This serves as an example of how vividly describing the “Nekoneko” event can become quite heavy.
Reading it might truly leave some people feeling gloomy, so if you’re not a fan of dark stories, please skip this.
The content is supplementary to the next chapter, so it’s not essential for understanding the story.
It’s been nearly a month since we arrived in Richter (Capital City) in game time.
We’ve steadily leveled up and are now strong enough to proudly call ourselves intermediate adventurers.
It’s not just our levels, but more importantly, my player skills have improved.
The biggest improvement was perfectly mastering the timing for my Step’s short cancel.
Now, I can connect my Step’s short cancel not just to Slash, but to other skills as well.
I’m confident that with my current abilities, I could defeat monsters that I struggled with back in Ramur without taking a single hit.
Speaking of which, we’ve also gained more party members.
For a while after starting, we adventured as just a duo, but now we’re a four-person party.
At first, I thought coordinating as a party wasn’t my style, but their synergy with me has improved significantly, and now fighting as a quartet feels natural.
I’ve also gradually gotten a grasp on the personalities of the two new members, to the point where I can now recite not just their combat quirks but even their idle monologues verbatim.
One of them, Eddie, a heavy warrior, is a front-line type.
His role in the party is tank and attacker.
Eddie is a rare greatsword user in “New Communicate Online,” and due to his weapon’s characteristics, he’s more suited for offense than defense.
However, in many situations, that wouldn’t suffice, so we forcibly equipped him with defensive gear to have him also serve as a shield.
Meanwhile, Marurin is the complete opposite of Eddie, a pure rear-guard type.
She’s an unashamedly attack-focused character, and unfortunately, she can’t do much besides blasting offensive magic from the back, and we don’t expect anything else.
Her weaknesses are her extreme fragility against physical attacks and becoming completely useless when her MP runs out, but her offensive magic is the most powerful attack method in our party.
At the very least, thanks to her, I believe our leveling efficiency has more than doubled.
And then, there’s one more…
My first companion, and the character I like the most in this game.
After all, your first companion is special to everyone, and that’s no exception for me.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that half of the reason I’m hooked on this world is because she’s here.
“Asama-san. Is something wrong?”
As I stood there lost in thought, she spoke to me.
Of course, she’s ultimately just an NPC.
She’s not a real person, and I know it’s just AI dialogue triggered by me standing silently for a certain period, but my heart still skips a beat.
“No, it’s nothing,”
I suppressed those feelings with sheer willpower and replied to her.
“Then shall we go? …Tiel.”
Tiel Lentia, the first companion I created in this game.
She handles all of our party’s healing, and I’ve been greatly helped by her.
There have been many instances where we would have TPK’d without her.
Her presence feels significant, both to the party and to me.
And today.
My relationship with Tiel might be on the verge of a turning point.
—Because today should be a momentous day for both Tiel and me.
Tiel can be recruited as an NPC in Ramur Town. She’s an apprentice at a healing clinic.
HP and MP recover naturally just by resting in town, but you can’t afford to be that leisurely if you want to go hunting multiple times a day.
That’s where the healing clinic comes in handy. For a fee in Element, the currency of this world, they’ll quickly restore your HP and MP.
Tiel is an apprentice healer there, and if you visit during specific hours, she’ll treat you in place of the doctor.
Her treatment is no different from the clinic’s doctor, but this is where you can get a glimpse of her inner personality through an event. While a normal doctor would simply kick you out if you visited without money, Tiel will either ask for another item or, if you have nothing else, she’ll treat you for free.
If you become good friends with her and talk, you’ll learn that she apparently paid the clinic out of her own pocket during those times. Healing others and then paying for them herself—that’s a level of kindness I find almost unbelievable. Tiel is truly a Madonna.
While I’m saying this, some might ask why I’m so invested in a created character, but I believe that’s not the case.
Ultimately, in a game, the one who enjoys it the most is the biggest winner.
For me, it’s simply more fun to treat NPCs as if they were human and empathize with them, rather than just thinking of them as NPCs. At the very least, even if her consciousness and body are artificial, the joy I felt when Tiel spoke kindly to me is genuine.
