Ch.401Fighting the Mountain NPC. (7)

“Ugh… Wh-where am I?”

“Lady Ragni, are you awake?”

Feeling a headache like a hangover, I turn my face toward the voice that sounds rather high-pitched for a male. In my field of vision appears a black-haired man with elongated ears, standing with his back turned as if guarding me. Ah.

“Elder Green Stone. What’s the situation?”

“About two hours since the successful completion of phase one. We haven’t mobilized the 3,000 infantry yet since you were unconscious, but we’re holding out well with the demon tribe’s spirit magic and the academy professors. Can you move now?”

“…Please call someone you trust and my secretary Manie to escort me. I’m in no condition to return to battle.”

“Hmm. I’ve already prepared for that.”

As if he had anticipated my request, he opens the door, and in walk Manie, looking much more exhausted than me, and two elven soldiers who still appear to be in good shape. Huh? That elf is…

“…Is he wounded?”

“He is wounded, but not from this battle. Well, he’s a friend who’s recovered enough recently to be able to move. And he’s one of the elves vouched for by the person you trust most.”

The person I trust most would be Jack. But Jack said there was only one trustworthy elf in the elven village besides Green Stone. From what I heard, that elf was in no condition to return to normal life.

“What’s your name?”

“Salt Non. As you can see, one of my arms still doesn’t work, but when I heard my first human friend was in danger, I couldn’t just lie in bed claiming to be sick.”

“…How did you bring him here?”

I thought he had been tortured with the tendons in both arms and legs severed, and had only recovered enough to barely walk with potions. Could my memory be wrong? No, that can’t be. So how…? When I look questioningly at Elder Green Stone, he shrugs and explains that he didn’t bring him—Salt Non had “recovered on his own” enough to join them near Aigram. How on earth…

“The recipe for high-grade potions that Jack shared. The ‘Elder of the Beast-folk’ completed it. Is it strange that I would move when I learn my friend and benefactor is in crisis?”

The Elder of the Beast-folk—that top-tier water spirit? Is Siltra really capable of anything? As I stare blankly, Elder Green Stone raises the corner of his mouth and asks if this is enough for me to trust, and for me to be trusted.

“Yes. It’s more than enough. Well then, Elder.”

“Right. Sir Siltra. From now on, you’ll be participating in the subjugation of Behemoth.”

I return his smile, satisfied with his selection, and he immediately throws himself out the window after saying that. Ugh, my legs are still trembling.

“Acting Headmaster. Would you like me to support you?”

“Please do.”

As I try to move from the broken sofa, Deputy Principal Manie helps me to the window, and I can finally see the massive disaster with my own eyes again. Wait, this is…

“Holy shit, that leg. Who did that?”

“If you mean the hind leg visible from here, I’m not sure. There seemed to be tremendous streams of water bursting continuously, and the blood started gushing visibly from here about 20 minutes ago.”

Water streams. So those beast-folk sisters moved according to the plan and went through with it. I heard they had swords and gauntlets forged by the Spirit King, but were they such incredible weapons? Well, it still seems like there’s a long way to go before it’s completely severed. Anyway, all operations appear to be successful. The Behemoth, like a mountain—no, larger than a mountain—is stuck to the ground, only able to hold its neck stiffly up, completely immobilized.

“So. What happens next.”

According to the plan, Jack and Ray should be on the opposite side of that leg. Judging by how it’s still standing firmly on its hind legs, it seems like the leg on Jack’s side is also far from being cut—

[KEE⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯!!!!]

“Kyaah?!!”

“Kup?!!”

“Th-this is!!”

-KWAAAAAAANG!!!

Unlike the deep, earth-shaking roars from before, a truly agonized, splitting shriek erupts as the Behemoth’s body begins to tilt in the direction opposite to the bleeding leg. Wait, no way. It can’t be?!

“H-Headmaster. Th-that…”

“…Haha, insane. Just two hours. No, if it took less than 30 minutes to execute the entire Behemoth operation, then in just an hour and a half?”

[⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯!!!]

“Sir Siltra!! Advance!!! Run toward the opposite direction of its fall!! Tear apart all of its legs!!!”

“”””Yes!!!””””

Seeing the Behemoth’s hind legs beginning to collapse, the troops prepared at the training grounds charge forward with great momentum. Ha. Seriously, how could any woman not fall for him?

“…Is he there?”

“Yes. Jack is there.”

And surely Ray is by his side too. I nod at the words murmured by the elf beside me, Jack’s only male friend(?). Indeed, he must know Jack’s abilities—

“My goodness. When I return to Siltra with stories of this battle, it will cause quite a commotion again.”

