Chapter 32
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Your 【Light Attribute Vulnerability】 Skill has been mitigated.
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I logged in. The real-world time was 11:30 a.m. Perfect timing. I hung a lamp that emitted light from my waist and headed from my room to the laboratory, which was gradually becoming everyone's common room.
The ones already there were Iris, who was working, and Ruby, who was reading. The moment the two of them looked at me, they stopped moving as though time itself had frozen.
"Good morning. Or, given the time, should I say good afternoon?"
"G-good afternoon... Izam?"
"...Why the question mark?"
I tilted my head at Iris's somewhat bewildered greeting. Had I said something strange?
"Izam? Um, what could possibly have happened for you to turn into such a monster overnight?"
"M-monster?"
"No, no, I mean those fangs... the claws on your elbows... and more than anything, why do you have extra arms?"
"I increased the number of arms myself, but... Fangs? Claws on my elbows?"
Fangs and claws on my elbows? What was she talking about? I looked at my elbow as instructed. Sure enough, a sharp protrusion resembling a claw that I had never seen before was attached to its tip. W-what the heck is this!?
Next, I nervously touched my face and ran my fingers toward my mouth. What my pointed fingertips touched was a full set of fangs that would not have looked out of place in the mouth of a wild beast.
I hurriedly opened the menu screen to check my appearance. Reflected there was a vicious-looking skeleton that could only be described as ominous.
"...Scary!"
"No, no, you're talking about yourself. So what did you do?"
"Ah, well..."
I told the two of them what I had done yesterday—in other words, that I had modified my body, then evolved and changed Jobs. They sighed, looking exasperated. Why?
"You're more of a daredevil than I expected, Izam."
"A daredevil?"
"It wasn't even clear whether the system allowed it, right? Being willing to try it without hesitation makes you a daredevil, doesn't it?"
"Besides, wouldn't most people dislike modifying their own bodies?"
"Is that so?"
Well, this was a game. Weren't you supposed to actively try anything that looked interesting? Besides, I didn't understand the aversion to modifying one's body. It was only a game, after all. I wasn't getting cosmetic surgery in real life, so was it really something to dislike that much? Perhaps it was simply a difference in values.
"In any case, I should be stronger after evolving and changing Jobs. Look forward to the Ratman General fight."
"I'm counting on you, you know?"
"Yes! ...Um, what should we do about armor for my extra arms?"
"There's no way we can get it ready in time for the Ratman General fight, so could you have it made when we get back?"
"What materials should I use?"
"I'd like you to use Lesser Small Naga material."
"Understood."
By the way, Iris described my evolved form as 'even cooler.' As I thought, this girl was no ordinary person.
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After chatting for a while, Jigorou and Genjuro logged in as well. They were both surprised by how much I had changed, though not nearly as much as the two women.
Genjuro was merely pleased that he had become stronger, while Jigorou was excited about being able to create an even stronger sparring partner. What a battle maniac!
In any case, we left the laboratory as planned to defeat the Ratman General. We marched forward, scattering the Ratmen we encountered along the way, and finally reached the spot where Jigorou and I had previously turned back.
They still hadn't noticed us. Remaining hidden behind cover, I strengthened everyone with 【Enchantment】. That completed our preparations.
"All right, we're ready."
"Then let's go according to plan."
"All right, let's go... Magic Stone Absorption, remote activation: Diamond Magic Circle, Heat Mist!"
Using 【Enchantment】 and the staff's 【Magic Stone Absorption】 function to increase its power, I further used the Diamond Magic Circle to simultaneously unleash four blasts of Heat Mist upon the Ratman General and its minions.
The scorching mist, enhanced by 【Assassination Arts】, burned the Ratmen. Being immersed headfirst in boiling water, their pain must have been excruciating.
The Ratman army was suffering from the Heat Mist, but I didn't expect it to finish them off. Indeed, an opponent at my level or higher would probably take little damage from it.
"Remote activation: Diamond Magic Circle, Summon the Dead. Hold it down!"
"Ooooooooh!"
"Dyu!?"
Our strategy was to hold down the strong opponent while dealing with the minions. It was the standard tactic when facing more enemies than ourselves.
The only one we had to hold down with this strategy was the Ratman General. To that end, we would brute-force it with the sheer numbers of the undead summoned by 【Spirit Summoning】, charging straight in regardless of the heat or cold!
"Dyugagagaa!"
"Dydy, Dyuuh!"
