ShangriLa Frontier ~ Shitty Games Hunter Challenges Godly Game ~

Is this what they called sleeping on the bed of needles?

The only thing I did there was breaking a window, but for some reason everyone was glaring at me like I did something truly bad right now.

There was also no need for me to do that, but I still decided to sway my chest in a might manner, ascertaining my dominance with pride. That was more than enough to get those awkward glares off my back for now. Fufufu, justice prevails once more!

「Instead of swaying and shaking those boobs of your all over the place, how about getting dressed properly, huh? Sanraku-chan?」

「You just love to focus all of the attention on yourself, don’t you?」

Gloom…… with that remark coming from Katsu, the attention of everyone present in here could finally be brought back to the topic at hand. With that, the discussion between two wolf packs could finally begin.

「Now then, I do not think that any introductions are necessary here…… Originally that would be the moment when we would clearly state the purpose of this meeting, but before that, I do believe that there is a more pressing matter that we need to attend to, isn’t that right?」

In that exact moment, the most eyes turned towards Kyo-Timate. All those glares were rather terrifying in and out of itself, but the most scary were the ones of the people who, even though were the members of the “Black Wolves”, were wearing a rather cheap and weak equipment.

All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the room was so tense that you could easily cut it with a knife.

「Hmm, hmm, so we are starting with that, huh……? Oh well, doesn’t really matter to me all that much. Well then, to just get the matter over with, why don’t you all…… Alright, alright, I’m joking. Why don’t we settle at about fifty percent and call it day?」

「…… Please consider the fact that a large group of Black Wolves’s elites are involved in this. Make it twenty percent and you have yourself a deal.」

「Noo, you see, it is precisely because of the nature of the situation we are dealing here with that I cannot possibly go below forty percent.」

Just from listening to that short exchange, one thing became clear to us all; right about now all the people present were divided into two groups. One group understood what was going on. Other? Not so much.

The former group, the one who understands what is currently going on, is aware of just how fiercely Saiga-100 was fighting here, trying to get as much of a discount as humanly possible. Her argument? If Pencilgton does not go down with the price, our guild might face a full blown retaliation from the side of Black Wolves. Fortunately for us, and unfortunately for Black Wolves, the vast majority of the players who were concerned with that issue were falling into that second category.

「W-What the hell are those two even talking about……?」

「You don’t know? Our leaders are currently negotiating at what level of interest the members who got PKd will be able to buy their equipment back.」

So, in other words, the currently going conversation can be probably summarized to something alongside the lines of:

「If you want us to return your items to you, you will have to pay us the market price plus forty percent interest.」

「That’s funny. Continue to be cheeky little bastard like that and my whole guild will rip you a new one.」

Probably something like that. Maybe. More or less.

And it seems that after a moment of being frozen stiff, the biggest victim here finally was able to understand the gravity of the situation we were all currently in. That, and that judging by the nasty smile on Pencilgton’s lips the perpetrators here were having the upper hand for the current moment.

This guys must not have much experience in PK in the first place, otherwise he would have known why the situation was turning out the way it was for now. But apparently he did not understand why would he need to pay for the equipment that belonged to him in the first place. It must have been because of that that he yelled out loud:

「Why…… Why the hell would I need to pay you anything for getting MY equipment back!? That’s messed up! Just give it back right this instant!」

「Why, you ask…… Well, you see, it’s really simple of a matter. Umm, let’s see here, your…… oh, yes, Ascension Blade, was it? It is mine right now, so please tell me, why would I ever want to give away my prized possession? And for free?」

「But it was mine in the first place!」

Ahh, ahh, he really does not get it. To that display, Saiga-100 just held her head in her hands while the smile on Pencilgton’s lips has grown even nastier than before.

And it seems that Kyo-Timate, who was apparently well-versed in the ways of this game, took it upon herself to teach the small child about the ways in which this world tended to work…… In other words, what is the reason that the victim had to pay money to the criminal so that they could get their stuff back? The explanation is really simple here.

「Now listen well, boy. PK is not an activity that is considered to be illegal in this game. It essentially is one of the play styles that the game allows you to pick and follow. So I just did what the game allowed me to do, and your equipment is the reward that was bestowed upon me for being good at what I do. So it was not a bad thing, see? Do you get it now?」

Yes, that’s right. That is a common misconception even among the veteran players. Player Killing is not something that is not allowed. It is just one of the many ways in which this game was supposed to be played.

For example, let’s say that Pencilgton skillfully deceives someone into willingly giving her their equipment. In that case, everything was done willingly, so there is no use for crying and despairing that you were deceived or swindled. But there is always the thought that it was wrong. And without that willingness it would be a crime. After all, a fraud is a fraud, no matter if the object of the fraud was a cluster of data or real money.

However, PK and everything that results from it is not a crime. It is simply another way for people to have fun within the game.

If PK is a success, the PKer will get their hands on all of your equipment. However, if the PK goes south and PKer is defeated, same fate awaits them. And they are aware of the risks at all times.

In my case the situation is tad a little bit different. I have my INVENTORY, so my most prized possessions could always be safe there if an emergency comes. So right now the whole thing is about settling this PK incident in a way that would leave both sides more or less satisfied.

But even so, dragging your whole guilds into a PK incident is a little bit much, no matter how you try to look at it.