Part 1 – Advent

Chapter 1 – The Crazy Woman is Born

To everyone out there who’s ever played a game, hello! And to everyone else, hello, too! My name is Amane Rindo. Right off the bat, I need to get something off my chest.

Do you have anything you really, really hate? Everyone has something, right? I’ve got plenty. But the thing I hate most of all is ‘angels.’ When people praise a story’s heroine, it’s always “She’s like an angel,” or “She has an angelic smile.” Any time something is cute, it’s ‘angel, angel, angel, ANGEL, ANGEL, ANGEL!’ That’s why I hate them. Angels.

“E-rror. Serious e-rro-r. Error code—”

Anyway, back to the main topic. By some miracle, I managed to get my hands on a setup to play the new, massively popular VR online game Meltis Online. You normally have to wait over two months just to get access, but my setup even came with an access key. On top of that, my best friend invited me to play with her, so I booted it up right away. And that’s when this angel thing at my feet showed up, right as I started…

SO I PUNCHED IT.

Yep, I punched it! I really did! With all my might! I’d never do anything that violent in real life, but a game is a different story. If I don’t like someone, I punch them. Even if they’re an important NPC, if I don’t like them and I can beat them, I will beat them. And if an angel shows up? That’s a no-brainer. I will punch it. Absolutely.

It said, “Welcome to Meltis Online! I’m Navi-chan, the angel who will be traveling with you! Now then, please tell me your name!” An angel. Games that let you move before avatar creation are incredibly rare, but just like the tagline “A free adventure in another world, just for you” said, I could move right from the character creation screen. And if I can move freely, and I have a chance to punch… I couldn’t not punch.

“A problem has been detected and NAVI has been shut down to prevent damage to NAVI—”

“So annoying.”

“—”

Which brings me back to the main topic, the game is over before it even started. It’s spitting out a serious error and I can’t proceed with character creation. Unbelievable. To think I’d be locked out of this hyped new game for this… What am I going to tell my best friend? That my rig wasn’t good enough? No, that won’t work. This VR dive machine was a prize… I won it in a “Limited to 1 winner!” sweepstakes. It’s the [GOTHIC&LOLITA PREMIUM BLACK MODEL], a capsule-style dive machine with an absurdly cute Goth-Loli design. Its specs are top-of-the-line, running the latest system… Besides, I already told my friend the Meltis Online access key came with the machine, so she knows I can play… Ugh, what do I do?! I should have just held back until after character creation! I really, really should have!

“So you’re the crazy woman who beat up Meltis’s angel, hmm~?”

…Huh? Who…?! Oh no, there’s an incredibly cute girl here! I forgot to breathe.

Who is this Goth-Loli girl?! Long black hair in twin vertical rolls, a perfect ‘Goth-Loli Ojou-sama’ look… Who is this girl who just shot an arrow straight through my heart?! Where did she even come from? Did she just get here? Wait, could it be… could it be… is this a rescue measure for punching the angel and causing an error?! Yes, yes! They must have predicted someone might do this and built in a special scene! This is amazing! Best game ever!

“A-ah, y-y-yes…!”

“So it seems. Let’s start over. Welcome to this other world… you crazy woman who beat up Meltis’s angel~? What is your name?”

“R-Rindo Amane!!”

“Thaaat is…♡ the crazy woman’s real name, isn’t it~? Are you planning to use the same name in this other world, too~?”

“Hya!? No, no, no, no, no!”

Oh no, what am I going to do? A loli exuding such a sadistic aura… I’m so weak to this type. I hate angels, but I love little devils, demons, gothic, lolita, all of it! I want to kneel before her right now! I want her to call me her servant!

Ah. Wait, more importantly, I haven’t even thought of a player name. I’m on the spot, I can’t think of anything… What do I do, what do I do…?

“Well then~…♡ How about… Rinne! It’s just the first and last parts of your name. What do you think~♡”

Rinne? Rinne is my name!? Can I really use that?!

