Chapter 65

□■【Reporter】/【Shadow】Mary Adler

"Is the person Ray often talks about, the 'Super Assassin,' you, Mary?"

After handing the two of them their tickets and right after Ray left the shop, Luke suddenly whispered the correct answer to me.

"Why do you know! ...No, no, no, that's not it, YO!?"

Under normal circumstances, I might have been able to bluff a bit more, but since it was so unexpected, I ended up reacting as if to say, "You got me."

Luke also had an expression that seemed to say, "I knew it."

"N-no, that's not it. I'm not the 'Super Assassin.'"

"Then let's go through the circumstantial evidence one by one, and I'll ask you to raise your hand when you admit it."

"Huh?"

With that, Luke began to lay out his deductions in a straightforward manner.

○ The 'Super Assassin' has the ability to conceal their true identity, yet I often made statements that identified the 'Super Assassin' as a man.

○ This might have been an attempt to create a false impression that the 'Super Assassin' is a man, when in fact, it's a woman.

○ When talking about the 'Super Assassin's' ideology, I seemed to be evading rather than speculating.

○ During the battle with Galdoranda, even though the miasma was so thick that Luke and the others couldn't see inside from above, I stated that the 'Super Assassin' shot Galdoranda's "left shoulder," as Ray told me.

○ Despite having played for a year in real life and over three years in this game, my total level is lower than Luke's and Ray's, suggesting that I might be hiding my true strength.

○ There is a Japanese comic featuring a reporter and assassin character who looks exactly like me, and when I read it as an e-book, the character's actions were identical to mine.

At that point, I raised both hands. I surrender.

And thank you for reading. Did you read it in Japanese, even though there's no translation version overseas?

"Hehehe, I lost completely... This is the first time I've been caught before I revealed myself."

What a deductive ability.

Could Luke be a detective in real life?

Does he have an adult's mind in a child's body?

"No, Mary, you were quite easy to figure out, so I think others have noticed as well."

"Ahem."

That's a big blow...

"Also, if you use a character with the same appearance and name as a reporter and assassin, readers will figure it out right away."

"I know, but it's part of my identity."

That's right.

The reason I play "Infinite Dendrogram" is that I have to be Mary Adler, the reporter and "assassin."

"Still, while I and others might notice, Ray and Nemesis don't seem to have any clue."

"…If they found out, I'd die of embarrassment."

I think the situation would be terribly awkward.

"The only time they gave a penalty was to you, Mary. Normally, they might say something, but I don't see any malice in you now. So, I don't think they'll say anything."

"Thank you."

"By the way, can I ask you something?"

"……"

Hey, saying "Can I ask you something?" in this context is almost like a threat, right?

Is Luke an S?

"Maybe you want to make a request to your big sister…"

"I don't need it."

"That hurts…"

Being told "I don't need it" with a smile by a handsome boy really stings…

"So, what's the request?"

"Let's have a mock battle."

"A match?"

Why?

"I mentioned earlier that I want to practice PvP. I want you, a seasoned PK, to guide me."

"Ah, that's fine."

It's a good place for it.

In this dueling city, some arenas can be rented for practice, so we can spar safely there.

"Why PvP?"

"It's a secret."

Luke smiled and said that.

It was a very beautiful smile, like an angel smiling.

It's hard not to be charmed, but I felt a bit scared by that smile.

◇◆

We moved to the Sixth Arena on the sixth street of Duel City.

In Gideon, there are twelve arenas in addition to the central grand arena.

While events and betting matches are held daily, some arenas are on rotation and are not used for events.

These unused arenas can be rented for practice.

Practice arenas are not used in their entirety like events; they are divided into blocks by barriers. Each block can be rented for about 5000 ril per hour.

In the barrier, you can spar without worrying about injuries, equipment damage, item consumption, or debuff skills. It's quite affordable.

The barrier can also be set to an opaque mode, so you can practice without worrying about outside eyes.

By the way,

"Luke, you haven't exceeded level 51, right?"

"48."

"Then don't lean on the barrier. You'll pass through it."

In the barrier system, characters below level 50 can slip through. It's like a sieve with large holes.

While you can get the barrier's repair effect, it doesn't act as a wall, so characters below level 50 can't participate in arena events.

It would be a problem if you were thrown into the audience, after all.

I'd like to see a match with all rookies, though.

"Ready!"

After setting the opaque mode for the rented block, I turned to Luke.

Luke was already prepared with Babie, Marilyn, Audrey, and a slime that had camouflaged itself as equipment.

"Since I have plans this evening, let's limit the sparring to ten matches. Also, to avoid a huge skill gap, I'll fight without the MVP bonus."

