Immediately after the recent battle, I thought to check the new spell I had learned upon leveling up. It was the “lightning rod” from the [Lightning Magic] skill; the spell on its own was almost a meaningless one. It merely involved launching a needle made of magic power, causing only slight damage to any enemy it hit. It didn’t seem like the kind of magic one should be learning at this stage of their abilities.
However, it would be premature to deem it useless. This spell only showed its true worth when combined with other [Lightning Magic] spells. As the “lightning” part of its name suggested, the lightning rod would guide subsequent lightning strikes to its location. The prospect of lightning attacks that were difficult to evade relentlessly pursuing the target was indeed terrifying.
But if the lightning rod itself was dodged, the spell would be pointless, and the lightning could only be directed once. The spell was weak, so it could entice an enemy into underestimating it, and when used in a combo, it could deal significant damage. However, the second time around, an enemy on guard would make it difficult to aim. Moreover, if the opponent already knew what the spell was, they would not be careless from the start.
Furthermore, according to the description, lightning would preferentially be directed to a nearby lightning rod. It seemed like it could also be directed to another lightning rod. To put it in an extreme way, if you were hit by a lightning rod the moment you used [Lightning Magic], your own magic would come back to bite you.
Was it a spell that could lead to one’s own demise if misused? I was determined to master it nonetheless.
Ah, that reminds me; I hadn’t mentioned the spell I learned after destroying the ant nest. The “Flame Band” from the [Flame Magic] skill created a small fireball the moment it was used. It could be directed along any chosen trajectory, but after a while, the fireball would vanish.
Right after that, the path of the fireball abruptly burst into flames. It was characterized by a time lag, making it quite a quirky spell. If used correctly, it could probably serve as a trap… Many of the spells seemed to be of the sort that would appeal to experts.
The Mass Short Teleport spell of the [Space-Time Magic] allowed for multiple people to instantly move over short distances, as the name implied. It wasn’t limited to bases like the Base Teleportation spell, but, similar to the individual Short Teleport, it could only transport within the caster’s line of sight and required the group to be near the spellcaster to move together. It still wouldn’t make things significantly more convenient all at once.
“Ooh! Everyone, Isam and the others have returned!”
Oh, I should pause my contemplation of the newly acquired spells for now. Eiji, who had been waiting in front of the lair like a gatekeeper, noticed us and called out to the others while waving in our direction. It seemed they had returned before us. We had gone farther than them, and it took us longer than we expected to return.
…I shouldn’t say this, but if Jigoro or Genjuro were here, I could have left one of them in charge and left the other one to fend for himself. I realized I had been unconsciously relying quite a bit on the two’s fighting power. Without someone capable of the same feats, I was only making plans that would be prone to failing.
In fact, during the recent battle, Sei’s health had greatly diminished. He managed to survive only because he became a monster that had incorporated the materials of a troll and acquired the [Rapid Healing] skill, but it was also true that he had been driven into a dangerous situation. This was despite the support attacks coming from me and his familiars from all directions.
“I’m back… Good grief. I still have a long way to go.”
“Huh? What happened to you?”
“Nothing, just talking to myself. More importantly, let’s share what happened to each of us.”
As I was admonishing myself, the flying Seventh Armor landed on the tip of my staff. I just let him be, and we decided to share our reports with each other. There was no immediate need to take the next step, but it was better to decide on a course of action sooner rather than later.
“Right. We’ve got a good harvest. There weren’t any items for non-humanoid monsters like me, though. Ah, and I don’t think there’s anything that Isam-san would want. Anything here would be a downgrade from your gear.”
“I see. Well, things have gone almost exactly as planned on this end. Unless that commander is utterly incompetent, he will report what I said in the city of Illeves. This should sow seeds of distrust between the NPCs and the players… or perhaps I should say, the residents and the wanderers.”
This was precisely why I had subtly spread distorted information to that commander and his party, much like a foolish villain out of a manga would do. I didn’t tell a lie, you know? At that time, I had only said, “I requested from some wanderers inside your fortress to eliminate your sentries.” Normally, one would interpret that as “There is a traitor among the wanderers who arrived first by the grace of the goddess.”
It was unlikely anyone would think, “There are human players summoned separately outside, and one of them accepted the request to infiltrate and assassinate the sentries.” Only a true genius or someone who ties everything to conspiracy theories would come up with such an idea. Even if a goddess did something unnecessarily and revealed the truth, it wouldn’t erase the possibility of “wanderers being bribed.”
It seems that this kind of realistic intrigue is what makes WSS games enjoyable. Yeah, it’s very fun. Guhehe, I was playing the villain quite splendidly at the moment!
“…You really are ruthless. Glad you’re on our side, really.”
“Our smooth progress is thanks to the Persona guild being here. To begin with, the plan was for me and the two of you who can fly to scout Illeves from the sky and carefully come up with a plan.”
In fact, my original plan did not involve us taking part in the siege on the fortress. My prime objective was to thoroughly scout Illeves in search of an appropriate method of infiltration. Following that, we were going to coordinate our surprise attacks and looting with the siege of the monster horde while causing a bit of a commotion before making our escape. This had been the flow I actually aimed to create.
However, our encounter with the Persona guild dramatically changed the situation for the better. With these battle-hungry allies, our options for infiltration and sabotage increased. This expansion of tactics was very much welcome, although it did lead to me getting a little greedy and finding myself in dangerous situations.
