《Golden Experience》 Chapter 1: “Rare” Year 12 of the new calendar. Before striving to break free from the fetters of Earths gravity, humanity has poured all its energy into escaping the fetters of the flesh. Through the development of Virtual Reality technology. Once defined as a digital version of reality, now, when the term precedes technology, it has advanced enough that it is no exaggeration to consider it another actual domain of existence. It was initially developed for the purposes of healthcare, but it expanded into education, various infrastructure operations, manufacturing, the service industry, engineering, architecture, real estate, finance, and of course leisure It had practical applications for every field imaginable and thus advanced society. Huge numbers of office workers connected daily to virtual office spaces. There, they could do work, attend meetings, and even oversee and operate robots that performed work in manufacturing factories. Financial matters were also handled via Inte banking and virtual currency, all connected through the use of VR. Legal documents could be signed and notarized in VR. You could even go from getting a loan straight to gambling at a casino. For meals, if you went to the enormous VR grocery store, you could check how fresh food was with your own hands. With thetest full-scan technology, products stored in warehouses could be virtually reproduced down to the tiniest detail. Whatever you bought would be immediately packaged and sent right to your home via the underground transportationwork. Your purchases would arrive within an hour. The grocery stores warehouses were stocked with produce from arge-scale farm. Using the perfect replication achievable in VR, agricultural technologists can monitor fields and direct the robots to plow, water, or harvest. Sports can also be watched in VR. In stadiums, yers tiniest movements are captured through real-time scanning, and the match can be viewed from any angle desired in VR. You can create specialized rooms for friends to join and get rowdy and watch games, or you can go to public spaces to hit it off with other simr fans of your preferred team. If youre feeling ill, you can go to a VR clinic. Your VR equipment can perform scans to give your attending physician real-time updates on your health. You can even have a physical examination, then get any prescribed medications sent to your home that day. If its something serious that cant be resolved during a standard office visit, unfortunately youd still have to go to an actual medical facility in person. However, there are no doctors there. You lie on a bed assigned by the medical technologist, then medical robots treat you. Of course, youre actually being treated by a qualified physician via VR. Virtual reality was truly another reality. Indeed, this refers to how the VR space hase so close to the real world. However, at the same time, it also refers to the way real-world society hase to embrace VR. Boot Hour, Shoot Curse A new game announced in this modern age. It wasnt particrly innovative, being an orthodox, fantasy MMORPG, but it was the newest title from apany that had released numerous smash hits. Both fans and the industry had high expectations for it. After several closed alpha and beta tests, they finally announced arge-scale open beta test. The open beta would of course function as the final test before release, but since all the previous tests had already resolved the vast majority of bncing problems and bugs, it was widely asserted that this was essentially just early ess to the game. It had been previously announced that the same ount would be used for the full release, and that all character data would be migrated as well. Since it was still a beta test, it would be free to y until the full game went live, but it was made very clear that it was possible for the game to go down for maintenance at any time. Before the open beta, only small bits of information about the game were avable to the public. The contents of all the prior tests were protected by strict NDAs, and the game was configured so that yers couldnt take screenshots or record videos. That said, people still talk; information about the game was shared anonymously on social media, and it became hard to tell what was true and what was false. In any case, everything would be revealed very soon. It appears that the basics are all the same from the closed beta. Looking at the character creation mode window, the data disyed here seemed to match what she remembered. This game doesnt have levels. It doesnt have discrete sses either. Even with no levels, you still earn experience (XP), and that XP can be spent to boost stats and learn skills (special abilities), which is how you improve your character. That was the basic gamey system. After your character is created, this system gets exined and the yer receives 100 experience points. There are 7 different races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Beastkin, Goblin, Skeleton, and Homunculus. Based on the race you wanted, it could cost experience points; for example, humans dont cost any XP, and elves cost 20 XP, but goblins give the yer an additional 120 bonus XP. It costs 10 XP to raise any stat by 1, and the currently avable skills cost between 10 and 40 XP to learn. Everything up to here was the same as it had been during the closed beta. After checking for differences in costs for the learnable skills, it seemed likely that nothing about skills had changed from the closed beta. There had also been skills locked behind prerequisites, so the skills disyed here shouldnt be all of them. In any case, what was interesting was this Characteristics category. This hadnt existed during the closed beta. There appeared to be a natural bonus for the character here, which was automatically generated when you first went through the full scan that generates the default avatar. Looking at the Help documentation, just like your race, you could only customize it during character creation. Characteristics also involved XP, so letting the system automatically give you a characteristic meant you were letting it spend however much XP was necessary. If you removed the characteristic, you got your XP back, but it looked like it could have a major impact on the avatars appearance. Innate Characteristic: Beauty XP Cost: 20 You were born beautiful. Favorability with NPCs is increased (Medium). One time I went to the VR library and happened across a book about an antique game; I think that game had a simr system 20 XP was pretty expensive, but she felt like shed lose something else if she messed around with her appearance too much, so she just left it, whatever. This game doesnt have regr level ups or anything, but the ability to spend experience to strengthen your character could be done at any time. In other words, there was no reason to use the 100 XP during character creation; you could just use itter after starting the game. Setting aside the fact that her characteristic used some of her 100 XP. Choosing to be an elf used up another 20 XP. But then she took another characteristic, [Albinism]. Innate Characteristic: Albinism XP Cost: -20 You were born with white hair, white skin, and red eyes. Spending too much time exposed to the sun will afflict you with light burns. Burns: Until healed, depending on the severity, causes damage over time. A way to get XP back without fiddling with her appearance, basically. If she just changed her schedule so that she only logged into the game at night, she figured she wouldnt suffer too much from the drawback. This game did make it so that enemies were stronger at night, but, personally, she hadnt thought the difference was that much during the closed beta. Plus, elves were already a race with pale skin, so an albino wouldnt really stand out much at all, she reasoned. Since she had already gone this far, she might as well try to get back the 20 XP for picking elf, too. Innate Characteristic: Poor Eyesight XP Cost: -30 Your eyesight is poor. You cannot target objects that are too far away. uracy against mid-range targets is reduced (Medium). You cannot attack long-range targets. Thats a damn harsh penalty. However, if she had no ns to engage with mid- or long-range enemies, then it was more or less irrelevant. Anyway, it wasnt a fatal handicap given that she could get her hands on an item like, say, eyesses, or a magical something or other that could shore up the difference. Keeping that in the back of her mind, she finished creating her character. Her characters name was [Rare]. She could pick a short name like this both because she was a beta tester and as a natural perk from being an early-ess yer. She currently had 110 XP. Thanks to these innate characteristics, she could start the game with extra XP even after choosing a good race. This was a huge advantage. Assuming that farming XP was the same as it was in the closed beta, at least. Chapter 2: “A Sour Smell” The tutorial could not be skipped. The support AI disyed an overview of basic game information that the yer needed to know on top of an image of the game world. That was fine and all, but as mentioned, there was no way to bypass the tutorial, and it would periodically ask Did you understand that? to check that you were paying attention, so you couldnt even zone out or daydream until it was over. You could skip the tutorial in the closed beta, so some tester must have run into some serious problems after skipping the tutorial for them to have changed it. To summarize, the bits that were probably the most important were: The game system doesnt treat yer characters (PCs) and non-yer characters (NPCs) any differently. To the system, the only difference between PCs and NPCs is whether or not they can receive system messages. The system does not differentiate between NPCs and monsters. While the yer is logged out, the avatar remains in the same spot in-game and goes to sleep. The tutorial had gone on for nearly an hour when the support AI made sure to emphasize another point: The AIs given to NPCs versus those given to monsters differed in terms of knowledge, but each individual AI was also unique. When that came up, Rare interpreted it as an attempt to instill a sense of ethics or morality. In other words, you shouldnt mistreat NPCs just because theyre NPCs, you shouldnt callously massacre monsters just because theyre monsters, and you should try to behave with some amount of consideration, something like that. After the unskippable tutorial ended, Rare spawned in some kind of gloomy, damp ce. Seemed like some kind of cave or backstreet alley. There was also some kind of sour smell. It was weird that even though there were no lights anywhere, it wasnt pitch ck; maybe it was because this was a starting area. ncing around, as far as she could tell, there were no enemies. No other yers either. When starting the game, you can roughly choose your initial spawn zone. There were six countries on this continent, and if you chose one of those countries, there were a number of predetermined locations you could randomly spawn at. Normally, a newly created character would only spawn at a ce with enemies of an appropriate difficulty, and an area without enemies would be near a town or vige. Using that town or vige as a starting point, you would steadily expand your area of operation and eventually move to areas with stronger enemies; that was the basic progression loop in games like these. However, for those who choose goblin or skeleton as their starting race, being ced somewhere near a human settlement would be problematic. The six countries all belonged to humanity; one mostly had humans, one belonged to the elves, one had mostly dwarves, one mostly beastkin, etc. In the games world, they were all countries run by these so-called races of humanity. Thus, under the influence of these countries, goblins and skeletons were targeted for extermination. Choosing to be a goblin or skeleton came with all that extra XP to help bnce out this disadvantage. For this reason, if a goblin or skeleton were to start right next a town, there was a huge risk of the citizens finding and reporting it and dispatching an extermination squad. If they were to be killed, theyd get a death penalty on top of respawning at the same starting area again. And if soldiers were to patrol the area, theyd be done in again in no time at all. What do you know C a self-perpetuating death penalty-awarding system. That said, the soldiers and citizens had rather sophisticated AIs, so if they noticed vanquished monsters repopping in a certain area, theyd set up cages or traps at the spawn location, resulting in an endless death loop that could never be broken without outside interference. No idea what would happen if a monster-race yer were captured alive by the human races, though. And so, to avoid those kinds of instant-checkmate situations, you can also select starting areas outside the six countries. The residents of the nations refer to these areas as monster territory. As a matter of course, there were naturally no havens of humanity in the monster territories. While it was hard to guarantee that you wouldnt be attacked by someone of the same race, it was at least better than the no-questions-asked ughter youd face in the human countries. Rare had chosen to spawn in one of those very same monster territories. She was an elf, one of the races of humanity, but she didnt pick a spawn area based on her race. Naturally, she would have to take responsibility for any penalties or hardships incurred by her choice, since managements policy was well, thats where the yer wanted to be. Even if a goblin were to be captured by humans, it was still possible to enjoy the game, unpleasant as it may turn out to be. As an elf, and as someone given the Beauty characteristic by the system, it wasnt too hard to imagine what atrocities Rare might suffer if she were to be captured by monsters. She might be forced to reenact one of those scenes only found in thin, self-published books, but the official game response is nothing like that could ever happen, and from a gamey perspective she would simply have to reskill and shed be able to keep ying. The AI for the monster races in the starting areas didnt know how to deploy traps after all, unlike human soldiers. The reason that Rare made this choice in spite of the risks was due to her innate characteristics. [Albinism] made her weak to the sun, and [Failing Eyesight] meant that open fields with good visibility would put her at a disadvantage. In all likelihood, this was a cave-type starting area meant for skeletons or something, but due to the random nature of spawns, a simple roll of the dice determined where Rare ended up. Monster races dont want to be involved with any of the six human countries, so since Rare didnt choose a country either, she would naturally wind up somewhere like this cavern for her starting location. In which case, this ce must be somewhere in the monster territories, but she wasnt sure which country was the closest one. For an elf like Rare, her surroundings were filled with hostile enemies. If this was a ce that skeletons could choose as their starting location, then it stood to reason that there were probably tons of undead monsters. In any case, her first order of business was to secure a base of sorts. She wasnt sure if such a ce could be found in this cave, but if she had been a skeleton, she should have been faced with the same problem, so it should be reasonable to find some kind of safe area. As they say, dont overthink, make a decision and take action. If this was actually an alley, then shed be attacked and fall into an infinite reskill loop. Since Rare hadnt learned any skills yet, shed have to rely on just her characters base athletic ability. If the starting enemies were the same difficulty as those from the closed beta, then she should be able to handle them barehanded with her current stats. If she could have her druthers, then she hoped theyd be humanoid enemies. Sticking to the wall at the first intersection, she stuck half her head out and peeked around the corner. No one was there. Even though it was dark and she couldnt see anything clearly due to her Poor Eyesight, she could at least tell that there were no moving objects. After waiting for a bit, still nothing moved. Leaving a mark on the stone wall, she moved over to the right side. Continuing down the path by hugging the wall, she could see a faint lighting from around the next corner of the cave. If that was the entrance, then that would be sunlight, and leaving meant shed take damage. However, it was still necessary to know where the cave entrance was. She cautiously walked toward the light. As she got closer, she could make out the sounds of people talking. There are humans in this monster territory cave? She couldnt be sure they belonged to the human races, though. Maybe they were monsters who could speak in human tongues. Either way, from the way the voices echoed, it didnt feel like the entrance to the cave was nearby. If the entrance wasnt there, then there was a high chance that someone purposely brought a light source to this cave. Monsters probably wouldnt do that. In which case, they were probably humans. Maybe they were yers who also happened to spawn in this ce. In order to make sure, shed have to discreetly verify what exactly was on the other side of the wall. I gotta go pee quick in the back. Chapter 3: “Kerry” Finding this cave was a stroke of good fortune. It was dangerous to wander around for too long in monster territory, but this cave was here. It was probably fairly well-hidden, but the sharp-eyed Riley spotted it with no problem. Theyd make this ce their hideout for now. There was no ce for these girls in the human countries, after all. The catkin girls were originally children from a settlement. However, due to the monster territory expanding, fewer crops were being harvested and less game was hunted, so the settlement struggled to maintain itself. When the four of them learned that their families were thinking of selling them off, they ran away. However, children would have a hard time surviving on their own. There was already little to eat around the settlement, after all. Because they were so close to monster territory, they could be attacked by vicious monsters as well. And if the people from the settlement found them, theyd be dragged back and, this time, sold off somewhere. The oldest, Kerry, desperately escaped with her three childhood friends. They ran to the next settlement, hid until it seemed like they wouldnt be found, then scavenged for food from the fields. They waited until after dark and snuck into a house near the outskirts of the settlement. All they had were the clothes on their backs, and if it were any colder they might have all perished. They needed warmer clothing. While searching the kitchen for salt, the youngest, Marion, happened to find a pile ofundry. That would be worth taking. Then the houses owner woke up. They were discovered. If they didnt run, theyd be sold off. The second youngest, Remy, got caught. Theres no way they could run now. Marion threw theundry at them,pletely covering their face. They let go of Remy. It was now or never. If this person wasnt silenced, the girls would be caught and sold. She grabbed a knife that was nearby. The person had crouched down while getting the clothes off their face; she stabbed them in the back of the neck. She was shocked at how far it went in. After jerking back, they fell to the ground iling, then didnt get back up. She felt no guilt. Only relief. All four of them felt that way. The second oldest, Riley, found a whetstone. She always had sharp eyes. The knife was used to cook dinner, and had probably just been sharpened. Thats why it slid in so easily. How lucky. For them, at least. They didnt find anything worth money, but they stole a hatchet and a hand sickle. They also took the blood-covered clothes. They snuck into another house. This time, they headed straight for the owner. They covered the persons face with the bloodyundry, then ran the knife across their throat. They left the bloody clothes there and took the clean clothes they found instead. This house had salt this time. There were also enough knives for each girl. Before morning came, they left the settlement. After that, they robbed a number of settlements, sometimes killing more people as they ran. About two years passed, and whether it was thieving, killing, hiding, or scavenging, they had gotten pretty decent at it. Back then, they would sometimes run into groups of grown-ups doing the same things they were doing. They would try to run away before they were discovered, but if it was faster to kill rather than run, then theyd kill. These grown-ups had much better weapons than hand sickles and hatchets. Some of them had bows, like the ones settlement hunters used, or other projectile weapons. The girls had been surprised, but it was incredibly difficult to hit catkin in a forest at night with a bow and arrow. While Kerry dodged arrows, Marion would sneak up on them and slit their throats. Thats how they got their hands on bows and arrows. Another two years passed. They focused on practicing how to use their weapons. If they wore down their des or lost too many arrows, they would attack other rogue groups to replenish. It was good practice. Unlike the residents of the settlements, these groups had money. With money, they could go to a town and buy food and cloth. That was how the grown-ups in the settlements got clothing and stuff. They spent their days sleeping in hollowed trees or thickets and their nights journeying. It had now been five years since they had left the vige they grew up in. At some point, they ended up in monster territory. And Riley found the cave. That was the cave they were in now. From the cave entrance, there was a narrow, winding path, but at the end of that, arge space opened up. The four of them decided to make this cavern their base. This was a rather strange cave, though; they had no idea how or why, but the walls shone with light. Thanks to that, they were able to see without much difficulty even without a fire. Still, it wasnt bright enough for everyday life, so they lit a campfire in the room. Normally, a campfire should produce smoke, but, mysteriously enough, the cave didnt get smoky. It was convenient, though, so they didnt worry about it. There was a tunnel high up in the rear wall, and inside, the path split in two. One path was blocked off, while the other went down a long, narrow incline, ending up at ake. They decided to make the blocked-off path their toilet area. Thanks to theke, they wouldnt have to worry about water. Monsters also couldnt get into the cavern. After they finished exploring the cave, Marion went to relieve herself. The other three prepared food at the campfire, but Marion didnte back. The toilet wasnt far from the entrance to the tunnel, and there was no reason for her to have gone all the way to the undergroundke. Ill go check up on her. You guys go ahead and start eating first. After saying so, Kerry climbed up into the tunnel. She didnt see Marion. She decided to peek into the dead end tunnel; if Marion wasnt there either, shed go down to check the undergroundke. As soon as she rounded the bend where the path split, she felt an impact that robbed her of consciousness. Chapter 4: “Civilized Communication” Oh, I see now. I was wondering why there were humans in monster territory, but it turns out theyre just bandits, trash mobs for the starting area. After ambushing the bandits one by one in the tunnel, once there were only two left in the big cave, Rare went and knocked them both out, then kicked the first two sleepers down as well. She didnt think she hit them hard enough to kill them, but even after falling down, neither of them woke up from the impact. Thinking back on it, if she had instead met a monster avatar in the monster territory, and everyone around her was the same kind of monster, if they were able tomunicate properly, she didnt think shed be able to casually convert them all into XP. But if she had spawned near a human territory and run into bandits there instead, even if they were yers, regardless of if they had a human or monster avatar, she probably wouldnt have hesitated to ice them. Kinda makes you wonder. Keeping the warnings given by the support AI from the tutorial in mind, Rare wanted to stop short of ending lives, just in case. She always could kill themter whenever she wanted, but NPCs wouldnt respawn. Plus, even without killing, she could earn tons of XP just by sessfully incapacitating them. Actually,bat isnt the only way to earn XP in this game. You can earn XP from crafting, and even in other ways such as stealing it and escaping somewhere no one can find you. The amount of XP received is based on the rtive difficulty of the action takenpared to your current overall yer status. If a yer who hasnt earned any XP at all picks up a craft, theyll earn way more XP than a yer with boosted stats and tons of skills who picks up the same craft. Obviously, seeding in crafting items awards more XP than failing, so in that respect, when taking up a craft, it was most efficient to raise your sess rate as much as possible. Having not used any of the 100 XP from character creation, and in fact raising it up to 110, the system considered Rare lower than a novice. There was no point in holding onto XP without using it; it only had value in the form of improving stats and learning skills. But, looking at it from Rares standpoint, this was simply her y style. Because of her family circumstances, she had mastered martial arts for self-defense. Their n had built up a storied reputation of diligence, and it was expected of all children in the family to study hard. While they were constantly tutored, they also built up stamina, muscle, and dexterity, learning aikido and ancient martial arts, adhering to the Confucian concept of Li, and striving for the self-defense ideal of defeating an opponent without receiving a single scratch. This perspective dictated that muscles should not be taxed, so they did not go through typical strengthening exercises. For the children in this n, what is paramount is femininity and beauty. Naturally, those who loved martial arts had scorned the school and longined how they were obsessed with nothing more than an unrealistic ideal. However, with the rapid advancement of VR technology, that perspective was flipped on its head. After all, it was now possible to train the mind as much as desired without training the body. It was now possible to defeat an opponent without using any of your own physical strength; this was the quintessence of Li. The mind could be disciplined perfectly, and the only thing necessary in reality was to align ones body with ones own mental image. As soon as Rare gained awareness, she was spending every free moment in VR training toward this ideal. For her own avatar to have low stat values was actually desirable. The game was bnced around the assumption that the initial XP would be spent. That was what happened in the closed beta, after all. Whats more, the expectation that experience would be earned at the same rate as in the closed beta was what led to the idea behind this ystyle. The XPpensation due to increased difficulty was huge; from disadvantaged to same level to advantaged, the difference in XP gained between each level was as high as a factor of ten. When gaining XP throughbat, defeating a superior enemy could be worth as much as 100 times more XP than defeating an inferior enemy. However, this was ultimately only theorycrafting; in actuality, trying to fight an enemy worth 10 times more XP would usually result in death, and along the same lines trying to craft an item worth 10 times more XP would simply be a waste of materials. Internally, Rare giggled in glee at the unexpectedly huge amount of XP she earned. Her actions just now were worth a total of 300 XP. Including what she had to begin with, she now had 410 XP. She wasnt sure why exactly she had gotten so much, but for the time being she didnt n on using any, opting to think about itter while she tied up the unconscious bandits. They didnt have any kind of rope around, so she stripped them instead. Since it didnt seem like they were going to wake up any time soon, she bound their hands and feet with their clothes. She then rolled the bandits apart, giving them each space, and one by one tried to force them awake. Finally, it was time for her first contact with NPCs. The ambushes didnt count. This was her momentous first contact, and she was pretty excited about it, but once the bandits woke up they just started wailing and thrashing around, rendering any attempts atmunication moot. Rare had no choice but to politely cate them whenever they raised a fuss. It seemed likenguage wasnt getting through to them in this situation, so she had to rely on more primitive, efficient methods of persuasion. This happened over and over again as the bandits gradually became more civilized. Finally, first contact was about to begin. Once again, all this cating didnt count. Hey, I guess Ill start by introducing myself. You can call me Rare. As you can see, Im an elf. And I presume you guys are beastkin? Whos your leader? Ah, lets say that only the leader is allowed to speak, Rare said in a kind voice. The bandit who had been the noisiest fearfully named herself. Ids Its Kerry Who, who da fuckre Fuck? Your mama didnt teach you how to speak properly, did she? Im the one sitting here properly while you guys are tied up on the ground. You should be able to figure out which of us has the power here without thinking too hard, yes? Ergh! Ahm zor, Im sorry! I din mean anydin by id! My parents din teach me! Oh, is that so. Your household must notve been big fans of education. My misunderstanding. Fuck is a vulgar word; itcks elegance. I encourage you to take that to heart, otherwise you may experience avoidable injuries in the future. On another note, you seem to be having difficulty speaking, would you perhaps like a magic potion? Saying that, Rare pulled an LP (Life Point) Potion from her inventory and ced it in front of Kerry. Inventory is a function usable after starting the game for yers to store things they obtain. During the closed beta up until now, there hadnt been any stories of full inventories, so no one knew the maximum number of items it could store. This potion was included in everyones inventories from the start; Rare now had nine left. In the closed beta, they only started with five, but yers also received a starting weapon that matched one of the skills they learned; since she didnt get a weapon, maybe thats why she started with five additional potions. In any case, it was hard to say that she had too many. While normally you might think having five would be a lot, if she had to use four here on the bandits, it was hard not to feel the loss. Peering at the LP Potion with uncertainty, Kerry let out a groan. Whats Whats dat? Poison? Are you gonna kill us? You dont even know what a potion is? Arent they prettymon? Maybe just not in this region? During the clos Some time ago, when I was in town, Im pretty sure they could be purchased from all sorts of shops. No way Da only tings you can buyre clothes and food Oh, really now. This is a magic potion that heals wounds. It cantpletely heal everything, but it should at least make it so you can talk morefortably. Here, Ill help you drink it, so dont move. She opened the vial and poured the potion into Kerrys mouth. Apparently the wounds in her mouth stung since she pulled a grimace for a second, but that quickly passed as she looked up at Rare in surprise. It was then that Rare thought for the first time, maybe these four girls werent bandits. They were an armed group of dirty girls in a cave in monster territory. It seemed self-evident that they lived here, and they did attack her right away, but it was possible that there was a more peaceful exnation for their being here. Perhaps they were mercenaries who had been tasked with exploring this area. Perhaps they were hunters from a nearby vige who just stopped by to rest. Assuming that the only things near a spawn point would be trash monsters was peak metagame mentality; thinking back on it now, this game more than any others wouldnt conform to ideas like that. When the game was first announced, they imed this groundbreaking new game would push the boundaries between games and reality, and it was rumored to be a test of a working world simtor. If there were any truth to that rumor, then an otherworld simtor wouldnt have separate special environments for each and every yer. Looking at the facts, theres no way mercenaries wouldnt know what a potion is, and hunters would have at least heard of them. It also felt like they only had weak connections to the town and vigemunity, so the bandit theory was the overwhelming frontrunner, but Now then, if the pains gone, lets talk a bit. Tell me about yourselves. How you lived up until now, and what you want to do going forward. Chapter 5: “Error Message” In all her fights to the death, Riley had never been beaten so badly before. If it ever felt like she would get done in, she would immediately run, but she was even able to squeeze out a victory when attacked by monsters or wild beasts. None of their group had ever suffered a serious wound. The white girl in front of her was unnaturally powerful. She wasnt that tall; at the same time, she wasnt that short either. Probably around the same height as Riley. The fact that her ears were on the sides of her head piqued her interest, but if she remembered correctly, that was in fact where those elf people were supposed to have them. Her white hair went all the way down her back, and it barely swayed it all as she dodged Rileys attack. Shes really strong or shes really fast, neither of those assessments were true at all, yet none of Rileys attacks were effective. She immediately realized that it was because the white girl was doing something. Even though both she and Remy had engaged her at the same time, they were bothpletely powerless. Riley had a feeling that she had to do something or they were sure to lose. And that premonition came true. At some point she cked out, and when she woke up, all four of them were tied up and lying on the ground. Kerry was struggling and iling, trying to get free, but the white girl just touched her or grabbed her and then Kerry began to scream and cry like she had never before. The white girl frowned, wanting Kerry to be quiet, and pped her. It looked like that cut Kerrys lip, and she began to bleed. Seeing that, Riley, Remy, and Marion all began to raise hell, but they quickly stopped. It was the most well-behaved they had ever been in their entire lives. They had never seen the patient Kerry cry like that. They didnt think theyd be able to take the punishment she was getting. After that, every time Kerry caused a scene, the same thing would happen again. Eventually, Kerry also became quiet and obedient. The white girl gave her name, and Kerry did the same. Kerrys rough way of speaking caused the girls mood to sour a bit, which made everyone elses faces pale in turn. After calming herself, the white girl made Kerry drink something from a weird little bottle. Almost immediately, Kerrys swollen cheeks deted, and her face returned to how it usually looked. Kerrys eyes became as round as tes as she looked back at the girl. The other three girls all did the same. So this was what a magic potion did. Kerry began telling the story of how they got here. The other three girls piped in with details when necessary too. They thought the girl would get mad if they spoke up without permission, but instead she just smiled and listened. Maybe the white girl was actually a nice person. They attacked her, but she didnt kill them, and it didnt feel like she was going to take them somewhere to sell them off either. If she wanted to sell them, she didnt need to ask Kerry about their past, and she wouldnt have needed to use a magic potion on Kerry either. They had never met a human like this. And not in the sense that she wasnt a beastkin. If their mothers had been like this girl, strong and kind, the four of them might well still be living in the settlement even now. Riley wondered if the other three girls were thinking the same thing. Kerry kept talking while crying. She was the most patient one among them, so Riley thought she didnt cry, but she was wrong. Kerry just thought she couldnt cry since she was the oldest. She had to be strong, for them. Since the white girl was here now, and she was stronger than Kerry, Riley hoped that Kerry didnt have to hold it in anymore. After hearing the general story of the bandits lives, Rare heaved a sigh. It was certainly a lot heavier than she was expecting, but from the way they told the story, it was clear that the girls memories were based on their actual experiences. Shed have to consider what that meant. Ignoring the world simtor rumor, this games world was extremelyrge. Or, rather than extremely, it might be better to say it was unsettlingly expansive. If the publicly revealed specifications were urate, the surface area of the game world was twice asrge as Earths. They apparently employed a random map-generating algorithm and spent many years running calctions and building map and object data, but would that really be enough time toplete this realistic of a field twice the size of the for yers to run around in? Not only that, putting the size of the area aside, even if the various races were set to coexist without any problems, how many AIs would it take to realize such a thing? Even if the number of digital creatures equipped with AIs on the level of intelligent life had a lower poption density than that of the humans on Earth, if they had topete with stronger creatures for territory, with the amount ofnd in this world being twice that of Earth, they would need at the very least a few billion individual high-spec AIs. That would be all the races of humanity, the monster races, and whatever else included. Who the hell could program these memories for all those AIs? And to then scatter those AIs across a world twice the size of Earth, there cant be any inconsistencies in any of their stories. How was this even possible? Beyond all of that, a few years before the servers went up, there was another rumor that the world simtor ran on elerated time, a thousand times faster than real time, something even more unbelievable. But now, it really had to be true: This game was an otherworld simtor. That said, Rare wasnt well versed in technology, so she wasnt suited for unraveling these kinds of mysteries. In the end, these were just the ramblings of an amateur dancing to the influence of hearsay. What Rare didnt know was whether those tasks were possible toplete in seconds with AI; for example, by developing a specialized AI that can develop another AI Maybe there was actually technology that would allow for a super efficient and surprisingly simple solution to those issues she spected about. She sighed again and decided to just stop thinking about that stuff, instead telling herself to start thinking about the bandits who were right in front of herthese little girls. They were all pretty shabby. Their hair had grown out untended, the fur on their ears and tails had be all clumped and knotted and felt unpleasant to touch. The four of them appeared to have the same color fur at first nce, but in truth they were just all so dirty that it was hard to tell what color it should be. They were all young girls, and considering how few of them there were, they could be mistaken as just naughty thieves or burrs, but they were actually serious bandits who were ready to kill. Kerry and Riley, the older two, were about the same height as Rarea little under 160 cmand seemed healthy enough, but the younger two, who should be close in age, were clearly much smaller. They must not have gotten enough nutrition in their childhood. Their lives and circumstances were pitiful, and its not like she didnt feel sorry for them, but the fact that they didnt hesitate to take lives in order to defend themselves and survive with everything they had endeared them to Rare. In both the real world and in this world, their way of life branded them as felons. However, they didnt seem to have a price on their heads, they moved their bodies well, and they seemed to have a talent for knowing when to run. She had confirmed that they were bandits now, but it felt like a waste to simply turn them into XP. Was there a gamey system for NPCs to permanently follow you? I see Thank you for telling me about your histories. Youve all done your best. However, today you were forced to submit to me; if you continue doing things the way you have been, one day someone will take everything away from you. Do you understand that? The four girls all looked shocked after hearing Rares evaluation. Apparently they had never thought about it before. Maybe it was best not to expect too much. In order to survive, youve all needed tomit various crimes, but you need to be more discreet. And by discreet, I dont mean you should avoid people altogether, but rather you need to be someone that people dont think of as special when they remember you. You only go to town to buy clothes and food, so to the townsfolk, they wonder, how do you normally live your lives? Where did you get your money? You probably got that money from killing other criminals or traveling merchants, but as soon as they know that for sure, youll have bounties on your heads before you know it. Well, actually, killing other criminals probably isnt a problem. But wait, when we go to town, we dont have a ce to sleep, and there arent any other people like us, so we gotta steal money. Ahh, I gotta start from there, huh Rare began by teaching them how money was earned legitimately. She had to exin how a mary economy worked, what economic activity was, how society was structured, how the six countries came into beingthis history could be found on the official game website, so she just parroted that back to themand other basic information. It got to be too much seeing them all bound on the floor, so at some point she freed them and they put their clothes back on. Rare let them ask whatever questions they wanted, so by the time the lecture was over, around five hours had passed. She had originally nned to st off right out of the gate and kind of sped through character creation, but now that proved to have been a pointless endeavor. However, considering how she was able to forge a connection with these NPCs instead, maybe it didnt turn out so bad. Although she had yet to find out how useful these NPC girls would be. With these thoughts upying her mind, she nced over at the girls. They were all staring at her with sparkles in their eyes. She didnt know if the passionate gazes came from respect or affection, though. Miss Rare the elf knows a lot. Weve never met someone like her. And shes nice. And shes really strong. And really nice. Kerry and Riley were falling over themselves topliment her with twinkling eyes. The younger pair were also nodding their heads in agreement. Nah, Im not really that nice you know. I just enjoy exining things to people, so really, Im just doing whatever I want here. Yeah, but no ones ever politely exined all this stuff to us before. Even back at the vige, when we asked bout something we din unnerstan, they just said don ask bout stupid stuff and hit us. That sounds pretty harsh. That said, viges tend to have a mentality of poption =bor, so maybe thats just how things were. If they were to spend their whole lives in that vige, then they didnt need to know about mary economies or the founding of the nations. The vigers mightve reacted that way simply because they didnt know the answer to the girls questions. She herself mightve reacted like these girls did now sometime in her past. See, you really are nice, Kerry said, looking straight at Rare. Then the reverence faded from her eyes, reced by uneasiness. Miss Rare the elf. I have a request. I want you to be our leader. <> Well thats an interesting error message. Chapter 6: “Contemplating” Huh? What? Tame? I can tame her? An NPC? The fact that it appeared she could tame a human NPC was of course shocking, but more importantly, there had never been any whispers of a taming system at all before. It wasnt avable in the closed beta. Maybe she just never found out about it, but whatever the case, Rare was currentlypletely clueless. She had no idea what kind of system it was, but based on the error message she received, something happened that caused a tame action to activate. Normally, youd think it came about due to Kerrys request. I want you to be our leader; in other words, from a gamey perspective, a Rare wants to tame expression of intent, or so she believed. However, because Rare didnt have a skill rted to taming, the ept/Decline part of the process was stymied which prompted an error message. During the closed beta, she tried all sorts of builds in the character creator, using differentbinations of skills and improving her character to see more skill trees. She discovered countless skills and the conditions for unlocking their skill trees. In order to try out that many builds, she had to reroll countless times, which meant she restarted the game that many times. During all that testing, she had never found any skills rted to taming. This probably meant that either they didnt exist during the closed beta, or their prerequisites couldnt be met with only the starting 100 XP. If it were a new system that didnt exist during the closed beta, then if people rerolled now, there was a possibility theyd already be able to learn these skills. However, you couldnt skip the tutorial anymore. In order to test by rerolling, youd need to invest a huge amount of time. Including the one-hour tutorial and the amount of time it took to actually create the character, if she wanted to try five different builds, it would require as much time as shed spent in the game so far. Not to mention that she didnt know if she could find the skill in just five rerolls. The other possibility was that taming had always existed, but that 100 XP was insufficient to meet the minimum requirements to unlock it. It was also hard to imagine any other yers discovering this skill at this point in the games life. After finishing the tutorial, theyd have to go earn more XP, and theyd be looking for a taming-rted skill that they dont even know the prerequisites for. There probably werent any yers who would waste time farming XP for no concrete reason. In either case, that meant there probably werent any yers out there who had information on taming-rted skills; if there were, there wouldnt be many of them, Rare herself being one. Rare was beginning to feel pretty excited about this situation. In particr, she was stealing a march on other yers and getting a leg up in the struggle for information. She wasnt nning on hoarding information, but being the only one who had this piece of info was terribly alluring. Without needing to consult with anyone anywhere about this situation, she could meticulously conduct investigations all by herself. It was also possible that, like her, someone could somehow meet the conditions and receive this error message, but considering how she got here, it was hard to imagine the stars aligning for another person. I guess were no good, huh, Kerry muttered sadly. Oh crap. I ignored the all-important taming target. Thats not it at all. I dont believe I have any qualms with bing your leader. In fact, I should be the one asking you. Its just that Right, I need to consider some things first. My apologies, but please make yourselves morefortable. What about your meal? It slipped my mind, but you were in the middle of eating, werent you? At Rares suggestion, the four girls rxed, allowing the tension to drain, and went about warming up their food at the campfire. Rare fell into thought, considering the implications of the [Subordinate] skill that the error message mentioned in rtion to taming. The most likely possibility was the [Discipline] skill tree. NPCs that had been [Disciplined] could be [Subordinated]; that sounded logical. However, during the closed beta, the [Discipline] skill tree contained only [Discipline] and nothing else. Plus, the active skill [Discipline] was described as When sessful, allows you tomand the target for a fixed period of time. For example, while battling monsters, the skill was used to turn one monster hostile to all other monsters. This didnt seem to match the idea of taming; it was just a kind of quirky crowd control skill. Along the same lines, another possibility was the [Mental Magic] skill [Confuse]. You couldnt control the target, but confused enemies would simply begin attacking the nearest target, so the end result was something simr. It was also very cheap to activate. Speaking of [Mental Magic], those skills were much more expensive to acquire than [Discipline], but [Charm] and [Fear] both had very high sess rates. When used in conjunction with their prerequisite skill [Stupefy], the sess rate increased even further. In addition, when using the [Control] skill on targets afflicted by [Charm] or [Fear] Could the key maybe be [Mental Magic]? It wasnt the most ludicrous idea. [Control] resonated conceptually. However, going down the [Mental Magic] tree to get [Control] cost at the very least 150 XP. It was absolutely impossible to get there with the starting XP. It was still worth noting [Control] as a possibility on the list, though. Testers werent allowed to share information about the closed beta publicly. Instead, perhaps to avoid building up too much frustration, there was a closed beta socialworking site where the beta testers could chat about the game all they wanted. Since no one was allowed to talk about the beta anywhere else, it got a lot of activity. Groups of volunteers shared the results of their data collection, and those results inspired both new investigations and more yers to help out, resulting in a positive feedback loop. Thanks to those volunteers investigating as much as they could during the limited closed beta period, they found a ton of new skills by trying variousbinations that wouldnt normally be explored. She wouldnt have enough XP to get [Control], but she could get as far as [Charm] and [Fear] and still have enough for [Discipline]. Just by the name [Control], one would think itd be overpowered, but she didnt think any testers had tried it out. Or at least, Rare couldnt think of anyone who had. That being the case, either learning [Control] was necessary, or it was a red herring. Considering what exact in-game conditions shed need to fulfill, the first was obviously being connected to the right NPC; if she learned some useful skills that turned out to be unrted, she could just go earn more XP and try again. The catkin girls had sophisticated AIs, so even if Rare were unable to tame them, she could still cooperate with them. She was going to be their leader, after all. Which means she should just consider the information she had on hand and determine the n that had the highest chance of sess. She could set aside [Mental Magic] as the first possibility and consider alternatives. When thinking of the word tame, the meaning was a bit off, but there was also the [Summon] skill. Just like with [Discipline], the [Summon] skill tree didnt have anything but [Summon]. This skill let you summon a random monster to your side andmand it. Unless the summoned monster died, it would return to wherever it came from either after the time limit of ten minutes or when the summoner perished. While looking through the Help documentation for details on obtainable skills, Rare had learned that the summoned monster could choose whether or not to respond to the summon. If it refused, the summon would attempt to resist. If it seeded, the [Summon] would misfire and end immediately. Since the type of monster summoned was random, the chance of it resisting a summons would vary based on its overall stats. In other words, [Summon]s fatal design w as a skill was that its sess rate varied too much. Testers all considered it a trash skill. In the first ce, why was it designed to only summon something at random? By the way, speaking of [Discipline], it was hard to suss out the reason for designing something as inefficient as a skill tree with only one skill in it. Another tree with only one skill was [Alchemy]. After learning the [Pharmacy] trees [Pharmacy] skill, the Alchemy tree gained a skill to craft magic potions, [Formte]. However, the [Alchemy] skill itself seemed to have a totally pointless effect: Required to use Alchemy tree skills. Alchemy tree skill effects gain a bonus, which led to the conclusion that there must be hidden skills in the tree. If that could be extrapted to [Discipline] and [Summon], then the follow-up question was how to unlock them. For now, she could hypothesize that [Discipline] and [Summon] had hidden depths and designate them as the second possibility. Next, she would consider not the idea of taming, but instead the idea of subordinating. Rare thought that, out of the initially avable skills, the one that came closest to the concept in her head was [Necromancy]. Themon perception of necromancers was someone who controls the souls of the dead. However, just like with the previous two trees, the [Necromancy] tree only had the one skill. Its description was Turns a corpse within mid-range into a controble undead for 5 minutes. When the effect ends, the corpse is destroyed and returned to the earth. While it seems useful at first nce, if the soul of the corpse was still there, then, just like [Summon], it could resist the [Necromancy]; if there was no soul, the resulting undead was so weak that it could be felled with a single blow. A rather questionable skill. She was just now realizing this, but lining up all the most likely skill trees, it seemed way too conspicuous for them to all be weird one-shot skills. Or maybe that was just her wishful thinking, wanting there to be a reason behind it. ncing around the cavern, it seemed like the girls were about done eating. They periodically came to offer her food, but she wasnt hungry or more like this wasnt the time for her to be eating, so she always politely declined. Either way, time was about up. She needed to wrap things up ande to a decision, then just start taking action. Chapter 7: “Subordinate” After all that brainstorming, Rare hade up with three major possibilities: She had no basis for any of this, and her n was starting to seem more and more desperate, but at least she hade up with something. Based on her calctions, she did have enough XP to start testing things out. However, once shemitted her XP into any single investigation, Rare wouldnt be able earn any more XP here. To earn back the XP she used, shed have to go somewhere else to defeat stronger enemies. But if she only picked up weird skills, the chances of her being able to beat enemies of an appropriate difficulty would be, frankly, low. No matter how prepared she was, it wouldnt be enough to mitigate all the risk. Setting aside the most expensive tree, [Mental Magic], she would first try [Discipline], [Summon], and [Necromancy]. It cost 60 XP to unlock those three skills. After that, she double-checked each of their skill trees, but the list of unlockable skills hadnt changed at all. Well, that wasnt exactly outside expectations. No need to panic yet. If the prerequisites could be met with just these skills, then someone should have figured it out by now. Which meant the next one to try was [Mental Magic]. In order to unlock up to [Control], first [Stupefy] required 10 XP, then [Charm] and [Fear] were 40 XP each, and finally [Control] itself cost 60 XP, so she needed a total of 150 XP. Thinking it over again, if this n was aplete bust, in order to earn more XP with all her trash skills, she would at least have a decent [Mental Magic] spec to use. [Mental Magic] wanted MND, so if she dumped all her leftover XP into it, then she could at least fightpetently. Boosting MND would also increase her MP pool for using all these skills, so that was a convenient silver lining. With that decided, there was no more reason to hesitate. Rare used 150 XP to grab all the [Mental Magic] skills up to and including [Control]. If her hypothesis was correct, she should have unlocked additional skills. All right then, Ill start checking from [Discipline] The [Discipline] skill tree didnt have any new skills. The [Summon] skill tree also didnt have anything new. The [Necromancy] skill treehad a new skill: [Bind Soul]. Yesss! Got it! I was right! Excited, she didnt hesitate to spend the XP. Her new skill [Bind Soul] read: [Steal the soul of a corpse that died within thest hour. When using [Necromancy] on a corpse that still has a soul, the [Necromancy] target cannot resist. If you have a soul in stock, you can spend it to make [Mental Magic: Control] usable on [Undead], [Homunculus], and [Golem] targets.] This is amazing! I think, maybe? Hmm At first nce, the [Steal the soul of a corpse] part felt too vague: its effects and usage werent intuitive. It basically felt like vor text. However, to learn this skill, youd have to have at least [Necromancy] and [Control], and each of those skills had significant downsides in the forms of low sess rate and can only be used on living targets. This new skill eased those limits, giving it immediate value. The soul stock must refer to the souls stolen using [Bind Soul]. However, the skill cost 60 XP, and setting aside the cost of all the prerequisites for a moment, it was the same cost as [Control]. When aiming specifically for this skill, everything up to and including [Control] and [Necromancy] required 170 XP, making it impossible to reach with just the starting XP from character creation. It was easy to reroll during the closed beta, but innate characteristics didnt exist then, so right now there shouldnt be very many yers who have discovered this skill. Even if they did know about it, not many would immediately take it and build around it. So it was probably unlikely that anyone knew about the existence of [Bind Soul]. Furthermore, [Bind Soul] only worked on corpses that had died within thest hour. Considering this along with [Necromancy]s fine text, you could extrapte that the souls in this world only remained attached to their corpses for an hour. Surprisingly, no one had verified [Necromancy]s if the soul was still attached to the corpse condition in the closed beta; everyone assumed it was just lore or because the corpse degraded too much after an hour or something. Anyway, she now had a skill that passively improved both [Control] and [Necromancy]. She had spent two-thirds of the XP she had earned, so she hoped she could make do with what she had gotten. She still worried that she stood no chance against field or dungeon bosses, though, since they had unnaturally high resistances. Well, this build isnt like, a super-specialized meat cleaver that can literally only be used to cut meat. I do still have other options. Rare rxed a bit. She had avoided the worst possible oue where there was no possible path forward, so now she felt pretty s about it all. She decided to recheck [Discipline]. Nope. Nothing changed at all; the skill tree still only contained [Discipline] and nothing else, which made it a prettyme tree. With these idle thoughts floating through her mind, she opened the [Summon] skill tree. She had unlocked a new skill, [Contract]. She half reached out to buy it just on impulse. Its description was [Forge a contract with the soul of a sessfully summoned target. You may now choose to summon a contracted target when using [Summon]. Undead created with [Necromancy: Bind Soul] can be added to the contract list.] Just like with [Bind Soul] and [Necromancy], it was a pure upgrade to the base [Summon] skill. Furthermore, it improved [Bind Soul], one of its prerequisites. This was really powerful. It had cost at least 310 XP in order to get all these skills. Right now, it was fair to say that Rares three pirs ofbat were [Mental Magic], [Necromancy], and [Summon]. It was an expensive journey, but it was well worth it. All of her earlier postting was being proven correct. Rare now had no doubt that a new skill would appear on the [Discipline] tree. And just as she hoped, the [Discipline] skill tree did in fact now have a new skill. She had finally unlocked [Subordinate]. Chapter 8: “Plans For the Former Mountain Cat Bandit Group” Rare was over the moon. She did it. At this moment in time, she was the only yer in the game to discover the [Subordinate] skill. In order to get it, you needed a whopping 390 XP, nearly four times the starting XP. No sane yer would use all that XP on crap like [Summon] and [Discipline]. And she only realized it after the fact, but the skills that she learned all happened to be only the exact ones that she needed. [Discipline], [Summon], and [Necromancy] were all prerequisites, but getting [Mental Magic] first was truly the hand of fate. Or wait, conversely, if she had gotten the three trash skills first, once she got [Control], she would still have discovered the same skills anyway. She was lucky. She really felt like she had used up all the fortune shed ever have just now. But well, she did spend a lot of time thinking about it. This wasnt only due to luck, it was also a result of her own resourcefulness. Rares adventure was only just begi Ack, right as she thought that, she remembered that she hadnt actually learned [Subordinate] yet. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. After buying it, next was to check its effects. [Tame the target, making them your follower. If the target sessfully resists, [Subordinate] fails. Souls contracted via [Summon: Contract] cannot resist. Undead created via [Necromancy: Bind Soul] cannot resist. Targets under the influence of [Mental Magic: Control] have reduced resistance to [Subordinate]. Experience is shared with all followers. You may now choose to summon a follower when using [Summon]. If a follower dies, they cannot be summoned for one hour.] Truly an ultimate skill that incorporated all the previous skills required to unlock it. With perfect timing, just as she finished verifying the skill details, she received a notification for a system message. <> Apparently, Kerrys request earlier had been paused. If the required skills and conditions were not met, then stuff could be deferred. It would probably be silly to assume that the deferment wouldst indefinitely, though; there was probably a time limit, but it seemed like the system waited throughout their preparing meals and cleaning up and whatnot. She could tame Kerry now. She apparently didnt even need to use the skill; maybe when the target actively wanted to be tamed, there was no need to cast [Subordinate] since they wouldnt resist. As soon as the tame went through, Kerrys head shot up and she looked at me. I apologize, that took a long time. I believe you already understand, but you just now became my follower. I have be your leader, in more than just name. Yes, Boss! Thank you so much! She checked, and Kerrys stats and skills could now be viewed in the same way she could view her own. Kerrys XP had dropped to zero, but that made sense since it was now shared with Rares. The reason why Rares XP had increased was probably because all of Kerrys unused XP had been consolidated with Rares when the tame urred. Kerrys build was focused on meleebat, and this was reflected in both her avable skills and how much XP had been used to raise her stats. Or rather, more XP had been spent on just her stats than all the XP Rare had earned. If there had been an actual fight, it would have been impossible for someone who had just finished creating their character to have ever won. Haaah Ive never felt anything like this before I can sense the Boss, and I just feel so safe She looked like she had just snuffed some catnip. Well, shell get used to it or so Rare had no choice but to believe. The other three girls looked at her enviously. She urged them to quickly dere their loyalty as well, and they did so right away and all became tamed. Immediately after that: <> <> <> Theres a housing system?! That wasnt the first thing she shouldve reacted to. Kerrys group had apparently been some kind of unique boss. In other words, Rare had spawned right next to that unique boss. It was true that the rmended starting areas for the monster races were caves, volcanos, or ruins, and it wouldnt be weird for such an area to include an early boss, but it was a bit unreasonable to spawn literally on top of a boss. She was beginning to feel that the monster races starting areas were unusually difficult. Choosing a monster race did result in getting extra XP, after allor actually, since Rare was unlucky enough to spawn near a boss, if she hadnt gotten so much XP right off the bat, she mightve been royally screwed. The weakest race, goblin, starts with 220 XP, and copying Rares choices, theyd barely be unable to get [Bind Soul]. If they went straight for [Control] then dumped the rest of their XP into MND, factoring in a goblins base stats, it was hard to imagine [Control] working on an opponent like Kerry. Rare had tried to maximize her new characters potential by going for a super economical build, she attempted to offset her weaknesses by starting in monster territory, was extra careful due to starting in monster territory, because of that somehow beat a boss by catching it off guard, purposely chose not to finish them off, by some strange coincidence learned about the ability to tame, and just barely had enough XP to tame that boss. If anything had gone wrong in this long chain of events, things wouldnt have turned out this way; this all had to have been nned by some higher being. In that case, no need to look a gift horse in the mouth. This ce was fine to use as a home. Even though it was a gloomy cave. Actually, for a near-sighted albino like her, it was actually a perfect fit. Indeed, praise be to the gods. There was a housing menu for designating a ce as your home. While verifying all the details, it appeared that even the undergroundke was included as part of this home. She had thought this was an unnaturallyrge location, but actually the path was extremely tight, wasnt it Anyway, a new chapter in the legend of the [Mountain Cat Bandit Group] was about to Er, huh? By the by, you named yourselves the [Mountain Cats]? No, arent we cat beastkin, not mountain cats? Thats not what I meant. ? Looks like they didnt give themselves that name. Then where exactly did this [Mountain Cat Bandit Group] namee from? She should keep this discrepancy in the back of her mind. The girls themselves may not have realized it, but it was possible one of the towns had put out a bounty on the [Mountain Cat Bandit Group]. In any case, the fact that these girls were considered a unique boss cleared up a number of questions that Rare had, including why she had earned so much XP from them, why they were so much stronger than she expected after bing her followers, and finally why she had gotten so much XP just now. The exnation for thest was that it was a reward for sessfully taming a boss. Rare now had 320 XP. She didnt want to increase any physical stats like STR or VIT, so her options were to boost other stats, learn new skills, or spend them on strengthening the catkin girls. Even if she were to use it on the girls, she still wanted to know how earning experience with followers worked. Also, while she wouldnt test it proactively, she also wanted to find out whether followers got the death penalty when they died. In any case, even if she used all 320 XP to buff herself up, Kerry would still be stronger than her. Since her build synergized so much with MND right now, shed throw 200 XP into MND, then use another 40 XP to learn the [Mental Magic] skills [Confuse] and [Sleep]. She reasoned that this was technically a boss encounter, so this was her reward. Now then, this home base needed to be more home-like. Because the avatar goes to sleep when the yer logs out, it would be nice to log out infort, so a ce to sleep was necessary. She wouldnt demand a bed, but she did at least want something to offset the cold, hard ground. If she had to, she could just bear with it, but she shouldnt neglect furnishing this ce properly. If that could be arranged now, then she could test logging out right away; she needed to know what happened to her followers while she wasnt online. It had been nearly eight hours since she had initially logged in, but she didnt really have any ns in the real world, so she didnt mind pulling an all-nighter. Either way, her body here would be sleeping. Although for her testing, shed be logging out then back in immediately. As far as a makeshift bed went, animal fur or monster fur would be fine. She didnt know what things lived outside the cave, but there must be some kind of furry animal. Maybe one lived in the forest. Chapter 9: “An Outing” Rare wanted to leave the cave with the girls and explore. But first, the four of them were filthy, so everyone went down to the undergroundke to wash up. They only had in water, so there was no way to get really clean down to the cuticles, but they could at least wash off most of the dirt. They were so dirty that the color of their washed hair barely changedpared to before, but after some patient, spirited scrubbing, it was at least evident under torchlight that they had each different colored hair. Kerrys hair was probably a bright reddish-brown. Maybe like a copper red. In a well-lit area, it would surely shine brilliantly. Though Rare couldnt say if shed ever get the chance to see it. Rileys hair was sepia-colored, something close to an olive-brown. In the cave, it was the least eye-catching color. Remy had the brightest-colored hair. Yellow ochre might not be the most ttering image, but once her cuticles were healed, it might be a nice, deep blonde. Marions hair took the most work to clean. It felt like she could scrub forever and dirt would continue to slough off, but it was also apparently just a brown color. It was much darker than Rileys. She wanted to find some kind of hair-cleaning oil or chemical to get them even cleaner, but for now, this was all she could do. Scissors would be nice too, so she could cut it, try to untangle it a bit, and generally just tidy them up, but shed just have to settle for this kind of wild, disheveled look for the time being. They may be leaving, but since the cave was now her personal area, only Rare and her followers were allowed to enter it. No need to leave someone at home. This meant that the cave could no longer be randomly chosen as a starting location for a new yer. Rare certainly hadnt intended topletely take over one of the monster races random spawn points. But then again, considering the size of the continent, there must be countless caves like this out there, so even if the number of spawn points went down by one, its not like suddenly new yers couldnt start a new game or anything. It was dark outside the cave, enough that it was hard to see anything right in front of you. It must be way past sundown. Something Rare weed. She didnt have to worry about sunburn, and either way she wouldnt be able to see too far in front of her anyway. It appeared that the moon was out, but the dense treespletely covered the sky, so no moonlight could get through. She could hear the high-pitched cries of some faraway animal. There must be a lot of nocturnal beasts. Kerry, are you familiar with this forest? Nah, we havent been in this area that long, so I dont know much. We only just found that cave earlier this morning. Now that she mentioned it, Rare felt like she had already been told that. Even though they just got here, it had already be the [Mountain Cat Bandit Groups Base]. Perhaps it was a seed nted for future development. The base designation and bing a unique boss, that is. Boss, where were you hiding in the cave? When we found it, we searched the whole thing, so there shouldna been any monsters or anything in there. Ahh, I actually dont know myself. I dont know how I ended up all the way in the back of the cave. And then you girls a bunch of armed strangers found me, so I just ended up attacking you. Zat so I guess weird stuff happens sometimes. Maybe it was because we were bound together as master and follower, but she was damn gullible. Or maybe she was just an idiot since her INT was lowshe just blurted out whatever was on her mind. If that really were the cause, even though she was a melee DPS, she still needed a certain amount of INT. Rare could boost it, but her current store of XP was too low. In any case, the five of them needed to farm XP. Their current objectives were furs, food, and XP. In other words, they needed to find something furry and edible to beat up. After exining that, Marion crouched down and began sniffing. She had the [Enhanced Smell] skill, which she must have activated. Boss, I smell a wild boar. Rare indicated that Marion should follow the scent, and Remy focused on listening to their surroundings. Remy had the [Enhanced Hearing] skill. With Marion at the front and Rare in the center, the group of five slowly and carefully traversed the forest. Having lots of experience walking through woods from other games, Rare skillfully avoided all the roots and leaves on the ground. Marion and Riley in front cleared all the hanging vines and impeding underbrush with their hatchets. Stop, Remy said to hold back the group. I hear fighting. Another beast? Marion also spoke up. I can also smell blood. Probably a boar and a wolf. Riley, go up and sneak a peek, Kerry directed. Kay. Riley went to go scout alone. She had both the [Enhanced Vision] and [Hawkeye] skills. [Hawkeye] was in the [Archery] tree and gave a bonus to uracy when shooting at long-range, but it also had a secondary effect of making it easier to spot objects beyond long-range. If you couldnt see it, you couldnt target it, after all. Ah, sorry Boss, for giving orders. Its just a habit Not at all, I dont mind. Rather, when were in a small group like this, or when an immediate decision is necessary, just get my permission after. Actually, weve been talking normally, is it all right not to hold our breaths or something? Yeah, its fine. Boar and wolves both have noses better than ours, so theyd know about us way before we know about them. Ah, gotcha. In other words, its hard to ambush wild animals in a forest. Obvious fact is obvious. But if a beastkin, who already had enhanced senses, strengthened their sense of smell with skills and was still outperformed by a wild wolf, she wondered how normal yers were supposed to hunt wolves. Rare, who hadnt explored the forests much during the closed beta, had no idea. After a bit of time, Riley returned. Since everyones range of vision was so severely handicapped, it almost looked like she had just suddenly popped into existence. Just like Marion said, its a wolf. It probably attacked the boar we were tracking. Got it. Boss, what should we do? Apparently Kerry decided her role was to handle minor orders then check with her boss, Rare, for feedback and direction. They had a surprisinglypetentmand structure or something that felt kind of close to how a wild pack of beasts operated. Well be opportunists; wait for the boar to go down, then attack the wolf although we actually want the boar to still be alive then take them both out. XP is precious. Got it. Lets move, girls. As soon as Kerry said that, she immediately turned to Rare. Ah, Boss, sall right if we go? Of course. If thats what youve decided, Kerry, then dont mind me, just bring me their heads. With a ferocious smile, she melted into the darkness. The other three followed after her. Rare listened for the sounds of battle to make her way to where she thought it was taking ce. Chapter 10: “The Hunt” There was a clearing in the forest that was slightly illuminated, where the sounds ofbat were clear. Hidden in the shadows of the trees, Rare observed the battle. There, a three-way confrontation between the wild boar, the wolf, and the mountain cats unfolded. Holy shit, theyre huge! The hell kind of boar and wolf are they?! Theyve gotta be goddamn monsters, not just wild animals. The wolf was a little bit taller than Kerry. Eyeballing, it was probably over two meters long. The boar was even bigger than that. It had to have been at least three meters tall. The clearing had been smaller, but the two rampaging monsters kept knocking down trees, so it ended up turning into arge, open area. Apparently the wolf had been attacking the boars legs, since the boar seemed to be shaking on its feet. Kerry was keeping the wolf at bay while also aiming for the boars legs with her sword. A boar the size of arge car was charging around and she hung around shing at it like it was nothing; Rare couldnt possibly imagine herself seeding in the same position. Kerrys [Quick-Wittedness] and [Acrobatics] skills were putting in some work. Finally, the boar heaved forward and copsed on the ground. An arrow suddenly came flying in out of nowhere, piercing right through one of its eyes. The boar let out a screech, arching its back up and swinging its head around. At the end of one swing, its head stopped for a split second before it was going to be swung back the other wayzeroing in on that instant, another arrow sunk into its other eye. Must be Remy and Riley; they both had the [Archery] skill. Because it was so huge, though, the arrows that had speared both of its eyes didnt appear to reach its brain, so the boar still struggled. However, neither the wolf nor the girls paid it any more attention. My hands are all sweaty just from watching this y out, but its not like they told me not to get in the way or anything. This was the perfect chance to test her skills and stats. All right, first is [Stupefy]. She felt something pushing back for a moment, but that feeling crumbled away and the wolf stopped moving. Its eyes wavered, unfocused. It was now afflicted by the Stupefy status debuff. Boss, did you just do somethin? Yeah. Kerry, dont attack. Continuing on, [Charm]. [Stupefy] only debilitated a target for a few seconds. In that time, you needed to follow up with either [Charm] or [Fear]. This time she didnt feel any resistance at all. Targets afflicted by Stupefy had decreased resistance to [Charm] and [Fear], after all. The wolfs eyes half-closed, and it lowered its head and padded toward Rare. That was most likely what [Charm]s caster, Rare, wanted. Looks like it worked. Next is [Control]. There was a little bit of resistance as the wolf walked up to Rare and hung its head down. Now for the finisher. [Subordinate]. The wolfy down on the ground, then rolled over to show its stomach. It barely resisted at all. Hmm. Sess. Even against highly hostile enemies, I can still easily Subordinate them. As far as she could tell from watching Kerry and the girls fight, the wolf was stronger than they were. They could easily defeat it as a team, but one-on-one, they would have to run. Part of the reason it was so easy to use [Subordinate] could be because Rare used it in the middle of a fight, while it was distracted, but the biggest factor was simply her enormous MND stat. Since her overall stats were so much lowerpared to Kerry and the girls, she probably should have used her XP to help close the gap, but instead she put way too much into MND. Thinking about it objectively, she had casually spent 200 XP, but that was twice the amount that a starting yer received. No sane yer would ignore skills and waste 200 XP on just MND. While Kerry was above Rare in terms of overall strength, Rares MND was three times higher than Kerrys. Monsters that were only a little stronger than Kerry shouldnt have enough MND to resist. Or like, the girls are aposite four-person unique boss, and the wolf and boar were only a bit weaker. For early-game enemies, theyre pretty damn strong. What the hells with this forest? Rare was starting to wonder where exactly she had started out. She had no regrets at this point, but she was starting to feel kind of bad for the innocent skeleton yers who started out in simr ces as this. In any case, that was a good hunt. Lets bring this boar back. Boss, itd be better to butcher it here. If we dont drain the blood right after it dies, the meatll go bad. Aha, youre right. Go ahead, then. Remy and Riley will monitor the area. Ah, actually, hold on. She could put their newrade to work instead. Hey, you. Youre mine now. Do you understand? Were gonna make this boar easier to eat, so while we do that, I want you to make sure no other beastse near us, she said while mussing up the fur on the wolfs stomach. After hearing its orders, the wolf immediately got up and began circling the edge of the clearing, its nose and ears twitching asionally. As soon as it was tamed, the girls immediately recognized the wolf as their ally, so theypletely trusted it to watch their backs. Rare, having nothing else to do, decided to check out the wolfs status. It had a number of skills she had never seen before. They must be ones with special conditions to unlock. These were skills that seemed possible for the girls to learn, but looking at their skill trees, none of them were avable. They were apparently skills with unlock conditions outside of having the rightbination of skills. She was d that [Subordinate] wasnt like that. The wolf also had innate characteristics like [Keen Smell] and [Keen Hearing]. Monsters and wild beasts get to use their innate characteristics as soon as theyre born, it seemed. On second thought, for wolves to be unable to use their noses until they learned a skill was kind of silly. These types of innate characteristics must only be avable to certain races. The wolf was an [Ice Wolf]. Yep, it really was a monster. For an ice wolf, though, its belly had been quite warm when she had rubbed it. The spot for its name was nk. She should probably name it. The butchering was almost done, though, so she coulde up with one after theyd gotten back to base and settled in. Boss, were done. For now, we wrapped up the meat in the fur; we dont want the entrails so well bury them, but what about the bones? Itd help if the wolf could carry the meat, but adding the bones would be too heavy. Its fine, I can take it all. Here. After saying so, Rare put everything in her inventory: the meat, the fur, the bones, and also the entrails. Boss, the meats all gone! Did you do that? Yes, I did. Its called an inventory. Its a way to hide things in a secret ce. Wow! How do you do that? How Well Hmm Its like, theres an invisible bag I can use to store things; if I want to put something away, I cover it with this big bag, then I just close it. Something like that. Since the system just did it for her, it was extremely difficult to exin how an inventory worked. Only yers could use it anyway, so even if she could exin it properly, they wouldnt be able to use it anyway. I dont really get it Its fine, I can exin it againter. Anyway, weve aplished our goal, so lets return to the cave. Vaguely handwaving the topic away, Rare stood up and made to start heading back. The wolf, who had been keeping watch, came up to her and pushed its nose into her stomach. Huh? Whats wrong? Family? You werent just a lone wolf? Apparently, the wolf had family. Chapter 11: “Ice Wolves” A lone wolf might sound cool, but generally they were actually just wolves who had lost a power struggle in a pack. Rares group hadnt encountered any other wolves of this type, but thinking back, this wolf didnt seem weak enough to be kicked out of a pack. While it had faced off against the girls and the boar, it hadnt felt at all in disgrace. Although now that it was Rares follower, it was hard not to see it as just a big house dog. But thats fine. If youve got family, we might as well take them all in. Im not heartless enough to force you apart, after all. At this point in time, Rare wasnt concerned with the demerits of having more [Subordinated] followers. Shed need increasing amounts of XP to support them all, but she came to a realization from seeing the catkin girls fight: it would drastically reduce the risk whenever they went into battle. Speaking of thatst battle, the XP she got from incapacitating a wolf that was about the same or slightly higher in power level was probably about the same as shed get from defeating an equal enemy solo. Having to split that XP in five was obviously a big decrease, but it also meant the duration of battle decreasing by a corresponding amount. Even still, doing some mental math, while soloing would still be noticeably more efficient, there was still a lot of value in doing things this way where the XP earnings would be more stable. If the number of her followers increased, then shed just have to earn that much more XP. While Rare had gotten excited and recklessly splurged when she first discovered the [Subordinate] system, she originally wasnt nning to proactively participate in raids or PvP; she just wanted to enjoy the game at her own leisure. She was looking forward to the game so much that she signed up for not just the open beta but also the closed beta, which is how she became a tester. Besides, there were a lot of things she wanted to try out with more followers. There were things she could investigate about the very act of getting more. If she could spec each follower however she liked, then she could build characters who werepletely different types from her. Shed have to order the NPC around instead of ying herself, but still, she could have a lot of fun researching and optimizing builds. Like, seeing if increasing Kerrys INT could elevate her from her idiot status or not. They followed the wolf deeper into the forest. They technically used an animal trail, but it wasnt hard to traverse since these animals were so huge that they could just walk the trail normally. After a short time, they arrived at a cave entrance that was simr to Rares current home. Apparently, this was a wolf den. The wolf wanted to go into the cave alone, so she agreed to wait outside. Rare had tamed the alpha wolf, so she figured everything would be fine, but if she had gone inside with it, she couldnt discount the possibility of some disgruntled packmates deciding to attack her. Having no idea what the state of things were in the pack, that was the one oue she wanted to avoid. Eventually, the wolf came back out. Behind it, more of what looked like the same kind of wolf followed it outside. Looks like she really had tamed thergest one, since the next one was slightly smaller, and the other six were about the size ofrger breeds of dogs in the real world. Well, they were about as big as real wolves, but their anatomy, like their faces and legs, were a lot thicker. In other words, they were more like giant puppies; thats what they reminded her of. God, they are so adorable The wolves apparently knew what happened since they all came before Rare and bowed their heads. <<[Ice Wolf], [Wolf Pup], [Wolf Pup], [Wolf Pup], [Wolf Pup], [Wolf Pup], [Wolf Pup] can be tamed.>> This was probably the same as what happened with the catkin girls. There was no need to activate the skill at all. All right, your pack will be my family starting today. Im your pack leader. Got it? After that deration, the wolves came closer and, after rubbing their noses on her legs, all rolled over, showing their bellies. All right, gooood boys and girls, good, good The wolf pups tummies were even warmer than the alpha wolfs was. They were all so big that it took some time to get around to rubbing all their bellies, but Rare stood up satisfied. The wolves said (though not with words; they couldnt talk, after all) that they might be one pack, but they apparently werent all rted by blood. A pack had gotten attacked in the past, and all the wolves had scattered; somehow, these pups all ended up next to the tworger ice wolves, who protected them until they were all able to escape safely. This species of wolf normally lived further north. They are ice wolves, after all, so that makes sense. I did wonder why they were in a ce like this. That said, Rare still didnt know where this area was in the first ce. Based on the air temperature and humidity, she assumed that thetitude wasnt very high, but that was all she could conclude. By the way, were nning to return to my base now. But first, do you mind if I take a peek at your den? Is there anything left in there? Sensing their permission, Rare decided to explore the cave. She had left her base in order to find some furs, but it felt like little by little her objectives kept changing in the wrong direction. Even though Rare just wanted to casually enjoy the game. Well, no worries. Plus, the alpha wolf was able to match up about evenly with the four catkin girls. Just like with Kerrys group, if all these wolves had been waiting in the cave together, they would have been a huge threat. It was possible that they together were also aposite unique boss. If this was a bossir, then she might be able to obtain it as another home. If so, then she wanted to check the interioryout; if it was better, then she could move her home here instead. Fortunately, they hadnt left anything behind back at the other base. This cave was bigger than the other one. Rare only remembered this once she entered, but the entrance to the other cave was too narrow, so only the wolf pups could have gotten in. There had been no choice but to abandon the first base as soon as she tamed the alpha wolf. Aside from the difference in size, theyout was simr; after a short walk, arge cavern opened up, and it continued further in as well. This space was kind of gourd-shaped; there were two spherical chambers that were connected via a gentle slope in the middle, and there was a tunnel entrance high up in the rear wall. Unlike the other caves, this wasnt a crack or fissure, it was an unnatural, round opening. It appearedrge enough for something human-sized to crawl through. Hm, wonder what that is The wolves had said that there was nothing left inside, but that probably wasnt true. She should assume there was another resident in the tunnel; it was just way too suspicious. But if she wanted to make this cave her new base, then she couldnt leave anything suspicious alone. There was no system message when she had entered the cave informing her of a new personal area, but if they got rid of the unknown resident, that might trigger it for her. Since she had absolutely no idea what defined a personal area, it was entirely possible that some other reason prevented her from making this her home. If that were the case, then shed just have to give up and figure out a way to expand the old base. I want to investigate that hole, but whats the best way We just gotta dive in, right? We got no idea if anythings there, so if someones gonna go, then well go take a look first. Vowf! Ah, wait, I hear something! Apparently, both the alpha wolf and Remy heard something. Everyone held their breath at the same time and stared up at the hole. No one moved at all; it was so still that her ears started buzzing. After some time, Rares ears also made out a faint noise. Like a cking or clinking of some kind, as though someone were swinging a pickaxe into the ground over and over again. That uniform sound began to get closer and closer, louder and louderas soon as she thought Its here!, something ck and shiny emerged from the hole. An ant. Its an ant! Chapter 12: “Ants and Wolves” The mysterious hole was actually a tunnel leading to an ant nest. The ant part was fine, but these things were freaking huge. The situation was probably that since this was the ice wolves den, they never used the tunnels on this side. The ants probably aimed toe when only the wolf pups were supposed to be here, based on their reconnaissance, and that just happened to be right now. Depending on the size of the nest, Rare would have thought they could easily trample over eight giant wolves with pure numbers, so there must be some reason they never did that. Monster ants Damn pain in the ass. What do we do, Boss? What do we do How should I know? Rare retorted mentally, though she was already formting a n in her head. Tame the ants. If they can be used asbor, then it would be easy to erge the cave. If these ants had the same kind of ecology as the kind she knew from real life, as soon as she tamed the queen ant theyd be victorious. In that case, theyd need to venture into the depths of the nest. Is there any way for us to get to the deepest part of the nest? Was what came out earlier a worker ant? If she had tamed it when it was here, then they could just tame their way through the nest. However, to do that, theyd need to make contact with an ant, since the one from before already left. Right now, the only way they had to ess the nest was this tunnel, so the only option now was to take the plunge. Not only that, Rare herself had to go too. Its suicidal to charge into a ce where only our movements are restricted That said, Rares skillset didnt contribute much in terms of direct offensive power. She was quite confident in herbat ability without relying on skills or stats, but that was still at best only useful against single, individual enemies. But when facing six-legged creatures that didnt evene up to her knees, it was hard to expect a proper one-on-one duel. In which case, whether or not Rare had freedom of movement didnt change much in terms of strategy. If it came down to it, leaning on her [Mental Magic] and going alone was probably the most logical option. Plus, if theres a big enough room in there, then I can [Summon] my followers to me. So then the next question was, were ants susceptible to [Mental Magic] or not? Would be nice if you dropped by again, Mister Ant Should I go catch one? Marion offered. If it was Marion, the smallest,pared to say Kerry, she should be able to move around a bit more easily, but still No, hold on a second. Considering everyones current fighting capability, their group was heavily skewed toward physical attacks. The ice wolves could technically use ice elemental attacks and [Ice Magic], but right now they couldnt even fit in the tunnel so it was a moot point. Which meant that this might be a good time to consider obtaining magic as a potential countermeasure. From the looks of them, physical attacks probably wouldnt be terribly effective on ants. Even if they didnt end up fighting these ants this time, there could be enemies where that was the case in the future. She originally wanted to have more numbers in order to stabilize their battles anyway; that being the case, having more diverse tactics avable was also a high priority. With the ice wolves joining the party, they now had a total of 200 XP. Having to manage that between eleven individuals would be a nightmareit wasnt enough to do anything, basicallybut it was enough to invest all into one person. Additionally, if they just wanted to catch or lure one ant, with a little more nning, it wouldnt even be necessary to spend all of it. Marion, as you offered, Id like you to capture an ant. However, before that, Id like to show you how to use magic. Magic? Magic! Can I use magic too?! Have you seen someone use magic before? My papa back at the settlement could use magic. Knowing magic meant you got to wear nice clothes and eat until you were full. A beastkins base stats made them less suited to being mages, so a beastkin NPC that could naturally use magic was probably very rare. Depending on what element of magic they could use, they could have been a local celebrity in a mountain vige. Since the girls settlement was very close to monster territory, it was quite likely that they had a mage as part of their defenses. Is that so? I eventually intend for all of you girls to learn some kind of magical ability, so first is you, Marion. The question is what kind of magic is suitable for you. Right now, she wanted to pick something that would be effective against the ants, but she wasnt sure which element that would be. Fire was the ssic anti-insect element, but that only applied in reality. Not to mention its not as though insects were especially vulnerable; most living things died to fire, really. And since most things were vulnerable to it, it meant there were countless ways to utilize it effectively. Fire might be good, but it might not be a great idea to use in an enclosed space. We dont want to burn up all the oxygen. Rares first base had some kind of magical venttion, but she didnt know if these tunnels had it too. On the other hand, oxygen deprivation could be a card to y. She wasnt sure how these ants were different from real ants, but considering they were insects, they should have a number of spiracles on their bodies. They still needed oxygen to function, so if the concentration of oxygen dropped, it could slow them down. However, if their caves did have magical venttion, then it would be a wasted endeavor. Furthermore, their size was a concern. Compared to real ants, they should need more oxygen to function. That would be a normal conclusion to reach, but since this was a game world, maybe their bodies had some magical ability that let them operate normally with low levels of oxygen. And actually, to begin with, she wasnt even sure if magically created fire consumed oxygen at all. Now she was curious and wanted to investigate, but in order to prove it one way or the other shed need variousb equipment. Its really annoying to fight magical enemies I guess we gotta counter with magic ourselves. If fire was too hard to use, then what would the next best element be? Not that fire had been determined to be effective or anything. It was probably best to just forget about real ants for a second and go over known information. They didnt know much about these ants right now. First, they were about asrge as typical house dogs. They were fast, but their movements didnt appear irregr in any way. Next, they were able to make a pretty clean circr hole in the wall of this cave, which was hard bedrock, so they were good at excavating. She had no proof that an ant was what created that tunnel originally, but she at least couldnt believe that it had urred naturally. In which case, it would be better to presume it was within the capabilities of their foe. These were all the facts they had. They knew nothing that could lead to identifying a weakness. Ah, Boss. Maybe theyre not so good with wolves, dont you think? Rare had been mumbling to herself while thinking, so Riley offered her input. Indeed, as Kerry said, it wasnt just her [Enhanced Eyesight], she was sharp in many ways. Rare had also considered the possibility, but only spent a moment considering it before getting distracted. Running with the idea, what exactly did it mean to be not so good with wolves? Considering the current situation, its not like they couldnt carry them. If it wasnt the wolves that they didnt like, then maybe instead it had to do with magic. Considering their constitution, an ant wouldnt normally be able to win in a straight-up fight. If that were the reason, its not like she couldnt understand, but they should still be able to crush the wolves with numbers. In the real world, ants were able to protect themselves against small animals that were tens of times their size by banding together. And the ants in this world were gigantic. The wolves wererger as well, but not to the degree that the ants were. A group of giant ants should easily be able to protect themselves. That meant that there was another factor distorting the usual rtionship between ants and normal animals in this case. For example, something unique to this world. A magical kind of factor. Ice wolves Could this mean the ants are weak to ice? Chapter 13: “Intelligence” The ants must have seen the ice wolves use ice attacks while scouting or something. Ice wolves werent monsters native to this area. They had been ousted by apeting species, and this wolf pack ended up fleeing south. If the ants were indigenous to this area, it would be difficult to suddenly have to find a way to deal with an unknown species like ice wolves. Considering the climate, there probably werent any other monsters in this region that could use ice. Even so, the ants should still have the advantage by virtue of their overwhelming numbers, so maybe ants became weak when the temperature dropped. Well, insects in the real world were also weaker in low temperatures, but in this world, perhaps the ants didnt have any kind of magical defenses to cope with it. Or, maybe the ants were weak to ice for an entirely magical reason instead. Well, for now, lets just try it out and worry moreter. At this point, there isnt anything left to consider. She would have Marion learn ice magic. First off was [Magical Affinity: Ice] and [Freeze]. She would like to get the [Ice Bullet] offensive spell as well, but the effect they needed right now was the ability to lower air temperature, not the ability to kill, particrly since their current goal was to capture an ant. Regr magic attacks dealt damage based on the INT stat. Marion was a beastkin, and her INT was also extremely low, so her magic wouldnt be very potent. But even before that, she didnt have the minimum required stats, so she wasnt even eligible to learn magic yet. So first, Rare needed to spend some XP on increasing Marions INT stat. She didnt want to run empty on XP, so she spent in moderation. Still, Marion now had as much INT as a newbie elf specializing in casting magic. Thinking of how she was already a prodigious ranger, now all she needed was offensive magic and she would probably be able to take out a yer at first sight. Not that Rare had any ns at the moment to go PKing. Well, Marion? Now, you should understand the basics of [Ice Magic]. Oooh So cool I do I know how to use it too Is this your power, Boss? Thats right. Arent you d? It wasnt technically Rares power, but rather a function of the game system, but it was true that Rare was the primary impetus. This goes for all of you as well: if you work properly for me, then I can give you magic, power, and more. Marion, this is my down payment on you, but youll work hard, right? Yeah. Ill go freeze the ants and catch em! Good girl. Well all wait for you here, so its up to you. Marion dove into the nest. All that was left was to wait and see what happened. As long as they werent too far away, Rare vaguely knew the status of her followers. If she judged that things had gotten too dangerous, she should be able to summon Marion back here. Until Marion returned, she should think about how to spend the remaining XP strengthening everyone else. It slipped her mind while thinking about teaching her magic, but since Marions INT went up, its possible that may have affected the NPCs cognitive ability as well. From the start, the catkin girls builds were oddly unbnced, with only INT being low, so she was thinking it would be good to increase it for all of them. She didnt exactly dislike their crudenguage, but if they were going to go to town in the future, it would be better if they learned how to be more polite. She wasnt sure if their ability to study would also go up with INT, but it was worth trying. If it turned out it didnt work that way, then at least it wouldnt be wasted since it still let them learn magicter. If she were to use most of the rest of the XP, it would be on raising Kerry, Riley, and Remys INT. There wasnt enough to get them each as high as what Marion had now, but she could at least get theirs up to her own base INT. yers actual intelligence wasnt tied to the stat, so everyone having the same INT didnt annoy her or anything. That said, she only had 20 XP left, and since she might want to learn standard magic for her own use in the near future, maybe she would raise her own INT. Hers would then be higher. In and of itself, there was no ulterior reason for her to do this. But man, Marions really was high. But now she was out of XP. Not that she felt inferior, or really cared or anything. Boss, Marionsing back. Her ears having picked up on something, Remys report interrupted Rares mental monologue. Apparently, Marion was sessful. But it sounds like an antsing too. I can hear its footsteps. In other words, Marion was being pursued. She might be able to get away on her own, but there was no sense in taking needless risks. [Summon: Marion]. The ground before Rare glowed, and an instantter, Marion materialized within the light. She was holding a frost-covered ant. Ah, was that Bosss magic? Thank you for helping. Before Rare could exin, Marion had already guessed what had happened and expressed gratitude. Whether it was due to her increased INT or she was just that kind of person, it was wonderful that no exnation was needed. Although [Summon] was a skill, not magic, but that wasnt particrly important at the moment. Not at all. You appear to havepleted your task. Good job. Now, you must be cold. Go ahead and just set it on the floor. The ant Marion was carrying wasntpletely frozen, nor was it dead; it was barely moving. She had maintained it in a perfectly incapacitated state. Remy, what happened to the ant that was chasing Marion? I think its panicking around where Marion disappeared. Probably because the thing it was chasing suddenly vanished Do you think itlle investigate all the way here? Im not sure Ah, it just left. Maybe its going back to report? Remy was also voicing her opinions now. It wasnt ideal for reports to be weighed down with prejudice or wishful thinking, but that was something she could warn them about over time. It was good that they were thinking for themselves and feltfortable voicing their conclusions, though. If they had more XP leeway in the future, she wanted to increase the girls INT some more. It was possible that they had been so quiet before now because they were unable toprehend the situations at the time. Anyway, first, lets thaw out this ant. It wouldve been nice if I had someone learn [Fire Magic] But since were out of XP, all we can do is wait for it to thaw out by itself Id prefer not to give the colony that much time, though Say, Boss. Yes, what is it, Kerry? You can test [Subordinate] on it whether its frozen or not, right? As long as its healthy, we got what we wanted, yeah? Holy smokes. Kerry was totally right. There was no doubt about it; this was because their INT went up. While Rare still had a higher INT stat, she had a feeling that Kerry was now smarter than her. yers intelligence werent tied to their statsthis was the opposite case ying out. Well, you know, it was a good thing, having smart subordinates. Just like with Remy earlier, though, shed have to teach them how to clearly differentiate between observations and opinions, but if that could be cleared up, it should result in an increase to theirbat potential that couldnt be quantified with stat values. I see; a magnificent observation, Kerry. Its exactly as you say. Ill try it out right away. Rare cast [Stupefy] on the ant. It was hard to tell since it hadnt been moving much in the first ce, but it should have been sessful. Since she barely felt any resistance, she started to worry if she had actually activated it or not. [Mental Magic] spells werent shy and didnt leave clear visual indicators of their effects, which was pretty inconvenient. Next shed use [Fear]. Normally she would follow up with [Charm], but since shed never used [Fear] before, she wanted to test it out. When she had used [Charm] on the ice wolf earlier, there was nearly no resistance, but right now with [Fear], she could feel quite a bit of it. It still ended up working, though. This might mean that ice wolves had less charm resistance than ants had fear resistance. It was true that she had a hard time imagining insects feeling fear. Another exnation was that Rare herself was simply better at using [Charm] than [Fear], but from a game system perspective, there shouldnt be any diff Ah, that reminds me, I did have that [Beauty] trait, didnt I The innate characteristic [Beauty] had the effect [Favorability with NPCs is increased], didnt it? Apparently it modified the sess rate of [Charm]. Thinking it over, that shouldnt have been unexpected. Maybe being able to immediately tame the catkin girls after spending five hours with them was also in part due to its effects. In any case, [Fear] still got through. Now she just needed [Control] to work and then [Subordinate] should be guaranteed. [Control] good. Then [Subordinate] Huh? <<[Subordinate] cannot be activated. The target [Infantry Ant] has already been tamed.>> Chapter 14: “Information Overload” This one error message gave me a ton of information! First, the name of the ant. It was an [Infantry Ant] monster, so like a foot soldier ant. Diving deeper into the name, these ants were probably social insect monsters, so if this one was an infantry unit, then it was probably beingmanded by a higher unit. And that higher unit was probably the tamer, or at least thats how she was reading it. In all likelihood, it was the queen somewhere in the nest. The follower system seemed to be structured kind of like apany or a business. There was a boss at the top who received profit from those belowin this case XPand distributed that profit back down to the entire organization. Everyone cooperated as though they were all part of one whole. This also resembled how social animals like ants and bees functioned. Maybe the [Subordinate] skill was actually developed specifically for these kinds of social monsters. Just like how ice wolves had skills like [w] and [Bite], special skills that were unique to monsters race. Well, maybe yers could get them if they had bear arms or something, like their bodies were reconstructed with monster parts, maybe then they could learn these monsters skills too. But for the most part, they were limited to monsters. If that were the case, then even if they had the [Subordinate] skill, if it really was created specifically for monsters, its possible they wouldnt have the prerequisite [Mental Magic] or [Summon] skills. Nah, that conclusions way too optimistic Maybe they didnt have them, but if they did, theyd be a real pain in the ass. The current Rare could probably resist an enemys [Mental Magic] since she maxed out her MND, but that wasnt the case for everyone else. Thankfully, both [Control] and [Fear] worked on the soldier ant, so if Rare went alone, that would minimize any coteral damage. Ill be going in by myself. [Control] seems to work, and even if I brought more people with me, only the person in front can fight anyway, Rare dered. But Boss, if the ants all try to attack you at once, theres no way you can [Control] all of them, right? No matter how you slice it, its too dangerous. You at least need to bring someone to guard you, Kerry argued. You should at least bring me. The cold makes them slow, so that would buy time for Boss to use magic, jumped in Marion. I think I shoulde too; my [Enhanced Hearing] lets me know what the antsre doing, Remy offered. The tunnels are dark, so I dont think my eyes will be very useful, but Well, its better to have more people to shield you, right? Riley threw out hopefully. In the end, all the humans would be going. The ice wolves couldnt possibly fit in the tunnel, so they would all be staying behind, watching the entrance to the nest to make sure the ants couldnte take over the cave. The wolf pups could probably fit, but there was no point in taking them. Ah, before we leave, I should give you guys names, Raremented. She had put it off before, but she needed to name the ice wolves. Without names, she couldnt [Summon] any specific wolves. All she could designate was ice wolf, but she wouldnt know which one would be summoned. Even though Kerry would be acting as her shield, if the tunnels opened into arger area and the ants tried to crush them with numbers, there would be nothing they could do. If such a situation arose, being able to [Summon] an ice wolf could give them a huge advantage. First is you. Youll be [Hakuma]. And since youre a girl, [Ginka]. The kids will be, starting from you, [Mizore], [Arare], [Hyou], [Fubuki], [Kogome], then [Zarame]. The alpha wolf that Rare first used [Subordinate] on was now Hakuma. The other adult ice wolf was Ginka. Hakuma refers to a catastrophic snowstorm. Ginka is a name that originated from likening snow to a flower. For the pups, Mizore and Hyou were boys while Arare, Fubuki, Kogome, and Zarame were girls. After naming the wolves, the group entered the tunnel in the order of Kerry, Rare, Marion, Remy, and finally Riley. The tunnel was cramped and dark; the five of them had to crawl on their hands and knees, so progress was slow. The ground and walls were smooth for some reason. The best guess she had for the material was limestone. But again, it was hard to imagine these round tunnels forming naturally in a limestone cavern, so something must have made them. If it were any other rock tunnel, then Rare in her starting equipment would havepletely torn up her palms and knees, so she should at least express her thanks to whatever that was. Even though it was smooth, crawling on the hard ground in reality would cause the skin on her knees to be calloused, which she would be afraid to risk since it would ruin her shapely legs. If something like that actually happened, she would surely be punished by her household. There were many things that she could only experience within the worlds of VR. Without encountering any ants, the cramped tunnels finally opened up into a space where they could just barely stand and walk. While a few dozen ants could fit herefortably, this also allowed the group to get into formation. This is where I caught the lookout ant before. On the way back, other ants probably saw the lookout was gone and came after me. I see. I wonder why there isnt a lookout or anything here now, then? After that incident, it should have been clear that there were intruders. Are they holing up in a more defensible location? If they had never been attacked from this direction before, perhaps they were overreacting. That was understandable considering the intruders were probably associated with their archnemeses, the ice wolves. Its still pretty cramped, but looks like we dont have to crawl anymore. Lets just keep going. They formed a line in the same order as before and proceeded down the tunnel. Kerry was on guard, wielding her one-handed sword; Remy and Riley also unslung the bows from their backs. Before, Marion might have taken out some kind of weapon as well, but now she just watched her surroundings with empty hands. Maybe she could use some kind of item that helped her with magic. It might be faster to steal one from someone; they certainly didnt have the funds to buy one. They had to walk as quietly as possible so that Remys ears could track the ants locations. Ahead of us, I think theres lots of them. Even though theres so many, theyre not moving much, so maybe an ambush? Finally, there might be a battle. Rare kept her mind focused, ready to order Marion to let loose a chilling spell or to use [Charm] herself in a wide. Without leading with the single-target [Stupefy], the sess rate would decrease, but if there were a lot of enemies, rather than guaranteeing sess one target at a time, she would prefer to try lowering their overallbat strength by using a low-sess spell over a wide area. They came to a slightly more spacious room packed tightly with moring ants. There wasnt a central light source, so it vaguely appeared as though the floor was covered in a lumpy, shiny ck mass. Rare wasnt particrly bad with insects, but that sight still made her feel an instinctive revulsion. However, if she considered that in some hours they would all be under hermand, maybe it would seem rather dependable instead. She should probably refrain from counting her chickens before they hatched, though. The ants should have noticed that they were there, but they still hadnt moved; perhaps theyd received no orders. Maybe the queen or whoever had a n in mind, but Rare didnt intend to wait to find out. [Charm]. Nearly all the ants turned at once to face Rare. They were the ones that failed to resist [Charm]. The ones all the back in the back wererger, and only about a third of those sessfully resisted. It was way more effective than she predicted it would be. Marion, if you would. Yes, Boss. Marion took a step forward. Her [Freeze] filled the room, and since the vast majority of ants just stood there, unmoving, the few who had resisted [Charm] were helpless. [Freeze] wasnt a particrly powerful spell, but if its numerous targets couldnt move, then it was childs y to affect them all. Marions INT was quite highpared to a new yers. If Rare considered the ants all yers who had just started the game as well, even though it wasnt abat spell, they shouldnt be able to resist Marions magic. The cave Rare first ended up in was home to a unique boss. Right outside the cave, there was another one. In that case, where were all the weak trash mobs for her early progression? In all likelihood, she believed they were these ants. Shortly thereafter, frost started to form on all the ants. The only things in this room that could still move were Rare and the catkin girls. Drat, I should have turned that boar skin from earlier into a coat. It had gotten quite cold in these tunnels. Plus theyd have to step on all these frozen ants in order to proceed, too. It wasnt so bad that she couldnt suck it up, but she had to be ready to expend a lot of stamina weathering the low temperatures. Well, I didnt originally n to spend that much time on this little romp, so lets just hurry up and get this over with. They had left the captured ant with Hakuma and the wolves; when they departed, it didnt seem like it would thaw out any time soon. Maybe Marions INT was so high that they would remain in suspended animation until the freeze status was lifted. Or maybe the nests temperature was low from the start, making it take longer for things to thaw. As for the ants in this room, they probably wont be able to move for at least a few hours. This room had be much colder than the wolvesir as well. This battle concluded without issue. She might even say it went too smooth. Really, no one even executed a real attack at all. ording to Remy, there was another room filled to the gills with ants up ahead. So then, before those ants came here as reinforcements, Rares group should go and repeat what they just did here to wipe them all out. If they acted quickly enough, it was possible the queen wouldnt know about what happened here yet. If they could make it to her before she realized their strategy, that would be perfect. All right, lets go. Be careful, but be swift. After that, they continued through a number of cramped rooms with low ceilings, each time using the same method to take out the ants there. Having seen more of the nest, Rare confirmed theyout of the tunnels and rooms was as she guessed. There were many branches, but she hit on the fact that the rooms serving more important functions were located as far away from the entrance as possible; that being the case, they wanted to keep delving down into the earth whenever they could. They had incapacitated a considerable number of ants. They had gone without stopping, and while it waspletely one-sided between theirbat strength and the overwhelming effectiveness of their spells, they had still earned a ton of XP. Each ant was only worth about 4 XP on average, but they had already umted 400. Nn Up ahead is different from the rooms before; there isnt a big group of ants, theres only one. Apparently they hadpletely wiped out the defensework. Unless they had arrived at the wrong room, like an egg room or food storage, it was the queens room. Guess she didnt have any royal guards or anything like that. All right. Time for the big finale. TL notes: Hakuma: ħ is literally white demon, but is also a term that refers to heavy snowfall Ginka: y for silver flower, as described in the chapter, its simply a poetic description of snow All the wolf pups were named in katakana, but given the theme, Im confident these are the correct kanji: Mizore: for sleet Arare: for hailstone Hyou: for hail Fubuki: ѩ for blizzard Kogome: from ѩ (kogomeyuki) for powder snow Zarame: from Ŀѩ (zarameyuki) for granr snow Chapter 15: “The Site of the Former Queen’s Future Queendom” The chamber they arrived at was about as big as all the previous ones, but the ceiling was much higher. And all the way in the back, there was a single ant, but farrger than any they had seen thus far. It had wings too. That must be the queen. Since she had wings, she must have only begun building this nest rather recently. Either that or it was just a feature of that type of ant. GICHIGICHIGICHI She was trying to say something or so Rare thought, but unfortunately she had no idea what it might want to say. Either way, she wouldnt give her opponent the initiative to attack. Since there was only a single enemy, she would start things off with [Stupefy]. [Stupefy]! Ohh, it worked. I thought shed be immune since shes a boss. All right then, [Charm]! Arg, so she can resist that! Given Rares build, she wanted to lead off with [Stupefy] for the debuff followed by [Charm], which would have its sess rate increased by Stupefy. That didnt work, so maybe the queen had some kind of special resistance. Or because they were the same sex, the charm wasnt as effective. And because the queen resisted [Charm], she also recovered from the Stupefy debuff. [Mental Magic] was inextricably linked to its debuffs; if even a single spell was resisted, the chain would break and the targets mental state would return to normal. That was how this style of magic worked. Marion! Use [Freeze]! Everyone else, keep it in check from a distance! I need you to buy me a little time until my [Stupefy] cools down! Roger! [Freeze]! Havinge back from being Stupefied, the queen tried to charge at Rare. Aiming at her initial movements, Remy and Riley let loose arrows that hit the queens front legs, causing her to fall to the ground. The Freeze spell had an immediate effect, so even though she quickly tried to stand back up, her movements were sluggishand she was immediately struck in the head by the sword that Kerry had thrown. The sword bounced off harmlessly with a metallic ng, but it did seem to stun the queen. In that time, Marions Freeze had lowered the temperature even more, causing the queens movements to slow even more. While she continued trying to get back up, Riley and Remi both threw their own melee weapons, trying to keep her down. Kerry then picked up someones thrown weapon and once again aimed at the queens head, this time attacking her directly. By that time, the queens body temperature had dropped low enough that she could barely throw a proper attack, but it was still one that Kerry couldnt avoid. All right, [Stupefy]! It worked, so this time, Ill try [Control]! This being the second sessful [Stupefy], its effective duration was even shorter. Without [Charm] being chained first, its sess rate wouldnt be as high, but Rare gambled on [Control] to end it. She could feel the queen putting up quite a bit of resistance, but in the end the Control went through, and the queens dull movements stoppedpletely. I hope I wont find out that even you were already tamed by someone else. Now, lets dive in. [Subordinate]. The queen wasnt moving even an inch, so it probably couldnt even perceive what was happening right beside it, but Rare could feel that the queen hadpletely surrendered to her. She could now see the queens stats. She could also see its race name: Vespoid Queen. Huh? You werent an ant? The name indicated that she was a vespinae. Rare thought she was an ant, but she was actually closer to a ho. The soldier ants didnt immediatelye under her controlshe could feel that there was a timeg before it would happenbut the queens followers did indirectly be her own underlings. <> <> <> As she had predicted, this was the same thing that had happened with the Mountain Cat Bandit Group. Queendom felt like it was on a scale too grand for what took ce here, but like with the catkin girls, maybe this was a unique boss that was still maturing. There certainly were a lot of enemies, but nothing on the level of a nation. In any case, she could finally take a break. She would make this ce her home base, which would free up the previous base. That would let another yer find it and make it their home. It was close to a human country, but it was within monster territory, so she wasnt sure whether a human-race yer or a monster-race yer would end up iming it. Ah, shoot. I wonder if theres a source of clean water here. Itll be hard to live here if theres no water nearby. The queen still couldnt move yet, but she was still able to convey her thoughts. ording to the queen, while expanding the nest, the ants had apparently uncovered an undergroundke. Rares first base was naturally connected to an undergroundke, but here they had dug their way to one. The two bases werent very far away from each other, so perhaps the twokes shared the same source. If possible, they should really survey this entire area before someone else imed the other base as their home. Or actually, if we made a tunnel from here to the other base, would the two be recognized as a single home area? I wonder This matter required some investigation. Rare could feel excitement growing within her. In order to test it out, well need the ants to all heal back up. One day probably wouldnt be enough time I could summon Hakuma and the wolves to this room, but then they couldnt get back out. This ce needs to undergo some serious renovation. Weve gotten tons of XP, though; I want to teach everyone some magic. Her current login session would soon hit twelve hours. She would soon receive a warning message if she didnt log out briefly. She would have wanted to use the boar pelt she had obtained, but it hadnt been tanned yet, so it was quite pungent; she could tell as soon as she took it out. Tanning required the [Leathercraft] skill, which should be able to do the deed even without the right chemicals through the power of magic. It would be useful to have someone learn it. I apologize for the abrupt announcement, but Im going to take a nap. When I wake up, well discuss our future activities. Aah, its fine if there isnt a ce to sleep. Ill justy down over there. See youter, then. They would need to work on making the base morefortable, but it was also important to make do with what they had sometimes. After stopping the catkin girls from taking off their clothes to make a temporary bed for Rare, she quicklyy down to sleep and logged out. Chapter 16: “Wayne, Standing in a Prairie” First, gotta make a character. Having returned home from work, he booted up the VR apparatus in his room to let it warm up while he ate, bathed, and took care of other chores. This was thetest VR machine avable on the market, so while it may not look the same, it had the same high specs as the machines used in healthcare. It cost many times the amount an average office worker took home each year, but he didnt have a job that took ce in VR, he was required to go on-site to work, and that meant his earnings could easily afford the luxury. In other words, he was very wellpensated. With the propagation of VR technology, people rarely needed to leave their homes, but there were still ces that required staff to be there in person. Even though the healthcare industry was integrated with VR, patients still needed to go to healthcare facilities to be hospitalized and for things like surgery, so healthcare workers were needed there as well. He was one of those workers. Due to the nature of this work,pared to a moremon upation like office worker, he had to spend a lot more timemuting. Therefore, the time he could spend on his only hobby, video games, was very limited. Because of that, he spent all his pay on gaming peripherals and premium paid content. He had purchased this brand new VR apparatus just for the game he was about to log into and y. Since all information about the closed beta test was going to bepletely hidden from the public, he had applied to the beta, got in, and spent what little time he had avable enjoying the game. He had be so enamored by it that he decided to dip into his savings to pay for this VR apparatus. He was hoping it would arrive before the games officialunch, and it got delivered just before the open beta was announced. He finished setting it up yesterday, and so it was all ready and waiting for him once he was done with work today. After creating a character with just about the same build that he had in the closed beta, he named his character [Wayne] and dove into the game world. Having chosen [Handsome] from the new innate characteristic system, he didnt have enough XP to get everything he wanted, but if he spent a few days grinding he was sure hed be able to get one or two spells. All right, let my otherworld adventure begin. An hourter, he finally found himself standing in a wide open prairie. Why does it take an entire hour to get through the tutorial? They should have let people who were in the closed beta skip it or something. The tutorial support AI kept going on and on about basically the outlook of the world and the games ambiance and whatever. Having yed hard during the closed beta, he thought this all came way toote. The AI back then was already nearly perfect; he didnt feel any uneasiness about NPCs acting human. It was pointless for him to now be told that there was no difference between NPCs and PCs. Or I guess since the system cant tell the difference between PCs and NPCs, it has to treat everyone the same from the very start, I guess. There was a horror story posted online: During the closed beta, a yer inappropriately touched a shopkeeper, thinking they were an NPC when they were actually a crafting-specialized yer. After that incident, no yer would sell that person any items for the rest of the closed beta. Switching gears, Wayne looked around at the prairie. He could vaguely make out a townscape far in the distance. Wayne had chosen one of the human countries, [Hiers], for his starting area. Hiers was a coastal country, but it had mountains and valleys as well. It thrived off its primary industries, farming in particr. It also had threerge rivers running through it, which it used for transporting and distributing lumber and minerals. The countrysrgest fishing harbor sat on one of these rivers, and it yed a crucial role in exporting crops and other products. The abundant riverhead and plentiful firewood also allowed cksmiths to flourish, so there really wasnt any industry that the countrycked. There werent any particrly wealthy residents, but neither was there extreme poverty. It was a stable country. Wayne picked this country partially for its stability, which meant it was quite safe, but also just because it was where he began back in the closed beta. It was a country that could easily support whatever activities a new yer might want to pursue, making it good for beginners, meaning a lot of yers started here. Wayne promptly took out a beginners one-handed sword from his inventory and fastened it to his waist. If he had learned [Shield] then he would have also received some kind of buckler, but in games like this it wasnt a good idea to start off burdening both hands at once. It was his style to choose only one thing to master at the beginning, anyway. Wayne had learned [One-Handed Sword], [Parry], and [Quick-Witted] for his starting skills, then put the rest of his points in STR and AGI. A stereotypical speed-based melee build. At some point he would learn some magic and aim to be something like a mage knight. To that end, he chose to be human for the bnced starting XP. ording to the tutorial, until he got to the city, Wayne as he was now should be able to easily defeat any monsters he encountered. As a new character, he would set himself up in that city and just work on earning XP and money for now. As he got closer to the city, he spotted a forest on the other side of it. Probably monster territory. Due to monster territory being so close, he also saw a sturdy wall separating the two. Wayne wasnt familiar with this particr city, but a yers starting location was chosen randomly, so that was just luck of the draw. If the country were poor or politically unstable, then it couldnt afford a wall, even to protect the city from monster territory. Or, the order to build a city wall wouldnt havee from the country itself. But Hiers wasnt like that. It would of course install a wall to defend against threats from monster territory; it would protect its borders as fervently as it did its capital. The forest was probably a good source of both XP and money. It was located in a beginner zone, after all. He didnt think thered be any particrly powerful monsters. Oops, its a Wild Rabbit. From its name and appearance, it really was just a wild hare, but hed take damage if he took it easy. He probably wouldnt die to it, but that mentality was also a form of hubris. With Waynes build and his own skill as a yer, he could probably avoid getting hit even if he only had starting equipment. The wild rabbit all of a sudden ttened itself against the ground. [Parry]! He timed his [Parry] to intercept the wild rabbit that had leaped at him. The skill either defended against an attack and dealt counterattack damage, or repelled the attack and caused the opponent to stumble. If [Parry] were sessful, the yer repelled, but if it failed, the yer only partially blocked. Here, the wild rabbits faltered, and it waspletely open to an attack from the side. Yes! Take this! Wayne stabbed his one-handed sword at the wild rabbit over and over, defeating it. A results screen appeared and awarded him a small amount of XP. At this rate, I dont know when Ill be able to learn some magic. Guess I really should get to town, set myself up, then go check out that forest. Earning XP was always a time consuming activity. In all the old MMORPGs, endgame content was just characters at max level farming for newer and better equipment and items, and those games focused all their efforts on extending the game in that manner. However, people began to tire of that gamey model andined that it alienated newer, younger gamers. At that time, VR technology had begun to make huge leaps in advancement, so gaming entered an age of fully immersive VR. There had already been a period where gamers yed games by actually moving their bodies, but the industry was looking for something new, in a different style from that. Then came the rise of games where the yer wasnt expected to y for a long time after hitting max level, but instead the very act of hitting max level required an enormously long time. As it so happens sometimes, there was even a period where lots of games had yers hit max level extremely quickly, but they died out simply because character progression was nd and uninteresting. With the advent of VR technology, games focusing on the journey of the character itself grew in poprity, and games that focused primarily on endgame content vanished. Influenced by that trend, todays hardcore gamers enjoyed very slowly taking tiny steps to earn experience points and level up their characters. Once I get to the city, the first thing Ill do is find an inn and rent out a room. Then Ill go to the sellsword guild and check if there are any quests in or around the forest After putting the wild rabbits carcass in his inventory, Wayne resumed his journey to the city. By the time he arrived, he had hunted several wild rabbits. Chapter 17: “The Sellsword Guild” The city was walled, so guards were stationed at the gates. They were there to keep criminals out, of course, but the walls primary purpose was to defend against monsters, so entrance procedures werent very strict. For Wayne, or really for any yers who didnt have any form of identification, they could enter as long as they didnt have any contraband in their possession. yers all had inventories, though, so they could get past that sole restriction with ease anyway. After asking the guards where to find a good inn, he began to make his way to that part of town. Now that he was inside the city, there shouldnt be any danger to his person, but he wanted to promptly update his respawn point. You generally respawned at thest ce you logged in, so he was nning to log out quick at the inn. The inn rmended by the guard was pretty rundown, but unlike NPCs, he wouldnt actually be sleeping there, and his belongings were stored in his inventory so they couldnt be stolen. Inns were also designated as safe zones, where thievery and other kinds of hostile actions couldnt be initiated. Finally, he didnt want to waste any money on his first inn anyway. After checking in, he found his room furnished with a wooden bed, straw mattress, threadbare nkets, and nothing else; the very picture of a cheap hotel room. From the perspective of the guard, Wayne was wearing a cheap shirt and pants, and he had a dull short sword; he was the perfect example of a newly minted warrior. Since the guard assumed that he probably didnt have any money, it was with all the best intentions that he rmended this inn. And that assumption wasnt wrong at all. Since Wayne did want to save money if at all possible, he really was thankful. Log out for a second, then immediately log back in. He had three days off starting tomorrow, so there was no need to worry about real life. This next-gen VR apparatus waspletely wireless, so he wouldnt even have to disconnect to eat or use the bathroom. That said, after spending three whole days ying, hed have to remember to do some light stretching and exercise before going in to work. As soon as he logged back in, Wayne immediately went to the sellsword guild to look for a quest. After getting directions from the innkeeper, he went down the main street to get there. He might be in the city, but he could still get into trouble if he ended up in the alleys or other less-frequented areas. In order to emerge unscathed from those kinds of encounters, hed need to be a bit stronger first. Knowing the way there, he wasnt in danger of getting lost. This being a city built at the border inside a wall, it required rather detailed blueprints, and its construction followed them to the letter. If he did get lost, he could just find his way back to the main street to regain his bearings. Since it was the middle of the day, the sellsword guild didnt have many sellswords at the moment. For normal businesses with daytime hours, most people would be working now. He headed to the counter to let them know hed be working out of this town for the foreseeable future. There wasnt any kind of registration. Sellswords were mostly ouws, in the first ce. They were prone to dying or deserting at the drop of a hat, so there was little value in overseeing their activities. Furthermore, rewards were all or nothing. If you didnt return sessful, even if you worked yourself to death in the process, you wouldnt get paid. Ignoring the fact that yers couldnt die. Next, Wayne asked about selling the wild rabbits he had killed on the road. The bodies could be sold as they were as materials, minus the fees for processing andmission. Normally, dead bodies would slowly degrade, so carrying them back like that would mean their price would drop like a rock. However, Wayne had stored them in his inventory, so they were still fresh. He pulled out five wild rabbit corpses and ced them on the counter. So yer a safeholder. Ya got a rare skill, ya do. The receptionist looked mildly surprised. NPCs rarely were born with a skill that they called a safe. It was essentially the same as the inventory that Wayne used. That meant that NPCs all recognized yers as people with this skill. Though actually, its not so much a rare phenomenon as its just the number of yers who can use inventory dwarf the number of NPCs who can. If the day came that he heard Ive been seeing a lot of folks like you recently, he was 100% sure that all those people would be other yers. After getting paid for the wild rabbits, he immediately went to find the quest board and browse the requests. The sellsword guild posted all the requests it received there. However, requests that were taken off the board by mercenaries were voided. They just had to confirm the request, report itspletion to the receptionist, and that was when the request would be taken down. Lucrative requests resulted in lots ofpetition, but there was no way to know if someone else was out there working on any given request. Thats why it was important to check the board before anyone else, and toplete requests before anyone else did. It wasnt rare for someone to spend a day working, thene back to find that someone else had alreadypleted a request they had tried to do. Unless it was a wholly unique job, it was best to find another, simr request that you could switch to if necessary. This being how requests worked, the clients also had to carefully consider how to designate the rewards. If the reward was high, it would naturally getpleted quickly, but splitting the reward into multiple requests could also result in immediate results. However, if the ensuing reward ended up too low, then themission fee could scare people away from taking it. It was hard to find the right bnce. There was even a demand for specialized reward brokers. Wayne wanted to find low-reward requests. Ones that had been posted some time ago. Those kinds of requests were unlikely to be undertaken by others. Apparently, requests that necessitated going near the forest were not very popr. How convenient. After leaving the sellsword guild, Wayne immediately set off for the forest. The guards warned him on the way out that the edge of monster territory was somewhere in the forest. Making up a random excuse to leave the city anyway, Wayne entered the forest. Even if monster territory began in the forest, it should just be a regr forest up until that point. The forest was dense and overgrown with trees, to the point that it was dim and gloomy in the middle of the day. He could only see his own footprints in the dirt, so he questioned whether the locals ever came here. While he wasnt exactly used to walking in forests, he did have some experience, so he was somehow able to work on his quests. Making it through the forest was a lot more trouble than Wayne had been imagining. He didnt think he would be able to get by with the equipment he had now. He needed a hatchet to clear the brush and vines, and he needed clothes that covered up more skin. His starting equipment would quickly fall apart at this rate. Having concluded that delving any deeper would be equivalent to suicide, Wayne decided to head back to the city for now. He couldnt finish any quests, but it should be fine to put them on hold for now. Until he saved up more money, he would return to that prairie to hunt more rabbits, and if possible, look for quests that could be done there as well. In the end, Wayne went back to the starting prairie and hunted another ten or so wild rabbits that day. Chapter 18: “Blanc New Game” Im trying something new, so I want to lookpletely different from the usual me. It was finally time for the open beta test of this highly anticipated game. Normally she wouldnt be interested, but because she unexpectedly had a huge block of free time, she thought shed try her hand at VR gaming, which she had always disliked for no real reason. This VR apparatus was normally reserved for healthcare purposes, but it could also be used for other things; she thought she might as well see how it worked for gaming, another reason to do it. She had heard that this game was revolutionarypared to all the VR games that hade before it. The game truly brings you to another world, or so all the famous celebrities imed. If she could really live in another world, then she wanted to see how a lifepletely different from the one she had led up until now yed out. With that thought in mind, she declined to let the avatar be generated from a full scan of her body and dove right into the character creator. Skeleton I wonder how thatll look. Maybe itll be cute. Ill pick that as my race Whoa, its really just all bones! Whered all the meat go?![2] For someone like her, who didnt game, she didnt really have a concrete concept of how skeleton would work as a race in a game. She didnt think it would literally be just a skeleton. However, this was a rare chance to try something new. She may not have realized it at the start, but now it was the race that she had chosen. It might have felt a little too foreign at first, but as far as different from the usual her went, nothing could be more different than this. All right! Ill be a skeleton! After picking a race, next was configuring skills. That said, she had no idea what skills were good in games. I wonder what skills would be good for a skeleton Ive got no clue Ah, itd be cool to be able to use magic. Lets learn some. Since I have no idea whats good, Ill just pick whatever sounds neat instead. She went to the trees for [Fire Magic], [Water Magic], [Wind Magic], [Earth Magic], [Ice Magic], and [Lightning Magic], and learned one skill from each. I still have some XP left Ah, since Im a skeleton, I got an extra 100 XP! Cool beans~. All right, lets use the rest on my stats. Magic probably gets better with this INT one? Then Ill just use it all on INT, since its my leftover XP anyway. And so, she finished creating her character. My name will be Lets go with [nc]! Ive got beautiful white skin after all. Cuz its really just bones. Next, nc chose to start in a cave in monster territory, then logged in. After sitting through the tutorial, nc spawned in a dark, wet cave surrounded by natural stone walls. Dark was a bit of an understatement, though, since there was absolutely no light, making it pitch ck. For nc, though, it really was only dark due to the effect of her [Skeleton] race special ability [Night Vision]. ording to the tutorial support AI, apparently new yers would spawn somewhere with enemies that they could defeat. nc decided to first find the entrance to the cave. However, since she had no idea where it could be, she just picked a random direction and started walking. Having never been in a natural cave before, neither in real life nor in VR, she kept tripping on various objects. After several minutes of walking, the road split: on one side, the cave continued as normal; on the other, it turned into a passage, or more like a tunnel, that was so small that shed need to crawl on her hands and knees to keep going. However, the tunnel looked smooth and slippery, like it was clearly trying to say that it led somewhere. After pondering for a moment, nc chose the suspicious tunnel. This was her first game, after all. She wanted to make choices that she absolutely never would under normal circumstances. The floor of the tunnel was smooth as well, so crawling on it didnt hurt. However, she should feel some pain simply from crawling while supporting her own body weight. Her knees and palms should have turnedpletely red as well. Fortunately, she currently had a body of bones; she felt lighter than she normally was, had no skin that could be harmed, and had no muscles to get sore. nc patted herself on the back for being insightful enough to choose to be a skeleton as she continued ttering down the tunnel. The cramped tunnel finally ended, and she found herself in a ce that was just barely high enough to walk. I seem to have reached some kind of room There was an ant here. But it was about the size of a Shiba Inu. Eee And it wasnt alone. Three ants turned toward nc and began to approach her, their antennae constantly flicking around. They would normally have just been ck silhouettes in the darkness, but with her Night Vision, nc could see them looking right at her. She recognized something about them; she had seen something simr before in the VR library, in the pages of an illustrated reference book depicting insects from the far past: the face of a ho. GYAAAAAAAAAH!!! nc screamed reflexively. The ants interpreted the screaming as hostile and rushed to attack her. Ah, fuck! This aint no time for screaming! Monsters! I-I need to attack, um, magic The ants were fast, but not so fast that nc wouldnt be able to react in time. As long as she calmed down, she should be able to cast her magic. However, the ants got to her first since nc wasted too much time calming herself down. While she was going over how to cast magic in her head, the ants were already chomping at her legs. Waaah, the ants are eating me! The ants mercilessly crunched on ncs leg bones. The dog-sized ants hadrge pincers, while her boney legs were quite skinny. They vigorously broke off one of her legs and chewed on it in their mouths. The games default settings filtered out most of the pain, but seeing her own leg being held aloft in the jaws of giant ants was a brand new, horrifying experience. And even if there was barely any pain, the sensation of having her bones being attacked directly was unforgettable on a primal level. Ohshitohshitstopitstopit! nc tried to somehow kick off the ants, but since she was all bone, her kicks didnt have much effect; the ants jaws actually dug further into her leg, causing her even more damage. After she kicked again, a different ant mped onto her remaining leg, causing her to fall over. Agh! Eh? As though waiting for ncs head to drop down, thest ant pointed its butt at her curled-up body. Or wait, since this was an insect, it wasnt its butt, but rather its abdomen? Hol Wai The ant sprayed a foul-smelling liquid from the stinger at the end of its abdomen connected to its poison sac, and it sshed all over ncs upper half. Her body began letting off unhealthy-looking streams of smoke as it dissolved. Ugeh ncs field of vision faded to ck. In the total darkness, the only thing she could see was a message apanied by what looked like a timer steadily counting down. <> Ah, so I died But for real, having my legs bitten off and getting sprayed in the face with acid is way too hardcore! Why the hell does it feel so realistic?! It didnt really hurt, but still This could really fuck someone up in the head! Wow, this game is haaard Youve gotta be good to y this. Or maybe I just really suck. But well, it might be gross, but its not like super painful or hard or anything; if I think of it like paying for my own mistakes, then I guess I just gotta get over it She had gotten confused when the first other living thing she encountered in the gamesetting aside the question of whether a skeleton was livingwas suddenly so hostile to her. Now that she could consider things rationally, though, she just felt frustrated, thinking to herself I should have done this at that point or I shouldve been more like that. All right, if I wait and revive here, the ants will probably attack me again, so respawn? That way Id return to where I first started. Ah, I wonder if theres some kind of penalty for dying. Before she respawned, she should check out the Help for details on the death penalty. Looks like if you die and the system determines that you need to be respawned, you lose 10% of your XP. Thats harsh! Ah, but if your total XP is low enough, then there is no penalty. Lets see, the max amount with no penalty is 200 XP Skeletons are right on the line, huh. If goblins die once, then theyll end up weaker than they started. Ew. Monster races took on demerits to start with more XP, but youd lose all that if you messed up even once. Pretty crazy. I guess skeletons really are the best. So Ill just respawn there. After a moment of dizziness, nc was once more standing in the cave where she first woke up. This time Ill be more careful or rather, this time I wont go into that tunnel. I bet Im not supposed to go that way until I get stronger, yep. TL notes: Hoo boy. Japanese puns. [1]: Stereotypical L/R joke that only makes sense in Japanese. The characters name is ֥, which can be read as Bran or n. The title of the chapter is clearly a riff on Brand New Game, but the naming joke is because she went with nc, as in French for white, which is why she jokes about having white skin. [2]: Ȥ󡭡äƤʤʤ󤫤襤푤NϤǡäƹǤ ˤƤ̤Ǥ磡 Literally: Sukeruton (skeleton) I wonder what that is. It sounds kinda cute. Ill pick that as my race Wait, its just bones! Even if its supposed to be see-through (sukeru/͸), this is a bridge too far! It would have been hard to think of a joke revolving around misreading skeleton without making her sound incredibly stupid or like illiterate, and I didnt want to go back and change the race name for the sake of this one joke, so I just avoided it altogether and relegated the exnation to TL notes! Chapter 19: “The Strongest Monster: The Ant” Before nc went back out into the cavern, she wanted to make sure she knew how to cast magic. She wanted to be ready to fire some off at a moments notice, so she would be a lot more cautious while walking around this time. She couldnt tell the difference between the walls, so she just picked one and followed it. nc wanted to go in the opposite direction from the first time, but all she did was go in the opposite direction of where she was looking when she respawned, so she didnt actually know if this was the way she really wanted to go or not. She progressed a lot more slowly, taking much more time than before. When she finally hit a fork in the road The tunnel from before Ah, wait,st time the tunnel was on the left, but this time its on the right If she had identally ended up going the same way asst time, then the tunnel should be on the same side as it was before. But if she had gone in the opposite direction, and the tunnel was on the opposite side, that would mean that based on the way she was facing now, the ant colony should be on the right half of the cave. So I should keep going into the left half. Doing her best not to look into the side tunnel, nc chose the left fork. But as soon as she got close to the tunnel, a familiar foul smell tickled her nose. Ah. Acid poured over her from the side. She lost all feeling in her body, and, unable to stay standing, she ttered down into a sitting position. Even more acid rained down on her head, and ncs vision went dark. <> For real? Even though she did her best to avoid the ant nest, if she were to encounter an ant, she had been prepared to st it instantly. She never imagined that she could die immediately from a surprise attack, though. Those ants are really bloodthirsty, huh Now that it hade to this, she should just aggressively dive into their nest and kill them all, otherwise shed never get out of here. Having made that determination, nc psyched herself up as she epted the system respawn. Huh? There was an ant right in front of her. A monster was suddenly at her original spawn point. Apparently that could happen. However, nc was done being caught off guard. She instantly switched gears and cast her first magic spell. Its just an ant! All right, [re Arrow]! Right after she shouted the activation keyword, an arrow made of fire materialized right before her eyes and flew straight at the ant she targeted. The arrow pierced through the ants head, then congrated its entire body. Once the fire burned itself out, only the ants abdomen remained. Magic is he awesome I burned one of those super strong ants to cinders with just one attack The ashes smelled kind of weird, but nc approached them to survey the remains. I thought there would be uh drops? or whatever, monster materials, but maybe that spell was overkill But wow, this smell. Its the same as the smell as from grilling dried squid. Man, there might be no pain in this game, but it sure just shits out trauma For the time being, nc decided to just store the ants abdomen in her inventory. The acid that had melted her twice should be in that part. No reason to throw it away if it could turn out to be usefulter. In any case, she discovered an effective method of fighting ants. Shoot [re Arrows] from outside the range of their acid. As long as she had MP, it should work. Kill them before they kill me was the attitude she adopted. The current question was where to go from here. No matter which way she went, the ant nest would be connected. Although since she did n to actually kill all the ants, then it didnt matter which way she picked. nc decided to stop worrying too much about it. She just picked a direction randomly and started walking. Before long, she spotted a tunnel to the left. She approached it cautiously, then nervously peeked inside. There were no ants. So now, nc was conflicted. Since the coast was clear right now, she wanted to keep going. But these bastards had already killed her twice. She wasnt sure if she should just let that pass. When she had respawned the second time, she thought about proactively going into the tunnel and wiping them all out. If instead she ignored them and continued on, she couldnt be sure that she wouldnt run into the nest againter. She might even start jumping at shadows. nc decided to take the tunnel. The same one as the first time, except this time she would be on her guard while she crawled. She should being up on a chamber soon. She was thinking about what magic she should use when she saw a bunch of ants waiting at the entrance to the room. Ah, crap Her only option was to retreat. However, she couldnt turn around in this cramped tunnel. As she kept her eyes on the ants in front of her, she slowly began to crawl backward. Clonk. Her bony rear hit something hard. She gingerly turned her neck to look behind her. What her butt had hit was an ants head. Well obviously! What else could it have been?! <> <> It was an ambush. So they could do that too. Now that she thought about it, the AI person from the tutorial did say something about the system seeing yers, NPCs, and monsters as the same. The monster AI was probably learning and developing countermeasures. She was dying in the same general area over and over, so they came up with strategies to deal with that. She should probably just forget about the tunnel. In the first ce, when she respawned the first time, she did consider that it was an area that required her to be stronger to go in. That was what she had originally thought, unrted to the ants. Obviously, if she encountered any anyway, that was another story. She had to kill or be killed. How many times had she epted the respawn now? And of course, an ant was already waiting there right before her eyes. I knew this would happen! [re Arrow]! However, that wasnt the only ant here. I thought this might happen! [re Arrow]! Huh?! I cant cast it! Why not?! Ah, theres a cooldown. <> <> Uuuuugh Isnt this game just way too hard? What am I supposed to do? This time, nc decided not to respawn right away and started looking into how to cast magic spells in session. She needed to wait an hour to respawn anyway, so it should be fine to do some research in the meantime. nc opened up the games official socialworking site. It had a bulletin board system, which was pretty rare these days. She didnt know what the term meant, though. Probably a board where things were bulletined or something. She looked for threads on the bulletin board that were about magic. Some were started by yers who did a lot of testing, and those threads got a lot of replies. She searched for ones that exined continuous casting. ording to a yer who went by the weird moniker nameless elf, you cant use the same spell multiple times in a row, but you can cast a different spell right away. However, if you do, the first spells cooldown will be paused until the second spell has cooled down. In other words, if you cast a [re Arrow] followed by [Ice Bullet], where each spell had a cooldown of five seconds, [re Arrow] couldnt be used again until ten seconds after the original [re Arrow] had been cast, it seemed. How confusing. But well, I guess I get it. Since I learned six different kinds of magic, that means I could cast up to six spells in a row. Some of her spells trees didnt include any offensive magic, but she was still capable of an attack barrage of five. She was starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel now. If she coordinated her cooldowns correctly, and she tried to fight a group of ants while running away, she probably wouldnt die immediately. Even if this n didnt work, she had already lost the XP for killing the one ant to the death penalty. She had nothing left to lose. All riiight! Ill give it a try! A penta-cast! She was psyching herself up out loud, but in her head she was still calmly working out the order for casting each spell and the timing and such while preparing to ept the respawn. <> Huh? Eh? nc had been staring at the word respawn for so long that she started to experience Gestaltzerfall. Once she could see again, she looked around but didnt recognize the area. It was certainly some kind of cave, but it was much more spacious than the ce where she had been respawning all this time. Where is this? She didnt actually know where the first cave was anyway, but she did at least recognize that this was a different cave. She could tell the color of the rock face was different, among other things. Or more like, how did my spawn point end up in someone elses area? Chapter 20: “Lesson” Before just now, she should have been able to respawn without problem. There had been ants everywhere, though, so she wasnt actually respawningpletely problem-free. But still, now its someones private area so I cant respawn anymore. I had only been looking at the message board for like twenty minutes, and in that time, someone did they buy a whole plot ofnd, including that cave? Or like, can you buynd? Once I get better at this game, I totally want to buy a house for me to rest my bones. But that first cave should have had a ton of ants in it. Can you buynd even when theres still monsters there? If so, then as long as you had enough money, you could beat all those monsters without fighting. If you had the budget of a country at your disposal, then you could just buy up all thend in order to get rid of monster territory. However, the human countries and the monster territories were constantly fighting fornd. Normally youd think that if someone were already there, then you cant just be the owner of that area. That means that in the however long I was dead, someone was able to kill off all the ants? Was something like that even possible? Even if there were yers who had started the instant the game became avable, the game had only been out for about half a day. She didnt think anyone could possibly get strong enough to farm those super-strong ants in such a short amount of time. Ahh, I get it. There might be people whove been living in this world all along who are that strong. I just assumed it was a yer, but I guess NPCs can also have personal areas. Or like, if NPCs can do it, then monsters should be able to do it too; maybe the ants themselves were the ones who had owned the ce first. If they were like regr ants, then it wouldnt be strange for there to be a queen ant. The ants could have been in the process of taking control of the cave at the queens orders. nc could have been an intruder that happened to suddenly appear out of nowhere. Then, while she was dead, their extermination force could have eliminated all other remaining enemies, turning the cave into the ants territory and thus rendering nc unable to spawn. That seems like the most likely exnation. But this happened while I was trying to ept the rez, meaning my corpse should have been there. I wonder what would happen if someone rezzed me after the ants had taken control of the zone nc tried to look it up in the Help documentation, but she couldnt figure out which section might have the answer. The Help consoles suggested questions spanned too many different categories, and her vague search terms werent enough to lead her to an appropriate Help topic. Lets just try conditions for resurrection first. Go. The conditions to resurrect were:
