1. We live in a worldCopy !req
2. so saturated with games,
that it's hard to keep up.Copy !req
3. In fact, most are released
with little fanfareCopy !req
4. and fade into obscurity.Copy !req
5. But there's one that's captured
the imaginationCopy !req
6. of the masses.Copy !req
7. A fully immersive VRMMOCopy !req
8. that boasts over 30 million
players world-wide.Copy !req
9. The definitive
triple-A experience,Copy !req
10. Shangri-La Frontier!Copy !req
11. One such player,
Rakuro Hizutome,Copy !req
12. has set aside
his trash-game obsessionCopy !req
13. to try his hand
at a God-tier title!Copy !req
14. With a bug-free game
on his horizon,Copy !req
15. who knows what exciting
new adventures await!Copy !req
16. Wethermon, the Tombguard.Copy !req
17. He's a unique monsterCopy !req
18. and I think we should team-up
to take him out, just us three.Copy !req
19. Well,
here in a couple of weeks,Copy !req
20. your favorite
honorary RabituzanCopy !req
21. will be picking a fight
with one of the Seven Colossi.Copy !req
22. "Wethermon the Tombguard."Copy !req
23. We'll have to temporarily
disband our party.Copy !req
24. - Wait, what's wrong?Copy !req
25. You're picking a fight with
Wethermon the Tombguard?Copy !req
26. Huh?Copy !req
27. Gah, gotta tell Da-Da-Dad!Copy !req
28. Bo-Boss. Dabo. Bodadd.Copy !req
29. I can't believe my ears,
not Wethermon!Copy !req
30. - I've got to go tell
daddy right now! -Hang on!Copy !req
31. Emul gave me the news,
but I need confirmation,Copy !req
32. and I wanna hear it directly
from you, my consigliere.Copy !req
33. Is it true, boy?Copy !req
34. Do you really wanna
pick a fightCopy !req
35. with the
defier of death itself?Copy !req
36. This Wethermon is
the "defier of death itself?"Copy !req
37. What does that even mean?Copy !req
38. It doesn't matter.Copy !req
39. This event was practically
an emergency.Copy !req
40. It's gotta be pretty
damn important!Copy !req
41. My best course of actionCopy !req
42. is some good
old-fashioned role-playing.Copy !req
43. Pretending to be part
of this worldCopy !req
44. might be worth
a roll of the dice.Copy !req
45. Just keep your cool.Copy !req
46. If you play your cards right,Copy !req
47. you could get
some good info on big,Copy !req
48. bad, Mister Defier of Death.Copy !req
49. You were able to summit
Mount "Epic Failia," dude!Copy !req
50. This is cake!Copy !req
51. Get Vash on your side.Copy !req
52. The keyword here
is "Vorpal Soul."Copy !req
53. You're still too weak, boy,Copy !req
54. but you're not dumb,
so I don't thinkCopy !req
55. I need to sit here
and break it down for ya.Copy !req
56. You're right, sir.Copy !req
57. I hope you know
I'm not doing thisCopy !req
58. because I'm so cocky
I think I can win, Don Vysache.Copy !req
59. Enlighten me.Copy !req
60. Well, the plan is,Copy !req
61. I'll actually be running
a support role.Copy !req
62. My powerful friend
will do most of the tanking.Copy !req
63. Mm.Copy !req
64. There's some real
shady stuff goin' down.Copy !req
65. I bet you know.Copy !req
66. I'm sure you're keepin' tabs
on the Tombguard, right?Copy !req
67. Wish I could say yes,
but it's been eonsCopy !req
68. since I've paid any attention
to him or his dealings.Copy !req
69. Apparently
there's a group of PKers,Copy !req
70. or, uh, a roving squad
of murderous ne'er-do-wells.Copy !req
71. And they're exploiting
Wethermon to gain an advantageCopy !req
72. over innocent pioneers.Copy !req
73. These guys are dangerous,
and they're using him.Copy !req
