VRMMO: My first Contractee is Yandere

"The first floor won't pose much of a challenge. Let's just be cautious of traps."

"Yes! Got it!"

"However, it's quite inconvenient that we can't use 'Ideal Atelier' inside the dungeon."

That item is useful both as a temporary lodging and as storage for equipment. It's a remarkably comfortable tool in the field, but inside this dungeon, it's utterly powerless.

Resting spots are also inside the dungeon.

It's tough. We could be attacked at any time. This is the difficulty of conquering dungeons.

I'm mapping as we walk.

It feels like we've likely gone off course. Perhaps it's best if we regroup at the starting point.

As for our collaboration with Rasetsu ○, it's going like this:

Basically, we're each soloing.

We share map information and any items we find. Whoever wants a certain item gets it, that sort of arrangement.

For example, if a rapier drops for us, we don't need it.

Then, we team up for boss battles... That's the loose party play we're engaging in. Apparently, we can't send friend chats inside the dungeon either.

But we can send messages to people not in the dungeon.

While trying to backtrack, we stumbled upon a treasure chest.

"A treasure chest..."

Liora took a step back from the chest.

It seems she's recalling the time Shiwo nearly killed her.

Since then, it's become a trauma for Liora.

Perhaps when we fought that player who exposed her trauma, it reappeared then as well.

"Liora, do you want to open it?"

"...!?"

Liora shook her head vigorously from side to side.

By the way, if I had said, "Liora, let's open it," she probably would have opened it with teary eyes. But I deliberately only asked if she wanted to.

Still, treasure chests are the highlight of a dungeon.

There's no choice but to open it, so I had Shiwo open it from a distance.

As soon as the chest popped open, tentacles sprang out. It really was a mimic. A battle between mimics ensued.

Both were evenly matched, their tentacles entwining.

It reminded me of a tug of war. The loser would be devoured.

Shiwo was dominant.

Thanks to spending time with Liora, his combat experience and level had increased. However, since this was becoming a stalemate, I used 'Present Poison' to poison the mimic.

"Liora, you can help now."

"Yes, my god."

Liora, still hesitant to approach, continued firing 'Shining Slash' from a distance. HP tanks like mimics are truly troublesome.

What's more frightening is their power, unrelated to the dungeon floor or rank.

That said, as long as they can't catch you, it's not a problem. Eventually, the mimic was defeated. It dropped a mysterious mask. I'll appraise it later.

Liora turned back with a beaming smile.

"I defeated Shiwo!"

'—!'

"That's your future."

'—!!'

"Be quiet. God loves only me. Only me..."

Ignoring Shiwo, Liora briskly made her way toward the rendezvous point. Apart from the mimic, there was no other threat on the first floor.

We slaughtered everything in our path and returned to the starting point.

▽

Jack Jack was sitting on a mat, leisurely enjoying some tea. He seems to possess a storage-type item, as he's carrying a lot of supplies.

Though not as convenient as the skill 'Item Box', saving skill slots is important.

Noticing Liora's presence, he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, Liora-dono."

"Found it?"

"Indeed, it's just an hour's walk from here."

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Not at all, it's a matter of luck and chance. No need to worry."

Jack Jack shared a hand-drawn map with us. With this, even if we're caught in a trap and split up, it'll be easier to reach our destination.

We followed the old elf.

Jack Jack is quite a powerful NPC, though not as absurdly strong as Liora. He's a traditionally strong character.

His specialty is assassination.

Not exactly suited for dungeon crawling.

His rapier precisely pierces the weak points of approaching monsters. He doesn't seem to use dark magic much. He specializes in disappearing, masking his presence, silencing sounds, and similar magic.

Before long, we reached the stairs.

"Well then, Liora-dono. First, let's scout the upper floor. Then, we'll rest here and have a meal."

"Food!"

After sending Shiwo to scout the upper floor, Liora started eating.

This is how we made it to the fourth floor.

This entire dungeon is a maze. It's incredibly tedious. Since we're splitting into two groups, we're somehow managing.

We've already been wandering the dungeon for two days of in-game time.

