Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 76

Wicked Woman

「Ponsuke-kun, that’s soo funny~」

Noin-san hugged Ponsuke’s arm with a smile.

The location was the sightseeing area.

He immediately got messaged when he logged in and when he came to meet her, he got invited to have fun.

「E-err, I need to be going to level up soon.」

Her distance with him was strangely close. Fran was watching with exasperation at Noin who was smiling amiably.

Noin spoke to Ponsuke.

「Then perhaps we will come with you. You know, we should also exercise sometimes as expected.」

Ponsuke paused for a bit before replying to Noin.

「……We’re inside a game, so it’ll be pointless to do that.」

Though it might be meaningful if you did that some time ago before this, Ponsuke didn’t say that.

「Geez, don’t be like that. We want to play with you Ponsuke-kun. Come on, bring us to your favorite spot. ……Okay?」

Noin hugged Ponsuke. It made him felt good and he brought the two to a good place to level up.

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Evening.

Noin returned to the sightseeing area and spoke her true feeling in front of Fran.

「Boys are really stupid aren’t they. What kind of worth there is in this kind of data?」

Her status screen showed various things like her items or her remaining money.

It would be better if they worked hard in real world rather than  desperately gathering something like this. Noin laughed with ridiculing  tone in her voice.

「It’s nice to experience vacationing inside the virtual world. But, there’s no point with playing the game at all.」

Fran was listening to Noin’s talk while drinking alcohol silently.

Many of the players around them were people who had the same thinking like Noin.

They had no interest at things like the game’s main scenario or the  like. They were here solely for experiencing vacation in the virtual  world.

Extravagant food.

Luxurious hotel.

Elegant day.

Here they were able to taste those things that they couldn’t  experience in real life. They thought that this was the greatest merit  of virtual world.

Both Noin and Fran didn’t have time to experience this kind of things in real world even if they wanted to.

「Really you, even though you were acting like you were having fun in  front of Ponsuke-kun……. You’re like a completely different person from  that girl who was so shocked inside the hotel’s toilet before.」

Noin once felt terror after listening to some women’s murky relationship from inside a hotel’s toilet.

「That one was really bad. That was different from making fun and  toying with boy. I don’t like that kind of murkiness between women. I  also kept getting hated by fellow women all this time wasn’t it?」

「That’s because of your personality that is like that. I’m going to tell that boy if you act too horribly to him okay?」

Noin felt disappointed when Fran said that she would tell Ponsuke the truth.

「This is just a game you know? Don’t you think it’ll be a good  experience for him from getting tricked by a woman a little? Well, I’m  also bored already so I’m going to toss him aside tomorrow I guess.  Doing that in RL will be problematic but, there’s nothing to worry with  that inside a game isn’t it? Because, he won’t be able to do anything to  me anyway.」

Even if he tried to get a payback, this was just inside a game.

Noin was convinced of her thinking.

「You’ve a really bad taste. Go do that yourself tomorrow.」

It was the fault of the boy for getting tricked.

Noin said that and took a sip of her cocktail.

Alcohol entered inside her mouth. It heated up her body.

The feeling of drinking alcohol here was no different than in real life.

「……I became able to drink alcohol recently but, I wonder what kind of wine is good?」

Fran had been ordering wines one after another and drinking them since some time ago.

「Who knows. Just give them a try inside the game. Everyone said that the taste of alcohol here is really close with reality.」

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The next day.

Ponsuke was dumbfounded at the Capital of Hope’s plaza.

「Eh, you sold them?」

Noin was there without Fran this time.

Noin was grinning. She had sold all the items and weapons and armors  and the like that she had gathered together with Ponsuke until now.

Among them were also items that Ponsuke presented to Noin.

「Yes. I sold them all at the sightseeing area. Though I had spent them all in one day.」

Certainly it was an amount that would get used up in one day if one spent extravagantly at the sightseeing area.

The wand that was created from the materials that the three of them  worked hard to gather, even the robe that was made from the rare item he  procured for her, she said 「They weren’t cute at all」.

「U-umm, I asked a favor from my friend to create that armor――」

Noin smiled.

「So? They are just data in the end. How about you spend that effort a bit more in reality?」

Ponsuke felt terribly disappointed facing the cackling Noin.

It was his fellow guild member who created the equipments for her.

Noin laughed too much until tears came out seeing the dumbfounded Ponsuke.

「Aa~, my stomach hurt. Well, this is going to be a good experience for you. Perhaps you should even thank me for it.」

Ponsuke thought.

(As expected this is just too malicious.)

「I think, it’s not good to do something like this. Is it fun to make fun of other people?」

Noin felt irritated hearing that. Her shoulders jerked a little.

But, she didn’t remove her smile.

「It’s really fun. It was really hard holding back my laughter seeing  an ugly monster desperately pampering me up like a good little doggy.」

Ponsuke was struck dumb by Noin’s words.

