Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 77

Guild Battle

Capital of Discernment.

Alfie and Mariela were paying reward to Sololy at the corner of the rented warehouse.

「Fuh, I have certainly received the payment.」

Sololy accepted a paid item and rubbed it on his cheek. He looked  really happy. He was rejoicing because he would be able to obtain the  weapon he wanted with this.

Mariela then made even more additional request.

「You understand right? Please investigate that nuisance――I mean, that  evil woman called Noin. We need to get payback for Ponsuke.」

Alfie was also infuriated.

「It’s unforgivable how she trampled on Ponsuke’s feeling. We’ll get her banned as a malicious player.」

Alfie chewed on her nail with a scary smile. Sololy averted his gaze  from her and decided that he would do the job because he was getting  paid.

「I’m counting on you two to get the reward ready after the job is  finished. Well, I already get a hold of the information so I’ll just  need to look for her. It seems she has found a new pray anyway.」

Mariela’s eyebrows twitched.

Vein pulsed on her forehead.

「We’ll absolutely crush her.」

They were having such conversation at the corner where wooden boxes  got piled up. It blocked the gaze from the surrounding, though the three  had to lean over to hide from view.

Sololy stood up confidently.

「I’ll do the work I’m paid for. Leave it to me. Now then, it’ll be a fun watching too today~」

Sololy left while whistling.

Alfie and Mariela felt uneasy seeing him like that, but he had been doing perfect work until now.

「We’re counting on you, Sololy.」

「Yosh, we need to prepare at our end too――」

Lighter was watching those three uneasily.

「Those guys again.」

Lighter was making a tired expression like a teacher who was troubled by the problem children.

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The Capital of Hope that was dyed orange by the evening sun was displaying a sight that could be called magical.

Ponsuke was waving his hand at the rookie players he was acquainted with in front of a fountain and they parted.

He was unable to invite the rookie trio to join his guild.

That was because the three of them had the target to have their own guild.

「But, it’s fine I guess.」

The names of the rookie players had gotten added into his friend list. His friend list was growing larger.

The number of his acquaintance was increasing greatly even inside the game.

It made him happy. He erased the screen and then he started walking while pondering where he was going to eat today.

He was walking through the beautiful city while hesitating between  eating at a stall or a restaurant, then he heard the sound of incoming  message. He opened his status screen and saw Fran’s name there.

「……Fran-san?」

Fran was also Noin’s friend in real life. After what happened, he received a message of apology from her.

She wrote that Noin’s bad habit was rearing its ugly head especially  recently. She wanted him to forgive her and also gave him a paid item to  make up for it, but he returned the item.

The message asked where he was right now and she wanted to meet him to talk.

「Does she wants to talk about Noin-san? Even though she doesn’t need to worry about it anymore」

There were various kinds of players in online game.

There were bad people, and also good people in it.

Ponsuke had come to an acceptance regarding that, but when he replied to the message, the return message sounded really anxious.

Ponsuke moved in order to meet with Fran.

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Sightseeing area.

It had become night when he arrived. Ponsuke met up with Fran and they sat down on the bench while he listened to the situation.

She wanted to ask for Ponsuke’s cooperation simply because she had no other acquaintance inside the game.

The two of them were spending their time inside the game leisurely, so they had few acquaintances.

The number of player she could rely on was limited.

「You cannot contact Noin-san? Perhaps she has logged out?」

「I’ve checked but she is still logged in. But, recently I cannot contact her at all.」

「It’s possible that she’s in the middle of event or battle but……it’s strange that she hasn’t contacted for several days.」

There was no event or boss battle in the Capital of Hope that could  cause a player to not be able to be contacted for several days.

「If it’s not because she’s blocking the contact from you, perhaps there’s some kind of trouble……I think?」

Ponsuke crossed his arms and fell into his thought. Then a message reached him.

It was a message from Sololy. There was emergency written in the head of the message.

「Ah, can you please wait for a bit?」

He asked Fran to wait and checked the message. Coincidentally that message was actually about Noin.

「……Why is Sololy-san investigating Noin-san?」

It bothered him but, there was an even bigger problem than that. It was the “air pocket”.

Ponsuke had never heard about something like that before.

「Do you know where Noin is? Is she doing something messed up again?」

Fran asked with worry. Ponsuke lifted up his face and told her.

「This has become something big.」

He immediately contacted the management but, their respond was slow.

He wished that they could deal with this urgently but, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to expect much from them.

(Even though there shouldn’t be anything like this air pocket before.  Even so, I can’t believe that Noin-san got captured by malicious  players.)

Ponsuke who received the report from Sololy immediately left the Capital of Hope to head toward the location.

If the report was true, Noin would get traumatized for life.

As expected he couldn’t allow that.

He gave a simple explanation about he situation to Fran and asked her to wait in the Capital of Hope.