“Yes! That’s what I’ll go with!”

“Such spirit, how lovely~♡ Then from today, the crazy woman’s name is… Rinne! It’s decided! Next is your appearance, Rinne. I’ll take your body data, hmm~? Height 168 cm, you’re tall~. Bust 92, waist 62, hip 89… You’re… big~. Hey, are those real…? Hmm… Maybe just make your hair longer and change the style a bit? Your features are quite attractive, Rinne. This should be fine, don’t you think?”

She’s even creating my avatar…? Wait, this is hardly changed at all, is it? Look, the [Real Module Avatar] tag hasn’t disappeared. It says that only displays if it’s 95% or more unchanged from your real appearance. Mine says 99% identical!

“Next is your job.”

“Eh?”

“Oh? Do you have a problem with your appearance?”

“Nope!”

Ah… ahh… I lost. I totally lost to that bewitching smile. From now on, I’ll be playing this game with a Real Module Avatar. W-well, my hair is longer, right? And it’s dark blue? And my eyes are red. It’s fine, it’s fine… It’s fine…

“How about… Necromancer?”

“Necro… mancer…?”

“Compared to other jobs, a Necromancer’s direct combat ability is much lower. Instead, it’s a class that fights by leading powerful followers. It might be tough at first, but it should get easier once you level up and get stronger. Ah, but you’ll have to put up with this ring taking up one of your ring accessory slots. Look, it’s a matching ring with me. How about it?”

Matching… Matching?! Matching with this super-duper-unbelievably-cute Goth-Loli Ojou-sama…?!

“I’ll take iiiit!”

“Oh? I had plenty of other jobs I was going to introduce. Well then, it’s settled~♡ Do you need a detailed explanation?”

“I-I’m the type who likes to figure things out on my own, bit by bit!”

“Then I’ll send you to the starting land right away~♡ Oh, and be sure to remember this: My name is Babylon. If you ever put your faith in Meltis… I won’t forgive you~♡”

“Okay!!”

This matching ring… isn’t this basically an engagement ring? Yes, I’m married to Babylon-chan. This game is a masterpiece, no doubt. At this point, I don’t even care if the gameplay sucks. I stumbled onto this hidden Babylon-chan encounter event with no hints and I got a matching ring. That’s all I need. I could log out right now and be happy— Oh, wait. My best friend is waiting. Right, I should actually play the game…

[You have been teleported to the plains south of Talash.]

Woah! Ah, I guess I was teleported. Wow, it’s so green! As far as the eye can see! The sound of the wind rustling the grass, the feeling of the ground under my feet, it’s all perfectly reproduced… Whoa! The time is reproduced, too. It’s almost sunset! Right, right, it’s linked to real-world time… I need to pick a direction and get moving before it gets dark. I won’t be able to see where I’m going if it’s pitch black!

“…Huh? Where am I supposed to go? Is there a tutorial…?”

What do I do? I was just dropped here, so I have no idea where to go or what to do. But then I thought… is being told “do this, do that” by the game really in line with the concept of “A free adventure in another world”? I’m sure Babylon-chan is counting on me to think for myself. That’s why she sent me here without any explanation. Right. I have to figure this out on my own!

Okay, first, I’ll check out the game’s system interface. Looks like I can access various systems from the UI in the corner of my vision. I can check my status, my inventory for storing items, a quest list (though it’s empty), equipment details, a community tab for party and guild lists, a shop for cash items and stuff, detailed system message settings, channel switching… and logging out is here too! Okay, okay! The layout is easy to understand and convenient, which is great! The UI layout and readability are directly linked to how good a game feels, so having this solid base means less stress for the user. This is great—

“Pigi!!”

“Huh?”

[You took 1 damage from a Slime.]

I literally just thought, “This is great and stress-free,” and then you go and do this? You liquid blob. You think being all cute and chibi gives you a free pass? A monster getting in my way—I’ll pound you into the ground!

