I've had to restart a game from the beginning because the heroine was missing. The cute girl I killed early on turned out to be the key to saving the world? Talk about a bullshit setup.
After that brutal experience of wasting my precious holiday, I developed a habit of thinking twice before killing characters that the devs clearly put a lot of work into.
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'Is that girl the heroine?'
It was possible.
She was a girl with straight sunset-orange hair and striking eyes that caught your attention. She wore a light purple wrap dress that emphasized her feminine figure and pulled it off perfectly.
Even by my standards, honed by virtual reality games, she was a beauty.
If she wasn't, I would've already killed her.
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The level 18 automaton that had been running with her tucked under its arm stopped in front of me.
"We're from the Count Aspis family. This is Lady Kanna Aspis. Please let us through."
"Are you ordering me to step aside in my own territory?"
The automaton's eyes went wide as it bent its knees slightly in apology.
"...I didn't expect to find someone so noble in such a humble place. Please forgive my rudeness, Baron Ronan Marcus."
"You know my name?"
"There's no automaton that doesn't know the nobles of their own country. I apologize once again."
"If you have a good reason for sneaking into my territory, I might forgive you."
"I don't."
The automaton admitted it cleanly.
"Oh really?"
Just your average grave robber.
"However, the Count Aspis family can offer appropriate compensation."
"Pione! Put me down!"
"Miss?"
"Now!"
"..."
The girl who escaped from the automaton's side spoke boldly.
"Baron! This isn't the time to argue about who's right or wrong. The ruins' guardian has awakened. If we don't stop it right now, we'll all die!"
"Lady Kanna Aspis. Not all of us. I won't die."
"Do you know these ruins well?"
"Of course I do."
These ruins are the beginner dungeon closest to the starting point.
"If you know them so well, please help! Someone very precious to me is fighting right now. I'll definitely repay this debt."
It was kind of ridiculous. Like a burglar bitten by a guard dog demanding to be rescued.
"To me, you're just a grave robber. The young lady is no exception."
"I'm Kanna Aspis. I'm the daughter of the Count Aspis family, which protects this country. Do I look like someone who'd covet a ruin's treasures?"
So she's insisting she's too rich to steal.
"If not, there'd be no reason to sneak into the ruins."
"Baron Marcus! We don't have time to nitpick! Sister Lucia is going to die! I'll explain everything later! Please help! Please...!"
The pretty rich girl started stomping her feet, rushing the event along.
"Is there really no time?"
"No!"
"Fine. Let's hurry. Hand over those automatons as a down payment. Then I'll guarantee the young lady's safety."
"Pione isn't mine to give..."
"Understood."
"Pione?!"
The automaton suddenly cut into our conversation.
"I'm sorry. I was ordered to protect the young lady no matter what."
"How could you...!"
Kanna Aspis was speechless at the betrayal by the automaton she'd relied on.
Looks like it's decided.
"Elise. Escort Miss Kanna Aspis safely outside."
"Yes."
The moment my order fell, Elise moved quickly. With her left arm, she scooped up Kanna Aspis's slender waist like she was hooking a fish.
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"No! Let go!"
"Departing."
Elise, holding the resisting spoiled girl, quickly moved away toward the ruins' entrance.
"What's your name?"
I turned to look at the automaton I'd just acquired.
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"Pione."
"Pione. You know the way?"
"Baron Marcus. It's very dangerous ahead."
"That's why we're going."
Time for the protagonist to finish off the villains in crisis.
***
Adventurers have no loyalty.
If you ask why, it's because the adventurers who had loyalty died ages ago.
"Let's meet again alive!"
"Kevin! Good luck!"
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They fought hard at first. But as soon as their shields dropped below half, they all tried to run like they'd rehearsed it.
"We're leaving the automatons behind!"
"Stay and help Kevin!"
They still had a tiny bit of conscience though, leaving their automatons behind to buy time for their escape.
"Kevin. You should run too."
"Lucia. That's my line."
"I can't. If I leave, everyone will be wiped out instantly."
"You think that girl will forgive me if you die? It's way better to die like a man here."
"You still..."
"Shut up."
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Lucia and Kevin kept fighting a hopeless battle.
There were many automatons fighting alongside them, but it wasn't reassuring at all. Because there used to be way more!
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Over half the automatons had already been destroyed and were scattered around like corpses.
It was the work of an automaton wielding a pair of stilettos in reverse grip.
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Her mysterious atmosphere and melancholy eyes reminded you of some exotic princess. Long, pointed ears peeked shyly through her sleek silver hair.
The ruins' guardian.
The voice of the automaton we'd temporarily decided to call that was incredibly hollow yet chilling.
"Humans have never known how to cherish their short lifespans."
"..."
"..."
The two humans couldn't argue back. They were about to die without even filling that short lifespan.
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For a human to beat an automaton, they need to be way higher level.
Of course, there are exceptions everywhere.
"Lucia. Ready?"
"Ready."
"This time it'll work. Just trust me."
"Don't push yourself."
"I know. I'm not planning to die here either."
"Okay."
Geniuses born with talent beyond common sense can beat automatons. With intuition faster and more accurate than artificial intelligence.
Intuition.
The ability to know without logical judgment.
It's like something out of fantasy.
"Haaaah!"
