Chapter 62

Miyu and the others' base camp was a scene that could be described as nothing short of hell.

A pillar of fire rose in the center, players fleeing from the fire pillar, and the flames engulfing those who fled, reducing their humanoid forms to ashes.

Why had it come to this? Neither I nor Miyu could understand, and we were simply taken aback.

"Well... Isn't it a bit too early in the day to have a campfire, even if you want one?"

"Is this the time to make jokes! This is clearly an abnormal situation. ...Let's regroup with Rukato and the others. First, contact them."

Miyu's words were a joke, but unlike her usual jokes, her face was completely tense. It must have been quite a shock to her.

Since I rarely see my sister flustered, my heart grew cold, and I began to observe the surroundings.

The flames had spread to the tents and equipment left around, and the campsite's functionality was devastated. Fortunately, because they were properly spaced, the flames that were now raging did not block our path, which was reassuring.

At worst, they could turn into a maze of flames when we tried to escape.

"Rukato's in contact! She's guiding people right now!"

"Got it! We'll move to regroup with her. We're sharing the map in the party, so you know where she is, right? TouTobi, please navigate."

The two of them nodded with serious expressions. In reality, if we only considered getting them to safety, we could avoid a total wipe, but the strong will to rush to our comrades' aid was palpable, and I couldn't bring myself to say it.

I thought that even a makeshift enchantment was better than nothing and cast DEF and MIND enchantments on everyone before moving against the flow of people.

"Was there any sign of this happening?"

"......No! There were no confirmed MOBs capable of such magic or attacks! First of all, normal MOBs can't enter the safety area!"

Even TouTobi, who usually speaks calmly, was flustered.

"I think it's because of a unique item. Maybe someone has a cheat weapon and is causing chaos."

"Hino, you've been reading too many web novels! In a real online game, if there were cheats, players would leave, so it's impossible!"

The other three's inner voices were in perfect agreement: "You're one to talk, real cheater." But the next moment, even that luxury was gone.

"Flame attack! Defend!"

I raised my voice and instructed everyone to brace themselves. I took out a Clay Shield magic gem from my inventory and smashed it on the ground.

"Clay Shield!"

The rising earth wall and the flames that followed collided. The scattered flames crept up the earth wall, scorching our faces.

I peeked out from the edge of the wall to see the other side, but the flames were still spreading and had not calmed down.

"......We can't move forward like this."

The distance to our destination wasn't that far, but it was difficult to push through the flames.

"Onee-chan, Rukato and the others can't come here. They're defending the stranded players. !"

"Looks like we need to rescue them. We don't know the cause... Can we do it alone?"

The three of them looked anxious. Even if they were to defend, it seemed unlikely they could withstand the wave-like attacks of the flames for long. They were also considering the worst-case scenario if they couldn't hold out.

Damn, I almost cursed, but then I felt something touch my right hand.

"......Rui, I'm sorry, I've made you worried too."

Rui pressed against my right hand, staring at me intently.

"The flames are weakening a bit. Let's go in a little while."

"......Yun, someone is coming from the flames."

It was a player who had been too slow to escape. A middle-aged man in a simple vest with a small mustache. A hat perched on his head added a touch of charm.

We beckoned him over and guided him to safety.

"Phew, phew, phew... I'm saved... I haven't run this much in a game in a long time."

He was out of breath, either from tension or from running at full speed, and he fled to the back of the earth wall.

"Are you okay, sir?"

"Yeah, you guys were also too slow to escape, right? You can't get close to that area. It's better to stay back."

"Rukato! Rukato is there!"

Miyu approached the man, who was starting to catch his breath, with a fierce expression.

"......Miyu, that won't get through. Excuse me, but our friends are supposed to be guiding evacuations. They might be stranded near the center. Do you know anything about that?"

TouTobi's concise and polite question made the man think for a moment before answering.

"I don't know. I was on that side when it happened and got left behind."

"Okay... But, they're probably safe as long as they're still connected. Right?"

Hino forced a smile, but it was hard to be optimistic.

"Sir, do you know what caused this? If you saw it when it happened."

"Yeah, and I'm not 'sir,' I'm Totoru. The cause is a young beast."

All of us looked at Rui, who was by my side.

Totoru also looked at Rui and said, "Wow, you have a young beast. That's impressive."

"Why is a young beast the cause?"

"A party in full golden armor and with tasteless outfits brought a young beast. No, they kidnapped it."

Kidnapped, that's not a peaceful term. It means they brought it forcefully, right?

"They were very noisy and annoying. But they had been causing trouble from the first day, so I was watching from a distance. Then, as soon as it became quiet, flames started spewing from the young beast."