“You little…!!”

[You dealt 2 damage to the Slime.]

[You took 1 damage from the Slime.]

[You dealt 2 damage to the Slime.]

[You took 2 damage from the Slime.]

Wait, I can’t beat this thing with just one punch!? Maybe… my stance isn’t deep enough!? How about this!

[Critical! You dealt 4 damage to the Slime.]

[You took 1 damage from the Slime.]

[Critical! You dealt 4 damage to the Slime and defeated it. You gained 2 EXP.]

[You obtained 1 Lowest-Grade Health Potion.]

…Experience… 2. For that life-or-death struggle… 2 EXP?

“Hah… hah… pant… Y-You’re pretty tough… B-but I guess I was just… a little bit stronger!”

No, I get it. I don’t want to admit it, but this Slime is probably the weakest monster in Meltis Online. And I barely beat it. Which means… in this world, I am probably the… second-weakest creature. Seriously…?

“…Healing. I need to heal.”

Anyway, I picked up that potion, so I’ll use it. In most games, potions are liquids in small vials, but what about this game… I’ll access my inventory… okay, where’s the potion? U-uhm? What are these items… “Introduction to Necromancy” and “Introduction to Dark Magic”…? Judging by the names, they sound like books that teach magic. But I need to heal first! Ah, there’s the potion…

[Your HP has been fully restored. Your current HP is 10.]

“Ten. My health points are… ten…”

I’m healed, but… my total HP is only 10? HP stands for Health Points, and in most games, you die when it hits zero. In this game, if you don’t use a resurrection item within a certain time, it’s a permanent death and you get a death penalty. And I only have 10 HP. Does that mean if a Slime gets a good hit, I die in five hits? T-that’s… way too fragile… This Necromancer job is definitely not for beginners who don’t know anything, is it?

But I’ve already used my access key… If I want to start over, I’d need a new one. And you can only get those by winning a lottery for the right to buy one… I can’t start over. And more importantly, I don’t want to give up my matching ring with Babylon-chan! Ah! I wonder what this ring does! Uh, equipment screen… accessory slot, number 1… found it!

Huh? I’m an Undead attribute? And it’s a cursed item that I can never take off?! I’ve made an irreversible choice right at the very beginning! No, no, I can’t back out now. I have to find a way to deal with this. Right, let’s check those “Introduction to Necromancy” and the other book! If I can’t use some kind of magic after reading these, my adventure is over before it starts! Help me, Babylon-chaaaan!!

—

TL Note: MND = Mind stat, which affects success and control rates for necromancy skills.

—

“Ooohh…!!”

In other words, this book is telling me that Babylon-chan is the best. I see… so if I had just said “Arise” to that Slime I beat, I could have made an undead Slime servant… If only I’d read this first… But next time, I’ll definitely do it. It seems way easier than fighting myself. Okay, so how is Dark Magic different?

—

TL Note: MAG = Magic Power, a stat that governs spell damage and status effect rates.

—

“Babylon-chan… you’re the best…”

Yes! I have an attack spell! Now I won’t have to repeat that pathetic display, that life-or-death battle with a Slime, that proof I’m the second-weakest thing in the world. Right, I’m off to make an undead warrior. Time to hunt for an opponent. Any monster unlucky enough to be found by me… prepare to face me.

“Why is it… the second I’m the one looking, I can’t find anything…”

I got ambushed before, so I wanted to return the favor, but I can’t find a single one… It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting dim. I really want a servant to protect me… Oh? I see something over there. Is it a slime…? It’s not a slime! Did it spot me?!

“Graaargh!!”

“A dog?! Whoa, it’s huge!”

You’re kidding! There are dog-type monsters as big as a grown man?! It’s fast, it’s charging straight at me! If it hits me, I’m dead! I have to get it before it gets me! Uh, okay…! Set the location for Curse Spear, and say the activation word!

“Pierce, Curse Spear!!”

