TN: This is the start of the second volume.
Relying on the map, I made my way from the western forest towards the northeast. Along the journey, the enemies in between posed little challenge, and my evolved magic skills allowed me to dispatch them effortlessly.
However, the primary factor behind my smooth progress was undoubtedly the change in equipment. The Staff of Hourai’s magic effects, namely [Magic Attack Enhancement] and [Magic Power Amplification], proved to be incredibly potent. The former increased the effectiveness of all my magic spells, while the latter expanded my maximum magic power.
Moreover, the minions summoned while donning the Skull Mask had grown stronger and more resilient than ever before. With a two-on-one, even a Brown Bear could be swiftly defeated. Undoubtedly, this was all thanks to the [Necromancy Enhancement] bestowed upon the equipment.
Truly, the quality and rarity of these items were exceptional. I vowed to handle them with utmost care. But as a result, the shortcomings of my other equipment became even more apparent. Unfortunately, since there were no alternative options available, I had no choice but to accept the situation as it was.
And so, I arrived at the foot of the northern mountain. Perhaps I should inform Iris that I’ve reached the location. But there were no new messages from her. She must be waiting quietly.
――――――――――
131. Isam
I have arrived at the foot of the mountain.
132. Iris
Ah, Mr. Isam! Please run away right now!
133. Isam
What happened?
134. Iris
The top players of the raiding party are currently hunting on the mountain! Just being a monster character will get you killed!
135. Isam
Aren’t you in danger too, Iris?
136. Iris
I’ll be fine! So please, just run away!
――――――――――
Well, I mean, no matter how many times you tell me to run…
“There it is!”
“Corner it!”
Whoa, it’s players. They have sturdy equipment. Must be members of the raiding party. It seems like they’re chasing after something. Their target… a goblin, huh? In many tales and stories, goblins were considered the weakest of the weak. Why would the human players bother chasing after such small fry? Well, let’s observe their actions for now.
“Gyaaaah!”
“Tch, it was a mere weakling. What a disappointment!”
“We won’t let the Nightmare’s Head fall into anyone else’s hands! We’ll definitely hunt it down ourselves!”
“We’ll show that arrogant harem bastard a thing or two! Let’s go!”
…And just like that, they left. They didn’t even bother looting their hunt. They must be in a hurry. Let’s analyze the situation. They mentioned something about how their targeted goblin was a “disappointment”, so their target is definitely one of the goblins. And then there was the word “Nightmare.” In other words, their objective must be a “goblin monster known as Nightmare.”
I should be grateful that they spilled all the information I wanted to know. I had no interest in knowing who that arrogant harem bastard was, though. Now, I should report this to Iris.
――――――――――
137. Isam
Ah, I’m sorry. I got distracted by the players. Is Iris alright?
138. Iris
Y-Yes! I’m fine! Are you okay too?
139. Isam
Yes, no issues here. By the way, I wanted to ask; their target seems to be a “goblin monster known as Nightmare.” And there was mention of an “arrogant harem bastard.” Do you recognize any of those things?
140. Iris
Um, both of them are quite famous actually… Don’t you know about them?
141. Isam
I’ve been somewhat of a recluse and haven’t been using the bulletin boards that often.
142. Iris
I see. Then let me explain.
First…
――――――――――
According to Iris’s explanation, the “goblin monster known as Nightmare” was a ridiculously strong goblin that resided in the northern mountain. As for the “arogant harem bastard,” he was a handsome player who attracted attention like a protagonist in a light novel.
I had no intention of getting along with the latter, that was for sure. It wasn’t about jealousy or anything, but rather because he was considered a semi-official hero blessed by the “Goddess of Light and Order,” Earle. I didn’t know if it was a nickname or teasing from the other players, but he was apparently referred to as “Hero.”
As a villainous path role-player, it was unlikely that I would ever get along with the baby-faced hero of justice or become allies unless it led to a heated twist in the storyline. In other words, if we were to encounter each other, I should be the first to eliminate him without hesitation.
“Gishaaaaaaaaa!”
As I indulged in such fantasies, a resounding cry of battle and the sound of combat erupted from deep within the forest. Judging by the continuous noise, it was surely the “Nightmare” engaged in a fight. This meant…
“I guess there’s no choice but to take advantage of the situation, huh?”
If my face had muscles and skin to express emotions, it would undoubtedly have worn a look that everyone would deem as wicked. Before heading off, maybe I should have a word with Iris-san, just to be safe.