  1. The target must have died within thest hour.
  2. The target has not been rezzed too many times.
  3. There must be at least 50% of the corpse remaining.
  4. The resurrection cannot take ce in a no-rez area.
Im curious about the third and fourth conditions She wasnt sure if there was more than 50% of her corpse remaining. nc couldnt remember which attack ended up being the fatal one, but since she died almost instantly, she doubted it had been a biting attack. If it was acid, then depending on how many ants had done the deed, it was possible for less than half of her body to be left after a number of seconds had passed. She didnt know how to tell if an area didnt allow resurrection, but it was possible that after the ants conquered the cave, it turned into a no-rez area. nc had killed two ants, though, and she was pretty sure they couldnt respawn without limit. However, the zone deration only specified resurrections, so enemy respawns were probably unaffected. But then yeah, over half of ncs corpse was missing, so the system identification should have updated the ssification from ncs Corpse to ncs Drops. The system message said One hour until automatic resurrection, but if someone tried to rez her, theyd probably get some kind of error. It was possible for her to receive a rez, but she wasnt necessarily eligible to be rezzed. Since nc didnt leave any items behind, the ants conquest conditions were met, and the cleared cave became their territory. Something like that probably happened Dammit, I swear Ill go clean out that ant nest once I get stronger. That said, she had no idea how far away her current cave was from the ant nest. Before she powered up, she needed to get the basics of the game down first. Lacking that foundation was one of the reasons she kept dying to ants, you could say. ncs only weapon was magic. She thought that using [Fire Magic] on the ants had been overkill, and maybe early enemies had a weakness that let her take them down in one attack. But she had to avoid letting her guard down. She couldnt forget this lesson she had learned from the ants. Ive already gotten in the habit, so I should be ready to instantly cast [re Arrow]. All right then, first it was ants, whats next? Regaining her focus, nc started cautiously exploring this cave. It was more expansive and well-lit than the ants nest. Just like before, though, her Night Vision was doing a lot of work, so it was probably actually rather dark. If I conquer this ce, I wonder if I can make it my own base? Its nice and bright here, so itd be neat if I could. Her current goal was to take over this cave. As long as there were no other yerspeting for it, it shouldnt be impossible for her. Also, as long as the monsters werent ants. As nc walked through the cave, the decor suddenly changed. In particr, the walls changed from bare, natural rock face to something man-made. Looking at it, the stone structure seemed very old, since it was full of holes and gaps and covered in moss here and there. This feels like some kind of ruin. Im d its not another ant nest, but I wonder what kind of animals live in ruins. Even though this was a starting area, its not like the possible enemies were limited only to wild animals, but the ants left such a strong impression that nc could now only imagine monsters based on real animals. Plus she got freaked out, screamed at them, couldnt react in time, and ended up dead. She felt so immature. Ah, somethings here Uwah! Bodies?! Are these zombies?! Gyah! Gross! Stop making me fight shit that bites!!! <> Chapter 21: “Wasp Girl” After taking care of some chores, she logged back in. She opened her characters eyes and saw the exact same scene before her that she had seen when she had logged out. She had been logged off for about an hour. The queen was still covered in ice; the surface of her body looked very slightly wet, but that was probably due to condensation rather than from the ice starting to melt. The queens status was currently listed as [Frozen]. Youre already up, Boss. You all right with that short a nap? Hello, Kerry. Yes, I do not need all that much sleep. But sometimes I do sleep for much longer. There might be times where she has something suddenlye up and cannot log in. She couldnt think of anything specific that mighte up at the moment, though. Rare asked if anything had happened while she was asleep. Apparently, Remy had gone back to check on Hakuma and the rest of the wolves. She was on her way back here now. The wolves were just resting back in the cave. In other words, in thest hour, her followers still had new experiences, and not only that, while their master was logged out, they could still act freely ording to their own judgment. Thinking about it, while the yer was logged out, their character was left behind sleeping. It wouldnt really make sense for the followers to disappear. Followers were also living residents of this world. In which case, while the yer was logged out, maybe it was possible for the followers to go grinding for XP. Inconceivablewas this a way to officially bot? If it was, it would probably get patched immediately. Shed just have to try it out. She didnt particrly want to exploit the game or anything. If there were legitimate means to aplish that within the game, though, then it was simply another way to enjoy the game. She had no malicious intentions. Kerry, sorry to ask so suddenly, but please go out to the forest and find anything really, a small animal, and hunt it for me. Im going to doze again for a little bit. Ill try to wake up after about the same amount of time, so just stand by after that in the cave until I do. Sure thing, Boss. Is it all right if I bring the others with me? Yes, of course. I dont mind if you ask Hakuma and the other wolves to apany you either. You can hunt whatever you like, but if youre going with Hakuma, then you can aim for bigger prey. Just dont bite off more than you can chew. In that case, if Hakuma cane, maybe well go for something around the same size as that boar we killed. Ill leave it to you. Oh, one moment. I want to speak to Remy. What is it, Boss? Ahh, Remy. I have another job Id like you to do. Rare brought up Remys skill screen and had her learn [Leathercraft]s [Tanning] skill. She then took out the boar hide from her inventory andid it out before Remy. I think you understand already, but youve learned the [Leathercraft] skill, Remy. You should now know how best to treat this hide, yes? Aah Yes, Boss. I got it. I have to Good. Do you need any tools? Itd be nice if I had some but I can do it without any, probably. She could even tan it without any special tools; how conveniently magical these skills were. Well then, while Im sleeping, please go ahead and take care of that. Its fine if youre not done by the time I wake up, its more important to do it correctly. Can you do that? Yes, Boss. Well then, I shall once again go to sleep, for about the same amount of time as before. All right then, Kerry, Remy, Ill leave it to you. Okay. Yeah, I got it, Boss. An hourter, Rare logged in again. Wee back, Boss. It was Remy. There was a beautiful boar rugid out on the ground. Hello, Remy. I take it that you finished tanning the hide? Yes, Boss. It took a lot less time than I thought it would, so I was watching Boss sleep. Oh, how embarrassing Did I do anything strange? You breathe real quiet. Oh, and your eyshes are really long. It really seemed like Remy just watched her sleep. However, if an NPC had been staring at her and didnt notice anything off, then it really was true that the yers character just slept the entire time. This was an unexpected finding. Kerrys group is still out? Yeah. Should I go check? No, its fine. Im sure theyre on their way back. In the meantime It was about time she gave the queen a name. Along with that, Rare would teach Remy [Fire Magic] so that the queen could be melted. It seemed the person herselfthe ant herself was just patiently waiting as she melted, but while Rare did start to feel bad about her frozen state, in truth she was just getting sick of how cold the room was. Queen, your name is [Sugaru]. The queen couldnt move, but Rare could tell that she had epted the name. A sugaru is not an ant or a ho, but the Japanese word for the red-banded sand wasp, which also goes by the name jigabachi. However, jigabachi was also an old term for women with attractively thin waists. It seemed like a fitting moniker for a queen. Rare herself used to affectionately be called wasp girl by her grandparents; she wasnt sure how old they had to have been to use that term. You really shouldnt give children pet names based on trivia thats so far removed from current modern sensibilities. Next, she acquired [Fire Magic] for Remy. Remy, this is your reward for your leatherwork. This is magic? I get to use it too You did a wonderful job, Remy. Now, theres no need to wait, why dont you try it out right away? Rare took hold of Remys hand and brought her before Sugaru. Here, if you use [Heat], you can melt Sugaru from her Frozen state. Be gentle with it at first. Since she also gave Remy [Magical Affinity: Fire] at the same time, Remy probably wouldnt mess up, but Rare still cautioned her to be careful. Remy timidly began to cast [Heat] on Sugaru. If everything went well, all the other ants in the room could be freed in order as well. Even if they had to wait for Remys MP to regenerate, it would be faster than letting them melt naturally. Ah, Boss. Looks like Kerry and the others are back. Even while casting [Heat], Remy was still able to make use of her exceptional hearing. Since it was probably way too far away to hear normal sounds at the cave entrance from here, Kerry had probably shouted that she was back or something. Please continue to take care of Sugaru like that, Remy. I will go greet the others. Rare made her way out to the main cave by crawling on her hands and knees through the tight tunnels. There, Kerry and the other girls were butchering their catch. It looked like some kind of tanuki. Probably. This thing sure isrge. The tanuki was about the same size as that boar from before. Considering how dense the trees grew in this forest, she wondered how all these giant beasts lived here. This was a veryrge forest, though, so maybe in the deeper parts, the trees werent as close together and huge animals could livefortably. Perhaps only the outer edges of the forest were dense. Although youd normally think itd be the opposite. Were back, Boss. Whaddaya think? Big, right? Yes, its amazing. Where did you find it? Somewhere far? Rare wanted to estimate the rough distance from the response. It probably wasnt too far away. Nah, we brought it down pretty close to here, actually. We couldnt really find anything good to hunt. When we finally found something, I guess we ended up chasing it all the way here. We just finished it off a bit ago We took too long, didnt we Kerry finished apologetically. Rare lifted a hand and waved it in a dont worry about it! kind of way as she pulled up everyones skill windows. The reason she guessed that they mustve killed it near here was because of this screen. When she had logged back in, it was very clear that nothing was earned from tanning the boar hide since she had the same amount of XP as when she had logged out. However, when she opened the skill window to teach Remy [Fire Magic], she had suddenly gained more XP. That was probably the moment that Kerrys group had killed the tanuki. This incident had established that when a yer logged out, their followers could act independently afterward, and they could receive and follow orders beforehand. While they could aplish tasks during this time, no XP would be earned for it. In all likelihood, as soon as they became followers, they lost the ability to earn XP for themselves. Instead, they receive XP from their leader, and their feats be the leaders feats. As a result, when the leader, the XP receptacle, is logged out, no one can earn XP during that time. Her dreams of officially sanctioned botting had been splendidly crushed. Well, not that she was expecting it to work in the first ce. However, as far as farming money goes, that should still work. In fact, both Remy and Kerrys group had produced something of mary value. Not only that, if she gave them tasks that would require time toplete while logged out, thenter logged in with the right timing, it was even possible to level up while sleeping. Not that levels existed. However, to actually make such a system effective, she would need to do a lot of testing regarding exactly what kind of orders she gave and how long theyd take toplete. And while doing all that, it would be best to determine the most efficient ways to earn money and XP. Now that she had so many followers, Rare needed to earn huge amounts of XP. It wasnt something that absolutely needed to be done at any cost, but she did want to be as efficient as possible. Kerry, the feat of hunting this tanuki deserves a reward. I saw the hide that Remy tanned earlier, and it was wonderfully done. So, Remy has already been rewarded, but now all of you will also be granted the gift of magic. Rare had Kerry learn the [Lightning Magic], [Magical Affinity: Lightning], and [Thunderbolt] skills, then she had Riley learn the [Water Magic], [Magical Affinity: Water], [Wash], and [Water Shot] skills. Ooh Its finally my turn to get magic B-Boss, you gave me three spells, are you sure about that?! Ah, well, one of them was [Wash] after all I didnt want you to think to yourself Thats it? Here, Marion, you as well. She next had Marion learn [Ice Bullet]. Now she just had to find a reason to have Remy learn [re Arrow], and all of them would have some kind of offensive magic spell at their disposal. Thank you, Boss! With this, next time I fight the ant queen, I can beat her by myself maybe? Sugaru was still quite a bit stronger than Marion, but if she got a preemptive attack off, she might have a chance. Right now, Sugaru didnt have any long-range attacks. When she had Remy learn [re Arrow], Sugaru should also be given something too. However, Sugarus build made her pretty unsuited for meleebat. Her style was more to send out her ants. In that case, maybe giving her a skill to buff her own subordinates would be more effective. In any case, Rare had need of a lot of XP. After the ants had all thawed out, she would consult with Sugaru and formte a n for this area. The cave needed to be modified so that it was a little morefortable for humans and ice wolves, and she wanted to teach the catkin girls more about etiquette. There were just so many things to do. Chapter 22: “Inventory” Oh, thats right, Boss, that uh in-vin-tor-ee thing from before, tell us more about it. Ah, yes, thats right. Damn, she actually remembered. Its probably because her INT went up. But what Rare had said before was just something random she concocted because she didnt feel like exining it. If we could use it too, then we coulda brought this thing back without damaging its hide. Now that she looked at it more closely, there were many little tears in the tanuki all running in the same direction. Since it was evenrger than Hakuma, they probably had to drag it back here. True, if they had ess to an inventory, that would solve this problem perfectly. If all the girls had an inventory, the convenience would be immeasurable. However, the inventory was part of the game system. yers could use it right from the start, but NPCs could not. For the time being, she could just describe how it felt for her when she used her inventory. If they were unable to understand it, she could think about having them learn [Space Magic] sometime down the line. Not that [Space Magic] had been confirmed to have any particr rtion; it was unclear if there was a skill that functioned simrly to the yer inventory. Let me see I think I said before, but its like theres an invisible bag thats either right next to me or kind of ovepping my body. I open the mouth of the bag in the palm of my hand, then I can put whatever I want into it. If its too big and I dont think I can put it in, then I can do this and cover it with the bag. While exining, Rare put the tanuki pelt into her inventory. And like so, it goes in. No need to use force. The bags mouth is veryrge, very flexible, and, well, its just a very convenient thing to have. Its something that couldnt possibly exist in real life; it could only be actualized in a game. Trying to be any more specific would be difficult. Rare felt that her own exnation became increasingly vague and useless the more she talked, but there was no real other way to exin it. She really had no idea what she was talking about anymore, but if she thought of it as deepening her bonds with her followers, then it didnt feel so bad. Vowf! All of a sudden, Hakuma barked. Rare blinked in dumbfoundment. The meat that had beenid out right in front of him was gone. He didnt eat it did he? Yeah, thats not Huh? What the hell? Did he really eat it all? Just as she was about to shout at him in anger, the meat appeared in front of Hakuma. She could scarcely believe her eyes, but it looked like he had just taken it out from his inventory. An NPCor actually, an ice wolf would probably be ssified as a regr monsterhad just figured out how to ess its own inventory. Hey look! I can do it too! Marion cried out next. The white cylindrical things she presumed were the tanukis bones were blinking in and out of existence. Rare was having trouble following the situation, but if she suppressed hermon sense, then if Hakuma was able to do it, it would follow that Marion could too. The system didnt discriminate between NPCs and monsters, after all. She was still reeling in confusion, but Rare started to feel more excited than she ever had before. It wasmon sense for only yers to have ess to an inventory. However, no yer had ever proven that to be an absolute fact. Normally, one could not prove that something was absolutely impossible. This was the so-called Devils Proof. There was always the possibility that someone out there could do the impossible but pretended that they couldnt. During the closed beta, whenever a yer used their inventory, the NPCs always reacted in surprise, saying Ive never met someone who could do that. That was why yers always believed that only yers were able to use that system. And truly, no one had ever met an NPC who could use their own inventory. However, while no one had encountered an NPC who could use it, that didnt preclude the existence of one who could. The idea that only yers had inventories was not only held by yers, but by all the NPCs as well. It was justmon sense. But the catkin girls were different. They had never been taught that fact. Thats why they expressed interest in Rares use of the inventory and asked to be shown how to use it themselves. After arriving at this conclusion, Rare felt a shock akin to being smacked in the face. Words she had heard before suddenly came to mind. Those all-important words that the tutorial support AI had imparted: To the system, the only difference between PCs and NPCs is whether or not they can receive system messages. Rare thought those words were meant to encourage yers to be ethical. But she was wrong. They meant exactly what they said. Anything yers could do, NPCs could also do, and even monsters could do. While Rare was still frozen in shock, Marion and Hakuma were showing off their inventory skills while trying to exin it at the same time. Hmmm I kinda get it and I kinda dont So frustrating, man. I totally dont understand anything youre saying. Can you start over one more time? As Rare collected herself and observed the others, she suddenly had an epiphany. Hakuma and Marion could use inventory. Since they were able to use it right after Rare exined, to them, her exnation shouldnt have been that difficult to understand. So why couldnt Riley or Kerry do it? And not just them, Ginka was being shown by Hakuma, but it was clear that she felt bewildered and a little bit irritated. The wolf pups had all just given up and were ying with the tanuki bones. They had licked all the little bits of meat clinging to them clean off. Since Hakuma and Marion could use it, that at least proved that both monsters and NPCs were capable of essing their own inventory. That didnt necessarily mean that every character had the capability as well, but if not, then what was the difference? Even though neither of them could do it, as far as Rare could tell, she believed that Kerry and Riley probably had some variance in theirprehension. Perhaps there was a condition that needed to be met. Rare checked her followers stats. This was probably it. If it was due to ack of sufficientprehension, then the ones who could use it and the ones who couldnt should have a difference in stats. And that should be INT. Currently, the two with the most were Marion and Hakuma, who had the same INT value. Next was Rare, but her inclusion wasnt necessary right now, so the next after that were Riley and Remy, then Ginka, followed by Sugaru. Kerry, a moment? Sorry, Boss, even though you tried to teach us No, dont worry about it. But I thought I would help you out a bit. Since Rare was a yer, she couldnt test it on herself, so for the time being she raised Kerrys INT up to the same as her own. Now, can you try again? What do you think? Can you do it now? Ah Compared to before, its But, it still feels like Im not there yet, like I just need a bit more Looks like she had found the answer. Rare increased Kerrys INT to be the same as Marions. Ah! I get it now! I need to do this! Thats what I needed! I got it, Boss! Yes, well done! It was worth spending the time to teach you. Next is Riley and Ginka. Can youe here for a second? This was it. What allowed NPCs to use the inventory was a high INT stat. However, if that were the only condition, then a lot of NPCs would naturally have figured it out on their own. Since she hadnt heard of that being the case, either all the ones who could use it were keeping their mouths shut, or there was another condition that needed to be met. If it were the former, then any NPCs with high INT would try things out when they first encountered it; but if it were thetter, the possibilities she identified as most valid were either they must be a yers follower or someone who can use the inventory has to exin to them how to use it. Or perhaps there was a condition of after learning how to use it, you have to truly believe you yourself can do it too. And when all the right conditions were met, then NPCs could also ess their own inventories. No matter what the specifics might be, at present, there was nothing left to investigate. Once Sugaru waspletely melted, Rare would have to meet up with her and Remy to raise their INT and teach them how to use the inventory. Chapter 23: “The Future Direction of the In-Game Economy (Maybe)” Hakuma was left in charge of the tanukis meat; Rare told him the wolves could just use whatever they needed for food, then she and the catkin girls crawled back into the ant nest. They returned to the (provisional) queens room, where Sugaru, who waspletely thawed, and Remy were waiting together. Marion immediately went to brag to Remy about being able to use inventory. While watching them out of the corner of her eye, Rare dumped a bunch of XP into Remys and Sugarus INT stats. How about you try it too, Remy? Marion, why dont you teach her how. It was a good opportunity to see if Remy could sessfully ess her inventory with Marions instructions. At first, the expression she made screamed what the hell is this girl talking about?, but after seeing Marion manipte her inventory a number of times, it immediately clicked for her. The hypothesis that anyone could exin how to use the inventory seemed increasingly likely. Furthermore, seeing someone use it before their very eyes was probably also necessary for learning how to use it. If those were the only conditions, then it would be possible to learn just from watching an exnation from afar. If that were the case, then pretty soon, as more yers interacted with more NPCs, there was a chance that the number of NPCs who could use the inventory would increase. If that came to pass, what kind of effect would that have? First, the logistics industry would copse. Just talking about luggage, having even a single capable person would be more than sufficient, so horse carriage demand would probably drop like a rock. After carriages, anything rted to logistics would suffer irreparable damage, transportation costs would fall dramatically, and even costs of living would decrease. It would probably cause historic detion. Fresh ingredients could be transported to any location regardless of the distance. Any rted services that were valued due to their speed would lose that value. Foodstuffs as a whole would drop in price as a result, aside from any that were naturally limited in avability. Next, the efficiency of mercenaries hunting monsters would skyrocket. Currently, they had to butcher their prey on the spot and only carry what little they could back to town to sell. But now, they could bring the entire corpse back with them. Because there was no cost to transporting food and water, there would be no need to pace military campaigns, so no matter how long the journey, no matter how much they hunted, logistics would never be the cause of failure. Supply trains would cease to exist as a concept altogether. And that moved the theorizing to military matters. Whichever country implemented inventories into their armies first would gain the initiative in controlling the continent, and the entire continent would be engulfed in war. With regards to the construction industry, only a single person would be needed to move around any amount of stone and lumber. Expensive furniture would never get damaged in transit either. It would benefit the fishing industry, too; the amount of fish that could be caught at once no longer relied on the size of the boat. Even the farming industry would be affectedwhenever there was a bumper crop, freshly harvested produce could be shipped out at a moments notice. Taken to its extreme, it would be beyond simple tomit tax fraud; it was impossible to interact with anything that was stored in someone elses inventory. And what Rare suddenly realized was along the same lines, but on apletely different scale. After all, with an inventory, one could even argue that a person technically wouldnt even need a home, meaning they wouldnt neednd at all anymore. Without being bound by the shackles ofnd ownership, people wouldnt need to be bound to countries either, and that would cause the economy to copse. Gold would lose its value, and trading would have to be done via jewels and precious metals. If things devolved that far, then no one would befortable with their personal information being avable to the general public. Most people would still have some kind of profession, but it would bemon sense topletely hide it from others. If your assets and home were both hidden, the only form of tax that could be collected was a poll tax. But without a permanent residence, the country couldnt ascertain if someone was a citizen or a visitor from abroad, so even that would be hard to collect. Anything that was out in the open could be wlessly stolen by anyone, and thered be no way to prove it one way or the other. And if no one ever took anything out of their inventories, then jewel trades would need to be conducted with trustworthy documents of guarantee. However, until such a system of documentation was developed and became reliable enough, the simple act of trading itself would probably transform into something unrecognizable. If the use of the inventory were ever to spread, it would herald the birth of apletely new economic system. Even after having those ominous thoughts, Rare figured it probably would never actually turn out that way. If this were actually an emtion of another world on hardware powerful enough for a full world simtor, and the entire economy were about to copse, the system administrators were likely to step in to prevent that, not to mention how improbable it was that things would develop exactly as Rare predicted anyway. This was just like the time she had spected about the games AI; Rare was not well-versed in economics, she was just influenced by someone close to her that did enjoy thinking about these things. As the proverb went, its hard to tell a poor thinker from a sleeping one[1]; in other words, since she didnt know any better, she shouldnt think too hard about it. If no one wanted to spread the knowledge, then there was the possibility the technology wouldnt be passed on. Or it was possible that people would just be unable to learn. Right now, Sugaru was also trying to do it, but it didnt seem like she was having much luck. All right Remy, it looks like youve gotten the hang of it, so Id like you to try teaching Sugaru. Make sure youre showing her your own inventory as an example, too. Remy began to instruct Sugaru on how to use the inventory. Rare decided to check Sugarus skills, which she had put off before. As she suspected, there were numerous skills she had never seen before. Skills that she couldnt imagine yers ever obtaining like [Haplodiploidy] and [Fecundity] piqued her interest somewhat, but what really caught her eye was [Enhance Follower: STR]. It was on the list of learnable skills right now, Sugaru didnt have it yet, but Rare couldnt help wonderingif there were a rted [Enhance Follower: MND] skill, and Sugaru had it, would it have been quite as easy to conquer the ant nest? And what intrigued her was that [Enhance Follower] skill was not off by itself, but it was under the [Discipline] skill tree. That meant it should follow how most skill trees workedafter learning [Discipline], anyone could learn the skill as long as they met the prerequisites. The question was how to clear those prerequisites. Now that she knew this skill existed, Rare definitely wanted to learn it. If she were to have ess to this family of skills, the first thing she imagined was that she wouldnt have to use so much XP on her followers, so it would be a long-term gain in XP spending efficiency. Looking at Sugarus skills, the prereqs didnt require anything special. Or they didnt look like they should. Assuming at least that skills like [Haplodiploidy] and [Fecundity] were out. Rare brought up her own learnable skills screen and tried to find a connecting thread. First, since Sugaru didnt have any magic skills, it was hard to believe that magic would be rted. That was when she realized. Sugari didnt have [Mental Magic]. Despite that, she still had [Subordinate], which meant that her [Subordinate] was a race specialty. This also meant that her [Discipline] tree was special, implying that maybe Rare could get the skills she wanted without meeting any prerequisites. In other words, there were no hints to be gained by looking through Sugarus skills. If these skills were in fact rted to magic, then the most likely candidate was [Enchantment Magic]. This skills tree contained spells that allowed enchanting people or objects, just as the name said. The [Enchantment Magic] tree didnt have any other skills aside from [Enchantment Magic]. But just like with [Alchemy], it was obvious that there were derivative skills, which were mostly all discovered back in the closed beta. These skills were: [Enchantment Magic] + [Fire Magic] = [Enhancement Magic: STR] [Enchantment Magic] + [Water Magic] = [Enhancement Magic: MND] [Enchantment Magic] + [Wind Magic] = [Enhancement Magic: AGI] [Enchantment Magic] + [Earth Magic] = [Enhancement Magic: VIT] [Enchantment Magic] + [Lightning Magic] = [Enhancement Magic: DEX] [Enchantment Magic] + [Ice Magic] = [Enhancement Magic: INT] In all likelihood, once she learned a given [Enhancement Magic] spell, it should also unlock the corresponding [Enhance Follower] skill. If her conjectures turned out to be wrong, she wasnt nning to participate directly inbat much herself, so she wasnt opposed to learning a suitable element of magic. The bigger problem was whether this experiment would cost her a huge amount of XP or not. Once Sugaru waspletely melted, Rare would have to meet up with her and Remy to raise their INT and teach them how to use the inventory. TL notes! [1]: ֤οݤƤ, literally (having) poor/uninformed thoughts is akin to sleeping Chapter [NaN] After teaching Kerry and the other girls magic and raising their INT high enough for them to ess their inventories, right now Rare only had 144 XP left. [Enchantment Magic] took 20, the cheapest elemental magic would cost another 20, [Enhancement Magic] was yet another 20, and finally [Enhance Follower] was the sole 40. If these calctions were correct, then shed only be able to learn one type of enhancement for now. In order to raise the groups safety margins, she wanted to boost VIT. However, considering all the battles shed seen so far, the catkin girls had never taken a serious hit. Well, technically, there was that ambush where she had established first contact, but that had nothing to do with stats, Rare had used her familys secret techniques, so it didnt count. Or like, she had already decided to erase that ambush from the chronicles of their first meeting anyway. That meant the next best stat to improve would certainly be AGI. It provided the most synergy for both the catkin girls and the ice wolves. The problem was the ants, but, strictly speaking, they were Sugarus followers, so they shouldnt be eligible for Rares [Enhance Follower] skills. All she had to do was use the remaining 44 XP to have Sugaru take [Enhance Follower], though, then the ants would also have a buff avable to them. On the other hand, another approach was to go offensive; depleting more of an enemys forces in an initial attack was a viable strategy. Since Rares forces were numerous, they simply had more hands to y. If those hands were powerful enough, then most opponents could simply be crushed with brute force. The best candidates for that strategy were STR and INT, now that everyone had both magical and physical attacks at their disposal. To take someone by surprise, or to knock an opponent off bnce, it might be better to focus more on magical attacks. After all, their side consisted of beastkin, wolves, and ants; theyd never expect magic to suddenly be flung in their faces. Yet another approach would be to learn an element of magic that no one else could currently use, so that the diversity of attacks at their disposal increased. The options here would be [Earth Magic] or [Wind Magic], which meant VIT or AGI. After mulling it over, since never being hit meant taking no damage, and not being able to hit was useless too, the choice was clearRare went for AGI. She picked up [Wind Magic]s [Air Cutter]. She also considered [Desate], but she felt that wouldnt contribute to the teams variety. Next she learned [Enchantment Magic] and [Enhancement Magic: AGI]. And in the all-important [Discipline] skill tree As predicted, [Enhance Follower: AGI] was unlocked. So now, until Ive learned all of these skills, Ill need to funnel all of our XP into myself. In order to master the entire category, they would need to farm up another 300 XP. Rare grimaced at the thought. And now to check the all-important [Enhance Follower: AGI]s effects The skill read [Increases the AGI of all your followers by 10% of your own AGI]. Holy cow! Its a passive skill! That means it should stack with [Enhancement Magic]! Wait, huh? That also means If that was the case, then if Sugaru also learned [Enhance Follower: AGI], 10% of Rares AGI would count toward Sugarus AGI which would trickle down to all the other ants. Hot damn. It was probably incredibly unlikely for a character with [Subordinate] to control someone else with [Subordinate]. However, once both Rare and Sugaru had all the [Enhance Follower] skills, depending on Rares own stats, it was bing more and more likely that the ants would end up bing the primary attack force. But first, I havent actually verified if I even get XP when the ants beat something. Most of them are still frozen, though. Crap. Thinking logically, any XP the ants earned would go to the queen, and any XP the queen received would go to Rare, so as far as XP was concerned they should count like any other follower. In any case, the ants were all thawing out right now. For the time being, Sugaru should also get [Enhance Follower: AGI]. She had been messing around with her inventory, but paused to look over at Rare and nod. Now the group only had 4 XP left. They really needed to go out and earn more, but it was also important to shore up the base. She wanted to thaw out all the ants first, but there was something else that had to be done before that. Kerry, Riley, Remy, Marion. Youve truly done good work today. I think its time you had some rest. None of you have had an opportunity to sleep for very long, have you? No, were Its important to get real sleep. You wont be able to operate at your best otherwise. Dont worry, Ill work you hard when you wake up, so just rest for now. For now, shed have the mountain cat girls rest up. Fortunately, they had the hide that Remy had tanned here. After half-forcing them to go to sleep, Rare took Sugaru into the next room. This room was still full of frozen ants, but it looked like about half of them had thawed out. The ones closest to the entrance seemed like they were nearly back to normal, even. With the queens guidance, these ants were moved over to a room that hadnt been frozen. One of the ones that Rares group hadnt gone through in their raid. In that room, all the ants turned at that same time to stare at Rare. Wah As one, the ants then all looked down. While they werent Rares direct followers, it seemed they would faithfully abide by her will and follow her orders. Ah, my apologies, I didnt mean it. I dont mind if you look at me. Im the boss now. Ill be relying on you. Rare looked back over at all the ants. She didnt observe them closely during the raid since her group had just used [Charm] and [Freeze] to wipe them all out en masse, but now that she was reevaluating them, she noticed that there were lots of different types of ants. There werent all Infantry Ants. Rare couldnt check the ants statuses, so she had Sugaru do it. While she could somehowmunicate with them as Sugarus followers, she was unable to see anything specific, like names or titles. ording to the queen, she could see this information on her own skill window, so Rare open Sugarus skills up again to check. The most likely candidate was [Haplodiploidy]. This wasnt a skill in another tree, but the name of a skill tree itself. [Haplodiploidy] was a skill exclusive to Vespoid Queens, and listed underneath it were options like [Infantry]. It seemed the skills here corresponded to the types of ants that the queen could produce. In other words, the ants were born as that type to begin with. This would exin why the nest didnt have any eggs or antrvae. The other avable types aside from [Infantry] were [Combat Engineer] and [Cavalry]. The [Combat Engineer] skill created an ant of a different color than the infantry ants called [Engineer Ant], but Rare wondered what [Cavalry] did. Maybe ants riding on something else? It was an amusing thought, but apparently it just referred to a higher rank of ant above infantry. In terms of fighting ability, though, it seemed the difference in strength was equivalent to how much stronger a mounted knight was over a foot soldier. However, it cost quite a lot of LP and MP to produce one as well. In any case, what interested Rare right now was the Engineer Ant. If they were reallybat engineers, then it followed that this nest was probably constructed by them. The tunnels with the smooth walls must have been the result of some kind of skill. She wanted to see how they dug tunnels. The Engineer Ant bent its body, stuck the end of its abdomen out, and sprayed out some kind of foul-smelling liquid. Ants in real life did the same thing. Real ants sprayed venom or formic acid, but the stuff the Engineer Ants sprayed began to melt the solid rock wall. With such a deadly solution in their bodies, even able to melt stone, predators must think twice about eating them. They appeared to have much more firepower than one would expect frombat engineers. But no, apparently, the liquid had no effect on anything but rock. She had them spray some of the other ants nearby, but their exoskeletons were just fine. Rare gingerly touched the liquid herself, but it didnt do anything to her aside from producing a sensation of stinging pain. This sure was some magical acid. The queen exined that it wasnt that it could only melt stone, but, to put it in game terms, it was dependent on the type of mineral, or more specifically the rarity of the mineral. So stuff like calcium could also be melted, which includes human bones. But I touched it just now and my nails are fine. Rare was too high-leveled, so it wouldnt affect her. Apparently. Having XP invested seemed to determine a living things rank. To put it another way, a yer who had just started the game could have their nails and equipment melted. Maybe to a beginner skeleton yer, they might find this acid to be their worst nightmare. Considering how many starting cave areas there were, though, if someone did spawn in one with ants, they must have the worst of luck. Chapter 25: “Strategy” Rare immediately had the engineers start digging a tunnel that connected the wolves den directly to the queens chamber. She was initially nning to just widen the route she had originally taken during the raid on the nest, but a direct route would be shorter. There were ten engineers who could work, so for now shed have them all take turns working on it. She would then have any other engineers who recovered start working on a new tunnel that connected to the old mountain cat base. While the engineers got started, Rare wanted to look into Sugarus [Haplodiploidy] skill tree more. Considering the skill names and the type of ants that could be produced, the three current options, [Infantry], [Combat Engineer], and [Cavalry], couldnt be the only ones. There should be ways to unlock more types, like say [Artillery]. Actually, isnt this part just like a strategy game? Strategy games were fun in their own right, but only when the rules were made clear beforehand. Right now, there were five [Infantry] and one [Cavalry] ready for action. They had been grouped together and sent out to patrol the caves surroundings. The six of them formed a squad; for the time being, there wouldnt be different ranks of squads, theyd just be mixed like this. She could use this group to determine an operational cost-benefit analysis of the ants based on the XP and resources they earned. Then she coulde up with strategies and apply them within the boundaries of the game rules. There just werent enough ants this time, so the squad was almost all infantry, but in the future it would be better if each squad had a more bnced makeup. This would include [Engineers] and, if they existed, [Artillery]. That said, as far as actual military activities went, as long as they didnt pick a fight with one of the six countries, their enemies wouldnt be organizations or militaries but private forces at best. In which case, for the most part, even if their side only had the weaker types of soldiers avable, they should still be pretty much unbeatable. By the way, Sugaru, did you spend any XP on your ant followers stats at all? Currently, Rare didnt have enough XP to spend on the hundreds of ants on her side, but she wanted to know how their status was. It seemed, though, that Sugaru never gave them much thought and just treated them like disposable pawns. If that were the case, then no matter. Or rather, being able to work this army to the bone without worrying about the consequences was perfect. They could even be replenished by using Sugarus LP and MPit was like being able to grow and harvest soldiers from your own field. And potions basically became fertilizer. The possibilities excited Rare. Speaking of disposable, what happens when ants die? Is there some kind of penalty? Like maybe they get weaker for a period of time? Specifically, do they lose XP, or maybe is the individual ant itself lost forever? Sugaru seemed unclear on the details. If the corpse could be recovered, it was, but after confirming that it was dead, it would disappear. And since she didnt have a revive skill, she didnt know if they could be revived at all. She only ever considered pure numbers, so it was faster to just produce a new ant over reviving a dead one. She had just never thought about it. Incidentally, it appeared that Sugaru didnt have an urate grasp on the total number of ants under her control. Rare had never heard of running an army without knowing its exactposition, but that seemed indicative of how little value the ants lives had. However, she didnt want to treat Kerry, Hakuma, and the others that way. She wanted toe up with some method of reviving them in case the worst ever came to pass. That said, she was pretty sure no revive skills had been discovered yet. In any case, what was important now was to build up military strength. At the very least, she wanted Sugaru to be constantly producing more ants at a rate that matched her natural LP and MP regen. Well, having you at full LP and MP is a waste, so lets have you use some up. For now, lets increase our [Engineers]. Theres a mountain of work to do, and its not like [Engineers] cant fight at all. When incorporated intobat squads, they can be used for diversions and as smokescreen from a distance. Not to mention, most people wont be able to tell the difference between [Infantry] and [Engineers] anyway, so theyll be good for intimidation. Actually, looking at them closer, they were slightly different in color. It was hard to tell in the dark, though. Is there a room you can use for production? The girls are using the queens room right now. The entire cave was controlled by their allies, so it didnt really matter where she did it. In that case, this room here was as good as any other. ording to the Help documentation, there were norvae, they were born as full-fledged ants; she was mildly interested in exactly what kind of lifeforms they were supposed to be. Rare watched the birthing process closely while simultaneously monitoring Sugarus status. [Engineers] werent that expensive, so she could pop out several eggs without worry. Or like, I didnt realize she actuallyid eggs. Ah, theyre already hatching. Rather than shattering, the surface of the egg ripped apart like fabric, and from within a dark-brown [Engineer Ant] emerged. The five newly born [Engineer Ants] already began lining up before Rare. This meant they already had a sense of self-awareness. Insect monsters developed really fast. Hmm, so if I said I want [Infantry] right now, can you make them immediately? Is there any kind of cooldown? Sugaru exined that [Infantry] could be produced right away, but it was currently impossible to make more [Engineers]. While there was no system limit on how many eggs could beid at once, the maximum effective number was based on how much LP and MP she had. With regards to the current situation, it was possible to produce [Infantry] right after making [Engineers], but the cooldown for [Engineer] would be frozen until [Infantry] finished cooling down. In other words, it worked the same as it did for casting magic. It was nice that they shared the same system. I appreciate the exnation. It was very easy to understand. It was easy, but Man, it really is inconvenient that you cant talk It wouldnt help when were far apart though Hmm. If there were a skill like [Contact Follower] or something, that would address all her concerns, but none of the skills that she could learn looked like they fit the bill, and there was nothing promising in Sugarus skills either. Is there really nothing? Something that lets memunicate with my followers in my head It would be best if it was something that allowed us to talk when were far apart. Something like telepathy, or a long-range phone call Hm? So actually, all of Rares followers, including Kerry, could ess their own inventories now. That was a result of reversing the words she had heard during the tutorial, about how the system saw nearly no difference between yers and NPCs. In which case, maybe If I added my followers as friends, couldnt I chat with them via friend chat? Chapter 26: “The Darkness Lurking in People’s Hearts” Lets have Sugaru act as the first test subject. Sugaru, Im going to add you as a friend. Right now, there was no reason not to tell it to her straight. Sugaru looked back at her nkly. This wasnt exactly the response she was expecting. Rare wondered what she had to do to add a friend. Normally, just asking Do you want to be friends? would work. However, what mattered here was how the game defined friends. How exactly did one be friends with someone else? The sinister darkness that gued modern society gushed forth from within, and thatmonly epted method of making friends in real life paralyzed her body for a brief moment. If the system operated inrgely the same way, then simr actions should lead to simr results. First was to try what two yers would do when they wanted to friend each other. Unfortunately, Rare never wanted to friend anyone during the closed beta. All the ount data would be wiped at the end of the test, after all, and she just had too much fun exploring all the game systems, which wasnt what most yers wanted to do. In this open beta as well, she didnt have any yers she wanted to friend. Rare had to rely on the Help documentation again. How to friend yers should work. And search. Managing your friend list: In order to add someone to your friend list, you need a friend card. Friend cards are created whenever you retrieve them from your inventory. You will always have ess to your own friend card; what you take out from your inventory is always a copy. Give your friend card to another yer and have them store it in their inventory to be friends. If you would like to remove a friend, take their friend card and destroy it or throw it away. Removed friends can be friended again by repeating the same steps again. Oh, I see It was a simple system, basically like exchanging business cards. Rare checked her own inventory and found the Friend Card section. You could see the all contents of your inventory via the menu, but to take something out without using the system you had to focus on the specific item. NPCs wouldnt be able to understand the concept of friend cards, so friending could only be initiated by yers. Rare gave the friend card she retrieved to Sugaru and told her to store it in her inventory. <> And just like that, they were friends. Now, how do I ess friend chat again or well, Ive never done it before. Ah, here we go. Sugaru jumped in surprise. The catkin girls still spoke to her rather casually, but Sugaru was a bit more formal. Or rather, Sugaru wasnt actually using formal speech, but her thoughts were being tranted into this form of speech to Rare. Friend chat was logged and stored temporarily, so that was probably why it automatically got tranted into human speech. Now that she knew friend chat could be used, the number of hands she could y would increase rapidly. And now, after having investigated the followers shed obtained so far, Rare found herself arriving at a single startling conclusion: If NPCs could use the system the same way that yers could, and if the system didnt distinguish between yers and NPCs as far as gamey went, then there was nothing preventing yers from being tamed. If this were actually true, then she could siphon all the XP that other yers had gathered for herself. Kind of like how some female characters get worshiped by male yers, carried through content, and given free stuff.[1] Since your avatar moved based on your actual body, and you used your own voice to speak, it was rtively hard to fake your sex in this game just like in other VR games, but it wasnt impossible. Therefore, so-called nekama[2] did exist out there. And if her thinking was correct, even XP could be donated in this game. It was possible that this darkness that has existed throughout the history of online gaming was crystallizing into a more perfect form here. That said, in terms of what could be done in the game, it was really hard to imagine a system that breached a users consent. If a yer really did get tamed, the system would probably throw some kind of warning or system error message and allow them to void the effect. That would be a big differencepared to NPCs. That line from the tutorial, the only difference between PCs and NPCs is whether or not they can receive system messages, might refer to this. Rare itched to go try it out. However, if she were to test it at this point in time, the existence of [Subordinate] would definitely be public. In which case, she could only test it on an exceptionally trustworthy yer. Furthermore, that yer would have to consent to possibly being tamed by Rare. As could be expected, Rare didnt have any such confidante. Or more like, she didnt really know anyone period. Now that she thought of it, she hadnt seen any other yers yet, but she wondered how many started in monster territory. And if those yers were far outnumbered by the total possible spawn points in monster territory, then it could be effectively impossible to find anyone to cooperate with or friend. There was a really high chance that a given person in the game world could never meet any other yer. What would you do if you wanted to y with your friends? Regardless, Rare didnt really want to y with friends anyway, so she didnt care either way. If there was any content shed have a hard time beating solo, she could just have Kerry and the other girlse along. If necessary, she could raise their INT even more, then they would probably be better than a random shitty yer anyway. What a wonderful system shed stumbled upon. She had nothing but gratitude for the developers who came up with it. Once the girls woke up, shed have them work on their manners. After they had more XP to spare, she also wanted to raise their INT and aim for them to be The Actually Capable Elite Four, a specific qualification that doesnte up in stories very often. For the right now, they would wait for all the ants to recover, suppress the surrounding forest, and save up XP. Once Sugarus LP and MP recovered and she could produce more ants, their saved XP would be spent on acquiring more Enhance Follower skills for both Rare and Sugaru. But first, lets focus on conquering the entire forest. [1]: The literal term is hime-y, which specifically means when yers treat a female character like a princess, pampering them, giving them items, and protecting them from harm. Theres a definition that someone posted on Nico Nico. [2]: Nekama originates from okama, where okama is ng for homosexual men. However, nekama are not strictly homosexual; the term refers specifically to the behavior of a man who pretends to be a woman online. There is no inherent motive ascribed to the term nekama. Chapter 27: “Player Killer” Including the first day, he spent about three days hunting Rabbits. As a result, Wayne was finally able to rece all of his starting equipment. Perhaps due to all the Rabbit corpses he sold, the price of Rabbit Leather dropped, so he also got a full set of Rabbit Leather Armor. He didnt know what the low-quality starting short sword was made of, but he bought an iron sword with higher attack power to rece it. Cast-metal goods were also considered cheap, but the price of iron tended to go up, so it was an eptable purchase. Because he funneled his ie into improving hisbat effectiveness, he still hadnt obtained a hatchet or any clothes suited for foresting; it was frustrating not to have made any progress on that front, but that was just how things went. Apparently the nearby mining sites had fallen into monster territory, and they were currently home to all sorts of beasts. That was why iron was so valuable right now. In all likelihood, the early towns were fixed in ways like this so that they couldnt produce higher-quality goods. The NPCs all had sophisticated AIs installed, so regardless of the game administrations mandates, if they had the right materials avable, they would make and sell better items on their own. There was no doubt that was why the ore supply was hit. A mine recovery quest would probably go up sometime soon. If it turned out to be arge-scale quest, then it probably would even be announced on the official site as some kind of special event. Hed have to remember to look out for it. Until now, Wayne hadnt seen any other yers in this town, but it was possible there were some around, just that each of their ytimes never ovepped. Since Hiers was a kingdom that was attractive for new yers, maybe they had added a lot more starting towns for the open beta. Back in the closed beta, a given city would have around ten yers. If the number of starting spawn points had multiplied, perhaps it was feasible for a town to only have a single yer. Plus, the city Wayne was in right now was quite a bit smaller than the ones he had seen in the closed beta. Given the scope of this city, he could believe that the starting spawn table had changed. If arge-scale quest did get posted, it would be pretty hard toplete. A single yer couldnt do much on their own. Normally hed have invited friends to y together, but, while it could have worked out during this vacation, on most days it was hard to find time to y with his VR friends, who all had work as well. He still hadnt had a proper chat with any of the NPC sellswords, but thinking about it now, cooperating with NPCs didnt sound bad. Since NPC lives were rooted in this world, the sellswords who lived in this town shouldnt foolishly try to do anything criminal or fraudulent. That made them much more trustworthy than random yers he had never met before. Back in the closed beta, Wayne had a horrible experience with a PKer. At first, this PKer pretended to be a NPC. When Wayne was having trouble, this NPC reached out to him and offered to lend an ear. They said that it would be best to speak elsewhere, led him by the hand to an alley, then, after ensuring no one was around, assaulted him and stole his stuff. No one could take what was in his inventory, but that conversely meant that anything not in his inventory could be stolen. Wayne found that he was too shocked to ept the systems offer of <> Perhaps having anticipated that, the PKer stripped off Waynes expensive equipment first, starting with his weapon. When he finally respawned, he only had his undergarments and some cheap gear left. The PKer had only stolen his equipment, but what he lost included his ability to trust other yers, as well as XP. Ever since that day, Wayne made every effort to determine if anyone he met was a yer or an NPC. He never found another yer dressed as an NPC, but he discovered a way to detect whether someone was a yer through conversation. The key was the inventory. yers would always carefreely ess their inventories. It was one of the game systems avable from the very start, so of course they would. However, NPCs would absolutely never use it. They couldnt, after all. So Wayne used the inventory as a test to distinguish yers from NPCs. However, since he never found another yer posing as an NPC, knowing this difference never proved to be of any use. In any case, his vacation was nearly over. On weekdays, hed only be able to log in at night. The next time he had time off would be when the game officiallyunched, meaning the number of yers would go up, which should mean more yers would be appearing in this town. If anyrge-scale quests were to be released, it would probably be after theunch. One weekday night, after logging in, he went to the sellsword guild. Since time in the game passed 1.5 times faster than it did in the real world, it was morning here. The officialunch of the game was scheduled for two days from now in the real world, so it was announced that tomorrow the game would be down for maintenance for a full day. That meant this was thest day of the open beta, or the early ess period. Somehow, he managed to acquire some magic skills the day before. What he had learned were [Fire Magic]s [Magical Affinity: Fire] and [re Arrow]. The early game had a lot of monsters that were particrly weak to fire, and it also hadparatively higher attack power than other elements did. In PvP, the speed of [Lightning Magic] was superior, but if you could survive the first attack, being able to counterattack with [Fire Magic] would result in a higher damage output. Assuming both yers had simr stats, at least. He had learned some magic, and his gear was also in order. With that, he should fit in well with the local sellswords. Due to his real life obligations, it was always difficult to find opportunities to team up with those sellswords. But if arge-scale quest were to go up now, it would be easier to cooperate with people he knew in passing over people he had never met before. It wasnt bad, slowly getting acquainted from regr contact. However, for some reason, someone called out to him today. Since it was still early today, there were only a few sellswords lingering around the guild. The old receptionist guy had been worriedly looking around at no one in particr when he noticed Wayne. Hey, its you. As soon as I saw ya, I remembered something I wanted to tell ya. Huh? Me? What did you need me for? Before now, the receptionist had never needed to talk to Wayne about anything. Even if there werent a lot of sellswords around, that didnt mean that he had nothing to do. There was probably a special reason the receptionist needed to talk to him now. Yer a safeholder, right. I member thinkin it was rare, but yesterday, another safeholder showed up. I thought you might know each other. I dunno why, but safeholders have always hung around with other safeholders. It must be another yer. Wayne had thought he was the only yer in this town, but apparently not. Well wait, based on what the receptionist said, they only showed up yesterday. That meant they were a new yer who started the game either yesterday or earlier today in the real world. Seeing that they came to the sellsword guild, it was probably a proper yer. If it were a PKer, they wouldnte here. Whether a criminal was a yer or an NPC, townsfolk didnt care; it was robbery or murder either way. Not to mention PKers were unlikely to brazenly make use of the towns amodations. And most of all, you couldnt tell a yer from an NPC at first nce. In most cases, since PKers were focusing on PKing, they only saw NPCs as sources of XP. They wouldnt even think ofing to the sellsword guild to find work. Oh, speak o the devil. That girl there, shes the safeholder. Wayne turned around and looked at the person in the entrance. It was a female cat beastkin. She had swept back bright, reddish-brown hair. While overall she seemed kind of unattractive, she didnt feel unpleasant, even strangely cute. Maybe it was because he was a cat person. The catkin girl went straight up to the receptionist, pulled out a Rabbit corpse out of nowhere, and ced it on the counter. It was exactly the same thing that Wayne had done before. She appeared to have mostly starting equipment. The sword at her waist was different, but she had probably invested the money she had earned into a new weapon. A very gamer-like decision. Something an NPC would never consider, since they had to worry about permanent death. There was no question that she was a yer. The old receptionist guy eyed him as though to ask So, you know her? The catkin girl noticed the man looking away and followed his gaze,ying eyes on Wayne for the first time. Are you a yer? Ah, sorry. Im Wayne, Im a yer too. The girl looked slightly surprised for a second, then gave a wide smile in response. Ah, just like you thought, Im a yer, same as you. Call me Rare. Charmed. Chapter 28: “Bonus Stage” Zoooombiiiies I never saw thating nc hung her head while waiting to respawn. But really, considering she was a Skeleton, it stood to reason that there could be Zombies too. Or really, zombies were more humanlike than skeletons were. Dont we both belong to the Theyre already dead! group? Maybe I could think of them as friends Nah, totally no way. Well, whatever, no need to get down! If theyre not friends, then I can just burn them up! nc swore that this time she would learn her lesson and not let her guard down as she set out. At the ce where the natural cave wall transitioned into man-made wall, the zombie from before Well, she wasnt exactly sure if it was the same one or not, but a zombie was shuffling around there. While she did jump at first, she remembered her lessons and, without letting herself stay frozen stiff for too long, fired off a [re Arrow] to start. She wasnt sure if it was maybe because of gases that were let off from dposition, but the zombie burned really well. Even though they were way bigger than the ants were, they took a lot less time to burn up. Magic sure is strong Or like, I dunno if [re Arrow] is normally better or if all magic is just as good. Ah, I did put all my points in INT. So maybe its my magic thats good But if [re Arrow] was an instant kill right now, then she didnt need to go out of her way to try out other spells. If she ended up not killing something in one hit, then she might suffer additional mental trauma, not to mention that itd be a waste of MP. [re Arrow] was producing results, so [re Arrow] was fine. For any weapon at all, reliability was paramount. The Zombie dropped something although honestly, she had absolutely no idea if the burnt bottom half of a Zombie had any value whatsoever. Not to mention she didnt want to touch it at all if she could help it, so she decided to just leave it there. Unfortunately for her Waaah, theres another one!!! Another Zombie appeared and began eating the charred remains of the previous one. Since it looked more or less human, the speed at which it consumed the corpse made her feel sick to her stomach. So I still get traumatized either way As her face paled, she fired a [re Arrow] at its defenseless head. Well, not like my face actually changed colorits already white after all. However, due to the sound of the spell and the smell of burnt meat, more and more zombies ended uping to ncs location. There was an old movie that had a scene just like this! Umm, [Thunderbolt]! Brilliant lightning gathered in ncs hand, then instantaneously stabbed through a Zombie. When it did, the Zombies entire body immediately lit up with electricity, then its scorched remains copsed to the ground. Apparently [Thunderbolt] could also defeat things in one hit. [Ice Bullet]! [Water Shot]! [Air Cutter]! Casting spells one after another, she took care of the Zombies in short order. Given ncs high INT, it didnt matter which spell she used, they could all one-shot a Zombie. The only difference between them was how the dead body looked afterward. No wait, theyre Zombies, so arent they already dead bodies? At least as far as nc could see, the Zombies she defeated and the ones standing and walking around were the same. And why was that? Because any Zombies she beat would immediately get swarmed by more Zombies. Welp, I guess its just that kind of game. Or actually like, what the hell, how many are there?! They just keeping! She had already fired off five spells in a row, so she couldnt attack again for a little bit. She still needed to wait another 20 seconds until [re Arrow] was ready, which was the first spell she hadunched. She had no choice but to fall back and stall while her spells cooled down, then continue defeating enemies one at a time. Luckily, the cavern behind her wasnt too spacious. Only two shambling Zombies would be able to attack her at the same time. Without taking her eyes off the Zombies swarming around the corpses, nc slowly moved backward. Regardless of how many Zombies there were, nc also continued to produce more corpses. There was still some time before the feasting would end. Hm, I guess Ill use [Air Cutter] first. Another corpse fell to the ground. Paying no attention to nc, who had just attacked them, the Zombies dove greedily for the new meal. As long as there was bait somewhere, it seemed like they wouldnt choose to attack nc. And my cooldowns up. [re Arrow]! At her current pace, she believed she could keep casting spells in between waiting for cooldowns without problem. She was more worried about her MP running out. If she waited a bit more between each spell, her natural MP regen should be able to keep up, but in terms of making sure there was always something for the Zombies to devour, it would be too slow. This feels just as horrifying as watching a horde of ants swarm at me, except this way takes a really long time Even still, she couldnt rx given what was going on here. In a dimly lit cave, endless dead bodies were greedily consuming other dead bodies, while slightly separated from them, a lone humanoid skeleton observed it all happening. No matter how you looked at it, this was a scene from Hell. So what do I do I think Im just royally fucked here This game has gotta be aimed at the really, really hardcore gamers. Ive just gotten super lucky so far, otherwise I feel like Id have gottenpletely fucked a long time ago. Firing off [re Arrows] as necessary, she tried to think of some way out of this. If everything continued the way she foresaw, nothing would improve. In that case, even if her overall situation got worse, it might be best to prioritize her MP regen; as long as she had MP left, shed at least be able to do something, even if it ended up being pointless. Finally, there was only one corpse left for them to eat. Her MP hadnt fully recovered, but she had enough to fight. Once they ate that body, what would the remaining Zombies do? She should wait to see that first before she decided what she would do. Having finished devouring the final corpse, the Zombies all stood up. They looked over at nc, but Huh? They arenting to attack me. They shuffled around aimlessly at the invisible line where the natural cave wall turned into the manmade wall. asionally one would see nc, but as soon as it took a single step toward her, it would immediately stop and go back to shambling. They cant leave the ruins or something? Is that it? She slowly and quietly approached the Zombies. More of them noticed her now, but they still couldnt seem to attack her. They really cante over here. Huh? Could this be? She had stumbled onto a bonus stage. nc timed a rotation based on her natural MP regen and began ughtering the Zombies. Chapter 29: “Reincarnation” Some minutester, nc started getting the impression that the number of zombies was decreasing, meaning she was finally close to clearing out the entrance to the ruins. She had no idea how many she had killed. The zombies ate all the dead bodies, so the only things left were the remains of the final zombie and the one it had been eating. Hm? I wonder what happens to the ones that get eaten. Anyway, she could finally start exploring the ruins. Her original goal had been to kill off all the enemies, then try to im the zone as her own base. She carefully stepped over the zombie bodies and peeked into the hallway. Nothing was there. She went in all the way. She didnt hear any sounds. Did I really get em all? Even if there were any zombies left, nc should be able to outrun them. Fortunately, this hallway was easier to traverse than the cave was. The zombies wouldnt be able to chase her all the way out to the cave. If she ever got surrounded, as long as she could take down one zombie, that should redirect all the others to the corpse. If she only had to worry about zombies, she didnt think she would have any trouble. Ive been at it for a while now Whoa, its already been eight hours!!! Hnn, well, whatever. I dont got anything to do tomorrow anyway. She didnt know what era these ruins were from, but being able to explore them was an experience shed never have in the real world, or even in other VR games. nc felt touched at the idea. In a full reversal from the literal hell she had experienced earlier, shepletely morphed into a tourist now. A more experienced gamer would have mapped out the ce while proceeding, but nc just blithely wandered around. It was basically impossible for her to return to the first cave from this one, after all. Eventually, she came upon a massive door covered in borate carvings. Ooh, this feels a lot like a final area! But nah, I have no idea where I am in the ruins, so I have no clue if this is the deepest room or anything. Or like actually, am I lost? At least in terms of returning to the first room where she spawned in this cave, nc was definitely lost. That meant she had nowhere to go but onward. Although she wasnt actually sure if she was strong enough to open the door, she still resolved herself and tried anyway. The door rumbled heavily as it opened, but it was much lighter than she expected it to be. And actually, it opened on its own partway through. In the room beyond the door, there was a throne all the way in the back upon which sat a beautiful man with blond hair. A trespasser How long has it been since the previous one? I have not seen my servants for some time now. Did you defeat them, trespasser? Whoa, he talked to me! Or like, its a person! Its my first random viger! It was the first time since starting the game that she hade across an NPC capable ofmunication. nc was super excited. How dare some skeleton call me a viger Answer my question. I would hear if you defeated my servants. He sure sounded pompous. At least he wasnt referring to himself with the royal-we or something. Looking at the rooms decor and the extravagance of his clothes, that style of speech wasnt out of ce per se, but under normal circumstances, it was pretty cringey. It made nc feel pretty embarrassed herselfan empathetic shame response. Not that a scientific-sounding term mattered right now. What servants are you talking about? The only things I ran into in these ruins (is that what they are?) were zombies. Those very zombies were my servants! And what ruins do you speak of? This is my castle! Are you mocking me?! Im not mocking anyone! Im sorry for setting all your servants on fire!!! Those zombies werent actually some kind of bonus stage, but actually this arrogant guys attendants. She thought they seemed kind of worthless as servants, but maybe there wasnt an interview during the hiring process. You set them on fire? You appear to be empty-handed, though It cannot be, are you capable of magic? A mere skeleton is? Yeah, well But before all that, you are an intelligent skeleton capable of conversation? What exactly are you? She thought it was obvious that she could speak, but this dudes minions definitely didnt seem very talkative. He must have been starving to talk to someone. If you just wanna talk, I dont mind at all. Im so tired from all the fighting. She was willing to chat, but she never said that they would necessarily understand each other. Hmm Well, I am interested. I permit you to be my servant. In a shocking turn of events, nc was just offered a job. However, she only happened to spawn in this cave with the ruin; if possible, she wanted to leave and go exploring. Shed be happy to use this ce as a temporary base, but it wouldnt be good for her to be bound here. Eh, no thanks. Ill make do as is. Good luck with yourpany, though. Your will is irrelevant! [Charm]! <> Suddenly, to nc, the hot dude on the throne started bing even hotter. No way! Hes somehow getting even more dreamy! Huh?! I cant say anything! I cant move either! And everything is turning pink for some reason! What the hell! Is this a status debuff?! nc was in a Charmed state. She was unable to express her will or control her body, nor could she speak. The fact that he seemed more attractive and everything seemed to be covered in a pink haze had no gamey effect, though. Good, it seeded. Now [Control]. <> And finally, [Subordinate]. Thus, you are now my servant. <> <[1].>> <> I cant keep up with all these system messages! Hold up a second! <> Ah, phew, its waiting for me. Lets start from the beginning. First was that Resistance has failed message. It appeared when the guy the system called [Count de Habnd] or whatever used [Charm], [Control], and [Subordinate]. nc didnt know any specifics, but she did glean that they were skills of some kind. Considering the zombies that were servants and the fact that he was sitting on a throne in the middle of this old castle, this count guy was probably a vampire or something like it. And now nc was under the effects of the vampires Charm and Control. Or rather, she failed to resist them. Because of that, she couldnt move her body and was about to be tamed or whatever. Next was the You may now reincarnate line. Squire Zombie must be those things she roasted back out in the hallway. She didnt know what the reincarnate system was, but if she were to ept it, apparently she would end up turning into the same type of zombie. Hold up now, she was not on board with that. Last was the tame part. She also didnt know anything about a tame system, but logically speaking, it sounded like the duke would be able to order nc around. Apparently, NPCs could control yers? No wait, the system deferred it, so it was ultimately up to the yer to allow it to happen. NPCs couldnt receive system messages, so if she had been an NPC, she would have gotten tamed just like that. Odd, I did not sense very much resistance, but I do not feel you bending to my power at all You truly are an intriguing skeleton. He was still talking to her, but shede back to thatter. The part that interested her was how reincarnate into a servant and serve someone came in separate messages. Normally, youd think they meant the same thing. If the system worked exactly as described in the messages, the implication was that even if she epted the reincarnation into a servant, she would still be able to refuse the tame part. After letting her body change, she would be able to escape before her mind changed as well. Wow, thats just like the first Masked Biker[2]. Butparing this to Masked Biker, there were some inconsistencies. It was a legendary Japanese live-action TV show that was still spoken of today, but that main characters strategy wouldnt workit was impossible to lead a normal life. Which is one of the lines that everyone wants to say at least once in their life. nc was conflicted. Fortunately, the count was patiently waiting while still mumbling to himself. She was not unhappy with being a skeleton at all. She had beautiful white skin, after all. She also never had to worry about her weight. If she had toin about something, she had a hard time controlling her expressions (since she was just a skeleton), her head always felt light (physically speaking), her boobs were small or literally nonexistent. And she instantly died whenever she met any ants. Thats weird, she actually had a lot of problems as a skeleton. All that said, she was still highly opposed to bing a zombie. It was nice that they seemed more human-like than a skeleton did, but she had no desire to be more human. If she had wanted it, she would have just picked the human race from the start. But its really just, I want to get a makeover. Wait, no. thats not it. I want to try reincarnating. In the end, nc decided to ept the reincarnation. And of course, she rejected the tamed part. <> Wait, Revenant? As long as it wasnt a zombie, then anything was fine. What nc was focused on was the makeover part, not the bing a zombie part. <> Waaaaaiiitaminute!!! <> Being a yer is super convenient! Lesser vampire. In other words, something like the count sitting in front of her. The lesser part probably meant it was somewhat inferior to the count, but that was still better than being a servant or a dead body. She might not be able to go out into the sun, and she might be weak to garlic. But, shed never actually seen the sun in this game anyway. And she already didnt like garlic, so she effectively saw no downsides. nc had earned a bunch of experience from those zombies, so she spent half of it to reincarnate into a lesser vampire. [1]: This is one of those things where it has Japanese characters that say one thing but theres a reading above that says something different. In this case, the kanji trante to vampires servant while the reading is Squire Zombie. [2]: Pretty sure this is a reference to Kamen/Masked Rider. Chapter 30: “System Message 1” To all yers: Thank you for ying [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. Server maintenance prior to the officialunch began today at 12:00 AM, and it has now concluded as of 11:00 PM. With the conclusion of maintenance, the game version has been updated to 1.01. The official service will begin tomorrow at 10:00 AM. With the officialunch, a subscription will now be required to ess the servers. After logging in for the first time after maintenance, please be aware that you will need to agree to the updated [User License Agreement], [Service License Agreement], and [Privacy Policy]. Here are the gamey changes that will be included with the start of official service: Some spawn locations for some races were deemed too difficult. The avable random spawn locations have been adjusted so that new yers are presented with a suitable degree of difficulty. Starting spawn locations were found to be overly biased based on the poption of the nearest city. It hase to our attention that some of the game systems did not receive sufficient exnation. There have been questions regarding a countrys use of the skill [Subordinate]; certain Non-yer Characters, such as nobles, have ess to [Subordinate]. Allowing yourself to be influenced by this skill in the system allows you to join groups such as [Knight Orders]. Based on the nature of this influence, it is possible to unlock new skills and/or [Reincarnate]. EXAMPLE: A human character is subordinated by a vampire character. The human may now reincarnate into a Squire Zombie. By fulfilling specific conditions, characters in the game can trigger specific events which allow their current race to be changed. [Reincarnate] may also require experience points. Characters affected by [Subordinate] no longer have a respawn timer after dying. After revival eligibility has expired, they will automatically respawn. In addition, [Subordinated] characters are unable to earn their own experience points. All experience points earned by [Subordinated] characters are controlled by the subordinating character; please speak with that character to request that experience points be spent on your character. On the Customer Support page, navigate to the [Comments / Requests] form, select the category [In-Game Requests] and subcategory [Remove Subordinate Status], and include the details about the removal request in the description. We hope you continue to enjoy your time in [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]! To all yers: Thank you for ying [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. To celebrate the officialunch of the game, a server-wide event is currently in development. The event will begin two weeks after the officialunch at 8:00 PM andst for 2 hours. For this event, time in the game will be provisionally elerated; yers will experience 48 hours during the 2-hour timespan of the event. yers cannot join the event partway through. yers who retire from the event early will not be able to rejoin. yers who wish to participate in the event will be required to sign a new license agreement. Underage yers who wish to participate in the event will need the consent of a legal guardian of age. More information about the event will be announced on the official website at ater date. We hope you continue to enjoy your time in [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]! Chapter 31: “Official Launch” It was finally time for the full release. Today was Waynes payday. It was also the day before a holiday, so hed have three days off again. As someone who started ying during the open beta, he didnt need to worry about the glut of new yers; all the ones starting after the officialunch would have topete against each other for all three days of his vacation, or two days for those who didnt start until tomorrow. Yo Wayne, been waitin long? No, I just got here too, Rare. Two days ago, he met the yer Rare, and they promised to explore the forest together on the day of the officialunch, today. However, Rare still had the starting armor, so first they had to upgrade it otherwise itd be too dangerous. Fortunately, Wayne had been able to scrape together enough money for a hatchet and an overcoat, and Rare also hunted enough rabbits to afford new armor and her own overcoat. It helped that the cost of Rabbit Leather was down, too. Since rabbits were also sold for their meat, even if the market was oversaturated with leather, the price per head wouldnt drop all that much, which was great for beginners. They only had Waynes hatchet between the two of them, but since they didnt have any more people joining them, as long as Wayne took the lead, it should be fine. Part of him also wanted to look good in front of this newer yer. Since gaming was a special activity for Rare, it seemed she enjoyed the roleying aspect a lot. To that end, they didnt really talk about being yers, pretending they were residents here, both with each other and with the NPCs. The games NPCsor the residents of this worldbeing what they were, Wayne wasnt opposed to acting the part. In spite of that, she had a friend who was ying separately, as asionally she would clearly be using friend chat to talk to them. He wondered why they didnt y together, since they could friend each other in advance during ount creation, before character creation, which would let them spawn together, but they hadnt known that. When Wayne told the friend this via chat one time, it wasical how shocked they were to find out about it. What an innocent person. Wayne thought about adding Rare to his friend list, but he wasnt sure if she trusted him yet, so it was hard for him to ask. That was how things were in this day and age: Even in VR games, it was dangerous to formally connect with people using the system unless you trusted them. In the real world, the criminalization of stalking had finally begun being enforced in earnest, but it was still hard to build a case for victims of VR stalking. Friending someone in a game could be used as a pretext for stalking. But of course, Wayne had no interest in stalking. He had also spent time messing with his appearance in the character creator until it matched with the [Handsome] characteristic. As far as he could tell, Rares appearance lookedpletely natural. That said, it also didnt feel like she had done a full scan and just kept the default face. If you were to spend the time changing your face, most yers would opt to be attractive, and those who didnt would usually just take the default that was generated from the full scan. If she had changed anything, it surely must have been her hair color. This vivid red-brown didnt exist in the real world, and no one would ever willingly dye it that color either. Though that might just be Waynes preferences talking. While his characters looks werent bad by any means, Wayne was starting to have regrets over the way he designed it. Perhaps it wouldve been better if he had also brazenly started with the game avatar based on his real self. If he had, maybe he would also be able to confidently ask Rare to be friends. Overcoats and leather armor were both sold at leathercrafting shops. Wayne brought Rare to the one that sold the Rabbit Leather Armor he had bought for himself. There were a number of other yers here too who had just started the game. This was probably due to the updated starting spawn location algorithm described in the recent announcement. He had happened to meet Rare and teamed up with her, but if not for that change to starting spawns, things would have be more and more difficult as time went on. This games world was massive, so even if he wanted to go to another city to find people to group with, it would take some days to travel in game time. It was kind of odd to realize that it only took about a day in real-world time. It wasnt something he could just decide to do on a whim. Anyway, Wayne thought it was good that more yers were joining the server. That way, if arge-scale quest did get announced, there was a higher chance that it would bepleted sessfully. By the way, Rare. Did you hear that they officially announced a server-wide event? Ah, umm Yeah, now that you mention it, I did get that notice, Rare replied after thinking for a second. He had a hunch that she hadnt actually seen it and had just used friend chat to check. For a second, a murky feeling of jealousy for Rares friend surged up, but the way she tried to cover it up in case he noticed was endearing, so the feeling dispersed soon after. Her friend was apparently female, too. What kind of event will it be? Wayne wondered. I think itd be pretty hard for all the yers scattered across the continent to participate, so I wonder what the developers have nned exactly. Are you gonna check it out, Rare? Well Its just, I might not know until the day of, maybe. You cant join in the middle, and youre stuck if you drop out after it starts, right? I think itll depend on how I feel that day Im not too sure right now. I see This is just an idea, but Uh, do you want to try doing the event together? Of course, if your friend can join us too, itd be fun to form a group together. Ah, yeah, if it looks like Ill join, would that be okay? Ill tell my friend too. After that, they bought two overcoats and Rares Rabbit Leather Armor from the leathercrafting shop, then left the city. This time, the guard at the gate didnt stop them. Perhaps it was because their new equipment gave them the look of qualified sellswords, or perhaps it was because they were a party of two. Wayne entered the forest at the same spot as thest time and hacked away the vines and brush, clearing the way for Rare. Even though it was the middle of the day, the forest was dark and gloomy, and visibility was poor. They shouldnt have entered into monster territory yet, but he didnt know exactly where the boundary was anyway. You havent been over this way yet, right Rare? Ah, mm, yeah. Never been here before. It must have been hard for her to hike in the woods; Rare seemed distracted when she responded. I think itll be more efficient to grind XP herepared to hunting more rabbits back at that prairie. Plus the people in the city dont seem toe here at all, so any materials we gather could sell for a lot. Hed never seen Rare fight, so he wasnt sure what style she used, but judging by appearances she seemed to be some kind of warrior. Beastkin did make for good warriors, after all; they were nimble, and they had more power and stamina than humans did. On the other hand, theirpatibility with magic was much lower. It would have been better for Rare to take the lead while Wayne used magic for support. If he saw an encounter where it made sense for him to join the frontline, then he could. Normally, a mage knight build like Waynes tended to be a jack of all trades, but where they really shined was in their versatility to adapt to different situations based on the condition of their allies and enemies. It was hard to tell how long or far they had walked over the course of traversing this forest, but ording to the system clock it had been one hour. They had traveled about as far as they had originally nned, and they should now be getting close to monster territory. They hadnt encountered any monsters yet, but the probability of it happening would be very high from here on out. We should start seeing monsters soon. Be on guard. Aah, yer right. Soon, huh. Got it. They kept walking forward cautiously, vigntly watching their surroundings. Before long, it seemed that something else was stepping in the brushwood aside from the two of them. Stop; somethings here. A giant ant appeared before them,ing out from a thicket. Giant was only insofar as theypared to real ants, though; this was barely shorter than Waynes knees. Rare doesnt seem to have any physiological aversion to giant insects, Wayne thought when he looked over his shoulder and saw her calm expression as she faced the ant. It must be because she was following Waynes instructions diligently and had kept her guard up. Or maybe she was used to seeing giant bugs from some other game. Insect monsters usually came inrge numbers, so many games liked to use them as trash mobs. Rare, can you take point? If so, then Ill support you with magic! Yeah, Im good! Saying so, Rare unsheathed her short sword and lunged at the ant. Her movements felt awkward to him for some reason, but, perhaps due to her beastkin stats, she quickly closed in on the ant. The ant tried to dodge but didnt make it in time, losing a leg from the failure. It was unable to stay upright. All right, [re Arrow]! Waynes spell hit the ant, burning it to cinders in a sh. He cast it as support, but it ended up basically doing all the work of defeating the ant. However, because of Rares single attack, she probably also earned some XP. After checking how much XP he earned, Wayne concluded that it was a little more than he got from grinding rabbits solo. So thats magic, huh? Sure packs a punch. Yeah, well, you know. But we dont get any materials, so next time we should try to defeat them with our swords if we can. Got it. After that, they kept hunting ants right up until they had nned to head back. By the time they got back to the city, the sun was just about to set. The next day, Rare had ns or something came up, he wasnt sure, but after they sold their materials at the sellsword guild, they split up. If Rare didnt appear at the guild the next in-game morning, then Wayne would go back to soloing. Chapter 32: “The Ants of the Forest” Makes sense; if my followers kill Sugarus, they get nothing, even if they shouldve normally gotten XP from it. Looks like we really cant break the game that way, Rare muttered to herself while watching Kerry fight an Engineer Ant. Next to her, Sugaru nodded, noting that shed never tried having her followers attack each other. As a result of reconstructing the ant caverns, they had made a new [Queens Chambers], which was where Rare observed Kerrys battle. Not counting the day of maintenance, it had been about one week in the real world. During that time, Rare had expanded her territory to include nearly all of the great forest that was considered monster territory, which surrounded the cave. Aside from some groups of monsters set aside for supplies and provisions and a goblin vige that was left alone to be used to farm XP, nothing that lived in the forest dared defy the rule of Rares group. After conquering the great forest, Rare had set her home base to an area near its center. While it was all under her control, it seemed she couldnt set the entire cavern system as her home, so only the queens chamber and the rooms around it were considered her private area. In the process of expanding the underground ant nest to epass the entire area of the forest, they identally stumbled onto a mine that was on the edge of monster territory, where they ran into human NPCs. Since it was so close to their territory and gave them ess to mineral resources, they went ahead and conquered it anyway. In addition, around the underground edges of the forest, they were producing peat alongside a water vein, and they had also found coal. The ants were able to easily procure underground resources without needing to perform open-pit mining, and if they could use the coal to refine iron ore, then their supply of metals would improve dramatically. Rare had Remy learn [cksmith] skills, and right now a forge was being constructed in one corner of the nest in order to start producing metal equipment. A number of the Engineer Ants, who wouldnt see muchbat, were taught the [cksmith], [Leathercraft], and [Clothcraft] skills, then assigned under Remysmand with the ultimate goal of mass production. With the great forest under their control, they started eyeing the prairie. Ant tunnels extended deep underneath the area, and exit holes were dug for the ants to observe the zone. Using these, they could spy on the people there. The ants were under strict order not to let anyone catch sight of them, but they were allowed to hunt rabbits as long as they stayed within a certain limited range of the exits. If the human side were to consider them a threat, the country could decide to invade the prairie and the great forest, which would not be good at all. On the few asions when they were identally seen, the witnesses were unable to defeat a group of five ants working together, so they were quickly turned into XP for Rare. It seemed that humanoids were worth a bit more XP than monsters of the same level; this was the same as in the closed beta. It was probably because their items and equipment counted toward theirbat capability. Thinking only in terms of XP efficiency, they made for wonderful prey. The most efficient course of action would be to farm yers, whoe back to life, but they hadnt found any yet in the area they monitored. If the number of yers increased with the officialunch, she would have to keep tabs on the changes in their poption while they regrly farmed those yers. If a squad were unable to defeat someone, then, while that squads ants were being killed, things were arranged so that other nearby squads coulde and continue the fight. Even if they could manage to beat a single squad, apparently no one could possibly beat a full toon consisting of several squads. Since this was a starting town, that much was obvious. On another note, they found out the reason ant corpses would disappear. Apparently, they automatically respawned after about an hour. Sugaru wasnt interested in keeping track of all her ants so she never noticed, but once Rare started managing them she instantly noticed it. At the time, she wasnt sure if this was a special ant trait or what, but the official news the other day revealed all the details about how [Subordinated] followers worked. She thought that in the worst case, she would have to use [Summon] to facilitate an escape, but apparently even that wasnt necessary. In order to gain full control of the great forest and the prairie, Rares side needed to increase their influx of XP by an order of magnitude. She initially wanted to use their XP to fuel the growth of her followers and all the ants, but after discussing it with Sugaru, that n was scrapped. The first step would still go as originally nned: having both Rare and Sugaru learn the [Enhance Follower] skills. Since the [Enhance Follower] bonus was based on the masters stats, the next step was to raise Rares stats. For followers where it made sense to raise stats individually, she would do so. Finally, raise Sugarus stats. Right now, even an infantry ant would be pretty difficult for a new yer to defeat. For the engineers, whose stats werent suitable forbat, using magic their enemies were weak to allowed them to win with ease. What was great about [Enhance Follower] was that XP could all be spent on the master; there was no need to use any on the followers themselves. Leaning on this system, enhanced followers could challenge somewhat stronger enemies and be nearly evenly matched. The ants that were working to secure the great forest and the prairie were squads made up of mostly infantry that didnt have any XP spent on them. By the systems calctions, though, they were always disadvantaged in battle, so they were able to earn a lot of XP. In all likelihood, Sugaru probably would have done the same thing if Rare hadnt interfered. Of course, Rares methods were much more efficient, but all the same she would have been earning abnormal amounts of XP. After all, this cave and the great forest were supposed to eventually be the [Vespoid Queendom]. In other words, Sugaru wasnt a fledgling unique boss, but a fledgling raid boss. She had discovered a new skill that supported this theory. Sugarus [Haplodiploidy] tree now had an entry for [Flying Soldier]. This skill had been unlocked after Sugaru learned [Wind Magic]. Originally, Sugaru could not learn any magic-rted skills. However, opposite of how it was for Rare and other humanoid races, learning [Enhance Follower: AGI] had unlocked the ability for her to learn magic. While Rare had been nning to prioritize the other [Enhance Follower] skills since she didnt want Sugaru to participate in battles directly, since having her learn [Wind Magic] unlocked [Flying Soldier], she decided to investigate further. [Wind Magic] unlocked [Flying Soldier], which produced [Soldier Vespoid]. They were giant wasps. Since the trees were so dense in the outer parts of the great forest, they were forced to fly up in the sky, but in the deeper parts with more room they showed off some amazing footwork and offensive ability. They cost quite a bit to produce, but once their stats went up, their LP and MP also rapidly increased, so Sugaru used them as her regr infantry now. [Fire Magic] unlocked [Shock Trooper], which produced [Assault Ants]. These looked simr to fire ants, and they sprayed not venom or acid but fire from their abdomens. Compared to real-world methrowers, they had superior range and firepower. What they did was ignite a highlybustible liquid, so even after shooting at a target, the fire would remain for some time. This was a dangerous ability to use in the forest, so while they got produced, they normally stayed in the nest and helped the engineers out. The ones who were assigned to active squads were also under strict orders to never use their methrowers without seeking and getting approval first. [Lighting Magic] unlocked [Sniper], which produced [Sniper Ants]. In the real world, snipers werent a separate branch of the military, they were just specialized infantry, but here, infantry ants couldnt learn sniping skills, so they were considered separate units. Compared to regr infantry, they had longer feelers; skinnier bodies; and their stingers were different as well: they were straight, long, and narrow like a gun barrel. Snipers also bent their abdomens up over their thoraxes in order to snipe targets, visually simr to scorpions. When she analyzed one of the shells they fired, after melting the hard covering with acid, inside was some kind of incredibly hard substance that felt almost like metal. Maybe they used [Lightning Magic] to fire them off like railguns. When sniping, they made hardly any noise at all; what fearsome assassins. [Earth Magic] unlocked [Artillery]. Compared to snipers, the [Artillery Ant]s range was shorter and its reload time was longer, but a single one was capable of area suppressive fire at range. By appearances, they looked like fat snipers. Their shells were, simply put, highly explosive, but they could also fire ones that wouldnt explode; they had the potential to turn the tide in both small-group and siege warfare. Not that she had seen them in action in either scenario yet. [Ice Magic] unlocked [Scout], giving birth to [Scout Ants]. Once again, conventional thinking would lead one to believe they were the same thing as infantry, but apparently they also served inmunications; scout ants could send and receive messages directly to and from other scout ants. However, all the squad leaders were already registered as friends with Sugaru, so the need for a specializedmunications unit was low. However, one was still included in every squad as traditional scouts with high stealth capabilities. [Water Magic] unlocked [Suppliers]. The resulting [Transporter Ants] were unfortunately the most obsolete. The Infantry Ants already had enough INT from [Enhance Follower] to use their inventories. The entire concept of supply trains was null and void. For testing purposes, a small number were produced, but they were all assigned to mind the nest. With Sugarus current strength, if she were to produce a huge number of these ants, the human countries would be torn apart like paper. The strength and variety of mobs guarding the way to the raid boss were no joke. And since she learned a ton of magic, Sugaru herself was powerful enough to be a fearsome mage-type boss. Or rather, that was the kind of force Rare was raising under her. Rare was watching Kerry do her best to go easy on an Engineer Ant, pulling her punches as they fought each other, as usual. Indeed, Rare was currently watching through Kerrys eyes. Chapter 33: “Perceive Coordinates” After learning all the elemental magic types for the [Enhance Follower] skills and boosting all her stats, Rare had more XP than she knew what to do with and was thinking about how to spend it. She could just keep dumping it into her stats, but that could be done at any time. It would be better to only increase stats based on what was needed at the moment and instead improve her countermeasures for others skills. That said, she didnt feel like investing in weapon skills. Not only was Rare not nning to ever participate in close-quartersbat, but also weapon skills would be taken by regr yers already, so there would be buzz on social media about any skills that were especially good. She could just wait to learn them until after that information spread. She was also reluctant to get any more crafting skills. The engineers were already constructing a factory, but Rare had no confidence in her own creativity. And good tools required good design. So what Rare decided to learn was a type of magic she hadnt yet: [Space Magic]. This element of magic required [Enchantment Magic], [Wind Magic], and [Earth Magic] to unlock. These requirements were discovered during the closed beta, so a lot of yers probably had it already. This type of magic was powerless on its own; the skills in its tree assisted other types of magic. It was simr to the way [Bind Soul] improved [Summon]. With the [Space Magic] spell [Perceive Coordinates], you could change the casting location for spells. When mastered, you could be face to face with an enemy and cast a [re Arrow] behind them and have it hit them in the back. However, this didnt affect the spells power at all. While it was incredibly useful to use for surprise attacks and bluffs, there were also a lot of conditions in order to learn it. If you really had all the XP to learn it, youd be better off directly improving yourbat strength. Since most yers thought this way, [Space Magic] tended to get a bad rap. [Perceive Coordinates] was also limited to your own perspective, so in general you were limited to your own field of view. To start, Rare wanted to test stuff like whether the [Summon] location could be moved to a specified position. She had already learned all the prerequisite skills, so she only had to pay for the cost of learning [Space Magic] itself. Since Rare had already acquired quite a number of skills and fulfilled a lot of conditions, she was excited to see if she unlocked anything in the [Space Magic] tree beyond [Perceive Coordinates], but nothing new appeared. As she hoped, it was possible to designate the [Summon] location, but it really was dependent on her own limited vision. Since Rares vision was bad, even though it was a magic skill, she couldnt really use [Perceive Coordinates] to its full potential. She started to think this was a wasted purchase, but then she realized that, conversely, [Space Magic] itself could have fulfilled some prerequisites for other skills, so she decided to check her other skill trees. [Discipline] had a new entry called [Perceive Follower]. This skill informed her of her followers coordinates, where they were at the time. Based on the skill name and the effect, there was no question that the unlock condition was [Perceive Coordinates]. After learning it, she checked all her other skill trees again. All this checking and rechecking brought back that feeling of excitement she had during the first day of the open beta. The next tree she checked, [Summon], had a new skill avable called [Summon Vision]. This skill allowed her to summon just the vision of a follower she was tracking via [Perceive Follower]; by closing her eyes, she could jack into that followers eyes. She could not even begin to express how useful this skill was. For example, with a bird-type monster tamed, amander would be able to perform reconnaissance themselves. What was even better, since she saw through her followers eyes, her own bad eyesight never came into y. When she originally took Poor Eyesight, she thought she would someday have to find a method to cover for it, but out of nowhere she had already solved that problem. So Rare had gotten Kerry the [Enhanced Vision] and [Enhanced Hearing] skills then dispatched her as a sellsword to gather information about nearby cities. Being able to watch live through Kerrys eyes meant she could immediately give orders whenever a quick decision was necessary. The [Enhanced Hearing] was since Rare also learned [Summon Hearing], which got unlocked after she took [Summon Vision]. When she had Kerry go to the city near the great forest, she had Kerry call herself Rare. Since Kerry could use the inventory, if someone saw her doing it, then information about NPCs being able to use it would get out. Instead of letting that happen, Rare thought itd be better for her to pretend she was a yer instead. She didnt know if there was a yer also named Kerry, but it would be problematic if there were and it turned out there wasnt a way to hide your name in this game. However, if Kerry went by Rare instead, she knew she herself wasnt going to suddenly appear out of nowhere, so it would be fine. Regardless of whether or not names could be hidden, Rare was the safest alias either way. To avoid inviting suspicion while pretending to be a yer, she had to make-up an exnation of what yers were for Kerry and the other girls. Something like how yers were from a world connected to this one, and while they slept here they had separate lives in the other world. Because of this, it was possible for yers to share information with one another regardless of where they were or how far apart they were. When they used terms like developers and official whatever, that referred to divine intervention that yers were convinced existed but they held no particr reverence toward. Rare was honestly quite proud of the story she concocted. Since it would be unusual for yers at this stage in the game to have gear like Kerrys, worn out leather armor fit for thieves or bandits, Rare took off her own starting equipment and had her use it. Kerry stored her own armor in her inventory while Riley went to town to buy some secondhand clothes for Rare to wear. They cost a pretty penny; going by the design, they were probably nobles clothing. Right now, some of the ants were making new clothes using these used clothes as reference. In order to focus on gathering information in town, Kerry was told to just pick simple, random requests to fulfill, but if she were to run into another yer, she should call out to them first before her cover was blown. Even if some of the things Kerry said were inconsistent, if she were to exin it away as roleying, she should be able to y dumb. Rare had pretended to be an NPC before, and there were surely other yers who had tried to do so as well, but it was unlikely that the opposite were true, for an NPC to pretend to be a yer. That should mean it was very unlikely that Kerry would get exposed. After getting whatever was unlocked in the [Necromancy] tree, the other summon sense skills aside from vision and hearing, and whatever those sense skills unlocked, Rare would stop learning new skills for the time being. What she needed for now she more or less already had, and she wanted to be more efficient with her XP spending. Looking ahead, she also had to consider having Sugaru unlock the [Summon]-type skills, but otherwise it was better to refrain from unnecessary spending. Rares most pressing objective was to get her hands on a new follower capable of flight for extended periods of time. Ideally, this unit would also have the [Night Vision] skill or an innate characteristic that provided a simr effect. For aerialbat, there were the Soldier Vespas, but they were Sugarus followers, so Rare couldnt summon their vision for herself. The most promising candidate was the owl-type monster in the great forest, butpared to the Solder Vespas, they werent very powerful. They wouldnt be bad for scouting, but she really wanted something that could fly long distances to gather information from far away locales. Owls wouldnt be able to take on such missions. Something that could operate for a long time outside of forests, ideally with night vision, that doesnt stand out and can hold its own in battle It would sure be nice if there were conveniently a monster that checked all those boxes. Chapter 34: “How to Prove You Aren’t Just Warming That Seat” While Kerry scouted out the city, Riley patrolled the great forest. There shouldnt be any monster in the forest that Rares group wasnt aware of, so while they had their pick of owl monsters, Riley was told that if she saw any other flying monster that seemed strong, she should bring it back unharmed. Whenever it didnt seem necessary to jack into Kerrys vision, Rare would instead jack into Rileys to observe what was going on in the forest. Rare used the queens chambers to do this, where she, naturally, sat on a throne. After having the engineers process a rock into the vague shape of a throne, she spread a bunch of pelts fromrge monsters theyd hunted over it until it wasnt ufortable to sit on anymore. The seat portion was rounded while the back portion leaned back slightly, which helped distribute body weight since there was more contact with the thrones surface area. It was modeled after the drivers seat in a car from yesteryear to befortable even when used for long periods of time. Recently, she had even been simply sleeping on the throne whenever she logged out. Right next to the throne was Sugarus bed, which was basically where she produced ants. As soon as they were born, they were taught how to ess their inventories, as well as friend chat if they weremanders, then assigned to squads. In general, as ant nests grew, they would expand their living areas. That meant they had to obtain more supplies in order to support all the ants in the nest. As far as Rares group went, since they didnt have anyrvae or pupae, it was easier to manage than real ants would be, but that also meant that as the scale of their operations increased, they had to turn the entire area of the great forest into their hunting grounds in order to keep up with the number of mouths to feed. That was why they had aggressively taken over the forest. Since they were managing it like a giant farm, some of the monsters and wild animals were actually more populous than before. Then again, those monsters probably didnt realize that they were being raised in that manner. While she was jacked into Rileys vision and hearing and vicariously enjoying her exploration of the forest, Kerry contacted her via friend chat. After her normal vision and hearing returned, she saw that Kerry was back in the queens chamber. She was wearing a full set of Rabbit Leather Armor. Haha, whats with that armor? Nah, it doesnt look weird. You do look like a proper sellsword, at least. Im so sorry. I used our funds to buy this crummy armor Well, you earned the money yourself while blending in, didnt you? You say our funds, but I dont really mind at all. In the first ce, we dont really need that much money anyway. As long as we have one high-quality sample, we can now use it to produce our own better version. Rares group had taken over the mine that supplied the citys metal stores; the same was true for fuel and raw materials like coal and lumber. The great forest was also the only ce where monsters could be hunted for high-quality pelts, and silk from caterpir-type monsters could be gathered. With a sample in hand, it was actually harder for them to produce an inferior copypared to what was sold in the city. They did allow the citys lumberjacks to cut down trees on the edge of the forest. Due to that, Rares subordinates and the monsters being raised never appeared there, so the citizens probably considered that area the edge of monster territory. In any case, trees with lower-quality wood grew dense all around the edges, and even if they chopped down enough wood to supply the entire city, all the trees would grow back in about ten days. Because of this irregr growth cycle, the city could never process all the felled trees fast enough, which might exin the formation of peat and coalyers underground. Boss, as you heard, theres a server-wided event or something, but Ahh, thats right What should we do about that? Kerry and uh that Wayne yer were talking about it, and Rare was also interested in the event. In games like these, events were usually very involved, so she wondered where exactly theyd hold it and how it would operate. She first needed to learn more details before she could decide whether to participate or not. Plus, either way, Rare herself would probably be disinclined to make an appearance. Since they had the opportunity, she wanted to have Kerry join in, as Wayne suggested, but she wasnt sure if that was even possible in the first ce. Anyway, I need to check the official site for news That was from Riley. Kinda weird was way too vague to use in a report, but Riley wouldnt have said anything unless it was important. Riley herself didnt sound so sure of the situation. Based on her report, it could have possibly been her mistake in judgment. Rare looked at Sugaru sitting next to her. She had instructed Sugaru to get updates from the same area, and the ants apanying Riley should have given a simr report. However, they apparently didnt have anything notable to say since she was shaking her head. However, they had nearplete control of the forest, and in the central region where Rileys group was at present, the ants surveince should have been able to catch any possible intruders. There were ants monitoringnd routes, the air space, and the underground. Sugaru messaged in a panic. Bones? Do you mean skeletons? What do you mean by suddenly? Any losses? She wasnt sure how to interpret that. W-18 was just east of the center of the forest. Sugaru said they were near the goblin farm, but was there anything else in that area? Thinking on it further, it would be faster to just have someone verify the situation. Luckily, Rileys group was close. She could jack into Rileys vision and hearing. Sugaru, is there any particr reason this army would be attracted to the goblin farm? Weapons? Ahh, I remember now, they did have some rusty swords This being a game, nothing felt off about it, and goblins werent strong enough to crack the ants carapaces, so I didnt pay it much mind. But the operative question is, where did they get them? The patrols stayed away from the farms since the goblins seemed to reproduce much more slowly when they were also worried about the ants, but Rares group should have investigated the area more thoroughly. The underground tunnels also extended below the farms, but if the engineers never mentioned it, that meant all this equipment was probably buried near the surface. The reason Sugaru would not have reported it was probably because even if they excavated all the weapons and armor, they were inferior to what Rares group could produce themselves, so there was no point in bothering with them. It seemed she wasnt concerned about farm livestock ying around with trash. Its true; even if she had brought up the topic, without an irregr scenario like what was happening now, Rare also wouldnt have thought it worthy of attention. Well, its fine. If there are a bunch of forgotten armaments buried somewhere, that means it would stand to reason that the original owners of said armaments are probably buried nearby. We may not know exactly who they are, but I believe I know what they are. Ill wait for Rileys report to confirm before I make an appearance. If theyre really undead, though, then I should be the most suitable person to be the host. This would be a great opportunity to try out that new [Necromancy] skill. [1]: The original chapter title is Ӥĥκgʡ which trantes more literally to An easy XXX for not just polishing a chair with your butt. This could be a reference to a line by Arbeo Pippiniden in Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, but it basically makes sense on its own so Im not sure if its intended to be a reference. Chapter 35: “Deas of Resentment” Based on Rileys investigation, the bone army had sprung up from something like an armory near the goblin farm. For the sake of convenience, lets just call it a cemetery. All right, Ill go. Sugaru, you stay here. Kerry, why dont youe along too? Yes, Boss. Rare walked through the caves apanied by Kerry. When the ants had extended the tunnels to connect the great forest to the prairie, they erged them for humanoid races to be able to walkfortably. These underground routes had handrails installed and, since there were no lights at all, they made traveling along them very safe once you got used to them. She eventually wanted to install some lights, but right now she didnt know of any light sources that didnt use fire. Since the ants navigated the underground tunnels using their feelers, the only ones who needed light were Rare and the four catkin girls, so she would put off the thought forter. While proceeding down the tunnel, Rare touched base with Riley, then instructed