Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 55

Boundary Line

Ponsuke after he got stomped by the earth dragon.

He recalled various things while feeling the sense of weightlessness before the revival.

『The previous queen risked her life――』

『Please come back no matter what.』

Shela’s words.

And then her sad expression.

(Perhaps, this event is……)

An unpleasant imagination sprouted in his mind. There had been that kind of uneasiness inside him since the start.

Perhaps Shela would disappear in this event.

(I don’t want that. I don’t want that to happen.)

Then something that looked like a pulsing light appeared in front of  Ponsuke. It approached Ponsuke and then it seemed to talk to him.

『Steal what you want. Kill, rape, trample. You have the power for that inside you.』

The light looked as though it took the form of orc. The orc looked  more savage rather than fierce. It tried to enter inside Ponsuke.

Then there was light――from the “Kind Heart” that his hand was  gripping without him noticing it. The terrifying orc was pulled apart  from Ponsuke.

『Again. This again! Accept me――Selector!』

Selector.

It was a word that he once heard from the information broker.

But, it was a bit strange.

Selector, rather than being a chosen one……this word meant that the person would be doing the choosing.

Does that mean he wasn’t a chosen one?

(Why it’s saying selector? Could it be, the orc’s Selector is me?)

The information broker once said that Ponsuke was a chosen Selector.

(Then, my choice is-!)

His back suddenly got pulled hard. And then he woke up on a bed that  was made from tree root. He was at the revival room that was ruled by a  single tree. The orcs who had been waiting for Ponsuke rushed toward  him.

Ponsuke slowly got up and looked at his own hands.

He opened and closed his hands. It felt like he could put more strength into them.

「Ponsuke-kun, it seems all of us got killed. But, the players are now  focusing their attacks on the spots that had been whittled. It looks  like they’re dealing a lot of damage now.」

The information that Prey told him didn’t mention anything about their fellow guild members.

「What about everyone?」

He asked that while standing up. Prey gave him a thumb up.

「They’re alright. Apparently they set up a lot of traps before  running away. Right now they’re splitting up into two teams. One is  setting up traps while the other are running alongside the earth dragon  while attacking it.」

They were hindered but, it seemed what Ponsuke and the other orcs had done wasn’t pointless.

But, Dume who was carrying a great sword was making a conflicted expression.

「The problem is whether we’ll be able to defeat the earth dragon  before it reaches the final defensive line. Some players has calculated  the damage and they said that it’ll be just a little bit insufficient.」

Then the large cannons that were installed in the Capital of Temperance fired one after another.

The roaring sound told Ponsuke and the orcs that the earth dragon had  entered the distance where the large cannons could reach it.

「……Everyone, how about we use that?」

Ponsuke said that with a meek expression. All the orcs were taken aback from that.

Prey opposed Ponsuke’s suggestion as everyone’s representative.

「Ponsuke-kun, that’s out of the question. Doing that will trouble other people. Using it in this situation is――」

Ponsuke begged.

「Even if we go there now, the earth dragon will have come until really close if we die again. There might not be next time.」

The Capital of Temperance was dyed with evening sunlight. The earth dragon was getting near.

There were also players who were recording that sight. The videos of  an invading mountain was getting uploaded one after another.

「We’ll face it head on.」

Everyone said 「If it’s like that」 at Ponsuke’s words and nodded.

Prey still didn’t look convinced, but it was Ponsuke’s request so he reluctantly accepted.

「I hate that state. You can’t feel any pain or freedom in such state.  It really feels like you’re getting taken over by something, it’s  unpleasant. Especially with how you can’t feel pain.」

Prey mentioned about the lack of pain twice. Ponsuke smiled wryly at  that while going to challenge the earth dragon for the last time.

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Many players were riding horse while firing magic, arrow, and throwing items at the earth dragon.

Mariela nocked her arrow from on top her horse, then she fired in succession.

She had used up all her expensive arrows. She had also lost the  arrows that she bought with real money. She only had the infinite arrow  that could only deal minimum damage left.

Then the bowstring snapped while she was drawing it.