――――――――――
154. Isam
Iris, did you hear that sound just now? I’ll go check it out.
155. Iris
Ehh! You might get killed!
156. Isam
If that goblin is indeed a player, then I should go. Monsters should help each other out, you know.
157. Iris
Isam…
158. Isam
Well, then, after the battle is over.
――――――――――
Alright, that settles it. Now, let’s go. I must make a grand entrance as much as possible!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
I go by the name of Jigoro. I wasn’t particularly remarkable; just an ordinary player in FSW (free species world). If I were to highlight what sets me apart from others, it would be my slight preference for combat and my choice of being a character belonging to the monster race.
“Gishaaaaaaaaa!”
With a resounding battle cry, I charged at the guy in front of me holding a shield. My punch was blocked by the shield, but that wasn’t my main target—it was his legs!
“Guaaaah!”
“Shaaa!”
I swiftly delivered a forceful low kick to his knee. Despite my small stature, the increased strength granted by my skills allowed my kick to effortlessly snap his knee joint. Taking advantage on his loss of balance, I swiftly tore into his neck with my sharp claws. That was one down.
“You bastard!”
“How dare you hurt my comrade!”
The two remaining comrades, angered by their companion’s death, snapped. Were they trying to sandwich me from both sides? They had plenty of determination, but their defenses were full of openings. Assessing the situation, I swiftly launched myself towards the opponent on the right, closing the distance, and jammed my fingers into both of his eyes.
The man let out a piercing scream. Instead of wasting his breath on yelling, he should have retreated. Irritated by his noise, I tightened my grip around his throat with my free hand and snapped it. My gripping strength was quite fearsome, even if I say so myself.
“Y-You damn beast!”
“Hehehehe♪”
The remaining person seemed to have lost his sanity, wildly swinging his spear in a haphazard manner. I caught hold of the spearhead and forcefully pulled it toward me.
Taking advantage of his bewildered state, I drove my knee into his frightened face, shattering it. With that, the party of six had returned home.
This place was just perfect. There was no one there to complain, even if I went all out. Even in the real world, I practiced martial arts, but it was so dull because of those stupid rules.
Martial arts, in essence, was the method of killing enemies with your bare hands. That’s what my master had taught me. Eye gouging, strikes to the groin, biting, targeting vital points, and joint destruction. All of these were naturally prohibited in sports rules, but her, they could be used freely. There was no world as exhilarating as this!
“That’s enough!”
“Huh?”
What now? Just when people were enjoying themselves and reveling in the afterglow. You’re getting in the way, you bastard.
“…Seems like someone couldn’t resist meddling.”
“Well, it’s fine. They were a bunch of people who didn’t even understand why they were here in the first place.”
They were all decked out in shimmering armor… Wait a minute! What kind of joke was this? Players were appearing one after another. A total of eighteen people from three parties, huh? Were they going to hunt down some kind of monster or what?
“You’re an unusual variant of a goblin, aren’t you? I shall vanquish you!”
Unusual variant? I was just a regular goblin, you know. Although I was about to evolve soon.
Wait a second. Did these guys gather here just to kill me? Did they assemble this whole group just for my sake?
Well, well… I shall warmly welcome them!
“Shaaaaa!”
“The vanguard should focus on defense without pushing too hard! Watch out for your legs as well!”
“””””Yes!”””””
Tch, this was a tough fight. They were just lining up their massive shields and sticking to defense like turtles.
I relentlessly pounded my fists, but despite leaving dents, I couldn’t shatter their defenses. If only I had evolved beforehand, perhaps I would have had a chance!
“Mages, Attack!”
“Gagaa!”
As I halted my steps, a cascade of colorful magic attacks rained down like hail. I immediately leaped backward in a zigzag pattern, but I couldn’t dodge them all and took a few hits. This was turning into a tough battle. If that’s the case…
“Keeeeeeeaaaah!”
First, I’ll target the ones behind! Without their magic, the vanguard are mere dolls.
“Hah!”
“Not so fast!”
“Geee!”
This guy with the starting armor must be the leader. He’s got impressive swordplay! The other woman beside him is quite skilled too. This is getting exciting!
“Keeee!”
I contorted my upper body to dodge the two swords, then arched my back and planted both hands on the ground. While still in a handstand, I kicked multiple opponents simultaneously with my legs. It felt like a circus acrobatic move, even if I say so myself!
“Aah!?”
“Guh, now’s the chance!”
“Geeah!”
