Chapter 181
Chapter 181
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 181
Chapter Title: S4. Succubus's Dream / Annihilation Corps 440 Years Ago -1
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In my case, at the start of the session, I fuzzily blur the participants' consciousness.
Once the session begins, their consciousness is detached and linked to the avatar within the session. If it's too clear at that moment, things get a bit tricky.
It's like going to an escape room cafe and not being blindfolded when you first enter. You're peeking under the blindfold right as you step in.
The player might feel like they're floating around as a ghost, observing the world, or like they've astral projected and are slipping back in.
That could let them catch glimpses of info that disrupts immersion in the game.
For instance, if in that split second they spot some session teaser I've carefully hidden, or an event trigger...
I'd have to hastily pivot the genre to a regression tale or a time loop story.
Conversely...
From my position—where I have to pull out all the stops to save Yuri Lanster—keeping my consciousness as intact as possible against the Queen's interference is to my advantage.
Inside Yuri Lanster's mental barrier, I had no body yet. No avatar assigned. I swiftly erected shields around my consciousness and began gathering intel on this world.
The era: Year 440. The time when Yuna ascended to Violet Magic Tower Master, and I was a nine-year-old kid growing up in my hometown village.
The past...?
I checked the data more closely. It was encrypted as a spoiler safeguard, but I cracked it easily. Background: Shortly after Yuri Lanster joined the Annihilation Corps.
Click-click-click.
Gears meshing and turning blared loudly from all directions, pressure closing in. Close your eyes now. Stop peeking.
I tested the waters with a brief tug-of-war.
Grind-grind. I was being pushed back.
As expected, in the opponent's home turf, the weight class difference is huge. My vision slowly dimmed. Overwhelmed by the immense force, I couldn't resist and shut my eyes.
Instead, I opened a third eye on my forehead.
Click... click...?
The gear sounds lagged slightly. Flustered? Then it started pressing to close my third eye.
So I'd open one on my sole, or the back of my hand. Whack-a-mole on the fly.
Consciousness is a nebulous concept. Not quite soul, not quite tangible. Plenty left unknown. But the proposition that "the form of one's consciousness mirrors one's own appearance" holds true.
A fish's consciousness looks like a fish, Pingbalrez's like Pingbalrez.
So yeah, it'd be thrown off. Probably seriously wondering if my species is cyclops. Or doubting my sense of self because of all the eyes.
The trick's simple. The me infiltrating here isn't pure consciousness.
Borrowing the properties of my dear 7% yang nature, magically reinforced for independence... Call it a half-spirit, or closer to an avatar. More fluid, anyway.
Let's probe deeper.
I scanned the world's info distribution. Overall, the completion's sloppy. The densest cluster: Yuri Lanster herself.
And the key to descending to the next layer was also detected on her. My task: Approach Yuri. Confirmed.
Plus some trivia: This city's wine is top-notch, the lord's bald, etc.
As I pilfered info with my eye tricks, the Queen eventually ditched cost-efficiency. She clamped down on the whole world like a vise, forcing a body on me here.
I could've resisted, but didn't.
This was sly rope-a-dope. Conserve my strength to the minimum, waste hers. This'll create a decisive opening later.
My viewpoint's eye level dropped rapidly.
Queen prepped my character. In a dusty attic corner stood a vacant man. Guess she's slotting me into that.
I pretended to comply, then veered sharply. To purge any traps in this meat suit.
Trap city, as expected.
Burned out spirit bugging devices, neutered thought-inducers and motion jammers. Leftover breather. Could tweak one more thing.
Physical specs like an octopus: sluggish, slow, fat rolls everywhere, and worst... ugly. Human or orc? Hard to tell.
Character brimming with malice.
Meet Pingbalrez like this...?
Spec up human-level physique VS pump charisma stat.
I went dizzying high-roller on the latter. Erased flab data, reshaped exterior. Dyed hair jet black, eyes crimson red. So... my look.
...Nose bridge a tad higher?
No. Nah. My natural form's plenty. Better allocate those resources to strength instead. But a smidge higher nose and...
Click-click-click!
Got it. Entering already.
Character creation done.
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I opened my eyes.
Body creaked. My real one's no prize, but this felt glass-fragile, closer to fine crystal than flesh. Should've boosted strength over nose...?
No.
Even max strength won't beat a T-Rex if the game master's gunning for you with fire in their eyes.
300 swordmasters spawn? Upped strength gonna help?
Besides, power balance here hinges on info volume and skill. I'm a top illusion mage; Queen's one too.
Summon an armored dino with sloppy data weave? I'd dismantle it to nothing in a flash. This fight's that type.
Plus, plausibility matters hugely.
This world's ultimately Yuri Lanster's head, Queen interference or not. What she believes vs. doesn't—huge gap. Bias kicks in.
Horde of swordmasters? If it feels too absurd, dreamlike, Yuri doubts the world.
Queen's power cost to manage that drawback skyrockets exponentially.