Sugaru to send infantry to keep the enemy confined to the area around the cemetery. Their destination wasnt that far away from the queens chamber. Rare and Kerry would soon arrive beneath it, after which they would head for the door leading to the surface so they could meet up with Riley. Emerging into the cemetery, there was indeed arge army of bone-type enemies there. However, she couldnt tell skeletons apart from any other kinds of monsters at a nce. Part of the army was outside the cemetery but being harried by ants, while the rest of it inside the cemetery was being constrained by other ants from spreading out. How convenient. All right, Ill just go ahead and try it out now. [Necromantic Barrier]. When Rare activated [Necromantic Barrier], a glistening-ck hemispherical magic circle appeared over the area. The arcane constructionpletely engulfed the entire cemetery, as she wanted. All the skeletons inside the magic circle froze on the spot, then turned as one to face Rare, the caster. Necromantic Barrier Create a barrier at a designated area. All corpses within the barrier are turned into undead under your control. If there are any hostile undead inside the barrier, the barrier casts [Control] on them for no cost. Each undead may individually resist. Your MP is consumed while the barrier is active. If the barrier is canceled or you do not have enough MP to maintain the barrier, any [Control] effects generated by the barrier are canceled. This new skill was unlocked after learning [Spatial Awareness] in the [Space Magic] tree. Ignoring the conditions for unlocking [Spatial Awareness], it was essentially an area-of-effectposite of [Necromancy], [Bind Soul], and [Control]. It drained her MP like crazy, but if she wanted to suppressrge groups of enemies, this would handle any weak undead. Since the barrier also raised any corpses, other enemy undead wouldnt appearter, and any undead enemies that resisted the [Control] were easy to identify. Rare ordered the undead under her control line up and leave the cemetery. At the same time, she ordered Sugaru to have her artillery destroy all those undead. It would be faster to burn them all to ashes with methrowers, but that wasnt a good idea here in the forest. The only enemy that remained in the cemetery was arger skeleton wearing battered decorative armor; it was probably quite extravagant long ago. This was the only monster that couldnt be controlled. Since maintaining the barrier was a waste of MP at this point, after confirming that the controlled undead were mostly destroyed, Rare canceled the [Necromantic Barrier]. Thatst skeleton appeared to be trying to moan something. It wasnt speaking with human words, but, possibly due to [Necromancy] or some other skill, the system allowed Rare to somehow understand what it was trying to say. About how it would never forgive the countrys founders, who had sent them to this forest to be massacred. ording to the skeleton, they were a countrys knight order. She had no idea which country it meant, but maybe it was whichever country the closest city belonged to, the one Kerry was operating in. Based on what the yer Wayne said, that country would be [Hiers]. However, it seemed this guess was incorrect. The skeleton didnt have a good grasp on time, and it couldnt tell how long ago it had died, so in all likelihood this country had already perished. It said that there was only one country on the entire continent at the time, so clearly it was not any of the current six countries. In other words, this skeleton was a knight from a lost kingdom, and the entire knight order had perished in this forest. She had read the simple backstories describing the six countries on the official site, but there was never any mention of there being a single unified nation in the past. If what this skeleton was saying was true, then there was more history here that hadnt been officially published on the website yet. How interesting So what is your groups objective? Or I guess youre the only one left. Ah, my apologies, but your subordinates were just now demolished. I dont wish to continue hostilities, but your desires may sh with mine. Let me first hear what you want. The skeleton appeared to want vengeance for his men, but this wasnt directed at Rare. The way he saw it, the entire knight order, including he himself, had already beenid to rest in this cemetery. For some unknown reason, they were all reanimated, but this one skeleton was the only one to regain his sense of self, and he wanted to let hisrades sleep peacefully here. Therefore, the targets of his revenge were those who murdered his order, which was tasked with protecting the country; those who let that past country rot; those who divvied up the country among themselves; those shameless, pretentious weasels who sought to rule the continentin other words, the current rulers of the six kingdoms. In all likelihood, those specific people had long since passed away, but she wasnt sure if he understood that since he seemed to jump straight to their descendants are my enemies. Well, if there were someone whose race had long lives like elves, its possible theyd know who the backbones of these countries were back then. I understand now. Im not sure if you can tell from my appearance, but Im not exactly affiliated with any of the countries. You could consider me as an ouw of sorts. Im sort of the leader of a bandit group, and now Im also sort of the ruler of a kingdom of ants Well, you could say that Im kind of in charge of a number of organizations. The skeleton didnt appear hostile to Rare since he just quietly listened to her speak. Now, you have a number of choices before you. Lets see First, you can face defeat here at the hand of my forces. Next, you can be one of my followers. Last, you can leave this forest and go wherever you wish. While she was interested in his story, it wasnt something she absolutely had to hear from him. And if he became associated with her, she would naturally be an enemy of the human countries. Well, its not like she could say her rtionship with them was currently positive anyway, so it wouldnt change much. They did take over that mine, after all. How about this? If you choose to be my follower, I could grant you more power. It would be fun to help with your revenge against the human countries as well. In return, I would have you heed my orders in other matters. She could have just forcefully used [Subordinate] on him, but it didnt hurt to asionally y the part of a viiness and make derations like this. This was a game, after all. It was important to enjoy yourself. <> Deas became Rares follower at the same time as she received that system announcement. His race was [Terror Knight]. His stats and skills were very good; he wasnt a raid boss, but she could probably believe that he was a somewhat strong unique boss. After the [Subordinate] seeded, Rare did gain a small amount of XP. Considering how she barely got any for destroying all those skeletons in the fight just now, that could imply that Deas was actually pretty powerful. If Rare had stayed her hand and instead let the ants deal most of the damage, they could have earned a decent amount of XP, but the primary goal was to test out [Necromantic Barrier], so it wasnt a big deal. With such a niche skill, there were few opportunities to use it in actualbat. Having this incident ur at this timing was quite serendipitous. Leaving some ants to clean up, everyone else prepared to return to the queens chamber. If they loitered too long, the sun would begin to rise. She asked Deas what they should do with the skeletal remains and all the equipment buried in the cemetery, but the souls of his men had long since dispersed, so he said there was no point in holding any ceremonies. She didnt know what religion he observed, but if that was what he thought, then it was fine to just leave it all there. The goblins were sure to make use of it sooner orter. If what Deas said was true, then why did only he regain his ego? Why was it only his soul that remained? And if the rest of the knights souls had vanished, why did their bodies all of a sudden get reanimated as undead now of all times? But no matter how many questions she asked, she had no answers for them right now. Rare instructed Riley to continue searching for an owl-type monster, then had Kerry and Deas escort her back underground. Chapter 36: “The Power of a Not-So-Lesser Vampire” Ever since, nc would spend nights in the game grinding in the wild outside the castle. Whenever the sun was about to rise, she would return to the old castle and either logoutsleepor chat with the count. That was how she spent her time in the game. There was a day when she couldnt log in, and then the game officiallyunched. There werent any issues, though, since her virtual wallet was already linked to her ount, so the subscription fee would be paid automatically. She barely nced at the terms of service before agreeing to them. Back then, after reincarnating, she selfishly refused the [Subordinate], like the original Masked Biker, expecting to get beaten ck and blue, but that actually left a good impression on Count Habnd. He really respected how she chose to be a Lesser Vampire under her own will and treated her as a close friend, saying that she was free to use his castle as she wished. Had you be my servant before bing a vampire, then I would be able to control you. However, since you became a vampire as a result of your own choices, I cannot easily bend you to my will. After one of the castles guest rooms was prepared for ncs exclusive use, she got a system message saying that room was now her personal area. To put it another way, instead of buyingnd and building her own house, she was renting a room from andlord. That said, if she had the chance, shed sure love to get her own castle or country one day. nc just meant that she wanted her own home, but the count took it literally andughed while saying hed point out a convenient country nearby that was ripe for destruction. Once she got stronger, she should try attacking it, stuff like that. So that country, on the official I mean, uh, I heard before that its not a rich or poor country, but its national power is very stable, or something like that Mm. It is indeed often said that it is stable. However, for both man and kingdom, stability is but a dyed decay. I see, I see I think Ive heard something like that from somewhere else, too. Even still, that country has long since be stagnant. A country whose human resources have stagnated will start to rot. Eventually, while it may or may notpletely fall apart, its central pir will certainly crack. There is already a fierce faction war taking ce in the shadows, so it is simply a matter of time. Even though youre always holed up in this old castle, how do you know so much about whats going on? Old castle Well, fine. I have rats keeping tabs on them. You have spies?! Thats so cool! Nay, I mean literally Rats. I have [Subordinated] rats monitoring various organizations. Hmm Hum I think that squeaks in! Fuh hah hah! I see, it squeaks in, does it! But that sure sounds nice. Itd be so cool to have my own minions. Are you not already capable? When you reincarnated into a vampire, [Subordinate] should have be avable to you within the [Discipline] group. Learn [Discipline] and see for yourself. nc did as he said and took [Discipline]. It cost 20 XP, but right now she had a good amount of XP saved up. Youre right! [Subordinate] showed up! If there is not arge difference in strength, then [Subordinate] by itself will not be very effective. You would do well tobine it with [Charm] and [Control] from the [Mental Magic] group. Oh, sure, that must have been the status effectbo that the count used before. It would take quite a lot of XP to get down to [Control] in the [Mental Magic] tree, but there werent any other skills she wanted at the moment, so she went ahead and got them. I learned everything up to [Control], Coach! Fuh hah hah! So I am your coach! How amusing! Now, [Control] and the other spells connected to [Mental Magic] rely mainly on mental fortitude for their effectiveness. It would therefore be prudent to train that mental fortitude. The mental fortitude that the count was talking about must refer to the MND stat. She had a feeling that the exnation for stat points had said something like this. nc decided to trust in the count and spend the rest of her XP on her MND. Now it was about as high as her INT was. All right! Ill head out when it gets dark and find something to [Subordinate]! Indeed. Go forth and do as you wish. If you are able to [Subordinate] abat-capable monster, the efficiency of your training will improve. As the sun set, nc left the old castle and thought about what she should try to tame. Normally, she hunted zombies and skeletons in the castles vicinity. These zombies were wild ones, not the counts servants; nc didnt really understand how zombies could be wild, but she decided not to think too hard about it. Since she had gotten her hands on the vampire-exclusive skill [Subordinate], if she was gonna use it, she wanted to tame some kind of cool monster. Zombies were already the counts thing, so she didnt want to tame one of them. But its not like she hated zombies or anything either! For now, while killing zombies and skeletons like usual, she decided that today she would venture out further. Ever since she turned into a vampire, she raised her STR and VIT much more than when she was a skeleton, to the point where she could probably beat up a skeleton with her bare hands before being hit back even once. No one knew how little stamina skeletons had better than nc did. After delightfully reporting this to the count, he looked at her with pity and presented her with a stick. It was made of iron or some sort of metal, and it was way better than using her bare hands to whack things. It also assisted in casting spells; it wouldnt affect their firepower, but it did lower their cooldown times a bit. nc primarily used magic to deal with zombies since she didnt like getting close to them, so she was very grateful for the stick. Along with the stick, the count also gave her clothes. Apparently he couldnt stand the fact that a vampire, one of the ruling races, looked so shabby. Which referred to her starting equipment. What nc had on now were the counts hand-me-downs, which was a standard outfit for vampires: clothing for nobles. These were clothes that nobles would use when going hunting. Of course, the counts old clothes were for men, but since she hadnt done a full body scan during character creation and also hadnt touched the shape of her body, her current appearance was androgynous, so with mens clothes on she looked like a smaller man. nc was quite taken with this look, since it was different from the usual her. She didnt like the idea of actually being a different sex, but acting like a man seemed fun. That being the case, nc, looking for all the world like a full-fledged vampire, energetically made her way north while defeating trash mob zombies and skeletons. She chose her bearing at random, deciding not to worry about it too much. However, she was a bit concerned about her XP intake. Compared to yesterday, she was earning a lot less; killing all these monsters was barely getting her anything. Ah, its because I learned [Subordinate] and [Mental Magic] and got stronger. I think I got some kind of exnation about that before. Using those skills could make fighting easier, sure, but its not like using [Control] or whatever will let me kill these guys in one hit or anything. This must have just been bad timing. She felt like she shouldve found something she wanted to tame first before learning all these new skills. However, she was also ecstatic at getting advice from the count, so she didnt regret it either. Chapter 37: “Great Location, 5 Minutes from the Cemetery! But Kinda Deserted.” After traveling for a bit, right about when she could still make it back to the castle if she ran should the sun begin to rise, nc found a neglected cemetery. A little further ahead she could see what looked like a town, but seeing that it waspletely dark, it had probably been deserted. All the residents must have moved somewhere else. Well, there are tons of zombies and stuff around, so it mustve been tough living here The cemetery was filled with zombies and skeletons, so the deserted town was probably in a simr state. nc started thinking it was about time she turned back. Not like Im thinking I gotta tame something today or anything At worst, I thought nabbing a skeleton would be good enough. If she were going to [Subordinate] a skeleton, she was curious about how it mightpare to when the count did it to her. If it simply turned into a Squire Zombie, she would wonder why it turned out different from her. Maybe it was because she knew six different elements of magic, or because her INT was high. Was one of them the condition for Revenant, or maybe did both things fulfill the requirements for Lesser Vampire? But since she couldnt raise a skeletons INT or teach it magic before she tamed it, there wasnt an easy way to experiment. Shed need to find some way for it to reincarnate after being tamed. The count said that after he tamed me and I became a vampire, it did seem like he could control me, so lets ask himter. That being the case, then she might as well check out what was in the cemetery. Unlike out in the wild, the cemetery appeared to also have living monsters along with the undead. Like these bats that were attacking her. Wagh, that scared me! A bunch of bats swarmed her. She didnt know what they wanted; probably food. If they happened to be vampire bats, then they mustve wanted to dine on the blood of a vampire, e.g. ncs. Blegh! Heres a [Fear]! Damn you! Be afraid! The bats fell to the ground in a flutter. Phew. Im d that worked I think I heard somewhere that it didnt have a high sess rate, but since Im a vampire and these are (probably?) vampire bats, maybe it was super effective. The bats cowered on the ground, shivering. Seeing them like that, she started to feel bad. Or actually, since starting the game, all Ive encountered are ants and undead So these are the first living mammals Ive seen These creatures might not be so bad. They were pretty vampire-y, and with this many of them, even if they were kinda weak, they should be able to defeat a zombie. If it came down to it, they could be used as a smokescreen, and best of all, they could be used as spies just like what the count did with his rats. If I remember right, bats are also known as rats with wings, so as the counts student, wed match too! nc went to all of the prone bats around her one by one and cast [Subordinate] on them. She left out the [Control] part, but that was because, as the count had said, there was such a big difference in power between them. The taming seeded without a hitch. So there are nine of them in all. Their race is Desmodus? That sounds pretty metal. The bats all scampered over to crowd around nc. I didnt know that bats could walk! And theyre also speedier than I expected! It would be hard for them to follow her like that, so she carried them in her arms. If this were in the real world, Id have to worry about rabies and stuff, but whatever. Actually, even if something were to happen to me, Im a vampire here, so yeah. Since nc achieved what she set out to do, she returned to the castle. Her new followers may not have been cool or strong, but she liked that they were plentiful. Well, at least theyre pretty cute, so whatevs. All right, lets head back. Her trip back was a bit hurried, but she somehow managed to arrive at the old castle before the sun rose. Im back~! Hmm What do you have there? Are those bats? Arent they vampire-y? And theyre kinda like rats too. I cannot say if they are inherently suitable for vampires or not, but bats and rats are different races. Ehhh~ Then why were they called rats with wings? W-Well, whatever. By the way, Coach, you said that after you tamed me and I became a vampire, you felt like you could control me too, but have you ever heard of a tamed monster reincarnating into a vampire? Hmm. When special conditions are fulfilled, it is possible to have them to reincarnate by drinking a special kind of blood. Special blood? The blood of a high-ranking vampire. For example, if a Revenant were to drink my blood, it could be possible for it to reincarnate into a Lesser Vampire. I have not tested this, thus I can say no more than that. So it wouldnt work with my blood? Indeed You may need to increase your rank somewhat first. If it were for a Squire Zombie to reincarnate to a Revenant, yours may very well already be sufficient My rank It should not be too far off. See, you have already shed the [Lesser] rank. As they chatted, she checked her own status and found that it was true; she had changed from a Lesser Vampire to a Vampire. When did that happen? I imagine when you learned [Mental Magic] or [Subordinate]. Those spellsmand a considerable rank. In other words, earning and spending XP did the trick. But I dont get that much XP from grinding the zombies around here anymore The count thought for a moment before responding. If you take the tunnels in the cer, you will arrive at a water vein. If memory serves, a group of lizardmen made a nest there. They should prove to be more satisfying prey than zombies. Lizardmen! So those exist too! And this castle has a cer? You first entered this castle via the cer, the count spat, exasperated. Well, I am sure you just got lost and somehow arrived here while trying to make your way back I shall write down simple directions for you. Go and see for yourself; the light of the sun does not reach there. It can serve as your entertainment during the day. Yessiree! Fuh hah hah. And about those bats, I do sense a connection with us. It is possible that with the right conditions, they could also reincarnate into something else. Raise them well. Yeah! Ill do my best! When she had first met him, she saw him as a cringey, overdramatic older brother. Now that she had gotten used to the way he talked, though, she was starting to find it kind of cute, strangely enough. Here, a map. Tis simple, but it should keep you from getting lost after leaving the castle. You are able to use [Mental Magic] as much as you want on lizardmen. You should not have much trouble, so allow your bats to gain experience when possible. What do you mean I can use it as much as I want on them? Hm? Did I neglect to exin? [Mental Magic] does not work on undead. Therefore there is not much opportunity for its use around this castle. Ive never heard that before, for sure! But wait, when we met, didnt you just st me with [Charm] and other stuff? Well, there are certain tricks. You shall learn in time. That piqued her interest, but since he said hed show her someday, there was no need to worry about it now. She also wanted to hurry up and grind more XP. Okay then, Im off! Indeed. Be off. nc immediately went down to the cer and headed for the underground water vein. She at longst found the ce where she initially spawned, but it seemed to be blocked off now, so she couldnt get there anyway. Her bats were under her cape, hanging off ncs body. As long nothing crazy happened, everything should be all right. Chapter 38: “Darkness Encroaches on the Underground Water Vein” To get to the water vein, nc went through a hole in a corner of the castles jail. The count considered this the normal way to get to the underground, but regr people would never consider this a standard doorway. It would be more apt to call it a secret entrance used to invade the castle. That guy sure likes his secret loopholes The castles jail was already pretty deep underground, but from there the path went still further down. Eventually, she heard the sound of running water. The cave with the water vein felt much cooler than the castle was. She wasnt sure if this was because of the humidity or because the underground water was itself cold. The cave wasrge enough for a person to walkfortably, and it followed alongside the vein; it must have beenpletely filled with water a long time ago. It was so dark that the water looked pitch ck, so much so that there was no way to tell if there was anything in the flowing stream. Even if there were lizardmen in there, trying to fight them here would be pretty dangerous. She needed to be ready to cast magic at the drop of a hat if she didnt want to end up dead. nc cautiously proceeded down the tunnel. As she kept descending further and further underground, she wondered where this water originally came from and where it was going. Since the castles cer was already quite deep into the ground, she also wondered how far down she was now. Or maybe the castle was actually built on high ground or something. Since it was surrounded by wilderness, it was hard to imagine that being the case, but it could be simr to the Guiana Hignds; with extreme topography like that, anything was possible. It wouldnt be surprising if it were, since the count seemed to like high ces. How far had she gone down into the ground? As per usual, nc hadnt been keeping track whatsoever, but anyway, her route led her to a slightlyrger cavern. Within was an enormous undergroundke or something close to that. Carefully peeking into the room, she saw numerous humanoid shapes around theke. Those were probably lizardmen since they had long tails. They must have made a vige; there were quite a lot of them. Urg, farming XP off them might be a little hard She didnt know how strong lizardmen were, but she was sure they were stronger than zombies and skeletons. Since the bats didnt seem like they would be very useful inbat, nc at her current strength really couldnt wipe them all out by herself. One of the bats on her chest had some kind of n it wanted to propose. Bait? No way Isnt that risky? Ah, I know you can fly Hmm, all right, so Ill go somewhere far enough away that the vige cant hear; can some of you guys go and lure a couple of them to me? Three bats zipped out from under ncs cape. After watching them fly off, nc retreated all the way into the back of the cave where sound wouldnt travel too far. She waited there a bit before two lizardmen came, chasing after her bats. The lizardmen lost track of the bats in the darkness and steadily got closer to her corner of the cave while looking for them. Theyre making a pretty big deal of just three bats Maybe they need them as a source of protein or something. If that was really the case, then she should be able to lure out as many of them as she wanted using bats. Then again, this was their home, so if they were smart enough to get suspicious when theirrades didnte back, then it would get harder and harder, she imagined. In any case, first is to make sure these two dont turn around and head back. nc focused, getting ready to cast magic. Lizardmen were a race that lived in the water, so it would be good to lead off with [Thunderbolt]. Since there were two targets, shed have to instantly cast a second spell, but she couldnt use the same spell twice in a row. nc figured the best option would be a neutral spell like [Air Cutter] to try and mangle one. Alrighty A little closer Just a tiny bit closer Perfect! [Thunderbolt]! [Air Cutter]! The lightning left an afterimage in the air as it instantly struck one of the lizardmen; a second after, an invisible sh tore into the other lizardman. The electrocuted one died instantly, but the other one that had been sliced by [Air Cutter] was still alive. It tried to crawl away. Hmm? Can I not kill it for sure if Im not using an element its weak to? [Ice Bullet]. After the pebble of ice pierced its body, the lizardman copsed, its remaining lifeforce gone. nc checked her status; these guys really were worth a decent amount of XP. Theyre not really that efficient, though. Set bait, go hide, st them with magic; thats a lot of work Is there any way to blow them all up as a group? nc checked the screen where she could learn skills. There was a new tree called [Vampiric Magic]. Obviously, this wasnt avable back when she was a skeleton; it must have been unlocked when she became a vampire. Opening it, the first skill she saw was [Mist]. Its a skill that creates a bunch of mist over a wide area, huh It allows any [Vampiric Magic] and [Mental Magic] I use to affect everything in that area Oh right, Ive only ever used Mental Magic on bats before. In addition, inside the mist, ones field of vision would be diminished, and detection effects would be obstructed as well. After casting [Mist], she could use [Fear] to handicap, then defeat enemies one by one with magic; that seemed workable, but itd be a pain if [Fear] got resisted. She didnt think itd be a good idea to test the strategy in a real battle. It wouldve been nice to test on the two lizardmen just now Hmm. After thinking it over for a bit, she decided to have her bats lure some lizardmen over one more time. She first had to learn the skill; she got [Mist] as well as [Lightning Magic]s AOE spell [Lightning Shower]. It cost a lot of MP, but the fact that it could hit many enemies at once was huge. The firepower from a single cast was also lower, but she could use [Mental Magic] in advance to cover for that. She had to spend XP again, but considering how much XP she just got, she would still end up earning more XP overall than she had yesterday from those zombies. This time, she added in a little trick by sending only two bats out to theke. The idea was that the lizardmen would see them, then assume the first two guys hadnte back yet because they caught one of the bats and were eating it. Basically, she wanted to minimize how suspicious they might get. She didnt know how the lizardmen decided what to do, but this time three of them came out. After the three were guided to the kill zone, her first step was to create [Mist]. Because of how dark and humid it was, it didnt feel like the lizardmen paid any attention to the fog. The next step was to activate [Fear]. The three lizardmen all stopped in ce and their tails began to quiver. That worked. Great, [Lightning Shower]! Countless bolts of lightning arced from the ceiling of the cave to the floor. Many of them struck the lizardmen who were within the designated area. The electricity made them convulse, their spines warping backward violently. The spasming lizardmen fell to the ground, unable to move. However, they werent dead yet. She didnt know if it was from the lightning damage or the effects of [Fear], but either way it was convenient for her. nc approached each one in turn and stabbed them in the head with her stick. Now if I go to thatkeside vige, I just have to hit em with a [Fear] first and things should work out. Sweet! nc went back to the cavern to observe the undergroundke. Spying at it, she saw that a number of the lizardmen would nce in her general direction periodically, as though curious whether the bat hunt was sessful. She shouldnt dawdle much longer or they might realize she was there. [Mist]. She wasnt sure if it would reach from here, but she doubted they would notice, so if she did need to get closer, she could just wait until the spell cooled down and try again. The description wasnt kidding when it said wide area This could easily cover a small town. But the range of [Mental Magic] isnt all thatrge, which is a problem. Since [Mist]sted until it was canceled, it sucked up MP for as long as it was active. As soon as she cast [Mist], she needed to take care of things as quickly as possible. nc slipped into the mist and followed the wall toward the vige. To nc, the mist didnt hinder her vision at all; while she was aware of the fact that there was a thick fog, she could still see everything around her the same as usual. If any of the lizardmen acted like they noticed her, she was ready to st [Fear] at them, but since they seemed to have no idea that she was there, she was able to get pretty close before running into one. Well, getting in this close is totally cool. Heres a [Fear] for you! Beginning with the lizardman closest to nc, all the lizardmen in range froze in ce, shivering. It was certainly not powerful enough to affect the entire vige, but it was easily able to cover anything close enough to reach nc. And for my next act, [Lightning Shower]! The ceiling in here was much higher than it was in the previous area, but lightning still filled the air between the ground and the ceiling. She was curious how it would work outside, in the open air, but she would have to shelve that thought for now since she had to go around finishing off all the fallen lizardmen. Even though her attack just now was really shy and should have been bright enough topletely light up this corner of the cavern, there were a lot fewer lizardmening to attack nc than she was expecting. Is it because of the mist? If so, its crazy powerful for a race-limited skill. The limited part does make it sound pretty strong, though. She shot the lizardmen that got close to her with a single [re Arrow] and [Ice Bullet] each, then delivered the finishing blow with her stick. It would usually be better to finish them all off with another area-of-effect attack, but it would be bad if she were unexpectedly attacked by a big group of enemies, so she just settled for finishing them off one at a time. Finally, she couldnt see any more lizardmen alive near her. All that was left was to check those embankment-looking structures around theke, which were probably houses. Are those doors facing theke already open? If so, it would probably be dangerous to poke my head in. nc thought about demolishing the structures with magic, but on second thought she just decided to cancel [Mist]. There might be children or eggs inside Well, she didnt know if these thingsid eggs, but anyway, there might be something like that inside, so if she left them alone, she coulde backter to grind more XP. She also didnt know if the corpses had anything useful on them, but she decided to go around storing them in her inventory as a way to wrap up her excursion. Allll right, lets head back. For the time being, I shouldnt use XP on myself anymore or itll make farming lizardmen less efficient, so after I get back Ill look at buffing my bats. nc started on her way back to the castle in high spirits. Chapter 39: “System Message 2” To all yers: Thank you for ying [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. While nning the server-wide event celebrating the officialunch of the game, it hase to our attention that it would be too difficult to use one of the areas in the game as originally intended. To circumvent this issue, all yers will instead be invited to a special zone (exact date and time TBD) for a battle royale PvP event. Due to this change, while the original event specifications would have prevented yers not participating in the event from logging in, those yers will now be able to log in normally, and there will be no restrictions traveling to or from the special event zone. Registration for the battle royale event will be open until 10:00 AM the day before the event begins. yers who do not register for the event will be restricted to the spectator area of the special event zone. Please be aware that both the special event battlefield and the spectator area will be elerated by a factor of 6. For safety purposes, please refrain from excessive travel to and from the special event area. Per the [Neurological Faculty and Mental Safeguard Act], yers may be required to read and sign the [Cautions and Warnings Regarding the eleration of Cognitive Processing] waiver prior to gaining entry into the special event zone. More information about the event will be announced on the official website at ater date. We hope you continue to enjoy your time in [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]! Frequently Asked Questions This list of [Frequently Asked Questions] and [Troubleshooting Tips] has beenpiled from yer submissions. The answers on this page may be able to resolve your questions or issues, so please check here before submitting an inquiry. In addition, please be aware that some questions regarding game content or specifications may not be addressed here. Q: After overwriting your respawn location with a new one such as an inn room, what happens if that inn is destroyed or the new respawn location is otherwise gone? A: You will respawn at your previous respawn location. If no previous respawn locations are avable, then you will randomly spawn somewhere within your initial spawn zone. Q: Are there any party or n features? A: Parties: [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse] does not have any party features. Please cooperate with other yers or NPCs in order to ovee difficulties. Experience points are earned by all characters who contributed to battle, and the amount earned is based on that contribution. The division of drop items should be discussed among all characters involved; we rmend that arrangements are determined in advance. A: ns: There is no n system in ce, but it is possible for multiple characters to buy or lease a single property. You are free to use that location as a base and form an unofficial group, so please take advantage of this feature. Q: Is there a pet system? A: We are unable to answer that question. Q: How does the death penalty work when you dont have enough experience points to pay for the respawn? A: When you respawn, you will be asked to choose skills and/or stat points to refund in order to pay the penalty. Any leftover penalty will be taken from your avable experience points. If you do not have enough experience points, the most recent skill and/or stat point expenditures will be automatically refunded to pay for the penalty. The skill/stat point refund screen can only be essed after respawning. If a prerequisite skill is lost in this manner, all dependent skills will be automatically refunded as well. If your question was not answered on this page, please submit an inquiry using the following form. Chapter 40: “The Secrets of Alchemy” After spending a bunch of XP getting all the [Enhance Follower] skills and [Space Magic]-rted skills, Rare no longer earned any XP from the enemies around the great forest. However, she could still earn XP indirectly via the unenhanced ant squads to grind groups of goblins. It wasnt a huge amount, but between that and the farm, it wasnt too bad for daily XP ie. Either way, she wasnt fighting anything herself anyway. She had long since stopped worrying about the loss in XP due to being overleveled, as it were. That being the case, it might be a good time to start trying to break a new skill. Rare sunk into thought while watching her XP go up by itself. There was only one skill that piqued her interest from the start that she seriously wanted to look into. That skill was [Alchemy]. Youd think this would be the skill tree for the kind of alchemy poprized in modern fiction, but even on social media, you could only find discussion about the [Refine] skill unlocked from [Pharmacy] and [Formte]. Of course, yers could be hiding information the same way Rare was doing with [Subordinate], but that still meant that you couldnt discover new skills the usual way. The reason why [Alchemy] caught Rares eye was the fact that homunculus was one of the races that could be chosen during character creation. Homunculi were the fabled artificial lifeforms produced via alchemy. It was natural to believe that there was a connection here in this game as well. In the closed beta, homunculi had the appearance of smaller humans, and their stats were around the level of humans but with higher INT. That meant that they had more overall stats than humans did, despite not requiring any additional XP to choose. There was a huge demerit that justified this, though: while they could live normally in cities in the human countries, once they were discovered to be homunculi, the town NPCs would treat them like monsters and try to kill or capture them. Because of this setting, it seemed reasonable to think of them as artificial lifeforms, as creations of mad alchemist using forbidden knowledge. Rare wanted to know if she could crack open the [Alchemy] skill and find a way to produce homunculi. For now, lets learn [Formte]. If that didnt unlock anything, then shed have no choice but to pick up [Pharmacy] as well[1]. In any event, all the XP she had was basically leftover anyway, so it was fine to pick up any cheap non-offensive magic spells. Stuff like [Wind Magic]s [Dessicate] and [Fire Magic]s [Heat] felt like they could be connected to [Alchemy] in some manner. Starting with [Pharmacy], she also had to learn [Refine], [Dessicate], [Heat], [Wash], [Conduct], [Freeze], and [Demolish] before she unlocked the [Alchemy] skill in the [Alchemy] tree. It took way too much effort just to get the [Alchemy] trees namesake skill. Immediately after learning [Alchemy], she also unlocked the [Philosophers Egg] and [Athanor] skills. Since they just appeared right away, that meant whatever the prerequisites were, Rare had already fulfilled them. She had no idea what skills those were, though. But then Isnt this the name of a tool? Checking the help text, both skills read Requires [Magnum Opus] to cast. Increases the effect of [Alchemy]. Even if that was the name of prerequisite skill, this description was just utterly unhelpful. Well, if Iin too hard at this point, thats just inviting trouble on myself Shaking off her misgivings, she learned [Philosophers Egg] and [Athanor]. That caused another skill to appear. And there it is. [Magnum Opus]. If she could perfect the use of [Magnum Opus], then, ording to general fantasy lore, she would be able to craft the ultimate alchemical tool: the Philosophers Stone. She wasnt sure if it was possible to get all the way there, but since she hade this far, she went ahead and spent therge value of 100 XP to learn the skill. Interesting So the primary external factors like environment and conditions can be influenced by supplementing it with magical catalysts, it seems. All I need are the materials. In addition, in order to cast [Philosophers Egg], [Athanor], and [Magnum Opus] one after the other, I also need an enormous amount of MP. Well, not that thats a problem for me now.[2] Rare had thought she might need a homunculuss traditional ingredients, but, as might be expected of a game, the requirements only included various monster parts and mystical metals instead. Unfortunately, some of them were unknown to her. She would probably learn more about these materials once she encountered them for the first time in the game. The only ingredients she needed more information about were [Monster Heart] and [Soul]. She had never seen a [Soul] in item form, but she wondered if this was the soul that was stolen from a corpse during [Bind Soul]. If thats really the case, then it would imply that even artificial life cant be produced from absolutely nothing. Since she had the skills, Rare was now ovee with an inherent desire to use them. Only one of them could be used right now, though. Although, unlike with the homunculus, this one there was only the name itself that she didnt know. I wonder if this makes something. I think its probably in the same category as a homunculus, though, some kind of sphemous artificial lifeform. But all it requires are a bunch of different metals As for weird materials, theres this [Knights Grudge] What is that? Since I can see details for it, that means Ive encountered it before. If it was something to do with knights, or more having to do with grudges, then Rare knew of one ce that fit the bill: the knight orders cemetery. I wonder if something dropped back in that cemetery. Damn, there was so much stuff lying around, but all I remember seeing were pieces of armor and shields and swords and stuff. Was there really some kind of special item there? Sugaru friend-chatted Rare in response to her talking to herself. Because of this, recently Rare had gotten into the habit of talking aloud to herself more often. Yeah, lets do that. Sorry, can you have some of the patrolling ants do that? Also, metals. All thats written here is [Refined Metal Ore], I dont know if I can just use anything, but For now, I want the best metal we can get from our ore deposits. Sugaru, have someone bring that to me as well. The deposits in the great forest were originally excavated by the NPCs in the city, but now they were under Rares control, and her forces were managing it. She didnt know whether there had been a technological problem or they were just afraid of delving too far into monster territory, but the humans had only done some shallow open-pit mining. However, with the entire great forest as her base, and with an endless supply of ants to mine, Rare didnt need to be so restrained. In addition, the engineer ants could melt rock and minerals with acid, but any materials that were a higher rank than the ants themselves couldnt be melted. Making use of that, they expanded all the tunnels and just collected all the leftover iron and silver ore, as well as all the unknown magical metal ores, which made mining super efficient. Currently, the central area of the great forest was where they refined metals using acid and coke made from coal, and Remy was in charge of that. Ahh, thats right, I need to have Remy learn more nonbat magic spells. As with [Alchemy], new skills could be unlocked in [cksmith], [Clothcraft], and [Leathercraft]. Shortly after that, infantry ants brought the items as requested. Remember to note that chapter 6 was updated because information in this chapter made me realize some stuff was mistranted. TL note: Chapter 6 had some minor updates since this chapter made it clear I misinterpreted some text. Not super important to go back and check unless youre really invested in the games skill system. [1]: This seems to be a mistake. In chapter 6, the author put that [Formte] could only be unlocked with the [Pharmacy] skill, but here she learns it first before learning [Pharmacy]. [2]: I believe shes talking about the skill to create homunculi, but its never explicitlyid out what shes talking about here, so Im not sure. Chapter 41: “The Egg and the Living Objects” Thank you. All right, so I have materials now, but Sitting before Rare was a huge pile of crumbling armaments and bones from dead knights, as well as glittering lumps of metal. At least some of it should turn out to be ingredients she needed. If a skill doesnt require any souls, that means it produces something that doesnt have a soul, right? I suppose that applies to most game items already However, it was found in the same category as the homunculus recipe. If these skills produced regr items, they would surely be in a different row altogether. In fact, [Magnum Opus] had unlocked a ton of recipes in their own separate grouping. Not that she knew any of the ingredients that they required. Well, whatever, lets just try it out. Okay, Ill start with [Philosophers Egg]. After saying so, a giant egg-like crystal appeared in front of Rare. Based on the exnation, this was supposed to be some sort of sk, but it was hard to tell at first nce whether it was hollow or not. As instructed in the [Magnum Opus] recipe, she brought a lump of metal close to the egg. It would be a waste if this fails, so first, lets try with about five kilograms. As soon as the metal touched the egg, the egg morphed, creating an opening that swallowed the lump of metal. I see now; I was wondering how to get it inside, but there was an arbitrary magical method. Well, in the first ce, the egg was floating in midair, so this indignation came ratherte. The problem now is the Knights Grudge. If its taking the ce of the [Soul] that a homunculus would need, then maybe it means the soul or spirit of a fallen knight or something? In that case Rare picked up a rusted sword and fed it to the egg. If there were one thing that would be most likely to contain the soul of a knight, then nothing was more fitting than their sword. Even if it fails, I have more items to try, so lets just run with it. Activate [Athanor]! Underneath the floating egg, a golden light appeared that began to heat up the egg. So an athanor isnt a furnace. But isnt this basically just an alcohol burner? Despite iming that, Rare had never seen an actual alcohol burner before. She had used one in VR school before, though. Not that there was much different about her current situation. After some time, the eggs contents melted into a rainbow of color and began swirling around like a whirlpool. So is it ready now? [Magnum Opus]! The egg emitted a golden light after it sucked up a significant amount of Rares substantial MP. I wonder if I could use this for light in the caves, heh. The light faded after a few seconds, and finally the only thing left inside the egg was a single sword. Huh? All that metal just disappeared? Did it fail? Ah, youre right. The design didnt change that much, but it got a lot cleaner. Its also floating inside the egg Before long, the egg broke open, and the sword inside gently floated down right in front of Rare. Is the Philosophers Egg a consumable item? That thing eats up a decent amount of MP. The sword hung suspended in the air in front of Rare,pletely unmoving. This looks just like a regr weapon, doesnt it Is it maybe a monster? Hmm It doesnt seem to be Subordinated. However, Rare could somehow very faintly feel a master-servant connection with the sword. Well, its fine. If its a monster, then I should be able to Subordinate it. [Subordinate]! The sword didnt move, but she could feel it be her follower without any resistance. Peeking at its status, its race seemed to be [Living Sword]. So thats it! Its a living weapon! It certainly does seem like one. But, how do I put this, I barely sense anything resembling a consciousness Well, anyway Rare reached into her inventory and pulled out a piece of meat that she didnt remember hunting. Can you try cutting this apart? As soon as thest syble left her mouth, the sword swung so fast that her eyes could barely tell it moved; it left a half-moon afterimage in the air, and the meat was cleanly cut into pieces. Wow, that was amazing! If I make a bunch of these, then I could reenact tons of cool action scenes! Plus theyre quite deadly, arent they. Since she had only wanted to experiment this time, she only had one sword brought along. Sugaru. Excellent work, Sugaru. Most of the infantry and engineer ants work on rotation. Ants dont sleep, but they still need many hours of intermittent rest throughout a day, which was what the rotation was for. There werent many transporter ants, and they were not assigned to squads. They also were not given any specific assignments, so they usually took care of menial tasks and personal care. I think I can make one more, so this time Ill try it with armor. That would most certainly require more metal Ill go with fifty kilos this time. Rare activated [Philosophers Egg] one more time, tossed in the materials, then heated it up with [Athanor]. Just likest time, it marbled into rainbow colors. [Magnum Opus]. After the golden light faded, a full set of armor appeared within. This time, it stood on its own feet at the bottom of the egg instead of floating. Its independent, isnt it? And unlike with the sword, the armor had changed quite drastically. Perhaps because it was created by Rare, it looked to be just the right size to fit her perfectly. The pot helm look was gone, reced with a sharp with a pointed visor. The chestpiece, epaulets, gauntlets, and greaves in particr changed a lot; they werent exactly decorative, but definitely artistic to the point of appearing sculpted, and everything was even thicker than before. Chainmail covered the joints and openings, preventing the armors weak points from exposure. Andst was the color. It was all ck. Most likely due to the Knights Grudge. The egg cracked open and the armor immediately alighted, kneeling in front of Rare. If its about my size, then If it were made out of iron, then itd be around thirty to forty kilos? Since I put in fifty kilos of metal, is that why the armor got thicker? When she had fed the metal to the egg, she was pretty sure it had weighed around 50 kilos. Normally she might think that would be too heavy to float, but with her current stats, Rare could lift that much with one hand. Stand up. The armor ttered to its feet. Try to lift up that block of metal there. The armor casually lifted the indicated mass up into the air. It behaves pretty much like a normal human. Ah, right, [Subordinate]. Rare checked the armors status. Its stats are mainly in STR and VIT. Its DEX and AGI are human-level, oh, but its INT and MND are really low! Doesnt seem like itd be able to resist [Mental Magic], but Does [Mental Magic] even work on it? Normally, [Mental Magic] didnt work on homunculi or undead. ording to the description of [Bind Soul], as long as she had a stock of [Souls], she could make it effective, but that did basically imply that if the target didnt have a [Soul], then [Mental Magic] would have no effect. However, despite the use of a [Soul] being necessary to create a homunculus, the resulting being still had no soul. One that requires a soul, a homunculus, and one that doesnt, this what is this exactly? I forgot to check its details. Well, its about what I imagined. The race name is She wondered what the difference from this [Living Mail] was. Assertiveness, maybe? Ego? Both the living mail and living weapon seemed to have very faint egos. It seemed they would faithfully follow orders, though. I see, I see I can try a homunculus once I get the materials, but living mail and living weapon are both usable. The other day, she learned a new [Summon] skill. She had requested the cooperation of her followers and conducted some tests, but it hadnt seemed all that useful. However, that might be different with this living mail. The battle royale event ising up soon I cant wait now. Chapter 42: “The Start of the First Server-Wide Event” The day of the server-wide event. Rare had signed up for it yesterday, before the deadline. She wondered if her followers could also enter, but since it required seeing system messages, it seemed that only yers could enter. Due to this, it would probably be hard to get them into the event zone as well. As written on the official site, Rare headed for an event zone ess point. This point could be found in each town and every safe zone, which included old castles and volcanoes. These were obviously not ces that could be found in a town, so they were probably for the yers who had monster races to use. For Rare, though, the closest safe zone wasnt in the city, but inside the great forest, so thats where she went. There were a total of five safe zones in the great forest, all around the central area. Normally, no one but yers would even approach these zones, but, maybe because they were Rares subordinates, the catkin girls, ice wolves, ants, and even Deas could all enter without issue. I wonder how these safe zones distinguish between yers and anything else? If, as the tutorial AI said, theres no system-defined difference between characters, then these zones could be the only exception Rare looked upon a quiet stream surrounded by a field of blooming flowers. It would have been picturesque if not for the horribly misced giant ants and the undead knight. Deas usually kept to himself in a corner of the queens chamber, but he always followed along whenever Rare left to go anywhere. There was a faintly shining magic circle to the side of the safe zone. It seemed that it would only react to yers; ants would sometimes step onto it unknowingly, but nothing happened to them. Deas objected immediately. Even though Rare was inmand, he referred to Rare as Princess but Sugaru as Queen; she wasnt sure what that was all about. Maybe when he was alive, he had served a princess, or aspired to such a position. Thats correct. Im probably the only one who can go. Youre free to try toe after me, but I dont think itll work. Plus, I wont be alone. Rare was dressed from head to toe in ck armor that she had created with [Magnum Opus] the other day. On top of it all, she was also covered in a hooded cloak. Since it was daytime, she needed all this in case she popped out somewhere with a lot of sunlight. Underneath the cloak, she carried a total of five swords, arrayed across her back and waist. These were also all Living Weapons. As such, it should all count as equipped and be allowed to apany her to the event zone. Well then, its almost time for me to leave. Deas, escort Sugaru back to the queens chamber. I should return in about two hours. Deas responded after an extended pause. Untilter. Rare entered the magic circle in the safe zone. Just as the event announcement described, multiple warnings appeared; she skimmed them all then marked her consent to dismiss them. A momentter, Rares field of view changed, and her character disappeared from the bank of the stream. It was probably some kind of teleportation; she found herself standing before something that looked just like the Colosseum of Rome. Considering the number of contestants, this area shouldnt have beenrge enough to fit all those people, but there mysteriously wasnt any overflow from the arena. Despite the fact that there were clearly too many people in the grounds, it didnt feel crowded in the least. In the distance, the spectator seats were also filled with people; they had probablye to watch their friends and acquaintances who were participating. The official event exnation stated that any yers who lost in the battle royale would be moved to the spectator seats. Of course, they could also leave those seats, which would take them out of the event zone altogether. A voice announced that the event would be starting shortly; it sounded like it was a system message. Finally, it felt like the area was being elerated to six times the normal speed of time. Actions that used to take five minutes to do would now awkwardly require 30 minutes in the event zone. ording to the system message, this area was only for kicking off and closing the event, and for the spectator seats; all the contestants would be transported directly to the battlefield. The field was appropriately huge, and it would be divided into 32 blocks. Contestants would be randomly assigned and sent to a block. Afterward, the remaining 32 yers who survived in each block would participate in a championship free-for-all. Rare ended up in block 16. It was mostly forested. Since she tended to spend a lot of time exploring the great forest through the eyes of her followers, she had an advantage in this field. After being transported, Rare immediately started looking for a hiding spot. While going through the forest, she asionally ran into other yers whom she would instantly cut down with her Living Weapons. It had only been two weeks since the officialunch, so any metal armor they had was weak enough to be no better than cloth against Rares swords. That reminds me, I hadnt checked carefully, but I wonder what kind of metal these swords are made from. Rare was experienced with the naginata, but not very familiar with how to use western straight swords. With her current STR and DEX, she couldpetently line up the de and sh, but she wasnt skilled at it. So she thought she would leave it up to those who studied the sword for their whole livesshe held the weapon, but the weapon itself performed the attacks. While all that was happening, Rare found a tree with a hollow she couldpletely hide in when she wasnt wearing armor. If she used leaves and brush to camouge her cloak, she would be hard to spot as well. Good. Ill use this ce. However, Rare wasnt nning to hide herself until the number of contestants had gone down. Only looking at stats, she believed hers were among the highest. If she just went around fighting randomly, she could probably get into the finals without much thought. The problem was her innate characteristics. She didnt regret the ones she had chosen, but that meant she couldnt operate in the sunlight, and anything somewhat far away from her would be hard to see, both huge disadvantages. It wasnt smart for her to be idiotically straightforward and fight everyone head-on. Rare quickly shed her cloak and armor, then worked on camouging the cloak. The armor could move itself, so it was surprisingly quick to put on or take off. After putting back on the now-camouged cloak, she curled uppletely in the tree. All right, Ill be borrowing your body. By the way, you really need a name Okay, from now on youll be Yoroizaka[1]. And all you Living Weapons, in order of when you were produced, will be Kenzaki Ichirou through Gorou[2]. Then, inside the tree hollow, Rare closed her eyes and activated the [Summon] skill she had learned. [Summon Caster: Mind]. [1]: I modified this, but the original was Ͻ񤫤zŮͤzव󤫤ʣ, which is From now on, youll be Yoroizaka-kun. Ah, since youre female armor, maybe Yoroizaka-san instead? Since Im not using honorifics in my trantion, I just merged the two halves. The name Yoroizaka (z) doesnt have any special meaning except that Yoroi means armor (z). The Saka () part just means hill; I assume it was the first Yoroi name she could think of. [2]: Kenzaki (), like above, is probably just the first surname Rare could think of with Ken (sword, ) in it; the Saki (Zaki) () part just means cape (as in a major protrusion ofnd extending into water). As for the first names, Ichirou through Gorou (һɤ) are specifically Ichirou, Jirou, Saburou, Shirou, and Gorou, which aremon names that just mean first son, second son, etc. Chapter 43: “You Can’t Run from Yoroizaka” After learning [Space Magic] and various other skills, the [Summon Caster] skill had appeared in the [Summon] tree. Since Rare had already learned a ton of skills, she didnt know what the conditions for unlocking it were, nor did she have any way to find out right now, but this skills effect was Summon yourself to a followers location. Setting aside how the only applicable target was Self, it was activated via the usual [Summon] skill, and it used the same list of avable summons. In that list, Self was its own category, and the equipment she currently wore went with her. While it was limited to things she could equip, this meant she could use it to deliver items. Using [Summon] normally on a follower included all their equipment, so this was simply the reverse of that. In this list, there was also an entry for Mind, which allowed the caster to have their consciousness take over a targeted follower. As a result of possessing a follower in this manner, she had all her stats buffed by 10% due to [Enhance Follower]. The amount of a time that the possessionsted depended on the casters MND; with how much MND Rare had right now, she could maintain the possession for a few days. However, this skill ultimately only let her move the follower; the caster couldnt use any skills the follower hadnt learned. Because of this, Rare taught Yoroizaka the [Sword] and [Nimble] skills. Skills that moved the yers body gave Rare a sense of mise, so she never learned any for herself. However, she didnt have that feeling when possessing Yoroizaka, either because her entire body was just metal armor or because she was no longer controlling her own body, so she wrote it off as a benefit of this being a game and went ahead with having Yoroizaka learn those skills. The first time she activated the skill, she was sitting on her throne in the queens chamber. When she saw through Yoroizakas eyes her own character sleeping there, she thought it was really weird to essentially y another VR game inside of a VR game. However, she remembered seeing in the librarys old news articles that it was popr even really old MMOs to y mahjong within the game, so she changed her mind and concluded that humankind didnt really change all that much. In this state, controlling her followers avatar, when she spoke it woulde out with the followers voice. But since Yoroizaka couldnt speak, that meant Rare also couldnt speak now. Well, its not like I was hoping to have any friendly chats with other yers anyway. And since now her inventory was actually Yoroizakas inventory, she couldnt friend other yers either. Rare took another look at her arboreal hiding spot and made some adjustments before leaving to go find some prey. The event details said that each block would be assigned around 200 yers. That seemed somewhat low considering the maximum number of simultaneous connections and the total number of registered participants, thoughpared to the typical number of yers in a given city, it was an extremely high number for a single area. Even after the officialunch, the nearest city only had around a couple dozen yers. Thinking that shed run into yers no matter which direction she went, she decided to just wander around randomly. After a short time, one of the Kenzaki brothers strapped to her back (probably Saburou) suddenly unsheathed himself to cut an arrow out of the air. Interesting; even without explicit orders, theyll automatically take appropriate countermeasures against iing danger. The utility of Living Weapons climbed up one step higher in Rares head. If thats how they worked, then even without possession, if she just wore Yoroizaka normally, she could expect her to act independently as necessary. Arrows came flying at her one after another, but as long as she knew which direction they were being fired from, she could dodge them or even grab them out of the air with her hands. Wha! She heard a stifled crying from far away. For exactly times like these, shed had Yoroizaka learn every sense enhancement skill. Now, all five of her senses were sharper than Rares were normally, especially her vision, which was on an entirely new dimension. Because of this, in terms of XP investiture, Yoroizaka was easily number 3 after Rare and Sugaru. Are these arrowheads made of iron? I can bend them pretty easily with just a finger or more like I cant even put a single scratch on these fingers! For real, what are you made of, Yoroizaka? Youre so sturdy I dont even need to bother dodging. The gaps in armor were stuffed with the same material as the kimonos she wore under the armor, and the armor itself was lined with thick fur from the great forest. The fur helped cover the joints along with the kimono, but it also rendered the armor nearly unwearable under normal circumstances. Without Yoroizakas active assistance, it was impossible to put her on or take her off by oneself. The fur came from a powerful monster that could even repel Rileys arrows, so for normal arrowheads, the fur would be sufficient defense all by itself. It might even be as sturdy as bulletproof and stabproof clothing was in the real world. There was little reason to be on guard against this quality of projectile. Rare decided to ignore all the remaining iing arrows while she started leisurely walking in the direction they were being fired from. This is starting to feel pretty fun. Hah hah hah! Useless! Utterly useless! Puny insect! She got quite close before the yer finally realized that there was no point in continuing, that his efforts were all for naught; the tree he had climbed shook the thicket as the yer tried to run. Its no use! You cant run from Yoroizaka! With her high AGI stat and the [Nimble] skill, Yoroizaka could run much faster than the average yer. She may look slow and heavy from her appearance, but the armor herself was only 50 kilos, and even including all the swords, altogether they weighed less than 80 kilos. They were quite a bit lighter than a typical rugby yer who could sprint across a ying field. And her physical strengthdespite having no muscleswas worlds above a humans. Rare ran straight after her quarry, spraying wood shavings all over; the trees here were as brittle as candy barspared to the ones in the great forest. Hearing the ominous sound pursuing him, her prey turned to look behind, then screamed, What the hell is that?! That things allowed?! However, she felt like the archer was fleeing with too much assurance. Almost like this wasnt his first time in this forest. If that were really the case, then up ahead would be They left the forest and entered a slightly open area, where countless arrows came flying at her from every direction. It really was a trap. But, you know There were probably a bunch of people with archery-type skills temporarily cooperating, making this area a kill zone using one person as bait. While Rare had looked for somewhere to sleep in the forest, these yers had been forming an alliance. The event rules said that if there were too many yers still alive when the time limit was almost up, they would be forcibly transported to the arena to determine a victor. In other words, sudden death. If all these archers were able to hunt down all the other yers, then only archers would be transported to the arena. There, they would be at a disadvantage against any close-range builds, but if there were only other archers then it would be an even ying field. Decent n. Whoever proposed this n totally has a melee skill, though. While tons of arrows rained down, none of them could wound Yoroizaka. So, without paying the arrows any mind, she maintained her speed to close in on the bait yer and grab them by the neck. But, because she had been running at max speed for a long time, and her senses were slightly different from usual, she miscalcted her grip and identally crushed the yers neck, killing him instantly. Agh, damn it. Ah well, whatever. What?! Jeans! They killed a yer with just their grip strength?! Dont lose focus! They just dumped everything into STR! If you dont get caught, they cant kill you! If I had put everything into STR, then I couldnt have caught up to this guy in the first ce. Since there were so many arrows in the air, unlike before, she couldnt tell where exactly they wereing from, but with her enhanced hearing, she was able to discern generally where that short exchange just now came from. Actually, theyve gathered all these long-range archers, but theyre close enough to each other to chat, so whats the point Rare pulled out Ichirou from her waist and, in the same movement, chunked him toward the voices. Kenzaki Ichirou spun through the air, cutting down both trees and the yers hiding behind them. What the fuck?! Thats one insane max STR build!!! Shit, run for it! This aint gonna work! Unfortunately, you cant run from the Kenzakis either. The thrown Kenzaki Ichirou kept on flying through the air under his own power and, per Rares orders, continued cutting down trees in pursuit of more yers. Most yers could never have imagined that the sword had been thrown in an arc and wasing to cut them down as well. Because of that, almost all of those yers ended up retiring without having any idea how they died. Rare didnt know how many yers there had been here, but using Yoroizakas enhanced hearing, she could tell that there were no more people trying to flee in the area. For now, she should clean things up here. Kenzaki Ichirou reported eleven kills, so including the one she crushed to death, that made twelve. If she included the people she killed before she had changed, itd be fourteen. I want to hurry and finish things up here so I can get started on the next hunt. Fortunately, I found out that its not difficult to run through the forest. If possible, Rare wanted to quickly win this block before the time limit so that she could check out the other matches from the spectator seats. She wanted to observe what kind of yers ended up winning in those other blocks and their approximate power levels. Using her ears and nose, Rare dashed around finding more yers. However, she soon realized that she was making too much noise and drowning out the sounds around her, so she stopped. Until she found more prey, it was better to refrain from running. Chapter 44: “Unleashing the Final Boss’s (Fake) Second Form” After that, whenever Rare found a yer, she would sic the Kenzaki brothers on them. Actually, at this rate, Yoroizakas [Sword] skills will bepletely neglected! She decided that the next yer she found would die directly by her hand. However, that was only if time permitted, since she was having a bit of trouble locating her next victim. The other yers were probably fighting each other and their numbers were rapidly dropping. But so far, every yer she beat took only a single blow to send them to their graves; none of them felt like they were still alive because they had emerged victorious after defeating another yer. In which case, there should still be a strong yer here. With those thoughts, Rare began to stay on guard while moving around. Since she was decked out in full armor, there was no way for her to achieve perfect stealth, so she had no choice but to leverage [Enhanced Hearing] to pick up the noises they made first. If her opponent also had some kind of strengthened hearing, then shed lose this advantage, but there was nothing she could do about that at this point in time. She quietly advanced through the forest while concentrating solely on her ears. At longst, she caught the faint sound of shing. There was the unnatural ring of metal, and the sound of footsteps mixed in. It was probably someone inbat. Rare focused primarily on those noises, still staying aware of her surroundings, and carefully closed in on them. The sounds led her to the sight of two yers locking swords. From the sword skills that they used, they must have invested quite a lot of XP. In addition, it was clear that they were both naturally skilled at the de. In other words, this was the perfect time to test Yoroizakas skills. Rare purposely made a lot of noise as she stepped out before the two. Huh?! Its another yer! Dont be in such a rush. Ill take you on after taking care of this guy, so dont get in the way! The two of them noticed her, but neither seemed interested in stopping their match. Rare casually walked up to them and swung her sword. What the?! You bastard! All right then! Youre first now Wonderful, theyre strong enough to chat while fighting. Using Yoroizakas [sh] skill resulted in sweeping sideways with a Kenzaki. [sh] was, as advertised, a skill that generated a shing attack with a sword, but the orientation of the sword when the skill was activated changed whether it was a vertical or horizontal sh. Rather than deliberately aiming at a specific yer, since the sword was in her right hand, it shed to the right, at the chatterbox guy. He unconsciously reacted to block with his sword, but his sword was poor quality. Without any meaningful resistance, sh went right through the raised sword. Yoroizaka and the Kenzakis made a formidable team. No way!!! The shed yer died instantly, so the one who shouted was the other yer. Nowpletely on guard against Rare, he jumped back to put some distance between them and readied his sword. However, against Yoroizaka and the Kenzakis, such little distance was akin to nothing. The [sh Step] skill was found far down in the [Nimble] tree; using it instantly closed the distance between them, and a vertical [sh] cut the second yer in half. I thought they would be pretty strong, at least based on the mood Rare felt a bit disappointed. She had no idea how many yers were left, but it would be pretty difficult to devote the rest of the time limit to hunting them down. If there were any yers who were also hiding, it would be hard to find them. If there was one thing she could take back from this experience, it was that she could use some sort of searching or detection skill to help her out a bit. Wait, hold up a sec. She suddenly looked over at the Kenzaki brothers. They were able to fly on their own. Jirou, Saburou, Shirou, and Gorou, fly up above the forest and look for yers. If you find any, report in Ah, no, just cut them down on the spot. She didnt need to continue testing out Yoroizakas capabilities. What shed seen so far was more than satisfactory. After watching the four swords fly off, Rare resumed her own search for more yers. However, after that, Rare didnt encounter anyone else, and eventually the notice came that her blocks preliminaries were over. A minuteter, Rare received another notification about being automatically transported to the spectator seats; she quickly canceled the possession, crawled out of the tree hollow, then summoned Yoroizaka to her. She had Yoroizaka help reequip all the armor and put on her cloak before a glow appeared at her feet and she was transported. Made it by a hairs breadth. The ursed sunlight apparently didnt have anysting effects if she only spent a short time exposed in the shade under trees, and she didnt feel like she had taken any damage either. Knowing this, perhaps she could be a little more cavalier in the future. The spectator seats were packed with yers, and the standing gallery on the outer perimeter where Rare materialized paid her no mind. She had her cloak on, which helped temper Yoroizakas impressively intimidating appearance. Looking into the arena, numerous monitors were floating in the air, which allowed any person from any seat to see the action in any block. However, there was no way to watch just any battle taking ce; she wasnt sure where they were, but the monitors only showed the fights that the camera focused on. In addition, as far as she could see, they only filmed actual battles; there was a good chance that the ce Rare had been hiding and the ce where the archers hadid in ambush, background scenes, were not shown on any monitors. The yers around her were all abuzz about the one monitor that went ck, which was probably the one showing Rares block. ording to what she overheard from the yers chatting about it, thest thing it had disyed was the battle between those two yers and Yoroizaka, after which her four swords flew away in all directions while Yoroizaka stalked off. They didnt see the final scene of Rare quickly getting into the armor. I wonder who that was, the ck armored knight? They were way too overpowered. Do you think it could be some kind of special event boss the admins added? That might be a bit of a stretch. If that were the case, wouldnt the yers in block sixteenin? With so many yers excited about participating in the event, itd be shitty for there to be an unbeatable boss. Theres no way. So you think that was a yer? What the hell did they do in two weeks to afford aplete suit of armor? They probably robbed a merchant, yeah? They easily cut a yer in half, so its gotta be someone pretty stone-cold. Right, that parts weird, isnt it? How much STR would you need to cut clean through that guys sword? As she expected, she definitely stood out. Based on the amount of XP she had earned, Rare didnt doubt that her power was at the top, but she thought there should at least be some decent yers who could put up a proper fight against Yoroizaka. If there were actually someone at that level, then after defeating Yoroizaka, then she thought she could y at unleashing the final bosss second form, but she didnt think that was likely to happen anymore. The monitors captured the myriad battles unfolding in various ces. Many of them included tricking opponents into falling for traps, so they served as great study material for Rare. With them as reference, she could try applying that knowledge in the great forest. Chapter 45: “Nurse Yoichi” Yoichi absolutely loved nurses. Since he used to get sick a lot, he was a regr at the VR clinic. Whenever he got anxious before an exam, the kind nursedies always kept himpany. They were probably actually specialized AIs, and ideal nurses like them didnt exist in real life, or more like the nurse profession probably didnt even exist anymore period, but regardless, Yoichi loved nurses. He loved them so much that whenever he was able to choose his clothing in games, he always went with nurse outfits. These outfits could only be found in historical literature now, but even still, the overall aesthetic remained popr in games and other creative works. However, Yoichi didnt want to lie about himself, so he never posed as a different sex or became one of those nekama people. Therefore, he always yed with a male avatar using his real name, Yoichi, whenever he yed any games. In deference to Yoichis pride, people thus dubbed him: Nurse Yoichi. Yoichi was quite taken with this nickname, so in order to live up to it, he preferred ystyles that specialized in archery[1]. As long as there were bows in the game, no matter how unpopr it was for any reason, he would prove that he could nevertheless reach the top ranks with it. He was even experienced in archery in real life; the present Yoichi was unrecognizable from the sickly child of the past. In this game, bows werent particrly bad or anything, so aiming for the event championship should have been a suitable goal. Since the start of the game, Yoichi stoically chose to use nothing but the bow. Considering the skills he learned, his stat values supporting those skills, and his archery ability in real life, then not just with bows but even in terms of weapons in general, not many could match up to Yoichi. Since that was the kind of person Yoichi was, then it was a matter of course that he would make it through the preliminaries. Not only that, but he emerged victorious with quite a bit of time left before sudden death. However, after Yoichi was transferred to the spectator seats, he only saw 30 monitors disying preliminary fights; two of them were already cked out. Someone cleared the prelims even faster than I did! He was shocked. To bring out the best in the bow, he had learned the [Enhanced Vision], [Enhanced Hearing], and [Enhanced Smell] skills. With them, he was able to find enemies faster than anyone else could and snipe them with arrows. If there was a duel in progress, he could use sound to determine their locations and kill them at a distance. If they were hidden, he needed only a whiff of their scent to find an opening through which to fire an arrow. If they wereing after him themselves, he would wait until they exposed themselves and shoot straight at them. Therefore, the person who had earned the most kills was Yoichi himself. Since Yoichi had killed yers with maximum efficiency, he thought he naturally had to have had the fastest clear time. What kind of yer could have Yoichi had found a rival. In other words, this was proof that there was a yer out there with as much love for a single thing as Yoichi had. Yoichi was excited for the championship. Finally, all the preliminary blocks finished, and only those advancing to the championship would be transferred back down to the arena. One yer among them hadpletely devastated block 16. All the yers here looked fierce and resolute, but one of them fixed a terrifying re at Yoichi. However, he was used to this kind of intimidation and it felt like nothing more than a breeze to him. Before long, the system announced the start of the championship battle, and the 32 contestants in the arena were transported away. Hended in a meadow. For an archer like Yoichi, he would be at a disadvantage in an open field, but he spotted a forest a little bit away. If he could make it over there, he should be able to find a lot of hiding ces. Yoichi began to make his way toward that forest. On the way, Yoichis boosted hearing caught the sound of footsteps. He turned to look in that direction and saw a thin youth wielding two short swords approaching him. You were able to detect me at this distance. Im even using a skill right now. Guess the rumors really are true. Without letting down his guard, he readied his bow while observing his opponent. This yer was dressed head to toe in tight ck clothing. From what he could tell based on the two weapons, this was a speed-focused melee fighter. Wait, since they tried to get closer while using a skill, maybe their fighting style was like a ninjas or a thiefs. Am I famous or something? I dont believe Ive done anything worthy of attention in this game yet, he asked while continuing to observe his opponents approach. He didnt know what rumors these were, but it was bad for his opponent to have information on him. It was true that Yoichi adopted a simr ystyle in every game, though, so if they knew him from one of those games, they could easily predict how he would fight here. Nah, I dont really know that much about you. All Ive heard is that youve picked up quite the arsenal of skills. Well, I did confirm that to be true now. The ck-dressed person tried to get closer while talking, but Yoichi kept them in check with his readied bow. Even still, Ive been stoically honing my archery. You wont find it easy to get closer to me. At that, the ck-clothed person looked taken aback. Stoically?! Did you say stoically?! Bullshit! You should actually look up the definition of stoicism in the dictionary for once! You damn poser. That instant, or he wasnt sure exactly when, but before he knew it, Yoichi found himself in the spectator seats. In other words, he had been killed. Did that ck-clothed boy do something to me? But would he really have deliberately interrupted himself in order tounch an attack? If he really had done that, then he had some truly fearsome assassination skills, to aim for that momentarypse in attention span. He soon realized that this was a mistaken impression right away. Yoichi dumbfoundedly noticed that the boy in ck was standing right next to him; he had also been defeated, probably at exactly the same time. You bastard also died? When did? The boy was also staring nkly back at him. He was probably going through the same mental turmoil as Yoichi right now. They had been facing off against each other while on the highest alert, and yet another championship participant, so close to the start of the match, could kill them both at the same time without them even realizing it. As though sharing some kind of secret signal, the two both turned at the same time to check the monitors. However, they saw nothing there in the meadow except flowers swaying in the wind. [1]: Nurse Yoichi is naasu no Yoichi, which is a single syble off from Nasu no Yoichi, a samurai famous for shooting a folding fan off a pole with a single arrow when both he and the pole were on separate boats both rocking in the water. Chapter 46: “A Machine that Only Kills Perverts” There were 32 monitors. There were also 32 yers in the championship. Which meant it was possible for each monitor to focus on a different yer. If that were turned out to be the case, then it would be way too embarrassing for every spectator to see her change, hide herself, and possess her armor. She had been far too na?ve during the prelims. If she happened to get caught on camera, then she would have been in a whole lot of trouble. Rare had no choice other than topete in the championship as-is with Yoroizaka and the Kenzaki brothers. She would have to give up on the final bosss second transformation act. There probably wouldnt be any yers who could push Rare that far anyway. This was the perfect chance to let Yoroizaka take control and see if she could still use her own skills. If she could, then there would be almost no reason for Rare to learn any weapon skills, which would be super convenient. But even if Yoroizaka could use her skills, if the person inside, Rare, had to be careful of the drastic movements or risk injury, then it wasnt very practical anyway. This was something that needed to be tested. Of course, she had her cloak covering her. Since there werent any other yers who hadpletely hidden their faces with a cloak, the spectators already knew that Yoroizaka was underneath, but Rare had the fastest clear time in the prelims, so none of the other contestants knew who was under the cloak. Her transfer destination was next to a stream. A forest was behind her, and across the stream there was a meadow, a sea of grass undting from the strong wind. Rare used [Summon Vision], [Summon Hearing], and [Summon Smell]. Since she was now jacked into Yoroizaka, she could survey the meadow without problem. Rare looked around. She thought she saw something moving in the forest. She crouched down and focused on her ears. There was a noise. It was probably a yer. Still crouched, she slowly and quietly approached them. They still hadnt noticed her. Rare decided to try giving Yoroizaka the reins here. After conveying instructions to her, Rare stopped moving. If she didnt let her body gopletely ck, she could be hurt, so this was a moderately nerve-wracking situation. Everything would be fine once she got used to going along with Yoroizakas movements, though; this would work. They closed the gap to get Yoroizaka into range including [sh Step]. As soon as they did, she activated [sh Step]. It was important not to reveal their skills as much as possible, but it was even more important to perform the necessary tests. [sh Step] brought along Rare who was inside. Above all, she didnt feel as though her limbs were moved in any strange ways. This [sh Step] felt exactly the same now as when she had done it while possessing Yoroizaka. Which meant that she only needed to be careful of Yoroizakas own considerable athletic prowess. Surprisingly, other yers probably always felt this way when using these physical-type skills. Furthermore, from a system perspective, her stats were all higher than Yoroizakas. So theoretically, there was no logic behind the idea that she wouldnt be able to keep up with Yoroizakas movements. Gotcha! [r The yer they were stalking had apparently realized that Rare was aiming for them. They werepletely ready to shoot off a spell. However, she wasnt sure if they didnt know about the [sh Step] skill, or maybe they didnt think she could use it. Either way, she probably came much more quickly than they were expecting, so before they could finish calling out the spells keyword, their bodys left half had already been parted from its right. The overwhelming difference in power turned this into a straight-up murder, but it also reminded Rare of something that had slipped her mind. Yoroizakas endurance had never been tested. This was also true for the Kenzaki brothers, and for Rare herself. Given their current stats and equipment, she wasnt sure how many attacks or how much damage they each could take. If possible, it would be convenient to investigate that here. Since she didnt n to reveal herself in most cases, her own endurance wasnt as important. Actually, ever since she added [Summon Caster: Mind] and Yoroizaka to her arsenal, if it werent for this event, she would never purposely go out herself, not that she really cared about it this time. In any case, Yoroizaka would probably find herself in the line of fire a lot in the future. Fortunately, iron arrows couldnt even leave a scratch on her, they were basically as harmless as toys, so she needed to investigate the effects of swords, axes, maces or other blunt weapons, and also magic to see how well she held up against them. It might have been better to have been hit by that spell just now. Even if she had gotten hurt from it, she had potions in her inventory. The potions were made from [Alchemy], and she could make as many as she wanted; she currently had enough on her to fill an entire bathtub. They were cultivating the necessary medicinal herbs and mushroom ingredients in one part of the great forest. The engineer ants switched off harvesting the materials then using [Alchemy] to mix low-quality potions, which were subsequently stored in the transporter ants inventories. At first, Rare didnt have much use for the transporter ants, but without specific work for them to do, they had settled in as housekeepers and mobile warehouses. Now, Rare wanted to find a new target with an additional goal of taking one attack. Which meant that rather than hunting in a ce with lots of hiding spots, she should find somewhere where she would stand out. She left the forest and headed for the open field. As soon as she set foot in the meadow, she spied some yers off in the distance. It was something she wished she hadnt seen, but, unfortunately, Yoroizakas eyesight was too good. There was some kind of pervert wearing a nurse outfit, with his hairy legs proudly sticking out from the skirt, and said pervert was chatting with someone else in full-body ck tights. Even with enhanced hearing, she couldnt tell what they were saying, but she immediately knew as soon as she saw them that they needed to be erased from existence as soon as humanly possible. She absolutely did not want to be attacked by them. Especially not the nurse guy; he was holding a bow anyway, so there was no real need to get data on it. Kenzaki Saburou and Shirou flew up high into the sky, then dropped straight down, skewering them both. Now there were 28 yers remaining. That many should be a sufficient sample size. Before she crushed them, she would try to take at least one hit. Rare traveled through the meadow along the edge of the forest. This way, she would be able to keep an eye on both the forest and the meadow. Just as she hoped, she kept being attacked by spells and arrows flying out from the forest. A lot of them were [Thunderbolt], seeking to take advantage of the inherent weakness of metal armor. However, none of them were able to ovee Yoroizakas defensive might and reach Rare within. The arrows werent even worth sparing a thought. Yoroizakas LP never went down at all. She wasnt sure whether that was because it was immediately recovered from natural regen or because she literally never took any damage, but either way, Yoroizakas toughness had been confirmed. These were wonderful results. The yers who attacked them were immediately cut down by Saburou and Shirou. After dealing with the two degenerates, she asked them to just monitor things from the sky. If they spotted any yers, they were to wait until Rare had gotten attacked, then, no matter the results of that attack, promptly dispose of them. Since arrowheads always broke against Yoroizaka, no matter how powerful the bow or how skillful the yer, whether the arrow with the busted point bumped her a little bit harder or not made no difference. But magic was different. If someone was specialized in magic, then there was a real possibility that they could injure Rare. That said, could was the operative word here. In reality, Rare had sunk an order of magnitude more XP into every one of her stats such that she still surpassed a regr yer who dumped everything they earned into a single stat. Due to that, even if she took a direct, full-powered attack to the face, at best it would only shave off a couple percent of LP. The question here was Yoroizaka. She still seriously had no idea what kind of metal she was made out of it, but it seemed that magic had little effect on her. After eating attacks from around five yers, Rare started thinking that there was no point in continuing this experiment. At this early stage in the games life, there was probably no yer who could present a legitimate threat to her. In that case, she could just hole up in her territory and experiment her heart away for the time being. So even though she had gone out of her way to make some connections, Wayne probably wouldnt have any use anymore after this event. But neither did he need them. In any case, at his level, there was no way he could have made it to the championship, so he had no further reference value. Since it didnt seem like she could expect to take any real damage, she didnt need to aimlessly wander around anymore either. This forest was just in the way, obstructing her field of view. She was pretty sure they had created it specifically for this event; after today, it shouldnt be used for anything else. So they shouldnt really care if it got burned to the ground. [Hellme]. This was a high-rank AOE spell in the [Fire Magic] tree. She was sure that some other magic spells were required before being able to learn it, but since she went and invested in all the magic trees equally, she wasnt sure what they were. Then there was her high INT stat, as well as [Magical Affinity: Fire] and [Elemental Ruler: Fire]; these all further augmented a spell that was already powerful. In the blink of an eye, a great congration red up, quickly rampaging across the forest, swallowing it up. Trees were incinerated in an instant, nearly evaporating, leaving not even charcoal behind. The spell was a lot more powerful than she expected. This was her first time casting it, so she was astonished. Now she knew that this spell was 100% forbidden in the great forest and the caves. One of her reasons was certainly the forest is irritating, but a bigger reason was her desire to try using this spell to clear out the trees. She didnt exactly have anything against greenery, but there was also a primal appeal to doing something she absolutely wasnt supposed to ever do. People always encountered moments where they couldnt help but feel that urge. Rare felt enormously satisfied. The forest was all gone. Literally. This zone was made for only 32 people to begin with, so it wasnt nearly asrge as the blocks used for the prelims, and the forest wasparatively small too. There were no yers in the empty lot that used to be the forest. All that were left were the stream and the meadow, but the stream had been brought to a boil and was even now still steaming. There most likely werent any yers hiding in there. Rare turned to look at the meadow, wondering now how she should deal with it. Chapter 47: “Flushing” Actually, now that she thought of it, her spell just now hadnt smoked out any yers. They just burned along with the forest. There was too much firepower to even create any smoke. In which case, a water approach would work better for the meadow. If she just flooded the entire thing, that should force all the yers out. Okay then, [Tidal Oh? Right when she was about to cast her spell, she saw numerous shadows dart out at her from the meadow. As a result of obliterating the forest, she actually did seed in flushing out some yers. I thoughtcha were a sorcerer with yer hood up like that, but I see ya got some hardcore armor on too. Well, just goin by what ya did, yer still a sorcerer through and through. A me sorcerer, by the looks of it But man, that firepower is something else. As long as we watch out for that, we could take him down with enough people probably. Dunno why youre so impatient, but why did you show your hand so quickly? If you stand out too much, then other yers will just wanna take you out first. Kinda like whats happening now. Apparently, the yers who saw Rares spell and judged that she was too much a threat formed an impromptu alliance against her. They could have attacked her instead of chatting her up, she thought to herself, but maybe they had some kind of personal policy against doing that. They didnt seem to have seen her kill anyone prior to casting [Hellme], so they had her pegged as someone specialized in magic. Since the opportunity hade to her, she wanted to try taking their attacks. She may have to fight yers who banded together to oppose her in the future, so this could be a dry run for that. [Thunderbolt]! [Thunderbolt]! Haah! The two mage-looking yers both cast [Thunderbolt] to restrain her movements, while the one with the sword dropped his stance and shot straight at her. Behind him came a warrior wielding a mace and shield, and another one with a spear was apparently hiding in the warriors shadow. There were no projectiles like arrows, though. Any bow mains would have probably been hiding in the forest, which in turn meant that they were probably all dead. The [Thunderbolts] intended to keep her in check had absolutely no effect on Yoroizaka, so Rare ignored them and stepped forward to face the swordsman and his de head-on. Since it was the height of stupidity to strike te armor with a ded weapon, the attack was of course aimed at the armors joints, but in reality there wouldnt be much difference no matter where he hit. Clong! There was an unpleasant noise as he slipped past. No damage. They really wouldnt be worthy opponents. Lets wait for the mace-wielding warrior. No way! It had no effect! Was that a skill?! My sword did nothing either! Its the armor! Not a skill! Thats my cue! Graaaah!!! He let out a roar as he swung his mace. Right, that part was important. Particrly for a heavy warrior like him, in most cases his target already knows hesing. If so, then instead of a quiet, stealthy attack, its better to let loose a war cry to maximize your strength in that split second, even just a tiny bit more. Rare found this heavy warrior to be the mostpetent yer in this party. Sadly for them, that wouldnt be enough to produce a favorable oue. He was simply repelled by her armor, and the shock of the impact traveled back into the heavy warriors hand, causing him to drop his mace. A fatal mistake. Its so damn sturdy! What the hell! Looking at the fallen mace, it lookedpletely mangled now,pletely bent out of shape. Almost like someone had just finished smelting the metal and somehow coaxed it into a rod shape. Considering the blowback didnt totally destroy the mace, it must have been harder than iron, meaning it was probably made out of a superior metal. Even still, it couldnt even scratch Yoroizaka. Actually, even if she did get injured, Yoroizaka was a monster, or closer to a character, so her LP automatically regenerated. As long as she didnt die outright or have part of her entirely removed, she would heal, meaning any injury would disappear. She was a piece of equipment that needed zero maintenance or upkeep. The Kenzaki brothers were the same. A group of probably the strongest yers on the server only amounted to this much. With even more people, what would be known as a raid party in other games, they likely wouldnt fare any better. Yoroizaka picked up the mace and threw it. It flew through the air, spinning like a disc, knocking off one of the mages heads before disappearing off into the distance. Yoroizaka also had the [Throw] skill; she wasnt even bad at long-distancebat. Aaah! Rare didnt want tomunicate with them. Talking, listening; it was better to just kill instead. It was simply more efficient. The swordsman was saying something as she crushed his head. Pulling Ichirou out from her belt, she hacked at the heavy warrior who had dropped his mace. She hesitated for a second, wondering if she should wait for him to raise his shield, but it was made out of the same material as the mace, so it wouldnt change anything either way. The spear-wielding yer stayed collected and continued to attack her. Rare was impressed. He aimed for the opening her visor presented; true, if there was any chance at victory, that was the only ce she could think of to target. However, whether Yoroizaka had anything to say about that was a separate issue. Using her open hand, she simply grabbed the tip of the spear and destroyed it with a crunch. It must have been iron. With one [sh], the spearmans head separated from his body. Rare didnt even have to lift a finger. The results of this test were outstanding. All that was left was the lone mage squatting a short distance away. Since he appeared to have lost any motivation to fight back, Rare tried to think if she had anything else she wanted to try. She was able to test out defense, and she had gotten sufficient data on offense as well. She was even able to try out spells she never had a chance to cast before. For the time being, she seemed to havepleted everything on her list. Anything else could wait to be done in the great forest. Finally, Rare cast [Tidal Wave], flooding the meadow and taking out the mage at the same time. Apparently, all other yers in the championship had died. She received a system message congratting her victory. Following that, there was a request for her to join in some kind of exhibition match. There wasnt anything like that on the schedule, but the battle royale did conclude very early. That was probably mostly Rares fault; if the elerated time were reverted now, only a little over an hour would have passed. The exhibition match would be a battle royale where anyone currently in the event zone would be invited to join, even if they hadnt registered for the event. Rare asked. She had already finished testing her own capabilities, as well as Yoroizakas and the Kenzaki brothers. Plus, even if they included yers who didnt sign up for the event, they would be clearly weaker than the people she had just demolished in the championship. On the contrary, there might not even be as many people as there were in the prelims. Rare contemted what she would get out of epting this request. If she had to name one thing, itd be the chance to steamroll weak yers to her hearts content. The death penalty was suppressed during this PvP event, but she didnt want to expose her abilities and lose XP back in the regr game because people came up with countermeasures. Her name as the champion would be widely publicizedwhen she signed up for the event, she was pretty sure she assented to something along those linesso PKers flooding the great forest looking for someone with the name Rare would be the least of her worries. Still, she couldnt imagine those yers being able to break through the army of ants she had hiding in the great forest. Not to mention all the toonmanders would be able to use their heavy weaponry to execute guerri tactics in their own backyard. Plus, they would literally being up from under their enemys feet. To put it bluntly, those yers would just be walking buckets of experience. And they would be masochistic, economical resources that would get back up whenever they died, too. How odd. Now she couldnt see anything but advantages to epting this request. At this point in time, she felt increasingly inclined to just go ahead and ept, but in a negotiation, rather than justifying the benefits for yourself, it was better to see what the other party offered. Therefore, she just waited for the admins to give her their response. <> Not a bad proposal. Since there was no death penalty during this event, that conversely meant that there was no way to earn XP. That said, if she just wanted XP, waiting for yers to invade the great forest would be the same in the end. Even if she didnt get any visitors, she would still umte XP over time with the goblin farm. In which case, she wanted something only the admins could provide, something special that she could squeeze out of them. Something that was difficult for her to get on her own right now. <> That area was enormous. Trying to explore it without a map was suicidal. That said, if she just had the ants zerg the ce, with time, she might be able to produce a detailed map herself. It was something she would need to obtain eventually, but if she could get the map for free then that would be preferable. She had just about capped out on what resources she could obtain from the great forest. Those resources included ones that were extremely rare, and some of the higher-rank alchemical ingredients unlocked more information about materials, but she didnt have ess to all materials. There were some lower-rank materials that she hadnt unlocked any information on yet. <> Chapter 48: “Call Me Gil” Wayne had no idea what was going on. He hadnt met with Rare again after they had gone into the forest together. Whether she was busy in real life or their login times just never coincided, Wayne had no way to contact her since they werent friends in-game. Meanwhile, the day of the server-wide event arrived. He figured if she were going to be in the event, then hed meet her there. However, he didnt see anyone that looked like her at the arena. Feeling put out, Wayne was eliminated from the prelims in block 2, then watched the championship from the spectator seats all alone. Compared to the prelims, the championship match finished insanely fast. A mysterious yer wearing a full suit of ck armorpletely massacred all the other yers. What happened next totally blew Waynes mind. <> <> <> < > Rare. The system just said Rare. You couldnt choose a name that was already in use in this game. That meant that Rare should only refer to the yer Wayne knew and no one else. But was that person in the ck armor really Rare? What happened in the two weeks since he hadst seen her? When they had first met, she had surely been wearing starting equipment. She also made a remark the first time she ever saw magic. That kind of stuff. In any case, he had to meet her. Had to make sure. Wayne went down into the arena. They announced that registration was closing, and that participants would be transported to the field momentarily. Wayne found himself in a meadow. Now he just needed to find Rare. ording to the system announcement, if you helped defeat Rare, youd get a special reward or something. Which meant most of the participants would be targeting her. Any yer who assists meant that even if a bunch of yers helped beat her, they should all get the reward. In other words, it was just like how XP was distributed afterbat. Therefore, if defeating Rare was your goal, then you wouldnt consider any other participants yourpetition. That meant that if there were a lot of yers grouped up somewhere, Rare should probably be nearby. So first, he should look for those yers. After leaving the meadow and approaching the forest, he saw a gathering of yers. He had the feeling they had already long known he wasing since they didnt particrly react to his appearance. In other words, their target was Rare. They werent wary of him at all even as he got closer and closer. Yo. You looking for the champion? As soon as he was close enough, someone called out to him. Yeah, I am. You guys too? Of course. This is supposed to be a battle royale, but if we all fought each other, thered be no way for us to beat the champion. So if any of us regr yers wanna survive, we gotta team up to vanquish the final boss first. Final boss, huh Fits perfectly, dont it? Even if we cant win, we at least wanna see whats under the helmet. Wayne already knew that itd be the rugged face of a catkin woman, though. Yeah, sure He decided to travel with them. Even if they were just searching randomly, with more people itd be easier to find her. The trees werent too dense, so they could see a fair distance into the forest. He asionally saw other yers in there heading in approximately the same direction. Think those yers have the same goal? Maybe they have a friend who found the boss and are in touch with them. All right, lets follow them. After leaving the forest, they came upon a ton of yers. Rare was probably somewhere on the other side of this crowd. He had to meet her. All right! This is probably enough people! Lets go! Its a raid!!! Someone led the charge, and the battle began. Wayne could fight in both close quarters and at range, but his objective was to talk to Rare, so he wanted to be at the front of the group. Sincebat had already started, everyone naturally split up to secure their own positions or line of sight, making it easier to move up front. He dashed across the battlefield, squeezing out before all the other yers. When he got to the front lines, all the shield-bearing yers with metal chest protectors had surrounded a single yer in ck armor. Various magic spells and arrows flew in from far away, and swordsmen and spearmen who could dodge them went from ying meat shields tounching attacks. Wayne mixed himself into that group. He would have been left out if they were all as strong as the championship yers who had formed a temporary party to challenge Rare, but they werent that powerful. yers with widely varying levels of strength had formed a united front. So even if Wayne joined them, he wouldnt be called out for it. While preparing to attack, Wayne shouted, Rare! Rare turned toward Wayne. None of the attacks hitting her had any effect; if she was concerned about him, then she wouldnt outright kill him. Rare! What happened?! How did you?! Hey you! You know the champion?! Guy, lets talkter! Give us a hint for how to get that strong!!! This was no time to deal with other yers. Rare!!! However, without responding either to Wayne or to any other yer, Rare suddenly raised one arm and started mumbling something. Immediately after, countless bolts of lightning leaped out from Rares hand, spinning in a maelstrom and mowing down every yer around her. Wayne found himself back in the spectator seats in a daze. Hey, you were trying to talk to the champion just now, werent you? You friends? The person talking to him had been one of the shieldbearers in the front lines just now. Not friends, we just grinded XP together a few times. Ah, is that all? But right now, no one knows anything about that yer, so youll be the only one with any information on her. Is there any way you can get in contact with her? Maybe, if I can meet with her. I need to ask about today. As far as I know, she shouldnt be that good or strong of a yer. Then she found some way to get really strong really fast, maybe. This is getting more and more interesting. Hey, mind friending me? If you find out anything, be a pal and let me know. After saying so, he held out his friend card. Wayne sluggishly epted it, then put it in his inventory. <>[1] Call me Gil. I wanted Gilgamesh, but it was already taken. That meant Gil wasnt an abbreviation of his yer name, but its not like they were actually friends, and Wayne didnt know his real name. So calling him Gil anyway wouldnt cause any problems For an instant, Wayne felt like a mental puzzle piece was about to slot into ce. But he was having a hard time thinking straight right now. After parting with Gil there, Wayne decided to log out for the day. He hadpletely forgotten about the reward for participating in the event, but it was automatically sent to his inventory after maintenance. [1]: This is a fun trantion. So Gilgamesh in katakana is spelled 륬å, but this guy chose the name Υ쥬å. So he uses the no and re kana because, when next to each other, they look like ru . And whats the Latin alphabet equivalent of this trick? :) Chapter 49: “Exhibition” Apparently that Wayne guy was also doing the event. Rare was surprised when he suddenly called her by name. Shed have liked to have responded to him, but since her voice soundedpletely different from Kerrys, it would be annoying if he were to be suspicious of her. Thus, she whispered a spell keyword as quietly as possible in order to indiscriminately kill all the yers around her. Rares [Thunderstorm] caused massive casualties; all the tanks in the front lines were wiped out. The ones positioned a bit behind them had shields and thick armor, but all of it was leather and none wore a metal chest protector, so they barely made it out alive. Lightning-based magic attacks were extra effective against metal armor, after all. Due to the difference in health, Wayne and other light-armored warrior yers all died and were sent back. Since their ystyles focused on evasion, they had high AGI, but few of them put any XP into VIT. Normally they could dodge this type of magic, but the speed that lightning magic activated and traveled was the highest of all elements of magic. Its AOE spells had especially narrow zones of effectpared to other elements, but against yers of this level, it was still wide enough to be unavoidable. The only yers left were the leather-wearing tanks right in front of her as well as the ranged sses who were outside her spells AOE. Rare had forced a reprieve in casting her spell, but soon the rain of arrows and magic would resume. She could drop another AOE spell on all the ranged, but if she just shot them out one after another before her cooldowns finished, shed be slowly running down her options, especially since high-rank spells had long cooldowns. It would take more time, but she should use her sword to take the rest out. As she ughtered each leather tank in a sh, Rare made her way toward those in the rear. The one walking was Yoroizaka, but the sword being waved around was Kenzaki Ichirou moving himself. It was a test to see if Yoroizaka could sync with the Kenzakis movements. Right now, there didnt appear to be any dys at all. They had superb coordination. Having swept away all the leather tanks, Yoroizaka pulled Saburou out with her left hand. With the two Kenzakis held loosely in her hands, she used [sh Step] to close in on a nearby mage. Shocked, he could only stare nkly as his head was lopped off. The other people around him didnt even start to move until they saw the blood begin spraying from the disappearing corpse, but everyone had been clumped up in the rear. She could see them hesitate to shoot anything that could identally hit an ally. Such an illogical conundrum. Even if they had teamed up to bring down Rare, this was still a battle royale. Other yers were still enemies. That meant it was perfectly fine to just blow everyone else away with your attacks. If that took out Rare, then good; if not, then if any other yers died from coteral damage, then theyd still earn some kind of points. It was a choice with absolutely no downside. Rare could not understand why no one else could reach that conclusion. Actually, if Rare were in their shoes, facing an enemy that didnt seem to take any damage from her magic, she would have opted to off all the weaker yers under the guise of idental friendly fire. That would have been the most profitable course of action. That said, if anyone tried that now, the current Rare wouldnt be so appreciative. Since the XP she could have gotten from killing yers would decrease. Therefore, before anyone else opted for that tactic, shed just have to take out all the yers first. She went around killing every yer she found with liberal use of [Spinning Slice], [sh], [sh Step], and [Throw]. The Kenzakis she [Threw] killed as many additional yers as they could without arousing suspicion, then stabbed themselves into the ground. Having thrown one sword, Yoroizaka grabbed Shirou from her back and Jirou from her waist, then fought her way over to the thrown Kenzakis using a mix of normal attacks and skills. She used [Throw] with one of the Kenzakis in her hand, then recovered one in the ground with her now-free hand. The remaining yers finally decided to bite the bullet and just attack without regard for any other yers safety, but by then those still alive were too scattered anyway. [re Arrow]. Rare hated being canceled out, so she only used magic on yers holding bows, then threw projectiles at mage yers, steadily taking them out one by one. There was abat effect when two offensive spells collided called canceling. If they were the same element and about the same power, it would create an explosion and both spells would be destroyed. If they were instead, for example, fire and ice spells, elementalbinations like that would cause their offensive values to partially cancel out, reducing the strength of both spells. When a difference in INT resulted in arge difference in firepower, or when they were different skill ranks in the same tree, the weaker spell would bepletely canceled out while the stronger one would be weakened when they collided, and the now-weaker spell would continue on to its original target. When one person is singled out and focused down during a contest of magic, collisions and cancetions happen often. Concerning the current situation, that meant that Rares firepower could easily be mitigated; whenever she wanted to cast magic, she had to carefully examine the MP costs to be paid and the risks incurred from cooldown timers. However, the yers surrounding Rare had regained their cool by now, so even if she were to fire at an archer, the many mages behind them could repeatedly shoot their own magic topletely cancel out Rares spell. At the same time, there was a yer here who was capable of altering the trajectory of the Kenzakis she threw using arrows. This was a big surprise to Rare. There was in fact a skill that could aplish that, but considering the Kenzakis could move under their own power, hitting them such that they couldnt evade took considerable real-world talent. Out of the corner of her eye, Rare saw a familiar nurse outfit. She reflexively unleashed a spell. [Hellme]. Her magic disintegrated all the yers to her left, where she had noticed the nurse outfit. The surviving yers all froze, pausing their attacks; the power of that AOE spell could not be mitigated at all using cancetion. Even though they were concentrating all their fire on Rare, their chances had only been 50:50 at best. With half their number lost in a single breath, it would be easy for Rare to clean up the remaining shell-shocked survivors. The anti-Rare alliance had been thoroughly decimated, and they were unable to continue cooperating. The battle royale ended soon after. Apparently, every other participant in the exhibition match had been solely targeting Rare. This was how the curtain fell on the first official server-wide event. In the end, no one found out what kind of event the administrators had originally nned to hold. Chapter 50: “System Message 3” To all yers: Thank you for ying [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. The first official server-wide event, the battle royale, was a resounding sess in no small part due to the yers. We are extremely grateful that so many yers participated. We are nning more events for you to enjoy, so please stay tuned for future announcements. We hope there will be as much enthusiasm and participation for them as well! We hope you continue to enjoy your time in [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]! Maintenance Announcement Thank you for ying [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. The servers will be down for scheduled maintenance following the conclusion of the server-wide event. In response to feedback from a portion of the yerbase, a game system change will be implemented during maintenance.
