Vol 1 Chapter 3 (2/2)
(We es are nues are)
shi+roe's staff shone as he went through the spells he could use He didn't have to choose the spells using the game menu, his common spells had already been prepared on his hotkeys
Before shi+roe raised his staff to cast any spells, several players showed themselves
The dry debris of the asphalt road cracked loudly in the quiet night
Four shadows eed from the darkness
One dressed like a fighter, two as bandits, one like a healer
Their levels and nuh, their footsteps steady
”Leave everything you are carrying, and on't kill you”
The warrior said these cliché words in a disparaging tone
shi+roe laughed bitterly when he heard this
(If they are talking like that, they have read too a)
They were already used to huntingUnlike theby animal instincts, this induced the fear of unpredictability And hunorant of malicious intents of the enemies
Monsters also had killing intent, but PKers had theoff others' efforts
shi+roe's pal before he realized
But the cliché line washed away the tension, and shi+roe was grateful for that
”Guardian and a Mage, right? You want to put up a hopeless fight? We have 4 on our side, alright?”
The man dressed like a bandit, who see sword on his waist hinted his class to be a Swashbuckler Out of the 12 classes, only the Swashbuckler and Samurai could equip 2 weapons without the use of special ite in minimal effort
”What should we do, Naotsugu?”
”Kill them Pick out the bones, chop theuys attack people for fun, they can't complain if someone else kills them”
The reliable voice of Naotsugu revitalized the strength in shi+roe's legs
(Breathing normal, sense of balance is intact E we expected Just a matter of time before we faced this road)
shi+roe ht, but wanted to drag the conversation a bit longer if possible
”Naotsugu hates PKing after all Actually, I'ive them the money”
The PK group sneered at shi+roe's words
They took half a step forward, showing their ugly threatening attitude shi+roe averted his eyes froh he expected this
(Thatill fork over the cash if they apply a bit more pressure)
shi+roe felt he had split into two One of hi cal war the Tea Party
shi+roe was not good in handling Akatsuki, but he didn't hate her
shi+roe hated fighting, but he was good at it
”If they can beat us”
”Well said, shi+ro”
The PK group was either surprised by their conversation or angered by their insolence Their faces turned red as they drew their weapons while cursing
The red 'battlein the corner of his eyes since the sneak attack
shi+roe took half a step back with his left foot and prayed his voice would be steady as he gave his command
”Target the warrior on the left, draw the others' attention too!”
”I will handle the tank, go take out the Mage!”
The sound of shi+roe's command and the bandit leader's roar sounded out at the same time
Naotsugu took a step forward and sla a katana,he was a Samurai
The bandit with long hair flanked Naotsugu on his leader's co to reach shi+roe with a leap But this was one of the developments shi+roe anticipated
shi+roe cast his spell in an instant
Astral Bind
Siu, it restricted the movements of the enemies
When the defensibly weak e adventured alone, this spell could restrict the e attack froy
The spells of ht differ in details, but they hadspells
But binding spells had no other effects
The long-haired bandit was left with no choice other than to turn and attack Naotsugu, as right beside hith of a short sword Binding spells restricted the opponent's long range movement, but it didn't deprive the with a chain to a pole, they could stillspell would last only for a short while
”Let's change, I leave this to you!”
”I'm on it!”
Under the sparks of the clashi+ng weapons, the leader u's defense line
Their strategy at the start should have let the leader engage Naotsugu, leaving the others to take down shi+roe But seeing his subordinate bounded, he decided to change the strategy by going for shi+roe himself
His judgment to adjust his plans on the fly was co use of the feint was fast
( But that is not enough to u's experience)
”Anchor Howl!”