Damn it, magic attacks! And arrows are flying at me too! I can’t avoid them all!
I whipped my body, despite the injuries from several magic attacks, and stood up. I’m not defeated yet. If I’m not defeated, I’ll stand. That’s what my master taught me.
I see, you lot are determined to take me down, huh? It may be easy for you to surround and beat up one person. But I won’t let you have me for free. I’ll make sure to take as many of you down with me…
――――――――――
Player Isam has sent you a party invitation.
Will you join the party?
YES/NO
――――――――――
What’s this? Who’s Isam? And they’re sending a party invitation to me in this condition? Are they stupid or something?
Well, whatever. I’m already a battle maniac. If we’re both maniacs, let’s dance together, Mr. Isam!
――――――――――
You have accepted the party invitation from Isam.
You have joined the party called, “Freak Brothers.”
――――――――――
…What’s with this lame name? The moment I thought that, the world before me was enveloped in darkness.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
――――――――――
Jigoro has accepted your party invitation.
Jigoro has joined the party called “Freak Brothers.”
――――――――――
Alright, this is good. It was great to have a feature that allowed sending party requests to sole players during battles in this game. It was probably meant to be used when players were forced into disadvantageous battles against monsters, but since it was useful for my cause, I decided to make use of it.
“Magic Boost, Magic Boost, Set up Dual Trap Circle…”
The movement of the nightmare known as Jigoro was tremendous. This was it. This was the epitome of having real-life cheats.
If one could control his avatar as if he were moving his own body, almost everything that could be done in reality could be reproduced. It felt more fitting to think that we had wandered into a different world. Moves that could only be performed by a small number of athletes or martial artists in reality became achievable with the assistance of the game’s system. I recall reading about this being the true allure of VR games in various threads.
So, what happens when someone capable of performing those movements in real life played the game? Let’s say there’s a technique called the “straight jab”. When using it in the game, normally it would consume some kind of resource upon usage or be unavailable for a certain period until it could be used again.
However, those who could perform the same movements in reality could use them repeatedly without any stat consumption or restrictions. They were truly cheating, ignoring the game’s system.
To maintain balance, it seemed to be common for the system’s assistance to provide additional effects or increased power. However, in every game, there were always a certain number of players who possessed real-life skills that would translate into cheats in the game, as mentioned in a newspaper article on page five, a vexing dilemma in the gaming industry.
Jigoro was a perfect example of that. Furthermore, his laughter, as deciphered through my [Linguistics] skill, was always filled with a sense of joy. He had a combative nature, or rather, an obsession with battle. It seemed that his actions had caused significant damage, leading to the formation of a subjugation team from the humans’ part.
“How interesting, truly fascinating.”
Yes, it was fascinating. Are there any other individuals in this peaceful Japan who are so consumed by the desire to fight? Well, there might be, but they must be a very small minority.
It would be a waste to simply discard the connection with such a man. A tremendous waste, indeed! In that case, there is only one thing that I should do!
“That’s why I’ll support you with all my might. I’ll create a situation where you can enjoy the battles you seek! Come on, let’s have a good time! Black Field!”
Black light surged from my staff. And just like that, a portion of the northern mountain was engulfed in darkness.
――――――――――
Name: Isam
Race: Skeleton Lv9
Job: Apprentice Mage Lv9
Titles:
- Knowledge Seeker
- Title Earner
- Heretic
- Underdog
- Mastermind Strategist
- Trial Survivor
Remaining SP: 136
Skills:
- [Staff Mastery] Lv12
- [Magic Control] Lv14
- [Earth Magic] Lv9
- [Water Magic] Lv9
- [Flame Magic] Lv0
- [Wind Magic] Lv9
- [Black Magic] Lv1
- [Void Magic] Lv0
- [Summoning Magic] Lv9
- [Enchantment] Lv6
- [Magic Circle] Lv8
- [Necromancy] Lv6
- [Curse] Lv5
- [Trap Magic] Lv6
- [Archeology] Lv7
- [Linguistics] Lv5
- [Pharmacology] Lv7
- [Alchemy] Lv7
- [Appraisal] Lv9
- [Night Vision] Lv-
- [Stealth] Lv9
- [Sneak] Lv8
- [Ambush] Lv6
- [Status Resistance] Lv-
- [Light Weakness] Lv6
- [Blunt Attack Weakness] Lv10
Unique Skill:
- [Yifa’s Blessing]
――――――――――
Leave a Reply