A man died while fighting the monsters.
And just like in the game, he revived at the Cathedral.
I'm alive...
I came back to life?
Seriously?
But doesn't that mean...
I'm alive again.
The MMORPG Elder Tale...
Without warning, an estimated thirty thousand Japanese alone,
and several hundred thousand worldwide,
were trapped in a world just like the game.
And in this world, death is not the end.
Astral Bind!
Slice
And we're done.
Let's call it quits for today.
Understood.
Our bodies seem to know the basic combat movements.
Even if we don't use commands,
as long as we intend to fight, and can see the enemy in front of us,
we can use skills and magic in a manner similar to voice input.
But there's a difference between "using" and "mastering."
We'll need some practice.
Though, I don't know if practicing the way martial artists do in our world will be enough...
My lord Shiro...
Akatsuki, would you stop calling me that?
Just call me Shiroe.
Then I hope you'll treat me with the same familiarity.
You two sure are enjoying the height of youth!
What're you talking about?
The Battle of Loka
My lord.
I'll go ahead, to reconnoiter on our way home.
Why?
Practice.
One of the assassin's skills is Dark Vision.
And I also have Sneak and Silent Move.
This forest is the perfect place to practice.
I see.
Okay, we'll meet by the south gate.
We'll stay illuminated using Magic Light as we go.
You can use that to find us.
Understood.
Then Akatsuki's subclass is tracker?
I couldn't even hear the leaves rustle.
She's good.
Magic Light.
The skills Akatsuki mentioned,
Sneak and Silent Move, are tracker skills.
Tracker is a subclass.
Players in Elder Tale can select
from twelve main combat classes,
and then choose among any number of subclasses.
An assassin and a tracker, huh?
No wonder she calls herself a ninja.
She's a hardcore role-player.
Come to think of it, how many days have we been here?
Security in town is getting really bad.
Yes.
The rush to buy guild halls has calmed,
and I suppose the balance of power in the city
has been more or less established.
Adventurers in the larger guilds wield their influence freely,
and somehow, the smaller guilds have become even smaller.
They act like anyone not in their own guild is an enemy.
But there's no fighting in towns, right?
Fighting wasn't allowed in the majority of towns
when Elder Tale was a game.
So if you fight in town,
powerful enforcers called the Royal Guard appear.
And just like in the game,
if you resist, they'll kill you without mercy.
I'm told there's a lot of low-level fighting and harassment
that doesn't quite count as combat.
In the past few days, PKs have rapidly increased.
PKs?
Player killings.
Or player killers.
They attack players, rather than monsters, and then steal items and money.
It's the worst thing you could do.
Outside of town, you can't use your mini-map,
and you can't contact the Game Masters.
And surprise attacks are far more effective.
It's much less risky now.
The pros and cons have reversed positions.
That must be why it's more common now.
How cowardly.
If Akihabara keeps getting worse...
Is something wrong?
What?
Ah, it's nothing.
What a problem!
Don't you agree, Naotsugu?
Hey! Get off me!
I was just so taken by Akatsuki's cuteness, I forgot to breathe!
Right, Akatsuki?
What's wrong, Shiro?
Nothing.
I don't think you need to feel so bound by duty all the time.
I mean, there's no need to hold back!
What do you mean?
Hey, shrimp!
Don't call me a shrimp!
See any gobs?
I like the one with the skull on his head.
It's weird and cute.
Seriously?
Loka Hospital Japan Server League of Freedom Cities, Eastal/ Center Area Field/ Monsters Present Entry Restrictions/ None Events/ None Currently
I sense something...
Is it human?
Which means...
Thanks!
You're always so quick with support.
Well, what do we do, Strategist?
Naotsugu, straight line formation.
Our enemies are PKs.
I have visual contact on four.
I'll determine their location.
There!
Mind Bolt!
I see them.
Enemy sighted.
They have guts, turning to PKing.
They miss their mommies so much, they turned into animals?
One dressed like a fighter,
two as thieves,
one like a healer.
Rikopin / Adventurer
Stroganopp / Adventurer
Mode/ Combat
Smash / Adventurer
Leave everything you're carrying,
Katsuomaru / Adventurer
and we won't kill you.
