Chapter 54
We returned for the time being to the house lent to us and decided to get ready. Replenishing our potions and repairing our weapons and armor left Iris and me with plenty to do.
We had barely begun working when Jigoro suddenly started glowing! Ah, it must be about time for his evolution. Since my level is 29, it makes sense that Jigoro has reached level 30.
"Ahh! The view's higher up!"
After evolving, Jigoro had grown even taller, reaching nearly three meters, and had become more muscular. I almost feel sorry for any enemies who get punched or kicked by those arms.
On top of that, the bald head he had until now was covered in stiff golden hair, and fierce, sharply pointed black horns had grown from both temples. His skin had turned bright red, while the tattoos running across his body had become a near-white gold.
Yes. If you exclude the tattoos, he looks like what I would call a 'Red Oni.' Actually, his Race has to be that one.
"Just to confirm, what did you evolve into?"
"Oh, it says I'm a Blaze Bolt Berserk Ogre. It surprised me how suddenly the name got so long."
...That was his reaction to becoming such an obviously powerful Race!? There had to be something more to say!
"Huh? Why does it have 'flame' in it?"
"Dunno. Probably because of the effect of the thing I got as an event reward, right? The one I swallowed."
Well, that had to be it. The weapon Jigoro received from the event was heavily geared toward physical attacks.
"I don't know what this Toadman King thing is, but I'm gonna punch it to death!"
"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but don't do anything reckless."
"I know. I won't repeat the mistake I made with that rat bastard."
Jigoro grimaced bitterly. It was fine as long as he didn't let his guard down. So stop making that angry face! It's pretty scary, you know!?
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Your 【Alchemy】 level has increased.
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That aside, I continued making potions without taking a break, chatting all the while. I kept synthesizing them with the intention of using up every medicinal herb we had obtained during our explorations.
I failed several times, perhaps because my level was too low, but somehow I finished replenishing our supply. Ahh, I wish I had just one more companion who could handle production. If that's too much to ask, then I want someone who can use healing magic. Am I asking for too much either way?
Now then, I should check my new spells and begin strengthening myself as well. The spells I gained were Evil Spirit Summoning from 【Spirit Summoning】 and Necrosis from 【Dark Arts】.
In my case, the former is an upgraded version of Lesser Spirit Summoning. Evil spirits are stronger than lesser spirits and apparently possess a small amount of intelligence as well. They only target the living, so as an Undead, I won't be targeted.
However! It will target every companion except me without mercy, so I need to be extremely careful about when to use it. I have no intention of thinking, 'I'll defeat the enemy even if I have to take my companions down with it.'
As for the other spell, Necrosis forcibly destroys one randomly selected limb of its target after three minutes. The effect itself sounds powerful, but... there aren't many battles that last long enough for three minutes to pass.
I wondered whether I could use it on a boss, but the description says it is less effective against bosses. To raise the success rate even a little, I would have to increase the Skill level again.
Urgh! I know there's no such thing as unconditional strength, but it's sad that both of my new spells are difficult to try out for completely different reasons!
Pull yourself together. Next is strengthening myself. What does that mean? The evolution of 【Magic Control】. I had already checked its evolution path. Apparently, it would become 【Precision Magic Control】. The required SP was a fairly hefty 20, but I was flush with SP right now. I would acquire it without hesitation.
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You spent 20 SP, evolving 【Magic Control】 into 【Precision Magic Control】.
You learned a new Skill: Spell Adjustment.
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Spell Adjustment? What does that mean? Um... Ah, I see! This is interesting!
Spell Adjustment is apparently a technique that lets me manipulate magic that previously could only be fired in the size and shape determined by the system. For example, I can make a Dark Ball look like a black skeleton flying through the air.
However, it isn't merely a Skill for amusement. By adjusting the amount of magic consumed when using a spell, I can change its power. For example, I can create a ridiculously huge fireball or, conversely, make a needle-like spear of earth.
