What Kind Of Newbie Are You?! They Said That “Summoner” Is A Terrible Job, Yet They Call Her The Last Boss - CH 28

T/N: The chapter is from Zecca’s POV.

In this deadly battle with the Pirate King… for some reason, I remembered something that happened long ago.

“Hey, hey, it’s so cool, isn’t it?! The PV 1 we saw yesterday. That game… it looks so much fun!”

“Right, right!? They must have spent so much money, didn’t they? The quality is so amazing!”

I started playing GOO about a year ago. We were friends in the same class, Miyu, Kiriko, and me, so thanks to that commercial, we all created characters together. They were Zecca, Mew, and Guiltia, respectively, and we then started playing GOO together.

“I want to be a summoner~!” Mew said.

“I say you shouldn’t,” Guiltia said. “Saber’s more stable. Aren’t you going to be a Saber too, Zecca?”

“Yeah,” I said. “There seems to be dual wielding for it, so that’s what I’m aiming for.”

“Come on, you should be a Saber too, Mew. Like my brother said, even a beginner can easily become strong as a Saber.”

“Muu~,” Mew grumbled.

I think we were really enjoying GOO at the time. And so our first month started. When the guild function was added, we formed a guild limited to Sabers, the Swords of the Farthest Reach. We brought in Roland-san, Guiltia’s older brother in real life, we asked him to mentor us, and we made names for ourselves. Our numbers gradually rose and 3 months after the start of the game’s service, the first Guild Battle was held.

I honestly thought we were going to win. However, the composition of all Sabers is unbalanced. Even Sabers who could win in the Ranking Events where no one could form teams, would not get very good results in Guild Battles where each individual had to play their role and fight as a group.

“That’s why… if you quit dual wielding and fight like my brother, we can win,” Guiltia said.

“No way,” I said. “I’m playing this game because I want to dual wield. Besides, I recently got this Unique Equipment, Dead Or Alive.”

“That kind of worthless bargaining will get us nowhere,” Guiltia said. “There’s no point if we don’t win!”

“Th-The both of you… you shouldn’t fight…” Mew said.

“Shut up, Mew,” I said.

“Geeze, Mew,” Gulitia said. “When will you get your act together?! It’s your fault our guild can’t win, isn’t it?!”

“…… Sorry,” Mew said.

Guiltia wants to make our guild the strongest no matter what. I was aiming to be the strongest in my own way. Mew just wanted to have fun playing with the three of us together. It didn’t take long for our friendship to fall apart.

“I was… it was fun. It should have been fun…” Mew said. “But playing this game… it’s so hard now.’’

That was the last day Mew ever logged in. While that girl was crying, she kept saying over and over again that she was sorry.

“I really wanted to become a Summoner… I wanted to play with cute summoned beasts.”

And with that, Mew deleted her account. And after that:

“Hey, Guiltia… what the hell is this?” I asked.

“What is it, Zecca?” Guiltia asked.

“The new guild members… they’re all celebrities, but they’re not Sabers, are they? The Swords of the Farthest Reach should be a Saber-only guild, right?”

“That is exactly why we’re struggling to win,” Guiltia said. “For us to win the next battle, we need to balance ourselves.”

Guiltia recruited famous solo players from other Jobs into the guild. I also had the exact same equipment as Roland-san and began to fight in exactly the same way as him. Thanks to that, we were able to win the position of the strongest in the 2nd ever Guild Battle.

“We did it, Zecca!” Guiltia said. “Our guild has become the strongest! Ah, geeze. It would have been great if Mew was here too! I wonder why she ever left?”

She was happy. But:

“I’m not happy…” I said.

If you do this, you will win. The victory we had won followed that strict rail. I couldn’t find the worth in the victory we achieved by driving away one of our best friends.

“This place is… it’s not our guild anymore,” I said.

“Wait, Zecca… what are you dissatisfied about!?” Guiltia said. “Our purpose was to become the strongest together! Wait… hold on, please wait!”

I quit the Swords of the Farthest Reach to escape. After that, the guild continues to be one of the strongest in the game. In addition, the Summoner Job has been greatly weakened, making it all but unbeatable.

