Chapter 397

Simon's neck was gone. Fresh blood sprayed out. A life ended. The line of sight was too dim.

This is a punishment game; one absolutely cannot refute death with words like that.

The perpetrator of the act, Captain Trail, had already exposed himself before us. His hand gripped Simon's head. He threw it away as if he were carelessly tossing out trash.

"What a pity! My deduction was correct halfway through! One more step, and I would have had to read ahead!"

That person was Locke. He was one of the trio of the Silver Team. Was it acting that made his body feel uncomfortable after being poisoned? No, in reality, Locke seemed to be showing symptoms of drug use. I don't think Simon would have missed that change in aura.

I mean, perhaps the performance was part of it, but he was also using drugs. He must have been using other narcotics or stimulant-like drugs unrelated to the red crystals.

Now that I know Locke is the culprit, I can understand why the Wristbands of the other two companions were not poisoned.

"Hm? No, no, I just met these guys at this Venue, right? They just call each other by random anime character nicknames, right?"

The reason Locke gave non-poisoned Wristbands to the other two people was simply because he didn't want a psychopath around, for selfish reasons. The truth was revealed from the mouth of the biggest psychopath.

"Even so, Simon, if you are going to answer the quiz, I hope you follow the rules. I said, 'Kill the person you think is me.'"

Locke slowly turned to look at Peppa and Caesar, while Simon was just stunned. You can foresee the reality that you don't want to know what you are trying to do. What does this action mean? Moral Constraint and profit-and-loss calculations are both impossible, human behavior.

"Stop!"

Noah stopped it. His ability activated, and the surroundings were shrouded in a morbid space. Everyone crouched in place in pain. It's hard to say if this was the best move, but I thought I could stop Trail's action by temporarily changing the lock.

"This is annoying..."

However, in the space ruled by Noah's disease, Trail stood calmly. Peppa and Caesar, with two severed heads in their hands.

The same was true for Simon. I don't know what technique it used, the ability to snatch a head in an instant. However, when I came here, I was able to know its true identity.

No technique or anything. Trail grabbed the target's neck and tore it off. At a speed invisible to our naked eyes.

I discovered this by observing the aura radiating from Trail. That aura, which until now had just been that of an ordinary person, had transformed into a massive manifestation. It cannot be compared to any Nen I have seen so far.

I cannot believe this is the Life Energy existing in a single organism. Nen-wave skills, the fit between system and ability, observation, combat sense, etc., the overwhelming dimensional difference makes them seem meaningless.

Unlock Noah's ability. He must have noticed it too. There is no Obstacle, such as disease.

Cannot win. It cannot serve as a match. Even if Trail came up and grabbed my neck, I would only understand this fact once my neck was gone. The difference is that great.

It's not like I'm being forced. Trail is just there. That alone is enough to keep everyone present from moving.

"Hyaha... hyahahaha!"

I saw a figure filled with terrifying Malice. I want to say that, as a human, this is wrong. But at the same time, it makes me think.

Isn't this the true face of someone possessing overwhelming power? The origin of humans who no longer need self-discipline. A mixture of high-level thought and the basic desires of a living thing. The image of a beast (human) that is too ugly.

Faced with its Malice and violence, no one can resist. Except for one person standing next to me.

Blade Max took a step forward. Rather than describing it as taking a step forward, it is better to describe it as a missed step. It is a recklessness that cannot be done without a lack of judgment, which would make you miss your footing before a steep cliff. Why can he move?

"Noah, what are you doing? Didn't you protect Six?"

"Heh, no, that..."

Noah, having lost his back, hurriedly stood up. He was like a newborn fawn, his steps unsteady, but he still stood up.

"Grandpa Ginga, with your power and ability to attract, you should be able to take everyone and escape."

"... That's right. This life that has died once, let's save everyone."

Ginga's grandfather materialized his robe and distributed it to the crowd. Trail never stopped its actions. I just watched her with a smile and an obscene grin.

"Six-kun."

I trembled at the call. Why can I move? In this situation, who can take action? If Trail changed his mind slightly, he could easily be killed. I should have known.

"It's okay, your determination is nobler than anyone's; as long as you have that heart, you will always have friends by your side."

