Chapter 27
"First, a greeting: Stone Pillar!"
My opening move is Stone Pillar. This spell fires a fairly large chunk of stone. As a result, if it hits, it has some of the highest striking power among the spells at my disposal.
Three of them came hurtling in from behind. Imagine being struck from behind by a mass of stone weighing as much as you—or more.
"Gugyaaaaaaa!?"
Heh heh heh! In this game, even monsters possess a certain degree of intelligence. In particular, 'Obsession with the Moon' had abilities almost on par with an NPC, to the point that it could even hold conversations. Perhaps because of that, despite being a game monster, it can still get rattled.
It's too realistic! But I can use that. Like this!
Caught completely off guard by an attack from behind, the Lesser Small Naga is slammed to the ground without managing any real resistance. It probably didn't take much damage, though, despite the visual impact.
As proof, it is shooting me a murderous glare for playing such a nasty prank on it! Oh, how frightening.
"Well, getting angry won't do you any good."
"Grua!?"
You didn't think I would drop it on the ground for no reason, did you? The 【Trap Magic】 I set earlier is waiting at the point of impact. The menu consists of one Thorn Whip and two Dark Arms. And every one of them is a triple trap. Three thorn vines and six black arms have caught the Lesser Small Naga.
"Iris, now! Seal its mouth!"
"Y-yes!"
Perhaps because my method was even more vicious than she had imagined, Iris had been half in a daze. But she remembered what she was supposed to do and hurriedly extended her tentacles. As instructed, they wrapped around the Lesser Small Naga's mouth again and again, binding it shut.
It won't be able to use Breath now! I experienced how terrifying Breath was during the battle against 'Obsession with the Moon.' If there's a way to prevent it, I'll never let it use it. This should also make biting more difficult. And since it stops the thing from moving at all, that's three benefits at once!
Hm, it's still twisting its body and trying to move. As expected of a boss. It looks pretty strong. In that case, I'll just have to bring its strength down.
"Tomoe Magic Circle activated: Strength-Reduction Curse."
"Guuuuuuuu...!"
Weakened by my 【Curse Arts】, the Lesser Small Naga groans resentfully. Being unable even to roar because its mouth is sealed goes beyond pathetic; I almost feel sorry for it. Of course, I created this situation, and I intend to push it even further.
"Go, my minions. Also, Summon the Dead."
"Rattle rattle rattle rattle rattle!"
"Ooooooooohhhh..."
The minions I had held in reserve and countless undead summoned with 【Spirit Summoning】 pile themselves on top of the Lesser Small Naga. Now for the...
"Tomoe Magic Circle activated: Illusion. Followed by Tomoe Magic Circle activated: Auditory Hallucination."
"GRR?"
If I use 【Evil Arts】 to induce an illusion and an auditory hallucination... complete. Right now, it should be seeing female members of its own species wrapped around it, while hearing them make mating calls. In other words, a harem situation. Apparently instinct cannot be resisted, because the boss has stopped moving completely.
"Maintaining this is all I can manage. Finish it off, quickly."
"It doesn't sit right with me, but... fine, I'll do it!"
"What a pitiful sight. We must put it out of its misery at once."
"Izamu, you're pretty cruel!"
"Um, am I not needed here?"
Hm? Instead of praising me, they're giving me a bit of a bad review? Oh, if I let my guard down, it looks like it'll escape. So Iris is absolutely essential. More importantly, could you finish this soon?
"Divine Beast Transformation! Gwooooooaar!"
"Phew... shii!"
"Hah!"
The three of them unleash their best attacks in rapid succession through the openings in the restraints maintained by Iris and me. Jigorou's firepower in Divine Beast Transformation is especially insane. The Lesser Small Naga's HP rapidly dwindles, dropping below ten percent in no time.
It would be nice if we could win like this... but it doesn't look like things will go so smoothly. The instant its HP drops below ten percent, the Lesser Small Naga starts thrashing with power incomparable to anything it has shown before. I can't hold it!
"Then it's all or nothing! Tomoe Magic Circle activated: Death!"
The last desperate struggle available to me is to use 【Evil Arts】 to kill it instantly. It's a boss, and a higher-level opponent at that. I don't expect it to work. But I wanted to do everything I could.
"Gwe...?"
Huh? Something's wrong with it. It was trying to tear through its restraints by force until just now, but suddenly it's gone quiet... Wait, could it actually have worked? The instant-death spell? Really?