If they're talking like that, they've read too much manga.
More importantly, they're human.
What do we do?
Crush them!
These guys attack people for fun!
Obviously, if someone else kills them, they can't complain!
I'm willing to give them the money.
That is, if they can beat us.
Well said, Shiro!
You little...
First target, the one in front, on the right.
Draw the others' attention, too!
Roger!
Leave the fighter to me!
You take the mage!
Roger!
Astral Bind.
Astral Bind is only a basic root spell.
It just keeps the target from covering long distances,
and it doesn't last long.
I'll take the mage.
You get the warrior!
Got it.
Good call.
However,
Naotsugu is a guardian.
Anchor Howl!
What?
You...
A guardian belongs to a group called tanks,
whose role is to protect their allies by intercepting attacks.
Anchor Howl...
Anyone affected by this skill becomes unable to ignore the user.
The second they try, they're hit with a powerful counterattack.
Fine...
We'll take him first!
You won't break through my armor!
But Naotsugu's HP won't last another thirty seconds...
Electrical Fuzz!
He's an enchanter?
What's that spell?
It didn't hurt at all!
The enchanter...
A magical attack class type.
But its attack power is
weak...
What were you trying to accomplish with that spell?
Thorn Bind Hostage!
What is this?
Thorn Bind Hostage...
It wraps a caster's enemies in shining thorns.
And for every hit an ally lands,
the thorns explode, dealing 1,000 damage.
Enchanters aren't offensively powerful.
But they can weaken an enemy's attack,
or strengthen their allies.
When all five thorns explode, you'll lose half your HP.
Calm down.
We need to heal...
Healer!
On its own, the class is helpless,
and can't do much without a party.
But I like it.
Your back's totally exposed!
We'll win because we have a healer and you don't!
Have fun crying in the Cathedral—
Wha—
What are you doing, healer?
Hey!
I've put your healer to sleep.
Of course, they've been asleep the entire time.
Astral Hypnos...
A spell that puts the target to sleep.
I'll take you out first, after all!
Wait, not yet!
Anchor Howl hasn't worn off yet!
Cra—
Fine!
Sorcerer! Summoner!
We'll use everything we have!
Blast them to ash!
Assassin...
This class specializes in quick elimination of the enemy.
Naotsugu was targeted by a bind-type movement-restriction spell.
But I didn't notice any mages.
When I said I had visual contact on four,
Akatsuki understood what I meant,
and acted quickly to remove the ambushers hiding in the forest.
Insulting my lord's magic isn't wise.
You laughed at those small electric bursts,
but those bright lights kept you from seeing in the dark forest.
You never realized your healer was asleep.
Your teamwork is full of openings.
You were too focused on the battle to even watch your own HP,
or keep an eye on the rest of the party's status.
Taking out your ambushers was easy.
Shut up! Defeating us won't do any good!
We'll just revive in the Cathedral...
Want to try it?
I'm sorry!
I won't do it again! Please forgive me!
Please!
You actually thought I'd say that, you—
Security really is getting bad.
It's not like PKing is good for much profit.
I can understand people being freaked out.
But there are other things they could do with their time.
Like what?
Boobs—
My lord, may I knee this pervert in the face?
Ask before you do it! And while you're at it, let me finish my sentence!
You were going to say something else perverted.
I was, but...
Other things to do?
You're probably right...
There's nothing to do.
No goal to live for.
Taste aside, we have food.
By defeating low-level monsters, you can make money.
With that money, you can stay at an inn.
Fighting isn't allowed in towns, so you don't have to fear for your life there.
And even if you do die, you'll come back to life.
So you can survive in this world without doing anything?
But can you really call that living?
Or is just not being dead?
So they've resorted to PKing because there's nothing else to do?
They need something beyond staying alive to occupy their minds.
And they're getting it by hurting others?
Unbelievable.
Yeah, it's pretty pathetic.
But...
I'm not doing anything, either.
My lord?
Oh, but I don't really think things are getting worse.
It just seems that way
because everyone still thinks of this as the same Elder Tale world they knew.
If it isn't that world, then security was an illusion from the start.
My lord...
Yes?
You're going to Susukino?
