Novels2Search

Chapter 59: Misinterpreting prophecy

Shadyna the pacifist won't be pushed around any longer!

First she kicked me out of heaven (which I entered illegally), then she treated my engagement ring like an artifact of doom (which I forced on her), after that she made me build an artificial sun (my own paranoia), and worst of all, she barricaded the real sun to prevent my (illegal, again) entry just earlier!

No matter how you look at it, she was bullying me!

What do you mean, that was entirely my fault?!

_ Helen (Party): Hmm~ Little bird is having the look of a criminal who pulls out a knife then shouts "If I can't have you, no one can!". Don't be reckless, okay~?

The only criminal here is you! At least I don't steal every young lady's heart I come across! How do you survive for so long while attracting such troublesome individuals anyway?

_ Shadyna (Party): I am not. There's no law against blowing up the sun you know?

Mostly because no one has been successful in doing so, but I invoke my right to remain silent on this matter~

_ Su (Party): If the area around the sun is off limits, why don't you use the excavator? It does not have a max range, doesn't it?

Truth to be told, I would have shot the lights out of the sun already if I could use my [ Kinetic Blasting Excavator]. There's no asserting your dominance like carpet bombing landscapes out of existence, preferably as first resort. And just like every other battle plan, it didn't survive contact with the enemy.

_ Shadyna (Party): It wouldn't work. Leftover projectiles will hit Tyrel, and we can't clear Tyrel the same way as clearing the mountain back then.

By some miracle, and Sateri's mercy most likely, I didn't lose [Pacifist] title after burning down customers by standing near them, while covered in plasma. Maybe that was another environmental effect, therefore I wasn't the one causing the effect, nor dealing damage? Regardless of the actual cause, I am grateful and would rather not push my pacifism's limits, for the time being at least.

_ Shadyna (Party): And unlike the mountain, the sun shoots back. intercepted my [Begi] bulb in the past with just arrows. There's no way the plasma balls won't wipe out every ranged attack I throw at it.

_ Su (Party): That's rough… But you don't seem to be concerned with it?

_ Shadyna (Party): Un, I am crafting countermeasures. It's something like this.

---

[ Iced Milk Tea]

- Creator:

- Quality:

- Type: , , , , ,

- Uses: 1/1

- Enhancement:

+

+

- Enchantment:

+

+

- CON: 17

- HP: 3500

- Alchemy:

+

+ 134 MP

- Food:

+

+ -15000 HP

- Furniture: Luminous Icestorm Lv.8

---

…Sorry, being burnt for five minutes straight really makes me crave for some cold drinks.

It is a piece of equipment stacked with as much max HP increase as possible, and my strongest trump card against a burning blob: [Luminous Icestorm].

To be honest, I have not examined the new stuff I got from the big fridge fight. I mean, the [Luminous Firestorm] was too horrifying! That's no AoE, that's a portable weapon of mass destruction! And here I thought I could at least postpone until Sateri's event is over…

Sharing the same "Luminous" name, there's no doubt [Luminous Icestorm] will have similar effect, but with [Water]-type damage instead of [Fire]. I opted to stack it the whole way rather than adding [Accelerate Power] to the mix, mainly because the skill's AoE itself is already bigger than any explosion effect I can muster from raw damage. [Blast] and [Burst] skills increase the AoE size with level up, so I'm hoping that the same scaling would apply here. The damage is not important anyway, as long as I have my own [Accelerate Power] skill.

_ Su (Party): Stacking HP… Are you going to dive to the surface in one go?

_ Shadyna (Party): That's right! If Sateri won't let me resume, I will just one-credit clear and slam it with everything I got!

The hero will settle everything once and for all with this one-way trip, because his allies can't be bothered to make a vehicle with a big enough fuel tank to return or a plan that does not involve sacrificing their savior!

…Putting it that way, my [Teleport] is kind of cheating huh…

_ Su (Party): Make sure to take items' cooldown time into account, okay~?

No kidding. If it was a bomb, this much firepower will prevent me from using anything else for quite some time. "If" being the keyword here.

_ Shadyna (Party): It will be fine. These are traps, not bombs.

Unlike bombs, traps have to be used in advance, and the consumable's cooldown time is applied when the it is placed on the ground. I learned about this when the perverted mage asked for trap-type dumplings to use in boss fights. He told me that setting up traps and luring enemies were a pain, but in tough battles, bypassing items' cooldowns allowed more HP potions that could be the difference between life and respawn. The supposedly good-for-nothing mage is surprisingly capable at his job, as expected of someone in the same party with

Why is it that the best players in this game cannot have a normal personality? Sigh~

Back to Su's question, traps would allow me to set off a much larger number of items simultaneously, rendering the problem non-factor. However, I cannot place traps on the surface in question for obvious reasons. Where do I put the traps then?

Answer: My equipment slots, all of them.

