Chapter 21
――――――――――
【Alchemy】 level has increased.
You have learned the Fusion and Separation spells.
The 【Light-Attribute Vulnerability】 Skill has been alleviated.
――――――――――
Yes, all the preparations are complete. The date has changed in the real world as well, and it is now Sunday afternoon—in other words, midnight in the game.
I continued quietly making recovery potions and poisons, and my 【Alchemy】 level rose by two. That was the result of repeatedly making items, then combining them to improve their effects. It was pretty grueling.
The new spells, Fusion and Separation, are quite interesting as well. First, Fusion apparently allows me to mix different things together. That's quite different from Synthesis, which combines identical items to improve their quality.
The other spell, Separation, can return fused materials to their original components. It can also separate the ingredients contained in a single material when there are two or more of them. It is quicker than extraction, but apparently produces plenty of impurities if your 【Alchemy】 level is low. Perhaps it means that if you want things to be easy, you should steadily raise your level.
And at last, my 【Light-Attribute Vulnerability】 has been alleviated. It took long enough. However, the next step seems to be even farther away. I wonder when I will finally be able to use 【Light Magic】.
Those are the changes that happened to me personally. In addition, Iris got equipment ready for everyone. That may be more important. My equipment looks like this.
――――――――――
Brown Bear Leather Shirt Quality: Fine Rarity: R (Rare)
A shirt made from high-quality brown bear leather. It has been dyed black and offers a decent amount of defense.
When equipped, provides a minor Intelligence bonus.
Brown Bear Leather Gloves Quality: Fine Rarity: R (Rare)
Gloves made from high-quality brown bear leather. They have been dyed black and offer a decent amount of defense.
When equipped, provides a minor Intelligence bonus.
Brown Bear Leather Belt Quality: Fine Rarity: R (Rare)
A belt made from high-quality brown bear leather. It has been dyed black and offers a decent amount of defense.
It has a pouch that allows items to be retrieved quickly. Capacity: 3
Brown Bear Leather Pants Quality: Fine Rarity: R (Rare)
Pants made from high-quality brown bear leather. They have been dyed black and offer a decent amount of defense.
When equipped, provides a minor Intelligence bonus.
Brown Bear Leather Boots Quality: Fine Rarity: R (Rare)
Boots made from high-quality brown bear leather. They have been dyed black and offer a decent amount of defense.
They have spikes on the soles, making them less likely to slip. Slightly increases damage dealt by stomping.
――――――――――
Wonderful. These are probably close to the finest equipment that can be made from materials found in the first area. The true highest-grade equipment is undoubtedly made from boss drops. There's nothing to be done about that.
Even so, I can finally wear civilized clothing. Now, if I found a town where disguising myself with a skull mask worked, I might be able to enter. The consequences of failure would be terrible, so I won't try unless I have an urgent reason.
Incidentally, the “Capacity: 3” listed on the belt indicates the number of items it can hold without using the inventory. Since they can be used immediately, they should prove useful in dangerous situations.
The other members have also equipped themselves with the best weapons and armor available. Genzuro's leather armor for a larva is apparently his masterpiece. He modeled it after Japanese armor, and it fits the rounded shape of a larva's body quite well. That's what you get from a real-life production cheat.
As for Jigoro, who possessed absurd strength even without any equipment, he was given metal gauntlets cast from equipment he had hoarded through his continued slaughter of players. They're extremely sturdy, and when he clenches his fists, metal spikes emerge while his sharp-clawed fingertips remain exposed.
He is delighted that his own claws can now slash an enemy's throat, while his fists deal piercing damage as well. Talk about overkill.
If the players learned that the “Nightmare of the Northern Mountain” had evolved and acquired new abilities and deadly weapons, they would be shaking in their boots. Frankly, I might even find myself praying to a god I don't believe in that I never encounter it.
Ruby has also started using a short sword made from a brown bear's claw. Naturally, it has been modified so that I can apply my poisons to it. She seems to be starting a proper assassin playstyle.
A silent Slime assassin that can move across walls and ceilings without a care, huh? Terrifying! And even though I helped make it happen, it has poisoned weapons too. What a vicious existence.
