Mebius World Online – Mari’s VRMMO Diary, Embarking on a Laid-back Adventure as a Novice - Chapter 51
The cold got me, stay safe everyone.
51. Mari-nee and the awards after the event and the truth about the event
We were all filled with joy for a moment, but then we were simultaneously transferred from that place by a notification.
The place we were transferred to resembled an ancient Greek temple surrounded by large white pillars, with countless gears overlapping on the floor, displaying a complex interlocking pattern.
It was a place I would never forget, the first location I visited when I activated MWO.
Besides us, there were also people who had left the event earlier, gathered here.
It seems we were the last ones, but…
“Why are they glaring at us?”
Though it’s hard to decipher the mixed emotions, it’s clear that they are harboring some negative feelings.
Just because we left the event midway, there shouldn’t have been any loss, right?
Their points should have been guaranteed.
“Maria-chan, are you seriously saying that now?”
Why does Kanna-san look so incredulous?
“They are mostly from the conquering group. Their goal is literally to conquer. They find it uninteresting that the event they abandoned, which they looked down upon, was cleared by us.”
“I see. As long as the city of Eden is protected, I think it’s fine.”
When I voiced my thoughts, Roulette-san, Mareus-san, and Kanna-san exchanged glances and sighed simultaneously.
“””Yeah, this is exactly Maria-san(-chan) for you.”””
“Why are the three of you saying that together?”
They looked at me as if I were a problematic child!
I am still an older sister, you know?
Hey, are you listening!?
Hey, I said!!
While poking Mareus-san in frustration, a large screen appeared overhead, displaying Zagreus-san, the AI that supported me to become “Maria.”
“Congratulations on completing the first official event. Thank you all for your hard work. How was it? Did you enjoy it?”
When asked if I enjoyed it, honestly, there were many challenging parts, but we saved the city of Eden, and I met people I can call friends.
All in all, it was “extremely” enjoyable.
However, it seems not everyone feels the same way.
“It’s not fun at all! Can’t solve those gimmicks, it’s too much of an impossible game!”
“A boss you can’t defeat from the first try, and equipment breaking? The game balance is falling apart!”
“Return the money I poured into my equipment! Please, seriously, give it back!”
Ah, the conquering group is getting agitated.
Although we ultimately cleared the event, was it not an impossible game? I don’t think so, but I sympathize a bit with those whose equipment got damaged.
If the equipment Roulette-san made for me were to break, I might have said a few words of resentment as well.
By the way, Leon and the others were quite composed.
Given their strength, they must have earned a considerable number of points.
I think that composure is reflected in their attitude.
“The hints for the gimmicks were also present in the second city you visited. While we informed you of the event’s date and time, we did not specify when the elements affecting the event would appear. In fact, it was by using those hints that the event was cleared. Since it has been cleared, it’s not correct to call it an impossible game.”
After pausing, Zagreus turned his attention to the person who complained about the game balance.
“This relates to the previous gimmick, but the best move was not to let the calamity appear in the first place. To put it in Mephistopheles’ words, that scenario was also prepared. So why did it lead to the worst-case scenario? Please reconsider on your own.”
Finally, addressing the person who lamented about their broken equipment.
“Since you are not unrelated to the cause of making such strong enemies, please give up.”
Coldly dismissed, the person who spoke up slumped on the spot.
By the way, Zagreus-san, though he’s handling it calmly and expressionlessly, is he actually angry? The atmosphere seems tense, and there’s no mercy in his choice of words.
“I will provide time later to answer any questions. Now, let’s move on to the awards that everyone is curious about. First, the point ranking at the time of event clearance.”
Multiple screens unfolded, and in the top left corner of one screen, the name with 180,000 points at the top of the ranking was…
“As expected, our Leon is at the top!”
“Well, it’s a natural result. Mist is second, and Arx is third. Gilan and Lotus, due to the nature of their jobs, it’s inevitable, but it’s decent that the entire party is within the top 50.”
Mist, while excited, leaned against Leon casually, just as she said. Leon, who had expected the result as he said, showed no signs of joy.
Gilan and Lotus showed no reaction at all.
They seemed indifferent to the rankings.
Wait? What about my ranking?