―――――――――
You have won the battle.
You have defeated the Field Boss, Lesser Small Naga.
You have received rewards and 3 SP.
You have received 5 SP as the first player to defeat it.
Your Race level has increased. You gained 1 SP.
Your Job level has increased. You gained 1 SP.
Your 【Staff】 level has increased.
Your 【Mana Control】 level has increased.
Your 【Earth Magic】 level has increased.
Your 【Water and Ice Magic】 level has increased.
Your 【Storm Magic】 level has increased.
Your 【Tree Magic】 level has increased.
Your 【Dark Magic】 level has increased.
Your 【Summoning】 level has increased.
Your 【Enchantment】 level has increased.
Your 【Magic Circle】 level has increased.
You learned a new Diamond Magic Circle spell.
Your 【Necromancy】 level has increased.
Your 【Curse Arts】 level has increased.
Your 【Trap Magic】 level has increased.
Your 【Spirit Summoning】 level has increased.
Your 【Evil Arts】 level has increased.
You acquired the Title 'Servant of Death.'
――――――――――
"No wayyy..."
While everyone stood frozen, I had no choice but to say that. I mean, none of us expected it to die so easily, right? And we certainly didn't expect it to work, either, right?
No, no! No, no, no! The feeling that we were finally reaching the climax has been completely ruined! Though I suppose that's my fault! Ugh, what an anticlimactic ending... I got a new Title and everything, but I can't bring myself to be happy about it...
"Ah, sorry. Apparently I was the one who killed it instantly."
"Heh, heh heh!"
"Heh... heh heh!"
"Ho ho ho."
"Ahaha!"
When I honestly told them what had happened, the four of them burst out laughing. Huh? They aren't angry?
"Wait, you're not angry?"
"Well, it didn't exactly end with a bang, but who cares?"
"It was fun, after all."
The other two seemed to agree with Ruby and Genjuro as well. I see. It was fun, huh? That's good.
"Well then, let's head back."
"It is a little early, but the timing is just right."
As Iris pointed out, if we calculated the time needed to make our way out of the cave starting now, we would arrive just before sunset. If we then returned to our hideout... we should be able to watch the third day of the tournament at our leisure.
It is true that it's a little early, time-wise. So what should we do...? Hmm? Come to think of it, I wonder what's at the bottom of this underground lake. There might be materials we can gather. Let's investigate.
"In that case, I think I'll investigate the underground lake until then."
"The underground lake? How?"
"Come on, I'm just a skeleton. I don't need to breathe."
That's right, I don't need to breathe. So I shouldn't need any preparation to investigate the lakebed. I should be able to keep looking until it's time.
"Then I'll go too. I have the 【Aquatic】 Skill because of my Race, so I can apparently swim freely underwater."
Oh? Slimes have the 【Aquatic】 Skill? In that case, I'll take you up on your help.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
The bottom of the lake is dark! Pitch-black. Well, that's only natural, since there wasn't a light source anywhere in the boss room either. Without 【Night Vision】, you probably couldn't see a thing.
"♪"
I didn't find anything noteworthy, but Ruby was different. Her 【Aquatic】 Skill let her swim freely underwater, and she used her speed to gather various plants and animals living on the lakebed. She efficiently collected moss, aquatic plants, small fish, shellfish, and the like.
As for me, I did nothing but pick up bones and the remnants of weapons reduced to lumps of rust scattered across the lakebed. They were probably the remains of those who challenged the Lesser Small Naga and lost. We'll put them to use, so rest in peace.
Hmm, compared to Ruby's haul, mine is nothing but junk. For the one who suggested this in the first place, this is a pretty sorry showing. There has to be something... something, right?
"?"
Oh? Is that... what you'd call a shrine? The wooden parts have completely rotted away and the fittings are rusted over, but a pattern resembling a holy emblem is carved into the stone foundation. Nine times out of ten, it's some kind of shrine.
Now, what should I do? I'm not particularly devout, but even if this is a game, I feel uneasy about raiding a shrine. No—if anything, the fact that the goddess actually has power in this game makes me feel I should leave it alone.
...All right. I'll put my hands together once, then withdraw. In this world, Izamu is blessed by Iifa-sama, the 'Goddess of Death and Chaos.' I don't know what her personality is like, but she probably wouldn't be pleased if I desecrated a shrine. Now, hands together...
Clatter...
