What Kind Of Newbie Are You?! They Said That “Summoner” Is A Terrible Job, Yet They Call Her The Last Boss - CH 24

T/N: There’s a character who speaks in a Kyoto dialect, I don’t think I can accurately translate her dialog into something close to an English equivalent.

Day 2.

Johann and her friends explored the Iron Wall Forest in the morning and found a new rare item by defeating a boss monster.

“Guardian’s Bracelet” Accessory

+40 Defense

After consulting between the three of them, they decided Remma should get it. Perhaps because of that, Remma was in a good mood.

“You look happy, huh, Remma-chan?” Johann said.

“She’s dancing in her white gorilla costume, it’s just too funny,” Zecca said.

Remma looked back with a smile on her face.

“…I’m happy about the rare items. Though, I was happier from feeling our hearts becoming one in that boss battle just now.”

“I’m sure it’s because the three of us talked last night!” Zecca said.

“…Maybe it is,” Remma said. “They say that if you know someone’s favorite anime, you’ll understand their personality.”

(Is that so?) Johann thought, tilting her head in confusion.

However, Johann herself did feel that way earlier. It feels like their strengths meshed well together.

“I’m having so much fun in this party!” Zecca said.

“… Me too,” Remma said. “I’ve been going solo until now, but just making friends is so much fun,” Remma said.

“Friends, huh… at this age, it’s a little bit of an issue,” Johann said.

“What are you talking about, Johann-san!?” Zecca cried. “Friendship has nothing to do with age!”

“…… That’s right,” Remma said.

“You guys…” Johann said.

As she sees how cute these girls are, her naughtier desires are about to go wild. Johann desperately suppresses it with the power of friendship.

And while they were talking:

“Oh, look at that!” Johann cried.

“It’s Meteor Bird, isn’t it?” Zecca said.

A Meteor Bird was circling in the sky. She was part of the Limited-Time Summons available at the Virtual Monsters Collaboration Event. Nonetheless, it is not strange that someone else had a copy, as you could have gotten any of the 8 by chance. However:

“Huh, she’s asking us to come with her, isn’t she?” Johann said.

Meteor Bird’s wings seemed to be beckoning them. And when they followed its invitation…

“This is the Phantom Butterfly Forest…” Zecca muttered, disturbed.

The trees in the forest are illuminated with purple light, it’s very fantastical.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Johann said.

“…Yeah,” Remma said. “Very dream-like. But maybe it’s a trap?”

“Perhaps they’re friends of those guys yesterday?” Johann said.

“I can’t think of any other explanation,” Zecca said.

However, the Phantom Butterfly Forest lies right before them. In that extraordinary atmosphere, the three of them were captivated whether they wanted to enter or not. Undeniably, however, there is the scent of rare items in the air.

“…Let’s go. If there’s some sort of trap, I’ll protect everyone,” Remma said.

That she suggested going in surprised them. Johann and Zecca looked at each other then nodded. They must have been happy with Remma being so unusually upbeat. With their guards up, the three entered the Phantom Butterfly Forest.

The Phantom Butterfly Forest. The models of the trees are similar to the other forests, all reused assets. However, the purple-pink particles floating in the air and the visual effect of fluttering butterflies make you feel like you’ve wandered into another world.

Johann and the others proceed while enjoying this scenery, and their wariness fades. And when they entered the depths of the forest, a single female player was waiting.

“My pleasure to welcome y’all. I been waitin’ for you, Maou-han.” 1

The player speaking in Kyoto dialect was “Kon.” She was a Level 50 Summoner.

White, swaying hair. On top of her fair skin, she wears a black shirt and a tight black skirt with a slit, and over that pair a white rider’s jacket, creating a beautiful contrast of black and white.

Combined with the slit-like narrow eyes staring at them, she’s like a cunning female character in a Hollywood movie. Though, she offsets such intimidation and wariness with her mischievous fox spirit ears and tail accessories.

“Are you sure you’ve got the right person?” Johann said.

“Nah, nah,” Kon said. “I’m not mistaken, you know. I been waitin’ for a player like you, Johann-han. Consider me Maou-han fan, as well.”

“Huh, so you mean, other people are calling me a Demon King?!” Johann yelled, shocked.

At the sight of that, Kon chuckles.

