Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 135

Kind Lie

Author’s Note: How can I write this kind of story at Christmas Eve……I want girlfriend.

In the floating island that served as the guild’s base.

It would be odd to keep calling the place the floating island all the time, so they asked the members for name suggestion.

Normally Ponsuke too would seriously consider the topic, but now he  hesitated to give name to the base considering that it would be gone one  day.

Because of that, the name would be decided by majority voting from several of the suggestions but――.

「Arcadia……the earthly paradise huh. How ironic.」

Perhaps this place was truly an arcadia for Ponsuke, but what about the other players? Was it really an arcadia for them?

Wasn’t it just an illusion that was forced to them all this time?

He couldn’t wipe away such worry.

Today too Ponsuke was doing the necessary work as guild master in his office while thinking about the future.

(……I don’t know how much time we have until the plan is carried out  but, if we’re going to prepare then as expected we have to rely on  Pandora.)

In the former minister――Prey’s plan, Ponsuke was assigned an important role.

Ponsuke had to be strong……both in the virtual world and real world.

「……Guess I’ll talk to Lighter.」

Ponsuke stood up and immediately headed toward the workshop.

.

.

.

Lighter who was checking the works in the workshop was dumbfounded.

「J-just now, what did you say?」

「No, I’m thinking about getting a bit serious. So that plan that Lighter mentioned, it might be good to do it.」

Lighter’s plan was to bring Arcadia to the frontline――to the World of Rage and fought the monsters there.

When player finished fighting, they had to return at least until the World of Purity.

Whether they were doing quest or leveling up, they would have to return to somewhere sooner or later.

The advantage of this plan to bring Arcadia to the frontline was that  they would be able to ignore that need and focused their all to level  up and gather drop item.

In fact, after Ponsuke and co took down a fortress, the clearers also moved in earnest to acquire floating island of their own.

「You finally understand my thinking, Ponsuke-kun!」

「Well, the floating island itself will return back to its original place when everyone logout anyway.」

「Even so that’s fine! Our staying time here is already “two weeks”  now. We will break even if we go wild in the World of Rage for ten days  of that two weeks!」

――The time that players could spend in the virtual world was already reaching two weeks.

Fourteen days of staying inside Pandora.

The acceleration of the real world time was already increased until 168 times.

(It became two week when I noticed……this is, really dangerous.)

Now people spent one day in real life and two weeks in virtual world……it was only natural for people’s sense to become strange.

Lighter was in high spirits.

「Then I’ll start preparing right away. Are we going right away?」

「Let’s do it tomorrow.」

「OK, then what time it’ll be tomorrow?」

「……I mean IRL’s tomorrow.」

「Eh? Aa, you mean it like that. Well, I also want to do the  preparation thoroughly, and we also have to persuade everyone, so  perhaps it’ll be better that way.」

The conversation with Lighter was painful for Ponsuke who had learned the true identity of his discomfort.

Their talk was over then and Ponsuke left the workshop.

There were a lot of craftsman players inside the workshop, having fun  creating armor and tool. Among them there were also players testing  various things to challenge the limit of the system.

(Everyone is having fun.)

.

.

.

Arcadia was a floating island.

It was quite spacious. In addition, they could even enlarge it if they purchased a new floating island.

There were players who wanted to recreate the sightseeing area.

Especially Alfie and Lily. They were creating various things all over  Arcadia. No, it would be more accurate to say they were telling others  to create it.

There was a hot spring before he noticed it.

Next after that was amusement park.

A townscape with such atmosphere was created, and then players opened shops in it.

There were also quite a lot of customers coming because the guild members invited their acquaintances.

Ordinary players who weren’t guild member were walking in the town happily.

「Hey, let’s eat ice cream! That stall’s ice is really great!」

「Crepe! Let’s have crepe!」

「Wait. You promised to accompany me shopping today! I want equipment  set by a famous designer! We don’t have many chance coming here so let’s  finish this errand first!」

The girls were having great time.

They might be actually GIRL, but their enjoyment seemed genuine.

At another place the guild members were gathering and doing serious talk――a maid was standing at the center of them.

But, the maid was an NPC.

(Why is an NPC here?)

Ponsuke approached. The guild members greeted him when they noticed.

「Ah, guild master! Looking around?」

「Yes, this place is really bustling huh. But rather than that, what’s with the NPC there……」

「Aa, it looks like she’s an NPC that got assigned here after our guild’s scale got bigger. There are ten of them here?」

It seemed the guild member Ponsuke was talking also didn’t know about it in detail.

「Isn’t it twenty? It seems that the number can be increased. We  invested everything we got into our guild’s facilities, so that’s why  NPC got assigned here.」

Ponsuke recalled that he had actually heard about it before.

But the main members in the meeting at that time prioritized  investing into the facilities. The topic of the NPC’s treatment didn’t  come up.

