Chapter 36: Inside the Eye of the Storm

The existence of the unique quest. I was out of luck here, but if I manage to keep that information concealed, nothing serious should happen.

Since my current position was rather disadvantageous for me, I decided to put some distance between Pancilgton and I, all the while thinking about how should I approach this situation. At present Pencilgton was armed with a single one-handed sword, but I was sure that he should be able to close the distance in between us with ease and slash at me at high speed.

Moreover, since he was playing this game far longer than I have, his skills must have been that much better, which was bringing my chances of getting out of this alive to almost zero. Not to mention that it probably wouldn’t bother him to fight inside of a city.

「Your fake delays are as frustrating as I remember them to be……」

「Sanraku-kun, what level are you? It cannot be all that big of a number, about twenty or so, I estimate, but you keep on dodging my blows.」

「That’s because this game is good! My body moves as smoothly as ever!」

Avoiding the seemingly “poisoned” throwing knives at long range was easy, but if he decided to close the distance I might have a problem. The situation would only grow even more disadvantageous for me.

「Or maybe it’s because I’m only here to deliver a message to you from the ones at the top, so I’m not taking this seriously at all?」

「You’re saying that right now!?」

If you’ve got a message for me, than maybe stop attacking me so I can listen to it in peace?

While we exchange our blows at high speed, Pencilgton starts to recite the message:

「The choice is yours: either choose to disclose everything you know or be prepared to be a target until you will be ready to spill the beans…… That’s the message.」

「…………」

It was a really simple message. I could disclose everything that I know about the unique quest, or be constantly hunted down and killed…… What idiocy.

「I’d give it twenty points…… You should really think things through before you move on to intimidate someone, you know?」

「Oh my, what a high score it is. You are using a ten point scale, correct?」

「Way to go with threatening a beginner…… asshole!」

「Uwah.」

The way I see it, the leaders of “Ashura-kai” made two fatal mistakes.

The first one is that I just came to Thirdrema and I was yet to establish my respawn point here. Which means that even if I was going to get killed right now, I would still respawn in Rabbitz, a place where no one has ever visited before. …… In your face.

If Emul’s existence came to light only recently, then this means that it was probable that this unique quest was one that was never seen before by anyone else. So if I were to retreat to the area bound to that quest, no one would be able to assault me there, unless they were to discover the quest themselves.

The second one was even a bigger miss by them. They must have known that Pencil Warrior and I were acquaintances, and that is why they sent him to be the messenger.

A messenger is someone who is bound to deliver the message and see to it that the recipient gets to know its contents. Which means he couldn’t kill me just like that.

「Emul!」

「Y, yes!?」

It seems that the time limit for his transformation was almost up, for more and more of his parts began to revert to his original Vorpal Bunny appearance. I called out to him to make him realize that fact.

Sh*t, level, stats, magic, equipment, skills…… Everything about me is so inferior to him! And he was right, since he wasn’t using skills or magic, he was holding back! Deliver the message? Yeah right! To begin with, sword wasn’t his weapon of choice!

I use the Repel Counter to push Pencilgton away and then jump back to create some more distance in between us again.

「Grab onto my back! Hurry!」

「Eeehhh!? B, but……」

「HURRY! THE! FUCK! UP!」

「Ahh, I get it, I get it!!!」

It may have been a PK attempt, but for some reason I was acting all friendly with the assailant, and the assailant himself proved to be only a messenger. I was trying to communicate with Emul with words only we could understand, but unfortunately, I was too late with my attempts. As unfortunate as it may sound, our secret was going to get out.

PUFFFF!!! There was a cloud of white smoke with its accompanying sound effect, and I could feel that instead of a human body, there was a Vorpal Bunny sticking onto my back yet again. So sorry, but since now the cat is out of the bag, I’m gonna run like I mean it!

「AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!????????」

「Animalia, was it? I’m sorry if you were hoping for some kind of flag with me, but it’s going to have to wait!」

「At least let me take a photo of this cute little thing……」

「I wish I could, but now it would be kind of…… dangerous!」

No turning back now. I ran away as fast as I can, as far from Animalia and Pencilgton in hopes of leaving them far behind me.

「Aww, and here I was going to demonstrate my very best party trick to everyone……」

「I couldn’t care less about other players, but at this rate that cute little thing will be in danger…… Right, I shall stop you here and now, Giant Slayer!」

「Not that I mind, but I guess I should be greatful for a chance to cross blades with the top warrior of “SF-Zoo”, a guild that’s prominent in hunting down the strongest monsters in the game. Much more since normally you don’t take interest in other people at all. You have my thanks for that, S-A-N-R-A-K-U~!」

Of course Pencilgton was trying to chase after me, but unlike a low-level player, an attack from someone of an equal level and equipment like his own was not something he could possibly ignore. I mean, my weapons were not all that bad, but let’s be honest here: what could I possibly do against someone like him?

But Pencilgton wasn’t the one who was dangerous here. If this Animalia chick was so determined that she came all the way here she could be even more dangerous than a professional assassin! …… But I guess it’s thanks to her that I’m not a victim of PK thus far. So once more I can be grateful to Emul…… for bringing us this human shield called high-level player!

If we ever meet each other again I must take her to Rabbitz. I’m sure she would love the place. And Pencilgton…… Next time we meet, you’re gonna be dead meat! That’s for sure!

Once we enter the city for real, the conditions for Emul’s “Coordinate Teleportation Gate” will be met!

「Well, you know…… I DID say that I was a messenger, but I didn’t say that I came here alone, now did I? Kukuku.」

Suddenly, a wild group of PKs appeared out of nowhere!

Holy sh*t! That’s overdoing it! I haven’t even reached level fifty yet! Cut me some slack! Don’t turn this magnificent game into another sh*tty game!

As I looked at the four more players that appeared right in front of me, I could see that their player tags were all written in red font.