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Pandora of Fantasy And Reality Chapter 89
🕑 Added 2023-03-21 07:09:35 +0000 UTCFailed Recruitment
「……Why?」
Ponsuke and the guild members were hanging their head down.
The players who came for the recruitment came to mock them or to protest their guild’s policy.
They had prepared themselves for the mocking.
After all this was online game.
Some players liked to act as they pleased because they weren’t in real world.
Lighter watched the video that Sololy edited.
There were two videos.
「It’s problematic that these are getting circulated.」
One video looked really glossed up.
Everyone was recorded to look like they were having fun, but their awkwardness showed up in the video. Although this was still the better one.
There were worse recruitment videos of other guilds.
Blaze pressed both his hands on his face.
「……There’re a lot of comments saying that our eyes looked dead.」
The recruitment poster, the glossed up video……and then the other video which was intended for internal consumption.
Sololy was laid down on the floor tied up with rope.
Mariela and Alfie were stepping on Sololy while holding whip.
「Do you have anything to say, Sololy?」
Mariela was stepping on Sololy because he himself was the one who spread out the video.
「I-it’s not like what you think. I was tired with the editing. Because of that I upload the wrong one into the bulleting board! I don’t have any ill intent!」
The whip hit the floor loudly.
Alfie opened one of her eyes widely. Her irritation was obvious to see.
「My reputation is in tatter because of this video.」
Ponsuke was watching the promotion video that Sololy spread out.
(No, Alfie and Mariela’s reputation has been questionable ever since before……but, as expected this isn’t funny at all.)
It would be something to laugh at if they watched the video among themselves.
Inside the video, the adorable race gnome――Lighter was laughing maniacally while being surrounded by items.
『More! Bring me more items! Eh? Anymore than this is impossible? Haa……we can just increase the quota then.』
The next scene showed Blaze sitting on a chair while receiving interview.
His avatar’s eyes looked dead even though this was a game.
『Is it fun, you ask? For human, it’s important to try to have fun no matter the environment. Rather than that, can we finish already? I won’t make it for the quota today if I don’t go now.』
The next scene showed Alfie whipping the orcs severely.
『Ora-, sing for me you pigs!』
『OINKKKK!!』
The picture of the orcs oinking happily was hell.
At the corner of the picture there was Mariela stepping on an orc while nagging.
『Oi, speak! You wanted this right?』
『Y-yes! This is exactly what I wanted!』
Mariela’s smirking face was being shot from close-up.
The next scene showed Nanako, Sierra, and Guruguru, the adorable trio being shot for the recruitment video. But nearby――.
『Fran-chan you thieving cat! What’s with your supporting of him with paid item!?』
『I’m not supporting him or anything. That was just a gift.』
『Y-you two, we’re in the middle of shooting here.』
Noin and Fran were arguing while Inaho was trying to stop them.
Nanako was showing a genuine smile.
『Everyone in our guild are close with each other.』
Sierra was also smiling brightly.
『There isn’t any problem at all.』
Guruguru was dressed like a girl and blushing red.
『T-this guild is a bit strange but it’s real fun yeah. No, I mean, it’s really nice.』
Noin grabbed at Fran behind him.
『Liar! Your face is red! Fran-chan never made that kind of face even at RL! Even though you said that you’ll cheer my first love!』
Inaho got between the two, but she got pressed in the middle of huge breasts.
『You two realize already that that camera is running!』
Noin grabbed Fran’s hair.
Fran too grabbed Noin’s hair and breasts and they started brawling.
『Nobody ever said anything about cheering you on! You called it first love but this is the sixth time! Besides I――』
『What’s with you, even though you kept saying that you aren’t interested with man until now! And yet you’re trying to take the man your best friend is aiming for, you’re the worst!』
『You’re the one who is the worst! Try saying what have you done to pa――to him!』
Inaho got blown away while the catfight started. The other members around them moved to stop them.
It was a scene of purely smiling children while at the side was a daily happening of women’s ugly quarrel.
And then at the end.
『I swear that today is the day I’ll win! My jobs and skill set are the strongest set that I can think of at this point. This time for sure you――』
The opponent that Ponsuke was challenging with the strongest possible equipments he could think of was a grass chewing donkey that was far smaller than him.