  • Requested change
The names of spells must be used as a spoken keyword to activate magic spells and active skills. Many yers have expressed their discontent with these skill names. After conducting a detailed internal investigation, characters will now be allowed to change the activation keyword required to cast spells and use skills. If no change is configured, the current keyword will continue to work normally. We hope you continue to enjoy your time in [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]! Maintenance period: 10:00~19:00 (Exact end time is subject to change) Frequently Asked Questions This list of [Frequently Asked Questions] and [Troubleshooting Tips] has beenpiled from yer submissions. The answers on this page may be able to resolve your questions or issues, so please check here before submitting an inquiry. In addition, please be aware that some questions regarding game content or specifications may not be addressed here. Q: There is an abnormally powerful yer in the game; is she actually a member of the administration team, or is she cheating in some way? A: This is not the case. Because knowledge of the inner workings of this game provides an excessive advantage over regr yers, employees and any persons associated with ourpany are expressly forbidden from ying on the server with the public game poption. It is well-known that in the 5th generation VR systems, consumers cannot initiate unauthorized behavior via the client-side framework. In addition, since the system AI is equipped with live bugfix functionality, it is virtually impossible to exploit any potential bugs in the system. While we are unsure which yer is being asked about, we do acknowledge that the existence of abnormally powerful yers is within developer expectations. All game systems are confirmed to be working as intended. We hope you continue to enjoy your time in [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]! Hello Rare, Thank you for ying [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. The administration team believes that the first official server-wide event, the battle royale, was far more sessful than anticipated due to your involvement. Because so many yers were able to have an enjoyable experience, we would like to show our appreciation on behalf of the entire development team. To that end, we would like to include footage from the event which showcases the character Rare in battle in amercial for a public advertising campaign. We are contacting you today to request permission to use this footage. The footage we would like to use is Chapter 51: “A Slightly Obnoxious Bucket of XP” After maintenance was over, Rare logged in and received a bunch of notifications. There was the usual notification about the maintenance, but it had been sent before maintenance so, after skimming the title, she ignored it. A recording of battle footage, huh. Well, as long as it doesnt show me changing, then whatever. Lets see, so theyll also ask for my permission after Ive been given the edited footage to review Since my face doesnt appear, then yeah, whatever. Ah, thats right Something came to mind that she had written down as a possibility. If it worked, then things might get interesting. Great, so all thats left is that Wayne guy. Whats going on with Wayne? asked Kerry, who was standing by next to Rare. After going to the forest with Wayne, Kerry had spent nearly all her time in the queens chambers. Apparently, while she had been pretending to be weak, having to attack her allies, the engineer ants, caused her quite a bit of stress. Unless Rare ordered it, she didnt intend to maintain her rtionship with Wayne. Regarding the event the other day where I was gone for about two hours, there was a little incident. She wasnt sure if her followers could tell if she was logged in during those two hours. Since she had predicted that there wouldnt be a way to earn XP while in the event area, she had ordered her subordinates to go out and randomly kill stuff in the meantime, curious if she would still get the XP. However, since she ended up earning a ton of XP during thatst exhibition match, it was hard to tell whether she had gotten any or not. No, that wont be necessary Okay. Lets do this. Kerry will go out to the city, and Ill use [Summon Caster: Mind] to possess her. Like that, Ill make contact with Wayne lead him into the great forest, then kill him for XP. After Kerry arrived at the city, Rare activated [Summon Caster: Mind] to take control. She had borrowed Kerrys avatar before when she was testing out how the skill worked, but for some reason it felt ufortable now, like she was overly conscious that it wasnt her own body. Though that was natural since it wasnt her body. Yoroizaka waspletely subservient, so that felt more like controlling a robot, or ying that kind of VR game; to put it inly, the experience was so alien that, conversely, it didnt bother her at all. So if its a character with an extremely strong sense of self, so much that they have their own mannerisms, that might be the cause of this ipatibility. In the real world, since every given person has their own unique way of walking that uses their own personal habits and quirks, their muscles and nerves are optimized in a way to amodate those quirks and minimize any difort. Because of that, if a stranger were to take over that persons body and try moving in it, they would definitely feel ill at ease. She couldnt believe that the game would go that far to replicate that feeling, but at the same time, she felt that since it was this game, then it wasnt that odd at all. How did it go, Any sufficiently advanced technology[1]? she muttered aloud as she made her way to the sellsword guild. Her habit of talking to herself had gotten worse. It was fine when she was in the queens chamber, but she really needed to watch herself when she was out and about. There werent that many sellswords in the sellsword guildor so she had been expecting, but there were actually more here than usual. Looking closer, they seemed to be yers. She didnt see any of that desperation characteristic of someone looking toy down roots in this city; to put it negatively, it felt like they hade to the boonies on break in order to kill some time, like they were the grandkids of the neighborhood old folks or something. As someone raised in the countryside in real life, Rare was rather familiar with people like that. To this city, these yers were city slickers, as it were. With the advent of VR, there were fewer opportunities to go outside, so the gulf between the countryside and the city got even wider. While the feeling of being trapped that was characteristic of living in the countryside had faded, so had the positive spirit of wanting others to know more about their own hometown. Now, is Wayne Ah, there he is. He was in a corner of the lobby, sitting on a bench and staring at the floor. For a split second, the heavy atmosphere confused Rare; was she actually in a game right now, or was she in a VR employment center? Not that shed ever been in one of those before. Yo, Wayne. Keep ya waitin? !!! Rare! Ah, not at all You came to see me. Yeah. Its written all over your face; you got a bunch of stuff to ask me. And we havent talked sinceing back from the forest. As she spoke, Rare mentally clicked her tongue in irritation. A number of other yers appeared to be looking their way after hearing Waynes response. Thatck of consideration was probably why he didnt have any friends. Not that she could judge; she had no friends herself. I dont mind chatting, but we stand out too much here. Id like to go somewhere more quiet; lets head to the forest. If I remember right, there arent many monsters or people around the edge. Wayne stood up and, with a nervous look on his face, nodded in assent. Rare apanied him out of the sellsword guild. It didnt seem like anyone followed them. Not that shed particrly care if anyone had. On the way to the forest, Rare did her best to walk in a way that didnt seem unnatural. In order to aplish that, she had to trace Kerrys habits. She wasnt sure how closely Wayne had been monitoring Kerrys behavior, but for Rare, it felt like she was on a mission in disguise to converse with someone she didnt know. After framing it in that manner, she couldnt help feeling a bit pumped up. Since things had already be like this, she wanted to do her best not to get found out. When they got there, they decided to find a spot about 20 minutes into the forest. Last time Kerry hade here, if she remembered correctly, they leisurely wandered around for an hour before an engineer ant had been set on them. Even after just 20 minutes, no one would be able to see them from the edge of the forest, sost time there was no need to wait until they had gone in as deep as they had. Even after they had gotten that far in, though, no ants would havee without being ordered. The forest was originally Kerrys home turf, though, so doing all this was actually good practice for Rare. As far as avoiding difort, she found it far easier to move about in the forest. Riley and the others also had regr patrols; maybe itd be good for Rare to asionally go with them via possession. All right, this should be far enough. So Wayne, what do you want to know? Are you really Rare? Of course I am. Im obviously Rare. Who else would I be? Since she was currently possessing Kerrys body, the person talking to him was unmistakably Rare. In fact, all the previous times actually werent Rare. I feel like youre not the same Rare I know. [1]: The third of rks Three Laws Chapter 52: “We Have a Fool Here!” What went wrong? She was outed right away. Either this Wayne guy had much better intuition than Rare thought, or he was just in sharp. Or maybe Rare was just way dumber than she thought she was. Not a conclusion she particrly wanted to entertain, all things considered. I dont know what youre trying to say, but you need to authenticate your brain waves in order to log into the game. Its absolutely impossible for me to be someone else. Well, if it required a fingerprint or iris scan like they used to have ages ago, there mightve been ways to fool those. And this avatar was undoubtedly Kerrys, whom Wayne had met before. In other words, the person before Wayne was the Rare that Wayne knewKerrys bodyand at the same time also the actual yer named Rare. For Wayne, this was the highest purity Rare he had ever met. So was that what you wanted to ask? If so, then are we done here? Hold on, you still have answered my question! Huh? Were still going with this topic? Rare thought. Whats making him go this far? Fine. Then let me ask this instead: Why dont you think Im Rare? First is the way you talk. Rare really gets into her character, like roley. How do I put this, she really talks like a female mercenary. He was correct; before Kerry learned to speak more politely, she had a rather crass style of speech. When she had met Wayne for the first time, Rare had a feeling she spoke to him like that. This was a blunder on Rares part. Aha. Well, I thought it was bout time to switch it up. Cant me me for that, can you? She somehow adjusted her style of speech to match. Since Kerry recently started only speaking formally, she couldnt remember the specifics. Next, the way you walked in the forest. Last time we came, you followed after meand I got the sense you were nervous. But today, you led the way in such a brisk, confident manner. Its true that its been two weeks since then, but even in a game, its hard for me to believe that you gotpletely used to traveling in a forest in such a short time. He was exactly right. Right now, Rare was mimicking the way that Kerry navigated the forest. Rare had originally gotten ustomed to walking in the woods from another VR game, but it was true that it wasnt a skill that could be mastered in a short period of time. Last time, Kerry did in fact kind of plod after Wayne slowly. The reason why she built up so much stress was from pretending to be weaknot just inbat, but in all sorts of ways such as this. This was another blunder on Rares part. Another thing; when you talked about login authentication just now, the impression I got from talking to Rare before was that she wasnt all that knowledgeable about hardware or software. Seeing that Rare going out of her way to exin outdated biometric authentication security measures is incredibly unnatural. Of course she didnt understand any of it. The residents of this worldNPCs like Kerryknew nothing about VR equipment orputer systems. Rare talked too much out of habit, but here it sure came back to bite her. This was yet another blunder on Rares part. Goodness gracious. Rare was a certified idiot. Arent you the friend that Rare would sometimes talk to via friend chat? Also, I dont know if Rare even is a yer name. Since I never friended her, I just know she called herself Rare when we first met, but I never checked if that was her actual yer name. Rare had indeed been incredibly careless, but it was also true that Wayne was very sharp. She never imagined that he could reason out this much with such pinpoint uracy. Spectacr. She didnt think shed get to experience this murder-mystery feeling of a perpetrator being steadily cornered in this game. Despite the fact that the game did include the freedom to do almost anything. It should be possible toe up with various perfect crime scenarios, especially when including magic and skills into the mix. She should really consider doing that if she ever found some free time; she added that to her mental to-do list. I see, I see So what youre saying is that there are two yers with the exact same physical appearance, one being me, and the other being the Rare that you met before? Here she would casually suggest that it was a trick with two yers. As far as Rare was concerned, as long as he didnt somehownd on the actual truth, that Rare herself had apletely different appearance and NPCs had a way to use inventories and friend chat, then there was no problem. If the fact that Rare didnt look like Kerry got out, then it would naturally connect to the question of how she could control Kerrys body; she didnt want knowledge of these skills to get out. So that really was it Having interpreted Rares words as a confession just now, Wayne hung his head. If youre going to ask why I did something like this, well, I cant say there was any particr reason The reason was really that Rare just didnt want to go to town herself, but if she said that, it would lead to learning that she didnt look like Kerry, so she would say no more. It wasnt exactly a badger game, but, well, it was to PK unsuspecting yers. You can only hunt NPCs once and thats it, but with yers you can do it over and over again, so that was part of why. Even in the closed beta, I pretended to be an NPC to dupe stupid yers and kill them off You did what? You pretended to be an NPC in the closed beta to PK? And now youre Thats right. It was my best work. I did it a bunch of times, but Id get found right right away if I tried again in the same city. So I had to immediately move That was you! One of those stupid yers you killed was me!!! Rare jumped at Waynes sudden outburst. But now the pieces were falling into ce. He lookedpletely different now, but while Kerry was pretending to be Rare, that goodie-two-shoes feeling she got from him did remind her of one of those idiots from before. Not that she knew exactly which one among her past victims he was, she just vaguely had that impression. So that was it! What a twist of fate! It wasughable how moronic you had been before, but this time, for you to see through my scheme and reveal my cards, I must apud your tremendous growth! It makes me so happy! Grrgh! Damn you! Ah, feel free to draw your sword. I intend to do the same. You said this was some kind of badger game! Then why didnt you do it yourself?! If you had the same face, then why why did you involve her in this?! Because they didnt actually have the same face, and in the first ce she just blurted out badger game without really thinking about it, but she couldnt reveal any of that now. I think you should have realized, but acting is not my forte. However, for her, shes honest at her core, so she was better at it. She built up a lot of stress, though, so I wont have her do it anymore. But you were the one who caused that stress!!! Actually, no, if anyone, you were, Wayne. But again, there was nothing to gain from saying that. After feeding him onest bit of misinformation, she would have him exit the stage. Ive made this forest my domain. I havent thought of how exactly yet, but I n to go out and PK as many yers as I can from here on out. And youll be the first. Fuck you! If you think Ill let you get away with this! Youll do what, exactly? Are you going to band together with everyone else to kill me? Thats fine by me. If I kill you enough times, one day youll be so weak you wont even be able to lift a finger against anyone else. As she made that deration, Rare raised her hand to the sky. Kenzaki Ichirou, who had been on standby high up in the air, dropped down right into it. That sword Well then, ta ta for now. Ill be waiting for you. Before Wayne could blink, she closed the distance with [sh Step] and took his head with a [sh]. Chapter 53: “Hang In There, Life Points!” There had been a server-wide event or something, apparently. Before she knew it, the registration period was already overor more like the event itself passed her by; the maintenance that followed it was the first time she had even heard of it. nc had a routine of going to the undergroundke, hunting lizardmen, then spending XP on her bats, rinse and repeat. When the number of lizardmen dropped too low, she would travel a little bit further to find a different group of monsters to farm. The further away from theke she got, the more XP she earned; maybe the lizardmen had lost a turf war and were driven all the way to their current home or something. If that was really what happened, then the further she traveled, the better the living conditions were, meaning it was very possible that following the underground water vein would eventually lead her outside. Her random theory that the castle was on some kind of super hignd suddenly gained some traction. The bats didnt get any particrly different builds. She couldnt imagine herself using individual bats for different tasks, so it made more sense for all nine to be raised approximately the same; it made things simpler regardless of whether she decided to have them all act in concert or split into smaller teams. There was absolutely no connection to the fact that nc couldnt tell them apart. But, hm. I kinda feel like, one bat could take out a lizardman solo; they exude that kind of aura now If all nine went out, I bet they could wipe out a vige on their own. The amount of XP nc had used on each bat was already close to how much shed spent on herself. And she wasnt sure what caused this, but at some point even her [Vampiric Magic] showed up in their list of avable skills, so she had them learn it to test out skills before she took them herself. She also taught them [Mental Magic], which synergized well with [Vampiric Magic]; this appeared in their trees after she got [Summoning] and [Necromancy] at the counts rmendation. She was vaguely aware that the conditions for learning a skill were rted to other learned skills and an individuals race, but the fact that a followers skills might be reliant on the lords skills as well was something she hadpletely missed. Because of this, she couldnt only spend XP on the bats, but as a result it would be much harder to earn XP from the lizardmen. That is the state of things. It must happen eventually, regardless of the path you take. If it is for the sake of improving your strength, then those lizards are still useful, the count responded after nc consulted with him. Oh, hmm, like how? Indeed; you have learned [Necromancy]s [Bind Soul]? Then use [Necromancy] to raise lizardmen corpses; if you seed at [Subordinating] them, then you will have undying soldiers. I see But undead, huh nc wasnt very happy at the prospect of having zombies tagging along with her. If I give those undead lizardmen my blood, can I turn them into Revenants? Hmm Normally, lizardmen are considered superior to the human races. Therefore, lizardmen zombies are simrly superior to human zombies or they should be. In that light, it is hard to think you would be sessful but you lose nothing by trying. If you fail, you will only lose some of your vitality. If you use too much, heal yourself promptly. Vampires and vitality? nc thought the two words didnt belong together, but in game terms he probably meant LP. In other words, for vampires, the act of imparting their own blood trantes into a cost paid with LP. I getcha! All right, Ill go give it a shot! The ce where she excitedly decided to experiment was at the undergroundke where she found her first lizardmen. As far as nc knew, the lizardmen here were the weakest; that meant that when raised as undead, they should be weaker as well. If so, then there was a better chance of them being able to reincarnate using her blood too. [Mist]. After letting the mist spread, nc let off a [Fear] at the raised ground she presumed were homes. Sneaking a nce at theke, there were lizardmen in there that shrunk back in terror. [Thunderbolt]! She used [Lightning Magic] to take out each lizardman one by one. Within ncs arsenal, it could leave behind the most pristine corpses. After repeating this numerous times, she got her hands on threergely undamaged lizardman bodies. She considered storing them in her inventory, but based on what she read in the skill details for [Necromancy] and [Bind Soul], they said something about how the soul only stayed in the body right after it died, so she changed her mind. She didnt remember ever getting a [Soul] item after storing a corpse in her inventory, meaning she didnt know where the soul went when a dead body was put into an inventory. The bodies were all carried to the shore by the bats. Normally, that would be physically impossible, but three of her bats were able to hold up one lizardman body. And it was more of a problem with bnce; if it were only a matter of weight, a single bat could handle it. The bats had be massively powerful after having so much XP invested in them. The lizardman corpses wereid down on the undergroundkes beach. Uhh, [Necromancy]. A pitch ck haze leaked out from the corpses. Even though there was barely any light around theke, she could somehow tell that this stuff was even darker. It was probably some kind of effect rather than an actual loss of light. The haze enveloped the bodies, then she heard a wooshing noise, like the sound of air being expelled. She could no longer make out the lizardmen. A few seconds passed like that, then the haze started to fade away naturally. Then the lizardmen stood up. Or only their bones did. Only their skeletons are left!!! However, the bones clearly belonged to lizardmen. Their silhouettes, with their tails and the shapes of their heads, brought to mind dinosaurs from picture books. Ehh, I guess its better than zombies Alrighty, [Subordinate]. <> <> Um, do not permit. <> <> Are they gonna make me do this for each one? Do not permit. <> <> Nuh uh, do not permit. She considered letting one of them reincarnate into a zombie, but decided not to. Most groups of three consisted of two who got along real well and a leftover, a third wheel; going out of her way to create the impetus for such a divide to form felt wrong. I didnt expect being asked about it I got to make the ultimate decision for myself However, NPCs couldnt receive system messages. Which means that for all the counts [Subordinated] zombies, either there was some other method for triggering it, or they were actually just unterally forced into bing Squire Zombies. In which case, its possible there werent any NPC vampires with tamed skeletons. So, no one knows what would happen if I gave blood to these skeletons? The count had already assured her: Even if she failed, all shed lose is LP. In which case, giving out enough for the three shouldnt be a problem. nc cut her finger on one of her canines, then rubbed her blood on the foreheads of the three lizardman skeletons. Oh wait, these arent canines, theyre actually fangs! She was immediately ovee with weakness, making her entire body going limp and causing her to unintentionally fall to her knees. She checked and definitely had lost LP. Furthermore, even though her max LP had gone up quite a bit by this point, she suddenly lost half of it. Thats a huuuge chunk You left out that part, coach She wondered how she could teach a vampire count inside of a game the importance of Ho-Ren-So. <> The skeletons standing before her became dyed in red. Oooh? Its like theyre powering up I was worried it might fail. Hang in there, Life Points! Their color wasnt the only thing that changed; a bunch of little spikes rose up on their spines, from their backs down to their tails; their fingers and toes tapered into sharp ws; and all their bones became thicker, stouter. To cap off the transformation, two little horns sprouted up from the backs of their heads. Holy cow! They look wicked! Theyre totally different now! What the heck! Umm Spartoi, sown ones? Seriously, what the hell are these? Did I nt some seeds or something? Their race name was aplete mystery to nc, but in any case, she sessfully reincarnated them. Chapter 54: “Mormo” Hoh, spartoi. They are quite powerful undead. As always, your actions are inexplicable to me. Fuh hah hah. When she went to brag to the count, heplimented her. Just as he said, the spartoi had total statsparable to ncs when she had first turned into a vampire. Normally, she wouldnt have been able to [Subordinate] them since theyd resist it. [Control] and [Subordinate] required arge gap in power in order to seed. Incidentally, did you not impart any of your blood to the bats? If the new spartoi were given it first, I would not be surprised if they were dissatisfied. Huh, really? When she opened her cape to look at them, they looked back at her with their cute little eyes as though to ask Yes, what is it? They didnt seem bothered in the least. But still, just as the count was saying, the bats had been doing their best all along, so giving blood to the skeletons first was kinda unfair. But Id need a lot of LP for all of them A needless concern; should my aid be required, I shall lend it. Simply do what you must without hesitation. I am also interested in the oue. If the count said he would support her, then she should just do it. A chance like this was unlikely toe again; he might change his mind as soon as the day changed, so if she was gonna go for it, it had to be now. Okay, here goes nothing Just like before, nc bit into her finger with a fang, then let each batp up a drop of blood. After every bat had gulped it down, she gently set them down in the center of the throne room and stepped back to observe the results. Guh Almost immediately, she was ovee with the sensation that came from her LP being drained. She was ready for it this time, so she didnt shamefully fall to her knees again, but she lost as much LP as she had before. <> A ck mist appeared thatpletely obscured the bats from sight. There werent any noises like there had been with the skeletons, but the mist steadily expanded. There was so much that it could have covered up a few humans in addition to the bats. Since there was an announcement, the reincarnation mustve seeded But nothing ising out Be silent and watch. Look, the haze is clearing up. While she thought Ah, is it haze, not mist?, she watched the haze dissipate as the count said. What sat there where the haze had been were definitely not bats. Who are they?! And howe there are only three of them?! Hoh. Intriguing, intriguing It appears that three bats reincarnated into a single mormo. A single bat was too weak by itself. Mormo? Indeed. A type of vampire that specializes in transformation. A vampire! There were three beautiful women seated on the floor, mostly human-looking but with pale faces. They were stark naked. Um, count? Fuh hah hah. What a helpless child you are. Fret not; clothing shall be prepared. Thankies! Even after being given clothes, they didnt know how to wear them, so they simply tilted their heads while holding up the clothes in their hands. nc helped them each get dressed and stood them up, but they immediately squatted back down. They were bats until just now; they are unused to standing on two legs. They must now practice walking, using their hands well, all human movement. Ohh, I see Aaau ueeh en. No, its fine. Its my responsibility to make sure you can all do everything by yourselves. While you can glean their intent as your followers, they also cannot speak. This was their first time trying to use words. Now that he mentioned it, he was totally right. There was no way bats could speak. However, they had always listened to her talk, and she had always understood their thoughts, so they did know words. In which case, it shouldnt take long until they could handle conversations. After that, nc spent her time helping her followers learn to walk and speak. asionally, she would take the spartoi to the undergroundke and beyond, letting them defeat lizardmen in order to earn XP. At the counts suggestion, she used some XP to teach the mormos [Body Control] and [Nimble], which dramatically improved their movements. Before long, their training sessions ended, and the XP being earned went toward teaching the spartoi the same skills. When she had the mormos fight lizardmen, they earned almost no XP at all. She realized that each mormo contained three bats of invested XP. Though she only gave them basic race-limited skills, they had an abundance of them, so they each were essentially three times ncs level. Obviously they would earn no XP from lizardmen. So like, theyre way the hell stronger than I am, so good thing there isnt some kinda mutiny system There isnt, right? They arepletely bound by [Subordinate], so it cannot be done. Even if that were not the case, the one who raised them and gave them blood to allow them to reincarnate was none other than you. Their wills hold not even an inkling of rebellion. Ooh. Alrighty then. More importantly, as I said before, mormos are a race that excel in transformation. You would benefit from testing it. It is a masters duty to fullyprehend the servants capabilities. She checked and they could all learn the [Transform] skill. Maybe due to the fact that they had learned so many skills, all their trees were full of new entries. Hey you guys, what kinds of things can you turn into with the [Transform] skill? Lets try it out. The three immediately nodded their heads, after which they vanished in a ck haze, or rather a ck mist. After a few seconds, the mist cleared, and standing there were three ncs. Whoa! Its me! Thats so awesome! When she went to check the skill again, [Transform] had be a skill tree, and the skill under it was [Change Individual]. This skill allowed the caster to adopt the appearance of someone whose blood had been ingested. The effect would persist until the user canceled it or they were hit by some kind of offensive action. The reason they could [Transform] into nc was probably because they had consumed her blood when they reincarnated. Next, the three of them used [Transform] to turn into bats. Each one split into three bats. Why do they look familiar Oh, youre the bats from before reincarnation! Aw, I missed you guys Ah, what happens if one of the bats dies when theyre transformed? In all likelihood, when they revert, they would lose a third of their vitality. When turning into multiple organisms, I believe that as long as one body survives, after canceling the [Transform] and resting, aplete recovery is possible. You sure know everything, coach! Fuh hah hah! How long do you believe I have been a vampire? My title of count is not just for appearances! The mormos could also use [Transform] to turn into wolves. For now, those were their only options, but as long as they sucked the blood of enemies weaker than they were, they could increase their list of [Transform] options that way. That means Im weaker than these girls are That kind of put nc out, but after the mormos all pat her on the back sympathetically, she felt even more pathetic, so she decided to get over it. Ah, I forgot! I need to give you all names. The spartois too. nc wasnt that great at thinking up names. Though that should have been obvious from looking at her own name. All right, Ill start with the mormos. Youll be Azalea. Youre Carmine. And then youre Magenta. For the spartoi, youre Vermilion, youre Crimson, and youre Scarlet. They were all names having to do with red. nc thought it was a pretty neat idea for something she came up with. And since her own name was also based on a color, it was cool that they all followed the same theme. But man, our power level has really beefed up now. Its about time we take over a country or maybe not quite yet, but a city at least might be doable, how about it? Oh right, this was the topic that started everything. TL note: The mormo isnt ssically considered a vampire, but it seems to have turned into a type of vampire in modern times, perhaps in the literary pursuit of finding monsters to use in stories that arent the typical mainstream ones. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormo Chapter 55: “The Grand Opening of the Great Liebe Forest” Apparently, the game staff had made edits to themercial footage to align with what Rare had proposed. A certain yer stumbled onto a way to dramatically power up, then decided to participate in the event and show off. This method was considered eptable by the game staff, and they thought it would be good advertising for the game, so they pped together a video to release publicly. However, that yer didnt want to reveal the method to anyone and just holed up in the great forest. Hopefully the way the video was cut orments on the video would lead to that kind of misunderstanding. Management must not have found any problems with this type of misdirection, so her suggestion was epted. In fact, Rare had entered the event in order to gauge the progress of other yers, and she hadnt meant to show herself off. Rather, if she had wanted to show off all her cards, there wouldnt have been enough time in the event to do so, something no one could have possibly fathomed if Rare stayed silent. In addition, that Wayne guy released everything he knew about Rare on social media. He exined about Kerry, another yer with the same appearance who had done nothing wrong and was obeying Rare, and a bunch of other stuff; since pretty much everything he wrote waspletely wrong, she had no problem with it at all so she didnt do anything about it. In the first ce, even if she wanted him to correct anything, if she went ahead and reached out to him directly on social media, that might render all his hard work moot. The mastermind should stay silent. The only time she needed to confess was after shed been cornered. Right: just like what she had done the other day. Anyway, her ns were proceeding smoothly Well, not that she was doing anything, but it had been a week since things had kicked off. Right now, more and more yers were gathering at the Great Liebe Forestshe had only recently found out that was the name of this forest. The nearby city of Erfahrenanother name she only just learnedwas experiencing a surge of unprecedented economic prosperity as a consequence. It was as though they were preparing for war against the great forest. In other games, this many yers would only gather around raid dungeons. If all these yers misunderstood that Rare obtained her strength within this forest-turned-dungeon, then she could consider her ploy sessful. To help sell the dungeon setting, Rare was actually ying another game, a dungeon management one, and bringing her experience from there over here. The engineer ants produced low-rank metal weapons and armor with materials from the ore vein, which were nted in the outer areas of the forest. If a yer found one and took it with them, another item of the same quality would be hidden somewhere else. And it wasnt only weapons and armor: low-rank potions; lumber, nuts, berries, and fruits from trees in the middleyer of the forest; monster pelts; and various other materials were strewn about at random. They were more than sufficiently stocked on supplies gathered from the middleyer nowadays; since it was a lot of trouble to have everything brought back to the queens chamber to give to the transporter ants, the ants who collected them were being told to just hang onto them. Scout ants were constantly tracking both the distributed items as well as yer movements. Because there were so many yers, they urgently needed to start producing more scout ants and form specialized monitoring squads. After letting the invading yers kill monsters (mostly ants) and collect treasure to their hearts content, the bloodthirstier ants like the cavalry and snipers would then kill a moderate number of them. This was what Rare realized: if ants killed other ants, they wouldnt earn even a single point of experience. However, if yers killed ants and earned experience, then those yers were killed by other ants, Rares group could gain much more XP. On the whole, yers had around the same amount of XP going into the forest as they did after they died and came back, so they would want to adjust the kill timing a bit so that yers ended up a little ahead. Trying to finely control the yers power levels required precise calctions, and it was for that specific reason that she increased Sugarus INT so much. Because of that and [Enhance Follower], every ants INT had increased a bit, so they could work together to do those calctions. A fringe benefit was that it also raised the effectiveness of engineer ant acid. To be specific, they could now melt bronze. Even the weakest engineer ant would now be enough to deal with yers wearing equipment made from bronze or the bones of weak monsters. On a rted note, Erfahrens supply of metals from the Great Liebe Forest ore vein had been stopped due to the upation of Rares group, but now it had been indirectly restored by putting it in the hands of yers. As a result, the price of iron had dropped. However, what the yers brought back was refined equipment so much better than cast-metal goods that they stopped going to cksmiths to buy gear. However, metal equipment did require maintenance, so the demand for cksmiths didntpletely disappear. Still, she heard that quite a number of cksmiths ended up leaving town. And who provided this intel? Remy. Now that the production lines were fully up and running in the great forest, Remys responsibilities as general manager had rxed and she now posed as a wandering alchemist to sell low-rank potions and items in town. While yers could find potions in the forest, they at least werent dumb enough to just go diving in without any from the start; on the contrary, some yers had too many and wanted to pawn them off. While there had always been apothecaries and alchemists in town selling potions, they didnt buy potions, so Remy was able to carve a niche for herself and became rather sessful. There were a lot of yers who wanted to sell their potions and buy one-time-use talismans and charms; they became her regrs and woulde to her shop even when they had nothing to sell simply to stock back up on potions. Since Remys shop was well-known among yers, she would hear about any reputable yers who hade to town. When those yers went into the great forest, Rares group would butter them up by letting them find better equipment, then take payment in the form of XP. Ever sinceunching the attraction known as the Great Liebe Forest dungeon, Rares XP earnings had gone through the roof. It was so efficient that they neglected the goblin and monster farms, resulting in overpoption. Since they were around anyway, the ants lured them into killing yers; the yers were surely sick of fighting ants all the time, so it served to change up the routine, alleviate boredom. Goblins were as weak as engineer ants, but the farm-raised monsters were quite strong. Normally they could just be trampled by the sheer number of ants, but they were actually powerful enough that multiple parties of yers wouldnt be able to defeat them. It would be great if those yers thought of them as midbosses or something and enjoyed the variety. Sugaru was the sole administrator of the entire operation. With the support of the transporter ants, she would be able to handle most emergencies. If she needed someone with overwhelming battle power, she could recruit Deas to help her. When Kerry equipped Yoroizakas little sister, she was nothing to sneeze at either, but she wasnt often away from Rares side. And so, Rare had made a lot of free time for herself. She also had enough XP saved up for an experiment. Right now, she was just waiting for a report from Marion, who was out on business, so it was time to continue tinkering with alchemy. TL note: Fun coincidence, when I picked a romanization for the name of the country, Hiers was at random, but turns out it actually is a German name. Now we also get the Great Liebe Forest (love) and Erfahren (experienced, learned). Chapter 56: “An Army Corps of Living Objects” First was to make another living something with the usual metal and Knights Grudge. She had already made a ton of armor and swords, so now shed try with bones. It was full-blown sphemy, but sacrifices were necessary for the sake of technological advancement; Rare did not fear criticism. From a certain viewpoint, bones should house far more resentment than armor or swords did. She had a feeling that she would end up producing undead from this, but even if she did, it would be a brand new discovery in the field of alchemy. Based on Rares sensibilities, living mail and such already qualified as undead, but the system didnt ssify them that way; it grouped them together with homunculi and golems. Time to get started. [Philosophers Egg]. The crystalline egg that appeared swallowed up the lump of metal and the knights remains. She decided to splurge and threw in more metal than usual; she found this out when making the Kenzakis, but when too many materials were put in, any excess would be left over. She originally tried putting in a bit more than she needed, but, while the egg epted the extra, activating it would only use what was necessary. Incidentally, if there werent enough materials, the skill would fail, and while the ingredients wouldnt be consumed, the egg would break and her MP would be used up. Since it would be difficult to procure more remains, Rare only put in a single rib in order to preserve as much of them as she could. After she activated [Athanor], the inside of the egg turned a marbled rainbow as usual. Which meant that some kind of monster would be born from this. Next, activate [Magnum Opus]. That reminded her, in one of the announcements, there was something about being able to change the activation keyword for skills. Maybe she should change it to something cooler. Right now, there was no need to change the name of any of these production skills, but there was strategic value in changing the names of spells cast in battle. When enemies were in hearing range, if they could guess the type of spell from the activation keyword, they would have a chance to prepare a defense. As she thought about all that, the lighting from the egg faded. Inside the egg stood a ck skeleton wearing armor of the same color. Is this a skeletal knight, perhaps? It was really ck. Since bones had such a strong association with the color white, the sight of ck bones caused a sense of wrongness that was hard to articte. When the skeleton broke open the egg to emerge, Rare immediately cast [Subordinate] on it. She had gotten used to this process and knew that monsters she produced would never resist her [Subordinate]. It was probably simr to how Sugaru could immediatelymand any ants that she birthed. Its race is adamanknight? It was a horrible pun, but she unexpectedly knew the name of this metal: a well-known fictional metal, adamantite. She didnt know if the full name in this game was adamantite, or adamantium, or something else, but it was probably adaman-something. In most games, it was known for its hardness; it was true, Yoroizaka and the Kenzaki brothers were indeed extremely hard. But that said, the skeleton part of this adamanknight also appeared to be made of adamantite; thats probably why it was the same color as its armor. And just like with the living mail, it wasnt undead, but it was some kind of monster simr to homunculi or golems. Its weight seemed to match that of all the materials used in its creation, but only a single bone from the knight remains was needed for this adamanknight. She might not be able to get her hands on more remains that housed this much Knights Grudge, but right now she could use up only a portion of what she had to create a new knight order of adamantite constructs that far surpassed the size of the order that had been abandoned here. They would be a tremendously powerful unit. Theyd be made out of the same metal as Yoroizaka with about the same stats. Yoroizaka had a bit more STR and VIT, but their INT was higher instead. They basically had the same stat distribution as humans, except they were many times more powerful. Rare requisitioned MP potions from the transporter ants, then single-mindedly chugged them down while producing more adamanknights. As a result of doing the same thing over and over again until she ran out of knight remains, she made some discoveries:
  • Bones from the torso would produce an adamanknight.
  • Bones from legs would produce an adamanscout.
  • Bones from arms would produce an adamanmage.
  • Bones from the head would produce an adamanleader.
Bones that were too small, like ones from fingers, were insufficient and the skill would fail. In those cases, she could get it to work by putting in lots of little bones, but even if there werent any torso bones included in the bunch, it would always produce an adamanknight. Because of that, the adamanknights were the most plentiful. She did her best in identifying bones to use, so there were a sizable number of adamanscouts and adamanmages, but she couldnt do much about the adamanleaders, who ended up the least plentiful. However, aftering under hermand, the adamanleaders were already about as powerful as Deas was. Considering hisbat experience, though, they were still inferior to him, but the same was not true for yers. No matter what yers they faced, they would emerge victorious, hands down. Unfortunately, near the end, all she had left were unidentifiable bones, and all the raw adamantite had been used up, so Rare ended up using other metals that were more plentiful. What she ended up creating were carknights. For a second, she wasnt sure what they were made of, but then she thought of carbidean ultra-hard carbon alloy. It wasnt a magic metal at all, and how could it have already been an alloy when it was just a lump of metal that came from ore? They certainly produced a lot of it, but they didnt know which stratum the ore vein under the forest was in. Rare had never heard of a stratum where both coal and rare metals could be found, but maybe there was some kind of magical reason for it. In any case, these carknights had a hardness that rivaled the adamanknights. However, they had lower VIT, so maybe they were more brittle. They did have about the same amount of STR, so their offensive capabilities were unusually highperhaps due to their weight. That might also be why they had lower AGI. She ended up using up all the remaining materials on carknights, so there were quite a lot of them. By the time she finished, they outnumbered the adamanknights. The fact that they were weaker and more brittle was only whenpared strictly to adamanknights; when struck by iron swords, the shock would still be returned to the wielder, and they would ruin those des sharpness too. They were only susceptible to mace attacks, so you could say they were weak to blunt damage. They seemed to be strong against heat due to their ultra-hardness, so most [Fire Magic] spells didnt work on them. [Water Magic] fared no better, but if they took alternating hits from [Fire Magic] and [Ice Magic] spells, that would cause a lot of damage. They also didnt have any particr defense against [Lightning Magic], so that was still effective against them. Due to their simple hardness, [Earth Magic] essentially had no effect, and their high weight simrly granted them a natural resistance to [Wind Magic]. Since they were metal monsters, it would be correct to attack using [Lightning Magic], but yers who saw them for the first time wouldnt necessarily identify them as being made out of metal. They would most likely see them as undead and attempt to fight them with [Fire Magic] instead. Since they were weak to blunt attacks just like normal skeletons were, it would be easy to conclude that warriors with blunt weapons would have an advantage, but that was only as far as purepatibility went. Rare didnt think there were many yers at a level wherepatibility would be relevant in a fight against them yet. Anyway, she needed to see them in action; just like what she had done during the event, she had to run performance tests. Even if the adamantite series passed for cheaper versions of Yoroizaka, she really wanted to see the carknights inbat. To that end, Rare had a carknight go after one group of yers. Well, putting it more simply, she just wanted to send her new toy on a test run. Chapter 57: “It’s Na?ve to Blindly Believe in the Laws of Nature” Rare would have liked for some powerful yer to randomlye by, but nothing that convenient could be expected to happen. She tamed the monster that Riley had captured, the forest owl that now went by the name Ominous, and now she borrowed his eyes to search for suitable prey. There was a weak party in the great forest, only on the level of the people she had fought in the event finals. She chose to have them participate in her test; as thanks, they would receive some decent equipment to take back. Rare ordered some ants to leave swords and armor that had been forged for testing purposes in an inconspicuous location along their route; these items should be superior to their cast-metal gear. They excitedly swapped in the newly found items, then headed deeper into the forest in search of additional rewards. Recently, Rares group had been packing down dirt to create artificial animal trails to facilitate travel, which also doubled as a way to lead yers around the forest. This was the point where most yers would have decided to turn back; instead, the carknight would be making its debut. The party panicked at the sudden appearance of this brand-new foe that no one had ever seen before. That looks like bad news!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Is it like an area boss?! The only enemies thatve shown up here were ants and goblins, so why is there an undead boss all of a sudden?! Unnatural or not, if we cant run, then the only option is to fight! With the gear we just picked up, even if its a bit stronger than the trash mobs, we should be able to put up a good fight! It wasmendable that they came to grips with the situation quickly, and they also made a sensible decision. However, if they were so weak to think that their new equipment was any good, then any choice they made would lead to the same result against the carknight. These new swords were supposed to be their remuneration, but if they were used against the carknight, they might end up as worthless lumps of metal. Next time, Rare would have to be more thoughtful about the prizes she handed out. ording to their instructions, carknights would allow themselves to be attacked first. No matter how weak it was, Rare already knew from observation that yers of this level were about average for the city as far as power level went. In which case, if the carknights could withstand their attacks, then she could approve of theirbat capability. No matter how things turned out, she had a lot of carknights anyway. While the carknight stood there, unmoving, one of the yers dove in, shing with his new sword. Hah! [Take this]! He apparently had used a skill, but which skill exactly was a mystery. He changed his activation keyword to be something hed normally yell when he attacked. Not bad. Its true that she couldnt tell at the time the skill activated which skill it was, but by observing his movements afterward, she knew it was [sh]. If more yers like this appeared from now on, then it would be important to memorize every skill that could be used by other yers in order to keep up in high-end PvP. Fortunately, the different units in the adamantite series could represent each of the different fighting styles. If she taught them all the different skill systems, Rare would be able to study all styles without having to learn those skills herself. But thinking it over one more time, that didnt actually mean the XP expenditure would be reduced; in fact, since there was an armys worth of adamantite units, she would need an obscene amount of XP. In which case, she needed yers toe in droves to enjoy the forest. While she was pondering all this, the battle continued to y out in front of Ominouss eyes. After the probably-[sh] skill finished, likely having no effect, the yer dropped his weapon, just like that heavy warrior from before had. Since the party didnt seem to have a mage, the other members piled on their own weapon-based attacks. The inclusion of a mace attack showed that they had a keen eye, but it didnt even leave a dent on the carknight. Part of the mace had ttened out; that was probably the part that had hit the carknight. Which meant that mace was probably made out of iron. Things would have gone better if they had brought a mage along, but the great forest primarily only had ants and goblins as foes. For yers of this level, they could get by without one. Mages would make grinding more efficient, but mages also contributed more in battle, so they would get more of the XP earned. Either way, the presence of a mage wouldnt change the fact that yers who earned more than a certain amount of XP would be killed before they could escape the forest. It didnt seem like Rare could get much more from this party. Just like Rare had done during the event, the carknight grabbed a yers head and squeezed, crushing it. It was a perfect way of demonstrating exactly how much STR it had. It then chased after the yers who tried to run away and killed them in the same manner. If she remembered correctly, carknights had lower AGI, but it was still high enough to catch up to anyone who didnt funnel their XP into AGI. If they didnt get discouraged from this, she would love it if this party came back with more effective countermeasures. Rare didnt earn all that much XP from the encounter, but it was still a considerable amount considering the huge difference in strength. yers truly were the most sulent fruit. As far as the test went, it was great for testing the carknightsbat ability, but overall it was a failure in terms of leaking information about a new monster in the great forest. If word spread that monsters like this one were wandering around, then no one would dare delve any deeper. She needed a monster that was suitably weaker. Or, yer levels needed to be higher. Maybe she should order the ants to switch to wine & dine mode in order to encourage yer growth. From now on, they should raise the ceiling for how much XP yers can earn before they get killed. Even if they got too strong, Sugaru would still be able to handle them. By Rares order, the adamantite series could be deployed via Sugarus request without requiring Rares approval, so she would just leave Sugaru to deal with anyplications. Given thebined might of all the ants, and adding in thebat strength of the adamantite series, even if all the yers got a little stronger, they still wouldnt be able to conquer the great forest. In fact, the current Rare would probably have trouble trying to clear it solo. Rare suddenly thought to herself, That actually might be a problem. There probably wasnt a military force of this level that was hostile to her, but that was only true as long as there were no other yers at Rares level. And if a yer could achieve this, then it was possible for an NPC or a monster to have already gotten this powerful. More like, it definitely did already happen, which was how the six countries came into being. Things were currently stable, or rather Rares forces werent officially enemies of the state yet, but she could say with confidence that there would never be friendly rtions. In which case, she should strengthen her forces to prepare for when the country did be antagonistic. If a master were to die, she didnt know what would happen to any followers. This could be fatal for her forces if she were to ever be defeated. While yers didnt die in any real sense, this wasnt true for NPCs. But she needed to consider that hypothetical where if she were to die, then all her followers could be forced into some kind of death-like state. Operating off that assumption, Rare needed to strengthen herself to the point where even in that worst case, she couldnt die. Since raising her stats was directly linked to all her units strength via [Enhance Follower], a certain percentage of the XP ie was already earmarked for routinely increasing Rares stats. However, she might need to think up a different method of improving her strength. She really wanted some kind of super overpowered skill to have as ast resort. As soon as she thought that, the [Reincarnate] system suddenly came to mind. ording to one of the official game announcements, if you became a vampires underling, you could reincarnate into a Squire Zombie or something. That was only the example given, and the notice also mentioned that characters who fulfilled certain conditions can trigger certain events. If that was true, then there should be other ways to reincarnate. Rare did think of one possibility. She could use the greatest secret of [Alchemy], [Magnum Opus], to create a Philosophers Stone. This game might have its own rearrangements, but the ssic legends surrounding the Philosophers Stone mostly spoke of granting eternal youth and eternal life, or transforming amoner into a noble. Extrapting from that, a character in the game should be able to use it after fulfilling the right conditions to change their race and stuff. Even if that turned out to be impossible, something surely should change. Rare really only had these vague stories to go off, but anyway, she just wanted to try making alchemys masterpiece. She needed to find the appropriate ingredients. If it could be mass produced, then she would want to use it on everything she could get her hands on. Rare decided to study the recipes within [Magnum Opus] more closely. TL note: Im actually not sure what the chapter title is referring to exactly :< Chapter 58: “Potassium MagiCarbonate”[1] Of course the recipe for the Philosophers Stone wouldnt be in the list. Perhaps it didnt even exist in this game. But considering homunculi and alchemy did exist, it was hard to believe that would be the case. Rares mental logic was most likely flowing in the most convenient direction based on her observations, but since this was supposed to be a fun game, she wouldnt mind even if her findings were subpar. Believing in her own optimism, she decided to just try her best. The recipes she thought were worth investigating were the ones that required a lot of materials, and the ones that were the only ones in their subcategories. Rare would mark these as provisional Philosophers Stones and work on crafting them. She still needed to find six more ingredients for these recipes. Right now, the ones she had unlocked and could see were mercury, sulfur, iron, monster heart, and potent acid. Thest ingredient she had no information on. The fact that potent acid had been unlocked meant that Rare had encountered it somewhere. Since the acids she had seen mostly came from the engineer ants, whatever they produced should work. It shouldnt be an issue if their levels were too high, so she would pick some engineer ants for Experimental Use Only and dump a bunch of XP into them to improve their acid as much as possible. If this recipe turned out not to produce a Philosophers Stone, they would suddenly just lose their old jobs, but given their new status as high-spec units, they should be able to find some ce else to shine. Mercury and sulfur could be gathered from the ore vein. After mining sulfide minerals, they could be [Refined] to obtain sulfur. Mercury was just found normally within the ore vein; they came out of the walls from digging tunnels. Of course, they also produced a small amount of cinnabar: mercury sulfide. She probably couldnt just use cinnabar, though, even though it was made of both mercury and sulfur; if it was necessary for them to bebined through the magical means of [Alchemy], not a regr process like sulfidation, then there wasnt anything she could do about it. Speaking of cinnabar, old documents actually called the mineral itself the Philosophers Stone. After learning the [Alchemy] skill, Rare had spent some time while logged out researching real-world reference material about alchemy in the VR library. Cinnabar was famous in ancient China as an ingredient in the miracle medicine known as the divine elixir. That being said, it was still mercury sulfide in the end, just a toxic substance. What if the mercury and sulfur listed were meant to make the cinnabar form of the Philosophers Stone? In that case, why did she need the other materials? Whatever case, the mercury and sulfur would probably be used to create cinnabar, so she should consider the purpose of the other ingredients. First, she was interested in why aparativelymon material was in the list: iron. It must be there to preserve the mercury. Mercury can form alloys with lots of metals, but she had the impression that it couldnt do so with iron. Or was there another reason for irons presence? If there were some other reason, then perhaps she could deduce that reason from thest material. Assuming that cinnabar is the physical form of Philosophers Stone, then it was time to think about how the other materials would be needed in its mystical creation. Speaking of other things aside from cinnabar that were known to be called Philosophers Stones, another item of note was yellow prussiate of potash. Yellow prussiate of potash was potassium ferrocyanide, but if she remembered correctly, in the Middle Ages they made it with livestock intestines and other organic matter high in nitrogen, along with iron and potassium carbonate Ah, so thats what the iron is for. That meant the monster hearts were a substitute for livestock intestines. Which further followed that the substitute for potassium carbonate must be the final unknown ingredient. Either some kind of suitable magical substance, or something that contained potassium carbonate. If purity was irrelevant, the simplest way to get potassium carbonate was to soak nt ashes in water. However, this brought to mind what Rare did during the event. Although her firepower back then had been too high, so the trees went past the ash stage and simply evaporated, that didnt mean that no ashes were formed at all. She was right next to that stream that had been turned to steam, so it wouldnt have been impossible for a small amount of potassium carbonate to have been created at that time. However, the ingredient name was still locked for her. Therefore, what she probably needed wasnt specifically potassium carbonate, but a magical equivalent. A suitablend-based nt, turned into ashes then, somehow magically empowered If what Rare needed was, for example, [Ashes of the World Tree], then shed have no choice but to give up in despair. Even if such a thing actually existed, she didnt know where to find a World Tree. Nothing of the sort was written on the map she had received from the admins. Plus, iron, sulfur, and mercury were all simple substances that required no extra consideration, but monster hearts and potent acid were both exceedingly vague. When she had been making living mail, the materials she used simply determined the resulting rank and type of finished product; it was the reaction generated by those materials that caused the change. Keeping that in mind, as long as she fulfilled the broad criteria of magical nt ash, she had a feeling that the recipe would seed. Although she had no idea what item name she would unlock for that ingredient. For the time being, I should look into different types of magical wood. The trees that grew in the Great Liebe Forest were not normal nts at all. There were ones that grew unnaturally fast, and ones that were harder than iron. They already used the wood from these trees to produce charcoal, but the fact that the ingredient in the recipe was still locked meant that they werent magical enough. Not that she had a lot of conviction in that conclusion. If she couldnt get her hands on this item in the great forest, then the only other option was to look outside the forest. Most of the materials that could be bought in town came from either the prairie or this forest, and she didnt think the farms within its walls were raising any magical crops. So my only option is to wait to hear back from Marion, huhn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om With the map now in their hands, there was less of a need to blindly explore the area around the great forest. Due to that, she had ordered Marion and Ginka to go out and survey the monster territory closest to the forest. From their periodic check-ins, it seemed their journey was proceeding smoothly, and she could use [Coordinate Awareness] to track them on the map and make sure they were headed in the right direction. At their current pace, they should reach the monster territory soon. Since this territory was a forest type, it had a simr climate and environment, so if possible Rare really wanted to take control of it. It was also possible that it had a different ecosystem than the great forest; if it had the same ecosystem, then she wanted to try mixing in the monsters they were raising in farms here. She couldnt say if it was possible to conquer it without seeing it for herself, but once Marion got there, she could travel to her coordinates with [Summon Caster], then [Summon] the adamantite series as their subjugation force. If that forest had a different ecosystem than the Great Liebe Forest, then it would be ideal if different kinds of magical trees grew there as well. While Rare waited for Marions next report, she could kill time by setting loose her overpowered boss on unsuspecting victims. Indeed; she hadpletely forgotten about her n to increase the visiting yers levels. [1]: The romanized chapter title, ̿ޥꥦ, is tansan majikariumu. ̿ᥫꥦ is potassium carbonate. European readers might recognize potassium better as kalium. So majikariumu = magikalium = magical kalium. Since I use Americanized English, being that I am American, I moved the portmanteau over to carbonate to get Potassium MagiCarbonate :P Chapter 59: “Assaulting Neighbors” Two dayster, Marion sent notice that she had arrived at the other monster territory. Rare left managing the Great Liebe Forest to Sugaru and Riley, and teleported to Marion apanied by Kerry and Deas. Like thest time she went out, she wore both an overcoat and Yoroizaka.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Its been a while since west met in person. Marion, Ginka, its good to see you. Thanks foring, Boss. Marion and the ice wolf Ginka got along quite well, perhaps because the first element of magic that Marion learned was [Ice Magic]. During their travels, whenever they got ambushed by bandits and monsters, they would work together to take care of their attackers. We practiced fighting as a team, but we only got attacked by weaklings that either one of us could beat all on our own Well, you know, theres a world of difference between getting some practice and getting no practice, so its better to have gotten some in. While joking around and catching up on recent events, the party headed over to the monster territory. The neighboring forest had a slightly different feel to it than the Great Liebe Forest did. ording to the map, this forest was considered monster territory from as far out as where there only scatterings of trees about, as opposed to the great forest where the boundary was well inside the treeline. Just like how Erfahren bordered the Great Liebe Forest, there was also a city in this area on the frontlines that opposed the territory. However, it was quite far from where Rares group was currently located. The road that led to that city ran parallel to the forest, as though fencing off the monster territory; it was the same road that Marion and Ginka had used to get here. There was a decent bit of distance from the forest to the road, about the same distance to that nearby city. Comparatively, the Great Liebe Forest and Erfahren were closer to each other, which exined why there werent stronger monsters in the great forest. That could also be the reason Hakuma and the ice wolves fled there. Rare didnt know why things were so peaceful up until now, but she posited that it was probably because the area was intended to be a staging ground for Sugaru. Or maybe it was Deass instead, but either way, the forest was probably there to nurture a raid boss. Maybe Sugaru couldnt mature into a raid boss in time for the early ess beta since the city was too small. Or perhaps her development was to be adjusted based on how many yers there were in Erfahren. Thinking over it again, when the city was constructed and the road paved, the reason there was so much distance between them and the forest could be because this monster territory was just that much more dangerous than the one in the Great Liebe Forest. Still, its something to look forward to. I wonder how we measure up to our rivals here. Hm While it is a bit of a shame, I suppose I must oblige. The n here in the first ce was to be powerful enough to never be killed, so courting death now would be putting the cart before the horse. Rare was disappointed that she wouldnt be able to experience the forest from the front of the group, but she shouldnt need to lift a finger unless their conquest faced significant difficulty. Deas was more than powerful enough by himself, so she should first allow him to take charge. Rare had never actually seen him lead before, so this was also a way to verify exactly howpetent he was. Deas, I was thinking of summoning some of the adamantite series; how many do you think would be good? I suspect that the territory in this forest is a level above ours in Liebe, but if that is your wish then so be it. If you find that your forces arecking, feel free to speak up at any time. Then, Rare summoned a toon of thirty units: one adamanleader, nine adamanmages, six adamanscouts, and fourteen adamanknights. Even though it was only a toon, the fact that theyd be operating in a forest made it feel quite crowded. Theres no raid system in this game, but I wonder if this would be considered a raid party? In reality, though, trying to assemble thirty or more yers would be quite an ordeal. Even if all their troops were adamanleaders, they would not pose a threat to Rare. Even without Yoroizaka, that wouldnt change. As long as it wasnt daytime, at least. Generally speaking, the adamantite series and the carknights are programmed to obey my orders, Sugarus, and Deass. If we arent around, then the catkin girls will be prioritized. If none of us are avable, then I think theyll act ording to their own judgment. But since theyre living object-type monsters, I believe the only choice theyll make is to kill their enemies as efficiently as possible. After saying so, Deas gave a curt order to the adamantite toon, and the six scouts scattered into the forest. Considering their entire bodies were made out of adamantite, they disappeared into the trees with unbelievable agility. Regardless of theirposition, since they were scouts, they were more lightly armored, and their muscles and organs were extremely lean, so they didnt look heavy at all either. They probably weighed about as much as an equivalent human race individual. And since they didnt generate any heat like warm-blooded organisms did, snake-type monsters with infrared night vision wouldnt be able to detect them. They were perfect for covert activities. The adamantite series and carknights were all given armaments, but, because they were so numerous, they only had lower quality mass-produced items. Since whacking something with their bare hands would be several times stronger than using a low-rank club, they all got ded weapons in order to increase the variety of damage they could inflict. As far as what would deal the most damage, it was possible that simply using their bodies as battering rams would be the best. It would have been ideal to give each one a living weapon, but there wasnt enough Knights Grudge. The reason they were marching on this forest was the hope that another order of knights from that ruined kingdom, separate from the ones Deas led, hade here and met their end. There certainly were a lot of remains from Deass group, but for what used to be a continent-spanning kingdom, the scale was far too small. Remains from those knight orders should be all over the continent. While the scouts dispersed into the woods, Deas had the rest of the unit continue marching. The main group took a different type of care than the scouts did. They progressed slowly, clearing away brush in order to create enough space forbat. Normally, one would begin evaluating someones ability tomand from how well they could control their subordinates, but next time that criterion could be skipped and she could simply look at how theymanded on the field. Speaking of which, Deassmands were careful but very logical and concise. Rare felt satisfied watching Deas and the adamantite soldiers. She made a note to create morebat units of simr strength to this one for the Great Liebe Forest. If she couldpare thebat strength of this campaign to other units, she coulde up with an objective evaluation for the overall strength of all her forces in the great forest. Rare slowly proceeded along the path that Deas and his soldiers created as they marched. Kerry and Marion nked her while Ginka brought up the rear. Including Yoroizaka, everyone here had enhanced sense skills. There was no chance they could be ambushed unless their attackers were significantly more powerful than they were. It would have been good for Ominous the forest owl to havee along as well for reconnaissance, but he wasnt very strong. If there was a powerful monster here that was capable of flight, he might not stand a chance. Since forest owls were built for living in the woods, they had smaller bodies, which meant lowerbat capabilities. After some time, Deass group in front came to a halt. After Rare asked what was happening, she learned that apparently the scouts had found some kind of monster. Deas received the scouts report then contacted her via friend chat. Chapter 61: “Camphor Treant” Rares group continued advancing through the forest. They confirmed that nts attacked them during the day while undead attacked at night. But how Deas saw it, daytime wasnt a good reason for undead not to be active. Or maybe Deass rank was so high that he specifically was able to function during the day. If that were the case, then he should understand that most undead wonte out while the sun is up. The reverse was true for nt monsters, too; essentially, if they couldnt perform photosynthesis, then they wouldnt really be all that active. Whatever the case may be, the only things that attacked them now were low-ranked trash enemies. Probably around the same level as what they found at home in the Great Liebe Forest. Certainly stronger than the ant engineers and infantry, but not all that different from the knight or ambush units. For how much more mature this forest was, by Rares observation at least, their military strength was quite conservative. Given how things have developed, it seems theres no real need to be so vignt. Theres a chance that someone is ying us, the way we do it back home, but Ill simply keep that possibility in the back of my mind. That day, they traveled as far as they had nned to, then made camp around sunrise. Now they were about two-thirds of the way to their destination. Even if there really were someone screwing with Rare, after her group got this far, there was no way they would simply stay quiet about it. If she were the one behind the curtain, then she would have long since eradicated this interloping group. However, while the sun was out today, the attacks they endured were at about the same level as ones from the day before. If this forest actually was under someones control, maybe that person just couldnt regte things. Deas had more than proven his ability to lead a force of this size. Rare instructed him to head straight for the heart of the forest with minimal clearing and no more pointless shows of strength. None of the monsters they had encountered were capable of inflicting any damage on the adamantite soldiers. That meant they could be more aggressive as they maintained their march, pulverizing anything that got in their way. After that shift in mentality, they arrived at the heart of the forest a little earlier than nned, just as the sun was about toe up. But man, theres nothing here anyway. Its just more forest. The cemetery where Deas and his men had been buried was in fact a bit removed from the center of the forest, and the forest itself was not a perfect circle either. For the time being, they could use this spot as a temporary base and slowly explore their surroundings. Rare wanted to call up some engineer ants to construct a provisional headquarters using the trees in the area, but they were Sugarus subordinates, so she couldnt target them with [Summon].N?v(el)B\\jnn If instead of Knights Grudges I had Carpenters Grudges or Cooks Grudges, I wonder if I could make like adamantite craftsmen Maybe it was possible, but knowing would be of no help now. And even if she could, it was hard to justify wasting the adamantite on them; ifbat strength was unnecessary, then it was better to use a less rare metal. However, if she did want to conquer this forest, she needed to consider how to maintain and oversee it afterward. The Great Liebe Forest would more or less be fine as long as Sugaru and the ants were there; if it became necessary, the ice wolves were there too as not-quite bodyguards. If she also had this forest, then shed need personnel who could manage it, but the only manpower Rare could spare were the heavy-metal skeletons, who essentially were good for nothing butbat. It would really be best to have a local monster oversee this ce once we take control of it. Id really like to tame an undead or nt boss. For now, it was about time to log out. She would head back from here for a short time again. She ordered Deas and the rest of the soldiers to set up the temporary base. Deas, as the leader of knights that had gone on expeditions, should more or less know how to set one up. By the time Rare returned, it was just past noon in-game, but the toon was still energetically processing lumber. Good morning. Youre certainly working hard. But with the sun so high up in the sky, their attacks seem to be quite aggressive. Looking around, there was wood lying around everywhere. Since some must have been stored already, there must have been a ton overall. The fact that youve been attacked by all this means that either their growth cycle is extremely fast, or theyre someones followers and just respawning that quickly. In either case, once they took control of the forest, the potential profit was huge. Whether they wanted an XP farm or a second theme park, both options seemed practical. For starters, Id like to try turning all this wood into charcoal, but first lets clean up the area. We can have funter. Rare [Summoned] more adamanscouts from Liebe and assigned them to Deas. Prioritize exploration first. If we need, I can call the Kenzakis over to search from the skies as well. After some thought, Rare decided not to call the Kenzakis. It would still be extremely hard to find a human-sized target in an overgrown forest from the sky. Their efforts would bergely wasted since they werent even sure one existed. And if the boss was actually a nt monster, then it would be camouged unless someone got close enough anyway. Well keep waiting for reports from the scouts. In the meantime, Id like to try chopping down some of these monsters as well. If they cant scratch the adamantite soldiers, then they cant possibly hurt me either. Yoroizaka unsheathed Kenzaki Ichirou, then joined the adamanknights on the front lines. In a disy of skill that distinguished her from the adamanknights, she cut down a giant tree all by herself. She didnt even need to use a skill. Rare was thinking of casting some kind of support spell but decided against it. Oh, that reminds me. I havent used it recently so I almost forgot about it, but I can try [Subordinate] on them to see if theyve already been tamed or not. She could also test whether [Mental Magic] worked on nt monsters. [Stupefy]. Hmm, nothing happened, I dont think? [Sleep], [Confusion] neither seem to work, do they. What about [Fear] and [Charm]? [Charm] seems effective. I wonder why? So nt-type monsters do have minds, but the way theyre structured is different, perhaps? Since something worked, then this would go faster. Continuing on, she cast [Control], which appeared to seed, so then she activated [Subordinate]. She didnt sense much resistance, so the Camphor Treant stopped moving and looked at Rare or maybe it didnt (since there were no eyes), but anyway, its consciousness reached out to her. If I can tame them, then that speeds things up. Lets just tame them all. A short timeter, all the camphor treants that had attacked them were under Rares control (though it would have taken about the same amount of time to simply kill them). Since I could tame them, that means they were all just wild monsters. Which in turn means that either there are tons of them here in this forest, or they just reproduce extremely quickly. Looking at their skills, they had a skill tree called [Overgrowth] within which were skills like [Root Division] and [Photosynthesis]. The tree contained mainly skills rted to the growth and reproduction of nts. She checked other unlocked skills and found that they did indeed have fast growth cycles. There are some weird requirements, too. If their poption within a fixed area exceeds a specified amount, they start to die off True, with these stats, if they kept reproducing without any limit whatsoever, they would take over all the human territory in a sh. It wasnt impossible for this to be a evolutionary form of natural thinning, or a way to maximize the amount of nutrients gained from a given area, but it was more likely that the developers programmed them this way. The result of a previous disaster that came about from allowing them to propagate freely, perhaps. Will these treants be able to take root in Liebe, I wonder? Well, since they can walk, take root isnt really an applicable term. When they just stood there quietly, they looked just like regr trees; topare them to a humans anatomy, everything from below the ankle was stuck into the ground. Well take the biggest one back and try to nt it. If we make use of root-rted skills in the [Overgrowth] tree, it may be able to settle in as a tree. The rest of them will stay here in this forest. Keep reproducing here, and exterminate any others that dont belong with us. She was curious how the offspring of the [Subordinated] individuals would be treated. A new tree grown from a seed should be apletely new individual, but since they werent social monsters like the ants were, she would probably have to tame them separately. But what about new trees grown from [Root Division]? Would it be urate to say that it was a duplicate of the same tree? If so, it should also automatically be one of Rares followers. Well have to investigate a bit. All that was left was the undead. They generally didnte out during the day, but it was possible for particrly strong ones to ignore that rule. Those were the ones she wanted to find, so she could search for them at any time of day. The scouts could ignore treants now, so for the time being she would have them only look for undead. If any could be found near the heart of the forest, then considering the radius of their search, she could probably get news at any time now. In any case, it would get dark soon. Time for all the undead to start waking up. It was difficult to find a single undead monster that was active during the day, but being able to analyze the behavior of the entire undead horde might make things a tad easier. Chapter 62: “Long Time No See. Did You Lose Weight?” The day slowly faded away. The treants didnt seem to have trouble moving or anything, but Rare still ordered them to be trees and rest while they waited for the undead to appear. Yes, I know. Lets go take a look. Just then, the scouts had reported back about one ce where undead were gathering. As a whole, the undead in this forest hadnt all awoken yet, so if there was already activity at a certain location, that must be the epicenter of undead activity. Even if it wasnt a jackpot, it was still some kind of key location, no doubt. No, everyone wille. While this may be our temporary base, theres nothing of importance here, only the sleeping treants. Theres no merit in protecting this specific location. They knew the distance and topography to their destination from the scouts report. No undead were active in this area yet, and all the treants were already converted, so there were no enemies. Therefore, they could safely prioritize speed. Even if they were only going to another location around the central area, this forest was huge. It would still take a decent amount of time to get there. At some point, the sun hadpletely set, and they began to encounter undead starting to wake up. Since they were crawling up from the depths of the earth, normally they would have suffered from ambushes, but Rare and Deas could both generally tell where they would emerge. This was probably because they both had quite a lot of XP invested into [Necromancy]. They hurried along, trampling over any zombies that rose in their path or inside their formation; it felt a little like whack-a-mole. I knew it; skill trees arent only for learning skills, you can also get some kind of bonus based on how much total XP youve spent in that tree. Its not represented in any way in your stats or anything, though.N?v(el)B\\jnn She would have liked to study this hidden feature more, but if it only showed up as masked data, it would be very difficult to do any research. Even more so when it was this feeling that acted as an undead sensor earned from [Necromancy]. If, for example, [Fire Magic]s bonus effect increased firepower, there was a logical way to calcte the difference. However, since Rare hadnt used magic all that much inbat, the only data she currently had was her firepower after having dumped a ton of XP into those trees. We did feel like the strength of our magic had gone up, but we thought that was because of our INT Kerry remarked. You girls had every element of magic maxed out, didnt you. I suppose the only way to test this is to kidnap someone from the human races who hasnt learned any magic at all. Maybe I should ask Remy to get an NPC sellsword to venture into Liebe. The only people who went to the Great Liebe Forest were more or less yers. yers went there because, when all was said and done, there were a lot of things they could obtain there, although if they earned too much XP then theyd be hunted down and lose 10% of it. That was how things went for yers, but that wouldnt fly for NPCs. If they got in over their heads, they would definitely die. Without some kind of fallback, such as belonging to a knight order or being someones follower, your average sellsword would simply perish and that would be the end. They wouldnt want to take that gamble. However, if it was a request from the young girl who ran the citys famous potion shop, they might be willing to go gather medicinal herbs from the edges of the forest. There werent many ants to be found along the outskirts, so there wasnt as much risk of death. Or, I could work on gathering the materials for the Philosophers Stone, then try to make homunculi. Maybe that wasnt such a far-off future. Now that she had a map of this country, they could efficiently go on expeditions just like this one. This area waspletely upied by the forest, but if they found apletely different biome, then they would be able to gather a greater variety of materials both known and unknown. Or perhaps they could find a city to attack. That would result in new monster territory in the form of ruins. If she took more undead under her wing, she could have them live in and manage that city. It would be hard to turn into a source of fixed XP ie like the farms in the forest, but it should be manageable as a theme park, the way Liebe was set up now. Surely the kingdom would send many guests that way, hoping to liberate the city. Hmhmhm. I cant wait. But first was this forest. She wanted these undead. There was nothing wrong with the carknights, but setting the mood was important. Carknights simply looked too pristine; they wouldnt belong in a ruins locale. And since they were too powerful, yers and NPCs wouldnt be able to explore those ruins. Without suitably weak trash monsters, itll gain a reputation as an overly difficult zone and no one woulde. Thats just how it is. As Rare considered various topics, they continued trampling over the undead that rose up from under their feet. A lot more were appearing now, but they were also closing in on their destination. The reason she was able to sink into thought without worrying about anything else was because Yoroizaka was the one walking for her. She only needed to speak up whenever she detected an undeading up, then it would automatically get whacked like a mole. Truly the height of convenience. There was a conspicuous tree in that part of the forest with malignant air stagnating around its base. Rare wasnt sure whether it was some kind of visible energy or the [Necromancy] skill was allowing her to perceive something invisible, but it was clearly there before her eyes. Inside the cloud stood a skeletal knight who looked simr to Deas. All around him, more and more skeletal knights rose up out of the ground. This was definitely the epicenter. Someone you know, Deas? Youre one to talk. It was time for Rare to step forward and try to tame him as quickly as possible. Since [Mental Magic] wasrgely ineffective on undead, she would have to make him yield viabat, then try to force through a [Subordinate]. Back when she tamed Sugaru, she didnt have the strength to best her in battle, but now she was more than capable. Plus, thanks to Deas, she had a general idea of what kind of attacks he could use; he wouldnt be able to hit her with anythingpletely unexpected. All right, fall back and leave this to me Wait, actually, keep the skeletal knights in check. Id like to convert as many as possible, so try not to deal too much damage. Silently leaving the rest of the group behind, Rare headed toward the undead boss. The closer she got, the more oppressive that strange air felt. It almost felt like her steps had gotten heavier. But she wasnt just imagining it; her steps really were heavier, it was just that Rare wasnt the one doing the walking, it was Yoroizaka. Hes got an aura that debuffs nearby enemies! Hes stronger than Deas! He seemed stronger than any other character Rare had met to date. And that was before factoring in this debuff aura. He must definitely be a raid boss. Furthermore, more monsters were regrly spawning as reinforcements. It was hard to estimate how many yers would be needed to put up a decent fight against this boss. Okay, lets go, Yoroizaka. She instantly closed in on her target with [sh Step], swinging down with Kenzaki. She also used [sh] at the same time. By this point, Yoroizakas attack could not be dodged or blocked. Even if someone knew that this exact move wasing, it was still far too fast to deal with. Whoa! However, the boss before her parried it. He instantly judged that evading was impossible, and even realized that his sword could not match hers, so he ended up parrying. He had strength beyond his stats. It really did feel like he was another knight captain just like Deas was. Yoroizaka continued attacking, but the enemy was able to avoid taking any critical hits. He mostly parried or dodged vertical strikes, and for horizontal ones that were hard to evade, he let his shield take the hit while backstepping to minimize the damage to the shield. He avoided thrusts by a razor-thin margin; his armor and cloak became peppered with holes, but his actual body, his bones, had thus far taken no damage. [re Arrow]. During one such instance, Rare kept him in check with some magic. Since she wasnt trying to kill him, she aimed for his feet and shoulders, intending to incapacitate him. None of the spells hit cleanly, but he didntpletely avoid them all either; his shoulders and greaves were rather scorched. His moves were slowly losing their sharpness as well. [Thunderbolt]. Out of nowhere, this fast spell struck his leg. While dodging Yoroizakas attacks, he had gotten used to [re Arrow]s speed, so even he couldnt avoid this; the undead boss had finally fallen down on one knee. Rare took a step back, observing to see if he would get back up or take some other action. He tried to use his sword like a cane in order to stand, but one of his knees had beenpletely obliterated; it was all he could do to simply stay kneeling upright. Considering his STR and DEX values, she thought that he could continue fighting with just one leg, but all the other damage he had umted probably weighed him down. Rare stared into the undeads eyes well, since they had long since rotted away, she looked into his skulls eye sockets instead. As far as she could tell, rather than resolving himself to keep struggling, it felt like his hostility had waned instead. Perhaps he had yielded to Rare. If you have, then ept my [Subordinate]. Without any resistance, the undeadthe Terror Knight [Sieg] became her follower. No resistance Or perhaps our battle just now could be considered your resistance. Thinking of it that way, if there wasnt a huge difference in MND, forcing an enemy into submission viabat first could increase [Subordinate]s chance of sess. At present, there werent any characters out there who hadparable MND to Rares, so she couldnt easily test this theory. If she were to ever meet someone like that, it might be better to just hit first and ask questionster. With Sieg under her control, more undead stopped emerging from the ground. They were apparently an effect of Siegs [Conscription] skill in the [Necromantic General] tree. It produced undead for a short period of time that could be controlled at will, but they would be destroyed if exposed to sunlight. The skill cost both LP and MP to use. Interesting how Sieg looked at Deass current appearance and concluded that he was well; he seemed to be pretty broad-minded. Or maybe it was the oppositehis head was too empty so he just reflexively spouted out canned greetings. So you really did end up knowing each other. Were you Deass colleague or something? Chapter 63: “Thus the Quest Was Accepted” Their former kingdom had six knight orders, each with their own unique duties. Deass First Order were the royal guards, while Siegs Third Order, as well as the Fourth through Sixth Orders, all served as pure military strength. That being the case, the knights of the Third Order were each far less skilled than those of the First Order, but far more numerous as well. However, the entire Third Order had not been dispatched in the expedition to this forest, only its firstpany was; in other words, they wouldnt actually find a full quarter of the kingdoms knights resting here. While I do want to know how Siegspany ended up here, why were the royal guards, Deass men, sent to the Great Liebe Forest? Dont tell me because the royal family went to that forest?! Rare had heard that they were caught up in a plot hatched by leading officials in the kingdom, but she didnt know that it was a conspiracy to depose the entire royal family. It made sense now why the captain of the royal guard would have nurtured such a strong grudge. Even though the victims were now all long gone, she could sympathize with the feeling of wanting to destroy the kingdoms that rose to power as a result of those machinations. For Rare, it served as an impetus tomit to in-game goals. VRMMOs nowadays trended toward the fun of developing your own character; games storylines had long since stopped receiving much care or attention. In exchange, the games were studded with AI auto-generated short quests like stars in the sky. To put it another way, there were countless games thatcked a concrete plot-driven yer objective. This game fit that mold as well since it set absolutely no goals. However, while there were indeed many yers who had fun just minding their own improvement, there were still yers who wanted to aim for some kind of objective within the game. Some liked finding long consecutive quest chains to clear, while others liked hunting world-threatening monsters, which were usually raid bosses designed by the development team. Rare also wanted to see content like that. Having thought that, she could always issue a quest to her NPCs-turned-followers, something like Destroy all the human countries! Their final task would be to defeat a raid boss that was the country itself. Rare felt excitement permeating her body. So Sieg, do you also resent the six kingdoms that currently rule the continent? This was indeed where the conversation was heading, but Rare hadnt exactly dered in front of Sieg that she wanted to bring down those kingdoms. However, she wouldnt say that he was mistaken, either. Either way, when faced with a grand quest such as this, she wasnt opposed to doing everything in her power to clear it. I see. Then we are agreed. But still, Ive been holed up in the forest for all this time. The only information I actually have on these kingdoms hase from rumors and hearsay. Its important for us to determine how exactly we can topple them Right, this desire to bring ruin belonged to these two undead. In other words, monsters. In which case, if they kept taking over monster territory like they did this time, over time their territory would expand. If they just swallowed up all the territory where humanoid races lived, then that would essentially be the downfall of those kingdoms, wouldnt it? What do you think of that strategy? It appeared that Sieg had a much more annoying personality than Rare would have expected. However, right now she was technically the leader of the ant colony, so even if she did end up making a new country, it should be fine to just throw the responsibility of leadership onto one of her followers. The thought made her feel better. All right, so our first step is to take control of this forest. Sieg, take your subordinates Ohh, youve got quite a lot of them. Theyre spread all throughout the woods All right, Sieg, I gift you this locationit shall be a haunted forest that swallows up humanity whole. ording to Sieg, since he had awoken, no human who had entered the forest left alive, so it became known as the Forest of No Return and no one dared enter it anymore. Even during the day, the treants would kill anyone on sight, so the humans didnt even know what monsters lived here.N?v(el)B\\jnn But if there were any yers among the people that Sieg and his forces killed, then that was a different story. Even supposing that the treants could kill them without being detected, at night it would be undead, and yers would recognize them. And when yers died, theyd revive in town. It was possible that no one wanted any materials dropped from undead, but it should have been different for treants. Which meant During the day, I shall have my subordinate treants entertain the guests. If theye at night, then Sieg, have your weaker followers fight them as appropriate, allowing a suitable number of them to win. That should hopefully attract more humans here, which in turn means a lot more killing will ur here as well. Speaking simply of stats, it could be due to Rares [Enhance Follower] increasing his INT and MND, but that probably wasnt enough to exin a dramatic change like this. After being subjected to [Subordinate], it was possible that something in his AI had also be unlocked. Im d that your mind is sharp now. Next, lets see, you should learn how to ess your inventory from Deas. He has been at my side observing things for some time now, so he should also be able to advise you on the administration of this forest. Deas, once things here have settled somewhat, contact me and I shall [Summon] you back Yes, I know. Ah, thats right. Rare then looked over at where Sieg had been sitting, up at the giant tree behind him. Is that just a tree? Or is it a treant? Since they dont move at night, I cant tell Sieg responded. I see. However, maybe it was justzy, or it was afraid of taking a lot of damage if it messed with you, so its possible its just pretending to be asleep maybe. Okay, lets see if Im right. Even if it wasnt doing anything right now, if it was a monster then it had to be conscious to a point. If she cast [Subordinate] or something then it should react in some fashion. [Charm]. The trees branches rustled. From what Rare could tell, it was resisting quite a bit. However, Rare had more MND and was able to brush aside that resistance; [Charm] seemed to be working. Hah hah! So youre the treant boss! [Subordinate]! Chapter 64: “The World Tree and the High Elf” Even though it had already been [Charmed], it was still able to put up a resistance. This was a rather powerful monster. But eventually, the furious shaking of its leaves stopped. It had epted Rares [Subordinate]. So its an Elder Camphor Treant. Its a lot stronger than those treants from before <> Reincarnation! She never would have imagined that a follower would fulfill the conditions before she could. But this was a perfect opportunity. She would have to think about what the exact conditions wereter, but for now she should jump on this chance. Right Even if I have to use up XP Wait, 5,000?! Thats expensive! Even for Rare, paying 5,000 XP wasnt something she could just blithely ept without batting an eye. She did have enough, though. She certainly did, but I wonder if theres some way I could take out a loan? No, its nothing, just hold on a second <> No, I wasnt talking toNever mind, that helps. This here was peak confusion. However, she needed to force herself to calm down and think things through. She wasnt sure if this was the only chance she had to reincarnate the treant. If she let this opportunity pass, would there be another? The condition was unmistakably linked to the act of taming. The question was whether the timing was while it was being tamed or after it had been tamed. If it was the former, then this was her only chance; if it was thetter, then it was possible at an unspecified future point in time for her to trigger a reincarnation. She really wanted to test this out. But that was also really risky. She couldnt waste this chance. Plus, Rare found that she was having trouble suppressing apulsion born out of pure curiosity. In any case, it cost 5,000 XP. No normal person would be able to go out and just earn that much XP on a whim. Who out there would choose to go forward with the reincarnation? Who aside from Rare, that is? All right, lets do it. I permit the reincarnation. <> Immediately after, the elder camphor treants bough began to shake, and little grains of light began to sprinkle down. The grains covered its branches and trunk until the entire tree started to shine. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Boss?! Whats Her other followers already recognized this tree as one of their allies, so they didnt sense any danger, but that didnt stop them from being startled. Deas and his fellow knights used to be human but were now undead; that meant they should have gone through reincarnation at some point, but they probably had never seen it happening themselves. Neither had Rare, but she simply found the experience of watching in and of itself fascinating. Before long, the light-covered treants entire body began to shiver, then, with a creaking noise, it started to grow. It had already been the tallest thing in the forest, but now it grew even taller, to the point where the top of the tree was no longer visible from the ground. Its trunk was bing thicker as well; Rares group had already backed up, but the space where Sieg had originally been was already taken over by the still-expanding trunk, tearing up the earth and piling it into constantly growing mounds. At that point, the trees at Rares back suddenly began to fall over. As she wondered why that would happen, she realized that the elder camphor treants roots were growing as well, discing those trees from under the ground. It was quite an unbelievable sight. But now, it was no longer an elder camphor treant. When Rare checked its status screen, its race had be World Tree. Impressive So that was five thousand XP. <> Wait, huh? This time it even told her the race name in advance. Maybe because it was happening to the yer instead of a follower. Perhaps a useless You may reincarnate into a World Tree system message had also been delivered to the elder camphor treant earlier (which it couldnt read). Of course she would ept. There was nothing to consider. She also knew what the trigger was: It was most likely Havemand of a world tree. <> She immediately epted. The amount was more than reasonable. However, it wouldnt do to forget that while the world trees 5,000 XP was mind-bogglingly expensive, 200 XP for high elf would still normally be considered pricey. <> She was ovee with an odd sensation, almost like being tickled. If she opened her eyes, she would probably look the same as the treant had earlier: excessively luminescent. Boss! Rare heard her followers worried cries, but she casually raised her hand to head off their concern. Her own transformation ended quickly and the light that had enveloped her faded. She felt strangely powerful, like she had just pumped all her stats up with XP. Just now, I reincarnated into a high elf How is it? Has anything about me changed? Yes, um Your face hasnt exactly changed but, well, you seem a lot prettier than before? Yeah Plus your hair got longer. And your ears too. Marion tacked it on like an afterthought, but ears didnt normally grow out like hair did. That must have been the visible difference between elves and high elves. Kerrys remark about her beauty must have been due to this racial characteristic. Racial Characteristic: Extreme Beauty Your race is considered unusually beautiful. All other peoples are meant to prostrate themselves at your feet. Favorability with NPCs is increased (Large). Characters under your control have increasedbat morale. This truly was a race suited for ruling others. And it was unnecessary since Rare already had it, but apparently [Subordinate] was learned at birth for high elves. It even had its own skill tree. The game announcements had said something about this, how some NPC nobles had [Subordinate]; maybe this was what they were referring to. High elves must upy the noble ss in elven countries. That meant a higher rank of human probably existed as well, one that might be ruling over a kingdom like Hiers, for example. When Rare had read that old announcement, she thought that if she ever antagonized the kingdom, she would have to be wary of nobles using [Mental Magic], but seeing this now she realized that might not be the case. If they only received [Subordinate] as a racial bonus, then its possible they wouldnt have any [Mental Magic], [Necromancy], or [Summon] skills. If so, then the advantage Rare held was immeasurable. This could be a key to victory. However, she couldnt rule out the existence of NPCs who learned skills unrted to their races. At best, this discovery would only slightly improve her odds. Unexpectedly getting a world tree already made this trip a resounding sess, but I was also able to reincarnate myself, which was why I wanted to make a Philosophers Stone in the first ce Ah well, its all good. With this much wood, I can make tons of them, then y around with them as much as I want. Additionally, after turning the elder camphor treant into her subordinate, she found out why it had just been sitting there, unmoving. Camphor treants didnt match up well against undead. The treants were full of life and purity, as expected of monsters that could evolve into world trees, meaning they were diametrically opposed to undead. Therefore, since Sieg was already emitting noxious air at its feet that gave it a weakening debuff, if it tried to move and had to fight Sieg, it would have stood little chance. Due to that, it had beenpletely immobile ever since Sieg had awoken as an undead. The reason Rares [Charm] seeded may have been because of that debuff as well. Other treants were only active during the day, but less because of photosynthesis and more because all the undead moring about at night weakened them. If thats how it is, then leaving Sieg and his forces here would be a problem Ill leave World Tree in charge of this forest instead and take all the undead back to my forest. Theres a lot to do. Listen to what Deas tells you, and do your work properly. Ill let the undead loose in Liebe to entertain the human invaders. It was great that they were getting along so well. Visually, though, their eyes werent sparkling with camaraderie since they were dead and lifeless. All right, now its time to head back and continue my research. Oh right, World Tree, sorry to bother, but could I have one of your branches? Chapter 65: “The Philosopher’s Stone” The branch she had gotten from the World Tree was the size of one of those roadside trees in town. To the gigantic treant, a branch of this size was probably akin to a nail clipping, but this much wood would be enough to supply all kinds of projects Rare wanted to do. She could process some into charcoal and ash for use in experiments. Any extra could then be turned into staves to see if they could make weapons that assisted in casting magic. Can staves be created via woodcrafting? Oh, thats right, its used to make bows too. I wonder if there are any deer-type monsters or anything in Liebe whose tendons can be used for bowstrings And what about glue? I can make glue when gettin the tendons. The recipe uses the waste materials I get from tanning leather. Ah, Remy, long time no see. Now that Ive brought World Tree into the fold, can you try crafting whatever you can that we have materials for? Yeah. I came over because I already heard. After returning to the queens chamber, Rare had started mumbling to herself again, so Remy had overheard and proactively came over to help. Remy was currently running a kind of odds-n-ends shop in Erfahren, but since Rare was nning to make the Philosophers Stone today, she had been called back to assist. I dont think we have a lot of woodcrafted weapons here. Even without World Tree, I believe we still have a lot of suitable wood for woodcrafting, so I wonder why we havent been making anything. We havent really needed any, I guess? Weapons that need to be made of wood are the ones you mentioned, staves and bows, and also long weapons like spears. None of those are useful for ants. Ah, now that you mention it, youre absolutely right An ants main weapons were its mandibles and poison stinger. They had no need for anything extra. The adamantite soldiers were ostensibly equipped with low-rank weapons, but in closebat they could just smack things with their own bodies for good damage. Wooden weapons just didnt have a ce here. Well, since were going to have more and more skeletal troops, it might be good to include bows in our weapon stores. We can make ones for you and Riley to use from World Tree too. The adamanmages can just use staves made from regr wood or treant remains. If World Tree could handle it, then it should be possible to get any number of branches the same size as this one, but Rare wanted to avoid information on these weapons leaking. She wouldnt know anything for sure until she actually put them into production and tested the performance, but if weapons that were too powerful became known to the general public, then theyd only be tightening a noose around their own necks. All right, so first off is charcoal. Making it properly requires about a week, I believe? Go ahead and get started on that first, then. Yes, Ill take care of it. She let Remy handle processing the World Tree wood for charcoal production. The one doing the cutting would be the Kenzaki leaning on the wall. Recently, he had been predicting Rares needs and acting on his own like this; maybe it was a result of spending almost all their time together. Lets try making ashes from a bit of the leftovers. That said, it was extremely important to be prudent in their current location. The offensive [Fire Magic] that Rare and Remy had learned was too powerful; no matter how well they controlled it, it would still be destructive enough to burn the queens chamber to the ground. Even with a single-target spell like [re Arrow], a direct hit had enough heat topletely sublimate wood. Oh, I just had a great idea. [Philosophers Egg]. Rare used her skill to create a crystal egg. With it in hand, she approached a piece of wood, causing it to get swallowed into the egg. All right; next up, [Heat]. She proceeded to warm up the entire egg using [Fire Magic]s [Heat] spell. Well, warm up may be the wrong verb considering the temperature inside the egg would soon surpass several hundred degrees. As Rare watched, the wood finally caught on fire and began to ze merrily. She canceled [Heat] and just continued watching the fire. Since the crystal was airtight, there werent any problems with smoke. However, oxygen had to be getting in somehow since the mes didnt change in intensity. What a truly magical container. Or, because the heat was generated magically, maybe this was a form ofbustion that didnt require any oxygen? If so, then putting aside an oxidation reaction happening at the molecr level, maybe she couldnt even call this bustion at all and it was something entirely different. After some time, the fire died out, and all that remained inside were the world trees ashes. Mm, I thought we could make charcoal from this wood, but it just burned up normally. Maybe we need to consider a more magical method. We might be able to do it using [Athanor] or something, Remy suggested. Aah, youre right. Go experiment with that and let me know how it turns out. Yes, Boss. After the mes disappearedpletely, the crystal egg broke apart on its own and disappeared as well. Aww, so it did end up breaking. That was kind of a huge waste of MP, but, well, what can you do Rare picked up the pile of ashes that had fallen to the floor and scrutinized it closely. She wasnt able to tell when it had been inside the egg, but looking at it closely like this, she could see that it glittered subtly. Considering how poorly lit this room was, the ashes themselves might actually be luminescent. I guess thats what you get with ashes made from a World Tree. Now then, what was that recipen/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Rare quickly reconfirmed the recipe for [Magnum Opus]. Looked like these were indeed Ashes of the World Tree, and they could be used in various other recipes as well. With how much she had here, she could produce quite a few new items now. As she had originally nned, the first of those would be the provisional Philosophers Stone. She was d that the final piece turned out to indeed be ashes from magical wood. However, the item required in the recipe was not Ashes of the World Tree but rather Treant Ashes. Rare had no memory of obtaining Treant Ashes, so Ashes of the World Tree must count as Treant Ashes as well. Since other items that were unlocked specifically had Ashes of the World Tree listed in their recipes, then what she held in her hands should in fact be Ashes of the World Tree. If it didnt matter which one she used, then the higher-ranked ingredient should work fine. In fact, using better materials should result in much more interesting products. Ill try with Treant Ashester too. But for now, lets just make it with these ingredients. She called over some transporter ants to retrieve the necessary items from their inventories.
  • Mercury
  • Sulfur
  • Iron
  • Monster hearts from the strongest bear-type monsters being raised in the Great Liebe Forests farms
  • Formic acid from engineer ants with generously XP investments
  • Ashes of the World Tree
She put these into a [Philosophers Egg], then heated it up with [Athanor]. It took on a marbled pattern as usualexcept this time it was already radiating a rainbow color. Normally, it wouldnt start glowing until she used [Magnum Opus]; having gone through the process thousands of times before, she was absolutely not mistaken in the sequence of events. Is this maybe an indicator meaning great sess? An alchemy game I used to y a long time ago always had those kinds of theatrics. Well, its probably good that its shining. All right, Ill use [Magnum Opus] now. As soon as Rare activated her skill, the crystal began to shine even more brightly than before. But instead of the glowing from the contents of the egg, it seemed more as if the egg itself was what was letting off all that light. It was so intense that she had to shut her eyes. Once the light finally settled down, she opened her eyes to see that the [Philosophers Egg] was gone. In its ce, there was a crystal egg the size of a regr chicken egg floating in midair. Did the crystal egg shrink? Did it turn into a container? I wonder if this red liquid inside is the Philosophers Stone, then. As soon as Rare touched it, she somehow understood how to use it. Like it came with its own manual. Hmm, so just like skills and magic spells, after saying the activation keyword, the egg will break on its own and the liquid inside will be absorbed by the target. The effect is Im not too certain, but apparently it improves the target by two stages? Or thats the image Im getting, at least. I dont think its a negative effect, but, well The exnation was clearly insufficient. Being a Philosophers Stone, the effect seemed to be exactly what she imagined it might be, but she hesitated a little to blindly use it on herself. Id really like to try it on a test subject. But first, I should see if it can be mass produced or not. Remy spoke up. I might be overstepping, but I suggest that we see if I am able to produce the same item as you did. Ah, youre right. Stats and other skills could y a role in it. Keeping all that in mind, lets make a bunch of them. If we run out of materials, we can just go get more, even if that requires going to the farms or to the other forest. After that, the two of them crafted a whole bunch of Philosophers Stones. Chapter 66: “Choices” We sure made a lot of them. With this many, we can just burn them on whatever we want and it wont be a big deal. Both Rare and Remy were able to craft Philosophers Stones that werent significantly different. However, when the ingredients included formic acid from weaker engineer ants, or normal Treant Ashes, then there was a big difference: They didnt shine when using [Athanor] to heat them up. The marbled product did glow slightly, but that was the normal, expected reaction based on all their previous trials. In other words, it probably meant that the result wouldnt be a great sess. The differences were also clear once all the finished products were lined up next to each other; the ones made with Ashes of the World Tree were more vibrantly red, and they also faintly sparkled. You can tell right away when you hold one in your hands, but the dull-colored ones only improve their targets by one stage. Which means that Ashes of the World Tree essentially double the resulting effect. They tried synthesizing differentbinations of ingredients, first always using low-rank formic acid, then always Treant Ashes, but the results in all those cases were the dull-colored stone. Only when both ingredients were the high-rank version did they get the vibrant Philosophers Stone that sparkled from the start. First, I want to try the ones that raise a stage by one. If Im to be the final test, then ideally wed want to try it on a character whos close to me in stats first, not a material or item. The possible candidates are Deas volunteered. Hmm, I would have wanted to use the sparkly ones on our top brass, but From what the instructions say, using two one-stage items should have the same result However, if theres a maximum number of stones that can be used on an individual, that would be problematic This time, Sieg responded. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Good idea; worst case, I can still use him as a boss monster. Lets do it. Call one up, if you would. A single skeletal knight was summoned into the queens chamber. After Sieg gave an exnation, the knight nodded his head. The two of them almost seemed like a manager and employee at a normal office. Great; take this. Once youre holding it, you should automatically understand how to use it. Whenever youre ready, use it on yourself. The skeletal knight immediately raised the egg. The crystal shone as it broke apart, and the red liquid inside poured down as though it were a powder. Rather than simply falling due to gravity, the powder seemed to be drawn to the knight instead. Wherever it touched the skeletal knight, it was absorbed into his bones, like how powder snow melted. Once all the powder had dissolved into its body, the skeletal knight began to shine. This was the same light Rare saw with World Tree. It looks like hes reincarnating. So I was right, raising a characters stage really does mean reincarnating into a higher-ranked form. Before long, the light settled down and the skeleton standing before them wore not the rotted, decayed equipment it had on before, but a splendid suit of armor fit for a knight. The bones of his body had be much more stout, and he had grown in height as well. I see. Good, then he did go up a rank. Right now, there werent very many leader-level units in their forces, so it might be good to fill out those numbers a bit using these Philosophers Stones. Or she could use them on skeletal mages to have them reincarnate into a more advanced type of mage, in order for Rares forces as a whole to strengthen their magical firepower. There were countless ways to make use of this item. We can try using it on materials and items whenever we want, so lets leave that forter. Next is to see whether he can keep using more Philosophers Stones. Rare handed another egg to him. The skeletal leader took it and stared at it for a time, but eventually gave it back while shaking his head. So theres a cooldown of twenty-four hours for the power-up effect. Its good to know that there isnt a limit to the number of times an individual can use it, though. Does this mean that as long as we can procure all the materials, we can keep reincarnating over and over again? Its hard to believe they would allow something as ridiculous as that, but The devs would absolutely hate bugs that led to infinite power-ups. There was no question that the system AI was always running its automatic bugfix function. For the time being, once the cooldown was up, she would have this skeletal leadere back and try reincarnating into a skeletal general or something. All right, next we should try the sparkly Philosophers Stone. Deas, would you like to take the plunge? Just like before, the Philosophers Stone Deas received red with light before breaking apart. While Deas hadnt raised it up, the liquid inside turned into a red powder and got sucked into him from the front as it slowly fell. <> < > < > So when going up two stages, I can choose which one I want, huh. Since Deas was her direct follower, Rare received a system message requesting her approval. He was able to reincarnate from Terror Knight to Death Knight, then Death Knight to Death Lord. Unlike with me bing a High Elf, this is more of a job change than a race change. I guess thats just how monsters work. Anyway, since Deas had used one of the good Philosophers Stones, Rare spent the XP and allowed him to reincarnate into a [Death Lord]. His entire body shone as his appearance began to change. The armor he wore became less sinister-looking but thicker and more ornate. His skeletal body gained ayer of skin, making him look more like a mummy. Red lights flicked around then shed on and off in his eye sockets; he must have been blinking his new eyes. Your appearance certainly got an upgrade, although now youll make children cry as soon as theyy eyes on you. Your skills You can learn many more now. This [Miasma] is the same one that Sieg has. Its a skill tree that has buff and debuff auras; you can buff ally undead while debuffing enemy forces, it seems. I wonder how it determines whats an enemy? On the whole, she felt confident saying that the testing was a sess. Now she wanted all her top brass characters to reincarnate into higher ranks. But reincarnating often seems to require XP, so it might not be possible for everyone to do it together. Furthermore, just like it was possible to learn new skills this time, it was also possible for some skills to no longer be learnable after reincarnation. When Rare became a High Elf, she unlocked a bunch of new skills like [Light Magic], so if possible it would be best to learn all avable skills before reincarnating. Lets switch to stockpiling XP for now. Were in no particr hurry, after all. Ah, indeed You have a point. Then first, let me see what skills I have left to get When Rare had reincarnated into a High Elf, she unlocked the skill trees for [Light Magic] and [Ruler]. The [Ruler] skill tree was packed with skills that buffed all characters under her control, such as the [Enhance Subordinate] grouping, and another one called [Castling] which let her switch locations with a subordinate once per day. [Enhance Subordinate] had the same kind of effect as [Enhance Follower], except that the description of all characters under your rule was very broad. It seemed like it would affect a followers followers as well. That nuance implied that it could even apply to characters that were under the influence of [Control] and [Necromancy]. Learning [Light Magic] led to unlocking [nt Magic]; it probably required [Light Magic] and something else as its prerequisites. The likely contenders were [Earth Magic] or [Water Magic], but this wasnt something she could easily find out anymore. She had also unlocked and learned [Holy Magic], which she had no idea what the prerequisites for it were. Every time she learned a new skill, more got unlocked, seemingly without end. However, now that Rare hade this far, she wanted to learn them all. She thought it would be more constructive to just n to earn more XP in the future than to skip taking a skill now andter regretting that decision. Plus, even if she were to learn everything she could, the amount of XP it cost was still a drop in the bucketpared to the 5,000 she had paid to get World Tree. Rare and Remy also earned XP from crafting all these Philosophers Stones. They must be the highest quality of crafted item considering that even Rare, with all the XP she had invested in herself, could still earn XP from crafting them. And that about does it. With how much XP Ive got left, I should still be able to pay whatever amount it asks for in order to reincarnate. Rare picked up a sparkly Philosophers Stone and spoke its activation keyword. She briefly wondered how races that couldnt speak could use the item, but since Deas had no problem, there must be a way to switch from a spoken activation if one were mute. Activate [Philosophers Stone]. Just like what happened every time before, the crystal melted into light, and the red liquid inside got sucked into Rare. As she absorbed all of the red light, she could hear a flurry of system messages. <<[Greater Philosophers Stone] has been used.>> <> <> <> <> <> Chapter 67: “The Birth of a Demon Lord” Hold on a minute, too much just happened! <> Rare needed to analyze everything in order. First, the item name. Apparently, its official name was Greater Philosophers Stone. Nice. Wait, no, that wasnt important at all. Okay, so Living Spirit must be in the same family as high elf, probably one rank above. That would mean Spirit Lord was one rank above that, and it needed 3,000 XP in order to get there. That put it in the same ballpark as how much she paid for World Tree, though still cheaper. Next was Dark Elf. Since the rest of the notifications were prefaced with A special condition has been met, Rare believed this must be some kind of special reincarnation path or something. She wasnt sure whether this was triggered from a skill she had learned or due to some other factor, though. As for how the proceeding Demonic Spirit and Demon Lord were rted, she inferred that dark elf corresponded to high elf, demonic spirit with living spirit, and finally demon lord with spirit lord. She could probably assume that one set of races was based around light and the other around dark. What should I do? Boiling everything down, there were ultimately only two options: be a spirit lord, or be a demon lord. Whichever she chose to pursue, there was another huge problem to tackle first. Damn, I dont have enough XP. If she had known it woulde to this, she would have put off learning all those skills forter. Well, no, even if she didnt need any of those skills to meet the conditions for unlocking all these options, she still needed to have learned them. For example, it was hard to believe that she would still be allowed to learn [Holy Magic] after reincarnating into a demon lord. Rare wondered how long she could keep this deferred action on hold. Although, even if she had to abandon the action, all she would lose was a sparkly Philosophers Stoneer, a Greater Philosophers Stone. It would probably count as her one use for the day, but she should be able to use another one tomorrow. In any case, she would just calmly make the system wait for now, and if that didnt work then she would figure it out then. Sugaru. I need everything currently in this forest thats not one of ours turned into XP. I need as much XP as I can get. Do it as quickly as possible while being as efficient as you can. Ah, but leave the livestock set aside for breeding alone. This should generate a lot of XP. It would take quite some time to get the farms back up and running again, but it was a necessary sacrifice. Rare sent the same orders over to World Tree. They didnt have any invaders over there, but there were still a lot of treants that werent under their control, so cleaning them up would help speed things along. She impatiently watched her XP go up while wondering when a system message was going to pop up reminding her of her deferral. The number on the screen increased ever so slowly until finally, after about two hours, it breached 3,000. Yes! Reincarnate into Demon Lord! Rare didnt have any particrlypelling reasons for choosing demon lord. First: because it required a special condition. In other words, it wasnt a standard reincarnation route. That in itself meant that any yers trying to follow in her footsteps should have a harder time since there were additional conditions to fulfill. While there could still be other yers with the same race, she predicted that the overall number would be small. People wanted to be unique, to some extent, and Rare was no exception. Then there was what she had said to Deas and Sieg, about establishing a kingdom to unify all the oppressed monsters. If she were truly going to rule over all the monsters, then there was no role more suitable for her to take than that of a demon lord. Just like when she became a high elf, Rares body was enveloped in light. Last time she hadnt felt any other changes aside from the light, but this time, her head began to feel itchy. She also felt something squirming around her lower back area. But all that difort soon faded as the light surrounding her dispersed. How sublime! Rares followers all cried out in admiration at seeing her new form. We dont have a mirror, do we? Yeah, thats a no. How do I look? From your reactions, I seem to have changed quite a bit. Umm, first, your ears are shorter. I think theyre still a little pointier than normal human ears. And you have gold horns now. There are two of them, side by side, on the top of your head, and they point behind you. Like, goat horns. They look kind of metallic. When she reached for her head where described to check what they told her, she did indeed feel hard, smooth horns. Her wings were soft and flexible enough for her to move in front of her hips, letting her see them for herself. They were extremely white, no blemishes whatsoever. That piqued her curiosity; she was supposed to be a demon lord, after all. When she checked her status, it did in fact say Demon Lord. She also gained a number of additional characteristics. Racial Characteristic: Wings You have wings. If you wish it, you will be unaffected by gravity. Gain skill [Flight].N?v(el)B\\jnn Racial Characteristic: Horns You have horns. It is impossible for you to bow to inferior races without horns. Increased resistance against races without horns when afflicted by [Mental Magic], [Ruler], [Subordinate], and [Contract] (Large). Sess rate increased against races without horns when using [Mental Magic], [Ruler], [Subordinate], and [Contract] (Large). Racial Characteristic: Demonic Eyes Your eyes hold power. None can escape from your sight. Unlock skill [Demonic Eyes]. However, she still had all of her other characteristics as well. Extreme Beauty was there, as well as Poor Eyesight and Albinism Ahh, maybe thats why my wings are white. They should probably have been more like crow wings originally, ck and ominous-looking, but Albinism had turned them white. Her hair and skin color were the same white as always, but perhaps reincarnating down the dark elf path was supposed to darken those as well. Because of her innate characteristics, Rare had been reborn as a pure white, angelic demon lord. How amusing. I picked up Albinism on a whim because I thought it wouldnt be that conspicuous as an elf, but as a result I now stick out like a sore thumb Ehh, I dont n to show myself in front of people anyway, so whatever, its fine. More like she couldnt carelessly show herself in front of anyone anymore. If a demon lord appeared in town, there would obviously be a huge panic. She wondered what she would do about server-wide events. If she had to go out then she could always wear Yoroizaka, but what would she do about her horns and wings? They would have to add holes into Yoroizaka for them. Also, she realized this when reconfirming her characteristics, but the innate characteristic Beauty was still there. She thought it would have been automaticallybined into Extreme Beauty, but apparently innate characteristics were retained after reincarnation. Did the increase in [Charm]s sess rate against NPCs stack? She hadnt had an opportunity to use [Charm] on one since way back when, so she had no idea. Anyway, looks like my reincarnation went off without a hitch. Checking her XP, she had gained a little bit more since getting what she needed before. Sugaru, if you havent stopped the farming already, then its fine to return to the usual routine. Give me a report on the farmster as well. She would let World Tree keep hunting. Since they hadnt set up any farms over there yet, there was no problem with killing off all the opposing treants. If possible, she wanted to bring in monsters from somewhere for the treants to raise in farms, but that was a n forter. <> What was that? She had just received a system message that felt different from the usual ones. Only yers were supposed to receive system messages. Aside from that, outside of events, only the recipient should be able to hear it. Rare must have gotten this message because the stuff about the demon lord was referring to her. The other stuff, though, meant that every character with some specific skill also received it. These emergency measures were probably taken because of the rtively short amount of time it had taken for Rare to be a demon lord. What skill exactly qualified allowed characters to hear that message? And what the heck was a being of cmity? Like Godzi? Rare wouldnt be able to figure anything out no matter how much she ruminated over it. That said, she couldnt exactly send a support email either. Even if this situation was possibly considered normal and she could actually get answers, if she went through the official site then she would publicly reveal that a yer somehow became a special being of cmity, an event worthy of triggering a special admin announcement, which would only make things harder for her. For now, until she got her hands on more information, she would have to let it go. There are still many things I need to verify, and Id like to learn the new skills Ive unlocked. Plus all of you need to reincarnate as well, so we need to focus on earning as much XP as we can. Finding new areas to invade would be the easiest solution, but ording to the map, there was a volcanic belt to the south which was monster territory. Since itll be a hot zone, I dont think the ice wolves can go there. Should I send someone else instead? Oh, Hakuma. You may be right, which means we should hold off on any more expeditions until everyone has reincarnated. For the time being, it seemed that the best course of action was to safely earn XP in the Great Liebe Forest and the other, haunted forest. Rares job was to devise a way to earn fixed XP from the haunted forest while also using [Alchemy] to craft as many high-rank items as she could to earn XP. Lets steadily build ourselves up. Since I have now be a demon lord, then my forces also need to be worthy of going up against the human kingdoms. Links to fan art for the series! An old picture from 1.5 years ago, one from earlier this year, and the authors Twitter with a neat avatar of Rare! Chapter 68: “Kingdom of Hiers — Emergency Legislative Assembly” Countless magnificent chairs were arranged in a giant circle inside an equally magnificent, spacious room This was the conference hall on the first floor of the Hiers royal castle. Normally, members of the church would rent out this room to hold religious meetings, but today it held an assembly of the people in charge of the kingdom. This included leaders from the church, starting with the patriarch of the Holy Church of Hiers and extending to other prominent bishops.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om received an oracle. A new threat to humanity has been born. Furious whispers filled the hall in the wake of the patriarchs words. One of the guards standing by against the wall, Thomas, felt the frenziedmotion vibrate through his body as though there had been an actual shockwave. For those gathered here, the news was in fact that shocking. And that was true even for amon soldier like Thomas. Threats to humanity. The six catastrophes. The harbingers of despair. The incarnations of carnage. There were many ways to curse them, but they actually all referred to the same things. On the western continent, rumors imed that the lord of the infamous Genesis Castle was a true vampire. In the north pole, there was a giant wall of ice known as the Crystal Wall. Since ancient times, a golden dragon had been sealed within, one that had descended from above the heavens. In the vast sea of trees on the southern continent, beyond the gate that connects to the realm of demons, it was purported that everything had been conquered by an archdemon. Far to the east, in an ind nation popted by demihumans, there were whispers that its sovereign was the king of insects. That same ind nation was separated from the central continent by the worldsrgest body of water, the Great Aegir Sea. At the bottom of that sea, the lord of mermen reigned over the entire ocean. Finally, while no one knew where it was, everyone knew of the sky castle. On its throne sat an archangel, leader of the abominable angels, who looked down on the lower world with contempt. How can this be Where? Where is this newest disaster? Here, on this continent. In the eastern part of Hiers, near the city of Erfahren, God has dered that it was birthed in the Great Liebe Forest. Ohh how terrible How can this be? How can it? Some of the attendees hung their heads, others looked up to the heavens and prayed, others still tumbled out of their chairs. The only thing they all shared was an overwhelming feeling of despair. And Thomas was no different. He nearly dropped the standard-bearing spear in his hand. Was it really true? A threat to humanity was this close? These cmities had never threatened the central continent before. That could perhaps in fact be the reason behind this development. The residents here knew about the existence of human life on the other continents and inds from trade, but civilization in those ces wasnt very advanced. That was because their circumstances made it hard enough just to survive, so theycked an opportunity to even consider improving their lifestyles. And that was due to the six catastrophes. Their existence riled up monsters and wild beasts, leading to the appearance of powerful creatures the likes of which were iparable to what was found on this continent. Wanting to raise the standard of living in such an environment was a dream within a dream. None of the six catastrophes settled on the central continent, so the people there only ever had to worry about the angels from the sky castle, who would appear at random to conduct raids. While they certainly suffered great losses from these attacks, it was always a temporary thing,pletely different from living in constant fear of something that lived nearby. Thus, life was much more luxurious on the central continentpared to all the other majorndmasses. However, it appeared that such a blissful status quo would soon end. The worst part was that this was the birth of a brand new threat and not the relocation of one of the six catastrophes. Where once there were six, now there were seven. Simply put, the entire world would suffer from this development, and they could not expect to receive any outside aid. There are no past records of a catastrophe being vanquished. However, there are also no records of a newly born catastrophe being challenged. If we were to act now, perhaps it could still You have a point. If it was just born, it could be just a child, meaningright now, it may be possible to defeat it! Form an extermination force at once! In contrast to the rest of the people in the hall who red up with enthusiasm, Thomas felt his blood running cold. An extermination force? Who was in charge of that? Obviously the person making that deration wouldnt be leading it. There was no way anyone here would be doing battle themselves. In which case, the ones mobilizing and facing off against this catastrophe would be soldiers like Thomas. This was no joke. Just because there was a disaster brewing on the edges of the kingdom didnt mean it was going to be destroyed right away. So who in their right minds did they think would want to proactively march off to an early grave? If the nobles here had been lords of knight orders, then things would be different; as long as their lord was unharmed, knights couldnt die. In order to be a knight, you had to swear loyalty to the lord, signing away your entire life, but in exchange you were freed from having to die alone. In most cases, knights who were subordinate to a lord were much more proficient in battle than the masters were; since knights were expected to constantly protect their lord from danger, there was little appeal for lords to entrust their lives to people who were weaker than they were. Rather, lords tended to die during political power struggles, far away from the battlefield. Thus, almost no regr soldiers became knights; the only people who did belonged to families who had pledged their servitude for generations, or servants or ves who had no other option but to go into servitude. It would have been better to send knights like that out instead. If they could, then they couldunch an offensive without having to worry about loss of life. But at the same time, Thomas already knew that it would never happen. Knights were armor for nobles; they would never be allowed to stray far from their lords. And no nobles would be willing to risk their own lives for a greater cause. Knights were the professional soldiers who served in personal armies for royalty and nobility. Therefore, conscripted soldiers became indispensable as a national military force that maintained order and stability, and they served for a period of three years. Just a year ago, Thomas was simply tending to his fields in the vige that was his home. It was a poor but peaceful life. In other words, he had two years of service left. As far as he knew, there were no wars on this continent, so conscription should consist of standing guard, putting down bandits, and maybe monitoring town gates. Basically, activities like what he was doing now. So when he heard about the birth of a new cmity, Thomas foresaw the way the conference was heading and cursed in despair. Then it is settled. All that is left is to inform the king. Can I trust you all to take care of everything else? Leave it to us, patriarch. This crisis threatens all of humanity. We must do everything we can while there is still a window of opportunity. The meeting had slowed; there was no more progress being made. Instead, it was now concluding having cobbled together a unanimous response with shocking speed. They had onlye up with a single objective, and the way the legitors coordinated and distributed the work was astounding. In other words, they abandoned the problem to their chosen sacrificesthe conscripted citizensto solve. Normally, assigning any excessively dangerous task to a conscript required consulting with both the soldier and their family first. However, since this was an extraordinary worldwide crisis concerning the birth of a seventh catastrophe, they just drafted up a new, emergency wartimew right here and now, and they would use a free pass resolution at the next conference to force it through. And to fill out the numbers, they would be reconscripting former soldiers who alreadypleted their service as well as lowering the eligible age for conscription. Thisw was the worst nightmare for the kingdomsypeople. Partway through the meeting, Thomas found himself trying to escape from reality by daydreaming the best way to smuggle his family out of the country. Once the discussion was over, the nobles with domestic responsibilities left the venue. Thomas silently held open the door, his head bowed as he saw them off. The only people left in the conference hall were the patriarch and bishops from the Holy Church of Hiers. Patriarch Um, you seem despondent, is something? Yes. About the catastrophe Sure, what about the catastrophe? By definition, a threat to humanity cannot be a threat if its only beginning to develop In other words How can I say this There wouldnt be any reason for a newborn disaster that was still in a weakened state to elicit an oracle As soon as we received the oracle, the cmity may have already reached maturity That is my fear, at least The bishops all fell silent. However, nothing could now overturn the conclusion that had been reached at the assembly. In fact, even if they had determined that it could not be defeated and they could only monitor it, it wouldnt change the fact that the future of the kingdom had be shrouded in darkness. Whether or not Hiers made any moves, a threat to humanity was still an existence capable of thoroughly massacring the humanoid races around it. If it had been far away, then the potential damage could be minimized somewhat, but it was right here within the kingdom. Even in the best case, the Kingdom of Hiers could still be wiped off the map. Thomas looked over at the distraught bishops with their heads bowed; he had already stopped thinking and now only wanted to leave as soon as possible. Chapter 69: “Fluff” Hakuma conveyed this to Ginka at his side as well as to the pups. This actually did note directly from Bossfrom Rare; it was information passed through Sugaru, but if Boss wanted it done, then whether or not they were orders made little difference. He didnt understand the specifics, but they needed a ton of that XP stuff. Hunt prey, drive away invaders, do this over and over again until, suddenly, you achieve growth as you desiredXP was the power that made this possible. Since all the XP was gathered by the leader of the pack, Rare, even if Hakuma and the other wolves didnt hunt, they could still get stronger. Truly the power of the gods. Though Hakuma didnt know what a god was, so those were just words he repeated from Kerry. When they had first met, his only impression of her was a foolish cat who was just a little bit nimble, but now things were different. Since she looked just a tiny bit like Boss, she was given various kinds of jobs, and now she had turned rather intelligent. Just recently, Ginka and the cat named Marion formed a tag team, sessfully leading Boss to a far-off ce. Ice wolves, just like all wolf-type monsters, typically hunted in pairs. Normally, that meant Hakuma would have gone along with them, but they couldnt take their eyes off the pups. Because of that, ever since fleeing from the north, the two of them would each go out and hunt alone, even though they knew it was more dangerous. They could ask the ants to watch them, but since one pup was generally stronger than one ant, they looked down on them, and it was hard to imagine that they would behave under their care. Not to mention it was already unusual for there to be so many pups in a pack and so few adult wolves. Hakuma knew all this, so he had chosen this path and harbored no regrets. The pups were starting to get bigger as well. However, they were still only the size of coyotes; their fur was still soft and fluffy, and their bodies were more round than they should be, so it was about time for them to go out and learn to hunt, even if it was just y-hunting. Thinking on it, perhaps this was a good opportunity. If it was only for training, then there were so many ants that they would be eptable, but including the goal of obtaining more XP, it wouldnt be a bad idea to also train the pups at the same time. He immediately contacted Sugaru about this, and while the ants were going to take care of therge monster farm, in exchange, Hakuma was allowed to deal with the goblin farm. They were not to kill the ones used for breeding, though. Either way, with goblins, Hakuma and Ginkas participation would only hinder the acquisition of XP. Since they intended only to oversee things, this would not be a problem. The pups responded that they knew, they already knew. They could convey their feelings directly to members of the same race, but they were unable to talk to other races. Boss said it had to do with something called int, but since Boss didnt have any particr role for the pups to y at the moment, she also didnt particrly strengthen them. Its fine to just raise them at your own pace, she had said. However, being raised in a pack meant you had to have a role. It would be nice if Hakuma and Ginka could help them figure that out while they were little, but recently Hakuma didnt have any particrly extravagant work to do. Boss said something about being bodyguards, but since wolves didnt understand insurance, Hakuma didnt really get what it meant. With the pups in tow, they all went to the goblin farm. After arriving, Ginka was left to monitor the ones that they absolutely needed to keep alive, and they would see how the pups did trying to hunt down the rest. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om After being given that warning, the pups were let loose. They dashed forward as an unruly group, jumping on the goblins and biting into their heads and tearing off their limbs yfully. Since their lives in this forest were stable and they were able to eat high-quality meat, the pups had developed rather refined ptes, so they didnt even spare a second nce at the horrid goblin meat. Whatever they bit and tore off they also spit out right then and there. Compared to how hunting should normally be, this was rather deplorable behavior, but such reprimands could be put off until they matured more. For now, it was fine to learn how to attack enemies and avoid being hit. Since letting any escape would reflect poorly on both Boss and Sugaru, who had agreed to this arrangement, the pups were told to chase down any goblins who tried to flee the grounds. Goblins may be quick, but there was no way they could escape from wolves, even young ones. Hakuma hoped they would one day be able to see the bigger picture and not leave openings for the goblins to exploit in the first ce, but this was eptable for their first hunt. Goblins tried to escape, the pups chased down the goblins, and Hakuma chased after the pups; this repeated for some time until Hakuma got a message from Sugaru. Boss had got enough XP. After this, the farms management would be returned to the ants. Hakuma saw the ants from afar, so he gathered all the pups together. The pups all ran up to him, their ws and mouths dyed red. All of their eyes were sparkling; apparently they had really enjoyed this outing. They may still be children, but they were also built for hunting. Perhaps he could ask Boss to allow them to simultaneously train and y like this in the future. Suddenly, for some unknown reason, he felt himself bursting with pride. Looking at Ginka and the pups, the expressions on their faces indicated to him that they were going through the same thing. It was just instinct. What probably happened was that Boss had gotten much stronger. Hakumas chest was bursting with a sense of safety from having someone mighty standing behind him, and a feeling of superiority from being allowed to kneel at that persons feet. He wanted to bask in Bosss presence and burn her appearance into his eyes as soon as he possibly could. But before that, he needed to find somewhere to wash the pups. Chapter 70: “System Message 4” To all yers: Thank you for ying [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. We are happy to announce the second official server-wide event. It will be arge-scale defensive battle event. Undead are overflowing from the continents monster territories, and there are reports that they seem poised to raid nearby cities and viges. yers will side with either the monsters or the races of humanity to either invade or defend these locations.