「I’ll bring her back. Fran-san, keep trying to contact the dev. Please wait here while doing that.」

「W-wait a second. I’m going too. It’s my responsibility for leaving that girl alone.」

Fran felt horrible regret for underestimating this world just because it was a game.

「……I understand. But, please be really careful this time.」

「I’m sorry.」

Fran bowed her head, so he asked her to lift her face then they immediately broke into a run.

「Will it take much time?」

Ponsuke looked at the map and nodded at Fran’s question.

「It’s a bit far from here. Let’s go to the stable. Fran-san can rent a horse from there.」

「G-got it. So there’s also horse here……will it be fine even with your large body?」

Could an orc ride on a horse with such huge body?

It was a question that came from Fran’s unfamiliarity with game. Ponsuke answered with a smile to reassure her.

「It’s fine. I’m going to ride on a donkey.」

「……Eh?」

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Inside the forest.

Noin was doing dogeza inside the cage.

She was bowing her head in front of the bars with the male players stepping on her head.

「I’m begging you. Please forgive me. I’ll never do something like this again.」

She had wounds and dirt all over her body. All her equipments had been damaged over their endurance value and broke.

Then she was made to dogeza with such appearance that looked like she was only in her underwear now.

Her head was being stepped on hard until her forehead sunk into the ground.

「What, you already give up? It hasn’t even been three days you know~」

A player who was holding a recording device laughed while looking at Noin.

「Hey, let’s make her do a funny dance next.」

「The view count of the video is amazing. You, if that face is  actually your real face then you’ll definitely get found out. You better  be ready for that.」

The players cackled loudly. Noin could only cry quietly in front of them.

The opponents were exerting violence on her by turn.

It would be better if she could faint, but they wouldn’t even allow that.

The rain of jeers and the situation that didn’t allow her to logout was forcing Noin into the limit of her mental fatigue.

「I’m sorry. Please forgive me.」

A sword got stabbed deeply into Noin’s back while she was begging like that.

She wanted to writhe around from the pain, but her head was being stepped on and prevented her from moving.

The sword got grinded inside her body.

「It hurts. Stop. It really hurts!」

「It hurts~, she said. Stuu~pid. This is a game so you won’t die here.」

The player watched until her HP reached red zone before healing her so she wouldn’t die.

Noin was trembling from the pain.

「It hurts. It hurts. Save me Fran-chan」

The group laughed seeing Noin being so battered. They didn’t know the meaning of holding back.

Perhaps because they were in group, it looked like they were looking  forward to who could do something more extreme. Their action kept  escalating.

There an irritated player arrived.

It was an orc.

He entered inside the cage. Noin backed away from him.

「I hate a woman like you. I’m gonna beat you up」

He punched Noin with his large fist.

His appearance was different from Ponsuke, but he was so violent that  she wondered how could this person be the same orc like him.

「I’m so-, I’m so――rry」

She fell down, but she got kicked up again.

「What a noisy sandbag. If you’re like that then I’ll――」

Noin’s face twisted in despair. Then Ponsuke came running at that timing.

Ponsuke came out from behind a bush. He was acting brazenly.

He glared at the surrounding with weapon in his hand.

The players got on their guard when seeing Ponsuke because of that atmosphere.

He had the aura like a veteran warrior……however, that Ponsuke was riding on a donkey.

「……Let go of her.」

One of the players stepped in front of Ponsuke.

「Ha? What are you acting cool for? This woman is a malicious player you know?」

Noin looked at Ponsuke’s face before she looked down again.

However――.

「So what? You guys are also malicious enough.」

Ponsuke got down from the donkey.

The donkey immediately ran back into the bush.

「……We are rendering judgment on her. Don’t you know that there is a player who have gotten tricked by this woman?」

Ponsuke spoke.

「I’m the one who she tricked. I already forgave her so there’s no problem. I’ll make her fix her way after this.」

The leader was irritated.

「Are you perhaps that kind of player who hoped to get encounter with  girl in game? Are you trying to be a hero by saving this woman/ What an  idiot. I’ve heard enough. Oi, someone crush this guy.」

Then the orc who got into the cage went out.

「I’ll do it. Oi, let’s duel. The damage setting is maximum, and if  you win against me then I’ll let her go. It’ll be impossible though. I’m  level 45. And you……what, you’re just level 30 huh.」

Ponsuke was leveling up while also scouting for new members at the side.

It couldn’t be said as an effective way of leveling up.

The players around them laughed.

「Laamee! This guy is so lame!」

「He’s fitting for this woman.」

「You heard how he said ‘Let go of her’! Oi, let’s make a bet how long he’s going to last.」

Ponsuke ignored the surrounding players and generated a round field centered on Ponsuke and the orc.

It was a system so that nobody else could interrupt them.

The duel system was still functioning even inside this air pocket spot.

「Come at me. Or perhaps I’ll go to――」

The orc took a fighting stance. Then he punched at Ponsuke with his bare hand. He must be planning to give Ponsuke a handicap.