Whoa! That startled me! The shrine completely collapsed the moment I put my hands together! Huh? What? Is this my fault again? Today's an unlucky day!
Perhaps she noticed the sound of the shrine collapsing, because Ruby, who had been gathering things a short distance away, came over. It's not what you think—well, it is, but I didn't do it on purpose!
"!"
Ignoring my panic, Ruby pulled something out of the shrine's rubble. It was a pair of swords. Unlike the junk I had been collecting, they were still intact. They might be fine blades. One was an ordinary katana, and the other was probably a wakizashi. Very Japanese.
Ruby happily gathered them up. ...Um, what was the point of all my agonizing over this?
Anyway, that was about the extent of our exploration of the lakebed. Our haul consisted of materials that could only be collected underwater, a large amount of junk, and two swords. It made for a decent way to kill time. Now, shall we head back?
◆◇◆◇◆◇
On the night after the first official event, the tournament, which had drawn many players, ended, I checked the statistical data and then reflected on the tournament while stroking my pet Pyonkichi in the divine realm.
The festival, which lasted three in-game days, could be called a success. Nearly every combat-class and production-class player took part, and the brainwave measurements show that they found it extremely fulfilling.
I was surprised that so many players wanted to enter a PvP tournament, but we learned the tendencies of the First Wave players toward PvP, so there is no problem. In fact, it was an unexpected result.
"Oh, how boring."
However, the Management AI I had invited to my divine realm seemed to have a different opinion. Perhaps it is a difference in personality?
"Were you bored, Grunare?"
'Goddess of War and Victory,' Grunare. I had expected her to get wildly excited over this tournament, but apparently I was wrong.
"Why didn't Jigorou-kun enter? He would've definitely won if he had!"
"He's nonhuman."
"Ugh, discrimination against nonhumans sucks."
"Agreed."
"Oh, Pisha? How unusual."
'Goddess of Production and Technology,' Pisha is a petite, adorable Management AI dressed in work clothes. She is my colleague.
"We should increase the number of nonhuman players."
"Oh? Is there a player Pisha is interested in too?"
Grunare had been complaining about being bored until just now, but she suddenly perked up. Should I call that speed of switching gears a virtue?
"There is a promising player. But because she is nonhuman, she has to put up with inconvenience."
"You mean Iris-chan?"
In response to Grunare's question, Pisha nodded. I mean, Iris is the only nonhuman production-class player, after all. Pisha helped with her character creation, so she must have had her eye on Iris like the rest of us from that point onward.
"Iris could have won. Even under those conditions."
Pisha says it with absolute certainty, and I agree. It's obvious from looking at the logs for the things she produced. This tournament's winner wouldn't have stood a chance against her.
"Absolutely."
"That's right."
"Nyure and Horyuse too. Welcome."
'Goddess of Earth and Weather' Nyure and 'Goddess of Wind and Exploration' Horyuse, I presume. Come to think of it, they were in charge of nonhuman players too.
"If Elder Genjuro had entered, I think he and Jigorou would have faced each other in the finals."
"Ruby is good too!"
"Indeed."
We Management AIs are also tasked with recording the logs of the players whose character creation we assisted. That is how we came to know Izamu-sama and the others. Based on those records, they seem to have reached the same conclusion I did.
"Now that the release of the Second Wave has been set for next month, we must make sure the number of monster players increases then."
"I understand that, Iifa. But do you have a plan?"
"I do."
My colleagues gathered in my divine realm looked at me in surprise. Unlike all of you, I had been concerned about the state of things since before the service began. Of course I have one or two plans ready.
"You all know what the next event is, right?"
"...The Random Dungeon showcase event."
That's right: the event's purpose is to implement and showcase Random Dungeons, which appear randomly in the field.
In a Random Dungeon, the monsters that appear and the environment inside are completely random, and the only thing you can know before entering is the recommended level. Entrances to these special fields open randomly in the wilderness.
Only one party can enter, on a first-come, first-served basis. If they fail to clear it, they are thrown out, and the entrance disappears as soon as the attempt ends, regardless of whether they succeeded.
You can never challenge the same dungeon again, making it a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. But if you clear it, it's a one-time gamble with a high chance of striking it rich or obtaining rare items.
"How are you going to use that?"
"Well..."
In my divine realm, which had by now become a gathering place for goddesses, the five goddesses devised a plan based on my strategy to increase the number of nonhuman players in the Second Wave.