“So what is it?” Zecca snapped. “I understand you’ve been waiting to ambush Johann-san, but why? A fight? Or loot?”

Kon teases Zecca by looking scared, going, “Oh me, oh my, I’m so scared.” Zecca’s anger rises in turn.

“…Zecca,” Remma said. “Don’t get taken in by her plan… on the battlefield, those who lose their cool first, die first.”

“Hah! That’s right…” Zecca huffed. “I almost lost my cool. I’m back to normal now. Thanks, Remma-san.”

“… Fufu, you’re welcome,” Remma said.

“Me oh my, it seems Yeti-han knows what she’s talkin’ about,” Kon said.

“…!? This is a gorilla, okay? Don’t call me a Yeti, I’m going to crush you!!” Remma snapped.

“Remma-san, calm down!” Zecca said.

The white gorilla loses her cool in 2 seconds.

“So, can we get to the point?” Johann said.

“Why the rushin’?” Kon said, smiling. “Y’all are so funny, I can’t help but get carried away, y’know?”

Johann thinks Kon may not be a bad person. She didn’t want to be attacked like before but it tickles her a bit to hear Kon’s fan of Johann, and Johann doesn’t feel anything particularly hostile from her.

“My goal is tradin’,” Kon said.

“Trading,” Johann repeated.

“Yep, tha’s right!” Kon said. “If Maou-han took the item I’m looking for, that’s all I need.”

The three look at each other. If it’s a trade, it’s fine.

“Please tell me what it is for now,” Johann said. “If I don’t have it, we have nothing to talk about.”

“Tha’s true for me too, y’know? Even y’all ask that, I dun’ know the item’s name, either,” Kon said.

“Huh?” Zecca went.

She doesn’t even know the name of the item she’s looking for… can there be anyone like that?

“It’s not surprising, no sir,” Kon said. “After all, them rumors say them new items were supposed to be in the third layer on yonder but came early in this here Treasure Event.”

“The items are early…?” Johann asked.

“That’s right. See?” Kon said. “That’s why I don’t know its name, yeah?”

“Yeah, I see…” Zecca said.

Even Zecca didn’t know that information. She thought it was a Re-Run Event for rare items given out in the past and Unique Items that no one found.

“I hear that you can expand the features of existin’ equipment and items, yeah?” Kon said. “From the looks on your faces, you don’t know nothin’ about them, huh?”

Kon doesn’t look disappointed.

“Yes,” Johann said. “I haven’t even heard anything about these early items.”

“That so, hrm?” Kon said. “If even Maou-han don’t have ’em, I’m guessin’ they were all just lies, weren’t they?”

“Do you think so?” Johann said.

“It’s a pity, yeah,” Kon said.

She didn’t seem too disappointed, to say the least. Kon heads toward back the way Zecca and the others came, making a little wave of her hand while saying, “Time to look somewhere else, yeah?”

“Aren’t you going further inside?” Zecca asked.

“Heh,” Kon scoffed. “I already got the items from the Event at the back of this here forest, so y’all know.”

“You’ve already got them?” Zecca asked.

“Yep, that’s right,” Kon said. “A ‘Pulelehua’ Summonin’ Stone, tha’s what you can get inside here.”

“!?” Zecca and Remma both gasped.

“What, so you both know that?” Kon said.

“… It’d be hard for me not to about the Pulelehua,” Remma said. “It’s famous, isn’t it?”

“Seems like Maou-han don’t know a thing about it, though?” Kon said.

“Well, that’s because I’m a newbie,” Johann said.

“Fufu, tough joke to sell, yeah~…? Wait, eeh? Those faces, what’s with ‘em? She really a newbie?”

She’s a beginner who’s only been playing for a month and a half.

“So, what is this Pulelehua?” Johann said.

“Pulelehua is the strongest summoned beast,” Kon said. “Here we go,” she said as she handed a summoning stone to Johann.

Inside the transparent crystal was a fairy-like monster.

“The strongest, huh… isn’t she cute?” Johann said.

“That she is, real pretty look at,” Kon said.

The Intermediate Summoned Beast, Pulelehua. It’s a Fairy-type monster with butterfly wings implemented as a support-type summoned beast.

