Chapter 266
"There really is nothing but Undead here!"
"Man, seeing everyone gathered like this is quite a sight."
"This reminds me of the underground cemetery... Though everyone here being players makes it very different."
This was Ruby and Genjuro's impression after visiting the 'Undead Resting Place.' As Genjuro had said, the underground cemetery where we encountered the Gravekeeper had been just as full of Undead.
However, the Undead in the underground cemetery had not gathered in groups to chat and prepare for adventures like the players here had. Perhaps because there were especially many players online now, the area seemed livelier than yesterday. I don't dislike this atmosphere.
"Hey! Aren't you Izam-kun!"
The person approaching while waving and calling out to me in a loud voice was Columbus, who had descended this vertical shaft with us yesterday. He—or she? In any case, Columbus apparently still had not left.
Columbus had said they wanted to look around various places, so I had assumed they had already moved on. Perhaps they had decided there were still places worth seeing.
"Are you with different friends today?"
"Yeah, they're all members of my clan. By the way, where is Keisuke-kun?"
"He hasn't logged in yet."
I see, Keisuke-kun wasn't here. Even if he had been, he probably would have looked annoyed to see me, so perhaps his absence was actually a stroke of luck.
Columbus's outfit was almost unchanged from when we first met, but several Undead stood behind them. They all seemed to be players, and had presumably become friends here.
"Tell him I said hello. Well, see you later."
"Sure. Have fun conquering it!"
After parting with Columbus, we headed for the 'Subterranean Icefield.' We had decided this while descending, agreeing that although it was less difficult than the 'Fungal Forest of Burning Moss' we had challenged yesterday as a group of three, we should bring back some items we had not seen before.
The 'Subterranean Icefield' lay beyond the side tunnel farthest from the 'Fungal Forest of Burning Moss.' Frost had formed even at the entrance to the tunnel, which alone was enough to tell us how cold it would be on the other side.
When we passed through the side tunnel and entered the 'Subterranean Icefield,' we found ourselves in a world of ice stretching in every direction. Countless icicles hung from the ceiling, and where they reached the ground, they became thick pillars of ice that seemed to support the space.
The ground resembled a frozen pond and was almost perfectly flat. It was certainly easy to walk on, but it might be slippery, making it dangerous. We should avoid using fire too much.
"Cold!"
"I'm not taking any damage, but this still looks rough."
"Ugh, this place is tough for me..."
Apparently, this was not a friendly environment for Ruby. Since the entire field was frozen over, a Slime avatar whose surface was almost always in contact with the ground seemed to feel the cold directly.
It was probably the same principle as when Ruby had felt cold in the 'Black Death Ice Forest' despite having equipment to protect against it. Ruby could not bear it and leaped into the air, landing on Genjuro's shoulder and beginning to tremble. I did not miss the fact that Genjuro seemed slightly pleased to see Ruby feeling cold.
"It's cold, but visibility is clear, right?"
"Probably because it's underground, so no snow falls."
As Wool said, this was an extremely cold space, but it was a hollow deep underground. Naturally, there was no snow, and there were no blizzards either. It was simply cold—a quiet, drab field.
At first, our footsteps echoed through the beautiful field, which evoked a sense of loneliness and melancholy. After a while, however, we began to hear the sounds of someone fighting in the distance. It was only natural that we were not the only ones here, but the battle cries were utterly out of place against the fantastical scenery.
"Are there things we can gather here? It's all ice..."
"No, no, you're missing the point, Shifune-chan. This ice is what we're supposed to gather. Look, right here."
"Oh, a mining point."
Shio was pointing at a mining point halfway up one of the countless ice pillars. Each pillar seemed to have several points, so apparently we could mine this ice with a pickaxe or something similar. We might as well try it.
The three of us—Shio and I, who could fly, and Shifune, who could climb vertical pillars—mined a point on the largest ice pillar. The surface peeled away with a high-pitched clanging sound utterly unlike ice, and we obtained an item, just as expected.
――――――――――
Frozen Ore Quality: Excellent Rarity: S (Special Grade)
A rare mineral that is both stone and ice.
It is formed over many years as Water-Attribute magic and metal intermingle.
It is extremely difficult to process, but it is a top-grade material for Water-Attribute items.
Perennial Ice Quality: Excellent Rarity: R (Rare Grade)
A special type of ice that has remained frozen for an extremely long time. It has not actually been ice for over ten thousand years.
It does not melt under ordinary heat and remains cold at all times.
Since it can maintain a constant temperature, demand for it is extremely high.
――――――――――
After using 【Appraisal】, I learned that both were useful items. The Frozen Ore seemed suitable for processing into Water-Attribute weapons and accessories, so I should entrust it to Iris. I had no idea what kind of equipment it would become, but Iris would surely elevate it into high-quality gear. We should bring back a good amount.
