Chapter 16
"Dual Magic Circle, activate—Dark Wave!"
I first boosted the power of the dark element with Black Field, then fired two Dark Waves at the backline. Then I ordered Wisp to begin bombing them from overhead with dark magic.
"Aaaah!"
"Waaaah!"
That worked well. I shaved off at least half their HP, and some of them were instantly killed, apparently because 【Surprise Attack】 had succeeded. This is what happens when you let your guard down, you fools!
"Go... and then explode."
"Rattle rattle rattle!"
I pressed the attack further. I sent my minions, who had quietly half-surrounded the backline from behind, charging in.
There were eighteen enemies. Ten of them were archers or mages who would have been a nuisance to Jigoro. They had probably intended to pick away at us from a distance. Since they would have been far too dangerous to fight up close, that was the correct tactic.
But! Clustering the backline in one spot to avoid being picked off was a terrible idea! The archers and other midline fighters had gathered there to protect the backline, too, but now all of them were going to get caught in my minions' self-destruct!
"W-what is...?"
The ten backliners were annihilated. I must say, that was beautifully executed. Hero-kun and all the survivors were staring in stunned disbelief. Now was the time for my entrance!
"Hmm. How utterly trivial."
I slowly emerged from the backline amid the carnage. It was already dark thanks to the late hour, and Black Field was even blocking out the light of the moon and stars.
With each person carrying only a lantern for a feeble source of light, the scene created a frightening effect, as if I had come from the depths of darkness. A fortunate miscalculation.
A black robe, a beautiful staff set with a jewel, and a silver skull mask covering my face. Everyone but one of the players held their breath at my bizarre appearance.
"I had been looking forward to facing an elite force led by someone beloved of the gods. To think they would be wiped out by my pitiful surprise attack... What a disappointment."
"H-hey! What's going on here!?"
"H-how should I know!? It's some kind of event, right!?"
Excellent. They seemed to have misunderstood the situation exactly as I hoped. A feeble surprise attack? That was my trademark!
I would continue role-playing as arrogantly as possible while remaining thoroughly alert to my surroundings! I needed to emphasize how formidable I was! That was the optimal strategy for victory and the best possible spectacle!
"Well then. It seems we're going to see something interesting..."
"Hah!"
A thief girl from Hero-kun's party was approaching from behind me. She probably had higher-level 【Sneak】, 【Stealth】, and 【Surprise Attack】 Skills than I did.
But I had accounted for that. My trap was waiting right there. The problem was—
"Ugh!?"
"Hm?"
The trap hadn't activated? Why!? I slowly turned around so no one would notice my confusion, only to find the girl restrained and suspended in midair by a green tentacle!
What was going on!? This wasn't in the script! Fine, I'd improvise!
"You disappoint me at every turn. Did you really think I hadn't noticed? Magic Sword."
"Tch!"
"Meg!?"
I shook my head as though I were exasperated, then beheaded the girl with Magic Sword. It was all according to plan! That's what I had to make them think! Well done, me! I had actually managed to defeat her without letting my voice tremble!
Incidentally, simply striking the neck would only take away a large amount of HP, but severing it causes instant death. This game really is realistic in the strangest ways.
Once the girl was instantly killed, her body turned into particles. The tentacle, having lost what it was restraining, slithered back into the depths of the forest. What on earth had that been? It didn't seem to be an enemy, though.
"You bastard!"
"Kikuno! Don't!"
"You people really are so boorish. Dual Magic Circle, activate—Dark Arm."
"Gah!"
A beautiful woman who must have been one of the hero's companions came running toward me with a large axe raised overhead. However, I deployed two Dark Arms, using one to grab and immobilize her right arm, which held her weapon, and the other to seize her left arm, which held a large shield.
I then stabbed her in the neck through a gap in her armor with Magic Sword and killed her. Since the game was still in its early stages, even the strategy group players had plenty of gaps in their equipment. That made things easy!
Whew, that startled me. I never expected someone to charge straight at me. Was she simply the hotheaded type, or had my entrance been so shocking that she forgot her original objective? Either way, it didn't matter.
"So, are you sure you should stand there dazed? Have you forgotten the brave one over there?"
"Oh no!"
The only one who hadn't been shaken by my entrance was Jigoro. He must have realized from the timing that I was Izam. While the girl attacked and the beautiful woman charged, he had quietly broken the necks of the frontline fighters who had their backs turned.
