This is Shadyna! I am not dead, without knowing why!

Despite getting caught up in the big explosion, I survived with my meager 20 HP. What the hell was that, seriously?! Is this some kind of modern action movie?!

More importantly, I am deep underwater. Better get out before I drown.

…Was my intention, but then I notice the Merexxa is gone. In its place is a big hole at the bottom. Did it spawn from that hole?

There's not much down here except for rocks and algae. Not amazing, but not bad either. With this thing around I don't think fish would spawn here. Sigh.

Oh, the loot bag is floating around~ I wonder if I can get it, since the waitresses killed it, right?

[Received Merexxa Corpse x1]

YIKES!

Didn't know this game features corpse dismantling! Scale back the immersion already, Sateri~

More importantly, I'm sinking!

My weight! I mean the inventory weight, not my body's weight!!!

I'm still sinking!!!

The scary waitress and the carefree waitress jumped into the water. Give me a break already!

With me struggling to even stay afloat, it takes no effort for the waitresses to approach me.

…And start pulling me to the water surface. Eh?

Moments later, I am back to the shore.

This "Saved by cute girls" cliché is getting overused already~

_ Scary waitress: Not having the STR, yet you picked up that big corpse. Are you an idiot or are you an idiot?!

You don't have to say it twice!

_ Shadyna: Sorry…

Oh, their outfits are wet. Physics in this game is awesome!

_ Carefree waitress: Wanting your own loot is fine, but it's dangerous if you don't have STR to carry its weight~ On land you will become fast monsters' snack, in water you will suffer a slow and painful death and become monsters' snack~

The end result is always the monsters' stomach?! Can this person stop the verbal torment for a while, please!!!

_ Shadyna: I just picked it up out of curiosity. Here, I'm returning it.

I have no intention of robbing people of their loots. And these ladies can easily kill me anyway! Better to just return it and slip out with the conversation flow~

Yes, totally perfect plot. Nothing could possibly go wrong!

_ Bow waitress: What are you saying? You did most of the killing. It's yours.

_ Shadyna: …Pardon?

What is this lady saying?

_ Carefree waitress: That was really good, you know~ Pulverizing the monster in one hit, boom~ Its last moments must have been painful and agonizing, filled with regrets of its life choices as it got torn apart particles by particles~

Can anyone EXCEPT this person answer please?! My sanity is dropping faster than the whole hour of crafting and inspecting earlier!

_ Scary waitress: Cut it out. Keep that abuse for the patrons. Anyhow, you killed it with more than half of its HP remaining, so just keep the corpse.

But I didn't even attack it… I was shielding Gelly when it turned into [Summon Stone], and received the stone after crashing into the Merexxa…

…I was worried about myself dying because of the crash, I totally forgot about the damage I would deal to my enemy. Is the physics in this game allowing that kind of attack…?

_ Shadyna: …My pacifist run!!!

If I actually dealt damage then my goals would be all ruined!!!

____________

While the little girl is in her own world and frantically checking her menus, which are invisible to the waitresses, they were having their own discussion in party chat.

_ Head waitress: I don't know what's worse, her destroying 2/3 HP of a Merexxa in one strike, or her unknowingly doing it.

_ Bow waitress: Maybe she had a strong melee skill with [Ignore Physical Defense]? I'm still grinding mine by the by.

_ Head waitress: You have been playing for a whole month. She started yesterday. How is she supposed to get to that point without sacrificing everything else?!

_ Carefree waitress: Well~ We have been power leveling to keep up while tending the tavern so it's ki~nda possible? Besides, don't you have something more important to worry about?

_ Head waitress: What to worry about? Dismantling that Merexxa?

_ Carefree waitress: How cold~ Isn't she playing as a pacifist? Yet you hea~rtlessly cornered her, then made her a~ccidentally attack a monster. How is she going to get married now~

_ Head waitress: Are you intentionally emphasizing certain words to guilt-trip me?! What's her marriage having to do with this anyway!!! It's her pacifist run that's ruined, and you were in it too!

_ Hammer waitress: To be fair, we were dealing with the Merexxa…

_ Bow waitress: And you just agreed that you ruined her character…

_ Head waitress: Ah…

With friends like these co-workers, who the hell needs to worry about monsters and apocalypses?

_ Carefree waitress: See~? Now she will have to abandon this character, ma~ybe quit the game altogether. If words get out that the famous mistress of the tavern defiled the cute little sprout girl, I wo~nder what would happen~?