When I think about it, Jigoro, Ruby, and I—even if I do say so myself—must all be terrifying prospects for players. Jigoro has overwhelming raw combat power, Ruby can almost certainly succeed with a surprise attack, and I use traps, a wide variety of magic, and even mental attacks. If I were a player, I would avoid fighting us at all costs.
Anyway, shall we set out? First, we'll take on the boss of the western forest—the Black Bear!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
――――――――――
You won the battle.
You defeated the Field Boss, Black Bear.
You received a reward and 3 SP.
From next time on, you may choose whether to fight the Field Boss.
Your Race level has increased. You gained 1 SP.
Your Job level has increased. You gained 1 SP.
【Staff】 level has increased.
【Magic Control】 level has increased.
【Earth Magic】 level has increased.
【Water and Ice Magic】 level has increased.
【Fire Magic】 level has increased.
【Storm Magic】 level has increased.
【Tree Magic】 level has increased.
【Lava Magic】 level has increased.
【Sandstorm Magic】 level has increased.
【Smoke and Mist Magic】 level has increased.
【Lightning Magic】 level has increased.
【Explosion Magic】 level has increased.
【Dark Magic】 level has increased.
【Void Magic】 level has increased.
【Summoning】 level has increased.
【Enchanting】 level has increased.
【Magic Circles】 level has increased.
【Necromancy】 level has increased.
【Curse】 level has increased.
【Trap Magic】 level has increased.
【Spirit Summoning】 level has increased.
【Malefic Magic】 level has increased.
――――――――――
Yes, we defeated the Field Boss. Hmm? You want a description? In a party where more than half the members can slaughter Brown Bears with ease, how could a boss only slightly stronger than a Brown Bear possibly stand a chance?
It had plenty of health, and its attacks looked powerful. But Jigoro in the front line dodged them effortlessly, and above all, Genzuro and Iris restrained it between them, leaving it almost no chance to do anything before we defeated it.
"It was too easy."
It was such an uneventful battle that Jigoro complained like that. The other members probably felt much the same.
Now that I think about it, do monster-type races have high base stats? During character creation, several Skills are fixed by your Race, which certainly limits your freedom. Some of them are even weaknesses, like my 【Light-Attribute Vulnerability】. The other four each have their own weaknesses and disadvantages as well.
On the other hand, it is also true that we can go toe-to-toe with, or even overpower, monsters with higher Race levels than ours. Honestly, Jigoro and I could probably have defeated it solo without any trouble.
If that's the case, then perhaps the greatest advantage of monster-type players—who have difficulty even interacting with human-type players and cannot enter NPC towns—is their sheer strength. This is only speculation, and verifying it is difficult at present, so I'll set it aside for now.
"All right, we've defeated the boss. Let's head to the cave west of here. However, be careful not to let players see us. There probably won't be any in the cave, but there should be people leveling in the forest right up until the tournament begins."
"Gugya (Got it)."
"Shul (Yes)!"
"Kachikachi (Sure thing)."
"Pururupuru (Leave scouting to me)!"
I nodded at the four very different replies, and we continued west. According to the strategy thread, the monsters encountered in the forest stay the same for a while before the boss. The forest also continues much farther, with no end in sight. Exploring west was going to be difficult.
Our destination, the cave, lies a short distance west-northwest of the boss area. It is just barely close enough to be called a hunting ground, since we can leave Fars at dawn and return just before sunset.
However, we cannot spend much time exploring, and because it is a cave, it is pitch-black and impossible to see ahead. Its drops are not much better than those from the other Second Fields, so the rewards are not worth the trouble. Thus, although it had been discovered and reported, nobody had seriously explored it.
That is convenient for us as well. In fact, monster types either possess 【Night Vision】 or need only 1 SP to acquire it, so this presents no problem at all. Considering the forest's difficulty and the presence of the cave, perhaps the western area is actually intended for monster-type players.
It is starting to seem possible that monster types are not disadvantaged at all. No, is that only because I've been in such a privileged environment? Actually, could it be that this game is balanced after all, yet hides so much information that we are constantly subjected to absurdly unfair situations?
