On a different note, in the game known as FSW, the fields where monsters appeared were predominantly forests and grasslands. This was largely due to the nature of the virtual world, where external threats such as monsters tended to roam in areas less touched by human hands.
What I’m trying to say is that most players accustomed to this game have also become familiar with navigating through primeval forests, although this is limited to the game.
Even a heavily armored giant such as Eij walked through the forest with ease. No matter how many times I watch his huge frame glide smoothly through the gaps between trees, I always feel strange. However, since he lacked skills suitable for scouting such as [Stealth] or [Sneak] using sensory skills would immediately give him away. This was still a game after all.
While making as little noise as possible, we approached quite close to the site of the battle. The howling of Wind WolVES could be heard from ahead, suggesting that the battle was still ongoing. This was our chance to safely figure out the identity of our enemy!
“…What is that?”
“I-is that a Pitcher Plant? No, a Venus Flytrap?”
What we saw in the forest was a monster that had the characteristics of several carnivorous plants, fighting a pack of Wind Wolves in front of a naturally formed cave. It had an organ resembling a long pouch and leaves like those of a bivalve. Upon closer inspection, it also had numerous colorful small flowers and leaves resembling those of a sensitive plant. It was as if we were looking at a chimera made of various plants!
The monster, which resembled a cluster of plants, was putting up a good fight against a pack of wind wolves. Two of the wolves were writhing inside a pitcher plant-like pouch, while leaves resembling those of a Venus flytrap firmly grasped another struggling wolf.
However, the remaining five Wind Wolves were biting at the stems and leaves in an attempt to rescue their companions and were gradually inflicting damage. Tentacle-like vines writhed as they were being bitten off. The predatory pouches and fleshy leaves seemed to be getting sliced by the [Wind Aura] skill.
Although it swung its leaves in defense, it lacked a finishing blow and didn’t seem to inflict much damage. It appeared to be a classic case of being outnumbered. It was clear that a prolonged battle would eventually lead to its defeat.
For the time being, I decided to use [Appraisal]. It seemed like we might complete our quest without needing to intervene, but this was a creature we had never seen before. Gaining information on it would be beneficial.
――――――――――
Name: Nenashi
Race: Mimic Monstivorous Vine Lv41
Job: Predator Lv1
――――――――――
“Ah, is that a player?!”
I barely managed to suppress the urge to shout out loud, and instead, I quietly shared the results of my [Appraisal] with the others. It was a characteristic of players that although their name, race, and job were visible, there was no information about their skills. It was the same when I first encountered Eiji and Usaji.
“A player? So, like Iris and Shiitake, is this one a plant-type monster player?”
“Yes. The race is listed as Mimic Monstivorous Vine.”
“Mimic Monstivorous Vine… A plant that mimics ordinary grass and devours approaching monsters, it seems.”
“That might mean it’s not suited for direct combat. What should we do?”
Moth-san’s question seemed to be about whether we should offer help. It was unclear whether the player was a he or she, but I was very interested about what circumstances had led them to their current form. Moreover, if that player was indeed the cause of all this, there might be a chance to resolve this through dialogue. We decided to lend a hand.
“Star Magic Circle, remote activation, Earth Fang.”
“””””Woo!?”””””
“!?”
When I activated the [Earth Magic] skill, Earth Fang, right under the feet of the five wind wolves, a small crack opened up, taking them by surprise. In their panic to escape, the cracked earth closed violently, trapping their legs.
Caught off guard, the player seemed surprised but quickly retaliated by wrapping vines around the wind wolves’ necks and tightening them. It was a chance not to be missed, and I would have done the same.
Around the same time that Wind Wolves suffocated and had their health exhausted, the ones it was preying on also lost their health and died. After it was confirmed that the wolves were all dead, the player remained vigilant of their surroundings. It was only natural to be on guard, knowing that someone capable of instantly incapacitating the pack that had been closing in on them was nearby.
It was time to make my entrance. I then deliberately rustled the branches and revealed myself to the mysterious player. Apparently adhering to the principle of striking first, they stretched out the vines towards me.
Eiji, who had quickly stepped in front of me, intercepted it with his shield. The opponent immediately wrapped the vines around the shield and tried to pull it away by force. However, it was futile to think that they could overpower Eiji in a test of brute strength. He easily dominated this tug-of-war and kept his composure.
“Wait. We mean no harm.”
“Hmm… Could you all possibly be players?”
“That’s right.”
As I sheathed my staff to show we had no hostile intentions, a response came in a curiously resonant baritone voice. When I affirmed, the vines entwined around the shield loosened slightly. Although the monster player was not completely dropping his guard, it seemed he was willing to listen.
“Let’s start with introductions. My name is Isam. The leader of a guild called the ‘Night Walkers’. This here is Eiji, next is Moth-san, and then there’s Usaji.”
“I’m Eiji. Nice to meet you!”
“Moth-san, or rather, Motsu Aruyo (I got guts). Everyone calls me Moth-san, but feel free to call me whatever you like.”
“Usaji here.”
