Episode 2
In episode 2 of Shangri-La Frontier, we start right off where we stopped in the last episode. The full-armor character attracting everyone’s attention is Rei, who is trying to find Hizutome. She is looking for him in the game’s first town. However, we know he didn’t start there and is going to the second city.
Concurrently, Hizutome is fighting the snake boss that blocks the path to the second town. He tries to find the best way to kill it but quickly realizes it won’t be easy. He breaks his blades while hitting the snake’s skin, thus switching to the Vortal Chopper, the weapon dropped by the Vorpal Bunny.
While trying one of his strongest attacks, the Screw Pierce, the snake hits him with poison. He loses 1 HP every ten seconds, so he needs to end the fight soon. He has no success hitting the snake’s head, so he tries to create a wound on its body and keeps attacking the same place. The strategy works, and he gets many critical hits, but the boss quickly sends him flying.
Hizutome looks back at what he said about the game and realizes he has been very arrogant. Finally, the snake bites seemingly kill him. However, he manages to defend himself with his knives. Then, he grabs it by the hair and lands a perfect Screw Pierce in the beast’s eye, killing it. He goes from level 12 to 14 after that.
In the second city, we find a boy and a girl talking. The boy rejoices now that he got his crush to play the game with him, and plans on teaching her everything. He does everything so she will see him as someone dependable. At the same time, Hizutome runs to the city with all his might, and the boy shouts where the inn is, realizing he probably is poisoned.
Hizutome can save his respawn point at the inn and immediately dies. He takes off his glasses for a bit, leaving the game and showing how excited he is. But he swiftly goes back to the game and starts exploring the new town. After people look at him strangely and mock him, he buys armor and goes to a weapon shop.
After learning he can make new weapons, he goes mining to get materials. The scene cuts, and it seems like exhausting work. He has been there for around two hours and has gotten almost no ores. A mud frog appears and gets on his nerves. The creature isn’t strong or offensive, but he still tries to kill it. The mud makes the process much harder, but Hizutome hastily kills it and wins a new item.
After a while, he goes back and brings the ore and a fossil to the blacksmith. With the fossil, he can make a great weapon called Marsh Daggers. When they hit a critical, reductions to their durability are halved temporarily. The NPC also tells Hizutome that he can “raise” the weapons, another way of saying he can upgrade them.
While Hizutome wonders about the NPC AI, the blacksmith warns him about nocturnal monsters. Those creatures are way more violent and vicious than others, so it’s best to stay at the inn. Our protagonist obviously doesn’t listen and wants to use the chance to level up more.
Back with Rei, she is with the snake boss we saw at the start. She realizes Hizutome might have defeated it and proceeded directly to the second town. Also, we find out she is an advanced player, as she defeats the snake in seconds with only one attack. She says it’s very unlikely that a new player can beat the snake, but Hizutome probably could.
Hizutome is fighting a Redcap Goblin, a creature on a totally different level. It’s giving him a very hard time already, and it suddenly calls for help, bringing more Goblins. When things seem like they can’t get worse, a new beast appears, destroying all Goblins. Hizutome says he has been underestimating the game and that Shangri-la Frontier has way more to offer.
Then we get a good look at the new monster. It’s an enormous and monstrous black wolf with an incredibly menacing aura. The game describes it as Lycagon the Nightslayer, a unique monster.
Hizutome has no idea what that means, and we’re transported to the game’s headquarters. We see a lone computer, the screen showing 0 unique monsters dispatched, and the World Story at 0%. Is the game receiving new mechanics that’ll change everything?
The Episode Review
This episode keeps the worldbuilding, but it’s way more entertaining than the last one. It makes us curious to see what unique monsters are and how the World Story will change the game. Hizutome is already experiencing many difficulties, and things won’t get easier soon. That’s why he’ll probably join the companions we see in the opening and ending.
Also, if the fight with the snake was already great, imagine the one with Lycagon. Either it’ll be incredible and get everyone hyped, or Hizutome will simply get destroyed in seconds. They really nailed the design; it gives off a vibe of a monster you’d never want to meet in a game, mainly at the start of one.
And that’s another thing about the episode: it makes you want to play Shangri-la Frontier. It’s a well-programmed game with thousands of possibilities. Additionally, everything feels relatable too. Running to a city so you won’t die (which was a hilarious scene), wasting hours trying to get a few items, meeting a monster that’s way stronger than you. Shangri-la Frontier is good at making you see yourself in it.
Stay with us if you want to keep exploring that vast world with Hizutome.
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