(……She won’t listen even if I lecture here now.)

Ponsuke left a warning for Noin at the end.

「It’ll be better if you stop doing this. You better not underestimate  what other will do to get a payback. Just because this is the virtual  world――」

Noin lost interest and walked away without looking back.

「Enough with the preaching. Sayonara, stupid piggy boy.」

Ponsuke’s shoulders dropped when Noin was gone.

He was feeling strongly bitter.

The reason was his shock from finding out that the equipments his  guild member had gone through the trouble of making got sold away.

He sat down on a nearby bench.

「……Haa」

Then Sololy sat down beside him.

「Hey」

「Hyah! Wait, Sololy-san! Don’t surprise me like that.」

He was feeling shocked by how amazing Sololy’s stealth skill while  also feeling impressed. Then Sololy looked toward Noin who was walking  away.

「You met another outrageous player huh. I’m looking forward at the reaction when I gave my report about this.」

「You were watching? Or rather, who are you reporting to?」

「I can’t tell you that. I won’t leak my employer’s identity even to you.」

Ponsuke didn’t really care of that while thinking of what happened today.

「Well, that’s fine. I won’t complain as long as it’s not violating any manner.」

Sololy looked a bit awkward hearing that.

「Y-yeah. Nothing like that here.」

Ponsuke felt uneasy hearing Sololy’s voice turning high pitched at the end there. His gaze also wouldn’t meet his eyes.

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Noin was feeling irritated.

「What with that shitty pig. How dare he lectured me……he should act angry or something.」

Ponsuke’s calm response was making her irritated.

She thought of him as someone younger than her.

That was why she wanted him to argue more emotionally to her so she could talk down to him more.

But it failed and the failure irritated her.

「Aa~aa, so boring.」

Unlike the sightseeing area, there were various races and also faces in the Capital of Hope.

There were still some faces that looked similar, but this place was nice because it lacked the eeriness of the sightseeing area.

The way everyone was equipping their favorite equipments while walking around the city looked stupid in Noin’s eyes.

(Haa, isn’t there any boy here that I can ridicule? Though I’m fine with some uncles too.)

The people here couldn’t be judged from their appearance.

She was a peerless beauty at the outside but an uncle at the inside――such thing was possible in this world.

As expected even Noin hadn’t become that familiar with the virtual  world that she would be able to see through something like that in one  glance.

「Now then, next is――」

Then someone called out at Noin who was walking alone.

「Excuse me. Are you perhaps by yourself?」

An avatar of agreeable young man with dazzling smile called out to  her. She turned around and found more than four players there. They must  be a group who belonged to the same guild.

「Hmm~, I’m alone right now.」

「Then, do you want to go outside with us? We want to form a guild, but we don’t have that many friends yet.」

They were players whose level was around forty.

Their level difference with Noin was too wide, even so she took a look at them and thought.

(I guess I’ll make fun of these kids next.)

They were definitely males based on where their eyes were looking.

She felt like they were middle schoolers based on their atmosphere.

They felt just right to be her ridiculing target.

「Yep, alright. My main job is priest though, will that be alright?」

The leader rejoiced.

「That’s great. You will be a great help if your main job is priest.」

Noin thought that this time she would definitely get an amusing result seeing the group cheering up like that.

◇

Fitness club.

Yumi was swimming in the pool. She broke her best record and got into a good mood.

Reona handed her a towel and praised her new record time.

「You’re really in form today huh. Did you get motivated?」

Yumi had excellent talent from the start. But she never got serious  because of her inherent personality. Because of that she been cutting  corners until now but…….

「I’m just in good shape right now. It’s pointless even if I do my  best. Because, I won’t be able to live with swimming anyway, and it also  won’t help me with finding good marriage.」

Her effort was lacking to be able to become a swimming athlete, and  even if she was able to become one, she had no interest in getting any  further than that.

Those were words that would make those who didn’t have talent to want to punch her.

……But, this was the reality.

「Setting that aside, we hadn’t met for three days inside the game. What were you doing?」

Yumi laughed.

She hanged her towel on her neck and wiped her hair carefully.

「I failed to get the desired result last time, so this time I’m taking my time to lay down the groundwork.」

A boy got out of the pool at that timing and the two looked at him.

The trainer smiled at the boy who was running out of breath.

「Naruse-kun, you got faster by one second there.」

「I-I did my best.」

Yumi let out a small laugh seeing Akito panting in fatigue.

「……I’m amazed he’s going that far even though it’s all pointless. Even though he doesn’t even have talent, good work there kid.」

She was feeling more irritated than usual.

Reona made a sad expression seeing Yumi like that.

「……Yeah.」

(Even though you also worked hard in the past. Why did you become like this now.)

This was a world that wouldn’t recognize anyone who didn’t have talent no matter how much the person themselves liked doing it.

That was the reality.

Yumi was good at swimming, but what she liked was something else.

