kscans

Chapter 90 - One More on the Friend List

Ten-odd minutes later, after a bit of back-and-forth in the newly illuminated workshop, Nia and I returned to the room where Kagura-san was waiting.

"...Oh? I was wondering what was taking so long... You've already finished it?"

Kagura-san's surprised gaze was directed not at me, but at the back of my head—or more precisely, at the cord tied there.

To make a long story short, I was forced to undergo an image change to distance my avatar from my real-life appearance as much as possible.

If I was going to participate in the Four Pillar War, which would be widely broadcast to the real world, and aim to stand out even a little, then showing my face on household screens was a certainty.

And if I, with my almost identical real face, were to do that, the only thing awaiting me would be the unmitigated disaster of being doxxed.

Putting aside whether I wanted to be famous in real life, I wasn't prepared in the slightest to have my face plastered all over television.

If my self-improvement continued smoothly and things progressed ideally to my participation and success in the Four Pillar War, my mental state would also smoothly progress to its death.

And so, for that reason, it was time for a 'Let's Nia-chan Produce' session.

"People's images change surprisingly just by altering their eye color or hairstyle!" Following the lead of the indigo-haired girl, who began spouting off surprisingly professional-sounding advice, I ended up renting some special stylist items from her to mess with my hair.

I kept the color black, but toned it down slightly to a grayish, lighter shade. I also let my hair, which was already a bit longer than my real hair, grow out even more and tied it at the base of my neck into a small tail that wouldn't get in the way.

Honestly, I've never tied my hair in my life, so it was mortifyingly embarrassing. Is this okay? I hope I don't look like the living embodiment of shame...

And what fit perfectly into that new style was the very reason I had come here: the [Crimson Rabbit Ornament]—now reborn as a magnificent 'hair ornament' with decorative cords and clasps, a piece of Ruby Rabbit jewelry.

"I see, so that's how it turned out. It suits you quite well."

"Are you serious...?"

I received her casual-sounding words with complete and utter suspicion. A ponytail and a hair ornament... is this a fashion style a guy is even allowed to pull off?

"Geez, have a little faith in me! I designed it so it would look good even on a boy!"

"You say that, but..."

I'm so lacking in confidence that I feel like my posture is starting to stoop.

"You're overthinking it. Compared to some old guy with twintails, it's nothing."

"Exactly! And compared to a super buff dude with a half-up hairstyle, it's well within the realm of fashion."

"What are these monsters you're talking about..."

The comparisons are so extreme they're not even funny.

"I-t's re-al-ly okay, I'm telling you! You're handsome, so have some confidence!"

"What's this girl saying to an average-looking guy like me?"

Is this some new form of mockery?

"More importantly, are we to assume it's finished? Since you're here, why don't you show me what it can do?"

"More importantly... well, yeah. Hey, is that okay?"

I nodded and was about to offer the back of my head, but I glanced at Nia, the creator, for confirmation first.

For some reason, the artisan was pouting again. "Do whatever you want," she said dismissively, not even trying to hide her foul mood as she looked away.

Hey, why'd she suddenly start sulking? What is she feeling and about what?

"Well then, if you'll excuse me."

In any case, I once again tilted my neck to present the hair ornament to Kagura-san. When she tapped the crimson-glowing jewelry with her fingertip, the details window I had seen once before expanded.

[Crimson Rabbit Hair Ornament]
Accessory: Hair Ornament
MID+150
Untradeable
The blessing of the Ruby Rabbit dwells within this hair ornament. An undying prayer grants its wearer protection, keeping the fate of death at bay.

"...This thing is, again..."

Kagura-san's dry, speechless laugh was a mirror image of Nia's and mine from a few minutes ago.

As usual, it was only flavor text. However, players could understand the effects imbued in a piece of equipment by touching it.

The effects of this thing, now clearly functioning as an accessory thanks to Nia's handiwork, were as follows:

[Crimson Rabbit Hair Ornament]
- When the wearer takes fatal damage in combat, negate it one time only.
- Upon activation, this equipment becomes 'Broken'.
- If in a 'Broken' state at the end of combat, this equipment will be repaired.
- While in a 'Broken' state, gain the special effect 'Desperate Crimson'.
- 'Desperate Crimson' — Adds a value equal to the user's Spirit (MID), divided equally between Agility (AGI) and Dexterity (DEX).

"This is... on a level I've never seen before."

"I guess the artisan's skill was just that good."

"The amazing one isn't Nia-chan, it's that little monster of a gem!"

What is with this girl, getting all bent out of shape?

Ignoring the incomprehensible indigo-haired girl who just kicked away my attempt at a compliment, let's focus on this monster for now.

What's insane about this equipment is that everything written about it is insane. I can only offer a dumbfounded impression, but since it boasts a dumbfounding performance, it can't be helped.

First of all... it's stated so casually as if it's normal, but MID+150 is a status boost equivalent to 15 levels.

Combined with the +100 from the [Spiral Crimson Ring], that's an increase of 25 levels' worth. Just by wearing two accessories, I'm effectively Lv. 125? Isn't that ridiculous?

Next is the main effect, 'Fatal Blow Nullification.' To put it simply, it's like a 'Focus Band,' 'Endure,' or 'Guts' type of ability. Apparently, no similar effect exists in Arcadia yet, making its performance currently one-of-a-kind.

This thing is also crazy in its finer details, starting with its incredibly lenient activation condition. You don't even need to maintain a certain amount of health, let alone be at full HP. As long as you have at least 1 HP left, it's guaranteed to activate the moment a death-blow is registered.

Next is the fact that its precise effect is to 'ignore the factor that caused the death-blow.'

For example, if you take a blunt weapon to the face and a death-blow is registered, common sense would suggest that 'negating' it would mean something like, "I got hit and sent flying, but took no damage! Death averted!"

But this equipment's 'Fatal Blow Nullification' isn't so lukewarm.

It literally erases the cause of death—meaning that for one hit only, any fatal attack will simply pass through my avatar.

It's insane. Simply put, in a one-on-one fight where we both use ultimate moves, this means I'm guaranteed to win. I seriously don't get it.

Furthermore, after activating such a broken effect, you get the special effect 'Desperate Crimson,' a name so over-the-top I can't tell if it's serious or a joke.

I thought this would reallocate my MID stat, but that wasn't the case. It simply adds an additional status value equal to my MID, split between AGI and DEX.

So, the +250 MID from my two accessories remains, and on top of that, I get +125 points to two other stats—I'm basically a self-made Lv. 150. I wouldn't even be able to argue if someone called me a cheater.

If I received support from Sora's `Scareless` while `Desperate Crimson` was active, a monster equivalent to a total status level of 180 would be born...

"Hey."

"What is it?"

"Is this thing actually okay for a player to use?"

Abandoning all thought, I posed the listless question to Kagura-san, who flashed a bright smile and said—

"If you get banned by mistake, I'll defend you."

—and uttered something so terrifying.

—Hey, Nia-chan? How long are you going to be sulking, and about what?