kscans

Chapter 866 - A Grand, Incognito Stroll

"—Oh? [Headless Underworld (One-Off-De)... no, that’s not it."

"Right, that’s a rare item with a Rider (Giru) motif. Yours is the Mount-Dog (Doru) type, senpai."

"Eh, let me see. One, ten, a hundred, a thousand… —Soooooo expensive."

"You can pay that much in a heartbeat, senpai."

Guided by Tetra, we arrived beyond the sign that read “[Key Tree] Related.” The countless rows of stalls were bustling with a massive crowd of people, befitting the high demand.

That said, the supply was also enormous, so the distribution space itself was ridiculously huge.

As a result, the foot traffic was spread out nicely, and there was no problem with us weaving through the sides of the stalls, glancing at this and that while remaining hidden.

—Still, the sheer number of people and shops is just…

"This is it. It’s impossible to do the whole ‘this is cheaper over there’ housewife routine. You’d just waste time and never buy a single thing."

"It's pretty much impossible to see everything from end to end. The shops and items change not just daily, but by the minute… To borrow Hinayo-san's words, it's a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, maybe?"

"Ah, so Hina-san really does like this stuff."

Well, that must be part of its charm. In that it’s a place you’ll never get tired of, no matter when you come or where you look, it's undoubtedly a form of “content” in its own right.

And when faced with an emotional phrase like “once-in-a-lifetime encounter,” I can't help but feel my heart drawn to the dagger that appeared before me—but I have to hold back.

I’m bound to lose to temptation and play gacha again in the future anyway. If I start buying from other places too, things will get completely out of hand. My weapon pool is already on the verge of saturation, so I shouldn’t carelessly add more cards to my hand.

Especially if it’s a rare item. I, who might not even be able to handle it properly and just let it gather dust, shouldn't be hoarding something someone else was lucky enough to find.

"Farewell, [Zain-tu-Alter (Headless Sword of Dark Brilliance)]… If we get the chance, let’s meet again…"

"You’re so reluctant. You should just buy it."

Parting, too, is the beauty of a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.

By the way, both the Sword of Dark Brilliance (Alter) I just parted with and my Sword of Dark Desire (Desire) are so-called “low-level items” that drop from the monolith on the tenth layer, but the concept of obsolescence doesn’t exist for weapons obtained in the [Key Tree].

What that means is, just like players, [Key Tree] weapons improve their performance as they ascend the layers. In other words, by the time I proudly reach the hundredth layer, my [One-Off-Desire, the Headless Sword of Dark Desire] will have undergone a magnificent “growth.”

Combined with those Jeweled Crystal Drops (custom parts), the ability to nurture an item you’ve taken a shine to is likely a major reason so many players have fallen into this rabbit hole.

And there's one more thing.

The reason [Key Tree] armaments are receiving so much attention from every player who enjoys combat is…

"Well, this is… —It's basically a card shop, isn't it?"

"It saves space, so business must be booming."

…its form. That is, just like when I pulled [One-Off-Desire, the Headless Sword of Dark Desire] from the monolith, they possess a stylish “card form.”

To put it simply, [Key Tree] armaments can switch back and forth between card and physical form.

And naturally, an item’s weight is dependent on its form. As for what this characteristic brought about… a kind of revolution in Arcadia’s “combat.”

For example, if you carry multiple [Key Tree] armaments in their card state… when you need them, with a thought, anyone can easily deploy and store multiple weapons.

What that means is, in short, one thing.

As the very person whose name is constantly cited as “that person” in discussions about this “revolution,” it's a topic that feels anything but unrelated to me.

"To think I played a part in this trend… it’s, well, kind of awkward…"

"It’s more than just ‘a part.’ They’re straight-up copying the [Acrobat]."

Right now, a so-called “Crown Style” of fighting while rapidly switching weapons is all the rage in the virtual world. This is a shameful fact, and I wish they would stop.

`Materialize`, the process of changing a card into its physical form.

And `Illustrate`, the process of changing the physical form back into a card.

By incorporating this pseudo-quick-change into actual combat, a brand-new battle tactic is born. Except, it’s not exactly new—it’s the very tactic I’ve been living and breathing since my avatar was born into this virtual world, you know?

And that’s why the current situation, where everyone is supposedly respecting me, is just so embarrassing.

It seems there are drawbacks, like a pretty heavy MP cost for state transitions, and the risk of the card being destroyed in a single hit if it takes heavy damage… but well, the benefits must outweigh them.

Just how “strong” the option to freely switch weapons is… that’s a fact I myself spent half a year demonstrating to the world.

So it’s no surprise, I suppose. I'll just have to swallow the feeling that’s one part pride and nine parts embarrassment and watch from afar—

"But hey, isn't it a good thing? It seems like your reputation went up again, senpai."

"That’s the kind of reputation where people think ‘that guy’s insane,’ isn’t it? Why, though?"

"Because a normal person can’t just switch their hand on the fly while desperately fighting. It's natural that most people would be stronger if they just focused on wielding a single sword."

"You think so…? Well, maybe you're right…"

I suppose Tetra is talking about those who aimed for a perfect copy of the Acrobat-style weapon-switching tactic. I have heard a few stories about failures, people who tried to manage a huge number of cards and ended up with a dramatic power down.

Everything in moderation, I guess.

"…By the way? Tetra-kun, are you interested in this ‘Crown Style (lol)’? For the sake of the mysterious entity who is both a much-indebted senior and a cute self-proclaimed junior, I, the original (lol), wouldn't be opposed to swallowing my pride and giving you a personal lecture or something—"

"No thanks, it’s a pain (I’ll pass)."

"Hey. I’m starting to get pretty good at reading the meaning behind your expressions lately."

"You’d just get flustered if I agreed honestly. Look, next up over there are the Treasured Drop (parts) stalls."

And so, being pulled by the sleeve, I staggered along.

Our grand, incognito stroll, emboldened by the blessing of the [Undying], continued at a leisurely pace for about an hour.

---

You see systems where characters fight using cards in all sorts of media, don't you? Almost without exception, they're ultimately, ultra-stylish and cool. I love them.