Even in that hell of wailing and screams, there were still shadows moving. Judging by their builds, they had to be Ratman Knights. They were stronger than me, so it made sense that they could endure it. However, they hadn't managed to regain control of the situation. That was part of the plan, too.
"Shaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Let's go!"
Jigorou and Genjuro, who seemed to have spotted the shadows of the Ratman Knights just as I had, leaped into the mist. Friendly fire was disabled in FSW, so they took no damage. They could run wild.
Jigorou attacked with lightning-wreathed fists, which he had become able to use without transforming into a divine beast after evolving, while Genjuro dealt reliable damage to the Ratman Knights with the great odachi he had received as a trial reward. There had been four Ratman Knights, but the two they were fighting were already on the verge of death.
"Hyaa!"
"Hah!"
"Black Field, Dark Wave."
The two of them weren't the only ones fighting. Iris, Ruby, and I were finishing off the Ratmen already near death from the Heat Mist. Iris strangled and snapped their necks with her tentacles, Ruby gouged their vital points with her daggers, and I blasted them away with magic.
Iris and Ruby couldn't match Jigorou and Genjuro in sheer attack power, but they overwhelmingly surpassed them in number of attacks. When it came to scattering weakened mobs, Iris's countless tentacles, Ruby's swift movements, and my area attacks were better suited to the task.
"Dyuooooooooooooooooo!!!"
Once the three Ratman Knights and all the Ratmen had been wiped out, the Ratman General finally managed to shake off the undead and let out a roar. It was impossible to tell a rat's expression, but thanks to 【Linguistics】, I could clearly tell that it was enraged.
"Dyuuh! Dyaa!"
"Not on my watch! Remote activation: Double Magic Circle, Stone Wall!"
The first thing the freed Ratman General did was launch a long-range attack with 【Earth Magic】. Judging by its appearance, it was Stone Lance. It fired two in succession, targeting Jigorou and Genjuro, who were just about to finish off the Ratman Knights.
I blocked the Stone Lances rushing toward them with magic. Even though I was lower level, the attacks couldn't pierce the defenses of a specialist like me, and my Stone Wall stopped them without even being shattered.
"Thanks—there!"
"Nice one!"
"Dyi...!"
With nothing interfering, the last Ratman Knight took Jigorou's mighty fist to the abdomen and had its head split by Genjuro's great odachi. It died on the spot. That left only the Ratman General, an overwhelmingly stronger opponent.
And at that moment, the Heat Mist expired. In the sewer, now returned to normal, we faced off against the Ratman General.
"This is where the real fight begins! Iris!"
"Yes!"
Iris sent all her tentacles rushing out in an attempt to ensnare the Ratman General's legs. They dealt no direct damage, and Iris wasn't strong enough to restrain it for long. However, they were certainly annoying.
As expected, the Ratman General took quick, mincing steps to avoid the tentacles. It was incredibly nimble!
"Hey, big guy! Come play with me!"
"You might as well play with me too!"
While the Ratman General was being harried by Iris, Jigorou and Genjuro, who had switched to an uchigatana, attacked it. The uchigatana was one of the swords pulled from the water during our cave exploration the other day. After Iris sharpened it, it became a masterwork blade capable of displaying its true power.
The wakizashi was apparently another masterwork blade that came as part of the same equipment set. Furthermore, it seemed that gathering various materials and using them to enhance the weapon would awaken new powers, so it might become Genjuro's weapon for many years to come.
But back to the matter at hand. They skillfully avoided Iris's tentacles while closing in on the Ratman General and pounding it with attacks. Their opponent was putting up a good fight, evading or defending with its axe and the hard parts of its armor, but it didn't seem able to counterattack. In that case, I would break the stalemate.
"Set Trap, remote activation: Diamond Magic Circle, Thunder Arrow."
"Dydi!?"
I fired Thunder Arrows that were difficult to dodge but had a narrow area of effect. The Ratman General was too busy dealing with the tentacles at its feet and the two men's barrage of attacks to react to my surprise attack, and all four arrows struck it head-on.
"Hyaa!"
"!?"
Taking advantage of the opening, Ruby, who had been hiding since the middle of the battle, launched a surprise attack. She had clung to the sewer ceiling and watched for her chance, and now plunged both daggers into the Ratman General's throat and right eye. That had to hurt...!
"Take this, take this, take this!"
"Hmph!"
"...!"
Jigorou and Genjuro followed up with attacks of their own. Their blows, which would have felled an ordinary Ratman in a single hit, tore away most of the Ratman General's health. As expected of them.
