There are countless number of video games in this world.
However, most of them gets buried under many others.
Standing atop of those many titles
is this Full-Dive VR game that has over thirty million players worldwide.
The game that earned the reputation of being a god-tier game,
Shangri-La Frontier.
The boy who loves trash game, Rakuro Hizutome
challenges the god-tier game, Shangri-La Frontier!
What kind of adventure awaits him in his path?
I throw away my defense and put on my bird mask headgear
I'm a hustler My point only goes to my luck stats
Parry parry now this is my style
playing broken games all night... who's that knight?
Broken game is sickness
toxic scattered, now I'm a patient
My heart is beating almost twice as fast
The chaos wither get it bite that bug
Terrible gimmick
new game a.k.a suicide??
I don't give a damn
(Do it, Do it) No, not yet NO it's not enough
(Do it, Do it) NO it's not enough
I still can go
Everyone looks dirty to me
Everything looks broken to me
we can go, we can go
to that mountain top, not afraid to drop
this world is going to be mine... duh
(Washing Down The Good Stuff With Trash Game)
Going to the dojo after this?
Y-Yes!
Um... Well...
I was wondering if there's any interesting game I can get before I go...
If you're looking for Hizutome-kun, he's not here.
No, that's not what I...
It's summer break right now.
I bet he's been playing all day.
You haven't met him yet?
Well, you told me that he's playing with the name Sunraku in all of his game
so I searched for him.
But it seems he was playing without stopping by the tutorial town.
He's walking his own path, eh?
That's a trash game enthusiast for you.
He might even encounter some crazy Unique Scenarios
for doing things normal players wouldn't do.
This early? That can't be.
But... it's not unthinkable.
Well, I'm sure you'll find him eventually.
Good luck, Rei-chan!
Yes...
Or more like, just confess to him already.
I'm going!
Bye.
(Rumi Hizutome) I'm doing multiple part-times today, so I'll be back home late.
Sure.
A Unique Scenario for beginners...
The conditions for "Tour of Rabituza."
This must be it.
When you beat a monster that has higher level than you
while equipping a Vorpal weapon...
A special Vorpal Bunny that'll guide you to Rabituza will appear in all towns.
When it does, it will run off without talking to you,
so make sure you don't lose it.
After the defeating Ravenous Python, the monster that attacks Rabituza,
you can earn special magic, Enchant Vorpal.
I knew it.
It's totally different from the one I got yesterday.
The one appeared before me wasn't a python...
Although not as much as Lycagon, he was real damn threatening...
A boss rabbit who acted like a yakuza.
So whaddya think?
Would you mind lending me your time?
I'm the boss of Rabituza, Vysache.
So ya went toe-to-toe with that puppy, eh?
You've got quite the Vorpal Soul, I'd say.
What on earth is "Vorpal Soul"?
Whaddya think?
If you want to...
...I could train ya personally.
Train?
Oh, I get it now!
This is a training quest!
The kind that'll give me incredible bonus!
I have no reason to refuse!
Please give me your guidance...
...Aniki!
Huh?!
You said "Aniki"?
Eh?
Uh, no... It was just a little turn of phrase...
Oh, crap!
Did I...
...messed up what to say?!
I like ya!
If ya asking fer trainin', that makes yerself my underling!
That's the spirit!
You can call me Vash!
Folks I acknowledged call me that.
Of course, Vash Aniki.
G-Good thing I was right!
I thought he was gonna skin me alive!
Emul!
Yes, Dad... Boss!
You take care of this guy for me.
I'll give it my real best!
I'll do my very real best!
I'll do my very very real best!
Now then, Sunraku-san!
Allow me to show you around the palace!
Ah, one second.
I've been playing for so long already,
so I'm actually thinking about resting for today.
Oh, I see... That's too bad.
I want to do research on these Unique Scenarios and Unique Monsters, too.
Well then, let me take you to the Rabituza inn instead!
I see! So I can update my respawn point here?
Yes, that'd be great.
Of course! Leave it to me!
Oops, that was close. I almost forgot about this.
Eh?!
Wh-What's this?
A forced equip?
Vorpal Soul Collar obtained.
(Cutting EXP earned by half when equipped in exchange for boosting the status points earned when leveling by 2.5x (decimals ignored))
What?! "Cutting EXP earned by half when equipped"?!
Hey!
It's useless.
You can't take that off without my permission.
For the weak to get stronger,
they gotta go through a trail like none other.
Never forget your Vorpal Soul!
