Chapter 388 - Dawn Breaks White, a Funeral Song for a New Beginning, Part Two
A battlefield several kilometers in diameter, from the center to the outer edge—a distance I can cross in just a few strides.
Using the thrust from a continuous activation of [Rocket], I closed in on the 'Red' tsunami in an instant. The scene that unfolded before me was, as expected, a familiar vision of hell.
As I passed, I swung at the countless necks sprouting from that hellscape, neatly slicing through all within my reach… and an immediate sense of wrongness shot through the left hand gripping my dagger.
"—Tough…!"
My blade cut through, and it wasn't hard to take them down in a single strike if I aimed for a vital spot—but the feedback was completely different from the Remnants of the Red Circle I had fought in the southern basin.
This was with my Rabbit Dagger, fully charged with the momentum of my approach. A half-hearted swing wouldn't be enough to cleave them in two… which I conveyed via…
"Secret technique: Blind High-Speed Typing!"
Clang. I momentarily sheathed the Rabbit Dagger, unleashed the player skill I'd recently acquired, opened the system window, and sent a message.
'Kinda strong.'
Typing out a few characters like that is a piece of cake. Now Gossan, the recipient of my message, will probably issue a warning of some kind.
My job as the vanguard is done. All that's left is to wreak as much havoc as possible!
It was entirely my fault for charging in without a moment's hesitation, but a beat later, I kicked off the accelerator again, scattering the phosphorescent light of [Scareless] that had just settled on my avatar.
Fangs, claws, thorns, and who knows what else rained down on me, the lone warrior who had plunged into the horde. I weaved through every deadly weapon, swinging both arms with all my might.
This was a perfect example of having nowhere to step. But if I could step on the air—
"Barely… manageable!"
I could vaguely feel a certain something resonating with me, but my Rabbit Dagger probably didn't have a special effect like [Everquartz, the Sky-Soaring White Crystal Sword].
However, with my strength boosted by the double whammy of [Twaibolt Mirari] and [Scareless], its already high base specs were more than enough to do the job.
I leaped, I slashed, I smashed, and slowly but surely, I carved out a ring of empty space within the tsunami—yeah, right. Knew it.
No matter how much I pacified my immediate surroundings, it was a drop in the bucket considering the 'spawn points' were spread across the entire outer perimeter of this vast battlefield.
My heart nearly broke watching the 'Red' tsunami encroach ever further inward, but without any area-of-effect attacks, there was nothing else I could do—
"………………Where does this even end? This whole damn nightmare…!"
I muttered to myself, swinging my arms wildly to reduce the burden on the main force by even a single percent… and a few seconds later…
As if growing impatient with something…
My beloved sword, which had remained silent in its sheath, made a soft rattling sound.
◇◆◇◆◇
"—Whoa, he's fast………… Looks like he's having fun."
"You think he's having fun?"
"There's no way that looks fun."
"Why is he able to dive in alone and just… live, like it's normal?"
"His kill score must be insane right now."
"And the mobs are probably on an infinite respawn timer."
In a corner of the main force, waiting to engage the tsunami…
The questions and retorts that followed the northern top ranker's (Lux's) absentminded mutter grew more tense with each passing second.
A warning from the eastern top ranker (Goldow), likely prompted by a message from the one currently rampaging, had already been circulated.
Slightly buffed Remnants of the Red Circle… were no great threat to the ranked players, of course, nor to the other elite players—normally.
But these veterans knew. They knew just how exhausting a large-scale melee in this virtual world could be.
And they also knew what would happen if they tackled such content—content that would normally make you turn tail and perform a strategic retreat—while already fatigued.
White Throne Subjugation Battle, Phase Four—at this point, it was a chaotic, messy battlefield where no one even knew if this was truly part of the White Throne fight anymore.
The players had reached a state of enlightenment.
Namely… whatever happens, happens.
"You know, I'm starting to have fun too."
"I've been having a hundred percent fun from the start."
"In fact, you could say I am the very embodiment of fun."
"Sora-chan is so cute."
"If Sora-chan's doing her best, then we have to do our best too!"
"I'm gonna start a fan club when this is all over…!"
As the Istians, who were likely a bit unhinged to begin with, began to abandon all reason from one side to the other… the Traveler from another faction watched them, a joyful smile on her face, as if she'd forgotten her own fatigue.
"Heehee, things are heating up… In that case…"
Wiping her soot-stained cheek from the battles so far, she leaped up from the dragon carcass she'd been resting on. Her spring-green hair swayed in the wind… and beneath it, her golden eyes, which blinked once, twice…
"I guess it's about time I showed off a little, too—[Treasure Hunter]!"
…shone brilliantly, fixed on the 'adventure' ahead.
A small crown materialized above her head. Lux reached up and snatched it, then squeezed her left hand shut. It didn't crack or shatter… Instead, the symbol of power changed shape within her grasp.
She slipped the crown, now a ring, onto the index finger of her right hand. The number one ranker of the Northern Faction, Nortalia, took the first step on an exhilarating journey.
On her right hand, two rings—one gold, one silver—now gleamed.
She exuded an aura completely at odds with her usual self. Even the players who knew her well fell silent and followed behind her.
"Alright, everyone—follow me!"
With an innocently raging storm and swords of sand summoned from the void at her side…
And a beat later…
Led by the Traveler, who charged forward without a hint of hesitation, the fourth engagement began all across the field—as the players and the 'Red' tsunami finally collided.