It might not have been a coincidence that we met them. That Angel Dandy had previously mentioned that “Lady Yifa has gathered interesting players.” Perhaps the Persona guild was among those players. Perhaps the “interesting” players weren’t limited to just monsters. The truth, however, is known only to the goddess herself.
“Oh my, even if it’s within a game, there’s something satisfying about being the one to move the chess pieces. This is what being a villain is all about.”
A heroic hero cannot be a heroic hero without a stage where he can shine. Yet that also implies one being passive and waiting for an opportunity.
So, what then, is a villain? I believe it is one who stirs the pot, completely disregarding the inconvenience caused to others for their own ends. Some do it with the intention of causing trouble to others as their primary goal… But goals vary from person to person, and as long as it’s not some unsightly act like bullying the weak, it might be considered a part of one’s character, right?
“You’re speaking like a true demon lord.”
“Hahaha, I’m nothing so grand. So, do you think the players have realized it yet?”
“About that, unless the players there were complete fools, I’d wager they’ve noticed. After all, it looked like Eiji and us were working in perfect harmony to take out the players inside the fortress.”
As I listened to Seventh Armor’s reasoning, I found myself nodding in agreement. Although I was only hearing about Eiji’s story secondhand, it seemed likely that the monster players of our party who had remained at the fortress under his command had been skillfully divided. The fact that there were monsters who had coordinated with races other than their own was bound to spread.
“Mostly, I think the monster players who are taking part in the secret event, other than us, are also running amok in the other forts, right? I don’t think they were in that fortress with us, though.”
“Indeed, that’s likely the case. Even if the human players haven’t noticed it yet, by the time those who respawn in Illeves exchange information, it will all amount to the same thing.”
Even if they hadn’t realized it yet, to assume that what happened at other fortresses couldn’t happen on their own would be overly optimistic. Plus, there would certainly be those who reasoned, “If there were monster players there, our defeat was inevitable.”
“That’s exactly why the seeds I’ve planted will come to fruition. They will be the ones to nourish and grow them.”
“…That’s scary.”
“Don’t say that. Now, their marching speed is quite slow. It will probably be the third day, the final day of the event before they reach Illeves. Until then, we should focus on leveling up steadily.”
“Yes, Boss!”
(TN: The players don’t know about the secret event yet; they will share information with each other after they respawn and come back to Illeves. I believe every fortress had a certain number of monster players participating in the secret event attacking it. )
◆◇◆◇◆◇
Hello everyone, it has been a while. I am Yifa, the “Goddess of Death and Chaos”.
“Uhyahyahhyahyah! Aaah, that’s brutal! Hard to believe it’s the same player!”
On the first day of the event’s fortress siege, things progressed as initially planned; it was pretty much designed to be a losing event. However, that person seems to have lived up to my expectations from the very start.
“Wasn’t the real intention to foster a strong sense of camaraderie between players and NPCs by having them form a united front, thereby strongly defending their favorite Illeves… right?”
“Yes, that was one of the objectives.”
“And yet, they’ve fallen into mutual distrust! Plus, the fact that the non-human players who risked their lives to defend the fortresses are the first to be suspected is just hilarious!”
The “Goddess of War and Victory”, Grenelle, who had been watching the unfolding events with me in my divine realm, was laughing loudly. Had she been human, she might have choked from laughing too much.
“There is no problem with the interaction between the craftsmen.”
“Of course there’s not. With the growing demand for weapons, they would need all the help they can get, even from a cat’s paw.”
Peesha, the “Goddess of Production and Technology”, was quite pleased that the exchange among craftsmen within her jurisdiction was going well. Unlike me, who only has Sir Isam, she has already bestowed her blessing upon several players. And since Illeves was a mining town, it naturally attracted many skilled craftsmen NPCs who have received Peesha’s blessings. It seems they’ve hit it off quite well, being blessed by the same goddess and all.
“Everyooone, I have a message from Father. He says, ‘It’s interesting, so keep it going!’”
That was Holluse, the “Goddess of Wind and Exploration”. She had been reporting to our creator, also referred to as our “father” and the supreme god management AI, about the state of the event. I had kept this secret event I planned a secret from everyone, except for these colleagues and sisters of mine, but I had been reporting to our father from the planning stage.
“That’s good to hear. Misfits deserve a chance too. Besides…”
“As a deity, favoring only one side doesn’t seem quite right, does it? In the first place, those creatures are victims who’ve been inconvenienced just for the sake of the event.”
Grenelle was correct; there was more to this monster invasion than meets the eye. In fact, they were not invading at all – they were actually fleeing.
“Camilla is quite relentless, isn’t she?”
“But she’s perfect in adjusting, right?”
The “Goddess of Magic and Research” Camilla, spawned creatures for the event, which multiplied and forced the trolls out of their habitat.
Part of that threat has reached the vicinity of the fortresses, but for now, it merely serves as materials and experience points for the players. While managing the situation skillfully, she also turns it into a treat for the players. She’s handling it quite well, isn’t she?
“Speaking of Camilla, I wonder why she doesn’t come over to our side?”
“Who knows? There’s no need to invite her forcibly. If she feels like it, she’ll come on her own; that’s how she is.”
Well, with only two days left in the event, what kind of conclusion awaits us, I wonder?
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