Chapter 289
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Your Race level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.
Your Job level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.
【Health Recovery Speed Increase】 has leveled up.
【Mana Recovery Speed Increase】 has leveled up.
【Talisman Arts】 has leveled up.
【Magic Circles】 has leveled up.
【Necromancy】 has leveled up.
【Trap Magic】 has leveled up.
You learned the Large Trap Circle spell.
【Spirit Summoning】 has leveled up.
【Alchemy】 has leveled up.
Through your accumulated experience, you acquired the 【Command】 Skill.
【Command】 has leveled up.
【Demonic Eye of Death and Chaos】 has leveled up.
Your tamed monster's Race level has increased.
Your tamed monster's Job level has increased.
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Some time had passed since that meeting. I continued working single-mindedly while training myself, and finally succeeded in using up all the bones I had amassed. The number of soldiers created this way was five hundred—more than I had anticipated.
Of those five hundred, about a hundred had evolved through Jigorou's harsh training. They were true elites and seemed more likely to survive among those treated as meat shields. Then again, perhaps they had been overworked so badly that they would be the first to break down.
The mass-produced talismans had already been distributed to everyone taking part in the battle. Equipment made by Iris and the Metallica, as well as Shiitake-branded potions, had been given to those who needed them. The Scars and Centaurs, who had previously used equipment made only from stone or monster hide, were delighted to receive metal gear, while the Metallica seemed to have enjoyed making equipment they had never made before.
Iris had also handled the mass production of equipment, but she had devoted even more effort to the Undead Puppets and our own gear. She had continued strengthening them by adding what looked like optional parts whenever we obtained new materials, but this time she had extensively upgraded everyone's equipment. Mine turned out as follows.
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Black Robe of Night-Sky Silk; Quality: Superior; Rarity: S (Special Class)
A robe made from fibers harvested from monsters. It comes with a hood. It has a high affinity with darkness and absorbs a small amount of damage from dark-element attacks.
Its lining is made from Poison Flame Turtle Dragon and Greenwind Demon Wolf hides, granting resistance to poison, fire, and wind attributes as well.
Equipment Effect: 【Dark-Element Absorption】 Lv1
【Poison Resistance】 Lv3
【Fire-Element Resistance】 Lv3
【Wind-Element Resistance】 Lv2
Tortoiseshell Gray Gauntlets; Quality: Superior; Rarity: S (Special Class)
Gauntlets made from the thick hide of a Poison Flame Turtle Dragon and the elastic soft membrane of a Mist Demon Orb. They grant resistance to various attributes and blunt attacks.
Shards of Golden Tortoiseshell have been affixed at vital points, providing both physical and magical defense.
Equipment Effect: 【Blunt Resistance】 Lv3
【Magic Resistance】 Lv6
【Fire-Element Resistance】 Lv3
【Water-Element Resistance】 Lv2
【Smoke Attribute Resistance】 Lv2
Lava Death-Poison Snake Belt; Quality: Superior; Rarity: S (Special Class)
A belt made from Lava Death-Poison Snake hide. It grants resistance to fire and lava attributes.
Forest Beast Turtle hide is used for the lining, slightly increasing maximum health.
It has a pouch on the right and a book holder on the left, both of which can be accessed quickly. Capacity: 5
Equipment Effect: 【Health Increase】 Lv2
【Fire-Element Resistance】 Lv4
【Lava-Element Resistance】 Lv4
Trousers of Night-Sky Silk; Quality: Superior; Rarity: S (Special Class)
Trousers made from fibers harvested from monsters. They have a high affinity with darkness and absorb a small amount of damage from dark-element attacks.
A Fire Rat's tail is used in the waistband, granting resistance to fire while strengthening fire-element attacks.
Equipment Effect: 【Dark-Element Absorption】 Lv1
【Fire-Element Resistance】 Lv4
【Fire-Element Enhancement】 Lv3
Lava Death-Poison Snake Boots; Quality: Superior; Rarity: R (Rare Class)
Boots made from Lava Death-Poison Snake hide. They slightly increase maximum health.
Metal spikes are attached to the soles, making them less slippery. They also increase damage dealt by stomping.
Equipment Effect: 【Fire-Element Resistance】 Lv4
【Lava-Element Resistance】 Lv4
Ruin Dragon Scale Necklace; Quality: Superior; Rarity: S (Special Class)
A necklace made from the scales of the Ruin Dragon Karnagtor.
It also uses the true scales from when it was a juvenile dragon, enhancing its effects.
It increases maximum mana and amplifies 【Dark Magic】 and Abyssal Magic.
Equipment Effect: 【Mana Increase】 Lv5
【Dark Magic Enhancement】
【Abyssal Magic Enhancement】
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As always, Iris had made truly wonderful equipment. Night-Sky Silk was an unfamiliar material, but it was a crafting material from the royal palace's treasury. Everyone else had likewise used materials from the treasury to improve their equipment, to greater or lesser degrees.
Iris was left to decide who would receive which materials. None of the clan members objected, because everyone trusted her completely.