It looks great on you, Sunraku-san!
I...
I got even more restrictions now?!
2.5x the status points, huh...
Although it cuts EXP I earn by half, it is actually a pretty good merit.
To put it mildly, it's a broken item.
Looking at the forum, nobody's said anything about this collar
nor about Vash and Emul, either.
And nobody has discovered a Unique Scenario that
let the player go inside the Palace of Rabituza.
A completely unknown Unique Scenario that nobody knows but me!
This is exciting!
Oops, almost time for the meet up.
That damn Katzo.
He asked me to play "BOP" outta nowhere.
I haven't logged in in ages!
Berserk Online Passion, "BOP" for short...
...or BERP.
BOP is a fighting game Rakuro used to play a lot,
and is of course, a trash game.
Currently, its daily user count is in the double digits.
Since the game's population is so low you wonder why the servers is still going,
most of the remaining players know each others
(Sunraku)and are birds of a feather.
The trash game enthusiasts.
(Modor Katzo)
You finally come, Sunraku.
Let's get started.
What are the rules?
Ready... Fight!
Isn't it obvious?
Vale tudo!
Anything goes!
Eww, that's such a gross-out bug.
It's a new trick I found while you were busy with Failia Chronicle!
NSFW Tentacle Attack!
You developed yet another bugged move, eh?
You're a pro gamer, but you're as crazy as ever!
Modor Katzo!
Quick-Draw Fist!
What?!
I put delays in, but you dealt with those?!
Your reflexes are what's crazy here!
In theory, as long as there are twelve frames to respond,
Quick-Draw Fist is the strongest style that can counter even a boss's insta-kill attacks!
I'll smash all your attacks!
Whoa, Modor Katzo is fighting!
Hey, ain't that Sunraku?!
No way!
- It's a fight between two high-end players!- Despite being a trash game,
- this game has a niche appeal.
- Hey, guys!- this game has a niche appeal.
That is Vale tudo... but also Bug tudo.
"Any bug goes."
Woohoo!
There's hit box on the smashed fists, too?!
You lose!
But well...
I've been fighting nothing but NPCs lately,
so thanks for the match and the trash game recharge, Katzo!
When you texted me you started playing SLF,
I thought it was just a bad joke, but you were serious, huh?
To put it unabashedly, I'm quite addicted!
I suppose pigs will fly next.
Just hear me out.
According to the forums,
there are these really powerful monsters in SLF called the Seven Colossi.
Apparently they've only identified the names of four of them.
So?
In the entire history of the game, no one's beaten any of them.
Oh?
Huh? It's over already?
Seriously? Damn, I missed it.
Hey, it's Sunraku!
It was awesome!
And I fought one of them...
...and it beat the crap outta me.
So that's what got you hooked?
In the meantime, I don't intend on quitting until I beat that dog.
Then maybe I should pick it up, too. SLF.
What? Really?
Since it made you say that much, it piqued my interest.
Besides, none of my IRL friends play this game.
Ah.
Oh, right. Do you know she's also playing SLF?
She?
I emailed her saying you picked it up.
Cuz it's a big deal!
"Sunraku started SLF"?
That trash game addict Sunraku-kun playing SLF?
I thought he would die...
...if he played anything other than trash games.
(Arthur Pencilgon)
This means I oughta give him a bit of a gentle initiation.
(Secondale - Back Alley)
Oh, we really made it back.
It's a teleport gate.
With me around, this is a piece of cake!
She sure is convenient.
I know it's because I play BERP before this,
but it's so easy to move in SLF avatar!
When you woke up, you said you wanted to go somewhere.
But where is that?
The Rabituza palace has a battle arena, a training zone,
and all kinds of fun stuff!
I'm sure interested in that place, and I really wanna check it out,
but before it fills up here,
I'd like to go to the next town, Thirdrema.
Fills up?
The number of starting players is ramping up during summer break.
The forum said Firstia was already bursting at the seams with players.
I bet that'll happen here, too.
Oho, I see.
When that happens,
everyone will scramble for town facilities and monster and material drops.
Oho, I see!
I heard Thirdrema is a pretty big town.
If I'm going to get into gears tackling this Unique Scenario,
a town with a lot of excess capacity would be the best.
Oho, I see!
Do you really understand?
I don't know what you're talking about!
So you don't...
However, if you're going to the next town, I'll gladly join you!
Huh?
A party request? You can form party with NPCs?
You can't access Rabituza or its palace without me, after all!
