose that may be true.”
I chat with the random player who happens to be next to me as I sum up the information I’ve gathered.
I’m now able to hit things other than what I specifically target. It’s sort of like a fighting style you see in anime. I can fly in the air and strike my sword out right in front of me, or I can even make it wrap around things in my surroundings.
The twins have finished up now. They must have gotten a feel for their spells, then quickly read up on everything else they needed to know from the BBS.
“While I have you, could I ask for your help in testing out my new interference spell?” I ask the player.
“Oh yeah? Bring it on!”
The player agrees to enter duel mode with me. I’ll lower the damage modifiers so that I don’t kill him right away.
“Slow,” I cast.
“Whoa! It lasts six whole seconds?”
The chant time is quick, but it uses a lot of MP. Judging by its duration, I suspect this art is meant to be used on fellow players.
“Ah, it stopped. I see. This art’s really strong,” the player says.
“Slow,” I cast again.
“Four seconds, huh? Looks like targets gain resistance after getting hit with it four times,” he speculates.
“Do you know any of the flak spells?” I ask.
“I just read some posts about them on the BBS, but I haven’t seen ’em myself. Bring it on!”
These are the ones I’m most curious about.
“Haus Flak,” I cast.
“Oof!”
“Whoa, that was cool!” the twins chime in.
“I’ll try dodging it next time,” the player declares.
“Here it comes. Serace Flak.”
“Oop!”
“Ah, so it’s a multi-directional attack spell that you can place anywhere. I understand now.”
“I see,” the player remarks.
“It’s awesome!” the twins cheer.
“I unlocked it when I got my third-tier skill to level 5,” I inform them.
“Still a ways off for us!” the twins complain.
You set the coordinates of where to cast it just like explosion and mine spells. The description said it fired in all directions, but to be more accurate, it activates and forms the shape of a dome. You designate where the spell gets cast, at which point the dome made of small spheres the size of pachinko balls appears. A few seconds later, they converge on the designated location and deal damage to those hit.
Indeed, it’s a very cool visual effect, just as the twins said.
The two of us exit out of duel mode.
“Seems like Gravitas and Flak both take a little getting used to,” he remarks.
“They really do. They’re a bit difficult to operate.”
“They are?” the twins ask.
“Gravitas is pretty simple to use, but when you try it in the hunting grounds…” replies the player.
One would want to hit six targets at once with Gravitas spells, so considering the amount of MP used, it’s best kept for hunting.
Flak spells in comparison can be set anywhere at equal cost, however this is both a blessing and a curse.
“Coordinate-based spells don’t chase enemies like Magic Missile does. This one also had some timing to get the hang of, as the spheres don’t immediately converge after they appear,” I explain.
“So you have to consider that enemies have time to run if they see you set it up,” says the player.
“Interesting,” reply the twins.
You’d want to time it for just after an enemy attacks, while they’re not moving, or when they’re knocked down. I think placing them in advance would be a powerful strategy once I get the hang of it. However, I’ll have to predict the enemy’s movements while also calculating the time it takes from activation until it actually hits the enemy.
The art Explosion deals explosive damage that expands from the caster’s choice of location. Even if you’re not perfectly precise, it will still hit its targets. But flak condenses instead of expanding, making it much more difficult.
“Flak is extremely MP-efficient, isn’t it? Although pillar is still the most efficient at the moment.”
“Pillar deals the most DPMP, but Flak has better DPS, apparently,” the player explains to me.
“Ah, that’s true. It takes time before pillars start to deal their full amount of damage.”
“Flak only needs the time it takes to condense to deal all its damage, and it’s crazy powerful if you can get every pellet to hit.”
If you manage to hit your target with every sphere upon convergence, it must have the strongest raw firepower in the game. But if you miss, even slightly, it becomes weaker than mines. If your target breaks through a portion of the dome, the whole spell is weakened down to the level of an arrow or ball spell. I’m sure someone like Ms. Fairellen could simply fly around and dodge all the pellets.
“I’d also like to test what happens when flak is reflected, as well as how Raum Escudo and Raum Sphere work with it.”
“I can’t use those spells, but I’m sure someone around here can,” the player informs me.
“You rang?”
A wild Mr. Studylover appeared!
I want to know if, when a portion of flak is taken out, it fizzles the rest. I’m also curious if Raum Escudo and Raum Sphere from Space Magic work against it. Respectively, those arts block long-range attacks from the front and then long-range attacks from all directions. In other words, they’re invulnerability spells.
“It would be very bad if they broke from a single sphere hitting them,” I explain.
“I’ve been struggling to research Space Magic because so few have it, so honestly, this is a big help!”
“Do all the spheres disappear when blocked, or just the ones that hit?”
“I think it would be too complex if it weren’t the former,” I reply.
“Good point,” the twins say.
After all, this spell surrounds a designated location with countless little spheres. Does a single sphere hitting cause the other spheres in that cast of flak to be blocked, or does each individual sphere count as its own instance of damage? This will be important to verify. If it’s the latter, not only will we lose our invulnerability shields mid-fight, but we’ll then be pelted by the remaining spheres and take damage. That certainly won’t do.
“Okay, let’s actually give this a shot.”
“I’m ready when you are.”
After more testing, we find that flak pellets can be knocked away, but reflecting them accurately to hit a target seems impossible. The spheres appear in random locations, but they’ll always be within a certain distance of the cast position. That means I can knock them away, but they’ll despawn before traveling very far. Essentially, since flak won’t be used on me in very close-range fights, there’s functionally no special reason to reflect it.
“But if I’m not focused on reflecting, that actually means I can focus my full attention on dodging the spell,” I remark.
“Yeah, since there’s no need to think about which ones to reflect and which ones to knock away.”
“Luck is a bit of a factor too, but since the spheres can only move in one direction, I don’t think this will be a threat to me,” I conclude.
“What about that lump of flesh you’ve got?”
“He’s more like a scarecrow.”
“Ha ha! But he’s so big, he’ll practically absorb this spell.”
Yes, that’s true. In flesh ball form, Unit One will probably get hit with at least half of the pellets, even if he tries to escape.
Now I’ll add Raum Escudo and Raum Sphere to the mix.
“Ah, it works the same way as the shotgun dogs in the ruins dungeon,” I realize.
If even a single sphere from flak hits a raum spell, it registers as a hit, destroying the shields. Well, at least the rest of the spheres despawn alongside it.
Those dogs attack with scatter-shots too, so it’s impossible to knock all the pellets away. Instead, your shield is instantly destroyed—a waste of MP to cast in the first place. Even being grazed by a pellet counts as a hit for flak as well.
“It’s nice that all the spheres despawn, but is it worth it, with the amount of MP you drain to put up a shield?”
“Frankly, I haven’t found a good use for either spell yet,” I reply.
“I’m sure it’s harder for you than most, Princess!”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to learn anything by testing out Scouting Spell here,” I remark.
“Ah, that one? There’s information about it on the BBS.”
Oh, let’s take a look. I’ll search “scouting” on the latest magic thread.
I see. So it’s like Perception but with a larger radius. It seems that different players are finding they’re able to use it at different ranges, so that range must be calculated with one stat or another—intelligence, spirit, or perhaps both.
When used, the spell sends a circular wave over the mini-map, displaying enemies with red marks, the distance between you and the enemies, and the enemies’ initials if they’re types you’ve already encountered. Players show up in blue, and residents are displayed in green.
Crucially, other parties know when they’ve been scanned with Scouting Spell. Learning the spell or being scanned with it supposedly lets you adjust things in the options menu, so I’ll have to see those for myself.
Both players and enemies know when they’ve been scanned. Depending on their level of perception, enemies are likely to come looking for you, but that’s impossible to test during this event. We also don’t know how the spell moves through passageways like in dungeons.
I see. Since I have the twins here, I think I’ll test it out to see what the options are like.
“Scouting Spell.”
“Oh!” say the twins.
“Thanks a bunch!”
It sounds like the other player hasn’t tested this yet. That’s probably because, judging by his equipment, he’s a close-range attacker. Mr. Studylover has already tested this spell, of course.
All right, let’s check those options.
The factors that display on the mini-map are the same ones mentioned on the BBS. I’ll go ahead and switch them all on. Players are blue, residents are green, and enemies are red—also displaying their initials and distance.
But the next problem at hand is the sheer number of options for when you enter the range of someone else’s Scouting Spell.
Incoming Scouting Spell options
Adjust options when within range of a third party’s Scouting Spell.
Disable notifications while in safe area: On
Allow notifications for event-related Scouting Spell scanning: On
Exclude yourself from party members’ Scouting Spells: On
Exclude yourself from raid members’ Scouting Spells: On
Exclude yourself from union members’ Scouting Spells: On
Exclude yourself from war members’ Scouting Spells: On
Exclude yourself from residents’ Scouting Spells: Off
Display in UI: On
Text and markers: Markers only
Perceive with senses: On
* Strength is calculated by your stats in comparison to scanned targets’ stats.
Sound effects: On
Sound selection: Sound 01
Sound volume: 80%
Increase sound based on strength of perception: On
* Increased sounds will go up to maximum volume.
Detect source if possible: On
* Success rate depends on your stats in comparison to target’s. Accuracy depends on your own stats.
Display markers on mini-map: On
Display distance between you and target on mini-map: On
Display enemies’ initials on mini-map: On
That should do the trick. I know exactly which sound I’m going to pick.
“It’s not fair that they put in a notification noise that sounds like a Newtype flash! How’re we supposed to choose anything else?”
“Yes, I went with that one too,” I tell him.
What next? I’ll skip the enhancement passives I received and take a look at Ars Magna.
Ars Magna
Skills grantable to servants: 4
Capacity used in summoning: Evolution level x 8
Capacity loss upon servant death: 30%
Capacity loss upon servant purification: 50%
I can give my servants an extra skill now that Ars Magna is at level 40. The multiplier for capacity usage has also gone down from nine to eight. The servant death loss hasn’t changed, and the purification loss is reduced by 10 percent.
Wait, hang on a minute. When did I cross level 60 with Secret Art of Necromancy? Was it before this weekend? I’ll check to make sure, but I think that would have let me start to give my servants third-tier skills. What a waste!
Optimizer
By frequently using Secret Art of Necromancy, you are now able to cast Dark Ritual and Corpse Calling more efficiently.
Dark Ritual and Corpse Calling from Necromantic Magic are optimized to work with Secret Art of Necromancy.
Occupation customization and body customization through Secret Art of Necromancy have been consolidated. You may now customize your servants’ skeletons, materials, shells, rank, and sizes before summoning.
Shoot! This was a major one too!
Let’s check the BBS. Ah, Mr. Skelly already posted about it. It seems the human necromancers are fired up and highly motivated now.
Skills involving servants go all the way up to level 100, but normal skills would reach the third tier at level 60. I suppose this separates the experts from the novices.
I’ll look over the UI while I read Mr. Skelly’s post.
Skeleton: Shape of things like goblins, orcs, and ogres.
Materials: Varieties of zombies, skeletons, living armor, and wraiths.
Shell: Choose from 0-10 based on level of appearance.
Rank: Choose from 1-100 in increments of 5, or you can disable this option.
Size: Extra small, small, medium, or large.
Occupation customization from Secret Art of Necromancy is gone now.
You can customize one body part for free, two for double the cost, three for four times the cost, or four for six times the cost. That’s less than before.
Summoning cost and limitations are reliant on the skeleton and size of what you’re summoning.
Base stats and race skills are dependent on materials and shell you choose for your servants.
Shell determines the appearance of what you’re summoning. Choose “0” for a simple white skeleton with a level in the single digits. Choose “1” for a red skeleton level 10 or above. Choose “2” for a metal skeleton level 20 or above.
Rank affects a servant’s strength. If you aren’t summoning for something lighthearted like a duel or testing, you can skip this selection and your servant’s strength will be based on the summoner.
Conclusion: There’s a lot more customization and freedom now. Different people are going to have more personalized servants, but it’s also harder to tell how strong they are based on appearances now. You can’t say for sure that metal skeletons get modifiers from being above level 30 anymore. It also seems like dragons and lesser dragons have most of their options locked.
I see. Now that I think of it, Mr. Skelly’s living armor looked quite different yesterday. I’ll give these new options a spin too. I’m glad that there’s no capacity cost for customizing one body part of your servant. Now I don’t have to worry about adding arms!
I think I’ll make a template for role-playing purposes right now. I’d like something with large bones, so I’ll set the skeleton and materials to, well, skeleton. For size, I’ll pick large and set the shell to 0, as white is fine. Since I don’t need to make him weaker, I won’t adjust the rank, which means his strength will be based on mine. Now I’ll hold off on servant skills, leave him with the equipment he already has, and summon him!
“Yes, you’ve grown, haven’t you? You’re going to carry me.”
I change Unit One’s angles and such so that my own stability is prioritized. I don’t even need to take screenshots to check different things, thanks to my vision.
“I feel like I’m getting a look behind the curtain of role-playing.”
“Yes, I can’t skimp anywhere if I want to have visual appeal.”
Actually, shall I give this servant extra arms too? I think it would be good to make him feel even more inhuman. It never hurts to try, so I change his template and cast Quick Change.
“Oh, he’s got more arms. Were you going for a Machamp type of thing?”
“Um, now that you’ve said that, I’m not sure how to respond.”
He has a human skeleton and four arms coming out of his body. Yes, I see what he means. It should give him a bit of resistance to surprise attacks.
If it costs nothing to add a pair of arms, perhaps I could have him practice quad-wielding weapons—or give him a pair of two-handed hammers or something like that. Can he hold great shields and two-handed weapons without special skills? I’ll search the general summons thread and necromantic magic threads together. I’m sure someone has already tested this out.
They can wield most weapons, but weight is a problem. Zombies or living armor should be given two-handed weapons and great shields, since skeletons just get weighed down by them. But when I tried with living armor, he was also too heavy to move around. I think zombies are most practical.
That’s a post from a while back.
Servants are more stable when they have four legs, but four-legged races’ greatest benefit is their speed, so I wouldn’t want to remove that by giving them heavy equipment. I’ll also have to use two customization points to add four arms. In that case, wouldn’t it be more efficient to give him Lance Charge? Right now, he still merely slashes as he passes by.
Despite giving him four legs, I’m not sure if he should be a beast type or a robot type. This distinction really changes how they’re used.
Hmm. I don’t think I need to change anything other than my RP templates. I’ll adjust everything so it’s consistent. My wolf template will now cost less capacity due to how I have him customized. Other than that, I’ll just swap out his skills for better ones.
I chat with the others as I work on my settings.
“By the way, did we ever find out what’s going on with the cat and the pumpkins?” I ask.
“I heard the cat has three red eyes and runs away from any light source. Since today’s the last day, I don’t think we’re going to solve the mystery of the pumpkins.”
Ah, I figured as much. He must be behind the pumpkins after all.
I’ll keep the details of Fist of Yog-Sothoth a secret for now.
As if yesterday’s deadly battle was a figment of my imagination, I have a relaxing morning followed by a party in the western field with the rest of our union.
The event ends at 3 p.m., so this is probably where we’ll wrap things up. It’ll be roughly 3 p.m. in real life too, after all. I’m sure they planned it that way on purpose.
“Lead us in a toast, Princess!”
“Me? Should I make it humorous, or should I take this chance to role-play? Oh, but I’m sure this is going to be recorded.”
“Seems a little late to worry about that,” the group of players reply.
“I suppose that’s true. Hmm. All right, then.”
I raise my glass for a toast.
“Thank you for assisting my comrades, everyone. Now, let us forget about things like rank and class and enjoy a no-holds-barred celebration. Cheers!”
“We did it!” the players cry.
“Hyah ha! You hear that, bros? Princess said there’s no holds barred!”
“I doubt that means she’ll allow whatever you have in mind, Mohawk.”
“Gyah ha ha ha! No way, bro!”
“Oh my heavens! Cecil, darling, you’re here too!”
Oh, that’s right. I remember now that Mr. Mohawk was in a party with Mr. Mitsuki.
I wonder what “no holds barred” really means in this world. I feel like, if anyone was to ignore rank and class to get something done, it would be knights. They’re probably able to ignore some degree of nobility if it really came down to it, but how far do they go? If a member of royalty were to cause a problem, the knights surely just chew them out and leave their subordinates to handle the rest.
“By the way, where’d this food come from?”
