kscans

Chapter 269 - Ryugu and Yatagarasu

Now that we had information on Takamagahara from Diite, we decided to ask about Ryugu as well.

First, however, Hayato handed out coffee to everyone.

Ryugu was a famous tourist destination in the Eastern Country. It was a temple, like a Parthenon of sorts, resting at the bottom of the sea. Though, it seemed a great deal of time had passed, as it was in a considerable state of collapse.

The reason it was a tourist spot was because the view from there was magnificent.

The area around the ruined temple was protected by a magical force that kept the seawater out. Since it was magical, there was nothing separating the air and the water.

From inside the temple, it looked as though the sea stretched out in every direction except for the ground beneath your feet, giving you the feeling of being underwater. There was much to see in the surrounding area, from beautiful coral and swimming fish to sunfish and sharks.

"A virtual space inside the sea might not be so unusual nowadays, but it’s quite popular with all the NPCs. That’s why it became a tourist destination," Diite explained.

"I think I have a general idea of the place, but how do we get there? We don’t have to swim, do we?"

Hayato had rings and bracelets with a Diving Skill effect. He could swim for a while without being defeated, but he didn't have enough for everyone here. Besides, since it was a tourist spot, he figured there must be some other way to travel, so he asked Diite.

"You don’t need to swim. You can teleport to the temple from a certain deserted island. The Eastern Country has an east port and a west port, see. You all arrived at the west port, but there are ships that leave from the east port. You just need to get on one of those."

"Then it doesn’t sound like too much trouble to get there. By the way, what kind of dungeon is it?"

"Oh, it’s not a dungeon. To be honest, there’s a turtle named Genbu in that ruined temple. If you defeat it, Mist-kun should be able to acquire the knowledge."

Ash and Mist nodded in understanding, but Hayato tilted his head just a little.

"A turtle named Genbu in Ryugu? Does that mean…"

"I thought you would understand, Hayato-kun. Well, we drew inspiration from various sources. Rest assured, no item like an age-accelerating box will drop. And even if it did, I would recommend not opening it."

Diite said this with a laugh, but Ash and Mist didn't quite get it.

(Ryugu is the Dragon Palace, so I thought Seiryu or something would appear, but it’s Genbu instead. They’re taking motifs from all over. Still, if two of the famous four beasts are in the game, does that mean something will happen if you defeat all of them? I kind of want to try.)

Suzaku, Genbu, Seiryu, and Byakko were famous in games and fiction. If he was going to defeat two of them, it was a natural desire to want to defeat them all. However, he had other priorities right now, so Hayato suppressed the urge.

"So, Diite-chan, about this Genbu, do we fight it right there? It’s a tourist spot, isn't it?"

"You’ll be fighting it on the spot. Deep inside the temple, there’s an altar for summoning Genbu. The hints for that are in an old song passed down in the Eastern Country, but I’ll tell you as a special favor. You offer a fish over one meter long at the altar."

"…A fish?"

"That’s right. There’s a market at the east port, so I think you can get one right away. You don’t need to cook it, so you can use the fish just as you bought it. Well, you could also catch one."

"It’s like with Maris’s Lancelot."

"Just as Ash-kun says. There are places like that all over, so if you find an altar, it’s a good idea to try offering various things."

Diite replied happily to Ash’s words.

Hayato also nodded in understanding.

Maris’s Lancelot was an Elder Griffon. It had to be summoned in order to be tamed, and the condition for that was to offer a Dragon Steak at an altar on a mountaintop.

This time, too, it was a quest that required using some sort of item to lure out a monster.

"Um, in that case, can you tell me the strategy for Genbu as well?"

"Genbu is a giant turtle, but it’s an earth-element monster with extremely high physical defense. You should aim for its neck and legs first. Attacking its shell is pointless. After it takes a certain amount of damage, it will get annoyed and retract its head and legs. Once that happens, you won't be able to damage it with physical attacks."

"Seriously…?"

"However, magic still works, and Ney-kun’s Excalibur Replica has a defense-piercing attack, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Then, after dealing a certain amount of damage while it’s retracted, it will perform an action where it flips over. When it does, it exposes its belly, which is its weak point. Ash-kun and Mist-kun can aim for that."

"I see. But it won’t stay in that state forever, will it?"

Mist asked, and Diite nodded.

"Once it takes a certain amount of damage to its weak point, Genbu will fly up to right itself. When it lands on the ground, it will unleash a shockwave, so be careful. The attack at that time is quite powerful, so it’s better to get out of its range."

