kscans

Chapter 796 - Green Connect, Jehatreglie

The Colored Monster, one of the 'Five Colored Pillars,' is Green Connect, Jehatreglie—a monster of such outrageous proportions that it boasts the largest body in all of Arcadia, leaving all others in the dust.

Its overwhelming majesty fills a massive crater roughly three kilometers in diameter, which means if it were to extend the colossal tail wrapped around its body, it would easily exceed a staggering ten kilometers in length. What an absurdity.

Naturally, it is not an existence that a mere human can face head-on.

And it, in turn, does not deign to fight such minuscule beings with its own body.

There is only one condition for Green Connect to awaken... or rather, to activate. A creature must set foot upon its back, which resembles a mountain range overgrown with giant trees.

Even then, however, its only action is to slightly lift its eyelids. Fortunately for us, it shows no sign of taking any real action, so we don't have to worry about cataclysmic environmental destruction every time a player pokes it.

The battle to conquer it unfolds entirely upon its back.

First, a premise: a vast 'otherworld' spreads across the shell on Green Connect's back. While some whisper hopeful theories that it can't possibly be on the same ridiculous scale as the [Garden of Divine Creation], which is currently said to be infinite, the truth remains unknown.

This is because a certain circumstance imposes a time limit on any attempt to conquer it. Furthermore, information gathered from two past attempts strongly suggests that the structure of the environment on its back changes with each challenge, making a complete mapping practically impossible.

Anyone even vaguely familiar with Arcadia would likely tilt their head at this soul-crushing design and ask, 'Isn't that the domain of the White Throne?'

And they would be absolutely correct. Powers related to space are the specialty of Tsarkalv of the White Throne, which governs 'Boundaries.' It is not a power that Green Connect, Jehatreglie, which supposedly governs the power of 'Covenant,' should possess.

That's right, it shouldn't possess it. From a meta perspective, it's unlikely that the 'Five Colored Pillars,' the game's main attractions, would have overlapping abilities.

Taking that into account, a half-conclusive answer has already been reached. The 'otherworld' on Green Connect's back might be something that the creature acquired later—a side effect.

Innumerable dungeons have been incorporated into the back of Green Connect, Jehatreglie.

Dungeons, or instance dungeon areas—these are the epitome of the 'otherworld' concept, even in a meta sense, and are common in many games.

And so, hypothesis one: Green Connect is some kind of entity that grows by absorbing its environment.

Hypothesis two: Green Connect acquires the properties of the environments it absorbs as its own abilities.

Hypothesis three: There is likely no capacity limit to those abilities.

In other words... Green Connect, which had been inactive since the service began, must have absorbed dungeons in its 'past,' and as a result, transformed its own existence into a dungeon. That seems to be the prevailing theory.

And in doing so, it has come to spread an even vaster field upon its already gigantic body—all while adhering to the absolute rules of the game system, the will of the divine.

This directly informs our strategy as players. The method of conquering Green Connect, Jehatreglie that has been discovered to date is, in short,

to run across the back of the unmoving giant, dashing through the endless otherworld,

and believing it will lead to the goal—to crush the countless dungeons, the only visible signs of progress, one by one.

It is, in essence, a relentless, overwhelming advance.

"...So, in the end, we still have no idea what the exact path is, right?"

Within the barrier, the assembled forces numbered not just one hundred, but well over two hundred, even three hundred. This massive contingent was a result of thorough preparation for unforeseen circumstances like personnel trouble.

At the head of this army of elites, the 'Princess' delivered a speech to unify our resolve and boost morale as the designated time approached. Watching her from a distance,

"Well, can't be helped. My 'crown' is completely useless here, after all."

As I chewed over the information—a review that was greatly appreciated for its calming effect—my muttered thoughts, a rehash of what I'd thought while studying, were answered by a cheerful female voice.

"I heard. All the 'paths' just get sucked into the nearest dungeon, right?"

"Yep, yep, yep. It's a real pain."

"...However, that is precisely why we were able to solidify a minimum guideline."