“The earl supplied it. There’re too many players to invite to his manor, after all. I didn’t want my party to be the only one he treated to a feast, so I asked him to provide this for everyone,” I explain.
“I see. So that’s where that thing came from.”
Nearby is a wagon full of vegetables and other food. When we approach, the UI displays the many foods we can choose from. There’s no cap on the amount or any price displayed, but we can’t take anything we receive out of the event area.
Shops in this game have a storage system, so Management must not want us stocking up our shops after the event.
“Can I get some more potions, Sis?” Rina asks.
“My party needs more too, so I’ll be making them anyway, I suppose.”
“I am most relieved to have learned Resurrection before this event, my liege,” Mr. Musasabi remarks.
“Me too.”
“We didn’t die!” the twins cheer.
“I used Princess as a shield!” Ms. Fairellen brags.
Ignoring the last remark, I’m certainly impressed with how well the twins did.
I’m probably the least likely to ever die in our party, but Ms. Trine would come after me. Mr. Ame is the easiest to kill—even easier than Mr. Skelly. As a close-range attacker, he’s more likely to slip up and get himself killed than a player like Mr. Skelly, who can fight at long-range. Mr. Alf is an exception to that rule, since he’s a tank.
“Do you amount to the healer in your party, my liege?” Mr. Musasabi asks me.
“I suppose I do, if you’re judging by the amount of healing done total. But I can only use Holy Magic on myself.”
“What an overpowered healer indeed,” he replies.
“I’ve been thinking I should finally get to work and attempt to make potions undead races can use.”
“I am sure that befits the undead role-playing experience, but it shall be a grueling task.”
“Yes, we just simply don’t have enough information to work with yet. I think I’ll start by asking the prime minister. If he can’t help me, perhaps Ms. Sophie can.”
“Sophie? Ah, the unaging witch, of course. She may hold the answers you seek!”
“I’m not certain the game will actually let me make the potions I want. I just hope it’s similar to revival medicine.”
“If your trials fail, you may always go back to the drawing board, my liege.”
“That’s true. I think I’ll begin my testing tomorrow.”
Today, I need to restock my supply of revival medicine. Hunting is probably on the schedule too. Mr. Skelly and Mr. Alf might be able to evolve soon, so I imagine they’ll be planning a hunting trip. Well, that’s something Iwant to do too.
I hope they’ll let me spend a little time making revival medicine before we hunt. These are items that keep us safe and alive, after all, and it’s nerve-racking to walk around without any stock in my inventory.
“I love this time we get when we’re done with events.”
“We get to indulge!”
“Yes, it really feels like a true party.”
The players with music skills gather to form an orchestra, so we place a table right in front of them to have a tea party. Their choices of songs end up being a little all over the place, though.
Oh, Ms. Clementia has joined us.
“I brought my own seat!”
“Shall I challenge you with a seat of my own? I have Unit One at my disposal,” I reply.
“What for?”
“A skeleton seems like it would hurt to sit on,” says Eli.
“They’re quite poke-y!” Abby declares.
Not only is he pokey, but there are a lot of gaps in between his bones. It goes without saying that he makes for a terrible seat.
The strange creature Ms. Clementia rides on is just like Mr. Alf’s headless horse—a mysterious being that exists to be ridden. Mr. Alf’s horse gives him a speed boost, while Ms. Clementia’s mount prevents stomp attacks from hitting her. This game has quite a diversity of experiences on offer when you stop and think about it.
“May I ask what variety or flavor of tea you prefer?”
“Um, I like milk tea, but you can pick whatever tea leaves you want!”
“As you wish.”
It was Ms. Letty who took her order, but since Ms. Clementia asked for milk tea just like Abby, Ms. Dory serves Ms. Clementia the exact same order as Abby.
“Yummy! Hey, do you actually need these saucer things when you drink tea?” asks Ms. Clementia.
“Ah…” the three of us blurt out.
“She went there…” I say.
“What? Is that question taboo in this community?”
The black tea community?
“These days, they’re used to set down your cutlery or stir sticks!” Abby tells her.
“Frankly, no one wants to use the original method,” I add.
“I completely understand why it died out,” Eli replies.
“Oh, it died out?” Ms. Clementia asks.
I’ve never even seen someone using saucers the original way. The three of us tried it out during a tea party once, but it was impossible to drink like that. Ms. Letty and Ms. Dory ended up having to get involved too.
“Black tea is hot, right?” I ask.
“Black tea is supposed to be served super hot, and green tea is cooler, I think.”
“Yes, and people used to pour their piping hot black tea into saucers to drink out of. It cools down faster that way,” Eli explains.
“What? These saucers?”
“Yes! It’s really hard to drink like that, and you’ll have a mess on your hands if you don’t pour it right!” says Abby.
Anyone clumsy will certainly end up burned.
“There are theories about its origin, like that it started before teapots were invented,” says Eli.
“These days, we have teacups in the perfect shape for cooling tea. Or, if you’re willing to compromise a bit, you can brew the tea in the teapot and let it sit until it’s cool enough to serve and drink,” I explain.
“Also, teacups are always white so you can appreciate the color of the tea!” Abby adds.
“I see. So people really poured their tea in the saucers? I could never. I’d spill it everywhere,” Ms. Clementia admits.
Eli did spill her iced tea when we tried it. We’d decided not to use hot tea, knowing very well it would be easy to get burned. We only wanted to see what the old-fashioned method was like—not walk away with injuries.
“Do you drink a lot of black tea, Ms. Clementia?” I ask.
“Only sometimes. But I always go with black when I do buy tea.”
“You’ve gotta try barley. Seriously, barley.”
“Barley tea is so refreshing to gulp down!” says Abby.
“Oh, someone who understands!” It seems that Ms. Fairellen prefers barley tea. She flew down on top of our table, took out fairy-sized cutlery, and sang the praises of barley with an intense look on her face. “I’ll take barley tea, please.”
“Don’t just show up and demand tea!”
Ah, Ms. Clementia is lashing at her with her vines.
Us players chatted among ourselves and exchanged information for a while.
“Ha ha ha ha! It’s me, everyone!” Mr. Yatsuzuka greets us.
“I’m Mitake, everybody. The event has nearly concluded.”
“We’ll have another one of our regular updates in November!”
“The update will include things such as new communities, adjustments to size settings, tweaks to inhuman races’ weak elements, adding weapon sets, adding new teachers to learn from, and more.”
“You can check our website for all the deets!”
“Okay!” the players cheer.
“Our Christmas event will also take place in November.”
“November?”
“That’s because you’re getting a New Year’s event in December!”
“Ah, that makes sense.”
“Well, it’s not called ‘Christmas’ here in this world, but that’s basically the equivalent!”
“All right then, everyone. Congratulations on the successful event.”
“Thanks!” the players reply.
“You’ll get to see the other event threads on the BBS pretty soon!”
Fourth official event: Halloween is now complete.
Cumulative score: S. Now distributing rewards.
You may now teleport to the regular servers through the event UI.
After five minutes, players will be forcibly teleported, and the current field will be closed.
Oh, another S clear with 150k gold? I’ll have to make the adventurers’ union my first stop.
I return to the regular server, swing by the nearest union, deposit my money, return to my home, and begin to craft revival medicine. I’ll busy myself with this until it’s time to leave, since I have to make enough for my friends too.
Once I’m finished, I meet the others at a designated spot.
“Much appreciated.”
“Thank you!”
“Okay, ready to go hunting?” Mr. Alf asks.
“Yeah! I wonder if we’ll evolve at level 50,” Mr. Skelly speculates.
We head out together, twins and all, to go hunting as a party.
“But where should we go?” asks Mr. Alf.
“A dungeon, right?” suggests Mr. Skelly.
“We could go to the western dungeon while we have so many magic users in our party,” I add.
“Yep, we have magic users, but not ones who hit their weakness,” Mr. Skelly responds.
The western dungeon is full of animal and insect enemies. They’re weak to fire, but our party doesn’t use that element.
“I’d gladly go to the ruins in the south if I was alone,” I tell them.
“Where the robots are? Right, they drop magi iron. That’s actually pretty nice,” Mr. Alf replies.
“But it’s not safe when the twins are with us. Besides, all the enemies are long-range attackers,” I argue.
“But they don’t jump up, so what’s the issue? Were there AOE attacks too?” Mr. Skelly asks.
“The annihilation models do have those grenade launchers and multi-warhead missiles. But we have Mr. Alf, so perhaps, adding one servant as a shield would be enough to protect us.”
“I forget. Can you reflect those missiles?” Mr. Alf asks me.
“I can. That usually kills the target within two hits.”
“I’m sure the twins would enjoy the northern dungeon, but it’s a pain for the rest of us, so let’s skip it,” Mr. Skelly declares.
“Sounds like it’s the ruins or bust. All right, let’s get going then.”
“Okay!” the twins reply.
We’ll be leveling up in the ruins dungeon located in the Dinait Empire.
“Hang on, I want to get my laundry started before we hit the dungeon,” says Mr. Skelly.
“Oh, good idea,” Mr. Alf replies.
“In that case, I’ll do a bit of stretching. Shall we regroup in ten minutes?”
“Sounds good. I guess I’ll hit the bathroom real quick,” says Mr. Alf.
“Got it!” the twins chime in.
We teleport to the dungeon before logging out briefly. Once I finish stretching and using the bathroom, I log back in a bit early.
“Okay, let’s get killin’!” says Mr. Skelly.
“Yep.”
“I’m ready to begin,” I let them know.
“Same here!” say the twins.
Since I was the last one to arrive, we can start hunting now. Our goal is for every member to gain at least one level. It shouldn’t take too long after gaining all that EXP during the event.
As an off tank, I’ll handle one enemy on my own if they come in a group. That way, I can level up Unparalleled Style: Blade.
“This is a breeze for you, isn’t it?” Mr. Skelly asks me.
“This dungeon is also perfect for the skills I want to level up. My defensive spells are a bit slow, but I can still level them here.”
“That makes sense, since the enemies do so much shooting. But I’d die here if I was alone,” says Mr. Skelly.
His health slowly gets chipped away, even when he blocks with a great shield. It’s very hard to dodge the random bullets from enemies, so the ruins dungeon is quite tricky without a lot of HP.
The biggest problem is how our spells are treated as non-elemental. Most tanks will focus on physical defense in this dungeon. Since a lot of enemy spells miss, you’ll lose HP the fastest by facing physical attacks head-on. However, it’s impossible to use Reflect Shield on standard enemy attacks due to its long cooldown time. In the end, it’s really all in the hands of our tanks.
“We got it!” the twins suddenly cry.
“Congrats,” says Mr. Alf.
“Good job!” Mr. Skelly echoes.
“Congratulations, you two.”
The twins finally managed to reach level 40. It happened so quickly, didn’t it?
This game doesn’t contain any paid items that grant EXP, but since these two play as extra races, their equipment grants them an EXP bonus instead. It’s not a huge buff, but it definitely adds up over time.
“Hmm?” The twins seem surprised about something.
“What’s up?” Mr. Skelly asks.
“There’s different stuff for this evolution!”
“Really?” Mr. Skelly and Mr. Alf reply simultaneously.
“Do you have to meet certain conditions to evolve?” I ask.
“Take a look,” they share.
“What the hell?” the men cry in unison.
The text on their screen reads, “Now loading past words and actions…” I didn’t know there were evolution conditions like these. I could see myself running into the same thing. Should I keep this in mind going forward? Or is it too much to focus on?
I think I’ll ignore it for now. Whatever happens, happens.
“Innocent Router!”
“Innocent Harvester!”
“Evolving with innocence?” the men ask, puzzled.
Well, yes, they’re only first years in junior high, after all.
I would usually assume that the “innocent” portion changes depending on the player, but the twins already belonged to an extra race in the first place. Something like Mr. Alf’s race seems the type to change based on the player.
We watch the twins evolve before proceeding onward. Next up should be Mr. Skelly, Mr. Alf, or me.
Your race level has increased.
Oh, it was my turn?
“Congrats!” cheer the twins and Mr. Skelly.
“Nice going,” says Mr. Alf.
“Thank you. One more and I’ll be able to evolve. Although…”
“Are the tables looking bad?” Mr. Skelly asks.
“Yes, it feels like quite a lot of EXP needed to get there.”
“I don’t know if we’re gonna hit it either,” says. Mr. Alf.
Either way, let’s just keep going for now!
Ah, I know that sound. An annihilation model is approaching.
“Focus on projectiles, Lizzy,” I order.
“Can you reflect, Alf?” Mr. Skelly asks.
“Yeah. It’s coming our way.”
“Okay, then we’ll jump in for the second half,” he replies.
“Got it.”
“We’re on standby!” the twins confirm.
The annihilation model can be a real headache if you mess up, so the twins start by floating up in the air and waiting. Ms. Trine can set up mines, at least. We decide on a direction to flee in case the enemy charges, and then we stand our ground.
I’ll reflect attacks from the grenade launcher while Mr. Alf uses his great shield to reflect the missiles. The normal attacks will do nothing more than fuel our motivation.
“It’s really easy to hear it coming,” says Mr. Alf.
“Well, we deserve a little mercy from that thing!” Mr. Skelly replies.
“It would be quite difficult to have it show up silently,” I chime in.
“What if the higher-level ones learn to silence their moves?” Mr. Skelly asks.
“That would be more like an assassination model,” Mr. Alf retorts.
I doubt we could dodge its charges if it showed up while we were fighting something else. Waves of missiles would hurt too. How would we be able to predict who gets hit and who doesn’t?
Reflecting the grenades results in no hits, so I switch to repelling them away instead.
The fight doesn’t seem to be a problem when done in a party. Only the charge attacks require a bit more work.
“Got it!” Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly cry at the same time.
“Congratulations, you two.”
“Congrats!”
Mr. Skelly evolves from a Nether Lich into an Abyss Lich. Mr. Alf evolves from an Abyss Dullahan into an Evernight Dullahan.
So the elite evolution order mentioned in that book appears to go from Nether, to Abyss, to Evernight. I made it to the afterlife as undead, and I’m guessing Afterlife comes after Evernight.
“We reached our goal for today. What now?” Mr. Alf asks.
“Why don’t we keep going until someone has to log off and eat?” Mr. Skelly suggests.
“That’s all right with me,” I reply.
“Yeah!” the twins agree.
“Okay, then let’s do it.”
We continue to hunt until the first person needs to leave.
After I have dinner and take my bath, I work on making more revival medicine to replenish everyone’s stock until it’s time to go to sleep. I’ll look into Fist of Yog-Sothoth and potions for undead while I’m playing solo tomorrow. Right now, I can’t waste this opportunity where demand for revival medicine will be higher than ever.
The official event made today feel like it went on forever.
Now it’s time for bed. Good night.
Official BBS 3
Official BBS 3
[Fourth event] Halloween Day 3 [Server 6]
1. Management
This thread is for the fourth official event: Halloween.
Please use it as a general discussion thread for anything about the event.
3851. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’m sure we need to decipher this stuff, but I’m bored. Let’s go hunting!
3852. Sightseeing Adventurer
Sounds good!
3853. Sightseeing Adventurer
Seriously? Help us decipher!
3854. Sightseeing Adventurer
But I’m too dumb to help.
3855. Sightseeing Adventurer
Someone else will do it!
3856. Sightseeing Adventurer
Don’t you know what happens in an MMO when you assume someone else will do it?
3857. Sightseeing Adventurer
No one does.
3858. Sightseeing Adventurer
I don’t care! Someone else will do it!
3859. Sightseeing Adventurer
There’s an epidemic of that attitude.
22458. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey~ Something’s not right~!
22459. Sightseeing Adventurer
We haven’t deciphered anything else at all!
22460. Sightseeing Adventurer
We know the main event involves Cthugha, but that’s it?
22461. Sightseeing Adventurer
No ETA? Location TBD? 5WH?
22462. Sightseeing Adventurer
Whoa, whoa, whoa, cool it with the acronyms, buddy.
22463. Sightseeing Adventurer
Acronyms are words, actually. All those were just abbreviations.
22464. Sightseeing Adventurer
Technically, you could call the first two “initialisms” to be more precise.
22465. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, you all, stop avoiding reality.
22466. Sightseeing Adventurer
We don’t have enough information. This is hopeless.
22467. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ugh! I give up!
22468. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, is it just me, or is something happening with the bonfire?
22469. Sightseeing Adventurer
The one in the town square?
22470. Sightseeing Adventurer
A lot of people are gathering around it. Maybe that’s normal for the third day?
