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ShangriLa Frontier Chapter 324 Part 2

ShangriLa Frontier Chapter 324: From Misery To Sadness Part 2

「…… But what would that flag even be? The best possible thing to bet on would be the encounter with the Dullahan once again, but……」

It is always an option to come into direct contact with a particular character. But wait, do I even want to come into contact with that character?

「………………」

I stop and think for a moment out there. I can do that no problem, but such choice has its advantage and disadvantages as well. I had some clues here and I could not possibly ignore them, but it is also Unique so it can be that one wrong move here can destroy all the effort I have put in here so far…… It was at that time that the image of Iwamaki-san in my heart smiled to me.

(Lads, remember not to lose yourself in the depths of love!)

Yeah, I get it. But the ones who have lost themselves in love were the True Quiet and the Dullahan, not me.

However, at that moment I have made up my mind. I would have second guessed myself if the one to show in my heart was that bloody Pencilgton, but since it was Iwamaki-san, I was going to put my absolute trust in him.

「Oh yeah, better change my equipment first, just in case.」

I then equip the Rusty Iron Armor Set on me. It has no special abilities whatsoever, but it only specialized in hard defense. Then I take the Holy Grail in my right hand and the black crystal in my left hand and……

「Trans…… form!!! Just kidding~.」

That player’s name was Mia.

She has a short temper that does not let her deal with silly matters for too long, and she does not like the idea of harming others even if it was for her own benefit here. Although she is not all that suitable for playing Hack and Slash or any games like that, she started to play ShangriLa Frontier for very personal reasons. She was unable to have a pet due to the regulations of her apartment complex, and one of her recently made friends recommended this game to her, since in his words it was more of a simulation game rather than anything else.

With the new update for the game, there was a particular change that was implemented to the Monster Tamer class. It was the creation of Buddy Monsters. Ever since it was introduced, Mia was advancing her level as a Monster Tamer and eventually managed to befriend a buddy monster named “Kuritaro”, a dog monster that had some cat elements to it, which made him the best of both worlds for Mia. And right about now she was traversing the Valley of the Lost Souls for some reason.

On a side note…… There is one thing that Mia, or rather Suda Miano, cannot stand more than anything else in this world: those are horror movies.

「Ugh…… T-Today we are only checking this place out. K-Kuritaro, we are going to defeat some weak monsters quickly and be on our way, alright? Alright……?」

「Woof!」

The thought of clearing the Valley of the Lost Souls alongside Kiritaro, or effectively doing it solo, not even once crossed Mia’s mind. But she had to move forward as a player. Right now her friend, Rage, was on his way towards the new continent, and she promised him that once he gets back she is going to mature into a wonderful monster tamer. So she had to learn to stand on her own and move forward. …… Or at least that’s what she thought.

In order to make her ambition of becoming an excellent Monster Tamer come true, she needed to get stronger and tame even more monster, so that the next time they would meet, Rage’s jaw would drop on the floor. She was using that thought to help herself to advance, but after a while Mia started to realize that she was gradually getting used to the fear.

「Monsters…… there are not any in here?」

She wanted to form a party with other players some day and capture this place for real. So today it was only a trial run so that she could get used to the horror-like monsters that were sure to rampage around here.

Her first goal was to go all the way from Firstia, a place with a whole bunch of new players, to Thirdrema, which was a place where mid-tier players would gather. Then it would be a straight shot to Fifthsia, and then to the new continent, where new challenges were sure to wait for her. But the areas between those places were semi-dungeons and exploration areas, so there was no way that monster would not lurk in there in wait.

That’s what she thought at the time. But just then Kuritaro started to growl and jumped in front of Mia, and right after that something happened to fall out of the sky and hit the ground with a mighty force right in front of Mia, black smoke and miasma oozing out of it.

「W-What the……!? Hyii……!!!」

The name of this monster was Skeleton Wyvern. It was making a movement of its jaw as if it wanted to let out a roar, but since there was nothing there any longer, the only sound that was made by the monster was the clacking of its bones. There is no way for Mia to know that, but the Skeleton Wyvern was a monster that was not belonging to this zone. It was from way higher, and it was actually knocked down here by the Crystal Scorpions during the occasional battles of the monsters.

「K-Kuritaro……! I can’t! I can’t do it! Let’s just run away……! Kuritaro!!!」

When it comes to Mia’s build, she initially wanted to be a Magic Caster, so she raised her MP and Magic first and foremost. However, upon listening to the advice of others, she started to invest points into physicals stats as well, to have some versatility. As a result she was a strange hybrid of Magic Caster and Dexterity—oriented fighter. She was able to hold her ground in combat together with Kuritaro, but she was not someone who would dish out huge DPS or be able to tank properly. A common sight amongst the beginning players.

The Skeleton Wyvern does not possess long range attacks, but discarding the flesh and internal organs it would possess incredible agility, one that was enough to blow players away with its skeletal mass alone. It was a monster that should not be underestimated.

And it was at this moment that a change in its behavior occurred. The wyvern stopped concerning itself with a frightened human and shifter its empty eye sockets towards the dog, a little ball of fur that was barking and growling at it constantly.

Tears began to flow down Mia’s face, and Kuritaro was still growling and barking. Both of them knew what was going to happen next, and the two closed their eyes slowly, bracing for the imminent impact of death.

For a moment out there, all three of them seemed to have forgotten about something. Mia, Kuritaro and the Skeleton Wyvern.

「Fufufufufufufu, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA……!!!」

There was a horror far more terrifying inside of this valley at this very moment. Something more dangerous than the zombies and skeletons. A black terror clad in the black thunder, running around and killing everything in sight!

「DIE –––––––––!!!」

「Hyuh.」

It was walking through the sky, in a step that looked like dance moves. Tearing through the blackened sky, a monster wearing a black mourning gown. Huge gauntlets on its first, it rushed towards the Skeleton Wyvern and managed to cave its skull it with nothing but a single strike!

It was already too late for the Skeleton Wyvern. Too late to dodge, too late to attack and too late to defend itself. Upon impact, the black miasma and fog started to ooze out of its entire body……. In the next moment the Skelaton Wyvern was turned into a fine dust, and the only thing that remained was the black thunder-clad monster.

「Fuuuuuuuuuuuuhhh……」

「Ahh, aaahhh……」

There are basically two types of horror that Mia was absolutely unable to stand no matter what.

One was a horror that would leave you devoid of hope. The horror when you go up against a horde of zombies or monsters and there is nothing that you can do to fight back against them. The fear created by the assumption that all of your efforts shall go in vain, no matter how hard you try.

The other is the type of horror when the murderer has the absolute advantage over the victims and proceeds to kill them all one by one with little to no effort.

「–––– Huh? It might only be my imagination, but, have we perhaps met somewhere before?」

「~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!」

「Kyaun!?」

The face of the monster turned towards Mia and Kuritaro, but because of the veil she was unable to see the monster’s face. But in Mia’s eyes, this thing looked like a monstrosity taken straight out of horror story, one without face whatsoever. The voice she let out at that moment was also nothing more but a primal instinct driven by fear.

She then grabbed Kuritaro and dashed back the way she came, with the speed and agility that were clearly far exceeding her normal attributes. This is impossible! I cannot do it! This area is too much for me……!!! Those were the thoughts she was carving out deep inside of her heart.

「–––– Ah, I was with someone named Reiji, yeah.」

And she would continue to have a dream like that for about a week or so.