Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 39
39. Mari-nee and the First Official Event (Stairway Leading to The End)
“I came to see if the rumors of a surprise attack were true…I see, so the damage is minimal because you were there.”
The situation was already in the midst of the extermination of the named monsters by adventurers on the front lines. It was at that moment that Leon approached me.
“In my memory, the riding item in MWO hasn’t been found yet. How did you get it? If you’re willing, could you tell me? Or perhaps, you could just give it to me. Of course, I’ll offer appropriate compensation.”
With a well-proportioned face and lips curled upwards at the corners, he stood tall at around 180cm.
Even through his equipment, it was apparent that his body was well-trained.
His smooth, golden hair seemed fitting to his name, and he could easily be described as a handsome guy.
Back when I was still in school, if he had approached girls of the same age, most of them probably would have been smitten just by his words.
As for me? Well, it’s different for me.
I may sound like an overprotective sister, but Masato has a much more pleasant face.
Since the time I collapsed, or even before then, Masato has been struggling on his own behalf, I suppose.
That’s why now, Masato has a face that’s radically different from before.
But the guy in front of me, with his coolness and probably his strength too, seems to have an attitude of “my actions are naturally permissible in MWO at least.”
That’s why he can speak so rudely to me, no, to Cougar.
Nero and Cougar are practically family to me in MWO.
I’m not a good enough person to respond calmly to someone who treats that family as objects.
“I refuse.”
My voice was even colder than when I responded to the flirty guy who received the GM call from Roulette-san before.
“Is it because the price is unknown? In that case, you can choose whatever you like, whether it’s the item I have or G.”
This Leon doesn’t even listen to what other people say.
“Like I said before-.”
“If Leon says to give it up, just give it up, easy right? This is the top player you know?”
A magician-like woman with droopy eyes and revealing outfit interjected suddenly.
If I’m not wrong, her name is Mist or something.
When I thought that I was in trouble again, I saw Nero become wary and growl.
“Oh my, what a cute kitty! If Leon wants to get that thing, I will take this little one. Is that okay, Leon?”
Dear god, the nerve of these people!!
I was about to reach the limit of my patience and then.
There was a “thing” that reached its limit first.
That was the wall of named monsters trapped in the threads behind me.
Right now, a large hole opened up there, and slowly, Roulette-san revealed herself from within.
Her eyes were shining more brightly than before, and the way her mouth opened like a crescent moon resembled a carnivorous beast in front of its prey.
Oh, one after another.
What do you call this situation where you’re caught between two things?
Tiger at the front, wolf at the back?
The front is a lion, so maybe it’s more like a lion for Leon, and the wolf at the back… It might not be a completely wrong expression.
Although the original meaning of the phrase is that one disaster follows another even after one has been resolved, so it is not accurate as a word.
But I think it fits perfectly in terms of the literal meaning of the words.
I guess I’m the sheep caught in between, surrounded by two fluffy white individuals.
“Garu aaaaah!”
Roulette-san roared, paying no attention to my increasingly painful head, and rushed straight towards me.
The target was not me.
“I don’t dislike passionate girls, but I prefer someone more refined and gentle.” The target was Leon.
However, the one who stopped Roulette-san’s sharp blow was not him, but an adventurer with a knightly appearance holding a large shield.
I heard about him from Roulette-san, his name should be Gillan.
Silently receiving the blow, he then seemed to activate some skill, pushing Roulette-san back nearly 10 meters with a slight movement.
“If you really want to fight, I don’t mind. But we’re a party, so be prepared.” Leon, effortlessly wielding a two-handed sword and preparing to release some kind of skill, and the adventurers who seemed to be party members with mist to match Leon also started to prepare.
Far from hesitating, Roulette-san only seemed to increase her fighting spirit.
This is really bad.
As she stepped on the ground and before releasing the arrow, Roulette-san, who tensed her whole body like a bowstring, was ready to accelerate. Without thinking about the consequences, I jumped towards her.
“No, Roulette-san!!”
I hugged her at that moment.
A burning pain ran through my neck.
“Ehh? Ahh!”
It’s too hot, too painful, and my brain can’t process that Roulette-san is biting me!
Fortunately, the airway is clear, but the pain doesn’t go away, and my HP is decreasing rapidly.
HP potions are useless; I don’t even have the luxury to use them.