[Casting {Curse Spear}. Dealt 27 damage to ☆1 Wolf. Inflicted {Cursed} status.]

“Gyaaaargh!! Grrrraaaa!!”

It hit! Heh… You were too slow to dodge my first-ever Curse Spear, you oaf. Okay, I get how Curse Spear works. I set the cast location, say the word, and it’s instant! But it has a three-second cooldown, so I can’t spam it. And this ‘dog’ monster is a Wolf. It took way more damage than the Slime, but it’s not even close to dead. I’m worried I can’t finish it… It’s righted itself and is charging again… but my cooldown just ended!

“Pierce, Curse Spear!”

[Casting {Curse Spear}. Dealt 38 damage to ☆1 Wolf.]

“Gauu…!!”

The damage went up a little. Is it because of that “Cursed” status? Its movements are slower, too. When it first charged, I was sure I was dead, but now I’m the one with the advantage! It’s weakened… one more hit should finish it! Cooldown’s up! Cast!

“Pierce, Curse Spear!!”

[Casting {Curse Spear}. Dealt 40 damage to ☆1 Wolf and defeated it. You gained 155 EXP.]

[You have reached Level 2! Congratulations!]

[You have reached Level 3! Congratulations!]

[You obtained Unidentified Item {?Accessory (Other)}.]

“I did it…!”

Ooh. I beat it. I beat it! And I leveled up to 3 all at once. MAG and MND are the important stats, right? I should be fine as long as I put my points into those. And… right! My undead servant doesn’t have to be a Slime!

“I’ll make this my undead servant! Um… Arise!”

[{Animate Dead} activates. The ☆1 Wolf has become your servant. It is Level 8. Please give it a name.]

“…Woof!”

“Ooh… I was expecting it to rise as a zombie wolf, but it looks exactly the same as when we fought…”

“Woof?”

“It looks… kind of dumb… If it just stays quiet, maybe it’s… cute?”

Come to think of it, what’s this “☆1” in its name? Is it some kind of rare monster? Wait, seriously?! It was Level 8?!

[Please give it a name.]

“Okay, okay, I got it. Um, a name… a name, a name…”

I’m shocked it’s level 8 and want to check that, but stop nagging me to name it. I’m the type of person who had Babylon-chan pick my own name, I can’t just pull a handle out of thin air… what do I do… Let’s see… It’s dumb-looking, it lost easily to a Level 1 me, it’s slow, and it looks kind of fat…

“Donta!”

—

TL Note: どん太 (Donta) is a pun combining 鈍 (don = slow/dull) and 太 (ta/futo = fat/thick). It’s like calling someone “Dumbo” or “Chubs.”

—

“Woof!?”

“You’re slow and fat, so your name is Donta. Nice to meet you, Donta.”

“Wheee… wheee…”

“What’s with the whining? You got a problem with it?”

“Kyuuun…”

[The ☆1 Wolf’s name is now {Donta}.]

[Donta has joined your party. You will receive experience from monsters Donta defeats. Items dropped by monsters defeated by your servant will be automatically collected.]

It’s final. It can’t be helped, I couldn’t think of anything else! Besides, I can’t waste time agonizing over this. I just learned I’m so weak I have to fight for my life against the starting monsters. I need to level up. And if I get experience from monsters Donta defeats, there’s only one order to give!

“Alright Donta, it’s time to hunt monsters! Find every monster you can and take them all down!”

“Woof…”

“Get over the name. Now, go!”

“Woooof!!”

It looked extremely reluctant, but it ran off into the plains to hunt. The minimap, which only shows simple info, seems to show where Donta is. This might work out well!

[Donta defeated multiple Wolves. Gained 30 EXP.]

…Huh? Isn’t he… kind of strong?

[Donta defeated multiple Wolves. Gained 30 EXP.]

[You have reached Level 4! Congratulations!]

[Donta has reached Level 9!]

