ShangriLa Frontier ~ Shitty Games Hunter Challenges Godly Game ~

Fistia. It’s the city of origin that most of the players who land in the world of Shangri-La Frontier will visit first…… but only today, or even today, that common sense is turned upside down.

「…… Say, why are there so many high-level players in here all of a sudden?」

「Well, I wouldn’t really know since I have started to play the game only recently……」

The players who triumphantly managed to log into the world of ShangriLa Frontier for the first time, hoping to become protagonists in their own stories, were rightfully puzzled to see many high-level players wearing high-level equipment on them amongst their ranks. It was a matter of course that newbies would be wondering what is going on in here because of that fact.

Moreover, it was not just one or two people. It was a whole bunch of high-level players that were all standing out in here like a sore thumb. Now, even if the high-levels were trying to act normally and not act conspicuous at all, it was pretty much impossible here in this situation, because the power gap in between the two groups was simply too obvious for anyone to simply turn a blind eye on it.

「Ummm……?」

「Hmm?」

Can I ask you something really quick?」

「Oh, yeah, sure go right ahead. You must be wondering what we are doing in here, right?」

「Umm, yes, that’s right. I mean, this place…… This is supposed to be like a tutorial area, correct?」

For example, a high-level player’s real life acquaintance started to play the game and they have come in here to greet them and show them the ropes.

The possibility of that is not actually zero, but it’s a very unlikely scenario for the players who are themselves high-level, but are still growing and exploring the game. And not in such a great quantity. So what would be the reason here?

The swordfighter, who was asked that question by a newbie archer, first said that he just himself started the game, and then laughed at his own joke. But then after a moment of silence he told the curious newbie the real answer.

He said that there is a certain “rumor” that was spread across the frontline players since the other day. It was the reason why Firstia was currently attracting disproportionately strong players from all over the game world.

And it is said that the reason why so many people gathered here for the sake of a mere ”rumor” that was not officially announced by the development team, was actually the one who started the rumor and spread it around in the first place.

「Ahh, do you perhaps know who the “Tsuchinoko-san” is? He’s quite the celebrity around these parts.」

「Tsuchinoko-san … is that some sort of an NPC?」

「No, that’s not it. It’s one of the players. In fact, he was the first one to ever defeat a Unique Monster in this game. It’s said that he rarely interacts with people or it’s because you can’t know where or what he’s doing in the first place.」

Apparently, the reason is that Tsuchinoko and others sent information to ShanFro’s biggest information gathering guild saying something alongside the lines of: “something great is about to happen in Firstia soon!” And then that guild spread the rumor further, resulting in the current situation.

Asking about that matter further, it turned out that Tsuchinoko is someone who often goes first into the territories that the other players would not dare to brave, and because he is quite a devilish person, only he knows the true extent of his own knowledge, while everyone else is being kept in the dark.

「So it’s some sort of a Player-initiative event?」

「I don’t know. I can’t really say for sure. But those who are absolutely crazy about the guy are saying that it’s worth the wait…… so, here we are. Waiting to see what happens.」

Ahh, now I see. Said the fledgling archer who was convinced for the time being thanks to the swordfighter’s explanation. He then bowed to the swordfighter whose name was apparently “Reiji” displayed above his head.

「I think it might be really a good idea to just wait for a while in here.」

「Well, I don’t know if new players will be able to participate in this event, but something is going to happen in here for sure. So it might be beneficial for you to stay here and see for yourselves, if nothing else.」

In the first place, this player named Reiji didn’t know the details of what exactly and when exactly that something was about to take place, so the tension between beginner players and high-level players would only continue to rise for a while…… and when the sun was finally starting to go down, “something” began to happen alright.

「……………」

High-level players are more or less well equipped. In other words, the “sound” of their walking is different from the footsteps peculiar to the initial equipment or the unequipped state in which the beginner players are send into this world for the very first time.

However, the footsteps of the man who appeared in Firstia were the sounds of unequipped sandals. So is the newly arrived guy supposed to be a new player? There was something truly special and exceptional behind those footsteps.

「Is that perhaps this Tsuchinoko-san……?」

「But what’s that weird regent-like head equipment supposed to be?」

「Why is he wearing something so similar to a school uniform in a fantasy world setting?」

「Be that as it may, this is all equipment that I have never even seen before……」

「But isn’t it tattered all over?」

It was a figure wearing a black coat with a naked top half of their body. The person was also naked below their knees, and around their shins…… However, it seems that the school uniform was remodeled to look like a winter coat, judging from its overall design. A man dressed as if he just got up after being dragged through the gravel was now proceeding through Firstia.

「Just who is that person?」

「Well, I dunno. I think that I have met him already about once or twice, but the guys looks slightly different every single time. So that might be him, but I am not one hundred percent sure.」

Tsuchinoko-san…… or rather, Sanraku kept on walking while feeling all of the gazes that the high ranking players were sending his way ogle every inch of his body. His strangely shaped head that completely covered his face, and the rugged “eyes” that looked like those of a robot, even managed to spot the archer and the swordfighter at one point.

Then Sanraku, who was approaching with his unscrupulous gaze while bathing in the setting sun, caused the two players to back away slightly. Then he squinted his eyes and looked at the player named Reiji in particular……

「…… Hmm, is that you, Reiji-san?」

「Ah, h-hello there……」

「It’s been a long time. Last time we have seen one another was during the battle against Siegwurm, right?」

「Y-Yeah, probably around that time. At least I think so.」

「Seriously now, you equipment has changed so much that for a moment I thought that you might actually be someone else entirely……」

「Hahaha ………」

Apparently, this player called Reiji had more than an acquaintance relationship with the rumored Tsuchinoko. But to those words Reiji only had some really bland response, only muttering: “well, you haven’t really changed all that much”. However, just one look at his eyes was more than enough to realize that he respected Tsuchinoko fair deal.

For some reason, Sanraku seemed to have been really damaged by that statement a lot, but then he turned his gaze towards the Archer…… For some reason, he then tilted his head but immediately took his eyes off of him.

「Say, Sanraku…… -san? What the hell is going on? What are you planning to do here?」

「Huh? Hmm…… Yeah, that’s right. I really wanted to open that map sooner rather than later, but I had some urgent business to take care of while on my way here. I am really sorry for making all of you wait like that, but I hope that what I’m about to show you in a moment is going to more than make up for the wait.」

For a moment out there Sanraku seemed to be confused about something, and he started to murmur something to himself, but the archer and Reiji could not quite hear what he was saying. And the helmet that he was wearing on his head was not making understanding him any easier, as it was making his voice muffled by quite a huge margin.

And then, a shadow smaller than Reiji and the archer, and of course Sanraku who was taller than the other two, approached the three of them while looking up at Sanraku.

A girl dressed in a costume that seems to appear in an anime broadcast somewhere on a holiday morning opens her mouth and……

「Hey there, Sanraku! I have heard some rumors while I was in Thirdrema. Could it be that you have something to do with them?」