_ Head waitress: Guh…!

_ Bow waitress: Wordings! Your wordings, you damn maniac!

Reputation of her plummets to the ground, possibly even the waitress corps and tavern's fame as well. Falling from idol-equivalents to online bullies is not something she wishes to experience.

No matter what kind of person is behind the screen. In VR games, their avatars are their appearances. As proved by the threads on the board, this little sprout has a surprising amount of supporters even if just temporary.

_ Head waitress: Bu… but, as long as we keep it a secret…!

_ Carefree waitress: We can~, bu~t what about the person herself~?

The head waitress is feeling the rope tightening around her neck, figuratively of course.

This little girl was already panicking upon realizing she accidentally attacked something. From her gestures, she is probably flipping through menus and possibly the board to salvage the situation. However, looking at her teary eyes, it is probably hopeless.

You can't just delete play records, after all.

_ Bow waitress: I hate to say this but… The sadist has a point, leader.

_ Head waitress: Then… what should I…

_ Carefree waitress: Pay with your body, perhaps~? We will be waiting for the wedding invitations, okay~?

_ Head waitress: YOU ARE JUST TROLLING ME AREN'T YOU?!

____________

I screwed up!!!

The pacifist run is safe, but I screwed up! I was opening the Play Records menu to check the [Damage dealt], but opened the attribute menu instead! In the whole confusion I accepted discarding all 20 attribute points which is the total I got from my level ups!

Then I found out [Damage dealt] is still 0 for unknown reason although I definitely leveled up from the Merexxa! I panicked again and checked the inventory to see if something happened similar to the whole ordeal with the explosive Begi bulb, at which point I repeated the whole discarding process for skill menu!

Uuu, I want to cry…

It turned out I can access similar menus for Gelly using the [Summon Stone] in the inventory. In Gelly's Play Records, the [Damage dealt] was 1200-something! My HP was only 20, what the heck is with that damage!!!

And when did that happen anyway?! Gelly became the stone at that moment, right?!

Worst of all, I checked my status and everything has gone all weird!!!

---

[Character information]

[Name]: Shadyna

[Race]: Halfblood (Elf - Treant)

[Gender]: Female

[Age]: 13

[Level]: 4

[Status]:

- HP: .......... (20/485) (480+5)

- MP: =====..... (392/681) (676+5)

- PAT: 229 (228+1)

- PSP: 10 (9+1)

- PDF: 268 (267+1)

- MAT: 327 (326+1)

- MSP: 11 (9+2)

- MDF: 349 (348+1)

- SPD: 32 (31+1)

[Attributes]:

- STR: 45 (3+42)

- DEX: 43 (1+42)

- CON: 44 (2+42)

- LDR: 48 (6+42)

- FOC: 43 (1+42)

- WIT: 42 (0+42)

- MEN: 43 (1+42)

- LUC: 42 (0+42)

[Equipment]:

- Head:

+

+

- Body:

+

+

- Arms:

+

+

+

- Legs:

+

[Skills - Active]:

- Inspect

- Cheer

- Armor Craft

- Shared Fate [Create the link between souls. Linked souls share both life and death.]

[Skills - Passive]:

- Accelerate Power [Retain external mana to enhance oneself. Increase damage based on current speed and level.]

- Beast Empathy [Blend in with the beasts by treating them as one's own kin. Reduce aggressiveness from beasts.]

[Titles]:

- Unstopping Hero

- Absolute Zero

- Aspiring Pacifist

- Beast Tamer Origin [The pioneer of beast taming. Increase leadership effect on tamed beasts.]

- At-will Beast User (1) [The one who respects the will of the beasts. Removed on forming pacts with beasts.]

- Against All Odds (14) [The one who emerges victorious against stronger foes. Overridden with greater feat.]

- Halfblood (Racial)

---

New skills and titles aside, my attributes became scary! If I have 5 points per level up, my total attribute points are the equivalent of a level 60+ player!

If the number 42 is anything to go by, it would be a multiplication for the [Against All Odds] title, but are titles supposed to be inflating attributes this much?! Did I get that from "defeating" the Merexxa?

I like the new stats, but are you sure the balance is fine, Sateri~?

The beast-related titles probably benefit solely Gelly, or future tamed beasts (are they not called creatures/monsters?) I may have, probably.

