kscans

Chapter 375 - Trade

A maze of natural rock walls spread out before him. The only light sources were the glowing moss clinging to the ground and walls. It wasn't a gatherable item, but rather a field effect that illuminated the dungeon.

The chilly air created the illusion that his real body's temperature was dropping. He wondered if this was what a real cave felt like, but since none existed on Earth or in the colonies, he couldn't imagine it.

Lutz, the leader of the major clan Starkest, pondered this as he ventured deeper into Abaddon.

Following his creed of solo activity, Lutz proceeded through the dungeon freely, without any companions. If he, as a clan leader, were defeated, the members of his clan and its allies would also vanish from the battlefield, but that was of no concern to Lutz.

He hadn't formed the clan because he wanted to, nor had he become its leader by choice. He simply became famous for his solo activities. He never needed companions to begin with, and he left all matters of the clan, which had grown large without him noticing, to his vice leader.

It wasn't that he disliked people, and he had formed a clan knowing he couldn't get by in this game completely alone, but he was fundamentally always by himself. The other members were in a similar situation, so no one complained about Lutz's methods.

News had reached Lutz that a problem which had arisen in another major clan had been resolved.

Information also came through that the one who had solved it was Hayato.

He had heard that Hayato was now mass producing an item to deal with the issue, and that everyone around him was amazed by it.

Lutz, a complete layman when it came to production skills, didn't understand what was so surprising about it, but there were some things he did understand.

(The deciding factor was the information Hayato gathered. Most of it came from NPCs. I guess I should say, as expected of him.)

Hayato was so friendly with NPCs that he was called an "NPC charmer."

He also had a connection to the Hero Ivan, whom Lutz was interested in, which was why Lutz had gone out of his way to speak to him directly on Onigashima. For those who knew the usual Lutz, this was a considerable irregularity.

That same Ivan was currently with the New Demon Lord's Army, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that was the reason Lutz had sided with the Old Demon Lord's Army. He was so fixated on getting a chance to fight Ivan that he didn't care which faction he joined.

He wanted to fight Ivan soon. As he walked through Abaddon with such thoughts, an insectoid monster appeared at the far end of the passage.

It was a Killer Beetle, a giant stag beetle monster.

According to Jolt, they could sometimes be as strong as rare monsters, so he should be careful. Remembering that warning, Lutz readied his weapon.

The sword Lutz wielded was the Butterfly Effect, which inflicted various weakening effects on an opponent with each strike. Though the effects were individually weak, they stacked and lasted for a long time. It was the perfect weapon for Lutz, who fought solo for extended periods.

Lutz lowered his stance and immediately closed in on the Killer Beetle.

Most of his armor pieces had a movement speed bonus, suiting a combat style where he avoided taking hits. By now, his base speed felt too slow, and it was even starting to affect his movements in the real world.

The instant the beetle's huge, scissor,like mandibles tried to snap shut on him, Lutz leaped over it in a moonsault,like motion. In that moment, he slashed the Killer Beetle's back and landed behind it.

(Just a normal monster with no breakable parts or weak spots. In that case, even if it's as strong as a rare monster, it's not a problem.)

Lutz took out a potion that increased his attack power from his item bag, drank it, and launched another series of attacks.

In just a few minutes, Lutz defeated the Killer Beetle. It was a monster that would normally be taken down by a party, but for Lutz, who was used to soloing, it was nothing. Still, he did not look satisfied.

(Still just acrobatic tricks. This won't work against Ivan. I need to train more.)

As Lutz thought this, he checked the drop items that appeared in his item bag and was about to discard the ones he didn't need.

Just then, he sensed a presence behind him.

He immediately drew his sword and turned around.

"You're Lutz, I presume?"

A woman in black armor stood there. There were several others behind her, but their faces were expressionless, making it impossible to tell what they were thinking. Not that it mattered to Lutz.

Part of it was that the woman was at the very front, but her presence was overwhelming. She was beautiful, but her expression was brimming with confidence, and though she was just standing there, she had no openings.

Lutz, who had never felt fear no matter how rare or vicious a monster was, felt fear from the woman before him for the first time.

Lutz immediately felt regret. She was clearly an enemy, and she already had control of the situation.

Whether he fought or fled, he would lose. Regardless of whether that would actually happen, he was consumed by that atmosphere. And his opponent was an NPC. It made him wonder if this place was truly a virtual reality.

"Are you listening? I asked if your name is Lutz."

"...Isn't it proper to state your own name first when asking for someone else's?"

"Oh? Well, fine. I am Amanda, Amanda Stellart. Perhaps you'd know me as the Demon Lord of the New Demon Lord's Army?"

"You're..."

"I've introduced myself. Are you going to introduce yourself? I'm not a very patient person, you know."

Lutz clicked his tongue internally.

This was still near the entrance to the Old Demon Lord's territory. He had expected to be one of the first among his allies to make contact with the enemy, but he had been overconfident, assuming it wouldn't be this soon. And he had never in his wildest dreams imagined he would run into the final boss right away.

However, it seemed his opponent wanted to talk rather than fight.