However, despite Tiel being such a wonderful character, she doesn’t seem to be that popular overall in the game.
According to the official page, in the first popularity poll after the game’s release, a gag character named Train-chan achieved a double crown in both the popularity and unpopularity rankings. Well, I also underwent Train’s event once, and it nearly traumatized me, but a character with only that kind of impact will soon hit a popularity plateau. In the next popularity poll, she’ll surely plummet to around 10th or 20th place.
That said, it’s unlikely Tiel can reach first place next. Tiel’s ranking last time was seventh. With the game progressing and more characters appearing, maintaining this position makes aiming for first place difficult.
Looking at the comments, I see people saying she overlaps with Sister Marielle, calling her a “degraded Marielle,” or claiming she can’t compete with Marielle in ability or physique. They’re completely lacking in discernment. Her true virtue is her all-encompassing benevolent heart, and more importantly, she possesses a unique individuality that other characters lack. A significant individuality: her regrettable fashion sense!
It seems this game has a “friendship level” system for each character. As this level increases, they exhibit more favorable behavior and special events become more likely. As part of that, if a character’s friendship level exceeds a certain point, they’ll tell you their favorite thing. And Tiel, of all things, told me she likes the “Magic Staff Gerunika”—no, she *told me*.
The “Magic Staff Gerunika” is a magic staff designed to condense all suffering and resentment in the world into the shape of a staff. It’s the only one available at the magic shop in Ramur Town. Even if the design is questionable, I wouldn’t have minded buying it if Tiel wanted it. However, the price is 49,000 E. We, adventurers who were broke and couldn’t even afford the Magic-Sealed Ship to come here, couldn’t possibly afford it. I vowed to buy it for her the next time we returned to Ramur Town and left with promises, and we boarded a carriage, left Ramur Town, and came here to Richter (Capital City).
Of course, for us, who have now established ourselves as intermediate adventurers, 49,000 E isn’t exactly pocket change, or rather, it’s not an unaffordable amount. I fully intend to buy it and gift it to her the next time we return to Ramur. But before that, I was about to make a big move.
(Today, I’m going to propose to Tiel!!)
It’s for this reason that I called Tiel out alone. I’m planning to propose marriage to Tiel.
According to the official announcement, characters will tell you their favorite things when your friendship level is 80 or higher. Furthermore, if your friendship level is 100 or higher, the character will actually respond to the player’s proposal. Yes, that is the marriage event. The marriage event is one of the selling points of “New Communicate Online.” It seems most of the popular main characters can be proposed to. Of course, since this is an all-ages game, marriage doesn’t lead to anything particularly significant, but it’s natural to think that it might be nice to marry the character you like.
Incidentally, according to information posted officially, this country seems to be quite gender-free. Regardless of whether you are male, female, a young girl, a young boy, an elderly person, or even a slug, if the target character has the marriageable flag set, you can marry them without any issues.
I feel like this is beyond the level of “gender issues,” but conversely, it means that if a character doesn’t have a marriage flag, they can’t get married no matter how hard they try, and I already know Tiel is a marriageable character.
Whether it matters or not, it seems Eddie, Marurin, and even Train, who was recently mentioned, are also marriageable characters.
I have no intention of triggering a marriage event with anyone other than Tiel, but in terms of game settings, polygamy is not a particular problem, and marriage events can be triggered with anyone, no matter how many.
The developer comments also stated, “There’s a brief event to prevent infidelity, but it’s basically free. Get married to anyone, as many as you want, and make your harem to your heart’s content (laughs).”
I can’t help but think it’s a bit too free.
However, marriage events have clear in-game benefits, as players can gain access to some of the marriage partner’s skills and abilities.
Moreover, the official website also stated, “There might be skills that can only be learned by triggering the proposal event.”
Since polygamy is possible in this game, not triggering marriage events would be a loss.
However, there’s always a catch to good deals.
This game, which has been causing a stir with its numerous bugs and equally malicious events, is certainly one of those cases.
Especially considering the nastiness of the recent “Michael’s Blue Bird” quest and “Labyrinth of Sacrifice” quest, such a sweet event could never be straightforward.