[Donta defeated a Wolf—]

……Isn’t Donta… too strong?! The battle message log is just… scrolling by! I can’t even keep up with the item notifications. I’m changing the settings to only notify me of rare items and focus on the battle log! Whoa, whoa… my level just keeps going up while I’m messing with the system…! All that trouble I had earlier… what was that?! My level is just shooting up!

[You have reached Level 6! Congratulations!]

[You can send a personal chat to a distant servant to simulate telepathy. Note that this consumes a percentage of your MP.]

Ah! Perfect, I was just wondering how to call him back. I see, I can select him from the servant list and use a whisper mode to send a voice message only he can hear. I can even put a shortcut icon for it on my UI. This is handy. I’ll set one up for Donta. Let’s try it out.

“(Heeey, come on back for a minute~. Can you hear me~?)”

“Awooooooooooooooo!!”

Guess he heard me. Though he answered with a howl, not telepathy. Wait, Donta, are you… wandering? Ah, he was looking for me. As soon as he spotted me, he started running straight over. That’s less ‘wolf’ and more ‘large dog.’ He’s got a weirdly charming face… He’s actually pretty cute.

“You’re strong, Donta. Good boy, good boy. You want pets? There, there… you worked hard. Good boy~.”

“Grrr…♡”

He actually enjoys being petted and makes a contented sound… He’s pretty cute, isn’t he? Thanks to Donta, I’m already Level 6. I’ve gotta be past being the second-weakest thing in the world now, right? Let’s check my status.

Sadly, my HP only went up by 14. VIT increases health, apparently, but that stat has nothing to do with my necromancy… As long as I don’t get hit, it’s fine! Right! MAG and MND take priority for MP and MP regen! Okay, I think I’ve got the basics of being a Necromancer down. I guess I’ll head for that town I see in the distance.

“Donta, see that… town, maybe? In the distance? Let’s head there.”

“Woof!!”

I turned off the item log, so I didn’t notice, but my inventory is full of auto-looted junk like Lowest-Grade Health Potions, Wolf Pelts, and Wolf Fangs. I’m also curious about that unidentified item I got from defeating Donta. I can probably sell and identify stuff in town, right?

Ah, I wonder if Donta can come into town with me…? He’s an undead monster, so… that might be bad. But, but, if he just behaves, he just looks like a dog. A really big Siberian Husky. I’ll just insist he’s my pet. I can totally push my way through! If not, I’ll just have him run around the plains.

“Come to think of it, I don’t have any money. Is that… okay?”

“Woof?”

“There’s no way the game requires begging, right? Let’s just go. Oh, right! When I get to town, I have to contact Mayumi!”

“Woof!”

Right, right, I forgot. When I get to town, I have to contact Mayumi, who invited me to play. She said to message her when I reached a nearby town. Come to think of it, why is Mayumi so nice to me… why does she like me so much? She’s from one of the richest families in Japan, a true Ojou-sama shining in a dazzling world that’s the complete opposite of dark, gloomy me. She shouldn’t be wasting her time on me; she’d be much happier messing around with girls more suited to her… I don’t get it, but… well… it makes me happy. Let’s hurry!

“Kyu!”

[You took 1 damage from a Slime.]

“Huh?”

“Woof?”

[Donta used {Stomp}, dealing 55 damage to the Slime and defeating it. You gained 5 EXP.]

“Kyuuu—”

Seriously, the slimes in this world do nothing but get in my way! I’m all excited to go see Mayumi… If you’re that eager to die, I’ll grant your wish… or rather, Donta will!

“Donta? See that town? Go crush every monster between here and there that might get in my way.”

“Woof!!”

I mean, it’s way faster for Donta to kill them than for me. The battle log is going to look like a waterfall again… I’m actually kind of excited! Come on, come on, hurry up and kill some monsters!

[Donta defeated Player {Meriane}. Gained 310 EXP.]

[Looted {Magician’s Staff +4}.]

