Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 29

Cheat Player

A faint light formed a circle at the plaza in front of the adventurer guild’s entrance.

It was a field for players to have a duel. It would continue to be there until one side’s HP turned into zero.

Although due to the rule of the duel, the player’s HP would be healed  a little even after it reached zero so they wouldn’t be considered  dead.

Ponsuke and the malicious player faced each other. Ponsuke was  showered in cheers while the malicious player had abuses hurled at him.

Ponsuke checked the new equipments that he received.

The one-handed sword was a bit curvy and also thick. It looked reliable from its shape.

The armor was made to be focused at the right side of his body. His  left shoulder wasn’t covered by anything so he could easily move his  left arm that was holding the shield.

It was a heavy looking armor that had red cloth dangling down from the waist.

His head was covered with helmet that had two horns on it.

Although the piece that radiated the most presence was the large shield in his left hand.

It was a steel shield that had a large red jewel embedded on the  center. The embedded jewel was a rare item in the Capital of Hope.

Ponsuke put his body’s left side toward the front while his right hand was holding the one-handed sword.

The figure of a fully armored orc taking a proper form easily sent  pressure to the opponent despite the ten levels difference between them.

This wasn’t an enemy that a player faced behind the screen. Not many  player could stay unfaltering regardless of their intention after seeing  Ponsuke in the flesh.

Ponsuke closed his distance with the opponent bit by bit and opened his mouth.

「What’s wrong? You aren’t going to attack?」

The man with large sword seemed to think of those words as provocation and attacked.

However Ponsuke’s stance with his large shield showed very little  opening. He blocked the attack and stabbed with his one-handed sword.

「Guh!」

The attack grazed the opponent’s side. It wasn’t critical hit but it  dealt damage. Different from unsanctioned player killing, in duel the  damage was calculated without any penalty reducing it.

Even Ponsuke’s attack was dealing damage to the opponent.

It didn’t become a one-sided fight.

「You pig bastard!」

The man swung around his great sword and mixed in some kicks sometimes. He was attacking continuously.

Ponsuke didn’t let his guard down and blocked the attacks with his large shield.

「……You aren’t scary at all when by yourself.」

The opponent got angry and swung down his great sword in a large swing.

The slash collided on Ponsuke’s guard and caused wind to blow furiously.

(……It’ll be dangerous to get hit even once by that.)

But it didn’t mean that Ponsuke had the advantage.

This was a group that killed Alfie and Mariela in one attack even  though it wasn’t through duel. Even Ponsuke would be in peril if the  opponent’s attack hit him directly.

(I also have these equipments so I can endure it if it’s just two attacks. Enduring a third attack……will be impossible.)

The orc’s status and the equipment were making up for the difference  in level, but it didn’t change the fact that he was in disadvantage.

The man with great sword jumped forward. Ponsuke matched that movement by pulling his large shield.

「Die you shitty pig!」

The opponent swung diagonally from below to above. In respond Ponsuke  blocked the great sword with the one-handed sword in his right hand.

Then the opponent kicked Ponsuke’s stomach.

「Ggah!」

An intense pain ran through his stomach. But he could still endure it.

That was because his irritation was greater than that.

Ponsuke’s right hand let go of the one-handed sword and grabbed the opponent’s foot. He grasped it with all his strength.

「I got you!」

「L-let go!」

The opponent seemed to get scared seeing Ponsuke from nearby. He tried to struggle.

Ponsuke smashed the large shield on his left hand at the opponent.

「Shield……Bashhh!!」

The skill hit with all its strength. The opponent was slammed on the ground and bounced. His body floated in the air.

His mouth was opened to scream in pain, but no voice came out.

Ponsuke immediately jumped with his right arm raised, and then he hit the opponent to the ground.

While the opponent tried to stand up, Ponsuke lowered his large shield――.

「Shield……Attack!」

He executed the skill that he obtained at his early days.

That attack looked painful when it hit, perhaps because of the mass behind it.

Ponsuke got up and picked up his one-handed sword. He then waited for the opponent to stand up.