I suspect this marriage event carries a significant risk.
Judging by the explanation of the marriage event, it’s possible that this is a one-chance event, and “if you fail, you can never attempt it again.”
First, the proposal event can only be initiated when the player is near a monolith.
The manual states that this is “to make a vow of marriage to God,” but that’s a complete lie.
This is because, a few lines later, it says:
“When you trigger the proposal event, the data will be automatically saved. Please note that you cannot redo it regardless of the event’s outcome.”
Perhaps as a remnant of its time as an MMO, this game has only one save slot, excluding the quick save.
Furthermore, since the quick save is updated when you save your data, it’s generally impossible to create a backup.
Of course, it might be possible to manipulate the VR Machine itself, but I don’t use such exploits.
This means that future proposal events will be truly on-the-fly, one-shot deals.
And I surmise that this game requires saving during the proposal event because, “if you fail, something irreversible will happen that will make you want to reset.”
There are three conditions for successfully completing the proposal event.
First, present a ring-type accessory and have them put it on.
Then, at the moment you utter a specific keyword, you will move to the confession phase.
If you say the words of confession, and the other party’s camaraderie is 100 or more at that time, the confession is successful.
It seems you will be able to get married.
Conversely, if the camaraderie is not 100 or more, the confession will fail.
I believe this is where the big pitfall lies.
In a normal game, even if your confession fails, you can try again.
The penalty would likely be a slight decrease in the confidant’s camaraderie.
However, it’s impossible for “New Communicate Online” to have such a lenient penalty.
It’s possible that simply, “once you fail a proposal, you cannot try again,” or in the worst-case scenario, which I find hard to believe, it might even be possible for “a character to be removed from your party if you fail a proposal” in “New Communicate Online.”
With such possibilities remaining, this event absolutely cannot be failed.
It’s been about three weeks since I asked Tiel about her favorite things.
If her camaraderie has been increasing at the same pace as before, it should have well surpassed 100 by now.
I want to believe there will be no failure.
While I was struggling with my thoughts, I found myself in front of a monolith.
“What’s wrong? Why did you bring me to a place like this?” Tiel asked with a gentle expression that seemed to mirror her personality.
Tiel’s long black hair fluttered in the wind.
Even though she’s a game character, or perhaps precisely because she’s a game character, I thought she was beautiful.
And with that, my resolve was firm.
“I have something important to tell you.”
I uttered the keyword with full confidence. However…
“…?”
Tiel showed no significant reaction.
Did I get the keyword wrong?
For a moment, I was about to panic, but I quickly realized my mistake.
I had gotten the procedure wrong.
I should have given her the ring first, and then said those words.
(Calm down, calm down. This is just a game.)
I took a deep breath and relaxed my body.
And first, I offered her the ring.
“What is this…?”
“It’s a gift.”
I had splurged a bit and bought the most expensive ring at the shop in the Capital City.
I then put it on her ring finger myself.
Actually, I had her remove a ring slot for this very occasion.
“A gift?! Well, thank you!”
“No, it’s nothing.”
I replied to Tiel’s AI, which was so natural it was almost indistinguishable from a Human under limited conditions, and took a breath.
“Tiel. I have something important to tell you.”
I repeated the keyword to start the proposal.
This time, Tiel looked up in surprise.
“What is it, acting so serious?”
Her usual gentle smile.
Facing that smile, I finally said,
“Tiel. I love you. Will you marry me?”
Both “I love you” and “marry me” are keywords, and any line containing them counts as a proposal.
Now, there’s nothing more I can do.
I can only pray and wait for her reply.
(…Well?)
A suffocating silence.
Then, slowly, her lips moved. Her response was…
“Yes, I gladly will!”
She had a beaming smile.
Confirming that, all the tension drained from my body.
Despite my worries, it seems they were all for naught.
But this is no time to collapse.
Although the biggest hurdle has been cleared, the marriage event is only half complete.
Now we must perform the ritual of vowing our marriage to God.
“Alright, let’s say our vows.”
“Yes.”
We exchanged glances for a moment, then faced each other directly and made our vows before God.