She wanted to become an idol when she was little.

But, she didn’t have the talent. If only her score was just a bit  higher……it was really just a small difference. Even when she worked hard  and got audition, she was unable to win against the children whose  talent score was higher than the standard score.

Song, dance, communication ability, and all the other talents that  were required, she was lacking in all of them. That was the fact.

Even though she was good in things like swimming and others, they didn’t matter to Yumi.

(Even though she was honest and bright before)

Reona watched her friend who had changed completely with a terribly sad feeling.

◇

Inside the game.

Noin who had logged in was feeling annoyed.

Perhaps it was because she saw that boy who was working hard in real world. It worsened Noin’s mood.

She met up with the boys party and they fought monsters outside the city, but she felt dissatisfied.

It was also unpleasant how the location was full of overgrown trees.

There were bugs and the ground was muddy and slippery.

She wanted to complain to the game developer that was making the game too real like this.

(Or rather, why are they bringing me to this kind of place. There should be a better place than this.)

She wanted to tell the boys that they were inconsiderate.

(Aa~, so annoying. Enough with this. From now I’ll just login when I  feel like it and have fun at the sightseeing area. I’m not interested  with this kind of childish game anyway.)

The boys were paying attention to Noin with smiling faces.

It made her felt good, but she had gotten bored with this pastime.

The leader made a suggestion to Noin.

「Noin-san, won’t you join our guild? It won’t have any strict rule,  and you don’t need to come everyday, just when you feel like it is  fine.」

It looked like the boy made that suggestion to her after resolving himself. There Noin showed her true nature.

「What are you saying? I’m tired of you guys already.」

She didn’t hate how they were treating her like a princess even though their treatment of woman was a bit inept.

But, she was tired of it already. It felt strangely hollow.

「I’m finished with you guys.」

She said the same thing to them like what she said to Ponsuke. It made the boys dumbfounded.

(Now, what are they going to do. If they get angry then I can just log out to run away――)

Then the leader scratched his head.

His smile from just now vanished.

「Tsk, what the hell. So you’re also the same huh.」

His voice was low and full with irritation.

「Even though we planned to bully and toy around with someone doing a  princess play, we fished in a kindred fellow instead. This is a real  killjoy.」

Noin was flustered.

The expressions of the four boys changed. They were smirking while surrounding Noin.

「W-what’s with you guys. Just what in the world are――」

The boy spoke.

「You don’t play game often right?」

「We thought that you might be an old dude doing princess play, but  don’t tell me you’re actually a woman inside? Perhaps you’re even  someone using your actual face’s data.」

「Some people actually do that aren’t they. Especially woman who’s confidence with her own look.」

「You bitches let your guard down just because this is a game.」

Noin felt weirded out by the laughing boys and immediately tried to  escape. She opened her status screen and chose the logout option.

However the screen didn’t respond.

「W-why!?」

The leader laughed.

「Do you know? This virtual world is just so vast. It’s too vast that  when it was being created, some “air pockets” also got created for some  reason. In this place you see, you can’t logout or even contact the dev  from here.」

The boys kicked Noin who tried to run away.

Noin fell on the ground and got dirty from the mud.

The boys used item.

A cage that was made from wood appeared around Noin. She grabbed the bar and tried to break it, but it didn’t even twitch.

「It’s useless. You won’t be able to get out from here until you get forcefully logged out.」

A boy aimed at Noin with his bow.

Noin immediately jumped away from the arrow. The boys laughed.

「Oi, that’s pathetic.」

「It can’t be helped cause there’s no support.」

「How about we bring monster too this time?」

The group looked like they were used to do something like this. Their number kept increasing until there were fifty of them.

「D-do you guys think you will get away after doing something like this? I’ll report you all to the dev when I logout from here!」

The leader brought his face closer toward Noin from behind the bar.

「Feel free to try. But, nobody has ever reported us to the dev until  now. There are five days from now until the forced logout  activate……we’re going to put you in the world of hurt until then. Most  guys before this were crying and begging for mercy in the end.」

The login time of players was stretched until six days.

The boys led Noin to this place in this first day because they intended to imprison Noin from the start.

「Oi, let’s take video of this woman.」

「Let’s find out her real identity too.」

「I totally hate this type of woman yeah.」

The boys kept throwing attacks into the cage.

Each attack was weak.

But, the damage level……the pain level was increased to abnormal degree.

「It hurts. Wait, this feel really hurt!」

The feeling and smell of the skin burning.

The sensation of blood flowing from the wound.

She felt them like they were real.

The leader sported a hideous smile.

「I’m looking forward at how many hours you’re going to prostrate to  us. Well, we won’t let you off though. A shitty bitch like you who look  down on game should get beaten up and have your real identity exposed  too.」

The boys who were irritated by Noin’s attitude were feeling really motivated.

Noin’s face turned pale at the situation she found herself in.

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