74. He's strong, so they get
a lot of experienceCopy !req
75. just for going toe-to-toe
with him, even if they lose.Copy !req
76. My friend,
the mastermind of this raid.Copy !req
77. Well, she's technically
part of that squad,Copy !req
78. but she actually
wants to do the right thingCopy !req
79. and vanquish the Tombguard,
once and for all.Copy !req
80. And she's gone to
unthinkable lengthsCopy !req
81. to make sure we do.Copy !req
82. Doesn't matter what lengths
your friend went to.Copy !req
83. There's no chance
of defeating him.Copy !req
84. What you're talking about
is suicide.Copy !req
85. Look at me.Copy !req
86. When did I give you
the impressionCopy !req
87. that Vorpal Soul
meant walking headfirstCopy !req
88. into the jaws of death?Copy !req
89. You didn't, sir,Copy !req
90. and I don't want to give you
the impression thatCopy !req
91. any of us are going
into this intending to lose.Copy !req
92. But my friend is laser-focused
on beating him,Copy !req
93. and my other colleague
and I will do whatever it takesCopy !req
94. to support her cause.Copy !req
95. Hmm.Copy !req
96. She said,
"no more messin' around.Copy !req
97. We only get one shot at this!"Copy !req
98. If she, of all people,Copy !req
99. is saying
that kinda stuff to me,Copy !req
100. I must honor
my friendship to her,Copy !req
101. and be true to my Vorpal Soul.Copy !req
102. I realize I'm still weak
and inexperienced.Copy !req
103. But I have two weeks,
that's it,Copy !req
104. to help transform
the brash arroganceCopy !req
105. of a cocky greenhorn
into the grit of a contender,Copy !req
106. capable of taking down
a colossal champion.Copy !req
107. Honor your friendship, eh?Copy !req
108. He's an awkward soul.Copy !req
109. Everything's just
a little bit off.Copy !req
110. Is he talkin'
about Wethermon?Copy !req
111. And serious to a fault,Copy !req
112. the man never knew
the meaning of the word "stop."Copy !req
113. After he lost
the love of his lifeCopy !req
114. to an insipid little lie,
well, he went mad.Copy !req
115. Ended up cursed with
a body that refuses to die.Copy !req
116. He's a living corpse,
unable to put himself to rest.Copy !req
117. The poor wretch.
And so...Copy !req
118. - Huh?
- Huh?Copy !req
119. someone needs to put
the bastard in the ground.Copy !req
120. Finally give him
the slumber he deserves.Copy !req
121. Long ago,Copy !req
122. I swore I wouldn't interfere
with those twoCopy !req
123. and the folly of their love.Copy !req
124. But if you're so insistent
on helping,Copy !req
125. I won't interfere
with you, either.Copy !req
126. My sweet daughter also came
to me with a request.Copy !req
127. Off your knees!Copy !req
128. You comin', or what?Copy !req
129. I'll honor my word, while
lending you some of my power.Copy !req
130. Is that a forge?Copy !req
131. Looks like the event
is pluggin' right along!Copy !req
132. Sheesh! Your boy's roleplaying
is erf the cherts!Copy !req
133. Hey! Bilac! Come!Copy !req
134. Eey! How about that, it's Pops.Copy !req
135. Is it my birthday, or what?Copy !req
136. Been a while since I seen ya
in the forge.Copy !req
137. Hey, Bee! Over here!Copy !req
138. Eey, what's up, sis?Copy !req
139. Good Lord, how many
siblings does Emul have?Copy !req
140. Did Vash father the entire
population of Rabituza,Copy !req
141. or something?
The man was bizzay.Copy !req
142. Huh?Copy !req
143. I'm guessin' you're the guyCopy !req
144. Pops and Emul
told me about, huh?Copy !req
145. - Suh, dude.
