For some weird reason, it appears that the player base is slandering this cute Shadyna, again.

"The space station above Sandy Beach will destroy the world if left be", or so my classmates said at school, to our homeroom teacher, when they submitted their homework.

Everything wrong with that scene aside, they were definitely talking about my artificial sun aren't they?! I do not possess the brightest mind by any means, but even I am not that dense! Mentally, at least.

Because of the freedom and lack of official lore-related info in media, rumors and hearsay run amok in this game. Having a new sun in the sky will no doubt raise a few questions, more so in a world riddled with hidden mechanics, bosses and means of bringing Balance-chan to her knees. I am saying this through personal experience? Whatever could you be talking about~?

Still, why the hell is a space station your first assumption, you bloodthirsty adventurers!!! That definition does not even exist in a fantasy world! Stop breaking immersion just because you think everything around is out to kill you. If the creatures could talk, they would call you guys out on that for sure!

Thanks to their baseless accusations, the peaceful artificial sun meant to save the world is treated as the very thing it was created to prevent! Sure, it is big, made of metal and spits destruction in every direction, but it is out of range so the last part doesn't count! Its range is the same as that of a player anyway. The projectiles can't even reach the sun, let alone the surface. If I am to weaponize it, I would ignore the discs altogether, deactivate the cores which keep it in the air and let gravity do the rest.

I wonder if doing so would not count as throwing damage? It's technically deactivating an enchanted item, not throwing…

Let's refrain from doing that for the time being though. I don't have to be violent just because the people around me keep saying that I am. Hired assassins exist for a reason, commence evil pacifist laugh~

However, I was surprised to learn that the players had a plan against my airborne construction. It is 50 kilometers above ground, higher than most real life airplanes' max altitude. Unless players have access to ballistic missiles, I doubt they can even reach it.

In that case, let's just hurry up and complete my objective before the players can attempt anything. The artificial sun is only the first step in my plan after all.

…

Thanks to the efforts of my crew, the construction is going well. When I logged out yesterday, the inner frames were still a work in progress. By now, roughly three-fourths of the sphere is done, and over half of the surface area has been covered in [ Solar Disc]. The girls playing at daytime must have been working on this most of their playtime. Didn't know the promise of new equipment would be such an effective motivation…

Materialism is relentless as usual~

_ Su (Guild): Ah, 's on.

_ Helen (Guild): Roger~

The guild's login notification feature sure is convenient for stalking, isn't it?

[ has invited you to a party.] [Y/N]

Of course~

_ Helen (Party): Do you mind if we keep building? We can complete it before the day ends.

_ Shadyna (Party): Sure thing~ I'm just going to visit the sun so there's no need to accompany me.

_ Su (Party): Even if we are separated, my heart will always be with you!

Keep it in your body. It's better for both of us that way.

And it's not like I ever asked for bodyguards in the first place…

These two are here, but I am having a hard time locating them, mostly due to the size and 3-dimensional nature of this gigantic jungle gym. Moreover, my crew seem to have opted for actual roads rather than support pillars, for ease of movement at the expense of visibility I assume. Then again, even if I can casually walk along these paths, it still takes a long time to traverse this maze.

My crew didn't plan to turn this place into their playground, did they…?

Well, they are probably at the top building stuff. Flying past the complex street system because walking is overrated, I find my party members slaving away in a sea of crafting spheres. They are pretty easy to spot once I have clear line of sight, thankfully.

_ Shadyna (Party): Thank you for your hard work~

_ Helen (Party): You can count on me~

_ Su (Party): Being praised by a little girl… I can die happy now~

Coming from her, that does not sound like a figure of speech…

Since pets also help with crafting spheres from party members, I drop Gelly and Lutena off to help out. On that note, Elri's stingrays are also floating around in their water bubbles. The main pet is working understandably, but the [Domesticated] minions as well? Isn't this kind of cheating?

My mentor is not in the party, so she knowingly lent the [Summon Stone] to or Su for this reason. Combined with their boss-level attributes, these stingrays are probably as fast as dedicated crafters on their own.

Elri OP, please nerf~

_ Helen (Party): I asked for 's flower as well, but was against it, saying that her accuracy on the move would drop badly.

Sounds reasonable. Why the heck was the one to express concern instead of the person herself though?

_ Su (Party): It couldn't be helped. The upcoming fight is filled with normal players from other guilds. Not all of them appreciate being blasted by little girls by mistake.

