I forge my soul in the fires of vengeance, becoming the iron of retribution.
"Yawn… so sleepy…" Azusa rubs drowsy eyes during a university lecture, fighting off the haze from yesterday's Shangri-La Frontier session.
"Special Quest, huh…" Despite scouring wikis and blogs post-logout, Azusa found no trace of the quest they triggered. A mystery left unsolved.
"Focus, gotta listen…" Azusa's mantra: Regret only after doing everything. Even in unwinnable game events, they give their all, embracing defeat with pride. I don't know what lies beyond the quest, but tackling it step by step will lead to answers. That's my victory.
Taking notes, underlining key points, Azusa blends into campus life—a typical college student named Azusa Gojo.
"Welcome!" Azusa greets customers at a convenience store near campus after lectures.
"Azusa-kun, new canned drinks arrived. Stock the shelves, please," a senior coworker says.
"Got it, senpai!" Checking deli sales stats, Azusa restocks the fridge. "Cola, tea, Calpis… and Riot Blood, an energy drink."
Riot Blood, a GatlingDrum product, is a gamer favorite. This diluted version still packs a punch—one sip banishes sleep, one can fuels all-night work. Suspiciously potent yet legally compliant, it's untouchable.
As Azusa stocks, the store's auto-door chimes. "Welcome!" they say, continuing work. Footsteps approach the Riot Blood display, stopping. A tall, handsome high schooler in a nearby school's uniform, nearly 180 cm, stands there.
"Yo," he says.
"Welcome," Azusa replies.
This is Rakuro, a regular who buys snacks or drinks, especially Riot Blood. "New flavor, huh?" he remarks.
"You love that stuff," Azusa says. "Store manager keeps pushing me to try it."
"It's insane, man. Total game-changer," Rakuro says, eyes gleaming, slightly unnerving Azusa. He grabs ten cans, heads to the register, and leaves with a "Thank you!" from the cashier.
"Gotta keep up!" Azusa refocuses, diving back into work.
The next day, after lectures, Azusa buys a drink and CalorieMate at the store, returning to their apartment. "Drink, check. CalorieMate, check. Bathroom, done. Hydration, good. Bed made, VR gear ready. All set."
Prepped for Shangri-La Frontier after two days, Azusa outlines their plan: "Allocate points, sell materials, buy that item, retrieve weapons from the smith, and take on the Rock-Eating Worm."
Donning VR gear, Azusa lies down, logging in as Pepper, ready to conquer the frontier.
Pepper wakes in Fasteia's inn, stepping out to open their status screen. After leveling, they're at Level 12 with 45 unspent points.
"Let's allocate!" Considering their Backpacker class, Pepper distributes points:
PN: Pepper
Level: 12
Main Job: Backpacker
Sub Job: None
HP: 10
MP: 10
Stamina: 40
Strength: 25
Agility: 35
Dexterity: 10
Skill: 20
Durability: 20
Luck: 10
Remaining Points: 5
Equipment
Left/Right: None
Head: Leather Hat
Torso: Leather Clothes
Waist: Leather Belt
Legs: Leather Boots
Accessory: Chainmail Vest (+10 Durability)
Money: 1300 Marni
Skills
Slash
Thrust
Flash Counter
Boom Throw
Spot Edge
Step Work
Swing Strike
Raise Impact
"Done," Pepper exhales. They assigned 15 points each to Stamina and Agility, 10 to Skill, saving 5 for emergencies. New skills, Swing Strike and Raise Impact, are blunt-type moves—key to defeating the Rock-Eating Worm.
Next, Pepper sells monster materials at Fasteia's item shop, buys supplies, and heads to the weaponsmith.
"Hey, old man!" Pepper greets.
"Yo, kid! Weapons are fixed," the smith says, returning the fully restored White Iron Tanto and Fatal Hammer. As Pepper stores them, the smith asks, "You going after that thing?"
"Yeah, I'm ready this time. I'll win."
"Alright, I won't stop you. Give that bastard hell!"
"Thanks! I'm off!" Bolstered by the smith's encouragement, Pepper strides toward Fasteia Mine.
All preparations are complete, strategies set. The battle with the Rock-Eating Worm looms near…