[Power Anomaly]
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New Skill Acquired:
[Divine Slander • Baptism of All Things] —
A permanent grab technique; The user firmly grasps the target with both hands and subjects them to multiple types of assaults including “Azure Flame”, “Nether Flame”, “Crimson Flame”, “Frigid Ice”, “Elemental” attacks, etc. (determined by the user’s surrounding environment and constitution), capable of inflicting severe full-body damage to the target.
During [Execution Mode], this move transforms into [Divine Slander • Chaos • Baptism of All Things] — invading the target with chaos until completely devoured.
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True Name: Hazuki Towa
Age: 11
Status: [Wanted – Missing]
Form/State: warrior / girl / caster
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Attack: ??
Speed: ?+
Magic: ????
Strength: ?
Growth Potential: ∞
Precision: A
Mental Strength: A++
Airheadedness: D- / Wisdom: A+
…
…..
Long-distance running… ah, the last time I properly ran long-distance was back in middle school. I was exhausted back then… well, actually, maybe not that exhausted. After all, everyone had been holed up at home for so long, while I was the only one out every day delivering packages. It’s only natural there’d be a big gap in stamina.
The medal was nice, the rewards were nice too. Back then, I wasn’t afraid of how tired or tough it got, as long as there were prizes handed to me for free — but looking at it now, doing nothing is best. Judging by the stance of these “mercenaries”, they probably won’t give up chasing me all day.
I really don’t want to engage in a free-form long-distance run with them here (which might even turn into a marathon), especially with no reward in sight. Ropes and lassoes keep flying past me from time to time, and the people ahead even laid down several traps to hinder my steps. They don’t even have a shred of sportsmanship. They talk about friendship first, competition second, but they even eliminate each other internally, just to monopolize me, this “prize”.
“I hate you! Whoever put that bounty on me!!”
Swift as a fleeing hare, yet feeling helpless like being surrounded on all sides, my legs are the only tool I have to keep bouncing along. Those “mercenaries” following behind… they might be jackals or hunting dogs, to chase me so relentlessly, refusing to give up.
Talking to myself about reasons, I was forced by the “mercenaries” into a narrow alley — I have to say, there aren’t many inherently shady places in the city of [Geary], but there are certainly some.
No time to worry about the excess foul smells and piles of garbage, I only focus on the two groups of “mercenaries” blocking me front and back. If I recklessly take them down, it might backfire… not to mention, there’s a continuous stream of “mercenaries” waiting to squeeze in.
But, why aren’t they coming over? Don’t they want to catch me? Shouldn’t they already know I’m the BOSS?
I waited a bit, and then suddenly a voice came from the crowd: “Hold on a moment! Let us discuss!” After that, the quiet crowd turned noisy and chaotic.
It was like walking into a vegetable market several kilometers away…
By the way, was that sentence just now directed at me?
You want me to wait, while you all discuss?
Huh?
So, I’m supposed to start acting only after you’ve figured out how to deal with me?
Then what about my turn that got skipped in the middle?
If you’re going to talk about reason, you should at least present some reasonable logic, right?
Why should I just stand here waiting to be captured and exchanged for money?
“Alright then, take your time chatting.”
I sat down on the ground, crossed my legs, propped my chin on my hand resting on my knee, and started killing time — ×3.0 — If it weren’t for my [Boundless Energy] keeping me from sleeping, I might have taken three short naps during these twenty minutes and ended up stuffed in a bag and carried off by them.
At this point, I can only comfort myself by mentally yawning a few times, pretending I’m well-rested.
Finally, they were finally, at last! done discussing. Then, a graceful and beautiful woman with a lovely figure stepped out from the crowd. She approached me elegantly, slowly, and reached out her hand towards me —
[Hello, can you stand up?]
“Yes… May I ask who you are?”
[Who I am is not important] Her voice drilled into my mind, echoing endlessly…
“Yes….”
So easily, I was…
[Come, follow big sister me to a fun place.]
“Yes…….”
How regrettable…
“Truly worthy of the title of the North’s Number One Hypnotist! Most impressive!”
“Now, ownership of this child should belong to me, right?”
Unfortunately.
I still have a backup plan, specifically for dealing with this kind of thing — Mode Switch. Seizing even a fleeting opportunity (except when near death), mode switching can always pull me back.