As for the Perennial Ice, simply placing it in a room seemed enough to turn that room into a refrigerator. That was the only use I could think of, but Shiitake and Iris might be able to transform it into something else. We should bring back as much as possible.
"That reminds me, the person from earlier... Columbus, was it? They were so energetic and cheerful!"
"Yeah. Apparently, they're an explorer searching for unknown sights in this world. They weren't here today, but they seem to travel with their partner, Keisuke-kun."
"Oh, I see... Huh? Izam-san, it looks like we can gather the icicles on the ceiling too!"
With that, Shio flew toward the icicles on the ceiling. I understood being drawn to items, but going too far away alone was a problem. I tried to warn her to wait, but it was too late.
"Aaaaaah!?"
Several ice spears attacked Shio, who had let her guard down. She avoided taking a direct hit, but was forced to descend and rejoin us.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine!"
"Good. Then let's fight below with Genjuro and the others."
When we reached the ground, Genjuro and the others were already holding their weapons and preparing for battle. Part of the reason was that they had witnessed something strange happening above, but the main reason was that the enemies had followed the three of us.
When I looked behind us at the enemies, I saw palm-sized humanoid monsters. They had light-blue skin, dark-blue hair, and wings resembling dragonflies, with blue streaks running through them. We were familiar with a close relative of these monsters, but I decided to use 【Appraisal】 anyway.
――――――――――
Race: Ice Elemental Lv. 52–55
Job: Water-Ice Sage Lv. 2–5
Skill: 【Agility Enhancement】
【Intelligence Enhancement】
【Mental Enhancement】
【Water-Ice Magic】
【Flight】
【Acrobatics】
【Coordination】
【Ice Manipulation】
【Small Stature】
【Magic Resistance】
【Water-Attribute Absorption】
――――――――――
Just as I thought. I had suspected they resembled Tess, Se's tamed monster, and they were indeed a closely related Race. Tess specialized in the Light Attribute and illusions, while these creatures seemed to wield the Water Attribute. Four of them were approaching us.
They did not have many Skills, and their build leaned heavily toward magic. I had not seen the Skill 【Small Stature】 since the Goblins, but their fragility seemed to match their appearance.
However, we needed to be wary of the unfamiliar Skill 【Ice Manipulation】. They had already launched something resembling an ice spear, which had presumably been created with this Skill. If we let our guard down, we could take unexpected damage.
The Ice Elementals flying straight toward us looked like tiny girls. They might have been cute if they remained silent, but the sadistic smiles on their faces left not the slightest trace of charm. In fact, despite their low levels, I found them frightening.
"What are those?"
"Apparently, they're monsters called Ice Elementals, specialized in the Water Attribute. They're distant relatives of Tess and skilled at handling water. They seem to be especially good at manipulating ice."
"So we mustn't be fooled by their cute appearance."
"...Now that I look closely, they're not very cute, are they?"
"Ruby's the only cute one who ambushes people, you know!"
I answered Genjuro's question succinctly. Ruby held a dagger formed from a protrusion stretched out from her surface, while Wool muttered in a slightly displeased tone. He seemed to share my opinion.
After descending to just above the ground, Shio somersaulted through the air and rapidly fired an arrow. There was almost no delay between drawing and firing, and she had had no time to aim, yet the arrow flew straight toward one of the Ice Elementals.
"Hee hee hee hee."
However, all four Ice Elementals lightly dodged the arrow while still wearing smiles. Perhaps thanks to the Skill 【Acrobatics】, the Ice Elementals danced gracefully through the air. Small targets moving around that much were extremely troublesome.
"Hmm, I'll try something."
Genjuro sheathed the sword he had already drawn. Then, as he opened his forewings and stepped forward, he simultaneously beat his hindwings and shot rapidly into the air. His speed probably rivaled Shio's arrows.
Genjuro flew upward and slashed at an Ice Elemental while drawing his sword. They tried to dodge as expected, but the lightning-fast slash caught two of them cleanly. The Ice Elementals fell after being cleaved in two, their eyes wide with astonishment.
"Hmm. I thought I had cut them all down at once, but they got away. I still have much training to do..."
"No, no, no! I think it's amazing that you managed to cut them at all!"
Genjuro had apparently been aiming for all four, and after landing, he regretted letting any escape. Shifune immediately retorted, but everyone else felt the same way.
Regardless, thanks to Genjuro, the number of enemies had been cut in half. The remaining two glared at us with furious expressions. If they had no intention of fleeing, that was convenient. I had thought of a strategy I wanted to try. I might as well put it into practice.
"It'll get a little brighter, so be careful. Flash."
"!?"
I used the blinding spell Flash on the Ice Elementals staring at us. The remaining two covered their eyes and seemed to lose control in midair as they began to fall. Oh, it seemed to have been highly effective.
As they came tumbling down, Ruby's dagger and Shifune's legs tore into them. The Ice Elementals were defeated without even being able to cry out in their death throes.