The opinions of Alfie and Lighter clashed with each other, but both of them were apathetic toward NPC.

A guild member clung on Ponsuke.

「Guild master, please! Allow us to customize this girl!」

「Please!」

Ponsuke looked bewildered at the veteran looking man and handsome man who were begging at him.

「……No, even if you ask me that suddenly. More importantly, what do you mean by customize?」

The veteran looking man explained to him elatedly.

「Even though we can’t change her gender, we can modify her  appearance, outfit, and setting. We’ll need item or do some quest to  level up her or give her skill, but I’ll absolutely turn her into a  pretty maid!」

「Oi, we’re going to turn her into a pretty town girl!」

It seemed there was a discrepancy between the two’s opinions.

「Shut up! I love maid!」

「And I told you a town girl would suit this town’s atmosphere better!  A homely and cute girl who hasn’t lost her innocence is better!」

Ponsuke was exasperated seeing the two arguing with each other. Even  so he told them that he would bring it up in the next meeting and left.

.

.

.

Ponsuke was in the World of Rage alone.

He was facing a troublesome monster called skeleton knight. It surrounded player with number to corner them.

The weapons they carried were also varied. There were even some of them carrying rifle or handgun.

Their parameters were increased by the effect of the World of Rage,  and on top of that they had teamwork. This monster had made many players  cried.

Ponsuke was fighting those skeleton knights by himself.

He was fighting them barehanded without any weapon――but Ponsuke originally used shield and sword mainly.

It wasn’t like he couldn’t fight hand-to-hand, but it wasn’t his main focus.

「――Tsu!」

An enemy’s sword stabbed deeply into his thigh. He quickly smacked  the enemy with his fist, destroying one enemy. But, despite the damage  Ponsuke’s high status parameters and various skills were healing his  wound.

An arrow stabbed his back. He turned around and found a skeleton knight armed with spear had closed the distance very closely.

「Sei-!」

He kicked it and sent it flying.

From the start Ponsuke had obtained hand-to-hand job and skill as  supplement for his build. Ponsuke had trained those job and skill. They  didn’t only increase his parameter’s number, but he also used them for  real and hammered the senses of those job and skill into his body.

One of Selector’s traits was how they could easily get influenced by the game.

Obtaining skills and jobs in game would also affect them in real life.

Because of that, Ponsuke continued to fight every time he had the chance.

Monsters starting from skeleton knight to other types crawled out from the ground one after another.

Ponsuke continued fighting the battle that showed no sign of stopping without care.

He was putting himself in a tough spot in order to shake off any idle  thought――so that he wouldn’t need to think anything unnecessary.

(More, more! Sharpen up your senses!)

He focused only in fighting. Like that he lost the track of time he was fighting.

He used up almost all of the healing items that he brought with him.  His equipments also broke and at the end Ponsuke was standing there  wearing only a red pants.

Sometimes other players would approach, but they would immediately leave seeing his appearance.

Ponsuke crushed a skeleton knight while,

「Troublesome. Should I return by death?」

Thinking such thing.

Lack of sleep, hunger……bad statuses were appearing but he continued  to fight without care. He only focused on defeating the enemy in front  of him.

He would return by death, rest a bit, restock his items, then come here again. That would be fine.

Explosions happened around Ponsuke while he was thinking like that.

The monsters around him became red particles and vanished. Then Prey appeared.

「This is troubling Ponsuke-kun. You stand out by doing something unusual like this.」

「……Prey-san.」

Around him were heavily armored orcs.

They defeated the appearing monsters in fast pace and bought time for Ponsuke and Prey to talk.

「Looks like you’re really anxious. Though it’s also my responsibility that you’re like this.」

「No, I just can’t stay still.」

「I understand how you’re feeling though. But, enduring is also a part  of the battle. Enduring is good. It’s truly wonderful. You too have the  aptitude for it so you should be able to understand it quickly.」

Prey’s talk veered off toward the direction of his fetish in the  middle. Ponsuke felt put off by that, but Prey told him to accompany him  and he followed behind him.

Their destination was an air pocket.

It was an unrestricted area where there was no eye to monitor them.

.

.

.

It was inside an eerie forest.

Air pocket was a place where the management’s eye didn’t reach. It was a gathering spot for players to do illegal action.

But, there were no other players there because the area was located at the frontline with powerful monsters surrounding it.

Ponsuke was surrounded by the orcs. He noticed that there were more of them now.

「……Your number has increased a lot.」

「There are compatriots of us anywhere. Well, some of them are simply  ally but……everyone realize it sooner or later. Of their own fetish.」

Stop that! Ponsuke wanted to say that, but he couldn’t say anything because the atmosphere was too particular.

「Now then, let’s return to the topic. I ask you to stop acting  conspicuous. I should have told you already that acting different than  usual made you stand out.」

「……I’m anxious. Besides, I don’t know how I should face everyone.」

Prey muttered 「I see」.