[Normal Mode active]
Thankfully, I discovered this idea back in [Malleus], otherwise, I’d be in serious trouble now.
[Ara? Why aren’t you moving, little girl?]
I shook my head, cleared my throat softly, looked up at the hypnotist, smiled, and immediately swept her legs out from under her, sending her tumbling to the ground.
“Sister, thank you for letting me hear such a wonderful voice, even though it tried to devour my mind.”
I waved at her, then looked up at the empty sky above and snapped my fingers —
There’s no other way now. If I don’t run, they’ll probably bring out a few more secret weapons. Sigh, I’m just a BOSS who wants to make a living and enjoy a peaceful life on the side. Is it really necessary to pursue me to such extremes?
Watching the “mercenaries” instantly scatter as their target vanished, I patted my head, silently lay back, closed my eyes, and waited for the surrounding commotion to subside.
Why is the sun so strong today? It seems I didn’t really notice it before… Phew, it’s really hot. By the way, am I wearing a sweater? Why am I wearing a sweater while running under the sun? Am I an idiot? I’m already sensitive to heat, and I’m draped in a sweater… True, it’s very effective against severe cold and preventing [Cold Sensitivity], but right now…
I need to think about the timing of wearing the sweater and taking it off, to avoid it being a hindrance at crucial moments. Or maybe I should just get used to it and not bother with this tedious consideration anymore.
‘Rustle’
“Who’s there?!” Hearing the noise, I reflexively snapped my gaze towards the source, only to find it empty. The next moment, the same strange rustling sound came from another direction.
“Rustle… This sound, I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before? It’s the sound of TV static when there’s no signal, right?” I tentatively voiced this conclusion, trying hard to recall the shape of that sound —
Sure enough, it’s a perfect match.
“But, why would there be TV static sound here? This is Art World Online, a massive online game. It shouldn’t have signal issues.”
Wait, one of the big shareholders in the gaming industry once said —
Since it’s a game, it will inevitably have certain flaws, what people commonly call Bugs. He once funded a game company specifically known for producing bugs, its name was something like Dou Tu (Bean Earth). Therefore, no matter how realistically Art World Online replicates reality, no matter how perfect it is, flaws will eventually appear.
“So, I can assume I’m near a Bug, right? Sigh… What kind of Bug could it be?” I’m not curious at all. Things that might bring trouble, I’ll avoid entirely. “Would the official remind players about performing a live update? If it’s a major issue, they’d probably notify in advance, right?”
Speaking of which, since this morning, I haven’t seen any players. Earlier, it was only NPCs involved in that scripted chase with me… Is there a major update coming? The kind that takes ten hours? Adding various story mission packs and offline model sales?
‘Rustle, rustle’
The frequency of the sound increased over time. I sighed, closed my eyes, and let myself enter a “dormant” state. Strictly speaking, I can’t fall asleep, but I can still rest, allowing recovery of… well, the physiological sense of “energy”?
Time… time… space… space… What exactly is the connection?
Space-time, can it really be stopped by my mere finger?
If that’s the case, even if I’m exposed, I wouldn’t have to worry about winning or losing —
“…?? Why am I suddenly thinking about these things? What an idiot. Ugh, it feels like I’ve learned something extra in my head.”
——-
[Divine Slander • Baptism of All Things]
Select a target to unleash; Note: This move inherently possesses the Permanent property and has immense power. Use with caution.
——-
There weren’t any skill descriptions or warning thingies before… Is it because it just updated? Ahh, as an NPC, I can’t fully know the update contents.
I did a kip-up, cracked my knuckles, and decided to try out the new skill.
[Scorching Sun Hammer] doesn’t seem good to me; too flashy and its attack range is too short, so I only use it for a bit of fun… The most practical is still [Fireball], not to mention it’s now become [Multiple Fireballs]. I’m really looking forward to its power in [Daily Mode].
[Normal Mode active]
“Is there anything or anyone I can use as a live target? Hmm—?” Noticing movement behind me, I silently feigned confusion, actually trying to lure the enemy. Then, one shot in—?
Pretty short, dressed like a mage and holding a staff, bangs almost covering the eyes…
“Isn’t this Clytie? You really startled me. What have you been up to after I teleported you away?”
“Miss Towa, I’m glad you’re okay… I, after reuniting with my companions, rushed here as fast as I could to find you. There shouldn’t be any ‘mercenaries’ watching nearby anymore, right?”