...Honestly, I was appalled, too. I couldn't believe I had managed to keep moving without my voice cracking or trembling while taking in such a shocking sight. I felt like praising myself for it.
There were only three survivors, counting Hero-kun: Hero-kun, the girl Jigoro had kicked along with Hero-kun, and a hulking man clad in dull-colored armor.
"Well then, brave servant of the demon. You wish to fight, I take it?"
"Gegya (Of course)."
Oh? Unlike Ratman, I could hear his voice like a second audio track. Could I take that to mean 【Linguistics】 allowed proper communication with players?
I could worry about that later! For now, I might as well ask.
"Are these three too much for you?"
"Gegyagya (Piece of cake)!"
Heh heh heh. What confidence. In that case, I would sit back and watch. Just as originally planned!
"Then show me. Show me your fight!"
"Gegyaaa (Let's gooo)!"
"Tch, no choice! Rose, provide support! Claude-san, can I ask you to be the shield?"
"Got it!"
"Leave it to me!"
Whew, my part was over. Now I would watch how Jigoro dealt with the three of them. And then—
"...Iris-san?"
"Y-yes!?"
She was startled at being addressed, but of course. Hidden in the darkness, she was invisible to the three humans, but my 【Night Vision】 let me see her approaching perfectly clearly.
I mean, if a rock nearly as tall as my chest were approaching right beside me, I would have noticed it. Besides, I couldn't think of anyone other than Iris-san who would come to help us in this situation.
That tentacle had been hers.
The Lesser Roper was a carnivorous plant-type Race. It encased itself in a cellular wall that looked exactly like rock, then used tentacles extended through the gaps to restrain and devour its enemies.
...Why would someone with such a girlish voice choose such a vicious Race?
"Why are you here?"
"Um, because... as monster-type players, we should help each other!"
"...I see."
What a good kid. She had believed the excuse I used to disguise how starved I was for companions and come over here, hadn't she? For some reason, I was suddenly overcome with guilt. It felt like I was deceiving her.
Oh, Claude-san was out. His cause of death was a power bomb designed to keep him from breaking his fall. That looked painful. No, he was dead.
"For now, I'll send a party invite."
"Wow, thank you!"
It wasn't necessary, but the fact remained that she had helped me. More importantly, this was what I had intended from the start, so there was no problem. My plans had merely been moved ahead of schedule... Ah, Rose-san was done, too. Stealing her sword and killing her with it—is that some kind of swordless sword-taking technique? Was I dealing with the founder of the Yagyu school or something?
"Ugh, ngh!"
"Gegge (Ha-ha!) Gugyagya (This is fun, hey)!"
Jigoro seemed to be reading Hero-kun's sword strokes perfectly. The moment it became one-on-one, not even a glancing blow landed.
After enjoying the fight for a while, Jigoro crouched and tackled Hero-kun's legs. He lifted them as if sweeping them out from under him and knocked him over, then wrenched the leg he had seized and slammed the edge of his foot into the back of Hero-kun's head, crushing his neck.
Yikes, that's brutal! What a savage fighter!
――――――――――
You won the battle.
Your Race level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.
Your Job level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.
Your Race level has reached the required value. Evolution is available.
Your Job level has reached the required value. Job change is available.
【Staff】 level has increased.
【Magic Control】 level has increased.
【Dark Magic】 level has increased.
【Void Magic】 level has increased.
【Summoning】 level has increased.
You learned a new one-stage evolution spell.
【Enchantment】 level has increased.
【Magic Circle】 level has increased.
【Necromancy】 level has increased.
【Trap Magic】 level has increased.
【Linguistics】 level has increased.
【Appraisal】 level has increased.
【Stealth】 level has increased.
【Stealth】 has reached its growth limit.
【Sneak】 level has increased.
【Surprise Attack】 level has increased.
――――――――――
A lot of things had leveled up, but first I had to congratulate him.
"Is it over, Jigoro-kun?"
"Yeah, Izam-san."
So he had realized who I was. Excellent.
"First, thanks for the assist. If you hadn't been here, I'd have respawned in the Goblin Village. So what are you, anyway? An NPC?"
"Ha ha ha! If I could fool even an ally, my acting isn't half bad!"
"So you're a player. That was some convincing acting. And what about that rock over there?"
"I'd hardly call us close enough to warrant an introduction, but... this is Iris-san. Iris-san, this is Jigoro, also known as the 'Nightmare of the Northern Mountain.'"
