Chapter 64: Momentary Thoughts Part 11 Part 2

「We still have some time to spare before the battle, so I’m going to catch some sleep……」

I’ve been almost non-stop logged in for the past three days and I was slowly starting to feel the backlash from that. I wanted to log out and catch a quick rest before the big battle starts, but there were still some things that I needed to take care of before going to bed.

So I teleport to Rabbitz via the “Portable Teleportation Scroll”, an item that I received from Pencilgton sometime earlier……

「Kyah!!」

「Uwoah, what the hell!? A bird!?」

Suddenly there was some kind of bird that landed on my arm and sunk its claws into it. It’s appearance looked really similar to the image thats engraved on my mask…… Was that a falcon by any chance?

I tried to shake it off of my arm, but I noticed that I felt no pain at all from it and that I wasn’t losing HP. Also, it seems that it had something like a tube strapped to one of its legs.

「Is this perhaps…… Someone’s idea of a carrier pigeon?」

「Scree!」

Should I take that as a confirmation? Just then the falcon extended its leg and the tube that was strapped to it disappeared, instead displaying a small window filled with letters.

「Is that a letter……? But who’s the sender?」

Dear Sir,

The midsummer sun shines strong and the days are even hotter. How are you spending your summer?

I thought it might be a nuisance to ask you this directly, hence the letter I have written.

There is going to be a major update coming live today at 10 p.m. in ShangriLa Frontier. Isn’t it amazing that the update can be applied without the need for the players to log out? Even though I’m not all that well-versed in technology myself, I think it is something truly impressive.

This is the main topic: would you like to see some of the new features together with me sometime?

Thank you for your consideration,

Saiga-0

I was stiffened with shock for a moment there to finally realize that it was probably all part of a roleplay of some sorts.

Umm, so, to sum it up, was she asking if I was free tonight? I wonder why she was asking me that in the first place? I’m really sorry, but not tonight……

「Umm, reply, where’s the reply button……? Ah, there it is……!」

Just below the parchment-like window there was a small touch panel with a keyboard to write your response with.

For now I had to refuse the invitation…… Oh yeah, maybe while I’m at it, I might throw a question or two at Saiga-0, who looked like one of the stronger players of ShanFro?

「How do high-level players deal with ultra-fast attacks……?」

Now what do I do? Should I attach it back to the falcon’s leg? Hey, stop looking at me in such a weird way! I didn’t think that birds could look so clearly spiteful!

「Come on now, be a pal and come here.」

「Scree!」

Seeing the falcon fly away with one last scree that couldn’t be mistaken for anything else, I decided to go to Rabbitz…… taking a stroll through town one more time.

「Scree!」

「Eeehhh……」

Wait a moment, wasn’t that a little bit TOO fast for a reply!?

I gently stroke the falcon’s head while opening the letter, and see so many symbols that I was astonished how it was humanly possible to type so much in such a short amount of time. I give it all a read while allowing the falcon to rest on my shoulder.

「So, in short…… “Thank you for your reply. It’s a shame, but what can you do? I look forward to seeing you again. Basically, high-speed attacks can be dealt with in two different ways: either by grasping the animation that starts them and dodging accordingly or by critical guard. Although this other option is not all that dependable, since there are lots of conditions that need to be satisfied for a critical guard, some of which are still unknown. What I mean is that, even if your LUC stat is one hundred, you won’t be able to activate a critical guard on that alone. Also, Critical Guard doesn’t seem to work against Multi-Hit Attacks and Insta-Death Attacks.” Huh.」

This “shortened” version was still rather long, and the whole thing was five times longer. And to be perfectly honest, lots of the information I was already suspecting on my own before writing this mail.

Not that those pieces of information weren’t useful but…… There was literally nothing I could do about them in my current state.

「Welp, thank you yet again, buddy……」

「Scree!」

「…… Want some candy?」

「Scree!」

The falcon ate the candy, but its expression was a clear indication that it would much prefer to eat some raw salmon instead. I know how you feel, buddy, but sorry, I don’t have any on me right now.

「Hoo, hoo, so you like that, huh? However, it is really amazing…… ShanFro, that is.」

I know that it was just a creation of a bunch of polygons, but still, it looked just like the real thing.

「………… Haa.」

「Scree?」

「Nothing, it’s nothing…… And are you really a falcon to begin with?」

I unintentionally laugh under my nose. This is it. This is why I play video games. To be able to experience all of those fantastic and unrealistic things that I wouldn’t be able to normally experience in any other way.

「Sanraku-san! Welcome… back…… HMM!?」

After sending the falcon with the reply, I went to the streets of Rabbitz and met Emul by complete accident while casually strolling about the place.

「What’s wrong?」

「…… That smell! It’s the smell of some other animal beside me! Explain yourself, Sanraku-san! Right now!」

What are you, a yandere character!? There was a yandere heroine in one of the dating sims that I used to play, and I don’t have fond memories of that yandere heroine’s route, let me tell you! So cease that at once!

While I was thinking that, Emul began to climb up my body and ultimately stopped at the top of my head.

「This place on Sanraku-san’s back is mine and mine alone! I won’t lose to some random bird that popped out completely out of nowhere all of a sudden!」

「If I remember correctly, bunnies and falcons are natural enemies, right?」

「Muu –––––––––!!!」

「Ouch! Ouch, ouch, ouch! Stop it!」

You STR may be only at thirty points, but it still hurts, god damn it!