Naotsugu lowered his center of mass and shouted fiercely
This howl that shook the air was a skill of the Guardian
The bandit leader that should have slipped past Naotsugu flinched his body as he turned to face Naotsugu with his swords raised on reflex
He lost strength in his legs, and he was unable to look away fro-haired bandit and the Sa the same sense of fear with their eyes wide open
They would lose their lives if they didn't stare at Naotsugu That was the horrifying feeling the 3 of theu
Naotsugu was a Guardian who protected their comrades They were known as tanks because they were the shi+eld absorbing the opponent's attack
But having high defense and HP was not enough to act as a tank Monsters like goblins and orcs ht encounter dark elves or cultist as well, and this was the world of Elder Tales
Opponents ignoring the tank and going for the healer and e behind were common too
Guardians were built around the policy of protecting their allies, so they didn't just have high HP and defense
Anchor Hoas a skill Guardians cast with their fighting spirit Foes who heard this hoould not be able to ignore Naotsugu The moment they tried, they would be hit by a powerful counterattack This skill granted Guardians additional attacks if their enemy's attention lapsed
The skills to focus all the enemies' attention on themselves was one of the reasons why Guardians were known as the fortress a the warrior classes
”Tch, Don't be scared! We are going 3 on 1, he will go down no h he is, take him first!”
The bandit leader encouraged his
The Swashbuckler was forced to switch tactics again, locking on to Naotsugu and searching for his weak points with his double swords dancing like a snake
The rogue Sa-haired bandit were deteru first
It was not wrong to do that
”da impressive!”
The enemy screamed hysterically as they attacked in a flurry
”Your swords won't break through my armor!”
Naotsugu's bold and cheery statement made them double up on their attacks
shi+roe checked Naotsugu's status as he listened to the sharp clash of metals
This group had the skills to back up their words with good courage and teau's HP dwindled under their relentless attacks
Even Naotsugu wouldn't last another 30 seconds
(That is, if they can keep up the attack for 30 seconds!)
shi+roe grinned He was not going to give them this amount of time
Drawing a symbol with the tip of his staff took 15 seconds shi+roe created a buzzing lightning ball and shot it at the Sae over tie to an opponent for 10-20 seconds
”Ha! You're an Enchanter? What's that spell? You can't even kill a dog with this!”
The Sa hit The tennis ball sized lightning sphere was loud and bright, but its dae was so low it didn't hurt
Enchanters' spells on the whole lacked attack power, but daic could spread its power over a period of tie exceeded Mind Bolt, but each wave of danificant
The feeling of scratching an itch e of the spell It was just a harmless prank to the Samurai
(It is weak, but)
The taunts went to and fro, but shi+roe didn't react to the Samurai's sneer since he knew the features of his spells He cast the sa-haired bandit next
The dual wield based class had less HP than the Saic was painless to them
”Hahahaha! What were you trying to acco this chum?”
The greenish white sparks shone like a shorted wire or some misshapen fireworks The three PKers redoubled their effort on attacking Naotsugu
( Alright then, let's get rid of one)
The anger, carelessness, and sneer of the enemy
Absorbing these e in a deep breath, shi+roe took two steps forward ready to act He wielded his staff as he chanted, using his ic with the hotkey
He cast Thorn Bind Hostage after chanting for 2 seconds Five shi+ny rings fleards the Sa him
”What is this? Ah!”
Naotsugu slashed at the Sa ball seemed to explode in the darkness The Samurai screamed as he backed away on reflex from the impact
Enemies ere affected by the spell would suffer about 1000 points of additional dae was a trap attack spell frequently used by shi+roe Unlike single target or wide area attacks, it had a more complicated activation requirement It also needed to be cast on the enemy beforehand
The nue it dealt differed by level shi+roe's Thorn Bind Hostage was Secret level, even a warrior class would lose half his HP if all five vines were triggered
”Calm down, this is a da our Samurai! We have double their numbers, there is no e can lose!”
Unlike the daed Samurai, the bandit leader was still in control Healers played a critical role in the Elder Tales setting
With a powerful healer using high-level spells, dae of several allies about the same level could be restored completely
If the healing was consistent, shi+roe's Thorn Bind Hostage was nothing to worry about
The bandit leader had a plan of taking on a Sorcerer, who had more powerful attacks than an Enchanter, so he remained confident in this battle
Naotsugu slashed again
Every swing activated the shockwave dae from the vines Every time the Samurai tried to take up a stance, the sword strike and the vine explosion threw hiain
”Ha, this is nothing, your flank is open!”