"..."
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Lucia shouted to draw attention and started pressing the ruins' guardian.
'I finally became a knight, I can't die in a place like this...!'
She'd been recognized for her outstanding talent and became a knight of the Count Aspis family. She just hasn't had the chance to level up, but her current level doesn't reflect her true skill.
The Count Aspis family knows this well too, which is why they treat her like family. That's why Kanna Aspis calls a commoner "sister."
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Even now she was fighting well against an automaton two levels higher. But the ruins' blessing fully restored the guardian's shield, making the situation unfavorable.
Lucia, who'd expected this from the start, didn't despair and shouted.
"Kevin!"
"Uoooh!"
Kevin, very ordinary compared to Lucia, just a slightly talented human, leaped powerfully to help his childhood friend.
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The automatons that had been working in sync through long adventures together naturally joined in.
'One chance!'
Kevin raised the greatsword gripped in both hands above his head.
Like all mechanisms in the world, the ruins' blessing has a cooldown.
'Please! Please...'
They had to pour all their attacks right after it activated and bring her down. Before the cooldown ended.
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The automatons, unafraid of death, recklessly threw their bodies to create an opening. Over ten automatons were destroyed in an instant.
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Lucia was also forcing attacks through while taking damage.
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The guardian's shield dropped rapidly.
"Master!"
"Kevin!"
"Uoooh!"
Kevin didn't miss the opportunity they'd created. He brought down the greatsword raised above his head vertically. There's no way she can dodge this!
"...Just as I thought."
The ruins' guardian didn't dodge.
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"What?!"
She's already using the ruins' blessing again?!
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The guardian, who'd blocked the greatsword with her fully restored shield, slowly turned her head toward him.
He could see her face twisted in a cruel smile.
Kevin realized.
'She faked the cooldown...!'
He noticed too late.
Lucia's shield was in very bad shape from pushing too hard to create an opening.
They'd lost a lot of automatons too.
There was no hope.
"Kevin!"
Lucia shoved Kevin's shoulder as he stood there stunned.
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The stiletto's sharp blade grazed past Kevin's neck.
He snapped awake from the pain he hadn't felt in a while.
"Huk! Huk..."
Kevin's breathing grew rough.
Adventurers who lose the shield that guarantees their safety turn into cowards. There are no brave adventurers. They all died showing off ages ago.
'Lucia's watching, Lucia's watching!'
Still, he'd lasted longer than most because of the childhood friend he liked. But that was his limit.
"Kevin! Run quickly...!"
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Lucia fought desperately against the ruins' guardian while shouting.
Kevin, his face completely terrified with the added fear of losing her, commanded.
"S-save Lucia!"
All the automatons that could still fight threw themselves forward at once.
"Human. A pointless struggle."
The ruins' guardian sneered and didn't give Lucia any room to escape.
Lucia, sensing her fate, said goodbye to her childhood friend.
"Kevin. Make sure you get married."
"Lucia...!"
"Goodbye."
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it..."
Kevin's terrified legs started moving on their own.
***
I ran into the grave robbers whose shields weren't intact, right on cue. No explanation needed.
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──────────────
Achievement: Triple Kill (30 seconds)
Reward: Attack Power 40%
Description: You defeated three in a row.
Rating: None.
──────────────
"Nice event."
An experience point event given to gamers visiting a beginner dungeon for the first time!
One per shot, experience points kept rolling in nicely.
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'Events are always right!'
My annoyance at how boring the dungeon exploration had been was instantly cured.
Pione, walking alongside me, delivered hopeful news.
"There's one more."
"We should hurry then."
I need to find that grave robber before the ruins' guardian gets them.
I sped up my steps as I walked while watching ahead. This wasn't the time to leisurely tour the ruins.
Pione rattled off the grave robber's personal info.
"His name is Kevin. A pest that must be punished. He's the man who put Lady Aspis in danger."
"So he's the ringleader who talked her into it?"
"Close enough."
"Even if it's unfair, too bad. You're mine now."
"Not until Miss Kanna safely arrives at the main house. Right now I'm just temporarily following your orders, Baron."
"So picky."
"Congratulations. You understand what kind of automaton I am."
"I understand perfectly."
Far away, I could see a grave robber stumbling and running desperately toward us.
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I liked his level. And conveniently for me, his shield was all torn up.
The grave robber spotted Pione and shouted while bursting into tears of relief.
"You came back! Save Lucia! Quick! There's no time...!"
"Time limits! My least favorite kind of event!"
A cruel event that tortures office workers suffering from punctuality twice over.
"Event? Who are you—"
──────────────
Achievement: Quadra Kill (40 seconds)
Reward: Attack Power 70%
Description: You defeated four in a row.
Rating: None.
──────────────
The grave robber's pretty decent-looking head flew through the air as he crumpled like straw.
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"Pione! Carry me and run!"
"Are you serious?"
"Hurry!"
Practicality over dignity. Automatons are way faster than humans. I need to hurry if I want to get Lucia's experience points too.
"You like this kind of thing, Baron?"
"Why? Count Aspis does this a lot, huh?"
"...How did you know? Even the family doesn't know that secret."
"You just told me."
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Pione, with me on her back, ran at full speed to the deepest part of the ruins.
I should've done this from the start.