Shangri-La Frontier – Thợ săn game rác chinh phục game thần - Chương 33: Rồng hỡi, rồng ơi! Phần 33

At this point, allow me to present an explanation of magic.

While there are countless forms of magic in Shangri-La Frontier, there exists a certain class of spells that stand as a ultimate form among them.

Not a trick like the Wand of Realization: The Desire, but magic attainable only by those who have mastered a specific domain... It is known as "Gate Magic."

Though several spells contain the word "Gate" in their names, this distinct class is triggered by an astonishingly brief chant and the key phrase "Open Gate."

Truth be told, while Josette is indeed a tank, she is not a frontliner built on sheer physical defense like the tanks of SF-Zoo.

Her true role is that of a Magi-Tank, using magic to anchor the front lines.

And as the shield protecting Ilistella, the Saint of Compassion—honing her defensive spells to shield the Saint from monsters attacking her pilgrimages, and at times from untoward NPCs—her magic finally reached its ultimate form on a certain day, one year after the service launched.

◆

"───My crimson blood burns hot."

With that single, shockingly brief chant, the phenomenon that manifested was dramatic.

"Whoa!"

An exclamation slips out unbidden. Like two deep ruts, twin lines made of flame shoot straight out from Josette's flanks, bridging the gap between her and Siegwurm.

It is no ordinary fire; a shimmering heat unable to hold the same form for even a single second sways, yet gains shape as it rises.

It appears to wear a somewhat familiar helm; it appears to hold a somewhat familiar round shield. Specifically, it feels like the image seen in a mirror when equipping new gear at some point in the past.

"Open Gate (Come and Take)."

Warriors of heat haze (Spartans) raise their swords, spears, and shields, dissolving into the flames. As the fiery momentum reaches its absolute climax, hundreds of weapons forged from blaze leap out from the surging corridor of fire like a tsunami, blocking the way.

It is a wall of spears, a swarm of swords, a row of lined-up shields. It is truly... a blazing gate of warriors opened to thwart the enemy's path.

『───"Breath of Bane"!!』

"───【Thermopylae】!!"

The crimson breath and the red-hot gate collide. Just as the fiery barricade is blown apart and shattered, new weapons leap forth from within the flames, sinking into the energy of destruction.

With her right hand thrust forward, sweat can be seen trickling down Josette's cheek as she plants her feet with all her strength. Game though it may be, this is ShanFro; casting a spell isn't simply over and done with.

"Can you make it?"

"Of course!"

It is not Josette's valiant roleplay voice, but her natural tone; yet her returned answer holds no wavering.

"What's a Unique Monster to me... *Siiiiigh*..."

Taking a deep breath, Josette takes a step forward after a brief moment with a spirit-rending shout!!

"Saint-chan is the BEST!!"

"Is that really the battle cry you're going with!?"

Apparently, it works for her.

The intensity of the flames surpasses Siegwurm's breath. In stark contrast to Siegwurm whose momentum dulled first, the flames swell up in a single burst, exploding and pouring forth with absolute directionality.

"This spell... is a counter spell!!"

『Kuh, guaaa!!』

Scorching as if carving up the earth, the swirling, rushing flames are just like a shield charge plunging forward with shield raised. Facing it head-on, the golden giant accepts the blow without fleeing—even sporting a faint grin—before its momentum gives way, floating slightly off the ground... and for the very first time, Siegwurm's hitherto unshakeable body is blown away.

"Amazing..."

"H-How was that... Ugh, so heavy..."

*Crumple*, Josette collapses limply onto the ground. Considering what was accomplished, it clearly didn't come without a catch. As proof, Josette's health bar can be seen drained to a mere few millimeters.

"S-Sorry... As expected, this is really tough... This won't recover for a while, so I'm gonna rest..."

A penalty? There's a high chance it's a penalty similar to the awful sluggish state I was stuck in a while back. However, the massive impact of blowing Siegwurm away possessed enough power to sweep away all hesitation from the players.

"Good job! Man, if I don't pull my weight now, I won't have a leg to stand on, huh?"