On the day of the Apocalypse,
one of our members was going to Susukino.
A girl called Serara...
You're going to find her?
The transport gates still aren't working, right?
Using fairy rings would be the only other way there.
Yes, but...
Indeed.
Since we can't look up any online timetables in a walkthrough,
using them is dangerous because we can't be sure where we'll end up.
There's also the return spell, Call of Home, right?
You can return to the last of the five Great Cities you visited... Wait.
The last one she visited was Susukino.
Yeah.
The only methods left are walking or by horse.
In the real world, there are 850 km between Tokyo and Sapporo.
The Elder Tale world uses the Half Gaia Project,
so it would be 425 km.
And during that time, you'd have to fight monsters, of course.
Why send help now?
Well...
W-We've been planning to send a rescue team for a while...
Marie...
D-Don't look at me that way.
You look really mean...
If you do that, girls won't like you!
Things in Susukino are worse than they are here.
Marie?
Some nasty players attacked Serara.
She was lucky to be saved by a nice player.
Now they're protecting her.
And so, we were going to take our highest-level players to Susukino.
And I wanted to ask if you'd take care of the rest of the guild while we're away.
Please.
Please... I beg you.
Twenty-one days is probably the fastest you can make it to Susukino.
Over a month, round trip.
The Crescent Moon Alliance's highest-level members?
In Elder Tale, the maximum party size is six.
If they had a good healer...
No, their journey is going to fail.
What's the best option, then?
We... We should go.
But I have no right to involve myself
in someone else's guild.
And they wouldn't want that, anyway.
But... Even so...
Even so, I...
Say it, Shiro.
Your turn to speak, my lord.
We will go.
The best option is for us to go.
Ueno Thieves' Realm Japan Server League of Freedom Cities, Eastal/ Ueno Field/ No Monsters Demihumans, Thieves Present Entry Restrictions/ None Events/ None Currently
Shiroe, Naotsugu, Akatsuki...
Please save Serara.
Leave it to us, and to my lord.
A ninja does not know the word "failure."
Just like in the game,
we were able to use items to summon horses.
Where do you suppose these horses come from, anyway?
Our bodies knew how to ride them, too.
It's nice that the movement is automatic,
but it still hurts my butt...
Does it?
That's a really nice map.
My subclass is scribe.
I made a copy of the maps at the archives.
I see... Nice job, my lord.
Well? Where are we?
Most likely...
Seriously? I can't tell at all.
Oh, well... We'll make better time in the afternoon.
Roger.
I just wish they could do something about the food...
We'll go.
If someone you know is crying, you help.
There's nothing unusual about that.
Yes.
Even if we have nothing to do,
that's no reason for us to be pathetic, too.
You're right.
This is my... It's our answer.
What we can do.
Or is that too cool for us?
No, but...
But that's how cool it was...
Our old place, the Debauchery Tea Party.
Now, then...
Wait.
What is that, my lord?
Those are griffons.
Well, yeah.
You didn't think we were going to get to the far north on horses, did you?
But these monsters...
Hand.
Wait... W-We're riding them?
Good!
We are, Miss Akatsuki.
Hey! Stop that!
It's Akatsuki.
A-Akatsuki... You'll ride behind me.
Okay?
All right.
However...
I've heard of summon flutes like those.
That they're only given to players
who've won the Hades Breath raid on the Fields of Death.
Yeah, a long time ago...
It's a great trick to surprise people with!
Hop on, Akatsuki.
All set?
Yes, my lord, no problem...
Okay, hang on tight.
Wait, don't grab my stomach...
I'll go first!
Yahoo!
Jeez.
Ready, Akatsuki?
Then, we'll get going, too.
It's a great view.
Are you okay?
Yeah.
My lord... This is amazing!
It's like we're floating in the sky!
Isn't this great?
It's amazing... This is amazing!
The sky is so blue and clear!
Shiroe's party heads toward Susukino, through the underground labyrinth.
Awaiting them are phantoms of the past
and a horde of rat-men.
When Shiroe was a solo player, he once had friends he held very dear.
They were called the Debauchery Tea Party.
The Depths of Palm
Next time: The Depths of Palm.
This is our reality.