If I used the MVP bonus, Luke would lose ten times before he could learn anything.

However, since it's PvP practice, I'll use my Embryo.

"My Embryo is relatively straightforward, so it's good for practice. Got it?"

"Yes!"

Now, let's start the sparring.

What is Luke's current skill level?

◇◆

"Alcanzar"

I summoned my revolver-type Embryo, TYPE: Legion, Alcanzar, in my left hand.

In my right hand, I held the black-coated dagger, Knight Pain. It's not an MVP bonus, but it has a sturdy build and a vision-obscuring effect when used for attacks.

Well, the vision-obscuring effect is mostly a bonus because of its short range.

"Summon, Marilyn, Audrey"

Luke also summoned two tamed monsters.

Marilyn, a sub-dragon of the earth dragon species, and Audrey, a flaming bird.

Including the new slime that had camouflaged itself as equipment, there were three in total.

All of them are exceptional forces for a rookie with a low-level job.

Also,

"Four... three..."

Babie, the succubus, seemed to be counting down casually, but she was watching me intently.

Well...

"One... zero!"

As soon as he said that, the sub-dragon, the flaming bird, and Babie charged at me. Luke was casting the "Charm" skill from the back.

This is probably their usual hunting battle style.

In the first match, they're coming at me head-on without any tricks.

"Then, I'll play it straight too."

I swung Alcanzar, and the revolver's cylinder ejected its contents.

Luke looked puzzled.

Of course, he would. It's strange to see a gun eject its shells without firing a single shot.

But Alcanzar is an Embryo.

It's shaped like a gun, but it's not a gun, and it doesn't fire bullets.

"Black Tracker, Red Explosion, Blue Scatter"

As I spoke, three types of "paint" in transparent containers were loaded into the cylinder.

I swung my arm again, and the revolver returned to its original shape.

"Fire"

I pulled the trigger.

Immediately, dozens of bullet-shaped monsters flew out of Alcanzar's barrel.

They all swerved in mid-air but rushed toward the flaming bird.

The bird tried to evade by flying, but the bullet creatures pursued it.

The bird's flight speed and the bullet creatures' speed were not significantly different.

Moreover,

"KIEEEEE!?"

Since this is inside a "barrier," the ceiling is close.

The bullet creatures caught up to the bird, hit it, and exploded simultaneously.

The bird's remains turned into particles and disappeared.

"VOLAAAAAAAAA!!"

This time, the sub-dragon's horn charged at me after the attack.

The charge was like a 10-ton truck speeding toward me in real life,

"Too slow."

With my AGI in the five-digit range, reaching the supersonic combat domain, it was as if the horn was standing still.

I narrowly avoided the charging horn and ejected the shells again.

This time, I loaded two types, Red Explosion and Green Penetration, silently.

In my world, the sub-dragon Marilyn's shell moved slowly, but in her world, it moved at a furious speed.

I pressed the barrel against her shell and fired.

The penetration-enhanced bullet creature easily pierced the sub-dragon's shell and exploded inside, killing it instantly.

The sub-dragon turned into a cloud of light.

"Next"

I thought the next one would be Babie, but I couldn't see her.

Where is she...?

I swung Knight Pain without looking behind me.

"..."

Immediately, fresh blood spurted from a place where there was nothing, and Babie appeared.

She must have been invisible.

How did a succubus get such an ability, even with an Embryo?

Oh, right, Babie has the "Drain Learning" skill.

Did she learn "Invisibility" from a monster they hunted?

Maybe from a Lesser Chameleon Basilisk in the forest near the Nex Plains.

Babie disappeared, leaving only Luke and the new slime.

I fired Alcanzar, set to explosion and penetration mode.

I thought it would be over, but unexpectedly, the bullet creatures veered off and hit the barrier, exploding.

Looking at the part of the camouflage coat that was hit, it formed a gentle curve, like a slope. It deflected the bullets.

"Success, Liz."

It seems Luke ordered the slime to change its shape.

...Did he figure out the characteristics of my bullet creatures from the one shot I fired at Marilyn?

And he noticed that I need to eject the shells to change modes.

Scary. Luke's observational skills are scary.

But,

"That's not enough to stop me."

I ejected the shells and loaded only Green Penetration.

The penetration bullet creature that flew out after I pulled the trigger pierced the slime's slope defense with far greater penetration power than the previous explosion-penetration bullet, turning Luke into a sieve.

◇◆

The characteristic of my Embryo, Alcanzar, is the creation and firing of bullet creatures.

The characteristics of the bullet creatures vary greatly depending on the "paint" used.

There are six colors of "paint," and the bullet creatures change depending on the ratio in which they are loaded into the six chambers.