“…Pardon?”

“Hm? Didn’t the Elder tell you? Jack is now the savior of elves in Siltra. He’s treated almost like a warrior chosen by the spirit tree. Though he made a bad impression at first with his harsh words and actions toward elves, looking back, the only elf who died by his hand was the Grand Elder who had sold his soul to demons. He saved elves corrupted by demonic energy, and even made the spirit tree’s petals flow in Siltra for the first time in hundreds of years—all achievements attributed to him.”

The elf named Salt Non began to laugh amusedly as he explained that Jack’s popularity has been skyrocketing among young female elves who haven’t even reached a thousand years of age. W-wait a minute?!

“Th-that. Please don’t talk about the Behemoth battle when you go back to Siltra? There are already six women around Jack? If there are any more…!!”

“Even if I don’t, the beast-folk and elves going to fight now will. Unless you put locks on everyone’s mouths, it will definitely spread.”

I’m left speechless at his statement of fact. Is Jack really going to end up with elf women too? Jack, didn’t you say you didn’t like elves?!

“…Sigh. Really. Even a man who’s too strong and cool is something to think about.”

“Jack has it rough.”

“…Tch. Some of us don’t even have a man, let alone marriage.”

There’s not a single person here who understands my concerns!!

[GUOOO⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯?!!]

At the sound of the Behemoth’s roar, I suppress the urge to shout back in protest and try to focus on the present rather than worrying about future events, effectively starting to escape from reality.

“…But where is Gorn? What on earth is he doing?”

While the hind legs are collapsing, our golem, who supposedly told Jack he would be with Ira in a safe place, still hasn’t shown himself. Isn’t it a problem that he’s not showing up? If Ira had been here with us, Elder Green Stone wouldn’t have needed to be assigned as my guard.

“…Sigh, I don’t know. I’m sure he’s doing fine.”

Anyway, I focus on recovering my MP. Suppressing the urge to grab a gun and rush out, I start to pray for Jack and his team’s safety and the success of the remaining operations.

*

Ray’s newly acquired skill, [Connector], is an overpowered ability that allows her to maintain her 1.5 tier status as a dealer despite being hit by storms of updates in the early game.

[Skill: Connector]

[Connector Effect: Creates an identical clone of the [Skill Target] in your party with all stats and skills available. (HP: Fixed at 10,000. Cooldown 24 hours. Skills can only be manually controlled by the user, Ray. (Duration consumes MP*0.3, automatically returns when MP is completely depleted.))]

And right now, Ray is using this broken skill…

“Go Connector [Jack]!! Punch! Punch! Punch punch!!”

“…Haha.”

[……!!!]

She activated it on me, creating a tireless clone to destroy the Behemoth’s hind legs. We had been hitting, slashing, cutting, and stabbing at its legs for over 30 minutes, and honestly felt we would only destroy one leg before collapsing from exhaustion. But this is truly overpowered.

More importantly, in the game, Connector could only be activated on oneself. Why can it be used on all party members now? Did it become even more broken when transferred to reality?

-BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!

“Hahaha!! Jack is the best! This is amazing!! This [Connector] is better than any I’ve used before!! Go go!! Smash it to pieces!!”

“You like it that much?”

“Yes! It’s incredible! It feels like the Jack in my heart is listening to everything I say…? Huh?”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Ray, who had been excitedly controlling the [Connector], started looking back and forth between me and the clone seriously before suddenly recalling it. Huh? What’s going on, is there a problem?

“Ah, Jack, please don’t come over here for a moment.”

“Eh? What’s suddenly…”

I was honestly feeling relieved watching the enthusiastic punching, but did some problem arise? As I carefully observe Ray moving away with my clone…

“Huh? Is the lower body implemented too? Wow! It is! And in such detail! Oh, then… on days when Jack doesn’t hug me, I could use this to masturbate…”

-SMACK!!

“You crazy woman!! What the hell are you talking about?!!”

Did you think I couldn’t hear you?! My stats have been well over 1100 for a while now?! My hearing is extremely good?!! Why are you touching that area?!! What kind of crazy thoughts are you having in this situation…!!!

Before I know it, I’ve rushed over and slapped the back of her head. Ray looks at me with teary, startled eyes, then suddenly seems to realize something and starts waving her fingertips as if wanting to whisper something to me. No, please. We’re in front of the Behemoth—can we focus without strange thoughts or words, okay?

“Jack, with the connector, we could even have a foursome with Ragni.”

“Do you really want to get punished?”

Where did you even learn that phrase, damn it. I almost killed the connector without thinking.