(Jigoro Pov)
“Keeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
“Kyooooooooooo!”
In the vast expanse of the dojo, ear-splitting strange cries echoed incessantly. Honestly, it was noisy, but I didn’t hate this kind of atmosphere. On the contrary, it made me feel tense in a good way.
“Gonzaemon, I’m coming for you!”
“Yeah! Bring it on!”
Oh, there’s no time to zone out here. The one facing me was a demon (Oni) wielding a huge iron club. I had forgotten what race he was, but his raw stats were better than mine. It’s only natural since I’m at a lower level!
“Nuun!”
“You’re too slow!”
I barely dodged the iron club that the demon swung down with a growl and countered with a low kick to his knee. However, this level of attack wouldn’t deal any significant damage. You see, the more a demon evolves, the more his stamina increases by leaps and bounds.
“That’s nothing; still going strong!”
“Keep it coming!”
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After practicing with other demons and various other monsters for a while, I joined that old man, Genjuro, who had gone hunting with the others, and we all ate together. Present there was the leader of the monsters, the Great Tengu, who was the real boss of this heavenly spirit mountain.
“Oh, our guest. You are quite spirited.”
The one who spoke to me silently from behind was the Great Tengu. This old man, it seems he would wander off on his own and not return for a while. What is he, a wandering old man?
By the way, the Great Tengu looked exactly like the epitome of a Tengu. Red skin, a tall nose, long flowing white hair and beard. And from his back grew three pairs of crow’s wings, and he was dressed in the garb of a mountain ascetic. In his right hand, he held a fan made up of many feathers, and in his left, a clanging shakujō staff.
His clothes and gear were all top-notch. I have come into contact with some pretty good stuff made by Iris, so I could somewhat tell. From what I’ve heard, his level is around 100, and his equipment is first-class… I can’t beat him. Not now.
“Hey, I’ll get stronger quickly and beat you into a pulp, you damn old Tengu.”
I challenged this crappy Tengu to a match as soon as I got here. But the conclusion was reached in an instant. With just one swing of his fan, my body became completely immobilized.
Man, I couldn’t lift a finger against him. No, the guy didn’t even move an inch, you know? Couldn’t even step into the ring. He showed me the difference in our ranks.
What he did or what was done to me, I have no clue. Unless I get that clear, there’s no way forward.
“Kakkaka! That spirit of yours is good! You may strive as much as you like, strong newcomer.”
“You’re only acting smug for now. I’ll definitely make you cry.”
“Oh, scary, scary. Perhaps this pitiable old man, scolded by the youth, should make his exit.”
That damned Tengu, feigning fear in an exaggerated manner, flew off somewhere. Always teasing me… such a troublesome old man.
“Are you still looking for a fight, Jigoro?”
“What, old man. You here to preach too?”
Now this old man came over. Genjuro had gone hunting with some monsters he hit it off with. The meal we were eating was from the prey they had caught. Supposedly, it included large rats and insects, but food in the game lacks flavor anyway. As long as it restores fullness, anything will do.
“That’s not it. The ambition to overcome high walls is still within me. Actually, I am the most surprised to find that I have not yet withered.”
“Come on, isn’t that just the chill of getting on in years? Oh well, age doesn’t matter for an avatar, does it?”
For some reason, it seemed that Genjuro also wanted to try fighting the damned Tengu. But I won’t give up the right to beat that thing first to anyone!
“That’s not the point. Besides, it seems Isam-kun and Ruby and the others have had some good encounters.”
“Ah, the new guild members? Isn’t that okay? If it’s him, he wouldn’t let any weirdos into the group.”
Isam had a penchant for doing the unexpected, and sometimes he would come out with the most childishly absurd statements. Yet I found myself trusting him quite a bit. Our styles of fighting were complete opposites, but for some reason, we got along well. Perhaps it was precisely because our approaches were so different that we meshed so well.
“I don’t doubt that either, but my concern lies with Ruby and the others. When I checked SNS earlier, I recognized the people they’d met.”
“Huh? Are they famous players or something?”
“Precisely. They are players with whom you have a history, albeit indirectly.”
“History?”
What was he on about? When he mentioned history, the only thing that came to mind was the players Isam and I had taken down together. That was the only association I could think of.
“The players are a duo named Roja and Hanna. They were the champions of the duo category in the first martial arts tournament and were the cavalry players you took down in the dungeon event, making it into the PV (promotional video).”
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(Iris Pov)
If one were to describe the Flower country of the Aquaria Islands in a single phrase, it would be a country with a Chinese-like atmosphere. The people walking the streets wear Chinese-like clothes, and the architectural design of the buildings has a similar feel. Perhaps it would be best to say it’s a world mixed with elements from the likes of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” and “Water Margin”.
