Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 138

Fist Fight

He wondered how many times it had been.

Ponsuke was thinking such thing while looking at his own status.

The demerit from the strengthening had been reduced and the time  needed until his status returned to normal had been shortened to three  hours.

The leading members in Arcadia’s bridge were receiving reinforcement  requests from the guilds that usually logged in at the same time slot.

「You’re attacked? Where are you right now?」

「Destroyed? Where did those guys go next?」

「Listen, don’t move away from there no matter what. We’re going there right now――」

The guild members were dealing with the calls while the other members were compiling the information.

Blaze was looking at the picture of the seven worlds while saying,

「There’re so many. Just how many of them came here?」

He was making a frustrated expression.

Ponsuke crossed his arms.

(I guess around six hours had passed in RL? Are there still more coming?)

Seven days had passed in the virtual world. The next time slot was coming.

More guilds were logging in there and participated in the rampage. The enemy’s number only kept increasing.

Lighter was looking fed up.

They were profiting a lot but, it was also getting annoying dealing with this incursion.

「These guys are so free that they can go out of their way to barge in here from other time slot just to rampage.」

Blaze also agreed but,

「I wish they’ll stop with how annoying they are. Rather than that, how is it going with the other guilds?」

The players who were doing their activity in the same time slot with them.

And also the clearers of this time slot. Were they just doing nothing?

Ponsuke was also curious.

SOLOLY joined the conversation.

「There’re guilds that ignored this and prioritized themselves but,  there are also guilds who got targeted and dealing with it. Even so,  there’s so much difference in atmosphere just from difference in time  slot.」

If the time slot of Ponsuke and co was relaxed or broad-minded, the  players who barged in had flashy and thorny and on edge atmosphere with  them.

Most of the guilds who barged in were just second string even though  they were clearers, just like Ponsuke or Rook who were only barely able  to participate in the clearing.

The serious clearers must be working hard as usual in their own time slot.

A guild member who was in contact with someone else gave a report in panic.

「Another guild just got crushed!」

Renowned guild――if they were playing in the same time slot, then it would be natural to heard at least the name of many guilds.

To learn that those guilds were defeated even if not easily would cause them to feel anxious.

Ponsuke was checking in which world that happened and the scale of the guild when Arcadia shook.

Ponsuke caught the back of a guild member who almost stumbled while he himself kneeled on the floor and looked around.

「What was that!」

「Enemy attack――」

A member pointed outside the window. Three floating islands could be seen there.

Lighter gritted his teeth.

「Our armor got dented! Do you know how much it cost to create that!?」

Blaze stood up while looking at other direction.

「――Ponsuke-kun, looks like it isn’t just floating islands that gather here.」

Ponsuke looked at the same direction. Dozens of floating ships were surrounding Arcadia there.

Ponsuke muttered.

「……So we’re their next target.」

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Ponsuke and His Happy-Go-Lucky Friends――the name was a joke.

But, it couldn’t be said as an unusual name in online game.

After all name like “Dog Lover Alliance” was common for a top guild. In fact, there were a lot of guilds with joke name.

Guilds that usually logged in during 10 PM until 11 PM gathered and  surrounded the floating island that was the base of Ponsuke’s guild.

「What a fucking joke.」

The player who said those words in annoyance was the guild master of [Guild Million], [Kaizer Tom].

It’s your name that is a joke! This man shut up anyone who said that with strength.

He had high player skill. His ability to manage guild also wasn’t  bad. He was leading a guild that was qualified to be among the clearers.

The reason why someone like him was holding a grudge against Ponsuke was――.

「Don’t you guys think that it’s shameful to capture the capital like that?」

Tom’s comrades were his yes man.

「I agree. It’s just unacceptable.」

「They’re cheaters.」

「Though the dev said that it’s not cheat or anything.」

To be more accurate Ponsuke and co took advantage of a hole in the  system to succeed in the clearing. At that time Ponsuke’s guild  liberated a world and gained reputation to be counted among the famous  guilds.

There were a lot of players who weren’t amused by that.

In addition, they were making a killing lately.

