This pressure isn't just in this game. Chasing dreams and honing skills ultimately leads to expectations from those around us.
It feels so pointless at times. That's why I choose to live without dreams or hobbies, just coasting along. It's easy to live modestly and sincerely, embracing simple joys without drawing attention. I want to believe that this approach is the right one.
At 8 o'clock in Deepguard, the outside world was already shrouded in darkness. We sold everything we had successfully produced, earning a decent reward. Violet said it was significantly more profitable than defeating monsters, but somehow it felt rather mundane.
After finishing our tasks, we left the village's Ivy item shop and headed towards Baldy. It was almost time to log out. I needed to return Spring and the others to him and offer a brief greeting.
Just then, something unexpected happened. Spring, who had been lively moments before, fell silent and wore a grim expression.
"...Huh? What's wrong? Spring?"
"Master is calling… I have to go…"
The moment she said that, Spring jumped off my shoulder and dashed off into the distance. The other dolls, seeming to be triggered by her sudden shift, also leaped down and ran in the same direction.
Something felt amiss. They were so different from how they had been moments ago.
"Could they be told to return at this time?"
"I don't know… but something feels off…"
As I discussed this with Ivy, a tremendous crashing sound echoed from the direction we were heading. That direction was unmistakably where the [7net] guild branch was located.
A sense of unease washed over me. Just as this thought crossed my mind, Violet drew her sword and sprinted toward the guild.
"Lenny, Little Ivy! You two need to find a safe place!"
"Not happening!"
"Same here."
"Oh, come on..."
Ivy and I rejected Violet's orders and ran after her. We were guild members, after all. We weren't the kind of people to abandon our friends for safety, especially with the troubling sound that had just echoed through the air. More than anything, I was concerned about Baldy and Spring. The sudden change in the dolls and the booming noise could be connected. I couldn't just stand by.
We made our way to the [7net] guild branch and slipped through the entrance. What awaited us was a scene that made my heart drop.
Parts of the building were damaged, signs of a fierce battle lingered everywhere. Yet, despite the chaos, there was no sign of life. It felt as if the place had been stripped of its essence.
In that moment, Violet sensed something amiss. She raised her sword and instructed us to step back.
"Both of you, get back!"
Following her gaze, we saw a figure emerge from the workshop door—a man stepped into view. It was Baldy, the kind-hearted young tailor. He held a large needle in his right hand and walked toward us, his head bowed.
"Baldy…?"
Something is clearly off. He feels like a completely different person. My instincts are screaming that this is bad; I should escape at once, but my body is frozen in place. Ah, so that's it. I'm paralyzed with fear...
I lock eyes with Baldy. In that moment, I notice something astonishing: a button symbol is glowing in his iris.
"Skill: Awakening," Baldy murmurs.
The instant he utters those words, a powerful thrust from a massive needle hurtles toward me. However, it is instantly deflected by Violet, a veteran player who has been in this game for over a month. She shouldn't be outmatched by a mere production class.
Yet Baldy is so abnormal now that it defies all logic.
"W-What is this...? This isn't the power of a production class!"
He, a crafter, is holding his own against Violet, a seasoned combat specialist. It's a sight that should be impossible.
Violet's sword clashes with Baldy's enormous needle, sparks flying as they collide. With this unexpected turn of events, combined with his power rivaling that of a top-tier combat class, it's safe to conclude that Baldy has already caused game overs for members of the [7net] guild.
Baldy shoves Violet aside and dashes toward the exit.
"It's too late now... The Skill of the Puppetmasters has already activated. They will bring every player in the village to a game over."
"Why... would they do something like this?"
"For the sake of revolution."
With that, he turned his back on us and vanished from the guild.
Under normal circumstances, we should have immediately pursued him. But the three of us were too shaken to act. Why had the kind-hearted Baldy chosen to slaughter his own Relationships?
This is just a game. Players who die revive almost instantly. Yet that made his motives even more incomprehensible.
The village was in chaos. Baldy, alongside four puppets, was wreaking havoc. One player was mercilessly leading others to game over, one after another.
No matter how strong a player is, this was clearly abnormal. His movements transcended what should have been possible at his level. It was as if...
"That's cheating." Ivy murmured, voicing what was on my mind. Cheating—manipulating the game through illegal means to force impossible actions. I didn't quite grasp the specifics, but one thing was clear: the puppets I had been playing with were now ruthlessly slaughtering players, driving them to their doom. That glaring reality weighed heavily on me.
"Spring! Sarma, Term, Win! What's happening?! Stop it!"
"It's useless. The puppets are merely computer intelligence. When the player gives the signal, they become weapons."
"But… but…"
How did it come to this? The pieces just wouldn't fit together.
They're kind-hearted. They're not the type to do something like this. I have to bring them back to their senses. I need to go…
"Wait, Lenny!"
I left the two behind and dashed toward the puppets. I couldn't sit still. I didn't care what would happen to me.
I just wanted to save them. I just wanted to get them back. With that single-minded determination, I ran on my own two feet.
I was completely separated from Violet and the others. Yet, pushing through the panicked crowd, I finally reached Spring.