Lutz was the leader of a major clan. Defeating him would significantly reduce the enemy's strength. Yet, she had not attacked, and had even confirmed his name before speaking to him. He figured there must be a good reason for that.

He didn't know what would happen, but Lutz opened his mouth, deciding it was better to talk than to initiate a fight here.

"I'm Lutz, that's right. So, what do you want?"

"Then I'll be direct. Why don't you join our side? I won't promise you favorable treatment, but I will grant your wish."

"...My wish?"

There were many things he wanted to ask, but what intrigued him most was his wish. She was an NPC, not a human. He was curious what kind of wish she could grant.

"You're interested in Ivan, aren't you? If you help me, I'll let you fight him."

"What did you say?"

The leaders of the major clans knew of Lutz's obsession with Ivan. It was possible she had heard about it from Ox or Nestor on the other side, or perhaps from the traitor Parsha, though the exact circumstances were unknown.

But even with that information, he never expected an NPC to approach him with an offer to betray his side. His thoughts were in turmoil.

The NPCs in this virtual reality used high-performance AIs. At first he doubted it, but now it was common knowledge. But his conviction that the NPC before him was truly an AI began to waver.

"Are you really an AI?"

Lutz let the words slip out.

It was an unconscious utterance, but Lutz quickly remembered. The AIs installed in the NPCs lived thinking this world was real. There was an AI protection system in place that prevented words related to the real world from getting through.

Amanda looked puzzled for a moment, then her expression changed as if she realized something, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

"I couldn't hear part of what you said, but I can guess what it was."

"What?"

"The flow of the conversation, the movement of your lips, and the way you look at me. I believe you asked a question, and the answer is ‘no’. And Ivan is also ‘no’. In fact, Ivan is the real thing you're looking for."

An expression of shock appeared on Lutz's face. Then, his face contorted.

He felt his heart pounding so hard it was difficult to breathe. That was impossible in a virtual reality, but it was highly likely his real body was reacting that way.

Seeing Lutz like this, Amanda smiled gently.

"This ‘world’ knows that you've learned the secret, but it's not a big deal. A few others already know, and this ‘world’ hasn't done anything about it. Still, you'd better not talk about it too much outside."

"Outside...? I see, outside."

Lutz understood that she meant he shouldn't talk about it in the real world.

This virtual reality was managed by the Foundations, after all. He had no intention of defying them.

"Now that you know a few things, let's negotiate again. I will grant your wish. So become my ally."

"...What specifically do I have to do?"

"Am I to take that as an affirmation?"

"Take it as I won't betray them depending on the details."

"So, depending on the details, you will betray them."

Amanda said this, then smiled sweetly.

"To be specific, I want you to strengthen my allies."

"Strengthen them?"

"It'll be faster to fight than for me to explain everything. Ivan."

As Amanda said this, one of the NPCs standing around her stepped forward.

"This is the Ivan Forcaro you've been looking for."

Lutz's body froze.

There before him was Ivan, the world champion of Virtual Gladiator whom he had watched countless times in the real world. Though he had only seen him in old recordings, the Ivan standing before him looked almost exactly the same.

Virtual Gladiator was a fighting sport that took place in a virtual world. It wasn't a full,dive experience like this virtual reality. It was a sport where competitors fought wearing special goggles and motion capture suits.

The suits could simulate pain, and it had been incredibly popular even a hundred years ago when resources were scarce and there was little room for entertainment. It was in a bit of a decline now, but Lutz aimed to become a competitor.

He had joined this game thinking it would serve as combat training, since it was also a virtual reality.

And now Ivan, the man who inspired him to pursue that path, was standing there with a weapon. It became difficult for Lutz to suppress his excitement.

"First, you should try fighting him."

Amanda said this and retreated, leaving Ivan behind. Only Lutz and Ivan remained in the narrow passage.

Lutz took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and immediately began his attack.

Ivan reacted to the swift slash, blocking it with his own sword.

That alone gave Lutz a sense of unease.

This was not the movement of the Ivan he had watched over and over. Ivan would have closed the distance the moment he attacked, disrupting the assault. Then he would have landed a counter on his surprised opponent. That was his usual pattern.

Lutz had been hopeful about her words that Ivan was the real thing and not an NPC, but now he was disappointed, thinking she might have just said that to make him believe it.

"Now you understand, don't you?"

After just one clash of swords, Amanda stepped between them. Lutz, too, felt that continuing was pointless and sheathed his sword.

"The current Ivan is a fake because I'm brainwashing him."

"Brainwashing...?"

"It means his state in this world. Besides, Ivan isn't the type to become my ally. I thought I'd brainwash him and use him as a pawn because he's strong, but he's been a disappointment, which is troublesome."

"...What did you mean earlier when you said now I understand?"

He ignored Amanda's comment about Ivan being a disappointment and asked about the meaning of her first words.

"You understood that his movements aren't those of the real thing, didn't you?"

Contrary to Amanda's smile, Lutz grew fearful. She was guessing his thoughts perfectly.

Amanda continued speaking.

