Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 35
35. Mari-nee and The first official event has begun
At last, the day of the first official event arrived.
Having logged into MWO, I joined Roulette-san and the other two in front of the church to form a party, eagerly awaiting the start of the event.
Once the event began, adventurers who had declared their participation would be automatically transferred to the event venue, as announced.
The specific location wasn’t specified, but judging from the event title, <Prevent the Disaster Descending on the City of Eden> I was sure it would be around Eden.
Behind me, Estelle-san and the children gazed anxiously in our direction.
For us, it was just an event, but for Estelle-san and the others, it was different.
I had heard that from Roulette-san and the others.
Even if we couldn’t clear the event, tomorrow would come for us.
But for Estelle-san and the others, tomorrow might not come.
The death of residents, unlike adventurers, is absolute.
There is no resurrection.
The vague fear of death is sometimes more terrifying than something clear.
Feeling crushed by a future that was not visible, I could understand that.
In my case, death would not necessarily come in that future, so it might be presumptuous to say I could empathize.
Still, thanks to obtaining a functioning body in MWO and meeting Estelle-san and the others, I felt I could forgive myself a little for being myself.
So, it’s my turn now.
Approaching Estelle-san, I wrapped her trembling hand with both of mine.
“I’ll be back. Please wait with the children.”
“…Please be safe, Maria-san.”
Estelle-san, kneeling on the spot, quietly uttered words of prayer.
Soon after the prayer ended, as if by agreement, the event started, and we were transferred to the stage of battle.
Opening my eyes, I saw the familiar plains spread out before me.
“…Is this the <Plains of Beginnings>?”
What was different was the absence of Gray Rats and Horn Rabbits and the vastness compared to the city of Eden behind.
Compared to Eden’s city, both the length and depth of the plains were more than double.
“To gather all participating players in one place, the usual size might not have been enough. But this is amazing; how many people are here?”
Mareus-san was amazed as he looked around, and the surroundings were filled with countless adventurers.
“The official announcement hasn’t been made yet, but according to the information on the bulletin board, it seems like around 5,000 people are participating.”
5,000 people!?
I’ve only seen events with that many people on TV.
So, this is an event.
The excitement and clamor were mixed together, and the surroundings had already begun to descend into chaos.
“Well, quite a crowd has gathered, hasn’t it?”
“After all, it’s the first official event, so it’s not surprising. I knew it would be like this, but organizing a raid on this scale without proper coordination is practically impossible.”
As Kanna-san said, whether due to excitement or for some other reason, everyone’s expressions lacked composure.
And for reasons unknown, disputes were already breaking out in various places.
“Your shoulder bumped into mine,” “You stepped on my foot,” “You touched my butt a little!” Well, the reasons didn’t seem significant, but the last one would be out for sexual harassment.
“Yeah, it’s scary. It might turn into a tug-of-war with our legs. Look, the members of the clearing team have already taken the lead.”
The place we teleported to was still relatively less crowded near the edge of the plains.
However, in the central area, around where we exited Eden’s western gate, many adventurers were crowded together.
Their numbers increased over time, and if you looked down at the entire plain, it probably formed an arc.
And at the thickest part of the arc, at the forefront, there were adventurers adorned in dazzling costumes and stern-looking armor.
Comparing them to the surroundings, it was evident that the quality of their equipment was different.
Even an amateur like me could tell, so from the perspective of the three, they could probably imagine their strength quite well.
“The one at the forefront is Leon, rumored to be the best warrior.”
“The one to the left is Mist, who advertises herself as the best mage. Apparently, her strength is genuine.”
“The one to the right is Gillan, reputed to be the best knight. There are others with well-known names as well.”
The number of copies of the software supplied at the official service launch was 30,000.
Among a maximum of 30,000 players, being remembered as a top player was no small feat.
Oh? But these three are also leaders of their respective factions.
Thinking about it that way, I might have become friends with some amazing people.
While contemplating this, the sun that had been bright until a moment ago disappeared, and the surroundings were covered in darkness.
For a moment, there was chaos, but after a gigantic full moon, seemingly three times larger than usual, appeared in the sky, brightly illuminating the ground, the situation gradually calmed down.
It was dim, but there was enough brightness to see, even without the “Dark Vision” skill.
Perhaps sensing the onset of the event, the adventurers suddenly fell silent.
The moonlight, initially directed towards the entire plain, gradually converged on a single point.
That point was an unremarkable corner of the plain.
But despite the moonlight dispelling the darkness, darkness crept in as if invading it. In the moonlight, the darkness gathered and fused, transforming into humanoid figures.
Wearing a silk hat and wrapping the entire body in black bandage-like material, the figure had the same black mask and blood-red eyes as before.
No mistake, this was the opponent I encountered when helping Ryle.
Politely bowing and starting to speak with dramatic gestures, the figure said.
“Welcome to the stage of frenzied madness, where blood boils and flesh dances. I am grateful for your presence.”
Even though the mouth was not visible beneath the mask, the voice could be clearly heard, as if whispered into one’s ear.
“For tonight’s stage, I can maintain my power for at most two hours, but I’ve put a lot of effort into the arrangement.”
“I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Mephistopheles. It’s rather uncool to be called the mastermind of tonight’s stage. I’d appreciate it if you think of me as a director. I am not an external force nor a performer. Therefore, attacking me would only deplete your valuable strength, so I do not recommend it.”
At those words, many stopped their attacking movements, startled.
“Time is also limited. Well then, are you all ready?”
Surveying the surroundings and leaving a moment of pause, the signal for the start was given.
“Please enjoy [until the end].”
The moment Mephistopheles disappeared, a massive and ominous gate made of overlapping skulls appeared.
As soon as the gate’s doors opened, a large number of monsters emerged from within.