- His name is Sunraku!Copy !req
146. Ah'right, kid.Copy !req
147. Somethin' about ya
reminds me of Evelle.Copy !req
148. "Evelle?"Copy !req
149. Droppin' another
rabbit name on me?Copy !req
150. Please, I don't think
I can take any more!Copy !req
151. Well? You gonna stand there?Copy !req
152. Or you gonna show me
your Vorpal blades?Copy !req
153. Huh?Copy !req
154. Yes, they see you as
a good master, clear as day.Copy !req
155. They're sturdy,
still look presentable, too.Copy !req
156. Okay, these oughtta
do just fine.Copy !req
157. Uh-huh.Copy !req
158. Bilac! I'm gonna
ascend these blades.Copy !req
159. "Ascend," like,
make 'em better?Copy !req
160. The best they can be!Copy !req
161. Are you sayin',Copy !req
162. you're gonna wield
the hammer yourself, Pops?Copy !req
163. If he's gonna risk it all
to take on the Defier,Copy !req
164. I'm not gonna sit on my ass
and let the boy die,Copy !req
165. that's for damn sure.Copy !req
166. It's actually happenin'!Copy !req
167. I'll get the forge fired up,
right away!Copy !req
168. Think about
all the fights you've had.Copy !req
169. Get any decent materials
from 'em?Copy !req
170. You know, like somethin'
ya really struggledCopy !req
171. to wrestle into submission,
you feel me?Copy !req
172. Huh, not sure I do.Copy !req
173. Lycagon's the toughest mob
I've faced,Copy !req
174. but uh, that was more
"struggled to fail"Copy !req
175. than "struggled to beat."Copy !req
176. And I sold the loot
from the Mud Digger, so...Copy !req
177. Huh? Here's something,
but if I'm honest,Copy !req
178. I didn't wrestle anything
for it.Copy !req
179. It's from a monster that
was really strong, though.Copy !req
180. Hand it over.Copy !req
181. Hah.Copy !req
182. This is the azure shell
of a quad-beetle.Copy !req
183. I watched it fend off
a swarm of Empire BeesCopy !req
184. for a long time
before it bit the dust.Copy !req
185. Figure it has to be pretty
resilient to withstand that.Copy !req
186. Oh, yes. This'll do fine.Copy !req
187. The fire's hot.
Let us forge some steel.Copy !req
188. You're the luckiest guy
in Rabituza, y'know?Copy !req
189. Pops hasn't wielded
the hammer for years.Copy !req
190. Eey, I can't even remember
the last time.Copy !req
191. Is that true?
Uh, Bilac, was it?Copy !req
192. You wouldn't know it,
but this used to be his place.Copy !req
193. My brother got the kingship,Copy !req
194. and yours truly inherited
the forge.Copy !req
195. Righty-oh,
I forgot to tell you!Copy !req
196. My dad is, er, I mean,Copy !req
197. the boss is a most
splendid blacksmith!Copy !req
198. I'm pickin' up on that.Copy !req
199. Oh, yeah.
But not just any blacksmith.Copy !req
200. He's wicked adept,Copy !req
201. he's been recognized
as a Master Craftsman.Copy !req
202. And he's also learned
how to forge weaponsCopy !req
203. from the Age of Divinity,Copy !req
204. so he's known as
an Ancient Craftsman, too.Copy !req
205. Bein' an expert
in both masteriesCopy !req
206. makes him a Divine Craftsman.Copy !req
207. The incomparable,
best-in-the-biz,Copy !req
208. smith of all smithery!Copy !req
209. That's our pops!Copy !req
210. Hey, look! It's about to begin!
Here we go!Copy !req
211. Huh?
The heck was that?Copy !req
212. Magic circles?Copy !req
213. Every time the hammer strikes,Copy !req
214. they jump out of the weapon,
then go back in.Copy !req
215. It's called
"ascending" your weapons.Copy !req
216. He's reading all the memories
and experiences of ya blades,Copy !req
217. soakin' in every battle.Copy !req
218. His masteries
transcend normal smithing,Copy !req
219. what he does is special.Copy !req
220. Based on what he sees,Copy !req
221. he'll reforge your weapons
into their true form.Copy !req
222. Whoa, sounds pretty fancy.Copy !req
223. If a weapon has
"Vorpal" in the name,Copy !req
224. it's gonna remember
every tough foe ya fought.Copy !req
225. He's takin' their memories
of how you wielded 'emCopy !req
226. in those moments.Copy !req
227. And the shell fragment,Copy !req
228. instilled with
the quad-beetle's power,Copy !req
229. then mixes 'em together
in the forging process,Copy !req
