Shangri-La Frontier – Thợ săn game rác chinh phục game thần - Bầy rắn tụ quanh quả táo

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Einwulst imposes its law upon the eastern continent. Now, two kings stand face to face, vying for a single throne.

Yet such a thing is merely a trivial dispute among humans. The primordial kinsfolk squirm, and the advancing world unknowingly gives birth to threats. In the midst of all this, who becomes king is... truly a matter of utter irrelevance, is it not?

"……And? What is it you claim is here?"

"Milady, no matter how much power we have gathered, it doesn't change the fact that there are only the two of us and one beast. We really should increase our 'military force'."

"Humans who might betray us at any second? You wish to deliberately increase their numbers?"

"That is why we win over humans who won't betray us."

This was the New Continent Frontline Base, the stronghold of the players challenging the New Continent.

Two figures walking through such a crowd... One was a young man whose appearance—wearing a ragged, threadbare shirt and trousers that were miserable even for a damage design—made it hard to believe he was a character in an action game.

And the other was a figure whose head was almost entirely concealed by a hooded cloak that retained just enough bare minimum fashion value to barely claim, "It's designed this way."

From time to time, from the edge of the hood, terribly white hair spilled and swayed with her stride... Her face, strictly speaking a woman hiding her hair and eyes, glared at her surroundings with a red gaze far too thorny to be called mere ill humor.

If you were to catch her eye, you would likely experience the sensation of a frog targeted by a predator.

"Won't betray us? What a conveniently ideal human you claim exists."

"They are... well, a bit peculiarly lively, but precisely because of that, if it is Milady, they likely won't become hostile towards you."

"Get to the point."

"Ngggggh!! ……Kuh!"

Guri! The wooden high heel worn by the woman ground into the top of the man's foot with a twist. No matter how much damage feedback was regulated by national law, if electricity suddenly flowed through a weak spot in terms of human bodily strength, a groan was bound to leak out.

Yet despite having the top of his foot ground under heel, the man—whose HP was restored by about ten percent with a strangely happy look—displayed the name "C-You" above his head as he concisely explained while heading toward their destination... the place a certain group of players used as their base.

"They are people who get excited over beautiful girls."

"……………"

That was precisely why they could be trusted not as allies, but as mercenaries. Milady's... or rather, Goldunine's appearance was that of an albino beautiful girl. Furthermore, she exuded an unearthly... so to speak, demonic atmosphere that couldn't be reproduced in player creation.

If it was a request to protect her, they would probably listen. If it was those who were absorbed in bounty hunting, perhaps.

Thinking thus, C-You had brought Goldunine, whom he called "Milady". The twin-headed giant serpent she commanded was not here. Setting aside if it could erase its presence, bringing that huge body along would leave no room for camouflage or anything else.

"Um, I know this is rude, but... please, towards them, like... refrain from harming them first..."

"Just what do you take me for, I wonder? Hm?"

Tsutsu, a slender white finger stroked C-You's chin, the sharp claw at the tip breaking the skin and inflicting slip damage on C-You.

"Well, fine. If they prove useless, all I have to do is crush them..."

Restraining C-You as he tried to enter first, the woman... a single Unique Monster, Goldunine the Boundless, "Lady", forcefully threw open the door of a certain cafe. And taking a step inside───

"Listen up..."

"───"

Zururi, her eyes met a self that was not herself (Goldunine), whose upper body emerged from empty space.

◇◇

"We're charging in! Daze!"

"Are you stupid?"

"The one calling people stupid is the stupid one! It's common sense!"

Changing scenes, in front of the "Snake's Apple" New Continent Branch cafe. There stood a man facing the cafe door, standing tall in a commanding posture.

In Shangri-La Frontier, where one could create various avatars regardless of handsome men, beautiful women, young or old, this towering man with bulging muscles who stood out remarkably puffed out his chest as if showing off those muscles, taking a step forward... only for his stride to be canceled by a flying kick from a tiny white-haired girl right behind him.

"You idiot! Why are you rushing in so recklessly without a plan!"

"Don't you know? Macho men don't hesitate!"

"You've completely lost your mind!!"

The original catalyst was the man dragging out the girl, who tended to be a recluse, saying, "Let's go eat something delicious!"

In the first place, the reason the girl was hiding away was a very desperate one—her own safety—but she was dragged out after being pushed through with a stance that wasn't even roleplay: "If I am a macho man like Hollywood star Augusta Ortiz, I can handle any danger!"

And as the shaved-head huge man who had pushed her through and dragged her along... "Oga Star", and one of the Goldunine the Boundless, "Nine", were walking, they spotted a hooded woman entering the cafe... and Nine realized.

───That was a self that was not herself.

And as Oga Star grabbed the arm of Nine, who tried to leave the place without hesitation, and stopped her, he proposed a charge instead of a retreat......... End of flashback.

"Hey now... what are you going to do by charging in? Are you going to launch a surprise attack to finish them off?"

"Wrong! You know, there are words O-sama said in 'Rampage Tactics'..."

"That's why I'm asking, who on earth is O-sama..."

"Listen, Nine-chan... 'If used nicely, muscles become a million times stronger'!!"

".........? .........??"

Setting aside Nine, who tried to understand the words but couldn't, and tried to understand again only to become even more confused, Oga Star passionately preached his theory inherited from Hollywood stars in a high-pitched voice that could be said to be the exact opposite of his appearance.

"Punching right away isn't a good thing, first you talk it over, and if that still doesn't work, then you punch!"

While the meaning within the movie was "use power wisely", the fifth-grader (player) who misconstrued it as "punch only after taking steps first" pulled Nine's arm as he marched straight toward the door of the cafe.

"Wait... idiot! Idiot! Rethink this... Ah, jeez! Opion, get ready!"

Unable to resist the strength of Oga Star, who boasted muscle-brained stats identical to another figure she admired besides the Hollywood star, Nine called out and spoke to the small bulge on her ungrabbed left arm.

Just as a small snake poking its head out from the sleeve of the clothes recommended by Oga Star flicked its tongue...

"Now! Your nightmare has arrived! How about giving me a whiskey on the rocks!!"

Along with a movie line that was by all means a declaration of war on the very first move—kicking open the door and charging in while aiming a handgun—Oga Star dived into the "Snake's Apple" cafe along with Nine───!!

"…………"

"…………"

And then Nine saw it.

A white giant snake that seemed ready to occupy the inside of the cafe all by itself, looking over here with a watchful gaze.

A self that was not herself (single digit number) commanding a giant snake into which terrifying power had been poured, vanishing as if nothing had been there from the start with every single breath, only to appear again.

"Gyaaaaaaaaah!!"

The fighting spirit that had flared up slightly, hoping for a slim chance, was extinguished in an instant.

◆

So, the one watching this series of events while eating a salad was me.

"……What is this."

Since dawn was near, I disbanded the party with Mr. Rei, Imron, and Kashuka, returned by death to the frontline base while experimenting with "how many meters I could swim if I dived into magma completely unequipped", and since my head was a bit clear, I had come to the "Snake's Apple" to shoot the breeze with Survival, but...

(Help... Help me...!)

Trong lúc đang biểu diễn một phát nghệ thuật "Tôi xuất hiện từ một nơi không có gì (miệng của Samie-chan)", thì có vẻ như một vị khách lạ kỳ có thể là chị em Goldunine đã xuất hiện, khiến Winp với nụ cười hài lòng bị đóng băng. Nhưng chắc hẳn đó chỉ là ảo giác thôi.

Thưa Master, tôi có thể được thêm một phần salad Elastica mới lấy được không?