Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 85

Efficiency

Yukine and Kira came to Akito’s workplace.

The busy time for a minimarket during holiday had ended. The number of customer was few at this time.

Yakumo was exasperated.

「A boy dressed like a girl. The middle schoolers these days are amazing.」

Surely she wasn’t seriously thinking that it was amazing.

She meant that it was amazing with how high the perversion level was.

Akito too was at a loss of what to say seeing Kira dressed like a girl.

(I can’t believe these middle schoolers can get the idea of dressing  their friend in girl’s clothes. Furthermore this doesn’t seem like a  joke at all.)

The problem was how such look really suited Kira.

Kira looked even cuter than the average girls. Akito felt like he  would believe it without question if he was told that Kira was actually a  girl.

Yukine consulted with Yakumo.

「Saeki-kun will be troubled at school too at this rate. Please help him.」

Yukine’s idea was to show the problematic middle schoolers that Kira had friends who were in high school.

Kira’s friends weren’t delinquent or anything. They also had no connection with bad people.

Yukine was asking them to give a light warning to those boys.

「I don’t have a problem with that. Our shift is going to end soon, so  we’ll come with you. Akito, you also don’t have any plan after this  right?」

Akito shook his head.

「No, I have plan at night, so let’s make sure we finish this before that.」

Yukine complained to Akito.

「Naruse-senpai! We need to have a man accompanying us! Please, lend us your strength!」

Kira was looking at Akito with a doubtful gaze.

「But, this mister look unreliable isn’t he? We might get underestimated instead.」

Yakumo flicked Kira’s forehead after he said such thing. Then she looked at Akito.

「Stupid. This person is really amazing you know? Alright, let’s show him.」

「……Eh?」

Akito was at a loss for a while, wondering what she was telling him  to show. Then Yakumo stripped him from his apron and made him took off  his shirt.

「Don’t just stand like that, show them. They’ll get it if they see your muscles!」

「Stop! Yakumo-senpai, please stop!」

His shirt was taken off and his undershirt also got lifted up to  display his chest and abs. What appeared was a trained body that was  unimaginable just from looking at Akito’s outer look.

「Mister, you’re amazing.」

Kira who was longing for manliness had sparkling eyes when he saw Akito’s mucles.

However it was embarrassing for Akito to be in such position.

(What are we going to do if a customer comes? No, I’m not sensing any sign of someone approaching though……)

Yukine looked doubtful and her hand reached out to touch.

Her hand touched all over his side.

「Ah, they are real.」

Akito thought.

(How can they be fake?)

「It’s enough isn’t it? There might be customer coming.」

Akito wanted to fix his clothes but, seeing Yukine touching caused Kira to follow suit in touching his abs.

Yakumo was also touching his back.

「Awesomee! I also want to be brawny like this!」

The middle schoolers were touching him with curious pats.

While Yakumo was touching him with a caressing way.

「Fitness club is really amazing. You’re going there too tonight?」

「Yes. I’m increasing my training set lately. Ah, come to think of  it……if we’re talking about appearance than Riku might be better for  this.」

Akito thought of calling his friend who sold him out before this, but  inside the store――the sight of three people touching a half naked high  school boy all over his upper body was abnormal.

Yakumo was asking him while continuing to touch.

「Your friend?」

「Yes. His appearance is like a delinquent, but he’s actually a really good guy.」

The friend who invited Akito to play Pandora was Riku.

He was also a Selector like Akito.

Akito yelled when Kira and Yukine started touching his chest.

「Wait! Don’t go there!」

Yukine and Kira laughed.

They must be poking fun at Akito who was getting embarrassed.

「Don’t be stingy like that~, senpai.」

「Don’t be stingy~」

Yakumo was also laughing.

「Don’t be stingy like that. It’s not like you’re losing anything from getting touched.」

Akito thought.

(This isn’t about stinginess! Or rather, you should stop too senpai!  ……Is she still getting influenced by Pandora even now? I hope she’ll  calm down after the maintenance is over.)

After that――he called Riku and they went to warn Kira’s friends. With that this case should have been solved.