However when Ponsuke launched a serious slash at it, the donkey stood up on its rear legs before beating up Ponsuke black and blue with its front legs.
Its attacks could only be seen as a type of art at this point.
Ponsuke couldn’t even land a single hit before he got slammed on the grassy field. Then the donkey spat on him.
「……Not only my secret got filmed, for it to get uploaded in the bulletin board」
Ponsuke held his head in his hands.
The bulletin board was on fire right now.
.
.
.
『Damnnnn! Ponsuke and His Happy-Go-Lucky Friends is just, damnnnn, in various senses.』
『The handsome guy’s eyes are dead, just like my corporate slave friend’s eyes.』
『Your friend is corporate slave? Oi, save him quickly from there.』
『Seriously? The queen, is seriously the Queen? That is, definitely not just acting.』
『Miss Boobie’s eyes are also serious there. It sent me a shiver.』
『You guys say something to the gnome. That is the guy who is making a killing recently right?』
『The product from there has good quality and I use it often but, who ever thought that such thing is going on behind the scene……he’s the worst.』
『Getting whipped hard by the queen, or getting slowly trampled by Miss Boobie……I’m going to take a look at that guild for a bit!』
『No matter how you look at it, that guild is just a gathering of deviants.』
『Rather than that, have you seen the decent recruitment video? I never even dreamed that such ugly scenes were hidden behind it.』
『The comparison is just horrible. That video that only showed the good side is just the worst. As I thought, the guild “Oasis” will be the safe choice won’t it?』
『Oi, who allowed you to promote other guild in here.』
『Oasis is the worst. It’s the worst guild right after Ponsuke.』
『More importantly Ponsuke……』
『Losing against a donkey like that, what the hell』
『Is Ponsuke weak, or the donkey that is powerful?』
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.
.
The comment sections still hadn’t died out. Ponsuke felt ashamed when he imagined that the topic was spreading in real life too.
(……Rook will definitely make fun of me.)
Lighter slammed his small fist on the table.
「Anyway! We need to gather ten more people no matter what.」
Even after this setback, everyone had gathered their acquaintances rather than new players and increased the number of member.
The players that Ponsuke had taught a lot also felt sympathy after hearing the situation and joined the guild.
Because of that, their number would soon become enough to challenge the guild quest.
Everyone was looking down with gloomy expression.
「It’s impossible to get anymore than this.」
「Because, all the guys who came here after seeing this video……」
Everyone looked at the orcs who were watching the video in delight.
Their number had increased from eight to ten.
The newcomers’ eyes were sparkling. Their senior orcs were telling them just how wonderful Alfie and Mariela were.
「What a merciless torture……her majesty is so irresistible-su!」
「Ain’t that right, ain’t that right? You too really get it huh.」
「I-I prefer Mariela-san’s insistent nagging more……」
「Try calling her out while she’s irritated. She’ll hurt you slowly and insistently then.」
Ponsuke covered his face with both hands.
「……There’re more of them.」
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.
Inaho was meeting with her friends from her middle school.
「Yahhoo~, long time no see.」
Inaho’s friends looked slightly exasperated seeing Inaho waving her hand.
All of them had changed in their appearance.
Inaho wouldn’t recognize them as her old friends if she hadn’t been told.
「Don’t tell me, you’re using your physical data as it is? You idiot. You might get exposed IRL like that.」
Inaho felt happy that her friends were worrying for her while also feeling that it would be troublesome to change her appearance drastically at this point.
「I-it will be fine. I have touched it up considerably from my actual data.」
「Well, it’s reassuring to see you look energetic. More importantly, why are you calling us here?」
There was a reason why Inaho called her friends in real life and arranged for them to meet inside the game.
「Actually, I want to invite you guys into my guild.」
Inaho explained the circumstance. It made her friends became even more exasperated.
「That guild of all places?」
「You should be more careful in picking the guild to join.」
「That place is just nope. It’s funny to watch it from outside though.」
Inaho explained in a hurry.
「I-it’s fine I’m telling you. Parts of that video are just overblown, and the two who quarreled had also made up with each other. All of them are good people you’ll see.」
Her friends spoke.
「Open your eyes to reality. Besides, it’s impossible for us because our login time is different.」
Inaho wondered when she heard that and tried asking.
Her friends were logging in during the time where there were few players.
