Chapter 68: Beware of voice phising scams impersonating aquaitances.

“[[Gray City] Today, Death God Mei-chan is on break. #KainoisIzumi #StarsFlow #GrayCity]

“Wh-what? A motorcycle…!”

Getting the highest-grade vehicle so easily in Gray City—how lucky. There’s even fuel scattered nearby, so I don’t

have to worry about running out of gas.

• So, what exactly is that thing called Oceános?

“Uhm. Well, when you explore regions in Gray City, they all get recorded on the map, you see…? Once you fill the

entire map without any blank spots and meet certain conditions, that’s when you can access Oceános.”

Finding those conditions, as well as exploring every region, isn’t easy.

For example, to see Oceános in single-player mode, I had to catch 50 fish in the Gray River and then raise them for

two in-game weeks.

And fully exploring each region isn’t just about visiting; you also have to discover all materials, creatures, and skill

hints within each area.

Not only is it challenging, but it’s also an incredibly tedious task of repeated efforts.

That’s why Oceános is known as the ultimate content for hardcore players.

“Alright, today, let’s just get the Ash Desert done first.”

With a motorcycle at my disposal, it’d be wise to take care of the vast and tedious Ash Desert now.

[Hey, it’s Izumi-chan!]

Just as I had set my plan, turned the ignition, and was about to depart, I heard her voice from behind. I wasn’t

foolish enough to mistake that voice I’d heard hundreds of times before.

“Ah, uhm, Natsu-senpai?”

[Correct!]

When I turned around, there stood a character with the name [Nanase] floating above her head.

“…Gah!”

I almost lost consciousness.

As expected, Nacchan’s beauty can’t be hidden, even when she moves as a game character.

• lol
• No nosebleed this time?
• Your reactions are always so fresh.

“T-that time, I was just feeling a bit under the weather…”

Back then, when Nacchan joined the surprise collaboration, my unseasoned self couldn’t handle it.

But if it’s me now, I should be able to have a normal conversation, at least…

[So, what’s next on your agenda, Izumi-chan? I heard you were just with Koga-chan.]

“Uh, um, I, uh, was thinking of… going, going on a t-trip…”

It might… be impossible…

[A trip? Wow, that sounds fun! Izumi-chan, can I come along too?]

After calming my pounding heart, I explained my objective, and Nacchan asked to join me.

“…Huh?”

Nacchan wants to go on a trip with me? What’s she talking about?

I don’t get it.

Why would she want to move around with someone like me?

Oh.

“Are you, uh, maybe after… my organs…?”

[Pfft! What are you talking about?!]

lololol

• How did you even come to that conclusion?
• He just can’t believe his fave would want to tag along with him.

“Heh, heh…”

Nacchan kept giggling as if she found this all highly amusing.

Was what I said really that funny?

But I couldn’t help it.

Going on a trip with Nacchan? I’d never even dreamed of that.

[So? Is it okay if I come along? When you’re not exploring Gray City, I’ll just head back to the base or wait somewhere.]

“This bike is built for two passengers, so going together itself isn’t a problem.

But if I’m moving alongside Nat-chan, I’ll probably get so nervous that I won’t even be able to speak properly.

Wouldn’t that cause issues with the broadcast…?

Even if Nat-chan is my favorite, I still want the Izutomos to enjoy watching my stream.

What should I do…

[ …Is that a no? ]

“N-No! It’s fine! Let’s go together! A trip sounds fun!”

– I feel kind of abandoned here

– Me too, lol

Well, what choice do you have?

When Nat-chan herself asks like that, you guys will just have to make a little sacrifice.

The Ash Desert.

It’s the largest and most challenging area to explore in Gray City.

Looking around, all you see is ash.

Just finding food or resources here is grueling; for beginners, it’s a place with little to offer.

But that doesn’t mean the Ash Desert is meaningless.

This desert is where you can learn advanced smelting techniques.

Of course, in single-player mode, you don’t need these techniques to clear the game, so they aren’t especially useful.

However, in multiplayer mode with no set conditions for clearing, this technique can be quite handy, especially for

users like me who are searching for Okeanos and need to fill exploration percentages.

Still, the Ash Desert is so vast it could make you sick, and trying to explore it on foot or even on horseback makes it

hard to cover enough ground.

But who am I? I’m now the proud owner of an advanced transportation tool – a motorcycle.

I’ve decided to call it Vimana.

[ …I seriously can’t see an end to this place. ]

– How long is it going to take to explore everything here?

– Let’s just start a war again

Nat-chan let out an awkward chuckle, seeming overwhelmed by the endless gray scenery.

Thinking back, I felt the same way at first.