Yeah, true, but I thought you were just going to follow me.
(NPC "Magical Bunny Emul" sent you a party request. Accept?)
(NPC "Magical Bunny Emul" joined your party)
(Emul LV: 56, Sorcerer Vorpal Bunny Traveler)
She beat me in early all my stat...
I only barely win out in agility...
But that's okay. I can just outpace her soon enough.
I think Lycagon's Mark was the trigger of this Unique Scenario.
So could she be a helping hand to make up for the curse's disadvantages?
If so, they did a good job.
Nice to be with you, Emul.
Yeiya!
Thanks for letting me join you, Sunraku-san!
So cute!
What's that rabbit?
That's Vorpal Bunny, right? You can tame them?
More importantly, it just talked, didn't it?
Whoa, a big bird!
Half-naked? A pervert?!
She's really excited, huh?
Crap, I was numb after talking with her for so long,
but Emul's an NPC from an undiscovered Unique Scenario!
I lucked out getting this scenario that I only knows about.
If possible, I'd like to keep it a secret until I clear it!
Zip it there!
This is actually ventriloquism!
I'm in a hurry, so bye!
- Hey, wait! I'm in a hurry, so bye!
Aww, I wish he could at least told us how to tame one.
I took a screenshot. Let's ask about it on the forum!
Okay, there aren't any players nearby now.
I'm not good at scampering.
That's not a very "rabbit" thing to say.
You have about the same agility as I am.
So what are we going to do now?
Let's see...
I'd like to test out some things.
Test out?
The curse... The part about the marks.
"The character with Lycagon's Mark will have lower-level monster flee from them."
Ah! Sunraku-san, it ran!
It reacted as if it saw a freak.
All right! Just what I wanted!
First, chase it down at full speed!
And not just chasing it blindly,
but guiding to run straight at an obstacle!
And then...
Right when it's about to change direction...
Throw weapon!
After the target's stopped...
...smash it down with all the speed you got!
An attack with extra momentum bonus.
It's an expected result based on the law of physics in real world,
but very few games actually replicate it.
But of course, this game replicate everything as closely to the real world.
That was amazing, Sunraku-san!
I can't tell which was the real monster now!
Is that supposed to be a compliment?
All right!
Even with these marks, I can at least deal with monsters around as fast as that one!
I'm done checking, so I'll announce our plan!
Ignore all the mobs!
Only fight area bosses!
Over!
That's pretty loose for a plan...
Since I'm built for speed, let's keep it fast!
Let's head to where the area boss is waiting for us, Thirdrema!
Um...
According to the map...
The area boss should be around here...
But it's all just marshland.
My clothes are gonna get all dirty.
Well, I did kinda expect this. Yeah.
Emul did tell me on our way here.
Actually, since we kinda left the town in a hurry,
I didn't get to ask anyone about the boss.
Do you know anything, Emul?
The boss of this area is a monster by the name of "Mud Digger."
He'll jump outta the ground and bash into you,
so you gotta keep him from moving!
Mud Digger...
A battle in the marshland...
I'm in a trouble, am I?
Sunraku-san, it's coming!
Get on my shoulder!
Aye-aye!
The muck system in SLF is as follows:
Upon entering until your foot hits solid ground...
...your other one is stuck in the muck,
putting you in a forced walking state.
(Area Boss, Party Size: 4) (Mud Digger)
Which means... (Area Boss, Party Size: 4) (Mud Digger)
This guy and me... are a terrible match.
I scream in envy so much it hurts
I cry that this is where it ends
It's going to change, I'll change it
I don't want to think it's impossible anymore
The goal I set up is now the starting line for me to run again
Hit me with that despiar, it excites me
Telling me give it a go
I should be able to go as far as I want, yet I mistake this to be my limit
Is getting an easy win sometimes necessary?
It exhilarate me, telling me to give it a go
I have a dream, so even my complaints is not a joke
I scream in envy so much it hurts
I cry that this is where it ends
It's going to change, I'll change it,
I don't want to think it's impossible anymore
I don't mind breaking if I can move on
I hate giving up even more
I'm going to make it come true, make it a reality, I'm always serious
Make it so I'm only a little away from obtaining it
Let me ace this even if it burns me
SLF Theater!
Mini!
I'll take a sleep now.
Good night.
(Logged out)
Have a nice sleep, Sunraku-san.
I should also take some rest, then.
It's so much better being in my original form.
Sunraku-san!
Good night!
A dream?
(When a player logged out of the game, their avatar will disappear.)