Faced with the materials left in that ancient treasury, Iris's creative drive caught fire. Including the equipment she made for the Undead Puppets, she had created over a thousand pieces of gear in the past week. That output was possible thanks to her real-life dexterity and the countless tentacles of her avatars. I was truly grateful to have her with us.
None of the other Skills had been leveled enough to gain additional spells through elemental magic, but 【Trap Magic】 alone learned a new spell: Large Trap Circle. It expanded the power and range of a trap, but took time to activate after being placed.
I assumed it was the counterpart to Large Magic Circle in 【Magic Circles】, but it could hardly be called convenient. That was true of all 【Trap Magic】 spells, but this one sometimes failed to activate even when an opponent stepped on it.
I thought of making an enemy step on it during the preparation period, making them believe it was safe and letting their guard down, but I could hardly imagine using it in actual combat. It seemed best to reserve it for ambushes.
Perhaps because I had often led soldiers into battle, I had acquired a Skill without spending SP for the first time in a while. The effect of this 【Command】 Skill was straightforward: it strengthened everyone under my command according to the Skill's level. Its level was still low, so the effect was negligible, but it should at least be comforting.
"Izam-sama, preparations for departure are complete."
"Oh, is that so?"
As I sat in a chair on the bridge and reflected on this preparation period, Towa, the Android, whispered those words. Many of her parts had been worn down, but Iris and Shiitake had managed to prepare replacements. I no longer had to fear that she might break down at any moment.
However, since they were not genuine parts, there seemed to be some problems with their durability. They apparently could not withstand fierce combat, but her role was basically limited to supporting Iris and Shiitake and piloting Shiratsuki. Since she would not be brought to the front lines, that was not a problem.
Putting that aside, our preparations for war were complete. We had readied our equipment, produced mountains of consumables, and trained as much as time allowed to improve our proficiency. I could proudly say that we had done everything we could.
"In that case, the departure ceremony will begin shortly. Please make the necessary preparations."
"...At last, the time has come."
Why was I sitting alone on the bridge when I normally chatted in the lounge whenever I logged in without heading out onto the field? Because I wanted to escape from the departure ceremony—or, more precisely, from the speech at the ceremony where I was expected to rally everyone.
No, I knew that staying here would not let me escape. I also knew perfectly well that this was nothing more than escapism. But how should I put it... It was embarrassing, wasn't it?
I had said that formalities like this were unnecessary, but the leaders of the four Races had stubbornly insisted that they were essential for raising morale. When I replied that each leader could give the speech, they scolded me, asking who else could do it besides me, the supreme commander of this battle.
Supreme commander? When had I become regarded as the supreme commander?! I was so surprised that I could not get another word out and could only open and close my mouth. They apparently took that silence as consent, and by the time my thoughts caught up, the discussion of the arrangements was nearly over.
I told my comrades about it, but instead of sympathizing or getting angry on my behalf, they were exasperated, as if asking what had taken me so long. When their reaction surprised me once again, Jigorou placed a hand on my shoulder and said:
"Hey, brother... You don't remember what you've done? You gave houses to refugees, brought four Races together, and took the lead in starting a big ol' brawl, didn't ya? Of course they'd treat you as the supreme commander!"
Only when Jigorou pointed it out did I realize that I had actually done enough to be made supreme commander. Our clan had prepared the gathering place, assembled the personnel, and supplied all the necessary items. It was only natural that I, its leader, would become the supreme commander.
After that exchange, I was finally convinced that being treated as supreme commander made sense. But accepting that did not make me want to do it any more. Ah, I really didn't want to go...
"Izam-sama?"
"...Yes, I know."
Towa watched me curiously as I remained seated in my chair. She probably did not intend it, but I felt pressured because I knew I was acting like a child throwing a tantrum. All right, time to steel myself and go!
Having made up my mind, I left Shiratsuki's bridge and stepped onto the deck. Shiratsuki was hovering above the plaza, so all I had to do was drop down from the deck.
"GROOOOON."
"Kal? Are you telling me to ride on your back?"
Kal was on the deck. He gave a short growl, lowered himself, and turned his back toward me. In that case, I would give them my rallying speech from Kal's back! Let's go!
When I jumped onto Kal's back, he immediately took off and hovered above the plaza. The people gathered there stopped chatting and all looked our way. I cleared my throat once, then began to speak.
"Everyone, thank you for gathering here. The battle about to begin will surely be an unavoidable path for everyone living on this continent. Precisely because you understand that, the four Races have gathered, joined forces, and formed this army."
I paused there and looked over everyone. Those going into battle and those staying behind alike wore serious expressions.
"Even with all our combined strength, I do not expect an easy battle. But... strange as it may seem even to me, I have no doubt that we will win. That must be because I know better than anyone how formidable this army is. Now then, let's go win this. All forces, deploy!"
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I managed to get through the words I had prepared without biting my tongue. It seemed that I had succeeded in raising their morale, because the plaza filled with mighty war cries. And carried forward by that momentum, we set out for battle.