One step, two steps, Blade closed the distance to Trail. I don't know what to do. But I know I cannot just let Blade go. Stand up and stop him.

However, just as I was about to go, someone grabbed my hand. I turned to see Pomerni grabbing my arm.

"Hey, brother!"

Pomerni shouted while raising his hand toward Blade. As always, a cheerful tone, a carefree tone without any sense of tension.

"Leave this place to me, Blade."

The only thing unlike him was the tears under his sunglasses, constantly flowing down his cheeks.

"Ah... leave it to me!"

A massive aura surged from Blade's body. His body changed while making sounds. His muscles swelled up like balloons, and the massive figure looking up was completed just like that.

This technique is his ability "Perfect Muscle Armed (Lastmax)". However, Blade stated that once this technique is activated, it cannot be used again for 24 hours. Is it a lie?

Although it is temporary, it has the ability to increase the aura reinforcement rate by 5 times. It can be said that this is a powerful technique that can reverse a situation with one shot even from a cornered state. He thought that to draw out its power, it would take a long time to reuse it as a Constraint imposed on himself. It is too convenient to be used an infinite number of times.

Then I came up with a possibility. The 24-hour reuse limit is not a "limit," but a "promise." A Constraint is a rule that regulates an ability, while a promise is a vow to follow the rule. If it is a promise, it is possible to deliberately break the rule.

Nen increases its power through preparation. Making a severe vow to yourself and sticking to it will make you stronger. However, in proportion to this, the cost incurred when breaking the vow also increases.

"Go! Leave this to me!"

The strength of the violent aura was as strong as that of Trail. However, I discovered that the dazzling radiance was the power obtained by burning something irreplaceable.

――――

"Go! Leave this to me!"

A meat-gorilla has appeared!

――――

Captain Trail held the controller in his hand, looking at the information displayed on the TV screen.

"Huh, didn't you get stronger? Isn't this very dangerous?"

Operate the game controller and input commands.

"Yeah, how about adding another ten million views?"

――――

Gorilla Man attacks!

Trail takes 0 damage!

――――

"Ah, it's a bit too strong! This is hard to adjust."

Trail is playing a game in his room. It is being filmed on-site and streamed live on YouTube.

I am playing an 8-bit retro game. To put it nicely, it is nostalgic; to put it badly, it is outdated. Moreover, it is a well-known game that no one knows, not even the once-popular classic games. It is hard to get opinions.

However, it has attracted enough viewers to wear the name of the top YouTuber, Captain Trail. The average contributor is putting up view counts that don't even come close to his feet.

His Nen Ability, "Captain Trail's Slaughter Game," allows him to collect and gather the Aura of the viewers watching the game video. The Aura gained from one play is as insignificant as advertising fees, and the collected viewers do not notice it at all.

And the collected Aura can be transmitted to the game's protagonist, "Captain Trail." As the number of copies increases, the parameters can be strengthened.

It is no exaggeration to say that he has devoted his life's energy to this "game."

Trail was born into a very ordinary family and spent a very ordinary childhood with nothing special. However, his family was not very wealthy, and there were few opportunities to buy what he wanted. At that time, he really wanted a video game and asked his parents for one many times.

For his son, his father visited an acquaintance and managed to get an old Game Console. The impression I received on my ninth birthday remains an unforgettable memory.

There was only one Game Software on the old hardware from many generations ago. Trail played this game with his friends. I don't remember how many times I cleared it. I played it so well that I could play it without looking.

The software was a role-playing game. The hero was a brave man who was going to defeat the Demon King, the enemy of the world. It was a standard story without any twists. However, at the time of its release, it was evaluated as a game with a relatively high degree of freedom that could be played, and it sold quite well.

The protagonist could defeat monsters to earn money and increase his level. You could also help people in need and obtain valuable items.

He could break into other people's houses to steal, or kill innocent citizens and travel companions. However, the story had no Branch, only one ending. The hero who defeated the Demon King was praised as a hero and lived a happy life ever after.

He participated in every match in this game many times. Day after day, like a machine. This is the origin of Captain Trail.

He wanted to be the hero of the game. I thought if I could "kill bad guys," "get money," and "level up" like a hero, I could become the protagonist. It really did.