In other words, they should be playing in the same time slot with Ponsuke and co.
「Now that you mention it, I couldn’t contact everyone from inside here. Why did you all change schedule?」
Inaho’s friends looked slightly troubled being asked that.
「Should we tell her?」
「But, if it get spread out too much」
「Won’t it be fine if it’s Inaho?」
The three then told Inaho.
「Inaho, do you know about mod?」
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The Capital of Love, sightseeing area.
Inaho saw off her friends logging out, then she hung down her head.
「……Those girls aren’t suitable with how different our course is.」
Inaho felt like everyone had gone to faraway place after they hadn’t met just for a little.
It felt like she was still in the middle school while the girls around her had become high school girls.
Someone then called out to Inaho who was sitting on the bench. It was Lily who she met at her first day.
「You……are you perhaps, Inaho?」
「Eh? Ah, Lily-san!」
Inaho stood up and approached Lily.
The woman looked a bit surprised, but she then talked with Inaho with a smile.
「Even so, I’m surprised that Lily-san is here.」
Lily shrugged.
「The sightseeing areas are scattered. They are fun but, getting the money for them is troublesome.」
According to her, it seemed that it had become troublesome to have fun in the sightseeing areas. Even so, the players who had experienced Pandora couldn’t be satisfied by other games at this point.
They arrived at the conclusion that if they couldn’t use real money, they could just buy paid item and sold it inside the game.
「……What a waste.」
「Even if you say that, players like us aren’t that knowledgeable about the game to earn money here. But, the conversion rate from doing that is too bad, so I want to find another way.」
Inaho got a thought after hearing Lily’s story.
(It’s hard for the players of sightseeing area too.)
Inaho opened her mouth at this moment based on good will.
「Then, do you want to become able to earn money on your own? The game itself isn’t that difficult. I know someone who is good at teaching.」
Lily was bewildered.
「I-is that so? But, isn’t someone like me just a bother in the eyes of those who are enjoying the game?」
Inaho boasted about Ponsuke.
「That’s not true. This person who helped me is really kind and reliable. He’s considerate and generous! He’ll teach you everything from the basic until even the practical.」
Inaho contacted Ponsuke and then they arranged to meet up tomorrow.
◇
Ponsuke――Akito opened his eyes in his room.
He took off his headset. The air conditioning inside his room was working.
It wasn’t hot thanks to that.
「……We somehow got enough people.」
He proactively invited his acquaintances and new players while logged in.
And then he ran around nurturing the new players so that they could be useful as combat force.
With that his guild would be able to challenge the guild even somehow in several more days of real life.
Akito got up and stretched before looking at the calendar.
Soon it would be July.
「Come to think of it, I have played Pandora for more than a year.」
Thinking back, a lot of things had happened.
Then Akito’s smartphone rang.
He picked it up and found out that the call came from the information broker.
『Ponsuke-kun, actually something bad happened.』
「Eh?」
『No, this isn’t something that directly affect you guys. I also won’t need to ask you guys for help but, I think that I should at least tell you.』
The information broker’s voice was serious.
『Most of the VR game in other countries are doing similar experiment like Japanese government for some reason. There is difference in scale whether smaller or bigger, but this is really going on.』
He never thought that only Japan was doing such experiment.
However, Akito never even imagined that the experiment was taking place in world scale.
「W-will this become something big?」
『No, as expected we’re going to resolve this in RL from now on. Though things will become a bit wild.』
The information broker said that he would use every trick in the book like acquisition, headhunting, etc in order to resolve this matter.
「U-umm――」
『I’m telling you this because I thought that you’ll feel concern. More importantly Ponsuke-kun……I wonder why humans are this foolish.』
(Surely he is referring to this act of using VR game as experiment isn’t he?)
「I don’t know but……umm, do your best.」
『Thanks. I’m thinking to call Rook-kun too after this. After all we are all comrades who fought together.』
The call was cut off.
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In the office.
The information broker stared at his smartphone.
「……I wonder why are you so foolish like that. No, many players are foolish though.」
The information broker stood up from his chair and contacted someone important.
「Aa, hello. I called Ponsuke-kun properly just like you told me. ……I see. Well, just let me take care of my own part.」
The information broker cut off the call and muttered.
「How kind.」