The [ Iced Milk Tea] set cannot be equipped quickly, since the consumable cooldown is applied when I put a piece on. I am not on fire while doing so leisurely in this safe space though, which is the whole point of her concerns.

Having them strapped to me also negates traps' biggest weak point accidentally: Mobility. Instead of waiting for the enemies to come to me, I can bring myself to them! Not that I would against a living being mind you, collision damage would be problematic for my pacifism you see.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Body-slamming a sun to detonate a dozen of game-breaking AoE traps does not violate pacifism though. Ufufu~

Su, get out of that pool of blood please~

_ Su (Party): And not a single piece of common sense, balance and meta remains… I love you! *Coughs blood horribly*

_ Helen (Party): Our little bird refuses to use anything for its intended purpose after all~

_ Shadyna (Party): How rude~

After all, it is just your everyday full equipment set of 12 pieces (including weapon and shield) that increases my HP by about 38k in addition to freezing everything violently when bumped into. I lose other stats in exchange, but they aren't needed in this scenario, so it's all good!

The young ice witch is going to turn the sun into a popsicle because Sateri seriously needs to chill with her global burning~

Ah, let's not forget [Shared Fate] on Gelly. I may have effectively over 100k HP if I include overflow HP, but even that may not be enough for the demanding Goddess. Better be safe than sorry.

_ Su (Party): It's dangerous to go alone, honey. Take this with you. [Shared Fate]~!

A chain appears from the proprietress at the same time as the one between Gelly and me. And who the hell is your wife again?!

_ Shadyna (Party): Thanks, but I just cast it on Gelly…

[Shared Fate] can have only one target. If I use it on someone else, the existing one will be lost. Kind of ironic that a skill with "shared" in its name cannot be shared if you ask me…

Chained [Shared Fate], on the other hand, is something I have never tried before.

_ Su (Party): …Honey, are you thinking the same thing as I am?

_ Shadyna (Party): I don't know~ I can't read your mind.

_ Su (Party): Too honest!!!

Stop trying to create another pool, will you…?

After skewers the degenerate elf with a spear several times with little hesitation, we confirmed it.

[Shared Fate] chaining is a thing.

Dear Sateri, why the heck is this game breaking mechanic allowed!? Do you understand what will happen if this is leaked to the general populace? It is broken to the point that if we had known about it earlier, and could have kicked the big fridge's backside without my help.

For example, our party consists of three members. All of us have [Shared Fate], so our chain will be something like => Su => Me => Gelly. If we had the same amount of HP, that would be effectively four times the HP if only one of us engages the enemy, and four times the potions we can chug down as well. Tanking bosses would never be easier with this one simple trick!

Sure, it may be detrimental if the boss's damage exceeds one player's HP, since the party as a whole will actually take more damage, but who would fight bosses that one-shot their tanks anyway…?

Once Sateri catches news of this exploit, she'll probably patch it instantly. Therefore, I'll have to abu… take advantage of it to the fullest before that happens!

To do that, I craft and hand out HP stacking equipment to everyone like candies using my high-grade material stockpile. They don’t need the [Luminous Icestorm], so I replace it with [Cell Revitalization] for extra toughness. Add in some dumplings specialized in HP restoration and we are set!

As a result, most of my containers in the secret base are now empty. Un, I realized I just burnt most my money and possessions in the span of a day. Can I cry now?

Your event is too expensive, Sateri…

_ Shadyna (Party): Alright, I will be busy dodging plasma so please coordinate potion usage by yourself, okay?

_ Helen (Party): You can count on us~

_ Su (Party): We will protect you even if it costs us our lives!

I'll take more damage so I would prefer her not dying in the first place. Not going to tell her that though.

Mindlessly wondering whether I should place a door so we can get in and out on foot now that the outer shell is done, I depart with Lutena at my belt. She can't take damage, has healing spells and can use potions. Even if she can't be in the [Shared Fate] chain, she still contributes to my survival~

Watch out, you damned flaming ball of ionized gas, for a 400k HP half-elf girl is going to ruin your day~!

____________

Since the big shots are busy wrestling with event bosses, a minor guild was in charge of the Staircase to Heaven (designated name) construction site. Well, it's not like the guildmaster has to do anything except for watching corpses falling from the sky over and over again…

_ Guildmaster: Hey, I think I'm seeing it… The truth of universe, hidden behind the trajectory of our fallen comrades…

The member next to him isn't sure if he can see it. He is sure that the guildmaster is losing his mind though. Who could have guessed that constantly watching this insanity-inducing scene for two hours would be unlikely to benefit one's mental health?

_ Member: Eh… Just want to inform you that the siege ballistae are done. Should we attack?

_ Guildmaster: Thanks for the report. Please keep watch for the signs of higher beings while I contact .

The still-sane member knows he had better do anything but that.