22471. Sightseeing Adventurer
Did they say they’d be doing something?
22472. Sightseeing Adventurer
No, I didn’t hear anything like that…
22473. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, that group’s started saying something.
22474. Sightseeing Adventurer
They’re not from the church?
22475. Sightseeing Adventurer
They’re wearing different clothes. They also just look like ordinary townsfolk.
22476. Sightseeing Adventurer
I just got here. Hold on, they’re chanting the summoning spell! Don’t just stand there! Someone stop them!
22477. Sightseeing Adventurer
Iä! Cthugha!
22478. Sightseeing Adventurer
The color of the fire changed!
22479. Sightseeing Adventurer
Uh, let’s charge in! And by “in,” I mean out of the town!
22480. Sightseeing Adventurer
Some sort of black ball of fire came out!
22481. Sightseeing Adventurer
Now there’s like a bunch of meteors shooting out!
22482. Sightseeing Adventurer
Combustion?!
22483. Sightseeing Adventurer
Uh, it says “status: abnormal.”
22484. Sightseeing Adventurer
The giant ball of fire is flying up!
22485. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, this is bad! The fire’s spreading! It’s burning the flower beds and stuff!
22486. Sightseeing Adventurer
It burns! Burns! Burns! The beds of flowers!
22487. Sightseeing Adventurer
I thought you’d know better after the ring incident, Mr. Cash.
22488. Sightseeing Adventurer
Actually, it’s not just the flowers, but the entire town too.
22489. Sightseeing Adventurer
I haven’t heard that song in forever.
22490. Sightseeing Adventurer
I thought status ailments have up to five levels?
22491. Sightseeing Adventurer
My burning level is going up every second, lmao.
22492. Sightseeing Adventurer
It gets slower the further you get away from the town square.
22493. Sightseeing Adventurer
Does it matter? You’re still gonna die.
22494. Sightseeing Adventurer
Aaah, the residents are dying too…
22495. Sightseeing Adventurer
The fields around town have burned to a crisp too. Where are we supposed to flee now?
22496. Sightseeing Adventurer
There’s a second sun!
22497. Sightseeing Adventurer
Everyone except for the salamanders is gonna die!
22498. Sightseeing Adventurer
The salamanders were getting killed by those meteors called Flame Creatures, by the way.
22499. Sightseeing Adventurer
Seriously?
22500. Sightseeing Adventurer
The Burning Rangers still aren’t here yet?
22501. Sightseeing Adventurer
I think they took one look at this and gave up.
22502. Sightseeing Adventurer
Maybe that guy from the Rub Rabbits will help?
22503. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’d rather he didn’t!
22504. Sightseeing Adventurer
We actually got the annihilation ending, didn’t we? Great work, everyone!
22505. Sightseeing Adventurer
Cause of defeat: Insufficient deciphering.
22506. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yep.
22507. Sightseeing Adventurer
Don’t say “yep.”
22508. Sightseeing Adventurer
Our rewards are gonna suck.
22509. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ah, the screen went black.
22510. Sightseeing Adventurer
Same here.
22511. Sightseeing Adventurer
Did it happen to everybody?
22512. Sightseeing Adventurer
My screen’s black, but there’s words written in flames.
22513. Sightseeing Adventurer
This is like the game over screen you get in FPS games.
22514. Management
The Flame Creatures of Cthugha have incinerated the town, including both residents and outsiders alike.
The fire has spread to the fields and forest, growing into a great inferno. Not a single acre has been left unscorched.
The devastation left no survivors to tell the tale of what happened to this town. A group of knights arrived a few days later, but their investigation turned up no evidence pointing to the cause of this calamity.
Cthugha Route: Annihilation Ending.
[Fourth event] Halloween Day 3 [Server 10]
1. Management
This thread is for the fourth official event: Halloween.
Please use it as a general discussion thread for anything about the event.
28601. Sightseeing Adventurer
Uh, some people just came out of the forest.
28602. Sightseeing Adventurer
Oh?
28603. Sightseeing Adventurer
That’s not much of a reaction.
28604. Sightseeing Adventurer
They’re probably just players out doing a little hunting, right?
28605. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s one player and… What does a rainbow marker mean?
28606. Sightseeing Adventurer
Rainbow? I don’t remember, but I think rainbow is really important.
28607. Sightseeing Adventurer
I found three women while I was in the forest, so I brought them out with me.
28608. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hang on, the girl’s super cute! I found my new favorite resident!
28609. Sightseeing Adventurer
But she’s probably just an event character.
28610. Sightseeing Adventurer
Your new favorite resident is an old lady? Well, different strokes for different folks.
28611. Sightseeing Adventurer
Um, no, I meant the youngest girl…
28612. Sightseeing Adventurer
Are you some kind of pedo?!
28613. Sightseeing Adventurer
Sure am! I must keep the lost child safe!
28614. Sightseeing Adventurer
He’s not even trying to hide it, lmao.
28615. Sightseeing Adventurer
People can’t change what they’re attracted to, no matter how hard they try. Excuse me, Miss! Please give your little sister to me!
28616. Sightseeing Adventurer
The youngest is cute too, but I prefer the middle one.
28617. Sightseeing Adventurer
“Please give your little sister to me.” If a man my age said that to me, I think I’d sock him in the face.
28618. Sightseeing Adventurer
And you’d probably get off scot-free.
28619. Sightseeing Adventurer
Enough about all that! So, you found three women?
28620. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, there’s an old woman, a young woman, and a girl.
28621. Sightseeing Adventurer
They’re not lost. They’re Our Ladies.
28622. Sightseeing Adventurer
Mommy!
28623. Sightseeing Adventurer
Mommies.
28624. Sightseeing Adventurer
Are you saying they’ve already been summoned?
28625. Sightseeing Adventurer
Wait, I thought we were supposed to prevent the summoning in this event.
28626. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s too late.
28627. Sightseeing Adventurer
Why are you giving up?!
28628. Sightseeing Adventurer
We can still do this!
28629. Sightseeing Adventurer
If by “do this” you mean “die,” sure.
28630. Sightseeing Adventurer
Oh no, you can’t see?! Then let me look after you!
28631. Sightseeing Adventurer
Can her guardian Ladies please kill this guy as quickly as possible?
28632. Sightseeing Adventurer
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on, what?!
28633. Sightseeing Adventurer
Holy crap! Some guy’s getting swarmed by birds, bats, and bugs.
28634. Sightseeing Adventurer
My spell chanting’s getting canceled automatically! I’m gonna die!
28635. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, that happens when you get attacked so much. I think it’s linked to spirit?
28636. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, it’s spirit.
28637. Sightseeing Adventurer
Aaaaah!
28638. Sightseeing Adventurer
Those are Suspiriorum’s creatures she can command. Well done, guardian.
28639. Sightseeing Adventurer
Oh? I turned into a soul. But I can move now. I’m coming for you, my little angel!
28640. Sightseeing Adventurer
That creep is completely obsessed!
28641. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ah, that’s a relief. She’s taken control of his corpse temporarily, so he’s only lost control of his body. He’s a zombie now.
28642. Sightseeing Adventurer
I see. That scared me for a second. Then there’s only so much she can do with him, right?
28643. Sightseeing Adventurer
But I can’t get close to heeeer!
28644. Sightseeing Adventurer
What a nasty way of showing us our fate. But it’s great that Management included such a system.
28645. Sightseeing Adventurer
I think this thread needs a purge.
28646. Management
While this may be a game, please try to behave at least somewhat decently.
28647. Sightseeing Adventurer
…Fine.
28648. Sightseeing Adventurer
They warned us before the purge. What nice comrades they are.
26849. Management
Since all citizens are perfectly happy, the queue for traitors awaiting purgation is currently: 0% full.
26850. Sightseeing Adventurer
Whoa, you’re no comrades! You’re Friend Computer!
288651. Sightseeing Adventurer
Lmao.
28652. Sightseeing Adventurer
But I think the Ladies are about to carry out a mass purge.
28653. Sightseeing Adventurer
Doesn’t sound very ladylike to me.
28654. Sightseeing Adventurer
Well, that’s because they’re Our Ladies of “Sorrow.”
28655. Sightseeing Adventurer
That’s the kind of enemy you see in dark fantasy settings, yep.
28656. Sightseeing Adventurer
Are they gonna make more corpses until there’s no way to defeat them?
28657. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yep, the players are gonna become zombies until they can build walls of bodies as shields.
28658. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s kinda hard to raise a sword to those ladies.
28659. Sightseeing Adventurer
My arrows don’t work on them. What’s that special effect that pops up?
28660. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, what’s with that?
28661. Sightseeing Adventurer
Whoa, my Light Magic spell came shooting back at me!
28662. Sightseeing Adventurer
Same for Dark Magic!
28663. Sightseeing Adventurer
I’ve seen videos of Princess where she has a similar effect, but this one’s a little different.
28664. Sightseeing Adventurer
So now we know we can’t use Light Magic or Dark Magic.
28665. Sightseeing Adventurer
How do we break that force field around them?!
28666. Sightseeing Adventurer
No idea!
28667. Sightseeing Adventurer
Lmao, the Ladies are spamming us with spells.
28668. Sightseeing Adventurer
Are they ladies or murderers?!
28669. Sightseeing Adventurer
Everyone who dies turns into a zombie and loses control of their body. This is rough.
28670. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s supposed to be a tear-jerking moment when your party members you’ve been through thick and thin with are murdered and mind-controlled to fight against you…but they go through new bodies so fast you hardly have time to feel it!
28671. Sightseeing Adventurer
We’ve lost our human rights.
28672. Sightseeing Adventurer
They have no humanity.
28673. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yes, since outer ones aren’t humans.
28674. Sightseeing Adventurer
In the end, it’s all on us.
28675. Sightseeing Adventurer
I may fall, but the others will surpass me in death!
28676. Sightseeing Adventurer
Hey, damn you! How dare you eat my snack!
28677. Sightseeing Adventurer
Now’s not the time to bring up old complaints!
28678. Sightseeing Adventurer
LOL.
28679. Sightseeing Adventurer
They say the worst grudges are the ones formed over food.
28680. Sightseeing Adventurer
Ah~! Three women are going to destroy an entire town~!
28681. Sightseeing Adventurer
These are the same outer ones who come to purge people who violate contracts?
28682. Sightseeing Adventurer
Does that mean…I’ll get to see my angel again?
28683. Management
We’ll send a Moon-beast after you.
28684. Sightseeing Adventurer
Anything but that!
28685. Sightseeing Adventurer
I don’t think we have a chance. They’re stacking our bodies up as shields. What are we supposed to do?
28686. Sightseeing Adventurer
This is all because we didn’t gather enough information.
28687. Sightseeing Adventurer
Yeah, if we’d deciphered those documents, this probably would have come up.
28688. Sightseeing Adventurer
You can take my body! Don’t let these people lay a finger on my angel!
28689. Sightseeing Adventurer
Not this guy again.
28690. Sightseeing Adventurer
Well, at least he’s only watching for now.
28691. Sightseeing Adventurer
They reflect Light Magic and Dark Magic, block all other attacks with their force field, and have surrounded themselves with player zombies and the creatures they command. GGs.
28692. Sightseeing Adventurer
No re.
28693. Sightseeing Adventurer
EZ.
28694. Sightseeing Adventurer
Well played.
28695. Sightseeing Adventurer
What the hell is that?!
28696. Sightseeing Adventurer
What is that thing?
28697. Sightseeing Adventurer
Crap! I’ve seen that before!
28698. Sightseeing Adventurer
Tekeli-li!
28699. Sightseeing Adventurer
It’s a Shoggoth!
28700. Management
The outsiders fought until the end, but the Our Ladies of Sorrow never showed a moment of mercy, summoning servitor races until the town was reduced to rubble. The devastation left no survivors to tell the tale of what happened to the town.
When a group of knights arrived a few days later, they could find nothing but remnants of buildings, corpses, and something dark red of unknown origin.
Our Ladies of Sorrow Route: Annihilation Ending.
Chapter 5: Sunday
Chapter 5:
Sunday
IT LOOKS LIKE ROUGHLY HALF the servers successfully cleared the event. Cthugha had a high clear rate, Our Ladies of Sorrow were about half cleared and half failed, and Shub-Niggurath had the lowest success rate of them all. I’m sure the Dark Young had something to do with that.
I don’t think I’ll be able to read through every last thread, but I’m sure Management are putting together videos right now, so I’ll wait for those.
I’ll spend my morning asking around about potions for undead, then test out Fist of Yog-Sothoth. For my afternoon plans, I’ll level up and look at my new evolution. Oh, but before everything else, I need to practice stances in the castle environment, since I didn’t have access during the event.
I finish up my practice and head straight for the prime minister’s office.
“Prime Minister?”
“How can I help you?”
“Are there such things as potions that work on undead?”
“And what, pray tell, is a ‘potion’?”
“…”
Now that I think of it, the prime minister is extremely old, isn’t he? They must not have had potions when he was a mortal. He won’t be able to help me like this!
The prime minister is not only quite a high-ranking immortal, but most of what he does is desk work too. Lana, the head of the army, is young in comparison, so maybe she’ll know something. Actually, if the army doesn’t use potions, then she’s probably in the dark too, isn’t she? She wouldn’t be able to give her army potions without the prime minister’s permission, so if he doesn’t know what they are, that answers my question.
“Explain to me what ‘potions’ are.”
“Here, take a look. These work on me since I’m not considered undead anymore. It’s a bit of a pain for undead to go without them, though.”
I show him a potion I have on hand, explain witches and their secret medicines to him, and reveal everything I know on the topic of potions.
“Oho. Very intriguing.”
“Were there witches when you were above ground, Prime Minister?”
“The word rings a bell, but it was so long ago now.”
“I understand. It might mean something different now, so we don’t need to go into it. Perhaps I should speak with Ms. Sophie instead.”
“Is that the name of a witch?”
“Yes. She’s said to be a genius, as she was the youngest witch in history to reach the ‘unaging’ stage.”
“Oho ho. Most intriguing indeed.”
The prime minister seems to have taken an interest in witches and their secret medicines.
“Hm? Now that I think of it, there was a former magisa in the army, was there not? You might want to speak to her first.”
“That’s Granin’s domain. Only their fellow soldiers or the arbitrator in charge of them know who they are.”
There was no need to meet or observe them, since their personalities would have to be deemed favorable to join the Nether army. That makes things simpler.
For now, we’ll have someone call the magisa to his office.
“I’m sorry I took so long,” she greets us. “I heard there’s something you’d like to discuss?”
“I was wondering if you knew a way of making potions that undead can use too,” I explain.
“I see, so that’s what this is about. But I don’t think I can be of help to you at this point.”
It seems that, upon death, witches lose their unique magical energy—or perhaps it’s better to call it a wavelength. The ritual to become a witch in the first place is meant to capture this wavelength, or possibly to become one with it entirely.
“I know how it’s done, but I’ve lost the power to make them on my own.”
“Maybe it would be faster to ask Ms. Sophie after all. I just don’t know how I’ll compensate her.”
“You want to introduce potions to our army, don’t you? Please summon me should you be successful. Not only am I interested in the subject, but I’ll handle negotiations with this witch myself,” the prime minister tells me.
“Is Sophie a present-day witch?” the magisa asks.
“She’s a sorciere, actually,” I inform her.
“Oh my. There are sorcieres out there now? Yes, you should go to her for help.”
“Research and develop potions for undead”
It’s become a bigger project than I’d expected, but things are going smoothly, so I won’t focus on the bad parts. Sophie and the prime minister will gain knowledge, undead outsiders will gain potions, and the afterlife’s army will gain a new weapon in their arsenal. It’ll be nothing but smiles all around.
1. Arrange for Sophie Lilywhite Sorciere to meet the Nether’s prime minister.
Quest conditions: An undead must consult a witch about potions for undead.
Speak to the prime minister of the Nether about witches or potions.
Rewards: Potion recipes for undead
Begin potion distribution to the afterlife army
Expanded environments in the afterlife—adds magic grass field for afterlife army
Expanded environments in the afterlife—adds new alchemy environment
Expanded environments in the afterlife—opens a potion shop for outsiders
Oh, it’s a chronicle quest, isn’t it? I suppose that’s because it’s going to have such a widespread effect. I should finish this one before someone beats me to it.
I haven’t heard of Ms. Sophie leaving the church in Starting Town, so I’ll head there first.