[Donta has reached Level 10. It’s time to Evolve!]

…Eh? …Huh? You’re kidding… This is bad. Donta hunted a player? He totally did. That’s a player kill, isn’t it?! Eh, eh, eh… Ehhhhh…. This is baaaaaad, what do I do… I told him to hunt monsters and he went and hunted a player. And it looks like they were in a party! The hate must be on Donta… there are three red dots on my minimap… They’re near where he got the kill, so that must be them! I have to get Donta away!

If I prioritized my own safety, I could just abandon Donta… but… that dumb, charming face… that big, fluffy, fat body… he’s so cute… I’ve gotten… just a little! Just a tiny, tiny bit attached to him!

“(Donta! Get back to me, full sprint!!)”

I’ve got no choice but to try. Work, my gray matter, think of a way out of this…!!

“Woof woof woof~!!”

“This isn’t a ‘woof woof’ situation, you idiot!! What are you doing player killing?!”

“Kyuun…”

“Aargh! Right, right. You were just trying your best. Still… ugh!!”

Looking at the minimap, I’ve shaken off the three other players… probably her party members. I’m on a small hill where they can’t see me. If I just wait this out… No, that’s impossible. Donta’s fur color is different from the other wolves.

Normal wolves are all black, but Donta is black with a white belly and white paws. Like he’s wearing socks. And he has those adorable white ‘maro’ eyebrows. Ah, yeah, they’ll definitely know. They’ll report being attacked by a wolf that looks different. If I’m with him, they’ll think it was my attack. That is… very, very bad…

“Come to think of it, that message said he could evolve, didn’t it…”

“Woof!!”

“You have no idea what an emergency this is, do you…”

“Woof! Woof!”

“…If I can choose his evolution, maybe his appearance will change drastically?”

“Woooof~?”

That’s it! If he looks different from the wolf that attacked them, I can deny it, right? I can just insist, “Oh, that must have been a different wolf! My, how scary, we should both be careful!” That’s the plan!

“Let’s open the servant list… Yes! It says ‘Evolve’! Okay, Donta, I’m picking your evolution.”

“Woof!”

Okay, give me an option that changes his appearance! Something that makes my ‘different wolf’ plan work! And preferably… one that keeps him cute!

“Ah, rejected. Donta without his fluff is worthless.”

“Woof?”

This option is a no. A Skull Wolf becomes a magic-user, but if Donta loses his fluff, there’s no point in keeping him around. I mean, I wouldn’t get to see his adorable, charming face anymore! No, absolutely not. Besides, this looks completely undead. The book said necromancy was forbidden. If I parade this around… nothing good will come of it. So this is a definite no.

“Eh, I don’t want him to be stinky…”

“Kooohn?”

This Blood Wolf is also rejected. Its fur turns red and it becomes a high-speed attacker, but it ‘reeks of death’… which means it stinks. Reeks of death is just a cool way of saying rotten, putrid smell, right? Absolutely not. I may be a Necromancer, but after getting Donta, I’ve decided: I only want cute or beautiful servants! If I’m surrounded by dirty zombies all day, my motivation will tank. No way! Rejected!

“Nope. Rejected.”

“Woooof…?”

Rejected. ‘Rampages at night’ means it’s guaranteed to rampage tonight. It might get me out of this one jam, but there’s no future in it. Besides, I hate monsters that transform into humanoids without my permission. Okay… this is the last option.

Heh… It gets bigger. ‘Large’… I don’t know how much bigger, but if the size changes, I can definitely claim it’s a different one, right? I like this one…

“…Donta, let’s make you a Lesser Warg.”

“Woof, woof…?”

Let’s do it! Lesser Warg! Worst case, I can just use Animate Dead on him again, right? I hate all the other options. This is the only one. Let’s go!

[Donta is Evolving… Requesting Evolution Materials… Materials paid by Demon God Babylon… Beginning Evolution.]

