Chapter Twenty-One: First Arrival at Angel Beats

Page (1/3)

PS: As the end of the year approaches and the holidays draw near, assignments, papers, and exams are piling up. Please understand. Updates should resume after January. Thank you all.

"Congratulations, Player 73950. You have been selected by chance to participate in a Random Game Instance. You will enter the instance in 10 minutes. The difficulty of the instance is random, the players are randomly selected, and the rewards for clearing it are also random. In this instance, everything depends entirely on your luck. The Random Game Instance will balance the initial strength of all participating players. Any power gained within the instance is unlimited. It has been detected that Player 73950's class is Summoner; the number of summoned creatures you may bring into the instance is limited to two. Any creatures or contractees you summon within the instance are not subject to this limit. As Player 73950 has cleared the Novice Instance, the universal skill 'Language Mastery' for all non-novice players has been activated, allowing communication with any intelligent humanoid beings within the game instance. We wish Player 73950 an enjoyable experience."

Hao Ren had just returned home and hadn’t even warmed his seat when this system prompt appeared.

"You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s only been one day!" Hao Ren roared. "Aren’t game instances supposed to happen every fourteen days?"

"Random Game Instances are separate from compulsory ones. Additionally, players may use special items to enter other instances," came the reply.

Getting the Golden Rule made me feel like I had EX-rank luck, but this random instance makes me feel like it’s E-rank. Hao Ren muttered to himself.

Judging from the prompt, I’m clearly being limited, which means the other players participating this time shouldn’t be too overpowered either. Hao Ren gnawed on his fingernail.

"So soon for the next game?" Saya asked, visibly uneasy.

"Yeah—and they’ve even limited the number of summoned creatures I can bring. Only two this time." Hao Ren turned his head. "This time, Shiki and Saeko, I’ll need you two to brave the risk with me."

"Alright, I’ll go change," Saeko responded cheerfully.

Shiki said nothing, quietly drawing her short blade.

"Why can’t we come along?" Shizuka seemed a little resentful. Sister, this is a matter of life and death, not a game.

"Our stats are too low, and we’d only hold them back. It’s better to pray for our master’s safe return," Saya saw through it all.

"Thank you, Saya," Hao Ren said, moved.

"D-don’t get the wrong idea! I’m just worried that if you die, we’ll disappear too!" Saya turned away, her voice brimming with tsundere pride.

"I’ll take that as a blessing," Hao Ren chuckled.

Saeko changed into her original Fujimi Academy uniform, while Shiki remained in her kimono and jacket.

"Please rest for now. Come out only if the situation calls for it." With a nod from both, Hao Ren recalled them into the Summoner’s cabin.

Ten minutes passed quickly, and Hao Ren was promptly teleported into the game instance.

"Player 73950 has entered the Random Game Instance. Generating attire suitable for the game world."

Page (2/3)

Lying on the ground, Hao Ren opened his eyes to a starry night sky.

Instance Name: Angel Beats!
Instance Difficulty: Unknown
Instance Mode: Survival Mission
Instance Players: Unknown
Instance Mission: Phase One—Before “Operation Excitement Syndrome” officially begins, join the Afterlife Battlefront and earn the approval of more than half of the main story characters as a comrade. Only players who complete Phase One within the time limit qualify for the next stage. The reward for completing Phase One is unknown; those who fail will be erased.
Clear Reward: Unknown
Instance Hint: All participating players will temporarily gain the skill “Undying Body.” No story character can die.
Skill: “Undying Body” (Temporary): Any injury suffered in this instance will not result in death. All injuries will recover within 10 to 60 minutes.

What a vague set of instance data! Difficulty unknown, number of players unknown, even the clear reward is unknown. If, after all this, the reward is just a few LP points, I’ll probably cry my eyes out. And this temporary skill—looks like it’s truly impossible to die except by failing the quest.

Wait a minute, only players get this temporary skill, which means summoned creatures can die...

Hao Ren instantly decided that the two ladies should continue to rest; unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t summon them.

Let me explain. Angel Beats! is a world of the afterlife, where all main characters are young students who died with regrets. The rest of the students and teachers are essentially NPCs. There are four main factions: ordinary NPC students, main-character students, NPC teachers, and a unique entity called “Angel”—her real name is Kanade Tachibana—who is considered a faction unto herself.

Hao Ren sat up and looked at his clothes: standard NPC student attire. Glancing around, he noticed several others nearby, looking just as bewildered as he was.

Judging by their uniforms, they were all dressed as NPC students, but their appearances were outrageous. That middle-aged man’s receding hairline was truly magnificent; those few remaining strands danced in the wind. And that flashy girl over there—her foundation is about to crack. The old lady in a school uniform, the cane in her hand looks sturdy—where did she get it? And that uncle clutching a briefcase, his beer belly is stretching his uniform to its limits.

Not one of them looked reliable.

Did I misjudge? Are there no stronger players here?

Wait, isn’t that brownish-red-haired boy lying over there the protagonist, Otonashi? Looks like the story’s just beginning.

Page (3/3)

"Awake already?" a sudden voice called out.

The speaker was a girl with pinkish-purple hair, dressed in a sailor uniform and half-crouched behind a flowerbed with a Cheytac M200 sniper rifle in her hands.

Isn’t that firepower a bit over the top? Hao Ren’s face darkened.

"Welcome to the Death-Defying Front," the girl said with a friendly smile as she turned toward them.

"It’s a bit abrupt, but would you two like to join us?" She gestured at Otonashi—and me?

"Join?" Otonashi was surprised.

"Um, are you talking to me?" Hao Ren pointed at himself.

"That’s right," the girl nodded emphatically.

Looks like this student face of mine is finally paying off.

"Hey, why aren’t you inviting us?" the flashy girl suddenly shouted.

"You’re a player, aren’t you? Listen to me—don’t join this so-called ‘Death-Defying Front.’ That’s not the quest objective," the balding man grabbed her shoulder. That was in Chinese.

"Let go! Are you using this as an excuse to cop a feel?" she shook him off in disgust, speaking in Japanese—definitely a Shibuya-type delinquent.

"Oh, you’re players too?" the beer-bellied man interjected, making his way over. He spoke Chinese as well.

"Hey, brother, you too?" the balding man brightened, pleased to find a compatriot.

Despite the language barrier, everyone understood each other—it must be that ‘Language Mastery’ system benefit.

"Is it just the three of us?" The balding man looked around. Hao Ren quickly turned away, posing as an NPC. What, are you all ignoring the old lady?

"Seems so. Those two students must be story characters," the beer-bellied man concluded. "No problem with me leading this three-man squad for now, right?"

"Like I’d hang around with disgusting old men like you!" the flashy girl spat, turning sharply to walk away.

"Strength in numbers. Splitting up now isn’t a good idea," the balding man reached for her shoulder again.

"I said, get lost!" she batted his hand away and left without hesitation.

Clutching his hand, the balding man’s eyes flashed with a hint of malice.