「If they’re left alone like this, those guys’ll seriously become the top clearing guild. That’s just unforgivable.」

And so he called out to the second string guilds among the clearers.

The true clearers had no time to do something like this.

But――that didn’t mean that everyone here was the same like him.

Among the guilds that came running when they heard about this event, there was also a true clearing guild mixed in.

The guild’s name was [Dosukoi-chan Ko].

All of its members were hardcore gamer and wearing robe because they  feared that their information would leak out from their appearance.

「We’re counting on you guys yeah.」

One person replied at Tom.

「Do as you like. But if you snatch the reward that we’re aiming……」

Tom raised his hands in surrender when that person glared at him.

「Ain’t no way we’re gonna pick a fight with you guys. Even so, do you really want goddess’s item that much?」

Goddess’s item――it was a series of guild item.

Their true worth would be displayed when all of them were gathered together.

The hardcore clearing guild joined this event because they wanted that effect.

「They are special. The goddess’s statue, shield, staff……if they’re  combined with our necklace and tiara, the blessing for the guild will  become extraordinary. It might become the key for the next clearing.」

There were many mysteries surrounding the clearing.

There were many stories of, “just how much easier it would be if only we had this before” in the aftermath.

The players would fail a lot, gathered information, and then challenged the quest again.

Apparently this clearing guild suspected that the guild items in the possession of Ponsuke’s guild would become the key.

A robed woman looked at a man.

The man was the only one wearing a different robe.

That robe――was the robe worn by the information broker’s group.

「There’s no doubt that those items are in their possession right?」

「There’s no doubt. The shield and staff that the elf queen held  originally belonged to the goddess. They’ll be necessary for the next  clearing.」

The woman turned her gaze toward Arcadia.

「I see. Well, they’re still valuable guild items even if this is a miss. It won’t be a waste of time either way.」

Tom shrugged and snickered a little.

「Oi, send the duel request to them. Put everything on the line. And surround them so they can’t run away.」

Floating islands and flying ships kept gathering to surround Arcadia.

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Ponsuke was standing on the floating island’s prow.

They were challenged to a war between guilds――the challengers against them were more than ten guilds.

Just the number of players that had gathered here was more than 3000. The sight at the sky was stunning.

After all there was no way to escape with all the floating islands and flying ships on their way.

The duel’s condition was the base sinking was considered  defeat……Ponsuke’s guild would lose if Arcadia sank, but the opponents  wouldn’t lose unless the bases of all the guilds were sank.

「……How unreasonable.」

To be honest, it was an unwinnable duel.

But, Ponsuke found one hardcore guild among the names of the challenger guilds.

Why was hardcore player terrifying? That was because they would chase after their target to the very end.

For example, there was no build of job and skill that could be called the strongest in Pandora.

Even a build that was effective against a boss would often become ineffective in a battle between players.

There were also players whose build were too specialized for fighting fellow players that they were useless against boss.

But, when a hardcore player had decided their objective, they would rebuild their character from zero again.

They would set their jobs and skills to match their opponent. Anyone  who got targeted by them, whether boss or player would meet hell.

They didn’t have any attachment to their avatar like Ponsuke and co,  so they could challenge their opponent with the optimum setting.

Of course, their player skill was also extremely high.

The guild members gathered on the prow.

Prey who went to other worlds to save other players along with the girls had also come back.

Alfie acted brazenly.

「Ponsuke, what’re we going to do?」

Mariela put her hands behind her head.

「Are we not going to fight and surrender?」

She asked that question even knowing that Ponsuke wouldn’t make that choice.

Ponsuke looked at everyone’s face.

They all believed in him completely.

(……I wonder how do Ponsuke look in their eyes)

He felt embarrassed, pathetic, and……lonely.

In order to meet the expectations of these people who were looking at  Ponsuke instead of himself, and――in order to fulfill his own objective,  he chose the path of fighting.

(It’ll be a good experience to fight clearers who specialized in PvP.  Besides, I don’t want to just quietly watch our guild get crushed.)

Even though it was fabrication, there was no denying that this was a castle that they all built together.