The long-haired bandit slashed at Naotsugu's right flank with his u as immobile after his attack couldn't avoid this attack
”This battle will be decided by the presence of healers! Don't underestimate us, chums! Hahahaha! Cry on your way to the cathedral!”
Naotsugu's attack was strengthened by shi+roe's e above a normal warrior class The Secret level spell was also one of the few Enchanter skills that could deal heavy da spells of a healer about the sahter of the bandit leader came from this confidence
”That is the correct analysis”
”If your healer is doing his job!”
Naotsugu lowered his body to halve his height in an instant and slashed at the Samurai's knee
This bloas like a giant praying round
He did not fly off with the blow or spray blood all over the place The Sa fiercely one second and droppedoff the bandit leader's laughter
”W What's happening? What did you do!? Paralysis? Hey, healer! Stop fooling around, heal him!”
The bandit leader yelled as Naotsugu swung his sword and said:
”You annoying fellow, stop spouting ugly ht”
”You! What did you say?”
(This is faster than I iined, what a reliable pro technique)
shi+roe looked to the vast forest on the right of the courtyard
Everyone was standing on the road full of bright greenish white light and couldn't see deep into the bushes of the courtyard
As shi+roe knew his companion was inside that bush
”fuck it! Enough! Hey, Sorcerer! Suot to burn them into crisp!”
The bandit leader decided to show his hidden cards and throw in his reserve forces
(So there were two other ht be able to kill us if they join the fray Even though the Sa ill lose)
shi+roe deduced the thinking of the bandit leader But even the reserve forces ithin shi+roe's expectations
(They used a binding spell on Naotsugu right from the start, but only a warrior, two bandits and a healer turned up They already let the cat out of the bag at that point in time)
shi+roe already knew the PK group was holding a Mage in reserve standing by in the dense forest
(Mages have low HP and defense, but they left theuard Which means)
”Hey, hurry up! Kill these bastards!”
The bandit leader shouted in a panic while pointing his sword at Naotsugu But the tip of his sas u
shi+roe and Naotsugu's tactics and weird atmosphere had depleted the morale of the PKers
”Seems like on”
”You are right, my lord”
A sure appeared from behind the broad leaved tree
Akatsuki with her usual serious expression dragged two Mages with her and duirl shorter than 150c the PKers like trash made the bandit leader lose his composure
”What, what, what are you doing? Why didn't you report in? H-healer! Didn't I tell you to e our HP! Did, did you betray us”
”This is why I said you're annoying”
The bandit leader's speech annoyed Naotsugu too much, and he knocked the leader with his shi+eld The leader lost his balance from this sudden attack and fell on his butt
”It's better to trust your tea since the start of the battle”
shi+roe's cruel announcement could be heard on the whole road
This was the spell Astral Hypnos
The binding spell that was one of the two invaluable weapons of an Enchanter alongside Keen Edge A e spell It only lasted a dozen or so seconds no matter how you extended it
The target would wake up when attacked, so it was a prank ic in a sense, used to buy some time
Battle was a way of stripping each other of the ability to fight The goal was to kill off the other party Just putting the opponent to sleep wouldn't win you the fight It was a spell that wouldn't affect the fight directly
That hy Enchanters were seen as a 2nd-rate class
”Do not underestiic”
”!”
The road had returned to silence all of a sudden
The lightning balls had stopped sparkling after its duration ran out Both bandits were sitting on the ground while the healer was sleeping soundly shi+roe's group looked down at them
”You underesti it because of its low dahts near your eyes obscured your vision of the forest's dark areas You wouldn't see the situation in the forest or realize your healer was sleeping You only think about fighting, your teamwork is full of loopholes It is easy to assassinate your reserves”
After Akatsuki finished, Naotsugu swung down his sword as if he was looking forward to it The long-haired bandit who had lost his fighting spirit screah-pitched whistle and died
”We, will revive even after dying, we haven't lost yet!”