Changing the appearance is tempting, but ignore that for now! What I need immediately is the effect that can increase a spell's power. It doesn't seem possible to raise it without limit, but it should be useful whenever I need to make a single attack hit harder.
Even so, I ended up spending nearly 50 SP today alone. I should save for a while. Another useful Skill that consumes a huge amount of SP might show up later.
Well, I have no more preparations I can make. Then I'll rest until the others finish getting ready. A battle even fiercer than anything we've fought so far must be waiting for us.
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I am flying through the sky right now. I am searching for enemies from an overhead perspective. So far, there are no signs of them.
The current in-game time has just passed midnight. It is the dead of night. The sun set long ago, and only the light of the moon and stars illuminates the darkness. If we weren't marching to war, and if this were reality, I would love to enjoy some moon-viewing sake.
We were currently marching to launch a night raid. It took longer than expected for the Lizardmen to finish preparing, so we even had enough time to log out once, eat dinner, and take a bath or shower before returning. We had refreshed ourselves both mentally and physically, and had replenished the energy in our real bodies as well. We were in perfect condition.
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Izam: Airborne. All clear.
Ruby: Underwater. No abnormalities!
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I had been keeping in touch with my companions below using party chat for the first time in a while. Was the last time we used it before everyone's 【Linguistics】 level reached a certain point? It really has been a long time.
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Jigoro: We've got a problem here. Iris got seasick.
Ruby: What Σ(Д゜;/)/ Even though she built the boat herself!?
Genzuro: Apparently, she has always been prone to motion sickness.
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As you can tell from that conversation, aside from me, who could fly, and Ruby, who could swim underwater, the other three were riding on a raft Iris had hastily built. It seems she had only considered transporting the three of them to the Toadman nest, and it was rocking terribly. No wonder she got seasick.
But we'll just have to endure it. We're almost there. Hang in there!
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I-I'll definitely build a boat that never rocks, someday...!
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I-I see. It's a game, so I suppose you can build one...?
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"Geko geko!"
"Gerogero!"
The area around a room used by the Toadman Grandmother in the Toadman nest was now as frantic as a beehive someone had poked. The cause was not the Toadman Grandmother being killed by someone...
Of course that was also a problem, but right now they were rushing about to prepare offerings for the revered One, which was far more important.
"Geroro!"
"Gekoo!"
A well-built male came running while carrying a box piled high with insects, so large he had to hold it in both hands. Another male waiting in front of the room beckoned to him impatiently.
"Geko, gero...!"
Shhk... Crunch, crunch... Munch, munch...
The instant the male tried to bring the box into the room, something invisible to him snatched it away at high speed. A few seconds later, filthy chewing sounds came from inside.
"Geroo..."
It would have been a scene that normally left someone dumbfounded, but the male instead let out a sigh of relief. It was one less thing to worry about, he thought.
But it still wasn't enough. They had not even reached half of their goal. How many more times would they have to repeat this task? The thought of it made his head swim.
"Gerot! Geroroo!"
"Geko!?"
While he was thinking about unnecessary things, a cry warning of an enemy attack came from outside. The enemy was almost certainly those loathsome Lizardmen. If so, were they also the ones who had killed the Toadman Grandmother?
The thought made his guts boil. They would surely turn the tables on them!
GROOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
"Ge, geroro!?"
What on earth was that terrifying roar!? He had never heard of a lizard that could make a sound like that. Could the enemy be something other than Lizardmen?
The confused veteran Toadman stood there in a daze for some time.
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"Gerot! Geroroo!"
"Tch. They've noticed us."
It seemed the Toadman sentries had spotted us once we got fairly close. The Lizardmen moving underwater were one thing, but a raft floating on the surface was bound to stand out.
However, now that we had been discovered, there was no need to hold back. We could just go all out!
"All right, let's make it spectacular."
"You got it! GROOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
Jigoro leaped from the raft with a war cry and charged straight into the Toadman nest. It might seem reckless for him to charge in head-on by himself, but under the circumstances, it was no problem at all.
"Ge, geg...!"