Standing in front of a corpse holding a bloody metal rod, he finally realized that this reality was far from the game. However, he was left in the gap between two worlds that would never overlap, and he could not return to where he was originally.

Doing the same things in real life as in the game is not fun at all. The reason I can enjoy fictional stories is precisely because I can identify myself with the protagonist in the created world. He wanted to know how to reconcile the two worlds of reality and fiction.

The Nen Ability created at the end of that crazy idea was "Captain Trail's Slaughter Game." In this work, he was deeply influenced by the game "Greed Island."

A game made by a Psychic. Because of the high difficulty, he couldn't play Greed Island, but he thought about making a game just in case.

Building a game program just in case, a method to collect the energy needed to maintain the system from the outside, and the most important system of "emotional synchronization between the hero and the player." This allows the player to resonate deeply with the game character while maintaining a clear sense of self. The game character can also be safely entrusted to the player.

"Oh, so that's it... This is the game I want to play...!"

Trail held the controller with trembling hands. His whole person was filled with excitement, even exceeding the birthday gift he received when he was young.

In this era, game technology has made huge progress. It is full of realistic graphics, beautiful music, and high-quality games. They must be great. From the perspective of a child born in this era, playing a masterpiece from the previous generation might just be a waste of time.

However, the more saturated the titles are, the more Trail can remember his childhood memories. After school and after class, he would run home. Then I would throw away my luggage and turn on the Game Console in front of the TV.

The 8-bit game world that started from there made him experience days of great adventure. Imagination created the world. I was able to become a "hero" from the bottom of my heart. And now, he is excited again. Trail is immersed in the game, his eyes shining with light.

――――

Attack Trail!

Deals 1780 damage to Gorilla Man!

You defeated Gorilla Man!

――――

"Hahaha... Hahahaha... Ahahahahahahaha!!"

The enemy's graphic head falls off. Flicker, flicker, the enemy's graphic disappears. This is the only change that appears in the video, but in Trail's brain, which is related to the protagonist's emotions, neurotransmitters are secreted abnormally, and he is affected by unstable pleasure.

He appreciates the fun of playing this wonderful game. Developing to this point requires the cooperation of many people. This is a journey I could never complete alone.

"Captain Trail's Slaughter Game" is a joint-type Nen Ability. Trail is the backbone of the project, but he cannot exert this ability alone. Comrades inspired by Trail's ideas even donated their own "Root" to make up for the lack of memory.

Combining the Aura of numerous developers, the Psychic formula built in the network world has indestructible security while being mixed with complexity and mystery. No matter how excellent the cyber police or hacker hunters are, there is currently no way to break through this protection.

When Milky hacked into the main system of the ship, it unexpectedly made me a little flustered, but that was before the game started. Now that the game has been successfully launched, it will not accept any outside interference.

The original schedule for the offline meeting has changed a lot, and instead, it has become a seasoning to make the game lively. The "Death Game" participated in by top YouTubers and 2000 viewers turned into the "Slaughter Game" presented by Trail.

No matter how far you deviate from the route, the ending will not change. Only one genocide (happy ending).

Why could this big event planned by Trail proceed, and where did the huge funds come from? Many of the victims involved must have thought about the impact of this event. The truth is ridiculously childish and vulgar.

Because I want to see people stripped of their dignity and die like trash. This spectacle is like watching a game from the other side of a security monitor. For this alone, tens of billions and trillions of dollars can be wasted without hesitation. These influential people from all walks of life supported Trail and watched the video of this death game in real-time.

That is the destination of people who are tired of luxury and exhausted desires, the fundamental desire of human beings, so Trail named his ability "Slaughter Game." I firmly believe that this type is the end of all entertainment.

The game is under development. There are still many problems to be solved before the consumer version is released.

However, Trail believes that many people will participate in this game by then. Students after class, office workers who just got off work, and old people playing games casually will eventually come.

And with as many protagonists as there are players, "Captain Trail" will go down in history as the worst hero ever.

This gathering is a salute. Let the world know. The beginning of a new era.

"The birth of the Hero's Path!"

――――

【…………】

――――

"Hmm? I'm sure this is..."

