Chapter 7
Reading such a grim story has really killed the mood. All the satisfaction and exhilaration of beating an opponent above my level have been blown away. It's the same feeling as hearing that a deadline is tomorrow when you're happily drunk and sobering up all at once.
I don't feel like reading any more books, and I don't have any mana left to test new spells, either. So what should I do? For now, I'll turn on the lamp... there.
Oh, my level went up, too. I wonder if I can handle two magic stones now? Let's try it. ...Oh, my recovery is barely outpacing the drain. I'll use two magic stones from now on.
Come to think of it, I'm doing this training that borders on self-harm so I can acquire 【Light Magic】, aren't I? Since I have the chance, maybe I'll take a look at the Skills I can acquire by spending SP.
Let's sort them by category... First up are weapon Skills. Whoa, just like during character creation, even a mage can take 【Sword】? But isn't five SP way too expensive? All four basic elemental magic Skills only cost 1 SP.
If that's the case, aiming to become something like a 'Weapon Master' who can wield every weapon by spending SP must be incredibly difficult. Switching weapons depending on the situation sounds fun, but I suppose it would be a thorny path. It has nothing to do with me, though. Best of luck.
Next are the magic Skills, but I'll save the fun for last. So that leaves the production Skills. Let's see... These are ordinary. They all cost 2 SP. Maybe they're making them easier to acquire? They'd be perfect for passing the time when I'm bored, like now. I won't take any, though.
Next are the hobby Skills. There are quite a few. 【Fishing】 and 【Mountaineering】, for example. People who can never find the time for those in real life would be happy. Still, the idea that there are places you can't go and items you can't obtain without Skills like these is a standard story development. It might be possible in this game, too. I'll keep it in mind.
Next is... Oh? Status-boosting Skills? Let's see what's inside... 【Strength Boost】 and 【Intelligence Boost】? I see, they're Skills that directly raise the masked stats themselves. I'd like to get a few of these. Especially 【Intelligence Boost】 and 【Spirit Boost】, which seem related to magic, along with 【Health Recovery Speed Up】 and 【Mana Recovery Speed Up】.
The first two cost 5 SP each, which is a little steep, while the latter two cost 8 SP, making them quite expensive. This is a tough choice. Should I prioritize the power of each individual attack, or improve my endurance? I expect I'll eventually acquire all of them, but this will determine how I get through the early game.
If it were me, I'd prioritize endurance. Since I'm basically playing solo, being less likely to run out of mana so I can handle unforeseen situations is probably more important.
Next are the information Skills. 【Appraisal】 and 【Linguistics】 fall into this category. Whoa, these are expensive. 【Keen Ears】 and 【Far Sight】 cost 10 SP each. Isn't that a rip-off?
Oh, wait. Maybe Skills with high SP costs are meant to be acquired through one's own efforts? I gained Skills by reading books thoroughly and moving around stealthily. In the same way, swinging a sword should grant me 【Sword】, and listening closely to eavesdrop should grant me 【Keen Ears】. Maybe I'm supposed to acquire them myself at first and use SP solely to evolve Skills? What an unhelpful system.
And finally, the magic Skills. ...Every single one says 'Already acquired.' Well, I have worked pretty hard, after all. Wait, what? 【Spiritism】...? Why is that there!? It wasn't there when I acquired the four elements! And what's with the 100 SP? There isn't even a two-digit cost among the others, and this one boldly demands three digits.
But I can acquire it. The cost is exactly the same as the discovery bonus for the 'Heretical Sorcerer's Laboratory.' This absolutely isn't a coincidence. They've obviously laid the groundwork for me!
I am interested. I am, but... I'll pass this time. It won't be too late to acquire it after I find out what that goddess is asking of me. Besides, I'm already struggling to master all the magic I have. Adding more to my workload when I don't have to would only end badly.
Oh, while I was thinking about all that, my mana seems to have fully recovered. In that case, I'll summon my minions and begin exploring south.
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This area is crawling with Lesser Ratmen, too. But there are strangely many more of them than in the north and east. I wonder if there's something ahead?
"You're kidding, right?"
There's a group of three a little ways away. Since they're all carrying weapons, does that mean it's a trio of Ratmen!? No way, no way! Retreat!
The north has only Lesser Ratmen, the east has a few Ratmen here and there, and the south has Ratmen forming parties. If the east is a danger zone, then the south is practically a demon realm. It's definitely not somewhere I should enter with my starting Race and starting equipment. I'll leave it for later!
With that, I set off west. I hope there's something conveniently in between: stronger than Lesser Ratmen, but weaker than Ratmen.
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May I say something? There's nothing here! Nothing at all! Even Lesser Ratmen are sparse—what's up with that!? The contrast is way too stark after the south was a demon realm.
The lack of anything here does make exploration go smoothly, though. I'm currently fourteen blocks from the base. It looks like the base was located toward the eastern side of the city.
"Hm, a wall."
After going one more block, I ran into a dead end. So the western edge is fifteen blocks from the base.
However, my level hasn't increased because there has been so little combat. In fact, natural recovery has filled both my health and mana to the maximum. I have no choice but to continue exploring.
Now, should I head north or south? Since there were Ratmen to the east and south, I can assume the west and north are relatively safe. To prepare for unforeseen circumstances, I'll go north.
"――!―――!"
"Hm?"
What was that? I thought I heard some kind of voice... The voice came from the south. Hmm, should I go?
I'm hesitating. But... let's go. I might discover something new. If it looks dangerous, I can always turn back.