Ponsuke stood up imposingly.

「Bad manner. Malicious. Cowardly. ……I won’t say that I’m not thinking those things about the opponents.」

Everyone was listening quietly.

「But……what I’m feeling the most is irritation! It’s irritating that  they’re picking a fight with us. It’s also infuriating that they’re  surrounding us like this. These guys are just unforgivable!」

The surrounding was yelling 「That’s right, that’s right!」.

「I don’t have any hobby of getting beaten up quietly. Everyone, are you prepared!?」

Everyone raised their voice all at once.

「Let’s do this!」

「I’m looking forward to count the loots from these guys!」

「I’m gonna show them my trump card!」

Ponsuke accepted the guild duel――the war request by pushing the button on the screen that was hovering in the air.

The timer started. The battle would start in two more hours.

「Get into your positions you bastards!」

Everyone broke into a run after Ponsuke gave the order.

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Tom laughed when he saw that the other side had accepted the duel.

A thin film formed in the shape of dome that surrounded the floating  islands and flying ships. It prevented anyone to escape from there.

「Those guys are really carefree. As expected from casual players. Well, let’s have fun beating them up.」

The hardcore players were standing near Tom.

But, they were behaving oddly.

「Oi, what’s wrong?」

The woman who was full of composure until just now was looking flustered.

「N-no……we don’t know what to talk about inside the game.」

Hardcore player fundamentally――didn’t talk inside game.

They would already have strategized before logging in. What kind of  quest to take, how many items to farm. Everything was already decided  beforehand.

They wouldn’t have any normal conversation after logging in.

At most they would only talk about dealing with unforeseen accident or calling out to each other.

Apparently they were no good with having extra time.

「I-I can’t calm down.」

「What to do. With this much time we can take a rare item quest two times. That kind of thought keep filling my mind.」

「No good……I don’t know what to do for this kind of time」

The hardcore players had already finished their preparation  beforehand. For them having two hours of free time was something  impossible.

Because of that they were restless.

「……You guys, will you be able to fight like that?」

「D-don’t look down on us! We’re just going to surround them, beat  them up, then board their base and sink them, that’s all. We’ll just  need to move when it’s time to start. That will be the easy part.」

Fighting using the difference in number.

Tom who had prepared until this far thought.

(Well, these guys are like our trump card. In the first place, it’s already like a checkmate at this point.)

He called out to many guilds and marched into the time slot where Ponsuke and co were active.

And then they would surround them with elites and beat them up. He  also didn’t forget to exhaust Ponsuke and co first before that.

Tom who had arranged the situation this thoroughly couldn’t imagine his side losing.

(This is what they call the fight have been decided before it begin.)

Something like tricks were unneeded in this stage where his side had  arranged the combat strength that left no room for doubt in their  victory.

After this they just needed to surround the other side and beat them up with all their strength.

Tom was thinking like that while waiting for the time to come.

……While harboring worry toward the hardcore players who were restless beside him.

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「It’s time.」

The floating islands and flying ships that were positioned to surround Arcadia were preparing to fire their cannons.

Tom thought that finally the chance to increase his fame by defeating the joke of a guild of Ponsuke and his friends had come.

The timer showed that only thirty seconds remained…….

「Fire all at once. After that we’ll board them and beat them up  thoroughly. Traumatize them too so they won’t even think of climbing up  again!」

There was no waste in their movements, which was to be expected from elites.

Several seconds were remaining until their cannons fired……Tom swung down his raised hand when the time came.

The cannons that were lined up on the floating island fired  simultaneously. The explosive sounds were accompanied by wind from the  blasts. The mantle that Tom was wearing was flapping.

The cannon shells were hitting Arcadia one after another. The explosions caused grey smokes to cover the floating island.

Even so the attacks didn’t stop coming.

「Continue firing. Don’t let them do anything.」

Tom intended to bombard the opponent thoroughly. He was smiling smugly seeing things progressing well.

But――.

「Kaizer! Several guilds are under surprise attack from the enemy!」

Tom turned around.