“All right, I’m going to go and see Ms. Sophie.”
“Make sure there won’t be any humans around for our meeting,” the prime minister requests.
“That shouldn’t be a problem. I don’t believe many people are able to meet with Ms. Sophie in the first place.”
I teleport my way to town, and once I arrive in the town square, I go straight to the church. I’ve heard that sorcieres sometimes go out and gather materials on their own, so I pray she’s still here.
“Welcome, Princess Nemeseia.”
“Is Ms. Sophie here today?”
“She is in her room. Shall I lead you there?”
“Yes, please.”
That red embroidery means this person is a deacon, right? I have them lead me to Ms. Sophie’s room. It’s still where it was last time I visited, but it’s not as if I can just teleport straight there.
I’m brought to her room and let inside, at which point the deacon leaves us.
“You’re here, Nemeseia…”
“Good day, Ms. Sophie. There’s something I’d like to ask you about.”
“What is it…?”
“I’d like your help in making potions that work on us. Or, rather, on undead.”
“Potions that work on undead…!” Her sleepy eyes open a bit wider. I can tell she’s already giving it thought. “I think it’s possible…”
“Feel free to think of it as a request directly from a Nemeseia.”
“The royal family…?”
“Correct. By that, I mean you’ll be rewarded handsomely. The potions will also be distributed to our army once they’re ready.”
“A Nemeseia will reward me… But why…?”
“The prime minister in the Nether’s castle has taken a great interest in witches and their secret medicines. He’d like to speak with you. Can I summon him here so we may discuss this?”
“The undead prime minister…”
“His race is an Aversa Elder Lich.”
“An elder lich…! I’ll see him…!”
I figured as much. The prime minister is even more of an impressive-looking lich than Mr. Skelly.
I use the Silver Key to form a gate between us and the prime minister.
“Oh, hello there.”
The magisa is still with him as well.
“I appreciate the help, Madame. And who might this be?”
“This is Sophie Lilywhite Sorciere, the youngest witch in history to reach unaging status.”
“I am the prime minister of the castle in the Nether. I once had a name during my lifetime, but everyone calls me ‘Prime Minister’ now. You may do the same.”
“I can’t believe I’m speaking to a respectable Lich… It’s nice to meet you, Prime Minister.”
“My name is Silvana. I used to be a magisa long ago. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Mm-hmm, you too… I’m glad to learn knowledge of the past…”
I just realized I hadn’t asked for the name of the magisa elf in the Nether army yet. Ms. Silvana has light green hair, a black robe, and a witch’s hat. She looks to be about 170 centimeters tall.
Anyway, she called the prime minister “respectable.” Is that in comparison to Mr. Skelly? I’m sure I’m wrong, but it’d be faster to just ask.
“Are there liches who aren’t respectable?”
“Those in the wild, yes?” the prime minister asks.
“Uh-huh. The crazy ones with no relation to the Nether…” Ms. Sophie confirms.
“Madame, do you know what happens to souls who don’t end up with us, for one reason or another?”
“Outsiders call them evil spirits or ghosts. But I don’t know if they really exist,” I answer.
“They don’t cause you trouble?” he asks.
“Nothing has ever truly been proven to be caused by ghosts,” I explain.
“I’ve had some reports of them here, and I have killed many myself.”
That’s right, there are wild undead who never made it to the Nether. Since wraith races exist, evil spirits and ghosts bound to their site of death probably wreak havoc on the living sometimes too.
“They usually stay behind because of some sort of attachment. Perhaps they held a grudge or another kind of strong emotion,” the prime minister explains.
“The dead can’t control their emotional limiters… That’s why you can’t help them, even if you speak to them…”
“Yeah, it’s impossible. You’ve just gotta beat them up a little before you can do anything,” Ms. Silvana tells me.
Emotional limiters? In other words, getting too agitated and damaging one’s blood vessels. Essentially, they’ve lost a bodily need for unconscious control over one’s emotions.
It’s the same for non-wild undead, of course, but it sounds like newcomers can learn to control their emotions.
Incidentally, the top leaders of the undead are almost all max level—getting physical to calm down one of them if they’re swallowed up by emotion seems like a tall task…
“It’s usually those in the living realm who deal with them, but if worse comes to worst, the grim reapers have to go and take care of them,” the prime minister replies.
“They’re the ones in charge of hunting people?” I ask.
“But I heard it’s not good to actively hunt souls…” says Ms. Sophie.
“Yes, but that is not their only goal. The grim reapers’ role is to help sever lingering connections to the living world. They’re allowed to choose their means of recovering souls, as this is their job in the first place,” he explains.
We’ve gotten off track, so I’ll let the three of them discuss things among themselves. For now, I’ll summarize this information and pass it on to Mr. Studylover.
It’s possible that these non-respectable liches are out there going to extreme measures for their own reasons. If one of those became a ruling class, it would probably turn into a great war involving every knight and holy knight in the land—just like the one Ms. Luciana told me about.
So grim reapers exist in this world too… I bet they’re related to Mr. Ame’s race. I hadn’t thought there’d be much demand for such a job, based on what I’d seen of the Nether, but it sounds like they mainly work in the Abyss and only take occasional trips to the living realm. Their job is easier than that of arbitrators, but there are fewer grim reapers than arbitrators. All of this information comes from the prime minister, so I doubt it’s inaccurate.
“Hmm, I see. You are the real thing indeed,” says the prime minister.
“Yeah, you have to be as good as this girl to become a sorciere,” Ms. Silvana adds.
“...The real thing?”
“There’s no denying your genius. I’ve seen a few in my time, and you are no different,” the prime minister tells her.
“It’s nice talking to a magisa and an elder lich…”
“Yes, there is no need to hold back like with others. Although, some in the Nether do not hold back either way.”
“Oh, is that right?” I ask.
“You know her quite well, Madame. It’s Granin that I speak of.”
“Lana?”
“She is a genius when it comes to the art of battle. There is no question as to why Sigrdrifa so adores her.”
“Lana has divine protection too?”
“I believe it is ‘love’ that she has received,” he answers me.
“She has the goddess’s love, but she leads the army in the Nether?”
Anything in the Nether falls under Stellura’s domain. It sounds like, for some reason, Sigrdrifa didn’t snatch her away personally.
“Only Stellura can take a soul from the Nether. I’m sure you understand, as you are in a similar situation, Madame. Even a fraction of a god’s power is too much for the body to handle.”
“Ah, yes. You’ll cease to be human,” I realize.
Sigrdrifa has domain over animals, right? It’s possible that she can’t meddle in human affairs at all. Haventhys rules over plants, and for Stellura, her ability to manipulate space is probably relevant.
It seems that, when residents talk to each other, a special effect shows up. Countdowns are floating above all three of their heads, connected by lines. In other words, I think I’m expected to just wait for the countdowns to finish.
Once they’re in this state, they don’t respond to me anymore, and I can’t actually hear what they’re saying. It’s really just an animation to show players that the NPCs are talking. The result is that they’re ignoring their leader, but I can’t be mad. This sort of thing happens in games.
I guess I’ll kill time by reading the Halloween event threads.
“Will you accept our knowledge as compensation?” the prime minister asks Ms. Sophie.
“Yes, it’s more than enough…”
“Can you bring her to your villa, Madame?”
“I’ve never tried it with a resident before,” I tell him.
“Hopefully it is as simple as bringing in an outsider,” he replies.
I’ll never know until I try.
I try connecting to my house with the Silver Key and find that a round trip is allowed. However, unlike players, she isn’t allowed to leave the grounds of my home. I’ll make sure to tell her that. I can always have the employees at my home bring her whatever materials she wants.
“All right… But I don’t want to get stuck in the Nether…”
“I see. In that case, allow us to clean up the other issue so that you can focus on the task at hand,” says the prime minister.
“Issue?” I chime in.
“It’s just a little problem in a lower level of the Abyss. While we’re there, you should stay in contact and purchase plenty of food to bring, Ms. Sophie.”
“Food… All right… Luciana can help us stay in contact…”
Ah, that’s right. There isn’t any food in the Nether, so Ms. Sophie will need a supply to live off of.
“Feel free to use the kitchen in my villa. There may be a chef there, but I’m not sure.”
“Mm-hmm…”
So there’s some problem in the Abyss? I wonder what that could be.
The quest is displaying a time to pick up Ms. Sophie, so I’ll come back when I’m supposed to. For now, I’ll return to the Evernight Castle with the other two. Once we arrive, Ms. Silvana leaves us to our business.
“What’s going on in the Abyss?” I ask the prime minister.
“A group of idiots have locked themselves inside of a fortress.”
“What? In the Abyss? What are they trying to accomplish?”
“Who knows? I couldn’t possibly speculate as to what goes on in the minds of idiots.”
That’s a bit scary, since I have no idea what they’re capable of. A barricaded fortress in the Abyss? He said it was in a lower level, but wouldn’t only the normal occupants and the Abyss’s immortals be in such a place? I doubt they have hostages then. What if they’re simply bored down there? They seem highly motivated, if that’s the case.
Should I go and check it out myself? It’ll be my first time seeing the Abyss. The quest is called “Recapture the Abyss Fortress.” The rewards are hidden, and there’s nothing in the failure conditions section. I have a funny feeling about this one.
I follow the prime minister through the courtroom and into the Abyss. Our path is different from the one souls of residents travel through. It must be a passage for employees. There, we reach a portal and teleport to the level of the Abyss in question.
The Abyss turns out to be darker than the Nether, but I’m surprised it’s not even darker. There’s no Evernight Castle, of course, but a fortress instead. Gone are the crystal lotuses, replaced by red spider lilies that are growing all over the area.
Before us is a group of undead.
“Oh, Prime Minister. Who’s this?”
“This is Madame. Now tell me what these fools are after.”
“It’s as idiotic as you might expect. They show no signs of remorse either. I guess fools never change, even in death.”
There’s no air of formality in their conversation. Perhaps they’ve known each other for a very long time? Not that I’ve ever seen any evidence of strict hierarchies in the Nether outside of things relating to myself. You could almost say I’m treated coldly.
The group’s leader is a high zombie race. It’s hard to tell the difference between high zombies and spirit bodies who’ve chosen to materialize physically. I wonder if he’s a former nobleman too. He’s well put-together, but something about him just makes him look like a suspicious person… For one thing, the way his eyes squint dramatically when he smiles doesn’t look trustworthy. Although he’s been perfectly pleasant so far, he’s not even trying to hide the fact that he’s silently evaluating me. I’m sure that’s on purpose—what a tricky personality the AI has given him.
“Madame, these are the people in charge of the Abyss. To resolve this issue, you can lead them however you please.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. May I share what we know so far?” the leader says to me.
“Yes, please do. That will help me decide how to act.”
Information is crucial. Usually, I’d try to get information from other sources too, but considering our positions, having an easy source right off the bat is very helpful.
“The barricaded group consists of a former king and his subordinates. They lost a battle to a political rival when they lived above ground.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
“They seem to be upset by the fact that they’re under our control now.”
“Hmm? Right…”
“That’s why they’ve locked themselves in that fortress and are declaring their intent to rule over this land.”
“I see.”
“There are twenty-one of them in total, ranging from levels 1 to 46.”
“Can you list them specifically?”
“It consists of one king, one marquess, one earl, two viscounts, four barons, and twelve knights.”
“I see. Aside from the knights, they must all be around level 1, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Nobles would never go out of their way to level up. But what’s this about a political rival? A king’s rival could only be his own son or maybe a duke. Well, it could also be his daughter too.
Hang on a minute. I need to start thinking from my RP perspective for this mission. Honestly, was there really a point in giving me all that information?
Perhaps they’re trying to get a read on me, and my real goal is to win the approval of the undead in the Abyss. This quest will probably affect my affinity stats, and I’d like to clear it properly if possible. For now, I’ll need to confirm some things in advance or risk making trouble for myself later on.
In the first place, shouldn’t these people be nothing more than small fry to beings like the undead of the Abyss? Were they allowed to take over the fortress in order to judge how I’d respond? If that’s the case, I feel like they were trying to trick me by sharing background information that could make me sympathize with the king and his men.
Well, as a role-player who loves to read, I was never going to do that in the first place. In the world of royals and nobles, the fate of the weak is to be killed off, and by my count, this former king must have been a real idiot when he was ruling. He would have to be if he’s still making a fuss in the Abyss. He was also overthrown by a legitimate heir to the throne, even. Then, when the new king was to take the throne, the previous king’s noble backers ended up being a nuisance requiring removal. It was easy enough to get a general understanding of the big picture considering who all ended up here in the Abyss. How am I supposed to sympathize with these people?
There’s something I need to confirm with the prime minister. “I see. Thank you for sharing. Prime Minister, is this level the deepest one within the Abyss?”
“No, there are levels even lower,” he replies.
I wonder how many levels exist here? But I have all the information I need now, and since the prime minister told me I could command these people, I’ll give my orders to their leader.
“I see. All right, please go in and clean them up. I’ll watch over you, since I’m an arbitrator.”
“Are you sure about that?”
The leader’s eyes opened quite wide. He seems to be making a show of it, but I’ll ignore that. Worrying too much about him seems like it would be a nuisance.
“Why are you so surprised? Have you kept other information from me?” I ask.
“No, I’ve shared all I know.”
“I figured as much. Prime Minister, I’d like to verify my assumptions with you.”
“Very well.”
“The group’s leader is a foolish king, and this political opponent was his own child. The other nobles were blind, supporting this king over the good of their country. Did you tell them to take over this fortress so that you could judge my reaction to it, as well as show off my skills to the Abyss and earn their approval?”
“Very good. But what will you do now?”
The prime minister is really enjoying himself. Well, I suppose it’s hard to read him exactly, since he’s nothing but bones.
For now, I’ll give the leader my commands.
“The goddess of love may show mercy, but I do not. Take them out.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, ma’am. C’mon, boys,” the leader orders.
“Let’s do it!” they cheer.
The leader of the Abyss has been smirking ever since I started verifying my assumptions with the prime minister. He takes his men—all of them smirking too—and heads for the fortress, although roughly half stays behind.
They don’t look like knights, judging by the ill-mannered way they carry their weapons. I’m sure they’re not evil if they’re part of the Abyss’s leadership. I’ll just think of them as characters like Mr. Mohawk.
“We’re all undead, but I suppose former humans never change. The Nether and the Abyss are quite different, aren’t they?” I ask.
“They’ve merely been assigned the location that suits them best,” the prime minister explains.
“Was that man who leads them once a noble himself?”
“He was the third son of a nobleman, but he sought the life of an adventurer, as high society wasn’t to his tastes. His group of adventurers now runs this vigilante corps in the Abyss.”
“I see, so they were once adventurers. But now, as a ruler, it’s time to place my trust in my subordinates and wait for them to finish.”
“Correct. Though, it shouldn’t be long now. Madame, you made your decision quite nonchalantly. I expected at least a bit of hesitation.”
“It’s simple. I’m an outsider in this world, so I make sure to play the part of the ruler who meets expectations. I’m more concerned with that than with what happens to the king and his men. Frankly, they can rot. Unlike them, I haven’t done anything wrong, which grants me the freedom to do as I please.”
That’s a good explanation, isn’t it? I’m role-playing so well!
“I see. As those who seek an excellent ruler, we must also take the role of excellent subordinates. That is for the best.”
The other Abyss residents are nodding eagerly. I hope I’ve shown them that I can be decisive and merciless when the situation calls for it. After all, they probably would prefer to have no ruler if their actual ruler were too gentle to give them proper commands.
The undead return with the men in their custody a bit later. It was actually faster than I’d expected. In fact, with their levels being so low, why did these fools think they could best the Abyss residents in the first place? It seems the king wasn’t the only idiot of the group.
I wonder if missions like this will continue to pop up as more players reach the Abyss. Maybe they’re meant to become stress relief missions where players can beat up bad guys as much as they want…
The man with the most regal clothes of all, the one being dragged away by the Abyss’s leader, must be the king. It seems that spirits of residents can use their imaginations to change their outfits, allowing them total freedom. Well, I suppose it’s rude of me to call his clothes “the most regal” when the prime minister is here too—instead, I ought to call the king’s clothes gaudy and unrefined, considering I meant it in a bad way in the first place and there being no need to hold back.