More winnable than I thought.
Moreover, with key next-layer info confirmed in Yuri's consciousness, communication beats bashing her for loot.
So prioritizing looks over brawn was right.
Pingbalrez's location pinned during scan. Next door from this body—neighborly.
Cut to contact. I pried open the attic trapdoor and descended.
Down the stairs, open door. Stroll the Year 440 city, rendered from past memories. Not Crown Hall. Unknown town to me.
I inhaled deeply.
Enemy den laced with traps should be grim, but thinking I'd see Pingbalrez soon had me grinning. Days apart, right?
Irrepressible joy pounded my heart.
Yeah, not that deathlike sleep... Show me you alive and kicking. At her door, I steadied my breath, knocked knuckles-first.
Knock-knock-knock.
Waited; door cracked open.
I gawked wide-eyed. Pingbalrez looked way younger than memory... a girl's form. Visually high schooler?
Shorter, less developed. No glasses, no ponytail. Petite overall, but hints of that devastating figure already.
Her bright yellow eyes gazing up brimmed with wariness.
"...Who are you?"
Choose words carefully.
"Who" implies no memory of me. Stuck in deep ancient recollections up to Year 440...
Past her: Never switched from Annihilation Corps to Defense Bureau field agent, no glasses, never met me. Strangers.
Chatting as unknowns stung a bit, but thrilled too. Chance to see young Pingbalrez up close.
So craft delicately. Line to befriend kid her. How 'bout mimic Selbia's childhood friend vibe?
Yeah. Gentle, soft greeting. Rack up favor with fresh young Pingbalrez. Fill that cute face with smiles. Ready. Go.
Hey, nice to meet you. I'm your new neighbor...
Click-click-click.
"Little Pingbalrez is too cute."
"........."
Speech bubble swapped. Queen bitch...!!
Slam!
Door shut.
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Knock-knock-knock.
I knocked again, tightening verbal control.
"Hey, friend. That was a slip of the tongue... Hear me out a sec. I can explain everything. I'm your new neighbor."
"Warning. Leave if you don't want blood."
"I'll take the blood—give me five minutes. For real."
"Think I've never dealt with your type before?"
Hmph. Cynical snort from beyond. Kid Pingbalrez spat her words like chewing gristle, utterly fed up.
"Heard the succubus rumor somewhere, huh. Gonna sweet-talk me for a taste, 'for our own good.' Cut the dogshit and scram. Second warning—no third."
"Who the hell spreads that crap..."
"You're about to spew it. Or claim I'm different from those guys? They all ended up the same."
"........."
Heavy distrust of men. Outsiders too.
Keep talking, I can win her over. I know her likes, her type, roughly. Just untie the first knot.
Shift gears first. This flow paints me as horny creep no matter what.
Unbalance her.
"I'm impotent."
"...Pardon?"
"And great at cross-dressing."
"Pardon?"
I pictured her question marks over her head. This fluster leads to so what do you want from me? soon.
Reinforce before then. Give reason to talk.
"Clears up misunderstandings, y'know? So sudden secret reveal. Not here as neighborly chit-chat... Official business."
"Business?"
"Yuri Lanster of the Annihilation Corps, right? I'm dispatched from the Defense Bureau. Get why brass sent someone now?"
I don't, so figure it and tell me. Silence, then quiet mutter from beyond.
"...Audit, sir."
"Smart cookie."
She jumped right on it. I'm the agent; goal now: Annihilation Corps audit.
"Ah, no need to tense up. I know what kinda outfit Annihilation Corps is... Every org needs some 'leeway' to boost performance."
Here for audit, sure—but not nitpicking. That's just how you roll, no?
"Truth? On vacation. Famous for wine here?"
Tack on scraped trivia for detail.
"Picked lodging here... 'Cause Annihilation Corps member's next door. Figured play auditor, knock. See what happens."
"...Understood, but no reason I'd play along with your slacking."
"Ahaha. Bet there is...?"
Reason. Think fast.
Pingbalrez link, what she'd crave now... Young age: Shortly after hometown razed.
Mature her burned with revenge; kid version? Molten lava rage. Leverage succubus queen intel.
"Took over a case. Investigation on the 'Queen.'"
"........."
Sharp inhale.
That tiny breath hinted at the trauma. Guilt hit me, but no other hook.
Best pretext going. Ladled sincere sorry, final words.
"Sorry for dredging memories... But need your help to catch the 'Queen.' Mind if I drop by sometimes?"
"...Yes. To snag that chewable bitch, fine. But no personal visits outside the case. Or blood."
"Scary... Noted. See ya."
No reply.
I sighed deep, retreated. Link forged, at least.
Impression of young Yuri Lanster: Porcupine spines up. Lower 'em, get close, snag 'basement level 2' clue.
Not hard. Like this.
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Bang-bang-bang.
"Yuri! Shampoo got in my eyes—can't open 'em!"
Go full comedy.