What a reckless thing I was doing. I couldn't help but feel disgust for myself. I had wanted to play this game more casually, with less at stake. Ah, I finally realized it—I hadn't been prepared…
Our eyes met. She was no longer the Spring I knew.
"I'm sorry, big brother... It's the master's orders."
"Please, stop… Spring…"
Ignoring my plea, Spring gathered her strength and launched a swift charge at me. Driven by fear, I instinctively read her attack and managed to execute a perfect block.
Once, I had succeeded. But there was no guarantee I would do so again. The gap in skill levels between me and Baldy was glaring—one hit, and I would be instantly out of the game.
"Why… Spring…"
The girl I had been playing with until earlier now loomed over me, intent on my destruction. My mind went blank, leaving me paralyzed and unable to act.
I was certain I was going to be killed.
My body felt heavy, and I had lost all sense of calm judgment. It was a truly desperate situation.
Then, in that moment, a glimmer of hope appeared on the battlefield.
"It's the Gold Rush! Reinforcements from the Royal City Vigilante Guild, Gold Rush!"
At that shout, warriors clad in armor surged in from all directions. They were a small unit, perhaps only a few dozen, but their strength was on a completely different level from regular players.
Before Spring could strike, a massive man in silver armor stepped in front of me. He silently raised his shield, effortlessly blocking her attack. What incredible resilience! Just from that action, it was clear he was no ordinary player.
All the warriors present were elite players, capable of suppressing the situation with their overwhelming power.
The tide of battle shifted dramatically. Yet, I found that none of it mattered to me.
"Win…"
One of the warriors brought his sword down on a small girl in a white outfit.
In an instant, Win, severed by a steel sword, vanished into light and dissipated into the air. That girl, who had tugged at my band and tousled my hair, had completely erased her presence from this world.
I couldn't comprehend the reality of it; facing the enemy, my will shattered. I dropped to my knees, losing even the strength to rise.
What followed was one-sided. Warriors of "Gold Rush," high-level players with exceptional skills, tore through the fragile figures with their iron blades.
"Master... I'm sorry..."
After Win, Sarma and Tarm fell too, slashed by the silver blades and lying on the ground. I stared at the scene in a daze.
There was nothing I could do. I couldn't save them. I could only lament my own helplessness.
"You're the last."
The giant who had once helped me raised his sword toward Spring.
Stop... please, stop! My silent screams echoed, unheard by anyone.
Spring stood before me, as if she understood something. With her hands clasped behind her back, her Iris glimmered faintly.
"Brother..."
She smiled, that same joyous smile I'd first encountered.
"It's a promise!"
"Spring...!"
In a heartbeat, Spring was sliced by the silver blade, soaring into the sky.
I reached out desperately, trying to grasp her hand. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach her.
"Ah..."
She smiled as she transformed into particles of light and vanished.
I bathed in that light and collapsed onto the ground.
This is a game.
Life is a façade.
Yet, I could see it clearly—
Something warm slipping away from my hand... the glow of life fading...
Yes, it was definitely—
A soul...
The four dolls were buried, and the incident was gradually being resolved.
The player who experienced game over returned to life almost immediately, facing only a minor monetary penalty as they made their way back to the village.
There was no looting of belongings, just a meaningless slaughter. **Gold Rush** seemed to conclude it was merely an explosion of pent-up stress, a mindless rampage.
We kept our distance from prying eyes, standing in a field on the outskirts of the village. The village bustled with activity, still reeling from the incident, as the perpetrator, Baldy, remained at large.
"I'm sorry for acting on my own..."
"As long as you're safe, that's what matters. I guess even after a game over, it seems like you had nothing to lose," Violet replied.
I apologized to her, feeling a hollow ache in my heart.
It was just about time to log out, and under normal circumstances, we would have disbanded in the village. But chaos ruled the area now. It might be wiser to leave the village and use the tent item, Ivy, to log out in the field.
As we were having this conversation, Merrick—a man with a poker face and a two-pronged hat—came rushing toward us, his footsteps heavy.
"Hey, you three! Are you all okay?"
"Merrick!"
He bowed in a flustered manner, exaggerating his reaction.
"I was really worried! When I returned to this village and saw the state of things, I panicked."
It seemed Merrick had been working somewhere else until now. Despite that, he had gathered information quickly. He knew more about the situation than we, the victims, did.
"The culprit is still on the loose. It would be wise for you to leave this village soon. After all, you arrived here with Baldy, the prime suspect in the case."
"True, I'd prefer to avoid any more trouble."
I was desperate to steer clear of further complications; our plans were already in disarray.
"And, this is just my speculation, but… it seems this incident is only going to get messier."
Merrick pulled out a deck of cards, shuffling them with one hand. Eventually, he revealed a Joker and showed it to us.
"It appears that the members of the [7net] guild, whom Baldy took out of the game, are protecting him. They believe they are responsible for putting Baldy under such mental strain! They claim they'll shoulder the blame and ask for his freedom! But, of course, the folks from [ゴールドラッシュ] aren't going to accept that, and the situation is on the brink of exploding."