230. which changes
the weapons' shape.Copy !req
231. And if you were able
to go toe-to-toeCopy !req
232. with Lycagon himself,Copy !req
233. I can hardly wait to see
how your weapons look!Copy !req
234. That's for damn sure!Copy !req
235. Huh?
Wait, is he singing...Copy !req
236. Huh?Copy !req
237. All right.Copy !req
238. Your Vorpal choppers
have ascended.Copy !req
239. They've acquired
their true names and true form.Copy !req
240. Listen carefully.Copy !req
241. The light is Moonblade Waxing!Copy !req
242. And the dark
is Moonblade Waning!Copy !req
243. A twin weapon?Copy !req
244. A single soul, in two halves.Copy !req
245. For a single blade
to have purpose,Copy !req
246. it must be paired
with the other, no exceptions.Copy !req
247. Been a whileCopy !req
248. since I've seen a total
transformation like you've had.Copy !req
249. Let's check
these moon-babies out!Copy !req
250. "Moonblade Waxing,Copy !req
251. when fighting against
an opponentCopy !req
252. that's higher level than you,Copy !req
253. your successful critical hits
reduce your HP."Copy !req
254. Okay.Copy !req
255. "However, a power bonus
is added to your next attack."Copy !req
256. "Moonblade Waning,Copy !req
257. restores HP under the same
circumstances as Waxing."Copy !req
258. Aha, there it is!Copy !req
259. This really is a two swords,
one soul situation!Copy !req
260. Oh! "A certain number
of successful critsCopy !req
261. adds to the fusion gauge."Copy !req
262. Holy macaroni, bunny-man.Copy !req
263. They combine into
a freaking super-weapon?Copy !req
264. Tally-ho, how splendid!Copy !req
265. Didn't you agree
not to mock me?Copy !req
266. Let's equip these stabbersCopy !req
267. and give 'em a whirl!Copy !req
268. Huh? Failure to meet
stat requirements?Copy !req
269. Breathe, keep your cool.Copy !req
270. All it takes
is some simple arithmetic.Copy !req
271. The game says I needCopy !req
272. 150 stat pointsCopy !req
273. total to equip the blade.Copy !req
274. Currently, I'm sitting at 57,Copy !req
275. which is a little short,
to say the least,Copy !req
276. and I get five points
per level, so uh...Copy !req
277. I can't use 'em
till I'm level 50?Copy !req
278. - Come on!Copy !req
279. Well, it sounds like you've got
a lot more training to doCopy !req
280. before you're tough enough
to wield your "moon-babies."Copy !req
281. Sun-Sunraku?Copy !req
282. - Sunraku, speak to me!Copy !req
283. I wanna use 'em
right freakin' now though!Copy !req
284. So, the moral of the story is.Copy !req
285. I'm late. Sorry.
I really mean it, kinda.Copy !req
286. Any last words before I crush
your life away?Copy !req
287. We were supposed to meet almost
three damn hours ago, man!Copy !req
288. You're not gonna
crappy-apologizeCopy !req
289. your way outta this one!Copy !req
290. Look,
I was kinda workin' my magicCopy !req
291. on this unique scenario,Copy !req
292. and Wethermon's name
happened to come up,Copy !req
293. so excuse me!Copy !req
294. I thought I might get
some useful intelCopy !req
295. for our upcoming adventure.Copy !req
296. I'll bite. Spill the beansCopy !req
297. and I'll call us even.Copy !req
298. What? Without any
death threats or anything?Copy !req
299. Really?Copy !req
300. Making some
bold character choices,Copy !req
301. aren't we, Katzo?Copy !req
302. Huh?Copy !req
303. Oh, I'm sorry,
I guess you're Oikatzo here.Copy !req
304. Like "Oigatsuo" soup?Copy !req
305. He always picks
fishy names like that.Copy !req
306. His real name combines
into "Katsuo,"Copy !req
307. otherwise known as "tuna,"
which he morphs into "Katzo."Copy !req
308. I don't any need pointersCopy !req
309. from a guy whose characters
look like they're on a registryCopy !req
310. and have a legal obligationCopy !req
311. to introduce themselves
door-to-door.Copy !req
312. But for real!Copy !req
313. You don't know how hard
it was for meCopy !req
314. to get here in one piece!Copy !req
315. I chose this back-alley
hole-in-the-wallCopy !req
316. because there's hardly
anyone else around here.Copy !req
317. You got nothing
to worry about, toots.Copy !req