The game screen changed. After defeating an enemy named Gorilla, an enemy soldier who started to run away immediately turned around and returned. It's hard to distinguish from the pixel art graphics, but I think it might be one of the Itu Bar, Six.

Trail is also a little worried about her treatment. This is because there are various orders from big sponsors.

The Mafia heavyweights who support Trail also have different positions. Some fully support Trail's ideals, but some just want to transfer his game system to military power, and so on. None.

This game system has the potential to become a revolutionary weapon, depending on future development. A powerful Nen Ability that can even change the common sense of war. This is why Trail can be supported even through a chaotic project, but this is why the guesses of various supporters may be complicated. An example of this is the supporter who placed an order for Six.

Trail doesn't know much about him either, only that his sponsor belongs to the Mafia. About two weeks ago, I received a request to include a large-scale clinical trial of a newly developed drug in the game.

From the client's point of view, it seems that it is just acknowledging that many people will die anyway, so it is okay to mess up the experiment. By that time, a detailed plan had been made, and although Trail wanted to refuse, it was impossible to go against the sponsor's wishes.

It is said to be refined from special minerals. This mineral is made into glass fiber-like particles by crushing the ore, which causes poison to enter the body when it touches the skin. And when the poisoned patient comes into contact with a certain frequency of radio waves, the poison is activated, causing a sudden change in Life Force.

Whether it is a "new drug to promote human progress" or "raising Nen Ability to a new level," Trail does not believe in this suspicious experiment. But looking at the results, it is hard to say that your explanations are all nonsense. Although it is still far from a safe, practical stage, it can be said that there have been certain achievements.

And for some reason, i-tubersix seems to have mastered some information about the drug, and the sponsor warned him not to kill him. Then, I thought about whether to take him as a companion and protect him, but he gave me a difficult task: to hurt him to the extent that I do not kill him.

In the end, he intended to hide a "trail" within the Silver Team and protect Six according to the situation while pursuing her, but due to a series of accidents, the plan changed, and I am satisfied with this shape.

"I don't know what to do, I wish I could take it easy."

This offline meetup is also the first full-scale practical test of the "Murder Game." Therefore, the sense of reinforcement the protagonist gains from his abilities has not been accurately grasped in some places. Six might be angry because his companions were killed, but he is also worried that he will kill them if he doesn't intercept well.

However, Rock, as the character being controlled, can adjust the magnitude of his power. Since he also knows the situation, he shouldn't kill Six here. Trail decides to hand over control to the controlled character.

But the next moment, he realizes his decision was completely unnecessary worry.

――――

Mao appeared!

――――

The blood all over his body froze. The more he felt, the stiffer his body became. A warm sensation flowed between his crotch. Incontinence. His bladder, unable to urinate due to the long game, collapsed helplessly.

However, there was no time to be distracted by such stupidity. While drooling, he entered commands at the fastest speed, converting all regeneration counts into aura, strengthening the controlled character to the maximum.

The fear Trail feels now is exactly the same as the fear of the player character Rock. In other words, Rock, facing the enemy, poses such a threat to Six.

The video on the TV monitor has changed from the live scene to an encounter screen. A dot-art graphic showing the enemy's appearance is displayed in the center of the screen.

A white-haired, girl-like enemy wearing tattered, red, armor-like equipment. I don't know more. The enemy's name is not chosen based on their real name, but based on the subjectivity of the character being operated.

Is this really Six? Are you saying this is an intimidation of the girl who just came to mind? Facing an enemy with an ominous name, many questions surfaced in Trail's mind. But, conversely, this is also a sign of room for maneuver.

Trail shares emotions with the controlled character, but he is not actually facing the enemy head-on on the battlefield. To him, this is just a game. Trail is able to act calmly while intimidated by the strange enemy, allowing the game's protagonist not to flinch in front of a powerful enemy of a different level. Input attack command.

――――

Attack Trail!

Miss! Magic is 0 damage!

Mao's counter!

Trail takes 4800 damage!

――――

"Uh...?"

A feeling like being crushed by something pierced through my whole body. Of course, the protagonist being attacked in the game does not mean the player will take damage.

Common sense was overturned. My right arm made a crackling sound. Something stiff was squirming under my long-sleeved shirt. Immediately after, he was overwhelmed by a pain he had never felt before.