Ponsuke also let go of his weapon and took a stance with his bare hands.

The orc laughed while striking.

Normally the level difference would become a high wall to overcome.

But, Ponsuke only had his level decreased. His jobs and skills setting were still like before.

In other words.

「Slow」

Ponsuke’s fist sunk into the orc’s face.

It generated critical and weak spot hit announcement. The orc was sent flying.

The orc’s HP became zero in just one attack. The system announced that Ponsuke won the duel.

The enemy orc was crying and screaming while pressing his hands on his face.

「It hurts, it super hurts! What is this. Why is it so painful!」

Damage setting maximum……it seemed that the pain was more than he imagined and felt really similar like in real life.

「You, cheating bastard!」

「Oi, surround him with everyone!」

The surrounding picked up their weapons. Fran approached Noin at that  moment. She opened the cage and dragged out Noin from there.

「Fran-chan」

Noin cried. Fran hugged her tightly before dragging her out from there.

「You idiot. That’s why I told you to stop.」

The leader saw Noin escaping and he was about to give chase.

Ponsuke turned toward the leader and took a fighting stance.

「Oi, you guys……I challenge you all to guild battle so come at me all at once.」

The leader looked at Ponsuke with surprise.

「You, do you understand what you’re saying? The damage is normalized in guild battle you know!?」

The damage when doing PK (player killing) was reduced greatly.

Because of that Ponsuke’s offer was like creating a disadvantageous situation for himself.

「I’ll crush you all at once. It’s a fight that put all the assets of  our guilds on the line. My guild has two guild items. If you guys  won……you can get guild items for your own.」

The color of the leader’s eyes changed when he heard that.

He already lost interest of Noin.

「Alright then. I accept. You cheating bastard trying to act cool」

「I’m not using any cheat. But, you accept then?」

Ponsuke looked around him and asked for the last time.

「You’re really going to fight all of us huh?」

The leader predicted the scale of Ponsuke’s guild based on his level  and equipments. When he looked at the guild information, they certainly  had two guild items in their possession.

His guild would get strengthened if he could get his hands on them.

(At best it will just be a small scale guild with members around  level 30. He’s a bit strong perhaps because of his player skill? But he  looks so confident, so perhaps it’s really a cheat just as I thought?  But――)

He looked toward the player who was holding the recording device.

If he was really using cheat, they could just expose him as a cheat player.

They would report him to the management to deal with him.

「You shitty pig. We’ll take you on. If you think that you can win against the 52 of us then come on!」

The guild battle was accepted. Then the players rushed toward Ponsuke.

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――Going back slightly in time, at the Capital of Discernment.

Eight orcs were lying spread-eagled face down on a street where no player or NPC passed through.

It was a really bizarre sight.

Prey looked happy when he imagined how things would develop from here on.

「Fufufu, I already confirmed that no player or NPC would pass through  this street at this time. How I have really waited for this.」

They weren’t lying down on the street in order to get stepped on.

Then, why were they doing something like this?

Dume was fidgeting restlessly. He was looking forward for someone to come.

「I’ve already anonymously confirmed at Shinsengumi. They will  definitely come here. There’s also the long-shot of the queen coming  through here.」

The other orcs were also grinning in anticipation.

「I hope it’s the Shinsengumi rookie that comes here. Getting chased  around and slashed by that earnest guy is the best. It’s great how that  guy never hold back.」

「I’m hoping for that swordsman with cold eyes. He’s also giving scathing words when making us write apology statement.」

Prey concluded the talk.

「Our objective will be achieved no matter who come here. This is what you call ingenuity.」

The orcs laughed in the empty street. While lying face down!

Then Prey asked to one orc.

「Speaking of, how are things with that matter?」

「Aa, I have investigated it a lot. I also asked for helps from Dume a lot.」

「It’s dangerous but worth doing. But, we need more time.」

「I also asked my connections about various things……」

The orcs were seriously talking with each other. Perhaps they were  talking about their hobby again. However, there were a lot of parts in  their conversation that were kept vague.

The orcs were impatiently waiting for someone to come.

Then a call came from Mariela.

Prey answered as everyone’s representative.

「Yes, it’s Prey.」

『Where are you guys? Gather here right now.』

「We can’t do that. We’re going to play tag with the Shinsengumi bunch after this.」

Mariela spoke with a low voice.

『……Who is asking for your opinion? I’m telling you guys to come so be here right away, you pigg!』

Prey and others stood up and saluted with straight backs.

「Aye, Ma’am!」

Dume’s face reddened. He looked really happy.

「Crap. She’s really angry. She’ll be really savage too today.」

「Her whip handling got really good recently. That’s already a type of player skill.」

「Nanako-chan……if only princess can also hold a whip.」

「The dev said that whip and flute are under different skills. Haa, the dev really don’t get it.」

The orcs left from that street. The Shinsengumi would come there  later because of a report and became enraged because they thought they  got tricked.

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