「It hurts, it really hurtss. What the hell is going on. I already cut  it……even though I set the pain to the lowest limit so I won’t feel it」

It was possible to soften the pain when receiving damage through the setting, but it was impossible to cut it off entirely.

Ponsuke narrowed his eyes.

「Cheat huh? This is my first time seeing someone who use that.」

Then the opponent yelled tearfully while pressing his left hand on his stomach.

「Don’t screw with me! There’s no way I can lose when there’s this  much level difference! You must be using cheat too! How dare you……how  dare you make a fool of meee!」

The opponent held his great sword with one hand and swung it around with large motion. Ponsuke matched his movement with him.

He deflected the great sword with his shield, then he thrust with his one-handed sword while the opponent was unbalanced.

The sword stabbed into his stomach. The opponent let go of his great  sword and writhed while trying to pull out the one-handed sword with his  hands.

「Ofuh! Hurts. It hurts! Why!」

The crowd booed seeing him writhing in pain. They told him that he was getting his just desserts.

But Ponsuke was also feeling curious.

(Why are these guys suddenly started feeling pain?)

At the beginning the malicious players didn’t show any reaction to  pain even when his party fought back. Even the one player who got item  thrown at him and became enveloped with flame didn’t react much.

Ponsuke lifted up the one-handed sword high, and then he swung it  down. The opponent got thrown away from the sword and rolled on the  ground.

His HP already decreased until the limit. A screen that announced Ponsuke’s victory appeared.

「SHAAAAAAA!!」

Ponsuke lifted both his hands and yelled. The crowd responded with applauses and cheers.

「You did great for an orc!」

「He won even though there’s ten level difference!」

「That orc is damn strong! He’s seriously stroong!」

Ponsuke lowered his arms as the crowd showered him with applause. Then the circle of light that surrounded them vanished.

When he looked at the opponent, the man was glaring furiously at Ponsuke.

The other players gathered around him to put him into restrain.

「Stand up!」

「Maybe it’s also these guys’ fault that the NPC isn’t coming here?」

「Oi, someone find out more about these――」

Those players instantly got enveloped in red light.

Looking closer, the player with great sword had removed his level restriction and equipped his main equipments.

And then around him appeared screens that were different from normal screens. They were illegal tool screens.

「I planned to go wild before my account get removed, but no more. I  absolutely won’t forgive you. I’ll increase the damage……the pain to the  max! Go die in shock from the pain!」

The enemy player had bloodshot eyes. His level display showed the number 119. It was a very high level.

It seemed he enhanced his weapon using illegal tool. It warped and  had mosaic slapped over it, and then at the end it returned back to  normal.

「I don’t care whether it’s in RL or virtual world, garbage like you guys――」

It seemed he wanted to say something, but Ponsuke didn’t plan to listen.

「……Should just die!」

The surrounding scenery moved slowly. His concentration heightened.  It made everyone’s movement looked sluggish……that was what Ponsuke  currently experienced.

Ponsuke matched the timing of the opponent’s slash. He swung down the  one-handed sword in his right hand and slashed through gap of the  opponent’s armor――at his stomach.

Counter.

The skill that Ponsuke had been polishing turned the opponent into  red light particles in exchange of sacrificing a single one-handed  sword.

Then warning screens popped out around Ponsuke.

「――tsu!」

He fell on his knee and became unable to move. It shocked his surrounding.

「Ponsuke!」

「What’s wrong Ponsuke!」

Mariela and Alfie ran toward him, but they were bewildered seeing the warning screens around Ponsuke.

Nanako approached and read the warning screen.

「Malicious act toward players below 13 years old? Could it be those people――」

The captured three players averted their gazes from Nanako.

And then the crowd around them pointed at fully armored NPCs――and an  existence that was made up of only a torso, two arms, and a round head  that were gathering to this place.

「Even the management AI showed up.」

Someone said that. Ponsuke looked up to the sky.

At the sky a robot with no legs was looking down on Ponsuke.

