Crossover Anime: From DanMachi to Becoming a Garbage Scavenging Master

Chapter 84 The Awakening of the "NPC"

Deep beneath the starting town lies a hidden palace, never before discovered by players.

The black iron dome stood tall, and magic lamps floated in mid-air like stars, their slightly swaying light reflecting unease and doubt on the faces of the more than two hundred new "NPCs".

"—The above is the complete account of the events that occurred in the central square, and the reason why you have been reborn as NPCs again."

Tianxing stood on the high platform, his gaze sweeping over the group of people below who had been deemed "dead" by the players, his tone calm.

"So, do any of you have any further questions?"

After a brief silence, someone in the crowd finally spoke up: "So—we won't actually die? The so-called death game is just a mechanism designed to enhance the immersive experience of the experiment?"

"That's one way to understand it. However..."

He paused slightly.

"This information is strictly prohibited from being disclosed to players. Even having such thoughts will be detected by the system and subject to mandatory intervention."

A subtle commotion suddenly arose in the crowd.

Then someone couldn't help but ask, "What about the prize money after clearing the level—are we included?"

"certainly."

The commotion escalated again as soon as he finished speaking.

Tianxing didn't stop them, but continued, "Remember, your responsibility is to play your respective roles well and subtly make the players aware of it."

"In this world, some NPCs are becoming increasingly intelligent and human-like. This is also one of the main ways you earn contribution points."

"Any other questions?"

What happens if you kill another NPC or player in combat?

"Good question. I'm sure everyone is curious about this."

Tianxing clapped his hands lightly, drawing everyone's attention back to himself, and then explained, "The rules are very simple—"

"As long as you don't actively provoke an attack, all actions are within the permitted scope. However, if you go too far, your contribution points will be deducted. And once your contribution points reach zero, you will die."

His tone turned slightly somber.

"Although you will not actually die, that experience is one you would never want to try."

A chill ran through everyone's hearts.

However, as the rules gradually became clearer, people's attitudes changed drastically.

There's no real pressure of death, you can tease players, and still win huge bonuses—is there really such a good thing in the world?!

Suddenly, a chilling chuckle came from some unknown corner.

Then, more laughter rose and fell, echoing throughout the grand hall.

"This is truly—so delightful."

"I really want to see the expressions on the faces of those guys who went to such lengths to win over the enemy after they find out the truth—just thinking about it is exciting."

As the laughter subsided, Tianxing turned around and gently pushed Yui, who had been standing behind him, to the front of the stage.

"Next, this NPC named Yui will serve as your customer service representative."

"Whether it's questions about the task or psychological discomfort, you can consult her directly."

He looked around at everyone again, pausing slightly in his speech.

"Then, go and complete your mission."

After speaking, Tianxing raised his hand and waved.

Teleportation arrays appeared simultaneously beneath everyone's feet. With a flash of light, they were instantly transported to their respective mission areas.

Deep in the grassland, a flash of red light appeared, and the last ferocious wild boar was slain by Asuna with a single blow.

A moment later, the three girls all leveled up to level 3.

Seeing this, the black-haired man stepped forward and said, "It seems you've come here because of the upcoming wild boar leader, haven't you?"

Mito shielded Asuna and Yuuki behind him, and asked with a hint of wariness, "Are you the person we met at the witch's hut?"

The black-haired boy touched his nose and explained, "That NPC who claims to be a master swordsman was wandering around the grasslands for some reason. He saw me helping a new friend familiarize himself with the sword skills system, so he kept asking me to come to his house, saying he had something to talk about."

"You all know what happened next."

Mitt tapped his head with his index finger, thought for a moment, and said, "It seems this happened after we met."

"Since you're someone the Great Sword Master approves of—I'll trust you for now. My name is Mito, and these two are Asuna and Yuuki."

The black-haired man replied briefly, "Kirito."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group decided to temporarily team up and head to a nearby area to search for a special wild monster called "Mountain Boar Man".

This Easter egg was discovered by chance during the later stages of the closed beta test.

However, by then the main force had already advanced to the eighth floor, and very few players actually noticed it.

The Boarman is a hidden mini-boss on the first level, so the experience reward is extremely generous.

Players learned from nearby villager NPCs that this monster claims to be the guardian deity of the raging wild boar and roams the grasslands. It is said that it will appear and attack anyone it witnesses hunting wild boars.

However, no one actually encountered it during the early stages of the closed beta. Later, a rumor circulated that the wild boar would only appear when players were between level 2 and 5 and had hunted a large number of wild boars in a specific area.

With everyone's current level meeting the requirements, and having already hunted a large number of wild boars and wasps in the vicinity, it would be a logical choice to head to a deeper area to try their luck and see if they could trigger this Easter egg, since the area would not respawn for quite some time.

As the group ventured deeper into the area, a furious roar suddenly echoed from afar, as if accusing them of their relentless hunting.

The shadows in the forest slowly parted, and a figure emerged from the distance—if one had to describe it, it was a ferocious wild boar that had taken human form. It wielded a giant axe, and each step it took was accompanied by a heavy sense of oppression, as if even the air itself had frozen.

The group exchanged glances, and after confirming that the information was accurate, a hint of excitement appeared on their faces.

Kirito quickly made a judgment: "This small boss uses a two-handed axe, so its attack style should be more wide-ranging and the pace shouldn't be too fast. However, we need to pay special attention to its close-range suppression."

Mite nodded and added, "No problem. I've tried the 'Foresight' skill given by the Katana Master."

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"By seizing the opening in its attack, you can significantly extend its vulnerability period. That moment is the best opportunity to attack!"

Kirito nodded slightly, clearly agreeing with Mito's assessment.

"In that case, Mitt and I will take the lead and hold the enemy at the front. As for the two newcomers, they just need to find the right opportunity to deal damage."

Once the strategy was decided, Kirito and Mito quickly stepped forward to meet the enemy.

The boar-men opposite also suddenly launched a charge, and the ground trembled slightly under their trampling.

The two sides quickly closed the distance—

The massive two-handed axe swung down suddenly, creating a heavy whooshing sound. Kirito stepped forward, precisely blocking the axe blade with his straight sword, while skillfully deflecting the force using his swordsmanship experience.

When the attack failed, the boar-man immediately changed tactics. It violently shook its head, attempting a surprise attack with its tusks.

However, this attack was somewhat hasty and lacked power.

Mitt's gaze sharpened, and seizing this momentary opening, he activated his support skill "Perspective Cut"!

The next moment, the boar-man seemed to have been struck in the head, his movements suddenly slowed down, his consciousness fell into brief confusion, and his whole body froze on the spot.

"Switch!"

Kirito and Mito simultaneously raised their voices in greeting.

Yuki and Asuna, who had been waiting in the wings, instantly entered the battlefield.

The rapier was drawn, a flash of red light—

The skill "Linear Attack" is activated simultaneously!

Two precise thrusts pierced the boarman's two vital points almost simultaneously, leaving red wounds on the monster's body, and its health bar suddenly dropped by one-fifth.

The excruciating pain jolted the boar-man awake, and he immediately let out an unusually piercing roar.

Immediately afterward, four ferocious wild boars suddenly appeared behind it, growling as they slowly approached.

The situation seems to have returned to equilibrium.

However, everyone's eyes lit up at the same time.

It seems as if some kind of exploitable "mechanism vulnerability" has been discovered.