...Um, around here? I'll have my minions wait behind the pillar and activate 【Stealth】 and 【Sneak】. Now, what's going on?
"Dyu-dyuu!"
"SYURRRRRR!"
It sounds like a battle is underway. One side is a group of two Lesser Ratmen and one Ratman, enemies I've become quite familiar with. But the other side is a new enemy. I'll use 【Appraisal】.
――――――――――
Race: Big Slug Lv7
Job: None
Skill: 【Slime】
【Blunt Resistance】
【Pain Resistance】
【Poison Spray】
――――――――――
As you can probably tell from its name, they're fighting a giant slug about the size of a human. I'm not so squeamish about slimy creatures that I freeze up, but that thing was disgusting even by my standards.
The Big Slug is alone, but the Ratmen are struggling more than I expected. Especially the Ratman, who is on the same level as the one I fought and even has a weapon.
At first I wondered why, but after watching for a while, I understood. It was because of 【Slime】. Their main attacks are their front teeth and swords, but those apparently slip off the slime coating its skin. They could punch or kick it, but that's where 【Blunt Resistance】 comes in. Blunt attacks are practically useless.
"Dyu-gaaaaa!"
"SYUUUUUUUU!?"
The Ratman went for it. It suddenly closed the distance and thrust its sword. If slashing attacks slide off and blunt attacks don't work, relying on a thrust seems reasonable. If that killed it, all would be well. However...
"JUUUU!"
"D-dyu...!"
Just as I thought. It has 【Pain Resistance】. But if it failed to finish the slug off, the Ratman had overextended itself and was bound to suffer a counterattack.
And that counterattack came from its final Skill, 【Poison Spray】. The Big Slug spat a filthy-colored liquid from its mouth, dousing the Ratman in poison at point-blank range. Whoa, I can smell it from here! What a terrible attack.
The Big Slug's poison seemed fairly potent, and a poison status appeared on the Ratman's marker. However, perhaps understanding how foolish it would be to pull away, it didn't leap back. Instead, it twisted the sword it had stabbed into the Big Slug, trying to finish it off. This was a fierce battle. And yet...
"Magic Circle, Dark Wave."
!?
From my perspective, this is nothing more than a chance to profit from their fight. Cowardly? Hahaha, I'm aiming to be a villain, you know? Underhanded? That's a compliment!
――――――――――
You won the battle.
Your Race level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.
Your Job level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.
Your 【Staff】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Mana Control】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Dark Magic】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Appraisal】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Stealth】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Sneak】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Surprise Attack】 Skill level has increased.
――――――――――
The experience points are delicious. Even one Ratman gives a substantial amount, but I took out all four with a single attack: two Lesser Ratmen, one Ratman, and one Big Slug.
Still, the south really does have Ratmen roaming around. In that case, I'll explore north as originally planned. There's no guarantee every outing will turn out this well.
Also, the battle taught me that monsters other than Ratman-type creatures—in this case, Big Slugs—live in this sewer. I was also able to learn their Skills without risk, and now I can deal with them without panicking if I encounter one.
As for the drop items... nothing again? I didn't have to work for them this time, so I don't feel any sense of futility, but it is a little disappointing. Well then, I'll begin exploring north.
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――――――――――
Your 【Staff】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Mana Control】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Earth Magic】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Water Magic】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Fire Magic】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Wind Magic】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Dark Magic】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Non-Elemental Magic】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Summoning】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Enchantment】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Magic Circle】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Necromancy】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Curse Magic】 Skill level has increased.
Your 【Trap Magic】 Skill level has increased.
――――――――――
There they were. A swarm of Big Slugs. Imagine it: slugs larger than humans, tangled together like a ball of snakes, blocking the sewer passage. It wasn't merely disgusting anymore. Even I nearly went mad. For anyone who can't handle them, just seeing it might be enough to make them faint. It was a scene I could only describe as visual violence.
Unfortunately, the experience points were delicious. Extremely delicious. They weren't agile enough to dodge magic, and the fact that they were nothing more than huge targets for me helped, too. Nearly all my magic-related Skills leveled up. The fact that most of the Big Slugs were just slightly higher level than me must have helped.
Even so, this battle really drove home the importance of matchups. Just as Big Slugs were a bad matchup for Ratmen, I was the worst possible enemy for Big Slugs. Matchups really are a major factor in combat. How can I contend with an unfavorable opponent? I need to think about that, too.
Incidentally, all the Big Slugs dropped magic stones. Fourteen in total. A decent haul. At first, I was inwardly terrified that they might drop things like slime.
The swarm of Big Slugs was fifteen blocks west and three blocks north of the base. From there, I went straight ahead and am now five blocks north.
"...Is that wind blowing?"
At this point, I noticed a faint current of air. In a nearly sealed-off sewer, there shouldn't be any wind; only stagnant air should have accumulated. Conversely, if wind is blowing, that means there must be an air passage connected to the outside!
I walked toward where the wind was coming from. Please forgive me for moving slightly faster and being less cautious than usual. I might finally be able to get outside!
"Oh, ohhh!"
At last, I found the opening where the wind was coming in. It was fifteen blocks west and seven blocks north of the base. The ceiling had collapsed, and sunlight was streaming through a gap large enough for one person to pass through comfortably. I could finally leave the sewer!
But I mustn't get carried away. I'm Undead. Sunlight would purify me. I'll return to the base for now, prepare properly, and wait for nightfall before heading out. I'm about a day and a half behind the other players in real time, but my adventure is finally beginning!