That added level effect on [Accelerate Power] is sneaky. I will really miss out things like that in the future, Sateri~

[Shared Fate] seems amazing and scary at the same time. It's really vague though. Maybe I should try that with Gelly and purposely get hit somehow…? Wait, I am not that kind of person!

_ Scary waitress: Uh… uhm, excuse me…?

Ah, I must have been ignoring the waitresses the entire time. That was rude of me.

_ Shadyna: Yes?

I want to run away, but there are six of them and only one of me with 20 HP…

May I have a skill with HP regen please~

She looks kind of fidgety, while the sadisti… carefree waitress standing behind her is snickering. Uhm, yeah, totally not suspicious at all.

_ Scary waitress: L-look, I am sorry for causing you troubles. Can we compensate somehow? A-anything you want!

Hmm~ a weird flag was raised~

Behind her, the bow waitress is facepalming, and the carefree waitress turned her back to us, totally trying to hold her laughter!

Punishment game? Is this a punishment game and the scary waitress lost?!

Well, I had mini heart attacks back then, so I guess I can take up on her offer. She did say a~nything, right?

Might as well have Gelly join in while I'm at it.

_ Shadyna: [Summon]!

Gelly pops out from my inventory in some unknown way, then turns to me with the cute ^^ face. So cute~

According to the messages back then, it also leveled up. I wonder if I can see more statuses now that I have become the tamer…

[Inspect], go~!

---

[Character information]

[Name]: Gelly

[Race]: Jelleaf

[Gender]: Female

[Age]: 0

[Level]: 5

[Status]:

- HP: =......... (59/429) (429+0)

- MP: ===....... (235/590) (590+0)

- PAT: 200 (200+0)

- PSP: 8 (8+0)

- PDF: 243 (243+0)

- MAT: 290 (290+0)

- MSP: 8 (8+0)

- MDF: 308 (308+0)

- SPD: 29 (29+0)

[Attributes]:

- STR: 39 (2+37)

- DEX: 37 (0+37)

- CON: 41 (4+37)

- LDR: 37 (0+37)

- FOC: 38 (1+37)

- WIT: 37 (0+37)

- MEN: 38 (1+37)

- LUC: 42 (5+37)

[Equipment]:

- Head:

+

- Body:

+

- Arms:

+

- Legs:

+

[Skills - Active]:

- Burrow

[Skills - Passive]:

- Plant Camo

[Titles]:

- Against All Odds (13)

- Tamed Beast Origin

---

I saw nothing. HP never increased 7 folds. Yes, totally nothing weird whatsoever!

_ Shadyna: Then, Miss waitress, can you heal us to full HP?

With my brightest smile I can muster, I state my demands.

Seriously, at my level, even if I managed to craft potions, or orbs like that warrior was using, it will probably take at least dozens of items to fill up the HP bar.

I wonder if there's a skill or title called [Potion-Addict].

The waitresses are dumbfounded. Uh oh, are potions really that expensive? That party back then was using them without much hesitation when the priestess ordered though…

_ Scary waitress: S-sure. Give me a second…

Are potions really serious business in this game?! She's definitely flustered! She's not crying though, so maybe I'm demanding a lot but not something THAT crazy? Maybe it's the like losing a month of salary…?

Actually, if it is at that level I would like her to stop.

While she's going through her menus, most likely inventory, I decide to pull out some edible plants in my own inventory and eat them. I haven't eaten at all since my first login, and some warning indicators tell me that I will get debuffs soon at this rate.

_ Bow waitress: Eh? Why are you eating those?

_ Shadyna: Hmm? Because I don't want to get hunger debuffs… And I do not know how to cook yet.

Could you not look at me like an abandoned kitten scavenging trash bags for leftover food in the middle of a downpour? I have no idea why such specific image pops up in my mind but that's definitely what she's comparing me with!!!

_ Bow waitress: Leader, if you would.

_ Scary waitress: …Leave it to me.

Her expression changes in an instant. From the slim if not a bit frail-looking scary waitress, a bunch of monster corpses pop out. Is this some type of graveyard?! She's not a necromancer right?! Although I can't completely disregard the possibility due to her appearance and personality!

_ Scary waitress: [Mass Dismantling]!

One my one, the corpses break apart into various other drops. [Dismantling], amazing!

_ Scary waitress: [Field Cooking]!