The bandit leader was still acting tough, but he couldn't move with Akatsuki's blade on his throat
Akatsuki asked shi+roe with her eyes
She was asking for permission to proceed
shi+roe gave a long sigh
Tying hi him was possible But shi+roe's nature was not suitable for interrogation, so he couldn't really do that
(We can also let hio, but Even if we do that)
He probably wouldn't be grateful for that
And he wouldn't take this as a lesson and repent
He would definitely see it as an insult and bear a grudge Death was just a ritual in this world anyway It made one doubt there was a crime and punishment system like the real world
shi+roe understood this
But shi+roe still felt that one ards to the law
(There's no other way)
shi+roe nodded at Akatsuki She stuck the blade into the bandit leader's throat without hesitation Blood that looked red and dirty in the dark night sprayed from his throat
Akatsuki deftly turned her body to avoid the spray as gold and items dropped around the leader
This ended the attack of the PKers
4
”So the ruone bad are true”
Naotsugu, as picking up the loot, coed in response They had looked at ease before with the wild bandits, but it had not been an easy victory
There had been six eneh they were not level 90 yet Naotsugu who used defensive skills had lost half his HP
If Akatsuki hadn't taken out the reserve forces in the darkness No, if Akatsuki hadn't hidden her presence i what shi+roe had meant when he said 'I see four of them' and taken out the ambush party, who kno the battle would have turned out
shi+roe, Naotsugu, and even Akatsuki still had an ace up their sleeves But to turn the tide of battle required a cool head If they used their ace in a state of panic, they would still lose notheir cards at the right time, they could maximize its effectiveness to obtain victory
There were two reasons why shi+roe's party won The first was the overconfidence of the PKers due to their advantage in nuroup
”Any other PKers hiding around here?”
Akatsuki asked in a gloo towards the cluster of abandoned buildings
”That should be all of them”
shi+roe answered
Thewas the element of surprise, so they needed an appropriate place to set up There was the possibility of their target escaping into the city if they went further ahead, so it was not suitable to PK there
(We need to stay alert though, it is getting dangerous out here)
shi+roe thought there was another reason why they won
Because they knew about the news of the deteriorating security in the city
shi+roe's group had also heard ru around
They hid around the field zone surrounding Akiba and aroup that they defeated seemed to have been experienced in PK to the extent that they were overconfident
shi+roe's tea because they had heard the news and ary of any shadows lurking in the bushes
”They are the 'Dread Pack'? What a cliché name”
That was the guild name of the PK tearoup that terrorizes others
”Can't be helped, it would be too much to ask of PKers to come up with classy names”
Naotsugu displayed the disgust in his heart without reservation and Akatsuki agreed with him
(Well, I am furious about this too)
shi+roe sighed
Naotsugu hated PKers, and shi+roe disliked them too
There were many reasons to dislike them, but the htly
Wanting to profit off other people's hard as already an unsightly idea The gold and iteet you to the top levels, so shi+roe thought they were extrehtly
Taking others' treasure h level zone that contained these rewards Not only do youunknown places and mysteries, you wouldn't run into treasures you had never seen before as well You wouldn't be able to stand at the peak of adventures if you relied on PKing
So PKers would always be relegated to parasite status, feeding off other people's rewards
That hat shi+roe thought
(To criticize the personality of players while trapped in an alternate world Maybe this is so that cannot be helped Everyone has been pushed to the edge mentally)
Regrettably, the situation of being on edge was beco part of their daily lives, that was how this world was
”I have also heard such rumors”
”Other than that, 'Tidal Clan', 'Blue Impact' and 'Canossa' are all into PK”
shi+roe answered Akatsuki's comment
”I can understand people being freaked out, but even so Shouldn't there be other things for them to do?”
”Like what?”
”Like chatting about panties”
Akatsuki took a step back
She turned her head and looked around her before taking another step back
”Two steps She took two steps back?”