"Yah!"
Having finally caught the Ratman General's leg, Iris pulled it with all her might and managed to knock it over. A fully healthy Ratman General probably could not have been toppled like that, but it was already covered in wounds and couldn't brace itself properly. Whatever the case, this was our chance.
"Take this, take this, take this!"
"Don't go calling us cowards, all right?"
"What we're doing is totally villainous, though!"
Jigorou, Genjuro, and Ruby repeatedly attacked the fallen Ratman General. I used 【Evil Arts】 to make it see illusions and hear phantom voices. This was less a fight than a lynching.
"~~~~~!"
When its health dropped below ten percent, the Ratman General wildly swung its axe to drive Jigorou and the others away, then stood up while vomiting blood. It had probably meant to roar, but its throat had been crushed, so no sound came out.
Now that things had come to this, the enemy was sure to charge at us with every last ounce of strength it had. We were entering the final phase.
"~~~!~~~~!"
The Ratman General's first move was magic, just as before. It didn't seem particularly powerful, but there was no need to take unnecessary damage. Against magic, this was my role.
"Activate Diamond Magic Circle, Magic Shield."
I created Magic Shields in front of the other four to support them. I flew away using the Moon Veil's flight function to evade the attack. Three-dimensional movement was fun, and dodging was easy, too.
"~~~~!"
Perhaps realizing that magic couldn't turn the tide even if it increased its attacks, the Ratman General switched to its axe. It raised the double-headed axe and charged.
It was fast—completely different from before! Was this the so-called strength born of desperation?
"Leave it to me."
Genjuro leaped forward. Then, to my astonishment, he began deflecting every single one of the Ratman General's successive axe strikes with his uchigatana! Real-life cheats were seriously unfair!
He even cut the Ratman General several times in his counterattacks, but for some reason, the damage wasn't getting through well. Had its defense temporarily increased?
"No use envying him. Everyone, all-out attack!"
"Yes!"
"You bet!"
"I know!"
Without waiting for the three replies, I repeatedly activated various spells remotely from the Ratman General's blind spots. I placed particular emphasis on 【Curse Arts】. If its defense had gone up, then I would just lower it!
Jigorou transformed into a divine beast and dealt damage with an extremely fast hit-and-run strategy, while Ruby attacked vital points and joints with her daggers from blind spots. The moment Iris realized that restraint wasn't working, she began swinging the wooden mallet and hatchet she had received as trial rewards. Surprisingly, Iris might have had the most ferocious fighting style among us.
The attacks of all four of us were anything but gentle. And yet the Ratman General still hadn't fallen. Just how tough was it!?
"~~~!"
"Will you... just die already!"
The Ratman General's eyes were bloodshot as it continued swinging its axe single-mindedly. Genjuro had appeared to be entirely on the defensive, but in reality, he had merely been waiting for an opening. The moment the Ratman General attempted an especially wide swing, Genjuro stepped inside its range, drew the wakizashi from his waist, and deeply slashed open its abdomen.
"~~...~..."
That blow seemed to have been the finishing strike. The Ratman General collapsed without even being able to utter a death cry.
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You won the battle.
Your Race level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.
Your Job level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.
Your 【Staff】 level has increased.
Your 【Magic Control】 level has increased.
Your 【Earth Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Earth Pit spell.
Your 【Water and Ice Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Ice Circle spell.
Your 【Fire Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Extinguish spell.
Your 【Storm Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Vacuum spell.
Your 【Tree Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Growth spell.
Your 【Lava Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Molten Scattershot spell.
Your 【Sandstorm Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Quicksand spell.
Your 【Smoke Mist Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Cold Mist spell.
Your 【Lightning Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Electrification spell.
Your 【Explosion Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Mine spell.
Your 【Dark Magic】 level has increased.
Your 【Void Magic】 level has increased.
Your 【Enchantment】 level has increased.
Your 【Magic Circles】 level has increased.
Your 【Necromancy】 level has increased.
Your 【Curse Arts】 level has increased.
You learned the Fear and Silence spell.
Your 【Trap Magic】 level has increased.
You learned the Diamond Trap Circle spell.
Your 【Spirit Summoning】 level has increased.
Your 【Evil Arts】 level has increased.
Your 【Assassination Arts】 level has increased.
Izam and the others discovered the hidden area 'Forgotten Underground Graveyard.'
You have been awarded 5 SP as a discovery reward.
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That's a lot of information! And another hidden area, too. There are plenty of new spells and lots to analyze, but we won!