"Ge...ko...!"
Jigoro has a Skill called 【Roar】, which evolved from 【Intimidation】. Humans apparently have a similar Skill called 【Pressure】, but that isn't important right now.
In any case, his 【Roar】 is a Skill that has a chance of stunning anyone who hears it. It apparently often fails against opponents of equal or higher rank, but against weaker opponents, especially those at half his level or lower, it can almost certainly stun them.
You remember that the Toadman rank-and-file soldiers were level 12 to 15, right? In other words, the effect of 【Roar】 was tremendous.
"Hahahaha! You weaklings!"
Jigoro cheerfully punched and sent the stunned Toadmen flying. Every time he swung an arm, several Toadmen were blown away together.
He sure is enjoying himself. Well, I'll get to attack too.
"Flying Slash, Thunder Arrow. Flying Slash, Thunder Arrow."
"Gee!?"
"Gego...!"
I unleashed a 【Sickle Arts】 technique and rapid-fired their weakness, 【Lightning Magic】. I already knew that this combination could guarantee a kill against Toadmen up to level 18. How many Toadmen did they think I had killed by now?
"Uoooooh! Follow the Bone Dragons-sama!"
"Uooooooooooooooh!!!"
The Lizardmen joined the battle as well. Though weaker Toadmen came swarming out from deeper inside, we pushed them back instead. Having the numerical advantage really did make things easy!
"Gerot! Geroroo!"
"Gegoo!"
Oh, is that the well-built Toadman Ruby mentioned? There is also one holding a staff. Is it a mage? It certainly looks strong. I'll use 【Appraisal】 on them.
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Race: War Toadman Lv21–26
Job: Warrior Lv1–6
Skill: 【Tongue】
【Spear Arts】 or 【Axe Arts】
【Throwing Arts】
【Strength Enhancement】
【Agility Enhancement】
【Aquatic】
【Darkvision】
【Mucus】
【Lightning Vulnerability】
Race: Toadman Mage Lv25
Job: Water Mage Lv5
Skill: 【Tongue】
【Staff】
【Earth Magic】
【Water and Ice Magic】
【Wind Magic】
【Intelligence Enhancement】
【Aquatic】
【Darkvision】
【Mucus】
【Lightning Vulnerability】
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Hmm? A War Toadman and a Toadman Mage, huh? War Toadmen are stronger than ordinary Lizardmen, but weaker than War Lizardmen.
And the Toadman Mage possesses an evolved Skill. Not bad for a monster. However, it is no match for me!
"Spell Adjustment, Star Magic Circle Deployment, Thunder Arrow!"
"Gegagagaga!?"
Using my new technique, Spell Adjustment, I fired five Thunder Arrows enhanced to the maximum I could manage. Five bolts of lightning merged into a single thick ray of light and pierced the target. The attack killed the Toadman Mage instantly.
"Hmph. Pathetic."
"Ho ho! I cannot let myself be outdone!"
Genzuro drew all of the weapons he carried: an odachi, a katana, and a wakizashi. This was 【Multi-Blade Style】, the evolved form of 【Two-Blade Style】, a Skill that only Races with more than two arms could acquire.
This 【Ability】 grants an attack-power bonus when using two or more weapons. Genzuro had established a three-blade style with his four arms: one held the katana and wakizashi, while the other two held the odachi.
"Gekoa!"
"Gegyu!?"
"Gerogeh!?"
With each swing, the three blades cut down War Toadmen. It was a remarkable feat made possible because nearly every slash struck a vital point with precision.
The battle was going in our favor. Well, it would have been terribly depressing if we had been on the verge of defeat from the start despite launching a night raid and surprise attack.
"Gegaaaaaaroooooaaaaahhhhh!!!"
What!? That 【Roar】 was as powerful as Jigoro's, or even more so! We were fine, but several Lizardmen had been stunned. The roof of the mansion farther inside was blown away as if it had exploded from within at the same time as the roar. As I thought, there was a powerful enemy here! I will definitely slay it!