“Only her appearance is cute,” Zecca said. “The evil thing about it is its Skillset. All three Skills are evil, especially its 2nd Skill, ‘Flower of Life.’ It’s a Support Skill that triples its target’s magic value for a certain amount of time.”

“That does sound strong but… is that really so strong?” Johann asked.

“Say, Zecca-han,” Kon said. “Maybe even Maou-han don’t know about that ol’ incident?”

“You’re right,” Zecca said. “Johann-san’s first login was half-a-month after it happened.”

“Incident?” Johann said.

Zecca explained.

Half a month before Johann started playing, the Monster Summoning system was greatly nerfed.

“Summoners can only have 1 summoned beast out at a time,” Zecca said. “The update was specifically for that.”

“Okay, so what was it like before?” Johann asked.

“As long as your MP lasted, you were able to summon more and more monsters,” Zecca replied.

Johann had an idea. “Oh, so maybe,” she started.

“That’s right,” Zecca continued. “Use Angol Moa Ore, which will take the MP burden off you once, then summon 10 Pulelehuas at once.”

“Then, the Flower Of Life on yourself, boost yer Magic by 30 times,” Kon said. “If you got 5 Summoners, it’ll be 150 times more then. After that, go and use Beginner’s Fire Magic, fwoom! Easy as easy could be.”

“… So it wasn’t ‘meta,’” Johann said. “More like melanoma! 2 Right?” Johann said.

“Other way ‘round…” Kon said. “Maou-han, you wanted to look that dumb?”

No matter what quest or boss you’re facing, you can clear it if you have 5 Summoners. One day as that state of affairs went on uncontested, something happened. And that was the Summoner’s Major Nerf Update.

Up to 1 summoned beast can be out at a time. And there was a restriction that each player could only have 1 Pulelehua.

“So, did the Summoners get angry?” Johann asked.

“They were furious,” Zecca said. “But, more than them, the other Jobs were overjoyed.”

“Them Summoners then got carried away, yeah?” Kon said. “They were gettin’ a lotta hate.”

Of course, most Summoners retired afterward. Only a few Summoners are still around today. Rumor has it that the active players were in the single digits. Johann wondered if Kon, a member of that minority of survivors, had something to say about the incident. Then, as if on a whim, she started walking away.

“I been talking too much, seems like,” Kon said as she was leaving. “I’ll leave it to you, yeah?”

And as she was almost gone, she said:

“I’m worried Maou-han’s playstyle will change if she goes and gets the strongest summon, Pulelehua.”

And with a giggle, Kon disappeared into the woods.

“She was a nasty person, wasn’t she?” Zecca asked.

They were deep in the forest. Johann and her friends go through the Phantom Butterfly Forest, looking for the Event that would give them Pulelehua.

“What did she mean about my playstyle changing?” Johann asked.

Zecca replied, “GOO has plenty of freedom to play, so naturally there are a lot of people who are very passionate about how they play. They always want to be the best at what they do. But when they get the strongest equipment, their desire to be the best changes.”

“… Yeah, I’ve seen that,” Remma said. “Rather than working to be the best, they find ways to easily win.”

“Kon-san called herself a fan of yours, Johann-san, and maybe she was afraid that you’d change after getting Pulelehua,” Zecca said. “I did not like the way she said it, though.”

Kon’s words seemed to have been taken to heart. Zecca seemed afraid to see how another player changed after getting strong equipment.

“It’s okay, don’t worry. I won’t change,” Johann said.

“… Even if Onee-chan gets the strongest summoned beast… I definitely can’t imagine her putting it over Virtumon,” Remma said.

“I guess you could say that,” Zecca said.

The more the two of them think about it, they can’t even remember the last time Johann summoned the first layer boss, Kuwa Geiger. It was so powerful you could call it matchless in combat. Despite this, she’s hardly even called it ever since she was able to use Intermediate summoned beasts.

Why was that? From now on, there’s no matter how strong a summoned beast Johann gets. Even if she got a summoned beast with broken stats. The two of them had strong trust that she would never give priority to them over Virtumon.

“It’s useless to worry about it, right?” Zecca said.

“…Yeah, it was a waste of time,” Remma said.

“Let’s get it quickly and aim for the next forest,” Johann said.

Johann will never waver. Relieved, the three proceed deep into the Phantom Butterfly Forest, in search of the strongest summoned beast Pulelehua.