kscans

Chapter 159 - Sharing a Drink on the Starless Plains

◇ You have a message from player [Irori] ◇

‘Hey, hope you’re doing well. Did you enjoy the date with your rumored partner?’

‘Anyway, Goldow said he needs to talk to you. Pop into the talk room when you have a moment.’

◇ Eastern Round Table Talk Room ◇

[Haru]: Good evening?

[Haru]: I heard you wanted to talk. Is Gossan here?

[Goldow]: Yeah, my bad, kid.

[Goldow]: Just forgot to tell ya and give ya a couple things.

[Goldow]: Got a minute?

[Haru]: Ahh…

[Haru]: I’m outside the city right now, can you wait a bit?

[Goldow]: Nah, this is my screw-up. I’ll come to you.

[Haru]: Uh, it’s pretty far, you know?

[Goldow]: Don’t underestimate a ranker. I ain’t an AGI-spec like you, but a little distance is nothin’ to me.

[Haru]: Well, if you insist, I don’t mind.

[Haru]: In that case, I’ll be waiting in the Withered Luck Plains, north of the safe area.

[Mi-na]: So far!

[Ri-na]: My condolences.

[Irori]: That’s what you get for trying to act cool for no reason.

[Goldow]: …………

[Goldow]: J-Just wait… I’ll be there in an hour.

◇◆◇◆◇

"…Look, really, I wouldn’t have minded going to you."

"Don't… huff… underestimate me."

With his golden hair, like a Lion's Mane, in complete disarray, the third-ranked player appeared at the designated location in exactly one hour, just as he had declared.

It was just before midnight in real time. After my da—adventure and various other things with Sora, I had logged out once before logging back in. As planned, I had come for a second round of bird hunting, seeking the additional materials Nia had requested…

But a message from Irori set things in motion, and now here we are.

The [Withered Luck Plains]—a unique area where the [White-Shining Bird of Fortune] appears. As far as the eye could see, it was a barren wasteland without a single weed, dominated by a single, absurdly massive tree.

There was nothing else to describe it; a truly desolate field.

It seemed other players had no need for it either, as I’d never encountered anyone else despite camping out here for long hunting sessions.

This map was ridiculously vast, but the player population was just as ridiculously large. Unlike the beginner areas, you’d at least cross paths with others fairly often in other zones.

Well, anyway.

"You okay…?"

It was a distance that would take even me more than thirty minutes to run from the [Safe Area]. From his own words, it was clear he wasn't an AGI-spec build, just as his appearance suggested… I was impressed he actually made it in an hour.

It seems that even high-ranked players can't avoid virtual sensory fatigue if they push their avatars beyond their build's limits. I showed some concern for Gossan, who was breathing heavily through his shoulders without trying to hide it. The great man, his forehead beaded with sweat, simply raised an arm as if to say, "I'm fine."

But still, even as he leaned over with his hands on his knees, he was huge. He must be a tank or a heavy warrior build—

"Sorry, I'm fine… What were you doing in a place like this?"

"Well, I mean, it's a place like this. There's only one thing to come here for, right?"

I spread my arms and showed him my [El-Gran Series] equipment, and he nodded in understanding.

"Ah, now that you mention it. But you've already got that set, you still need more materials?"

"Yeah, for various things."

"Hoh?"

I wasn't about to foolishly tell him it was to make a matching set for my partner. I could already see the endless teasing that would follow.

"So? What were the two or three things you needed to do?"

I didn't mean to rush him, but I wanted to get to the main topic. Even if we were going to chat, it would be easier to relax and talk once business was out of the way.

When I prompted him, Gossan nodded once more and began to operate his window—

"First, I need to give you this."

"…A key?"

The large hand, nearly the size of my face, plucked a small, simply shaped key from his inventory. As I took it from him, the intricate details suggested it was a rather important item…

"It's the key to the 'Round Table.' With that, you can jump there from any safe zone, like a city."

"Oh, wow."

It was a textbook magic item. Nice, things like this genuinely get me excited.

"How do I use it?"

"Select it from your inventory screen, materialize it and open its details window, use a thought command—whatever you want. It'll even activate with a gesture, like you're actually unlocking a door."

"The degree of freedom is insane."

Seriously, how much detail did they pack into a single item in this game? Is this the best or what?

"That's the first thing. The other was about the talk room… but looks like Ui took care of that for you, so no problem there. All that's left is—"

Gossan operated the window he had left open, and then,

"Once again, lookin' forward to workin' with ya—Haru the Acrobat."

"…Yeah, same here. A pleasure, Goldow the General Commander."

I accepted the friend request that appeared before me and shook hands with the great man, who was smiling cheerfully.

But, well, there was one thing I wanted to say—

"…Wait, you ran for an hour just for this?"

I directed the question to the third-ranked player, the de facto leader of Istia, who was surely swamped with work at a time like this—

"…Don't say it. I'm already thinking how stupid I am."

He had said it was his own fault and all, but… I couldn't tell if he was surprisingly earnest or what.

Between his ridiculously low threshold for laughter and other things, he was a rather friendly fellow, contrary to his gruff appearance.

"Ah, well. Since we're here, let's take this chance to get to know each other better, Ninth."

"I don't mind, but… ah, wait a sec—it's almost time."

Aside from the giant tree, there wasn't so much as a single rock to sit on in this plain. I had no objection to Gossan's suggestion as he plopped himself down on the dry, cracked earth… but first, I had to prepare for the respawn my alarm was about to announce—

"Oh?"

"Be right back."

Far above the fantasy-like giant tree, which had to be well over fifty meters tall, a faint light emerged from the empty sky. Polygons gathered beneath it in a very game-like effect, and a massive white bird with great wings materialized—

[Panga Fool]—into [Ignition]. Then, I dashed along the 'path' created by the [Parabellum Bullets] I'd thrown from both hands in a single breath.

"Gotcha."

[Blink Switch]—the [Giant's Hand Axe] I swung, scattering a powerful gust of wind, bisected the giant bird's body without much resistance.

I returned the massive weapon, summoned only for the moment of attack, to my inventory and glanced at the results that popped up… and nope, a miss. Unfortunately, I didn't get the [Azure Sky Feather of the Lucky Bird].

With a sigh, I activated [Floating Leaf]. Manipulating my kinetic energy, my body now free of weight and gravitational pull, I landed softly.

The round trip was just over two hundred and fifty meters—and I had completed the entire process in less than ten seconds.

"Now that's a show."

Whoosh! He let out an impressive whistle. Gossan, the corners of his mouth turned up in amusement, looked thoroughly entertained as he thrust a large mug, presumably pulled from his inventory, toward me.

"I mean, you can probably do this much too, right?"

"Hah, is that what you say to an old man who just ran his ass off to get here?"

The [General Commander], who stood right behind the [Sword Saint], just laughed boisterously—"Ka-ka!"—at my deadpan expression as I accepted the mug.

The droplets that scattered dramatically as we forcefully clinked our mugs together glittered in the silent plain, shining in place of the stars.