Chapter 22: The Front Is Back, But the Back Is Even Further Back
Chapter 22: The Front Is Back, But the Back Is Even Further Back
Apparently one of the conditions for this unique quest to appear was to “Defeat an enemy with a high enough level while using ‘Vorpal-type’ weapon and then follow the messenger from the Bunny Country that appears in a specific spot in each city, the Rabbit Head.”
So I was now following the running Rabbit Head, being mindful as to not lose sight of it.
Apparently their country was being attacked by some kind of demonic serpent, and getting rid of said monster would reward you with magic that would enhance any of the “Vorpal-type” weapons in your possession.
The effect of that enhancement was supposed to be “a higher chance to score a critical hit against the opponent with higher level than your own”. That would make it very useful against boss monsters, so honestly speaking for me this quest was worth clearing.
Incidentally, the “monster with a high enough level” that was defeated with the “Vorpal-type” weapon was none other than the Giant Serpent Orochi, the boss of the Forest of Looming Danger.
On a side note, the Bunny Country was a country whose entire population was nothing but bunnies, so it was a must see for every bunny enthusiast out there.
The quest was giving you a unique respawn point, a town called Rabbitz, but after clearing the quest the town would disappear, so you could only visit it during the story of this particular quest.
That was the gist of the unique quest “Invitation to the Bunny Country”…… Which I read sometime later on the Internet.
「I must say, the fate of the whole Rabbitz is in your hands now. You who had the courage to challenge that black wolf and lived to tell the tale! Not to mention the ability to continuously score critical hits on it without suffering the death blow yourself! This is the true embodiment of the Vorpal soul! One that all of us bunnies can truly admire……」
「But it ultimately managed to get me, so I don’t know about all that praise.」
「That is not important here. After all, that wolf is the ultimate kind of predator, one that can even devour dragons as if they were nothing more than mere snacks.」
This rabbit, it was honestly kind of annoying. “I wanted to see you so badly!” …… that was the first line it said upon seeing me. No, it’s not that. More than annoying it was really surprising. I was honestly expecting it to pose as a friendly NPC only to attack me suddenly when the opportunity would present itself. I mean, why was a Vorpal Bunny an NPC in the first place?
Vorpal Bunny with drooping ears and threaded cane that it was using to support himself while walking? Talk about a peculiar choice in character design. And surely, it was said that the curse of Luukan would affect the conversations with NPCs, but I didn’t think it would be something quite like that. I mean, I expected it to be negative, not a positive correction!
「Not to mention that the curse mark on your body proves that the Night Prowler has recognized you as a worthy opponent, not a simple fodder. This is…… Ekhem, I was so thrilled upon hearing that that I really wanted to meet you in person!」
「Is that so? Umm, Mister……?」
「My name is Emul, pleased to make your acquaintance.」
Yet again, I think that the AI of this game is amazing…… How was that even possible? Most sh*tty games wouldn’t even respond to you unless you used keigo (Note: a very formal form of speech in Japanese language), and even then the AI could be really unresponsive. This game was something else.
「Say, Emul-san, I have killed quite a lot of Vorpal Bunnies myself. Are you really okay with someone like me? Doesn’t that make you angry with me?」
「Ahaha, now, now…… Normally it isn’t that commendable of a thing to do, but we are all firm believers in the survival of the fittest. If those bunnies ended up dead it simply means that they weren’t strong enough to be able to survive in the vast world out there.」
While Emul gave me his rather harsh view on the subject of life and death, we have arrived at the end of the back alley. It was a rather small space in between other buildings, one that you would never be able to arrive at without proper guidance.
There was a magic circle of sorts carved into the wall out here. Without delay, the bunny went to the wall and began to touch it with its small hands.
「Please wait for just a moment…… “Teleport Gate”!!」
「Ooohhh.」
Upon touching the wall and saying the words, the wall changed into a gate of sorts, with that really hazy space right in the middle of it.
「You see, I am the only one who is capable of creating a gateway between this world and the Bunny Court. Now, let us go, Sanraku-san.」
「Huh, did I even introduced myself to you?」
「Fufufu, you shouldn’t underestimate our information-gathering skills, Sanraku-san.」
Now that I think about it, it all must have come from the meta-data that the game was storing. Following Emul-san, I entered through the portal.
When I passed through the gate, everything seemed so fluffy.
「We get quite a few human visitors in Rabbitz, but you are the first human ever to have set foot here in the Bunny Court.」
「Hee.」
I look around while Emul says that, and everyone present here were indeed Vorpal Bunnies. I try to bring a smile to my lips.
If his words are true, then this must mean I am the first person ever to have satisfied the conditions to activate this quest.
I know that this was an MMORPG and that the community aspect of those games are strong, but personally, I don’t think that people should share every single bit of information between themselves.
First of all, every single player is your potential enemy when it comes to PVP rankings. Information monopoly? Perfectly fine. After all, if you have acquired some information yourself, nothing obliges you to share it with everybody else.
When PVP is involved, looting, surprise attacks and betrayals are your new reality instead of jolly cooperation…… So many sh*tty games have utilized that logic that it may have already left its mark on me!!
「Behold! The ruler of all Vorpal Bunnies, Kashira-sama in person!」
Suddenly Emul’s speech became much more polite and dignified, a trait that was so unbecoming of his looks that it almost seemed to be strange. In the next moment, all of the bunnies stood straight while the giant door began to open.
Now then, let’s see what this Kashira-sama has to say to me!
Vorpal Bunny is the rare monster that can appear in almost every single area of the game and it can provide a fresh source of EXP points to new players, as well as those who want to level up quickly.