「So it’s difficult for you to act like usual.」

「Sometimes I even think that it would be better if I know nothing. But, now that I know……」

(I don’t want to harm anyone. To twist someone else’s will to like me is……)

The surrounding was staying quiet.

Prey advised Ponsuke.

「We have specialist among us who can teach you about technology.  It’ll be difficult to do it in reality, but we are fellow guild members  inside this game. Also, take this.」

Prey handed him a handgun for orc.

「Orc can’t equip this right?」

「It can’t be equipped. Orc can only handle cannon. But, I asked  someone IRL to create this. You won’t receive any assistance from the  system but, I want you to learn how to use it.」

Prey told him to study its makeup and the way to use it――he meant that there would be use for it.

Ponsuke took the gun. Then an orc approached to instruct him.

「You can shoot even in virtual world, and it will become good  training. Anyway we will have you learn how to use it until your body  remembers it.」

Ponsuke nodded quietly.

And then Prey said――.

「Now then, about the girls……it’ll be better if you don’t have any strange thought about them.」

「But」

「Perhaps they will wake up one day. But, what’s important is the  present. It will be horrible if you make those girls uneasy and they run  out of control. Besides, you can only enjoy it anyway now that things  have become like this. Just think of it as making good memories.」

If it was a relationship that would break one day, made it so that it  would become enjoyable memory……Ponsuke felt like that he became able to  face everyone just a little now.

.

.

.

Ponsuke returned to Arcadia and immediately took action.

There was a large white board in the base’s meeting room.

「Everyone, I think that we have neglected the NPCs too much.」

Ponsuke made a suggestion.

His suggestion was about training and customizing the NPCs.

The players who made such request to Ponsuke were watching the meeting while praying.

「And so, I’m thinking to examine the NPCs that are assigned to Arcadia. From now we will also level up and customize them.」

Lighter and Lily raised their hands.

「Objection! It’s impossible to go that far with our guild’s current  manpower! For the sake of efficiency, the most optimum solution is to  prioritize the facilities!」

「Agreed. Facilities for having fun are more important than NPCs. I  want a flowing pool right now. The one with really big scale!」

Ponsuke nodded.

「Your opinion is also important. But, what if this idea is carried  out by individual player or perhaps a group of small number? Let’s give  it a try if we have spare time.」

Lighter fell into thought.

「Well, going as far as meddling with the members’ private time will be going too far. I think that’s fine……」

Sierra raised her hand.

She was a diligent girl, but now Sierra was looking a bit high spirited.

「I-I object! Recently it’s becoming prevalent to customize NPC to  look extremely obscene! I don’t want this base to become like that too!」

Her face was bright red.

The players who were watching the meeting also agreed.

「Certainly it’s putting off when it’s too vulgar.」

「I’ll be stumped if I see NPC walking on the street wearing swimsuit. Mainly I won’t know how I should react.」

「It’s important to know the time and place. Now that you mentioned  it, I once went to my friend’s guild that has that kind of NPC, I was  excited at first but……it felt like it wasn’t quite right.」

Now there were various guilds putting NPC with radical equipments in their base.

Some of them were so fearless that they even put up pictures of their NPCs to boast.

Ponsuke nodded.

「Then, dress the NPCs here to match the place and role they are  assigned to. Other than this condition, I also ask people who want to do  the customization to register to me first.」

Sierra accepted the decision reluctantly.

「……I’m uneasy because I can’t trust everyone.」

In the first place, this guild was a gathering of eccentrics though there was no doubting their strength.

Who knew what they would do even with all the restrictions.

「Then, we will also do a final check before the customized NPC get  displayed. Perhaps it’ll also be better if we make a competition of it.」

Lighter responded energetically.

「Ah, then let’s open a contest. We’ll invite guests and make it like a  festival. Let’s get other guilds to bring their NPCs too. It’ll be a  big event!」

It seemed that he was already thinking about how to make money from it, but Alfie too seemed to approve this idea.

「Let’s have those guests take a look at the area we created too!  After all the best thing of having these facilities is the bragging  right!」

She wanted other people to see the area that they had created.

The guild members were getting excited. But there were also players who looked like they were enduring stomachache.

――It was Blaze and his group.

「The quota will go up again.」

Making something meant that consuming resources. And it would also need proportional amount of fund.

Some of the combatants who were in charge of gathering fund and  materials were turning pale, while some were excited by the new  objective. They were divided into those two groups.

「Ah, the quota won’t get increased okay? If there’s something that you want then get it yourself.」

Lighter was shocked by Ponsuke’s words.

「Why!?」

「I’m the one who want to ask why do you think the quota will get increased?」

Ponsuke simply couldn’t understand Lighter’s reaction.

The former executive (　´_ゝ｀) 「……I’m not an M. ……I’m really not.」

Prev Table of Content Next