Please don't appreciate getting blasted in the first place, you degenerate~

Well, even without 's beetles, we still have a full party's worth of crafting capability here, so we are not as understaffed as I thought. Not that the shortage would last for long per se. After the main force murders the event bosses, they would return to finish the construction anyway.

That boss-rush event has been running for more than a week. I wonder if it is going to end soon…

____________

On a beach full of sand and man-eating marine life, two parties are walking towards a makeshift encampment. frowns at the lack of surrounding walls, or any defensive structure really. It was as if these guys were building a camping site for an outing instead!

_ Torenis: What are they doing… A concentrated assault from any direction will send them packing in five minutes.

Not that walls would do anything against , thinks the gothic girl walking by his side. She won't say that to him though.

_ Vladina: Isn't it fine? This is not a competitive event. Let everyone enjoy themselves once in a while.

_ Torenis: Hmph, we'll see about that.

On the surface, the event is most likely about players working together against the spac… unidentified flying weapon up there. However, this is the sadistic AI who regularly throws endless hordes of monsters at the players for hours and designed bosses at more than twice the level cap they are talking about. If anything, this event's lack of carnage so far is… unsettling, to put it mildly.

Even amidst the overcrowded gathering of crafters, the two still found their target without much trouble. That throne can be seen from quite a distance after all.

They didn't expect the combat fetishist to be with him though.

_ Olkan: I'm not sure which is worse, that inhumane plan of yours, or that it is actually working…

_ Cinrald: But it works. That's what matters, isn't it?

It is normal to see two guildmasters discussing strategies. It is less than normal when one of them is wearing a white bikini, and one is staring at the other's chest instead of face while having a conversation like it's a natural thing to do. Both being unhinged is definitely not helping.

At least the degenerate on the throne is not the one wearing bikini.

_ Olkan: Yo, , . It's time already? You could have just PM-ed me. And why are you looking at me in pure disgust?!

_ Torenis: Heh, I wanted to see how the great was going to deal with a space station. Still… What the hell is THAT?

Pointing at the sky-high staircase at the back, asks with a concerned tone. He's worried about the construction, not his friend's personality. The latter is already beyond help anyway.

The stairs are human-sized, wide enough for two or three players. It's the height that is off the charts, going straight up into the clouds above. Judging from the busy crafters nearby, the construction is nowhere near done yet.

*THUD*

_ Olkan: The stairs? Because the crafters fell to their death after appearing next to ladders with [Recall]…

_ Torenis: That's not the problem here! Of course you would have no foothold if you [Recall] to the top of a ladder!

*THUD*

_ Olkan: Stairs are constructions connecting…

_ Torenis: I am not asking for its definition! Why the heck are you building stairs?!

*THUD*

_ Olkan: Ah, that. We estimated that it is much higher than the second Magnus Bestia, so nothing will reach it even if we stand directly below. Gotta go to a higher elevation first you know?

The guildmaster of figured as much. He felt like his intelligence dropped after asking though. Such is the life of the only sane man among these crazy guildmasters of the closed beta.

Coincidentally, all the leaders of the four big guilds think the same. Being the only sane person that is.

*THUD*

It should also be said that it is raining dead players around the construction site, like droplets spewing out of a leaked pipe. Even for closed beta players who have experienced more content than most, this surreal scene is not something they see every day, or ever, really.

_ Vladina: Not that I am going to do it but… what are they doing?

The bodies are quickly resurrected, who then cast [Recall] and disappear again, presumably to whatever up there in the sky that is causing this bizarre "rain".

_ Olkan: That area up there is the [Void], according to this title I acquired earlier. It has environmental damage which gets worse the higher you go. Above a certain height, HP regeneration and potions just won't cut it anymore…

_ Cinrald: So I told him to just [Recall] up there, place the new stairs then die. At the rate they were chugging high-grade potions, crafting MP potions for [Recall] and [Resurrect] is more efficient, isn't it?

Her logic is not a problem. Her ability to propose such cold-hearted tactics with a genuine smile is the problem. and have no qualms throwing guild members into bosses either, but they definitely wouldn't do it gleefully like this psycho woman!

As much as they like to complain, it was thanks to her "advice" that could proceed. The sacrificial players might not want to be in high places for some time though.

The ironic stairway to heaven continues to grow while the main combatants go to the boss rush of the day. Sateri-chan's murder quota is once again achieved, even if she herself was not aware of such quota's existence in the first place.

