Shangri-La Frontier

What Do You Play Games For?

In the near future screen based gaming is replaced with full dive VR games. The market is soon flooded with low quality games filled with glitches known as “trash games”. A percentage of players are obsessed with completing trash games despite the glitches. One “trash game hunter” is Rakuro, who goes by his screen name Sunraku. His classmate Rei has a crush on him but is too nervous to talk to him. After spending weeks completing his latest game Rakuro suffers mental burnout and is convinced by local shop owner Mana to play a mainstream game instead, completely free of glitches with 30million players, Shangri-La Frontier. Sticking with his preferred play style Rakuro creates a Wanderer character with twin blades, extra luck bonuses and minimum armor except for swimming shorts and a bird head mask. Choosing to skip the game introduction Rakuro begins fighting monsters while heading to the starting town Firstia. With increased luck Rakuro levels up rapidly and is amazed by the glitch free gameplay, eventually deciding to skip Firstia and go to the more advanced town Secondil. The bridge there is blocked by Firstia’s area snake boss whom Rakuro attacks with reckless enthusiasm. (Source: Wikipedia)

A Peculiar One

Rei, already a powerful warrior in Shangri-La, visits Firstia hoping to encounter Rakuro when he starts the game. She is disappointed when he does not appear and assumes Rakuro already visited Firstia and left before she arrived. Despite his expertise of boss fights Rakuro almost dies, not having known the snake boss usually requires at least three players. His victory promotes him to level 14 but his health continues to drop from the snake venom. He is forced to run all the way to Secondil where veteran player Reiji helps him register a respawn point before he dies so he won’t have to start the game over. After respawning Rakuro realises his swimming shorts make him stand out, and not in a good way, forcing him to buy normal armour, though he keeps the bird mask. Requiring new weapons the blacksmith sends him to Diremarsh swamp to mine ore, which is more difficult then Rakuro first assumed as the realistic swamp mud slows his movement. Now equipped with Marsh Daggers Rakuro ignores the Blacksmiths warnings and goes hunting monsters at night. Rei decides to search for Rakuro in Secondil, despite the unlikelihood of a new player making it that far alone. Rakuro encounters Lycagon Nightslayer, a completely unique monster which is so high level not one of the games 30million players have ever defeated it. (Source: Wikipedia)

Black Wolf Nightslayer

Rei learns Rakuro has already reached Secondil. Other players notice Rei belongs to one of the seven clans formed to hunt the seven unique beasts, in Rei’s case her clan hunts Lycagon. Despite executing perfect strikes on Lycagon’s critical weak points Rakuro’s legs are bitten off but he swears to find and defeat Lycagon before he completes anymore of the game. Respawning he finds himself afflicted with Lycagon’s Curse; he cannot equip armour to his legs or body, though they are now immune to magic, he can no longer fight monsters weaker than himself and NPC’s will treat him differently. Plus the curse is permanent unless removed by a Saint or killing Lycagon. Forced to return to his swim shorts Rakuro suddenly encounters a Unique Scenario, an invitation to the rabbit city Rabituza which he accepts, unaware the recommended skill level is 80. Inside the scenario he is congratulated by white rabbit Emul for embodying the spirit of the Vorpal Rabbit; willingly attacking a superior enemy while hitting only the weak points. For Lycagon to curse him was actually Lycagon marking him as a worthy opponent, as such, Rakuro is the first player ever invited to meet Rabbit King Vysache. A brief flashback shows Rei started playing the game on Mana’s advice, on the promise Mana would also have Rakuro start playing so Rei could get close to him. (Source: Wikipedia)

A Trash Game Realignment of Elevated Tastes

Rei still cannot locate Rakuro but Mana convinces her to keep trying. Rakuro reads online walkthroughs and confirms he is definitely the first to meet Vysache. Vysache offers him Vorpal training and equips him with a collar that reduces his experience gains by 50% but increases his status gains by 250%. Rakuro is unexpectedly invited to BERP, an old trash game used as a meeting spot for hardcore trash hunters, by his online friend Katzo. Katzo is confused Rakuro would play a mainstream game, until Rakuro explains his rivalry with Lycagon. Katzo considers playing Shangri-La too, as does Arthur Pencilgon, another trash hunter and fan of Rakuro. Due to many new players over summer break Rakuro temporarily leaves the Unique Vorpal Scenario to focus on reaching the next town, Thirdrema. Emul accompanies him as an NPC follower so they can teleport back to Rabituza at any time. Unfortunately, having never been seen before, players quickly take pictures wanting to know how they can get an Emul NPC. Rakuro confirms weak monsters now flee from him. He chooses to instead defeat the area boss, Mud Digger, so he can travel to Thirdrema. Unfortunately Mud Digger lives in a swamp which slows Rakuro’s movements again. That night Rakuro has a nightmare Emul is a demon eating his character when he logs out. (Source: Wikipedia)

