Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

Chapter 53: The Second Day's Ordeal

"It won't work for Calamity Object, but it's certainly a feasible addition for your genius self."

"... What with the barrage of praises and positivity."

"You want me to barrage you with insults and derogatory words?"

Verina stopped talking. She seemed to be imagining it—she seemed to be indulging in that idea. "I'm happy, either way."

"I thought that Lupina was the perverted one this whole time."

"I'm not a total pervert to anybody, just so you know."

"Hmm, I wonder what Lupina will says about this if we're able to revive her."

"I will brag the hell out of this to her."

"That sentence basically implies that both of you are equally perverted."

As the black sun on the sky started to give its reign to the spiraling moonlight, we prepared ourselves for my inevitable second Ordeal of the Dusk.

[The Ordeal of the Dusk will be approaching in 5 minutes_]

[However, due to the absence of the Storytellers in this world, the Random Events will be regulated to spawning a regular amount of Calamity Objects]

[This message will appear invisible to every instances of entities in this world, if you received this sequence of notification, please notify any of the Arbiters to prevent further complications in your immersive playing experience]

I wondered if I would encounter an Arbiter somewhere in the future.

My existence was definitely an example of an anomaly in this world, despite the amount of anomalies that exist.

"Despite me seeing myself hovering over a pair of flaming wheels, I still see that you're the most menacing one out of the two," Verina commented.

"Heh, I still think that a flying woman with a musket is still scarier."

Standing without much discomfort, I was carrying a 72 kilogram worth of collapsed Fortcracker Mk II on my back like a backpack, while carrying a sizable quiver made of calamity-leather that was holding 20 ballista bolts at a time.

Each bolt was severely reduced in length and diameter due to the decrease of size that the Fortcracker Mk II went through in its modification.

However, this portable ballista didn't lose a single bit of its firepower. In fact, its power was increased thanks to the new materials.

"It is starting."

[P?d?c?b? ego v?s et irrum?b?!!@&%]

A rippling wave was seen on the far horizon of the dimming sky, together with an eerie chime that could be heard on the back of the ears, whispering, and manipulating those of weak-willed hearts to consume itself from the inside.

[A special type Calamity Object have been manifesting within the vicinity of your bastion_]

[Attempting to analyze its property and identity_]

Ah, this notification again.

It was the same kind of opening prompt when the Hollow Star appeared.

"You look rather perplexed, Narcy."

"I was... Though now, I don't think that I'm as perplexed."

—

[The Withering Sentinel]

[Description: A colossal stone guardian of unknown dimension and origin, the Withering Sentinel stands watch over a forgotten, forbidden plane with its judging presence. It does not move unless provoked, it does not move unless asked for help—but once awakened, it will rip logic and concept away into cascading chaos. A protector that mustn't be deified, a god that must wither away]

[Hint: The greatest act of precaution is to let it wither away]

—

A Calamity Object with vague information screen and hint section, definitely something that wasn't as common as the one we encountered on the last ordeal.

And thank whatever god that exist in this world, even if they didn't exist—Hollow Star was not coming for the second round.

Still though, the the description mentioned a colossal stone guardian, but I didn't see anything that resemble-

"Ah…"

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Verina uttered.

"Definitely, it is as clear as a maddening, spiraling moon with its mere size alone."

The Withering Sentinel towered over the horizon, a monstrous shadow frozen against the dying light, as if reality itself recoiled from its presence.

Its form was jagged and alien, too vast to comprehend fully. The air around it warped and wavered, not with heat, but as though the fabric of the world was struggling to hold together in its proximity.

"Have you encountered this Calamity Object before, Verina?"

"Nope. It's my first time seeing it. I assume that it's the same with you too."

"Indeed," I said, knowing the full fact that I barely knew any Calamity Object before yesterday. "I know how to deal with it, however."

"As expected of Narcy-"

"We don't deal with it."

It did not move, yet something about it suggested a presence beyond the physical—an awareness that penetrated the mind without words, a gaze that bore into the soul from across the land.

Where its face should have been, there was nothing but a hollow void, yawning and endless, pulling at the edges of consciousness like a whisper from a place that should not exist.

In the gathering gloom of the sky, the Sentinel's stillness felt less like dormancy and more like a restrained chaos, barely contained. It was a thing out of time and reason, bound to this plane by forces that defied understanding.

To approach even knowing of its existence, it was as if you're feeling your mind unravel, logic slipping away in fragments, replaced by an overwhelming sense of insignificance.

The Sentinel did not watch with eyes, yet it watched—an endless, indifferent observation, as though it was waiting for the moment to tear reality apart.

And nothing happened for an hour afterward.

"Looks the ordeal is being dormant, huh," Verina attempted a chuckle, which was the most plain and cardboard chuckle that I ever seen and heard. "Very different from yesterday."

Where were all of the Calamity Objects!?

Amidst the absence of threat in this Carcosa's night, I ended up crafting a chess set that both Verina and I indulged after I taught her the rules and concept of the game.

"This is fun."

"I'm surprised that you learned the game this quickly," I wryly chuckled, trying to mask the fact that I blundered a move and Verina had the option to checkmate me if she knew what she was doing.

"Checkmate."

She knew what she was doing.

And just like the hint section of the Withering Sentinel said, we let the looming chaos of destruction wither by just simply ignoring it.