Chapter 117
"I really wanted to bring table tennis as a hot spring activity, but while the table might be manageable, making paddles and balls was impossible for me!!"
"What's that?!"
In FBO, there were events where players could enjoy casual mini-games with spirits. These events were designed to be easily cleared if your stats were maxed out, emphasizing the fun of immersing yourself in the game world.
But some players found that too easy and demanded even crazier challenges.
What we were doing wasn’t combat, nor was it competitive sports like what I was doing with Amina—it was more like the laid-back atmosphere of a neighborhood sports festival. A mini-event where winning earned you modest prizes.
Some found it lacking and clamored for more excitement, leading to the creation of "Sealed Mode."
This brutal mode forced players to challenge high-stat spirits with their own stats and skills sealed—effectively level zero, status zero.
I’ve cleared it before. But I’d never dare claim I did it in one try.
I don’t even remember what sparked it. The overwhelming sense of achievement from that grueling battle is what stuck with me.
"It’s a classic hot spring game!""I’ve never heard of it!!"
Memories like these resurfaced after so long.
Enjoying the path of carnage.That’s the kind of insane game design it was—but for now, I was just having fun with her.
To summon a spirit, the most important thing was for Amina and me to enjoy ourselves.
The shuttlecock flew back and forth with a light clink, and I was the one sprinting full-speed across the court.
Meanwhile, Amina skillfully kicked off the ground with one foot, using her wing-like arms to soar around the court, swatting the shuttlecock back with a single-footed strike.
Common sense in another world—an impossible sight in reality.
In this world where demi-humans existed, this was normal.
Honestly, Amina’s method was still cute compared to some. There were races with multiple sets of arms wielding several paddles to form an impenetrable defense.
The rules here were simple: hit the shuttlecock over a string stretched between two poles so it lands in the opponent’s court.
It was close to badminton.
But unlike Earth’s badminton, this world had skills—and demi-humans with unique, non-human physiques.
Amina’s aerial techniques fell into that category.
Flying through the air was second nature to her. She wielded her bird-like feet as deftly as hands, effortlessly returning even the trickiest shots.
"The snacks are miiiiine!!""Honesty is good! But still naive!!""Huh?!"
Amina’s reaction speed was sharp, instinctively finding optimal solutions, but her paddle skills hadn’t caught up yet.
She fell for a drop shot disguised as a smash, the shuttlecock landing just short of her outstretched foot.
"My win! Gimme that cookie!""Ugh! Again!""Nope! It’s my turn now.""Then Ingrid, swap with me.""No, I’ll go after Lady Nel. She seems eager to face Libert-sama too."
The rules were simple: drop the shuttlecock, and you lose. The winner got a cookie. As I chewed the mildly sweet treat, I tried passing the paddle to Ingrid, but she gently refused, subtly directing my gaze toward Nel, who was wagging her tail excitedly. I couldn’t hand it off.
"Alright! Bring it on!! Don’t complain when I eat all the cookies!""Don’t worry! I watched Amina’s match—I get it now!"
Nel, seemingly thrilled by this unfamiliar game, grinned as I served with a slow, arcing shot.
She dashed like me, getting under the shuttlecock and returning it.
Her stamina-focused stats made for sharp returns.But.
"Gotcha!!"
Even with all stats sealed, I could still scrape wins against spirits. I left no openings.
A quick return sent the shuttlecock to the corner. Nel’s physical ability meant she could reach it—but not easily.
"Here!""Expected that!!"
The key to winning in sealed mode was restricting the opponent’s options and reading their moves.
Outmaneuvering them was the only way.
"Wha—?!"
I volleyed the return to the opposite side, where Nel couldn’t reach.
She scrambled, but the shuttlecock landed right before her eyes.
"Victory!!"
Call it immature if you want, but I knew Amina and Nel wouldn’t appreciate being handed wins.
So I’d go all-out—technique included.
"So unfair!!""Mmm, delicious!"
The second one left my mouth a bit dry, so I reached for a nearby glass of water.
Nel glared resentfully, her eyes darting to the cookie basket.No win, no treat.
She understood the rules—hence the frustration.
Right then—
"Child of man, does victory grant you that prize?"
A voice, sharp enough to pierce my skull, echoed.
I jolted, scanning the area—only to spot a radiant, emerald-green eagle perched nearby.
"...Yes. Care for a match?""Heh. I like that spirit. Very well."
For a split second, my thoughts turned sly—hooked.But I quickly shoved that aside. My answer was clear:
"Spirit-san, let’s play."