318. Guess that explains
why it was a toughCopy !req
319. place to find.Copy !req
320. Can we get to brass tacks here?Copy !req
321. You wanna fill me in on
what you learned, late boy?Copy !req
322. Fine.Copy !req
323. So we know.Copy !req
324. His name is
Wethermon the Tombguard,Copy !req
325. and he's a "walking corpse"Copy !req
326. who's known as
"the defier of death itself?"Copy !req
327. Great.Copy !req
328. So are we talking aboutCopy !req
329. an undead mob, or what?Copy !req
330. His movements were pretty janky
when the fight started,Copy !req
331. didn't think about it
until now,Copy !req
332. if I'm being honest with ya.Copy !req
333. Well, I'll be,
the whole timeCopy !req
334. I pegged him as
a cyborg-type mob or something.Copy !req
335. But being undead would makeCopy !req
336. a lot more sense.Copy !req
337. That info change our strategy?Copy !req
338. All right. I've got some stuff
to take care of,Copy !req
339. so let's plan on splitting up
till later tonight.Copy !req
340. Glad you're busy,Copy !req
341. but what are we supposed
to do in the meantime?Copy !req
342. If you're feelin' frisky,
I've got some itemsCopy !req
343. that'll help you grind in
the Iron Ruins of the DivinityCopy !req
344. until we meet up.Copy !req
345. I'm all about the grind,Copy !req
346. but we're only two weeks
from the fight.Copy !req
347. Is this our best bet, or...Copy !req
348. A map. Noice.Copy !req
349. A fishing rod?Copy !req
350. It'll make sense
when you're there.Copy !req
351. I've been onto youCopy !req
352. since the second
you walked in the door.Copy !req
353. Is this a joke?Copy !req
354. It's obvious that
there's a small creatureCopy !req
355. wrapped around your neck.Copy !req
356. A what?Copy !req
357. Are you referring
to my avant-garde chic?Copy !req
358. Huh?
What are you talkin' about?Copy !req
359. Maybe it
was only obvious to one of us.Copy !req
360. If you haven't seen the rabbit,Copy !req
361. I guess you wouldn't notice.Copy !req
362. Eh, whatever.Copy !req
363. Later, Nerds!
See you back here tonight.Copy !req
364. Yup.Copy !req
365. Later, bro!Copy !req
366. All right!Copy !req
367. You ready to get weird
in some ancient ruins?Copy !req
368. Uh, you know it, fish-daddy!Copy !req
369. Just gimme some time.Copy !req
370. It should only take me
a minute or twoCopy !req
371. to find a safe route
outta this hell-hole.Copy !req
372. So annoying!Copy !req
373. Now I gotta sneak around like
I'm on the offender list, too?Copy !req
374. I can't hold it
for much longer!Copy !req
375. My ears are getting crampy
and I can't see a thing!Copy !req
376. - Huh?
- Can I please move?Copy !req
377. Perhaps, only a little bit?Copy !req
378. Holy crap! Did you hear that?Copy !req
379. Your equipment
is talking to you, dude!Copy !req
380. It's kinda freaky!Copy !req
381. You can relax.Copy !req
382. I just thought it'd be fun
to see how longCopy !req
383. - it took him to notice you.
- Thank you, sir!Copy !req
384. No way, bro! This is totally
the unique companionCopy !req
385. you brought up
in the planning sesh?Copy !req
386. Don't ignore me, I wanna
check it out, okay?Copy !req
387. What do you think
you're doing?Copy !req
388. Unhand me at once!Copy !req
389. Aw, man, this is so cool!Copy !req
390. I want a unique pet, too!Copy !req
391. - You better put me...
- Then get your own, yeesh.Copy !req
392. This has gotta be it!Copy !req
393. I think we finally made it
to the entrance!Copy !req
394. Hello! I want one!
Earth to Rakuro!Copy !req
395. Will you cool it already?Copy !req
396. You've been harassing me
non-stop! Let's focus up.Copy !req
397. I wanna hit level 50,
and I wanna do it ASAP!Copy !req
398. Oh, fine.
Just so you know.Copy !req
399. This is my very
first party in SLF.Copy !req
400. Me too, with an actual player.Copy !req
401. Huh?Copy !req
402. Definitely got a different vibeCopy !req
403. from the rest of the world
so far.Copy !req
404. Looks like it could be fun.Copy !req
405. Yeah. In an
"Iron Ruins of the Divinity"Copy !req
406. sorta way.Copy !req
407. SLF Theater!Copy !req
408. Mini!Copy !req