In this battle, for example, the first one was a mix of black, which has target-tracking ability, red, which has explosive power, and blue, which increases the number of bullets, creating a tracking explosive scatter bullet.

The second one was a mix of red and green, which has penetration ability, creating an explosive penetration bullet.

The last one was a full load of green, creating a penetration bullet.

The more colors you mix, the more abilities you get, but each ability becomes weaker. You use them according to the situation.

When I encountered Ray, I only used black and blue for the beginner hunt.

There was no need for red, which increases power, or green, which penetrates defenses, against beginners.

"Anyway, that's about it for the reveal."

"Where is it not tricky?"

After the first match, in the practice area, Luke, who had been turned into a sieve, and Babie, Marilyn, and Audrey, who had disappeared, were all sitting there, fully restored and lively.

It's a barrier, after all. You can't die here.

"No, no, it's 'relatively' not tricky. Among the sixth-form Embryos, I consider it quite straightforward."

When you get to the advanced level and learn ultimate skills, the number of creative and crazy Embryos increases.

For example, turning all humans inside the barrier into lolis or shota, forcing them to fight naked by forcibly removing their equipment, or transforming them into their most hated creature and only restoring their head if they die.

Those are all crazy... Oh, those are all from the Legendary's "Super" class.

There are only perverts there.

"Anyway, shall we move on to the second match?"

"Yes."

I thought there was a possibility that they might give up here, but they're continuing.

That's good. Ray and Luke are both mentally strong.

Then, I'll gradually get more serious.

◇◆

After a total of nine mock battles, the result is my nine consecutive wins.

As expected, just as I predicted before the sparring.

The only thing unexpected was losing my left arm in the last match.

The barrier's effect has restored it, but it was gone for a while.

Honestly, I feel like I lost on that one point.

In the tenth match, Luke, Babie, and the monsters moved as they had before.

But they seemed to anticipate my movements and lay in wait, striking me unexpectedly and cutting off my arm.

I won with one hand after that.

...Using an ultimate skill might have been a bit overkill.

Besides, the ultimate skill of my Alcanzar has a significant drawback, so I can't use it in the barrier. I might have been able to use it in a real battle, though.

"Thank you for the sparring!"

Luke bowed and thanked me.

"Yes, good job. You and your team did quite well... or rather, considering the time since you started, it's amazing. Your coordination with the monsters and skill usage were impressive. Especially the last one was unexpected. Did you save that move until the tenth match to understand my movements?"

"Yes. But Mary is strong. Even after nine matches, I couldn't fully read her. I was actually aiming for her neck."

Luke laughed as he said this.

...Ah, I see. The pattern from the sixth to the ninth match was to understand my movements in response to the same attack and anticipate them in the tenth match.

Still, to say such things with such a cheerful smile.

This kid has a natural sadistic streak.

"Your movements didn't slow down even after losing an arm. I thought I could find more openings."

"In battles at the 'Super' level or higher, losing a limb or having internal organ damage is quite common. It's just a matter of getting used to it."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you very much today."

"Did I help?"

"Yes, a lot!"

That's good. It was worth losing my left arm.

However, despite being a non-combat low-level job, Luke managed to do this much against a 'Super' job, even with a handicap.

Ray, who is also a rookie, has killed two UBM with his bare hands, and Luke is not far behind.

These two are exceptional among the Masters I've seen.

Not just the result of their growth, but exceptional from the start.

I wonder what they will become in the future.

"...Who will be the strongest in the end?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. By the way, did you use any skill you haven't used before? Not the 'Mithril Strain.'"

I asked, half to cover up, but it was something I was genuinely curious about.

Lying in wait and anticipating my movements, and attacking with Liz, I can understand those points, but there's something I don't understand about the process.

How could you lie in wait in the middle of the flames?

The silver figure in front of me was probably wrapped in Liz, but even if it was wrapped in Liz, it shouldn't be able to withstand the heat of the flames.

It would have burned to death before lying in wait.

So, I thought you must have used a skill you hadn't used before...

"That was the 'Union Jack'!"

In response to my question, Babie answered, puffing out her chest.

"The 'Union Jack'..."

"Yes. It's a new unique skill Babie learned when she evolved to the third form."

Ah, she evolved to the third form. Babie doesn't change in appearance when she evolves.

What kind of skill is the 'Union Jack'?

Since it's a unique skill, it should be related to the characteristics of an Embryo.

I still don't fully understand Babie's characteristics compared to the bullet creatures of my Alcanzar or Nemesis's counter.

◇◆

After the secret sparring with Luke, I parted ways to do a little preparation for my work as a reporter and then