Where did I go wrong? Is it because I was so particular about us all being Sabers? If Mew had been a Summoner like she wanted, she would have been able to lead the Pulelehuas and contribute to our guild’s victory.

Or what if we…

Or what if we…

There are only infinite regrets of, “What if I had done that then?” And then, one day:

“Oh? Come on, I’ll teach you some manners.”

I saw an infamous bad player getting involved with a newbie woman.

“But playing this game has become so hard now…”

My crying friend’s face came to mind. I couldn’t bear to see someone make that face anymore. I didn’t like the fact that more and more people started to dislike this fun game.

So, I raised my voice.

“Stop that at once!”

I met Johann-san then, then found out she was a Summoner like Mew wanted to be. Nearly 2 weeks after her start, the Ranking Event went crazy because of her. To be honest, her skill at this game wasn’t good enough.

Even so, that person’s love for summoned beasts alone makes her infinitely stronger and more ridiculous. When I see Johann-san like that, I always remember Mew.

Because that was the Mew we crushed, the Mew she could have been.

It’s the Pirate King Event. The metallic sound of swords striking each other echoes in the underground lake.

“HAAAAAAAA—DUAL EDGE!”

“GEHAHAHAHA!”

Zecca fights with shining angel and devil wing effects. However, the boss monster’s AI was too advanced, Zecca’s attacks did not work at all.

“Haa-haa-haa-haa,” Zecca panted.

It’s a hopeless situation that makes everyone wants to cover their eyes. But Zecca didn’t give up. Looter’s End activates when the Pirate King’s HP is reduced by a certain amount. If she can recover Johann’s Chaos Apocalypse set and her summoning stones with that, they can definitely win. The odds are very low, but betting on this is the only way to get everyone’s valuable items back.

“Gehahahahaha—Slash.”

“Shit.”

However, from fatigue, Zecca made a mistake, the enemy charged and hits her.

“Luminous Eternal!!”

A magic circle spreads across the underground lake, giving the player Invincibility for 10 seconds.

“Remma-chan!” Zecca cried.

“… I can use my Skills even without equipment…” Remma said. “I’ll do what I can… I won’t give up yet.”

“Nice…!” Zecca cried.

She takes advantage of that opportunity to attack the Pirate King.

“I-I can do something… to help, too,” Johann said, still unable to recover from the shock.

Then, Remma shouts at her: “… Onee-chan, stay still! Right now, Zecca is desperately fighting to get back your equipment.”

“We have to get back the Chaos Apocalypse set and your summoning stones…” Zecca said. “Johann-san will be the one to defeat this guy.”

“… That’s the only play left for us… let’s go, Zecca—Magic Heal.”

Remma sends Zecca all the healing and support she can. Zecca gets it and chips pieces off the enemy’s HP. Chip. Chip. Chip.

The way she challenged the Pirate King alone was just like a demi-god.

(If we lose this match and have everything taken away…Renma-chan and Johann-san will surely quit GOO…) Zecca thought.

“Playing this game has become so hard.”

“… I hate it…” Zecca whispered. “I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. I don’t want to hear it anymore!”

(I don’t want to lose… any more of my friends… when they play games with me!!) Zecca cried.

“Gehaha… I like that treasure. All Steal!!”

(… It’s here. This moment is the chance I’ve been looking for!) Zecca thought.

“’Holy Knight’s Earrings’ has been moved to Pirate King Bandit’s Item Storage.”

“’Phantom Mirage’ has been moved to Pirate King Bandit’s Item Storage.”

A tornado effect appears from under her feet, and Zecca’s head and body equipment disappear. But. Zecca noticed. When she saw this skill earlier. The Pirate King deliberately kept his distance from Zecca and then activated it. For just a moment when this Skill is used, the Pirate King creates an opportunity.

Zecca holds her sword crosswise.

“Eat shit, monster—GRAND CROSS!!”

“GUAAAAHAHHHHH!”

“’Dead Or Alive’ has been moved to Pirate King Bandit’s Item Storage.”