.

.

.

“It was said” that there were seven worlds in Pandora.

The worlds of Gluttony, Greed, Envy, Sloth, and Arrogance had been  liberated. After that those worlds became the worlds of Temperance,  Discernment, Love, Diligence, and Sincerity.

The remaining worlds were Lust and Rage.

Pandora’s new management was carrying out a drastic adjustment before these two remaining worlds were conquered.

They invested a lot of money to improve the facilities. They also  forcefully recruited capable staffs to improve the system and also held a  lot of events and the like.

And then it was announced before the maintenance was finished. The readjustment of the virtual world’s time.

There was an announcement that the time of the virtual world would become [96 times] longer.

With this, logging in for two hours per day would allow the players to spend eight days inside the virtual world.

Nobody raised any objection at the day when the announcement was made.

In addition the forceful acquisitions and personnel recruitments  caused the other VR game makers to be effectively cornered to stop  operating.

.

.

.

Akito was in his apartment. He was holding his smartphone in one hand while his other hand was pressed on his forehead.

The time was just passing nine at night.

「There really isn’t any problem at all right? Besides, why are you using all these forceful methods?」

He was talking with the information broker.

The representative of the management.

『What can you mean? It has been completely verified that there isn’t  any problem at all to the players’ body and heart. In fact, the VR  machine that has been used until now for education is set to be many  times longer than Pandora. You yourself have gone through it several  times so you must already know it but, did you feel any problem from  that?』

The time that players could spend inside game was increased, that was all.

The information broker was declaring that.

「That’s……you aren’t wrong but」

『No, actually we are also troubled over here. There was also a talk  of shortening the login time. I myself was trying to advocate that just  one hour of login to spend four days inside the virtual world should be  more than enough already.』

The information broker sounded tired.

Apparently he originally wanted to adjust the situation so the login time got shortened instead.

「Is that true?」

『Yeah, after all there are people who are uneasy with this increase  of time even if it doesn’t actually cause any problem. There is also  group that is opposing this because it will influence the reality.  But……I’m running a company here. There are a lot of circumstance in the  adult world.』

The information broker apologized for his lack of power despite all  his hard works to make Pandora a safe game. Even Akito couldn’t say  anything more after being told that.

「I’m sorry. I’m slightly overreacting. I was scared that perhaps this is too because of the game’s influence.」

『I’ve been adjusting things so that there won’t be any influence like  that. Well, I’ve been a bit forceful with all the recruitments and  acquisitions recently, but I did that because it’ll be a pain if other  companies are secretly trying to do similar experiment. In fact there  are still some leaders and staffs of the old management out there who  haven’t got caught.』

The inhumane experiment that was trying to brainwash the populace.

Knowing that not all the people involved in them had been caught was a scary story.

『Ponsuke-kun, don’t be so high-strung. This case is already solved.  All of you don’t need to do anything dangerous anymore. I want you to  leave the rest to us adults now.』

「I understand. I’m sorry.」

『It’s alright. Rather than that, look forward to Pandora tomorrow. We have worked quite hard on it.』

Akito’s feeling calmed down slightly hearing the information broker’s bright tone. He then cut off the call.

Inside the room, his old type VR machine was automatically doing update.

「It’s fine……right?」

There wasn’t any problem anymore.

Akito thought like that and laid down on his bed.

Tomorrow――at 3 o’clock, Pandora would resume its service.

◇

Capital of Hope.

The guild that Ponsuke led came to the beginner world.

They came here to reset their character’s levl or perhaps recreate it in order to adapt to Pandora that continued to change.

Even if there was a strongest version before the upgrade, there was no way the management didn’t do anything to adjust it.

Based from the published information, there was a need for them to set up their characters again.

However, they would also need to actually do the change and then testing it.

Because of that, top players could often be seen in the Capital of Hope.

Medium sized guilds and the like were also coming to the Capital of Hope with the same purpose like Ponsuke and co.

A medium sized guild was holding a meeting at the plaza.