As I confirm that all twenty-one men have been captured, the group makes quite a fuss the entire time. I transform my right arm into a tentacle—or rather, I reveal its true form—and lift the king by the neck. It’s strange that this bothers him when the spirits of the dead have no need to breathe. I can’t exactly hang him dramatically, since he has no body weight, but I think the Abyss residents will enjoy seeing me do this all the same.
All I want is to silence the king and show him who I am. He keeps his mouth closed as I hang him by the neck, so I confirm his identity out loud and leave it at that. The less I say, the creepier I’ll come across.
“Knock him down two levels deeper. Everyone else can be sent one level down.”
“Hear that? Take them away,” the leader orders his subordinates.
“Right!” they reply.
Quest complete: “Recapture the Abyss fortress”
Your reputation among the undead of the afterlife has greatly increased.
I toss away the king in my grasp and restore my arm. Once the fools’ souls are dragged off into the distance, I turn my attention to my completed quest. This is much more important than the likes of them.
“Recapture the Abyss fortress”
You have reclaimed the fortress in the Abyss.
Speak with the undead of the Abyss and find a resolution.
1. Gather information from the undead of the Abyss.
2. Give your commands based on what you’ve learned.
3. Wait for an update.
4. Fulfill your role as arbitrator.
Quest conditions: Be an undead level 45 or higher with access to the Abyss
Reward: The undead of the Abyss have decided to grant you an affinity bonus.
The way it’s written, it sounds like an affinity decrease is possible too. There aren’t any failure conditions, so there must be multiple ways of going about this quest.
I’m still a little short on EXP, so I’ll have to evolve later this afternoon. If I’m going to be spending a lot of time going over my new race, I should make sure to eat beforehand.
I think I’ll test out Fist of Yog-Sothoth until lunchtime. Then I’ll visit Ms. Sophie before I log out—actually, no, I’m not sure if that will turn into a whole ordeal, so that can wait until later. I need to do more hunting to earn the EXP required to evolve. Once I reach that point, I can read about my new skills and test them out.
I say goodbye to the prime minister and the undead, return to my villa, inform my staff about Ms. Sophie’s upcoming visit, and head back above ground. My staff should be able to take care of just about everything. I don’t know if she’ll need to prepare anything specific, but I’ll let Eleanora, my personal lady-in-waiting, know too.
It’s time to test my new spell on the rabbits outside of Starting Town.
The Dark Young cast it without saying anything out loud, so let’s see if I can do the same.
Just like other spells, a gauge appears when I focus on casting it, but it seems to work a bit differently. Oh? Wow, that used a lot of my MP.
As soon as I targeted a nearby rabbit, an invisible fist appeared and knocked it into the air. The poor thing flew quite a distance. It appears to knock enemies well outside the range where I can hit them with spells, which is a problem, but I suppose it buys me time to recover if I need it. Just like Gravitas Maneuver, I don’t need to set an activation key, and it also has ten seconds of cooldown time. I’m not sure if I should commit to it as a strategy, considering the MP cost and the distance enemies are knocked back.
I slay the rabbit once it returns. Now it’s time to test out the chant gauge. Unlike other spells, there are two marks that appear in this gauge.
After trying things like canceling my chant and sending more rabbits flying, it seems that the lines represent 1 percent and 5 percent MP use respectively. Maxing the spell uses 10 percent of your MP at once.
Of course, each percentage has a different effect, and the spell can be activated so long as you go up to the line that marks 1 percent. The firepower to MP consumption ratio on this spell is actually pretty terrible. Its only real use is to deal knockback. In fact, each hit on a rabbit only damages them less than half of their total health.
Firepower aside, this must be the most knockback anything in the game is capable of. It’s actually a bit too strong, making it hard to use. Perhaps it’s much more powerful if you hit your target into a wall. The ruins dungeon would be the best place to test that. That’s really the only enclosed space where I go to hunt.
I’ll need to try it out more to learn how to use it effectively, but right now, it’s quite a hassle. Enemies who jump into the air are blown back much further than the rabbits, who were standing on the ground. I suppose the physics of that make sense. Wolves and rabbits are considered to be in the same size category, despite how they look, and they appear to be affected equally. However, wolves aren’t blown back as far as rabbits, even when they’re standing on the ground too. Maybe there’s some randomness involved, but there is a definitive difference.
I don’t think the enemies are assigned different weights. Since they’re in the same category, their skeletons must make a difference somehow. This will be difficult to test. I do know that equipment weight exists in this game, so maybe the enemies do have body weight in this game as well. But there’s an issue. Even if I get help from players of different weights, or at least those who can change their weight with different equipment, I’m sure this spell will function differently in PVP versus PVE.
In one-on-one situations, it will be faster for me to defeat my enemy with hits rather than sending them flying. I’ll have to use this spell when I’m playing solo, or with my servants, and find myself up against more enemies than I can handle. I think it’ll be a good way to save time in fights like those. I hate how much MP it uses up, but there’s nothing I can do about that. I just hope the knockback is equally impressive when it’s time to use this spell for real. If not, I’ll just have to resign myself to certain death.
The other players rely on Byakhees a lot, but I can fly on my own, and now I have Fist of Yog-Sothoth. Perhaps flying will make it harder for me to control the spell though… Well, considering how we unlocked it, I’d be surprised if the devs considered this a spell that was absolutely vital to success. In that sense, it’s expected to be pretty tricky.
I can test this out casually on different enemies too. I’d like to try it on flying enemies, horses, cows, goblins, turtles, and more.
I test the spell out on a few more enemies of different shapes and sizes, log off for lunch, and then log back in for my afternoon session.
I start by swinging by the church to pick up Ms. Sophie.
“Good day. Have you finished preparing?”
“I’m all set…”
I open up a gate to my villa and teleport us there.
You have invited Sophie Lilywhite Sorciere to your home.
It seems that the residents and players get different messages. It might also change depending on the quest, so it’s hard to judge. I’m sure it’s not important. For now, I need to make sure Ms. Sophie and I are on the same page, or things could go south.
“Ms. Sophie, please don’t leave the grounds of my villa. I’ve never tried this with a resident before, but when outsider guests attempt to leave, they’re smacked backward onto the grounds. The prime minister will come and visit you here, so there’s no need to leave. It’s possible that you’ll die or be unable to return to the world of the living if you do. Please let the staff here know if you need resources, as I’ve instructed them to supply whatever you ask of them.”
“I don’t plan on staying here forever… But I understand…”
She looks very disappointed, but I think she’ll agree to those rules. The quest is now displaying how long her research will take to complete, so I’m sure I can leave her alone until then.
All right, it’s time to go level up. It shouldn’t take long now, so perhaps I’ll attempt to go deeper into the dungeon, knowing it’s fine to die at any point. I’ll head to the ruins dungeon since I’m playing solo right now. I usually make it down to the fifth story or so, but I’ll try to get to the tenth today.
With each story lower I go, the enemies’ minimum and maximum levels raise by one, but that jumps up to six levels on the fourth and fifth stories. If that pattern continues, they’ll be up to level 60 by the time I reach the tenth story. Even though the enemies here are easy for me to defeat, frankly, I don’t see myself clearing the tenth story at all.
Your race level has increased.
You have reached race level 50. New race skills have been unlocked.
That did the trick. It seems that I won’t be able to evolve until I go to the Medium.
I’ll try to get to the tenth story before I look at my new race skills. I don’t think I’ll be able to do much hunting, but at least I’ll map out the dungeon a bit more.
I recall Unit One, fly as close to the ceiling as I can, and search the lower stories.
Oh? What’s that sound? Is this a new enemy on the ninth story? That’s sort of a random story for new enemies to appear on. There it is.
Scouting Drone Lv 46
A reconnaissance drone that sweeps the area for hostile creatures.
Attribute: —
Weakness: Blunt attacks, lightning, ice
Resistance: —
Class: Mech race
Order: Four-wheel propeller
Family: Scouting model
Genus: Drone
Species: Scouting Drone
Status: Alert
Its status is “alert?” I don’t see myself getting out of this one alive. Can I outrun it instead? No, it’s a low level, so I’ll defeat it as quickly as I can!
I begin to chant a mine spell, charge at the drone with my blade as it flies along the ceiling, and knock it to the ground. I set the mine on the ground just behind it, then smack the drone into the mine with one of my tentacles.
That finishes it off for good. The visuals and sound effects of the mine exploding were a little different than usual. Or did I just imagine it? I’d like to read about scouting drones on the BBS, but for now, I’ll keep moving.
Wow, I reached the tenth story! I’ll summon servants and proceed forward on the ground. I also may as well record my screen too.
The paths are a lot prettier at his depth, aren’t they? It’s almost as if they have a regular caretaker. But more importantly, I wonder what sort of mech races dwell here?
First up is an all-purpose sword model MK II. At level 62, it’s quite a threat. It looks like they start at level 60 and go up from there.
When the sword model runs straight up and slashes at me, I parry the attacks while inflicting status ailments with my tentacles that automatically counterattack from time to time. I also use my shotgun-style spells to attack it.
It seems my spells are activating twice. Oh, is that the work of Mirror Spell? I didn’t even know I had that. It must have unlocked at level 50. Of course, each instance of the spell doesn’t deal a hundred percent of its damage like normal. Instead, the second, mirrored spell seems to be much weaker. I’ll have to test this out on training dummies later to figure out the specifics.
The spells seem to target the same location with one second of rest between each activation, so it could miss depending on how the enemy moves…but Mirror Spell is really just for dramatic flare anyway. It doesn’t seem to increase my MP usage, at least.
Still, I just can’t seem to kill this thing. Level 62 is no joke. This sword model is tough, even with Lizzy attacking it from the back. I need more strength than usual to parry its hits too. I shouldn’t have expected an enemy twelve levels higher than me to be an easy target, of course.
Its AI almost seems crafty in a way. I wish it would stop attempting fake-outs on me. I despise how it changes up its timing just enough to throw me off.
There we go! At least defeating such a high-tier enemy gives me lots of delicious EXP.
I defeated more enemies like all-purpose shooting models and supporting fire models after that. I’m surviving so far, but it’s definitely taking longer for me to finish off each one, so I’ll be out of luck if a group of enemies arrives together. In other words, it’s too soon for me to use this story as a hunting spot.
However, the rewards are worth the effort of fighting here from time to time. I’m just not sure how efficient it is overall.
Shwing… Pssshhh… Shwing… Pssshhh… Shwing…
I-I know this sound. Here he comes!
Should I hide? I don’t think I can defeat it at my level. No, that’s right, I came here to die so that I can go back and evolve. All right, then. Let’s do it! I begin to chant Short Jump in advance.
That noise changed again. It’s so fast! I use Short Jump to evade its charge at me. When it stops its main boosters, spins around with the side ones, and fires three missiles at me, I knock them away. It figured out where I was almost instantly. The annihilation model lives up to its name, all right.
I see. It’s extremely nimble, or rather, it cuts out all the filler in how it moves. It switches from action to action much quicker than the ones on the higher stories, doing everything with perfect fluidity. I wish it would go a little easier on me, frankly.
Shwing… Pssshhh… Shwing… Pssshhh…
Huh?! Is there no restriction on how many spawn together when you’re this deep down? The annihilation model still needs to be hit with about two more reflected missiles before I can defeat it, so I won’t be able to finish in time. That leaves me with no choice. I’ll recall Unit One and leave Lizzy out alone. I don’t want to lose the capacity, since my plan is to die anyway.
It’s hard to safely reflect shots without Unit One using his shield for me. I’ll have to hold it off with burst spells and reflect any missiles that slip past.
Lizzy’s hitting the annihilation model to draw its focus, but the other enemy still hasn’t shown up yet. Actually, it’s making a slightly different noise, isn’t it? It sounds…heavier?
All-Purpose Cleanup Model Lv 64
This heavily armed all-purpose model is here to mop up.
Its back is equipped with a large cannon, and it wields dual-mounted rockets on its arms.
Attribute: -
Weakness: Blunt attacks, lightning, ice
Resistance: -
Class: Mech race
Order: Anthropomorphic
Family: All-purpose model
Genus: Cleanup model
Species: All-purpose cleanup model
Status: Normal
This one’s brand-new!
The annihilation model is relatively slender, while this one is so bulky. It’s a heavy, bipedal variation? Its rockets should fire straight forward, unlike missiles. I wonder what that massive cannon on its back does. Regardless, it’s easy to tell that this enemy was designed with pure firepower in mind.
The cleanup model gets down on one knee, transforms its leg into a shield, aims both arms at me, and fires its rockets. Are you really telling me this freak’s chunky legs are mechanisms for transforming?!
I try reflecting the rockets at the annihilation model, but it turns out to be too difficult to manage. The rockets don’t actually have much speed, but I can probably learn the timing and accurately reflect them eventually. Any non-guided rocket is going to pack a huge punch—that much is obvious. Perhaps I should try reflecting them at the stationary cleanup model instead of the annihilation model, which I can’t so much as graze. I need to make a move or I won’t survive.
The rockets are extremely hard to reflect back, since they travel in a bit of an arc, not a perfectly straight line. I finally reflect one successfully, but it barely does any damage! If this enemy isn’t going to move, then this calls for a pillar.
Now it’s started to move, of course. But it takes slightly longer than usual because of its transforming mechanism. That must be to allow more time for us to chip away at its HP. I’ll make Lizzy attack the cleanup model while I dance with the annihilation model.
Lizzy uses her two-handed axe to slash at the cleanup model. I think she’s really enjoying herself, even if her face is as expressionless as ever. The cleanup model moves away, but I believe the accuracy of its rockets should be much lower this way.
We might actually be able to pull this off! Ah, I’m jinxing us, aren’t I? Um, did I imagine that, or did the annihilation model just glance over at Lizzy? Maybe it has some sort of unique AI.
Come on, look at me! Won’t you please look my way? Hang on a minute. Wait! It changed targets! I won’t let you fire those missiles! I strike the multi-warhead missile down before it can split apart, then I bring Lizzy to me and hit the cleanup model with a pillar.
The annihilation model is focused on us now. Does it change targets if you get the cleanup model’s health below the halfway part? Do other enemies do this too, or is it just the annihilation model?
Well, to summarize, it goes out of its way to protect the main source of firepower. How annoying.
I have no choice but to make Lizzy attack the annihilation model. The cleanup model probably has high physical defense, so even though it was easy for Lizzy to get hits in, its HP has barely budged. It would have been faster to summon Unit One, wouldn’t it? This wouldn’t have been so much trouble if I’d finished off the annihilation model earlier.
For now, I’ll ignore the cleanup model and attack the annihilation model with Lizzy.
Wait! Everywhere around us is suddenly being displayed as a danger zone! Is the cleanup model finally attacking with that strange weapon on its back? I guess I shouldn’t have left it alone so I could fight the annihilation model a bit farther away.
The only safe place is right in front of the cleanup model! I’ll make Lizzy target the cleanup model and… Hey, Lizzy’s a lot faster than me, huh? I’m going to get left behind!
You’re getting in my way, annihilation model! I’m pretty sure friendly fire exists between enemies, so you’re going to die with so little HP left and little defenses. But still, the annihilation model is blocking my path.
Ah, there’s the ignition. Lizzy is probably going to make it in time. Hey, annihilation model! Don’t fly away at full speed! That’s not fair! Ah, Lizzy went and started hitting it.
Something shoots out of the tube on the cleanup model’s back, which suddenly sprouts wings like a little airplane and glides just under the ceiling while dropping loads of something all over the areas that are red from the danger indicator.
Excuse me?! It’s a cluster bomb that does carpet bomb attacks?!
Will Short Jump activate in time?! I back up to avoid the explosion, and once it’s over, I jump forward.
I made it! Wait, Lizzy’s about to die! I make her target the annihilation model as I smack the cleanup model with my tentacles. Good, it’s targeting me now!
The annihilation and cleanup models really live up to their names, and today they’re really out for my blood. They even utilize teamwork!
Ah, now reinforcements have arrived. It looks like a supporting fire model MK I. Normally, I’d be happy to see one of those, but I’m already in a bit of a pinch at the moment. Hmm, I don’t think I can get out of this one. I could let Lizzy handle the annihilation model, but as a two-handed axe attacker, she won’t be able to beat it in a one-on-one fight. Annihilation models are extremely mobile, so it’s a terrible match-up for her. Either way, the annihilation model will target her if she attacks the cleanup model, so it’s really just a matter of whether or not she can actually kill the annihilation model after all.