____________

The sun looks even bigger when seen up close. Pretty sure its cross-section area is larger than most fields, including the mountain I blew up. In fact, there's nothing in my vision except for the fiery sea dotted with masses of plasma shooting out of the surface similar to boiling water. My own artificial sun costed a fortune and is pretty big, yet it is still smaller by an order of magnitude compared to the real thing. Sad face~

Now that I am flying straight at that massive ball of fire, this whole "go to the sun" plan starts to seem like a bad idea. I mean, who in their right mind would throw themselves into a celestial body whose average temperature makes fires look chilling, let alone a pacifist girl with a medical history of being set on fire!? My HP may be one of the highest in the game, but the mental hurdle is a different matter!

As painful as the space exploration was, there was nothing to indicate the danger. The only thing I had to worry about was the HP bar shrinking rapidly (which was scary in its own way), so there was little tension back then. This time, however, dangerous-looking stuff is all over the place. It's terrifying enough to dive into water at terminal velocity already, I don't want to dive into literal plasma, in game or not!

Okay, let's calm down for a second. I can't afford to have cold feet now, not when Sateri is this close to me.

Whenever I hesitate due to fear or uncertainty, it's best to remind myself of escape routes to ease my inner scaredy-cat. Even a coward like me can fight a battle if I know there's a way to win, or in this case, a way to get out alive!

I have HP to withstand most attacks, [Recall] and [Teleport] for emergencies, more than enough SPD to outrun arrows, semi-random invincibility with [Impervious Soul]…

There's this thing called "respawn" too, but that is not immersive. Pass~

Because I was too focused on recalling escape methods, I did not notice the new environmental damage, and more importantly, the plasma ball with the size of a house hurled at me from the sun.

*BOOM*

_ Shadyna: KYA?!

HOT! The tree girl is on fire again!!!

I am completely engulfed in plasma, and my HP is dropping at a very alarming rate. I can't see anything out of this orange mess all over me! Save coordinates, and retreat! Anywhere is fine, just retreat!

_ Shadyna: [Teleport]!!!

____________

Today, the Bloodbath Sisters are in charge of tending the stores during the boss fight. They are watching the streams of other guild members as it is much more interesting (and bloodier) than serving degenerate patrons.

Since the annoyed atmosphere they give off whenever someone orders a meal is considered a rewards, business is going strong as always.

_ Melodyn: Ah~ I'm bored! I want to help the bosses murder players~!

_ Priest: Not helping players kill the bosses?!

_ Choruse: We do help players, on the surface at least.

_ Swordsman: No, please help them genuinely!

Although the big alliances have mobilized, the tavern is still crowded with non-aligned players. They are either not interested or not strong enough for the ongoing events, so there's no need to change their routine of getting mistreated by bountiful ladies.

_ Melodyn: Wouldn't it be nice if everyone here drops dead right now?

_ Choruse: Would be fun, yes.

_ Priest: Don't wish for that just because you are bored!

*FLASH*

Without a single warning, a certain girl, covered in a yellowish orange glow, appears in the center of the tavern.

*FWOOM*

And then, spontaneously burst into flame. The players near her, that is.

_ Burning archer: WHAT THE HECK!!!

_ Merchant on fire: It burns! Water! Get me water!!!

_ Flame-enchanted spearman: I didn't ask for this kind of hot girl!!! [email protected]#$%^&* -And a lot more of heroic screaming-

The whole place was thrown into a panic in seconds. The not-so-mysterious arsonist quickly disappears, yet screams of agony continue to echo throughout the building as players run all over the place trying to put out the fire that is so hot, lava lakes feel like lukewarm baths in comparison. It is almost impossible to know who's saying what in this mess, which only serves to make everyone run into everyone and pump up casualties by collision damage.

Being the people in charge, combined with their work experience in the service industry, the crazy waitresses decided to take the sensible course of action… which is keeping distance behind the counter and blissfully enjoying the chaos!

They are never going to be able to explain this to the managers anyway, might as well make the most out of it.

_ Choruse: Everyone, cast [Water] skills to put out the fire.

_ Melodyn: Right on~ [Water Barrage]!

_ Priest: Are you two for freaking real?!

By the time the effects wore off, and the little guildmaster returned to the scene of the crime, half of the patrons were lying lifeless on the ground. Some went out in a blaze without glory, while the rest (and some more) fell victim to the generous application of offensive [Water] skills from the crazy waitresses and the panicking bystanders who couldn't think straight.

To be fair, the fire was extinguished. So were their lives though.