The drops combine into a big shining sphere like the crafting skill. Unlike me who spends quite some time to fill up the bar, meal after meal appear from the sphere! Scary, this is scary in a lot of ways!!!

Other waitresses bring out a big picnic mat and spread it on the ground. After that, they put the meals from the scary waitress on it.

Professionals in real life are already crazy, in-game they are even crazier! Just look at their working speed!

_ Scary waitress: It is done. Please enjoy yourself.

…I don't want to check the clock. I feel like my sanity points will drop if I see how many minutes (or even seconds) it took her to prepare a full course for a whole family.

It would be awkward to decline her now, so I silently sit down on the mat. There's no dirt so I don't have to take off my shoes!

…Comparing to them, my equipment can really use some upgrade~ Still, in a game, equipment is the biggest investment for a player. Maybe in this game the buildings in town are more expensive, but equipment is undeniably essential to all players. I might just get a [Guilt] curse if I make such demands!

_ Shadyna: Is it alright for me to eat these?

Even in-game, I feel like my character would suffer from overeating just by looking at that amount.

_ Scary waitress: Please do eat a bit of each. If you try to eat all of a dish you will hit the limit very fast.

She explains calmly while sitting down with the others. Somehow this really turned into a picnic~. The scary waitress sits on the opposite side of me, while the bow and carefree waitress sits by her side. The hammer waitress sits next to me, and the remaining two sit in between on each side.

By the way, the realism for overeating was uncalled for, Sateri~

Each time I eat a new dish, a light glow appears around me. It's not [Sleep] effect by the way. I don't know what the exact effects are, but my guts tell me I better not check my status right now.

_ Scary waitress: Say, 0-stats…

Ah, people at school were using that nickname on me as well. Guess I didn't introduce myself probably to these waitresses huh?

_ Shadyna: My name is . You can call me as such.

It was a late introduction, so I try my best to smile as compensation!

_ Scary waitress: Is… that so. My name is . My apology for the late introduction.

Formal! She's too formal! Is this also part of the punishment game?!

_ Bow waitress: .

_ Carefree waitress: , pleased to meet you~

Too long! Are you trying to torment your friends with that name?! Just imagine the pain and suffering they have to go to everytime they enter your name to PM!

_ Unknown waitress #1:

_ Unknown waitress #2:

_ Hammer waitress:

The remaining three don't speak much. I wonder if it's their personality?

_ Hessenria: , and are more combat-oriented so they are not as social. Please don't mind them.

Ah, is that so~

_ Shadyna: Back on track~ What is it you want to ask, Hessy?

Her name while not long is still a mouthful, so I'll give her nickname!

_ Hessy: Eh… un, why is it that you have 0 attributes and skills?

That surely makes people raise their eyebrows huh?

And the reaction to the nickname was kind of lukewarm, Hessy~

_ Shadyna: Hmm~ I planned to play pacifist and thought that I wouldn't need them, would be the reason? I'm more interested in traveling and sightseeing than fighting strong monsters, after all.

Besides, I thought it would be fine since because both attributes and skills are grind-able. I would be weaker than same level players, but not really crippled.

…The whole mistakenly discarding all attribute and skill point crippled me, supposedly. The attribute screen is all weird now though.

I'm confused, but feel like I will lose if I think too much.

Hessy, why are you looking like you just took away the teddy bear of a young kid and are regretting it? What's with these specific images I'm seeing from these waitresses' actions?!

Carefree-long-name lady, you should stop snickering.

_ Hessy: I'm… really sorry, for ruining your run.

She's lowering her head, and I have no idea what she's talking about!!!

_ Shadyna: I don't really get it, but I am fine? Aside from the occasional close calls, I am seeing a lot of beautiful sceneries and managing to keep my pacifist status~

Besides, you look like you are about to cry, Hessy. If you do so it will be awkward~

_ Hessy: But I… Wait, huh?

Ah, that look. We are definitely having a misunderstanding.

_ Shadyna: The environment is gorgeous, and I still have [Aspiring Pacifist], so it's okay~

_ Hessy: How did that happen?! Didn't you…

Trust me, I thought so too~

_ Shadyna: My tamed beast Gelly here did the damage, not me. So, it was safe!

I declare proudly. If I have to guess, I am kind of making a smug face! Yeah, just like that, Gelly!

Still have no idea HOW it happened though.

_ Hessy: Nerin, got footage of the fight?