  • The event will take ce over approximately 1 week of real-world time. Within the game, it willst for 10 days.
  • The following effects will be applied while the event is active:
    • yers will earn 10% bonus XP.
    • The death penalty will be modified; when you die, XP will no longer be lost, but you will instead receive a 5% reduction to all stats that willst for 1 hour in-game.
    • A special event messaging system will be avable in towns. It is meant for event coordination and to foster the growth of themunity.
  • You will not be required to register for this event.
The event will be active across the entire continent. The XP bonus will still be avable through the end of the event even after an area has been sessfully invaded or defended. The XP bonus and modified death penalty will end when the event ends. However, invasions in progress will continue until they have finished. While the event is active, you will be able to teleport once per day from a town safe zone to a neighboring towns safe zone. This feature can be used in conjunction with the event messaging system to optimize yer group distribution. We hope you continue to enjoy your time in [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]! Hello Rare,n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Thank you for ying [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse]. We are contacting you regarding the second official server-wide event. Please review the event details sent to all yers. The game administration team would like to request your cooperation again for the uing event. Both the Great Liebe Forest in the western part of the Kingdom of Hiers that you have designated your home as well as the Treu Forest where you obtained a world tree are under your control. Therefore, the monsters in these territories are your Subordinates and the administration team cannot have them attack their neighboring towns as intended. In light of this situation, we would like to request your cooperation in assaulting the Kingdom of Hiers in a limited fashion appropriate for the event. Of course, we will respect your decision either way, so if you decline our request, we will announce to the yerbase that the relevant towns will be excluded from the event. In that case, you would be free to participate in the event with asrge a force as you wish. If you do agree to cooperate with us, the administration team will prepare a special reward for you aspensation. We hope you consider our request and look forward to a favorable response. [Boot Hour, Shoot Curse] development & game management teams Chapter 71: “Invasion Plans” Mmm, since we finished preparing, I was nning to send an expedition south to that volcano Rare muttered aloud while reading the information about the next server-wide event. What, is there some kinda problem? Kerry looked at Rare curiously. After checking out the effects of the demon lord characteristics and all the new skills she had unlocked, Rare had learned them all and mostly finished reincarnating her subordinates. She had gathered all of her main followers that day to n the expedition to the southern volcanic belt. Nah, its just something came up. Apparently theres going to be a huge invasion from monster territories all across the continent into human territories. I received an appeal for coboration or, well, a kind of request of that nature. Its unfortunate, but the volcano expedition will have to wait until after this is over. Ever since Rare had reincarnated into a demon lord, Deas and Sieg stopped calling her Princess or Highness in favor of Majesty. All the other members still called her Boss, but they didnt get any grief from the undead knights for it. Deas had a tendency to be overly serious, so she thought he might get grouchy about her form of address, but maybe his standards only applied to himself. That should be obvious; the invaders, of course. If we cooperate. We could just watch instead of working with the invaders. As for the human side, weve long since burned that bridge. Uhh, lets see, it just says undead here, so probably mainly undead. I wonder if theres undead in every monster territory There was no way that could be true. The admins said they were going to make undead overflow from all the monster territories. But they couldnt do that with the territories under Rares control. She wondered what would have happened if she hadnt been here. They would probably have used Deas and Sieg to lead the invasions. In other words, the admins had prepared all this. Deas and Sieg were put in ce for this purpose. Perhaps they even wanted tounch this event even earlier. Thinking back on it, the game announcement did say that the first server-wide event had some trouble with the intended implementation, which is why it got turned into a battle royale. It was possible that, since Rare had tamed Deas, their ns had beenpletely thrown off. And now, since Rare had be a demon lord, they decided that she was qualified as a raid boss even though she was a yer, and that was why they sent an appeal for coboration. I see, that seems logical. If her assumptions were correct, then it was her fault that things had gone awry. In which case, she really should work with them. Just as Rare was enjoying the game as much as she could, other yers also had the right to enjoy the game. If she didnt help out, then these neighboring towns wouldnt be able to take part in the event, and that would be no good. Either way, if Im going to participate, then Im aiming to win. And Im just another yer, so even if some cities get demolished in the process, thats just something that happened because of the event. Hm, Sugaru brings up a good point. Theres a possibility that a different race of monster in another region ismanding a horde of undead, but the majority of the armies will probably be all undead. Not to mention Rare directed a nce at Deas and Sieg. Just maybe, with so many of these armies, theres a good chance that some of them are connected to Deas and Sieg. If there used to only be a single kingdom on this continent, then it would make sense for traces of it to have been scattered all across it. Well if you both insist. Be that as it may, Rare still wanted to bring any of them they found into the fold if possible. From what she heard from Sieg, the knight-captains of the Fourth Order and above were not particrly outstanding, and if anything they apparently only earned their statuses because of their noble bloodlines. Those ones she could do without, but the same couldnt be said for the Second Order. Knowing that the First Order was the royal guard and the Third Order was effectively the First Army, she hadnt been sure what the Second Orders role was, but it turned out that they were military police. Due to the [Subordinate] system, it was impossible for Rares followers to rebel against her. That should have been true back in the time of this ancient kingdom as well. In which case, why did they need to police the military? All of them, including the Second Order, should have been under the control of the person to whom they had sworn their loyalty. She really wanted to find out more about that. And if they seemed useful, then she wanted to integrate them into her own forces. Cities should be protected from intruders by a knight order or a local militia. If any of them are [Subordinated] by the lord, then when they die, they would probably respawn in a guardroom or somewhere simr. The event wouldst for one weekby the game clock, ten days. If the guards kept respawning as long as the lord was alive, then maybe they could exploit this event to spawn camp those guards. Same with enemy yers; instead of attacking the inns directly, they could monitor them from a distance then pick off any yers who left an inn. Deas stated. Why not? n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Rare understood his point. This exined the existence of military police. Deas didnt say this directly, but the two groups that were probably made up of all [Subordinated] followers must have been the Firsts royal guards and the Seconds military police. She didnt really understand the part about the burden of [Subordinate], but assuming there really was something like that, then the resulting system was quite rational. In other words, taking over the city will go surprisingly quick, is that it? I dont know if its that surprising. If theyre only at the level of Erfahrens sellswords, I dont think they could even hold us off for an hour. Since Remy was the one saying it, the only one here who had frequent contact with the sellswords in the city, then she must be right. What about the soldiers? How well can rank-and-file soldiers who arent [Subordinated] fight? I dunno? Higher ss people donte to my store But the city guards are at about the same level as the sellswords. Lately, the sellswords living in the city have been going to Liebe, so all of them are getting stronger, and Ive heard townspeople saying that you could die trying to stop a fight between two drunk sellswords. In that case, this was a problem. It was a ten-day event, and they would finish up in less than half a day. But still, she also didnt want to go easy on them. It would feel disrespectful to the yers participating in the event. Plus, Rare was still only human. Even if this was just a game, she worked hard at it every day. In the end, she still felt a base desire to show off what she had aplished to others. All right, lets check the map. Erfahren is here, and near Treu Forest theres the town of, uhh, Lourdes I think? Well definitely hit these two, and then Rare slid her finger along the map. this one too, La Colline. This is a key location, the traffic center that connects this region. If the roads are arteries, then at the heart would naturally be a trade city. If we destroy it, then Hiers will set its sights on us, and theyll definitelye to take it back even after the event is over. Chapter 72: “The Overture to Ruin” In contrast to the previous event, this event was supposed to follow the theme of an extension of everyday life, or at least that was how the admins described it. Therefore, there was no formal kickoff to the event. The NPCs must not have had any idea what was happening. The townspeople were just going about their normal, everyday lives. On the other hand, some sellswords were frantically racing in and out of the city, and the residents just watched them with bemusement. Those ones must have been yers. Rare was currently high up in the sky, looking down on Erfahren. She wasnt watching through Ominous or a Kenzakishe was up there herself. Of course, she was wearing Yoroizaka. After reincarnating, Yoroizakas race became Divine Fortress. She had gone from Living Mail to Divine Mail to Divine Fortress. Not that Rare knew what exactly was divine about thetter two. She still had the slender build of a female body, but the most dramatic change was her size; she was now about three meters tall, almost twice as tall as Rare was. To exin how Rare could wear her now well, strictly speaking, she wasnt. There was a kind of door in Yoroizakas lower back, and Rare could enter her from there. Going inside was like being transported to an extra-dimensional space that was about 4.5 square metersrge. If Rare moved her own body in the space, Yoroizaka would perform the same movements. Inside this little room, what went on outside was projected all around her except behind her, where the entrance to the room was. This meant she had no blind spots except that one spot behind her; the only way to check that spot was for Yoroizaka to turn, but that was true for normal armor too. Rather, since there was no visor limiting her field of view, and she had a wider range of view than a normal humans, it was easier to see things in here than with her own eyes. Since Yoroizaka had learned [Enhanced Vision] and [Enhanced Hearing], both of which were replicated in this space, Rare had an extraordinarilyplete grasp on what was happening outside. As for her battle effectiveness, the fortress part was right on the money. When they set up a sparring match between Yoroizaka and the adamantite series, none of the adamantite soldiers attacks had any effect on her. As ast resort, one of the adamanleaders abandoned its sword and just tried to punch her directlythe most powerful attack they could performbut even that didnt leave a scratch on her; in fact, the adamanleaders fist ended up breaking apart first. Magic was the same. No matter the element of spell the adamanmages tried to shoot at her, she took no damage. Even when they tried again using treant staves, there was no appreciable difference. With world tree staves, only [Lightning Magic] was able to inflict damage, but even that was quickly recovered with her natural regen. Then there were her attacks. With a single swing of her arm, she couldy out several adamanknights. With Kenzaki Ichirou in hand, there didnt seem to be anything she couldnt split in half. Speaking of the Kenzakis, all five brothers, Ichirou through Gorou, became just as big as Yoroizaka did. The choices avable when the Kenzakis evolved were longsword and greatsword, so Rare chose greatsword. Realistically thinking, as greatswords they were just too big for a human to lift, but with enough STR it wouldnt be a problem to swing them around. But with Yoroizaka as she was now, their proportions to one another were preserved, so it still appeared as though she was wielding a normal one-handed sword. The Kenzakis current race was Divine Arm. A weapon of the gods. Since everyone had already been exposed to Yoroizakas new size first, their gigantic evolution wasnt as surprising. Yoroizaka still equipped all five Kenzakis, the same as before, but their positions had changed; in order to leave the back open for Rare to enter and leave, the three swords on her back and one on the right side of her waist were changed to two on each shoulder. In order to amodate that, Yoroizakas epaulets had been reforged to hold two swords each. Even though she had the full arsenal equipped, Rares [Flight] skill allowed her to easily ascend high up in the sky. Rather than wearing Yoroizaka, it would be more urate to say that Rare was piloting from her cockpit instead, but either way the game still considered Yoroizaka to be equipped, so Rares skills could still be used on the outside just as normal. When she wanted to use magic, she could also use Yoroizakas field of vision when activating [Designate Coordinates]. She even learned the [Aerial Maneuvering] and [High-Speed Flight] skills, so Yoroizaka was currently able to fly freely through the air. However, Rare usually did the piloting, since it was extremely difficult to share control of Yoroizakas body with her. If they ever had a midair battle, Rare needed to be in full control or they wouldnt be able to fight properly. From here, if she were to use [Designate Coordinates] to fire off a bunch of huge spells at the city, Rare could easily im victory for this regions invasion event. She would have been fine with doing that, but in her mind, Rare as an entity extended beyond her power as an individual being. Like a proper demon lord, she would order her troops to capture the city, but if they seemed likely to take too many losses, she wouldnt hesitate to st everything to smithereens instead. There was also going to be a siege. The enemy didnt exactly have a castle, but there were city walls. Rare could finally conductrge-scale tests with the artillery ants. Plus, since this would be their first offensive campaign outside of a forest, she would be able to see for herself how powerful the assault ants methrowers were in actualbat. Today, they would be able to go all out and show off the full extent of their abilities. She closed her eyes and jacked into Ominouss eyes far away in the skies high above Treu Forest, where she watched a grove of treants also leaving the forest. It had been one week since receiving the event notice, and any leftover XP she spent on making more treants. The [Root Division] skill, in simple terms, allowed the treants to spend XP in order to clone themselves. Since treant followers didnt have their own XP, Rare just had to give it to them and they could use it to replicate. The rows of treants rustled noisily as they emerged from the treeline; it almost looked like the forest was expanding by itself. It didnt seem like any of the townspeople in Lourdes had noticed what was happening in the direction of the forest yet. There must not have been many yers there; unlike in Erfahren, there were no fidgety sellswords to be found anywhere. Since there was so much distance between the city and the forest, this could hardly be called a surprise attack, but with that many treants, she didnt think the city wall would hold for very long. World Tree could take care of things without any need for concern. Rare opened her eyes back at Erfahren then looked down at the city below her once more. Ants were skittering out of the nearby Great Liebe Forest in droves. Soldier vespoids took flight from the middle of the forest in orderly formations and headed toward the city. Since they didnt have any way of performing long-range attacks, they would ultimately just serve as insurance in case there were any aerial battles. Since the enemy didnt seem to have any air forces, though, they would probably just spectate.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Ah, thats right. Between [Enhance Follower] and [Enhance Subordinate], their STR has gone up a fair amount, so I wonder if they could fly while carrying artillery ants. If they can, then I could use them like bombers, or with sniper ants they could allow for high-altitude sniping. Rares dreams just kept getting grander and grander. But its toote to change anything for this battle. Ill try it out when we go to La Colline. Now that I think about it, though, I dont need to preserve any buildings for prisoners or anything like that, so I really just want bombers. Just kill everyone and blow everything up. When humans found monsters, they did the same, so its just deserts. Plus, a trade center would probably have a lot of knights [Subordinated] by nobles, so she would have an opportunity to observe how NPCs with lots of invested XP and stat growth dealt with aerial attacks and sniping. It was hard to believe that anyone, yers or NPCs, really had any effective antiair countermeasures to deal with Rare as she was now. However, if someone like that did exist, she might be able to force them out into the open. Now then, I see that yers and other parties are starting toe out from the city, so its time to get this show on the road. This is gonna be good. TL note: Just realized from this chapter that I missed tranting a paragraph in chapter 32, sorry about that! That chapter has been updated, so you can go back and reread it if you got a little confused about seeing Soldier Vespoids for the first time in this chapter. Chapter 73: “Overrun” The first person to notice the invasion was a yer casually leaving town. He yelled something, after which sellswords flooded out of the gate one after another. Rare was too far away to tell what they were saying, so she descended a bit and used the [Light Magic] spell [Camouge] to ensure she wouldnt be spotted as she got closer. The [Camouge] spell shielded the target from sight using light. There was a noticeably unnatural refraction if you looked at the camouged object from different angles, but unless you knew there was something there to scrutinize then there wouldnt normally be any reason to do something like that. Ants! I knew it! The event monsters for this city are the ants from that forest! I heard it would mainly be undead, but we cant just turn a blind eye to the monsters native to this region either! Theyve gotpound eyes, after all! Uhh Anyway, there was talk of there being an undead boss monster in the forest, so we might get undead too! It might have been hard inside that dark forest, but out here in the sun, an undead boss is probably weaker! Also, weve got tons of yers here, and when the city is being attacked then the NPC sellswords will probably also help out, so we could probably at least keep it from getting in! How wonderful it was to see yers having such a good time. Dammit! Why are there monsters attacking the city? Nothing like this has ever happened before! Its probably because those newbies kept going to the forest and pissing them off! Those bastards! The angry yelling probably came from the NPCs. The newbies they referred to were clearly the yers, but this invasion wasnt their fault. However Since Rare was in fact doing this for them, and the administrators had set up this event in the first ce for yers to enjoy, then from a certain perspective it really wasnt wrong to me the yers. How confusing. Well, whatever, we can just say its all because of the yers. In that case, they should pay for their sins with their lives. Lets start off with cannonfire. Id have wanted to keep them in reserve for siege purposes, but since there dont seem to be any defenses to worry about, we have time to wait for the cooldowns. All right, load shrapnel rounds! Sugaru responded from the queens chamber, now operating as themand center. When she repeated the order, this alsomunicated it out to the artillery ants. Below Rare, those ants stopped in ce and bent so that the tips of their abdomens pointed forward. What are those? They look different from the regr ants. Are ants supposed to do that? That looks more like what scorpions do. Or like, doesnt that look bad? Feels like theyre going to shoot something, doesnt it? Dont be stupid, theyre ants. Theyre just Fire. Instantly, every artillery ant produced a loud boom from its abdomen gun barrel, and the projectiles they fired made a beeline for the sellswords in front of the city gate. The shells exploded before the gate, raining fine buckshot on the hapless victims. Ag Gue The sellswords could only watch nkly before being turned into minced meat without having a chance to utter even a single word. Shortly after, the remains disintegrated entirely. Some of the bodies didnt disappear; those ones must have been NPCs. Rares forces didnt have the expertise to kill only yers with shrapnel bombs, so their only choice was indiscriminate fire. One or two rounds of buckshot wouldnt do much damage, but there was an excessivelyrge number of artillery antspared to enemy sellswordsafter all, if they only did a small amount of damage, then the answer was to shave down their health by sting as many rounds into them as possible. If someone couldpletely nullify the damage, then they would have to use another type of attack, but there didnt appear to be anyone like that out here. If their objective is to protect the city, then our goal is to destroy it. I bear no grudges against them, but, well, its the same in any game: defeat enemies for no other purpose than to get XP. Rare offered a token moment of silence, thenmanded her forces to load the next round of shells. They had wiped out the sellswords in front of the gate, but they needed to be ready to shoot the next wave that woulde out. Normally, while the enemy was in disarray, she would want to send in the infantry ants to fight inside the city since that would cause more damage, but this was a good opportunity to try the high-explosive rounds as well. She looked forward to seeing how powerful they were in a siege. The yers may have felt differently, but the NPC guards seemed to lose all will to fight after seeing thest attack, so they closed the gate and tried to bulk up their defenses. Nice. Once itspletely closed, attack the gate. Also, Id like to see if we can break the walls, so shoot some explosive rounds at it too. After the gate finally closed, the city of Erfahren had retreated into itself like a turtle to maximize its defense. The artillery ants bombarded the gate. Unlike the shrapnel shells from before, these high-explosive shells wouldnt explode until they hit. These shells were produced specially to behave kind of like HESH rounds[1]; when their tips were squashed, they would adhere to the surface of the target. Immediately afterward, the magical material inside would ignite. These shells were crafted to attack from the inside if they couldnt destroy walls directly, but these walls were apparently a lot more brittle than the shells were; the tips werent getting squashed at all, the shells were just getting embedded in the wall and exploding like that to open up huge holes. Since the gate was made out of wood, after a single bombardment it caught fire, and soon it could no longer function as a gate. A. Well, of course this would happen. Maybe catapults would have been sufficient for this invasion. Given how things were currently progressing, if she could have ordered bombing runs with soldier vespoids carrying artillery ants, the city could have been reduced to a ming pile of wreckage in the blink of an eye. Well, Ill have to save that for next time. Anyway, once weve taken care of the wall, send in infantry and shock troopers. The shock troopers will take point with their methrowers, and the infantry can clean up whatevers leftover. At Sugarusmand, the assault ants and infantry ants on standby next to the artillery ants left the formation to surge over the rubble and into the city. Many guards had been blown away with the city wall and gate, but the ones that survived along with sellswords who were probably yers ran over to block the ants. Even if theyre monsters, they wouldnt bomb their own allies! Lets take care of them in meleebat! If were up against ants, then were already used to them! If we hold them off here, then our mages can fry those bombarding ants! Since ants were the ones primarily entertaining guests in the great forest, many sellswords did have experience defeating them. However, assault ants couldnt be used in the forest, so they had never faced off with yers before. This was probably the first time these yers had ever seen them before. In other words, it was a fantastic chance to teach them the difference. As the sellswords got closer, the assault ants calmly pointed their abdomens forward, then greeted them with a stream of fire to the face. GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Wh-Wha! AAAAAAAAAHHH!!! It didnt matter whether they wore metal or leather equipmentthe sellswords burned to death all the same. The assault ants skillfully controlled their weapons, sweeping them back and forth in a fan shape, letting their mes scorch everything in range. Thebustible gel they sprayed took a while to burn off, so any sellswords who werent hit directly still took damage from the quickly rising temperature. The mage-looking sellswords tried to extinguish the fire using water- and ice-type spells, but there were just too many ants. It was like trying to put out a bonfire with a squirt gun. Heh heh. Well, this is entertaining in its own right, but just spamming methrowers doesnt feel like theyre living up to their role as shock troopers. They need assault rifles or something or maybe not. You cant really charge while holding up a gun. In the first ce, this wasnt that kind of game. With regards to infantry units,bat tended to be close range with ded weapons in a world like this. Basic military tactics dictated that infantry went to the front lines while snipers should support them from the rear. However, if Rare did that, then she wouldnt have been able to test out the assault ants methrowers. In the end, I think this probably worked out for the best. They did well. The mages in the back gave up on putting out the fires and shifted tactics to just attacking the ants themselves. Since the remaining enemies could only attack from range, they wouldnt just stand there ring from behind the wall of mes. The assault and infantry ants stepped back to let the artillery ants that were hiding in the shadow of the wreckage of the city walls bomb them from above. Because of the rubble, they had to fire at a high angle, but with vespoids sighting from a higher elevation, the economical shrapnel rounds easily shredded the mages apart. The remaining enemies hiding behind buildings had two options: either be cooked alive by the heat from the methrowers, or be blown apart along with the buildings. The ants were also learning on the fly, improving their coordination with each other while efficiently advancing their battle lines. This side of the city hadpletely stopped functioning. The guards had beenpletely wiped out, the sellswords and yers were no more than corpses, and the residents were fleeing in a panic, having never even contemted the idea that their city wall could be brought down. The ants had been directed to kill any character that posed abat threat, but the regr citizens were designated as unimportant, so they were ignored. Their goal was to level the city, not kill its people; any deaths were simply a byproduct of aplishing their primary objective. Around when the ants invasion neared the city center, the lords knights appeared. However, they were far toote by any metric. Even if Rare had withdrawn her soldiers that instant, the destruction was too severe; the city could no longer be reimed. Ah, its because the lords mansion is near the middle. Rather than theming out to repel us, the knights are only here because were approaching what theyre really protecting. [1]: High-explosive squash head Chapter 74: “Remote Devastation” Since they hade this far through the assault ants hard work, Rare kind of wanted to let them just burn everything down, but the soldier vespoids had only been observing all this time and didnt have any other tasks. If the kingdom didnt have any air forces, then the soldier vespoids would primarily be fighting ground forces from here on out, so she wanted to let them take care of these foes, which would also double as practice. Thats why Im leaving this to them. They are free to decide how they want to handle it. Have the assault and infantry forces fall back to where the artillery are. At the same time as Sugaru responded, the soldier vespoids, who had been monitoring the progress of the invasion from high up in the air, suddenly dropped into nosedives. Waaah!!! There are more enemies aside from just ants! Fuck, howe we didnt know about this?! Those sellsword shits! Why didnt they report about them to us?! The knightsid all the me at the sellswords feet, but in this situation no one could have been expected to do any better. The soldier vespoids skimmed the ground as they pulled out of their dives, then picked up the knights one after the other and climbed back up into the air. Dammit! Stop! Let me go!!! After flying up about fifty meters, they simply tossed the knights to the side. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! The armor they wore was much morevish than what the sellswords had, but it did nothing to reduce fall damage. When they collided with the ground, they sunk into it about halfway due to the weight of the armor, but that did nothing to mitigate the lethality of the impact, thus none of the fallen knights got back up. Most of the knights got a free bungee jump, without a cord, by way of the swarm of soldier vespoids, and as a result the city lords knight order was decimated. If any of the knights had been officially [Subordinated], then they should eventually respawn if left alone, but NPCs would only automatically respawn after one hour. yers were able to respawn immediately, but NPCs didnt receive system messages, so they had to wait out the full timer. This was why spawn camping NPCs was inefficient. That means we dont really need the lords mansion for anything. Lets just crush it and move on to the next target. She ordered the artillery ants to rain fire on the mansion. In the blink of an eye, it had be a mess of mes and rubble. She didnt know if the lord had been in there or not, but if they were, then surely all that remained would be a corpse by now. If they were still alive, then Rare would like to get rid of them for the XP, but stacked up against the value of destroying the city, the amount earned probably wouldnt be any more than a rounding error. Just in case, have the infantry look for someone who looks like they could be a lord. All other forces will continue the invasion. This city is so close to the forest that theres no real meaning in taking it for ourselves, so I dont mind if it turns into an empty plot ofnd. Rare did want to create a new ruins-type monster territory. However, she wanted to find a ce with more impact, in a position of power. The most suitable ce would definitely be the royal capital, the symbol of the kingdom. She would purge it and turn it into an undead-infested wastnd. Well, I should save that for after Erfahren and Lourdes have been subjugated or actually demolished and after La Collines been handled. Can we do all that within ten days? Were basically done here, but I wonder how things are going over in Lourdes Rare was still piloting Yoroizaka in the air, and it was dangerous to look away from the road while driving, so she descended to the ground first. Afternding, she could give control back to Yoroizaka. After all that was done, she closed her eyes in order to sync with Ominous the owl. The city of Lourdes was surrounded by a number of giant treants, and the excessively tall city walls were covered in some kind of ivy. Since she saw it from so far away, what she thought was ivy was actually tree branches and roots. The inside of the city also overflowed with greeneryan extension of the Treu Forest. From her birds eye perspective, it looked as though the forest was swallowing up everything. Considering that Rares World Tree was at the center of that forest, and its trees allprised Rares treant forces, that wasnt actually a metaphor; the city really was being consumed by the forest. As she watched, branches grew from inside houses, breaking through their roofs. The houses were then subsumed by the rapidly growing tree trunks. Treant seeds were scattered all over the ce, sprouting and quickly maturing into trees. The treants [Overgrowth] skill tree had a skill called [Scatter Seeds] used to spread seeds around, as the name implied, but the skill didnt cause these seeds to grow more quickly or anything. The abnormal growth was due to the grains of light all around the city. These lights floated down like pollen from the treants encircling the city, the giant treants that looked very different from other treants. These were elder camphor treants produced using World Trees [Root Division] skill. Normal treants used [Root Division] to convert XP into exact copies of themselves. However, world trees werent allowed to create endless copies of themselves, so they made copies of the race they were previously. In World Trees case, they was camphor treants. Monsters produced through skills were weak, but they didnt cost XP to create, they used LP and MP instead. However, these camphor treants could also act as skill ry points for their parent, World Tree. For example, when World Tree wants to use a seed dispersal-type skill, or a buff or debuff skill that has an area of effect, these treants can act as its terminals, and the effect then originates from their locations. Right now, those flickering lights that filled the city of Lourdes were produced from World Trees skill [Magnum Beneficium]. Its effect is to induce elerated growth to all nts within the area of effect. The normal nts that were already growing in the city also began to grow abnormally fast, but without pollination their flowers quickly withered away, and most of them began rotting without bearing any fruit. Meanwhile, treants were not given extended lifespans in this game. It took them about one year to reach the size of a normal tree, then they would continue to slowly grow over decades and centuries, eventually bing elder treants. However, [Magnum Beneficium] caused the scattered seeds to mature immediately, bing gigantic in a matter of minutes. The camphor treants who initially surrounded the city wall had already grown into elder camphor treants due to the [Magnum Beneficium] they themselves were producing as World Trees terminals. Here in Lourdes, there werent many treants who were proactively attacking people. There just wasnt a need. The ground was alreadypletely covered with rampantly growing tree roots, and not a single house was spared from the violent overgrowth. Anyone who had been in those houses, or walking around outside, was instantaneously crushed by the trees or trapped between them, unable to move a muscle. Even the sellswords and knights who had been able to initially escape such a fate couldnt do so forever since they couldnt predict which branch or root would experience explosive growth next. After World Tree gave that reply to Rare, the specks of light began to fade away. At the same time, the trees stopped growing, and a silence settled into the city, as though time had stopped. Rare knew that it was saying that withplete earnestness, buting from a follower who had already sworn devotion to her, she felt ufortable since it was hard not to interpret it as over-the-top ttery. For now, she would pretend as though she hadnt heard anything and instead confirm the status of the city. Normally, yers were able to respawn immediately, but if the ce they designated as their base had been conquered by monsters, then they wouldnt be able to do that anymore. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om There was a bit of a ruckus from Treu Forest as treants flowed out to reim thend up to the highway. That road had originally detoured all the way around the forest, and the city had been built quite a distance from it as well. After absorbing all thatnd, the Treu Forest had massively grown in size. That said, there wasnt really that much to do back at Erfahren. After it had been leveled, the infantry would be left here to take care of any loose ends while Rare took the flying and artillery troops to La Colline for a little pic. TL Note: The first chapter of this web novel was originally posted on October 1, 2019, and this extra story was included with chapter 74, which was posted on November 1, 2019. Tomemorate my first month, I wanted to share a little something that probably wont be included in the main story, but shouldnt spoil anything either. I started posting this series exactly one month ago, but right at the start of the second chapter, there was the line The tutorial could not be skipped. After the open beta began, the reason for this was never exined, so I would like to give you that exnation now. Although readers with good intuition may have already figured this out. The first thing the game exins in the tutorial is that the only difference between PCs and NPCs is whether or not they can receive system messages. You may have thought that not being able to skip it was because it was important for the game characters to hear the full exnation, or to discourage people from resetting their ounts and starting over, but actually neither of those are the main reason why. In chapter 22, NPCs learned to ess their inventories for the first time. Rare hit upon this by remembering what the tutorial AI had told her. This chapter posited that the reason the tutorial could not be skipped was to make sure the importance of those words was imprinted not only on the yers, but also on the readers, which was a bit of a misdirect. In the research that Rare conducts afterward, she concludes that the conditions for using the inventory are must have at least a certain amount of INT and must see the inventory in use themselves. Actually, must have a certain amount of INT isnt strictly necessary, only must see the inventory in use themselves is the correct answer. To exin, why is it that PCs, who shouldnt be any different from NPCs within the system, are able to ess the inventory right off the bat? Right before they log in for the first time, they have to go through the tutorial, and thats where the support AI lectures them on how to use the inventory. In other words, after seeing a tutorial on how to use it, yers are able to use it as well. When the game was in closed beta, the old tutorial could be skipped and testers would submit reports that the inventory is inessible. So, for the official release, the tutorial was changed so that it could not be skipped, and that is the exnation. Thank you for reading. Chapter 75: “Blanc Joins the Battle!” A server-wide event! This time Im totally doing it too! nc was in her room that the count had given her, actually reading game news for once.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Just a bit ago, nc had obtained three mormos and three spartoi, and the count tried to persuade her to attack a city. Oh right, that sounds fun! she had thought for a second, but then immediately changed her mind. nc didnt know how many times she had died because of naive thoughts like that. It wouldnt hurt to be just a little more careful this time. Plus, there was one thing different from back when she was a skeleton: ncs life was no longer just her own. She now had followers. What the count had said was that if the master, nc, died, then her followers would also die. She didnt know if they would then respawn along with her, but she couldnt bring herself to try and see what would happen. Just a bit more; just a little bit more; just in case; just in case for the previous just in case. This was how she slowly, slooooowly gathered XP and strengthened her followers, rinse and repeat, and at some point she had added another thirty spartoi to her forces. She had gotten scolded by the count for that, but since they seemed to get along with his zombies, they all ended up patrolling the castle together. nc didnt create any more mormos aside from her original three, but the count followed in ncs footsteps and [Subordinated] some bats from somewhere. Now, he had a handsome butler who always served at his side; this was the mormo that the count had reincarnated. This butler was insanely capable, so much more so than nc that it made Azalea and the other girls look like dunces. Inbat, they were all about equally powerful, but when it came to their ability as servants, the mormo girls tried hard to take care of nc, but the butler would usually anticipate her needs and have everything prepared before they even got started. Plus, since the butler was the counts follower, he only ever served nc after his masters needs were alreadypletely fulfilled. Then, he would always drop this stinger: Even though you three were also here. Whenever that happened, the three girls would grind their teeth, frustrated, then take over ncs bed and cry into her pillows. The days passed uneventfully as nc focused on steadily strengthening her forces until she received the event notification and snapped out of her XP-earning fugue. Plus, this event was going to be an invasion, arge-scale battle between monsters attacking cities and humans defending them. This was the ideal push nc needed to muster up the will to go a-conquering. Coach! Im gonna attack a city, so gimme some pointers! Your spontaneity is at full strength, I see! Attacking a city, is it? Hmm, pointers Oh, well, it was the first suggestion you gave me, and I know Ive been dragging my feet on it, but Im finally ready to give it a shot! Nay, for those of us with eternal life, time holds no meaning, but If you are to march on a city, I take it you will be bringing those spartoi? Yeah, probs. Thiss why I made a lot more friends, after all. At that, the count tapped his finger on his well-chiseled chin and fell into thought. It was quite a rare thing to see him do. Is there something bad about that? There is nothing quite bad, but I am sure you have also realizedor, well, it is very possible you have not, but this castle is high up in altitude, in the so-called hignds. There is a city that shares these hignds with us, but it was destroyed when this area became raised, so only those ruins remain and there is no point in assaulting it. Therefore you would naturally target a city in the lower world instead, but I want to know how you will get all those spartoi to the lower world. nc quickly realized, Oh, this is some kind of backstory, so she decided not to pay too much attention and just waited for the count to finish his exnation. The count was also expecting nc to reply, but after realizing she was spacing out and thus wasnt likely to respond, he gave a deep sigh and continued on. Here now. You know the water vein underneath the castle, correct? There is a river that goes through a wastnd in the lower world. The water vein is its source; it flows underground through cracks in the rocks and into that river. This is how you can get outside. If what the count said was true, then why did the lizardmen get stronger the further she went downstream from the undergroundke? nc had been pretty certain that it was because they had moved from the outside to the underground caves, and the weaker ones were forced to settle deeper into the caves, but apparently she had been wrong. When she asked the count about this, apparently they had already been living there long before he found out about them. Since the only sources of food around the undergroundke were little bits of moss and some small fish, there just wasnt enough to sustain lizardmen. Sometimesrger fish would swim upstream through the cracks in the rock and reach the underground caves, so thats why all the stronger lizardmen hogged the spots downstream. Well, even I do not know why those reptiles developed that kind of ssist society. Either way, you are the one who turned the healthiest of the lizards into your red skeletons, so there is little value in expressing curiosity now. Yeah, he wasnt wrong about that. However, if going through the underground water vein didnt end up working, then they had no way to get down to the surface. Wondering what she should do, nc crossed her arms and groaned. If I may be so bold, I would like to offer a proposal. The butler at the counts side stepped forward and bowed. What is it? You may speak. Thank you, my lord. With Mistress ncs power, I had the foolish idea that her magic prowess could be used to widen the cavern running alongside the underground water vein. Is this paltry suggestion of any use? True, with ncs stats, it would be easy to tear down some stone walls. However, if she used too much force, it could cause a cave-in, which would be a huge pain. It is of some worth However, it is also risky. If you would like to attempt it, then your mormo followers should be the one to execute it. Or like, if we had pickaxes, we could just throw a bunch of people into it and dig our way outta there. She proposed using pure manpower instead, but in reality the caves only had enough room for a few spartoi to excavate at the same time. Humans would get tired, so they would have to be switched out periodically, but undead didnt feel fatigue, so that part would be unnecessary. Pickaxes? I see. If we have an excess ofborers, then simply digging would be the best solution. Do you have any pickaxes? What foolishness are you spouting? Your spartoi have ws that are far harder than iron. Oh, right. Spartoi were actually pretty high-ranked undead, after all. nc found the spartoi who were talking to the zombies in the castleor at least it just looked like they were talking; in actuality, none of them should be capable of speaking, so she had no idea what they did togetherand ordered them to go underground, find where the water was flowing out of the caves, and expand the hole. Itd be nice to just make it really wide, but there wasnt that much time until the event started. For the time being, she decided that a human-sized hole was good enough, and anything bigger than that was icing. So is that the wastnd? Will I find a city if I go out there? If you travel along the river, you shoulde upon one. There are no monster territories in this wastnd, no forces for humans to fear. If I had to name something, then there is my castle, but before now there was no passage to the lower world from it. Therefore, this city does not have a wall, at least not like the ones around cities that are founded near monster territories. It is a base that is easy to assault and hard to defend, essentially. Well, if you only n to destroy it, then it is convenient for you that it is difficult to defend. Gotcha! Nice! If there arent any monster territories nearby, then there shouldnt be anyone used to fighting monsters like y uhh, I mean, sellswords I think theyre called? people like that there, so thisll be perfect as a tutorial! A too what? No, I care not. If that is your target, then the spartoi should hm, you do not need this many. You should be able to im victory with just a few spartoi. Theyre the just in case for the just in case! If were so much stronger than they are, then theres no way Id die, right?! If I may be so bold, those words would have been better left unspoken the butlermented. [Developer]: wouldnt it have been better if we set up at the start that pcs got inventories and npcs didnt? [Developer Support AI]: PCs were given the same basic structure as the NPCs that already existed within the game to minimize the introduction of bugs, so changing that would have meant that we would be unable to release the game. It is also unrealistic to apply a patch to the billions of existing NPCs. [Developer]: you got a pointi think [Developer Support AI]: However, if this was exined to the yerbase, then the number of NPCs capable of using inventories would increase. If any of them were to travel into the world, there is a possibility that it could cause an inventory pandemic, so this information should be concealed as much as possible. [Developer]: we shoulda just changed the specs [Developer Support AI]: That would be illogical. [Developer]: you just dont wanna do it cuz its a pain, right? [Developer Support AI]: Self-diagnostic results: Emotive fluctuation values are within the permissible range. [Developer]: you jus thought it was a pain in the ass, didnt you!!! This has been the Useless Unit. TL notes: Yes, the chapter title is (probably) a Smash reference. ֥Α > nc Joins the Battle Im not 100% sure what thest bit is, maybe the author addressing that short story from thest chapter and thements they got from it? Chapter 76: “Bonus Stage Redux” They finished making the entrance to the underground water vein before the event began. They were also able to widen the opening to be as big as the cave itself. With a hole this wide, it should be able to fit tons of people at the same time. Allllll riiiiight! Lets go, everyone! Wait; it would be best to wear a mantle. It would be bothersome if the sun were to rise while you were out. The spartoi would only be somewhat sluggish, but you have not be a daywalker yet. You may not be able to find a roof under which to recuperate every day. In particr, since you do not n ahead, I cannot help but envision you crumbling into dust in the middle of the wastnd. As nc epted the mantle from the count, she could almost taste the pathetic tears she was shedding in her mind as she found out how little he trusted her. But now, she could say that her preparations were perfect! Okay, time to go! The eventsts one we ten days, so after taking out the first town, Ill hit the road and see how many more human cities I can smash up over the next ten days! Indeed. Remember to be careful of the sun. The way you say that is like telling me to look both ways before crossing the street or something. That evening, as soon as the sun set, nc set out in high spirits. Her first stop: a human city. Now that I think about it, I guess thisll be the first time I run into people on the human side, right? Since Im gonna try to kill everyone I meet, I think Ive also be pretty monster-like, havent I! The mormos nking her smiled helplessly. When the count and butler werent around, nc shot up to the top of the dunce rankings and the mormos were now at the bottom, so they calmed down considerably. The group exited through the cave entrance that the spartoi had created then followed the river downstream. The ones in charge of the spartoi squad were the original three spartoi. They were the ones who had been given names, so nc gave them the reins. In addition, since they were the first, nc had been more gung-ho about investing XP into them, so their stats were also higher than all the others. Spartoi didnt get fatigued, so they didnt need to take breaks. They didnt require food either, so they also didnt produce excrement. They didnt even need equipment to weather the elements. They had minimal gear; more urately, they were as naked as could be. Therefore, their marching speed was extraordinary. As a result, the journey was as smooth as could be, and before long they spotted a city in the distance. The event should have begun that morning in the game. In other words, it had been a bit over half a day since starting. However, the town seemed quiet, and there were no lights to be seen. It didnt seem like any other monsters had attacked it. The fact that there were no lights meant that in order to save on fuel, the residents had simply developed a habit of going to sleep as soon as it got dark outside. Just as the count said, this city didnt have anything protecting it like a wall. nc saw a single dim light up in the air, which must have been from a guard tower or something of the sort. As they got closer, she also asionally saw lights moving in the city, which were probably guards on night patrol. Since nc just let her forces continue to leisurely approach the city, she saw the light at the top of the wooden structure she assumed was a patrol tower begin to move around frantically. Soon after, a bell rang out, and the lights inside the city started to gather at the edge of the city in ncs direction. It appeared that they had been spotted. Well, weve got a huge group of red skeletons here heading for the city, so of course theyd notice The mormos looked at nc with eyes filled with pity. Dont look at me like that! Come on, could we really have done anything about this? It waspletely unavoidable, seriously! What she said wasnt nonsense; the humans had apletely unobstructed view of the riverbank, and there werent many ways for ncs forces to have stayed hidden while marching. Putting us aside, couldnt the spartoi have marched in the river? Since they were originally lizardmen, that should have been doable Ah. But it was already toote now. Carmine, the one who spoke up, only seemed to have realized it just then anyway, so this wasnt only ncs blunder. Had that capable butler been here, he most certainly would have interjected with a if I may be so bold before they reached the town. The butler isnt here right now, leave him out of this! I didnt even say anything!!! nc and her followers could more or less understand each other without speaking a single word. Thats because when the mormos had still been bats, they all had spent so much timemunicating nonverbally. Now that they could converse, though, it seemed that there wasnt really all that much merit to it.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Well, either way, theyve already spotted us, so it doesnt matter! All right, you lot! Take care of em![1] This was one of those famous lines nc really wanted to say once in her life. Normally, she would never be in a situation where she could say something like that in such a brazen manner, so getting to do it here was truly exhrating. At ncs order, the spartoi began to run toward the city. The patrol squad milled about in confusion, uncertain if they should flee or intercept, whether they should prioritize defending or retreating. It seemed that these guards werent terribly experienced. This really is like a beginner level. Doesnt it look like well win even without any kind of n? If you had a n, then it would have been best if you had exined it before you ordered the charge Nah, I didnt have one, thats why I was like phew! nc and the mormos left the fighting to the spartoi and just observed. Since it would be catastrophic if by some freak ident nc were to die, the mormos, the count, and even the butler urged her to never engage directly inbat. The mormos had also determined that the spartoi by themselves would already be more than sufficient to destroy a city of this size, so they didnt intend to lift a finger. Ooh, Im getting good XP from this. Theyre all so weak, so I wonder why? Isnt this more than I get from lizardmen? Could this be like a bonus stage? Broadly speaking, ncs guess wasnt actually wrong. First, she was getting bonus XP from the event. Second, since human races tended to be equipped with weapons or farming tools, that also made them worth a bit more XP. So for monster yers, this invasion event could really be considered a kind of freebie. In the previous battle royale event, almost no yers with monster races had participated. The main reason why was timing; there hadnt been that much time since the games officialunch, and monster yers had an exceptionally difficult early gamepared to human races. They were almost alwayspletely surrounded by enemies, and unlike the inns in a town, safe zones in the wild didnte with a convenient signboard. Even the lucky ones who could establish a base and start earning XP didnt have a way to sell materials or buy new equipment in order to strengthen themselves materially. These demerits were offset by their starting bonus XP, but even after factoring that in, it would be difficult to outpace human-race yers who were able to progress much more efficiently. Since the event type had been changed in a rush, the yers who had chosen to be monsters felt resignation, since there was nothing they could do about it, but also more than a little dissatisfaction. This was partially offset by the battle royale awarding no XP and participants not receiving much in terms of item rewards, though, so there wasnt very much outspoken criticism online. Partially as a result of that lingering sense of discontent, the underlying goal of this event was to get all yers to participate, which was how thisrge-scale battle was conceived. But it wasnt just that any yer could join, they were essentially forced to, given that the event affected the entire world. Topensate for that, the death penalty was changed for the event so yers wouldnt lose XP. NPCs couldnt tell monster yers apart from regr monsters, so those yers could blend in during invasions to kill as many NPC residents as they could to earn XP. Townsfolk didnt have equipment so they were worth less XP than a soldier was, but the human races tended to be less belligerent, so individuals were generally weaker than monsters of an equivalent rank. It was somewhat bnced, in other words. As far as the soldiers went, yers who had farmed a bit of experience in the early game could grind town guards for XP with no problem. Since this doubled as a way to obtain weapons and armor, many yers proactively looked for soldiers to kill. However, if they participated in a poorly nned invasion of a walled city, it was possible they would encounter well-geared yers who had sided with the defenders. These yers were much stronger than the average town guard was. What was most important for a monster yer during this event was to ascertain whether a city was likely to have any yer defenders, and thus how to go about grinding XP in the most efficient way possible. That said, nc didnt need to worry about any of that given the city she was assaulting. There was no city wall, so she didnt need to consider siege tactics. There were nearly no yers, so there was no chance of a stunning reversal. The biggest threat was the town guard, but as she had already seen, they were already faltering to the spartois fierce attack. Just as nc said, it was a bonus stage. [1]: ǰ äƤޤA famous catchphrase by the Yatterman viin Doronjo. Still gets referenced asionally. /watch?v=KZJ8qL8U Chapter 77: “Are Y’all Daft?” Master, it appears the guards have mostly been handled. The spartoi who had entered the city still hadnt returned, but the sounds of battle had died down. The roars and screams that had constantly filled the air also became much more sporadic. Then next, I want you to go searching each house one by one and kill anyone whos hiding! I wanna make more skeletons using [Necromantic Arts] on the bodies, so if theres a wide open space somewhere, have the others bring em all there. The spartoimander at her side, Vermillion, cked his teeth to call for other nearby spartoi. The spartoi who responded got the gist of ncs wishes, then ran off to disseminate the order. Itd be nice if there were like, radios, or some kind of skill where I could give orders over a long distance What fantastical thing are you envisioning If something like that existed, messengers would no longer be necessary, and letters and carrier pigeons would lose all value. They sure would. Right, thats where civilization is at here Is there some kind of magical, fantasy way to do it then? There was no point inmenting what didnt exist. If messengers were necessary right now, then it would be more constructive to think about making a specialized follower for the role. Since Im making more skeletons from this city, I should make ones especially for carrying messages. That is a good idea. Human-base skeletons should already have higher intelligence, so it would be ideal to prioritize increasing their agility if they are to act as messengers. I should remark, there could be problems when they need to interact with other forces. If they cannot speak, then they cannot ry orders. As far as that went, it was hard to imagine that nc would ever cooperate with wild monsters, and other yers could be registered as friends like in other games, so nc didnt think that was a very important thing to consider. In those cases, one of us can just transform into bats and fly off carrying our masters words, Magenta offered. Ahh, and when you get close to the recipient, you can turn back into a mormo to talk! Quite so. While nc chatted idly with the mormos, the spartoi messengers carried out their tasks, and they started hearing periodic screams again, just like before. They had begun breaking into homes and ughtering the inhabitants. As nc had ordered, the corpses of the citys residents were being gathered near the center of the city, where there was arge open space. These people are worth a lot less XP than the guards were. But at least they give something. I guess humans are pretty high up the food chain. Character creation was fair for yers; when choosing to be a monster, the differences in environment and ability werepensated with XP. But NPCs didnt get any such consideration. Whether they were born as a weak monster or a privileged human, there and then, the difficulty for their entire lives was set in stone. Well, thats true for yers too; as soon as they log out of a VR module and go outside, then theyre also in that same boat. Once the spartoi finished sweeping for leftover residents, there was probably very little reason to be cautious anymore. nc, apanied by her retinue of mormos and Vermillion, set foot into the city. In her head, she was imagining houses burning with a single hand sticking up out of the rubble, or bodies littered everywhere that they had to step over, but there was none of that. We, the invaders, did not use any fire, after all. The guards may have had torches, but most of the houses were made of stone, which dont burn very well. And you told the spartoi to clean up the dead bodies, too. Azalea, Magenta, and Carmine exined away all of ncs confusion for her. It was super convenient. It was, but They walked through the city without another soul in sight, without any other sounds to be heard. By the way, wheres this clearing exactly? Have you been walking all this time without knowing?! So, do you know where it is, Magenta? Azalea? Would you be so kind as to provide the answer?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Carmine. I shall leave it to you. Ahem. Uhh, Scarlet, why dont you take the lead. Are yall daft? After Scarlet began leading the way, the clearing quickly came into view. There, the spartoi who had finished their duties gathered together, and at the center there was a towering pile of corpses of the citys residents. Wooow, what a crazy sight. And the stench is intense but it doesnt really bother me all that much. Is it because I became a vampire? Is this really okay? I wonder if Ill be all right around the smell of blood in real life too. She was fine when she smelled her own blood, but if it was anyone elses then nc would immediately feel sick. Its true that with VR medical support, it was possible to treat trauma-induced healthplications using manufactured experiences. However, that kind of service required mountains of paperwork in order to deliver all the waiver information and obtain the necessary consent. That said, nc couldnt say that the super-long terms of service didnt contain all that legalnguage, either, since she just barely skimmed through it herself. Ah, whatever. Anyway, can I assume that all the people here were killed in thest hour? Itll be an hour soon? Then I better hurry. First off, [Mist]. [Mist] was a spell that vampires learned in the [Vampiric Magic] tree. It had been strengthened by the skill that was unlocked after it, [Death Mist], which improved the sess rate and effectiveness of [Necromancy]-type skills cast in the mist. Continuing on, nc cast the [Necromancy] skill. This was something she had also heard from the count, but the soul of a person remained with the body for an hour after they died. If she used [Necromancy] on them during this time, the soul would remain attached to the body, and it would turn into a new undead monster. Once an hour had passed, the soul would leave the body, and using [Necromancy] on it would only give her a weak undead that would die a short time after. Normally, a soul could resist [Necromancy], meaning trying to turn a corpse into an undead while the soul remained wasnt very likely to seed. However, nc had the [Necromancy] trees [Bind Soul] skill, as well as [Death Mist], which boosted the sess rate. For the NPCs of this town, this meant that she was basically guaranteed to get undead from them. Alrighty, I wonder if Ill get em all. But then again, theyll turn into zombies, wont they Man, Id rather have skeletons. Zombies are always really slow, arent they? How about just leaving them here? Theres no need to force them toe along with us. Hmm, maybe. Zombies get a big penalty in the sun, so if we bring them along then they might just die on the way. If that happens, then they would just be resurrected back in this city, so there isnt much difference between bringing them or leaving them. That makes sense. Okay, Ill use [Subordinate] on them all, then leave them here. Ill have them go into their houses when the suns out so that they dont just die for no reason. nc spent quite a lot of time casting [Subordinate] on all the undead. Since they were already zombies anyway, she just let them reincarnate into squire zombies too. Chapter 78: “The Wasteland CoyoTeahouse” All right, if any humanse into town, then kill em, capische? After receiving thismand, some of the zombies started shuffling toward a certain building. Huh? What? Is something wrong? nc looked over and noticed that it was the biggest building facing the clearing. There was a sign hung over the door that read: INN THE WASTELAND COYOTEAHOUSE Gah, thats such a stupid pun! But its an inn Hrmmm. An inn in a city. She couldve sworn there was something important about that. Something she read somewhere. It wasnt in one of the system announcements. She hadnt read the online game manual either. If she remembered correctly Ah, from that socialworking site. Right. I think it said that inns are safe zones for cities. Back when nc had been looking up tips on casting magic, this topic had gotten a pinned thread. The SNS bulletin board topic list only showed each thread title and first post, that was where she read about someone not knowing where to find a safe zone like an inn. While nc was lost in thought, the zombies had barged into the inn. Huh? If its a safe zone, then how can monsters get inside? But once she stopped to think about it, her room in the counts old castle was also a safe zone, but the mormos could barge in at any time. They would even take naps on her bed whenever they wanted. I guess the rules are different if theyre followers. I wonder what would happen if they came across other yers. You cant PvP in safe zones, right? They went into that ce after you ordered them to kill any humans, so wouldnt that mean there are humans inside? I shall inspect the building. Azalea, Carmine, watch the Master. Wait, why did that sound like dont let that kid out of your sight? Leave things to us. Do be careful, Magenta. Magenta elegantly strode into the inn, disappearing from sight. Inside the inn, the zombies had surrounded a human man and were groaning incessantly. What are you doing? You cannot attack? Ahh, perhaps this is that safe zone that the Master spoke of. Theres another one! Huh? A person? Um, are you a yer?! nc sometimes talked about yers, so he must havee from the same ce that she had. Magenta noticed that this person instantly looked relieved upon seeing her face, so she realized that as long as she were also a yer, he should let his guard down. Indeed, thats correct. Are you as well? Oh, Im so d! Ah, outside, what happened outside?! When I got back from grinding XP, the town was being attacked by these red skeletons I got killed right away, and as soon as I revived the inn was already surrounded now even zombies came inside! Why the hell can monsters get into a safe zone?! Well, I can exin. Why dont we go outside first? Dont worry, these zombies wont really do anything to you. While talking, Magenta showed him that she could head outside. The yer-man fearfully skirted around the zombies and followed Magenta out of the inn. Crimson the spartoi was right there waiting and, with a flick of his ws, the mans head went flying. Hey, that guy will respawn in the inn soon. If we wait, helle out again and we can kill him, nc said. What kind of idiot would keep respawning in the same location just to get killed? Yeah, youre right. If spawn camping was no good, then there was no reason to keep standing around here. nc felt like she saw somewhere what would happen if someones safe zone was gone when they respawned, but she couldnt remember where. They probably wouldnt spawn on top of a pile of rubble, though, that was for sure. If she was going to leave zombies in this city, then it would be annoying for enemy yers to keep respawning here. The zombies would also respawn, so the numbers wouldnt change, but as they kept killing each other over and over again, the yers would earn XP and start to get stronger. On her side, though, all the XP they earned was shared, and it didnt make sense to keep powering up these zombies just to deal with the yers. Ah, what if we made a deal with that person to earn unlimited XP? Normally, youd lose 10% of your XP with the death penalty, so kill trading in PvP would only result in a negative XP ie. But since yers didnt lose XP during this event, it was now possible to kill trade. Actually, unrted to the event, it was possible to attempt something simr by having followers kill each other, since they werent affect by the death penalty. However, XP calctions included a use where killing an unresisting hostile target would give no XP, so actually trying to do it was horribly inefficient. By the way, unresisting hostile target meant a character that recognized you as an enemy but still deliberately didnt resist, so it didnt include sneak attacks or traps. Lets figure out if thats possibleter; for now we should think about how we can keep killing this yer to earn more XP And in considering that, I think its clear that just attacking another city would be more profitable. Thinking that sometimes nc wanted to get in on the action, she tried to destroy the inn by casting [Lightning Strike]. Since she couldntpletely level it with just one cast, she had to wait for the cooldown to cast it again. Some minutester, this now became the location of a former inn, and the Coyoteahouse had been forcibly shuttered. Hmm. I thought he wouldve respawned one more time by now, but he didnte out. Maybe he got killed when you blew up the inn? I wonder what happened to him if he did? Or like, seriously, what happens if your respawn point gets destroyed? nc would have to look that upter too. She would be drowning in game-rted homework at this rate. Eh, its fine if I dont know! Okay, you zombies stay here; were off to the next ce! If we stick to the road, we should reach the neighboring town, right? Yes, we should. nc led her forces from the city and onto the road. While traveling, they would periodically see groups of skinny coyotes eyeing them from a distance. When the spartoi saw this, they would gnash their teeth menacingly, and the coyotes would immediately run off somewhere. Hm, they wont attack us. Since the spartoi are clearly stronger, I dont think they would dare attack us with inferior numbers Ah, I guess youre right. On the other hand, if they did attack us anyway, that would mean there might be something we dont know to watch out for. That may well be the case. Some timeter, she saw a human shape on the road, far in the distance. nc was only able to see them with her racial characteristic Night Vision, but she couldnt tell whether they had noticed her group as well or not. A bandit or something, probably. Itd be nice if it was. But as they continued to close the distance without concern, the person immediately ran off after noticing them, and they didnt show up again thereafter. Just like those coyotes. Humans are clever, so of course theyd run. After that, they kept marching onward without encountering anything to fight. Soon, the eastern sky began to lighten, signalling the end of night. Crap, the suns beginning to rise. I gotta put on my mantle. Things turned out exactly the way the count said they would. You will have to thank himter. Shaddap, I know! They kept walking, and before long they made out another city. Wow, thiss horrible timing. Fighting at this hour is kinda What should we do? Hold that thought. We may not have much of a choice. Why not? That city looks like itspletely prepared for battle. I believe they are on guard against us. Seriously?! Perhaps it was that person from earlier. They could have been from this city. Ah True; if any people were in this wastnd, they would most definitely either be already visitors of that city, or nning to go there next. If this was the closest city to where they had seen that person before, then they should have been able to predict this oue. Sure enough Dont you bring up that butler! I wasnt even thinking about him yet!!!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chapter 79: “Daywalker” Anyway, what shall we do? Carmine alwaysshed out in anger to any hint of the butler, but Azalea could at least stay rtively calm about it. nc didnt know how Magenta felt exactly, but at least whenever they all sulked in her bed, she just copied what the other two did. Right, so its gonna be morning soon. I dont think well be able to do the same thing we did before What if you use the XP we earned from wiping out thest town to strengthen yourself, Master? If you can obtain some kind of resistance or countermeasure against sunlight, then a city like that should not be any threat. Oh, good idea, Magenta. Ill do just that! nc told the spartoi to keep an eye on the city from a distance, then opened up her skill window. Since she didnt know what exactly gave resistance to sunlight, she would look for thatter and find ways to improve her forces performance while exposed to the sun for now. In any case, since nc mostly fired magic from far away, strengthening the closebat spartoi made more strategic sense. All that in mind, maybe a buff with a wide area of effect? Is there something like that? In that case, I believe you want to improve your [Vampiric Magic] skills. [Mist] is quite useful, is it not? Ooh. Its got a huge range, and it gives a bonus to undead. Right, since we only have undead on our side, that might be amazing.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om She went into the tree to take a look and saw that she could learn [Magic Mist] and [Mistform]. [Magic Mist] modified [Mist] by increasing the damage of offensive magic cast into the mist. It was basically the attack spell version of [Death Mist]. [Mistform] would let nc turn her body into mist once per day. It went on cooldown as soon as it was cast, and it required twenty-four hours in-game before it could be used again. While it was in effect, her physical body wouldpletely turn into mist, and she would be immune to all physical damage. However, the downsides were that this form took significant extra damage from fire and lightning elemental attacks, and it couldnt resist any wind-type effects that interfered with movement. The effectsted until it was canceled, but she couldnt perform physical attacks or cast offensive magic while transformed, so she needed to have a firm grasp on the state of battle to determine when to keep it active or when to cancel it. Isnt this super great as, like, an emergency way to avoid getting hit? Unless the attack theyre using is something like a Lightning sh or something, then Id just get instakilled. But since nc mainly had magical attacks, [Magic Mist] was perfect for her. She decided to learn both skills. Hmm, nothing new is showing up Maybe different skills had something useful show up, or maybe if you learn other skills then more will be unlocked here. Oh right Hm Ah, I have a new one called [Dark Magic]! nc had focused almost entirely on earning XP and strengthening her followers, so she had barely checked her own skill window. She had no idea when this might have been added to her avable list. There must have been some kind of trigger, right? Ah, whatever. I bet this would probably have [Light Resistance] in it. The different magic elements had various resistance skills for other elements in their skill trees. For instance, [Fire Magic] contained the [Ice Resistance] skill. The rest of the elements were as follows:
  • [Earth Magic] had [Lightning Resistance]
  • [Water Magic] had [Fire Resistance]
  • [Ice Magic] had [Earth Resistance]
  • [Lightning Magic] had [Wind Resistance]
  • [Wind Magic] had [Water Resistance]
After taking four skills in [Dark Magic], nc finally got her hands on the [Light Resistance] skill she wanted. Arent there, like, a lot of support effects? Like this [Dark Curtain], it makes it darker around you, whats the point of that? If you use it during the day, I think it would probably reduce the effect of sunlight. Ohh, I see. And if I use it together with [Mist], maybe I can make conditions better for myself whenever I want. In other words, she was now perfectly equipped for midday battles. The early morning sun shone from far off in the distance, and a gentle wind blew by. However, with the [Light Resistance] skill, nc was taking no damage. She had a feeling that it was difficult for her to gather her strength, but that wasnt something she could do anything about right now. Looking at the spartoi, despite not having [Light Resistance] themselves, it didnt seem like they were taking any damage from sunlight either. Considering the idea that as her status increased, she would reduce the negative effects rted to any character demerits, nc thought that maybe she could getplete resistance to sunlight if she kept strengthening herself. I wonder if Im bing more like that daymonger thing that the count mentioned? I think you mean Daywalker. Vampires that can walk around in the day. A daymonger would be someone who loves the sun so much they went crazy, and now they run around preaching about it. I dont think you woulde to like daytime that much just from getting a little resistance to sunlight, would you? Excess hatred begets love a hundredfold,[1] was it? Although the saying Ive heard is the opposite. Stop teaming up to make fun of me! I just misspoke a little bit! Somehow or another, she now had the choice of operating during the day. However, nothing had changed about the fact that her minions were much weakerpared to at night. Anyway, moving on. Last time, the spartoi wiped out the city all by themselves, but now its daytime and they already know were here, so I dont think things will go quite as smoothly as before. The people in the city warily observed ncs group, but since she was keeping her distance, it didnt seem like they were nning to take any particr action yet. However, the sun was still rising, so it was possible that once the sun was at its peak, they wouldunch an offensive while her side was at its weakest. Whatever the case, it was unlikely that they would just aimlessly wait like this until night fell. Okey doke, lets get just a little bit closer, then Ill use [Dark Curtain] and [Magic Mist] to st them with a bunch of spells! Once I break their formation, the spartoi will charge! Be careful not to get hurt as we approach them, otherwise it seems a good n. As far as I can see, they dont seem to have a way to attack us at range. If they fire magic back in response, the three of us shall endeavor to cancel out their spells, so please rest easy. None of the soldiers seem to have any bows either. If they didnt have any bows and arrows, then perhaps none of the residents in that city were hunters. But this area didnt seem to have any animals other than coyotes and rats, so maybe it just wasnt suitable for hunting. Which meant that they must mainly get fish from the river. Other than that, she also saw fields of corn or wheat, as well as rows of palm trees. Well, none of us need their food anyway, so it doesnt really matter I guess. It would kind of annoy me if theyre just gonna rebuild againter, like theyre gonna undo all of our hard work, so lets just burn those palm tree things and their fields and everything! I believe those are date palms and barley, for the record. Youre so smart, Magenta! There is a library in the counts castle. They only resemble the pictures I had seen, but given the local climate and their present living conditions, I believe I am correct. Well done, Magenta. Master, that means that we can assume those fields are the citys lifeline. Therefore, if you were to use magic to set them on fire, wouldnt the humanse out, desperate to put it out? Just the kind of thing Id expect from nasty queen Carmine! Lets do that! Oh no, I do not particrly enjoy being cruel I just determined it to be the most rational course of action. All right, lets keep going toward the city, but casually inch toward the fields so that they dont notice. Once were close enough to the fields, umm, [Hellme] should be fine, right? Even as ncs forces crept closer, the citys guards didnt react in any substantive way. The spartoi walked straight toward the city, but nc and the three mormos nonchntly shifted within the formation so that they would be closer to the fields. After getting a little closer, she could see that the front line of soldiers, the ones watching ncs group, was restless and fidgeting nervously. [1]: äƿɐۤٱ. Themonly known phrase is its reverse, as mentioned in the chapter, ɐۤäٱ. This phrase means roughly the greatest love can turn into the deepest hate. Chapter 80: “Caught in a Burning Barley Field” ncs group kept approaching the city, but there were no other major movements on either side. The group of red skeletons should have been in in sight from the city by now, but both sides must have determined that as long as they didnt meet then no fighting would break out. However, ncs group had more than just skeletons. Ah, were close enough. [Mist], [Dark Curtain]. Without a sound, mist and darkness exploded out of nc. Rather than true darkness, though, it was more like dimming the lights. Since the sun was still rising, when it expanded together with the mist, the [Dark Curtain] severely hindered visibility. Isnt this totally amazing? If I use it at night, I bet no one would be able to see anything, but actually, theres no point in making things dimmer at night Its good that you noticed that on your own. At least it was an effective skill for right now. The human defenders had started moving about frantically as soon as the mist suddenly appeared. But youre toote! [Hellme]! Searing mes instantly billowed out, as though the mist itself had caught on fire, and tongues of fire ignited the barley fields. Thats so cool! Its like the mist itself caught on fire! However, the mist just improved the effects of magic, it didnt actually ignite on fire. Thats why only the area she targeted, the fields, burned up, while the fire didnt touch the spartoi who were also within the mist. When they saw the field going up in mes, the citys defenders ran about in a panic. The man she thought was themander yelled something, and she saw some of the other guards gather around him. Ahaha! You know, Im so happy everything went exactly as nned! Thats because things rarely go as nned. All right! Chaaarge!!! All of the spartoi ran toward the city at ncsmand. On the other hand, the human guards were inplete disarray. Some were heading to extinguish the burning fields, some shrank back at the iing spartoi, and some werepletely failing to rally everyone to focus on the same objective. However, none of that made any difference to the spartoi. They simply charged at the city as fast as they could. From here, I think I can just barely reach the edge of the city with one of my spells. I shall provide support, Azalea said as crystals of ice gathered before her chest to form an arrow. She was casting [Ice Bullet]. Itunched forward in a straight line, between all the spartoi, to stab into the ground right at the frontmost guards feet. It came up short. Azalea sighed. That was on purpose. It was a ranging shot. After seeing that, Carmine and Magenta advanced a number of steps toward the city, then fired their own [Ice Bullets]. This time, they were bullseyes, and two guards fell to the dirt. Seeing the dead bodies in their midsts, the groups panic reached its apex, and some of them began to flee into the city. This area was far from monster territory, so the only threats the city ever got around here were wild animals or small monsters that werent very dangerous. These people may have been part of the city guard, but they had probably never experienced a situation where their lives were on the line before. While the city was right on the highway, it never got attacked by bandits. Even presuming there was anything worth stealing, this region wasnt friendly enough for thieves to steal something then survive on their own outside of the city. In exchange for how poor it was, it gained peace. That endedst night, though. Even though those people escaped into the city, all they changed was the order of death; they all would still be dying today. The mormos let them go and focused on sniping the guards in the front lines who hadnt lost their will to fight. Meanwhile, the spartoi finally reached the guard squad. Since they expected a melee to break out, the mormos stopped their sniping. Master, how are the fields looking? Lookin good. The barley fields have now be burned fields! Im sure theyll have a huge harvest of ashes next year, even without anyone to nt seeds! sh-and-burn fields are indeed a type of shifting cultivation, unsuitable for farming that relies on rich soiling from being near a river. Is that also from one of the counts books? Yes. Whenever nc didnt know about something, she would just ask Magenta, since it felt like she would always get an answer to anything she wanted to know. The charging spartoi mercilessly cut down the guards. Most of them wore leather armor or padded clothing, and only themander-looking guy from before had metal armor. Against the spartois ws and fangs, however, they may as well have been naked. Speaking of themander, he had been trying to fall back to the rear, but a bunch of guards were trying to move toward the burning barley fields, so he was having a hard time of it. Which meant that no one was giving orders at the moment.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Although were just too strong for them to make up the difference with leadership and strategy. Yeah Im happy that things are going well for once, but doesnt this feel like were still just winning by force? The spartoi havent taken any damage at all from the guards even though theyre weak from the sunlight. Rather than things going as nned, the humans are just far too weak. While our forces are indeed weakened while it is not night, they are still more capable than the average human, Carmine answered. Hmmm All right, so next time, what if the spartoi ran in first, then if things look bad I use [Mist] and stuff to support them? If things still look bad after that, then everyone starts shooting magic too. I do not really rmend staggering our offense in that manner If you would like to try fighting in that manner, first have the spartoi charge, then, whether or not it seeds, they will need to recover from the attack, so we follow up with spells topletely break down their posture. Does this n sound better? The tactic that Master suggested was to merely split our offense into turns, but what Azalea said has much more strategic value as a saturation attack. Oh, I see now So wait. Arent you guys like my kids? Youre super duper smart, though. Statswise, we have the same INT though or more like if we only look at INT, mine should be higher. nc responded in kind of a dejected way, but the mormos noses twitched in delight. She wasnt sure which part exactly had made them so happy. Eh, anyway, its good that things are going well here. Once things are under control, well do the same thing we did in thest Well, if we do that, the zombies will just die right away. Well first wait until it gets dark, zombify everyone with [Necromancy], then toss them back into their houses. Not sure why links are causing weird spacing issues, so Ill move them down here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sh-and-burn Chapter 81: “The Prime Minister’s Office” The door was a masterpiece crafted by four well-known craftsmen; it was extremely solid, expensive, stately, and Hiers ebony-made. There was a knock on said door, after which it immediately opened. I have an urgent report!!! For someone entering the office of a countrys prime minister, there was a distinctck of decorum. However, anyone who had enough authority to enter this area of the royal castle should have been well aware of the expected etiquette. Said rude party imed he had an urgent report to give. The prime minister of the Kingdom of Hiers, Marquess Dous OConnell, unconsciously stiffened at the prospect of dire news. PPlease forgive me, if you are preupied with more pressing matters Its fine. If its so urgent, then out with it. What happened? The news would prove to be shocking for Prime Minister OConnell, widely known for his sharp mind. Yes sir! Every region across the kingdom is reporting hordes of monsters flooding out of the monster territories and assaulting our cities! What?! Monsters leaving the monster territories. That in and of itself wasnt a rare urrence. Monsters were just another form of life that inhabited this world. If their poptions grew toorge for their habitats, then some would leave their territories for the outside world in order to sustain their livelihoodsto put it bluntly, they would invade other areas in order to expand their territory. This had happened many times before, and specialized organizations were established on the borders in order to watch for those signs. However, the prime minister had not received any recent reports about such activities from the border cities. Without any indicationmonsters suddenly began to overflow Impossible. On hearing the more detailed report, he learned that the monsters abruptly descended on the cities near the border, engaging with the local garrisoned forces. The monsters had already breached the walls in a number of cities, causing damage to the town and killing residents. The castle had received pleas for help, but they were unable to send reinforcements; the kingdoms troops had been organized into a subjugation army in response to the new cmity that had appeared to the east, and that army had already departed. Which meant that every border city had to rely solely on their stationed troops to deal with the monster attacks. I would have liked to have absorbed all the armed forces in every region into the subjugation army, but Organizing the expedition was so hectic that we were unable to get that done, but it seems that failure turned out for the better Another person barged into the room out of nowhere, this time without knocking. I have a report! Stand down! I am currently in the middle of My deepest apologies! I was ordered to deliver thesest words from our guard squad! Last words?! Where did you The citadel cities of Erfahren and Lourdes have fallen! Impossible Dous gasped. He was d he didnt ruin his dignity by crying out disgracefully, but in fact, that was only because the news was just so shocking that he had forgotten to breathe. The patriarch had been the one to bring news about the aforementioned new cmity, and Erfahren was the city closest to where it could be found. The subjugation army was currently on their way there. Normally, there would have been a ceremony revealing the formation of this army, and they would have held a parade to raise the soldiers morale and inform the citizens of what they were off to fight. However, since the cmity had just been born, they skipped those events and sortied right away before it could mature. With a preeminent focus on speed, logistics werent considered at all, so they intended to supply themselves on the road bymandeering supplies from the cities they passed on the march. This was a drastic decision that could only be made because they were marching entirely within the kingdom. They didnt make it in time So its powerful enough to destroy a city already Wait a minute, Lourdes? Where is that again? While he was the prime minister, Dous didnt have a good enough memory to instantly remember where exactly every citadel city was along the border. Sir, it is a border city that is near Treu Foresta monster territory that is moremonly known as the Forest of No Return. I remember now. The city was constructed without issue, but no one who entered that forest ever returned, so it was too dangerous for the town to expand. It somehow got by on monitoring the region and acting as a ry point for Erfahren and other cities Its not possible! After taking Erfahren, it went ahead to Lourdes as well?! If so, then this beast was frighteningly fast. While the kingdom was busy nning the army expedition, Erfahren had already been destroyed. If that wasnt the case, then Dous should have received word sooner. All the border cities had carrier pigeons and trained messengers; in times of emergency, they knew it was their duty to send word, and they had many different methods avable to them. No, thats not From what I could gather, Erfahren was assaulted by a huge army of ants and wasps, while Lourdes was beset by a giant army of treants Both cities seem to have fallen around the same time. Knowing that they reportedly went down at the same time made a certain amount of sense. Word of each of their destructions arrived at approximately the same time. While Lourdes was a little bit closer to the capital than Erfahren was on the highways, they were more or less the same distance away in a straight line. If both cities sent out pigeons at the same time, then both birds could have arrived here at the same time. Sothere might be two separate forces, then ording to the patriarchs oracle, there should have only been one catastrophe. What else could have happened? By chance, a threat to humanity emerged at the same time as another disaster-level monster capable of destroying a city? That would be too much of a coincidence. Something ridiculous like that cant possibly But the prime minister had no answers. The n had been to use Erfahren as a base from which to subdue the Great Liebe Forest, but they had already encountered a huge setback. Dous cradled his head in his arms. Early the next morning, Dous was already at his desk. Though already should instead be always since he was still there from the night before. Requests for aid hade from every region of the kingdom, so he had to write letters informing them that those requests could not be fulfilled. At the same time, he worried over how to tell the subjugation army that Erfahren had already been destroyed. Reporting in! Once again he was faced with sudden intrusions. What is it now? I cant believe this is happening so early this morning Weve just received word that the town of Alto Riva has been lost! What?! The prime minister desperatelybed his memory. Was there a border city with that name? He stood up, knocking over his chair, and went to stare at the map on the wall. ItIts over here. The official who delivered the report pointed at a spot on the map. Thats Thats noton the border at all!!! It was technically on the edge of the kingdomsnds, but this was the region bordered by the hignds known by the name A Buon Mercato. ording to legend, there was an old castle far above in those hignds, but since no people lived up there it had turned into monster territory. Either way, the cliffs couldnt be scaled, so the hignds had always been considered the equivalent of a giant wall. On the other side there was the neighboring Kingdom of Welthe, but the hignds prevented any meaningful trade from taking ce between the countries. The city of Alto Riva was built along the Fiume il Confine, the border river that came from the hignds, which gave them fertile soil, allowing them to grow crops like barley. The lord collected a barley tax on the residents, which was sold to other towns, allowing Alto Riva to sustain itself. There werent any dangerous monster threats in the vicinity, but the city was also rather poor, so they didnt really get any bandits. Why would such a peaceful city? The message came from a pigeon from the neighboring town of Ernstthal, and it says that a guard who escaped from Alto Vista ims that the city came under assault from an army of skeletons In addition, he reported that this army came from the direction of Verde Sud It cant be That would mean this skeleton army has already destroyed two cities!!! What the zes was happening? Monsters were appearing all over the kingdoms borders. In a single day, they had already lost four cities. And the only forces they had for defense had been mostly assigned to the army which was on its way to deal with the catastrophe.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Dous wondered if it was a blessing in disguise that said force was already headed in the direction of Lourdes and Erfahren. I wonder how the subjugation army fares. We should be receiving regr updates from them. Considering how much time has passed since they departed, I believe they should be passing through La Colline either today or tomorrow La Colline was an important transit hub for the kingdom. Travelers were able to head in the direction of both Lourdes and Alto Riva from there. From theirstmuniqu, the army should not have arrived at La Colline yet. The city had a special pigeon house; after they arrived, they would have to send their pigeons outside of the regrly scheduled pigeon flights. It would be no exaggeration to say that this army carried the fate of the kingdomno, the fate of the entire continent on its shoulders. Hiers hadnt requested aid from other countries yet, but they did have official emissaries. Pigeons couldnt be sent to other countries, so the only way to get someone there would be by horse, but it was unclear whether their neighbors already knew about what was happening in Hiers yet or not. Basically, the kingdom had to deal with the threat on its own for now. Unfortunately, for the residents of the destroyed cities of Alto Riva and Verde Sud, they dont produce anything essential, and the governing lords arent from influential noble families. So, that region would have to be abandoned for the time being, then, once the main threat was subdued, they could go back and reim it. So the subjugation armyshould just continue as nned to the Great Liebe Forest, I suppose. They can take a detour around Lourdes, which should keep them away from the Forest of No Return as well. I believe the road around there should have beenid to avoid that forest already. The city of Erfahren wasdestroyed, but how much is still standing? If they can take it back from the monsters and it can be used as a temporary military base, then maybe In any case, since the armys current location was unknown, they couldnt send out a pigeon to them. Dous didnt know when they would reach La Colline, so while waiting to find out, all he could do waspose a letter with all the information that needed to be shared with them. I have a report to make! For the first time in a while, someone exercised all the proper etiquette while also knocking before entering. This was, after all, the prime ministers room deep inside the kingdoms castle. There were procedures to be followed. The subjugation army has informed us that they have reached La Colline! Dous was relieved that the report didnt lead off with the destruction of yet another city. I see. Then I shallpose a letter with information and their next set of orders What? Is there something else? Yes sir! The report also says that they will make contact with the enemy shortly! Ma-Make contact? Meaning the enemy is already there?! How?! If they went out of their way to let us know they would engage an enemy, then it must not be the typical monsters or bandits Right, sir! It says that there areswarms of wasps carrying ants. Chapter 82: “What Should Be Protected” <> <> <> What?! When Wayne opened his eyes, there was an empty wastnd before him. The sun had nearly set, though, so in the fading sunlight he couldnt tell if this area was all wastnd or not. Overhead, a sea of stars twinkled around a full moon. Even after the sun waspletely gone, it wouldnt be pitch ck. I died which is fine. Well, its not fine, but well, not much I can do about it. If my spawn point couldnt be found, that means Waynes respawn point was set to that rundown Erfahren inn, meaning it must have been destroyed. Ever since the officialunch, he couldnt remember ever logging out anywhere else. And since he had no other possible spawn points, he was forced to randomly respawn at one of the starting spawn points. Which meant that, even if he didnt know exactly where he was, this wastnd should at least be in the Kingdom of Hiers. While this event was centered around monsters attacking various border cities, it had still only been one day since the event began. It seemed highly unlikely for every possible starting spawn point in Hiers to have been rendered unusable in such a short amount of time. So, since Wayne chose Hiers as his starting area, the game should have chosen from the avable options within Hiers. Normally, it was impossible for starting spawn points to be unusable. If the inn was no longer avable, Wayne should have respawned back in that prairie outside the city. However, during that update after the officialunch, the starting spawn points were adjusted in order to lower the difficulty level for new yers. ording to the game website, it was no longer possible to get a starting area that would be considered hard. Since Wayne didnt respawn at the prairie, that meant that the prairie had been designated a high-difficulty zone. So it must have been taken over by monsters, by those scary ants. It was nice to know that newbies couldnt be spawn camped at one of the starting areas, but being transported to who knows where in the middle of an event was a pain in the ass. That said, at Waynes level, he wouldnt have been able to survive more than a few minutes if he had respawned in that ant-infested prairie. Nah, itd probably be the same for anyone Those monsters never showed up in the forest. If it were Rare or someone else who had been grinding in the forest, maybe they could survive. Rare said she would be PKing yers within that forest. Even if she was a PKer, though, she wouldnt just ignore the monsters. So when she wasnt hunting yers, she should have been grinding monsters. Maybe Rare could easily farm monsters like those ants. Groups of those scary-ass ants. It felt like she should be at least that strong. Strong enough to put up a good fight against a force capable of destroying an entire city. Dammit, I still cant reach her. But she cant farm XP like that forever. The more XP you used, the harder it became to earn more XP. Thats why most yers would steadily change where they farmed as they progressed. If she kept hunting in the same ce, no matter how many people she PKed, someone would eventually overtake her. No, he had to stop thinking about Rare. What was more important was his current situation. The ces that were safe in Hiers were far from monster territory. Aside from the event causing monsters to flow out from monster territories, any starting spawn point should now naturally be safe. But since there was an event right now, that was a huge disadvantage. Since there was no XP penalty from dying, some might think that this was a big bonus stage where you could keep fighting forever without worrying about dying. However, they were wrong. If you die, then obviously you have to respawn. And if you lose your respawn point, then you end up like Wayne did. He was toote to realize it. What the human side should have been protecting were not the cities themselves or the NPCs, but the inns. No, that was also incorrect. NPCs couldnt respawn when they died. It was the right choice to protect them. Maybe because he had been thinking of Rare, his thoughts had begun to depart from the idea of valuing human life. He really needed to watch himself. In any case, since Wayne was unable to protect either of them anyway, he was still too weak. The event wasnt over yet. Even if he had gotten transported to some remote, backwater ce, there were still nine days left to go. He should still be able to do something. But for now, he would have to start with walking. Since there were no visiblendmarks in this wastnd, Wayne didnt know where he should be going. There could have been some city in the far distance, but in this darkness he wouldnt be able to tell at all. But there was nothing to be gained in worrying about it either. If he ended up choosing the wrong direction and found himself going away from where he wanted to be, he could just die and bet on randomly respawning somewhere better. There wasnt any permanent penalty to dying during the event, after all. He could just keep dying until he hit a jackpot. That was his n: Respawn Roulette. After picking a direction at random, Wayne set off. He first wanted to find a road. Starting spawn points were always near a city. And if there was a city nearby, then there had to be a road as well. Wayne kept plodding forward while fending off the coyotes that asionally attacked him. Without the sun to light his way, Wayne relied on the full moon and the stars. After walking for a while, the sound of his own footsteps changed. He had found one. A road. Im finally on a road. Now I just need to decide which way to go down it He stood in the middle of the road thinking. Then he realized that he could make out the faint sound of running water.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Is there a river near here? That means this road might travel along that river. So my options are to go upstream or downstream now I feel likegoing downstream gives me a higher chance of finding someones house. He didnt really have any basis to believe that. Although everything hed done so far was without basis anyway. For now, Ill go find the river and see which way it! Footsteps. Lots of them. Wayne strained his eyes, staring into the darkness; a group of somethings wasing down the road. He stood there observing them for a while, but they kept oning, giving no indication of whether they noticed he was there or not. As soon as he was finally able to make out their silhouettes, Wayne also reflexively started running in the opposite direction away from them. It was a group of skeletons. They had a pretty dark color, but not one meant for blending into the darkness. They mightve been a reddish color or something. However, he couldnt exactly turn around to check now. Those were bad news. Wayne couldnt possibly beat them. It would be fine if he died here and got to y Respawn Roulette, but he didnt want to die either. If he was going to die, then it would be more efficient if he could take something down with him and earn even a little more XP. If he kept going down this road, he shoulde across a city. He would inform them of the skeletons, help them prepare their defenses, then wait until morning to intercept them. If he had a city backing him up, then it was possible for them to emerge victorious. If any of the skeletons gave chase, Wayne wouldnt be able to outrun them. They couldnt incur the Fatigued status, after all. Fortunately, perhaps because they had no interest in him, he didnt get the sense anything hade after him. He didnt know how far it was to the city, but Wayne was resolved to keep running throughout the night. TL note: Went back and made a few adjustments to chapter 78 when I realized this chapter was linked to it :X Its a problem with Japanese frequently being ambiguous with gender and number, so sometimes I have to just pick then find outter I picked wrong D: Chapter 83: “The City of La Colline” It had been eight days since they had departed from the capital. Now, they could finally see La Colline in the distance. They left the campsite at sunrise, very early in the day. Nine days ago, the notice suddenly came to form an expedition force, and those who normally would be too young as well as those who had already finished their service were forcefully conscripted. Where they were going to be dispatched was a mystery; all anyone knew was that the kingdoms officials determined that those in active service wouldnt be sufficient. What exactly were these soldiers being tasked to fight? As far as the majority of the kingdoms citizens knew, there had never been a war on this continent. The troops had simply been gathered together and supplied with arms with no idea of where they were going or what they would be facing. It made no sense. Without knowing where they were going, they couldnt n a march. That also meant they couldnt prepare a supply train, not that the kingdom had provided any means of transportation or supplies. After being rushed to finish preparing without really knowing what was going on, once they were finally ready to leave the capital, a knight from the royal guard tasked with the direct protection of the royal family finally got in touch with themander, an individual who outranked even a centurion, that this force wasnt going on an expedition but a subjugation, and also informed him what their target was. A threat to humanity.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om There was nearly no information about this catastrophe. It was apparently spreading its evil influence in the Great Liebe Forest next to the city of Erfahren. This information came from the patriarch of the Holy Church of Hiers, so it was reliable. Speaking of the church, apparently the bishops had received an oracle from God. Even among them, though, the patriarch was given more detailed information, and with regards to this expedition, he was the only one who had been told where the catastrophe could be found. When they had learned all of this, themander and the other officers fell into despair. A catastrophe was not something that humans could defeat. They were akin to natural disasters; even the angels from the sky castle that would appear suddenly every so often were powerful enough that even ten men may not be able to prevail against one. The actual catastrophic being was purported to be the archangel who led the angels, but there had never been any witness ounts to his existence in history. Rumors abounded that any who met him ended up dead, without exception. This army was tasked with vanquishing such a catastrophe. No matter how many soldiers they had, they could never aplish something like that. The leaders of the kingdom should have known this. So then why was this n approved? Then the knight from the royal guard disclosed another thing to themander and the officers. This catastrophe had onlye into being very recently, so it should be nowhere near as mature as the catastrophes found on other continents. Therefore, if they attacked it now, they might be able to defeat it. Might Thats not very convincing I know, Ipletely understand. But, we also cant just ignore it. This catastrophe was born in our kingdomsnds, after all. Its as if the sky castle suddenlynded in the corner of the courtyard. If you think about how we might have to live with the threat of the catastrophe hovering over our heads every day, versus betting on a possibility, we must attempt to kill it. Sir royal knight, I understand. I really do, but Commander, the subjugation army has already been formed and is about to depart. The die has already been cast. The present situation came about from the influence of an ungodly number of nobles. Even if you run away and try not to fight Theres no ce for me in the kingdom anymore, is there In that case, we should at least keep this from the soldiers, just let them believe were going to the forest to cull some monsters Certainly, that was our n from the start. Thats why I only informed the leadership. At this point, there was nothing else that could be done. And if thats how it was going to be, then all they could do was grit their teeth and hope for the best. Above all else, there was no way that themander and the officers could appear weakhearted in front of the soldiers. On the road, they faced no issues or obstacles, and they even made better time than expected toward the conclusion of the journey. Since they had prioritized speed above all else, they set off with barely any rations or other provisions. They relied almost entirely on resupplying at every town along the way; normally, such an army couldnt expect a warm reception, but the reactions were unexpectedly subdued. Of course, orders hade down from the capital to these towns beforehand, but what the hell did they say to convince them to be this amodating? They took the shortest route to their destination, which meant they stopped by various border cities situated near monster territories. Even when traveling on the highways, when there were so many humans so close to monster territory, monsters would observe them and sometimes try to make a pass. Even if those encounters ended up as nothing more than light scuffles with no casualties on any sides, between the personnel and safety checks that had to be performed every time, time could still easily be eaten away. However, this march had none of that. It was as though the monsters had more important things to do. Things were so unnaturally quiet that they felt it had to be some kind of ill omen, and themander was ovee with a sense of dread. Well, its good that things are going as nned. Right now, all I want is to reach our destination even one second faster. The only thing on my mind is finishing this mission. All of a sudden, there was some kind ofmotion at the front of the formation. Those in the lead had spotted La Colline. After passing through here, their next stop would be the Lourdes, on the border. Beyond that was their final destination: Erfahren, and then the Great Liebe Forest. There were no monster territories near La Colline, and it was also an important traffic hub, so it didnt have a city wall. The city was built on slightly elevatednd, and it positively glowed as they saw it spread out before them. Even without a city wall, its size rivaled the capital, and its energy far surpassed it. For the soldiers who were seeing it for the first time, their excitement was understandable. One of the centurions, who was supposed to be in charge of the leading squad, ran back to themander. If it was just to report that they had arrived at the city, it should have been fine to send a messenger. This wasnt a job the squad leader had to personally perform. What is it? Sir! We will be arriving at La Colline shortly! However, look, up in the sky On horseback, themander had only been paying attention to the ranks and files of soldiers who were below his line of sight, so he then looked up for the first time. Far in the distance, he saw La Colline sitting atop a small hill, and the foremost of the subjugation army about to enter the city. This was unchanged from before. The problem was above that. Beyond La Colline, it appeared as though a dark cloud was approaching the city. No, it was too coarse to be a cloud; it was more like a bunch of grains that were steadily growingrger. What the hell are those? We arent sure, but it would be best to hurry up and get inside the city as soon as possible. The centurions suggestion was sound. No matter what they were and whether or not they had to be dealt with, now that the army was here, they had to consult with the city lord. If those things were the catastrophe or monsters rted to it, then it wouldnt only be La Collines problem. It would be a problem the subjugation army would have to solve. Although if that were the case, it would mean that the catastrophe had already left the great forest, and the subjugation armys chances of victory would have dropped to nearly zero. Youre absolutely right. Have all the troops march double-timeget them into that city. Within La Colline, which was normally bustling with activity, all had fallen silent. Normally, it wouldnt have been odd for the morning market to still be open at this time. But now, the residents were holed up in their homes, anxiously looking outside through their windows. Seeing their expressions of relief when they spotted the subjugation army was a source offort. They were all worried about the skies to the east, though. After getting into the city, they were able to identify the strange cloud. It was actually a swarm of wasps carrying ants. Even though they were still far away, they were sorge that it was possible to make out their shapes. Their sizes were so different from the wasps that themander was familiar with that the longer he stared at them, the more he felt his sense of distance warp. He wondered if they wereing to La Colline, but apparently they had stopped in midair a certain distance away from the city. From a different point of view, he thought that maybe they were waiting for something. First, inform the city lord of our arrival. Then send a pigeon to the prime minister as nned. In the message, mention that we will be making contact with a swarm of giant wasps carrying giant ants, and that we seek the prime ministers guidance. The wasps were flying in from the eastern skies. In their original n, they were to rest for one day at La Colline, camp outside the city for a night, then head for Lourdes the next day. However, it would be extremely difficult to recuperate in the city or camp at night with that huge swarm of monsters hovering over their heads, not to mention that Lourdes was east of here. He didnt know if they could just march underneath the wasps without instigating them. In any case, it would take a few hours for the pigeon to return. Though the army arrived earlier than nned, once the bird did return, the sun would be up. They couldnt expect the enemy to just wait patiently until it did. They had sent their report, but chances were the situation would require immediate action before they received direction from the prime minister. The soldiers were clearly worried, but this army was originally put together to defeat a catastrophe. Since the only catastrophe the Kingdom of Hiers had ever faced were the angels, many soldiers had received training on how to fight enemies who came from above. The conscripted youths hadnt received any training yet, but they were paired with the veterans who had already retired from service. This group could both follow orderspetently and function as a support team. All along, though, the mainbat force would be the soldiers in active service; this operation required precise coordination, so even the veterans had to be excluded since they hadnt trained regrly with the rest of the troops. Most angels engage in hand-to-handbat without a second thought. Facing them would be soldiers experienced in coordination. Were facing wasps and ants, but the fact that well have to fight them in melees makes them no different from angels. If there are only that many enemies, we should be able to fend them off. None of this generation of soldiers had any first-hand experience fighting angels, but since they were trained ording to their historical records, that should minimize the amount of losses. It was self-evident that the training methodology was very effective. Themander left the support team in the city while ordering the deployment of all active-service soldiers to attack squads to the east of La Colline. They were ordered to be careful not to incite the enemy by straying too far from the city, though. As the centurions set off, the messenger returned from the city lords mansion. The lord wanted to meet, it seemed. Themander left his adjutant in charge then left for the lords mansion. It was fine. There shouldnt be any problems. Chapter 84: “The Rubble of La Colline” Im grateful that youvee. Please, have a seat. After introducing himself at the lords mansion, themander was brought to a reception room. While he had at least removed his helmet, he was offered a sofa while he still wore his armor. He wasnt even asked to hand over his sword. This would normally be a severe breach of protocol. Please leave us. If I need anything, I shall ring the bell. Otherwise, no one is toe near this room. The lord cleared the room, then had a knight stand guard outside the door. He may have been the armymander, but it was unheard of for a noble to speak alone with a military man who had no noble blood. Youve seen them, havent you,mander? Those insects hovering in the eastern skies. Do you believe they have something to do with the catastrophe? Ah, theres no need to be on guard with me. Ive heard the news from the capital about its birth. Themander let out a sigh of relief. It would have been difficult to discuss the handling of those monsters without being able to touch on the topic of the catastrophe. Based on the prime ministers response, he may have to abandon this city in order to focus on defeating the catastrophe first. He didnt know whether the lord would agree with that decision, but being able to share information freely was a huge boon. If they are unrted to the catastrophe, then your forces will have to prioritize the catastrophe over my city. Am I wrong? I cant say anything for certain yet. At present, I have ryed the situation here at La Colline to the prime minister, and now I am waiting for his orders.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om I see Regardless, I am thankful. Given your position, Im sure you would like nothing more than to pass right through here and get to Erfahren even one second faster. Not at all, this is simply the situation. We only do what we must My apologies While things were quiet right now, themander had visited this city before in the past, and he had felt that it was both a peaceful town and also full of energy. It was far from monster territory, and it was located at the intersection of many roads, which meant that it was easy to start a business. However, none of that had exined how bright its residents were. No matter how ideal the location was, if those in power were greedy or tyrannical, the people could never have smiled the way they did. He felt it again when seeing the lords mansion. Although this would be his first time meeting directly with this particr lord, he noticed that the size of the estate was far smaller and the number of knights on guard far fewer than what he would expect of a typical local lord. The number of servants appeared to beparable, but there should have been many more knights. Were those knights off on some errand, then? In all likelihood, they were out patrolling the city, helping to assuage the citizens fears, and monitoring the status of the monsters. Themander hade to the mansion immediately when he was summoned, but if he had dyed, perhaps he would have seen those knights cooperating with his men. Themander wished to cooperate as much as possible with this lord within the limits of the authority he had been granted. Prime Minister OConnell wasnt a particrly close-minded person, but he was responsible for the health and interests of the entire kingdom. If it came down to it, he could be forced to abandon this region in order to safeguard the country. Themander himself was not just a soldier but a general tasked with defending thend. If the prime minister made that decision for the countrys sake, he would follow his orders withoutint, resolutely turning his back on this city in order to aplish the mission. And the lord understood all of this as well. I know you and your men must be exhausted from the long journey, and we would like to show our appreciation for your efforts, but the situation wont allow it. This is La Collines greatest shame. No, please, you neednt lower your head to me. As you said, the situation is what it is Suddenly, a clear knock came on the door. Since it almost sounded like a door knocker, it must have been one of the knights using the back of their gauntleted fist. The knight had been told not to let anyone through, but he was now deliberately interrupting them. Themander and the lord exchanged nces. Whats wrong? Did you need something? Sir! Weve spotted a messenger from the expedition army. There may be an emergency for theman Right then, a dull sound rumbled through the mansion, almost like a bolt of lightning had crashed down far away. More unidentifiable noises sounded intermittently, giving rise to a feeling of uneasiness. What was that?! What happened?! The door promptly opened apanied by a panicked shout. Pardon me! Commander! The wasps have begun to move! Which meant whatever those sounds were, they had provoked the wasps. What could have produced those noises? My deepest apologies, my lord. I must go out to the city. Im sorry; were counting on you! My knights are also out there, and they will cooperate to follow your orders! Use them as you need! You have my thanks! Until we meet again! After leaving the mansion, the noises became much louder. He could see smoke rising into the sky from the east. He wanted to hurry over there as soon as possible, but all the citizens running around panicked made that nearly impossible. Themander somehow pushed his way through the crowds and ran through the city, noticing that there were people other than screaming residents mixed into the confusion. They were members of his army. The youngest soldiers. They were on the support team, and these ones had been stationed in the eastern side of the city. It exasperated him that they werent helping the people around them, but they had never received any formal training either. Until very recently, he could have also expected them to have been caught up in this panic. Hey! Whats going on?! he yelled at a soldier he was able to catch. A-Ants, sir! The ants are shooting rocks Ants? The ones the wasps were carrying?! Yeah, those ones! Those ants fire ck rocks that suddenly explode at the city fire Right, the wasps were carrying ants. He had frivolously thought that they had attacked some ant nest somewhere and taken ants as prizes. He didnt really think about what the rtion between the ants and the wasps were. He waspletely wrong. That wasnt a swarm of wasps holding ants. It was a swarm of wasps transporting ants, in order to orchestrate an attack from the sky. Themander had never heard of monster ants that could shoot exploding rocks. They should be apletely different race from the wasps. But there was such a huge swarm Thats impossible This situation would normally be unthinkable unless something had subdued both the ants and the wasps and nowmanded them both. The only thing capable of such a feat was This has to be the work ofthe catastrophe The tremor-like noises continued to go off even now. Nothemander had already stopped moving, but the sounds were getting closer. In other words, this was the sound of those exploding rocks. Even though he could hear them clearly, he simply could not conjure up an image of what was actually happening. At some point, the soldier he had grabbed ran off. But in this situation, there was nothing they could do. Maybe it would be better if they all fled. Anyway, he had to link up with the main force that was outside the city. He wasnt sure what they could do once he did, but he knew they wouldnt be able to do anything without his presence. Themander took the messenger with him as he hurried to the east. Commander! Theres a bell tower this way! You can look out on most of the city from the top! Unable to make much progress, themander had felt his impatience reaching its limits when he heard the messenger call out to him. Yes Before they reunite with the main army, it might be best to collect himself and try to get a firmer grasp of the situation first. While the bell tower the messenger had indicated was no fire lookout tower, it was still taller than any of the other buildings in the area. It could at least be used to survey the state of the city. The first thing themander wanted to do after climbing the tower was confirm the location of the subjugation army. After that, decide the best course of action to take tobat the situation, then make their way to the army. However, none of that was necessary. Outside of the city, thend to the east was all plowed. There was so muchnd that it distorted his sense of scale, but there was something wrong with those fields of prepared farnd. He couldnt see the main army anywhere out there. No wait, that wasnt outside of the city at all. It was a section of the city. There was no physical boundary between the outside and inside of the city, and about a fourth of all thatnd had been plowed for seed nting. And now, that area had expanded even further. Off to one side, there were ranks of wasps carrying ants. The ants were shooting ck somethings from the ends of their abdomens. Even from far away, he could tell that the objects traveled very fast. As soon as they touched any of the houses in the city, they exploded, scattering fire and organic fragments all over. The line of wasps left nothing behind in its wake. They kept raining rocks down seamlessly, as though being chased by something. There was no hope for the people who had been caught in the middle of all that, but the same wasnt true for the subjugation army. While houses crumbled from a single hit, it was possible for a trained soldier to withstand such an attack. Even now, he saw some pushing aside the rubble and standing up in the citys fields. However, just after they stood fully erect, blood would suddenly spurt from their heads and they would fall t on their faces. He didnt know what was happening there, but he did know that they were dead. The initial attack of exploding rocks wasnt powerful enough to be fatal to a first-ss soldier; the fact that they could take it and immediately get back up was proof that they didnt take a lot of damage from it. But then something else was urring. As soon as they were standing, they were killed by some unknown attack. But really, even if the soldiers did survive, theycked a way to oppose the wasps that hovered far up in the sky. At that height, normal magic couldnt reach them, nor could bows. However, the same wasnt true for the insects; none of their attacks would ever be out of range. After all, even once their projectiles used up their initial velocity, they would still fall to the ground. Even if humanity was able to repel the angel attacks, this was the reason they could never be entirely rid of them: They could not attack the sky castle. Angels only ever engaged in meleebat, but if they happened to see and learn from this rout, the thought of them switching tactics to dropping rocks brought only feelings of despair. Themander already knew. The subjugation army had effectively turned into a reserve force running blindly through the city. And, in all likelihood, any survivors would, in the near future, disappear along with the city of La Colline itself. Themander could maybe survive by himself. He didnt know what that strange attack was, but as long as he protected his head, he should at least avoid dying instantly. Perhaps some of the officers and highly skilled troops would be able to figure that out. The lord too. He led those spirited knights, after all. He himself must have been strong as well. And if the lord survived, then his undying bodyguards would too. But that was it. No matter how strong any of these people were, it was impossible to protect the citizens against an attack like this. This city was doomed. The subjugation of the catastrophe failed. Let alone the catastrophe, they couldnt even do anything against its vanguard. How would the kingdom handle the loss of one of its key transit hubs andmerce hubs? It also lost its main military force, its reserves, and its future soldiers in the youths who were conscripted for the subjugation, all in one fell swoop. There was no longer any way to mount an organized resistance to the catastrophe. Speaking of the future If that swarm of wasps flies straight to the capital Even if the nobles survive, what will happen to the people Chapter 85: “The Desolation of La Colline” After desting the city of La Colline, Rare had the flying and artillery troops descend. She put the flying/sniper pairs on clean up duty, ordering them to take care of any survivors with headshots. Amazingly, there were a number of soldiers who were able to defend against the sniping. Since they all wore proper armor, she presumed they were knights. Their helmets were effective, too. Not many yers they had disposed of in the forest wore helmets. I thought I saw too many military uniforms in there; I wonder if they were reinforcements from the capital? Looks like capital soldiers can respond to saturation attacks and even protect themselves from headshots. But hm, reinforcements seems wrong when I only took down Erfahren yesterday. They couldnt have responded this quickly. So then why would they have sent an army out here? The surviving knights and soldiers took in the devastation and moaned in anguish. But then they also looked up into the sky and red at the wasps with hate-filled eyes. Since they didnt die from any of the stuff before, if I have the vespoids take them cordless bungee jumping, its possible one of the soldiers could defeat a vespoid in the air. And if they could survive bombing and sniping, then they might even be able to survive a fall from a great height. They could be too much for the ants to handle. The only ones in this city right now were Rare and the aerial squads; they were the only ones who could make it from Erfahren to La Colline in a day. Rare could just take care of the soldiers herself, but she still had forces who hadnt had a chance to shine in realbat yet: the adamantite series. The only thing they had gotten to do so far was be lumberjacks. After this, she nned to head straight for the capital while ignoring the smaller towns, but since she wanted the capital to be a ruins-type territory, she couldnt just carpet bomb the ce. So that meant she could have the aerial forces rest for now. Good work. Bring them back into the forest, Rare instructed Sugaru, who used [Summon] on all the ants. So now lets see, three toons should be good. Still floating in the sky, she [Summoned] three groups of adamantite soldiers at the same time. Since Rare was using the [Light Magic] spell [Camouge] to hide herself, it would have appeared as though they suddenly materialized in midair. There was no real point to the theatrics, but it was certainly very eye-catching. This was an event, after all, so it was worth putting on a show. The [Summoned] adamantite toons fell to the ground, causing the earth to shake and kicking up great plumes of dust as they nted themselves in the tillednd. After recovering from the shock ofnding, one by one they crawled up out of the ground and ran to engage with the human soldiers. What surprised Rare the most was that the soldiers were able to evade the adamanknights shes. The yers who came to have fun in the great forest would have died from the first attack. After dodging, the soldiers swung their weapons at the adamaknights; these attacks didnt seem hard to avoid, but somehow they ended up finding their marks anyway. The adamanknights were sturdier than the soldiers weapons, so they got away unharmed, but if their opponents had better equipment, the living mail probably wouldnt have been able to win. The soldiers were steadily culled mainly due to an overwhelming difference in pure specs, not from anyck of ability. They had honed their martial skills to this degree only to die because their equipment was so poor Raremented that it was truly a waste. On the other hand, she had nothing but praise for these soldiers; first they survived the bombardment unhurt, then they immediately faced off against the adamantite soldiers, trying to stop them from advancing. They were essentially on par with adamanleaders; they were marvellously talented. This also meant that they were about as strong as Yoroizaka was back during the first event. Since there were only three toons, that meant there were only three adamanleaders as well, each in charge of the adamanknights and adamanscouts in their respective toons; the adamanmages were providing cover and keeping the battlefield under control. While there werent that many of them, with these knights protecting it, this city would have been much more difficult to conquer using ground forces. It was the right decision to have deployed her aerial forces. But the knights truly were both strong and scarce. Perhaps they were actually formal knights. In which case, if Rares forces didnt kill their master first, then they couldnt truly be killed. If that master was in this city, that would mean they had also survived the bombings. Anyone who had risen out of the rubble was already inbat with the adamantite soldiers. If their master still lived, then they were still buried within the wreckage. Or, perhaps they were already among the knights in battle. The fact that the knights didnt try to find their master and instead dove into battle without hesitation meant that they had absolute confidence in their masters survival. She didnt see any of them awkwardly try to cover any of theirrades, so she didnt think the master had disguised themself among the knights. So, maybe they werent actually in this city. Rare didnt think they would respawn in a destroyed city even if they died here. Just like yers, followers would respawn in thest ce they had slept, but for NPCs, she wasnt sure what would happen if that ce was no longer avable.. While Rare idly searched for more survivors from the sky, enough human soldiers died to break the fragile equilibrium, and control of the battlefield fell entirely into Rares hands. Once she returned to the ground, the soldiers and knights bodies had all been lined up. They could wait here for an hour to verify what happened to the knight corpses, but there wasnt much point in that. The master wasnt here, and if the knights respawned somewhere really far away from here, then it would have been a waste of time. She had the adamantite soldiers store the bodies in case they had anything useful on them, then began to think of her next move. I dont have any way to carry you adamandudes, so All you can do is stay here. Ill fly by myself to the capital, then summon you once I get there. [Flight] is really convenient. She took her map out of her inventory to check. It appeared that she could reach the capital by going more or less west from here. She could fly in that direction, look for the road once she got pretty close, then just follow that the rest of the way. It was far enough away that it would take a number of days to walk there, but it would barely take any time by air. The wind felt great. Or thats what shed have wanted to say, but Rare couldnt tell at all from inside Yoroizaka. Her field of vision did let her see everything around her at once, which was wonderful. She didnt want to cause some kind of freak ident by looking down, though. That said, there werent exactly obstacles up here in the sky. Very rarely she would spot birds, but birds didnt spend every second of their lives in the air, and they had their own habitats which they didnt stray far from. But, one bird did catch her eye. It flew quite far below Rare, but she saw iting from quite far away. Even after passing Rare, it kept flying straight ahead without wavering. It was a small bird. Probably a pigeon. A lone pigeon flying through the sky like this.