“Isam-shi, Eiji-shi, Motsu Aruyo-shi, and Usaji-shi, is it? My name is Nenashi. Pleased to make your acquaintance~gozaru.”
With that, the player who introduced himself as Nenashi lowered what resembled the sack of a pitcher plant and the leaves of a Venus flytrap simultaneously. Could those be akin to his head? And why the old-fashioned speech? The choice of a unique race was clearly made for a player with a unique personality.
“…Hm? Isam? Are you that Isam-shi?”
“Ah, if you’re referring to the exclusive monster thread, then yes, I’m the same person.”
“Oh my! The real deal?!”
“I can’t prove I’m not an impostor, but yes.”
This kind of reaction has been rare lately. It reminds me of when I first met Eiji. Being treated like a celebrity among monster players who read the bulletin board is somewhat embarrassing.
“By the way, how did you manage to get here? Did you use the direct approach?”
“No, no, that’s not true; it was purely by chance~gozaru.”
Nenashi had been active on the Luxresia continent like most players until two days ago, in real-time. However, he was caught in a massive storm and, upon regaining consciousness, found himself in this location.
His story sounded as fantastical as something out of “The Wizard of Oz”. Yet, in the world of the game, such occurrences weren’t beyond the realm of possibility. Also, according to Nenashi’s story, it didn’t seem like a whimsical fairy-tale journey. Of course, since he was in the middle of a raging storm.
Though he hadn’t died along the way, he was tossed about in all directions, rendering him unable to play properly. There wasn’t much to say to that except to offer sympathies for his unfortunate ordeal.
“So, I have one question. Were you the one who approached the village beyond the forest a short while ago?”
“Indeed. However, I was accompanied by my lord. But after being shot at with arrows, we beat a hasty retreat to this location~de gozaru.”
When I got to the main point, Nenashi responded with a laugh and admitted to that. It seemed he was indeed the one who had approached Saile Village. But wait, what did he just say?
“Lord?”
“Yes. Actually, I didn’t come here alone~gozaru; I was with my lord~de gozaru.”
“Where is this lord now?”
“In the cave. But currently, my lord is logged out, so I’m afraid a conversation with them is not possible.”
I see. It became clear that the player had a companion. So, Nenashi had been fighting here to protect his companion who was logged out. I too have had experiences of setting a lookout and logging out in the field while exploring with the party. It must have been the same situation.
“Is this lord a human, or a monster?”
“A monster. But originally a human~de gozaru.”
“Originally a human… Could it be! The very first reincarnated person!?”
Eiji exclaimed in astonishment. Currently, it is believed that only one person has discovered and used the reincarnation system. Although reports of the discovery of a temple capable of reincarnation had surfaced, the required resources were so immense that no reincarnations had yet taken place. To think that the reincarnated individual was in the depths of this cave. I definitely wanted to hear more about this.
“Indeed. The lord is somewhat eccentric but skilled. I was once kidnapped by some resident thugs, but the lord was strong enough to single-handedly overpower their hideout.”
“Yo-you were kidnapped by residents…?”
“There are almost no autonomous plant-type monsters like me on the Luxresia continent, hence I was to be sold as a rare commodity.”
“Ha, haha…”
Nenashi laughed heartily, but we could only offer a strained, dry laugh in response. When we were weaker, we faced many restrictions on our actions and had our fair share of struggles. However, the idea of being sold while still alive seemed exceedingly harsh.
“And so, Isam-shi, what brings you to this forest? Is it related to the question you asked earlier?”
“Exactly, Nenashi. We’ve been tasked by the villagers to investigate a monster in this vicinity, which is not usually found near the village. But now it has become clear that you are the cause of this issue…”
“Umu, I understand what you’re implying, Isam-shi. You want us to leave this place. However…”
I nodded silently. I do not know why Nenashi is here, but it is true that peace will not return to the people of Saile Village as long as they remain here. The villagers will continue to live in fear of an unknown monster.
Should we then falsify the results of our investigation and report that the monster has been defeated? No, that would be a poor choice. It might work for now, but if a villager enters the forest and witnesses them, the lie would be immediately exposed. Such an event would destroy the trust we have painstakingly built up with the Birdians.
I wasn’t willing to cross a dangerous bridge for the sake of a player I had just met. Nor did I want to dismiss the value of a fellow monster player. So, I decided to put in a little extra effort.
“That would be the quickest solution… but could you leave this to me? You can rest assu…”
“Is someone there, Nenashi-san?”
Just as I was about to continue with confidence, saying, “You can rest assured as if you were on top of a large and stable boat” a man’s voice came from the cave behind Nenashi. It was a gentle tone that naturally soothed the listener. Though this was irrelevant, I found myself thinking that it would be perfect for narrating a travel program.
“Oh, my lord! Have you logged in? We have guests!”
“Drop that ‘lord’ thing, it’s embarrassing… Is there someone there? I’m coming out now.”
“”””Hyeeh…””””
Just as we heard something slithering from the depths of the cave, the player referred to as “lord” emerged from the darkness. The sight of his unusual form made the four of us involuntarily gasp in shock.
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