For now, I’d forget all my requests and simply enjoy the game.
A spirit that understood human speech undoubtedly had abilities beyond expectations.
"In this form, I’d be at a slight disadvantage.""Hm?"
As I pondered how to win, it uttered something unsettling.Disadvantaged in this form?
Right now, it was a majestic green eagle—small for a spirit.
Mid-tier spirits sometimes took avian forms, but they were usually far larger—closer to giant eagles.
This one was too small for a mid-tier yet understood human speech.
Unless—
Just as I started suspecting its true nature, the eagle glowed.
"Hmm. It’s been centuries since I took this form."
Cold sweat. My lips twitched.
Before me stood a towering, handsome man with flowing emerald hair—the epitome of aging gracefully, the kind of mature man even other men would admire.
If recalling this was a mistake, I’d apologize.Was this karma for showing off to Nel and Amina?
"Now then, child of man—teach me this delightful game.""Gladly."
I’d expected a mid-tier spirit.
Why was a high-tier spirit—no, a Great Spirit capable of human form—showing up?!
I could’ve managed hard mode against a mid-tier, but a top-tier Great Spirit changed everything.
This wasn’t just "very hard"—it was nightmare mode.
Still, I lightly rallied with him.
"Ah, skills are banned here. Wind magic would make it too easy—ruins the fun.""I know. I’ve no desire to spoil the mood. But... hmm. So this is how it’s played. Heh. It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed myself."
Clearly a Great Spirit of Wind.At full power, I’d stand no chance.
Keeping it physical was the only way to have fun.
At first, just hitting the shuttlecock back and forth felt underwhelming.
"Getting the hang of it?""Indeed. I see how to strike now. I’ve also grasped the rules from watching you and those two girls.""Then let’s start. Winner gets a cookie.""Good. It’s not wrong to say I came for that. My visits to human settlements tend to cause a stir."
I couldn’t let him get bored—I had to keep it engaging.
Just a slight change of plans: hard mode had become nightmare mode.
"Is that so? Well, it doesn’t matter right now.""Oh? You dismiss it so easily?""Yep. Overthinking ruins the fun.""True enough. Interrupting enjoyment is boorish."
Time for my first nightmare mode in a while. Honestly, I was getting excited.
My pounding heart—was it nerves?No. It was a gamer’s thrill at facing a formidable opponent.
"Oh? You smile so boldly before me, child?"
Some might dread strong foes, but I thought differently:
"Yep! Beating you would be amazing, right?!""! Indeed! Well said! Victory would delight you and frustrate me—and vice versa! Defeating you would bring me joy!""And I’ll hate losing, so I won’t!!""Then let’s begin."
Games are meant to be fun.
The Great Spirit’s fingers pinched the tiny shuttlecock.
"Let us enjoy this."
He tossed it gently—
Then raised the paddle.
His form was anything but refined.An amateur’s idea of a "cool" stance—clumsy by athlete standards.
Yet the moment he moved, I flinched.
That gentle toss belied the absurd speed of his swing.
"Here!"
Not a thwack or a whoosh—
Before the crisp whir of wind even registered, I’d already returned it.
The irony? At that speed, the shuttlecock would’ve sailed out.Instinctively, I angled my paddle upward, smashing it down with a satisfying thud.
"Hah! Too much force sends it out! I must temper my strength!"
A downward smash could land sharply without issue.
"I see! A steep angle avoids excess force!!"
Learning from my move, the Great Spirit grinned and effortlessly returned my smash.
His underhanded return sent the shuttlecock soaring in a high arc.
"Hmm. This is—""Mine!!"
Once you allow a smash, the loop begins.I smashed the easy lob right back.
"Wha—?!"
A full-power return would’ve gone out, but the Great Spirit instantly adjusted, landing it perfectly in-bounds.
"Take this!""Not yet!!""Here!""Ha!"
He was improving fast—lobs grew lower, until—
"Ah, you did this earlier!!""Yep!!""Hahaha! An exchange of offense and defense!"
He mixed drop shots into his smashes.
I barely reacted in time, lunging forward to return it with another lob.
The Great Spirit, poised like a predator, readied his smash.
"Like so, yes?!"
His imitation smash—
"Ah."
—missed entirely. The shuttlecock plopped to the ground.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!? My blunder!?""I WIIIIIIIN!!"
An anticlimactic end. Yet both of us—fully immersed—raged and rejoiced with equal intensity.
The Great Spirit clutched his head, howling, while I unabashedly celebrated my first win against a high-spec Great Spirit.