Deciding to save the pleasure district for another day, we made a mad dash for Wantos with Alto leading the way.
No time seemed to pass for us—or at least, that’s how it felt. According to Penpen’s menu, a full day had actually elapsed, but neither Alto nor I had felt even a second of it.
It really was a game after all... right? Panicked by the idea that a whole day’s worth of consciousness had been edited out, I hurriedly toggled the VR display off. To my relief, there was still plenty of time left in my precious holiday.
Once again, I reaffirmed the fact: in this regard, it truly was a game.
"It took a whole day in the real world to get here, I’m telling you... I’m not lying, it’s for real-o."
"Well, maybe Fast Travel just unlocks around Level 30?"
"Since the days are actually ticking by, you probably shouldn't abuse it-ssu."
Well, if Penpen, who wasn't in VR mode, said so... Penpen wasn't Level 30 yet. That meant the Fast Travel unlock must happen a bit earlier.
"In that case, I want to hit Level 30 as soon as possible. I'd like to just grind it out right now. Where's a good spot, Alto-shi?"
"I’ll show you-o! I found the perfect hunting ground while I was clearing requests earlier. If Tria helps, your level should skyrocket in no time-o. ...Ah, do you have a ranged weapon-o?"
"If it's just a bow and arrows, I can whip some up right now. Heave-ho... and, done!"
Penpen obtained a Wooden Bow and Arrows!
It was honestly impressive. To think a production class could whip something like that up while just standing there... she was a pro.
"Penpen, you have attack magic, right?"
"Oh yeah, I had that too-ssu! I never fight, so I tend to forget-ssu."
"Eh? Ah, it’s one of those merciful systems where you can level up just through production, wasn't it-o? Then maybe you didn't really need a weapon after all-o..."
"Oh, but I have business near here, so this works out."
"Business?"
"The boss at the starting point. I never did beat that Great Turtle. I want to head back for a rematch."
"Ooh-ooh-ooh. Then once Penpen-shi hits Level 30, let's go-o. I'll help-o."
"I'll be a big help too-ssu!"
"No, Penpen, you stay behind. It's seriously dangerous. If you get Lost, it won't be a laughing matter."
For the time being, we headed toward the hunting ground Alto recommended. Along the way, I noticed strange holes gouged into the ground. What were these? Some kind of footprints?
"Ah, those are the tracks from my movement-o."
"What do you mean?"
"Check it out. I fire a shot behind me and use the recoil to boost-o."
Boom! She fired a round rock enveloped in pale blue flames backward, and Alto's body went flying. No, it looked like she flew, but she must have performed a dash-jump in perfect sync with the recoil.
Afterward, the rock burned out and vanished, leaving behind the same kind of mark we had seen on the road.
"If I just keep doing that, I can move at high speeds-o. See? They lead all the way back toward Tsudon-o."
"So that's how you were moving. Setting aside me, since I've reinforced my legs, how did Penpen keep up?"
"Tria-shi was carrying me on her back-ssu. That’s what the loading screen said, anyway. ...So Alto-shi was flying backward? I was wondering how she was moving like that-ssu."
Alto flying backward in Voxel graphics... I kind of wanted to see that.
The inhabitants of the hunting ground were massive boars. They weren't quite on the Great Turtle’s scale, but they were easily the size of a car.
"Those are Great Boars-o. Now, come over here-o."
"Oh, a cliff-ssu."
"Come to think of it, you were saying something about fall damage earlier. In other words, we're dropping them from here?"
We were standing right at the edge of a precipice.
I see. So when you said I'd be "helping"...
"Carry, shoot, dodge, drop-o!"
"I wonder if we can collect the materials at the bottom of the cliff later-ssu? Great Boar meat is the main ingredient for Boar Steak. I could probably gain Experience Points that way too-ssu."
"You absolutely have to collect it, Tria!"
"Yeah! With a cliff this size, I should be able to slide down at the last second... no, just in case, I want some rope."
"We'll have Penpen-shi make that-o! Meat, meat, meat!!"
"...You two were just slumped over from being full a second ago... and you're already in the mood to eat again-ssu?"
Of course we are! It’s meat! Meat!!
"...Wait! I just realized something... the feeling of being full has vanished! If we combine this with Fast Travel, we can eat forever!"
"For real-o, Tria!? It's true-o! Heh-heh, we've successfully completed a perpetual motion machine-o...!"
"One boar's worth of steak would probably fill your stomach-ssu, at that size."
I wondered how much meat could be harvested from a beast that big.
How many portions was that compared to the mountain of meat on the plates back then? Since it tasted so good, if we considered three or four steaks as one meal, just how many meals would that be... I felt myself salivating.
"We're hunting them all-o! Hunting them to extinction-o! It’s a boar party-o!!"
"Wait! If we hunt too many in this game, they'll stop respawning. Let's leave a reasonable amount!"
"Whaaat!? What kind of pitfall is that-o! It’s a terrible trap for the meat to stop popping-o!"
"We're the ones putting the boars in a 'pitfall'—or rather, dropping them down the cliff-ssu. Well then, Tria-shi, I'm borrowing your back-ssu. My Thunder Bolt is about to breathe fire-ssu!"
I'm going to eat and find out which tastes better, this or a Lizardman!!
By the way, Penpen safely reached Level 30. Welcome to VR mode.
Let's eat meat together!!
"I’m really inside the game world-ssu!? How is this even possible? Wait, there’s no way this is legal tech-ssu! Is it a leak of military technology!? What is this? Even the air tastes amazing-ssu!"
"Now, now, calm down for a bit-o. First, have some of this-o. It's the Boar Steak Penpen-shi just made-o. Now, say 'aahn'-o."
"Eat up, eat up. ...You're about to transcend, you know? Are you ready?"
"Wh-that sounds like some kind of Digital Drug... mngh...!? M-m-m-meat! It's delicious-ssu! I’m going to master the cooking skill-ssu!!!"
"Ooh-ooh, is Penpen-shi a god-o? We’ll provide the meat, so keep ours coming too-o!"
"Let’s keep getting along from now on, Penpen! We hunt, you cook, we all eat! It's a Win-Win!! Oh, and keep this an absolute secret from the Wikis and stuff."
"Yessir-ssu!!!!"
And so, Penpen finally reached Level 31 today.
...We might have hunted a bit too much meat.