kscans

Chapter 309 - An Alliance Proposal

With the combined forces of Jolt’s Bandit clan and their allies, they successfully defeated Tiamat, the superior version of the Megalodon. Tiamat was a monster that you wouldn't want to see in real life, with the upper body of a woman attached to the dorsal fin of a giant shark. It was similar to Poseidon, the superior Kraken, but with no established strategy to fight it, it proved to be a formidable enemy.

Its attack methods were varied. Though it was confined to the water, it had wide-area magic attacks and a water jet that could strike from long range. The most troublesome was its wide-area roar attack, "The 11 Monsters," which spread a variety of bad statuses. If it were a specific bad status, preparing countermeasures would be easy, but since it randomly inflicted multiple debuffs like poison, paralysis, and petrification, as well as stat reductions, they had to deal with them after being hit.

When they had caught the Megalodon during their last vacation, the female members alone, including Lunaria, the Black Rose Saints, Cecil, and Ney, had been able to win. This time, however, they were forced into a tough battle. That said, this time they had the male members, as well as the Bandit clan. Furthermore, with Esha’s Destroy and Ren’s Dragon Curse, they were able to secure victory without any major losses, despite the fight being one of trial and error.

Incidentally, just before the final blow, Maris attempted to tame it and magnificently enraged it. There were a few one-shot deaths from Tiamat’s magic attacks, but that was about the extent of their sacrifices.

As everyone celebrated their victory and checked the dropped items, Hayato was observing the Bandit clan.

(As expected of the Bandit clan… Even their second-string forces are strong.)

The Bandit clan's main force was out exploring and not present. The only primary members left were Jolt and the man who had guided them earlier. The rest were mostly what you would call second-string combat classes. Even so, their strength was more than adequate, and they racked up damage with skillful coordination.

Furthermore, the production-class players who had surrounded Hayato earlier also contributed in various support roles. Unlike Hayato, whose skills were purely for production, they were perfectly capable of fighting.

As he was recalling this with admiration, Jolt approached him with a smile.

"Well, as expected of the members of Daedalus and their companions. I don’t think you needed us, did you?"

"We probably could have beaten it without you, Jolt, but it would have taken much longer. I log out in the afternoon, so I’m grateful we could finish it quickly."

"Then let’s leave it at that. By the way, about the dropped items…"

"You guys can divide those up amongst yourselves. They went into your Item Bags, right?"

"Ah, are you sure?"

"I don’t mind. Did you get any amazing rare items?"

Jolt placed a hand on his chin, feigning thought for a moment, then grinned.

"Talking to you, Hayato, makes me feel guilty about trying to hide information. You invited us to the fight, and even if you hadn’t, I’d want to tell you anyway. It’s a problem."

"Was that a compliment?"

"A big one. As for the item, we got one that seems pretty rare. It’s called Tiamat’s Swimsuit. It’s female-exclusive equipment, but a piece of clothing with complete poison immunity is incredible."

(Another swimsuit…?) The superior Kraken, Poseidon, had also dropped a swimsuit. Generally, clothing and swimsuits could be layered, so they didn't offer defense or special effects. However, some rare items did have stats and were traded for considerable prices.

"Congratulations. The one that dropped in my Item Bag is a knife called Tiamat’s Tooth. An attack that ignores defense is strong, but the base damage is too low. Oh, but the random chance to inflict some kind of status ailment might be good."

"…Isn’t yours the rarer one?"

"Don’t say that to me. I have the Dismantling Knowledge skill, so of course I get better drops."

Hayato had the Dismantling Knowledge skill because it affected cooking, but it also had the effect of increasing the number of dropped items or raising their rarity. Most players took the skill hoping for the latter.

Jolt said, "I see," and then placed his right hand on his chin, staring at Hayato.

"Um, what is it?"

"If you’d like, how about forming an alliance with us?"

"Huh?"

"As equals, of course. I’m not asking you to become our subordinate."

"Ah, no, sorry, but I don’t plan on allying with anyone other than Kokuryu."

It wasn't that he didn't want to play with them. He was worried that if they acted together, the secrets of his NPC companions would be exposed. That was the very reason he had avoided exploring with others in the first place. He had judged it to be fine this time because it was for a short duration, but forming an alliance would likely lead to spending long periods of time together. He felt that someone as sharp as Jolt would almost certainly figure things out.

"Is it an absolute no?"

"I’d say so. You might be counting on the strength of the NPCs, but they all have their own circumstances and won’t necessarily lend their power, so I think it’s best not to rely on that. Though as a production class, I rely on them completely."

Jolt frowned at Hayato’s words. Then he said, "Ah," and smiled.