The shots, grenades, and multi-warhead missiles keep coming from the annihilation model. The cleanup model pelts us with rockets while the supporting fire model shoots six bursts at a time. I can’t block them all, so my HP is steadily going down. If I don’t knock away the attacks with the most fire power, I’m definitely going to die.
I’m focusing on burst spells to destroy the multi-warhead missiles and rockets, but that means my main firepower comes from Lizzy and my tentacles. The situation is getting worse and worse.
Ah, here comes more backup. I think it’s time to recall Lizzy.
There’s another enemy I haven’t seen before.
Maintenance Observation Unit Lv 65
This unit constantly monitors mech races and buildings in order to maintain a perfect state of harmony.
Controls three different varieties of small drones.
Attribute: -
Weakness: Blunt attacks, lightning, ice
Resistance: -
Class: Mech race
Order: Mothership
Family: Maintenance
Genus: Observation
Species: Maintenance observation unit
Status: Normal
Ah, the mothership has arrived. She even has an all-purpose sword model and supporting fire model for protection.
GG!
The maintenance observation unit opens its deck and launches three…DRAGOONs? Or perhaps I should call them funnels. Two fly to the annihilation model and one flies to the cleanup model. Then they connect with beams of light.
The cleanup model got an attack speed boost, didn’t it? The annihilation model also gained some sort of shield effect when hit by projectiles. That probably raises its defense.
Let’s see. There appear to be repair drones, shield drones, and resupply drones. The repair drone’s healing speed doesn’t seem particularly fast.
They don’t have propellers, so does that mean there’s a chance they drop gravity cores like the one Ms. Sophie’s broom uses? The maintenance observation unit is floating too—a hovering type of enemy.
But that’s assuming I can ever defeat them at all. I’ve discovered two new enemies in this dungeon, so that’s enough for today.
Farewell!
Your HP has reached 0. You are unable to move.
Wait for revival / Abandon avatar and return to main body
Yeah, there’s no beating six mech races at once. They’re ten to fifteen levels higher than me too.
I’ll select “return to main body.”
I’m back in outer space again.
I stop recording my screen. I think I’ll edit it down, starting at the arrival of the annihilation model and ending at my death, then upload it online.
Okay, next up is my new evolution.
Chapter 6: Evolution—Level 50
Chapter 6:
Evolution—Level 50
IT’S EVOLVIN’ TIME!
Preparing evolution…
Devotion: Stellura
Confirming past actions…
Confirming reputation among residents…
Confirming previous logs…
The goddess has ordered you to serve as “Manager of the Afterlife” and “Arbitrator of the Darklight Races and the Living World.” This will influence your evolution.
Please choose an evolution.
She Who Wavers and Pulses (Princess of the Medium)
She Who Travels the Liminal (Princess of the Medium)
She Who Wavers and Pulses
Structures, of which every birth comes an eventual death, go through the process of evolution at astonishingly rapid speeds.
They will their own flesh to pulse, transforming them into a structure even more robust.
While they possess excellent tenacity and regenerative abilities, they have lost some adaptability with magic.
Seeing no meaning in maintaining a distinct form, they simply continue to swell and expand.
Base Stats:
HP: SS
MP: A
Strength: A
Dexterity: D
Stamina: S
Agility: E/D (S)
Intelligence: C
Spirit: A
Resistance: SSS
Unique: SSS
Physique: Max
Avatar: Princess of the Medium
A human-shaped vessel you use when descending to the surface world.
You are a princess of the afterlife and a beloved child of the gods.
You remain the novice princess to those in the Medium and the afterlife.
Every day, you devote yourself to rising to their level.
Base Stats:
HP: SS
MP: A
Strength: A
Dexterity: D
Stamina: A
Agility: C/E (S)
Intelligence: C
Spirit: A
Resistance: SSS
Unique: SSS
Physique: Sma
She Who Travels the Liminal
Structures, of which every birth comes an eventual death, go through the process of evolution at astonishingly rapid speeds.
They will their own flesh to greedily absorb mana from their surroundings, transforming them into a structure even more adaptable.
While they possess excellent aptitude for magic and regenerative abilities, they have lost some adaptability against physical attacks.
Though their body once expanded and swelled endlessly, they have begun to take a meaningful form.
Base stats:
HP: SS
MP: A
Strength: A
Dexterity: D
Stamina: S
Agility: E/D (S)
Intelligence: C
Spirit: A
Resistance: SSS
Unique: SSS
Physique: Max
Avatar: Princess of the Medium
A human-shaped vessel you use when descending to the surface world.
You are a princess of the afterlife and a beloved child of the gods.
You remain the novice princess to those in the Medium and the afterlife.
Every day, you devote yourself to rising to their level.
Base stats:
HP: A
MP: SS
Strength: B
Dexterity: D
Stamina: A
Agility: D/C (S)
Intelligence: B
Spirit: A
Resistance: SSS
Unique: SSS
Physique: Sma
It seems that the evolutions branch off into a physical tree and a magic tree. I can pretty easily choose the latter without much thought. The avatars come from the roles Stellura has ordered me to carry out, which translates to a princess beloved by the gods. The avatars themselves are the same, but the only differences show up in the stats.
The physical tree buffs HP, strength, dexterity, and stamina, while the magic tree buffs MP, stamina, intelligence, and spirit. I wonder if my physique and the kind of being I am grant me a high amount of stamina in either tree.
The one problem might be those agility stats. The physical tree has upgraded agility on land, but my adaptability for flying skills is reduced. The magic tree keeps my land agility the same and buffs flight agility. It has an influence on my avatar’s stats too, but even if I do go with the magic tree, I don’t think this change will affect how I actually control my character.
Well, the limits on my base stats barely matter at these levels. It’s mostly just for flavor anyway.
It seems I’ll no longer be made of spheres if I pick the magic tree. My avatar changes from a monk to a princess too. I wonder if I’ll get to wear a dress again.
Considering I’m evolving into a new, balanced option, I don’t think I’ll get a chance to rebuild my character this time.
You have selected She Who Travels the Liminal. You will be unable to move during the evolution process. Begin evolution?
Let’s do this!
Evolving from The Drifting, Expanding One to She Who Travels the Liminal…
Updating race skills…
Soul Harvest has been upgraded.
Low Independent Race has been upgraded.
Acquiring race skills…
She Who Reigns…acquired.
Discipline: Vision is now complete. Confirming blessing…
By giving up your eyes as an offering, you will acquire a new ability. Give up eyes? Yes / No
Yes.
Cutesy Eyes…acquired.
Bringer of Madness has merged with Cutesy Eyes.
Darkness and Light Vision has merged with Space-Time Recognition Expansion.
You have been granted the works of the gods.
Scale of Judgment…acquired.
…Evolution complete.
Due to a low race level, you can not use all of your powers. You will be partially restricted.
Your equipment has been optimized.
“Title: Adrift in a Sea of Knowledge” has been upgraded to “Title: Lost in a Torrent of Knowledge.”
“About: Evil Eyes and Wicked Eyes” has been added to the help menu.
It’s the best time of all—time to check those new skills! Oh…hold on. The flavor text made it sound like I would stop being spheres. But I was wrong?
I think the most positive description of this body is an “angel.” Perhaps I’m an extremely blasphemous angel? I sort of have a human torso, a bunch of winglike tentacles, and that’s about it.
My new spheres have turned into the front side of a human torso, and countless tentacles have sprouted from my back like wings. I can see some of them are cut off in random places or emerging from the empty space around my body. There’s one thick tentacle where my head would be and one more where each of my arms would be. However, instead of legs, I have another mass of tentacles like on my back. The tentacles also seem to be blindfolding me where my eyes would be. The spheres, all of them different sizes and speeds, orbit me like satellites.
Yes, I’m a monster, and there’s just really no other way to put it. Not that this comes as a surprise to me. If I covered everything but my torso, I would still look a little bit human. Of course, the size of my torso is large too. It’s hard to compare with nothing around me, but surely I’m the size of a skyscraper, right?
These legs must be why my ground agility stayed the same. Would I move around like an octopus on these tentacles? But regardless, my main body is just for decoration.
Once I use Incarnation Form, one of my leg tentacles separates and takes the form of a human. My dress, a gothic style this time, is black, white, and purple. It’s made of that mysterious material again that feels nice on my skin, despite how thin it is to the touch. I don’t think any part of it is see-through, but it seems like it would billow easily in the wind.
The fancy purple skirt falls all the way to my ankles, with green sewn in between the purple and black parts. Instead of exposing my legs this time, three tiers of lace are layered on top, two black with a white layer between. The skirt fans out like a cone around me, so I don’t think it will trip me up when I’m moving around.
A large, decorative crystal lotus sits on my left hip. Ah, I see, it’s actually a clasp. I can use it to attach a belt to hang weapons or pouches from. I think this is what I’m given in place of the usual decorative gothic corset. The tiers of lace on top of my skirt seem to hang from this too.
The only issue is the upper half of my dress, which is in a cross-halter-top style. I’m practically spilling out of it, you see. Why did they design it with a hole right in the center? Is it for breathability? The lower half is so nice and elegant, while the top half is like a smack in the face. Although, I suppose I do prefer this over the burstingly tight monk’s robe.
My shoulders are exposed too with this style of sleeveless top. However, it does come with a black long-sleeve robe that connects all the way down to my middle fingers. My cloak is also draped over my shoulders and hanging down my back, so, at first glance, I don’t appear to be showing much skin—until you notice the chest, of course.
My shoes are low-heel pumps this time. That’s a relief. I don’t see how I could fight in high heels.
I still have the same blindfold, but I’ve been given a wide headdress to wear too. This one is more in the gothic lolita style. I also have a large crystal lotus hairpiece on the left side of my head, from which white lace hangs down to my jaw. Under the lotus are…what’s it called again? Let me look real quick. Dodecahedral stars! There are several of them hanging down from a thread under the decorative lotus. I imagine they’ll be quite eye-catching since they sparkle in the light.
Finally, there’s the black lace garter belt. How very sexy. This one is slightly different from normal garter belts, as the back belt is deviated slightly toward the front of my leg so it won’t be in the way or leave a mark when I sit down. What a thoughtful addition. My socks, of course, are long ones that reach over my knees.
All right, now that I’ve examined my appearance, it’s time to check my stats.
Appraisal has reached level 40. You have gained 2 skill points.
Oh, it displays more information than before.
[Equipment-Armor] Ruler’s Dress
Rarity: GO
Quality: S+
Durability: -
This dress, heavily affected by the powers of Stellura, is granted to those who will lead the afterlife.
It may appear thin, but it is surprisingly protective.
Having received divine protection of life, this dress protects the wearer from outside invaders and relieves the wearer’s fatigue.
Its material is unknown, as it was created by a god.
Appraisal Lv 10
DEF: △
MDEF: △
Affected by skills: Cloth
Appraisal Lv 20
HP recovery boost: Great
MP recovery boost: Great
Appraisal Lv 30
New powers are unlocked and optimized each time the wearer receives a god’s divine protection.
Appraisal Lv 40
Optimal occupation: Royalty or nobility.
This time, my equipment is part of the “ruler’s” series.
Appraisal now displays the optimal occupation too. This should pair nicely with Semi-formal Wear, shouldn’t it? It’s nice to have this info, but it’s not exactly lifesaving.
My other equipment hasn’t changed much—only the names and designs. But no, a change in appearance is very important. Not only that, but the stats labeled as “great” are probably technically higher now too, even if not enough to bump that label up a tier. At least, that’s what I hope.
The only other significant change is Liberta, which was attached to my athame and consumed orbs. It’s now become part of the effects granted by having my ring and dress equipped together. This is beneficial to me, since I don’t use my athame for attacks. Of course, I don’t actually use Liberta all that much either.
My blindfold doesn’t count as equipment anymore, which means I can’t remove it now. I don’t have the slightest idea what that portion of my face must look like underneath.
I’m also curious about why the special animation from Sphere Clemens Waver has changed. My spheres merely orbit now, just like they do around my main body.
I have six spheres at my disposal. Just like my main body, they vary in size, but now they open up from time to time. Yes, that’s right. The spheres open. They appear to be like eyeballs and generally move randomly, though I can control them when I focus on them.
I think I look a lot more put-together than before, but that’s not to say I don’t stand out in a major way. By the way, these new eyes are purple. Just when I thought I’d given them up for my discipline, I ended up with lots more eyes instead. No, I don’t understand how it came to this either.
Next up, stats! Aside from my race and avatar names, nothing else on my status page has changed. My occupation and title are the same too.
My upgraded title comes from the Book of the Elder Keys.
“Lost in a Torrent of Knowledge”
Knowledge is neither good nor bad. Those who possess it choose how to wield it.
You are lost in a vast expanse of knowledge.
…Sounds pretty “grim,” huh?
Excuse me? Oh, “grim” as in “grimoire?” Who let them put a bad pun in the flavor text? Well, the magic silkworms weren’t much better.
Now it’s finally time to look at my skills. I’m curious what it means now that I’ve completed my discipline. Since the others have merged, they must relate to status ailments in some way. I’ll look at those last.
She Who Reigns
This skill displays your ability to draw attention as a ruler.
Those who sit atop hierarchies not only draw attention but are said to influence their surrounding environments as well.
So it relates to the amount of dignity and nobility a player gives off? This one doesn’t have skill levels.
Soul Harvest
Ten percent of HP damage is also inflicted as MP damage. However, only a maximum of 0.2% can be taken from the target’s max MP per each hit.
Damage changes in accordance with soul color as seen through Darkness and Light Vision.
Brighter souls result in a damage reduction, while darker souls get a damage increase.
You are one of the few allowed to interfere with souls by forcibly sending them to the Nether.
The limit increased by 0.1%. But that’s all.
It’s much more effective to just smack people with my tentacles over and over again. All right, next!
Low Independent Race ← Low Independent Race
You may no longer acquire elemental magic outside of light and dark attributes and their branches.
Damage received from physical attacks: 1.2x
Damage received from four main elements: .8x
Damage received from light and dark magic: .5x
Light and dark magic attacks are reflected.
Light and dark magic boost: Maximum
Increased effectiveness of HP regen skills: Maximum
Invulnerable to critical hits.
Invulnerable to environmental damage.
Nullifies all status ailments.
Does not require food or sleep.
Aaaah, I don’t love this one. I previously had no changes to physical attacks and an increase in magic attacks from the four main elements. But now I take more damage from physical attacks and less from magic attacks of those elements. I can parry spells, so I’d prefer a reduction in physical damage, but there’s no point in complaining. I certainly couldn’t have picked the physical evolution tree when spells are my main source of firepower.
Light Magic and Dark Magic used to inflict half the normal damage against me, but now they’re reflected entirely. I believe this game grants resistance, invulnerability, reflection, and absorption to elemental spells, so I’ll probably be able to absorb Light Magic and Dark Magic soon enough.
All right, let’s move on.
Light and Dark Vision used to let me view souls and see in the dark. Now that it’s merged…it looks like the skill description is shorter than it used to be, but that’s all.
Here’s one I’m very curious about.
Cutesy Eyes
Grants you adorable, round eyes that always watch you with a big smile.
They may spook you when you make eye contact, but go easy on them, okay? They’re just pranksters!
But don’t let them get into staring contests. There’s no guarantee that their opponent will walk away unscathed.
Evil eyes: Distant evil eye
Wicked eyes: Gaze of fear, gaze of standstill, gaze of lethargy, gaze of death
Normal eyes take the same color as the player’s eyes. Evil eyes change colors with different effects.
With each level of upgrade to status ailments, staring time required decreases. Breaking eye contact resets the status ailment strength and timer.
There’s three whole lines of flavor text for this skill. That’s unusual. The name makes it sound like a joke skill, but this is serious stuff. I’ll check the help menu next.
* About: Evil eyes and wicked eyes
Eyes that possess magic powers are called evil eyes.
Most evil eyes belong to high-ranking monsters, but they have been found throughout civilization on extremely rare occasions. Alchemists even attempted to create artificial evil eyes, however…
Humanity decided to call evil eyes with the most negative effects “wicked eyes” to distinguish them.
Do they really need to put such frightening information in the help menu?
Anyhow, it seems you still call them evil eyes when you’re referring to them in general. However, it seems to come down to whether they’re being used by a friend or a foe. From my perspective, inflicting fear on a target with this “gaze of fear” is a good thing, so that would just make it an evil eye. It all comes down to perspective, which means I can use it to enforce justice however I please.
Okay, let’s see what my new work of the gods is.