We reached the cave after casually kicking aside a few monsters, just as dawn began to damage me. We hurriedly rolled inside. Whew, that was close.
"Then let's get to exploring the cave."
◆◇◆◇◆◇
The inside of the cave was humid and somehow chilly. It was like a natural refrigerator. Sound also echoed through it, so using magic that produced loud noises would probably be strictly forbidden. It was a dilemma, since such spells tended to be the most powerful.
"Puru (It's an enemy)! Pururupuru (There are five)!"
"Prepare for battle. There are five."
It seemed that enemies had entered Ruby's detection range. Since I am the only one who can communicate with other species, we shared information by repeating her report. It was troublesome and inefficient to add that extra step. I wish she would raise her 【Linguistics】 level soon.
Oh, here they come. They look like… bats? I'll use 【Appraisal】 right away.
――――――――――
Race: Poison Bat Lv. 11
Job: None
Skill: 【Poison Fangs】
【Bloodsucking】
【Flight】
【Evasion】
――――――――――
Hmm, they look like reasonably strong enemies. Even so, they are the same rank as Ratmen, or perhaps lower. They are not foes to underestimate, but there is no reason to get worked up over them.
Still, their name is Poison Bat, huh? And their Skills even include 【Poison Fangs】. A bite probably has a chance of poisoning me. I made a mistake. Since I have 【Status Ailment Immunity】, I had been neglecting preparations against status ailments. Iris has some antidotes she made with 【Potionmaking】, but I can make them too, so I'll start making them from now on.
"I'll stop them. If any get past me, Genzuro and Iris restrain them. Jigoro and Ruby, finish them off as needed."
I gave my orders and immediately used magic. I had a spell in mind for the moment small, nimble-looking enemies appeared.
"Tomoe Magic Circle, activate—Thorn Whip!"
From the three magic circles that appeared before me, thorn-covered vines sprouted and stretched out. One wrapped around each Poison Bat and slammed it to the ground.
"Kachikachi (Hmph)!"
"Shul (Take this)!"
Genzuro and Iris captured the rest with threads and tentacles, respectively. Impressive as always.
"Gyaa (Take that)!"
"Purupuru (This is easy)!"
The entangled Poison Bats were crushed beneath Jigoro's feet and had their throats slit by Ruby. It was an exceedingly easy victory. At this rate, we could not even gauge our opponents' strength.
That said, we couldn't ignore the risk of being poisoned. Jigoro might find it unsatisfying, but he would have to put up with it until we encountered monsters without status effects.
"Shurushuru~ (I got the drops~)"
While I was inwardly aghast at my own mistake, Iris happily showed me the Poison Bats' drop items. I was interested too, so I decided to appraise them. Here are the results.
――――――――――
Poison Bat Fang Quality: Fair Rarity: C (Common)
A fang from a poisonous bat. Its poison is not very potent.
Can be used as an arrowhead, but it is fragile and difficult to reuse.
Poison Bat Wing Membrane Quality: Fair Rarity: C (Common)
A type of bat wing membrane. Its distinctive feature is its moist, smooth texture.
Unsuitable for armor, but it can be used as a raw material for high-quality leather goods.
――――――――――
Huh, interesting. Since nobody uses a bow and arrow, these will probably become materials for my 【Alchemy】. The wing membrane is the noteworthy part. If it is a raw material for high-quality leather goods, then Iris will have work to do. Selling it to the town should also earn us some cash.
However, at present, we do not find cash particularly appealing. We can obtain the supplies we need through hunting, gathering, and crafting, and we do not need to pay for lodging. Everything we need is self-contained within our group.
But the facilities at our base are another matter. The equipment for 【Alchemy】 and 【Potionmaking】 left by the previous owner is close to the finest available. However, Iris has also taken up leatherworking and smithing, and for those she only has the beginner equipment provided during character creation.
We will have to upgrade someday. To do so, we will need to buy equipment in a human settlement, and cash is indispensable for trade. It does not have to happen right away, but eventually I will probably have to use 【Disguise】 to infiltrate a town.
For now, let's focus on the present instead of the future. We've only just entered the cave. I wonder what other enemies will appear. It's a little frightening, but exciting at the same time!