Hehehe, I’m also at the top of the ranking!
From the bottom, though!!
Well, I had already died so many times that my points were probably zero, or maybe even negative. It’s good that there were no penalties.
I wasn’t originally concerned about points, so that’s fine, but the conquering group? It’s a bit irritating to be looked at with eyes like, “Clearing the event and still ending up with the lowest points, serves you right!”
By the way, “serves you right” is a phrase I borrowed from a light novel that Maki lent me. I never thought I would be on the receiving end of that phrase.
“Everyone, have you confirmed your points? Now, let’s move on to the announcement of the final rankings.”
With Zagreus’s words, the contents of the screen were instantly rewritten.
Huh? Final rankings?
It seems there were changes in the rankings, as screams and shouts of people confirming their own positions echoed here and there.
If anything, the screams seemed more common among the conquering group.
On the other hand, the production alliance and Graham-san, who cleared quests, were surprisingly quiet.
I wonder what happened?
I confirmed that my name was not at the bottom and proceeded to check upwards one by one.
…Strange, no matter how far I check, I can’t find my name.
About a third of the way through the check, I suddenly realized that the people around me were staring at me.
“Um, is there something wrong?”
“No, no, no, aren’t you the one who’s weird!?”
Sorry for the impoliteness, Mareus-san.
“Hmm. I’m just earnestly looking for my name. I’ve checked about a third from the bottom, but still can’t find it. Isn’t that strange?”
“What’s strange is you, Maria-chan. Look here, the place you should be looking is not the bottom right of the screen, but the top left.”
Told by Kanna-san, I shifted my gaze… Huh, why is my name at the top left? Oh, it must be someone else with the same name, for sure.
“Without a doubt, Maria-san is at the top of the rankings. And by a large margin.”
Roulette-san pulled me back from my impending escape.
As evidence, below my name were the names of Kanna-san, Roulette-san, Mareus-san, and even Graham-san.
And as for my points…
“A million points…”
Just a while ago, I had zero points, and now I suddenly gained an unbelievable one million points.
By the way, Leon had earned 200,000 points.
Rather than feeling happy, I had a nasty premonition that things were going to get complicated.
“Why is this girl at the top of the rankings! She didn’t defeat that many monsters, it doesn’t make sense!!”
“I can’t really agree with this result either. I’d like a detailed explanation.”
Mist shouted, and while Leon seemed calm at first, his hands clenched with excessive force, shaking slightly.
“It seems there are people who can’t accept the results. Let me briefly explain why there is such a difference in points. At the time of event clearance, all adventurers in the event field were given a flat 300,000 points as a clear reward. Additionally, adventurers meeting the same conditions were given an additional flat 100,000 points as a bonus reward for no damage to Eden at the time of clearing.”
“A total of 400,000 points? Isn’t that outrageous?”
When Leon said that, people around, mostly from the conquering group, began to criticize Zagreus-san.
“The people making noise seem to have forgotten his words. Mephistopheles said, ‘The reward points obtained after climbing the appeared staircase are tremendous.’ Outrageous? That’s correct. However, what kind of difference would you say there is between ‘tremendous rewards’ and ‘outrageous’?”
“Well, that’s…”
Unable to answer, Leon closed his mouth, and the people around fell silent.
“But even that is 400,000! 100,000 is definitely strange!!”
Amidst this atmosphere, Mist continued to press on, in a way, quite impressive.
“For individual actions and results, I don’t want to reveal too many details, but…”
Zagreus-san looked at me.
Ah, he’s being considerate of me.
But there’s nothing to hide from me, so I returned a nod.
“With the person’s consent obtained, let me tell you a little more. Regarding the remaining 600,000 points, a part of it is due to rescuing the people living in the second city captured by Ogre Pandora. And the most significant portion is related to attracting Nemesis’s attention and how much time was bought until the end of the event. If anyone thinks they played a more significant role in the latter, please come forward now.”
Zagreus’s words were met with silence.
“I’m glad you seem to understand. To be honest, we wanted to grant even higher points… but due to the Operator, we were warned against disturbing the balance, so it ended up being these points.” (Maybe Operator here means Game Master or Admin)
“Wait a moment. What do you mean by being warned by the Operator?”