Ah, she was behind me back then, so I guess she didn't have a clear view huh?

I'm kind of curious now!

_ Nerin: Is that my nickname now? Here you go.

_ Hessy: If I get a nickname you all are not getting away without one.

Why is she considering nicknames a kind of punishment?!

To me, Hessy is staring into the air, or straight at me, but she's probably viewing the images or video of the battle. It's kind of embarrassing though.

Maybe she can figure out what happened back there?

_ Hessy: I see. The [Summon Stone] has less air friction and therefore traveled at greater speed. It crashed into the Merexxa first, killing it before Shadyna could hit it.

…Seriously? Are you seriously simulating air friction in the game, Sateri~?

That explained why Gelly officially dealt the damage, but totally did not explain why the stone dealt that kind of damage in the first place!

Even I have no idea, and Hessy is not mentioning anything so she probably doesn't know either.

_ Hessy: Excuse us for a minute.

Hessy starts dragging Mera away. I don't know if she'll get a different nickname, but that'll be how I call her for now.

_ Mera: Ehm~, Hessy, you are looking ki~nd of scary~ That cold stare should be reserved for the customers you know~

Seriously, are you ladies treating your customers like that?

Hessy just quietly drags her until they are hidden behind the trees.

*SLASH*

_ Mera: Kya~

Wow.

_ Hessy: You damned retard! Do you know how many years of my life did you shave off?!

_ Mera: Please stop, Hessy~ I didn't know either!

*WHAM*

_ Hessy: Do you have fat for brains like your boobs?! You were at the same place! Of course you knew! I am going to make you regret this day for the rest of your life!

_ Mera: Hya~ You are going to get PK penalty, Hessy~

_ Hessy: You think I would let you get away with just dying?! I have enough pots to keep you alive for days!

The attack sound effects and verbal abuse continue.

_ Shadyna: Uhm… Are we not going to stop them?

_ Nerin: Leave them be. It's just daily occurrence.

Maybe they will be much richer if they don't spend that many pots just for "arguing"…

Still, if that's normal then I don't have to feel sorry for Mera, right~?

Because it is not suitable for children, I unsummon Gelly back to the stone for now.

_ Nerin: They should have done it before eating. Meals take time to eat but heal by percentage rather than fixed value, so it's more economical to use meals whenever possible at higher level.

_ Shadyna: I didn't know that! Thanks, Nerin~

She looks and acts like the most composed person of the party. But wouldn't her personality fit more as an Adventurer Guild's clerk? Oh wait, that kind of thing doesn't exist here.

_ Nerin: In addition to restorations, meals made by [Cooking] also have buffs. Effects and duration vary depending on skill levels, attributes and materials. This is our tavern's special by the way.

I am being fed something expensive?!

_ Shadyna: Uhm… when you you recommend this course to customers?

_ Nerin: Level capped guilds preparing for boss fights, since it sacrificed duration for effect strength.

I almost choked in a game!

Am I going to be washing dishes for the rest of my life if I ever order this course in tavern?!

Hessy and Mera return to the meal. Mera has one of Hessy's blades stabbed on her head and is bleeding though.

To allow such level of screwing around, as expected of Sateri~

…

_ Hessy: We are going to continue our grind. Do you want to join us?

The picnic is done, and everything has been cleaned up nicely. According to Nerin, the meal buffs should last until I logout today.

_ Shadyna: I'll pass. If possible I prefer leveling without harming monsters.

If they were fighting with "Help Shadyna level up" goal in mind, they most likely will mow down half the forest with their firepower! As a true pacifist (in mind only), I would rather not have that happen!

_ Hessy: I see. Then we will part ways here. An advice though, you probably should PM and be done with the current manhunt.

I know right~? That bounty was probably why Hessy was after me in the first place~

Thanks to that I got to have a meal with beautiful waitresses, but I don't think next time will be as lucky.

_ Shadyna: I know. Still, meeting with a lecherous old man who enjoy little girls is a bit…

_ Hessy: …Ah, right. You are a newbie. That idiot… does have that personality, but in-game, as absurd as it is, she's a little girl just like you.

Excuse me?!

The image of a little girl moving her hands in questionable ways is popping up. I do have mixed feelings about that…

_ Shadyna: I'll think about it.

_ ???: How about you join us instead of those losers?

We spent too long in one place and now another weird cliché is happening!!!