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om It wasnt an impossible sight. Most wild pigeons formed flocks and lived together, but that wasnt necessarily the case in this world. Pigeons that flew long distances Well, they could exist. Maybe it had been driven from its home. However, what was more likely was that someone owned this pigeon, and it was being used to deliver messages. In which case it must have a specific destination. And the only thing in its path would be a mountain of rubble. That rubble used to be a city, which meant there was a person there that was using this pigeon tomunicate. Curious, Rare decided to catch it. But, sure enough, she used too much power and crushed it. Maybe it would be better to call Ominous here to deal with any more of them. As she examined the corpse in her hand, she saw something attached to one of its legs. So it really was a messenger pigeon. She wanted to take time to read the letter, but she also wanted to avoid wasting time. Aftering up with an idea, Rare [Summoned] Ominous and had him fly toward the capital in her ce. For now, she dropped to the ground, then came out from Yoroizaka in the shade of a tree. Then she carefully pulled the tube off the pigeons leg so that she wouldnt get blood on herself. Some kind of cloth was stuffed into the tube; after opening it up, it turned out to berger than she was expecting. What was written on it slightly surprised Rare. But she was also convinced of its veracity. ording to the message, the unusual number of soldiers at thest city had been apparently assembled to take out Rare. It said that they were to subjugate a catastrophe, and their ultimate destination was the Great Liebe Forest. Based on a clue she had, the catastrophe had to refer to Rare herself. That clue was the system message from before, when she had reincarnated into a demon lord. One of the kingdoms higher-up NPCs must have also gotten that message. The person who sent this letter was Hierss prime minister, and that wasnt someone that just anyone could meet. Unless the person who received the system message was directly involved in the countrys management, the prime minister would never have heard about Rare. This letter was being sent to amander, probably the person in charge of that army. Since messenger pigeons could be intercepted by tamed birds of prey, it was foolish to include specifics without encoding the message. That said, this was being delivered within the kingdom, and they werent at war with another country right now. While it could be said that they were at war with Rare, normally they wouldnt have to worry about a monster army having spies. Now she knew why there was such arge army in that city. They had been dispatched to fight Rare, and they just happened to stop by. But since they were met by a huge swarm of wasps, they must have requested new orders. ording to the letter, they were supposed to overlook the destruction of La Colline and prioritize taking out the catastrophe. They werent able to defeat Rare, but La Colline did get destroyed, so they were able to follow half of the order, maybe. But they actually sent an army to vanquish me She wasnt sure how they even knew that the Great Liebe Forest was her home, but clearly Rares mere existence was a scourge on the kingdom. And they even thought it would be possible to beat her with only an army of that size. They werepletely underestimating her. She really wanted to retaliate. She hadnt actually been attacked yet, but her enemy did in fact raise their fist. Whether or not they decided to follow through and take a swing was up to them, but as far as Rare was concerned, as soon as they threatened to punch, they could no longerin about being punched first. She didnt actually spend that much time reading and thinking about the letter, but since she had this chance, she wanted to test a skill while also regaining that time anyway. Rare once again donned Yoroizaka, then activated her skill. [Castling: Ominous]. After a second of feeling like she was floating, Rare found herself back in the sky. Rare had exchanged her body with Ominouss, who had flown ahead. She activated [Flight] in a fluster to avoid falling back down to the ground. So thats how it works. Before using [Castling], I should use [Summon Vision] to check where Im swapping to first. But if Im going to do that, then I might as well just use [Summon Caster]. I bet it was designed as an emergency escape-type skill, but I wont have a chance to use it that way. Rare directed Ominous to return to base however he saw fit. If that ended up being too difficult, then he could entertain himself while she finished her errands, then she would [Summon] him to her. She had intended to find the road once she got close to the capital, but it was in clear sight without even having to start looking. Being the center of the kingdom, there were many roads that led out of the city. Rare didnt know if the road directly beneath her was the one that went to La Colline or not, since it twisted and turned all over the ce. That was unavoidable, though, since it had to circumvent forests, hills, and traverse rivers. In any case, if they followed the road, they should end up at their destination. She would have to reactivate [Camouge] soon. Time to conquer the capital and turn it into a city of death. Chapter 86: “Wayne, Standing in the Capital” <>n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om <> <> Haah It had beenpletely useless. Even though there were NPCs in that city who were supposed to be guards, they were way weaker than Wayne was. The Erfahren guards were at least as strong as Wayne was now, so he had been hopeful, but those guards were much too unorganized. Considering it more deeply, perhaps that was only natural. If there were monster territory nearby, then people would need to be able to fight to protect the city from those monsters. But without that kind of looming threat, the guards didnt need to be particrly skilled. Its expensive to employ people who were strong, so if there was no need for their strength then no one would hire them. Thus, people who could fight well would relocate to the border towns closer to monster territory instead. Right off the bat, the enemies had set fire to the towns lifeline, the barley fields, which really hurt. The mes were unnaturally fierce, so there had been a dispute over whether to focus on putting out the fire or repelling their foes, and before they knew it the fields had burned up. The officersck of leadership and inability to clearly decide what to prioritize had resulted in this tragedy. If they had been used to dealing with monsters in an organized manner, it wouldnt have gone so poorly. In the first ce, if there were any border towns in the area, they should have already been attacked by monsters for the event. This of course meant that there was a possibility that other cities nearby could also be assaulted. In which case, after the update that changed starting spawn locations to be much safer, the probability of him spawning there should have been very low. That said, when Wayne had to respawn before, there was probably no way of predicting that something dangerous was about to happen. Continuing on, while he had absolutely no idea why a pack of undead would suddenly appear near such a peaceful city, maybe he had been sent to aid yers who were based there or something. For those specialized in crafting or other nonbat builds, it may have been unsolicited meddling, but perhaps the admins had been thinking something like that. However, if the event was configured to only react to logged-in yers, then why did undead appear there? There werent any other yers in the city; the only one there had been Wayne. I wonder if it was my fault Because I had respawned in that wastnd, maybe thats why they No, that couldnt possibly be why. It was simply unrealistic for an event to take into consideration each and every yers individual circumstances. Then maybe the undead just happened to spawn there, found Wayne, and chased him all the way to the city. That scenario felt a lot more usible. But then it still would be my fault No matter how much he might regret it, there was nothing he could do about it now. He had to rein in his feelings and start thinking about what to do from here. The sun steadily climbed up into the sky. This marked the beginning of the second day of the event. This time he had an easier time finding a city. It was daytime this time around. In the light of the sun shining down, the city he spotted had a gorgeous castle, the likes of which he had never seen before, as well as a formidable city wall. At first nce, he thought the wall indicated that he was at a border city, but there would never be a castle as shy as this one out in the sticks. So this must be the capital. It was the safest ce to be right now, which meant it was also the furthest ce to be to find event battles. However, he had no other choice but to go there. If he remembered correctly, during the event, there should be a teleportation system that allowed him to instantly travel to a neighboring town regardless of the distance. Using that, he would be able to slowly make his way back out to the border. Once Wayne arrived at the city gate, he was greeted by a cheerful guard. He thought that guarding a gate had to have been boring work, but apparently the guard didnt share that opinion. The man went about his job so enthusiastically it was like he was thanking God for having created gates for him to guard. Following after the guard, whose name was apparently Thomas, Wayne headed for the sellsword guild first. If there were any yers here, he wanted to talk to them. As expected of the capital city, the townscape was very picturesque. It wasnt often that he enjoyed simply walking around. When he arrived at the guild, it had a very different atmosphere from Erfahrens more rxed counterpart. Apparently they shared the building with a restaurant, since there was a very appetizing smell throughout the room. It was still wasnt even noon in-game yet, and Wayne hadnt had breakfast. However, he still felt somewhat full. From a financial standpoint, it would be better if he munched on some shortbread he had in his inventory, although he couldnt say much for the taste. There was nothing to be gained from buying food here. It would simply be wasteful spending. A whiff ofrd, the crackle of sizzling. The aroma of burnt sauce. Maybe Illget a light snack. As soon as Waynes feet started dragging him toward the restaurant, he heard the sound of loud footsteps outside the guild, then turned to see a knight wearing extravagant armor enter the establishment. Normally, a fine knight like that would nevere to the sellsword guild; something must have happened. He wanted to find out what was going on, but that matter would have to wait; first, Wayne needed to order something to appease his grumbling stomach. While waiting for his food, he was able to check on the knight, who was apparently trying to gather sellswords. He seemed to especially want people who were safeholders. Hey man, sorry to tell ya, but we aint seen any o the safeholders since yesterday. Usually theyre always here messin around at all times o day, but somethin musta happened to em. The knight wanted yers for some reason. The ones who hadnt shown up since the day before must have been doing the event, so they had gone to cities closer to the border. Wayne had alsoe to the guild to see if he could find any yers, but it seemed to have been a wasted trip. Not that there was anything that could be done about it now. After his hot food was ready, Wayne pulled money out of his inventory to pay to the woman. Oh? Yer a safeholder? Yeah, I am. I also came here to look for other safeholders, but seems like there arent any here today. As soon as he heard Waynes voice, the knight came over to speak to him. Pardon me! Are you a sellsword safeholder? Uh, yeah, thats right. Is it true that safeholders have a way tomunicate with other safeholders, no matter how far apart they are? He must have been referring to friend chat. It could only be used with people already registered as friends, though. Right now, Waynes only friend was the guy he had met in the previous event, Gi1gamesh. However, using the event messaging system, it would be possible for him to call out to the yermunity atrge. Well, youre not wrong. We cant do anything, but Superb! My deepest apologies, but I would like you to apany me to the castle. There is an emergency! Chapter 87: “The Familiar Taste of Rain” She died. She never could have imagined that she would die there. This was her first ever death since the officialunch. It was a good experience. She could test out some things she had never been able to before. Apparently when Rare died, all her followers would also die at the same time. And all those followers would respawn after an hour. In other words, she would have to spend the next hour all alone in this huge cave. Since Sugaru had also died, there werent even any ants around. She was worried about the farm. With the ants monitoring it gone, she wouldnt know if something were to happen to it. Since there wasnt as much livestock anymore, nothing that crazy could happen, probably. It was only for an hour. It should be fine for that long. Hm, maybe that was incorrect. The only one respawning after an hour would be Sugaru. If the ants timer only began once Sugaru was respawned, then it would actually be a total of two hours before they all revived. That kind of felt like a long time. And it was the same with Siegs undead. She should really go check on the farm, but she didnt really feel like doing it at the moment. Same with Treu Forest. The only ones there had been treants. In other words, it waspletely unattended right now. She also needed to check how far Kerry and the other girls had traveled. She wondered where they would respawn. All she knew was that it wouldnt be here. Well, I could say that it was a good thing this happened. Mm. I was really getting ahead of myself. Im d it was during this event, since I wont lose any XP. Since I spent a ton of XP on reincarnating myself and World Tree, if I were to lose ten percent now, I dont know what would happen to us. How lucky. Right, Im actually quite fortunate. She could tell her voice was trembling.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om This was a good lesson, I always need to leave ten percent of my XP fluid. Mm, yeah. Knowing how to hedge risks is essential. Anyway, Im no expert in investing, so I couldnt have really known in advance. As long as I pay attention from now on! Her voice caught on the lump in her throat. This was amazing. Her game avatar could even replicate this feeling. Technology had advanced so far. Nnngh! Uuukghhh It was frustrating. So frustrating that it felt as though her stomach had tied itself into knots. Her emotions were running so raw that she couldnt stop the tears. Her throat was so constricted that she could barely even cry out. She wanted to look presentable and wash her face before her followers respawned in an hour, but was that even possible? If this were the real world, her eyes and face would remain red and swollen until the next day. She didnt have a mirror, so she had no idea how she looked. No, maybe it was better that there wasnt one. If she saw herself now, her miserable crying face would be forever burned into the back of her eyes, an eternal reminder of her failure. Surveying the capital from the sky, what stole her attention from the magnificence of the city walls was the beautiful townscape. Ruining this city meant defiling that beauty. She absolutely couldnt wait. Rare was wondering where would be good to drop off the adamantite soldiers when suddenly Yoroizaka unsheathed the Kenzaki at her waist, the sound of metal on metal ringing out. An arrow hade flying at her. Something like this had happened before, but how did Yoroizaka notice while Rare was oblivious? They should both be sharing the same field of vision. Was it because Rares attention was primarily on the city, or was there some kind of hidden stat outside of vision and hearing? She was also concerned about the attack just now. Rare had hidden herself with [Camouge] and was hovering in the sky above the capital. In this state, it was nearly impossible for anyone to see her. How were they even able to shoot an arrow at her? When she looked down, a bunch of humans were gathered outside of the city wall. Every single one of them was looking right at Rare. While her eyes did meet with a few of them, oddly enough, most of them felt like they were looking past her. It seemed that some of them definitely could perceive her, but the rest were just copying them and looking up at the sky. This was about the same number of people that she had smacked around in the first event. They must have gotten stronger since then, but that applied to Rare as well. Things were probably going to turn out the same way as they had before. Time to turn them all into XP. But she couldnt forget her objective here, which was to get her hands on the capital. First, she should [Summon] a bunch of adamantite soldiers here in the air and let them fall down into the city. Since Rare could cast [Summon] while flying, no matter how sturdy the city wall was, it would be useless against her. She had also learned how to unleash the [Summon] skill, allowing her to use it on a ton of followers at once. There was a way to select multiple targets to [Summon], but Rare was able to mentally drag the selection box to reach the maximum number of targets. Using it in this way caused all [Summon] skills to be unusable for a period of time, but since she probably wouldnt need to use it again today, she wasnt concerned about the drawback. Rare ordered the adamantite soldiers to take care of the soldiers and knights while doing their best not to destroy any buildings. Thinking of the powerful knights who had been in La Colline, she also gave a strict order to only engage individual knights in groups. After she finished with that, next was to take care of the group outside the city wall. Given the motley arrangement of gear, they must have been a group of sellswords. She saw some who looked like yers, but if they were, she didnt know why they were here in the peaceful capital while there was an event going on. Since they already knew where Rare was, she deactivated [Camouge] to save MP, then descended down to the ground right in front of all the yers. She wondered why no more arrows had been shot at her. That meant she couldnt determine who had fired the first arrow. The group of yers before her were reminiscent of the group she had pulverised in thest event. While their equipment was indeed far superior, she couldnt imagine they had any metal gear that surpassed adamantite. Even if they did have adamantite weapons, they wouldnt be effective against Yoroizaka as she was now. Compared to before, it seemed that there were only the bare minimum of heavy-armored yers, so-called tanks, which worried her, but, well, she may have just been paranoid. So thiss the catastrophe. I cant believe its already invading the capital on the second day of the event Are the admins trying to overthrow the country or something? I cant believe it actually came but maybe this was worth gambling on! If we take out the catastrophe, well get MVP for sure! Well, the NPCs wouldnt lie to us about this, and considering were in the middle of an event, I think it was a pretty good bet, personally. Thats how we got here, with all the top yers on the server to boot. And just now, it dropped a ton of undead from above, so its gotta be the undead boss for this invasion. Do we need to worry about those undead? Lawsons group should be in the city, ready to engage them. Just gotta trust theyll be all right. But man, this thing is huge! What is it, exactly? Its an undead, right? Maybe a duhan or something? While the yers chatted, about ten of them stayed there while the rest, who looked like support, fell back. It was a trivial distance, so Rare didnt worry about it. All they probably had were arrows and magic, so as long as she had Yoroizaka on they werent worth worrying about. After she took care of the ten people right in front of her, she could kill the rest at her leisure. It sucks that we couldnt get in touch with Rare, the champion fromst time, but whatever. Weve leveled up a ton, so even if a bunch of Rares came at us, we would wipe the floor with them, so even an event boss should be easy with this group. Surprised, Rares eyebrows shot up. Even if a bunch of her came at them, they could win? She wondered if they were saying that seriously. In that case, she would have to correct their misunderstanding. It was time to recreate that exhibition match. Yoroizaka soundlessly approached the man in front with [sh Step], then unleashed a [sh] while pulling back. The only one who could defend against this attack to date was Sieg. Plus, Yoroizaka had gone through two reincarnations, so her stats were iparable to what they had been before. Even if he could repel it, his shield would end up sliced in half. Ahhhhholy crap! If I wasnt paying attention I woulda been offed! But he dodged it. Impossible! If she had been on the defending side, even Rare herself wasnt confident she wouldve been able to dodge it her first time seeing it. Although since it was simply an attack straight from the front, as long as you knew that in advance, it wouldnt be impossible to avoid. That meant that it wasnt the first time for this man. He had seen it somewhere before. Its the same move the champion used! Best to assume this thing can use yer skills too! From the previous event. During the battle royale, she did in fact use thisbo many times. It was so convenient that she probably overused it, and now it had be ingrained in Yoroizaka. What an unfortunate habit. Next time, she would have to have Deas and Sieg help her practice some kind of non-skill-based technique. However, bothst time and this time, since she left everything to Yoroizaka, there was no verbalponent that went along with the skill activation. Because of that, apparently the yer thought that the entire series of actions was a single skill. In which case, if she used [sh Step] to connect with a different skill or a normal attack, they might not be able to avoid it. Rare conveyed this to Yoroizaka via friend chat. Just as directed, she used [sh Step] to close in on a different swordsman, then swept sideways without using a skill. Because of the extreme difference in height, Yoroizakas horizontal sweep must have felt like a three-dimensional diagonal sh to her target. As expected, he couldnt dodge it, and while he was able to thrust his shield up in time, he was sent flying by the attack. It was like a batter hitting a baseball, but while she was able to cut through it, there was quite a lot of resistance, and the cut was deflected. That shield wasnt made of iron. Gil! Im fine! I aint dead! Dammit, I spent a fortune on a magic iron shield, and it got pulverized in one attack! Because the shield was too sturdy to slice through cleanly, apparently the only thing that got cut off was that swordsmans left arm. Things werent going smoothly at all this time. When Yoroizaka had those practice battles with the adamantite soldiers, she was able to move more nimbly. While she was indeed moving better than she had during the first event, was this really all she was capable of in the wake of two reincarnations? Leave it to me! [Medium Heal]! [Regeneration]! Some kind of spell came flying in from a mage in the rearguard. It hit the swordsman who had just lost his left arm and covered him in light. The light expanded to include the shape of his left arm, then, when the light disappeared, the arm was back, just as it was before. The gauntlet that went flying with the arm didnte back, but all the damage to the yer had been neutralized. Healing magic! Ive never seen it before! Since this was a fundamentally multiyer skill, there was no point in hiding information about it. If Rare had checked the message boards, she should have probably been able to get it as well. It was pure hubris. Since she earned the most XP, she already knew about the most skills. But that wasnt true at all. Rare purposely avoided learning a lot of skills, such as melee attack skills. Thus, there must have been countless yers who experimented with all the skills Rare had passed up. Rare wasnt the only person ying this game, after all. After this event is over, Im gonna have to explore skill usage again for the first time in a long time. But even before that, Ill need to hit the forums, check up on all the information thats been making the rounds, and after looking at all of that [Lightning]! With a boom, she felt her field of view rock. This was no time to be thinking about the future. Apparently she had gotten hit by a magic attack. Yoroizaka had taken damage. But that wouldnt be a problem. If it was just this much damage, she should naturally regenerate it momentarily. Wait, the problem wasnt the amount of damage, it was the fact that Yoroizaka had even taken damage at all. In all Rares testing, the only thing capable of dealing damage to Yoroizaka was an adamanmage equipped with a World Tree staff. Considering how strong adamanknights were, adamanmages should be as strong as high-leveled mage yers. Those same adamanmages needed to have the best equipment avable to Rare in order to inflict damage to Yoroizaka, and that yer had just done it. She couldnt say that it was absolutely impossible, but it was truly hard to imagine happening. But no, she needed to save her analytical disbelief forter. Right now, she had to deal with these enemies capable of damaging her. That meant she needed to prioritize killing them first. Yoroizaka was already looking at the yer who had cast that spell just now, and she used [sh Step] to get right next to them. However, just before that, suddenly she was submerged in darkness. What the hell?! I cant see! Awright! It worked! Its blinded! Now! She didnt know what was going to happen now, but she had an extremely bad feeling about whatever it was. Rare promptly cast a spell. [Hellme]! This wasnt the time to be concerned about people hearing her voice. What was that just now?! Who did that?! Generally, AOE magic required visual confirmation of the target area in order to activate. However, there were exceptions. Such as when you yourself were the center of the spell. Every AOE spell allowed only that one exception to sessfully cast without seeing. It was kind of inane to have to look at yourself every time you wanted to cast strengthening-type magic, after all. You are casting magic at yourself, so the fact that you know where you are without having to look is a matter of course. Agh! Its fire! Shit! Who cast that?! That wasnt part of the n! No! It was the catastrophe! It cast the spell on itself! It can do that?! This should burn up everyone within range. However, her vision didnt return. And since she didnt know whether this effect was from a spell, a skill, or an item, she couldnt counteract it either. H-Hey, is everyone all right?! [Area Minor Heal]! She heard the voice of the healer from before, and she also heard words of thanks from all around. That meant that none of the yers around her had died. Impossible Rares [Hellme] was powerful enough to melt adamantite. She had cast that spell knowing that it would deal quite a lot of damage to Yoroizaka. For yers with shields that could be cut off with one swing of a Kenzaki, none of them should have been able to withstand it. Actually, why is Yoroizaka mostly fine? She did in fact take damage, but it was a lot less than expected. field debuff saved our asses. It was a pain to set up, but the effect is legit. Good thing we all set up this area in advance and lured the boss here. If we had to fight it normally, this wouldve been totally impossible. Shut up! Dont talk about that! The event boss might have a super intelligent AI! Whatll we do if ites up with a countermeasure?! A field debuff? That sounded like the [Miasma] skill that Sieg and Deas had. No, this was even stronger than their skills. They said it was a pain to set up. In other words, they had prepared in advance for it to activate in this area. And Rare walked right into it. This was no longer something on the level of letting her guard down or being arrogant. She had been convinced that no one could possibly defeat her either way. She looked down on these yers, condescendingly hoping that maybe someone could put up a good fight against her. She was full of herself. And this was the result of that. If it had been a normal fight, then like before, it probably would have been her overwhelming victory. But she had been baited into a field debuff, forced to fight while weakened, allowed all her attacks to be healed, had her sight stolen, and been reduced to this pathetic mess. She was infuriated at her own foolishness. She couldnt forgive herself; it was easy to forgive others, but it was much harder to forgive herself. No, it wasnt actually that easy to forgive others either. She wouldnt let these guys off the hook. She absolutely did not want to lose to them. Rare was an extremely sore loser. If she couldnt see herself, then she just had to let the Kenzakis run wild. They each could see on their own. Its vision shouldnt have recovered yet! And the spell it just cast should still be cooling down! Nows the time! Leave it to me! [Fear]! <> However, right then, Yoroizaka stopped moving. Rare tried to control her, but she wouldnt move at all. By the looks of it, it would be reasonable to assume she had been afflicted by the status effect [Fear]. However, that only applied to Yoroizakait wasnt true for Rare. That was clear from the system message. Even if she was weakened by a debuff, it was inconceivable for the horned Rare to fail to resist [Mental Magic] from a human. However, in reality, she was currently stuck in ce. Why was that? In all likelihood, it was because Yoroizaka was her armor, and while Rare had her equipped, she was still a monster at the same time. Therefore, even if she counted as equipment, if either of them failed to resist a status effect, both would suffer the consequences. Considering that even when equipped, Yoroizaka was still able to move independently, this certainly made sense from a gamey standpoint. In other words, right now Yoroizaka was paralyzed with fear and unable to move as an independent action. I never even considered that! I cant believe there was a drawback like this! But Yoroizaka was supposed to be immune to all [Mental Magic] spells! The catastrophe is stopped in its tracks! [Fear] worked! Even though its been debuffed, how much min-maxing did you do to bust through an event bosss resistance?! Its because of Blind! Targets affected that cant see have lowered resistance to [Fear]! Plus, I used one of my soul stones! I knew this thing was undead! This was news to her. So [Fear] had a modifier like that. But this wasnt something she would have ever realized on her own, since Rare had never gone out into any bright ces. She always used [Fear] when it was already dark. She knew that her [Beauty] characteristic boosted [Charm]s effects, but apparently [Fear] had also always been buffed by the environment. Although, since each of them were buffed by different things, there was no point inparing them to each other. She didnt know what a soul stone was either, but from the name it seemed to have a simr effect to [Necromancy]s [Bind Soul]. [Bind Soul] lets the caster store souls forter use, but that item might function as an expendable recement for a soul. Yoroizaka wasnt undead but closer to a homunculus or a golem. Both of those beings required the consumption of another soul in order for [Mental Magic] to affect them. Since Yoroizaka and the Kenzakis were immune to [Mental Magic] and couldnt cast magic, Rare hadnt spent any XP on raising their MND stats. All they had was the boost granted by Rares skills. Since they had been further debilitated by the field debuff, of course they would fail a resist roll. The Kenzakis simrly werent responsive; if Yoroizaka failed to resist the [Fear], then it was unthinkable for any of the Kenzakis to resist it either, meaning they were all paralyzed by fear too. Now! All-out DPS! Magic came flying at her from every which way. However, Yoroizaka only took chip damage from it. If they just tanked all the spells and waited for [Fear] to wear off, Yoroizaka probably wouldnt die, but Rare didnt want to do somethingme like that. She had decided that these people were all going to die, after all. With both her vision and movement sealed, there was nothing Rare could do from inside Yoroizaka. Considering that they were only sting her with magic right now, that meant that there should be no one right near her. She assumed no one was in range of the self-destructive spell she had cast at herself earlier. This was no longer a situation where she could be concerned about letting herself be seen. She wanted to crush them with all her might. See them with her own eyes, then rip them apart with her high-level magic. [Whiteout]. Whoa! What the heck?! Whats that light?! I cant see!!! This [Light Magic] spell blinded everyone in an area, although it didntst very long. Rare used this opening toe out from inside Yoroizaka. She opened the hatch in the back, quickly emerged, then put a hand on Yoroizakas shoulder and crawled up. She used the wings on her back for bnce and propped herself up with one foot in Yoroizakas hatch. Something came out! So someone was inside it?! Calm down! This is just the bosss second form! The yers had already recovered from [Whiteout]s effects. Its duration was extremely short. This debuff thing was sure putting in some work. If possible, she wouldve liked to have taken care of some people before it wore off, but the spell had actually affected Rare as well. The sun was dazzling. She couldnt open her eyes without squinting, which made it hard to survey her surroundings. Come to think of it, how long had it been since she had been outside with her real avatar? Last time had to have been in the forest, where the trees shaded her from the sunlight, so it hadnt been as radiant. But now, there were no obstacles in the way. Even though the sun had fallen somewhat from its zenith, that didnt change how much she suffered from direct exposure. The only penalty to her vision should have been [Poor Eyesight], but maybe it interacted with [Albinism] to unlock some kind of additional special effect. Wait, thats Sweet Jesus, now thats what I call a queen What is it? There was a boss kinda like that in a really old game. It was the ant queen. Well, that boss looked like an ant except for its wings. More like, isnt that just an angel? So what was behind all the undead outbreaks was an angel all along? I see, so it was an angel It really is too beautiful for words. You cant even say its beauty was sculpted; its so overwhelmingly gorgeous that I can feel it in my soul. Its so lovely that I cant even be jealous Actually, isnt this really bad? If its an angel it wont work on it No, its clearly working. It may look like an angel, but we already know that its undead! Its probably some kind of angel zombie, I bet! Even though this was a battle, they were just happily chatting away. They must have thought they could afford to do that since Rare hadnt done anything yet. But that wouldnt be true for much longer. The sun was still way too bright, but since the yers spent so much time talking her eyes had been able to adjust to it. She could at least open her eyes a little bit now. Enough to make out where her targets were. Their front liners werent as far away as she thought theyd be. They mustve thought it would be fine to be this close since their target had been both blinded and paralyzed. Theyll regret letting their guards down. Because Rare originally had [Poor Eyesight], it was hard for her to properly attack enemies who were at mid-range or further away from her. Plus, with her vision further impaired right now, it was much harder for her to aim her magic than she expected. So, she would just have to get up close and beat the shit out of them. Rare swiftly jumped down from Yoroizaka, darted to the closest melee-looking yer, and aimed a roundhouse kick right at her neck. Even though she was weakened by that debuff, as long as her opponent was humanoid, the methods for incapacitating a body had been ingrained into her muscles. Actually, speaking of the weakening debuff, Rares regr stats were too high, so it was difficult to control her avatar since it was too responsive. Due to all the long years of training she had gone through, she felt mostfortable moving her body when it hadnt been strengthened with any stats whatsoever. However, even though an avatar closer to her real body would allow her to perform at her peak, this was the game world. A regr person could neverpete against a monster whose specs were multiplied by their STR and AGI stats. Most in-game attacks were impossible for an average human to avoid, and given the difference in raw power, even if it seemed possible to turn one aside, a ncing blow would still result in a broken limb. Suppressing her sense of disorientation, her reckless kick was meant to rob her target of consciousness, but instead it robbed the womans spine of its vertical integrity. The unfortunate yer crumpled on the spot. She would probably disappear shortly after in order to respawn, but Rare didnt have the luxury of watching the show. Grabbing the fallen yers arm before she hit the ground, Rare haphazardly tossed her in the direction of the mages in the rearguard. The flying corpse, thrown with her ridiculous STR stat, spun wildly in the air; after it had gone far enough to turn blurry in her eyes, it turned into light and disappeared. The system must have respawned them. Tch! This thing is way stronger than she looks! I thought shed be a mage-type! What kind of angel bludgeons people to death?![1] Did the Fear already wear off?! Her status effects probably cleared when she came out of the armor! Anyway, front liners, get as close as you can! Dont let her move around so much! Rare dashed toward the voice who shouted just then, cracking open her eyelids just a bit when she got near to check their position. She dropped her hips, then drove her palm right into the center of her targets trunk. In the real world, she wouldve broken her hand with this move, but the Rare here with her ludicrous stats would never lose a joust like this. However, the ce her palm strike hit was much softer than she anticipated and her hand pierced right into the yers body, momentarily stopping her in ce. The other yers werent about to let that opening slip them by. Something came flying at the side of her face, but because of her nearsightedness, Rare couldnt tell exactly which direction it hade from. She twisted instantly with her arm still inside the other yer, pivoting him to be used as a shield against the projectile. [Fear]! <> It was no use. [Mental Magic] wouldnt work on a demon lord. It didnt work! God dammit, but the leader! Shit, she blocked the Squid Ink Ball! But now we know for sure! We need both Blind and the field debuff in order for [Fear] tond! No, wait! I used six soul stones on that first cast, but Ive only got four left now! They might not be enough! They were wildly off base, but she had no obligation to correct them. The six soul stones must have been used for each of Yoroizaka and the five Kenzakis. But she did learn something useful just now. The thing that was thrown at her was the same thing that had blinded Yoroizaka. They called it a Squid Ink Ball. It must havee from the ocean. Once this was all over, maybe she should head there herself. [Lightning Shower]. As thanks for the information, Rare red in the direction of the voice who had cast [Fear] and unleashed some AOE magic in rpense. Since her uracy would tank when she couldnt see her target clearly, it was next to impossible for her to hit someone at mid-range with magic. However, AOE spells could somewhat cover for that in exchange forrger MP costs. Since the range of her vision stopped a bit before being able to see the source of the voice, that was where she was forced to cast her spell. Because of that, she couldnt hit them directly, but based on the cries she heard, it seemed she had barely caught them inside the area of the magic. Gaaah She got MentaiList! Even weakened, she can still one-shot the rearguard She aint a warrior-type or a mage-type! Shes stupid strong enough to be either! Rearguard, you guys back up even more! [Area Minor Heal]! Apparently other yers also got caught in her spell, so someone had cast AOE heals within that area. However, that was a bad move. From the start, Rare had only heard one voice casting healing magic. In other words, they probably didnt have another healer. In which case [Snowstorm]! [Prominence]! [Earthquake]! [Hurricane]! Before their AOE heal cooled down, kill them all by piling on spells. Rare was prepared to hit herself by casting them with her own position as the nexus. It was the quickest way to cast them consecutively. This way she didnt have to squint to designate a position in order to cast the spell each time. Aside from the damage from her own spells, her skin had been feeling prickly for a while now. That must be due to her weakness to sunlight. She couldnt afford to waste any more time; she needed to finish this up quickly. Unless they had somehow managed to slip in a heal between one of her attacks, all the yers near her should have been wiped out. She could have perhaps cast an even more powerful spell instead, but since she herself would be at the center of it, she wasnt sure if she would have been able to withstand it. Plus, she still hadnt taken any real damage from an enemy yet. After getting rid of all the front liners, the rearguard would probably start pelting her with magic, but she really couldnt imagine such a barrage doing more damage than she had already done to herself with her own spell. She could ride it out. Between all the offensive spells, the healer did cast some heals, but their AOE heal must have been on cooldown. Even if they were able to heal, it would only affect one or two people at a time. If that was all, then she could leave them alive and not run into any problems. However Rare wondered why this yer she gutted hadnt respawned yet. He was convenient as a shield, and even after she switched to mainly casting magic she had just kept him around, but she wondered exactly how long he intended to decorate her arm. Just as she thought it was about time to pull out her arm and throw him aside, she felt someone else cling to her waist. If she remembered correctly, this was the guy whose arm she had cut off, a yer named Gil. He had taken on the rare tank role in this raid. Just as a tank should, he must have had a lot of stamina in order to stay alive for this long. Well, no, even putting the weakening effect aside, Rares magic was powerful. Which meant that between Rares casts, the healer was deliberately healing this guy But why? Now! Break it!!! he suddenly yelled. With Rares vision, she couldnt really tell, but the rearguard yers were doing something quite far away. Then she heard what sounded like a crystal shattering, and suddenly her body became a lot heavier. She knew exactly what this was: the field debuff. But why did it get stronger all of a sudden? At the same time, it felt like strength was being drained from her body. She almost couldnt stay standing. The man holding onto Rares waist came loose and his feet began to drag on the ground. He was probably dying. This wasnt just a debuff; it probably also drained LP. And unlike before, it also affected the other yers now. That was why this Gil person also died. And this dead body hanging onto her arm was heavy; Rare was forced onto one knee. This was why he didnt respawn. She had to escape from this field as soon as possible. It wasnt dealing damage, but it was reducing her maximum LP instead. And the damage she had already taken before this new effect wasnt being maintained as a percentage of her current LP, it was a fixed value of LP lost. That was probably the primary reason for Gils death. And Rare had taken a huge amount of damage from her own spells. Furthermore, she had been also been debilitated by that powerful weakening effect. Her LP was already in the red zone, and she only had a sliver left. To make things worse, the [Light Burns] from her Albinism were starting to gradually shave even more LP off. This was bad. But the man at her feet was in her way, and she couldnt even take a single step. God, his armors so heavy. But in the worst case, I can just use [Castling] No, wait, she couldnt. Before she got here, she had frivolously used it up, and it had a 24-hour timer. She also couldnt use [Summon Caster] to escape. There was still more time before she could use any [Summon]-type skills. Plus, with all these corpses coiled around her, she didnt even know if she would be able to activate it. Everything she had done today ended up backfiring on her. This was all because of her arrogance, because she didnt consider the consequences of her actions. It was galling, but she had to run away. She could just cast high-level magic from the sky to carpet-bomb the entire area. She used [Flight] to float up in the air and used all her strength to shake off the corpse on her arm. At that moment, her eyes swept across his face. She knew him. He was Suddenly, she felt the sharp tang of bloodlust. She spun around reflexively. Right before her eyes, there was an arrow. Oh right, someone fired an arrow at me right at the start It would probably pierce her right between the eyebrows. A headshot. <> <> Authors notes The only thing I had decided before I started writing this chapter was that Rare would die. If that hurts your impression of this chapter, I think thats a fair response. Thank you very much for reading. The ones who benefit the most from the reduced death penalty are the ones at the top. This is a game where the more experience you gain, the greater the cost of dying bes, so since the top yers cant afford to die, as they get stronger, they also be more careful. At least, the yers who have experienced death do. The admins would never directly interfere in the game, but if they ever felt that progression was stagnating, they could use these kinds of bonus weeks to help stimte things. Theyll record the data on the reduced death penalty during this event and probably refer to it in the future. Tomorrows chapter will be even longer than todays, which I am very sorry about, but itll be another single story. For the most part, itll be the events that led to todays story in a Pythagosomething Switch[2] type of thing, it wont be the next part of the story. TL notes The name of this chapter is ֪ζ. The first part, ֪, is an old poetic rendition for tears; from what I understand, its kind of archaic Japanese, i.e. the construction doesnt make sense in modern Japanese, but it roughly trantes to the rain from ones own body. So all together it would be either the taste of tears or the taste of rain from ones own body; as an English title, though, the first one is boring, and the second makes no sense. I decided to go with a more abstract English title to try to retain that feeling of poetry. [1]: ֤Ǔ䚢Ƥʹ裡; not sure if this was supposed to be a reference, but 䚢ʹ pretty clearly brings to mind Dokuro-chan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bludgeoning_Angel_Dokuro-Chan [2]: Pythagora Switch is a Japanese educational TV program that features Pythagorean devices throughout the show, which are moremonly known as Rube Goldberg machines in American English. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PythagoraSwitch Wow, so how about this chapter? The person who rmended this series to me said this was the chapter that made him change his evaluation of this series; Thats when it finally kicked in for me. After building up her invincibility, it felt like it broke my expectations in a good way. I have to agree; based on how everything leading up to this chapter was going, there might have been little hints, but I never thought it was going to lead off this way, with her respawning in medias res, then shing back to the actual battle. Im excited to find out how the author is going to exin how this happened. Next chapter is the 19k monster, so Ill be taking a full week to work on it as well. See you on Wednesday the 11th! Chapter 88: “Before the Final Battle” Wayne never imagined that he could ever visit the royal castle. Of course, other games also had ces like this, but in this game, the level of craftsmanship was on apletely different level. Just from seeing the outside, he already thought that it was majestic, but the inside was just as magnificent. Wayne followed behind the knight, steadily going up and further into the castle. The hallways were vast and winding; he didnt think he would be able to find his way back out on his own. During this event, it might even just be faster for him to die and revive outside. If he had known this might happen, he would have gone to an inn in the castle town to log out momentarily first, but if he were to die now, hed just be ying roulette again. At some point, he started suffering the piercing stares of the people they passed. Sellswords probably werent supposed toe into this area, he spected. Wayne didnt know why he was being brought all this way, but whoever called for him must have thought that a single knight would be able to keep him under control. As far as he could tell from the way the knight carried himself, that idea wasnt wrong. The knights from the capital certainly were powerful. Pardon the interruption! I have brought one safeholder with me! They had finally arrived at a massive door. The knight knocked on it, received permission to enter, and opened it to step inside. Wayne came in after him. Hello there Ohh, Im d youre here, Lawson! You were only able to find one safeholder? Yes sir. It appears that none of them have shown up at the guild since yesterday. I see. I have heard that many more safeholder sellswords are helping to defend the border than usual. Perhaps they had already started heading out that way yesterday. The capital is currently peaceful, after all. This appeared to be a reception room. Wayne was shown to a soft-looking sofa. As he sat down, he was immediately offered some tea. It must be awkward for there to be a reception room this deep in the castle; he wondered when exactly they got to use it. The attendant-looking person who served the tea bowed politely then exited the room. First off, thank you foring. My name is Dous OConnell, and I have been appointed the prime minister of the Kingdom of Hiers by His Majesty. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. He was the prime minister. A huge VIP. Not someone who would meet directly with a lowly sellsword. Why did he want Wayneyers to be brought to him? Ah, umm, Im Wayne. I dont have a family name. Im a sellsword. Its nice to meet you. Indeed. Mister Wayne, Im sure you think it strange that youve been brought all this way. I do. Currently, monsters are assaulting cities all across the kingdom. We are struggling toe up with a response; I myself have been working all night. The I didnt get any sleep excuse! Wayne often made the sameint to his VR coworkers, but he never would have expected it in a game world as well. He felt a strange sense of affinity with the prime minister. The cities under assault definitely referred to the current event. Wayne nodded. However, we actually believe that this incident truly began about ten days ago. What was he talking about? This was news to Wayne. The event should have only started yesterday. Maybe the admins started preparing the event ten days ago? That was probably about when they announced the event details, or maybe that happened a bitter. Ten days ago, the patriarch of the Holy Church of Hiers dered that he had received an oracle. You mean like a message from God? That is correct. Oracles are mysterious divine words from God delivered to the patriarch and his bishops that provide insight about the world. Insight about the world. It felt like that referred to system messages. Since Wayne didnt remember getting any system messages himself, maybe this was a way to specifically warn NPCs about events. In thisst oracle, we were informed of the birth of a new threat to humanity. A threat to humanity. Since Wayne didnt appear to know what that meant, the prime minister exined in detail. The threats to humanity were the six special monsters scattered across the world, each one possessing enough power to destroy entire continents. Since it was impossible to fight against them with the meager might that humans had, they became known as catastrophes. Their number included things like a true vampire and an archdemon, but this kingdom had only ever had to deal with the archangel. That said, the archangel never showed itself, only the angels woulde down to randomly attack the capital and therger cities. And now a seventh catastrophe had been born. We believe that this event triggered the monsters indiscriminate invasion. That made sense. So the oracle really was in preparation for the event. This seventh catastrophe or whatever was the true viin, and the oracle was the g signifying that the event wasing. The true invasion thus began yesterday. The reason the safeholders all disappeared yesterday was likely because they went to provide assistance to the border cities, am I wrong? Wayne nodded. His guess was more or less correct. Wayne was only in the capital himself by happenstance. His inn had been destroyed, so he had wandered around until he got here. So thats what happened. You were at Erfahren I see. From those words, it seemed the prime minister already knew that Erfahren had been lost. It had now been one day since that had happened. Wayne had no clue where Erfahren and the capital were in rtion to one another, but if they used something like messenger birds, then it made sense that theyd be able to receive information about faraway ces. However, that was unrted to why Wayne had been summoned here. The only ces under attack were at the border, so it was out of the question for the capital toe under fire. Since he had been told it was an emergency, he thought they might know something about the safety of the city, but why now? This makes the exnation easier. The seventh catastrophe was actually born near Erfahren, in the Great Liebe Forest. Wayne was stunned. But at the same time, he also felt that it made sense. The ants that surged out of the great forest and descended on the city were extraordinarily powerful. They shouldnt havee from an overworld dungeon with tons of beginners that had earned the nickname the Great Learning Forest on the forums. The only monsters that appeared in that forest were weak ants and goblins, and for some odd reason yers always got killed if they farmed more than a certain number of enemies. Thats why it was very poprtely with new yers as a tutorial dungeon for developing a sense of when to quit, and for learning the basics ofbat. All of the above led to Erfahren housing a lot of newbies. There was also the rumor that Wayne had spread, that Rare, the winner of thest event, farmed in this forest, which asionally attracted top-tier yers and stalkerish people like Wayne. Well, not that he was a stalker himself, of course not. And a giant army of bloodthirsty ants overran such aid-back location. The city was leveled in the blink of an eye, and all the yers and NPCs were probably killed. The yers probably respawned all across the kingdom. Im sure you already know, but Erfahren was decimated in an extremely short amount of time. At the same time, the city of Lourdes, which was a rtively short distance away, was swallowed whole by nt-type monsters and has now disappeared. Even though the two cities were attacked bypletely different types of monsters, they both fell at nearly the same time, so while there may be no direct link, its also difficult to conclude that there was absolutely no connection. The prime ministers conjecture made sense. Because of the event, monsters were hitting various cities along the border, but the reason for that, the key, was the event boss monster, which was this catastrophe. And so, that was yesterday, and here we are today. The city of La Colline, one of our important trade hubs that is quite far from the border, was besieged by arge army of giant wasps. Apparently each wasp carried an ant, and those ants fired unknown projectiles from the sky, thus felling La Colline. It was those ants. The wasps had carried those cannoneer ants to conduct a siege. In this world, people didnt think about flying in the air, so air bombing was apletely alien concept to them. He didnt know how big this city was, but no matter how big it was, it was lost. I think those were the same ants that were at Erfahren. So they really were If those ant-type monsters that attacked Erfahren came at the behest of the disaster, then this is now evidence that its hand has stretched all the way to La Colline Uh, this La Colline ce, is it near here? If it only fell today, then it hasnt been that long since it did, right? Even if that wasnt the case, getting information via bird meant that unless the wasps were a lot slower than the birds were, the capital could have been attacked while they were only just receiving thetest news. However, he couldnt see any signs of the capital being attacked from the road, so perhaps the catastrophes forces had gone in a different direction. No, it takes about eight days to get there on foot, nine for an army on the march. On a fast horse, it would still take at least two days. Then did you get this information via messenger bird? No. We did send a pigeon, but we didnt know about the destruction at that point in time, and we never received a reply. We learned about the attack via another method. The prime minister paused. Actually, about nine days ago, we formed a catastrophe subjugation force, and they were headed for the Great Liebe Forest. Nine days ago, that was likely the day after the patriarch had received the oracle. Meaning as soon as they heard the oracle, they immediately put together this army. The leadership of this country must have been either incredibly decisive or horribly cornered to have made such a swift decision. Catastrophes must just be that terrifying to the NPCs of this world. That army was just wiped out. With La Colline. Wha Thest message I received from the armymander came this morning via pigeon. In it, he said that the wasps were spreading out all over La Colline and asked if he should prioritize the subjugation of the catastrophe or the defense of La Colline. So thats how he found out about it. But that meant that this morning, all he knew was that the wasps might begin attacking La Colline. He had no proof that the city had been destroyed. I was distressed over how to respond, and decided to tell him to hurry to the Great Liebe Forest, even if he had to abandon La Colline, in order to defeat the catastrophe. At that point in time, I believed that there were only wasps, and that the catastrophe itself was still in its nest. Im not sure I would agree. Isnt it possible that it came to lead its troops in battle? Youre right, of course. However, there is a rule of thumb. I spoke of the other catastrophes earlier, correct? Of the six, our kingdom has only fought against the angels. The catastrophe that controls those angels is the archangel, but it never leaves its sky castle under any circumstances. Since anyone who has ever seen it is dead, there are rumors that it has never been sighted, but at the very least I know of no records in any country of the archangel ever setting one foot outside the sky castle. Our seventh catastrophe has only just been born. Wouldnt it follow that it likely wouldnt make the decision to needlessly leave its own castle? That made a certain amount of sense. But from a game event perspective, Wayne wasnt sure if that would necessarily be true. Since all the yers were scattered across the continent, he questioned whether it would make sense for the event boss to hole up in some remote backwater forest. I understand But still, all you know is that the subjugation army has, um, abandoned the city of La Colline, right? You dont actually know if the city was destroyed. Mmm As a safeholder, you may already know about this, but we of noble rank are able to have what are known as followers in our employ. Yes, Ive heard. Then I shall eschew the detailed exnation. When followers die, they will revive in thest ce they awoke from sleep after one hour has passed. You know this? Right. If he remembered correctly, this was written in the official FAQ. However, the conversation topic just jumped again. Wayne wondered how this was relevant to La Colline being destroyed. Three of my follower knights traveled with the subjugation army. All three of them were specially trained to constantly observe one another, and they were only chosen for this mission afterpleting that training. The three knights also carried a months supply of a special potion. Wayne still didnt see where this was going. This potion has the effect of causing severe insomnia. No matter how long the march took, my knights would never fall asleep. So if they died during their travels, they would revive in thest ce they awoke, which would be here in the capital. Wayne gawked; he had no words. They would go that far? No; of course they would. This was their world. This was the country that they lived in and protected. My knights just revived earlier and delivered their report to me. About the destruction of La Colline, and about the possibility of the catastrophe raiding the capital. So the source was as reliable as can be. It was just like how yers used friend chat and forums to share information, except that since NPCs didnt have ess to those, they invented this unbelievable method of indirect long-rangemunication. But then, if the knights had already returned from death and delivered this information, why did the prime minister need to find yers? Wayne truly wondered what he wanted from him. So, Mister Wayne, this is my request to you. I would like you to gather as many of yourrades as you can here in the capital. There is a very high chance that this will be the catastrophes next target. And it wille itself. Wha! How What is your basis for that belief?! Yes The prime minister signaled Lawson, the knight from before, with his eyes, who then brought over arge map. It appeared to be drawn on parchment; he spread it out on a low table, and the prime minister pointed at a certain spot. Here. This is the Great Liebe Forest. And over here is the city of Erfahren. It was Waynes first time seeing an actual map, so he didnt know the country looked like this. After having it pointed out, he recognized the area. That was indeed what the city looked like. Then again, the city was now gone, so they would have to update this beautiful map. And this is where La Colline is. Given that the same monsters appeared at both La Colline and Erfahren, we can assume theyre the same force, in other words, all part of the catastrophes army. Look here, Erfahren is west of the Great Liebe Forest. And further west of it is La Colline. Meaning theyve been marching west in almost a straight line. This was in fact the case. And speaking of, the capital was the next city on that line. That was what the prime minister wanted to show Wayne. Next, regarding the possibility of the catastrophe apanying its forces this time. My knights did not perish along with La Colline; to be precise, they died afterward. La Colline was decimated by attacks from the wasps and ants, but those attacks ultimately only destroyed the city itself and, heartrending as it is, the townspeople and the inexperienced soldiers. The experienced soldiers from the army and the knights did not die in that offensive. Perhaps seeing that the insects were unable to defeat these survivors, after that, the wasps and ants suddenly disappeared. We dont know where they disappeared to, but whats certain is that they were indeed gone. Wayne nodded in understanding. The prime minister continued. The problem is whates next. Suddenly, in the sky above the knights, a group of undead materialized and fell down to the ground. These undead were terrifyingly powerful, and they immediately crossed swords with the men who withstood the attack on the city. I was told that they could not even leave a single scratch on them. Even Wayne had heard rumors of these monsters. Extremely overpowered undead knights could sometimes appear in the Great Liebe Forest. If the catastrophe was indeed born in Liebe, then the ants and the undead were both undeniably under its control. After Wayne ryed this, the prime minister nodded. I see. Then they are unmistakably the catastrophes underlings. But how does this lead to the catastrophe being there in person? A fair question. But think: Normally, it would be impossible for undead to materialize in midair. If they came out of the ground, then there are other exnations, but midair? How else can you exin that phenomenon? The prime minister was right; it was incredibly unnatural. Instead of simply epting that they materialized out of the ether, its much more convincing to believe that there is a creature that can hide itself from the naked eye, float in the air, and summon other monsters. In fact, monsters that can be invisible do exist. We have also confirmed the existence of monsters that can summon hordes of undead. And for the swarm of wasps that could travel from Erfahren to La Colline in less than a day, if the catastrophe apanied them, then naturally it is equipped with the ability to fly. If it is indeed a catastrophe, then it is feasible for such a being to possess all of these abilities. On the whole, what the prime minister proposed sounded preposterous, but after hearing him exin every piece one by one, it actually became more and more believable. And that helped Wayne convince himself logically that it was possible for a catastrophe like this to exist. Because the wasps ended up leaving the battlefield, Im uncertain if it intends to attack the capital with them. If it felt like it, it could summon those undead that even my knights cannot match. But at the very least, I believe that there is an exceedingly high chance that the catastrophe has vacated the Great Liebe Forest and traveled west toward here. The prime minister took a sip of his tea. Wayne noticed for the first time that his throat was incredibly dry and followed suit. The tea had long lost its heat. So, you want to use the y safeholders informationwork to gather a force here in the capital. That is correct. Wayne contemted whether it was possible to get arge number of skilled yers here in the capital; he never even thought of refusing. He remembered that nameless town fromst night. If Wayne had been stronger, maybe he could have saved it. Hisck of power was the same now as it was then, but he had a chance to do something about it this time. I understand. Im not sure what Ill be able to do, but Ill give it a shot. [Event Boss] Come To Hiers Capital ASAP! [Confirmed] 1: Wayne Theres a really high chance that the event boss will attack the Hiers capital. Source is the prime minister NPC If anyone cane, pls meet in the capital. 2: Monkey Dive Sasuke moron. only day 2. 3: healthyunpeble If it respawns a bunch of times, then its not weird for it to show up on the 2nd day, but 4: Amatane >>1 how did u meet w/ a bigshot like the prime minister? 5: Wayne >>4 Right now, theres barely any yers in the capital. When I went to the sellsword guild, there was a knight looking for yers, and since I happened to be the only one there he brought me to the castle. Thats where I heard the details, probably a good chance a boss monster called a [Catastrophe] will be here 6: Monkey Dive Sasuke ur story is so messy THREAD OVER 7: nameless elf >>5 Did you hear about this [Catastrophe] from His Excellency? 8: Wayne >>7 Yea Apparently there are six catastrophes across the world, and the event boss this time is the 7th one It was born 10 days ago in the east part of the kingdom in the Liebe dungeon, then when the event started it marched straight west Day 1 was Erfahren, this morning was La Colline, next is the capital Probably today 9: MentaiList >>8 i saw it in another thread erfahren gettin zerged is true no official map so dunno if the capital is realy next but well hes convincing 10: nameless elf Adding on that I can confirm the [Catastrophe] stuff Im in Portrie, and one of the big wigs in the church here did a speech in the capital city I think theres a thread about it somewhere A lotta countries got the same spiel And that happened 10 days ago I think They said it was the east part of Hiers, so the ce matches 11: healthyunpeble Srsly? Or maybe a buncha bored yers are just trolling every1 12: Wayne Its not a lie Seriously theres no time I need people toe pls 13: Orinki >>9 i saw that thread too, but damn, it sounded like erfahren got seriously fucked up erfahrens that ce in hiers with the beginner/newbie dungeon, but it totally got zerged by ants and trashed in just a few hours at first people were all spamming LETS GOOO, but then it all changed to SHIT, then nothing for a while, then just where am i their inns got bombed and they randomly respawned i guess the city wall and the houses and everything got totally leveled 14: Monkey Dive Sasuke >>13 o wait wut u mean dungeon dis game has shit like dat? 15: MentaiList by newbie dungeon you mean the great liebe forest? admins never made an announcement about it ording to the investigation team, no matter how many monsters are killed they always respawn, no many how many items you find there are always more, but get greedy and you get killed and sent back to town, so they figure its a stealth update beginner friendly content patch even if you get sent back, you never have less xp than when you started, so its super fair the bnce is so ocd its godly, they must have a bunch of special ais running it the entrance is easy to miss but the road to get there is nice and easy 16: Amatane make a new thread if u jus chatting >>12 if true then u in some srs shit, but the real problem is how we get to capital rn, theres no way rite? 17: CountryPop >>1 If its all true, isnt it at best only a possibility? Even if we can somehow get there, the capitals so far from the border what do we do after? 18: Wayne Please Im serious, please If the catastrophees then Hiers is toast 19: Wayne Anyone 20: Gi1gamesh Heeeeeeeeey? WHY DIDNT U ASK ME Im gonna cry DDDDDDDDDD: 21: Amatane >>20 hey its gi1gamesh yr u here 22: Orinki >>21 whos that? 23: MentaiList >>22 best tank on the server currently didnt you say you finished defense on first day of the event already? in another thread 24: Gi1gamesh >>21 Cuz Waynes my friend >>23 I sure did Defense squad turtled while attack squad took out mobs, cake 25: CountryPop Srsly? Still a week left what u gonna do now? Lol 26: Gi1gamesh >>25 We gonna save the kingdom now, yeah? 27: healthyunpeble Amg hes so dreamy 28: Wayne Gil, sorry I forgot Can youe help 29: Gi1gamesh >>28 We friends right? You killjoy just leave it to me 30: Yoichi Sounds fun Gimme a couple shots too 31: Amatane now its nurse yoichi huh 32: healthyunpeble At least he sounds cool lol 33: nameless elf But he looks like shit lol 34: MentaiList but his skills are THE shit (srsly) 35: CountryPop More like when did all these top rankers take over this thread? Everyone here made it to the championshipst time right >>1 Never heard of this guy though 36: Wayne Im just a regr yer Defense lost on the first day, inn got wrecked, random respawn. Another city got destroyed after that, random respawn again. Finally made it to the capital but there werent any other yers here I cant do anything by myself I need everyones help 37: healthyunpeble U seriously wiped on day 1 O wait were you in that city they talked about before? Already surprising to lose 2 cities on day 1, but even more surprising that you ate random respawns at both of them >>1 U got E rank luck man 38: Gi1gamesh I wannae help, but seriously how am I gonna get to Hiers capital I aint used my event port yet today, but Im outside the country rn One port wont get me to the capital 39: Gi1gamesh j/k, I can make it to the capital I just checked the list of neighboring cities and Hiers capital is there Wasnt there yesterday, wonder why? 40: healthyunpeble Bug? 41: MentaiList i dont think this game has bugs 42: nameless elf Hold up If it wasnt there yesterday but its there today, doesnt that mean cities that were there yesterday arent there today? Isnt it because some cities got destroyed so theyre not neighboring anymore, and the capital is the next closest? 43: Gi1gamesh That means between where I am now and Hiers, there arent any cities between me and the capital 44: Wayne The prime minister told me Right now, Hiers has lost at least 5 cities 45: Monkey Dive Sasuke wut is this the apocalypse? 46: Yoichi If Gi1gamesh is good, what about everyone else? 47: Monkey Dive Sasuke y u assuming every1 else going but i mean sure ill go 48: MentaiList >>46 i saw yesterday on the event megathread, anything a yer is carrying counts as part of the yer there were reports that you can carry someone and port, then they can carry you and port back so you have someone with a lotta str and vit carry a buncha people, then switch people in the next townand keep doing that until you get to hiers 49: healthyunpeble So how many ppl u need 4 that And once u finally get to the capital how many tanks u got left 50: Gi1gamesh >>49 You got me 51: CountryPop Ur seriously some kinda perfect husbando? lol 52: nameless elf There are a bunch of threads gathering people now 53: MentaiList people probably havent noticed so we should go tell them no matter where you end up after all the ports, you can just die to return to your city no death penalty right now so even if the event boss doesnt show up, the only thing we lose is todays event port if you mention that, you can get more people to help, right? 54: nameless elf >>53 I didnt think of that lol Thx 55: Monkey Dive Sasuke 56: Wayne Thanks everyone Thank you so much 57: Amatane u wanna thank someone thank ur friend first soon as he came everyone piled on I somehow managed to convince some people toe here. Wayne had borrowed the sofa in the reception room while he jumped on the forums. He asked an attendant to let the prime minister know in his office next door. You have my most sincere gratitude So, about how many people will being? Umm maybe twenty, no, about thirty people areing. Theyre all many times stronger than I am. Goodness The prime minister said nothing after that, his eyebrows wrinkling together in thought. I apologize, but please wait here for a bit, if you would. Uh, sure. I dont mind, but Um, what should we do with the my acquaintances wholl be arriving here? Hm, lets see. Lawson, please greet them. As for what to do once they have all gathered I believe it best to take them to the inner courtyard. Mister Wayne, I apologize, but I would ask you to move to the inner courtyard as well. Lawson will take you there. I shall join you as soon as I speak with His Majesty. After going through thatplex hallway again, Wayne was led to the inner courtyard. It had only been a short time, but even still, he felt more collected than when he had first set foot in the castle. He was able to make small talk with the knight guiding him, Lawson. Only because he couldnt stand walking in silence, though. Uhh, Sir Lawson, was it? I wonder what His Excellency is talking to His Majesty about. Lawson abruptly stopped in ce, answering without turning around. Mister Wayne Seeing you do everything you possibly could right before our eyes, I believe His Excellency was greatly moved. You should have no reason to exhaust everything at your disposal for the sake of our kingdom, so we too cannot stand idly by. I suspect that is why he sought His Majesty. Oh, is that how it is? Thank you very much. Lawson clearly knew more about the situation, but he wasnt allowed to share everything. Even still, from the deliberate way he spoke, Wayne was certain that Lawson was doing his best to give as many hints as he could. They continued walking in silence and eventually came out into the inner courtyard. Mister Wayne, approximately when will your allies be arriving? And where will I be able to find them? Umm, one of them is already in town. Everyone else will slowly trickle in, I believe. For the time being, should I tell them to meet in front of the castle? Yes, if you could do that, it would be of great assistance. Well then, my apologies, but we ask that you please stand by. I shall wait before the castle then bring your allies here. Wayne had no way to remember how to get back to the reception room from here, nor did he have any idea how to leave the castle either. It went without saying that if left alone here, the only thing he could possibly do was wait. No problem. Thank you for your help. Wayne went back to that forum thread to post the meeting location, then pinged Gil via friend chat. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om He would just have to wait a bit longer before Gil would be here. They seriously let us into the castle Sorry, I honestly only half believed it. If we start spreading the word about this now, wont we get more people? But theres a soft time limit, or like we dunno exactly when the attackll being. If they tried toe now, they might not make it, right? As long as we say that up front, we might as well just put it out there anyway. Amatane, Orinki, CountryPop, healthyunpeble They were top-tier yers that even Wayne knew. They actually came. She didnt post in the thread, but the famous yer ThoseWarmHands was here too. She was one of the few healers in the game, having been the first person to discover healing magic skills. After that, more and more yers filed into the castle. There must have been over thirty yers here. Thank you all so much Itd be a kick in the balls if we actually lost an entire country or whatever. If this ends up being a scam then youre a goddamn son of a bitch, but for now it doesnt seem to be a lie. It was a ninja in full-body ck tights. Wayne also recognized him from the championship. I never doubted him. Hes Gilgameshs friend, after all. This came from a gentleman in nurse clothes. It was Nurse Yoichi. He was apparently partied with the ck tights yer now, Monkey Dive Sasuke. After both losing to the same person in the championship, they had somehow hit it off. Speaking of which, I thought I recognized the name Wayne from somewhere, but werent you the one who leaked that thest champion, Rare, was in the Great Liebe Forest? Right, were you able to get in touch with her? If she were here, Im sure wed have a better chance of beating it. Wayne looked down after hearing Yoichi and Amatanes questions. Rare I dont know. Were not exactly friends. Shes a PKer, and probably doing the event solo. The only reason she got close to Wayne in the first ce was to PK him anyway. Not that he would reveal somethingme like that. I getcha If thats how it is, not much we can do about it. Goodness, youve gathered so many people Mister Wayne, I am speechless. Prime Minister OConnell had arrived, and behind him followed a number of knights carrying arge object. Since it was covered with a cloth, he couldnt see what it was, but it appeared to be round. From its size, it didnt seem like something that even that many people should have been able to carry, so it must have been quite light. Wait, no, it would make more sense to assume that the knights just had high STR. They were more powerful than Wayne was. If it were light, then one person might be able to carry it alone, but due to bnce considerations, two would be sufficient. Ive already spoken to Mister Wayne about this, but The prime minister exined what Wayne had heard previously to all the yers in the inner courtyard. I see now; yeah, with all that info, it really does sound likely that itll show up at the capital. After hearing the exnation, Amatane responded as the representative of all the yers. Yes. So, with regards to that The prime minister signaled with his eyes, and a knight pulled the cloth off the mystery object. What was underneath was an ominous-looking giant crystal egg that glittered with all the colors of the rainbow, like a prism. None of you are our kingdoms knights, yet you are here selflessly pledging to do everything in your power to help with us. Given the situation, as a kingdom, we cannot simply sit by and watch while doing nothing. Of course, any knights and soldiers remaining in the capital will be joining you in battle, but that is a separate matter. We bureaucrats must also put forth everything at our disposal to be of assistance. The prime minister approached the crystal egg and continued speaking with his hand on it. This is an ancient relic known as an artifact. It is one of our national treasures. You have been allowed to use it as a boon from His Majesty. A national treasure! Did you say artifact?! This is a new type of item Is it really all right for us to use it? After Amatane asked, the prime minister looked back at the yers and slowly nodded his head. He then randomlyunched into an exnation about the mysterious item. This secret tool has the effect of cursing every creature within a designated area with weakness. Up to ten people can be excluded from its effects by being registered in advanced. The effectsts for one hour after being activated. The weakness effect strengthens over time. At the start, it is nothing consequential, but as the target remains in the affected area, the effect steadily increases. And thats not all. If the crystal is broken while the weakness effect is active, then the effect will remain for ten seconds beyond that point. However, depending on how much time was remaining when it was broken, the effect will increase severalfold in potencythe more time there was remaining, the stronger the curse bes for those ten seconds. The curse is also unbiased; it will affect everything aside from the registered people. The effect will, at its strongest, halve all aspects of a creature. This includes lifeforce as well. Therefore, if the curse activates while one is wounded, its possible to cause instant death. This was an extraordinarily powerful item. No wonder it was a national treasure. Basically, against any boss, you could halve its stats for up to ten seconds. But, if the kingdom had something like this all along, why didnt they give it to the subjugation army? If they had it with them, maybe the destruction of La Colline could have been avoided. Why, are you only revealing this now? If the subjugation army had this, they might not have been wiped out An astute question. There is a condition to using this item. It can only be used in specific locations. One of those locations is here, our capital. Oh, so thats But this is a national treasure, isnt it? If it gets destroyed Even if the country was in crisis, he thought it would be overkill to destroy a national treasure. Though if the countrys existence were at stake should Waynes group be defeated, then it would make more sense in that case. Mister Wayne, its all right. Either way, once this item has been activated, it loses its splendor and cannot be used again. Are you absolutely sure? What you said earlier, about those angels who do raids periodically. Wouldnt it be better to have this on hand if the archangel ever shows up? Another good question. However, it doesnt work very well on angels. What do you mean? You understand how the different elements of magic interact with each other? It is simr to that concept. This items name is [Heart of the Spirit Lord]; legends say that thisnd was once ruled by a spirit lord, and just before its death, it bequeathed its heart to the residents of thend. And angels attributes belong to a sphere of influence close to spirit lords, so they are resistant to the powers of spirit lords. Oh, I didnt know that Regarding the ces it can be activated, there are six such ces. Those locations have be the capital cities of the kingdoms that rule this continent. This also serves as proof that the royal families of these countries have the qualifications to seed the spirit lord. We here in Hiers were only given information about our own treasure, but each kingdom should have a simr treasure. This meant that even when a catastrophe or other big threat attacked, each countrys capital at least had a special event item already prepared for its defense. It definitely made sense for there to be built-in safeguards against huge changes to the games setting like the destruction of entire countries. And the fact that it was nearly impossible to use it might be a deliberate configuration that prevented NPCs from going out and beating raid bosses before yers could get a chance to fight them. So that, uh, catastrophe this time is undead, so it should work on it? We at least know its not an angel, right? Exactly. The power of the spirit lord is strongest and most effective against its antitheses. While we dont know what singr entities those are, we do know it at least works on the forces of evil and darkness. If this catastrophe is as deeply connected to undead as you say, Mister Wayne, then there is no better time to use it. If those are Your Excellencys thoughts, then we will protest no further. We would like to use the artifact, Amatane dered, bowing his head. The other yers all did the same. Well said. We are counting on you. Okay then, Wayne, lets talk strategy. Huh? Upon suddenly having his own name called out, Wayne felt perplexed by all the people looking at him. Among all the yers here, he was undoubtedly the weakest. So then why? Oh,e on, youre the one who got us all together, right? We only came to give you a hand. Keep your head in the game, now. Yeah, Gilgamesh is right. We responded to your call, Wayne. That makes you the raid leader. But, thats only because Gil spoke up Perhaps. But Gilgamesh wasnt the one who gathered us. They were all good people; they were the top yers. They had trusted Wayne ande all this way. And it wasnt only them. There were all those tanks as well who got left behind in towns along the way with nothing to show for it. Despite the fact that they wouldnt get anything for helping, they still chose to do so anyway. In that case, Wayne couldnt just keep hiding behind his weakness. He didnt have all that much confidence in himself, but it was time toe up with a n. No, he should be able to do it. After all, he was even able to see through Rares tricks. If he ran away now, he couldnt bear to show his face in front of her again, even though she had acknowledged him, even if only for a brief minute. Not that he cared what Rare thought about him at all. Having found his determination, Wayne looked around at all the yers and nodded. Got it. Ille up with a n. First, lets go over what we know. Our target is what we think is the boss of this event, a powerful monster known as a catastrophe that came from the Great Liebe Forest. It used ants and wasps to destroy the city of Erfahren, then it went straight west and once again used ants and wasps to destroy the city of La Colline. After that, it summoned a bunch of undead in the sky and killed all the knights. Everyone follow? Yeah, keep going. Now, Ill go over the catastrophes abilities that we know for sure. First, it can control ants, wasps, and undead. It can fly. It can somehow hide itself from view. Its heading westin other words, itll be approaching us from the east. Yeah. This is already sounding like a bad time Next is unconfirmed information, but there were reports from La Colline that the wasps and ants pulled back temporarily. After that point, no one saw the bugs again, so theres a possibility they wont being to the capital. Would be nice if that were true Youre right, but thats not the problem. Beyond that possibility, it means if the catastrophe ising to the capital by itself while invisible, then even finding it at all will be impossible. Ah, yeah A moment, Sir Wayne? Please, go ahead, Yoichi. Dont be so stiff. Ive got a skill called [Truesight]. When I activate it, all living things in range well, it includes undead and golems and stuff, but anyway, it lets me sense the LP of everything in range. I dont get exact numbers or anything, but I see these colored lights. How bright the light is represents their LP remaining, while the color generally tells me their max LP. By the way, I got that skill too. Thats really good to know All right, then first well have you guys keep a lookout, or like you guys just need to find the enemy, but anyway, well leave that role to Yoichi and Monkey Dive Sasuke. Sasukes fine. Why you gotta use my full character name? Right, so itll be up to Sasuke. If it brings wasps with it, well have to n for that separately, so first lets assume itsing alone. Theres a high chance itll be invisible, so our two scouts will be in charge of detection. And the most important thing is to lure it into the artifactss area of effect, the field debuff. Makes sense. Normally speaking, if we were to wait for the catastrophe to get here first before getting it ready, then wed already be toote. Just now, when I touched it, I knew how to use it. I guess you learn how to use artifacts just by touching them. So, when you activate it, you need to designate a target ce, not a person or object. And about the effect time, breaking it when theres at least thirty minutes left will produce the strongest effect. Thank you, Amatane. Which means the ideal scenario is to lead the catastrophe to the right ce, have the rearguard activate the artifact, get its LP into the red within thirty minutes, break the artifact, then beat it while its super weakened. In order to do this, well so well go with this general outline. We actually dont know what kind of monster this thing will be. We can try to predict what might happen outside our expectations, but the most important point is the final debuff from breaking the artifact. I cant say that pulling off the timing means we will win, but if we dont get the timing right then we probably cant possibly win. So first Ill shoot it with an arrow, which will let everyone know where it is. The lynchpin really is making sure it cant move during the final debuff. Yup. Its a huge responsibility. Just leave it to me. And until then, if possible, I want you to do everything you can to shave off as much LP from the catastrophe as possible. Itll be a coinflip if my [Fear] can get through, but if its undead then [Soul Stones] should make sure the cast is sessful, at least. Then its just a question of whether it resists it If someone can distract it, Sasuke can chuck a Squid Ink Ball to inflict Darkness, whichll raise the sess rate. So like, can you seriously Blind it by hitting it in the back of the head? How is that logical? Thats just what the item does, so whatever. I got all the deets from the alchemist who made them. They couldnte to the battle, so they gave me them in a town on the way. The strategy had been more or less decided. All that was left was to execute it. But, this n assumes that everyone on the front line will definitely die. Nah, I think this is the only n thatll work. Fortunately, the death penalty isnt bad right now. You never know, maybe they purposely removed the XP loss so that we could use the artifact and go with a sacrifice strat. The game admins here only give broad, systematic exnations. Anyway, since theres no XP loss you dont gotta worry about it. I bet the XP we get will be split based on contribution anyway. If you die, dont respawn so that we do everything possible to slow down the catastrophe. All the bodies at its feet will definitely be in the way. Ill do everything I can to stick to it and hold it back on the final debuff, so sorry but, if you ever dont know who to heal, then heal me. Im the hardest to kill, so it should be a little more useful to give em to me. Sure, you got it Gil. All right, lets get into position. Though honestly, we have no idea when it could show up. Lets do it! This was the beginning of Waynes partys raid boss battle, the fight against a catastrophe. It would also be the first time in this continents history that a threat to humanity was defeated. However Authors notes Thisnd was once ruled by? Now where did these wordse up before? PythagosomethingSwitch When Rare destroyed Erfahren, she flicked the pinball (a.k.a. Wayne) Lands at the next town, Alto Riva, which nc destroyed, tossing the ball Lands in the cup for the capital La Colline was demolished, the bottom of the cup falls out, knocking over a domino (he was called by the prime minister to post on the forums) The fallen domino causes a new ball to enter the course (Gil) The three stoppers in the balls way are removed (Verde Sud, Alto Riva, La Colline), so the new ball rolls all the way to the capital The new ball reaches the capital, causing the g to go up Or something. Regarding the NPCs long-distancemunication method, when I came up with how followers worked, I thought to myself some reader will definitely think up a crazy exploit like this, so thank you to those who realized it could be used this way but didnt say anything. This is, at its heart, a story told from multiple perspectives. Whats written is the truth from each persons eyes as they see it. The only exception was in ncs fixed XP session, but there was no need for me to force it into there, so I might move itter on. Thus, when NPCs say the six catastrophes, that doesnt necessarily correspond to the number of special disaster-level creatures that exist in the world. Its simply what they believe to be true based on their own legends passed down through history. Perhaps there are more, or perhaps there are fewer (maybe not a special disaster-level creature, per se, but something really strong that opposes humanity), that mystery skill just tells people in real time when something has awoken, so they think this thing sounds like bad news, so its probably the same as the other existing pieces of bad news, even though Ive never heard of it before. I might have missed something, though, so Ill just call it the same thing just in case. Someone must have done this a long time ago, and thats how we got the legends that exist today. Point being, NPCs might not intend to purposely mislead yers, but thats how misinformation can get propagated. Between this misinformation and a difference in how the world is perceived, this sets the stage for a game that seeks be as much like an entirely different world as it can. With regards to this story, or rather with regards to the game, the only absolutely true informationes from system messages. More information might get mixed in at certain points like with nc again, but when I have time Ill go back and fix things. If I had my way, it would have been better to leave hints within the story itself, so I apologize forcking the writing ability to do so. TL notes With regards to the authors note, the author did end up going back and updating almost every chapter, so I dont know that this note is applicable to readers following the English trantion. ncs fixed XP session might refer to chapter 18 when she found out she wouldnt get hit with the XP penalty once she died too many times, but otherwise no event in the story so far really matches what was said here, therefore I honestly dont know where that reference goes. Chapter 89: “The Golden Experience” Foo foo hoooo She finally calmed down. She still retained her frustration and her burning-hot anger. Even now, just thinking about the fight caused her eyes to tear up. However, it was no longer apanied by an anxiety attack so intense that she couldnt even scream. She was the type of person to cry whenever her emotions ran high, even if she wasnt in pain or feeling sad. She had always hated that part about herself, and in the real world she did her best to lead her life in a way where she would never get emotional. She had exploded over games many times before, but never to this degree. She couldnt believe even this aspect of herself had been replicated here. But wow, when was thest time she had broken down this bad? She would absolutely never forgive those yers, but it was hard to cry this much in real life given other peoples gaze. For that much at least, she was grateful to them. And she had of course already decided how to repay them. Wooayne! That was Wayne, wasnt it. He I thought I had erased him along with Erfahren But since hes a yer, no matter how many times I grind him to dust, hell just rez somewhere. He must have turned up outside the capital. Rare didnt believe that it was Waynes fault that she died. That was mostly due to Rares arrogance tempting fate. However, that wasnt the sole reason. There was an incredible gap in raw power between Rare and those yers. But they filled that gap with numbers, items, and strategy. Rare had indeed been careless, and she made a lot of poor decisions, but by the end she had been fighting at full strength. Yet she still lost. While she had some choice words about that debuff field thing that she knew nothing about, she wouldnt make any excuses. Rare was the fool for falling into their trap. Thinking over it again, those yers every coordinated action led to that final, momentary opening. Truly a well-constructed n. There was no other way to put it than magnificent. Since there was no way they knew what Rares stats or skills were, by random happenstance they developed the perfect scheme, and by random happenstance they had the perfect items that worked on her, but above all else, they were able to pull it off because they believed wholeheartedly in their gamble. Each yer spared no effort to achieve their one shared goal. Strength had nothing to do with it. After breaking the one yers neck, Rare had used that yers overall strength as reference whenunching a palm strike in order to blow someone away. Despite that, her hand pierced into him instead. Considering that, among all the yers who had faced her, Wayne was particrly weak. Regardless, he had still been the one standing there in front of her. Even in death, he had continued to hinder her. She had utterly forgotten about the yer named Wayne until today. He was someone she had killed a really long time ago, and the only yer to have ever driven her into a corner. But his actual strength wasnt all that impressive. Therefore, she forgot about him. Rare didnt believe her death was Waynes fault. However, he undeniably had a role in the scheme that killed her. Gnnngh It was fine. She was calm now. No more crying. For starters, healing magic. Whatever my next ns are, thats the first step. Whatever came next, she really needed to fix up her face first. Now that she knew about [Healing Magic], she wanted to get it as soon as possible. Getting the [Barehanded] skill, which improved stats inbat when not using a weapon, along with [Pharmacy] and [Disassemble] unlocked the [Treatment] skill. [Disassemble] was actually a skill the catkin girls all had. ording to the forums, it required a certain amount of DEX to unlock. This was why it hadnt been in Rares original list of learnable skills. Back then, she had dumped all her XP only into MND. After getting [Treatment], there were no issues with any other prerequisites. With [Treatment] and sufficient INT, she could learn [Healing Magic]. Based on that, she surmised that the effectiveness of [Healing Magic] must scale with INT. If information on this skill had spread in the early game, it was possible that MND could have be a trash stat. INT was useful for both direct attacks and healing, after all. Either way, max MP was determined based on the higher of ones INT and MND. If a yer didnt need MP, they could still have viable build while ignoring them both. That said, since Rare knew that INT and MND provided various wide-ranging benefits, she did not n to neglect either of them. Between [Healing Magic] and [Treatment], I wonder which would work better on swollen eyes? She didnt have a mirror, but since she was using [Water Magic] to wash her hands, she would clean up her face as well. The towels in the sink area where she washed her hands were sewn by engineer ants. Only five people used this sink, but there were two towels here. Apparently, one was for Rare, and the other was for Kerry and the other catkin girls. There had been vehement opposition to the idea of sharing, with them saying that the swarm boss couldnt possibly use the same towel as anyone else. She understood that they were just thinking of her position, but it still felt a bit lonely to be excluded. Kerry and those girls, I wonder if theyll be all right after suddenly dying like that. Ive made them experience something terrible Since her role in this event was someone leading monsters on raids, the catkin girls were going to just be benched. However, since standing by in the caverns the entire time would be boring, the four of them plus Hakuma and Ginka went south to search for the volcanic region. If they happened to run into an invasion event somewhere and couldnt avoid being roped into it, she instructed them to assist the most human-looking side. Meanwhile, Deas was left to babysit the wolf pups. Although young, they were still wolves, so they obeyed the packs hierarchy, meaning they wouldnt listen to the weak ants. They would listen Sugaru and Deas, though, so since Sugaru would be upied, their care fell to Deas. Naturally, Kerrys group did all receive Greater Philosophers Stones. Among the top brass, only Sugaru had not gotten one yet; she required far too much XP, so it was being saved forter. Apparently there wasnt a superior or more advanced race above beastkin, so the Philosophers Stone only allowed them to reincarnate into other beastkin subraces close to their own. So after reincarnating, Kerry was now a lion, Riley a panther, Remy a tiger, and Marion a snow leopard. There were quite a lot of options, interestingly enough. Rare thought their hair color would change, but she was wrong. Only the shapes of their ears and tails changed a little, otherwise there were no other major changes to their appearances. It was very differentpared to when she went from elf to high elf. The types of beastkin avable at the start were things like cat, dog, elephant, horsesimple and broad animal ssifications, there werent any more specific subssifications. If there wasnt a superior race, that meant that no beastkin could use [Subordinate] by default. There was a country with arge poption of beastkin, if she remembered correctly, so it might be worthwhile to pay a visit. Hakuma and Ginka reincarnated into a [Sk?ll] and a [Hati], respectively. With a little more work, she thought they could even make it to fenrir, but when they tried the other day, it seemed there was an outstanding prerequisite still, so it didnt work. This applied to others as well; unless they had been incredibly weak from the start, if they didnt meet enough conditions, they were unable to reincarnate further. That said, there were also many like Rare and World Tree who, upon consideration, seemed very unlikely to have any higher forms to reincarnate into. Things were even stricter for items; once a Philosophers Stone was used to raise a given items rank, another stone could not be used on that item. Furthermore, if that same item were used in alchemy to produce another item, that resultant product was also ineligible for a rank up using another Philosophers Stone. However, this wasnt unexpected, so confirming it wasnt much of a disappointment. If the system wasnt restricted in this way, it would have been trivial to mass produce the best possible items. There was one thing that Rare hadnt tried yet: If she used a Philosophers Stone on a piece of adamantite to transform it into a higher ranked metal, thenbined that with a Knights Grudge to create a living object-type monster, could this monster use a Philosophers Stone? She was eager to test it out but, unfortunately, she had no more Knights Grudges left. She was wondering if shed be able to get some from the invasion event. I wonder how invasions in other regions went. Lets check out the stickies for the event on the forum Well, thats no surprise All the threads are buzzing about the server-first catastrophe kill Ngh Well, whatever, Ill look againter. After washing her hands, Rare returned to the queens chamber and flopped down onto the throne to think. About how she learned [Healing Magic] just before. And about what she should do from now on. As long as the conditions were known, it wasnt difficult to aim to learn certain skills. But right when the game first started, that was of course not true. When managing a limited pool of XP, it was better to aim for the most efficientbat or production skills; this was the one of the charms of beginning a new game. At the very start, Rare had boosted her initial XP by purposely taking the detrimental characteristics [Albinism] and [Poor Eyesight]. And make no mistake, her defeat today was at least partially as a result of that choice. In return for those two characteristics, she had gotten fifty XP. Just fifty. Rare was now a demon lord, a supernatural disaster in the eyes of humanity, and the bounty she had received in exchange for purposely binding herself by those shackles of weakness was a measly fifty XP. That said, without that fifty XP, she also would not have gotten this far. Back at the start, it had been necessary for her to get [Subordinate]; without an extra fifty XP, she would have been short. Rares sense of scale had be kind of skewed considering the amount of XP she earned these days, but that piddly sum was without a doubt an essential part of her origin. In this gameworld, everyone desired XP. With more XP, almost any of your wishes could be granted. After finding herself drowning in XP, Rares eyes had be shrouded by greed. Humanitys avarice was terrifying. Particrly the fixation on money, which could incite behavior thatpletely defied rationality. Rare had seen it y out so many times in the real world that it made her sick. Too much gold drove men mad. In this world, the same could be said for XP. Rares entire story could be traced back to a mere fifty XP. Just a single speck of gold dust. She should never lose sight of that. No matter how much she obtained, power was only power, nothing more and nothing less. It wasnt for showing off or abusing; it had to be used correctly. She couldnt let herself be seduced by the allure of the golden experience. Perhaps it was fortunate that she was forced to stop here and think. Haha, this really was lucky for me. She stood up from her throne and stretched. Well, after all is said and done, I get to use the XP from taking out three cities to learn more skills! If Ill be fighting on the front lines myself, then I need to be able to do everything I possibly can. Even though I became a demon lord, I still havent gotten [Demonic Eyes] yet. Probably because I thought I would never have toe out from inside Yoroizaka. I got every skill when I reincarnated into a high elf, but there are a bunch of skills I unlocked when I became a demon lord that I havent gotten yet. So first, Ill get those.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om She checked how much XP she would need to learn them all and how much she currently had. Ah, thats right. Theres one more thing I cant forget. I need to keep a tenth of my XP back, just in case the worst happens. Knowing how to minimize potential losses is essential for investing, after all. Authors notes: While writing this chapter, I thought to myself Huh I could make this work, so I jammed in a title drop. Honestly, I feel pretty embarrassed since it was quite forced, so I implore you to please just let it slide. Chapter 90: “The Results” Wayne respawned in one of the castles sleeping rooms. Before the critical battle, he had quickly logged out here. In the bed next to his, Gi1gamesh was just getting up himself. I couldnt really see anything, but we won, right? Yeah I think we did. Ah, I got a message from Yoichi. We beat it! Yup, I just got one from Sasuke too. Awesome! The two of them jumped out of their beds and rushed out to the outer wall. As they ran through the streets, Wayne felt himself ovee with emotion as he looked over the townscape that he was able to protect this time. Gil! Thank you! Stop that! Were friends! While they were able to protect the city, it wasnt wless. There was still damage from battle here and there, and some NPCs had died as well. There were mysterious lumps of metal scattered around on the ground, but he didnt remember those being there before. Hey, try not to think about it too much. Theres some things you just gotta let go. Youre right The damage discouraging, but he couldnt save everyone. All he could do was convince himself of that. From the start, Wayne wouldnt have been able to do anything by himself. He could only limit the losses this much by borrowing the help of many yers. Being unable to ept this result would be a discourtesy to them. The surviving yers had gathered together outside the city wall. There werent that many. Of the original thirty people, there were only eight survivors, not including Wayne and Gil who just arrived. Checking his status screen, the XP from beating the boss should have been distributed to everyone by now, even if they had died. Thank you so much, everyone! Dont mention it. It was a good battle. I should be the one thanking you for inviting me. Yeah, what he said. Been a long time since we had a real fight. Yoichi and Sasuke. Sasuke might be a bit rude, but he did his job properly, and he was more or less a friendly and nice guy. Wayne believed that bing friends with these two might have been the best part of this whole ordeal. But man, it was close We went into that assuming the front liners were going to die, so that went as we expected, but I cant believe so many in the rearguard got killed too Its crazy that her AOE magic could instakill people. Im really thankful to you too, Nameless Elf. Speaking of the rearguard, its too bad about MentaiList He went and logged out at an inn before the battle, so he should be here soon, shouldnt he? Ah, see? Hey. You guys talking about me? Wayne turned around and MentaiList was standing right there. He had chosen to stay here at the capital, it seemed. There was a reason that only Wayne, Gil, and MentaiList hade back after the battle. Since no one knew for sure if there was actually going to be an event boss battle at all, setting your spawn point to the capital was risky. In the end the boss did attack and they beat it, but even after winning, there werent many reasons to stay in the capital. The yers who felt that way decided not to update their spawn points, even if that meant they couldnt meet up again after everything was over. Those yers had said that even if the boss dropped items, they would just take money for it. Since the same currency was used across the continent, wherever they operated, cash would be more flexible than items. Oh right, so were there any drops? About that So, as soon as we beat the boss, the armor that was standing over there and all the swords it had crumbled away They just turned into those lumps of metal. Eh? The boss herself just disappeared too. Meaning those lumps of metal are the drops? That seems to be case. Plus, from what I can see, I think a bunch more of this metal dropped in the city too. When those undead died, I think it dropped from them. Thats pretty unusual, getting drop items instead of a corpse to loot. Golems and stuff do that. Maybe because theyre event enemies. To make it easier on yers who dont have a skill like [Disassemble]. But if the same metal is all over the city, then we might not be able to sell it for very much here How could this happen? These yers went out of their way to help him, but Wayne couldnt even thank them properly Ah, looks like youre thinking of something weird so let me stop you, but you dont need to worry about rewarding us or anything. For guys like us, being able to fight the event boss was already the best present you could give. Im the one who wants to thank you. We got a ton of XP for beating it, too. Yeah, you aint kidding. Even though I died, I still got a good haul. If we got this much after splittin it thirty ways, I wanna know how much that thing was worth total. Well, not to mention if we didnt have the kingdoms artifact we couldnt have won, plus theres still event rewards too. If theyre going to announce the MVPs like they did in the first event, I think our names will definitely be at the top of the list. Of course, that includes yours, Wayne. Maybe Thanks, MentaiList. So, the undead in the city all disappeared? Yep. Soon as we beat the boss. We already said, all thats left are these chunks of metal. Sasuke said this while tapping one of them. Normally, he would have been in the front lines as well since he was an evasion tank, but that wouldnt go so well against a boss no one had any information on. Therefore, he used his outstanding throwing skills to y a support role. The undead that attacked other cities just gave bones and stuff like normal; does that mean strong enemies that are directly under a boss are different somehow? So what exactly was that event boss anyway? She looked like an angel, but she wasnt actually an angel, right? If you ask me, she was some kind of undead angel or something like that. My reasons are, first, the field debuff worked on her when its supposed to be ineffective against angels. Then, when I used [Mental Magic], it used up soul stones. The only time I need soul stones are when Im fighting a monster thats normally immune to [Mental Magic]. The only monsters races that are immune are undead, golems, and homunculi. Well, as far as I know, at least. Everything MentaiList said sounded reasonable. From the options he listed, golem was out; no matter how you spun it, the boss wasnt golem-like at all. So I think shes gotta be either an undead or a homunculus, but theres no way to tell which. Its got undead minions, so doesnt that make it obviously an undead? Sasuke, youre sure being a huge pain in the ass, you know. Oh,e on, who cares already. We already beat it. He had a point. For a short period of time, there were seven catastrophes, but now the number had dropped back to six. Since we did take her down, I just kinda wanna know exactly what we killed is all. The event isnt over yet. If shes an undead, maybe shell revive and well have to fight her again during this event or somewhere else; if shes a homunculus, then maybe a second or third different catastrophe will show up. Hoo boy, I do not wanna fight another thing like that Right. Theres no more artifact, so if we have to fight it again then well need the entire yer poption to get stronger. When the time came again, Wayne decided that he wanted to truly stand beside these yers in the front lines, unlike what happened this time. All right, should we break up the party for now? For the drops, lets just sell them somewhere. Well split the cash some other time. The other guys probably want to focus on the event anyway. We did get a stupid amount of XP, so the money is probably whatever. Yeah, lets call it here. If anything happens, feel free to gimme a ring. Whether Im free toe is another story, though. Something tells me Waynes gonna get into more trouble. Youre right about that. I will totally vouch for this guys bad luck. All right, were gonna die and revive back in Aural then. Later. Yoichi, Sasuke, and Nameless Elf all left. Nameless Elf was based in Portrie; it wouldnt be easy to meet up with them. Yoichi and Sasuke both yed in Aural, apparently. Wayne heard that the difficulty in Aural was a fair higher than Hiers, so it was impressive that the two of them could operate there. There they go. What are you up to next, Mister Leader? Whats that for? Im not the leader anymore. Nah, you can keep being the leader, Wayne. Youve got the right qualities for it, I think. Youreing too, MentaiList? You dont want me around? Thats why I wanted to set my spawn point here, after all. No, youre more than wee. I look forward to working with you. Wayne had suddenly gone from being solo to having a three-person party. Not to mention both of his party members were top-tier yers. You used yours for today right, MentaiList? How about you, Wayne? My what? Oh, the event teleport? I havent used mine yet. I didnt use it yesterday either, but I dont get to save it, right? Use it or lose it. Todays event megathread said so. Meaning he could take the two of them somewhere with him. Well, we did just get a ton of XP, I can put some into STR and VIT, then use some for maybe INT and AGI too. You building a jack-of-all-trades or what? Well, theres only three of us, and if Im the tank and MentaiLists the support, maybe thatll work out perfectly.N?v(el)B\\jnn Great, so lets head to the sellsword guild for a sec Wait, whats that? Looking up, the eastern skies were quickly getting darker. Chapter 91: “Demon Lord Awakening” So this is how [Demonic Eyes] works. Whoa, Im gonna get motion sickness since Im not used to them. Rare had unlocked the [Demonic Eyes] tree when she became a demon lord. After learning the first skill, which shares the name of the tree, [Demonic Eyes], she immediately tried it out. The skills effect was constantly active; she gained the Demonic Eyes status after activating it, whichsted until canceled. When cast, it consumed a percentage of her maximum MP as a fixed cost, and until canceled she couldnt recover that fixed amount of MP. Demonic Eyes made magic power visible. Magic power refers to MP, but in this game, just like LP, MP recovers naturally. The lore reason for this is that the air in this world is filled with mana. The exnation behind the MP stat is that every character somehow intakes mana from the air, then converts it into MP within their bodies, which is why spent MP recovers a little bit at a time. With [Demonic Eyes], she was able to see a characters MP, as well as the mana in the air. It looked kind of like there was a pink mist enveloping everything in her field of view. Since the ability to see magic power wasnt reliant on visible light reflecting off objects, when Rare turned it on in this dimly lit cave, it kind of looked like that pink mist was itself glowing. The cave walls didnt have any mana in them, so those were the only ces where the mist was thin. Therefore, in ces like this cave that were dark or even pitch ck, she could still indirectly see her surroundings. If she had to describe it to someone else, it would look kind of like a ck-and-white film. However, since she had no idea what color anything was, or how much light there was, she did feel a sense of disorientation. And she was only able to see the magic power within the skills range, there wasnt actually any mist, so her range of vision was limited. Currently, she could see far enough to cast basic long-range attack spells. Since Rare had so much MP herself, [Demonic Eyes] painted her hands and wings in solid pink. If she really focused, she could make out the individual feathers on her wings, but surely she wouldnt normally need to see in such detail. This was sufficient for use inbat without such effort. For Rare, the most important thing about this skill was, as stated earlier, that the [Demonic Eyes] effect didnt require light. It was entirely controlled by whether or not the skill was activated, so it could basically be always on. In other words, even if her eyes were closed, she could still see the magic power around her. Which meant it was possible for her to fight while her eyes were closed. This essentially solved her vision problem. And since the condition for casting magic was being able to see your target, this should also be applicable. Rare hadnt tested it yet, but perhaps via [Demonic Eyes], she could possibly even target magic itself with her spells. Normally, when you wanted to cancel out spells, you predicted the trajectory of the opponents spell, then cast your own spell along that trajectory. However, perhaps it would be possible to use [Demonic Eyes] to directly cancel out spells that detonate at specific coordinates such as AOE spells. Hehehe I cant wait. This will let me define the meta. The next skills in the [Demonic Eyes] skill tree were [Enhance Demonic Eyes] and [Link Magic]. [Enhance Demonic Eyes] was very straightforward, augmenting the base skill by increasing the range of the effect and allowing her to designate specific objects to ignore. It was convenient for preventing her hands and wings from obstructing her view, and above all it allowed her to get rid of that thin pink filter generated by her eyelids that colored her entire field of view while her eyes were closed. Another benefit was that it allowed her to change the default color of pink, but she would be ignoring that setting for now. She wasnt really concerned with what color everything ended up being. [Magic Link] was ridiculously overpowered, with a cost to match. This skill connected the activation of magic to [Demonic Eyes]; in other words, magic could be cast silently. Simply stare at a target with [Demonic Eyes] and think hard on the spell in order to cast it. However, since it did require her to look directly at her target, it couldnt be used while her eyes were closed. She wasnt exactly shootingser beams from her eyes, so it shouldnt have mattered if her eyes were closed, but when she tried it out with [Healing Magic], it didnt work. Compared to having to use her voice, it was indeed much less burdensome to simply open her eyes. Rare needed to make sure her half-open eyes were adjusted to the light beforehand in order to use it, though, so she would have to be extra careful about that. Basically, if she wanted to use it, she first had to open her eyes a little bit, make sure she could stand the light, then open them fully and stare at her target, at which point her spell would be cast at that target. Something along those lines. That sounds pretty awesome, actually Hehehe. In any case, she had gotten her hands on another method of covering for her handicapped eyesight. Next is sunlight Considering that Im more or less totally fine under the shade of a tree, I should just constantly keep [Dark Curtain] active. After bing a demon lord, Rare was able to learn [Dark Magic], and the first skill was [Dark Curtain], which could block light in an entire area. However, it wasnt a perfect screen, it simply made the area kind of dark. Thinking back to her recent battle, it would have been easily sufficient to shield her from sunlight. Unlike [Demonic Eyes]s fixed cost, this skill cost a small amount of MP over time to keep active, so she would have to be careful about keeping it activated for extremely long periods of time. So now, I have a way to effectively deal with all of my weaknesses While Im at it, I should grab any other demon lord-esque skills too. First was her horn. The horn originally provided passive bonuses to [Mental Magic]- and [Ruler]-type skills, and increased her own resistance to those types of skills. However, since it was a new body part, it was possible for there to be new skills rted to it, like [Horn Attack] or something. Hm, not a thing Well, thinking about it logically, any physical horn attacks would basically mean I would have to do a kind of headbutt That sounds kind ofme for a demon lord, so yeah, Im fine with that. So next would be her wings. They had already unlocked the [Flight] skill for her, but it looked like she unlocked other new skills from fulfilling some conditions. Hehehe. Ive got this new [Wing Attack] skill. This has gotta be that thing where I shoot tons of feathers from my wings. Thats so cool. She excitedly purchased [Wing Attack], but her excitement faded as she read the description. Oh, thats it? I definitely unlocked it after picking up [Barehanded] But wings are supposed to be sensitive body parts, so hitting people with them seems kinda Well, whatever, I guess. Swans in real life could supposedly break the bones ofrger animals when striking with their wings[1], so it wasnt a outrageous idea. In the game, her wings power and toughness could be fortified with STR and VIT, so the recoil from using them to hit something shouldnt be that bad. Plus, Rares wingspan, if she spread them out as far as possible, easily surpassed three meters. Since she normally folded them up and hugged them close to her body or wrapped them around her waist, they werent too eyecatching. This made them appear much smaller than they really were, but they were more useful to her this way so she tried not to be so disappointed about it. Considering that her reach with them was as much as one-and-a-half meters if she were to use them in meleebat, she was surprised to find herself warming up to the idea. Ah, this isnt a one-and-done skill tree. Next is Ohh, this is it! [Feather Bullet]!!! It was rather hard to imagine that [Feather Bullet] was part of the logical progression from [Barehanded] to [Wing Attack] to this, so there must have been something else that led to it being unlocked. The culprit was probably [Throw], a skill she had picked up for ying with the wolf pups; she had never seriously used it before. However, [Throw] really was an extremely versatile skill since it could be used at any time as long as you had a rock in your inventory. You obviously didnt need a skill to throw stuff, but it increased the power and uracy of the thrown items, and it could also impart special effects to them. Urgh What? As soon as she learned [Feather Bullet], she felt a strange sensation on her lower back. It was something she had felt before. So thats it. Ive grown more wings. The number of wings curving out before her had increased from two to four. Since they hade about from learning [Feather Bullet], that must mean that one pair was for flying while the other pair was for shooting. So does that mean when I learn the next skill, [Feather Gatling], Im going to get even more wings? Rare thought of waiting to learn it until after she had tested out [Feather Bullet] first, but her curiosity got the better of her. Nothing happened. What the hell.