『Serious malicious act confirmed. Analyzing the log. Analyzing the video. Analyzing the voice recording……』

Nanako stood in front of the AI who was looking down on Ponsuke and spread out her arms.

「Please wait. Ponsuke-san……Ponsuke-san and the others were just helping me. That’s why……that’s why……」

There’s no point talking to the AI.

That would be the end of it if Nanako was told that, but the surrounding players also displayed their own recording to help.

「What the hell are you saying after coming this late!」

「It’s those guys who are in the wrong!」

「Do your work properly you shitty dev!」

The management AI watched the players and the videos that were  projected to the air. It fell silent for a while before giving  instruction to the NPCs.

『Secure the restrained illegal players. Forcefully transferring the  players at the shrine. To the player who carried out the malicious  act……no, to the heroes who protected the wish of this girl, our  gratitude to all of you.』

The management AI said that and vanished to the night sky. Ponsuke was freed from his restrain.

「Kahah! That was painful.」

It was as though the gravity was multiplied several times over and  pressed on him from above. He was unable to breath properly because of  that.

Mariela, ALfie, and Nanako hugged him after he was freed.

「Ponsuke, thank god!」

「As expected from Ponsuke. I can’t believe you finished it off like that in the end!」

「Ponsuke-san, you were so cool!」

Seeing that scene caused the players who were giving applause and cheer just now to click their tongue.

The malicious players who were surrounded by NPC vanished. And then the gathered players checked the time.

「Oi, it’s almost time. Let’s go to the guild.」

Rook said that. Ponsuke and the others stood up and nodded.

.

.

.

Nanako reported the completion of the quest while being watched by many people.

The receptionist lady looked at the gathered people with a smile.

「The quest is completed. Also I shall ask the management to prepare a  present for everyone who had given their cooperation in this matter.」

The players whistled and gave applause when they heard that.

Nanako turned toward everyone.

「U-umm everyone……thank you so much!」

The gathered players sent applauses to Nanako who said that to them.

Alfie said to Nanako.

「Nanako-chan, there’s no time. Come on, it’s time to use the item.」

The reason Nanako sought the Secret Medicine of Hope was as good luck charm for her surgery.

She took the item in her hand and used it.

Then warm light enveloped the interior of the guild.

The players who seemed to be clearers were standing near Ponsuke. They looked nostalgic.

「That item had also helped us out a lot of times hadn’t it?」

They were smiling in nostalgia.

「We worked hard to gather it, buying it up at the market……we worked like slaves everyday for it.」

Ponsuke looked at the nostalgic clearers, then Rook slapped Ponsuke’s arm.

「Yo hero.」

「Rook. Sorry for bothering you like this.」

Ponsuke looked apologetic. Rook said to him.

「It’s fine. We’re friends after all. Well, you can repay me by helping out when I’m in trouble.」

Ponsuke nodded with a smile at Rook.

It had become night when they left the adventurer guild at the end.

The sun was rising. The players were logging out one after another.

Ponsuke, Alfie, Mariela――Nanako spoke to the three of them while crying.

「Everyone, thank you so much. I……will definitely come back here.」

The three smiled at Nanako.

「Let’s travel together again when you return.」

「I’ll become an even more reliable big sister when you return here.」

「Get better quickly and come visit again.」

Nanako wiped her tears and replied energetically.

「Yes!」

And then faint light enveloped them and everyone vanished.

◇

At the real world.

At the receptionist of a VR café.

Riku looked at Akito who was helping with the part-time work while looking dissatisfied.

「What? You promised that you’re going to help when your friend is in trouble right?」

Akito was wearing the VR café’s uniform. He was carrying a large baggage.

「I never imagined that you would ask me to help with your part-time work at RL! What I meant is helping at that side!」

He was saying that, but he still came helping here when he was asked. That spoke of Akito’s character.

「Work hard. After all we are friends.」

Akito moved the baggage to the back storage.

「I’m doing it. Just watch me, I’ll work so hard the owner is going to scout me to work here.」

Riku saw off Akito’s back while sighing.