At this rate, I’m going to die.
It’s a game, and some people might be able to accept that, but I think Roulette-san is different. It’s just a hunch.
If she finds out that she killed me, her friend, with her own hands, I might not be able to face her if the roles were reversed, and I might quit MWO…
“No, I can’t…”
At that moment, unexpectedly, Mareus-san’s words came to mind.
‘If it seems like it’s getting too much, even if it’s Nero, provoke her and bring her back to her senses.’
A desperate gamble.
My HP is now less than 10%.
“Ne… ro…”
Summoning all my strength, I pleaded with Nero.
“Nyan-nyan!!”
In response, Nero immediately leaped at Roulette-san and, as if scolding her, delivered a shining cat punch to Roulette-san’s cheek.
Even if the damage from me to the party shouldn’t pass through Nero…
“GHAAaaaaa- ngh…?”
From Roulette-san’s eyes, the gleam of madness faded, and the light of reason returned.
“…Alright.”
Perhaps due to the decrease in HP, my consciousness became hazy.
In front of me, in that state, Roulette-san’s face twisted with disturbance, regret, and a painful expression.
“Maria-san, I… I, what have I done!”
While it’s nice that she’s hurriedly giving me HP potions one after another, ten is a bit excessive, isn’t it? With my low VIT, two would be enough for a complete recovery.
When I first met Roulette-san, she seemed to be in her late teens, but seeing her up close, she’s a bit older, and her large eyes are very beautiful.
She’s calm, reliable, and feels like a dependable woman. In fact, I’ve been saved by her many times… But, yeah.
There’s no such thing as a perfect person.
If there is, they either show it or are forced to show it.
Thinking that, similar to my feelings for my younger siblings, I suddenly found Roulette-san adorable.
“…It’s okay, Roulette-san. I’m your big sister, after all.”
I don’t know if I managed to smile well, but Roulette-san hugged me tightly.
Feeling the warm drops falling on my shoulder, I gently stroked her back.
“Um, what’s going on here?”
“Why is there such an emotional atmosphere? It’s just embarrassing.”
“…”
Oh, these unfortunate people will never understand, will they?
Gillan, is it? He didn’t say anything because he’s silent.
At that moment, instead of us who couldn’t move, Cougar stood in front of them.
With round eyes clearly showing hostility, and Nero, who had somehow climbed on Cougar, was raising his fur in a threatening manner.
“Cougar, Nero…”
Truly, my kids are too reliable.
The adventurers who had finished defeating the named monster also gathered, sensing something strange in the air.
Then a third party intervened – Mephistopheles, who called himself a director.
Floating in the air, he looked down on us literally and began to speak eloquently.
“Something wonderful, not in my script, seems to have been secretly performed… I would like to slowly enjoy the continuation. The ‘enthusiasm’ of the performers has exceeded my expectations.”
Clapping sounds, ridiculing us, echoed in my ears just like before.
“Therefore, let’s move on to the next act. Let’s name it ‘The Stairway Leading to the End’!”
With his words, four new gates appeared.
They appeared to fill the gaps between the three gates that were already present, as if trapping us adventurers with a total of seven gates.
“Now, performers! Those who strive for greater strength and heights! The ‘reward points’ obtained after climbing the stairs that have appeared are enormous!!! Please show me how you desperately climb them!!!”
This signaled the opening of the doors of the four gates.
“The first attack is mine…”
“What kind of monster is our opponent…”
“The first to get points…”
Those adventurers near the new gates could only say so much.
A huge axe swung out from the door, wiping out the HP of several adventurers in one blow.
“Ugh!!!”
Probably, everyone present was frozen.
Since they were at the front, they should have had sufficient strength.
But they were defeated in one blow.
How powerful is the opponent…
As if to give further despair, besides the monster with the axe, new monsters with a sword, spear, and staff appeared.
The monsters were humanoid, with a body exceeding 5 meters in height.
Unlike the monsters before, their entire bodies were simply black, emanating an overwhelming pressure that couldn’t be compared to the named monsters.
Only their eyes, like Mephistopheles, shone red.
Someone muttered the name of those monsters in astonishment.
“Ogre Claus…”
Forty minutes since the start of the event.
The moment we felt that we had moved on to the next stage, we were made to realize it with our own bodies.