Eh?! It needed materials?! I didn’t see that! You’re right, way down at the bottom it lists “☆2 Magic Crystal x10,” “Proof of a Champion,” “Black Crystal of Power,” and a bunch of other stuff I’ve never heard of! B-Babylon-chan paid for it… Is that okay…?

[Personal Message: Just this once, as a special favor~♡]

“Ah, thank you so much…! Babylon-chan is the best…!”

Thank you, thank you! Babylon-chan, thank you!! gasp, gasp I got to hear Babylon-chan’s voice in a PM… I love her, I love her so much!!

[Donta has evolved from ☆1 Wolf to {Lesser Warg}.]

[Donta has awakened to Brawling Skills.]

[Donta has learned the Brawling Skill {Double Palm}.]

[Acquired multiple other passive skills.]

[Stats have greatly increased.]

Oh, oh! Donta is… like twice as big! He’s probably twice my height… He’s so big… Ah, I can’t resist, I have to hug him. So fluffy… so soft and fluffy…! This is the best~…!

“Wooof! Wooooof~ (I’m hungry… Ah! I got bigger! Thank you, Master! But I’m hungry!)”

“…”

Whoa… Come to think of it, the Lesser Warg description did say ‘smart.’ Now I can hear Donta’s thoughts through telepathy. And his first words are “I’m hungry”… Classic Donta… How very like you…

“Okay, let’s get back on track… Donta is way bigger now. It’ll be harder for them to say he was the one who attacked them, right?”

“Kooohn… (Did I… kill something that wasn’t a monster?)”

“That’s right. Anything that looks like me is probably not a monster, they’re called ‘players.’ From now on, unless a player attacks you first, you don’t attack them, period. Got it?”

“Woof!! (Got it! I’m hungry!)”

“…I’ll get you something to eat when we get to town. Just hold on a little longer.”

“Woooof… (Holding on… holding on…!)”

“Okay, I’ll go on ahead. When I call you, come immediately. But don’t attack!”

“Woof!! (Got it! Ugh~, I’m hungry…)”

Just how hungry are you, Donta? Don’t you dare let your stomach growl in front of them. They’ll think you’re about to eat them… They’re right over that hill. That must be the party of three Donta attacked. Thinking about the future… I can’t just avoid this…

W-what? My communication skills… I’m… I’m… c-c-confident in them. I’ll just… use my s-s-s-superior c-c-communication skills… to g-g-get through this! Calm down. I can do this… I can handle this… Approach slowly… They noticed me. They’re coming this way…!!

“Hello! Or good evening, I guess? My name’s Jons. You look new. Are you a beginner? It’s dangerous to walk around here alone.”

The guy who called himself Jons… his name and party status are floating over his head. He’s definitely a player… He’s a swordsman with a small shield. The huge guy has a greatsword, and the slender woman is an archer… Ah. Since they dropped a “Magician’s Staff” when Donta killed “Meriane,” Meriane must have been their mage. Their party is missing a mage… Right, I have to answer…

“…’s fine… don’t min… me…”

“Huh? Did you say something?”

“…N-no… nothing…”

“Oh, right! Anyway! A super-dangerous rare wolf showed up around here! We’re actually about to retreat.”

The sparkly, handsome swordsman, Jons, is getting… really close. Oh no. This is bad. What do I do? Don’t get so close. I wish he’d talk to me without looking at me. He’s definitely looking at me weird. The ‘Real Module Avatar’ tag is public… He’s thinking, “Ew, a Real Module,” I just know it. My thoughts are spiraling… I’m starting to feel sick. I hate being looked at, and I’m on a Real Module Avatar… This is fatal… I can’t. I can’t take this.

“If you’re going to Talash, why not come with us? It’s dangerous for a beginner to be al—”

“Donta!!”

“Wooooof~♡ (You called? You called? I’m here!)”

“Whoa!!”

“It’s… it’s huge! What is that wolf!!”