"I... there... ah, ah ah ah!?"

Fell off the plush sofa. I twisted in the narrow gap between the table and the sofa, screaming loudly, my throat crushed.

"Hey hey hey hey!!"

I found myself biting my lip. He bit his lip with the strength to crush flesh, and a large amount of blood flowed from his mouth. I tried to cover the pain in my arm with that pain. A pain that transcended that pain. No matter what he did, not even a speck of dust faded away.

A red, fleshy plant grew from his right arm, through his clothes. The roots were growing. It invaded his body. Along the blood vessels, all the way to the ends of the capillaries, they were replaced by the roots.

I realized that even my Nen Ability was being eroded. "Murder Game" has stopped working, and the video distribution has been cut off. You can no longer Collect aura from the audience. The program built up over many years was destroyed in the blink of an eye.

His whole body was covered with small red plants. It wouldn't be strange if I died, and if I didn't die, it was a strange state. But he was still alive. While I was still alive, I suffered continuously, unable to Escape.

The fountain of life gushing from within him held his life together. The plant grew out of his eyeballs, and he couldn't see anything. However, in his mind, the BGM of a cheap game played at an abnormally loud volume.

＊＊＊

I wonder how much time has passed. When Trail woke up, he was lying in the gap between the table and the sofa.

Hurry and check your body. No abnormalities were found anywhere. The red plant was nowhere to be seen. Take a deep breath and exhale air from the bottom of your abdomen.

Was that a dream? He grabbed his shoulders, trembling and sobbing. This is an experience my brain refuses to remember. I thank my heart that I can live a normal life and return to my original self.

When I looked up, I saw a TV monitor.

――――

Are you okay?

Please enter name

――――

Consciousness was blurred, as if covered by a layer of fog. He didn't think much, manipulated the controller, and entered his name. By playing the game as usual, I tried to calm my very unstable mind.

――――

"Oh! Yusha Trail! I was waiting! Defeat the Demon King and bring the Black Tile back to the human world!"

Mao appeared!

――――

When I saw the encounter screen displayed on the TV, my heart sank. I was thirsty, as if the saliva in my mouth had evaporated instantly. That large amount of body fluid turned into sweat and gushed out from my whole body.

"Pah, this damn game, is it... a game like this!?"

――――

Fight

Defense

Item

Escape

――――

The battle system in his "Murder Game" is not turn-based. If you don't input any commands and your speed is slow, the enemy will attack first. In fact, the controlled character is actually fighting. But, is it okay to attack like before? Confused, he considered other options.

――――

Tool

Seed Seed Seed

――――

A mysterious item filling the tool bar. Even if I considered using it to gain a high chance, I didn't have the courage to choose it. The impatience of the enemy potentially using Hatsu and the determination not to make a rash attack due to hesitation led him to choose the gentle option of "bogyo". Even though he knew this was a bad move.

――――

The path strengthened its protection!

The Demon King's light Sword!

trail dealt 6950 damage!

――――

And repeat.

＊＊＊

In the despair of death, he woke up again. Wedged between the sofa and the table, he didn't even have the strength to get up.

"I don't want it anymore... I don't want it anymore...!"

As he buried his face in the smell of dust on the carpet, he cried. A disturbing BGM rang out in the room. The game screen was displayed on the TV. He even refused to pick up the controller.

Beep beep

While doing so, I heard a faint noise in the background music. I noticed it was an SE sound when you input a command. He looked up at the TV screen.

――――

Are you okay?

Please enter a name

Shh

――――

He did not touch the controller. Nevertheless, the name field on the screen was filled with characters.

――――

Are you okay?

Please enter a name

Chic

――――

A vague sense of unease gripped him. If you leave it as it is, something terrible will happen. I don't know why, but that's what I thought. Quickly re-enter. Even with only four characters, the operation was slow, very slow.

"That... what is that...?"

――――

"Oh! You're forgiven! Are you a bastard? Please enter a name."

It appeared!

――――

"Enough! Enough!"

――――

Fight

Defend

Item

Run

――――

"Please stop... please..."

――――

Already ran!

But I can't escape!

――――

"Someone... help..."

――――

Attack!

――――