Then, the voice of the invincible samurai chimed in, piggybacking on Lux's usual bright and lighthearted tone. As he watched Alicia's masterful stage presence, Irori's follow-up was nothing less than the truth.

It was because of the power of Lux's 'crown,' the [Treasure Hunter], that we were able to confirm with certainty that conquering the countless dungeons was the correct path.

What awaits us at the end of that path, and how long that path may be... The most crucial details remain unknown, but there's a world of difference between knowing what you need to do and not.

"Fufu... That was your brilliant contribution, Lu-chan."

"It was, it was! Ehehe, praise me more!"

Ui-san's words of praise, and Lux's immediate descent into a puddle of delighted goo in response, could be said to be a well-deserved reward. It also keeps the peace, so I'd appreciate it if my master would continue to keep the high-tension monster restrained.

At least in terms of physical strength (STR), she should have no problem—

"—Well, whatever. It's gonna be tough, but it'd be great if we can finish it this time."

"It really would be. Gatherin' this many people must be a pain."

"A few hundred people... Every time, it's a huge undertaking. Seriously."

And then, three more voices. In the circle of top-tier rankers who had gathered in one spot, it was only natural that most were bearers of renowned titles.

As if completely oblivious to their own number one ranker making a ridiculously sloppy, blissed-out face in the chest of another faction's leader, the men of the north exchanged casual, friendly words.

They were rank two [Wolf Pack], rank seven [Great Tiger], and rank ten [Cloud Cover].

From our Eastern Faction, the [Sword Saint], [Peerless], [Undying], and myself, the [Acrobat], had come. From the Southern Faction, the [Sword Queen] and [Thread-Weaver] had joined, along with the [Traveler], making for a total of ten rankers.

This was the roster of rankers for this conquest... or more precisely, the breakdown of the seats for rankers from the combat-oriented factions, excluding Vestol of the Western Faction.

It feels arrogant to critique, but it's an extremely sound selection of personnel.

In terms of mobility, combat strength, and survivability, as well as the ability to single-handedly ensure the safety of their companions, this lineup represents the best of the best.

When it comes to defense, [Castle Lord]-chan and the [Knight] are absolutely superior, but since this raid requires high-speed dungeon clearing, a certain level of attack power and agility is also a prerequisite.

Among them, the one who seems particularly suited for this is...

"What're you lookin' at?"

"Just thinking your hairstyle is on point today."

"Oh? Flattery'll get you nowhere, ya know."

...none other than Tiger Lucky, or Torakichi-kun, who, despite his words, was clearly pleased by my half-hearted compliment.

His various abilities, which are unreasonably effective not just in PvP but also against mobs, are a given, but his wild intuition for sniffing out dungeons is also something to be noted.

Of course, the [Sword Queen] and the [Sword Saint] are in a league of their own, but... at least in terms of reliability, he's on a completely different level than me, who is nothing but a bundle of instability. He will undoubtedly perform admirably with overwhelming momentum, without ever faltering.

"...He seems to be led by the nose by someone most of the time, but every so often, he's the one doing the leading."

"Every so often... is that all?"

"I feel like it's a bit more frequent than that..."

I could hear a whispered conversation from the three girls nearby—including the two non-combat rankers—but fortunately, my ears aren't as sharp as a cat's (or a tiger's).

"You better pull your weight too, Haru. Loser with the fewest clears has to do a penalty game, obviously."

"I don't know what's so obvious about it, but you're on. I'll think of some options, so you can pick your favorite."

"What's that supposed to mean, you idiot? Don't you get cheeky and assume you're gonna win again."

"Nah, come on, you know. When you consider the absolute difference in our movement speed..."

"I've got you beat in strength, power, and fighting spirit!"

"Lately, I've heard I'm pretty excessive when it comes to strength and power myself."

"—You're not going to point out the redundancy in his words..."

"He's not thinking about it. Just let the two idiots enjoy their conversation."

As I tuned out the voices of my juniors, number one and two, beside me,

"—...Alright, see you in an hour."

...at the head of the group, Alicia finished the final meeting, concluding her words.

"Let the conquest begin."

She conveyed a serene fighting spirit to all present.