“Haah… It’s nice to be able to walk through the city so openly.”
“Yeah, Birdy Perch is a city too, but there’s not a single human there.”
We were walking boldly down the city’s main street. In this Flower country, any race that can answer a few simple questions intelligently is allowed to enter the city… If the first town had been here, there might have been more monster players.
“Oh my, it’s true that monster players are having a hard time.”
“It seems so, Hanna.”
The players we met in this country who returned our words tinged with hardship with a wry smile were Roja-san, who was a monster horse, and Hanna-san, who was a human. It turned out they were the champions of a martial arts tournament. They were quite the remarkable players.
The two were a married couple in real life and played the game together. Hanna-san’s hobby was horseback riding, but due to her busy work schedule, she couldn’t find the time, so she thought, “Why not ride in the virtual world instead?” and that’s how they ended up here.
Roja-san, her husband, initially started playing the game for his wife Hanna-san, but now he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying it as well. He said that running at speeds impossible for humans has become a source of pleasure for him.
“Shi-chan has the final confirmation for ‘The Trial of the Azure Moon’, so it can’t be helped… but what are you going to do about that quest?” Ruby asked.
We had come with Shio, who was busy preparing to undertake “The Trial of the Azure Moon” along with her fellow Birdians. Since raising one’s race level too high could forfeit the right to challenge, She was not killing monsters but tirelessly increasing her skill levels at a training ground. Her frequently used skills had already far surpassed her race level significantly.
Or rather, with such skill levels and Shio’s expertise, wouldn’t it be possible for her to conquer it alone…? It was quite a contrast to myself, who had been heavily reliant on Genjuro and Ruby.
Nevertheless, Ruby and I, while wandering the city streets, chanced upon Roja-san and quickly hit it off. We had been idly strolling together when we were suddenly summoned by a local NPC. Surprisingly, it was someone who appeared to have high social standing.
At first, we thought they were seeking the well-known Hanna and her partner, but, for some reason, they needed Ruby and me. Puzzled as to why it was us, we nonetheless couldn’t ignore what seemed like a flag for a quest. After all, I was a gamer at heart.
The NPC’s request was a subjugation quest named “Heaven’s Mercy”; which the couple we were with had also accepted. It was a two-party quest, with two in each group.
“I’ll give it my all!”
“I’ve spent all my funds, including the upfront payment. It would be terrible if we failed now.”
Before we embarked on the quest, our client informed us about the opponent we would be fighting, and we even received a hefty sum in advance as payment. Hanna-san had already spent all of hers.
“Ah~… I still think it’s so cool… this halberd.”
Hanna-san had invested all her money into a purchase she now cherished dearly; the weapon she was still fondly polishing was a halberd. It was a masterpiece, crafted with soul and utmost skill by the finest blacksmith in the Flower country. At present, I could not forge the same quality, but I aspired to one day reach that level of craftsmanship.
“You didn’t hear? Well, my wife has always wanted to wield a halberd, ever since she was carrying one around just for the sake of it. She loves polearms.”
“Pole weapons are perfect for mounted combat, so it’s a match for her hobby, right?”
“Exactly. And she handles it so well, doesn’t she? That’s how she quickly became one of the well-known players.”
Roja-san spoke with an air of exhaustion. After winning a division in the martial arts tournament, they had been relentlessly recruited by various parties, and the situation worsened after the guild system was introduced.
As a result, the couple sought solitude and were among the first to leave the continent. While Hanna-san purely enjoyed horseback riding, Roja-san had worked hard to escape the tiresome obligations.
“After all, it would have been difficult for my wife to continue her activities on that continent since I turned into a monster. That’s the reason I’m grateful to Iris-san and the others for your guild invitation.”
So for the two of them, or rather especially for Roja-san, our guild “Nightwalkers” was very convenient. Composed only of non-humans, it was currently the only guild whose stronghold was outside of the Luxresia continent. As an organization isolated from the squabbles between players, there was no need for them to feel uneasy.
Moreover, the annoying solicitations could also be avoided by claiming, “I’m already in a guild.” Roja-san seemed to be quite the strong person as well.
“No, no! It’s not confirmed yet!”
“But I think it will be alright. Jigoro and grandfather would welcome strong people, and Isam is a good-natured fellow despite how he looks.”
I couldn’t assert it confidently, but inwardly, I agreed with Ruby. None of the three would dislike these two joining the guild. After all, they were a pair who wanted to fight by all means and a leader who was always eager to poke his nose into anything that seemed interesting.
“Hahaha, that’s reassuring. To become comrades with ‘The Nightmare of the Northern Mountains’ and ‘The Silver Mask’, let’s give it our best shot. Time to go hunt that monster serpent.”
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