Chapter 128: At Dawn, Overcoming Regrets….. Or Not Part 1
Chapter 128: At Dawn, Overcoming Regrets…… Or Not Part 1
We did it. We truly managed to do it! In just one single moment all the tension vanishes from within me, replaced with a huge feeling of relief. It felt so good that I wanted to shout in victory. I’m sure that if I glanced to the sides at Rei and Akitsu Akane, they would be doing more or less the same thing.
If it wasn’t for the help of the “Black Wolves” ace and her “Strongest Firepower”, I would never have been able to do this on my own. But thanks to her we’ve done it and as a result new Unique Quest EX was opened to us. I wonder if bringing Luukan down like that will also help with pushing forward the “Epic of the Vorpal Bunnies”……?
「Haa…… Talk about ridiculous.」
「He?」
「Ah, no, it’s nothing I was just talking to myself.」
That’s right, there’s not all that much that can be done about that now. As a gamer, I cannot linger on the past events, but look forward to new challenges that await me down the road. No time to start getting all sentimental now.
Also, there’s the issue of Pencilgton that will need to be addressed at some point…… I had no doubt in my mind that once he gets enough information or power he will try to raise his status to that of a final boss, but luckily enough that time isn’t now.
「Unique Quest EX…… This is a prerequisite to challenge yet another Unique Monster……」
「That’s right, in case of Gravekeeper Wezaemon it was Unique Quest EX “With Love From the Other Side”.」
「I, I’m not sure that I follow, but does that mean I can take up that Unique Quest EX as well?」
「It’s alright. It’s a lot more fun with more people on board, and besides -- We wouldn’t be able to do this without your help.」
Yes, it would be a whole lot more fun. When throwing yourself into the dark waters you don’t know anything about, it’s a whole lot more fun to have companions who can watch your back along the ride.
I take a look at the Quest window that just popped up. Where else to go when seeking an explanation or guidelines? Maybe it will even give me clues for what I should prepare myself when it comes to this new challenge.
「SPECIAL EFFECT “GUIDING LIGHT”」
A small flame burning in the middle of a dark night, guiding the way towards the Emperor of the Night.
If the Unique Monster “Night Prowler Luukan” is within a certain range, it will show you directions.
Luukan, even though united with the darkness, can also shed light. The light of guidance is its own light that it once held but lost it when it united with the darkness.
「So it’s a radar, huh?」
It remains to be seen if it is going to be useful, but one thing is clear: it is a passport necessary for us to challenge the true body of Luukan.
And unlike the Wezaemon quest, where we needed what needed to be done from the get-go, could it be that we need to search for Luukan all by ourselves without any clues?
Looking at the darkness that was surrounding us, I could kind of tell that there was something there. It couldn’t be seen, but it was clearly staring at us, watching closely. Fine then, if you are holed up in your home, I’ll search the sky and the earth, find that home of yours and drag you out by the collar if I have to.
Perhaps sensing the determination rising within me, the invisible gaze seemingly started to laugh at me…… No, wait just a moment.
「Oi, what the fuck do you think you’re trying to pull here, you stupid mutt!!」
Just because you’re an AI, you think I will forget about it!? I’ve satisfied the condition met in the description, so do the deed like the good mutt you are!
「I’ve succeeded in defeating the thing that put it on me, so now it’s your turn! Lift that stupid “curse” of yours from me right this instant!」
Once I reached level ninety nine, it can be said with utmost certainty that the demerits of the curse started to outweigh the merits. And the only way of breaking the curse was either seeing a Saint about it, or beating the sh*t out of Luukan and forcing it to lift it itself. And even though we’ve managed to beat it as a party, a defeat is still a defeat! Fuahaha, I’m the winner here! Therefore I require my prize, and I demand it right now!
Now I just hope that its AI was advanced enough to actually comprehend human speech. Without that, there’s just no way that it is going to understand what I want from it.
「Or if that’s a no-go, at least let me equip my armor on the cursed body parts!」
I’ve defeated Wezaemon while being half-naked. I’ve defeated Golden Crystal Scorpion while being half-naked. I’ve even defeated Luukan’s alter-ego while being half-naked. It sounds cool and all, but it doesn’t change the fact that I was half-naked all the time! At least let me wear some boots or pants, for fucks’s sake!
We are humans because we have “shame”. Without it, what would be the difference between us and simple beasts?
It’s another quote from a game that I have played in the past, but it fits here quite nicely. Although it was a weird game with many questionable mechanics, the reaction of the characters and their voices and emotions behind them were all genuine, so it was helping immensely. If it wasn’t for the “shame” factor, it wouldn’t be nearly as realistic or exciting in the first place.