"Good luck~"

"That's half-hearted, hey... Ah well, Cyna! Find Emul and bring her here. From here on, it's total war... Let's use up every last drop of blood and give Siegwurm a real surprise!"

"Understood (Alright): Initiating action."

Yashirobird must be reaching his limit of patience soon too. Let's show him a hell of a heroic tale (Dragon Slay)!!

◇

"Ugh..."

Rendered incapacitated by the side effect of 【Thermopylae】, Josette groans softly while watching Sunraku sprint off and Nualrind fly away.

"Well, I guess the balance is in the black..."

The genuine words of gratitude from the player named Akitsu Akane—who, at least through Josette's observant eyes, was unmistakably a girl—were well worth enduring a non-cleansable penalty lasting several dozen minutes.

"Gate" magic cannot be handled so easily. In the case of 【Thermopylae】, the caster's heat is stolen as the price of activation; in system terms, the stats consumed as the cost of activation will not recover proportional to the activation time, and furthermore, no level-ups will occur until the deficit of "experience points" offered as a sacrifice for activation is brought back to zero.

"I'll have to find time to level up somehow..."

Just then.

"Thank you for your hard work, Josette."

"Eh, did I ascend to heaven?"

Gently, Josette's lying face is rested atop something soft. No way, she thinks, timidly looking up... to find Ilistella's face at an unbelievable proximity.

"I cannot deny your resolve... While I cannot erase the price paid for opening the door of burning hot blood, at least I can do this much, yes?"

"Ohhh... Profitable, so profitable..."

Aware that her real-life marriage prospects were drifting further away, Josette spent a moment of absolute bliss thinking: this is why non-existent beautiful girls are the absolute best───

◆

"Hey Siegwurm, having fun?"

『Ho... Wolf-Scar... No, that majestic air, I see, you are 'serious' then?』

"Don't be stupid, I'm always serious. If anything, I'm going all-out."

I don't hold back on holding back, and when it comes to spending, I like carving my funds down until they hit single digits. Even that single strike back then was meant to split your face in two if possible, pouring in every last bit of element crystals... though I swung and missed!!

"Sorry for taking so much time for a reset, but I'm gonna blow you away with everything I've got right now."

『Ho... With that divine era weapon?』

"Centipede-Type 8-0.5 (Tausend)... Do you happen to have an idea of who made it?"

That Sigmonia Front Line Valley, a literal realization of a constant battlefield; inside that donut-shaped basin, two super-giant monsters fought continuously, one half of which was the Trainor Centipede.

Perhaps because I forced them to fight the rival Fortress Spider time and time again, I happened to be present for the clash of both their alpha beasts.

And this weapon with the overly distinct name Centipede-Type 8-0.5 utilizes materials from the Trainor Centipede Dora—a super-ultra-giant centipede several times larger even when compared to Gustav, a train-sized male individual of the female Trainor Centipede!!

"I won't be tasteless enough to interfere directly, but I got a push on the back... In that case, as a proxy, I gotta do what needs to be done, or it won't feel complete!"

『Then what will you do?』

「Tao chỉ cần bị đập nhẹ một cái là chết rồi, nhưng miễn là ngọn lửa trong tim còn cháy, tao sẽ đứng dậy bất kể bao nhiêu lần. Tao sẽ trở nên bất diệt cho đến khi mày bị hạ gục, phải không nào? Zeugvurm của Thiên Bá... Hãy dốc toàn lực mà đến đi, tao đã có ý định đó ngay từ đầu rồi!」

"Hahahaha, Kuahahahahahahahaha!! Ngươi đã dám xướng lên cái「danh hiệu」đó! Vậy thì ta sẽ dùng toàn thân toàn linh mà thiêu rụi cái sự bất diệt(・・) của ngươi cho thành tro bụi!! Hãy nhìn cho kỹ đi,「Long Vương Cơ Quan」của ta-một bậc Thiên Bá(・・)！！！"

Hãy châm lửa trong trái tim kẻ đó, việc giữ lại chẳng qua là cử chỉ ngu ngốc... Cứ đánh nhau đến khi biến thành tro(High) đi!!