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The next skill in the tree, [Discerning Feather Barrier], Rare immediately checked partially because she had already gotten this far in the tree. Its effect was Cover your immediate surroundings with flying feathers. Discerns information on everything within the barrier. Your skills gain increased effectiveness and sess rate when activated within the barrier. She would have to check on what the exact range was, but this seemed to be yet another extremely useful skill. Useful, but Hrm, the name is a little concerning Discerning Ill take it, of course, but the implications of being called The Discerning Demon Lord Hmm Ngh![2] Along with the now-familiar itchy feeling, she grew yet another pair of wings from her back. Umm, so then, now I have melee-range wings, long-range wings, and magic support wings. Crazy. Every wing looked the same to anyone else. The only way to tell the difference between them was that their sizes differed slightly based on their positioning on her back, but that was it. Rare tried a few practice swings with her wings, but they all felt about the same when it came to attacking with them. When she tried firing a [Feather Bullet] at the wall, an arrow of light flew out from the wing she concentrated on and embedded itself into the wall, which turned out to be a feather. It seemed that any wing could be used for any of the wing-rted skills. In any case, mybat capability, specifically physicalbat, has improved. All right, lets go get revenge then. If she didnt leave now, pretty soon one hour would have passed. Rare just wanted to avenge her loss even a single second faster; this definitely had nothing to do with wanting to avoid awkwardly meeting her soon-to-be-revived followers. From here, if I use [High-Speed Flight] to zip on over, I should get there in about an hour. There should be at least a few people still hanging around there I bet. Or like, I have no idea where they all came from, but Im sure there isnt a convenient way to get back there. Authors notes Coming soon, [Revenge]. Next week, youll be apanying Wayne to hell. TL notes [1]: I couldnt find any stories about swans breaking predators bones, so Im assuming thises from the urban myth dont mess with swans because they can break kids arms. https://.birdspot.co.uk/bird-brain/has-a-swan-ever-broken-someones-arm [2]: This is a pun thats really hard to directly trante. RY is read as shikiyoku kekkai (discriminating wing barrier). However, shikiyoku is also the reading for a much moremon word, ɫ, which means full of lust or sex starved, so Rare is unhappy about possibly being called The Sex-Starved Demon Lord. I think I did my best :X a discerning gentleman has the innuendo of someone who partakes in prostitution, but discerning by itself also has the meaning of being able to tell good from bad, which fits with that discriminating meaning of R. Yeah, idk. Chapter 92: “Revenge” When Rare got wings, she also got the skill [Flight] which allowed her to travel through the sky. However, it was simply the skill making her fly, she didnt actually use her wings to do it. Therefore, she didnt have to p her wings like a bird normally would in order to disce air to generate lift and thrust, meaning she wasnt restricted to subsonic speeds either. So, since her wings would just be a source of drag while using [High-Speed Flight], she could just fold them and wrap them around her body. And now, with [Demonic Eyes], she could keep an eye on her surroundings with her eyes closed, so she didnt even need goggles. It seemed that trying to fly at this speed while maintaining [Dark Curtain] was a bit much, so she would just have to go without it this time. However, since she had more wings now that could cover up her entire body, none of her skin was exposed to the sun. She could avoid taking damage from sunlight when she had to go outside for short periods of time this way. The sun was much lower in the sky too, so it wasnt as strongpared to before. This was her first time flying by herself, but she was a lot faster than she thought she would be. It must have been at least three times faster than she expected. She didnt know whether it was because she wasnt wearing Yoroizaka now, or because she had obtained more wings, but either way, at this rate, she should reach the capital very soon. The capital would being into view any second now. But she suddenly received a bunch of friend chats. It was her followers. N?v(el)B\\jnn Kerry cleary seemed to be unhappy. Based on the map, it should be next to monster territory. Which meant it was possible for an invasion to ur. She rapidly gave them orders to get the Great Liebe Forest, Treu Forest, and Lourdes up and running again, then ended her friend chats. The capital was in sight. In the end, it took about thirty minutes to fly from the Great Liebe Forest to the kingdoms capital. Since Rare was nearing the city, she slowed down and activated [Dark Curtain]. To decelerate, shepletely opened all of her wings, using air resistance to brake. Rare couldnt see it for herself, but she was sure it looked cool as all hell. She was also cognizant of the fact that if she hadnt raised her STR and VIT as much as she had, the sheer force exerted on them could have been enough to rip her wings offpletely. Oh? Only three are still here. There were few people wandering around the outer wall area where the battle had taken ce earlier. Only three of them looked like sellswords. And one of them was Wayne. The tank named Gil was there too. Thest one didnt look familiar. They all stared up at Rare, looking stupefied. The three yers were standing next to a mass of unknown metal. For an instant, she wondered if they were performing some kind of strange ritual, but then she realized it must have been Yoroizakas remains. It didnt seem like a result of their actions, so it was probably something that just happened on its own. Maybe that was what happened to living object-type monsters when they died. Rare leisurely descended in front of them, releasing [Dark Curtain] as she touched down on the ground. The sun still shone down from the sky, but its rays were much weaker down on the surface. Th-The catastrophe Wait wait wait wait You mean we didnt beat her? Actually Shes got more wings now; she clearly got stronger, didnt she? The fact that Rare hade down to fight on the ground before was also a contributing factor to her pitiful performance. If she had just stayed in the air and carpet bombed them, it would have been an easy win. However, Rares objective was to use her XP better, not fight better. She could be careless or conceited as long as she made sure she always held the winning hand. Maybe this is where she awakens Wait, what? Wayne, what did you just say? Maybe this isnt an event where we repel the catastrophe; maybe this event is where the catastrophe awakens You mean no matter what we do, Hiers will end up destroyed? Is that what youre saying? Meaning this isnt the boss for the event, but rather the event for introducing a new boss Rare had an inkling about this from the fight before too, but somehow they were mistaking her for an NPC event boss. She didnt particrly mind either way. She would do her best to act as an NPC for them. Not to mention Pretending to be an NPC in front of Wayne again. This has gone far beyond crazy coincidence; at this point, its like were destined to be connected like this. Waynes conclusions tended to be weirdly off base, but also always right on the money where it mattered. An awakening event. He wasnt exactly wrong about that. So, is it only you three? What happened to all the others? They had already heard her voice before, so it wasnt a problem for Rare to speak to them. Kh, what do we do? We might be scripted to lose, but Lets gather as much info as we can. Is that the only thing we can do? I wish I couldve replenished my soul stones Rare idly wondered if there were some way for him to get more here in the capital. There was no real point to specting; she was just purely curious. If NPCs sold them, then he would just have more stored in his inventory. He could also attack the shops to get more. More importantly, the fact that he was grumbling about them meant that this was the [Mental Magic] yer. She couldnt quite recall his name, though. [Discerning Feather Barrier]. Her third to sixth wings pped open wide, releasing feathers. She hadnt checked the exact range on this skill, but it seemed to cover up to mid-range. If she was really able to sense everything that went on inside its range, then this skill was truly indispensable. Countless white feathers danced around them. Normally, they would have been ck, making the skill look a lot more sinister which could maybe make opponents more anxious. But when Rare used it, it simply looked like something out of a dream. Will there be no arrows this time? Even if there were, they wouldnt be of any use. As soon as they breached her [Discerning Feather Barrier], she would know which direction they came from. Once she knew, with her high AGI, Rare could react fast enough to pluck them out of the air by their arrowheads. Are there no other knights or soldiers in the city? I dont mind if you call them here. She was already here looking for a face-off, so she wanted to trample over at least as many people as there had been before. If there werent enough yers, then the remaining could be filled by NPCs. Hey, what about Lawsons knights? They should probably have respawned by now. If we can stall for time, they might already be on their way. Nah, looks like we wont need to. Theyre already here. Hearing that from the one guy whose name she didnt know, Rare directed her attention to the gate, where she sensed multiple mana signaturesing toward them. There were quite a lot of them, enough to believe it was an entire order of knights. They each seemed to haveparatively high levels of mana. If this Gil guy was a high-rank yer and Wayne was mid-rank, then the knights would be somewhere in between. Then again, since she was only judging by their MP, it was unclear how urate of a barometer that would be with regards to their capability as knights. Based only on MP, Mr. [Mental Magic] here was far and away the number one. About forty, then? More than how many there were before. Well, thats fine. Now, time to begin my revenge. Rare promptly decided to try out her new skill, [Feather Gatling]. Based on the help text, its damage scaled with DEX. She hadnt raised hers as muchpared to her other stats, but it should still be higher than any of the yers or NPCs here. If the skill seemed useful, then she could just invest more XP into DEXter. Along with her deration of the keyword, countless white bullets shot out from her outspread wings, peppering the knights. The bullets didnt have enough firepower to pierce through their armor, but they were strong enough to knock the knights back after a few direct hits. Some were unlucky enough that bullets happened to find the openings in their armor; those ones died instantly. She didnt use this attackst time! Its gotta be an ability from her new wings! Since Wayne would have died far too easily from this attack, Rare had only aimed it at the iing knights. Gil might have been able to withstand it, but Mr. [Mental Magic] would also have gotten ripped apart. The frustration she had felt before was unforgettable. In return, she intended to impart on them a most brutal death as a souvenir. While the knights faltered from the force of her [Feather Gatling], Rare cracked open her eyes just a bit. It had gotten pretty dark, so there was no need to wait for her vision to adjust. With her eyes fully open, she looked right at all the knights. Her normal vision and the mana visible from [Demonic Eyes] ovepped. Since the knights had been forced back a little bit from her assault, they were a little hard to see, but she could use what she saw with [Demonic Eyes] to determine the coordinates. No problem. She concentrated on her [Demonic Eyes] to cast a spell. Rare silently unleashed a [Dark Implosion], swallowing the knights up in darkness. Inside, they were clumped together and violently tossed around, then crushed as the darkness grew smaller and smaller before finally disappearing. She never had an opportunity to test this skill out before, so she was now using it for the first time; thinking back to the previous battle, she felt incredibly relieved that she hadnt tried it when she had been casting spells at herself. While its area of effect was smaller than most other AOE spells, the amount of carnage and destruction it caused rendered her speechless. But still, this was fine. What the hell? Silent casting? No, her eyes From thatment, she could assume something had happened with her eyes. She was able to check her wings by herself, but she couldnt do the same for her eyes. Perhaps there was some kind of visual effect when she used [Demonic Eyes] to cast? She really did need to find a mirror. She hit the surviving knights with several more AOE spells using her [Demonic Eyes]. It was a bit unnecessary, but it was prudent to bepletely sure they were dead. After finishing up with the knights, Rare closed her eyes once more and turned to face Waynes group. Wont you attack? Or grab onto me, like before? Ah, you can even try your [Mental Magic] if youd like. Even after being provoked, Wayne and hispanions didnt move. They just stared in shock at where the knights had disappeared. If they wanted to get as much information about Rare as possible, they should have at least tried to observe how she responded to being attacked. If you wont attack, then hmm, yes. Let us chat for a bit. In our battle earlier, there was that strange I believe someone called it a field debuff? What was that? Do you still have it? Will you not use it this time? She was still curious about it. If it could be mass produced, or if it was something that every country had stockpiled, then she would have to be much more careful with future invasions. Wayne, snapping out of his fugue, shouted back, Do you think wed really tell you? No, she didnt. Threats wouldnt work on yers, who always revived no matter how many times they died. This was basically just idle conversation. Rare didnt expect them to earnestly answer her. When she had time, she would just go check out the forums. Even if they wanted to hide the information from her, with how many yers knew about it, there would definitely be someone who would post about it. She wasnt exactly trying to role-y, but she thought it might be something that a bitter [Catastrophe] might ask. If you dont want to chat, then so be it. I will quickly dispose of you and move on to the city. Kh! Oho. He really didnt like the fact that she was attacking the capital. Not hard to understand why, considering most NPCs couldnte back to life. Why are you after the capital?! So we are going to chat, then? You seek answers from me after refusing my questions? Isnt that terribly selfish of you? Well, I dont mind. With her eyes still closed, Rare looked up at the wall. Even though her [Demonic Eyes] made it look pink, the towering structure still looked as dazzling as it had been at noon. Because it is beautiful. After seeing it from sky, it was so beautiful that I wanted it. Once I have this city, I will fill it with my undead. This was a deration of war. For these kinds of scenarios, it much more dramatic to tell someone her n, then seed at it. It was like making good on a promise. Now then, I hope that satisfied your curiosity. Time to wrap up this RP session. Farewell for now. One day, I shall also find and kill the others who were here before. You seem to be able toe back to life after youve died, so let them know Iming. She opened her eyes, looked at Waynes group, and cast [Dark Implosion] again, which just happened to finish cooling down. Just like with the knights before, the three of them were swallowed up in darkness and smooshed together before finally disappearing in a crumpled heap. Rare felt herself holding down just a bit of acid reflux. Her little talk with them had been to mask that she was waiting for her spell to cool down. It was foolhardy not to suspect that an enemy spellcaster might be trying to stall for time. The first revenge was aplished after an hour. Chapter 93: “Capital Slaughter” Rare got a bit of XP from the knights she crushed earlier. However, the three yers just now had given her absolutely nothing. Thats weird Those three were clearlywell, two of them at leaststronger than the knights, I thought. Was there some reason I didnt get any XP from them? She thought it over while going around storing Waynes left-behind items in her inventory, the drops from Yoroizaka. However, she didnt have enough data to narrow down the possible reasons right now. Oh well, I can just think about it again the next time it happens. Having taken care of the few remaining yers who made up Waynes group as well as the capable-looking knights, Rare once again [Summoned] arge number of adamantite soldiers as well as Sieg within the city. They ran around dealing with any knights or soldiers while doing their best to avoid destroying any buildings.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om But first, there was something else that had to be done. And that was to find and neutralize the inns and any other possible respawn points. The three yers Rare just killed should have all died in the first battle as well. The fact that they had gathered back in the same ce before she got back meant that they must have respawned in the capital. Since she summoned living object and undead monsters, [Mental Magic] skills wouldnt be very effective, but she had to be wary of soul stones now. Even if that guy couldnt get any more, he did say that he had four left. Which meant that, in the worst case, up to four of her followers could be [Controlled]. Those four would require four of her other troops to handle, meaning up to eight units could be considered incapacitated for a short period of time. She had to be careful. And that Gil yer, he was currently quite powerful based on what Rare had seen. He might be at the same level as an adamanleader, or perhaps even stronger than one. Thinking back to the first event, she could infer that he must have put in quite a lot of work and earned a lot of XP. She evaluated the other yers she had encountered in both events as the same. She couldnt let her guard down around them. I need to bring down the capital, destroy this kingdom, and earn much, much more XP. After all, I could be attacked by any number of yers working together. On my side, though, if I were to be defeated, my entire army would immediately crumble. Hm, coop y Rare had never experienced it. At least not in this game. I dont have any Wait no, I dont have many friends She wasnt really jealous. However, simply from a rational perspective, in order to minimize risk, she was thinking it could be a good idea to find a single other yer to have as a coborator. I wonder where I could even find a monster yer. I dont think they tend to use the forums very much It would be nice if there were any yers who enjoyed extravagantly crushing human cities like she was doing now. If she could add on another thing, they should also understand the advantages of pretending to be an event boss; it would be great if this person also got carried away acting out their mischief. Yeah, theres no one out there like that. Maybe if I went to another country Well, first Ive gotta finish tearing down this country. After this, no one would being to the Great Liebe Forest anymore. Thats because the city near it no longer existed. The same was probably true for Treu Forest. In which case, if Rare wanted to earn more XP, then she would have to turn this ce into a city of death as nned, then she could wait for more prey toe to her. If the capital of a kingdom waspletely swallowed up in monster territory, there was no way the surrounding countries would just sit back and watch. Thats why she was counting on news of this event to spread all across the continent. There probably wouldnt be any messengers trying to escape on foot. Anyone they saw like that would likely be a simple deserter. For any proper knights, even if they were to escape, they would still die if their noble master were to be killed, so it was better for them to resist. All right, now where are the inns The skeletal knights were scattered all around the city. Considering the size of the capital, a squad of adamantite soldiers by itself might not be enough, but Siegs [Summoned] skeletal knights were very plentiful. Since he clearly surpassed the standard maximum limit for [Summon], he had to have been using some kind of other skill to break that limit. One piece of good news was that her followers followers, namely the ants and skeletal knights, automatically respawned one hour after Rares death. That meant the one-hour respawn timer wasnt a cooldown timer, it was some other kind of variable. It was probably the time during which a revive could be epted. If it was possible for someone to receive a rez during this time, then it would make sense to prevent automatic respawning from triggering. It was in times of chaos that a persons true nature would be apparent. A plump merchant pulling on his neighbors hand seemed to be trying to escape while what looked like a soldier pushed himself through the waves of people against the flow. The single constant Rare could see was that everyone wanted to get as far away from the skeletons as they could. The ones running are probably the residents. The ones who arent running are Either knights who wouldnt die, or yers. There you are, Wayne. From up in the sky, it was easy to spot people acting differently from the masses. He was pushing through the crowd with Gil and linking up with the knights to stand against the adamantite soldiers and the skeletons. Which meant she could use the direction they came from to trace back to their inn. But this is the nobles quarter Its in the center of the city. Do they really have enough money for a room here? It was too bad that Rare didnt know where their respawn points were. She didnt want to just go around smashing every building either; she wanted to preserve this beautiful townscape as much as possible. Her only option was to keep those respawn points in check without destroying anything. And in order to do that I just need to have all the safe zones in the capital under my control, and then spawn camp them. So she needed more numbers. However, Rare and Sieg had both wrung out everything they could from their [Summon] skills. In other words, until it cooled down, she would have to work with what she already had. Technically, if I just need them under my control, I dont needbat strength for that Both Rare and Sieg had a way to increase their forces using temporary, expendible pawns: the conscripts generated from [Necromantic Barrier] and [Necromantic General]. Leavebat to the soldiers, and use weak undead to clear out the buildings. Even though she would now stop searching for inns, Rare still had other work to do. Cast [Necromantic Barrier], turn the fresh dead into zombies, sic a squad of adamantite soldiers after Waynes party If the zombies were hit by an unlucky ray of sunlight, they would immediately be purified, but thanks to the massive city wall, most of the city was currently within its shade. She didnt really care about Wayne himself, but that Gil yer might have enough power to take her out. The only thing she could do was suppress them with pure numbers. And if they died, they would just respawn again somewhere else. She had to keep them alive until her forces finished taking control of the entire capital. Their encounters had to be skillfully directed so that they would keep fighting instead of considering suicide. Her forces hadnt found him yet, but she also had to be careful of that [Mental Magic] guy. He could control up to four enemies at once, which meant he required multiple times that many units to neutralize, thus she would have to dedicate multiple adamantite soldiers just for him. Well, all I can do is leave it to them. As for me Rare looked in the direction Waynes group hade from: the center of the capital. Ive gotta take care of the nobles in order to put an end to the knights. No telling how many of them there are. There were fewer knights in the castle than Rare expected. As far as she could see, most of them were out in the city proper. They must have been ordered to prioritize the citizens, the lifeblood of the kingdom, over the nobles. I think thats very noble of them, but If the nobles themselves die, then the knights protecting those citizens will also die. Either way, the fewer knights there were, the easier it was for her. Eh? Standing before the entrance to the castle were Deas and Sieg. Sieg made sense; Rare had [Summoned] him. But how did Deas get here? The only one who could summon him was Rare, his master. Shended before them and inquired about just that. How did you get here, Deas? Dont me you ran here, did you? Of course he couldnt have. Well, she couldnt rule it outpletely. No, even if it was technically possible, there was no way. It had only been an hour since Deas had respawned. Sieg reported apologetically. Rare had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Was this intended behavior? No, of course not. Theyre definitely going to patch this during the next maintenance Theyll probably fix it so that physically carrying a character doesnt count as equipment These follower NPCs had more or less obeyed Rares orders. That was a high-performance AI for you; it was able to find a loophole in the fuzzymands she had issued. They werent inferior at all to real humans. In fact, it was possible for individuals with strong personalities to exploit fuzzymands by contorting them to be interpreted in a way that individually benefited them. That must have been how this came about. I figured you would say something like that Well, since youre here, I am about to assault the castle. We shall proceed as three. Chapter 94: “Exchanging Venom, No Manners Observed” Rare wasnt sure if the nobles would be inside the castle. However, even nobles wouldnt stay in the capital for no reason. If they lived here, then they should have some sort of work they needed to do here. Normally speaking, that would be running the kingdom, especially now during a crisis; it would be natural to assume they were probably all crammed together in some kind of centralized location. It was possible for some of them to hole up in their mansions, but those ones would be easy to spot by checking how tight their defenses were, so she could go around finding themter. The castle gate was shut tight, but in a sh, Deas diced it up into tiny pieces and it crumbled apart. It didnt matter if those doors were made out of wood or any other material; while it looked rather solid, it was nowhere as sturdy as a treant. What is it? Ah, thats right; her followers hadnt yet seen her after learning all those skills. Its pretty awesome, isnt it? I have to admit I quite like the look. Hehehe. Its because I can still sense whats going on around me even with my eyes closed now. I only need to open them in times of need.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om They chatted casually while forcing their way into the royal castle. Just as Rare had seen from above earlier, there were barely any knights within. Some wereing toward them, while others rushed further into the castle. Probably to report on the situation. Well, if theyreing for us, then let them. Im sure theyre currently shorthanded on all fronts. Try to kill them as cleanly as possible; thatll help when we turn them into undead. However, they were probably already [Subordinated] by a noble. If so, then even if the corpses were zombified with [Necromancy], their souls wouldnt be bound. Without an apanying soul, they could only create weak undead. Do we make up for it with numbers? If were just going to raise all of them as undead, maybe well get lucky and a few of them wont be under the effects of [Subordinate]. After that, Rare and her generals continued raiding the castle, cutting down any knights and maids they encountered. Since they were unable to bind the knights souls with [Necromancy], they could only be turned into weak undead monsters (which they called lesser zombies for the sake of convenience). That wasnt the case for the maids, though; between the effects of Rares [Necromantic Barrier] and Deas and Siegs [Miasma], they had been reborn as rather strong undead. Maids and civil servants are much more useful. Regardless of what the body originally was, the type of resulting undead didnt really vary all that much. Both knights and maids alike turned into zombies. However, whether it was because they had higher INT in life, or because maids and civil servants just had higher INT in general, the way they walked was just as refined as when they were alive. If they were killed cleanly, ignoring the change in skin color, other people may not even be able to tell they had been zombified. But what the hell, what is up with these hallways?! They had already gotten lost and had to retrace their steps countless times. There werent many windows so they couldnt see what was going on outside, but since there was no lighting in from them at all, the sun must have long set. That said, Rares forces were stronger at night, so this was a wee development. With a sudden epiphany, Rare taught the maids beside her [Fire Magic]. Since the knights who had be lesser zombies couldnt learn it, there must have been some kind of condition for zombies to learn magic. Maids, light the candles on the walls with fire. As one, the maid zombies all cast a spell to light every candle within range. Splendid I wonder if we could make something like this for our cave. He was absolutely right. And not only that, there werent even that many people in their group who needed light to see. The most affected person had been Rare herself, but now she could navigate literally with her eyes closed. Lets not then. Ah, what if we keep building the nest up and up like an anthill? Think we could make it look like a castle? Since Erfahren was destroyed, the number of visitors to the great forest would surely decrease. The ants would have the free time to work on it. Rare also wanted them to work on the farms again, but if it seemed like the engineers could handle another project on top of that, then she wanted to propose it. Yeah, I can tell. There are a lot of people up ahead. After turning the next corner, the hallway would open into a wider space. Up ahead, Rare could see an excessively ornate door. Beyond it was probably an audience chamber of some sort. I wonder if normal people also have to go through this meandering hallway to seek an audience. Or maybe theres a shortcut somewhere. The maids had split up to search for people hiding in other rooms, but reported that they found none. Rare ordered them to form teams of at least five and released them into the castle; if they encountered an enemy they didnt think they could defeat, they were to flee. [Discerning Feather Barrier]. All right, open the door. Now! Fire!!! The instant the door opened, countless attack spells came flying out. There seemed to be some [Holy Magic] spells mixed in. Most likely it was because they believed Rares group to consist of undead. Two of them in fact were, but Rare herself was not. Using [Demonic Eyes] to single them out, she specifically canceled out only those spells. Since she erred on the safe side and used stronger magic to aplish this, a number of other spells also got canceled out in the process. For any spells that werent [Holy Magic], they were weakened by both Deas and Siegs [Miasma] auras, so barely any damage would get through, and that damage was promptly healed up via [Treatment]. [Treatment] could only be used on a single target within arms reach, and it didnt heal for much. However, it had two points in its favor: It cost very little MP, and it had an extremely short cooldown. [Healing Magic] was the exact opposite; it healed for a lot and had a long range, but its MP cost was high and its cooldown was rather long as well. And since it was one of the types of magic, it was also included in the global spell cooldown, which made it a huge hassle. This was why it was so hard to build an all-purpose caster. Maybe. She had only discovered [Healing Magic] very recently, so this was just her guess. In this game, healing skills didnt damage undead. Rather than restoring life force, they just mended wounds. The silver bullet to use against undead was [Holy Magic]. When unaffected by exceptional skills like [Miasma], [Holy Magic] spells dealt 150% damage to undead targets. As far as Rare could tell when using [Demonic Eyes] to see how powerful the spell barrage was, Deas and Sieg wouldnt take any fatal damage, but there was no reason to purposely take any hits either. The reason she had sent the maid zombies off somewhere else was to avoid losing any of them to this attack. After all, Rare could tell that they were casting spells long before the door was opened. For the most part, they just waited until the enemys magic assault was over. Rares job was pretty simple; aside from monitoring for more [Holy Magic] spells, she simply ignored all other spells and asionally used healing skills. There were knights huddled against the wall to avoid being hit by magic who tried to slowly approach the doorway, but since they were within [Discerning Feather Barrier]s area of effect, they were unable to conceal themselves from Rare. Whenever they popped into view, she used [Feather Gatling] to beat them back. AhI know I was ying things safe, but when I cast spells that are too strong, I guess that must be because of [Discerning Feather Barrier]. Rares magic did get a bonus when being cast within her barrier, after all. A short timeter, there was a lull in the enemys magic barrage, and now knights holding up shields charged out. First Ill st them with magic, then I guess Ill stop them after they lose their formation. Not a bad n. However, her necromantic knights wouldnt let things get even that far. They cut down or blew back swaths of charging knights at once, not allowing a single one to get close to Rare. I was going to try out [Wing Attack] Well, whatever. Since more magic came flying out whenever someones cooldown finished, the two sides repeated this exchange for quite some time, but knights were being killed each time so their numbers slowly dwindled. Soon, everything was over. Now then! Are you all quite finished? So you must be the Catastrophe who attacked the capital. The one who replied to Rare was a well-built older man. The fierce look in his eyes indicated that he was different from these other corpulent nobles. When inquiring about someones identity, youre supposed to introduce yourself first. Arent you being quite impolite? I return your statement right back at you: If you want to visit someones home, make an appointment first! Have you no manners?! Well damn. He certainly had a point. This was no ordinary person. It is as you say. I am what you people call a Catastrophe. Probably. Since I dont call myself that, I wouldnt know. Chapter 95: “Immortal Ruler” Yes, catastrophe is simply a term we use. You are the monster who was born ten days ago in the Great Liebe Forest, correct? Your Excellency! This isnt the time for! If this thing isnt the catastrophe, then we may have to face an even worse threat! Just stay silent! Going by the way he was addressed, this intrepid old man was apparently the prime minister. However, given all the other useless nobles present, Rare had a full grasp on his position and why he had to deliberately ask such a question.N?v(el)B\\jnn In deference to our kind nobleman here, I shall answer you. Ten days ago or so, was it? I suppose you could say my birth took ce then. To be precise, that was when Rare reincarnated into a demon lord, but she wasnt going to tell them how she was a high elf who had been corrupted by monsters. Earlier, you should have been vanquished by those brave sellswords. While Rare didnt break the cryptic smile that she had adopted since the start, she had to shift her pose to cover up the kneejerk twitch her body produced. Especially her wings. Since they were appendages she didnt have in real life, it was much harder to keep them under control. Indeed. How did you revive? Why would I tell you? The prime minister seemed to have more to say, but the other nobles start raising a ruckus. Your Excellency, surely this creature isnt the servant of an even greater power? It cant be! A hand of the archangel?! But it doesnt match the angels from our literature! Even though she wasnt even doing anything, information just kept on pouring out. Perhaps it would be smarter for Rare to just stay quiet whenever she was at the negotiating table. This was what happened to her before when she spoke to Wayne as well. The more she talked, the more she leaked. When she imagined Wayne seeing her this way back then, she could feel herself filling up with an emotion very different from the frustration she had been feeling. Putting that aside, first she had to mull over these new angel and archangel words. Rare hadnt read too carefully since she was trying to avoid inflicting mental anguish on herself, but when she went to check the forums earlier she found a thread titled WORLD FIRST! CATASTROPHE DOWN!!! In other words, to the yers who had fought her before, the fact that Rare was a catastrophe had already been disseminated asmon knowledge. Even though it had only been ten days since Rare, or really the demon lord, had been born, considering that there was already widespread use of the term catastrophe among both the NPCs and the yers, it seemed clear that Rare was not the first. At least one other existed. This archangel was probably it. However, if it were only the archangel, then people could just call it the archangel and that would be that. Even if they wanted a different word to use that was further removed from angel, there was no need to deliberately go so far to catastrophe. Which meant that, not counting Rare, multiple catastrophes existed. Youve done your research. However, she didnt need to try to forcefully obtain more information about them right here. She could just check the forums more thoroughlyter. There were sure to be other yers who had information about catastrophes, and there were probably lore megathreads where research-obsessed yers would gather to share that information. In any case, as thanks for the information, Rare would y along with them for a bit before bringing things to a close. Indeed. I am the archangel. Bow before me. That is a lie. Do you take us for fools? Immediately called out. Yep, she really should just keep her mouth shut. And what makes you think that? The prime minister didnt respond, instead pulling out what appeared to be a short rainbow-patterned stick from his pocket and pointing it at Rare. This is my answer! I invoke the [Vein of the Spirit Lord]! Nothing seemed to ur at first. If it had been the Rare from before, she may not have realized what was going on. But now that she had [Demonic Eyes], as well as [Discerning Feather Barrier] to monitor the prime ministers status, it was quite obvious what was happening. This is the field debuff from earlier. No wait, it isnt a field now. It only affects me. A single-target debuff item. That seems extremely inefficient. However, the effect was indeed the real deal. There was a line through the air between Rare and the stick that even [Demonic Eyes] and [Discerning Feather Barrier] were unable to provide any information about. It wasnt just a simple debuff, either; it seemed to render all of Rares powers unusable. Actually, if they had something like this all along, couldnt they havebined it with the magical barrage? Or what, did they have yet another trick up their sleeves? There werent any yers left from before, but that didnt mean it was all right to just leave this be. Rare started pondering how someone could use [Charm] to steal this item when things took a dramatic turn. Deas and Sieg were standing on either side of Rare. However, she was the only one who could hear what they were saying. As she curiously wondered what was wrong with them, the prime minister in front of her was doing his utmost to keep pointing the little stick at her. The fact that this [Vein of the Spirit Lord] weakens you is evidence that you are not an angel! This item is an ancient treasure left behind for the good of humanity! It has the ability to rob evil beings like you of their strength! What led to your earlier death was also a treasured item bestowed with the protection of the spirit lord Was it because of the atmosphere? Even the prime minister had begun expositing info. Rare remembered simrly being carried away by the mood herself, though, so she wasnt about to call him out on it. It was the moment someone thinks Ive won! That idea leads people ever closer to making a mistake. Well, calling it a mistake may be too dramatic, but they tend to do things they dont need to do. All the things the prime minister had said just now were a perfect example of this. Deas and Sieg roared, spewing out the thickest [Miasma] Rare had ever seen. Only she could understand what they were saying, but the screams themselves caused the entire room to shake. Hey, whats going on? Even Rare was a bit worried by this unexpected outburst. They emitted so much force that all the nobles aside from the prime minister fell to the floor, unable to do anything but shiver uncontrobly as they watched from there. That was when <> <> Thats expensive Expensive, but not so much that she couldnt afford it. Not to mention, since Rare was learning from her mistakes, she had a stock of unused XP set aside for emergencies. But no, that wasnt the real problem, which was the question of what conditions they had fulfilled exactly. However, even if she didnt know the answer to that, she did know that ever since the two of them first used a Greater Philosophers Stone, they were unable to reincarnate any further. If they could surmount that invisible wall here, then she should be pulling them up. She did feel a twinge of fear at using her emergency XP stores, but there was still a week of in-game time left in the event. They could just get more. Sugarus reincarnation would be dyed even further, but she could just apologize afterward. I permit both of them to reincarnate. <> <> The two of them were slowly covered in particles of light. Once they had beenpletely enfolded in light, even their silhouettes could no longer be seen. Or at least, thats what Rare assumed was happening, but since she had her eyes closed and was using [Demonic Eyes] to see, all she knew was that her entire field of view had turned pink. However, there were some things that probably only Rare could tell. The two undead were sucking up mana. Since she was standing right between them, it felt as though all the mana from their surroundings had gathered around them, which was what rendered her unable to see. I see, so the energy needed for reincarnationes from the mana in the area. Luckily, it appeared that the prime minister and any surviving mages were busy staring dumbfoundedly at the undead generals, so even though Rare couldnt see anything, it didnt seem like there were going to be any additionalplications. She could pretend this was all nned and just keep her eyes closed. What the hell is happening to them? Hiiiih!!! Their transformation finished. Rare opened her eyes for the first time in a while to look at them. <> <> The two mens appearances had be exalted in a way that truly suited the moniker ruler. Unlike before when they looked like skeletons with ayer of skin hanging off their bones, they had regained what she assumed was their physical appearance from their former lives. Not the skin color, though. Deas had white swept-back hair and a mustache, giving him the look of a dapper old man. However, the zing fire of rage in his pupils ruined any semnce of a calm demeanor he might try to express. Sieg had a very masculine face with long ck hair tied in a ponytail. He could almost be described as having the elegance of a young lion, but the profound sadness in his eyes imparted a tragic history. You two have turned into, well rather handsome men <> <> So, this is the same thing that happened when it was me. Except Since they were already under the control of an existing power, that st message didnt get sent out again. In other words, the message only goes out when something brand new representing a new threat to humanity is born. Ahhh So basically, this is a disaster. This discovery had enormous implications. Rare had to determine how many catastrophes the human races had identifiedter, but basically, if a new monster with catastrophe-level power was born under the control of an existing catastrophe, humanity wouldnt be explicitly informed of it. Apparently, this world was much more dangerous that she had imagined. To make matters worse, races that were powerful enough to be deemed catastrophes were not limited to a single individual. Both Deas and Sieg had be immortal rulers. That meant that it was possible for a demon lord other than Rare to be born in the future. Or perhaps there already was one. I cant let my guard down at all, can I Well, from a game bnce perspective, there arent that many catastrophes on this continent, but I shouldnt be too optimistic beyond that. Chapter 96: “The Death of the Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Douglas O’Connell” The two undead seemed to have calmed down. They asked to take over, but what exactly did they want to take over? Was there something else to do besides kill them? Uh, thats fine, but What are you going to do? Huh? Even though you cant talk? Rare wasnt exactly opposed to tranting. If the two of them wanted information, then she was also interested in hearing it. Aah, nnh! Aaaah. Now they can hear me as well, Sieg suddenly said out loud. For an instant, Rare thought it was friend chat, but she clearly heard it. Histest reincarnation had given him the ability to speak again. Ooohn? Nn! Iiii, see. We are now able to talk. This will make things go more quickly. It really did seem that reincarning did the trick. After confirming it for himself, Deas quickly stepped forward and grabbed the only person standing, the prime minister, by the cor with one hand and lifted him up into the air. With the other hand, he twisted off the mans arm. The [Vein of the Spirit Lord] fell to the floor, shattering on impact. Guhgh!!! She remembered this sensation. There was no way she could forget. Apparently, this powerful debuff was a special effect of the item being destroyed. However, unlike when it happenedst time, it wasnt so strong that she couldnt stand. She was also not on the receiving end of any damage this time, and the magnitude of the effect seemed slightly weaker than before. If you ever see that item he was holding again, its imperative that it does not break Your Majesty! You bastards!!! Deas looked like he wanted to kill the prime minister right away, but Rare had a feeling this wasnt the mans fault. But she didnt feel that it was quite appropriate to admonish Deas either. If this were a field debuff, all she would have to do is exit the area of effect, but she didnt know what to do when it was a single-target effect. There should still be an effective area; if she got as far away as she possibly could, it should probably wear off. Oh its gone now. Phew. It must onlyst for a short time. Interesting; Im d we were able to discover that here. The fact that you could so frivolously activate it means that, as I suspected, you have a way to mass produce them. Deas, I wonder if His Excellency has any more of those items.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om If they were one-use items, then he should have more in reserve. Rares LP wouldnt automaticallye back after having her max LP reduced. Since she had lost more than [Treatment] could effectively cure, she would use [Healing Magic] here instead. An excellent question! Deas shouted while starting to search the prime ministers body. She was treated to a scene of a silver-haired dandy groping the chest of a plump elderly gentleman. This is borderline I wonder if theres any demand for this? I cant say for sure So you have no more! Apparently, the prime minister didnt have any other items on his person. Since Deas had ripped off his arm, the mans face was turning quite pale, and a cold sweat was beading on his forehead. So its not a craftable item? Well, if he doesnt have any more, then thats that. Anyway, Deas, His Excellency no longer seems capable of conversation. You should let him go already. Didnt you have questions? Why dont you go ask those gentlemen on the ground back there? I would think their tongues will be looser than the prime ministers. In that case, allow me, Sieg suggested, walking over to the copsed nobles. Deas did not release the prime minister. I suppose I have no choice. [Treatment]. Rare approached the two and used [Treatment] on the prime minister. One cast did not stop the bleeding. After a number of casts, the wound closed up,pletely stopping the flow of blood. Inparison, that healer yers [Healing Magic] could even restore a lost arm. Even though it cost MP, [Treatment] was still more of a technique and not actually magic; it was simr to something like [Tanning]. Because of that, no matter how much LP it restored, unlike with magical healing, there was no way for it to regrow limbs. It could only achieve what could be aplished through natural means; it could not ignore thews of nature and cure instantly. Ghh! Wh-Why did you heal me?! Because you seem most likely to have the answers we want. Now then, Deas and Sieg have something to say. As she spoke, Rare concentrated on her [Discerning Feather Barrier]. Surely, enough time had passed for one of the mages to have recovered enough MP to cast another spell. The reason they hadnt run away yet must have been because they had not given up on resisting. It would have been fine to kill them, but they had been apanying the nobles all this time, meaning they were probably someones followers. In other words, once she was done with the nobles, she could kill them all. All right, Deas. Ask what you will. My sincere gratitude. It shames me to waste your valuable time with this, Your Majesty. Now then, worm just now, you mentioned a spirit lord. Urgh, hearing a filthy creature like you utter that sacred name is revolting Shut your mouth!!! This old man has the shittiest conversational skills Whatever. [Charm] There. Rare had already run out of patience and promptly used [Charm]. She had never charmed a humanoid capable of speech before, so she wouldnt know if he could actually provide coherent information in this state until they tried asking. At the very least, the fact that he wouldnt hurl abuse every time he opened his mouth would be an improvement. Now ask. Your Excellency, answer Deass questions. I can do naught but offer apologies over and over again. Worm, why did you speak of the spirit lord, and what was that item? This was something Rare also wanted to hear. She was d they could save some effort here. That artifact. It is a treasure that the spirit lord who used to reign over thesends left behind. Its effects are st the effects! What do you mean, the spirit lord left behind a treasure?! No, the effects were pretty important too. But Rare was interested in the keyword artifact, which implied that it was some kind of important item, as well as the fact that it was a treasure that was left behind. In the event that the spirit lord were to perish a rare treasure called an artifact was passed down to his descendants. It could be used to oppose the catastrophes In other words, it was a countermeasure for when a threat appeared that the military was unable to repel. It was unclear if the spirit lord was just a piece of lore used to exin an item that the game developers created to prevent the kingdom from copsing too easily, or if the spirit lord or whatever actually prepared this item. A spirit lord. Perhaps there could have been a spirit lord standing here right now. It could have been Rare. She had ended up choosing to be a demon lord, but the other option had been a spirit lord. But even if she had chosen differently, it was hard to say if she would have been able to learn how to craft that item. Maybe it was a skill that wouldnt unlock unless she were a spirit lord. It had been silent, but then Deass pupils shone red. They were the same red right after he had reincarnated. Some part of this conversation probably fueled his rage. I shall correct one point. His Majesty the spirit lord had no descendants. As far as I know, they were all killed. During the rebellion. Deas was once the captain of the royal guard of the continents only united kingdom. She was told that back in the past, a member of royal family had been murdered. They had most likely been a rtive of the spirit lord. Or perhaps it had been the lord himself. Someone with royal blood could have possibly survived, but I know not how long has passed since then. Their bloodline has surely long since perished. After that, the rebels rose to power and built their own kingdoms. This Hiers kingdom is one of them. The prime minister showed no reaction. Obviously it was because of [Charm], but Rare wondered how he would have reacted if he had been able to learn this when he was of sound mind. The spirit lord, leaving behind his protection for you vermin?! Dont make meugh!!! Rare covered her ears. Would be nice if he didnt suddenly start yelling out of nowhere. Moreover, you dared to use the spirit lords legacy to harm the demon lord, my master Rare! How much will you vite before you are satisfied?! Finally, things were starting to connect. The king that Deas and Sieg and the knight orders had once pledged their loyalty to was the spirit lord. The kingdom that the spirit lord had once governed was the once-united continent. And whatever conspiracy had divided up that country, Rare didnt know who had been involved, but she imagined this spirit lord must have been far stronger than she currently was, and these conspirators were able to defeat him. They were also behind the deaths of the knight orders, which Deas and Sieg belonged to, as well as anyone who had royal blood. Finally, the spirit lords belongings had been passed down as mythical artifacts. In Deas and Siegs eyes, the descendants of their hated enemies had used the possessions of their former lord to kill Rare, to whom they currently pledged their service. This was the reason behind Deass anger. Based on all that, could this be how they fulfilled the conditions for reincarnation? In other words, Deass rage, and then Siegs grief? Those emotions must have some kind of hidden parameter, and once they hit a certain value, that allowed them to be eligible for reincarnation. Then again, if there were a yer who was the same race they were, how would that work? It was a bit hard to imagine that they had programmed in apletely different reincarnation condition for yers, but it was also just as hard to think that a yer would have to harbor such strong emotions as Deas and Sieg had felt to trigger it. Well, no matter how hard Rare thought about it, it would be impossible to research it thoroughly. She had no choice but to give up on it. Ahh, it feels great to figure out so much stuff! All thats left is to find out how many of those items are left, and what the exact effects are. For now, finding out that the debuff item probably wasnt mass producable was a relief. However, it wasnt impossible for a new spirit lord to be born either. There was a potential for spirit lords to be able to create this item. Then again, while the item certainly needed to be monitored, the spirit lord itself was much more deserving of attention. The spirit lords treasure that I had in my possession is thest one to be found in this castle The others are in His Majestys care Arrangements have already been made for him to flee to another country He flew the coop. This was an unexpected development. That meant that all the nobles here were decoys. The knights as well. Rare just realized that this room seemed to be an audience chamber, but the king, who should preside over said audience, was missing. She should have noticed this from the start, but since the enemyunched right into a barrage of spells and they immediately went into battle, the distraction must have caused her to miss it. Well damn, I justpletely didnt see thising Today has just been chalk full of blunders for me This is because I just didnt properly think things through; I really need to get my ass into gear However, depending on when exactly the king fled, it could still be possible to salvage the situation. So what time was the king supposed to leave the castle? When I proposed this n when the catastrophe first appeared over the city and we received permission to use the Heart of the Spirit Lord our national treasure that was when I told the king to prepare anything important and leave immediately Making an educated guess from the fact that the Vein of the Spirit Lord was a single-target debuff item, the Heart of the Spirit Lord must have been the thing the yers had used. It was shocking to discover that they had lent out a national treasure to yers to use, but if the n was to use the capital itself as a distraction for the king to escape, then the worst that could happen was the treasure might get stolen and that was it. However, if he was already gone back then, then if Rares forces wanted to go after him now then they needed to know the direction he went. Which country did he flee to? In order to prevent the nobles left behind from leaking the information if they were tortured the king himself made that decision If I had been sessfully put down, were you not going to report that information? I do not know where the king sought asylum Once the situation was resolved we nned to send diplomats to all allied countries This prime minister was truly outstanding. Rare wondered if other countries also had people as brilliant as he was. If they did, she would have to do much more extensive nning before her next invasion. Unlike the yer who dodged Yoroizakas attacks during the day, this was a type of strength that had nothing to do with skills or game status. To be frank, it made her nervous. Finally, tell us everything you know about these, uh, vein and heart items. The prime minister gave a long, faltering exnation. As she suspected, they had frightening powers. And this was just a coincidence, but they even had bonus effects against demon lords, who were the pr opposite of spirit lords. From the way the prime minister spoke about it, Rare got the impression that he didnt realize the significance of those bonuses, so she wondered if that world announcement system message didnt mention her race. Maybe in Rare, Deas, and Siegs cases, the race was clearly stated since she was always a rted party. If so, then there was a possibility that for anyone else, the contents of the message could be slightly different. Well, either way, this wasnt information she verify right now. You rotten fools The weakening curse was supposed to be for all of you. You should have been the ones to fall by it. You despicable! Deass rage meter seemed to be going up again. Rare felt like his boiling point was a lot lower nowpared to before. In this situation she didnt really care about it, but if this was how he was going to be from now on, it would be kind of a pain in the ass. I have finished My sincere apologies, I seem to have ruined all the ones over here, Sieg called out. Behind him, the nobles he had been interrogating were all dead. Rare wasnt surprised given that she noticed the mages around them dying off in the middle of her own chat. It was a trivial matter. Deas. Very well. At her unspokenmand, Deas choked out the prime ministersst breath. What a truly terrifying enemy. I suppose weve achieved our objective I cant deny I feel some discontent, but we cant address it now. We just need to take what weve learned and do better next time. Chapter 97: “Don’t Underestimate NPCs” After clearing out the castle, Sieg and the zombies were left in charge. Some of them had already been living here, so they should know how to manage it. Not that Rare had any idea how much of their past lives they remembered. Unlike other zombies, while their brains were of course rotting, they at least hadnt been damaged, so she didnt think it would be a disaster, at least. Ah, wait, it might have nothing to do with their brains. Deas had been nearly all bones, but he still had memories left. With the way he looked, there was no way that his brain had been intact. Deas had been tasked with making more undead out in the city. The fewer citizens there were resisting, the more materials he had to work with. With the castlepletely neutralized, next was to finish off the rest of the town. Going by the reports from the adamantite soldiers in the streets, most of the noble mansions had been taken out, and therger buildings used for lodging such as inns were under their control. Since Rare was pretty sure she wouldnt be able to navigate the castles hallways without getting lost, she had found a waiting room in a corner of the audience chamber which had an overhanging balcony from which she could fly up into the open sky. Over her shoulder, she saw Deas jump down from the balcony himself, so he was probably nning to get out on foot. She would have preferred him not making holes in the garden, but, well, it wasnt a big deal. Looking down on the capital city from the sky, things had be quiet. There was almost no fighting. It seemed the adamantite soldiers reports were true; they had suppressed nearly everything. Since Rare and Sieg had finished off all those nobles, there shouldnt have been many strong knights left. In other words, the one remaining fight should be where Wayne was. She didnt know if it was lucky or not, but Wayne, Gil, and Mental Magic guy were together. There were also two knights with them. How strange I thought almost all of the nobles were dead, so why are there still two knights left? Hey, Wayne, look! Shit, its the catastrophe!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om They had spotted Rare. The sun hadpletely set and everything was wrapped in darkness, so they sure had impressive perception. So youre so strong you dont need to use your invisibility skill or something? You stick out like a sore thumb in the night sky being so white Oh, I see. Even with just a tiny bit of light, Impletely visible. Im d to see youre enjoying yourselves. Your revival was certainly quick. Incidentally, I believe almost all of the people in this city have been turned into undead, so I wonder if those two men there are yourpanions. Fuck! That must be why Lawson and the others suddenly died! Im not sure who that is, but most of the citys nobles are dead. Seeing that those two knights there are still living, we must have missed some. Maybe its time to do another sweep for them The knights simply stayed silent and red at Rare up in the sky. but given that you didnt react whatsoever, your owner doesnt seem to be in this city at all. Were you dispatched here from somewhere else, then? Does that happen often? Again, no answer. However, she did notice their bodies shift this time. Rare remembered something simr happening before. It was at the fall of La Colline, if she remembered correctly. During that battle, there were knights who were still alive even after the city had been thoroughly destroyed. Their master must have been somewhere else. It was a bit hard to imagine nobles buried alive under the rubble, holding their breath to avoid detection. She thought of it as an event that took ce a while ago, but it actually happened only that morning. It hadnt even been a full day since then. La Colline, hmm Rare had subconsciously mumbled that aloud, but the knights reacted oddly. They were clearly distraught, and they exchanged looks. Oho? It was just a coincidence, but it seemed their master was somehow rted to La Colline. Perhaps she should be d that they werent part of the royal guard; if they were, then killing them now would serve no purpose. Considering the situation, the king must have brought along all his followers and rtives when he fled. It surely looked quite conspicuous, but there was probably no way that they would have gone east, the direction that a catastrophe had invaded from. So if Rare wanted to try finding them, she had no choice but to go in a direction she knew nothing about. In light of all the blunders she had made today, she couldnt possibly do that without firsting up with a solid n. Anyway, right now she had to deal with these knights before her. There were no masters in La Colline, only knights. Same for the capital hereno masters, just knights. It was unlikely for the two situations to bepletely unrted. So the question was where she could find their master. Is your master in La Colline? In the remains of that city? This time their reaction was much more subdued than before. Meaning they already knew about the attack. If anything, Rare thought the knights master would have been in the capital city. However, there were barely any nobles left here. But supposing their master had actually been in thest city, where could they possibly have been? Underneath the rubble They were ying dead? Thats where the nobles were? Thats impossible, she thought, but then she remembered the prime minister. It was dangerous for her to underestimate NPCs. She opened her eyes and looked at the knights. Rare wasnt particrly good at reading peoples expressions, but if this was all an act, then these men shouldnt have be knightsthey had a much more suitable profession to pursue. Rare was pretty sure her conclusion was solid. Given the timeframe, there was no way they could have known what had happened to La Colline. However, it wouldnt be strange if they could tell the status of their own master. And so, the disturbance on their faces told her everything she needed to know. Thats certainly a tasty morsel of information. I didnt miss anything here in the capital; it was back in La Colline. I have certainly not been my best today, have I With her eyes open, she aimed an AOE spell between the knights and Waynes party. I have a little errand to run now. As for you people see you soon, wherever that may be. Youll return from the dead no matter how many times I kill you, right? Then Ill just have to kill you again every time youe back. Until we meet again. After finishing off Waynes little group, Rare returned to the castle. She descended down onto the balcony, then walked over to Sieg, who was issuing orders to the undead in the audience chamber. Wee back, Your Majesty. What is the situation outside the castle? Everything is just about cleaned up. In all likelihood, the only force left in the capital is ours. That was evident from the fact that she was able to set the royal castle as her home. However, she wanted to turn the capital into a dungeon with an undead boss waiting in the deepest room, so she declined. Rare was curious where those two knights would end up respawning, but assuming they used the same system as yers did, thetest update should make them spawn somewhere without a lot of enemies. Just in case, some odd knights could possibly respawn within the capital. Keep that in mind. Allow me to take care of it, Your Majesty. Oh, and also Rare thought for a moment, then pulled out a Philosophers Stone from her inventory. If you think it necessary, use this to strengthen one of your subordinates. If XP is needed, youll be asked for permission; when that happens, contact me. Ooh, this honor is wasted on me I am ever so grateful. If Sieg and Deas were to be defeated, then everything that had happened here in the capital would have been all for nothing. She would have believed the possibility unthinkable once, but sometimes the unthinkable can still happen. Rare herself now knew this better than anyone. Dont be a miseruse it to efficiently strengthen your forces. About the city, well, I dont really care what you do with it as long as you dont damage the buildings, but at the very least, you should establish the castles defenses as soon as you can. They must be hardy enough that no one can get in. Sieg got down on one knee and bowed his head. As youmand. Having a hot guy kneeling in front of me kinda makes me feel like Im ying a different kind of game The development of those types of games certainly had a great influence on the advancement of VR technology. Thats right; I have a little errand to run, so Ill be heading out. Im leaving you in charge here. Where will you be going? La Colline. The ce the artillery ants blew up this morning. There may still be some loose ends there, so Im going to check. Please do not say you n to go alone Of course Sieg would be concerned; Rare just finished telling him not to let his guard down, and now she was about to fly off by herself. But no one else here can fly I implore you, at least wear Dame Yoroizaka. He was right. She could [Summon] Yoroizaka and the Kenzakis here, equip them, and still fly without issue. Then I shall do so. All right then, Im off Ah, right. You can use that seat if you want. If I decide I want to use itter, I wont mind at all. Okay,ter. Turning her back on Sieg, who had lowered his head once again, Rare [Summoned] Yoroisaka and the Kenzakis to her. Im very sorry for before. Eventually, well find and kill the guy who threw that Squid Ink Ball at you, Yoroizaka. And I already took care of the one who cast [Fear] on you boys, but Im sure well meet him again. Right, lets go. Second revenge: a few hourster. Chapter 98: “Let’s Marathon Ruins Today!” All right! Its about time we headed to the next town! With the sun hidden behind clouds and the townspeople all turned into zombies, ncs group immediately set off for their next target. Of course, but there are two roads leading out of this town, one northwest, and one southwest. Which one should we take? Ah Did anyone run away from this town? If someone did, then the direction they went should lead to another town. Please wait one moment. Carmine went to question the spartoi. Since nc and the mormo girls didnt go too far into the town, they didnt see everything that happened. After a bit, Carmine returned with a report. A number of people fled to the northwest on horseback, apparently. Northwest, huh The ones who escaped were from this town, so it would follow that there would be something in the direction they went. If their town were being attacked by monsters, then people would run to seek aid, and they would thus want to go toward another town that they believed to be reliable. Continuing that train of thought, the helpers would need to be stronger than the current town was, and the ones who ran away would know at least a little information about the tricks ncs group had up their sleeves. In the best case, as long as theyre not stronger than this towns defenders were, then we should bepletely fine, but If they went to even a moderatelyrge city, then even without considering quality, they could possibly have pure quantity to oppose us. And our forces number a mere thirty. Azalea was totally right. She had to think hard about this. This ispletely hypothetical, but have you considered that the northwest route leads to the closest town? If their goal was to call for help as soon as humanly possible, then distance was a huge factor. What Magenta said had a point too. Hmmm I dont think Im really good at thinking about stuff like this Even after all that, Im still not sure which one would be better The one thing we can say for sure is that if we go northwest, whatever town we find in that direction will already have been informed about us. Furthermore, if we wait here for the sun to go down and no reinforcementse, that means theyve decided to abandon this town, and it would then be better to assume that theyre preparing to intercept us at the next town. Whether they knew about ncs forces or not was paramount. If they didnt know anything at all, then, as long as there wasnt a single powerful fighter there, even if it didnt look like her side could win, it shouldnt be impossible to retreat while the enemy was still making preparations. However, if they did have information on ncs forces, and they were ready and waiting for her, then that increased the amount of risk substantially. All right, lets head southwest. We might have to travel further, so lets go faster this time. Or like, could we march double-time? We dont get tired or anything, right? Common sense dictates that no army would ever do something like that, but If youre talkingmon sense, I bet there arent a lot of armies made up of skeletons either.N?v(el)B\\jnn I suppose it might be fine So thats what they did. Less than an hourter, nc was listlessly perched atop the three named spartoi, Scarlet, Vermilion, and Crimson, in a Japanese cavalry battle-style arrangement.[1] I thought undead didnt get tired The only races that dont get fatigued are ones like skeletons that dont use muscles. There are all types of undead, after all. For example, within the overarching category of magical life forms, golem-types dont get fatigued, but beings like homunculi do. Magical life forms Creatures produced via magic or some kind of technique. You know everything, Magenta~ The other two mormos stayed out of the conversation. Thats because they had turned into bats and were hanging off the spartois heads. Magenta also only transformed into a humanoid when she needed to talk. Its nice that we can take it easy up here, but are you guys all right? Can you keep on running like this? Crimson, who was directly beneath nc, nodded. No problem, apparently. When she turned to look behind her, the thirty spartoi were following after them in a few rows. Like the beginning of a marathon. Not that Ive ever been in one. But Master, with all the dust were kicking up, theyll notice us right away as we get closer, even at night. Well switch to walking when were closer No, lets sneak instead. Actually, cant you guys, like, turn into bats or wolves and scout ahead? You can be spies. If you can do that, then itll be a lot safer for us once were almost there. Oh, I see. I mean, it took you long enough to realize that. Well then, I shall go on ahead. You obviously forgot about it too! You bimbo! Without answering, Magenta transformed into a wolf and ran off. I cant tell if shes actually smart, or actually dumb. They had continued running for another two hours before wolf Magenta finally returned. Master, I scouted ahead Right. Are we about to hit a city? No, theres nothing. What did she mean? If there wasnt anything, then she didnt need toe back and report it. But as nc thought on it, the two of them had been separated for thest two hours, so maybe she was feeling lonel Thats not the case. Then what is it? If I have to put it in words it was a city. The wreckage of one, or the rubble and earth of a city that had beenpletely demolished. Aw, so just ruins then. Is that why the people from before didnt head this way? So nc had picked the wrong path. If there wasnt anything for them to prey on, then there was no point in continuing on this way. If they decided to go back to thest city to go on the northwest road, then thest half day would have beenpletely wasted. It didnt feel like they were just ruins. The debris in the ground still looked sharp, and there werent any weeds growing at all. Rather than old ruins, it was more like something went on a rampage there very recently. Ooo! In that case, it was more natural to think that some kind of monster had attacked the city. nc felt a bit disappointed that she had been beaten to the punch, but it didnt seem possible for an NPC-controlled monster attack to decimate a city on only the second night of the event. Plus, as far as she could see, the monsters in this area were all weaker wild animals like wolves, rats, and rabbits. Even presuming they did actually destroy the city, she couldnt see any reason for wolves and rabbits to deliberately demolish all the buildings as well. Which meant that a monster yer probably did it. Maybe I can friend them! What do you think? Azalea and Carmine transformed into humanoids to join in the conversation. When you say yer, you mean other people from the same ce as Master; is that understanding correct? Azalea asked. Which reminds me, a spartoi beheaded one the other day. I have a hard time believing you could have be friends with that person, Carmine recalled. There are all sorts of yers out there. If the person who wrecked that city was a yer, I was thinking maybe theyd probably be someone kinda like me. If they are, dont you think we could be friends? If that really is the case, this person is capable of tearing down an entire city in two days. They hold an unbelievable amount of strength. You should probably be more cautious Oh, its fine! Probably! But another yer on the monster side, huh~. I cant wait to meet them! [1]: That sports festival game you see Japanese high schoolers y in anime, such as in My Hero Academia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_fight Chapter 99: “That Time I Got Trained on After Running a Marathon” After running for a while longer, ncs group could finally see the mountain of rubble that Magenta had described. It seemed that the city originally sat on raisednd, but now the entire hill seemed to be made out of dirt and wreckage. Whoa This is super crazy nc had kind of been looking forward to seeing it, but her excitement had beenpletely wiped away upon taking in the scene. She couldnt even imagine how powerful someone needed to be in order to do something like this. It had to have been a yer, but if hypothetically it wasnt, then nc and her followers couldnt possibly beat it. If it were a monster that was specifically good at destroying rocks or buildings or something, then we could maybe do something about it, but Even if that were true, that doesnt change the fact that it killed off all the defenders and citizens of a city of this size before it even got to that part No joke. This was a city the size of this gigantic hill. It was probably the heart of this entire region. nc couldnt even begin to imagine howrge its standing army had been. Those people from thest city, I wonder why they didnte here looking for help. Its possible that they already knew what had happened here, but I think it was simply a matter of distance. There was probably some ce that wasnt as far away to the northwest of the city. That was the obvious exnation. It made more sense to look for help from a smaller but closer town rather than arger city that was further away. Considering how bad things look, there probably arent any people here, but we should still be caref Master!!! Azalea suddenly pulled on her arm, toppling her on top of Crimson and the other spartoi. Ow What are you There was a light thump in front of nc as she crawled on the ground; right before her eyes, there was an arrow sticking out of the dirt. It seemed someone had shot an arrow at her, and she had narrowly avoided being hit. Waah Th-Thanks, Azalea Please dont get up yet Theres a band of people targeting us. Looking up through a spartois legs, she could make out a group of lightly armored people in the distance. They were probably bandits or something. No, theyre too experienced. You may have forgotten, but its night right now. They were able to urately shoot an arrow from all the way over there when they can only see by moonlight. Their archer is extremely skilled. Despite that, they clearly looked really down on their luck. Everyone was dirty, almost like they had just dug up the armor they were wearing from out of the rubble. After that, arrows kepting at them periodically, but they were all swatted aside after Crimson and the other spartoi had dumped on the ground nc like a piece of luggage. Eventually, maybe because they realized arrows were having no effect, the men formed ranks and slowly began to push their way closer. By that point, nc had finally gotten permission to stand back up from Azalea and the others. Who the hell are you?! Are you the catastrophes minions?! A well-dressed man yelled this, probably the bandit leader. Despite his fancier clothing, he still looked just as dirty and exhausted as the rest of them. What does he mean by catastrophe? Given the situation, wouldnt that probably be whatever demolished this city? Those men are probably the survivors of the citys defenses or something like that, maybe? In other words, theyre trying to pin it on us Yup That said, ncs group did in facte this way intending to attack any city they came across. Even though they were beaten to the punch and now had all these enemies trained onto them, they didnt exactly have any standing toin about it. Well putting the city aside, if we think of it like there still being some prey around Not that we can say which side is the prey here Huh? Are they really that strong? nc thought her side had more numbers. From her experience taking down cities with her small force, she didnt think she would lose. From the strength of the archer, if the rest of them haveparable meleebat strength, itll be tough with thirty spartoi. So they were shabby-looking but high-leveled enemies. That said, if we try to run then well have to defend against arrowfire, so withdrawing would be difficult as well If weve gotta fight either way, then we want the initiative, right? While nc and her mormos were having whispered conversations, those men also appeared to be discussing something. A number of them had hands tightly gripping the swords at their waists, ready to pull them out to attack at a moments notice. Theyre totally ready to rumble If they couldnt avoid battle, then it was better to make the first move. Lets do it then. [Mist]. Within the darkness, ncs range of influence expanded soundlessly. Soon after, the enemy camp started making noise. It seemed they couldnt detect the mist itself, but they were able to sense a change right before the mist enveloped them. They were indeed on a different levelpared to the guards for those small towns. Damn you! What is this strange sorcery?! Everyone pay close attention! You have permission to attack! At the leader guys orders, they started firing arrows at nc again. However, they couldnt get past the spartois defense. At the same time, a number of men unsheathed their swords and charged forward. Then the ones shooting arrows also threw aside their bows and readied their swords. The reason they had stopped shooting earlier may have just been because they were running low on arrows, not because they had decided it was futile. Spartoi! Intercept them! But dont leave the mist! While shouting that, nc prepared her magic. They were just barely out of range, but since they wereing toward her, that wouldnt be true for long. [Hellme]! [Hellme]. Just as ncs spell activated, Azalea, Carmine, and Magenta also fired their own spells. There wasnt any particr advantage to casting multiples of the same spell at the same time, but it at least wouldnt cause any interferencepared to if, for example, they had cast ice and water spells at simultaneously. This was the same as canceling out. When canceling the same element, there was a burst of energy at the point of contact, then whatever of each spell was left would continue on its original course. With targeted detonation-type AOE spells, though, they would explode at either their destination, or on contactthat burst of energy was essentially the same as the resulting explosion. The cancetion of the four [Hellmes] exploded violently, dealing heavy damage to the enemy group. However, it didnt incapacitate very many of them. While the men did falter momentarily, most of them were able to regroup and continue charging. Are you serious?! These guys are bad news! Thats what I was saying! nc could follow up with a different spell, but they were about to reach the spartoi, so it wouldnt be a good idea to keep using AOE spells. [Air Cutter]! Single-target spells wouldnt deal as much damage, but in this darkness they should be nearly impossible to avoid. It was a good way to harass the enemy. The mormos also switched to shooting single-target spells at various targets, but just like nc, they were unable to deal any significant damage. Soon after, the enemies reached the spartoi and engaged them in closebat. Since they had taken quite a beating from magic already, any proper attack would have easily caused them to crumple, which should have made it easy to defeat them. However, the spartoi just couldntnd a hit. Its because the spartoi dont have reach We should have taken weapons from the guards in those two cities before She couldnt have known in advance that there would be such a skilled force here, though. Man, if this ce still has enemies like this here even after getting blown up, I guess its too high-leveled for us The spartoi were being defeated faster than the bandits were. The battle was steadily getting worse. Maybe if we just risked friendly fire and kept firing AOE spells, we couldve maybe But then wed still have to deal with their rear, where the leader is. If we left them all alone, could we even beat them? The leader guy had two knight-looking warriors with him. Those two even wore proper knight armor. They were clearly much stronger than the other men. The number of spartoi had declined drastically. Aside from Crimson and the other named ones, only a few remained. The enemys forces had also been diminished, but they would soon outnumber ncs side. Since her side had been relying on numbers to maintain a bnce, losing that sole advantage meant that the scales of battle would starting tilting against them. Or actually, since both sides only had so many fighters left, the victor could be decided very soon. Oh, thats right! [Fear]! Unfortunately, this didnt appear to have any effect on the enemy. They probably resisted it. With the tides turning in their favor, nc thought the other sides leader might get overconfident and try to rush at her, but it didnt seem like they were nning to do that. If they had gotten closer, then they might have been within range of ncs AOE spells, so maybe it was obvious that they wouldnt want to try it. They were surely hellbent on killing her, though. Putting us aside Given how many pawns theyve lost, our enemy could be considered effectively wiped out, yet they unhesitatingly continue their assault. Their morale is oddly high. I would conclude that they are unafraid of death. Why are you putting us aside? nc asked. Since the spartoi are Masters followers, even if theyre destroyed here, they will revive back in the town where theyst rested. Ohh, right. Then, maybe thats the same for these guys? Thats an astute observation. So their leader could be something like a ruler of humanity. While they were talking, the only remaining spartoi were down to the three red ones. Oh, we are in deep shit. She suddenly remembered the ants. Just like back then, she could feel her impending death. A single man slipped past Crimson after missing an attack and starting running toward them. Whoa, [Thunderbolt]! A direct hit; while he staggered back from it for a second, he immediately resumed his charge forward. However, nc could see that all the damage had taken a toll on him. She just needed onest push. [Ice Bullet]! The man dodged the spell that Azalea fired. [re Arrow]! Carmines magic also missed. However, he tripped on a piece of rubble, falling t on his face. That was when Magenta, who had transformed into a wolf at some point, bounded over to him and tore out his windpipe. Master!!! At Azaleas scream, nc turned to look forward just in time to see the enemy leader nock an arrow. That old man can use a bow?! And he still had arrows left?! She watched the arrows release in slow motion. Ah, this one is gonna hurt. Based on its trajectory, it was going to hit her. nc reflexively squeezed her eyes shut, to prepare for that nostalgic system message to appear. However, what she heard was not a poignantly mundane message notification, but a thunderous crash. Eh? When she unconsciously opened her eyes, her field of view waspletely obscured by a pitch-ck wall. The city of La Colline, stained with gunpowder, has attracted a number of dangerous groups. Next time, A Chance Meeting.N?v(el)B\\jnn Wait, arent you the one who lit that gunpowder? TL note: Train in the MMO sense, where a yer purposely attacks arge group of enemies in order to pass them onto another yer as a form of harassment/griefing/indirect PvP. I changed one tranted line in the chapter to more clearly reference the title, but nevertheless I thought this exnation would be necessary. Chapter 100: “A Chance Meeting” Authors note: Were finally at chapter 100. Thank you for reading this far. When Rare arrived in the skies above La Colline, she looked down using Yoroizakas field of vision and saw a huge me below that seemed to be a campfire. She immediately closed her eyes and activated [Demonic Eyes]. In that pale pink world, she was able to see people-shaped magical power gathered around that fire. It looks like a battle. Pretty hardcore to be going at it in these ruins If the city lord really did get away before, though, then theyre probably involved. As she descended, she could see who the two sides fighting were. It looked like one side consisted of four human-looking people controlling skeletons, while the other had knights and sellswords under themand of a well-dressed male human. Considering Rares own circumstances, it was clear which side was her enemy. However, that didnt mean she had any reason to help the other side. After the battle was over, she could take care of the survivors then go find the city lord. Rare initially thought the two sides were pretty evenly matched, but when she looked closer that wasnt entirely true. The skeleton side was steadily losing ground. It irked her to see the human side winning, but she was curious why neither side seemed afraid of injury. If any of thesebatants were followers and they were fighting with the assumption that they could revive, then it could be dangerous for Rare to reveal herself. Atst, the numerical advantage shifted from the skeletons to the sellswords, which meant they had secured victory. Wanting to make certain of his win, themander-looking man on the human side held up a bow and fixed an arrow to its string. The moment she saw that, an unpleasant memory surfaced in Rares mind. Even though theyre all strangers to me, just sitting back and watching someone get killed by arrow seems bad for my psyche, Rare grumbled to herself as she tossed aside the arrow that had been pinched between Yoroizakas fingers. There appeared to be three humans on the hill. In front of them, the sellswords who had been battling the red skeletons froze and looked up at her. The skeletons could have taken that opportunity to continue attacking, but they didnt. It seemed they were also concerned about Rare. The arrow hade from the man atop the hill, near the center. From his attire, he seemed to be a noble. It appeared that even though she had only just arrived, she may have already found her target. When she looked closer, the two knights on either side of him were the same knights she had encountered in the capital. Which meant this was absolutely her man. Rare was about to call out to them when she realized that it was possible they didnt recognize Yoroizaka and wouldnt understand that it was her. She decided to exit from the armor. Hello! I just saw you earlier, my knightly friends. Im d to see you were able to return home safely! As for the gentleman Whoa, what the heck is that?! A robot?! Its a robot! Its huge! Thats so awesome!!! Well that was rather startling. Rare guessed that it was the leader of the skeleton group that had been fighting the humans just now. Based on the clothing, she had thought it was a man, but based on the voice she now believed it was actually a woman. While Rare hesitated over what to say next, one of the other women spoke up first. M-Master, shouldnt you thank her first? She just saved us, you know? Thats where youre wrong, Azalea; she was going to say something really important just now, so we should let her keep talking Anyway, why dont we retreat just a little She was having an even harder time collecting her thoughts now. More like, these girls were all just about to get massacred, what was with this carefree bickering? Oh, r-right! Thank you so much! Ah, sorry for interrupting, were just gonna head over there, ahaha With awkward smiles, the four girls fell back a ways. The three red skeletons that had been in meleebat also followed after them. The sellswords who had been fighting those skeletons didnt chase after them, they just continued to observe Rare with caution. What was I saying again? Umm Right, that man! Is that man your owner, then?! While the humans kept their guard up, none of them answered. At this distance, she had to yell quite loudly, which made conversation difficult. Rare jumped off from Yoroizaka and floated down toward the hill. As she approached, the knights seemed to get more nervous. The sellswords also all ran for the knights in a panic. It wasnt like them being there would make a difference either way, so Rare didnt concern herself with them. If Ie this close, we should be able to talk normally. Since you didnt seem to have been able to hear before, Ill repeat myself. I just saw the two of you earlier. Im d to see We already heard you! Damn catastrophe! I see So then, may I take that dust-covered person there to be your owner? However, they just continued to re at Rare without offering a response. Well if you dont want to talk, theres nothing else to be done. At that, the man in the middle who she thought was the lord spoke. Are you the catastrophe who attacked this city? Oh my. So youre one of those kinds of people. You wont answer my questions; you only want to talk if you get to hear what you want to know. This kingdom sure is going to the dogs.N?v(el)B\\jnn Although Wayne, who was that same type of person, didnt belong to this kingdom. I dont enjoy this posturing, so Ill answer you out of pity. I am indeed the catastrophe. However, and Ive had to rify this a number of times, since I dont exactly call myself one, I wont take responsibility if it turns out Im not. So you did this to the city! Well, yes. Although Id like correct one point: not city, but country. Ive already taken over the royal capital. But since those knights are here beside you, Im sure you already knew that. Seeing that the knights got to La Colline before Rare did, she assumed that, just like yers, if another force took control of their respawn points, they couldnt respawn there anymore. She guessed that their previous respawn point prior to the capital was here, in this city. It was hard to believe there were still respawn points somewhere considering how badly she had messed up the ce, but it was possible that there were some underground. That could exin how the lord was still alive as well. Not that she had confirmed whether he was actually the lord yet or not. Either way, it was true that Rare had been naive in her belief that the La Colline raid had been thorough. She just had to now turn that belief into reality. All right, thats enough chatting. I need to find the lord of this city. If that happens to be you, then I suppose I could indulge you a bit more. I am the lord! Because of you, all the innocent people in this city have! What offense did they evermit toward you?! Rare had never met these innocent people before, so she wouldnt know, but if they had lived here, then it was true that they probably hadnt ever done anything to her. However, along the lines of that logic Well, if I remember correctly, wasnt there an army here? I heard this from His Excellency the prime minister in the royal capital, but those soldiers were on their way to the Great Liebe Forest in order to put me down, isnt that right? It seems they had departed from the capital ten days ago. That was when my death was decided. So please, enlighten me, at that time, what exactly had I done to deserve such action? It was a lie that Rare had heard this from the prime minister. It was actually in a letter she had intercepted from the prime minister to the armysmander. However, those details were unimportant now. Going by his logic, they had dispatched an army to kill an innocent catastrophe that had done nothing wrong. Granted, whether said army existed or not would not have changed Rares decision, and furthermore, she only learned of the armys existence after she had already demolished the ce, so it wasnt exactly apelling excuse. Thats because! Y-Youre a threat to humanity! Thats why! Rare was a catastrophe, therefore she had to die. Thats what he was saying. It was like finding a hos nest and choosing to exterminate the entire colony before anyone got stung. Unfortunately, Rare wasnt a simple ho, so she couldnt easily be whacked. If she didnt screw up, at least. And since she was also a yer, it was also impossible to get rid of her permanently. What youre saying is inconsistent, then. If you believe that Im a threat to humanity, then there was nothing particrly wrong with what I did. In fact, as an enemy to humans, you should be praising me for a job well done. She wondered how the prime minister would have countered that. Well, he was already dead now, so she wouldnt ever hear his voice again. Were done here. Farewell. Having lost interest in the man, Rare activated her [Feather Gatling], turning him into a honeb. Immediately after, the knights and sellswords crumpled to the ground as though their strings had been cut. That man had definitely been their master. He must have been the city lord as well. They all probably thought that she wouldnt attack them during a discussion. No one had positioned themselves defensively between Rare and the lord. She did say she would chat, but she never said anything about staying her hand. And with that, Rare could finally say that La Colline had beenpletely destroyed. In truth, there were still some loose ends with regards to the royal capital, namely the king in exile. Rare wanted to hunt him down, but she didnt know where he had gone. Plus, if the prime ministers words were to be believed, the king had numerous artifacts with anti-demon lord effects, and there were even more of them held by the other five countries. That made it too dangerous to invade other countries looking for the king. But right now, there was an even more important matter, which was that loud group of people behind her. That girl had yelled about a robot; she had to be a yer. And given that her female attendants called her Master, and from what she could see those red skeletons seemed to obey her, there was a very high chance that she knew [Subordinate] or a simr type of skill. There was another yer aside from Rare who had learned it. This was a serious discovery that could threaten her dominance in the game. If possible, Rare wanted to sit down and have a long conversation. From what she could tell, she believed that this girl was antagonistic to the races of humanity. If so, then it was possible that she could meet the conditions to be Rares coborator, a monster yer mischievous enough to pretend to be a game boss. But also, it would just be her first time chatting with a friendly yer. Authors note: I dont really believe in it, but theres this thing known as subliminal messages. Thank (bookmark!) you (rate this!) very (5s!) much (bookmark!) for (rate this!) reading (5s!). NovelUpdates Chapter 101: “YOROY THE KAHIR!” All right, sorry for waiting. Oh, it was no prob! The girl from before said this while touching Yoroizaka all over. From what Rare could with [Demonic Eyes], she had a good amount of MP. Not quite as much as Mental Magic guy, but it was a lot. If the other three women were the crossdressing yers followers, then she would be at least as strong as four mid-ss yers. Adding in those red skeletons would bump up her rating even higher. She had quite the formidable force. I see youre interested in Yoroizaka here? So the robots named Yoroy the Kahir! Uh, no, everything you just said is wrong. I think theres a big misunderstanding here. Rare exined what Yoroizaka washow living object-type monsters worked, but glossed over reincarnation. It didnt seem like that part would be particrly interesting to this girl. If that satisfies you, let me introduce myself. My name is Rare. As you can see, Im a yer with a nonhuman avatar. Im participating in this event on the side attacking humans. How about you? Oh! Im so sorry! Im nc! I started ying as a skeleton! I picked that name because my bones were really white! Im not very good, but I did take out two cities too! Skeleton. Rare couldnt see anything that would make her think nc was a skeleton. Was she lying? Well, she seemed like the kind of person who couldnt lie to save her life. I dont see how youre a skeleton, so did you maybe, um, reincarnate into a different race by chance? Ah, yeah, I did! Um, so like, first what happened was The girlncrecounted her adventures for nearly an hour. She had gone through some pretty wild stuff. It was honestly a really interesting story. At the same time, Rare felt relieved. Considering the way she hade to learn [Subordinate], it was hard to imagine any other yers having gone through a simr experience. I see, so youre a vampire And vampires can reincarnate their followers by feeding them their own blood It was pretty costly, but since LP and MP was easy to recover, she could also see it being very efficient. The downsides, or the limitations, were that it could only be used for ones own followers, and it probably only worked on undead-type races or races connected to the master. After seeing that these mormo vampires could transform into wolves, she spected that perhaps one could tame wolves and feed them blood to turn them into mormos as well. So, Mizz Rare, what race are you? Not the one you started as, I mean. Rare had to think hard about how she wanted answer. She didnt know whether nc could be a tight-lipped person, but she at least knew that nc rattled on and on to Rare about information that would have been more valuable to hide. The mormos assisting her seemed rather shrewd, but they didnt make any moves to stop her either. Rather, they spoke up to help nc exin some things. Rare couldnt expect them to help keep a lid on nc. With all that in mind, it would frankly be a huge risk to tell her the truth.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om On the other hand, if they were to cooperate from here on out, and,pletely hypothetically, in the one in a millionth chance that they were to maybe be friends, then it would be unwise to hide things from her at this juncture. nc would surely find out one day anyway, and she had also beenpletely up-front about herself, probably. If Rare didnt respond in kind, thenter, if there were such things as friendship points, she would be setting herself up to start in the hole. That wouldnt be ideal. Im The four of them were looking straight back at Rare, eyes sparkling with anticipation. She wondered if, no matter how much INT they had, followers tended to take on their masters personality. Im a demon lord. My current race, that is. I started out as an elf, but In the end, Rare also spent nearly an hour telling her own tale. So holy cow! When you made those ants your minions, you totally got revenge for me! While it was possible that there was another cave of ants somewhere in this kingdom, in all likelihood the ants who attacked nc were probably from Sugarus nest. Given the timing with which it had be a private area, it had to have been the same ce. That wasnt exactly why I did it, but I suppose thats how it turned out. Now that theyre my followers, Im hoping youll let it go. Of course! But Mizz Rare, have you been all alone all this time then? Wham! A sudden gut punch. Her wings, appendages she had not been blessed with before, were quite hard to holdpletely still. However, aside from them, she stopped any other part of her body from moving. She was improving! Yes, I suppose. Well, Im not really ying the way most people would, but actually I have talked to other yers before, you know. Although she had killed them all as well. I guess so! I also figured the way I was ying was probably not the norm. Were the same, then! Or are we? This was going pretty well. Since the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, that meant that Rare had died the day before. Yesterday was certainlycking in positive developments. With the date ticking up now, hopefully today would instead be a good day. Indeed. I feel like we could get along well, Miss nc. You dont gotta be so formal! ShoShould we friend each uver? Sure. Rare jumped straight to handing over her friend card. The number of people Rare had friended was obscene, and she wouldnt allow anyone else to evene close to overtaking her. Not that any of them had been yers. She had be so used to the process that she could go through all the steps without even thinking about it. Aw, thanks so much! So what is this for? Ohh, you dont know how to register friends. Just put it in your inventory to add someone as a friend. Exchanging friend cards is how you be mutuals. Not that theres any particr meaning to that. There was no functional difference between only one person registering another as a friend and two people both registering each other. Ah, so thats how you do it! So then heres mine Wait, how do I find it? After giving a lecture on how to pull things out of the inventory, Rare and nc properly registered each other as friends. Youre my first friend! Same here Youre the first yer Ive friended. Also, you dont have to be polite around me or anything either. Cool! Lets get along then, Raerae! Wham! So after taking out two towns, you wanted to keep going to your third, which ended up being La Colline, and thats when you encountered those knights, Rare summarized. Having finished friending, since they each now understood the others situation, the two were consulting on what to do next. Yeah, thats right Since we suddenly ran into some strong enemies, I was thinking maybe this zone was too hard for us. This city was originally the second most prosperous in the kingdom after the royal capital. At least until yesterday. From my perspective, the knights were quite powerful, and just before it was destroyed, the kingdom had already mobilized every soldier at its disposal, so there was an entire army gathered here as well. Yikes, why would they do that? I guess they were supposed to try to take me out. If you go straight east from here, youll find a forest where my home base is; this army had marched from the capital and was on its way there, it seems. Even if Rare had decided not to participate in the event, she probably would have run across the army once they reached the great forest. She didnt think she could have lost with her home field advantage, but the prospect of being invaded was horrifying. In light of that, the timing of the beginning of the event was truly fortuitous. Wow When youre a famous yer, they even form armies to take you out Ah, if that ever happens again, just gimme a call! Ill do anything I can to help! Thank you. But Im not exactly a famous yer Ah, right, about that. There was one important suggestion Rare had to make. Right now, my race is demon lord, but the reason the human side is trying to kill me is because they believe Im something called a catastrophe, which is Rare exined everything she knew about catastrophes to nc. Since she hadnt done a deep dive on the forums yet, she had to specte about the finer details, but the overall gist of it should have been urate. After she had gotten the correct informationter, Rare promised she would send it over. With her current mental state, she should be able to browse the forums without issue. Given everything, its a lot more convenient to let them think Im a game boss, which will let me efficiently monitor the human sides movements on the forums. So if it gets out that youre a yer, the human yers might stop talking about their strategies out in the open! That makes sense. Anyway, I didnt know all that catastrophe stuff was about you, Raerae. So, you know, I was wondering what you thought about doing the same and also roleying as an NPC boss. If you could do that, then whenever you have to fight against human yers, I think we would be able to help each other out more smoothly. Ooohhh!!! That sounds cool! Like a female officer! The demon lords hot vampire right hand! Holy shit! Thats super lit! L-Lit? Anyway, Im happy youre on board with the idea. If you ever meet another yer, you can go with that. Roger! I gotta think up a cool catchphrase I can use If it does seem like you have to talk to yers, its better not to say too much, to lower the risk of giving away important information. Although, it seems Im the type of person who tends to get overconfident and show my hand about all sorts of stuff. Based on the current situation, it could be safe to say that Rare had found the ultimate coborator. Next time it seemed like a battle might break out with a group of yers, she could entice them to attack her then team up with nc to beat them down. So then, what are you going to do, nc? Head back to thest city and go northwest from there to attack whatever city you find on the way? Hmm, lemme think. Past this city is the royal capital? If youre already taking care of things that way, Raerae, then I should go in a different direction. If we split up the work, then well tear through this kingdom even faster, right? It would be a tad, just a teeny bit lonelier, but that approach was indeed much more efficient. She was a little worried about theirbined strength, but that wasnt something Rare could do anything about at the moment. In that case, let me give you this. She pulled out the map she had gotten as a reward from her inventory and handed it to nc. Huh? A map? There are maps in this game? Even the counts library didnt have one! To be precise, there was a map, it was just too old to be useful, one of the mormos chimed in. Rare couldnt tell them apart, so she didnt know her name. I pulled a couple strings to get this. I already have another like it, so I can give this one to you. Itll help with nning your attacks, right? Is that all right? Not only did you save us, but youre even giving away something so valuable Its not a big deal, were already friends. Oh, and also She pulled Kenzaki Ichirou off Yoroizakas waist, sheath and all, and gave him to nc. You should take this sword with you. Hes also a monster, actually. Even if you cant equip and wield him, he can attack on his own. Now I really feel like Im getting too much help Im not giving you Kenzakithis swordsolely out of the goodness of my heart. Youll find out soon. If you destroy another town, you should let me know via chat. You can count on me! So yeah Rare and nc both stood up straight. They could sit here and talk forever, but now wasnt the best time. Yeah. Good luck. Im hoping for your sess. Same to you, Raerae! See youter! The mormos transformed into bats, and nc got up on the red skeletons, the three spartoi, who carried her away. Rare watched the surreal scene until they fully disappeared from sight. ARMORED FORTRESS YOROY THE KAHIR!!! TL Notes: This chapter is why I changed Yoroisaka to Yoroizaka; it kind of makes more sense to misinterpret za as the instead of sa as the. For those who dont get it from the Japanese chapter title since youre not familiar with katakana, the title is YOROI ZA KASAN since Rare is saying Yoroizaka-san, and nc is just splitting it up in her head weirdly (Yoroi the Kasan). NovelUpdates Chapter 102: “Official Forums 1” WORLD FIRST! CATASTROPHE DOWN!!! [Event Boss Defeated] 1: healthyunpeble Yay we beat the event boss Cheers to every1 who was there Waiting for the tears from every1 else 2: Amatane thx 4 thread 3: nameless elf Thx! But wow, news travels fast I was gonna make a thread if there wasnt one yet, but someone who died beat me to it 4: healthyunpeblen/?/vel/b//in dot c//om I was looking @ the menu Got more xp outta nowhere so it was obv 5: Amatane we sure got a shitload of xp gotta thank the leader 6: Monkey Dive Sasuke >>5 n gil too if he didn notice the thread, prolly no raid 7: healthyunpeble U lived, nameless elf? Lucky backliners Any drop info? 8: nameless elf >>7 Yep, I survived There were drops, but the same item dropped in the city too It was bigger, but the undead probably gave the same drops as the boss Looked like a pretty high rank item, but with how much there was its probably not worth all that much, I bet 9: Amatane only if u look at items cuz of the event, we get more xp cuz no death penalty, so prolly high xp boss 10: Orinki seems like it i bet itll turn into a good chunk of cash, but id be fine if the leader just takes it all 11: Monkey Dive Sasuke >>10 nah, don worry bout Wayne he shud jus split it up 12: CountryPop I only met Sasuke today, but hes pretty :eyes: you know 13: Amatane yeah, we know :eyes: 14: Monkey Dive Sasuke wdym 15: healthyunpeble Yep, we know :eyes: 16: ARAFUBUKI Sorry, is this a spoiler thread or smthg? Whats an event boss? 17: Amatane >>16 a little bit ago there was another thread like event boss confirmede to hiers asap or something, we beat that boss 18: nameless elf >>16 We pulled off a hard win, so were just patting each other on the backs Ah, we talked to Wayne and others when they got back 19: ARAFUBUKI Huh? Wha? Event boss? Seriously? You killed it? Already? 20: ImpoliteSpeech Top rankers hogging aaall the fun again 21: healthyunpeble Well, the timing and the stage were super specific Comin 2 the admins 35: nameless elf We talked to Wayne and co Wayne, Gil, and MentaiList were gonna party up I think 36: Amatane nice nice theyll be goodpetition 37: Yoichi Seems like it 38: Monkey Dive Sasuke that why i said don worry bout Wayne see he shud split up the cash 39: ThoseWarmHands Sasuke is really considerate, even if he doesnte off that way. 40: CountryPop A 41: healthyunpeble a 42: Monkey Dive Sasuke wtf 51: Gi1gamesh Thats some bullshit 52: Wayne Sorry everyone 53: MentaiList gotta be kidding me gotta be kiddinggggggg 54: nameless elf What happened, did you wipe right after making a party? lol 55: MentaiList >>54 winner winner chicken dinner, but the problem is what we died to 56: CountryPop Wow really? Putting aside leader, with Gi1gamesh you shouldnt go down that easily 57: MentaiList boss powered up and came back 58: nameless elf >>57 what? wdym? 59: MentaiList exactly that, the catastrophe powered up and came back wayne said like, it was an event battle, but it wasnt an event to beat the boss, it was an awakening event. for the boss. to unveil the brand spankin new story enemy 60: Gi1gamesh I think hes right~ Heres what we know:
  • New mystery long-range physical attack
  • New buff ability with unknown range
  • No chant spells
  • Super magic uracy
  • Triple the wings
  • Eyes light up
61: Wayne >>60 The second half sounds like an action figure ad, but yeah, basically all that She didnt have just 2 phases, but at least 3 No chant spells are really bad I dont even know what she did to us at the end No idea what we can do about it 62: MentaiList prolly the thing she shot at the knights, the mini ck hole looking spell where you get eaten up in darkness and disappear 63: healthyunpeble U serious? Wtf~ 64: Amatane i mean theres still a week left in the event i knew there was no way we could beat the boss on day 2 and thats it, but hmm, so its an event to unveil the new boss huh sounds interesting 65: Monkey Dive Sasuke goddam i used so many items 2 wtf 66: MentaiList im low on soul stones, but with how much xp we got i think im still up 67: Monkey Dive Sasuke wut do i do about the squid balls 68: healthyunpeble Arent those cheap 69: Yoichi You like em? Should we buy more? 70: Wayne Theres more, we died before we could pick up the bosss metal drops The capital city is fucked too After dying twice we couldnt respawn in the castle anymore 71: MentaiList we gotta give up on the capital but i picked up a bunch of the metal balls in the city while we ran thru it 72: Gi1gamesh Oh shit good job! actually where u at Mentai 73: MentaiList welthe town named ciarro my old base 74: Gi1gamesh Im in Welthe too ce called Obe You Wayne? 75: Wayne Where is this? I dont know Not again 76: CountryPop Leader finally got a totally random respawn? (rezzed 3 times in half a day) 77: nameless elf Whoa Dont you think youre kinda cursed? 78: Orinki wayne, maybe youre possessed Game Lore Megathread Part 5 53: Professor Morietti In summary 6 catastrophes exist across the world
  • True vampire
  • Archdemon
  • Archangel
  • Insect king
  • Mermen lord
  • Golden dragon
