Chapter 20

(=ↀωↀ=)つ「Bookmarks exceed 7000」

Thank you all.

I've gradually gotten used to the tension in my stomach as I receive more evaluations.

I'll keep working hard!

□ Alter Kingdom <Arashigyu-tei> [Holy Knight] Ray Sterling

I saw a brutal fight.

Luke and I were honestly taken aback by the images projected on the crystal that Marie placed on the table.

First, the majority of the PKs were minced in an instant by a direct hit from a chain.

There was no sound in the video, but it felt like an old movie, which made it even scarier.

I felt a chill thinking that if I hadn't defended against the initial attack in the <Tomb Labyrinth>, I would have met the same fate as these PKs.

Next, the leader of the PK clan, a large armored figure, and Figaro faced off. After some conversation, the armored figure took advantage of Figaro's moment of vulnerability and attacked.

According to Marie's explanation, the armored figure was a well-known player, especially for his defense and the devastating power of his close-range counterattacks.

I felt a slight sense of familiarity with the armored figure, but he was soon brutally killed.

First, his chain of fatal attacks was dodged.

Then, he was lifted to a height not visible to the camera and, as he fell, was cut in half by a chainsaw, splattering blood and flesh like a scene from a shark movie.

I wondered if a chainsaw could really do that, but since it happened, there was nothing I could do.

The gruesome images made me think of a possible future if I were to fight Figaro.

"Thus, the <Fierce Castle> in the south has been completely wiped out. Even if they return, they won't dare to make a move here again."

That's right.

If the southern traffic is blocked, Figaro will likely be dispatched again.

"I should thank Figaro when we go to the city of Duel next time."

"Right."

I turned to Nemesis, but for some reason, she seemed sulky.

Nemesis was eating with Babi, who seemed uninterested from the start.

She was eating as usual, but it looked like she was eating out of frustration.

Why?

"Next, then."

The next image Marie showed was a familiar place.

It was the <Easter Plain>, where I first leveled up.

Sure enough, there was a PK group there.

They were hidden from players while waiting for their prey, though they were visible in the camera.

Then, another group appeared from the direction of the capital.

The exact number was unknown, but there were at least several hundred, marching in a group.

They all wore clothes with a "crescent moon and closed eye" pattern.

I felt like I had seen this pattern before, but I couldn't remember.

The PK group was visibly shaken but remained hidden.

Then, a woman stepped out from the "crescent moon and closed eye" group.

She had long black hair that reached her knees and wore a kimono-like outfit.

She reminded me of Kaguya-hime from a fairy tale.

She raised her right hand, and the world went dark.

The sun, which had been shining just moments before, was now replaced by "night."

The "night" that suddenly appeared had a blue full moon, which was impossible in both the real world and this world.

Immediately, the PK group, illuminated by the blue moonlight, clutched their throats in agony and became immobilized.

Then, the "crescent moon and closed eye" group moved, finding and killing the immobilized PKs one by one.

It was like a routine.

Hundreds of people killed the helpless PKs.

However, there was an exception.

A PK who could still move despite the moonlight was a female player with wolf-like ears and a tail.

According to Marie, this wolf woman was one of the two leaders of the PK clan <K&R>.

The wolf woman fiercely attacked, cutting down the "crescent moon and closed eye" group and heading towards Kaguya-hime.

However, she couldn't reach her.

Overwhelmed by the sheer number, she was eventually impaled and killed.

The woman who reminded me of Kaguya-hime laughed merrily at the scene.

"This woman in the kimono is <Superior>, 'Fusou Tsukuyoru' of the clan <Moon World>. She is the owner... or rather, the high priestess of the clan <Moon World>."

High priestess?

It's a strange way to put it, but I remember her job was [Pope].

Still, something feels off.

"By the way, is the clan <Moon World> related to the real-world religious group <Moon World>?"

"..."

Luke's words reminded me.

<Moon World> is the name of a real-world religious group.

"Yes. The clan <Moon World> is a part... no, the main branch of the religious group <Moon World>."

"... Why is a religious group in a game?"

"The doctrine of <Moon World> is 'to leave the body bound by shackles and reach the true world of the soul.' They probably consider this <Infinite Dendrogram> as the true world of the soul."

... I understand the realism of this world.

The five senses and the people of Tian are almost real.

But... to that extent?

Maybe it's pointless to ask for common sense from a religious group.

"If their goal is to reach the 'true world of the soul' and they consider <Infinite Dendrogram> as that world... what are they doing here?"

"Well, here, the second doctrine is the main one. It's something like 'in a free world, revel in freedom as your soul dictates.'"

Hey, that sounds like the doctrine of some dark god.

"The clan <Moon World> is also feared among players. Not only is it a clan of over a thousand, but because it's based on a real-world religious group, many fear that 'something might happen in the real world too.'"

That's indeed scary.

I might be kidnapped, and I don't want to get involved.

"Apparently, the reason they went to the east to exterminate was because a believer was attacked by PKs in the <Easter Plain>. They came to kill as a group, which is terrifying."

... Could the reason <Masters> from the Alter Kingdom are leaving for other countries be not just war but also because of these people?

Marie then showed a video from the west.

The person in the video was Rayray, who had also attended the first-day banquet.

Incidentally, despite wearing a Chinese dress, her face is Nordic. According to my brother, she is also Nordic in real life.

Considering people like Figaro and Fusou Tsukuyoru, I can't help but think that the <Superiors> of the Alter Kingdom don't really fit the image of a knightly nation.