「Tsk! The endurance reach zero――」」

Her bow burst into red particles and vanished into the air.

Mariela was splendidly controlling her horse. It was like they were one in body and mind.

Alfie was riding horse with Sierra behind her, firing her magic.

「Sierra-chan!」

「Yes!」

Sierra chanted her spell, and then magic was fired from her staff and  it caused a large explosion. It was an attack that was boosted by  Alfie’s paid item, and Sierra’s boost potion and the like.

However, the earth dragon didn’t stop.

Rook and the others were also riding horses and sprinting along.

Their hands were holding handguns.

「What’s with those things!」

Alfie looked jealous when she saw the handgun Rook was holding.

「You can get it at the next capital. The event for high human is also  there. But putting that aside, you lively ladies should get back. It’s  our turn.」

Rook’s friends were attacking in succession. Their attacks were ceaseless.

Meanwhile Sololy quietly blended in among them.

He was running on his own feet instead of using horse. He was also dealing small damages using item and magic.

He wasn’t getting in the way of other players thanks to his pointlessly high player skill.

Rook reloaded his gun’s magazine while feeling really surprised when he saw Sololy.

「Ponsuke got a lot of interesting friends.」

Rook said that and aimed his gun from atop his horse. And then he joined the attack on the earth dragon.

The other players were also dealing actual damage with their attacks.  Just a bit more and the earth dragon would run out of health.

Cannon shells from large cannons were raining down on the earth dragon from the front.

Rook muttered.

「Just a bit more. Even though there’s just a bit more. If only  Ponsuke and the other orcs managed to whittle down the surface skin a  bit more.」

Its thick rock skin was serving as shield.

If Ponsuke and the orcs managed to whittle it just a bit more, surely the damage on the boss would increase even more.

Rook lamented that matter. He saw that they were approaching the Capital of Temperance. The sun was going to set soon.

And then he saw in the middle of that sight, the orcs standing without wearing equipments.

「Those guys, what are――」

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Orc event.

Ponsuke and the other orcs obtained the Proof of Magic from there and earned a skill.

That was [Berserk]. Berserker, mad warrior, there were various types of such fighter, but orc’s Berserk was a bit different.

After all it made it difficult for player to control their avatar.

It strengthened the user by an astonishing degree, but using that  skill would turn them into genuine mad warrior that would attack even  their own allies. That was orc’s Berserk.

The orcs who were only wearing loincloth all brought up their status screen and pushed the skill activation button.

Then a countdown began.

『3』

Everyone gritted their teeth. Veins bulged all over their body. And then their body became a size larger.

『2』

Their nose and mouth elongated forward, making their head looked like  wolf. Their body hair increased and their body grew even bigger.

Ponsuke thought.

(I thought this skill is useless at first. But, if it’s in this situation――)

『1』

Everyone grew horn, and then their limbs became even thicker. Their  posture hunched forward and they became covered with muscles all over  their body.

Their body grew even bigger and the percentage of the orcs’ Berserk  showed that it had reached 『100%』, the maximum value of the skill usage.

Ponsuke’s skin became dyed red with white pattern forming on it.

The other orcs were dyed purple. It was only Ponsuke who had the color red.

Everyone roared. Their size now looked like giant.

『0』

It felt like their roars were causing earthquake. And then the  surrounding commotion felt like an inconsequential happening of faraway  place in the minds of Ponsuke and the other orcs.

Their avatars wouldn’t move like they wanted.

But, they could just look forward. By doing that their avatar would move.

Ponsuke stepped forward. His foot stomped on the ground.

(That’s right. Go! ……That guy at the front is your and my enemy!)

The enlarged Ponsuke and co put their hands on the ground.

Each of them pulled out weapon like axe or club made of rugged rock  from the ground. And then they broke into a run. The orcs attacked the  earth dragon before them.

However, no matter how big they had gotten, they were still tiny before the earth dragon.

The earth dragon moved to step on them, but the orcs leaped to attack first.

Their jumping strength was enough to bring them until the earth dragon’s back without even using trap to boost them.

They landed on the earth dragon, and then they attacked it wildly. However, that was all.

