I thought the tutorial was over.
The automaton girl was a formidable enemy befitting the finale of a tutorial.
'Are my eyes weird?'
But a bunch of beautiful girls with the exact same equipment as the one I'd struggled to defeat appeared!
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Even higher levels too.
'Isn't this a bit too much?'
The game developer who planned this tutorial must be a pervert too.
They instantly surrounded me while I was hiding and spying in the bushes. But they didn't seem to plan on attacking right away.
"What? Not gonna attack?"
"..."
"..."
Cleanly ignored.
Right then, a young man presumed to be the mastermind controlling the bandits approached me with arrogant steps.
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'Whoa... he's really handsome.'
My avatar's face isn't ugly either, but he was a handsome man with black hair and golden eyes reminiscent of a wild black panther.
The black tuxedo and cloak suited him very well too.
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He looked at the status window above my head and tilted his head.
"Level 11? Why level 11?"
"I worked hard. Really."
I tried my best to kill as many bandits as possible too. Didn't slack off for a moment.
But looks like my level needs to be higher to pass the tutorial.
"Where did you hide your subordinates?"
"Subordinates? I'm alone."
"You want me to believe you defeated a level 10 automaton by yourself?"
"Yeah."
The handsome man looked at the girl standing by like a secretary and gave an order.
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"Find them."
"Yes."
The highest level experience here disappeared into the mansion.
"Just wasted time. I expected a bit since you defeated a level 10 automaton. You'll barely give any experience if I kill you."
"You the boss?"
"Handle him."
The moment his arrogant order fell as he clasped his hands behind his back, the girls all rushed at me at once. That answer was sufficient.
I, who'd been tensely on guard, let out a bitter laugh.
"Same?"
Just looking at the posture and steps of the girls rushing at me, I could tell.
They're copies of the level 10 girl I defeated.
Copy and paste.
'Then the strategy is copy and paste too!'
The moment I retreat with my right foot, the automaton in front of me will extend her right foot forward while thrusting at my chest with the arming sword in her right hand.
Done?
No.
'The left hand's still there.'
Dual wielding.
The arming sword in her left hand will restrain me so I can't defend or evade.
Because I know the future, I also know the future where I win.
'Left foot forward!'
But can't be too fast either. The automaton's reaction speed surpasses even pro gamers, befitting AI.
Have to strike in like an ambush at the most perfect moment.
'...Right now!'
Advancing in big strides starting with my left foot, the katana I swung in empty air slashed across her chest like a sweep.
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To an ignorant third party's eyes, it must've looked like she deliberately thrust her chest at the katana.
"Oh...!"
The automaton who sensed something went wrong gasped.
But her body calmly attempted defense and counterattack simultaneously with twin swords without showing any sign of panic.
I predicted this too.
I landed the finishing blow while accepting damage to my shield.
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'This isn't a 1v1 situation.'
Reducing numbers quickly is important.
Thud—
No leisure to appreciate the level 11 automaton whose waist was half-severed collapsing.
I immediately faced a new enemy.
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'Ha! Look at this?'
But this time the same strategy didn't work.
The level 12 automaton who expected me to dive in aimed for my side while pretending to get hit the same way.
'The automatons share information and learn in real-time?'
An ability well-suited to AI.
Very annoying. From now on I have to consider this variable every time while crafting strategies.
Already getting a headache.
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I slashed the level 12 automaton's neck with the katana before getting completely surrounded front and back.
──────────────
Achievement: Double Kill (20 seconds)
Reward: Attack Power 20%
Description: You took down two in succession.
Rating: None.
──────────────
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'Give me time to breathe! Damn game company!'
Two opponents. For now it was two. If I don't handle the two before more come, I die.
'If I die...?'
My shallow pride would crumble at dying in the tutorial!
I was so happy.
"Haha!"
"What's so funny?"
The automaton who'd been cornering me with flashy dual wielding frowned and asked.
"Because I'm thinking!"
"What does that..."
"Just something."
An overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation. That many things to worry about, yet I was even having stray thoughts.
'Why? Why won't it stop?'
No sign of my brain freezing. My body was keeping up with my thoughts!
That's why I couldn't hold back my laughter. Even knowing that laughing would disturb my breathing and interfere with combat, I couldn't help it.
'This is it!'
The fight I wanted.
Feels like I'm young again.
I didn't want to wake from this dream-like comedy.
***
The level 15 automaton who belatedly joined after doing useless things wasn't difficult either.
──────────────
Achievement: Triple Kill (30 seconds)
Reward: Attack Power 40%
Description: You took down three in succession.
Rating: None.
──────────────
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'Buffs are really nice!'
She was fast and strong because her level was higher than mine. But that was all.
