ULMF – 006s

Automated Audiobook: https://youtu.be/0ABFgI6UwCw

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In the large city of Aristolas, there was a large scale sorting happening – it sounds like a scary thing, but in essence, they were categorizing people into two groups: the one who [have the will to fight], and one who [don’t have the will to fight].

Wataru’s powerful speech made many people acknowledge their current situation, causing the process to be surprisingly smooth.

First, those who could fight were immediately given items to support their activity, and they also received combat instruction based on the experience of the beta testers, those who were recognized as having a certain level of fighting ability will be asked to form parties and hunt mobs in the vicinity to raise their level and collect gold.

Those who had the will to fight but lacked the courage were given quests by the [Adventurers’ Guild] NPCs to level up and earn gold by doing errands in the city until their hearts were ready.

The first thing they needed to do was to secure money. As long as they have this, at the very least, they will not die.

Wataru’s group sent them an e-mail containing the information I could get from a man named [Yoritsura], who was known as the owner of the guide website from the time they were beta testers. Hopefully, everyone now has a better understanding of how to become self-reliant.

There are too many refugees, after all.

The first thing they need is the strength and wisdom to be self-reliant.

As for the remaining non-combatants, Wataru and members of the [Monshou] Guild will go to the shelters and directly tell them how to live.

It is hoped that in this way, non-combatants will feel secure in the sincerity of a reassuring presence, and that they will remember the faces of [Monshou] guild members – in this way, relations with non-combatants will not be severed. After all, face-to-face communication is the most powerful mode of communication in any era.  

* * * *

At the north gate of Aristolas, several players were quarrelling. Two people in armor were trying to persuade the three people standing outside the gate.

“Well then, give my regards to Wataru.”

“Hey, this is no time for competition! We have to work together, or we won’t survive! Hey, come back here!”

The three men leave the scene at a snail’s pace, ignoring the plea of the armored player’s attempts to call them back.

“How many these make…? Considering the possibility that many of them going through all the gates, we’re should missing quite a few.”

Those who left were the uncooperative beta testers and other players who were confident that they could manage on their own. Including those who flee in the initial confusion, the number should already be over 5,000.

There are benefits to leave the safety wall of Aristolas, first is freedom from babysitting the dead weights and comfortable life in a town with low player density, faster self-strengthening, monopoly of resources, monopoly of markets, low competition for guild requests, the list goes on and on… There are indeed many.

If you stay, what awaits you is the obligation to protect non-combatants and maintain security around the city, which is why so many have fled the city.

“Again, huh?”

“! Alba! I’m sorry…”

Behind the two discouraged knights echo a cool voice of an older adult.

This man with gray hair and a 190-centimeter height is called [Alba], and he is one of the top three in the [Monshou] Guild.

As a side note, in [Eternity], the user’s appearance is reflected on their avatar, and this was one point of dissatisfaction since the launch of the game. Without exception, your avatar will reflect your appearance in the real world.

There were numerous complaints from those who were hampered by their appearance, but for better or worse, management did not listen to them until the very end, at this point a sharp observer might have guessed that this strange behavior was preparation for the death game.

Alba was a reliable figure in [Monshou], with the body of a well-trained rugby player. His confidence, his popularity, and his conversational skills, it had led him to become the general manager of a large food factory.

“It would be more difficult to keep everyone in the first city. Besides, in the future, we will need to secure routes to the towns of Emaro and Kalloa to disperse the overflowing population.”

“Seriously? Emaro, I could understand, but Kalloa is….”

The two knights looked at each other, confused by Alba’s words.

The town of Emaro is located very close to the Aristolas, and the mobs in the vicinity are at most ranged from lv 8 to 12.

Kalloa Castle Town, however, is quite far from here, and during the beta test period, it was necessary to touch the [transfer crystals] in each town to progress, not to mention the mobs in Kalloa are around lv 15. In this world that has become a death game, it seems like a very dangerous path to tread.

But Alba was also aware of the concerns that confused the two.

“Of course, the first to go are those with sufficient level and experience in combat. The less the population of Aristolas, the more support we will be able to provide. Kalloa Castle Town is also a base that boasts a considerable area. Besides–“

After a short pause, Alba looks back at the city.

After the chaos had finally calmed down, he could see a small group of people eating meals obtained from the general store and supplies distributed by his Guild.

“The supplies Wataru mentioned were a rather glorified in quantity. Unless there’s a special monetary balance, we’re going to have to reduce the number of players needing assistance by quite a bit within a month, and that was by expecting everyone could manage their initial gold well enough.”

“What…!?”

In order to calm down the chaos, Wataru made a gamble… but in truth, there were only 14 of the [Monshou] since the beta period, and if they were told to be honest, they had never been seriously gathering supplies at that time. Their storage was not that plentiful.

“2500 or more people joined the [Monshou] on the day of official operation – which was also the day the Death Game started. If we did not train them in a short time and increase the number of players who could stand on their own feet, then tarting to moving to other towns, there would eventually be chaos again.”

Alba was convinced that if they failed to control the refugees, the anger would be directed at the [Monshou] Guild and, by extension, at Wataru himself, who had shouted grandiose promises.

The first trial for the [Monshou] would be to [send the majority of the combat-ready players to the town of Emaro or Kalloa Castle town within a month.].

The two knights suddenly felt a weight on their shoulders. It was not physical weight but rather the weight of their overweening sense of responsibility.

“That’s why there is no need to keep the skilled players who are leaving here. We don’t expect any cooperation from them when they reject our invitation to join the Guild in the first place. You guys only need to stop the suicidal desperate non-combat players. Is that clear?”

One of the [Monshou] executives has personally expected them to perform their duties. The sense of responsibility that had grown along with the weight on their shoulders flared up, and they said, “Leave it to me!” and raised their voices loudly.

Alba was satisfied with their reaction and said,

“Thank God we have reassuring comrades. I’ll leave it to you,” and left the place.