“Soma Sagara and…”
“Tiel Lentia…”
“In the name of the One God Ladistus, we vow eternal love.”
The moment we both uttered those words…
“W-what is this?”
Three things happened simultaneously.
In my peripheral vision, I saw the message “Game has been saved,” light rained down from the sky, and a voice echoed in my head.
“Congratulations! Truly, congratulations!”
A resounding deep voice offered words of blessing.
Though the tone didn’t convey hostility, there was an intimidating power, a sense of dignity.
“I shall bestow blessings upon your magnificent love.”
Could this be the voice of God?
It seems such a dramatic scene unfolds when a marriage event is successful.
I was impressed by the elaborate production, when…
“I am the Evil God Diz-Aster’s subordinate, the Doombringer Demon King, who resides in this land, no less!”
“…Huh?”
By the time I looked at Tiel in confusion, it was too late.
“First, I shall grant the bride the blessing of immortality.”
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky, striking Tiel’s body.
“Tiel!”
I cried out, but I couldn’t rush to her side.
During certain events, players can enter spectator mode and be unable to act.
However, I had never felt such agonizing frustration before.
“And to the groom, I shall bestow a blessing so you may cherish your love forever.”
At those words, my immobile body tensed, but nothing specific seemed to happen.
Was it that the so-called blessings didn’t work on me, a Player?
However, I didn’t have time to think.
“Give glorious thanks. This is the blessing of the Demon Lord, which no human can ever undo!
Now, children of man! Rejoice in my blessing and strive even harder for the great Diz Aster!”
With those words, the Demon Lord’s presence vanished with a triumphant roar.
At the same moment, “New Skill Acquired” flashed in the corner of my eye.
As the sky returned to normal and the laughter faded, my body could move again.
“Tiel!”
I rushed to Tiel, who hadn’t moved an inch, perhaps from fear.
Forgetting that she was an NPC, I desperately grabbed her body and…
“Wh-what is this…!”
I was struck speechless by the sensation.
…Hard.
A cold, hard feeling, as if touching glass.
“What, what is this…?”
What’s more, she wouldn’t budge no matter how much I pulled or hit her.
She was completely unresponsive, as if time had stopped for her.
An ominous thought crossed my mind.
(Remember. What did that voice say?)
Yes, I’m sure it was “immortality.”
A shiver ran down my spine.
If she won’t move and nothing changes, then she is indeed immortal.
But surely, he wasn’t going to claim *this* was a blessing.
“That’s right! Nectar!”
I remembered the existence of Nectar, the universal antidote I obtained from my last adventure.
I called out the item, which I had kept in my pouch as a precaution for emergencies, and…
“Move! Please move, Tiel!”
I threw it at Tiel, who had frozen solid.
Immediately, Nectar undeniably activated on Tiel.
And yet…
“Why, why isn’t it healing?!”
Tiel remained frozen and wouldn’t move.
The universal antidote, Nectar, had no effect.
Nectar’s effect should have surpassed all healing magic and methods possessed by Players.
If even that doesn’t work, then I have no more options.
“What is this, it’s impossible!
Even if it’s an event, something this unreasonable…!”
As I shouted, I shook Tiel’s body.
Her body itself wouldn’t move.
However, I could shift her position.
“Wait right there. I’ll fix this soon.”
I picked up her body and headed for the church.
Even if I couldn’t do it, perhaps someone else could.
The church is a place to heal status abnormalities and break curses, after all.
Moreover, Father Gratia, who is there, is an influential figure in this game, involved in many events.
Although his detailed background hasn’t been revealed yet, I suspect he’s a retired, skilled Adventurer or something similar.
Convinced that he could do something, I took Tiel and opened the church doors, only to…
“No way…”
I was stunned by the sight.
Father Gratia was frozen, as if delivering a sermon to his parishioners.
It was clear at a glance that he had the same condition as Tiel.
(Could it be that he eliminated the people who could cure this first?!)
While desperately trying to calm my confused mind, I bolted from the church.
For now, at least, I had to get Tiel to a safe place.
In the back of my mind, I knew nothing could harm Tiel in her current state, but that was just an excuse. I was looking for a place to hide.