After my first single-player clear, I finally unlocked access to Okeanos.

When I learned that I’d need to explore to see it, and I arrived in the Ash Desert, I felt like giving up – it was so wide

that I felt drained just looking at it.

In multiplayer mode, you can search for Okeanos from the start, but that doesn’t make the Ash Desert any smaller.

“Please, Na-Nat-chan, could you, uh, start exploring from the west…?”

Since Nat-chan and I are allied, the areas she explores will also be shared with me.

She really is the best.

Nat-chan is truly an amazing help in my life.

[ But Izumi-san, all I see when I look around is just… ash. So, how are we supposed to search here? ]

“Uh, look for areas where the ground is darker than the rest of it…”

Though the Ash Desert is mind-numbingly large, the developers at least had the decency to make the ground in areas

with something significant slightly darker.

Of course, about one in every three of those spots turns out to be a dud.

“S-So, let’s get started…!”

[ …Alright! ]

After about an hour, we regrouped for a quick progress check, and the exploration percentage read 38%.

Thirty-eight percent in just one hour. That’s seriously fast.

If we keep up this pace, we’ll finish in under two hours.

[ …Hey, Izumi-san. You mentioned before that you’ve already seen Okeanos, right? ]

“….Yeah.”

[ When you explored the entire Ash Desert to get there, how long did it take you? And are all the other areas like this too? ]

Nat-chan’s voice was filled with fatigue.

Of course, since it’s probably her first time in Gray City, starting off with this kind of monotonous, repetitive content

wouldn’t be much fun.

Especially since the other areas offer a lot to do while exploring, while in the Ash Desert, there’s nothing but

repetitive tasks.

“Uh, um….”

“Last time, when I did this alone, it took me about eight hours to record the map and explore everything.

And that was just for the Ash Desert alone.

Should I… really be honest about this?”

“Well, um, the Ash Desert is… a unique area among the regions for exploration…”

[Oh, I see. So the other areas should be much easier, right?]

“The other areas have more variety in content, so it should be more enjoyable. And, when I explored the Ash Desert

alone, it took me… a total of eight hours…”

[…Really?]

“Yes…”

In the end, I couldn’t lie to Nacchan.

The exploration gauge was showing 38% after just an hour, but depending on the circumstances, it might not be

finished within two hours.

“Um, uh, Natsune-senpai. If you’re tired, it’s perfectly fine if I explore the Ash Desert on my own.”

This whole expedition was originally content I intended to do alone.

It wouldn’t be a big problem if Nacchan took a break…

[No, no. I was the one who asked to come along, so it would be wrong for me to rest. I’m sorry; I almost put too much

burden on you, Izumi.]

“Uh, no, it’s… really fine…”

[Great! Then, shall we head back to exploring?]

“Um, excuse me, N-Natsune-senpai…?”

[Hmm?]

Nacchan turned her body back westward but looked at me again when I called her.

“Um, actually, I think… I have to stop here for today…”

Before I knew it, the time had already passed 9 PM.

Following Koga for the first hour had ended up being a huge waste of time.

Not that I had any excuses…

But it’s not my fault; after all, Izutomos were the ones who didn’t stop me, so I’m not to blame here.

[Oh. It’s already past 9 PM?]

“Yes. I-I’m sorry.”

[No, there’s nothing to apologize for. Should I go on exploring a bit by myself? I think I can go a little longer.]

“Um, well… S-Senpai, you must be tired too…”

[Don’t worry. I really want to see that Okeanos view, so I’ll work on getting the exploration gauge up to around 50% on my own.]

“Thank you… so much…”

[You’re welcome! Get some rest, Izumi!]

“Yes. N-Natsune-senpai, thank you for all your hard work…”

After bidding Nacchan farewell, I logged out of the Ashen City.

“Haa…”

The tension faded, and I felt my strength drain out of me.

The fact that I suddenly formed an alliance and went on a journey with Nacchan… Honestly, it still didn’t feel real.

-Did you feel nervous?

-You seemed way more nervous than usual.

“W-Who wouldn’t be nervous…?”

If any of you ended up in a game alone with me, do you think you wouldn’t be nervous?

…Maybe you wouldn’t.

Anyway, just having a conversation with her, let alone journeying together to see Okeanos…

If I let my guard down, I might get so nervous I’d just die.

“Well, I’m just relieved that today went without any big problems…”

-Think you can finish tomorrow without any problems too?

-Today was pretty touch-and-go, after all.

S-Stop with the bad thoughts…

“Alright, then, I’ll be off for now. See you next time…”

-Bye, Izumi!

-Bye, Izumi!