「Dragonia is getting weaker from the race adjustment. Those using it  should change to other race that is suited to be vanguard. And one  person should test Minotaurus race――」

Minotaurus was a monster race that was similar to orc, a demihuman race with cow head.

It was also similar to orc how their status was suited for the  frontline, but if there was a difference then it was how the NPCs didn’t  hate the species that much and the race could also receive the  goddess’s blessing.

In other words, it was treated as a superior version of orc.

The orc leader Prey saw the Minotaurus avatars that already appeared here and there and scoffed.

「Hmph, ridiculous. Orc’s superior version? What kind of benefit there  is from a race that isn’t getting scorned and has few demerits? We will  be orc forever, no other way about it. Isn’t that right, Ponsuke-kun?」

Ponsuke who was asked for an agreement was troubled of how to answer.

He had no intention to change from orc at this point.

A part of the reason for that decision was how he had gone around to  orc villages and got stronger but, he also didn’t have that much  yearning toward Minotaurus.

It wasn’t like he had any intention to change race but……he also had no intention to accept Prey’s reasoning.

「Don’t treat me like I’m the same with you.」

「What are you saying? You are already our comrade aren’t you?」

Even though they were in the same guild and also friends inside the game, they weren’t kindred who had the same hobby.

Blaze smiled wryly.

「Well, as expected completely focusing in efficiency is no good but,  we still need to think a little before choosing our jobs and skills.  Perhaps I’ll choose safe job like a fighter first.」

With fighter job, the player could receive system support when moving  their body. Because of this job was indispensable for player who wasn’t  good with physical exercise.

A purple haired beauty with horns growing on her head, Fran was touching her hair.

「Is that necessary? There won’t be any problem even without it.」

Nanako envied Fran who was like that.

「I’m jealous with Fran-san. But, I specialize in close quarter combat so I want to take that job. What about you Ponsuke-san?」

「I still haven’t decided. An avatar with the strongest job set won’t  receive any system support. Controlling that kind of avatar will be too  hard that I don’t feel like using it.」

Player would be able to move well if they received support from the system, but it would also take up some valuable job slots.

If they decreased the number of such job as many as possible, they would be able to replace them with other beneficial jobs.

This was a source of worry for many players. It was at the level  where many top players would be laughed at if they took support job.

Lighter was worrying.

「Our manufacturing job won’t lose any proficiency level, but  resetting our level is going to be suck. I want to avoid remaking my  character too many times.」

Alfie looked like she didn’t care.

「As for me, I don’t have any intention of remaking my character. Well, I want to get over with this with just one time.」

Lighter laughed.

「But Alfie, you said that you’re going to change your three sizes――」

「WAA! WAA! Lighter was doing sexual harassment! I need to report this to the dev right away!」

Ponsuke watched his guild members having fun. Then Sololy approached him.

「Ponsuke-kun, after you decide your main job, how about we go outside  to test how it feels to use it? You will be able to learn how well you  can move with the new setting, and it’ll also be useful to choose the  jobs and skills after that.」

Ponsuke was thankful with the presence of Sololy who was giving advice like this.

「I guess. Then, let’s go outside with everyone after remaking our avatars.」

He was somehow feeling excited. It was similar with the feeling of  anticipation when he was still in the early stage of the game.

Mariela brushed away her hair.

「Changing race is a bit……well, I’ll at least give some minute adjustment to my avatar.」

Mariela decided to reset her level back to 1 without any change to  her style that she had been using until now. Ponsuke didn’t make any  particular comment about it.

In the end he entrusted the decision to each their own.

As for Inaho who was the most beginner of all of them.

「I also blundered with my job selections so I’m going to remake my  avatar. When I saw the guide page, there was this job combination that  looked good.」

Everyone was talking happily about what they were going to do. Then  they saw a group wearing black robe running with perfectly coordinated  movement.

Inaho was surprised.

「W-what’s with those people? They aren’t saying even a single word……scary.」

Sololy explained to Inaho who didn’t know anything.