“Get back! That thing’s definitely strong!!”

“Grrraaaaaargh!! (Ah! They’re in a combat stance! Can I kill them?!)”

I had Donta hidden so he wouldn’t provoke these people, but Jons just kept getting closer and I couldn’t stand it, so I called him. I put Donta right between me and Jons. Phew… space. This is good. Now Jons is out of my line of sight. I think I can talk like this.

“Donta, wait. I’m… going… with Donta… so…”

“Grrrrrraaaaaaaaaargh…!!”

“Don’t kill him. Calm down. Stay by my side. Jons… san…? Don’t… come any closer… It’s… gross…”

“Eh?”

“Ah, no… uh… I just… don’t like… people being close… It’s not you… G-goodbye.”

How… how wonderful. That was, by my standards, perfect communication. I managed to talk to a stranger for that long, even after feeling repulsed, and I clearly refused their offer and I even said goodbye. I’m pretty sure I was able to do this back in middle school when I was in the volleyball club… When did I become such a gloomy person? Especially after starting high school, I’ve barely talked to anyone… But this time, I had a real conversation! I hate talking to people, and it’s painful when they get close, but I still communicated! I’m amazing!

“Kyuun…? (Don’t kill? We’re not killing?)”

“No killing. Besides… that conversation just now. It went really well, don’t you think? Perfect communication.”

“…Woof? (Huh?)”

“Huh? Was there a problem? We got away safely, so it’s all good.”

“Kooohn… (Is it… really okay…)”

Anyway, we’re safe! They didn’t find out Donta was the attacker! And I communicated with Jons-san! Yep, nailed it! Jons-san called the town “Talash.” I feel like I can even talk to the gate guards now! I’m going to ride this momentum straight into Talash!

＊　＊　＊

“Don’t… come any closer… It’s… gross…”

That might just be the most painful thing a beautiful woman can say. “Gross. Don’t come closer.” It’s replaying in my head on an endless loop… She seemed flustered and said it wasn’t about me, but it was definitely about me, wasn’t it… G-gross… Seriously…?

“She called you gross.”

“Pfft…! What did you expect? You were way too aggressive with a Real Module Avatar girl. Of course she’d be grossed out!”

“R-Real Module…?!”

“You didn’t notice? That beauty had the ‘Real Module Avatar’ tag displayed. The way you acted, she definitely thought you were just some thirsty creep looking for a hookup.”

“Aww. She probably thinks you’re the type of guy who only thinks with his dick, even with strangers he just met. Too baaad, Gross-Jons!”

That beautiful, and a Real Module… seriously? …Yeah, no wonder she was creeped out when I just walked up all friendly like that… Total failure. A total failure… I couldn’t even see her face that well, though…

“Anyway, that giant wolf… you think it’s from an undiscovered job or something?”

“Ah, you too, Budds? I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Like a Beast Tamer? What do you think, Mika?”

“I’m betting on Beast Tamer, too. It was way bigger than the wolf that one-shot Meriane and ran off. Given the direction she came from, I’ll bet her giant wolf was the one that beat the wolf that got us.”

“Yeah, I thought so too. If she has the strength to beat the wolf that killed Meriane, she’s got no reason to party up with weaklings like us. Makes sense she’d turn us down.”

Right… I see. She’s strong enough to beat that wolf… no reason to stick with us… Plus, I’m gross…

“Leader! How long are you going to mope!”

“Mika’s right. Snap out of it.”

“She didn’t even talk to me and Budds! She treated us like we were just part of the background! Zero interest! You should be happy she spoke to you at all!”

“Right… Okay. Let’s head back to town and get Meriane. Besides… I might be able to see that girl again.”

“She basically told you to get lost, and you still think you have a chance?”

“Jons, forget it. You’ve got no shot.”

“I-I just want to apologize! That’s all…”

Man, being hated by someone really sucks… I just want to fix this, maybe even get to know her… Fat chance, huh… Sigh…