「No, the café owner isn’t here today so you won’t get scouted……he isn’t listening.」

Riku resumed his own work, then four children came to his desk.

They were grade school students in appearance. They were at the upper grades, but still they were young.

「Is something the matter?」

The boy who seemed to be the leader among the four talked to Riku with impudent attitude.

「Is the VR machine here broken? Don’t put defective product at the open.」

Riku tilted his head.

「Defective?」

The boys complained to Riku.

「It’s Pandora’s Box Garden! We tried to play it but it won’t start.  Even though we had taken the trouble to come to this kind of café  because the machine at our home was also no good.」

The boys had bad attitude. Riku spoke to them apologetically.

「Ee~, I’ll need to take a look at it first before getting back to you. Err, your room is……」

Riku used the receptionist computer to take a look at the information of the machines in the boys’ rooms.

They seemed fine, so Riku took the four boys to one of the rooms to check.

Then he narrowed his eyes when he saw the screen that the machine was connected to.

「Fix it quickly. We want to play game here. Mister, you must be an  incompetent seeing that you’re working part-time, but you should be able  to do at least this much.」

The impudent kids irritated him. But there was something that irritated Riku even more.

(So it’s these guys. I can’t believe they’re trying to return by  creating new account. Do they want to go wild for the last time?  ……Stupid idiots.)

The screen displayed the words “Access Denied Indefinitely”. Normally  even if a player was given penalty, it would only be an access  prohibition for several months. Or perhaps the player’s account would  get erased.

These boys’ accounts were already erased. And there was this  indefinite prohibition on top of that. It meant that they wouldn’t be  able to play Pandora’s Box Garden ever again.

「Hey, fix it quickly!」

The boy spoke with annoying tone, but Riku kept treating him as a customer and smiled politely to him.

「I’m sorry. But this isn’t something that I can fix. There is nothing  wrong with the machine, so it’s not the responsibility of this café.」

「Eh? But――」

Riku explained the actual situation to the four.

「I don’t know what you did that caused your account to be erased, but  now you have been prohibited from access indefinitely. The VR had also  taken your individual biological data, so aren’t you perhaps getting  ejected out when they detected your biological data?」

The four turned pale.

One of them opened his mouth.

「B-but we’ll be troubled if we’re given that treatment. This game is  popular even at our school. We’ll get ostracized if we’re the only one  not playing it――」

Riku only treated them as customer till the end.

「I understand that, but it’s not something that this café can do  anything about. Besides, you must have done something really serious to  be given indefinite restriction like this. Were you told anything when  you logged out the last time?」

One of them looked down.

「T-they said, they will contact our parents.」

Riku understood inside his mind. The act of using cheat could only be construed as obstruction.

It was enough ground for the management to sue.

(They’re still children, so perhaps they’ll be let off with only a warning to their parents? No, that won’t be all……)

And then Riku touched the computer and confirmed that there was unconfirmed data running.

(They were using cheat tool huh. Well, they won’t be able to return there ever again like this.)

He pointed at the screen and explained.

「This is a cheat tool isn’t it? Do you know that it’s illegal to play using something like this?」

The four looked bewildered, so Riku was convinced that they were aware.

「……You four must have done something really malicious. A punishment  this harsh is the proof that the dev is seriously angry. I think, you  guys won’t be able to play Pandora’s Box Garden ever again. If you want  to play other game then I can set it up though. What do you think? Ah,  do it without cheat this time okay?」

The four talked with each other.

「W-what now?」

「I told you before that we shouldn’t do it.」

「This isn’t my fault!」

「There isn’t anyone who play other games!」

The four started crying and fighting among themselves. Riku stopped them.

「Please, do something!」

「We won’t do something like this again!」

「I, I……」

「I didn’t do anything wrong! It was these three who forced me!」

Riku spoke calmly.

「I told you, this isn’t something that this café can do anything  about. Besides, I also never heard about indefinite restriction getting  cancelled before……it’s better if you just give up.」

However the boys kept crying and showed no sign of leaving, so Riku contacted their parents.

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