"Hold on. I’m not suggesting an alliance because I’m counting on the NPCs’ strength. I won’t say it’s not a factor at all, but it’s more that I want your power, Hayato."

"My power? Isn’t that just about the NPCs?"

"No—it’s about your adaptability, your fighting production-class style. I didn’t notice it during the battle, but I asked our production members about it."

"About what?"

"The way you fight. According to them, the speed at which you create items is on another level. No, it’s not just speed, but your reaction time, or rather, your production menu selection speed. You watch the situation and create the necessary items on the spot, don’t you?"

Hayato’s low STR meant he had a small weight capacity for items. Because of this, he often carried materials, which were lighter than the finished products. The items Esha had asked him to bring this time were also mostly materials.

Tiamat had spread various bad statuses. Hayato had accurately crafted antidotes and paralysis cures to heal them. He was so used to the 3D menu that he could select what he needed without even looking, knowing by feel where to go to make the desired item. He would watch the battle and create items without looking at his hands. To others, this must have looked incredibly fast.

"They were impressed, saying you considerably lightened the burden on the healers."

"I just made what the situation called for. Besides, I can’t manage Hate Value, so I have to ask them individually when to use the items."

Hate Value was the number that determined which player a monster would target, but it couldn't be seen visually. One had to learn it by feel, but Hayato, who rarely participated in battles, was completely unable to manage it.

"I see. But you know, your support was more highly praised than that support class who was singing while wrapped in a futon over there. Your clan’s appeal is partly that you’re on good terms with the NPCs, but I’d really like to form an alliance with someone who has such a one-of-a-kind fighting style."

"I appreciate the high praise, but I’m still not going to form an alliance. We’re not hardcore players like the Bandit clan, and I generally don’t fight. This was just a one-time thing."

"I guess I shouldn’t push it. But even if we don’t form an alliance, I’d still like to be on good terms. Please let us in on things like this in the future."

"If the timing is right."

"Great. And of course, I won’t ask for it for free. If you ever have any problems related to your clan, feel free to use our name."

Hayato tilted his head. He didn’t really understand what kind of problems he would have with his clan in the first place.

"Problems related to the clan?"

"Like I said during the information exchange, your clan, Daedalus, is getting a lot of attention from major clans. Everyone wants to form an alliance with you. The strength of the NPCs must look very appealing."

"I know about the attention, but this is the first I’m hearing about alliance offers."

"Of course it is. I’m the first one to bring it up. Besides, it’s only been discussed at meetings attended by major clans. Every major clan knows you have the Demon Lord and the Hero as companions. It’s a hot topic at those meetings. And some of those major clans aren’t exactly well-behaved. Some might make unreasonable demands, so if that happens, you can use our name. Tell them they’ll have the Bandit clan as an enemy."

"That’s a generous offer, but doesn’t that make me no different from being under the Bandit clan’s protection…?"

Jolt grinned.

"Securing the perimeter is important, isn’t it?"

"…I really can’t trust you, Jolt."

"I get that a lot. Well, the part about securing the perimeter was a joke, so you can relax. Think of us as just a friendly clan. But it’s true that many clans are targeting you, Hayato, so I want you to be careful. The newly established clans, in particular, don’t understand the unspoken rules, so there’s a high chance they’ll make unreasonable demands."

Unreasonable demands about what, though. There had been clans that tried to intimidate them during the Clan War, but this was a virtual reality game, so they could do little more than harass him. No matter what unreasonable demands they made, there was no reason to comply.

If anything, the other party was the one in danger. While PvP between players was not possible outside of Clan Wars, that restriction didn't apply to NPCs. If they made an unreasonable demand, his companions would retaliate immediately.

Still, getting involved in troublesome situations was not something Hayato wanted.

"Then I’ll take you up on your offer. If something happens, I’ll rely on the prestige of the Bandit clan."

"Well, there’s a chance nothing will happen at all, so I don’t think you need to be so on guard. So, with that settled, our clans are on good terms, right?"

"What’s with the sudden change of topic?"

"I need you to persuade the gothic lolita girls who are aiming their weapons at us over there. As a friendly clan. Also, if they have any requests, I’d like you to hear them out…"

Hayato followed Jolt’s gaze and saw Rosalie and her group with their weapons drawn. They had said they wouldn’t attack outside the Demon Lord's Castle, but Lunaria, the Demon Lord, must have given her permission. Lunaria herself was in the process of equipping her helm.

"So that was your real objective. Alright, I’ll go have a little talk. Come with me."

Hayato, along with Jolt, headed toward where Rosalie and her group were.