Chapter 353
W-Well, that was an ordeal...
I slumped over in the event lobby. It had been good to challenge the time attack with my Sprint Drake, but I had ended up running ten laps before I was satisfied.
As a result, I had improved my time and gotten the hang of running. In particular, we had the timing down perfectly when leaning our bodies together on curves. However, running repeatedly in succession was mentally exhausting. I reached my limit before the Sprint Drake did.
I still felt as though I were sitting in the saddle. Normally, I should have logged out and gone straight to sleep, but I had a reason for not doing so.
"I have to play the 'UFO Catcher'..."
You could only play the 'UFO Catcher' a limited number of times each day. Logging out without playing would be an incredible waste. It was probably worth pushing through my exhaustion to do it.
And so I headed toward the 'UFO Catcher' area, staggering as I went. There were more players there than yesterday, each enjoying whichever machine they had chosen.
However, there was sadly no one at the 'Mystery Catcher' I had provided information about yesterday. Were many players avoiding it because the items it dispensed were random, or was there simply no one there by coincidence? Either way, being able to play without waiting in line was convenient.
"Then I'll collect some capsules again today."
Today, I went for black capsules from the 'Mystery Catcher' again. I had gotten eight yesterday, but today I managed to get nine. Tomorrow, I wanted to work hard enough to get all ten.
Holding the nine black capsules, I sat down in a chair a short distance from the machine and opened them one by one. I got two prizes this time. That might count as lucky. The two items I won were these.
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Monster-Calling Flute Quality: Good Rarity: R (Rare Class)
A flute that produces a sound that attracts monsters within a one-kilometer radius.
Monsters lured in will always become hostile, and their stats will increase by ten percent.
Has no effect on monster players.
Mysterious Metal Lump Quality: Poor Rarity: R (Rare Class)
A large lump of metal covered entirely in red rust.
In its current state, it will be worth no more than an equal weight of metal, but if you have the technique to remove the rust, it may reveal its true form.
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The 'Monster-Calling Flute,' which draws enemies to you, would be useful for farming experience and drops. If I gave it to Jigorou, he would blow it endlessly and keep fighting forever. The enemies' stats would increase by ten percent, but if I was already using them for farming, it would not matter much if they became a little stronger. As long as I did not use it in a dangerous area, there should be no problem.
However, it could also be used to harass other players. Um, I think it was called MPK? It meant drawing in a large number of monsters and forcing them onto other players to get those players killed. I had no plans to use it that way, but it could happen accidentally. I would have to be careful when using it... Though on the continent I was currently on, there was no one for me to inconvenience.
The other 'Mysterious Metal Lump' really was mysterious. The item was a mass of red rust large enough to fill one's arms, and even its overall silhouette gave me no clue what it actually was. Apparently, without removing the rust, it truly was nothing but a useless lump.
Still, it was possible that removing the rust would reveal an incredible item. I would have to consult Iris and Shiitake... Even for the 'Mystery Catcher,' I hope this is the last time its prizes are so mysterious.
"That's all for today, so I'll log out... Hm?"
With nothing left to do, I was about to log out when I noticed a crowd gathered in the distance. Normally, I might have ignored it, but Shio was there in the middle of the crowd, holding Ruby.
Curious about what my companions were watching, I blended into the crowd. Standing in front of one of the game machines was Iris.
"That's insane..."
"Seriously...? There's no way we can beat that..."
"Is that even allowed?"
"If it's possible, I guess it must be allowed, right?"
She was playing 'Whack-a-Mole.' This was the game I had recommended to Iris. Just as I had expected, she was doing an amazing job. Heh heh heh, it seemed my assessment had been correct.
Iris was holding a toy hammer in each of her eight tentacles and knocking down every mole as soon as it appeared. She was dexterous, and she had many hands in a literal sense. I had thought that a game requiring her to hit numerous moles accurately would let her make use of both her dexterity and her many hands.
There were nearly thirty holes from which the moles appeared, and the hammers came down at the instant their heads emerged. Occasionally, there was a mole she did not hit, but those were bombs disguised as moles.
Oh, so there were moles you weren't supposed to hit, too? I had not known that, but she avoided them perfectly. There was no other way to describe it than impressive.