「Aa, you don’t know huh. Those are top players. In Pandora, forming a  plan only after you logged in will only bring you to middle rank.  Players who can focus on efficiency and talk strategy with language that  will sound like code words might be able to become clearers or they  might not. But the no-lifer top players never speak, focus on only  efficiency, and will never stop moving even for a second. They already  formed their plan even before logging in and they simply carry it out  inside the game.」

Inaho was dumbfounded.

「……What is so fun from playing like that?」

Ponsuke too couldn’t understand it, but he understood that each person had their own way to have fun.

「Well, for us this game is for the sake of our life, but for those  people, their life is just a secondary thing to the game, so it can’t be  helped.」

The real world was there for taking a break and earning money and holding strategy meeting for Pandora.

It was only after going that far that they became top players.

It was a territory that no ordinary person could step into.

Ponsuke called out to everyone.

「Then, let’s go to the shrine.」

Everyone responded back and they started walking in good order toward the shrine.

.

.

.

Ponsuke’s basic style was using a one-handed sword and a shield.

When he went into the offensive, his attacks produced critical hit in  succession and dispersed red light particles to the surrounding.

Nearby there was Mariela holding a cheap looking bow and arrow. Her arrow pierced a monster that was far away.

As for Alfie, she was swinging her sword as though she was dancing and defeated the monster.

Ponsuke stared at his hand that was holding the sword.

「……Strange. My body move really well even without support.」

Even though previously he was moving with the help of various support jobs, he could move agilely right now even without those.

He tried jumping, rolling, and then dodging the monster’s attacks in a  hair’s breadth but……he was moving exactly just like before.

Alfie looked like she wasn’t thinking too deeply about it.

「Perhaps you simply have gotten used to controlling the avatar? You  know, you’re also training your body in RL Ponsuke, so this is just the  result of that.」

He could understand what she was saying.

「Certainly! Recently I have also upped my training sets to become even more intense. I see, so it wasn’t in vain.」

He exercised his body for game.

It felt like he was making some kind of mistake, but exercising was also beneficial for his health, so there was no problem.

Unlike Alfie, Mariela looked like she was having fun.

「Then, you should take off all the supports next and set other jobs  in their places. Ponsuke too should give a try taking some kind of  production job.」

Ponsuke thought that doing that might also be fun, but their guild already had the deviant――the craftsmen group.

There wasn’t any reason for Ponsuke to go out of his way to take production job.

「H~mm, in that case I’ll take something else and give it a try.」

He was thinking to level up in the Capital of Hope for a while. It  was then Riku――Rook came on a bike in front of the three of them.

His bike caused a cloud of sand to trail behind him. He came to a  stop beautifully in front of Ponsuke and others and smiled at them. He  wasn’t wearing a helmet.

「Yo, you look well Ponsuke.」

「Rook! So you finally got your hand on a bike. It’s amazing.」

It seemed Rook came here to show off his black bike to Ponsuke.

「I already had it since some time ago, but it was finally finished  just before the maintenance. I want to ride it before I remake my  character. It has level restriction after all, so I won’t be able to  ride it for a while after this.」

He was making the black bike without sparing any expense.

Ponsuke was looking at the bike that was the pride of Rook with sparkling eyes.

「Do you want to ride it? You can get on the back.」

「Can I!?」

「Ou. This is missionary work in order to increase my biking comrades.  Also, come to the frontline quickly. Apparently the Capital of  Sincerity is also real fun.」

Rook threw a helmet at Ponsuke. He caught it and put it on before  getting on behind Rook. Then Rook immediately revved up the bike.

Mariela and Alfie were left behind.

Normally the girls would say things like the boy should offer the  ride to the cute girl, etc. But, both Mariela and Alfie were feeling  jealousy toward the male Rook instead.

「……That bastard, he took away Ponsuke.」

「That guy is enemy.」

The two saw off the backs of Rook and Ponsuke while feeling the wind  of the virtual world that felt even more realistic than before.

Their hair fluttered. In addition the grass and dust at the surrounding were also moving like they were real.

There was nothing there that felt out of place at all.

Prev Table of Content Next