They couldn’t work together like between friends. There were orcs hitting each other beside Ponsuke.

Ponsuke pulled out a great sword from the ground, then he placed it on his shoulder and slowly started to walk.

(That’s right. In front of you. That guy――defeat it!)

Ponsuke’s avatar roared and charged forward. He closed the distance  with the earth dragon in an instant. Without stopping he swung down his  great sword on the earth dragon’s head and dealt damage.

He used the claws on his large limbs to stab the earth dragon and  clung on it. He also attacked the earth dragon over and over in abandon.

The other orcs were also similar.

Their attacks were as though they were just rampaging.

The players who saw such sight could only watch dumbfounded.

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Zane revived and went outside, and couldn’t move.

He didn’t understand what was going on when faced with monsters that were double the size of himself.

Two of the monsters were hitting each other and running riot.

Zane’s friends shook his shoulder.

「Oi, what now!? You’re the leader, make the decision!」

Zane removed the hand that was grabbing his shoulder, and then he pointed at the orcs.

The purple monsters――the orcs turned toward Zane and his friends. They roared, and then they leaped.

「――W-what――!」

The players readied their weapon but the orcs’ arms sent them flying. They turned into red light and vanished.

「O-oi, these guys are mons――」

A fist was swung down. The player couldn’t finish his sentence and vanished.

The two orcs were counted as monster. Then they began slaughtering the players.

The players slashed, cast magic, they resisted until they ran out of strength and got crushed.

The orcs were truly mad warriors at this time.

Zane got grabbed by an orc and it gripped hard to crush him.

The overwhelming difference in status made Zane unable to get out of the hold no matter how much he struggled.

「S-stooop! My rank will go down at this rate! The rare item! I won’t be able to get the rare item!」

The other guilds were still earning damage point right now. Their  score was overtaking the total damage of Zane’s guild and their rank was  going down.

It had already reached the place where the rare item that would be  distributed to the top ranked players was now outside their reach.

「Do you know how much money I have sink into this! It already reached several hundred thousands――aguu!」

His body was making ripping sound. And then his body was turning into red particles.

「Noooo! Everything will become a waste if I vanish here――it will all be a wasteeeeee!」

The orc crushed Zane in its grip. Then the orc itself also turned  into red particles because of the attacks from the surrounding players.

Many of the malicious players vanished. The remaining players fell on their butt on the ground.

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Meanwhile.

Ponsuke and the other orcs who were clinging on the earth dragon were also vanishing one by one.

(The mountain erupted)

The earth dragon roared and its mountain erupted after its HP had gone down past a certain point.

Burning rocks were falling down one after another. The orcs that were  clinging on it and the surrounding players got hit and vanished.

Some orcs were swallowed by the pouring magma and vanished.

The sun set as all kind of lights gathered at the outer wall of the Capital of Temperance. That area looked dazzling.

(Not yet. It’s still not over yet, not yet!)

Ponsuke swung down his great sword. It cut deeply into the earth dragon before it snapped and vanished.

Then he punched the earth dragon with his thick arm.

He kept punching over and over with every single drop of strength in his body.

The other orcs had vanished. Only Ponsuke was remaining.

(The HP……just a bit more. It’s just a bit more!)

He turned his focus toward the Capital of Temperance. There was a red line which was where the final line was set up.

The defeat of the players would be set in stone if the earth dragon crossed that line.

Ahead of that line――on the rampart, the elf queen Shela was standing while holding her golden staff.

She had the look of resolve. Ponsuke felt irritated seeing that.

(Just a bit more. Just a bit more! You……put your spirit more into itttttt!)

The orc avatar responded to the will of the player Ponsuke and  roared. Its burning red body mustered its last strength for the final  rush.

Punch. Punch. Punch!

Ponsuke kept punching without stopping. Rock that was spouted out  from the eruption hit his back, even so he kept attacking without pause.

A little bit. It was really just for a little bit……that Ponsuke was stronger than the other orcs.

It was the result of him diligently defeating field bosses and area bosses to obtain job point and skill point.