'Whack-a-Mole' seemed to have a time limit, but hitting the correct moles increased both the score and the remaining time. Hitting a fake did not affect the score, but it reduced the time limit. Even with Iris's speed and accuracy, the remaining time was gradually decreasing. Well, it was not as if she could play forever.
"Whoa!?"
All the spectators, myself included, cried out in surprise at once. The number of moles appearing at a time suddenly increased, and the time between their appearance and retreat became much shorter. No one could possibly keep up with that speed. I was sure everyone thought so.
"It would be easier if I could hold two more hammers..."
Even while complaining, Iris continued swinging her tentacles and methodically whacking the moles. Her movements were so precise and flawless that I almost mistook her for a machine rather than the 'Whack-a-Mole' machine itself.
Iris's challenge ended when the time limit ran out without her making a single mistake. Naturally, she had the highest score. Ruby and Shio praised her, while the spectators applauded. Iris looked embarrassed by the praise, but she also seemed just as happy.
Immediately after Iris moved away from the machine, the spectators began talking to the three of them one after another. There was the monster player who had put on such a spectacular performance; Iris's appearance, probably quite unusual even among monster players; and her companions, who were also monster players. Of course people would be curious.
The number of monster players seemed to be gradually increasing, but they were still undeniably a minority. Iris had achieved an outstanding result in one of the events, even if it was only 'Whack-a-Mole.' It was no wonder she had attracted so much attention.
The players speaking to them most enthusiastically were several women. They seemed to be inviting Iris to join their clan. Hey, hey, were they trying to poach her? I'd rather they didn't.
Iris and the others politely declined. The women seemed to understand and did not press the matter, but they appeared to register one another as friends all the same. It was good that they were not pushy, and becoming acquainted with players like that would benefit Iris and the others as well. I hoped they would get along.
I had nothing left to do, so I was about to return from the lobby to my room and log out. However, there was something else here that I could not help noticing. Jigorou was on one of the lobby displays.
'Wahaha! Wahahahaha!'
In the martial arts tournament, Jigorou was fighting multiple opponents by himself while laughing from the bottom of his heart as if he were having the time of his life. At first, I thought something had gone wrong with my eyes, but that was not the case. Apparently, Jigorou had entered the team division alone and was rampaging against a large group of opponents.
There were already only three opponents left, while the rest of their teammates had apparently been defeated. The remaining players were fighting desperately, but their faces were drawn tight with fear. Jigorou was doing whatever he pleased—clawing at vital points through gaps in their defenses, deliberately punching them through their guards, and stabbing them with his horns—so their reaction was understandable.
'Found an opening!'
Jigorou slid across the ground as he closed in, circled behind one of the players, and bit into the back of the player's neck. He shook his head repeatedly like a beast to finish the player off. The player turned into particles of light and vanished, leaving two.
Without a moment's hesitation, Jigorou charged at the remaining two. Perhaps they had decided to risk everything, because each used a powerful martial skill and spell. But Jigorou seemed to see through every martial skill, nimbly dodging them while knocking the spells out of the air with kicks from his own martial skills. What was that movement...? You really are a monster after all.
The players watching from the lobby gaped at the screen in stunned silence. Since it was a preliminary, even opponents of roughly the same level could end up in a one-sided match depending on their compatibility and skill.
However, doing the same thing entirely alone was another matter. The 'Persona' clan led by Usuba did this sort of thing frequently, but unlike them, Jigorou showed his face, so it was clear that he was not one of their members. The appearance of a new powerhouse—and a monster player at that—was sure to be met with astonishment.
'Wahaha! That was fun!'
Jigorou crushed the swordsman's throat with an elbow, broke his neck, and threw him aside. Then he closed in on the mage and pierced the mage's chest with a horn. Despite displaying his power to the fullest, Jigorou surprisingly did not let out a cheer of triumph. He simply left the arena, and the video ended.
The people watching in the lobby were excitedly discussing the match they had just seen. It was probably already a hot topic on the forums as well. However, they still did not know that Genzou was competing too. Genzou was just as skilled as Jigorou, and I was sure Genzou would display equal ability and presence at the martial arts tournament.
Seeing my companions performing so well made me happy, while also strengthening my resolve to do my best. All right, I would work a little harder on my 'Dragon Race' time attack. I decided not to log out and headed to the dragon stable once more.