Lo, Thou Art Assailed on All Sides

Rakuro tries to rely on skills but almost dies, until Emul saves him, Rakuro being so used to solo playing he forgot Emul was his party member and can help fight. After dealing Mud-Digger a lot of damage Rakuro is thrown into the air to die from the extreme fall which can’t be avoided by any skill. Luckily, Emul teleports him on top of Mud-Digger, turning his fall into an overpowered headbutt that kills Mud-Digger instantly. Rakuro is pleased by the victory but disappointed in himself for using Emul since she is stronger than him. Approaching Thirdrema Emul disguises as a human girl, though Rakuro only wearing shorts still draws unwanted attention. Unfortunately the photograph of him has spread and players now know he has a unique NPC and has fought Lycagon, bringing him to the attention of Psyger, a member of Rei’s Lycagon hunter clan, as well as many members of Ashura Kai, an assassin clan that kill other players for fun. Rakuro is accosted by Animalia, an animal obsessed player who wants her own vorpal rabbit NPC. Distracted by her Rakuro is almost killed by Arthur Pencilgon, a level 99 player killer. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Writing Tool Knight-Queen

Rakuro recognises Arthur as a fellow trash game hunter. They met in a post-apocalyptic trash game where gamers often ignored the impossible main quests to focus on fighting each other for resources. Arthur fought her way to becoming queen and the games unofficial final boss, the Dystopian Empress. In the end Rakuro killed her in a suicide mission, beginning their unusual friendship/rivalry. Arthur has travelled all the way from the 50th city Fifticia to kill him. Animalia reveals Arthur is the level 99 second-in-command of Ashura Kai, specialising in assassinating player’s even higher level than herself. As they fight Arthur passes a demand from Ashura Kai’s leader to publicly share how to access the unique scenario for vorpal rabbit NPC's. Emul can't sustain her human form and reverts back to a rabbit. To protect Emul Animalia attacks Arthur, allowing Rakuro to dash for Thirdrema's gate to establish a respawn point but is stopped by Arthur's fellow assassins. Animalia is defeated and begins dying of poison magic. From nowhere, Rakuro is rescued by Rei, having finally learned his location from her sister, Psyger-100, from the photograph of him with Lycagon's mark. Arthur is delighted to see Rei, whom she knows in-game as Psyger-0, but the distraction lets Animalia attack her with magic. (Source: Wikipedia)

Remnant of the Divinity: The Aberrant Loser

Animalia's spell kills both herself and Arthur, surprising the assassins so much Rakuro is able to escape into Thirdrema. Rei is ecstatic Rakuro briefly spoke to her, but blames the assassins for the conversation not lasting longer, and kills them all. Arthur takes her loss good naturedly and invites Rakuro to talk later in the post-apocalyptic game, along with his other online friend Katzo. Rakuro teleports to Rabituza to begin playing the unique scenario. For his first training session he is forced to fight a group of Packhounds, all level 65 or higher. Rei decides next time she sees Rakuro in-game she will send him a friend request. After dying seven times in a row Rakuro figures out the Packhounds attack patterns and kills them. His opponents grow progressively stronger; a Tentacle Parasite, a Goblin Berserker, a Dino-boar, a Toxic Eagle, an Armoured Larva, an Execu-panther, a Twinhead Tiger and a Golem. This only promotes him to level 31 due to the reduced experience points of the vorpal collar. Vysache turns up to watch the tenth fight against a monster he caught just for Rakuro, Aberrant Woodmage level 120, a tree-type sorcerer so strong Vysache only demands Rakuro survive 5 minutes in order to win the round. (Source: Wikipedia)

The 300-Limit Pandemonium

Rakuro discovers the Woodmage is impervious to physical attacks, so all he can do is dodge the attacks. After 2 minutes Rakuro starts to suffer mental strain and considers just dying as there are no penalties for dying in training matches. He then feels disgust at himself, having grown used to always taking the easiest path to victory in trash games. He successfully steals Woodmage's staff, removing his ability to use spells. Dodging until the time expires becomes easier and Rakuro wins. Woodmage angrily breaks the rules and tries to kill him, but Vysache kills Woodmage and gives Rakuro his reward, a title as an honorary Rabituzan citizen and removal of the troublesome vorpal collar. Rakuro is disappointed, until his citizenship unlocks another unique scenario, the Vorpal Epic. As it has complicated instructions that require researching Shangri-La's highly detailed world history, Rakuro decides to play the main game and go exploring for a while. While unable to equip clothes to his torso Emul's brother Peatz gives Rakuro a Keffiyeh headdress with full body robe, so assassins won't recognise him. While deciding which city to visit next; Fourfolkshire, Fivelle or Sixenveldt, Rakuro spots Rei watching him ominously. (Source: Wikipedia)

A Dazzling Sea of Trees

Let's Go Tomb Raiding!!

The Glimmer of Truth

Regrets Always Lie in the Past

Only Resentments About the End of Life Remain

Squish

Putting Feelings Into a Moment, Part 1

Putting Feelings Into a Moment, Part 2

Putting Feelings Into a Moment, Part 3

Putting Feelings Into a Moment, Part 4

The World Progresses, the Heroes Are Revealed

Current Situations and Next Steps

Errands, Cultivation, and Game Progress

The Walking Air Purifier

Bird with Rabbits vs. Skeletal Choir

Rare Items, Worth More Than Life Itself