「What?」

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On the sky.

There was a group riding on winged donkeys.

It was the orc group that was led by Ponsuke.

「Show them the strength of the powered up donkeys.」

The donkeys that were making hateful face had small wings growing on  their back. They absolutely wouldn’t be able to fly with that in real  life, but this was a virtual world.

Prey tightly gripped his donkey’s rein.

「Let’s just say that they are truly naïve thinking that we will  simply accept the beating quietly. Now, Ponsuke-kun. Our prey is――」

One of the enemy’s flying islands burst into flames while Prey was speaking.

When they looked over there――.

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Alfie was holding a bazooka in her right hand.

It was a one use paid item. Several hundred yens were gone just from five shots.

Alfie was carrying several of such bazookas. She boarded one of the  floating islands that kept firing at Arcadia and went around destroying  the cannons.

「As expected from paid item. It’s scraping off the endurance like butter.」

A gatling gun was in her left hand. The barrels were rotating because it was the air-cooled type.

The approaching players were turned into swiss cheese and vanished as red light.

「Oh, the players manning the cannons are the low level grunts in the guild huh. I can’t expect much opposition like this.」

She blew up a cannon and discarded the bazooka that had run out of ammo.

She readied her next bazooka and aimed it toward the base that was  created on the floating island――a mansion and pulled the trigger.

The building was hit directly and a large explosion occurred.

「It burn really nicely!」

Alfie was firing bazooka while laughing. Following after her was her  comrades from Ponsuke and His Happy-Go-Lucky Friends――her fellow guild  member boarding the floating island.

Alfie boarded this island on a horse――a horse with wings growing on  its back. Her comrades boarded the island while she was rampaging.

Her armed comrades weren’t armed with paid item, but they were destroying the surrounding with their own explosives.

「Everyone too is doing nicely. Now then, I need to work hard blowing up the enemies too for Ponsuke-kun’s sake.」

As she readied her bazooka, the players of the enemy guild who specialized in battle finally arrived.

「You fucking bitchhhh!」

Several of the players had blood rushing into their head seeing their base getting messed up. They rushed forward slashing.

Their hands were holding sword or spear.

But, Alfie pulled her bazooka’s trigger with no question asked――they were blown away.

The enemies surrounded Alfie.

「How rude. Even though it was you guys who challenged us into this fight」

An enemy leader gave command.

「Paid items have problematic endurance! This is war of attrition!  There’s nothing to be scared about if we surround and beat her up like  this!」

A player wouldn’t be the strongest just because they had paid item.

But――.

「Good decision. Now then, I have used up my bazooka too, so let’s try this one next.」

Alfie tossed away her gatling gun and her red dress shined gold. Then she was holding a sword in each hand.

At the same time her surrounding――.

「Grenades!? Duck!」

Was filled with grenades that she tossed.

She tightly grasped the paid items in the form of golden sword and  silver sword. Alfie broke into a run and slashed a nearby player.

The enemy faltered so he vanished with one attack. The golden sword shattered into pieces.

Seeing that the enemies,

「Paid item with stupidly high attack power has problematic endurance. You might beat one or two of us but――」

Alfie cut that player with her silver sword in the middle of his speech.

The player looked at Alfie’s hands the moment he vanished.

He saw Alfie tossing away the broken hilts and taking out new paid items――the same gold and silver swords like before.

「Y-you!」

Just how much she had spent from the fight just now? Alfie took off  her gaze from the players who were thinking of such thing and slashed  the next player with a smile.

「――My spending limitation got removed just for today. I still have a lot more you know?」

The enemies were attacking them in drove, so Alfie was allowed to go  all out with buying paid items just for today’s battle……it was the same  with the other members.

The enemy players were also using real money to buy paid items, but  they couldn’t use money like they were growing on trees like Alfie.

One person got slashed on his back as he tried to run away.

Alfie took out another new sword and rested it on her shoulder as she looked around.

All the players had vanished.

「Now then, let’s head to the floating island’s engine room to take down this base.」

Alfie linked up with her comrades who arrived later and headed to the center of the island.

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