Chapter 192: Lighting the Damp Matches, Wolves Hunts in Packs Part 1

Even before the era of Shanfro, the AI of the NPCs was constantly evolving and growing for a while now. Although it must be said that before Shanfro it was not all that perfect and accurate. Especially since Shanfro’s NPCs can answer complex questions about monsters, events, places and things such as weather. Hell, they can even tell you the story of their lives and mention what they were eating for dinner yesterday.

But still, if only you remember to formulate your questions in a right way and use some key words recognized by the system, you can have an quasi-normal conversation with any NPC and expect them to answer your questions in a detailed way. There are some games that cannot even do something half as impressive as that, but we are slowly getting there. We just need to give the industry a little bit more time to adapt.

「You, the sword that the Snail Knight carried with him…… Do you understand why it was carrying that item with it in the first place?」

「Eh……?」

And as the technology advances ever so further, the AI evolves as well, being able to express various emotions and acquires superior intelligence.

Because AI is constantly evolving, the NPCs are becoming more and more autonomous, and in some games they can even create their own communities and elect their own rulers…… But that is still something that is fairly uncommon and can be considered a muddy field to talk about.

「Do you really understand why that is? I want to hear you say it.」

「I, I get it…… I understand! It means that Papa died after being dragged in here!!」

NPCs are curious creatures that act like real people, but at the same time are not real people. They are creatures that simplify the complexity of the human nature, which is then compressed and expressed as a set of parameters. And their knowledge cannot exceed beyond that what is written in the script that was assigned to them.

A villain NPC can only be a villain because it is the only way of life he had ever known. And NPCs cannot tell you about their ancestors or distant relatives if they do not have information like that programmed into their code.

One could even say that NPCs are like ‘simple keyholes’. It is easy to unlock their contents with the right tools in your hands, it is only important to know just with which exact tools you need to work. And that knowledge comes from the individual characteristics of each NPC.

「No, I can clearly see that you do not understand a thing.」

「Eh……? Then what the fuck is it!?」

「Now listen here, you piss stain.」

「Who the fuck do you call a piss stain!?」

Alright, you may not be one but just because the in-game engine does not allow it. But if you could piss your pants, you’d surely do that, be honest here.

Oh well, that does not even matter right about now. What matters is that this kid is just a ‘sacredly cat’ and nothing more. So what I need to do right about now is to find a way to ‘inspire’ him. And the right tools for the job here would be…… ‘Father’ and ‘Subordinates that are left’.

「Listen up, kid. There are four monsters in this underwater city that are unlike the rest of the rotten fish zombies that roams its streets. The one we got that sword from is one of such monsters, and they essentially just stay hauled up in the four towers around the city.」

「So!? How the hell that does connect to……!?」

If Pencilgton was right here with me, she would surely call it a ‘White lie’. It is basically lying to someone’s face, but you try to mask it behind kindness and consideration.

So instead of telling him the whole truth in one go, I shall feed him so small lies first, only to start delivering the truth gradually, over time. Think about it as a really convoluted game of Othello. How about it? Pretty clever, huh?

「Your dad might have fallen into an ambush and died as a result. But here is when you enter the stage in his place.」

「………!!!」

「Do you realize what does this mean? Or maybe I should ask you something different: what is your purpose for being here?」

Good, good, the roleplay element is coming along quite nicely. I already have some experience with pulling some wool over the NPC’s eyes, and even Weissash, a potential Unique Monster has fallen into my clutches thanks to techniques when a single bad lie could spell your doom.

「Even though he was taken here, your father never stopped fighting. However, he might not have been strong enough and that spelled his doom…… Ahh, don’t give me that look. After all, the story of your father is still going on.」

Use the resulting emotions as a stick. Beat him with that stick, and once he decides to take proper actions, give him some carrot for his efforts. Don’t bother with respecting the dead and the cutlass having a sentimental value. It is all weapons that can be used for you to reach your goal.

「What is it that I can do? You yourself should know that best. I think that your father knew that as well. He knew that he was not cut out for the task, but he still chose to challenge the Snail Knight. Why he chose to do that…… You understand, right?」

「This, is……」

「You can do it…… No, you are probably the ONLY one who can do it. He believed that his subordinates would eventually find their way here, to the bottom of the sea and finish the job that he had started. That is why he was able to stand his ground until the very end. That kind of resolve takes courage and needs to be respected.

「Resolve……」

「Sure thing, in your veins flows the same blood as your father’s. However, a child is so much more than just his or her parents. So what you should be doing right about now? Cowering in fear under the bed? No, you should find the determination within yourself to go on and press forward.」

「Press, forward……」

「「It must be scary to walk through the dark with nothing to hold on to, right? But you see, that’s why we are called Pioneers. We lounge into the darkness with nothing but torches in our hands head-first, so that those who follow us can walk down the bright and illuminated path. And right now, we can help you in the exact same way.」

I then direct all of my attention towards Rust and Mold, hoping that my aura and the general tone of the discussion will be able to reach them and that they will figure out what I have meant by that. Apparently they got the message and were all about to confirm my words themselves, although there were so ad-lib differences here and there.

「T-That’s right! And there are others besides us in here that you can rely on! 」