In the end, copy and paste.
No need to sacrifice my shield in a 1v1 situation without interference.
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"Wait! Let's negotiate...!"
"Just give me the experience."
The katana I kicked up with my left foot on the blade's spine slashed the automaton's right arm.
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"I can't lose!"
Having lost her shield and right arm, she continued resisting with a combination of the arming sword in her left hand and kicks.
'Won't work.'
Reversals through will alone are the protagonist's privilege. And I'm this game's protagonist.
There are no miracles for enemies.
Clang—
The katana smoothly split her waist.
──────────────
Achievement: Quadra Kill (40 seconds)
Reward: Attack Power 70%
Description: You took down four in succession.
Rating: None.
──────────────
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"Experience is so sweet!"
Seems like I should mainly target opponents with higher levels than me from now on!
I looked around.
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Automatons killed by my katana were scattered everywhere.
It's because they met the wrong boss. If they'd fought together there would've been some chance of winning...
'All games are like that.'
The boss waits obediently until all subordinates are dead and only they remain.
Why?
I don't know. Don't want to know either. Can't look for realism and plausibility in games.
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"Now it's just you."
"H-how are you still alive...?"
The handsome young man whose initial arrogance had melted away like snow stepped back and asked.
He seemed unable to believe I was alive.
"Let's finish this quick."
"No way? You plan to continue in that state?"
"Of course."
Because I want to eat your experience. You might be stronger than me, but I didn't care.
'It's just a game anyway.'
If I die because you're too strong, I'll just restart from the beginning.
Still in the tutorial. Nothing to lose if I die. Though my shallow pride would be deeply wounded!
'Katana vs katana?'
The boss's weapon was also a katana.
With razor-sharp swordsmanship and split-second reaction speed, the match would be decided instantly.
I'm at a disadvantage being 1 level lower.
There's another variable too.
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If our skills are similar, I lose with my shield in bad condition.
I leaped first toward the boss who was slowly, bit by bit, creating distance.
'What? He's weak.'
The boss's response was lackluster from the start. Didn't seem like a deceptive tactic to induce my carelessness either.
Just weak.
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I slashed his neck while dodging the boss's katana. If this were reality, his head would've separated.
"How is this an administrator?!"
"You, too much dialogue."
I really hate characters who steal busy office workers' time.
"Don't climb up! A lowly baron's youngest son..."
"Too many unnecessary movements too."
"Shut up!"
He was a scarecrow with only a high level.
His limp swordsmanship had no practicality and wasn't as fast as the automaton AI.
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Would've ended already if my shield were intact.
"W-wait! Do you know who I am?!"
"Bandit boss."
"I'm Leon Benator! You must've heard my name?!"
"Nope."
"Don't pretend not to know! I'm—!"
I cleanly severed the head of the boss with too much unnecessary dialogue.
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──────────────
Achievement: Pentakill (50 seconds)
Reward: Attack Power 100%
Description: You took down five in succession!
Rating: Done? Done!
──────────────
"Finally quiet."
"..."
And I waited. Because the real fight would start soon!
'...Huh? It's over? Really?'
I expected him to revive and transform or a new powerful enemy to appear. Because the boss who adorned the tutorial's finale was too weak.
A gamer who's experienced all kinds of clichés' rational speculation.
"Kinda anticlimactic."
But it seems the tutorial ends like this without any twist.
Feels like the game company half-assed it and went to a company dinner.
"Lord Ronan Marcus."
"Hm?"
I glanced down at the floor where I heard a nightingale-like voice.
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An automaton whose waist was half-severed was talking to me.
"Count Benator sent word that he's truly sorry."
"Why?"
Sorry about what?
"We are Count Benator family soldiers. The man you killed is the Count Benator family heir."
"..."
"..."
"...So what am I supposed to do about it?"
I don't even know who Count Benator is.
"Young Master Leon, who'd suffered from mental illness for some time, unilaterally attacked Baron Marcus territory."
"Mental illness?"
"Yes."
"Then can't be helped."
"You accept that easily..."
"I'm used to it."
Saw it often on the news.
Games with realistic plausibility are rare, so it was a bit refreshing. These days even villains have one or two rational beliefs or philosophies.
"Count Benator blamed himself greatly for the sin of having an incompetent child. So he promised full support for the Baron Marcus family's restoration."
"Ooh..."
Full support!
Must be the reward for completing the tutorial.
"That support includes me. I look forward to working with you, Baron Ronan Marcus."
"Baron? Me?"
"Yes. In a tragic accident, all males of the Marcus family were wiped out. So you're the only remaining male to inherit the family."
"That's great."
"Is it great?"
"Of course."
Let's start the real game as a cute little baron!