“’Phantom Boots’ has been moved to Pirate King Bandit’s Item Storage.”

“‘Black Coat’ has been moved to Pirate King Bandit’s Item Storage.”

Just before Dead or Alive disappears. The strongest dual-sword attack Skill hits the Pirate King directly, greatly reducing his HP.

“The Pirate King’s Skill ‘Looters’ End’ has been Activated.”

“I did it… now please… please god!” Zecca whispered.

Zecca has lost all her equipment. However, the operation went well. As expected, items dropped from the Pirate King’s body. However:

“Only… 2?”

The Pirate King dropped only 2 items. Zecca’s expression turns pale.

Zecca suddenly thought: more than 800 items were taken at first. So if enemies drop it via a Skill, they should drop a lot.

No, she thought that was the purpose of this raid. They will work together to reduce the Pirate King’s HP, make him spit out the stolen items, and rebuild their strength. She thought it was a raid battle with that kind of design.

But that was only a hopeful hypothesis.

“… We can’t win,” Zecca thought. “They don’t want us to win…”

With her mind blank, Zecca stands still. The Pirate King did not let the opportunity pass.

“Gehahahaha――Aqua Slash!!”

A sword covered in water currents swings down. As Zecca closed her eyes, someone tackled her.

“Guaaaaaaaaa!”

“Remma-chan!?”

It was Remma, who had already run out of MP, and saved Zecca. Remma’s HP drops to 0 after the attack, and her body turns into particles and disappears.

“Cry later, Zecca… for Onee-chan’s… items,” Remma said as she faded.

“Yeah… that’s right… you’re right,” Zecca said, smiling.

“… It’s okay, Zecca-onee-chan. Even if I lose…I won’t quit…I’ll be with everyone forever,” Remma said.

“Anything would be fine… something to turn the tide… this is it?!” Zecca cried.

Her eyes widened as she examined the items the Pirate King dropped. Among them was a material called Scrap Iron. And the other was a summoning stone. A toy-shaped summoning stone resembling an egg. The item that caused Zecca and Johann to deepen their relationship.

“Hinadora’s summoning stone…” Zecca thought.

It was it. It’s also a sign for them to despair. It’s impossible for Hinadora to turn this around by itself.

“This must be fate! After 20 years, Johan-san’s partner has returned via GOO (which is short for Genesis Omega Online)!”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you then.”

“Mokyu?” Hinadora went.

“It’s nothing…I’m just glad to see you again,”

However, in Zecca’s mind, the events of the day she met Johann and Hinadora for the first time came to mind.

“Thank goodness… I at least… got this one back…”

Even if they lose as they are now. Zecca was able to get back Johann’s beloved treasure.

“Johann-san… CATCH!”

Zecca hurls Hinadora’s summoning stone at Johann. The Pirate King’s saber pierced the defenseless Zecca’s back.

Her HP dropped to 0 in an instant, and Zecca’s body disappeared.

“Gehahahahahahaha!”

“Kuh… I don’t even have a chance to use the summoning stone,” Johann said.

The Pirate King relentlessly attacks Johann. With her Agility status no better than a fresh character, she can’t do anything to avoid it. It was necessary to learn your opponent’s attack patterns, anticipate the animations and warning signs, and then dodge it.

(Endure… have to endure,) Johann thought. (Hinadora is the one hope left by Zecca-chan and the others… if I endure, we will definitely get a chance.)

However.

“……Ah”

Johan stumbled on a rock. The Pirate King will not let the moment pass. He moves right in front of Johann. And then, he brandishes his saber and brings it down.

(It’s all over…) Johann thought.

And just then:

“Dance Of The Immortal Butterfly!!”

The glowing butterfly effect of the Phantom Butterfly Forest envelops Johann and protects her, it interferes with the Pirate King’s attack. The flees from the madly dancing butterflies like he was afraid of them.

As Johann looks in the direction of the voice, there was the strongest summoned beast, Pulelehua…

“It’s you…!” Johann cried.

“It’s been a day and a half, Maou-han… and I’ve come to rescue y’all.”

It was Kon, the Summoner she met at the Phantom Butterfly Forest.