Naotsugu was depressed while shi+roe patted his shoulders to cheer hiu tried to describe the wonders of panties, but Akatsuki silenced hi 'Shut up, pervert'
The power relations of the party had gradually been set
(Other Things They Should Do)
There was nothing to do, which was the current problem
You could get by with cheap food if you just wanted to live
Even if it was tasteless soggy crackers, there was nothing to complain if it kept you alive In countries in the South East Asia region, states at war and cities facing fa for food
But they wouldn't face such a food crisis anytime soon
Food could be crafted using ingredients in Elder Tales, and the ingredients could in turn be gathered froht drop meat, and mushrooms and berries could be plucked from the forest You could fish in the sea and even cultivate and harvest plants
He didn't know about this world, but Elder Tales had four seasons It seemed to be summer now and food was everywhere out in the field
So even a beginner as less than level 10 could get food from the relatively safe field zones
The issue lay with the low percentage of players with the Chef subclass to craft the food But quite a nued their subclass to Chef in the past 10 days
Having nutritious y
It was the same with clothes
They could get fur by skinning beasts orsilk or hemp If you were not picky about the stats of the equipment, production players could make one cloth in a few dozen seconds Daily necessities like shoes could be produced by Tailors, Blacksmiths or Carpenters Normal sized equipment could be created by these craftsmen, while small and fine products were made by Artisans
As for acco if you weren't too concerned with safety or comfort
A night in a cheap hotel cost 5 gold, but even a level 10 player could get that oblins You could also opt to rent a place at a nice hotel for roup You could buy a room by yourself too, there were many ways to secure a place to sleep
In other words, just surviving in this alternate world didn't require you to risk your life or work long hours
There were no dire situations if you just wanted to survive
(But rather than living, this is ')
shi+roe thought this type of noncooal in life,to do
This was a very free alternate world
It ht be too liberal
Naotsugu would probably have said 'The objective of living? Things we should do? This should be decided and worked on by ourselves, right? Such as discussing or protecting girls Just like what panties ladies wear should be decided by the with this view, and shi+roe didn't want to object it
But soree while others wouldn't
If people didn't set a goal and work towards it, it was easy for the path There were such people everywhere, like the ones who boosted their ego by bullying others
(It's the same with PK There are many simple and safe ways to live in this world If you just want to survive, there is no need to earn lots of cash or resort to PKing)
Hence, PKing was not aalive For instance in poor countries, people ht be forced to become robbers to feed themselves But PK was totally different from that
For these people, PKing was soive the alive This htly
”Wait a minute, wah!”
Naotsugu yelled
”What is it?”
”These guys only have 62 gold combined, just how poor are they?”
”But the items they have are not too bad”
Naotsugu and Akatsuki had accounted for all the drop ite
”PKing carries a high risk Unless they're stupid, they will just bring the bare necessities The rest of their stuff should be in the bank What we see here are items they robbed from others”
The two of thehed deeply at shi+roe's comment
5
It was alht when they reached Akiba
The streets see intent
The city center, consisting of the e, was filled with stalls as usual The croas substantial there as well, but the darker outskirts of the city and the dim alleys of the ruins had suspicious players They ary of others and kept a distance fro the streets
(Security really is going bad)
shi+roe's group had been heading to the field zone to hunt monsters these past few days
It was crucial to share your inforarding eating, sleeping, the basic s they needed to confirm
After gathering this basic data, shi+roe's group had decided to find out about the field zones and how ed
This was the policy the 3 of theer time than expected
Usingtheu already had this idea, and Akatsuki was also gaining this viewpoint as time passed
The bigger the difference between using and , the h practice Confir its uses, and experih to inners cry, but it was double No, several times more in this alternate world
Take Cross Slash, for instance
This was a basic co a foe twice in the shape of a cross Guardians learned this early since it was a basic skill and they had u, there were five ways to activate this skill
”Slashi+ng froht to bottom left, then strike up vertically is the basics But you can also start with top left to bottoht, which suits left handers better You can also do a horizontal slice followed by a vertical cut”
That's hoas
This skill, or rather this basic battle movement, had already been saved inside their body Based on the two fighting class players, Naotsugu and Akatsuki, if you had the will to fight and could see your enemies' movements, your body would act automatically
But you needed lots of practice to tie down the delicatelike real worldduo was the sah the process of research, experimentation and adjustment
For ranged attack spells, ai with your staff would raise your accuracy than solely using hotkeys This was also so
Apart fro skills, it would be hard to use it on t