ShangriLa Frontier ~ Shitty Games Hunter Challenges Godly Game ~

The seventh layer. When it comes to the contents of that floor and the challenges it imposed on the ones who visited it, it can be said that it was pretty much like new home of the “Library”, the second layer, but ramped up to eleven. But that’s not all that there was to this floor, because there were also elements in here that reminded everyone of the struggles we have all went through not so long ago on the fourth layer as well. The task, or the challenge here was that “Ivory” would pose a question to you, and in order to solve it you would have to find a specific information relating to that question. If you wanted to clear the floor, you needed to seek out the specific information, and then come back to the “Ivory” and give her the right solution to the riddle she presented you with. But the real hindrance in here was that once again, every single person in here received a unique question/mystery, so it was actually hard to help someone else if you were forced to worry about yourself in the first place. This was really starting to get annoying.

The problem issued to me was as follows: “Please name the species that combines the abnormal ability to proliferate at a rapid pace and possesses the advanced mimetic abilities at the same time. It is a species that similar to humans was here at the dawn of creation, but unlike human beings displays intense hostility towards every single form of organic life.”

The problem that was issued to Rei-san was: “What is the name of the organism that is normally impossible ot observe, but it only becomes possible to observe and visualize during its mating season, even if one cannot make the observation easily with their naked eye? The body of said organism is really characteristic and you can’t possibly mistake it for anything else.”

The problem issued to Akitsu Akane was as follows: “What is the name of the organism that usually can be found in deep seas, classified as fish and living in large schools, usually staking its survival on praying on other deep sea organism with the use of a specially developed pheromone that can only be found inside of the bodies of that specific organism? It also possesses the ability to add other organisms into its ranks, effectively increasing the size of its school and moving up the food chain.”

And finally, the last question was directed at Emul, since from now on he was supposedly to be treated the same way in which Next Generation Human beings were supposed to be treated: “Please name at least five species or organisms present across the New Continent whose overall bodily length does not go beyond one meter in total”.

So yeah, there you have it. It is exactly like I told you. The questions presented to us on the second layer were already pretty annoying to begin with, but the ones we were given in here we one-upping those previous ones in every single aspect without even trying all that hard.

But even so, the Professor and his group only reacted to this new challenge in their usual way of only saying “Ahh, I see. I was actually thinking ever since the second layer that something like this was bound to come up sooner or later in here”. Yeah, it’s really great that you guys are basically such a treasure trove of information, but I would really appreciate it if you were to disclose such assumptions and hunches to the rest of the group sooner. Otherwise you are just going to look like a bunch of annoying assholes and smartasses.

Now, as for the materials and folders that could be found around this floor, it was something that every “Library” member could possibly dream of and more. Tons of information about monster and materials that none of us have ever seen or heard before, described in great amount of detail…… I can already see that this place as well would soon turn into the “Library’s” preferred hangout spot. What’s more, there were also information in here about every possible creature that could be found inside of this very Behemoth. So to make a long story short, this place was like a Holy Land for the entirety of “Library”.

But with that little interesting detour finally being out of the way, we could finally focus on the original purpose of our journey once more. But incidentally…… It turns out that our greatest problem in here would not actually be answering the questions themselves. It turns out that the greatest hurdle of them all for us players gathered in here…… would actually be finding out the right materials in this literal labyrinth of knowledge that was spreading right in front of us in all directions.

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「Oh man, is this going to be the Great Red Devourer……? No, that’s not it. It said that the organism has to be mimetic in nature? So, does that mean that the answer here would be the Crazy Blue? But is it really? Is that the answer that I want to give? The final one? Ahh, screw it……!! Razy Blue it is!」

「CONGRATULATIONS, SANRAKU. THAT IS INDEED THE CORRECT ANSWER. I CAN SEE THAT YOU HAVE REACHED THIS PLACE AFTER UNDERGOING MANY TOUGH BATTLES AND OVERCOMING MIGHTY CHALLENGES…… AND THAT IS THE PREFFERED WAY FOR HUMANS TO DEVELOP. THIS PLEASES ME GREATLY.」

「Thanks for the words of praise, but I would really appreciate it if didn’t have to go through some of those battles altogether. Like that “Crazy Blue” one, for example. And I guess that technically I did not even beat that opponent, so I don’t know how to feel about that.」

「PLEASE DO NOT CONCERN YOURSELF WITH THAT MATTER, SANRAKU. IT IS WELL UNDERSTOOD THAT ON YOUR OWN YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BEAT AN OPPONENT OF THIS CALIBER, NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU WOULD FIGHT OR WHAT YOU WOULD DO. AFTER ALL, IT IS THE KIND OF AN OPPONENT THAT EVEN THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM AND INTELLIGENCE OF THE ERA OF THE GODS HAD NO CHANCE AGAINST, AND NO CONCLUSIVE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN AGAINST IT. BUT TO THINK THAT THE CREATURE SUCH AS EREBUS STILL EXISTS SOMEWHERE OUT THERE AND LIES IN WAIT…… BUT EVEN SO, THAT IS ONLY A GUESS AND SPECULATION ON MY END. NOTHING MORE, BUT ALSO NOTHING LESS. SO PLEASE DO NOT WORRY ABOUT IT TOO MUCH. BUT THE FACT THAT BOTH THE BEHEMOTH AND THE GODS WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO DEFEAT IT ALL THOSE YEARS AGO…… I WOULD LIE IF I WERE TO TELL YOU THAT THIS HUMILIATION DOES NOT STING EVEN A LITTLE BIT. EVEN AFTER ALL THIS TIME.」

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「Umm, let’s see. If my guess is correct in here, then the answer surely must be…… Aurora Kamui?」

「CONGRATULATIONS, SAIGA-0. THAT IS INDEED THE CORRECT ANSWER. IF MY OBSERVATIONS ARE CORRECT, IT IS A LINING ORGANISM THAT HAS NEVER BEEN DEFEATED ONCE SINCE THE BIRTH OF THE NEXT GENERATION HUMAN BEING AND THEIR DESCENT INTO THIS WORLD. I AM GENUINELY SURPRISED THAT YOU KNEW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, SAIGA-0. AND WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING THROUGH THE MATERIALS THAT LONG……」