Moving on.

Rayray's fighting style was simple.

She didn't lift them into the air and cut them in half with a chainsaw, nor did she torture them and impale them with a group.

She just approached and punched.

One by one, she approached the hidden PKs and punched them. That's all.

But the results were bizarre.

While the PKs were minced by Figaro's chains, Rayray's punches turned them into liquid.

It was as if they were water balloons in human form, bursting so easily.

The flesh was crushed instantly upon contact with Rayray, leaving only a grotesque liquid of blood and organs and the skin that had burst.

The skin was blown away and hung from the trees.

Trees with human skin stuck to them were produced everywhere.

The skin disappeared due to the death penalty, but seeing it once would be unforgettable.

I understood the meaning of "meat forest" in "wine pools and meat forests." If the grotesque liquid flowing from the skin is considered "wine pools," it makes sense, though it's terrifying.

She seemed cheerful at the banquet, but her fighting style is genuinely scary.

Incidentally, it's unclear why Rayray exterminated the PKs in the west.

Moreover, while Figaro and Fusou Tsukuyoru could distinguish between friend and foe, it's unclear how Rayray, who attacked with her bare hands, identified the PKs.

With the south, east, and west done, only the north, <Noz Forest>, remains.

It's the place I'm most interested in.

After all, it's where I was killed.

"Finally, the north... but..."

Marie seems to be pondering something.

Is there something in the video she's about to show?

"Let's play it anyway."

As Marie operated the crystal, the scene of the forest was projected.

It was nighttime, and considering the timeline, this was the first event.

I was still in the <Tomb Labyrinth> at that time.

However, there were no PKs in sight.

Despite the many obstacles in the night forest, they couldn't be found.

As we searched for PKs through the crystal, the camera feed was cut off.

It quickly switched to another video, but that one was also cut off soon.

The next camera showed a bird's-eye view, likely from a camera mounted on the city wall.

It revealed what was happening in the forest.

The <Noz Forest> was exploding from the continuous bombardment and burning from the "incendiary bombs" raining down.

It looked like a scene from a war movie.

The video ended with the forest burning, with no one in sight.

"Um, what is this...?"

When Luke asked, Marie laughed awkwardly and answered.

"Hehe... It's a battle video between the 'unknown' [Destroyer King] and the also 'unknown' PK—commonly known as <Superior Killer>—..."

Marie didn't seem confident in her own words.

That's understandable. There were no PKs in the video, and there was no sign of the [Destroyer King] who supposedly exterminated them. It looked like just environmental destruction.

"... If we can't see them, it might not be the [Destroyer King] who did this. The PKs are also not visible, so it might not be the <Superior Killer> either."

"That's right. The <Superior Killer> is almost certain based on the information, but there's no definitive proof for the [Destroyer King]. We're just assuming it's the [Destroyer King] based on the scale of destruction. The [Destroyer King] is someone who rarely reveals information... and the reason for refusing to participate in the war was 'not wanting to stand out.' I don't think burning down a forest is 'not standing out.'"

Ah, I remember that.

But burning down a forest and saying "not wanting to stand out" is a bit much.

"Ah, but there's a rumor that the [Destroyer King] uses a 'battleship' <Embryo>. Look! Look at this!"

Marie stopped the video and pointed to a spot in the crystal.

In the burning forest, a large black shadow could be seen in the night.

It had sharp ridges, and it looked like a giant battleship.

"There's a battleship <Embryo>?"

Luke was surprised by this.

I know about my brother's tank, so this is within the realm of possibility.

Rather, I was surprised by Fusou Tsukuyoru's <Embryo>. That was probably the "night" <Embryo>.

"However, if this was done on such a large scale, didn't it also affect other players in the north besides the <Superior Killer>? If innocent players were caught in the death penalty or Tian died..."

"That's okay. There were almost no people around because of the PKs... and I think the [Destroyer King] confirmed that no one else would be involved before doing this."

"I see."

Or perhaps, no one was involved because no one was found, and the forest was burned down.

From what I've seen online, the <Superior Killer> is so good at hiding that no one has seen them except me.

By the way, how did <DIN> get the information to determine that the PKs in the north were the <Superior Killer>?

"By the way, what's the reason the [Destroyer King] attacked the <Superior Killer>?"

"That's completely unknown."

Marie threw up her hands.

"The [Destroyer King] is often at the center of incidents in various countries, but their identity and the reasons for their involvement are mostly unknown."

"So that's why they're 'unknown.'"

"Yes. In this case, it's completely unknown why such a large-scale destruction was carried out..."

... Maybe something annoyed the [Destroyer King].

"But with this, there's too much unknown about the north. How does this information compare to the other places?"

I agree with Luke.

The information was uniformly 600 rils, but shouldn't this information be cheaper?

"Uh!? If you say that... Ah! But the information here is a bit different!"

"How so?"

"There's a surprising additional piece of information... the <Superior Killer> survived the bombardment!"

At this,

"--- Hmm?"

Nemesis, who had been eating with Babi and not showing much interest in the crystal, reacted.

I felt I understood why Nemesis reacted only to this.

I also understood why she had been acting that way earlier.

She was probably upset that the PKs were wiped out.

She was probably annoyed that the person she vowed to defeat was taken out by someone else.

I felt the same way.

But...

"That's good news."

He was alive.

To be continued

The next post is at 21:00 tomorrow.

(=ↀωↀ=) <There are troublesome <Masters> in the world.

(￣(エ)￣) <PKs are a nuisance, you know.