Like that Ponsuke kept hitting until the moment the flame vanished.  In the end white smoke rose from his body and he became unable to move.

The damage that he inflicted by himself was quite something.

But, it still wasn’t enough.

It was then――.

「Ponsukeeee!」

Rook came rushing on his horse.

He continued attacking the earth dragon while riding his horse  skillfully to approach Ponsuke as close as possible. Then he threw an  item at him.

(Rook……yosh, with this)

He could feel how his HP and other statuses were recovering.

Flame was lit in Ponsuke’s eyes once more. He raised his blood soaked fist high.

(I’ll finish it with thissssssss!)

His fist was clad in flame in that attack. It struck deeply into the  earth dragon’s forehead and displayed the word Critical. Then the earth  dragon let out a loud cry before its gigantic body slumped on the  ground.

The earth dragon’s HP had reached zero. POnsuke defeated it before it reached the final defensive line.

(Yosh, with this Shela will――)

However, the earth dragon’s body got up once more and headed toward the Capital of Temperance.

(W-why! Its HP has hit zero!)

The words subjugation complete had even come out, and yet the earth dragon didn’t stop.

Ponsuke jumped down in front of the earth dragon to try to push it  back. He stepped firmly on the ground, but the earth dragon didn’t stop.

No matter how hard Ponsuke pushed, the earth dragon kept moving……and passed the red line.

Then Shela spread out her hands and lifted up the golden staff high to the air.

Several magic circles formed at the sky. There were also some on the ground.

Ponsuke got forcefully sent flying. His body rolled until near the rampart and he looked up.

Shela was looking at Ponsuke with a smile. Her mouth moved.

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『 Thank  you  』

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And then the queen activated a grand magic. It generated a pillar of  light that pierced the earth dragon’s gigantic body. It writhed before  dying and turned into red particles.

The light particles whirled and rose to the sky.

The scene was very fantastical, but Ponsuke could only watch.

White smoke blew out from his body, then his body and horn shrank, and his skin color returned to normal.

The queen fell from the rampart and he caught her. The damage from the impact emptied Ponsuke’s HP.

「Shela!」

「Ponsuke……welcome back.」

She said that and smiled. And then Shela stopped moving.

Ponsuke lied Shela on the ground beside him, and then he himself was vanishing.

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Capital of Temperance.

The new queen spoke to the adventurers in the capital where the fierce battle had ended.

The still young queen was smiling at the adventurers. She was carrying a staff.

「All of you brave adventures. My deepest thanks for protecting this Capital of Temperance to the ehnd」

Even the way the new queen fumbled her words was thought as cute by the players. She continued talking with red face.

Those were the words that Shela couldn’t say.

In that last moment.

The players had definitely defeated the earth dragon.

But, it seemed that it had been decided from the start that the earth  dragon wouldn’t stop even then and kept advancing toward the Capital of  Temperance.

Ponsuke’s effort was meaningless. Shela was forcefully terminated as though to say that such was the event.

The dawn arrived and the ascension of the new queen and the victory party were held.

Ponsuke walked heavily to leave that place.

「Ah, Ponsuke.」

Alfie called out to him, but Mariela grabbed her shoulder to stop her.

「Leave him alone. That way will be better.」

Perhaps it would be btter for Ponsuke to be alone right now. None of his friends followed him.

Ponsuke walked alone through a path where there was no other player or NPC around. He was heading toward the inn.

Currently his status was greatly lowered and he also several bad  statuses attached on him as the demerit of using Berserk. He entered the  inn and found the innkeeper waiting for him.

「That’s one gloomy face you got there.」

She said that and handed to him a letter from Shela.

She knew everything.

The letter wrote that she knew how she would have to lose her life.  She wanted to go to the outside world because she hated that.

Ponsuke went to the courtyard, sat down, and read the letter. He didn’t know why but tear came out.

「……Don’t screw with me. The hell is with this damn event. Just what the hell.」

Perhaps it was a dramatic development.

Perhaps the management wanted to display the queen’s dedication to the city.

But, Ponsuke alone was unable to accept it.

That was why, Ponsuke cried at the inn’s courtyard.

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