Let's hunt some spiders!
"What a rough day…" Azusa groaned.
After enduring a brutal baptism of bug techniques in Berserk Online Passion (B.O.P.) from Japan's top pro gamer Katzo and the kusoge revolutionary Sunraku, Azusa was groggy but still clocking in at his convenience store job the next day.
With no university lectures, he worked from morning until just before 4 p.m., frying fresh batches of food and restocking drink shelves in a flurry of activity.
"But those B.O.P. moves were insane… Learning how to leg-parry those lightning-fast attacks taught me a ton," he reflected.
Arms stretching, legs sticking like octopus tentacles—this wasn't just a fighting game; it was a lawless free-for-all. Yet, its chaotic freshness offered lessons in unconventional combat. Vowing to repay Katzo and Sunraku with a rematch, Azusa powered through his shift. After work, he planned to dive into Shangri-La Frontier to conquer one of its areas.
Leveling for special quests and expanding his range—there was plenty to do.
"Aitoile! You here?" Pepper called, waking in the Rabbit Palace after finishing his shift, returning to his apartment, and logging into Shangri-La Frontier.
Currently, from the Rabbit Palace, he could access three towns: Fasteia, Secandil, and Thirdrema. Thirdrema was vast, but lingering risked detection. His Enhance Guild membership could grant access to its noble district as a last resort, but he preferred to keep that card unplayed.
"Gotta check my skills before Aitoile shows up… Whoa, I've learned new ones, and they're upgraded! Must be thanks to the collar Weiss Ash entrusted to me," Pepper mused.
To rise from weak to strong, walk a path of extraordinary hardship. With Weiss Ash's words in mind, he allocated his level-up points.
"Let's see… four to Dexterity, five each to Strength and Skill, and I'll save the last ten for emergencies. With experience halved, leveling's tougher, so these points are precious."
His halved experience gain meant more battles, deepening his skill mastery. The Vorpal Soul Collar seemed to guide him toward that understanding. His stats now read:
PN: Pepper
Level: 30
Main Job: Backpacker
Sub Job: None
HP: 15
MP: 10
Stamina: 74
Strength: 55
Agility: 66
Dexterity: 35
Skill: 35
Endurance: 26
Luck: 15
Remaining Points: 10
Equipment
· Left Hand: None
· Right Hand: Lycaon's Curse Marking
· Head: Leather Hat (Endurance +1)
· Torso: Blade-Proof Leather Vest (Endurance +4)
· Waist: Blade-Proof Leather Belt (Endurance +4)
· Legs: Blade-Proof Leather Pants (Endurance +4)
Accessories
· Chain Mail (Endurance +10)
· Traveler's Cloak (Endurance +2)
· Vorpal Soul Collar
Money: 4,520 Mani
Skills
· Ladder Slash
· Thrust
· Flash Counter → Just Parry
· Boom Throw
· Spike Edge
· Hydrate Work
· Swing Strike → Bargast Strike
· Raise Impact → Dynamo Impact
· Heavy Strike (Lv. 2 → Lv. 6)
· Accel (Lv. 4 → Lv. 8)
· Rush (Lv. 1 → Lv. 4)
· Foresight (Lv. 1 → Lv. 4)
· High Press (Lv. 1 → Lv. 5)
· Double Jump → Quintuple Jump
· Slide Move
· Boot Attack → Jet Attack
· Horizontal Slash (Lv. 2 → Lv. 5)
· Vertical Slash (Lv. 1 → Lv. 4)
· Thunder Turn
· High Beat (Lv. 2 → Lv. 6)
· Actus Dash (Lv. 1 → Lv. 4)
· Stick Piece (Lv. 1 → Lv. 3)
· Grip Strike (Lv. 1 → Lv. 3)
· Throw (Lv. 1 → Lv. 2)
· Climb Kick (Lv. 1)
· Neck Snap (Lv. 1)
· Moon Jumper
The halved experience forced him to grind harder, but it deepened his skill mastery, as if the Vorpal Soul Collar was teaching him through repetition.
"Man, this collar's crazy…" Pepper muttered.
"Yo, Pepper-han! You called?" Aitoile appeared, interrupting his thoughts.
"Hey, Aitoile. I'm heading to hunt spiders—or rather, take down the area boss in Senchibankou's Jungle Hollow to unlock a new town. Wanna help?"
"Ooh, finally hitting a new town, huh, Pepper-han?" she said, excited.
"Yup, time to move on from Thirdrema. First, let's prep at the Enhance Guild's Thirdrema Street Branch. Open a gate to a nearby alley."
"Got it!" Aitoile chirped.
With their sights set on defeating the area boss of Senchibankou's Jungle Hollow—a giant tarantula dubbed Crown Spider, dwelling in a withered giant tree—Pepper and Aitoile sprang into action.
Enhance Guild, Thirdrema Street Branch
The bustling district teemed with players, as always. Emerging from an alley, Pepper hid Aitoile in his cloak, timing his movements to slip into the shop unnoticed.
"Welcome, Pepper-sama!" a clerk greeted.
"Hey, I'd like to shop. That okay?" Pepper asked.
"Of course! Here's our inventory. Also, the guild president instructed us to offer you a slight discount," the clerk added.
"Really? Thanks!" Pepper said, surprised.
His Enhance Guild Regular title granted discounts at guild branches across the Frontier. He assumed it was tied to his membership card, though he was off the mark. Regardless, cheaper items were a win. He stocked up on rations, recovery potions, and throwing knives for those hard-to-reach itches.
Ready for Senchibankou's Jungle Hollow, he turned to leave—when his eyes met a boy's. Small, about 150 cm, he wore a blue mage robe, a large wizard hat, and gleaming silver bracelets. His player name: Laser Kajiki.
A classic backline mage, likely prioritizing MP and Dexterity.
"Um… are you… Pepper-san?" the boy asked, fidgeting, fingers twiddling, occasionally peeking up before hiding behind his hat's brim.
"Yeah, that's me…?" Pepper replied, puzzled.
"Uh, um… n-nice to meet you!" Laser Kajiki stammered, bowing deeply.
He totally botched that. Clearly nervous, the boy prompted a screen to appear before Pepper:
"Laser Kajiki has sent a friend request. Accept?"
[Yes] / [No]
(A friend request? Is he here for info?) Pepper wondered.
Unbeknownst to him, Laser Kajiki had encountered a hammer-wielding Vorpal Bunny spawned by Pepper's special quest, fought it, and lost. His forum post about the incident had sparked speculation from players like Kyo-Ju and Animalia, hinting at a unique quest. Most crucially, Pepper was unaware that Laser Kajiki was a member of the Pepper Hunt War forum thread, actively seeking him out…
Preparations Complete for the Area Boss, But Trouble Looms
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