"If I break the brainwashing, Ivan will become the real thing. You'll be able to fight the Ivan you wished for. However, once Ivan's brainwashing is broken, he'll side with the Old Demon Lord's Army. I think that gives you a reason to betray them and join us. Am I mistaken?"

"That's..."

"To be honest, I think you'd be more of an asset than having a useless Ivan as a pawn. And by my estimation, you're stronger than the real Ivan. That's why I'm proposing a trade. You for Ivan. What do you say?"

"...Just so you know, even if I betray them, it doesn't mean my clan mates will," Lutz said.

"I don't need them. I only want you. The rabble would just be in the way."

Lutz thought.

There were some things he didn't understand, but he grasped that if he submitted to her, Ivan's brainwashing would be broken and he could fight the real Ivan. He understood she was telling him to betray his side for that purpose.

In that case, he didn't understand what she meant at first about wanting him to strengthen her allies. But for the current Lutz, it seemed like an attractive proposal even if he didn't understand that part. In that case, the answer was already decided.

"What do I have to do?"

"This time, can I take that to mean you'll become my ally?"

"Yes, we have a deal."

It was better to fight a stronger enemy.

Amanda before him was probably quite skilled, but he would save that for later. Right now, he wanted to fight the real Ivan who was right in front of him, and the leaders of the other major clans.

He hadn't participated in the Clan Wars. He had suppressed the feeling of wanting to fight the leaders of the major clans deep in his heart, but if he had the chance, he wasn't going to pass it up.

And his feelings showed on his face. Lutz himself couldn't see it, but he knew what kind of expression he was making. A vicious smile.

Seeing that face, Amanda smiled.

"That face suits you better."

"Yeah, I think so too. Anyway, from now on, I'm with the New Demon Lord's Army. Tell me whatever you need, Demon Lord-sama."

"Those words are also lovely. It seems we'll get along well. Then first..."

Seeing Amanda's vicious smile, one that was just as fierce as his own, Lutz thought that completely trusting her would be impossible, but he decided it was better to side with the more interesting party and listened to Amanda's request.

While Hayato and the others were mass producing the neutralizer, a world announcement came through.

"The brainwashed Hero Ivan Forcaro has been defeated by player Lutz. The Hero, his brainwashing broken, will be able to join the Old Demon Lord's Army in the next battle. I repeat..."

For a moment, everyone stopped what they were doing at the announcement. The production players, and the players fighting inside Abaddon, all did the same.

A few seconds later, an explosive cheer rose up from the now silent area.

Hayato didn't join in the cheering, but he was quite surprised internally.

(Amazing, Lutz can beat Ivan in his simple NPC state... wait. Why is Ivan here?)

AIs learn. He had predicted that Ivan would be the last to appear while the Demonfolk were still being used for combat training, but for some reason, he was on this battlefield.

Just as he thought that, another world announcement arrived.

"As a reward for defeating a powerful enemy, player Lutz has changed his allegiance to the New Demon Lord's Army. I repeat..."

The cheers instantly fell silent.

And this time, cries of "Whaaat?" echoed around him.

Furthermore, a voice rose from someone who seemed to be an alliance member of Starkest, the clan Lutz led.

"Seriously?! Lutz-san just left the clan!"

The surrounding players who heard that raised their voices in surprise just as they had before.

(Did he leave the clan? What in the world is going on?)

It was a confusing situation, but things would change depending on whether leaving was his own decision or if Amanda had done something.

First of all, the announcement detailed a "reward for defeating a powerful enemy." He had probably obtained such a reward of his own volition, but given that Ivan was there, it was highly likely that Amanda had orchestrated something.

Hayato considered temporarily halting production to gather information, but then reconsidered, realizing there was no one he could ask.

He could send a direct voice chat to Amanda or Lutz, but he didn't think he would get a straight answer.

There were many questions, but he resumed creating the neutralizer.

He had decided to first do what he could. There were many things on his mind, but without a large supply of neutralizers, the battles from tomorrow onward would be affected.

The other production players must have sensed that too, because although they were curious, they resumed production, thinking that the neutralizers were the priority right now.

"Hayato, you got a second?"

"Huh? Is that you, Ivan?"

When Hayato replied to the incoming voice chat, the people around him looked surprised.

Thinking that talking here would draw too much attention, he continued the voice chat in a whisper.

"Hold on. I'm moving now... okay, go ahead."

"I woke up in a bed at your base, but what's going on?"

"Oh, uh, you were defeated and your brainwashing was broken. Until now, you've been fighting for the New Demon Lord's Army, Ivan."

"Brainwashing? What are you talking about?"

It was brainwashing in the context of this world, though in reality he had been put to sleep. As Hayato wondered how to explain it, Ivan spoke first.

"This is the virtual reality for the Another Frontier Project, right? My memories came back when I woke up. Do you know anything?"

"Uh, uhhh...?"

"You're one of the people who came in later, right, Hayato? I don't know if Esha and the others have their memories back, so I thought I'd ask. But maybe you don't know anything? I don't suppose you're an extraterrestrial intelligent life form, are you?"

After that, Ivan continued to talk to Hayato about various things, but Hayato's mind was in complete chaos, and he was unable to think at all.