Scale of Judgment
The gods have granted this skill to arbitrators of the Nether.
If a target’s karma is within range, you may inflict this curse upon their soul as punishment.
Connect their soul to an arbitrator’s and you can meddle with the gods’ domain, if ever so slightly, through the use of this scale.
Sure, in other words, my work as an arbitrator so far has received approval.
I’ll definitely be able to play as a Nemeseia easier this way, but the gods certainly prefer those of us in the living realm to take care of our own business. Oh well, at least I have more options for arbitrations now.
Okay, I could return to the Nether and test my skills on dummies now, or should I see Cyäegha first? He did ask me to show him this kind of thing. I think I’ll head to the balcony.
“I’ve evolved, Cyäegha. Please come and see.”
That should do the trick. While I wait for his arrival, I’ll keep reviewing my skills.
My aura, which was my method of inflicting status ailments, has changed to those different gazes. I’m glad I have some autonomy in how I use them now. The counter resets when you break eye contact? That sounds hard to use, but I suppose it’s a common ability in video games.
Whoops, I forgot to check the race skills all inhumans unlock when they hit level 50.
Long Game
Increases automatic regeneration for HP and MP.
The exact amount depends on your base level and skill level.
Your automatic regeneration skills are outstanding. You can make moves for much longer periods than other players.
Blessed Child
You are a blessed child of the sun or the moon.
Bathing in the light of the sun or the moon grants you stat bonuses.
The exact amount depends on your base level and skill level.
Blessed children of the sun are no longer blinded by light. Blessed children of the moon are granted night vision.
Blessed Child of the Midnight Sun
Bathing in the light of the sun or the moon grants you stat bonuses.
The exact amount depends on your base level and skill level.
You will no longer be blinded by light. You will obtain night vision.
Perception Difficulty
Grants a buff to skills such as No Tracking and Stealth.
The exact amount depends on your base level and skill level.
Hmm. I don’t need Perception Difficulty, but I’ll take Long Game and Blessed Child of the Midnight Sun since I have plenty of SP to spare. She Who Reigns seems like it could hurt my stealth abilities, and I can always rely on subspace for stealthiness when all else fails.
I take the two skills, costing three and six SP respectively. Blessed Child of the Midnight Sun is a bit costly. The effects sound like they merge unique abilities, so that’s just the price I have to pay for something so special. I doubt it will work in caves, and I’m not sure about dungeons either.
“Thank you for waiting! Now show it to me already.”
“There you are. Shall we head to my main body?”
“At once.”
I use the Silver Key to bring the green-eyed Cyäegha to my main body.
“Oh!”
He’s started looking it over closely, so I’ll wait for him to reach his conclusion.
Cyäegha circles around it, gives it a sniff, and grabs a sphere to assess it more accurately. It’s strange seeing a small sphere and a large sphere staring each other down.
I also tell him about the roles I’ve been granted.
“I see. Space-time, life, and death. What are these eyeballs?” he asks.
“Supposedly, it’s the result of practicing the discipline of going without my eyes.”
“Each discipline comes with a different result, yes. You’ve lost your aura, haven’t you? That means it’s been transferred to this body if you can’t use it above ground any longer. Yes, I see.”
My main body lost Bringer of Madness and only has Unknown Structure to form a membrane now. The body is slick to the touch, almost like an aquatic animal. I can easily imagine a human losing their fingers the second they lay them on me, however.
“Do angels carry meaning in your world?” Cyäegha asks.
“They’re messengers of God.”
“So that is why you look like this?”
Perhaps that’s why my body resembles an angel.
“Angels and demons have a high magic aptitude. Fairies and wraiths are still higher, but this is most intriguing.”
“My tentacles resemble wings, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m an angel, I suppose. My silhouette also looks like that of a fairy.”
“The structure has a much higher magic aptitude than even fairies or wraiths. However, it is heavily inclined toward magic and it is weak against the physical. What a strange balance.”
It seems I am just “meat” after all.
There’s a reason that high zombies regain the looks they had before they were undead. That’s because the rotting flesh of the zombie receives the power of an undead and turns back to fresh meat. Zombies have such high regenerative power due to their rapid rate of cell turnover. That’s also why they have perfect skin.
Magical energy is the fuel that keeps these cells alive. Becoming a “high” ranking race comes with power, including magical energy to maintain the body’s cells. However, the cells themselves also evolve so that they can use magical energy more efficiently. In other words, a zombie’s regenerative powers come from their cells each evolving on an individual level.
“Zombies lose their blood and outer ones lose their bones on top of that, as they’re mere lumps of flesh. It’s a similar makeup to that of a slime. Every last one of their cells is highly optimized for magical energy,” he explains.
“So we’re more like slimes than mollusks? Now that I think of it, we don’t have organs either.”
“Slimes are able to mimic other beings if they possess the proper skills. The ability to make an avatar is also a skill, in which a shape is ‘granted’ to you. Maybe there is no meaning to be found in these forms.”
“Yes, since you can simply change forms into whatever you need, whenever you need it, right?”
“I wonder why your body took this form. Are you an angel, a fairy, or a copy of a god? Very well. It does not matter so long as this form allows you to use your abilities.”
Really? I could be a copy of a god, and it wouldn’t matter? No, anything is fine so long as I’m strong. With great power comes…more power!
I was already strong due to my regeneration power that came from my life and death aspects, but once space-time was added to the mix, I got even stronger. How strong, you ask? Well, look no further than the mascot of those who are reborn over and over again: the immortal phoenix.
“The bird is visually appealing and popular throughout humanity. They are also followers of Sigrdrifa,” Cyäegha explains.
“Because they’re animals, right? And they’re also associated with fire.”
“Yes. However, the phoenix is still flawed.”
“Flawed?”
“Or, in a different way, you could view it as a positive thing. Phoenixes don’t retain their memories. Their minds reset with each death, and they are restored to their base instincts of devotion to their goddess. This also influences their actual strength.”
“Yes, I see how it’s hard to decide if that’s a downside or an upside.”
“They do retain any memories involving life, death, and space-time. For those, there are no limits.”
How very “fantasy-like.” It also sounds quite complex.
There’s the immortal phoenix, Stellura’s undead, and the unaging sorcieres. They all have different origins and abilities.
Socieres don’t age, but that’s the limit of their power. The rituals they conduct and their own magical energy simply freeze time for their bodies alone. You could also look at this as a form of infinite regeneration with magical energy being its power source.
The bodies of undead have ceased functioning as living beings. It’s Stellura’s powers that influence their souls more so than their physical bodies. These bodies are then placed in the realm of the living. That said, it’s still uncommon to find zombies and skeletons about, and those that you do find are hostile. The same goes for hostile malevolent ghosts. Of the undead living in the Nether, the population is mostly made up of skeletons and liches.
Phoenixes are devoted to Sigrdrifa, but they do hold some connection to Stellura. The immortal birds possess only the powers of life and regeneration. That means they do actually die—it’s their regeneration power that instantly thrusts them into the process of reincarnation. That, of course, is how Stellura plays a part.
“To put it in the most simple terms, those who serve Sigrdrifa, the youngest of the siblings, receive the approval of her older sister. The phoenix becomes Stellura’s domain the moment the flesh is killed, so she created these powerful phoenixes to serve her little sister for all of eternity,” he explains.
“And sorcieres and undead don’t respawn because they don’t possess this power of life, yes?”
“Exactly. Sorcieres have merely brought time to a standstill. Undead have strong powers of death, or to phrase it another way, they are able to reincarnate without issue.”
The gods are impressed with sorcieres, who’ve managed to escape the flow of time with mortal bodies, if only temporarily. Stellura grants immortality as a way of thanking her worshippers after their deaths.
“The terms ‘unaging and immortal’ get thrown around quite often, but the only beings they truly apply to are those of us who worship the goddess Stellura.”
“Sorcieres are only unaging, and they still die. Undead are already dead. Phoenixes are merely going through the reincarnation cycle at a rapid speed. Do I have that right?” I confirm.
“Indeed. But I can only speak to the literal definitions, not however they’re widely used.”
I also learn that vampires get a huge boost to all their stats and their regenerative powers by drinking blood. They steal the nutrients and magical energy in the blood to temporarily enhance their own bodies.
The best way to kill them is to drive a stake through their hearts. That does the trick on most of them.
“To sum it all up, you are particularly tenacious even among all of our kind. Your attacks aren’t as strong as they could be yet, but that will change the more you train.”
“Are my roles and avatars the remaining things that play a factor?” I ask.
“Your role as arbitrator affects your aspects of contracts and punishments. But we cannot speak on your aspect of fate.”
In other words, evolving has added a space-time aspect to my race. Well, this sort of thing is all really just like flavor text, so I’ll make use of it for role-playing, but that’s about it. More importantly, there’s something else I want to learn about.
“Do you know if She Who Reigns debuffs my stealth abilities?”
“It does. It is a skill intended to show yourself to the world, after all.”
“I thought so. All right, then do you know what distant evil eye, gaze of fear, gaze of standstill, gaze of lethargy, and gaze of death do?”
“Indeed. Gaze of fear affects targets the same way other forms of fear do.”
Fear is a status ailment that reduces the amount of damage a target can inflict.
I’ll ask him to explain the others too.
Distant evil eye
Set coordinate-based spells anywhere your eyes can see.
Gaze of standstill
A space-time elemental version of petrification and freezing.
Gaze of lethargy
The gaze version of Slow acquired through Space-time Magic.
Gaze of death
Bring about your target’s death. This works differently than other wicked eyes. Staring with gaze of death starts a countdown that, upon completing, inflicts death.
Distant evil eye looks like it will be the most powerful. I’ll be able to cast explosions, walls, mines, pillars, gradius, and flak anywhere within my range of vision. Those are the only spells it affects, but I’ll be able to send them further out than even arrow or lance spells.
I’ve been able to place spells behind my back thanks to my form of vision, though each spell comes with its own limited range of use. But now I can ignore that and place them wherever I please within the range of Space-time Recognition Expansion.
Wait, hang on a minute. That means Night Sky Circle from Secret Art of Necromancy, the spell that buffs my servants, will fall within my range of vision too now! How wonderful!
“Looking at a target with multiple eyes using the same effect will break through the enemy’s resistance, letting you inflict a status ailment,” Cyäegha continues.
“Really? Using the same effect disrupts resistance?”
“These eyes seem to move independently from each other, so they shouldn’t be hard to use.”
I have six spheres that act as eyes. It almost feels a bit extreme to use them all at once.
All right, now that Cyäegha is satisfied, I’ll head to the Nether’s training facility. I have some dummies to beat up and some eyes to test out. Now that I know their effects, I only need to see how this skill functions. Dummies don’t move, so they won’t cause me any trouble.
I make my spheres have staring contests with the dummies.
Each dummy gains a special icon that grows a brighter color the longer the countdown is active. It seems to last one hundred and eighty seconds. I guess, after all, the spheres aren’t doing anything but looking.
Now that I think of it, the dummies aren’t in combat mode yet. Gazing at enemies before the fight breaks out could be a bit useful for me, but three whole minutes? That’s quite long when you compare it to making instant ramen. It basically won’t work on bosses at all, so it’s better to go in swinging like usual.
After one hundred and eighty seconds, the status ailment reaches level 1. It takes one hundred and fifty more seconds to reach level 2, one hundred and twenty more to reach level 3, ninety more to reach level 4, sixty more to reach level 5, and thirty more to reach level 6.
Getting to level 6 seems pretty, well… I’ll think of it as a unique trait of my race, and the higher I increase those status ailment levels, the less time it will start to take.
I don’t even need to look at the target, only have them in my field of vision. But as soon as they’re outside that range, the countdown for whatever level they were at starts over. The counter resets if you close your eyes, but blinking at least is allowed, so no one needs to worry about getting dry eyes.
The counter also resets when I put up a wall between me and the dummy, so if I run into an enemy who can use eyes like this, I know I can block them with a wall spell.
It’s surprisingly easy to control the spheres. I test it out by slowly putting my body in between the spheres and the dummy. They remain effective as long as any part of the target’s body is exposed, so I’ll have to make sure to hide behind my walls completely when facing this skill in the wild. I wonder if elemental attributes matter at all. A wind wall doesn’t seem like it would block the enemy’s vision, but I can’t test it out since I don’t have that spell.
I also need to test Slow and gaze of lethargy. I see, the two don’t seem to count as one combined spell. That will help break the enemy’s resistance, but it still doesn’t seem very practical.
The gaze of death countdown starts at three hundred seconds, and once it hits zero, the dummy is destroyed. Of course, if the enemy exits your range of vision for even a moment, that counter resets. As strong as it seems, the majority of enemies will be able to resist this one. Instant death moves simply aren’t that effective. It might work on a lower-level enemy, but unless I can reduce the countdown time somehow, it’s still faster to attack the old-fashioned way.
Distant evil eye seems to be a passive skill. It’s still active even when the little eyes are closed, so it must be linked to my own perception of my surroundings. In other words, Cutesy Eyes will have to put in work when I want to inflict status ailments using the wicked eyes.
I’m also curious as to why the eyes sometimes change colors and sometimes remain the same. There’s no color change for distant evil eye or gaze of fear—they remain purple, just like the eye color I gave my character. But then they turn black when I use gaze of standstill, gray when I use gaze of lethargy, and red when I use gaze of death.
Oh, now that I think of it, I haven’t tested Mirror Spell yet either. It fires spells twice in a row, and I’d like to confirm how much damage they do. I’ll repeat the same spell over and over again to try and find out.
Hmm, it seems that, at its core, this is just an upgrade to my spells. The first activation does 100 percent of its normal damage, followed by a secondary attack that does 20 percent of normal damage. When I try it with different spells, those numbers remain consistent.
Twenty percent is quite a drop in power, and it’s more likely to miss since it gets fired off toward the exact same location as the first spell, but it doesn’t consume any extra MP. The second spell is really just a bonus if you manage to hit the first one. I think I’ll keep using it and just consider myself lucky whenever it hits.
“Oh, if it isn’t Madame. Have you evolved since we last met?”
“Hello, Lana. Yes, I did, and now I’m testing out my new skills. Would you mind helping me for a bit? There are some things I’d like to try.”
“Why, of course.”
The spheres that orbit me like satellites originally came from Sphere Clemens Waver and had a unique effect where they randomly separated and reattached to me. Now that they’re Cutesy Eyes, they merely orbit me instead.
Crucially, Sphere Clemens Waver is a skill that sometimes activates a counterattack when I’m hit by a physical attack. The number of spheres determines the chance of activation, so with each sphere having a 10 percent chance to counterattack, it adds up to 60 percent in total. What I want to know is if that’s changed now that the spheres are part of Cutesy Eyes. If I retain the buff regardless of how I’m using my wicked eyes, I can deploy them without a second thought.
I can’t inflict status ailments on Lana, and she’s also capable of withstanding any counterattack. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to test this with…except I wish she wouldn’t run up and slice at me with her sword so eagerly.
“Why don’t you learn Carnage Style next?” she suggests.
“Is that the one that combines attack stances?”
“I don’t think you’ll use it, but it is necessary, Madame. You must become stronger in order to lift me to even greater heights.”
I am an outer one. When it comes to abilities of the flesh, I won’t be inferior to other races. In other words, Lana wants to grow by training me into someone who can rival even herself.
Of course, as an undead, that’s quite a lofty goal for Lana to have.
Well, I don’t mind having a practice battle with Lana. That way, I can test out my skills and learn a new stance too.
I dodge her attack when she flies straight at me… Oh?
“What’s this?”
That was a different response. I thought my equipment only changed in design, but was I wrong?
I dodge three more attacks from Lana.
“What on earth?”
I switch my light blade off of the space-time element and try again.
Yes, now it’s back to normal.
“Madame, were your space attributes strengthened?”
“Cyäegha did tell me that I gained the space-time aspect when I evolved. That’s the only thing I can think of.”
“Then we ought to look into that too.”
I’ll have Lana help me a little while longer.
First, I learn that Cutesy Eyes does overlap with my counterattacks. In other words, whenever I’m using wicked eyes, the spheres are occupied, and I lose my rate of counterattacks. When it comes to close-range attacks from enemies, I should focus on counterattacks and using Unknown Structure. Since that doesn’t matter if the enemy attacks at long-range, I can continue using Cutesy Eyes in that case.
I’ve now learned Ex3 Carnage Style. It’s a combination of offensive stances with the following specifics.