"Gegyagya (Nice to meet you)!"
"Shurururu (Pleased to meet you)!"
Hmm. Surreal. The problem was that the two of them didn't have 【Linguistics】, so they couldn't communicate with each other. My words were human speech, so both of them could understand me, but... it was inconvenient.
"Jigoro-kun—no, that's a hassle. You can call me Izam without the honorific. Can I do the same with you?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Thanks. I originally came here because I wondered if I could help Iris-san, who had been backed into a corner."
"Oh, really? And what's this 'Nightmare of the Northern Mountain'?"
As I thought, he was also the type who didn't read the bulletin board. He didn't seem to know how feared he was.
"That's you."
"Huh?"
"You've sent countless players to bloody deaths, haven't you? That's the title those who fear you gave you."
"Wow. I see."
"By the way, it seems the group you just wiped out was an extermination party assembled for your sake. Though they got wiped out instead."
"Oh, so that's why they were kind of strong..."
Jigoro put a hand to his forehead and looked up at the sky. It was only natural that he was bewildered after suddenly becoming famous—and infamous enough for top players to gather in a group just to kill him.
"So, what do you say? If you two are willing, I'll invite you to my hideout."
"Seriously?"
"Really!?"
"Yeah. Helping one another as monster players is part of it, but that's not the main reason. Honestly, being alone in an MMO is boring. I wanted some companions. It's a presumptuous request, but would you two join me?"
We had only just met, but neither of them seemed like a bad person. Jigoro was a good-natured young man, aside from his bloodlust and foul mouth, while Iris-san seemed gullible but was an honest, good girl. I truly wanted them to become my companions.
"Don't be a stranger, Izam. I was actually about to bow and ask you myself, since you saved me."
"Um, I might hold you back, but please take care of me!"
Oh, they had both agreed! What a relief.
"Thanks. Then let's leave immediately. Once the sun is up, I'll turn to ash. Jigoro, take this. It's a healing potion I made. It works decently well."
"Sorry for everything. I'll repay you in battle!"
Jigoro said that and downed the healing potion in one gulp. I couldn't drink it, and pouring it on myself would cause damage, so I had no way to test it... I wondered what it tasted like.
Anyway, it would take a little over two hours to walk from here to the base at our usual pace. We would definitely make it back before sunrise.
"U-um! Is it okay if I ask something!?"
Oh? Iris-san was timidly extending one of her tentacles. She must have had something to say.
"What is it?"
"Um, could you call me Iris without the honorific, too, please?"
Ah, right. We were companions now, so continuing to treat her like a stranger wouldn't do. Since I spoke casually with Jigoro, I should do the same with her.
"All right, Iris. ...Is this okay?"
"Y-yes!"
"By the way, where is your hideout, Izam?"
Oh, that's right. I hadn't told them. They would find out eventually, so I might as well let them prepare themselves now.
"My base is in Fars City, in a hidden room beneath its sewer system."
◆◇◆◇◆◇
'The Laughing Femur'
"Oh!"
The two of them let out exclamations of admiration as the wall opened with a faint sound, revealing the door to the laboratory beyond it. Perhaps this sense of excitement was universal!
Oh, and I had changed the password. As long as I used words no one else would ever say, it was safe.
"Amazing! Even though it's a hidden room, I never thought it would be concealed this perfectly!"
"W-whoa, I got 10 SP just for finding it!"
Oh, so the discovery bonus worked for the second person onward, too. The amount of SP had decreased, though. So that was the difference between the first person and everyone after them.
"Welcome to my laboratory. As long as you don't break anything, feel free to use it however you like. Especially after what we just discussed. What do you think?"
"Um... sure!"
Iris touched the earthen walls of the base with her tentacles, checking their texture. What we had discussed on the way was a plan to remodel the base.
Apparently, during character creation, Iris had told the god that she wanted a Race capable of doing many different tasks at once. The result was the Lesser Roper.
With all those tentacles, she certainly seemed capable of multitasking... but wasn't that god's sense of aesthetics a little off?
And you may have guessed from the word 'tasks,' but Iris was a crafter. All her Skills other than those determined by her Race were for crafting and gathering. She was thorough in a completely different way from me.
One of her many Skills was 【Mining】, and Iris proposed that she might be able to use it to expand the base. That was extremely interesting.
There had been an accident, but I was honestly delighted to have new companions. With more people, the things we could do—and the things we wanted to do—would surely keep multiplying. I was looking forward to what came next!