In a startled manner, Kanna-san asked Zagreus-san.
“Many of you probably think that this official event was created by the Operator. However, this event is not what the Operator envisaged. It was born as a result of integrating the emotions felt by us AI and the necessary judgment. If I were to express the concept of this event in a single word, it would be ‘symbiosis.’ During the beta test, we tested everyone’s actions, and the world that embodied the original concept was created by the official service, becoming the current Mebius.”
With these words, Zagreus-san paused for a moment, giving us time to settle down.
I don’t know about the beta test days of Mebius World Online, and I haven’t played other games, so I don’t really understand the differences.
For me, the world called Mebius has remained unchanged since I first touched it, and honestly, there was no surprise.
“Based on the results of the event, we AI have reached one conclusion. To serve as an indicator for you to accept us and this world as they are, we will introduce ‘Karma.'”
With his words, a bright light enveloped the surroundings.
Instinctively closing my eyes, I gently opened them, finding that something was different from before.
“‘Karma,’ in your words, could be likened to favorability. However, please be aware that ‘Karma’ does not necessarily represent good or evil. Although it doesn’t express good or evil, what actions we AI take towards those with low ‘Karma,’ meaning low favorability, has been experienced by those in the second city.”
While listening to Zagreus-san’s words, I thought about what was different. Then I realized.
There are people with their names displayed above their heads.
“In Mebius, under the concept of ‘symbiosis,’ including us, we didn’t display names. However, from now on, for those with negative ‘Karma,’ we will display your names. And depending on the low ‘Karma,’ the intensity of the displayed red will become stronger. As a result, please experience with your own body how Mebius will become for those individuals.”
With those words, there were players from the conquest group who visibly turned pale.
Without exception, their names were displayed, and the color was a deep red.
By the way, Leon and the others had their names displayed, but it was close to white rather than red.
“It’s good to reflect yourself, or you can start anew in other countries that will be implemented in the next update. Of course, it’s also free to stay in the country to which Eden belongs, but I’ll state only that it will be a thorny path. However, the decision this time was abrupt. Therefore, I will give you a one-week grace period in your world from now. During that time, those who decide to leave this world will receive a full refund of the purchase amount. This matter has already been approved by the Operator.”
After receiving the current content, those who seemed most flustered were indeed the ones with their names displayed in deep red, appearing to continue arguing or being in a state of disorder.
On the other hand, as for us, it seemed that we had collectively gathered and shared some common understanding in front of such people.
“This is what you might call, you know.”
“That thing, right?”
“It’s that.”
“It’s exactly that.”
Said in order by Kanna-san, Roulette-san, Mareus-san, and Graham-san, who had joined us unnoticed.
After exchanging glances, the four of them, in the next moment, simultaneously uttered.
“Conquest group, serve you right!!!!”
Ah, I see, I could have used that here.
I added it quietly in my mind, and the conquest group members who were trying to retort were left speechless.
Overwhelmed by points and feeling the burden of having left the event, it seems they were in a difficult situation.
Thus, the turbulent first official event came to an end.
There were many points of interest, such as level and skill level increases, and the curiosity about the ‘Karma’ value, but those could wait.
I returned to the city of Eden with everyone, where we were welcomed by Estelle-san and the residents. The day turned into a late-night grand feast.
Drinking, eating, singing, dancing…
Despite being of an appropriate age, I was strangely the only one prohibited from drinking alcohol. Mareus-san, under the influence, confessed to Marcia-san, who was working at the adventurer guild receptionist, and met with a miserable defeat.
We were energized by Kanna-san’s dandy singing voice performing anime songs. Drunk Roulette-san showcased drunken boxing and received cheers.
Graham-san engaged in passionate conversations with some of the residents, along with his guild members. They shook hands, linked arms, and seemed to be remarkably close, but I wondered what was going on with them.
Well, it doesn’t matter, everyone seems to be having fun.
There were various other incidents, too many to recount.
But one thing can be said for sure, that day, we enjoyed the world of Mebius more than anyone else.
Now, what shall we do tomorrow?
As I looked up at the starry sky, I ended that day with an excited feeling about what tomorrow might bring.