_ Guildmaster (PM): , the siege weapons are in place. Do you want us to begin the assault or wait for you guys?

_ Olkan (PM): Ah, thanks. Commence the assault. We are about done anyway.

_ Guildmaster (PM): Understood.

He was given some [World Voice] for this moment. Stingy as these merchants are, they don't shy from business expenses if they are justified.

Around them, more and more players are gathering. Only a few crafters keep working to make sure the siege weapons have ammunitions and expand the platform for more ballistae, while the rest prepare to [Recall] to the top of the staircase with only one objective in mind: Shoot the siege weapons at the world-destroying monster, or whatever that shiny disco ball up there actually is.

Sure, most of them will die right after the deed, and the survivors will die one or two seconds later. Such is the price they have to pay in order to save the world.

And to be fair, their target seems to be a bit too bright and shiny to be something related to the darkness. The players decided not to ruin the mood and keep silent however.

_ Players: FOR SATERI-CHAN!!! CHARGE!!!

With a burning zeal for the greater good and possibly some other impure motives, the gathering players charge at their impending doom. Above the clouds, explosive ballista bolts blot out the light as they smash into the metallic surface in quick succession, breaking the impacted area into several metallic pieces and reveal a pitch black sphere inside.

After a glimpse at the true dark form of the monstrosity above them, the weapon operators become even more motivated. They shout Sateri-chan's name, shoot their weapon, succumb to the hazardous environment then fall off the flimsy platform, one after another. Morale is also at the peak today, even if casualty rate is horrendous as per usual.

The pitch black void they witnessed was the same thing they would see when a private house loses parts of its wall, but no one notices that in the heat of "battle".

On the ground, the guild member pats his guildmaster on the back.

_ Guildmaster: How was my speech? Pretty great, wasn't it?

_ Member: If I have to say… That was cringey.

_ Guildmaster: The atmosphere is important!!!

____________

On another side of the world map, the alliances are converging on the last event boss of the day. Although there was some confusion about the call to arms earlier, any misunderstanding was cleared up quickly thanks to the guild chat feature.

Except for the fact that they are shooting at a player-built installation, but the builders themselves have not said anything about it either. Not that they can say "Congratulations, you emptied your treasury to shoot at our building." and call it a day to begin with.

_ Su (Guild): You may have noticed, but I would like to inform that they are shooting at our precious with ballistae.

_ Hessenria (Guild): Our player base is way too trigger-happy… And phrase it in a normal way you maniac!

_ Shadyna (Guild): Should I come back and deal with them?

_ Linny (Guild): Isn't it fine? Everything has [Blueprint]. It is beneficial for us to have them waste as much resource as possible.

_ Mera (Guild): I concur~ When the destroyed parts come back into existence, they will understand that their futile and mea~ningless sacrifices were for naught, and only then will we…

_ Hessenria (Guild): Alright, you can shut up now. , keep doing what you are doing.

_ Shadyna (Guild): Roger~

_ Mera (Guild): *Sniffles* Hessy is no longer interested in my body…

_ Hessenria (Guild): Keep blabbering and you will no longer have a body!

To the service workers of , it is not their problem if the bloodthirsty adventurers mistake the (not so) obvious artificial sun for a space station. There was no word from Sateri-chan, no warning from [Goddess's Chosen], the players came to the wrong conclusion by themselves.

Tell them beforehand so they don't waste time and resources building a gigantic staircase in the first place? "Don't bother with that space station, it's just Black Mantis's way of replacing the sun in case she happens to destroy the real one"? They would know was doing a secret event and do the same to sabotage her anyway!

is not particularly concerned since this game's secret contents have always been a bit crazy to say the least. However, she couldn't help but think that destroying the only sun in the world to proceed is a bit too extreme, even for Sateri-chan. Who in the world apart from that little girl would be able to go near the sun, let alone destroy it?! Combined with the guildmaster's… unique way of thinking, that event can only end in the best or worst way possible, likely both at the same time.

The harsh mistress has decided she might need some popcorns for the upcoming fireworks.

_ Poltea: YAH!!!

*WHAM*

A combined attack from the two little destroyers of the cafeteria pulverizes the last boss in the area for good. The magical dome above their heads quickly dissipates into nothingness, signaling the end of today's battle. It was another total victory for the raid parties.

_ Fensen: , ~ There's the orb!

The cannon girl points at the shining orb floating above the mechanical corpse. It's the instructions to the next raid, so it's no surprise for anyone.

_ Poltea: *Sighs* , is there anything that can bore you?

_ Fensen: Ehehe~

As the orb disappears in a flash of light and blinds nearby players, a system message is sent to every participant in the arena. The first time it happened, they mistook it for a boss transformation and freaked out. Obviously, that is not the case anymore.

[The first adventurer to reinforce the enchantment on the Goddess's statue shall have their wish granted.]

Correction: They freaked out, again.