Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 172
Chapter 172: Last Year’s Trauma
It was the day after midnight had passed.
After completing her daily routine of jogging, showering, and eating breakfast, which had become a habit thanks to Shino, Sora logged into the game.
Before her stood Inori, Kuro, and Arisa, whom he had asked to gather in advance. Beside her was the Sea Princess, Laura, the main focus of this quest. She began by stating the confirmed objective of their journey as of yesterday.
“So, once we’ve completed our tasks at the Undersea Temple, we’ll head back to the Enoshigaios Kingdom, where we’ll free the Queen from the ‘Great Calamity’ known as Asmodeus. Swiftly defeating it is our ultimate goal for this journey.”
The three of them were momentarily taken aback by the sudden announcement. However, seeing Laura’s tense expression by Sora’s side, they quickly grasped the situation.
They each nodded, readily accepting Sora’s plan.
“Oh dear, Sora-kun is showing his protagonist power again,” said Inori with a resigned expression, raising her hands in a helpless gesture.
“Wow, so not only is Sora strong, but he’s also the classic nice guy type. Kuro-chan, boys like him will keep unintentionally charming girls and attracting more rivals, so if you’re not careful, unexpected competition might pop up,” Arisa commented, veering off-topic.
“G-got it!” replied Kuro. Whether she was responding to Sora’s words or her mother’s, it was hard to tell.
At the very least, Sora hoped it was the former…
The women each had their own distinct reactions.
Kuro’s response was the only one that made sense. The other two were saying things she couldn’t quite understand, and her mind refused to process them.
And no one even reacted to the “Great Calamity” known as Asmodeus. Their response was so underwhelming, she thought they could at least show a bit of surprise.
Maybe they were just too used to things like this by now, Sora thought, deciding to ask for final confirmation anyway.
“Um, everyone, you do understand what we’re about to do, right? We’ll be fighting the third main boss…”
“Of course, we understand,” Inori replied.
“Asmodeus is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, the Demon of Lust. Since we’ve faced Leviathan and Belial, it wouldn’t be surprising if other disasters like Beelzebub or Astaroth appeared next.”
“Asmodeus is a well-known monster, especially among fantasy gamers. Given the name ‘Calamity of Illusions,’ I’m guessing it’ll use debuffs to inflict status ailments on players?” Arisa added.
“It sounds like another strong monster, but I’ll give it my best!” said Kuro, clenching her fists with a determined but nervous expression.
While Inori and Arisa analyzed the situation calmly, Kuro was the only one visibly bracing herself for the fight.
Though Sora knew they wouldn’t object, seeing everyone accept the challenge so readily made Laura, standing beside her, look slightly puzzled.
Raising her right hand cautiously, she asked the group, “Um, are you all really okay with this?”
“What do you mean, ‘okay with this’… Wait, are you planning to join the ?main wife war? too!?” Inori exclaimed.
“Th-the main wife war?” Laura echoed, unfamiliar with the strange term.
As Inori prepared to explain, Sora decided to step in and silence her before things got out of hand.
“Alright, alright, let’s keep things simple. Inori, why don’t you stay quiet for now?”
“Hey, Sora-kun, what are you—mmph!”
Covering the mouth of the pink-haired airhead, Sora looked toward Arisa, the only real adult present. She nodded and began to explain why everyone was so willing to take on the Calamity known as Asmodeus.
“We’ve fought enemies like that countless times, massive foes that could be described as demons or even god-like monsters, not just once but dozens, hundreds of times.
So, facing a battle like this isn’t really something special. Besides, there are other kinds of hell out there… though we don’t need to get into that.”
“I… I see. I’d always heard that the Heavens, managed by the gods, were a peaceful paradise, but listening to you, Arisa-sama, it sounds even scarier than hell…”
“That’s not an inaccurate way to put it. The Heavens are like hell in a lot of ways,” Arisa added, her words carrying considerable weight.
Laura’s honest reaction echoed Sora’s own thoughts, and she nodded in agreement.
Hearing the phrase “scarier than hell” brought two infamous games to Sora’s mind. Titles that battled it out for the top spot in last year’s “Worst Game” rankings.
First was ?Crimson Hell?, a VR FPS that defied Earth’s physics entirely. The NPCs were programmed to land headshots through obstacles from the start, with the devs insisting it was “an innovative tactical feature.”
Then there was ?Disappointing Musou?, a game where, despite being a hack-and-slash, you’d stumble on rocks that appeared out of nowhere, tripping you for an instant death. The game was notorious for instilling “a new kind of terror” among Musou players who learned to fear the rocks more than the enemy soldiers.
Bugs and save data corruption are to be expected.
To this day, no player had managed to beat them.
Even Sora, after a year of trying, gave up on clearing either one, deeming them worse than hell itself. These games sent a shiver through the VR player community as the worst experiences of last year.
Thinking of those games, she realized that, sure enough, the real world, our so-called Heavens, might indeed be worse than ?Astral Online?.
And ?Astral Online?? As a game, it was genuinely enjoyable. At least it was playable, gravity worked…
“Hey, Inori, look—Sora has this distant look on his face,” someone whispered.
“Indeed,” Inori replied. “That’s the look of someone we cannot save, so let’s leave him be.”
As she tried to get her mind back on track, she found herself needing just a bit more time to pull herself out of her memories.
“??Setting sail! It’ll be a bumpy ride, so everyone, brace yourselves and don’t fall over!”
Captain Lucas’s warning echoed through the communication magic stone in the ship’s cabin, broadcasting over an open channel.
Sora felt the faint rocking beneath her feet, realizing they were finally heading toward their destination. Regaining her focus, she looked over at the four others, who nodded in understanding.
The ship was now on its way to the island connected to the Undersea Temple.
To battle ?Asmodeus?, they first needed to conquer the ?Undersea Temple? and help Laura become a worthy Songstress.
This was essential, as Songstresses had participated in the battle with the Archangel before, meaning she might unlock a skill that would give them an advantage.
“Hm, the ?Undersea Temple?. I’d be delighted to find some rare items there,” Inori remarked.
“We should make sure our equipment is in top shape before we arrive. Kuro, let’s check out the tool shop later,” said Arisa.
“Okay, got it.”
Sora didn’t need to give instructions. Aside from Kuro and Laura, everyone here was a seasoned warrior. They knew what needed to be done.
When Sora said, “Alright, let’s call it a day!” they all set off to make their preparations before reaching the island.
What awaited them in the Undersea Temple?
They had plenty to do, but their goal was clear: clear the temple, return to the kingdom, and face the Calamity of Illusions, Asmodeus, and defeat it.
The task was simple and straightforward.
Feeling her fighting spirit rise, Sora thought about strengthening her sword.
Just as the familiar fanfare began, an update announcement ruined the moment.