____________

Welp. Now I have done it…

Apparently, plasma does have a "wetness" effect. For double immersion, it sets players in close proximity on fire, and based on the reaction of the unfortunate living torches, seems to have damage over time. Since they hadn't drop dead before I teleported away, the effect is probably milder than the melting plasma that ate my entire blue HP before expiring.

Still enough to burn a good chunk of the cafeteria's customers to death though… Sateri, you immersive sadist~

As I went around to resurrect and heal the players caught in the accident, I noticed that some didn't have burn marks on their characters. According to , the fire effect didn't spread by itself nor deal AoE damage. Why did these people die then?

…Such was my question, until I saw how ecstatic the dark elven sisters were and decided it wasn't worth my sanity. Nope, don't want to know!

_ Revived merchant: What the hell was that all about, you monster?!

_ Shadyna: Sorry~ I was disoriented after getting that status effect and had to escape.

Yep, they are angry alright. Not that I blame them. I blame my muscle memory for picking these coordinates first and foremost~!

_ Revived archer: Don't think you can get away with this!

_ Revived mage: That's right! No amount of money can heal this trauma in my delicate heart!

The tree girl is being blasted heavy criticism from all sides by angry mobs! A few complaints are weirder than others, but I am in no position to point that out.

_ Shadyna: Uuu… I am sorry… I was going to craft dumplings to compensate, but if you don't want them…

_ Revived players: WE WANT THEM!

What the heck, you guys~

Thanks to the power of little girl's non-explosive handmade meals and materialism, mostly materialism, this poor me was be able to settle the case before it could get out of hand.

No one objected it, amazingly. Some weirdoes even said I could burn them again whenever I want, but were shot down by , literally.

Scary~

_ Choruse: By the way, guildmaster, we'll have to dock your pay as reparation fee for the broken furniture.

Wait what?

_ Shadyna: I have a salary?!?!

_ Choruse: And yours too, sis, since you asked for this to happen.

_ Melodyn: Eh~~~

She was just joking about my salary, right?!

…

With the accident dealt with, let's go back to the sun. Its coronal mass ejections won't take me by surprise this time!

That said, I'm not sure if I can evade something that big right after teleportation…

Oh well, only one way to find out! [Teleport]!

[Invalid location]

…Why?!

For some reason, I cannot [Teleport] to the coordinates where I took the hit.

[Teleport].

_ Su (Party): Welcome back~ Are you done already?

Arriving at the artificial sun is fine though.

_ Shadyna (Party): Um, not yet. Still working on it.

In other words, Sateri is blocking [Teleport] around the sun. She's learning from my space exploration. Darn it~!

Without [Teleport] to return to my last save point, how am I going to get through all of that environmental damage and plasma balls?! Sateri, soul-crushingly hard games are last century already. Uuu…

Even if I can somehow survive the entry, I doubt I will have time to do anything (destructive) on the surface… My plan to casually excavate the sun is all ruined~

Fine! If that's how you wanna play, I'll gladly oblige! Commence operation Little Freezer!

____________

Meanwhile, the main force of the cafeteria is fighting against another pack of weird-looking bosses somewhere faraway from Tyrel. Of course, the biggest, strongest alliances of the player base are also there to increase the number of bosses, and loots as a result.

The fight has been raging on for a while, and everything is going according to plan… is what some idiot must have spouted out loud and jinxed it, because the leader of the boss-killing force, , was called in guild chat.

_ Choruse (Guild): Leader, I would like to report that guildmaster set our patrons on fire.

_ Hessenria (Guild): What.The.HELL?!

_ Fuelri (Guild): Idiot! Stop firing if you are going to chat!!!

_ Sulien (Guild): And my wife is up to no good again. If you don't hurry up, we will take all the rares for ourselves~

_ Shadyna (Guild): HEY!

_ Hessenria (Guild): Sateri-chan dammit, is it your hobby to disrupt my fights, you OP maniac!!?

At this point, she has to wonder if these disruptions are deliberate, both from , and her own guildmates. The poor waitress is not sure if she wants an answer, however.

_ Shadyna (Guild): Sorry~ I'll party with you so cheer up, okay~?

_ Fensen (Guild): Yay~

And so begins a rampage in the middle of a boss rush after another friendly fire incident. Because the AI-controlled bosses cannot comprehend the unfounded (to outsiders) ferocity of the cafeteria crew, their allies have to tremble in fear instead!

The maniacs have finally turned to human sacrifices for additional power-ups!