"......What's the cause? Why did it happen?"

"Who knows? I was watching from a distance, but I saw something shiny. It looked like a bracelet."

TouTobi and Hino's earlier guesses were close to the mark.

A special MOB like a young beast had invaded the safety area, which is the base camp.

And the culprit was likely a bracelet-type accessory.

"Those idiots caused such a problem! If they're still around, I'll take care of them!"

"Haha... I don't think so. They were the first to be consumed by the flames."

Totoru smiled dryly. As we listened, the flames began to weaken.

"Alright, we're heading deeper."

"I'm going to escape. I still want to enjoy this event."

"Prudent choice."

I shrugged dramatically and parted ways with him. Taking advantage of the weakening flames, we ran toward the center of the event.

The closer we got to the center, the more the heat seared our faces, making our skin tingle.

The distance to the center shouldn't have been that far, but the heat waves and occasional flame attacks blocked our path, and the mirages made it impossible to see through, even with the "Hawk's Eye" skill.

Finding a flaw in such a situation, I chuckled, but then something caught my eye.

"Rukato!"

"She seems to be okay! Let's go!"

We approached and confirmed that Rukato and the others were holding out against the attacks.

A small shadow within the pillar of fire was clearly visible, even through the flames, directing intense fire blasts and flames at them. Kohaku and Rirei, the mages, along with two other mages protecting the players, were taking turns casting defensive spells to withstand the attacks.

However, the density of the attacks was different from what we had faced. It was a struggle for two of them to hold it off.

"Can't do it! My MP is running out!"

"Even if you say that, we don't have any MP potions... Oh!"

While Kohaku and Rirei were struggling, Rirei's defensive spell disappeared.

The remaining defensive spell cast by Kohaku was suddenly under immense pressure, cracking like glass and on the verge of collapse.

"Hang in there!—Clay Shield"

I took out a handful of Clay Shields from my inventory and threw them between the young beast and Rukato's group.

The four earth walls that appeared mid-air blocked the flames, and then Kohaku's defensive spell disappeared due to MP depletion.

"What happened?"

"I came to help! Rukato, everyone."

Rukato, Kohaku, and Rirei, along with the five players they were guiding, made a total of twelve of us starting to defend.

I silently distributed MP potions to those who could cast magic, as their MP was running out or about to run out, and natural recovery wouldn't be enough.

"Thank you, Yun."

"Save your thanks for later. Can you escape immediately?"

I confirmed with Rukato in the fewest words possible, but his confused expression was not reassuring.

Meanwhile, it was unclear how long the earth walls, which were being attacked intermittently, would hold.

"Is it impossible?"

"Yes, we are the target. If we show our backs, we'll be targeted immediately. If we want to escape, someone will have to be a decoy... No, I shouldn't sugarcoat it. Someone will have to sacrifice themselves to buy us time."

Hearing those words, I thought, "We've gotten ourselves into a troublesome situation." There was no way I could retire without making dinner tonight. No, I absolutely couldn't die.

"The only other option is to defeat that young beast."

That made sense. It was an underdeveloped MOB, so its overall stats were likely low. With the twelve of us working together, we had a good chance of winning.

"Does anyone object to defeating the young beast?"

Everyone nodded silently. Alright, then, I need to come up with a plan. Just as I thought that, I felt a shock from behind.

I stumbled and turned around to see Rui headbutting me repeatedly.

"Hey, now's not the time to play. You understand, right?"

Despite my words, Rui continued, so I squatted down to meet her gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"......"

Words weren't necessary to convey everything. But the emotion in her eyes, looking at me directly, was—pleading.

I thought about why my partner, whom I had only just met, would have such an expression.

Rui's plea. The basic setting of this floating continent, and the inscription on the stone tablet.

"——A paradise for beasts. A place where magical beasts and mythical beasts recognize and protect each other——"

In other words, Rui didn't want to let her kin die, and she wanted to help them.

It was all just speculation. But once I thought that way, I wanted to fulfill her wish no matter what.

Even if it meant facing even greater difficulties. That's what it means to have the heart of a man, to listen to your partner's wishes.

"Sorry, I took some time."

"No, what's wrong?"

Rukato asked with concern, so I answered as brightly as I could.

"Sorry! I'm against the kill!"

Everyone's faces were shocked as I, along with Rui, jumped out from behind the earth wall.

"Let's do what we can, partner!"

One person and one beast faced the massive flames. I'm not a top player, but I believe we have a chance to win.

I apologize for the interruption in updates during the Golden Week due to my poor health.

I'm still not fully recovered, and it took a lot of time to write this. I will definitely return after a short rest.

Please watch over me with warm eyes.