Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 45
45. Mari-nee and the First Official Event (Disaster)
( the kanji means disaster but the furigana spell Nemesis )
“Nemesis.” ( the katakana spell Nemesis but the furigana spell disaster )
At the mention of that name, countless stars flickered in the pitch-black sky.
Irregularly embedded stars, recreating the real night sky.
However, unlike reality, their colors were uniformly red, without a single exception.
They resembled blood splatters, the blinking red imparting a vividness that felt ominous rather than fantastical to me.
Within the red light, the outline of something bearing the name “Nemesis” began to emerge, blurring like a mirage in front of the first gate.
It seemed several times larger than an ogre.
As if dispelling the darkness, seven gates began to emit a hazy light, starting from the side near the city of Eden.
The color was a soft, yellowish-silver, reminiscent of the moon.
Although it seemed to illuminate us brightly, within the enclosed space of the gates, it felt more like the judgment light depicted in religious paintings than a light of salvation.
And the light exposed the “Judge” hidden in the darkness named Nemesis, or, to quote Mephistopheles, the “Condemner,” under the daylight.
The first thing that caught my eye was the two pairs of wings growing on its back.
A crimson crown made of woven roses adorned its small head, with closed eyes that seemed to carry a hint of sorrow.
Its chest had rich contours, forming soft, voluptuous curves from the chest to the waist and down to the lower abdomen, giving a distinctly feminine allure.
Consciously crafted in the golden ratio, the symmetrical and harmonious form felt almost divine.
However, describing it as beautiful only went so far.
Firstly, below the lower abdomen were not legs but a thick tail covered in glistening scales.
The grotesque lower half, reminiscent of a great serpent, contrasted starkly with the beauty of the upper body.
It had three arms on each side, each holding a long-handled weapon that resembled a combination of a spear and an axe.
According to Mareus-san, it resembled something called a halberd.
Although it looked somewhat like Asura due to the number of arms, the menacing appearance of the halberd it held made Nemesis herself seem demonic.
The blade of the halberd was thick, wide, and exuded a malevolent sharpness.
It was doubtful if anyone could withstand a strike from it.
However, for the players in the clearing group, in their eyes, Nemesis seemed to be nothing more than a cluster of points. While Nemesis showed no signs of moving, they began their actions one after another.
A heavily armored group, presumably playing the role of a wall, moved to the forefront, attempting to draw attention with the ?Provoke? skill.
In response, individuals skilled in close combat, boasting high agility and firepower, circled around to the back.
At a distance, a long-range attack team centered around hunters and mages stood by, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Supportive buffs constantly flew, enveloping many players in various effects.
Although it was uncertain if they had a sense of camaraderie, their movements, when viewed from above, seemed like a well-coordinated army.
“They sure got used to this quickly. Facing an unseen enemy and not even confirming their cooperation, yet their coordination is flawless,” remarked Mareus-san.
“Is that so? They may seem coordinated, but to me, it feels like they’re just efficiently using each other. So if something were to disrupt that premise…” Kanna-san added, leaving an unsettling note in her words.
With Mareus-san’s words and Kanna-san’s ominous addition, they finally started moving in front of us.
The heavily armored group, through the ?Provoke? skill, successfully lured Nemesis’s attack.
Nemesis swung its halberd like an axe in a sweeping motion.
Facing them were individuals who seemed to have high defensive capabilities, adorned with shields and armor, and sufficiently buffed.
With damage taken, they could withstand Nemesis’s blow by ignoring their defense… or so it should have been.
“Impossible…” Mareus-san exclaimed, and I was left speechless.
The Ogre Claus, with its axe, had delivered attacks that ignored defense, but it only dealt damage without “breaking armor.”
However, Nemesis’s strike crushed both the shield and the person wearing the armor without losing the momentum of the swing.
There was no need to confirm whether their HP remained.
With just one blow, arguably the pinnacle of the MWO’s wall role had been easily destroyed.
Given their excellent situational judgment, their dismay quickly transmitted.
The first targets were those who were trying to get behind it.
Regretting stopping their feet, they faced the thrust of the halberd and fell before the others, sharing the fate of the first fallen.
And for the long-range attack team that likely planned to attack from a safe distance, feathers rained down like pellets from the flapping wings.
I didn’t know how much attack power was behind it, but seeing the feathers that had thrust into the ground as if to bury it, the likelihood of the backline roles taking it directly and remaining unharmed was extremely low.
The linchpin of defense and the core of offense.
Faced with the unforeseen situation of losing both in an instant, they seemed terribly confused.
The orderly movements from just a moment ago were now nowhere to be seen.
While sporadic attacks were launched, none seemed to affect Nemesis, drawing attention instead and invariably leading to their defeat and disappearance.
“…In a situation like this, it’s not easy to recover,” muttered Kanna-san, her voice sounding heavily burdened.
Amidst this chaos, there was a party with a clear sense of role, launching an attack against Nemesis.
It was the party led by Leon, bringing together the top members of the clearing group.