"It's nighttime. I owe Shiwo-dono a lot."

"Tame monsters don't need sleep."

Shiwo's specialty is keeping watch.

He doesn't need to sleep, has immense stamina, and also has the 'Sonic Wave' skill. Even if enemies come suddenly, he can tank them and buy time with his crowd-control abilities.

I created a 'Dark Mode House' as a resting space.

I kept it modest in size.

Two private rooms should be enough.

Liora and the others made a campfire. There seems to be some mysterious airflow in the dungeon, so using fire doesn't seem to be a problem.

Let's roast the marshmallows we bought with microtransactions.

I've never roasted marshmallows before. To eat them, I'd need to 'manifest', but I can't eat, so that's out of the question.

The crackling fire sparks.

The warm air feels comforting. The flickering flames are mesmerizing. Liora is quietly eating, and Jack Jack is doing the same.

The tense atmosphere seems to have eased.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Jack Jack, after savoring a marshmallow, spoke with interest.

"Liora-dono. How about we do a bit of training?"

"Training?"

"Indeed. I'd like you to become even stronger, Liora-dono."

"Jack Jack is weaker than me."

"True. But strength comes in many forms in this world."

Jack Jack stood up.

Sparks flew from the campfire. A moment later, Liora stood as well, holding her scythe.

Since I have a resurrection potion, they can train without holding back.

This potion is useful for both training and negotiations. Long live the World Tree. I'd like to try using materials from other raid bosses too.

"Let's avoid killing, for now."

The old man's wrinkled face softened into a smile.

"The current Liora-dono is a bit beyond my abilities."

Liora gave a small nod.

The old elf and the high-human young girl clashed in the dungeon's night.Liora, who was thrown to the ground, wore a blank expression. She had been utterly defeated. She had been allowed to do nothing and was simply tossed to the ground.

Liora has grown significantly at this point. Considering all her speed buffs, she should have been able to hold her own against Jack-Jack. Yet, the result was Liora crawling on the ground.

The difference in experience.

If this had been a fight to the death, Liora would likely have won. She could use Kesed's Wing to guard against instant death, rely on Yesod's Wing to foresee the future, and simply lop off her opponent's head, even if she took some hits in the process. If necessary, she could slow her opponent down with Killing Blade.

However, the moment it became a formal match, Liora's weaknesses were laid bare.

Liora stared at her trembling hands in disbelief.

"Why did I lose?"

"What I used was just a simple martial art. It wasn't a skill granted by a god, but a technique that humanity developed on its own—an 'outside skill.'"

"Outside skill?"

"Originally, humans had no skills. But, through the mercy of the goddess, The World, we were granted skills to fight against the Demon Lord."

In the past, humans fought only with the wisdom and techniques they had developed. In other words, just like us.

"What I used was one of those outside skills... specifically, a martial art known as jujutsu in the spirit world."

Hearing Jack-Jack's explanation, my eyes widened. I see.

It's possible to use jujutsu even without selecting a skill or art. For instance, you can throw something without having the Throwing Technique skill, and you can negotiate even without the Negotiation skill.

It's just like how I use a scythe without the Scythe Technique skill. By the way, I now carry an arming sword, an orthodox weapon, for Divine Manifestation. Without the Scythe Technique skill, I can't wield a scythe effectively anymore.

My contract buffs share with spirits, but non-buff techniques, like Scythe Technique, cannot be shared.

The scythe is Liora's ace card for when she finds herself in a tough situation. It's a weapon designed for environments she struggles in, like narrow spaces or indoor battles.

Swords in fantasy settings are far stronger than in reality. Spears may struggle to kill large monsters since the blade is too small. In contrast, a sword's weight allows it to smash through tough opponents. Often, special effects are embedded in the blade, and the larger the blade's surface area, the more final damage it inflicts.

That said, spears are still strong due to their reach.

Jack-Jack spoke up.

"You can see through traps without the Trap Detection skill and move swiftly without martial arts. Rasetsu○ mentioned you're like a ninja. I plan to teach you those movements, Liora-dono.