“First, I need to regroup with everyone…”
Dragging Tiel’s immobile body, I headed for the inn.
“Customer?”
As I entered the inn, I was greeted by the innkeeper’s suspicious voice.
Normally, I might have been annoyed, but seeing him put me at ease.
At least in the Capital City’s inn, people were moving normally.
(Thank goodness. The inside of the inn was safe.)
So relieved that I almost collapsed on the spot, I spurred myself on towards our room.
It’s okay.
I can still do this.
Tiel isn’t definitively uncurable yet.
I’ll meet up with Eddie and Marurin, we’ll make a plan, and then…
“Eddie! Marurin! Something terrible has happened. Tiel…”
As I opened the door and spoke to Eddie and Marurin, I finally noticed something was amiss.
They didn’t react at all when I entered the room.
“Why? Why is it not just Tiel, but Eddie and Marurin too?”
It made no sense.
It defied logic.
The Demon Lord was supposed to have cast a curse disguised as a blessing on *us*.
So why…
(Wait. Didn’t he say, “I’ll grant you a blessing so you can cherish your love forever”…)
To cherish one’s love forever means not cheating.
Yet, it had no effect on me.
So, who was cursed?
(Could it be that he cursed *everyone* who can get married?)
Impossible!
It’s impossible for a game to incorporate such a deranged event!
And yet, my reason was already accepting the hypothesis.
I knew that Eddie and Marurin, while not main characters, were marriageable characters.
And although I couldn’t confirm it, Father Gratia had an undeniable presence that suggested he wasn’t just a mob character.
He was likely one of the marriageable characters as well.
“Damn it! Damn it!”
I ran towards the Monolith again, this time alone.
My objective wasn’t Tiel.
It was simply to start over.
The unmanned Monolith came into view.
As I ran into it, I shouted with all my might.
“Load!”
I shouted, selected “Load Game Data” from the menu screen, and immediately loaded.
Instantly, my vision went black…
“Yes, with pleasure!”
Tiel’s usual smile appeared before me, and I let out a sigh of relief.
But this wasn’t good.
If I stood by idly, she would be frozen in time again by the Demon Lord’s curse.
It should be fine as long as I didn’t say the vows, but considering this malicious game, I couldn’t be entirely at ease.
I should move Tiel away from here as soon as possible.
I tried to tell Tiel that.
(Tiel, run imm—)
“Now then, let’s say the vows.”
However, what escaped my lips was the opposite.
From my mouth?
No, that’s wrong.
This is a recording.
It’s just a replay of words spoken by my past self.
“Yes.”
But Tiel nodded happily in response.
I wanted to stop it, but my body, in spectator mode, wouldn’t move an inch.
Even though I wasn’t saying anything, the event progressed on its own.
“Soma Sagara and…”
“Tiel Lentia…”
“We swear eternal love in the name of the One God Ladistus!”
My voice, Tiel’s voice, and the Demon Lord’s voice echoed.
“Congratulations! Truly, congratulations!”
The subsequent events unfolded the same way.
The Demon Lord revealed his true form, Tiel froze, and several townspeople were also frozen in time.
During that time, I could do nothing but stand there.
After everything ended,
“Hah, haha…”
I finally understood.
This was it, this was the trap set in New Communicate Online’s marriage event.
The reason they didn’t allow saving beforehand wasn’t to avoid the penalty for failing the marriage event.
It was the developer’s worst-case scenario, designed to prevent anyone from escaping the blessing event by the Demon Lord that occurred upon a successful marriage event.
“Haha, hahahaha…”
As a result, I had lost all my party members with whom I had shared joys and sorrows.
And now, I could no longer rely on the help of any notable NPCs involved in marriage events.
“…I’ll smash you.”
I muttered unintentionally.
But it was surely a cry from the bottom of my heart.
“I’m quitting this Crappy Game!”
After logging out, I immediately deleted the data for “New Communicate Online,” pulled the covers over myself without thinking, and fell asleep.
This was about a year before I entered the game world.
It was a time when I didn’t even have the nickname “Nekoneko,” a time when I still enjoyed the game sincerely.