Hayato listened, impressed by all the details.

After that, Diite, Ash, and Mist continued to confirm various pieces of information and formulate a strategy.

It was decided that Hayato would prepare all the weapons, armor, medicines, and food, but would not go on the expedition. Hayato had intended to actively participate this time, but no matter how he looked at it, he didn’t seem like he would be of any use.

(Well, it can't be helped. The top priority this time is for Mist-san to acquire the knowledge. I'll just focus on that and not do anything unnecessary.)

As a result of their discussion, they decided to go to Takamagahara first.

This was simply a process of elimination, as they weren’t yet prepared to defeat Genbu in Ryugu.

The same could be said for Suzaku, but since it was a fire-type monster, they had some things prepared from the battle against the Fire Dragon Eddy Owl during the previous Stampede. The Red Dragon Series armor that Ney had was one such item.

Besides, even if it was said to be easy, it would still take a considerable amount of time to reach the summit, so they decided to conquer Takamagahara first.

However, there was a problem.

While they were conquering Takamagahara, Hayato would be left alone in this mansion.

At the moment, Hayato wasn't in a position to be targeted. But by obtaining the fragments of the cursed blade, that possibility now existed. When he explained the situation to Diite and Mist, they agreed it would be dangerous to leave Hayato alone.

Diite was particularly worried about it.

"It is certainly dangerous. The legendary sword is called Meitou Yatagarasu, and creating it seems to have become a long-cherished wish of the Eastern Country. There’s a story that the head of the Azuma family possessing that sword will bring eternal prosperity to the Eastern Country."

"Is that actually true?"

"No, that story was just made up, but everyone in the Eastern Country believes it."

"Made up… you don’t mean Infinity did it, do you?"

"That’s not it. As you know, all the NPCs are human. They think and act on their own. We prepared a sword called Yatagarasu as the strongest sword, rather than a legendary one, but it seems the NPCs added all sorts of stories to it, and now that’s how it is."

"Seriously…?"

"It’s been over three years since this game was released. That means the NPCs who lost their memories have lived that long. They aren’t just bound to act according to their preset configurations, so it’s not surprising that something like this could happen, is it?"

Hayato understood, more or less. The NPCs were human, and they could do all sorts of things. They could even create new settings and information.

"It’s quite an interesting story, but doesn’t that make it all the more dangerous to leave Hayato-san alone?"

Hayato nodded at Mist, then thought about the team members again.

Esha, Ash, Ren, and the members of Kokuryu were needed as the fighting force to defeat Suzaku, and Mist was an essential member since he needed the knowledge that would be gained upon Suzaku’s defeat. Of course, if Mist went, Damian and Ruth would likely go too.

As if everyone had reached the same conclusion, Hayato, Ash, and Mist all looked at Diite.

"I see, so I would be the most suitable guard? But I can’t freely switch my skills right now. My combat potential is likely limited. I’d like at least one more person."

"Then Maris as well. She has Lancelot, which is perfect for escaping. If it comes to it, we can just flee into the sea."

Ash said it simply, but Hayato thought it wasn't a bad idea either.

Basically, neither players, NPCs, nor tamed monsters ever got tired. It would take time, but it was possible to ride Lancelot and escape all the way to the Royal Capital.

Diite nodded.

"Then it’s settled. Maris-kun and I will guard Hayato-kun. However, you all need to be careful too, Ash-kun. If you were taken hostage, Hayato-kun would come back for you. I know that all too well."

"It’s a little troubling when you say self-deprecating things like that, you know?"

When Diite tried to pull Hayato into the virtual reality, she took Ash and the others hostage as one of her negotiation tactics. That was what she was referring to.

It was a delicate topic, but Ash and Mist laughed.

"You mean that time. Don’t ever do that again. Besides, aren’t you a little too obsessed with Hayato? Ren said it was a woman’s heart or something, but I don’t get it at all."

"I’ve heard a little about it recently. So that’s what happened back then. I agree that it was wrong. You should have gotten his proper consent. Hayato-san has things he wants to do in the real world, after all."

"Oh my, I don’t seem to be very popular. Well, I won’t do it again. If I did something like that without permission, it seems Ash-kun and the others would come to get him back this time."

"Is this somehow turning into a conversation where it’s fine as long as you have permission?"

Hayato thought it was an awkward topic, but if it could be laughed off, he figured it was fine. He took out a fresh coffee and started to drink.