Ex Anti-human Style
Sword Upgrade
Ex Anti-monster Style
Slash Upgrade
Ex Airflow Style
Leg Upgrade
Ex2 Unsheathed Style = Ex Anti-human Style + Ex Airflow Style
Sword Upgrade, Leg Upgrade
Ex3 Carnage Style = Ex Anti-monster Style + Ex2 Unsheathed Style
Sword Upgrade, Slash Upgrade, Leg Upgrade
In other words, while I fight with Carnage Style, I’ll maintain Sword Upgrade, Slash Upgrade, and Leg Upgrade all at once. I’ll lose those buffs as soon as I break my stance, but that’s just how the system is designed.
I usually go with Water’s Surface Style, so I get Leg Upgrade, Dodge Upgrade, and Reflection Upgrade.
Learning Carnage Style gives me two Ex3 stances, which means I’m making progress on my quest.
“The Making of a Master”
Make Svetlana, your sword teacher, approve of your efforts.
1. Acquire six “styles.”
2. Acquire two “improved branch styles.”
3. Acquire three “superior branch styles.”
4. Demonstrate your mastery to Svetlana.
Quest giver: Svetlana
Reward: Title
She tells me I still need to improve! Maybe my skill levels aren’t high enough yet. I’ll have to come back and try again sometime soon. I think the quest will end automatically if Lana and I just battle as viciously as possible.
Now, as for my light sword, it seems it’s received a great upgrade too. I’m becoming even more like a jedi now.
When I switch it to the space element, it doesn’t just reflect close-range attacks, it lets me rebound them. Until now, I’ve only been able to bring my blade up to long-distance attacks to reflect them. This works essentially the same, but also additionally applies to close-range attacks.
While the rebounding action doesn’t actually damage opponents, I’m quite glad to have a means to knock away close-up attacks now. It will be much easier to block sweeps that come at torso height.
Before I started using stances, I had Break Parry, which hit a target’s weapon back and knocked them off their balance. This new use of my athame works similarly. I bet I’ll have many more chances to strike while enemies are unguarded now.
Of course, it doesn’t matter at all when I’m fighting someone of Lana’s level. She would never dream of being unguarded long enough to let me get a hit in. I think this method could be less effective depending on the opponent’s level and physique too, so I can’t let myself rely on it too much.
All right, I’ll keep practicing with Lana until dinnertime, then I’ll check on Ms. Sophie tonight.
“Can we keep training until dinner, Lana?”
“That’s perfectly fine with me. Why don’t you pair up with Madame, Lisa?”
“Ah, okay.”
Lizzy’s true body, Lisa, approaches me. It seems she’s been roped into this too. Well, she is still a newbie!
“Lana, this is a practice battle, so please don’t cut off my head or arms. I’m technically your ruler, after all.”
“I thought they grow back within five seconds, no?” she replies.
Now that I take more physical damage, I’m much more liable to lose my body parts. My maximum HP also decreases while I’m missing pieces. All four of my limbs and my head count as body parts that can be severed, so losing even one of them reduces my HP by 20 percent. Most people die when they lose their head, but I don’t appear to suffer from such a condition. If anything, I can see my surroundings better when my head goes flying through the air. It’s not as if my body is immobilized either.
The Dark Young is still the strongest enemy I’ve ever fought, followed by Lana herself. That said, I fought the Dark Young in a large group, and I’ve only ever taken on Lana with a few others at a time, so perhaps I can’t really compare them.
Oh, Lisa got sent flying. That means Lana will come for me next. Ah! Farewell, my left arm! I part ways with my limbs far too often.
I tell Lisa to get in front of me when she returns. I fire spells at Lana from behind Lisa, but Lana either dodges them with the tiniest possible movements or knocks them away with her sword altogether. She also charges in for consecutive slashing attacks, so I can never let my guard down. I don’t want Lisa to get hit by any reflections, so I block to the full extent that I’m capable of.
Whoa, she ran past Lisa! Aaah! Farewell, my lower half! I counterattack Lana, knowing that this was going to happen all along. My legs are only decorative pieces, after all!
“I nearly forgot about that,” Lana remarks.
We kill time in the training grounds before going our separate ways. It’s very fun to battle the strongest opponent at your disposal. Mowing down weaklings is also a satisfying feeling, but this is a different experience that’s worthwhile too.
Ms. Sophie still needs more time to complete her work. I suppose I’ll call it a day then.
For now, I’ll log out and work on whatever tasks need doing in the real world.
Bonus Story: [Why Hello There] I Want to Interview Famous Players! [Famous People]
Bonus Story:
[Why Hello There] I Want to Interview Famous Players! [Famous People]
OKAY, LET’S GET STARTED!1
“Hey there, everyone! It’s me, Yura! Come and join me for another interview stream!”
Last time, I interviewed Mr. Cecil, Mr. Mohawk, and the young ladies. I wonder who I’ll run into today?
Oh, I spotted a first-waver!
“Mr. Penguin Mercenary!”
“Hm? Oh, you’re Ms. Yura, aren’t you? Need something?”
“I’m interviewing famous players. May I have some of your time?”
“I don’t mind, but are you sure I’ll be interesting enough?”
“Of course!”
He’s a famous first-waver, that’s for sure. His appearance really stands out too. He dresses in a cartoonish baby Emperor Penguin costume, and his voice is so nice and deep. Mr. Penguin Mercenary also role-plays as a mercenary and fights with a two-handed sword.
“Do you dress like that because you like penguins?”
“Yep. I thought about being a grown penguin, but I decided on the chick costume instead.”
“Chicks are so adorable. Does that costume work like full-body armor?
“Uh-huh. The mouth moves when I open and close my helmet.”
He’s right! The penguin’s mouth is flapping open and closed.
So, that’s full-body armor, huh? Full-body armor has all kinds of special varieties, so you don’t really see costumes like these during normal play.
“I thought he’d sound more high-energy character when he speaks. Maybe with a ‘dood’ or two thrown in.”
“I’m a regular human in this suit, so I’m not gonna blow up either.”
“But that might not have been the case if you were a machinery race,” I argue.
“Sure, but mercenaries can’t go around self-detonating. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“I guess not.”
Mercenaries are hired to bring their firepower to different parties. Their play style involves going hunting to reap rewards.
Actually, can you even play as a self-detonating character in this game, considering how revivals work? I don’t know if self-detonation exists here in the first place…
“Why did you decide on a two-handed sword?” I ask him.
“It felt the best after I tested all the weapons.”
“I see! Now, you play as a mercenary, but that doesn’t guarantee a constant stream of work, does it?”
“Nope. When I have no work, I join temporary parties.”
He explains how he makes plans through whisper messages or emails, and when his schedule’s free, he looks at the list of parties recruiting members, then picks whichever one suits him. It’s actually not that different from how normal players enjoy the game.
Anyone recruiting a mercenary for a hunting job probably wants to go all-out, and from what I understand, those big hunting days are usually planned for weekends or holidays.
No one could play as a mercenary unless they’re confident in their own strength. Not only do they get income from the actual hunting, but they receive a retainer fee from the party, so they’ve gotta work hard to live up to those expectations.
“Well, there aren’t boss hunts or raids in this game yet, after all. My job doesn’t come with a lot of pressure,” he explains.
“Your job’s gonna really pick up once we get to that point!”
“Yep!”
I wonder what boss battles in this game will turn into? I’ve heard the new players still have to defeat the same bosses in the north, south, east, and west of the map.
“Normally, you’d go for dungeon bosses, but their levels are just too high,” Mr. Penguin Mercenary tells me.
“Right, even the enemies on the way to the bosses are so difficult.”
“The defensive wars in Starting Town are more like parties than boss battles. I wish they’d give us something a little more substantial.”
Singular parties taking on boss battles and multiple parties forming raids—as common as these are in video games, neither of them exist yet in this game.
“Okay, I’m gonna go get to hunting.”
“Right, thank you so much for your time!”
Now, who can I find next?
Oh, there’s someone I don’t see too often!
“Ms. Clementiaaa!”
“Oh? Howdy!”
“I’m doing casual interviews with people right now.”
“So you’re just chatting?”
“Uh-huh!”
I’ve scored an interview with one of the top plant race players!
“I don’t see you in Starting Town very often, Ms. Clementia.”
“I’ve been in the elf kingdom a lot recently. The water quality is great, so there’s a lot of plants.”
“That’s the Enchanted Tiaren Kingdom, right?”
“I like that strange creature she rides around on.”
“It’s great, right? Even though it really slows me down.”
It moves like a baby seal, so it would probably be faster for Ms. Clementia to walk on her own legs.
“Being on it reduces stomp attacks by 80 percent. I’m also unaffected by terrain like wetlands and swamps.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad, considering you can’t jump to avoid attacks in exchange.”
“But caves are the worst for me. I hope that’s not the case when I hit level 60 and get my next evolution.”
“Yeah, 20 percent of the normal piercing attack strength sucks against those earth golemen.”
“I just avoid caves that might have fire golemen in the first place!” says Ms. Clementia.
“Those elements you’re weak against can take you out easily, right? How are you in water, Ms. Clementia?”
“I can dive, but my friend here floats. It uses its tentacles to breaststroke.”
“Wow, how cute!”
“Isn’t it the best little mascot?”
An adorable mascot that can lift your spirits during battle is the way to go!
“Do you do anything other than fight in this game?”
“I check up on fields owned by both residents and players. Oh, I also sell decorative plants on the market.”
“Decorative plants? Like, in their own pots?”
“Uh-huh! I include all the information I get from Plant Knowledge and Appraisal, as well as where they can be harvested.”
“I see. I bet you have a lot of regular customers.”
“Probably. All my stuff sells right away! I wonder if I should build up stock and open a street booth.”
“I’ve got a cactus I bought on a whim once, but that’s about all I can handle.”
“I haven’t seen cacti in this game yet. Only things that look kinda like jewel orchids.”
“Wow, jewel orchids? I had no idea.”
“You see, they grow well in humid environments...”
Oh, look at the time. I got carried away chitchatting.
I end the stream and start up a new one. This time, I’ll stream Ms. Clementia and me going hunting together!
Afterword
Afterword
GOOD DAY! I’m Akisuzu Nenohi.
This series’ volume count has finally reached the double digits. This volume was a continuation of the previous one, mostly detailing the Halloween event.
This event was a bit unique—as a city event told through a first-person novel, a lot of the developments happened without our main character’s involvement. Therefore, please allow me to use this space to explain things that weren’t shown.
This will include spoilers, so please finish reading the book before you continue!
The routes this event offered were for Shub-Niggurath, Cthugha, and Our Ladies of Sorrow.
Nyar’s avatar was nothing more than an extra addition. As suspicious as he seemed, he had nothing to do with the main event. His three avatars were Jack O’Lantern (the pumpkins), The Haunter of the Dark (the cat), and the Kruschtya Equation. The pumpkins were the cause of players getting lost and straying from their destinations. In other words, it’s just a little extra fun.
Shub-Niggurath’s fight is supposed to be the most difficult, followed by Our Ladies of Sorrow. Cthugha is supposed to be the easiest.
Our Ladies of Sorrow had the hardest investigation phase, followed by Shub-Niggurath and then Cthugha.
The banishing phase was equally hard for Shub-Niggurath and Cthugha. Our Ladies of Sorrow were the easiest to banish.
As for the BBS, our protagonist was part of Server 1. I also included scenes from other servers that failed their quests. As you can imagine, the word count would only skyrocket the more I included.
This event starts with the building of the campfire. The residents take the green flames home with them in order to protect the entire town, at least to a certain degree. The residents take care of the fire even if players skip out on helping them; however, players won’t receive exchange tickets unless they chip in, and player participation influences the amount of townsfolk who go missing. In the Cthugha route, fanatics also attempt to destroy and tamper with the campfire, which can have a huge effect on the number of missing children unless the players step in and help. This is all just background information, though. The real story is the one of Mama Shub-Niggurath.
Missing townsfolk and lumber play a big part in this tale. The missing children are actually nothing more than a way for players to realize that the story is really getting started, however, as the lumber is the much more important clue. Of course, the players won’t pass up looking into it, and tracing it eventually turns into a search for the children along the way.
The lumber itself isn’t crucial—it’s only a way of guiding players toward the fanatics. You can think of it like a flow chart. The actual lumber probably all burned up in the fanatics’ fires, and they hoped that everyone else would be occupied by the act of replacing it.
Then there’s the abandoned mine. In Volume 9, I mentioned that the players start in the western field, with a mountain to the south and the remainder of the town surrounded by forests. The townsfolk mine the southern mountain, and it only takes a bit of asking around to learn about the existence of the abandoned mine. However, you won’t be able to extract information about suspicious people entering the mine unless you ask the right residents (miners or those in similar lines of work) about the missing lumber. Of course, no true gamer would hear about an abandoned mine and neglect to find out everything about it, so the various groups investigating different things inevitably end up connecting as information spreads between them.
Players also learn about the “thing” spotted in the eastern forest, and this information is passed on to the rest of the server. Essentially, the game indicates to the lumber-gathering players that it’s safest to collect wood from the northern forest and that everyone should be wary of the east.
The players investigate all over, gather up the documents and notes, and then have nothing to do but wait for the climax. They’re granted time to complete their preparations as they all work together on deciphering the documents.
Then comes the climax. I won’t go into detail about the successful Shub-Niggurath route, since that was included in the book, but failing her route results in Shub-Niggurath leading her Dark Young and Blessed to descend upon the town. She crushes everything underfoot and smashes the rest with her tentacles, leaving nothing but carnage in her wake—in short, the town is completely overrun.
Our Ladies of Sorrow are extremely powerful beings.
The three communicate with telepathy, are capable of reviving each other, and share each other’s total stats. They also possess their own different creatures as servants. They can read the minds of their targets, control the weather with their thoughts, and have no restrictions on the spells at their disposal.
In this story, they control their creatures and cast spells to kill targets, then control them as zombies. Once they have enough zombies to protect themselves with human shields, they summon a servitor race of the outer ones (like the Dark Young or Shoggoths) and overrun the town.
These ladies are summoned simultaneously from three different locations. The players are expected to split up and stop each summoning. If they fail at even one location, the lady will be summoned, and the event will proceed to the banishing phase.
If more than one lady is summoned, they will sense each other’s presence and attempt to group up. The quest is essentially failed if they manage to unite, so each group of players will have to fight them, stop them from leaving, and succeed at a banishing ritual. Not only that, but they’ll have the ladies’ creatures and their attack spells to fight off too. Dead players are turned into zombies and lose control of their bodies, so everyone will have to come up with a strategy to prevent this beforehand.
I’ll skip what happens if the banishing phase is failed, since the BBS already contained an example of that.
Cthugha’s exploration and battle phases are easier than the rest. He takes over the giant campfire in the town square and uses it as a catalyst, so the final battle happens right there in town. However, it’s the hardest route to prevent damage to the town, and there are also many more fanatics than the others.
Once the fight to prevent the summoning ritual begins, some of the fanatics turn to guerrilla warfare, raising hell all over town to split up the fight into smaller battles. Players must constantly watch out for the surrounding buildings and residents, so this fight is particularly nerve-racking.
Cthugha naturally burns his surroundings from the very moment he’s summoned, so no one is safe if the ritual succeeds.
Cthugha’s route would have been the ugliest if it was this story’s main event. The fire would have spread to everything around the town square, and the players would have to retreat once the town burned down. In other words, the residents in the story would have slowly burned into nothing along with the buildings. No one would have been spared, of course, regardless of their age or gender.
Since the summoning occurs at night, the residents probably would have awoken to their homes in flames, then died a fiery death. Even those who fled the town would burn up in the fields and forests once the inferno spread.
In the end, the event would entirely consist of searching the town, gathering information, and stopping the summoning. The banishing phase would be nothing more than bonus content, or something like that.
Frankly, the Mama Shub-Niggurath route we saw in this book is really the only necessary one. But since the event was first introduced as having multiple routes selected at random, I decided to come up with some other ones and include them as failed servers on the BBS.
Also, the heroine evolved and is back to wearing a dress!
I like nun outfits, but in the end, nothing beats a dress.
…I think I’ll wrap things up there.
I hope you enjoyed reading Volume 10, even if only a little.
Let us meet again in Volume 11.
July, 2025
Footnotes
Footnotes
Bonus Story: [Why Hello There] I Want to Interview Famous Players! [Famous People]
[1]Text written in italics are comments from listeners.