54: Faust We gotta add the undead angel to the list From this event It was defeated, but we should make sure theres a record 55: lyewarehouse nah, the undead angel apparently got stronger and came back to life then it killed thest 3 yers in the capital of hiers and took over the ce 56: Faust ??? You mean Hiers got destroyed? 57: lyewarehouse sounds like 58: Professor Morietti All right, we dont know what the NPCs call it, but lets decide on a provisional name for it in this thread 59: Holy Regan Nothing fazes you lol 60: JUSTICE Since its undead and an angel what about death angel 61: Professor Morietti That could get confusing with archangel 62: lyewarehouse not much we can do since both are already angels 63: Holy Regan I heard it flies, so what about sky lord? 64: Professor Morietti Then it would get confused with the sky castle, and you left out it being undead 65: Faust Death from the Sky What do you think? 66: JUSTICE What a poet~ 67: Professor Morietti Not a bad name, but itd feel kind of cringey to actually call it that 68: Holy Regan Your breaking character lol 69: Lotuspillow sorry, right now do we only know about 6 of these catastrophes? 70: Faust 7, but yeah there were only 6 until now Any country you go to says the same thing 71: Lotuspillow the town im inmore like a vige but theres a legend about a dragon that lives at the top of a mountain near here no ones seen it in a long time, but a long time ago there were a lot of victims 72: Professor Morietti Are you talking about the dragon at the north pole? Or is it a different one? 73: lyewarehouse where this vige? 74: Lotuspillow root vige, in paele 75: Holy Regan Wheres that 76: Faust Anyway what do we call the seventh catastrophe? Should we go with my suggestion? 77: Professor Morietti Hmm, lets just use that The provisional name is Seventh Catastrophe TL Notes: Another quick change in terms, greater demon has been updated to archdemon. Previous chapters should all have been updated. NovelUpdates Chapter 103: “The Seventh Catastrophe” Rare ordered Sugaru to make preparations for airlifting infantry and engineer ants to La Colline. She had them scour the underground tunnels as well to make sure nothing got left behind. This would finally close the curtain on the entire La Colline situation. Using [Summon Caster] to return to the capital, it was finally time to check out the forums. Hm, so there are six other known catastrophes aside from me. Since most of the information came from legends passed down within various NPC countries, she didnt know how reliable it was. She wasnt sure how trustworthy these lore yers fact-gathering skills were, but it didnt really matter either way. All Rare wanted right now was to confirm what information was being shared between the yer and NPC sides, not determine the absolute truth. And as she suspected, the number of catastrophes that the NPCs had identified was inurate. This wasnt based on anything in the game, but it would be natural to presume that an archdemon was diametrically opposed to an archangel. Simrly, the rtionship between a demon lord and a spirit lord could also be antagonistic. Regardless of the truth, the leaders of the kingdom of Hiers believed that the spirit king favored them, which meant that it was possible that the spirit lord was assessed as a force that posed no threat to humanity. In which case, Rare didnt think a spirit king would trigger that special being of cmity or whatever system announcement. The developers probably made that decisionor rather, that setting. They surely didnt consider how the NPCs felt about itN?v(el)B\\jnn When considering Rare as the leader of a faction, the developers probably assumed that the demon lord was antagonistic to the human faction. This was obvious from the fact that her birth as a demon lord was announced via system message. So it was hard to believe that her own nemesis, the spirit lord, would have also merited an announcement as an enemy of humanity. Along the same lines, based on the prime ministers description of the artifacts effects, she could infer that the spirit lord and the archangel werent opposed to one another in the natural order. Which meant that when the archangel was born, it was possible that the human faction didnt get an announcement about it. This conclusion was ultimately an assumption or hypothesis based on a thought experiment, but if she happened to be right That special skill that lets you receive world announcementsI think they called it an oracle or something. The designation of catastrophes seems to be independent of it, though. Information sent via oracle is by andrge about catastrophes, and probably only catastrophes that are considered to be forces working against the human faction. If thats the way it was programmed, then she could understand the thinking behind it. Id really like to somehow get my hands on a skill that lets me hear those oracles. If theres a monster version of it, I want that too. If I could keep tabs on both sides, then it would be possible to monitor any future threats that could be a danger to me. If it were possible to get her hands on the skill in the capital, then she should have tried to find it; now, she regretted how things had turned out. She had learned about oracles from the forums, but by then most of the residents in the capital had already been killed. But speaking of oracles, they were typically rted to religion. Since Rare wasnt concerned about them at the time, she hadnt paid any special attention to any temples or churches. Their members had probably been turned into undead already, and while their stats were probably about the same as when they had been alive, the same couldnt be said for their skills. Well crap From now on, if we find find anyone who seems religious, I should try to brainwash them instead of killing them. Once Ive identified one of the two skills I want, that should help in the investigation of the other one. She didnt know if there were any other cities in this country where there might still be someone left capable of receiving oracles. Since all the yers in the capital had left for the border cities as soon as the event started, there werent that many who had heard about the catastrophe from Hiers NPCs. Other countries had people delivering news and sermons on street corners, but Hiers could have been restricting the flow of information since this disaster had risen within their own country. Its impossible to exchange information with other countries in real time, after all However, that wont be the case in the future. There probably werent any here, but if a yer were to be a knight and get more involved with a countrys administration, that countrys information gathering capabilities would skyrocket. It wouldnt be unthinkable for some other countries to have already been informed that Ive taken over the royal capital of Hiers. If someone was ying that way, then they probably wouldnt make posts on the forums themselves. Just like Rare, they would simply leech information. I need to consider these possibilities moving forward. If cutthroat yers like that have items like those artifacts at their disposal, I could end up being killed again. Because those yers could try to manipte the information being propagated online. I should share this information with my fr-friends No wait, if shes inbat then I might be bothering her. I should wait until shes out of the country first But maybe itd be better to send it as soon as possible In the end, no friend chats were initiated that day. The royal capital of Hiers is down, and so are most of the major cities in the country. For now, we should steadily expand our influence and use our forces to strengthen our foothold. Since they were still in the middle of an event and all, there was also the option of pushing further given the opportunity. However, while they had little need to worry about supplies at the moment, that didnt mean they had the leeway to support a warfront multiple times wider either. Maybe they could do it if they just torched all the cities instead of conquering them, but if the humans just rebuilt them after Rares forces left, then there wasnt much point. Ideally, wed grow one of World Trees terminals in the center of all those cities, include some ants and treants, and turn those ces into ruins overgrown with greenery. We could also raise animals and monsters for fodder. Rare needed to experiment first in order to determine if this n was viable or not. Her original goal only went as far as turning the capital into a ruined city-type zone. And despite some hups, that goal had been achieved. Now she needed a new goal in order to determine how her forces would operate moving forward. First we need a long-term goal. How about take over the entire continent? This would naturally include the destruction of the other five countries in the process. That would pit me against the entire human-side yerbase, but well, if there are other yers like nc out there willing to cooperate, it should be possible to not be outmatched. However, there was a lot of information that Rare didnt want to be public, such as the fact that she was a raid boss known as a catastrophe. Putting aside whether their interests might be aligned, it would be risky even just to thoughtlessly make an offer. Also, there could be other yers like Rare who started out with a human race avatar but started killing other humans; she needed to check whether there were any. Whether they could cooperate would depend on negotiations, but she could at least try not to antagonize them. As for a mid-term goal while taking over the continent, first would be taking over the entire kingdom of Hiers. I should define exactly what taking over entails here, but if I say we need to capture every city, there might be too many of them. In a normal war, capturing the capital would lead to their leaders capitting, and we would force them to ept terms of surrender advantageous to us but that wont happen here since theyve got nothing to offer us. Or more like, the ruler already ran off. It seemed that the spirit lords legacy or whatever was more important than the kingdom itself. It was an indispensable item needed to defend against not just Rare, but any of the catastrophes, so it was vital for it to never fall into the hands of an enemy. But didnt he say that it wasnt very effective against angels? On this continent, the only enemy they had to worry about was the angels, so why would they protect it so zealously? Is there maybe some other threat that only royalty were privy to. But if there were, then it didnt make sense to keep that information a secret. If something like that truly existed, that only the royal family knew about, then in all likelihood only those in the royal family were told that they were the ones who deposed the spirit lord as well. If so, then those people were the biggest hypocrites. Of course, this was all spection. Nothing that Rare conjectured would lead anywhere productive. What was important now was how she would handle the remaining cities left in this country. For starters, I need to test if this ant-and-treant city idea will work. If it will, then if we go to each city one by one and rece all the people with ants and all the houses with treants, then that would serve as proof of conquest. And in order to proceed with that n, there was one problem that needed to be solved first: Sugarus reincarnation. NovelUpdates Chapter 104: “Queen of Insects” Of course, I had a reason to need Sugaru to reincarnate. While she was indeed the only member of the top brass who hadnt gone through reincarnation yet, there was an actual problem beyond that. As a Vespoid Queen, Sugaru had reached the maximum limit on followers. To be urate, they hadnt determined an exact number of ants that she could control. There were no problems with the ones operating in the Great Liebe Forest or in the ground beneath the neighboring prairie, but if Rare wanted her invasion to expand outside of those areas, that number would not suffice. The treants as well could only multiply so much, since they had a limited poption density, so Rare believed something simr was at work. In other words, what she needed was a new queen ant. For amon ant queen, when she first copted, she would receive enough sperm from the male ant to fertilize a lifetimes worth of eggs, which she would store inside her body. If she were to be unable toy more eggs, the typical reason would be that she had used up her supply of sperm. However, when Sugaru had been asked if that might be the case, apparently her race didnt even understand the concept of sexes in and of itself, which meant that all of her eggs had been unfertilized. When considering normal ants, queens could choose toy fertilized or unfertilized eggs, with thetter always birthing male ants. However, with regards to Sugarus race, if they didnt technically have sexes and could onlyy unfertilized eggs, then either the offspring would be genderless, or they would be hermaphrodites. If these had been normal ants, then the creation of the next queen could be induced via pheremones and diet, but the eggs Sugaruid had predetermined results. Thus, it would be reasonable to assume that it should be possible toy an egg meant to be the next queen. In her current skill trees, she didnt have any reproduction skills to create a new generation of queen, so Sugaru needed some kind of breakthrough. Perhaps learning a specific skill could unlock the one they sought, but looking at World Tree, its [Root Division] skill was unable to create more world trees. Along the same lines, since Sugaru was a Vespoid Queen, Rare was certain that she would be unable to reproduce another queen-type monster. Assuming she was right, she hoped having Sugaru reincarnate into a higher ss of monster would be that breakthrough. With the events increased XP, Ive already regained what I used earlier from killing the people in the capital. Im no longer in the red from the death penalty, so the yers I fought and killed yesterday around noon put me in the ck. Nice, nice, aha ha ha. Rare calmed herself down. There should be enough for Sugarus reincarnation now. As for our emergency funds Eh, well start saving again tomorrow. However, as they used more XP, the amount of XP they needed in reserve increased as well. Everything would go to waste if I were to die, but if I just dont die then no problem. Which meant investing now to reduce the risk of her dyingter. That said, Ill go back to the forest for a time. I hope I can leave you in charge, Rare said to Sieg, who had been silently listening to her talk to herself this entire time. She wouldnt have minded if he had voiced his thoughts, but Sieg was pretty reserved. It was incredible how he had be a knight-captain with his personality; he must have been exceptionally brilliant. Understood. Leave the capital to me. But please take Sir Deas back with you. He is Your Majestys personal guard, after all. Indeed. I shall call for him after Ive arrived there. If I dont, Im sure hed be peeved. Sieg certainly didnt suggest that because he thought that Deas would be a pain in the ass if he stayed in the capital. Probably. With Sugaru as her target, Rare used [Summon] on herself, returning to the queens chamber. The wolf pups were also there, tussling with each other. Which reminded her, Deas was originally supposed to be looking after the pups, so she had wondered what he had done with them when he came to the castle; it seemed he had Sugaru watch them. Before she forgot, Rare also cast [Summon] on Deas; he immediately moved over to the wall, paying absolutely no mind to the little wolves. I apologize for yesterday, for making you suddenly experience death. I also want to thank you for restoring the forest. Ha ha ha. This is how I looked when I was much younger His personality really had be somewhat obnoxious. As he became less undead and more human, his weak human traits surfaced moreor they were being resurrected. It wasnt a huge problem, though, for now. Youll be a lot more impressive soon yourself, Sugaru, I hope. Rare then pulled out a Greater Philosophers Stone from her inventory. She had left all the regr Philosophers Stones in the capital, but she still held onto all the greater ones. Now, its time to reincarnate. Come. She handed over the greater stone. In Sugarus hand, the vessel turned into light and disappeared, the liquid inside melting into her body. Rares eyes could see that the instant the stone was used, the container had turned into pure mana. Since it appeared to be an item without a single drop of magic before it was used, it must use some kind of system simr to casting spells, where the activation process generates magic. <> < > < > Seeing 3,000 was nostalgic, even she had originally seen it not that long ago. It was the amount needed to reincarnate into a demon lord or spirit lord. Which meant that Sugaru should be reincarnating into something that would be on par with Rare. Immortal rulers required less XP, only 1,000, but while they were also catastrophe-ss monsters, they might also have less potentialpared with Sugarus new race. Spend three thousand, allow reincarnation into Reina Quitinosa. But that reminds me, World Tree needed five thousand. Going by the amount of XP needed to reincarnate alone, World Tree has the highest rank of everyone here <> After sucking up a ton of mana, Sugaru disappeared from sight. Even if Rare were to open her eyes, she wouldnt be able to see anything more, just everything would be a different color. But anyway, whats a Reina Quitinosa? Is that Spanish, maybe? Reina is probably queen. Quitinosalikequit in osa? Or kit in osa? Oh, does it maybe mean chitinous? As in Chitinous Queen? The light show died down, and a smaller Sugaru came into view. Rare opened her eyes to take in Sugarus new appearance. Wow, you look pretty cool! Sugaru looked more humanlike now. In fact, with all of her wings out, Rare looked more like a bird, so she herself was slowly bing less and less human. But no, shes got all those arms, so Im still more humanlike At least as far as our shapes go. Sugarus face was covered in hard-looking skin, almost as though she wore a mask; it didnt seem like she would be able to make any expressions. Her mouth was split into upper and lower halves, with each half sporting separate parts of the mask. She now had hair, but it looked extremely fluffy, resembling the head of a silkmoth[1]. It was tactile as well. She had round,pound eyes set deep into her mask, located about where human eyes would be. Her entire body was segmented and covered in a hard exoskeleton; the closestparison Rare could think of was a ball-jointed doll. However, that was it for simrities to humans. She had three pairs of arms. With her legs included, she had eight limbs total. Very inhuman. And in the area that would be the buttocks for a human, she had an abdomen simr to what one would see on ants or bees. Where a humans stomach would be, she had what Rare believed was called a petiole.[2] Her legs grew down from there. Sugarus three sets of arms, as well as two pairs of wings, grew out of her thorax, which was very insectlike. Her bottom half seemed to be based around some other kind of arthropod. <> Its like you went on an insect part shopping spree Well, you look awesome, so whatever. Huh? What do you mean? Ah That wasnt exactly the reason Rare had decided to head to the front lines, but now that Sugaru had brought it up, she couldnt entirely deny that she might have felt that way either. In the end, she never got to try out [Wing Attack], so that still bothered her even now. Because I have a much higher purpose to fulfill. He must have been referring to Rares protection. As someone with so many other priorities, his statement stabbed her in the heart. The system didnt designate you as a special being of cmity, though, just a regr being of cmity, Sugaru. Maybe its because unlike undead or demon lords, you arent naturally aligned against any particr force? You would just cause trouble for everyone; a neutral cmity, as it were. The system message was canceled either way, so we wont be able to find out.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om However, if Rares spection were correct and the announcement had gone out, all the nations and factions with characters with that special oracle skill might spread the information publicly. This would simply result in hordes of enemiesing after her. If Sugaru had developed as originally nned in the Great Liebe Forest, then this forest may have be highly contested battleground. Thats not something we need to worry about now, though. More importantly, lets see what new skills you can learn. [1]: /2014/10/domesticated-silkmoth.html [2]: https://extension.umn.edu/insects-infest-homes/carpenter-ants NovelUpdates Chapter 105: “A Parting Gift” The skill tree that contained Sugarus [Haplodiploidy] didnt really have any new skills to learn. However, apletely new tree did get unlocked: [Insect Production]. The very first skill in this tree was [Ant Queen], which from the name probably created an ant queen. Instant buy! However, unlike regr ant eggs, this skill cost XP instead. It had a simr system to the treants [Root Division]: if [Haplodiploidy]s ability to create more eggs corresponded to the treants [Scatter Seeds] skill, then [Insect Production]s ability to birth queen-ss units seemed to correspond to the treant [Root Division] skill. But even with the additional cost, the advantage of being able to create more queens was huge. Rare spent the required XP to try it out. Standard ant soldiers were born from eggs about a quarter the size of these ones. They didnt require much time before they hatched, either. Inparison, while the queen eggs didnt seem like they would require hours to incubate, neither did it feel like they would hatch at any second.N?v(el)B\\jnn Well, well just have to wait patiently. Lets examine these other skills. Running parallel down the tree with [Ant Queen] were the skills [Spider Queen] and [Coleopteran Queen]. If I remember correctly, some species of spiders are social, but coleopteran means beetles, I think? Do beetles even have queens? Beetles though they may be, they were also monsters, so if she were told this species of them had a queen, Rares only response would be to nod and say Sure, seems legit. After looking it upter, she would find out that while they didnt have queen colonies like ants or bees did, there was apparently a species of stag beetle where adults would raiservae in a social manner. Im curious, but its not something I need to know right now. Ill think about after Ive restocked my emergency XP. Finally, the egg film began to tear, and a familiar-looking queen ant emerged from within. It was a vespoid queen. Now, we should be able to expand our battlefronts. The capital region will be managed by Sieg and his order of undead, Treu and Lourdes will be under World Tree and the treants, and it should be fine to leave Erfahren under the control of Sugarus colony. Now, for this queen Normally, Sugaru would immediately make all newly hatched ants her followers, then assign them a ce in her colony. However, she didnt use [Subordinate] on this vespoid queen. Without [Subordinate], this queen was equivalent to a wild monster to Rare. However, the newly born monster appeared aware that she was in the presence of her creator and grandcreator and simply listened to them meekly; there was no need for Rare to take any immediate action. Thats a good point Produce more queens and put them on standby somewhere, then the next time I take control of a town or city, I will [Summon] one directly to rule our new location. Just like I did with Sieg this time. Since Sugaru had beeing overseeing the farm and the theme park up until now, Rare couldnt transfer her away from the great forest before. However, the park was effectively closed now, and if it were just the farm, then management duties could be given to another ant now. All right, I will directly [Subordinate] her. Now that the nearby city is gone, this forest base will be pretty stable. In that case, lets use it as a site to train new leaders and let them get used to leading projects. If Rare did need to call someone over to administrate a new city, she had no idea if a newly born unit would be able to pick up the reins right on the spot. In order to get a bit of experience beforehand, this safe forest was perfect. Since the queens all needed to learn stuff like [Enhance Follower], they needed their stats raised in order to strengthen their brood, which mean more XP was necessary. Considering how many more queens Rare would need, then she would need to farm even more XP. The grind never ends Rare could still power up herself as well, and the same went for all the other reincarnated leaders like Deas. Everyone must have unlocked many new skills. Before all that, we need to get La Colline settled. Its a huge transportation hub for the kingdom with multiple major roads running through it. We should be able to turn the region into a primary ess point. Lets n to make it a new provisional newbie dungeon. Who knew what kind of newbies would want to travel to a country that had been overrun by monsters, though. Perhaps We could also get a seed from World Tree and raise it as an elder to be a terminal. At any rate, its just a mountain of wreckage right now, hardly attractive at all. Well want to turn the area into a ce lush with nature in order to get people to visit. If they truly wanted to turn it into a new theme park, then there were other points of concern as well. There needed to be amodations. Unless there were safe zones that yers could set as their spawn points, it would be hard to get them to stay for long periods of time. However, if its an attractive enough destination for yers toe despite all the demerits, then theyll think of solutions on their own. Thinking ahead, there wont always be a town conveniently located near a farming zone. Maybe she could indirectly ask the developers What should I do if I want to grind in a zone where there arent any safe zones I can use to log out? The questions and answers would be posted publicly, but the name of the person submitting the question should be kept anonymous, so it wouldnt be a problem for Rare to send in the question herself. If the answer that came back was practical, then other yers should be able to see it and decide on their own if that method was worth it to them. Actually, as far as social media goes, Rare should simply be known as the winner of the first event, so there shouldnt be any problems even if the name does get out. The real problem would be if the idea that the seventh catastrophes name is Rare spreads. If that were to happen, then the idea that yers can be catastrophes would also get out. There was no way a yer-catastrope would want to friend other regr yers anyway, and if there was ever a need to name oneself it would be fine to use a fake name. However, choosing a poor alias would asionally result in sharing the name with another yer, which would be a pain in the ass. And Rare still hadnt found out if yers and NPCs could share names either. Nah, someone had to have looked into that already. Ill try to find that informationter. It really should be fine to juste up with a proper-sounding name. I called myself a catastrophe this time, so I can just keep doing that. It looks like social media is calling me some kind of undead angel, so I could try to go in that direction, but hm, most of the time, cheap misdirection like that always backfires. Better to not do anything overlyplicated. Now then, lets go to La Colline, Sugaru. The ants and wasps I sent on ahead should have just about arrived. Nah, I want to test out your flying capabilities, so lets fly there together. Deas, watch the pups. Your Majesty, your will is mymand, but I wont go picking fights on my own. Sugaru will be with me too. When they were about to depart for La Colline, Sieg sent a friend chat. Rare had left Yoroizaka and the other living weapons behind. The NPCs and other yers had the mistaken impression that Yoroizaka wasnt a separate monster but the catastrophes first form. Therefore, it made sense to leave her back in the capital acting in the role of the catastrophe. Rares eyes widened. So thats what he was after! She had doubted that a shrewd man like the prime minister would have wasted his final artifact for no apparent reason. However, it was possible that he either overestimated the artifacts power or underestimated Rares strength, so she didnt put much thought into it. She never could have imagined that he had been hiding another item like that. No, not an item but an entire trap instation. I wonder how he saw visiting dignitaries from afar if he had something like that set up in the audience chamber. However, it didnt seem as though the trap was all that strong. If just trapping Sieg and a few undead led to its effects dropping by that much, then it couldnt have possibly contained Rare. Even if she had been affected by that weakening artifact at the time, the effect duration was too short to have been problematic. So while the catastrophe was sealed, they could prepare all their forces andunch a full-powered attack at the same time it broke free to defeat it. If the timer for the debuff wouldnt restart until after the seal broke, that meant they could possibly pull it off if they aimed for that exact point in time. It was impossible to know how the seal would actually affect yers without experiencing it for herself, but it was better not to be hit by if it she could help it. It was a pity that they couldnt experiment with the trap activation due to ack of personnel, but the mechanism was originally nned to go off if the throne were moved. However, the prime minister had miscalcted since there were more people in the room at the time, the nobles who had been struck with fear due to Deas and Siegs sudden transformation as well as the surviving sorcerers who had run out of mana. I really have to thank Deas and Sieg Oops, I forgot I was still chatting. ording to Sieg, when filled with mana, it could be activated from outside and any characters within range would easily be sealed. Since it had just been triggered, it needed both time and mana before it could be used again, but as an emergency measure, it was an excellent trick to have on hand. Now the only remaining concern truly was the exiled royal family. However, there wasnt anything Rare could do about them at the moment. First, she had to bring Sugaru to La Colline and set up an attraction in the forest there. NovelUpdates Chapter 106: “Manners? Those Are Only for the Boss” Kerrys group had woken up in an inn in Conna?tre, about three days south of the Great Liebe Forest going at Hakumas speed. What did Boss say? asked Riley. Right. Shes fine, she wants us to stay in this town and check out their defense for the invasion, Kerry responded after seeing that the friend chat had ended. They had arrived at this town the night before, but they only stayed for one night and checked out in the morning, earlier that same day. Since they had traveled for an entire day and didnt find another town or vige, they had nned to camp out along the road, taking turns to keep watch. During that time, everyone suddenly died, then they all awoke once again in this inn. Good thing no one else was staying in this room. If someone had been, maybe we wouldnt have been able to revive here. Would we have gone all the way back to Liebe then? Anyway, Ill go tell thendy we wanna stay a few more nights. If shes still awake, at least, Riley said, heading downstairs. The woman would probably be shocked to see the group who had headed off in the wee hours of the morning suddenlye down from the second floor, but there was nothing they could do about it. Fortunately, they had brought along a lot of cash for their travels, so they could buy her silence. Money makes the world go round. More importantly, is the Boss really all right? Yeah From the way she talked, she didnt seem to be really depressed or anything, at least it didnt feel that way But even if she were, I bet she wouldnt show anyone anywayespecially not us Kerry remembered how Boss had looked when she first met her, how she had oozed confidence from her very pores. Bosss appearance had changed quite a bit since then, but the way she sometimes got that look of mischief on her face hadnt changed at all. The things Boss did were allpletely beyond the catgirls imaginations. Recently, they had finally been able to touch on what her goals were and how she wanted to aplish them, but at the very start they had no idea what she had been trying to do. Meeting Boss had dramatically changed Kerry and the girls lives. Back then, just as she had told them, if they had kept on doing things the same way they always had, in some not-so-far-off future, someone would have ended up taking everything from them, including their lives. At that time, Kerry had said to Rare, I want you to be our leader. Her plea had changed everything. And there were people out there who had hurt their leader. Those people had to pay. But who in the world couldve If we ask, Boss probably wouldnt tell us. Remy was right. She was the boss, after all; she might already be on her way to settle the score herself. Im so mad I could explode but theres nothing we can do about it right now. All we can do is what Boss asked and keep an eye on this town. Yeah If we learn anything from how they defend themselves, it coulde in handy one day for killing the guys who beat up Boss. They resented having to help out the forces of humanity, who had antagonized their leader, but they just had to hold it in while reminding themselves that this would help her. Riley entered the room. Im back. It was kind of a letdown how normal her reaction was. I guess it happens a lot nowadays, people appearing from their rooms even after theyve checked out. So theyve stopped booking rooms for a day after someone checks out. The girls would have also found it pretty weird if they hadnt been dropped into the exact same predicament. They must be also followers No, probably yers like Boss is. Meaning lots of yers stay in this inn, you think? Probably, yeah. So now, it must have seemed as though Kerrys group, who had died ande back to this inn, were also yers. Well, we gotta help protect this town anyway. Been a while since I pretended to be a yer. You might be fine, Kerry, but we havent done it before. Itll be all right if you just stay quiet, Marion. You never liked talking to strangers anyway. And so, Kerrys group was going to participate in Conna?tres invasion event. When they had stopped in this town, Kerry and the other girls found the inn, but Hakuma and Ginka, being giant wolves, couldnt very well apany them. The two of them made camp a bit off the road and rested there. That temporary bed ended up bing their spawn point, perhaps because there werent any hostile enemies nearby. After the friend chat ended, Hakuma loped off, apanied by Ginka. The luggage they carried wasnt all that heavy, so they were able to run without trouble. At this pace, they would soon reach the volcano. The more territories their forces controlled, the more power their master would gain. And if all they needed to do to aplish that was run, then they would run. As nned, Hakuma and Ginka are headed to the volcano. And as ordered, well protect this town. Got it. We ended up leaving this morning without seeing, but whats attacking this town anyway?N?v(el)B\\jnn From the state of the town, the invasion didnt seem to be terribly disruptive. At the very least, nothing appeared to have breached the outer wall yet. From speaking with thendy earlier, they gleaned that there were a lot of yers here, so the unexceptional town guard was probably able to cooperate with them to withstand the attacks. Or perhaps there just wasnt a monster here strong enough to destroy the outer wall or the gate in the first ce. I wonder. We could probably find out if we head to the sellsword guild. I dont think its anything bad, though. But at the very least no one else can get through from outside the town Merchants in particr shouldnt be able to trade goods right now. Remy was absolutely right. In the past, the catkin girls would never have thought about stuff like that. They just had a vague awareness that somewhere in town they should be able to sell their stuff. But things were different now. Every town had something they specialized in, which they would use to trade with other towns, and from there items would be sold to people who wanted them. This led to prices rising beyond the base material value. Apparently, this was how an economy worked. Since Remy had managed a shop back in Erfahren, she was particrly keen on these matters. So basically, heres whats going on. Whatever the enemies are, with the yers here, no ones worried about the defenses. But yers arent particrly interested in the fate of the town itself. Thats why, even though the flow of goods has stopped, none of them are looking to proactively go out and take down the monster chief. Based on what we heard from the Boss, we were originally supposed to leave the forest and umm, maybe wait a day? For ten days after that, theres something called an event, and everyone gets more XP during it. So thats why the yers might want to leave the chief alive for that entire time. This strategy certainly went against the towns best interests. However, since Kerry and the girls had nothing to do with the town either, they didnt particrly care one way or the other. If were going to pretend to be yers, then we can do the same thing they do, right? Just kill the weaklings whoe attacking while checking out how strong the yers are. That should be good, but Yeah, I want Riley to take on a special mission, you good with that? Sure, what is it? While the yers are screwing around with the small fries, make your way outta the town andy eyes on the chief. Until we get new orders, maybe after the events over or whenever Boss has some free time on her hands, I dunno, but it aint a bad idea to gather as much info as we can on everything around here. NovelUpdates Chapter 107: “The Defense of Conna?tre” The monsters are undead. Thendy musta been up in the middle of the night cause the town was just attacked. The next day, Kerry went to the sellsword guild to get information about the towns defense. She ground her teeth in vexation at hearing it, though; if they had known about the attack, then it would have been better to have gone out and seen what was going on themselves. Yall safeholder sellswords too? Well, we grateful they protectin us, but we want to get em to stop attackin us period; yknow, get at the root cause We sent a bird to the govment, but We aint gotten no response yet. The worn out middle-aged man standing at the guilds counter sighed after voicing hisints. Just as Remy had said the night before, it didnt seem like the yers were proactively trying to solve the problem. Another man in the lobby who looked to be a sellsword spoke up. About that, we also wanna do something about it. Not everyone is on the same page, though, and its not enough for just one or two people to go looking for the undead base he said in frustration. From the way he talked, he had to have been a safeholdera yer. It seemed that not every yer waspletely indifferent about the towns situation. Just as the man said, though, if there were different perspectives about what should be done, then it would be difficult for them to alle to an agreement. She couldnt imagine her beloved leader getting so much as a scratch from a sellsword of this caliber, no matter how many of them joined forces. However, if they happened to be at Kerrys level, or any of the other girls level, then she wouldnt be so sure. If they had both numbers and coordination, then it might be possible for them to inflict real harm. But if arge number of yers gathered who were antagonistic to Boss, they shouldnt all have exactly the same goals. Considering it from that angle, it might be possible to turn arge group of enemies into multiple smaller groups of enemies. You might have a point. And you are? Ah. Im, uh, Gilgamesh, I guess. That was a pretty suspicious introduction. Probably a fake name. However, given that he should believe Kerry to be another yer, she couldnt think of a reason for a yer to hide his name from another yer. No, I know what youre thinking, really. Wrong guy. I finished making my character first so I got the name, but now hes the one whos famous. Its a bit embarassing. It appeared that he didnt know what Kerry was thinking at all. Though neither did she know what he was talking about. But speaking of names, she felt like Boss mentioned something about no two names being the same once, so maybe these yers were unable to have the same names as one another or something. It would be easy for Kerry to just give out her own name here, but if there happened to be a yer named Kerry out there then it could turn into an annoying thing. However, from the way this guy talked, it seemed names could be extremely simr as long as they were subtly different. You can call me Kerry. These are Riley, Remy, and Marion. All nicknames, though, since were just used to going by them. That should be good enough. So do all four of you usually y together? Yyyeahthats right. Rileys got something to do right after this, though, so shell be backter. Theyll pretend she would be going back to the inn to sleep, or log out, and she would be able to sneak out from there. Since Riley had a lot of skills suitable for monitoring areas and general covert activities, it would be easy for her to operate without being seen. That was why she was picked to find the enemy chief, too. All right, so theres three of you. If youre up for it and we get attacked again tonight, do you wanna party up? It would be your first time defending this town, right? Wayne had been this way too, but why were these yer people so nice? Before now, the only people who got close to the catkin girls wanted to either rob or kill them. Thats why they were reflexively suspicious of anyone who seemed to be acting out of good will at first nce. That said, it wasnt like Kerrys groupcked ulterior motives either. Yeah, thatd be nice. Theres a lotta stuff Id like ask about. They would part with Gilgamesh for now. Night was still a long ways away, and they wanted to check on the townspeople as well. Plus, if the monsters only operated at night, then it would be best if Riley went scouting around noon. Since it would be bad if she were seen at this time of day, she would be going out with her hooded cloak. It would stand out, unfortunately, but with this many yers there would be no shortage of suspicious-looking figures around anyway, so at least she shouldnt be particrly memorable. Well be going, then.N?v(el)B\\jnn After dropping Riley off at the inn, the other three went back out into the town. When they went to the shopping district, they didnt get the impression that there were any shortages of goods. This should have been the third day of the event. Apparently the events ripple effects hadnt fully propagated yet. Potionshave gone up a bit. If deliveries stay stopped, we might be able to make a profit from selling raw ingredients. Depending on how things go tonight, if weve got enough for ourselves then it might be better for you to just make and sell em yerself, Remy. No clue how long well be staying in this town, but our funds wontst forever. The main ingredient for potions came from an herb that grew pretty much anywhere. If they ever had time during the day, they could go out and gather more. Prices going up meant that either materials or crafters were in short supply. So either no one wanted to leave the town because of the monsters, or there just werent a lot of crafters here in the first ce. Whatever the reason behind it was, Remy would be able to turn a profit. Having decided on a general n, they just had to wait for the sun to set then meet up with Gilgamesh. Around when the curtain of night began to fall, the girls went outside the town walls and prepared for battle. A number of sellswords and town guards were also in the vicinity. They couldnt tell at a nce, but some of them must have been yers too. All right, the suns gone down From here on out, monsters will start showing up. Any time now. How exactly are they going to show up? They gonna crawl up outta the ground? Ah, nah. You see that rocky area over there? And those clumps of trees? Theylle from out of there. Looking in the direction Gilgamesh pointed, Kerry could see a bunch ofrger rocks strewn about, which is what he referred to as rocky. Trees twisted away from those rocks, as though avoiding them. This appeared to have repeated a few times and became a sort of pseudo-forest. They served as the entrance for the monsters to flow out of during this excursion. Look, there theye. Just as Gilgamesh said, a number of undead started creeping out from the forest and heading toward the town. Kerry believed they were skeletal knights. However, the sellswords immediately started taking them down, littering the area with dismembered monster parts. Aint nothing for us to do For now. The min-maxers and the gung-ho yers dive in right and, well, since they can be one-shot that leaves us free. But once it starts getting even darker, theyll starting out faster than we can kill em. Once that happens, therell be plenty of work for us. Gilgamesh told her that the really proactive yers would somehow spend the day in a different town. There was something called an event port that could be used once a day, where two people could use it to make a round trip to efficiently earn more XP during the event. There were some hardcore solo yers who would use the event port one way then die to return back to their starting town. Kerry had no idea what half the things he was saying meant, but she could at least memorize it. Boss should be able to make sense of it if she just repeated back to herter. After observing for a while, more and more undead began to slip past the other yers, so it was time for Kerrys group to make their debut. Remy used her archery to corral them while Marion took them down with magic. When waiting for cooldowns and MP regen, Kerry and Gilgamesh stepped up to engage them directly. They continued grinding using this general pattern. Because the enemies were too weak, defending the city turned into monotonous work. That wasnt only the case for Kerrys party either; other parties seemed to roughly feel the same way. Indeed, if the townspeople were watching, they would be more than justified in thinking that someone could be spared to go assault the enemys home base. And thats pretty much it. There are a few waves thate during the day too, so with the bonus, this event is pretty nice for farming XP. Theres only undead here, so its not great for cash, though, Gilgameshmented during a short break, around when the number of attacks started dying down. I getcha. Thanks for the rundown. All in all, between the town guards and the yers, the monsters invading this area werent much of a threat. As long as they werent deliberately holding themselves back like Kerrys group currently was, an army of ants and adaman soldiers should easily be able to trample them underfoot. Now they just had to wait for Rileys report. Since Boss believed that other beings on Deass level could possibly be scattered around the continent, they needed to confirm what the undead ringleader here was, although it was frankly hard to imagine a captain-ss monsterying low somewhere in this country. After they aplished their mission, all they had to do was continue mingling with the yers here to pass the time. Although We havent seen the lord of the town or the knights that are probably followers make an appearance yet. Are they up to something, or do they just not care what happens to the town? asionally, stronger undead or ones with better equipment would be mixed into the horde and kill off some of the town guard. If there were any knights stationed here, they would have been able to prevent that. After Rileys investigation wasplete, the girls might have to poke around for that information too. NovelUpdates Chapter 108: “Reforesting Campaign” La Colline was undergoing a smooth reforestation. One of World Trees terminals produced via [Root Division] had been nted in the center of the hill. It was using [Scatter Seeds] there, so a tiny forest had already begun to appear. [Scatter Seeds] only made more treants that were the same race as the original, but they wouldnt be terminals for World Tree. The same was true if a terminal used [Root Division], which meant that the same limitations preventing World Tree from duplicating itself applied. The use of [Magnum Beneficium] via the terminal caused elerated growth among the treants, and the terminal itself in the center had already be an elder camphor treant. Rare was also helping with the reforesting while testing out her [nt Magic]. This wont cause the soil to be barren, I hope. I wonder what happens to the nutrients in the ground. If they needed organic matter from dead creatures, those would need to be procured from somewhere. Sugaru was right. Indeed, there were many former residents that had beenid to rest here beneath the earth. As La Colline was being reforested, the ants who had arrived first were excavating a new nest underground while aerial soldiers patrolled overhead. With this many trees, we should implement more three-dimensional tactics. Unfortunately, our ants primarily operate on the ground, and the wasps are too big to make use of their mobility in forests. Perhaps we should produce more spiders. This was a great idea. With a proactive review, they could map out all the skill cooldowns now instead of worrying about them in the thick of things. They were currently in a temporary period of peace, so to speak, so this was the perfect time to perform such a review now. Lets do that, then. This was arge city, so we can cover it with an evenrger forest. It would be best to have as many different types of monsters here as we can, so lets see what the Coleopteran Queen has to offerter. While La Colline was being reforested, apparently some kind of rebel force had shown up at the royal capital. Since it seemed unlikely for NPCs to be able tomunicate and organize overnight, the attackers must have been yers who had read about the situation on social media. If they werent die-once-and-thats-it sellsword NPCs, then it would be best to assume theyd keeping indefinitely. Rare ordered low-level skeletons to be stationed around the capitals outer perimeter, and for adamantite soldiers to hunt down anyone who came within sight of the castle. During the day, the undead would be much weaker, so they would probably get taken down easily, but sunlight had no effect on the adamantite units. Back in Liebe, we had some of the transporter ants act as analysts to calcte the XP gains for each visitor not that they were particrly suited for it, they just didnt have anything else to do. In any case, Sieg doesnt currently have anyone to perform that role under him, does he While exploring the castle, they had found some kind of conference room. If there were any undead who still had brain functions left, it might make things smoother for them to take that room to do administrative work. Ill boost the INT for those maid and civil servant zombies that we had tamed while taking over the castle. Maybe INT- and MND-focused zombies will get stat-appropriate reincarnation paths if we use Philosophers Stones on them. Weve got a lot of leftover stones, after all, and as for the XP, well The beneficiaries would be able to go out and earn more themselves. Were just investing in them upfront. It didnt seem like a bad n. Right now, her forcesposition was starting to lean more towards insects, so it would be fine to strengthen some of the undead to keep things bnced. The yers believed that she was an undead angel, after all. All right, Im going to jump over to the castle quick. Take care of things here. N?v(el)B\\jnn Overall, Rares day was spent optimizing her forces in this manner. She was a little bit worried about whether ncs group would have any problems with their offensive, but since she had received no correspondence from the Kenzaki traveling with them, that probably meant there wasnt anything worth noting. She was interested in the town where Kerrys group was staying, but that invasion was mainly happening only at night. That meant attacks should begin urring right around now, as dusk approached. She would check in with themter after things had settled down. Rare sat down on the royal castles modified throne (now two sizes bigger!) to think about tomorrow. The defenses for the capital were more or less settled. The yers who would be attacking during the day werent a threat; she wouldnt even need to use adamantite soldierswith enough undead, it would be easy to force them to retreat. Although, since there was no penalty for dying during this event, they might just keep pushing even if they would use up their lives. Regarding the capitals defenses, not only were the civil servants left in charge of the new city-style dungeon, their INT was also increased with XP, and they were given Philosophers Stones in order to reincarnate into [Wights]. The two reincarnation choices this time were that and revenant. Since all of the zombies had the same INT, Rare couldnt tell which one was supposed to be the normal route. On the other side, all the maid zombies reincarnated into revenants. It would have been fine for them all to be wights, but Rare was simply curious if every reincarnation path led to a unique form and wanted to see it for herself. The wights were then put in charge of the city, while the revenants managed the castle. And right now, the maid revenants were serving her tea. Just the other day, this tea was reserved for the lips of royalty and nobility. Now, Im the only one who consumes it. As long as it stores well, that isnt an issue, of course. We have a magic item that preserves objects stored within it for long periods of time, so it should be of little concern. One of the maids responded to what Rare had said to herself. It had startled her at first to hear an undead speaking, but Deas and Sieg were already doing it so feeling that way seemed silly. Good to hear. All right, what to do tomorrow There are two directions we can go to find towns to crash. Rare sank into thought while scanning over the map of the kingdom that came with the castle. She was able to give her first map to nc because they had found this one. From what they could see, the two maps were nearly the same. There was always the option of just going to help nc out. However, these activities were always more fun when aplishing them yourself. Helping was good and all, but if Rare ended up leading the effort then she would be overstepping. It was hard to figure out the right bnce. I already lent her a Kenzaki too Taking a sip of her tea, Rares eyes dropped back down to the map. To be honest, this setup was pretty awkward. Normally, work like this should have taken ce in the audience chamber instead. After finding a table to put the map on, the maid revenants then used a wagon to haul all the tea implements over here. If they were going to go through all this trouble, it would have been better to just use her office in the first ce. The chair here was too big, too. However, going back and forth between here and the office would take too much time, which was why she ordered the maids to bring everything here. Yes, from a purely rational standpoint, the office was just too far away, so Rare should just trust in her past decisions. While thinking of all this nonsense, a friend chat arrived. It was nc. Rare fixed her posture. What was she talking about? They had only split upst night, and nothing particrly noteworthy had urred since then. Neither had Rare made any conspicuous moves that would merit a new forum post. Just started on the new dungeon in the royal capital. What the heck? Rare had indeed seized control of the royal capital in addition to the most prominent trade cities in the country. Two of the border towns had also fallen in the process, and nc herself had taken out two more towns. However, the royal family had skipped town, and there were other cities that hadnt been conquered yet. While it was true that the head of the kingdom had been cut off, from a systemic perspective that shouldnt have been enough to dere the entire region lost. Since Kenzaki was with her, nothing should get too bad, at least. Phew All right. Rares actions had led to the destruction of the Kingdom of Hiers. If this were true, that would be fine. However, she was concerned about how the royal family had gotten away virtually unharmed. Plus, the timing announcing this being this evening and not yesterdayte at night was suspicious. Maybe they simply wanted to make sure more yers saw the announcement, though. All right, time to hit the forums. I need to do some digging. Follow all the threads about the destruction of Hiers By tracing the sources back, can I figure out when the first mention was posted? NovelUpdates Chapter 109: “The Destruction of the Kingdom of Hiers” Was this the first thread then? If so, I can assume Hiers was removed around then, right? [Intended? Bug?] Report Strange Phenomena Here! 563: Wayne Do I report this here? I picked Hiers as my starting area but all my spawn points were destroyed so I got hit with a random respawn. Until this morning, I was always sent somewhere near a town in Hiers, but this time I was sent to an entirely different country. Has anyone else experienced this? 564: Oceantea >>563 wasnt hiers destroyed by that cmity thing? if the country is gone, doesnt that mean your starting choice got reset? 565: Wayne >>564 Until this morning I was always sent somewhere near a Hiers town. The cmity destroyed the capital cityst night, so if it had reset back then what you said would make sense. Has anyone else had this happen? 566: Andy >>563 i was also in hiers, scraping by in a town called verde sud, but i died on the first night of the event and ive been on a random respawn bender ever since. the second time i died i kinda wished i had stayed at an inn, but its been surprisingly fun seeing where i end up next actually, if there arent any spawn points now, im gonna die and see what happens 567: Heitarou >>563 >>566 Looks like theres actually a few of them. First time hearing about it. 568: overbuzz >>567 no there arent lol, its only these 2, i aint never heard any1 go thru this either 590: Andy im backn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om had to walk pretty far, sorry it took so long im not in hiers anymore. i also picked hiers to start, so i think there really arent any more spawn points in hiers 591: Oceantea >>590 wb so that means hiers is gone? meaning a destroyed country doesnt count as a country anymore in game? 592: Gi1gamesh Sorry for jumping in. I just checked the official site, and the section in the lore about 6 major countries on the continent has been updated to only 5. Hiers is gone from the descriptions too. 593: MentaiList so its totally gone then wayne, you know exactly when thest time you rezzed in hiers was? 594: Wayne >>593 Thanks foring to this thread, you two This morning maybe no, just after noon? I skipped lunch so Im not sure. Anyway, there was still a spawn point in Hiers around noon. Thats where they told me I was when I got to town at least 595: Heitarou >>594 Wait, so why didnt you set your spawn at the inn there? 596: Wayne >>595 I wanted to meet up with friends. I was trying to get close to Welthe so I was ying the respawn gacha 597: overbuzz u got served lmfao No point in reading any further, I guess. Rare closed the forums and took a sip from her cup of tea, which had at some point been refilled. But wow, so Waynes involved again, huh. Hes sure down on his luck, isnt he Ah, wait, the random respawns are because of me. Sorry, I guess. It didnt really matter who exactly discovered it first. The real problem was the fact that Hiers had still been recognized as a country as of around noon today. Then since this evening, the official site had erased all mention of its existence. I would have a hard time believing its just a bug. In which case, Id be more inclined to believe that some specific condition disqualified Hierss status as a country, and that triggered an automatic update. The website is probably being managed by an AI, after all. So what was that condition? Rare could at least rule out it being a specific number of cities being destroyed. Right now, including the capital, six cities had been conquered but, from what she saw on the forums, only yer-inhabited cities had been lost, no others. Another possibility, that Rares forces had taken over the capital, was hard to believe. Last night, she had confirmed that her troopspleted their upation of the royal castle, so if that were going to be the reason, then the country would have been gone then. But the fact that Wayne could respawn normally inside Hiers this morning contradicted that supposition. Which meant that something else supporting the countrys existence was lost. And there was in fact a likely culprit. The royal familys abandonment of the kingdom All the royals sessfully gained asylum and abdicated their right of sovereignty? It was possible. If, in order to gain refuge, the king was forced to give up his rulership, and his family was taken hostage to prevent him from reneging on such an agreement, such a scenario could indeed be interpreted as the literal end of the kingdom. But for that to happen in half a day No, if they left around the time I first arrived here, it would be a full day. In that time period, could they have arrived at a foreign city? And not only that, could an NPC really have made such an important political decision from some remote town barely within the countrys borders? Logically, only another royal would be capable of forcing them to ept conditions like that. And it couldnt be someone who was given a useless, decorative position for causing problems or someone under house arrest, they would have to still be influential in their country. Furthermore, they had to be in a country that profited from the dissolution of Hiers. If they werent, then there was no value in perpetrating the end of the country. However, ording to the information avable publicly on the official site, none of the countries of humanity on this continent should have been in conflict with any other. Another possibility thates to mind is the Hiers royal family all died. This was a more believable conclusion. They were probably all traveling together, so if they were attacked, then that was that. Rare herself would have wanted to do that if she could. But if that was what happened, then who did the deed? They should have been escorted by the royal guard, so I imagine youd need quite the force to wipe them out. Even as I am now, putting aside whether I could actually go or not, I would never go alone for a mission like that. Rare by herself should be strong enough for it, but considering the potential for traps or simply failing to kill everyone, it would be smarter not to try it solo. So did they die, or did they gain asylum? I wonder which is more likely? Right now, there wasnt enough information, so it was hard to say. Rare had no direct knowledge about any countries or cities outside of Hiers, and she didnt know how valuable a foreign royal was in the other countries on this continent. Above all, she couldnt tell which situation would be worse for her. That might be the better question to ponder right now. So, lets assume they gained asylum. To be honest, I dont care about the royal family at all; theyre just another type of noble. I was curious how skilled the royal guard was, but theyre ultimately just another armed group; they would be outdone by a stronger foe. The issue is the artifacts they had with them. Im forced to assume that whatever country they fled to now owns two countries worth of tactical weapons. She didnt know whether they had more of those heart artifacts from before or if they had different ones altogether, but just one of them would be capable of causing her death. Despite the fact that they had heavy usage restrictions, if she wanted to invade then she would have to be on the highest alert. The fact that more than one of these artifacts existed was a huge problem. However, this was based on the assumption that they sessfully fled after hearing what the prime minister had to say. There was one other possibility that required analysis. The other possibility is that some other partypletely wiped out their group That would also pose some problems. This party would need to be quite strong to aplish that. If the royal family left on carriages or via some other method of transporting arge number of people, could someone out there organize a force powerful enough to find them after an entire day of travel in an unknown direction and also take out both them and the royal guard? If that someone does exist, then I need to be watch out for them. If that someone was close by, then the royal capitals current defenses were insufficient. Maybe her army wouldnt be routed, but she could at least imagine the castle being breached. On top of that, this third party would also have an artifact in their possession. Considering that one of the requirements to activate it is to be within a countrys capital, then I need to have our defenses doubled at the very least. That said, Rare wasnt actually that worried about being attacked by an artifact. There werent many, they had a short range, and the effects were time-limited. Even though those effects were extremely powerful, she could counter them by simply throwing pure numbers at her foe. This castle was now their base, so they could suss out in advance the likely ces the artifacts could be activated. It was hard to imagine someone trying to plot an extreme difficulty one-shot-only mission to protect and transport such a valuable artifact into an enemy castle. So in the end, is it better for the artifact to have fallen into a new owners hands not belonging to a country, or for the royal family to have sessfully defected? I wonder. If this third party isnt part of any nation, then who could they be? Bandits? No, bandits couldnt aplish something of that magnitude. Other candidates would be a monster force attacking different regions for the event seems most likely. Well, speaking of a group that has enough raw power, then a party of yers A shiver ran down Rares spine. What if some yers now had the artifact? Nah, theres no way that happened. They wouldnt have any reason to go after the fleeing royals. If they were yers on the human side, then seeing a bunch of extravagant-looking knights would inspire them to join the escort, not attack them. However, if they werent human yers, then it wasnt impossible. A party of monster yers, perhaps? If they did exist, then they should have just as many enemies as I do, so I doubt they would suddenlye and invade this city. In that case, maybe we could cooperate on a joint front or something. Or maybe thats too optimistic. I need to be careful no matter what. Those were all the conclusions she could reach. All in all, the most annoying oue would be for one country to have two countries worth of artifacts at their disposal. When a country had them, they could be used both offensively and defensively, while an unaffiliated force could only use them when they attacked her. No, both possibilities are equally obnoxious. In any case, it sucks not to know where the lost artifacts are. What that means specifically is that its hard to know how to proceed from here. Well, aside from the fact that we need to increase the defenses for the capital. That and I need to keep an eye on the info being shared online nc should be about done taking out her city. Or maybe not quite yet. It had been some time since they spoke, but Rare didnt want her to think she was being rushed. Oh, right. I could just watch through Kenzaki. If I may be so bold, would that not be considered stalking? The maid revenant who had been quietly listening to Rare talk to herself couldnt help pointing this out. NovelUpdates Chapter 110: “Double Biceps, For Example” After leaving the tasks of reinforcing the royal capital and La Colline to her subordinates, Rare used [Camouge] to go invisible then flew over to where Kerrys group was staying. Regardless of Rares presence, her people could still proceed with defense improvements and general oversight. Even if yers came to attack likest time, if the entire city turned out, even without Rare they should be able to repel many times that number of yers. Things could get dicey if any particrly powerful yers came, but from a perspective of overall safety, then Sieg and the maids had dered that it would actually be better for Rare to not be there. So the attackers are undead What kind of monster is leading them? You went and found out, right? Riley had gone scouting per Kerrys orders. These girls had truly be reliable.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Yeah. Im not sure exactly what race it is, but it was a skeleton that seemedpletely different from Deas or Sieg. If I had to guess, it was something good with magic. It had a twisted staff and a dirty robe. The popr fantasy monster types that came to mind were liches and wights. Rare already had wights in her army, but she had never seen one in the wild. A magic-sped one would probably have high INT, and if it also survived from that ancient kingdom, then it might be willing to negotiate. Nah, it doesnt seem that smart Every night, it just has all the skeleton minions charge straight at the town, so its probably not thinking anything at all. Although, sometimes there are some skeletons mixed into the charge that seem weirdly good at fighting, so maybe its more clever than we think. Weirdly good? Yeah. Ones that specifically target the guards from this town and not the sellswords who are yers. There are a bunch of them, but whenever our group or the yers try to fight them, they run away first, so none of them have been killed yet. That wasnt something amander who only ever ordered their troops to charge woulde up with. Nor are some mindless NPCs going to deviate from their directives for no reason. In which case, they were probably monster yers. She hadnt met any other than nc yet, but if there were more than a few of them, then they were probably working together for the event. Rare could probably get them to cooperate with her, but the more she expanded herwork the higher the risk of information leaks. nc knew about her being the demon lord, but she had promised not to tell anyone. Plus, she still didnt know the one piece of information Rare was most afraid of revealing: the fact that NPCs could learn to ess their inventories. Compared to that revtion, how to get the [Subordinate] skill was worth nothing. Well, as our story goes, the only people here in this town are four beastkin yers with no connection to the catastrophe, so you dont need to make contact with them. Im not uninterested in those yers who are efficiently earning XP here, but thats what this event was meant for in the first ce. Riley, would you be able to defeat the monster leader by yourself? Should be no problem with a surprise attack. During the day, its minions are mostly all underground, and the leader just rests in the shade of some trees, it doesnt go hide in a cave or anything. Rare was almost certain that this undead mage wasnt a yer. If they were, then they should have been logging out in a safe zone. Even someone with too much time on their hands wouldnt spend an entire day just sitting under a tree in a game. In the meantime, Im curious where those undead yers go. If you just search blindly for them, though, they might catch on to you first. So yeah, near the end of the event, in about five days, go take out the undead leader during the day. You dont have to stay in this town anymore after that, so you can take Kerry and the others with you too. Once thats settled Hakuma and Ginka are already heading to the volcano, so you guys can go back to the great forest for a bit. Understood. Contact me after youve beaten it. Until then, just go about your business as usual, like uhh, selling potions, was it? And defend the town at night. Youll be busy. Well, put in sufficient effort without exhausting yourselves. When she heard that it was a mob of undead, Rare thought there might be a possibility of them having connections to Deas, but after learning more about them, she didnt believe they were. It didnt seem as though all the undead being used for the event were remnants of the old unified kingdom. Rare saw the catkin girls off as they went to defend the town then returned to the great forest. Back in the queens chamber, Rare sat herself on the throne to take a breather. Itd be nice if there were someone here to serve tea too. If that is your desire, then I shall do my best toply, but Huh? Deas, you can make tea? I have never brewed tea myself, but I am confident that it is within my ability. Nah, its fine. Nothing good coulde out of these types of scenarios. Rare stealthily checked Deass DEX, and while it was high enough that nothing disastrous should happen, that numerical value alone wasnt enough topletely dispel her fears. Maybe Ill make it myself. Im familiar with tea ceremony, but I havent made ck tea before. The only kind of tea Rare had ever prepared was matcha. It would have been nice to install a tea room here to disy flower arrangements and perform tea ceremony, but in a cave like this, the flowers would quickly wither away. Plus, her aptitude at flower arrangement was not nearly as high as her skill in tea ceremony. She was somewhat self-conscious about that. Flowers, huh The reason Rare didnt put much stock in her own artistic sense stemmed from this. She probably internally exaggerated how poor her creativity was; both her real family and her instructors only ever had praise for her, but that wasnt enough to counteract her own feelings of inadequacy. If she couldnt acknowledge the value of her own works herself, she would never be able to solve this problem. Ack of talent could not always be ovee with hard work. In Rares opinion, this adage was even more true within the world of art. Well, whatever, none of that matters. Anyway, Deas, if it isnt too hard for you I wonder if you could tell me more about the spirit lord. Regardless of his past, Deas now served Rare. And the spirit lords legacy was one of the few objects capable of inflicting real harm on her. She was loath to make him dredge up painful memories, but she really needed to hear everything at some point. Of course. However, His Majesty has already long since passed. There is no need for Your Majesty the demon lord to be overly concerned about him. The ones whomitted those unforgivable deeds to you were unworthy of carrying his inheritance from the very beginning. And that is the injustice that must be corrected. Considering that the result of said correction would be Rare bing the new owner of that inheritance, she wondered how the deceased spirit lord would feel about his legacy being passed on to his very antithesis, a demon lord. I appreciate your feelings on the matter. So what kind of powers did this spirit lord have? Was that item you call his inheritance truly something he created? Let me think I cannot say for certain whether or not he created it. However, His Majesty the spirit lord truly was gifted with overwhelming ability when it came to craftsmanship; he was the creator of numerous unique items. So he must have been a crafter-type NPC. He had earned enough XP through crafting to make it all the way to spirit lord. That wasnt an impossible feat. With enough materials on hand, one could earn XP faster via craftingpared to killing enemies. Ignoring the fact that acquiring all the materials to do that would be even more difficult than simply killing stuff. But then again, it could work if you had follower knights or something and mained a crafter build. The followers would earn XP while collecting materials as well, and you would use the materials to earn even more XP. Doesnt so too bad. [Subordinate] might actually be a must-have skill for crafters It still wasnt toote; Rare could try switching to that build even now. The spirit lords skill with his hands was wonderful in a different way from the splendor of his physical body. It is true that materials were mostly left to others to acquire, but he always went to gather the most difficult ones himself. Deas was starting to sound kind of creepy now, but Rare didnt think that he was the only one who might talk about the spirit lord with weird sexual connotations like this. Anyway, the splendor of his physical body probably referred to muscles.[1] Given that he was a spirit lord, that meant he must have originally reincarnated from a high elf to a living spirit. But Rares image of elves in this game made it hard to imagine one being muscr or skilled with their hands. Actually, her own starting DEX was too low to even learn [Disassemble]. Rather, the race that probably fit the bill was A dwarf, maybe? Did I never mention that? I had heard that the spirit lord was originally a dwarf. Hrm So a dwarf could also be a spirit lord. Indeed, in real life, there were legends that portrayed dwarves as a type of spirit. I see, so even dwarves Rare hadpletely assumed that he had to have reincarnated from an elf to a spirit lord. If it was possible to get there from dwarf as well, then the range of possibilities was much wider than she previously imagined. If the base conditions to be a spirit lord were expanded, that meant even if the chances were low on the whole, there was still a higher chance for another spirit lord to rise up and oppose her. She had no idea if any living NPCs had already reincarnated that far. There was a precedent, but said precedent had been the ancient ruler of the united continent, so at least it wasnt an easy feat. But what about yers? Nah, nothings really different there either. This was because the most popr yer races were elf, followed by beastkin, then human, then homunculus. Dwarves were down at the bottom along with skeletons and goblins. In this game at least, there was an overwhelming desire for your appearance to be pleasing to the eye, although not everyone felt that way. As an aside, it was interesting how the famous yers were cleanly divided among the races. From a simple statistical perspective, there was a smaller chance of bing famous when you were one of the more popr races. That said, there were probably people who purposely chose popr races so they started out more unknown, then strove to earn fame afterward. Thinking of it this way, even adding dwarves as another race that could be a demon lord or spirit lord, I dont think theres a significant increase in risk to me. While she had utterly no interest in dwarves before, she unexpectedly stumbled on some of their reincarnation paths. Putting it all together, the spirit lord reincarnated from a dwarf, which meant he had ess to a lot of crafting-rted skills, and among them there was one that could produce those OP items. In that case, Rare didnt particrly have to worry about any more items like the Vein of the Spirit Lord being crafted in the future. It was hard to imagine a crafting-focused yer bing a spirit lord, and if any NPCs showed signs of going down that route, she could try to recruit them or, if that was impossible, have them killed. She could approach yers in the same way; bing a demon lord or spirit lord would require a massive amount of XP, so if she saw any rumblings on social media about an amazing elf or dwarf crafter, she could check them out then, if necessary, PK them to drain their XP. Thank you, Deas. The information you provided is very useful. I am d to hear it. If you are interested, I can also regale to you His Majestys daily muscle training regimen Dont care. In that case, what about the poses that most brilliantly showed off his Dont care. Deass eyes, sparkling with excitement, indicated that he believed this information was truly essential for Rare to know. In which case, she really needed to start considering how to deal with him in the future. [1]: The spirit lord had always been described without gender in Japanese, but I just arbitrarily used male pronouns all those chapters ago so that the English read smoothly. Thus, I left out a sentence here that read [Deas] probably wouldnt describe a woman this way, so the lord must have been male. Which reminded [Rare], she had never bothered to ask about the spirit lords gender before. Im d, though, since this means I dont need to go back to all those old chapters and correct the pronouns to be female >.> NovelUpdates Chapter 111: “The Four Commanders of the Demon Lord’s Army” n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Things had also settled down a bit for Rare. If nothing was going on over there, then she could teleport straight to nc with [Summon Caster] and talk with her in person. It would be a good opportunity to exin how best to use the [Summon] tree. Since nc had already learned [Subordinate] anyway, and they were already working together, there was no harm in teaching her more about skills like [Summon], [Necromancy], and [Discipline]. So her group ended up traveling for half a day after that, huh. Though, since she was on the forums at some point and read enough to send information back to Rare, the ones doing the running were probably those spartoi. so with those points in mind, the [Summon] and [Discipline] skill trees have a lot of useful skills. But then, since you didnt get [Subordinate] in that way, then you might find some skills in the [Subordinate]-specific skill tree that have the same effects if you keep going down it instead. If youve got extra XP then you can proactively try out those skills to see how simr their effects are. Mhmm But you seriously got here in literally a second I totally thought you were just trying to sound cool. Nah, Im not really good at talking myself up. Sarcasm, though, was apletely different matter. Anyway, you left a lot of buildings intact here. Are you nning to use them for something? The towns residents had all been zombified and were wandering around aimlessly. If she wanted to mess with yers the way Rare was doing at the capital, then Rare was worried that ncs group needed to be a little stronger to handle it. I didnt really think that far ahead. If Im the one destroying this ce, then its basically all mine, right? Thats why I made them all my minions. I see. From what I saw on the forums, there are two towns next to this one, and the yers there already know about this one being destroyed. Now that this has be a new zone for farming, they mighte here during the event to grind XP. Rare thought back to her conversation with Kerry earlier that day. The fact that the daily event teleport worked between neighboring towns meant that, looking at it from Rares perspective, yers could arrive from any city less than a days travel away. That must have been what the ones attacking the capital were doing. Meaning if youre carrying each other, even yers from two or three towns away could make it, so big groups could just show up out of nowhere. But how strong are other yers? nc asked. Ive only met one before, and he died in a single hit after being caught off guard. Did you meet him at a town you hit before this one? That would have been well within the countrys borders, so he probably wasnt a hardcore yer. Its also possible you had been killing other yers without knowing it at the towns you attacked before. Ah, maybe. If the entire town got blown up, then maybe the inn was gone before they could respawn, yeah. The casual yers arent a problem, but the ones Im worried about are the yers who hear about you taking over this town then go out of their way toe here. Those people are going to be even stronger than those knights you fought at that hill with the rubble before. Dayum If those kinds of yers formed a raid and came here, ncs group would be ughtered. Giving her another Kenzaki would only dy her imminent death. Plus, if one of the yers who killed me is in the mix and saw a Kenzaki, then its possible theyd figure out that were working together That sounds kinda like what they talk about on those tabloid shows! Id be like a celebrity! Ah, but theyd probably think that Im just some regr girl Rare wasnt really sure what nc was talking about. This asionally happened when they talked, but by the end of the conversation they understood each other so it wasnt a big deal. Aimless chats were also a staple in female friendships, so overall things were excellent. If you dont mind, nc, then I guess I wont really worry about it. Nah, not at all! Cuz Im gonna be the demon lords right-hand man, after all! Ah, are you gonna gonna make like your big four? As far as her four closest subordinates went, that would be Kerrys group. However, rather than soldiers in the demon lords army, they operated more as spies at the moment. It would be better if they continued down that route, digging up the human sides secrets and whatnot; that kind of work wasnt suitable for any of Rares other followers. If I had to pick now, then Sugaru, Deas, and Sieg, I guess. Do you want to be included then? Yeah, totally! Do I need to do anything? Is there an official appointment or anything? If there were going to be some kind of formal ceremony, the only attendees would be their two sets of followers. It would be good for everybody to be introduced to each other, but Rares followers were currently spread out across the western part of the kingdom, so it would be pretty difficult to actually do that. It would be hard to have an official appointment ceremony Plus, strength wise, youre kinda Well, it should be fine. Right now, nc was raising her followers stats (aside from zombies) individually, but [Enhance Follower] would be cheaper and easier to manage. It was a bit of a hurdle that [Enhance Follower]s initial cost was so high, but things would be much better in the future if she got it now. I dont have quiiiite enough XP to get all the skills you pointed out. Ill have to go bust up another town or two. Or there might be a better way. It might take some time, but if you wait here, you could try to farm the yers thate. You left such a splendid wake of destruction that some parties must already be on their way here. Rare could turn invisible and fly over to the nearest town and maybe another one past that to do some scouting. Although,tely, Ominous was just spending all his time sleeping in the great forest, so she could also just [Summon] him to help out. All right, let me order some quick reconnaissance. She [Summon]ed Ominous and pointed him in a direction before releasing him into the sky. Ahh! Right, I could do that too! But how will he report back after getting to town? Will he have toe back here? One of the skills under [Summon] lets me jack into one of my followers and see what they see. I can use that to go peep on them for myself. Whooaa I really need to get all those skills you rmended as soon as I can Well, weve got some time until he gets there, so while waiting why dont you see what skills would be useful for you immediately and learn those right away? Gotcha. Yeah, good idea. Do you mind if I do that now? Of course not. Ill go check out the forums to see what the other yers are up to. Ominous probably wouldnt reach his destination until the sun was starting toe up. NovelUpdates Chapter 112: Preparing For a Counter Attack Even among yers who seemed to be constantly on the forums, there werent any particrly significant discussions going on. Most yers seemed to be sticking to the outskirts or cities close to monster territories, farming the monsters invading them. As a result, these cities were in a constant state of readiness, causing disruptions in logistics. Prices of resources and consumable items seemed to be gradually increasing. However, most yers viewed this as a trade-off for gaining XP. They were willing to incur increased expenses in exchange for higher experience gains and werent actively seeking solutions. Its not that they didntprehend the situation fully. They simply weighed the pros and cons, prioritizing their own experience efficiency over the citys economy. The yers advocating for NPC residents were simply adopting a different ystyle. However, in some cities, the citys knight orders and such were taking steps to resolve the situation. They had already subjugated the monsters or groups believed to be the leaders of the current threat in their respective monster territories. While it might not be lucrative as an event, it could be deemed beneficial for the NPC residents. yers migrating from such cities to others had inadvertently caused prices to soar in ces ruled by more self-centered leaders. For the inhabitants, it was a difficult situation.Its not easy to move freely, a stroke of bad luck, huh? Simply moving from the outskirts to a neighboring city would likely require hiring mercenaries, and its improbable that residents from these outskirts would be allowed to move for the sake of migration. The outskirts likely served as frontier settlements, hence taxes might be set at lower rates there. Well, in any case, its not something I should worry about. Oh, it looks like Ominous has arrived at the city. Really? That was fast! Hes flying, you know. The advantage of being able to fly is tremendous. Now then Jacking into Ominous, Rare started scouting the city from above. If yers were present, it would likely be around the inn or the vicinity of the sellsword guild. It wasnt possible to see inside, but if they were genuinely intending to attack the city where Rare and the others were, it wouldnt be surprising if they were preparing to depart early in the morning. There were no threads on the forums about gathering in this city, but there might have been discussions in event co-op threads or something simr. Oh, there definitely seems to be something. In a city that isnt directly connected to the monster territories, I cant imagine there being so many NPC mercenaries. Those are probably all yers. Even though it wasnt directly connected to the monster territories, it seems theyve been there since yesterday. Currently, due to therge number of undead created by nc in Elntar, that city could be considered the frontline. They might have initially aimed for a city further beyond, Altriva or perhaps La Colline, but they should have realized today that Elntar, where Rare and nc were located, was no longer avable for selection in the teleportation service. It could end bad if a lot of yerse Potentially From what I can see, Im unable to tell their actual strength, so its hard to say If we fight during the day, the zombies wont be much of a fighting force Well If they stay inside and attack anyone whoes in, using [Shadow Veil] or [Mist], we might be able to fight But covering the whole city might be impossible If youre using [Shadow Veil], I can use it too, so if we split up, we might be able to expand the coverage a bit. Oh, if we call Deas, maybe withN?v(el)B\\jnn [Miasma] we could expand it further. I think it also had the effect of enhancing ally undead. Although Im not sure how it distinguishes between friend and foe. Rare would test it lightly before the battle, and if ncs zombies were indeed strengthened, she might use it. Deas is one of the Four Heavenly Kings you mentioned earlier! Then there would be 2 of the four here in one city! Its just like a dungeon you find before the final boss! ording to that logic, since Im here to observe, it practically is right before the final boss, huh? Bosses that appear in the early stages are usually the ones who escape when the battle goes bad! Ive read that inics! Hmm, rather than running away, Id probably just kill them all. That was the losing event route! It would likely take about half a day for the yers party to arrive at this city, Elntar. Even if they sprinted at full speed and arrived exhausted, they could nullify the fatigue with fatigue recovery potions. In fact, Rare had done so during the closed beta period. Fatigue recovery potions had the risk of habitual use and potential side effects, so NPCs didnt use them much, resulting in their prices not being too high. But for yers, the health of their avatars didnt matter. Theyd buy and use them without hesitation. Rare opened a friend chat with Deas. > < Sorry. Also, keep in mind that the ability to use the inventory is a secret, so never use it, no matter who you are with.> [Summon: Deas] An impressive undead creature emerged from the space in front of Rare. Wow, hes awesome! But the summoning effects are unexpectedly subtle, huh? Well, there might be times when you want to [summon] quietly. In response to your summon, I am Deas, the Indignant, at your service, Your Majesty. Wow, cool! You dont usually say stuff like that, Deas. It was mentioned that your friend was present. Oh, you tried to act cool because of that. Thanks. Having a perceptive subordinate was incredibly helpful. I had ruined it, but still. Oh! Im nc! Im a vampire! Ive been appointed as the fourth member of Raeraes Four Heavenly Kings? Nice to meet you! Four Heavenly Kings? Youre friends are you not? Deas looked suspicious. Rare couldnt understand such expressions before he had skin, so it was helpful to see expressions clearly now. Although Rare could still somewhat understand his emotions as a skeleton, it gave a better atmosphere when they showed on the face. Oh, well. Think of it as role-ying um, what should I say. If you think of it as make-believe or ying pretend, that should do. I understand. If Your Majesty permits. Even though she may look like this, as someone who already leads a force of over 30 subordinates, Ill teach and strengthen her more in the future, so be Chapter 113: Fluttering Wings! Wow, your wings actually move! Thats so cool! Just now, Rare spread her three pairs of wings in front of nc and took off from the balcony. Based on what Rare-sama mentioned earlier, it seemed like wings werent necessary for flying, so perhaps she did it simply because it looks cool. yers tend to have simrities in those aspects. Do you have such tendencies too? Hmm, I wonder. I dont have wings. If you did, youd probably do it. If I were to grow wings, theyd probably be like bat or demon wings. Theyd p and flutter, enveloped in darkness as I soar through the sky. Ah, I see. Youd probably pull it off.Because its cool. Later, nc would need to ask Rare how to grow some wings. However, even if nc could grow wings, she understands its more important to first acquire the skills Rare rmended. Seems like Imcking experience points. It would be nice if these yers could contribute more. If Rare-sama helps, you might be able to go hunt yourself safely. Yeah, maybe. But Raerae mentioned she only does things like spreading darkness to equally divide the xp between us. ording to Rare, experience points are distributed based on contributions inbat. Hence, Rare avoids attacking and focuses solely on darkening the skies, leaving it to the Spartoi to actually defeat yers, so that nc still gets some of the xp. Deas, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, will refrain from using his skill [Miasma] until the situation turns unfavorable. Actually, if all Rare does is darken the sky from above, couldnt Azalea and the other Mormos do the same? If you guys turned into bats, since there would be nine of you, you guys could potentially be nine times more efficient than Rare Youve noticed that well. Wed love to, but we havent acquired [Dark Magic]. Come to think of it, they hadnt acquired [Dark Magic] because it had mostly mediocre utilities. However, if it could simte dusk levels across a wide area, its usefulness to nc and the group would skyrocket. Ill consider acquiring it if I have leftover xp. For my wings maybe after that. As far as nc can see from the Lords Manor, the battle doesnt seem dire. Only the zombies are being defeated, and theres no harm to the Spartoi. Since they were only expected to act as distractions and disruptors, their defeat poses no issue. Looks like these yers arent particrly strong No, asionally, it seems Rare-sama is doing something. I cant see very well, but sometimes, enemies start moving unnaturally. It might be good to pay attention to how the experience points are being collected. The amount reduced due to Rare-samas support could be crucial information for future coborations. Carmine might be right. Idly gazing at the battlefield wouldnt be helpful. Hmm Oh, the xp ising in. Quite arge amount! So, are these yers stronger than before? Perhaps a bit stronger than the Spartoi and zombies. Oh, sometimes I only get half the experience. Maybe thats due to Raeraes support. Even though it seems like just a momentary pause, its still takes half the xp. She indeed influences the battle, although theres no direct damage, contributing to the overall situation. Otherwise, support-oriented yers might feel no incentive to join battles if they dont offer tangible benefits. Theres not much to do here. Is it fine for Raerae to just fly around? Perhaps it might contribute more if nothing is done. In that case, why not read the forums like Rare did the other day? Indeed, Rare seemed to take peeks at them whenever she can, and for yers like Rare and others like her, such information might be useful in some way or another. {Heirs} The invasion isnt just happening on the border! Its also happening ind! ? ? ? ? 10: Mippei The thread title makes no sense. Where abouts ind?\ 11: Rusk >>10 Three cities in the Kingdom of Heirs, Verdesud, Altriva, and Elntar, are already in ruins. Well, Verdesud and Altriva arent really cities, more like towns, to be honest. 12: Countrypop Damn, another city destroyed already?. 13: Rusk Elntar is west of Altriva, it seems. I heard it from a knight of the lord in my town, so its probably urate. 14: Tarooz So they invaded Elntar? I thought there were a lot of yers here in altriva, I guess thats why. I thought they were going to the front town in the opposite direction. 15: Rusk Its already the fourth day of the event, are we really going to change hunting grounds (with such arge group) now? 16: Tarooz We either prepare to defend and probably get wiped out by the invading monsters. 17: Tarooz >>16 Or we invade them. 18: Countrypop Ah, I see. But which would be more efficient, roaming from city to city and defeating boss-level entities or ignoring the bosses and just hunting small fries? 19: MentaiList I think hunting down bosses is more efficient. The issue is, whether we can move to those areas in a day or less and whether we can defeat said boss-level enemies. 20: Countrypop Hey, MentaiLists here. Hows Wayne doing? Okay with the extra weight? 21: MentaiList Weight? Whatre you talking about. He can lift me easily 22: Gi1gamesh By the way, Me and MentaiList stayed with him. So, we can move to two towns a day now. 23: MentaiList Carrying Gi1 is going to be a bit tough. ? ? ? ? Why are they carrying each other? Sometimes I dont understand what people are saying on here. But this is about my city, right? Isnt that Gi1gamesh guy famous? Oh, my God. You probably understand, but dont post anything. I know, I know, I wont. ? ? ? ? 30: Mippei But why did a ce that far from the border suddenly copse? 31: MentaiList Not just that, the capital right near the center of Hiers, has also been taken over. 32: Countrypop Ah, I see. So, this is also highly likely the handiwork of the cmity? 33: Gi1gamesh It might not be every city, but considering its within the same kingdom and involves undead, its quite possible. ? ? ? ? Rares got rumors about her! Whats happening? The three cities I destroyed are being med on Rare-chan!N?v(el)B\\jnn Its not entirely incorrect. Given the coboration, you became part of the force behind it. Really? I guess so. ? ? ? ? 38: Justise By the way, unrted, but a knight in my town seemed to know about the downfall of the Hiers capital. 39: Countrypop Well, if its gotten this famous, they probably know about it. 40: MentaiList Wait, isnt that kind of odd? Its only really known among social media or yers because we can chat worldwide, how would the NPCs be aware of it? It would take a while for messages to get out by foot. 41: Justise Thats what I was thinking too. I knew about the capital being ruined, but then I heard the entire country had been removed from the official site. Timing-wise, it seems to be around the same time as the official site update. 42: Gi1gamesh Even though weve been around various cities for the past couple days, we havent heard anything from NPCs. 43: MentaiList I havent heard about it either, plus the Dev team hasnt mentioned it. Some important NPCs might have the information from skills. What city had the knight who knew about it?? 44: Justise A city called Hugelcup in Oral. Its probably the second biggest town in Oral. Theres a castle as big as the royal castle, so you can easily recognize it when you get close to it. 45: MentaiList Oh, here it is, I guess its a little closer to Hiers geographically. 46: Rusk How do you know that? Is there a map? 47: MentaiList Theres a simple map, like a Sugoroku[1] board, made by volunteers on the verification thread. I dont know the distances and such, but its like a Sugoroku board, only with the locations of the cities. they made it by integrating the stories of yers in various cities. 48: Countrypop seriously, thats smart. 49: Justise Um, whos Suguroku? Are they famous? ? ? ? ? A map! I have to tell Raerae about this! Its in the verification thread, so sharing this thread and the post number might be helpful. Rare seems to be interested in conversations on the forums and the flow of informationtely. Especially now, indirect information about NPC movements through yers might be useful. Still, who could this Sugoroku be? I wonder if Raerae knows. Theres a lot to talk about, but it seems like theres also a lot to listen in on. TL Notes: [1]: Sugoroku Board Wikipedia: e-sugoroku with rules simr to snakes anddders, appeared as early aste 13th century and was made popr due to the cheap and borate wooden block printing technology of the Edo period. Thousands of variations of boards were made with pictures and themes from religion, political, actors, and even adult material. In the Meiji andter periods, this variation of the game remained popr and was often included in child-oriented magazines. With ban-sugoroku being obsolete, today the word sugoroku almost always means e-sugoroku. A Sugoroku Board ^ This chapter took me a while to trante, Im posting it early as I will be travelling tommorow and wont have the chance to post it tomorrow. The SMS/Forum bits can get really confusing at times. There Wont be a chapter next week as I will be away from home for Christmas but I will have 1 or 2 chapters ready for the week after. Again, Thanks for reading, and please let me know of any mistakes in thements. Chapter 114: Sugoroku Wee back. I dont think that there are any more yers within visible range. What were you up to? While nc was checking social media, it seemed that all the invading yers had been repelled. Initially, when the details of the event were announced, nc, being a yer on the side of monsters, had thought she would only be participating as an invader. Indeed, she had sessfully taken over the city as invaders, but this had led to a reversal of roles, allowing her to enjoy being on the defensive side as well. Im back! I was just bored with nothing to do. So instead of idling around, I thought Id check the forums. Also, I was also watching how the xp was being distributed between you and me. It only decreased the amount I got when Rare-chan did something. About half, I think.Oh, youve been keeping an eye on that. Thanks. There were some yers who seemed formidable in terms of stats, so I tried to only lightly interfere with them under the pretext of self-sabotage. However, even just that results in a 50/50 split, huh? I need to be more careful. nc felt a bit awkward as she was being thanked, considering it was originally Magentas proposal. Oh, and about that thing on the forums. Someone apparently made a Sugoroku board? Isnt that amazing? Sugoroku? Like the board game? Who made it? Did they create and sell it in game? Does it sell well? Also, is there even a die? A die? Is that relevant?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The conversation seemed a bit disjointed. There seemed to be a difference in their understanding. Judging by Rares reaction, it appeared that a Sugoroku board existed in reality, and thats what she was talking about. Well, someone made a simple map that roughly shows the rtionship between the cities on this continent. Its like Sugoroku board, or so I heard. Oh, I see. Thats a bit confusing But I think I get it; someone actually made that. If youbine information from the transfer service about adjacent cities names and integrate it with forumments, its possible to create something like that. Thats amazing. Can anyone see it? I think so. The threads I was looking at were Rare switched her focus to checking forum threads after nc gave her the information. Meanwhile, nc decided to check how much xp she gained from the recent battle and look at her skill tree. I might not go for everything, but it seems like I can get the strengthening-type skills. To start, I definitely have to take [Summon]; Ill use it quite a bit. Um, theres also [Spatial Magic], right? Oh, mental abilities also seem feasible. It looks like I can also get [Summon Caster: Mind], but what was that again? [Summon Caster: Mind] is a skill that allows the maniption of the familiars body remotely. I believe Summon refers to having your own self summoned to the side of the familiar. Oh, I see. That sounds convenient. Lets just go for everything we just looked at. Huh? Are you sure? What about things like growing wings and our [Dark Magic] and Oh! nc had forgotten they had talked about that before. But it was toote now since she already spent her xp. Moreover, thinking rationally, even if she could borrow the vision of my subordinates, nc has no underlings capable of flying to conduct reconnaissance. Perhaps it wasnt necessary to get these skills right now. Most of the xp obtained from capturing cities had been left as they were because I couldnt think of a use for them Additionally, obtaining these skills required spending the xp she had just gained from the recent battle, making it a considerablyrge purchase. Getting back that amount of xp will take considerable effort. Well, I cant really do anything about it now. [Dark magic] isnt that expensive, so Im sure Ill be able to get it pretty easily. As for the wings I wont know if theyre useful unless I ask Raerae anyway, so I wont get them yet More importantly, what I need now is a subordinate capable of aerial reconnaissance. Is there anyone suitable? If I use [Subordinate] extending from the vampire-rted skill tree, itll turn into a zombie. So, even if I kill and revive them with [necromancy] before using [Subordinate], theyll still be zombies So do you think it would be fine to just catch birds without worrying about killing them or keeping them alive? I dont think all of them will turn into zombies. For bats and wolves, which seem to be rted to vampires, you can probably use [Subordinate] while theyre still alive. Also, cant you guys fly? This is clear from what happened when nc first made Azalea and the other Mormos. And maybe by giving blood to such a race that can be affiliated with vampires while still alive, it would be possible to reincarnate into a subspecies of vampire. We can fly However, flying long distances like Rare-samas subordinates for reconnaissance is impossible. Even for reconnaissance in the city, its challenging to rise high enough for wide-ranging search. But on the flip side, we can enter narrow or dark ces. That could be useful, but since they currently controlled all the undead throughout the city, there was little point in doing so. If I think about it, the only option for a living creature capable of flying that I can turn into a subordinate without turning it into a zombie is probably a bat Thanks for waiting. And thanks for telling me about those threads. Ive learned a lot. It seemed Rare had returned to the game from reality. Thats great! I didnt even know who this Sugoroku-san was. Sugoroku isnt a persons name. Its an old board game, like a simplified version of backgammon for children. Back? Never mind if you dont know. More importantly, there was an interesting post in that thread. Given Rares asional interest in peculiar things, it was unclear what exactly had caught her attention in that particr thread. It was about the city of Oral, called Hugelcup. The knight from that city seemed to already know that Hiers had been destroyed. Oh, I think I saw something about that. Whats the matter? Hiers was destroyed on the evening of the third day, meaning yesterday. However, this was a destruction recognized by the Devs. Its uncertain how the local NPCs learned about it. Even if the NPCs simply assumed the destruction of Hiers from the capitals copse, the destruction of the capital happened on the night of the second day, which is two days ago. Isnt it strange that they already knew about it even though it happened just two days ago? Thats one thing, but theres another issue. The Hiers prime minister had sent the king into exile in other countries. For this exile to seed, it was crucial that the nobility in other countries knew that the Hiers royal family was alive. If a royal family member who is supposed to be dead appeared and expressed a desire to exile, it wouldnt go smoothly. So, if the prime minister informed the surrounding nations about the destruction of the capital and the exile of the royal family, it wouldnt be surprising. However, in the story told by a yer named Justice, it wasnt about the destruction of the capital but the total annihtion of the country. Being a knight, they probably have connections with the nobility, and its clearly odd that they knew this at the same time as the official update. Hmm? What if, as this MentaiList person is saying, there were announcements to some NPCs about it? If thats the case, other city knights should also know. I was curious, so I peeked into other threads that seemed rted, but I only found this yers post. Well, its difficult to search for NPC-rted posts because yers would know more about the destruction of Hiers. But it seems the verification team didnt know either, so we can probably assume there was no information elsewhere. Wow, she found so much in that short amount of time. Maybe theres a knack to it. Ill ask her about itter, along with the wing matter. For now, shes exining things so enthusiastically, its probably better not to interrupt. With the information we have here, theres one other possibility. This yer could have intentionally spread false information. Why would they do that? I dont know, but I think that the probability is low. If that were the case, they would probably make simr statements in other threads, or maybe gather coborators and post together. Maybe And it really doesnt make sense why they would do that. True. The motive is entirely unclear. So, I think we can ignore this. Azelia and the others seem to be going on a patrol around the city. They seem bored. Although they were initially here to guard nc, as long as Rare is here, the safety of the balcony can be considered guaranteed. If thats the case, the next possibility is that these knights, by killing all the intended Hiers royal family members, knew in advance that the Hiers kingdom had perished. I get it! But why would they tell yers about it? That I dont know Also, I have no idea what this Justise yers position in this city, and maybe they have a close rtionship with the knights. Close rtionship! Eh, do yers and NPCs have that? Eh? nc stared at Rare with a puzzled expression. It seemed like she genuinely didnt understand. Well, whatever. By close rtionship, I mean, for example, this yer Justice wanting knight-type skills or wanting to be a follower of someone and approaching the knight for a connection with the nobility. A business-like rtionship, huh like a dream Dream? No, its nothing. Rare looked a bit puzzled for a moment, but she quickly returned to the conversation with a gesture that seemed like she was used to it. Anyway, Im actually searching for the whereabouts of those Hiers royal family members. Oh, really? Is it because youre a perfectionist? Missing some feels ufortable or something? No, its more practical I just need those items they ran off with. It doesnt matter either way. I dont know where they went after the exile, and its dangerous to just intrude into another country without notice. I was wondering what to do until this information came up. Thats probably why her excitement level is so high. Hmm But isnt it suspicious? It would be a lie to say its not suspicious, but I highly doubt that someone will suspect methe cmity event bossis monitoring social media. Theres a lot to consider, but it might be good to check. Even if its a trap, if its not aimed at me, then confirming it once and crushing it if its a trap for someone else could be the right move. And if its not a trap, it could be new information. What shes saying makes sense, but even if its not aimed at Leah, if its a trap, the other party should have adequate preparation. Moreover, if its a trap, its extremely unnatural for a single yer to make just one statement on SNS. It wouldnt be a trap intended for yers who check social media. Its more like a gamble. nc cant exin it well, but theres an indescribable sense of unease. However, with such a subjective persuasion, Rare wont be stopped. After all, she seems to be having a lot of fun. It seems very suspicious, but I cant quite put it into words. Hmm If you say so much, nc, do you want toe along? Iming! Rare is much stronger, but theres a part of her that makes me worry when watching. It feels like shes inexperienced. Probably, from the real worlds perspective, such a person would be called a klutz. That would be very rude, so Ill never say it to her. So far, Rare has been giving, and nc has been receiving. If she can repay even a little by serving as a guard, it would be appreciated. Oh, but I cant fly. What should I do? Oh, speaking of which, um, could you tell me how to grow wings or something? If you do that, you might get the Flight skill. Well then, can you tell me what skills you can get right now? Oh, and this information is extremely important, so you really shouldnt tell anyone. I wont! What do you take me for! After that, I found a skill that seemed to grow wings but didnt have enough experience points. So, I stayed in this city for another day, killed a yer who appeared the next day, and earned enough. I was able to grow wings. As expected, they were bat wings. Leaving now is fine, but theres a high possibility that yers wille to y after tomorrow. Anyway, lets yes, lets summon one of the armored queen ants that are ying around in Liebe and conduct a practical test. nc, is that okay? Its okay! Thanks for being considerate! And so, apanied by Rare, they flew to the city called Hugel Cup. It seemed like Rare had been told something by Dias, but she managed to persuade him to go on a two-girl journey with her friend. It was the halfway point, five days since the event started. TL notes: Sorry i havent been very consistent with my trantions like I said I would. I have been busy with finalsing up. I dont have time for a chapter this friday but I will go back to posting every week next week on the 26th. Thank you for your patience. Again, Thanks for reading, and please let me know of any mistakes in thements. Chapter 115: “The collaborators were sacrificed” Being within a neighboring country, the city named Hugelcup was quite far away. Even flying at a moderate speed to match nc, the trip there took about a full day. It felt somewhat simr to the speed of that pigeon caught in Hiers the other day. This implies that even if you were to send a pigeon, it would take a whole day, exceeding the distance usable by messenger pigeons. In that case, its reasonable to assume that there arent many countries sending pigeons to neighboring nations. Hmm. But what if there are people who can [Control] pigeons? It wouldnt be a problem, you can just release them again even if they die. It might be a bit risky, but they could be made to do it to some extent. Well I cant say its impossible. ording to Deas, [Control] imposes a burden on the body. If thats true, one should be cautious about the number of familiars. Deciding to make a pigeon one of them is quite a courageous decision. However, when the fate of a city or a nation is at stake, it wouldnt be surprising if someone took such bold actions. nc, youre amazing Ehh, hehehe~ nc often points out things that I might overlook when I consider them alone. Even on social media, she tends to focus on threads that others might deliberately avoid. However, it has proven helpful thus far.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om It was probably the right decision to have youe with me. Oh, Ill protect you perfectly! My, how reliable. Soon, arge castle-like structurees into view. With such arge castle, its likely ruled by a noble close to the center or someone who has achieved significant feats. In that case, the possibility of what I initially thoughtthat the royal family sessfully escaped into exile, relinquishing sovereignty in returnmight still be valid. No, its too early for that. Flying this far in the air took about a day from Erntal to here. Even if the royal capital is closer to this ce, it would be impossible to reach here bynd in just one day. However, if the knights here were to kill the Hiers royal family, depart from this city simultaneously with the destruction of the capital, assassinate the royal family, promptly retake this city, and inform that yer, it would be aplex scenario. For this to be possible, they must know in real-time that the capital of Hiers was destroyed, and that the royal family left the city for exile. What means could make such information flow seamlessly? No. I cant shake the feeling that this is a trap targeting me. The motive is unclear, and theres no sense of intent to deliver information to our location. Hmm. I still think somethings suspicious. Anyway, were about to reach the city. What do we do? Storm that castle? No, thats I came here for the knight, or rather, the noble who is its owner. I kind of rushed here without a n. What should we do? Despite it being a coincidence, I had acquired information I desired desperately. In addition, the fact that I was out here with a friend was something I found exhrating. For now, letsnd discreetly on the outskirts of the city, use [Charm] on a random resident, and brainwash them for information gathering. Well, Rare-chan, being inconspicuous with that appearance is impossible, right? And is that really called gathering information? Its more like closer to drug-induced confession, category-wise, dont you think? Oh, with Light Magic and [Camouge], I can conceal my appearance. There seems to be a difference in opinion between us about information gathering, but I guess that cant be helped. Okay, lets go with that. So, lets find our first coborator! Chapter 116: “Do you want to take the night off?” The two of them continued to hear from a few more coborators. It seems that arge percentage of NPCs in the city know about the destruction of Hiers, although not all of them seem to know about it. The percentage, or rather the variation in the number of people who know about it, gives the impression that it was spread by word of mouth rather than by an announcement or a warning. If someone was trying to spread the rumor, I guess that means they used arge number of NPCs as cherry-pickers. Well, that might be the case, but this city is not exactly in the middle of nowhere, is it? The city is not a frontier city. There are fields of something outside the city, barley maybe? There are fields, people dressed like merchants and many horse-drawn wagons, so its probably a prosperous city in terms of agriculture andmerce. If thats the case, I think someone who knows the economic flow of the town well could aim for the greatest possible spread with the least amount of arrangements. nc told me this, and I looked around the town again. I hadnt paid attention to it because I was only looking at characters who seemed easy to kidnap, but nc is right, it certainly seems to be the kind of city that tends to do that. Amazing. nc, youre amazing! Youre lying about not being smart! Your eye for detail and your knowledge is amazing! Ive never seen actual barley growing before, and I wouldnt have recognized it if you hadnt told me! No, Id say its more like 70% what Ive heard. My kids are smart. They teach me all kinds of things. Those followers, the Mormos? They seemed capable, right? The abilities of the followers are also counted within the power of the Lord. Is that so? I guess so, hehe. However, if thats the case, it wouldnt be surprising if the information had already spread to other towns and cities nearby. Somewhere in a thread Wayne had once written, where he was calcting how to defeat Rare, he had also written that the prime minister of the kingdom had established a remarkable means ofmunication using a system of respawns of his followers. Although its unclear whether nobles from other countries routinely use the same method, it wouldnt be surprising if they devised and used something different from that. It may not be possible to obtain distant information in real time, but it is dangerous to think of things assuming the speed of information transmission in the real world, such as in the Middle Ages. I should have checked socialworking sites to see if such information was circting in neighboring towns. Ah, but its the event period, and I doubt many people are making small talk with NPCs right now. Although I dont think theres none, searching for such words would be hard. The yers are probably the ones who know more about Hiers demise than anyone else, and few yers would bother to ask NPCs for that information. Thats why the yer named Justiz was interested in it as an unusual topic, and the yer named MentaList probably got interested too. And thus, Rare became one of those who were caught. If the information is spread by word of mouth, especially among NPCs, its hard to track it down on socialworking sites, he said. The trouble is that simr information has already been confirmed by yers. Searching would likely yield results only from the yer side. If we want to get more information, we will have to increase the number of local coborators. I wonder what we should do. Should we talk to more coborators, or should we start hitting the knights and others who are closer to the heart of the matter? Theres probably nothing new to learn from the local victims. I think the only thing we can find out is what percentage of people know about it and what percentage dont. Thats right. If we increase the number of samples, we might be able to get a better idea of who knows and who doesnt know. The poption of this city is going to plummet The return is too small for the risk. If thats the case, we have no choice but to hit the knights. But unlike the general popce, knights dont die. If we continue with the method were using, our information will soon find its way to the nobles who rule this city. What do we do? Should we storm that castle now? Youre aggressive. But well, considering our original goal is to find the whereabouts of Hiers royal family, we wouldnt know just by asking the citys residents. Thats true. Uh, then what were we doing it for? I was wondering if I could find out where the information came from. But it sounds like word of mouth, and I knew at the beginning that that wasnt going to be possible. I guess I was just curious to see how many people knew about it along the way. I was wondering what the goal was midway through, but I should have said it sooner. Whats done is done. We should think about the future. If we wanted to find out the whereabouts of the royal family, we would need a noble or a source linked to them. The residents of the city were aware of the destruction of Hiers itself, but they did not seem to know anything about the royal family. More precisely, for Rare, the whereabouts of the royal family dont matter. Whats important is the location of the artifact. If it were to be in this city now, the most likely ce it would be that castle. In the end, ncs suggestion seems like the quickest way to go. Huh? Storming the castle? Are we really going to do that? Huh? Nothing, its okay. Rare-chan, you seem cautious, but you seem to have a habit of throwing everything away when it bes too much trouble. Im toozy to do it, so I tend to throw everything away from the start instead. Is that so? Maybe. If we were going in that direction, it would be better to wait for the night. Lastly, they prepared another coborator, secured an inn, and disappeared, going to rest in that room. * Now, if its this dark, it should be difficult to see us if we use [Curtain of Darkness] together. You really stand out, Rare-chan. Cant you use [Camouge] like you do during the day? [Camouge] is not really suited forbat, because the outlines and other details appear blurred when the user moves violently. Its fine if you just want to talk. But you also deactivated it when brainwashing. I have to show myself to them, otherwise the effect of [Charm] will be reduced. Also, Im not brainwashing them, Im asking for their cooperation. Quietly they take off from the inns roof. The area around Rare and her friends may have been unnaturally darkpared to their surroundings, but it was in the dark of night and above the sky. It would be hard for anyone to notice. Where should we go in the castle? Should we look for something like the treasure vault, or would it be quicker to go and ask the lord directly? If we ask a lord, we can just kill him when were done with him and there is nothing left to do. My condolences to the city that suddenly loses its lord and its knights in shining armor, but it is better than being forced to endlessly turn its residents into coborators. Im not sure if its possible for a lord or a nobleman to be used by someone else. Like Rare-chan and this Four Heavenly Kings guy, Sieg-san, right? I have thought about that possibility. This is a very profitable approach for those who want to use them, but from the perspective of the nobles on the receiving end, those who are forced into middle management, there is no benefit. I have to feed my subordinates, but I dont receive any experience from them. You have to charge your superiors for the experience value, including that of your subordinates. However, from the superiors point of view, his subordinates are nothing more than pawns to be discarded, and it would be a shame to go to the trouble of giving them experience. It is not possible without a great deal of mutual trust. If the upper echelons of the state were to do so, there is a fear that the lower-middle ss aristocrats would revolt against them in droves. Because the issue is directly rted to the essential power structure of the states on this continent, it is not necessarily true that such civil strife in any one country will not spark off other countries as well. So Im thinking that even if there were, it would be limited to rtives and friends that arent directly rted to the vertical structure of power. I see. If thats the case, then the lord of this ce is most likely the head of the rtionship, even if there was such a rtionship, since he lives in such a big castle. Thats true. nc may be insecure aboutmon sense, and she may have a tendency to act without thinking deeply, but she does not seem to be inherently dim-witted. I thought she was apletely different type of person from myself, but perhaps she was surprisingly not so. So, should I aim for a room as high up as possible and with a light on? Thats the image I have of a great person. Well, I dont have any kind of indicator, so that should be fine. Hes such a ruler that hes keeping a city of this size in production andmercial activity, and its likely that hes holding office with the lights on after dark. There is arge overhanging balcony around the middle of the castle. I guess that thing in the royal castle in Hiers was to show the kings figure to the citizens of the capital, but is such a thing necessary for a castle in a city?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The room with the balcony has a very bright light leaking from it. It doesnt look like theres any rooms with lights on the floors above it. So, aiming for this balcony would be the best course of action. Chapter 117: “This guy has been trouble from the get-go” The balcony window is open, and from the outside, it seems like there is no one inside. Even when confirmed with the [Demonic Eyes], there are no human-like reactions visible, so theres no mistake. Silently, without making any sound, I descend onto the balcony. I want to activate the [Knowledge Wing Barrier] and investigate in detail, but the pure white feather snow stands out too much even though Im supposed to be on a stealth mission. The light leaking from the balcony will make it clear that something is happening even from the ground. While it significantly enhancesbat abilities, it can only be used in situations wherebat is the premise. In the future, it might be advisable to think about skills more suitable for stealth operations. There is the [Demonic Eyes] for rare cases, and nc mentioned that she has night vision. So, its probably better to act with the [Curtain of Darkness] activated. Originally, it has only a moderate darkening effect, but byyering the effects for two people in this way, the central area can be significantly darkened. I gently push the balcony window. Its not locked. They probably didnt anticipate thieves climbing up to this height in a normal scenario. Upon entering the room, there are several full-body armors, resembling Western-style mansions and armor exhibits, ced along the wall. Its hard to believe this room is an office. This room doesnt seem to be an office. But if not, why is there light at this hour? Wait! The window Turning back at ncs voice, the balcony window is just closing. Moreover, its not the ss window from the beginning; its made of iron. Originally, it would be used as a sliding door on the outside of the window. The one closing it is the full-body armor standing by the wall. Moreover, it is diligently welding the iron door with some production skill. There is still no reaction from the [Demonic Eyes]. If I believe this field of view, it means that the full-body armor, which doesnt possess any magical power, is moving on its own and welding the window. As expected, its a trap It was as nc predicted. Its unclear who set the trap for what purpose and targeted whom, but even if all the armors here were enemies, they are not enough to stop Rare. As nned, I can crush them and then ask the lord about the situation, including these things. I remember it was said that disasters couldmunicate? Near the door of the room, a particrly splendid suit of armor started talking. Not that its a Living Mail or anything. There is likely a person inside. And speaking of splendor, its not about the living being inside but the sophistication and craftsmanship, not its size. In terms of height, its slightly taller than Rare. From the voice, its probably a woman. Well, you seem to be fitting for a disaster, right? It might be a bit early for you toe here, but its good that the conversation is progressing quickly. Good evening. Disaster-kun. Sessfully resisted Sessfully resisted Hmm. Do you have no intention of responding to the conversation? Or maybe youre not a disaster. Timing-wise, its a bit early, but if you attack, I thought it would be a disaster Originally, I came here to ask the lord questions. Its not that Im unwilling to have a conversation, but its not something I intended. I am the lord of this city. What business do you have in my castle in the middle of the night? Sessfully resisted Sessfully resisted Since a while ago, some form of attack has been happening. It seems to be a skill rted to [Mental Magic]. I dont know if its the one in front of me or one of the armors around me. Even before that, I dont know who these armors are. After all, I cant sense any magical power. Furthermore, the problem is that the self-proimed lord called Rare a disaster. Today, it seems like the disaster is visiting here. Rare came here because of that post on SNS, but the lord shouldnt know about it. Even considering the current conversation, its reasonable to think that the lord didnt consider Rare as a yer. Rather than knowing that the disaster woulde here, its more likely that the lord led the disaster here. Is it possible that just based on that one post on SNS, the event boss, the disaster, did something like this? Ordinarily, the disaster wouldnt see such a post. I have no idea what the lords intention was. At least, Rares visit here was almost random, even though it was triggered by seeing that SNS post. No, it wont work at all. This is impossible. Too bad.N?v(el)B\\jnn With those words from the lord, the armors all attack at once. Theres no need for stealth anymore. Activate [Knowledge Wing Barrier] and push back the attacking armors with [Feather Gatling]. However, I dont think I can defeat them with this. Normally, I would aim with the [Demonic Eyes] and use magic to finish them off, but the armors have no magical power, so I cant directly aim with the [Demonic Eyes]. If I want to specify coordinates, I need to target a location, not an armor. [Thunderbolt]! But before that, ncs magic isunched. Perhaps fearing idental damage inside the room, its a single-shot spell. Fast-acting [Lightning Magic] is a good choice for ensuring damage. It should prate through the all-metal armor. Huh? However, the armor hit by the magic doesnt show any sign of being affected. Its showing the same reaction as the other armors that havent been hit by magic. In other words, it seems like only Rares Gatling damage is getting through. [re Arrow]! [Ice Bullet]! [Air Cutter]! nc continues to shoot magic in rapid session, but none of them seem to have an effect. Moreover, mes and ice, unlike [Lightning Magic] and [Wind Magic], are extinguished as soon as theye into contact with the armor. It seems like they have a high resistance to magic in general. Perhaps, the reason [Demonic Eyes] doesnt sense magical power is rted to this. [Feather Bullet]! Having experienced the usefulness of this skill in the Hiers Capital, Rare had also allocated experience points to DEX. Increasing DEX not only enhances the overall power but is particrly beneficial for uracy and precision. Although it doesnt work like Gatling, if its a single shot like [Feather Bullet], I can shoot feathers into the joints of the armor during an opening. Its not impossible. Disturbing their posture with Gatling, aiming for critical hits with Bullet. The armor that was urately hit crumbles and doesnt move again. This means that its not just an ordinary armor moving; its indeed a knight wearing some special armor. Those who are difficult to target due to their posture receive a continuous barrage of Gatling, depleting their LP. The armors hit by this are no longer recognizable. Even if Rare could use magic to attack, its uncertain how resistant the armor is to magic. I cant imagine that the lord can cancel out Rares full-powered magic, but if it were to be canceled, it would be a major problem. Or even if its not canceled, it would still be a problem. If Rare casts such a powerful magic indoors, both the lord and nc are at risk of death. While the armors are being defeated, the lord remains motionless. It seems like they are observing us. Rares goal is to gather information from the lord. If they can stay quiet without causing trouble, it doesnt matter. At this point, there is no one else alive except for Rare and the lord. However, its unclear whether they are just statues or not, so other than the lord, who seems to be the lord, I turn all the armors inside the room into iron scrap. Although its unclear if they are actually made of iron. Regr iron doesnt deflect magic. These fallen armors, assuming they were the lords knights, might revive somewhere ande back here. I can assume a one-hour grace period until they return. Well, it seems like you managed to fend off the mercenaries in Hiers once, and it was said that [Fear] was effective. I thought it would work, but this one is impossible. It failed. Already, there is no one left to protect the lord. Even if the all-metal armor they are wearing is slightly more robust than the others, its just a margin of error in front of Rare. And yet, they act as if they have this much leeway. Its not nc, but theres a frustrating, unpleasant premonition. Oh well. Ill do it myself. As soon as she said that, she rushed at an incredible speed. In her left hand, she hold a sword. When did she draw it? Its a speed that doesnt seem possible for someone fully d in armor. Its painful not being able to capture their movements at the starting point with the [Demonic Eyes]. Get back! I push nc behind me, pull back my right leg at thest moment, twist my body, and dodge. Hah! As soon as I dodge the initial thrust, the lord extends the right hand, which was open while passing each other, toward Rares chest. Its a close-range hand strike. Or maybe a grab, but in any case, the distance is too close. In reality, it wouldnt cause much damage, and at this rtive speed, its unlikely to be sessfully grabbed. But this lords STR and AGI might make it possible. Indeed, its impossible to dodge this. [Wing Strike]! Right before the opponents hand touches, I swing my wings and repel it. [Feather Gatling]! As a follow-up, I shoot feathers to push them further away with the impact. I initially thought about finishing them off as the knight did, but it seems that the lords armor has better performance than the knights. Its not just for show. However, I managed to create some distance. Judging from the fighting style, the lord seems to be skilled in closebat. If I keep my distance, I probably wont make a fatal mistake. [Feather Bullet]! Aiming for the gaps in the armor, I release feathers. However, this is dodged. I didnt expect them to evade at this speed. Its an extremely high AGI. Nobles structurally umte experience points more easily. They distribute it to knights, who fight on their behalf, making the nobles rtively weak. However, considering the experience points they must have gained from the knights they killed in the Hiers Capital, the nobles were obviously weak. On the other hand, the knights in the capital were as strong as other yers. How would the knight I just killed herepare to those in the capital? I didnt pay much attention since their armor had strange properties. Perhaps this lord is investing experience points not in their knight but in themselves. Eye Gouge It seems like the lord activated some skill in an attempt to counterattack. I dont know the skill, but judging by the name, it likely deprives the opponent of their vision. Its meaningless for Rare, who closes their eyes. While the [Curtain of Darkness] was still active, it seems like the lord couldnt see our faces, but the effect worked. Contrary to expectations, the lords figure disappeared. And then, they reappeared right in front of us. I recognize this movement. Its the skill [Dimensional Contraction]. It means they changed the activation keyword for the skill. Come to think of it, there was an update like that! But can NPCs do that too!? The lord now holds a sword in their right hand. They thrust it upwards from a low position. Its probably because they observed Rares reflex to dodge from the right foot a moment ago. The ability to use a sword at the same level with both hands, whether right or left, is impressive, but being ambidextrous is not exclusive to the lord. It can be corrected through training, and in the modern era with VR technology, focusing solely on training the brain, correcting handedness or leg dominance is easier than in the past. Lifting my left leg, I kick the lords hand with the tip of my toes. The sword flies out of the lords hand. However, it seems this was within their expectations. The lord slides under Rares lifted leg, slipping their shoulder under it, and captures it as if embracing it. I feel difort in my knee. She might intend to break it. By rotating my body, aligning the direction of the force and the direction of the joints being applied, I manage to evade the technique. Logically, it shouldnt have been possible, but in this world, due to differences in ability values, the impossible can be possible. It seems Rare has higher AGI, and by a slim margin, it was enough to make it in time. Even though Ivepletely turned my back to the lord, it doesnt matter since what Rare sees is through the [Demonic Eyes] vision, and even if its directly behind, its not visible to the lord, probably because Rares wings are obstructing the view. Wing Strike I swing my wings aiming for the lords neck. However, the lord lifts Rares captured leg with force, destabilizing Rares posture and avoiding the trajectory of the wings. The attack missed, but in return, I managed to pull out the leg that was being held. Feather Bullet I release feathers as a diversion. I know it will be dodged. Taking advantage of the lords dodge, I deliver a kick. Its hard. What is this armor made of, exactly? No damage was dealt, or rather, there was a sensation that Rares leg took more damage. However, thanks to the recoil from the kick, I sessfully separated from the lord again. Lets start over. It seems youre willing to go for closebat, but magic has higher firepower. I heard that, but whats going on? You dont use magic at all. And even in closebat, its not something you do at a level where you say a little. Could it be that you really mistook me for someone else? It seems the lord is also preparing for a fresh start. There is no sense of crisis to lose, but at least among the enemies fought so far, this one is outstandingly strong. If its this lord, they might be able to defeat the raid party Wayne gathered alone. They might be stronger than Rare when Rare was weakened at that time. In other words, if this lord has used artifacts or something simr, its probably impossible to win. This is not the capital, and theres no need to worry about that. The lord possesses remarkablebat power in closebat. Moreover, it seems like they dont ept magic due to the equipments properties. They are like the natural enemy of magic users. And the strength of that armor is not only in magic resistance. Probably, it has a much higher defense capability than the boots made from the fur of therge forest creatures that Rare is wearing. The fact that Rares leg took damage from the kick is evidence of this. Its the first time I learned about such specifications, but considering the total value of Rares VIT and the defense capabilities of the leather boots, the opponents defense is higher, leading to damage on Rares side. If Im going to continue fighting barehanded, I need to increase VIT to bypass the opponents defense. However, there was no damage reflection on the wings that blew the lord away, so presumably, the defense power of the feathers on the wings is high. Is it possible to pluck these feathers and make armor out of them? And if I pluck the feathers, will they return with [Healing Magic]? If thats possible, I could create excellent equipment, but Im scared to try if the plucked feathers dont return. My hand is already broken, and theres little merit in keeping the [Curtain of Darkness] active. MP is gradually decreasing while doing this. I havent been actively using MP inbat actions so far, so its not a problem for now, but I want to avoid a situation where I run out of MP when I need it. Rare dispels the magic and opens their eyes. nc, who retreated to the corner of the room during the chaos, also dispels the magic. Despite all themotion, the rooms lights are still on. It seems to be magical light, not torches or anything. I want to somehow take this armor or this light back and utilize it in the cave. The full-body armor, illuminated by the light, looks much more sophisticated than the indirect view through mana. Although I attacked quite a bit, there are hardly any visible wounds. Hahaha. Suddenly, the lord burst intoughter. Haha, ahahahaha! Ahahahaha! Uh Rare-chan, did you hit somewhere dangerous? I did hit and kick, but there should be little to no damage. If this lord was dangerous, thats because it would have been from the beginning. Its not my responsibility. Hearing thisughter, the lord, seemingly calm now, abandons the vignt posture they had and looks at us casually. Haha. No, no. I thought it was something the administration prepared in terms of timing. I never expected the event boss to be a yer. This is beyond my expectations! Chapter 118: “Reunion” Did you say yer? This one here, even Rare-chan, is also a yer! The lord thing was a lie! Ohh, is yourpanion a yer too? Let me correct one thing though; its not a lie that I am the lord. The real issue is how Rare was able to discern that shes a yer just from this. From the current statements, it seems that Rare is the only one who saw through the lord being a yer. Its apparent that no one, including Wayne and the raid party members from that time, has noticed that discerning this from appearance and behavior is probably impossible. Is there a connection with a yer named Justiz mentioned? Assuming so, if Justiz already had a connection with the lord, it wouldnt be an impossible story. No, if this lord is a yer, theres also a possibility that this lord is Justiz. But if thats the case, it doesnt make sense for only one person to post such a thing on social media. Its hard to believe they thought they could attract disaster with just that. Moreover, just until a while ago, the lord himself thought of the disaster as an event boss. Why do you look like youve realized that Im a yer? Rare-chan, is it? I see, a simple name, but I cant say much about others. It felt like her heart was being squeezed. This person, could it be? Shall I tell you? Heres the answer. The lord C the yer in front of them slowly took off the helmet covering their head and ced it on the floor. Huh. Huh? Huuuh!? nc looked back and forth between Rare and the lord, confused. There was a face identical to Rares, but with ck hair and eyes. Then the reason you figured out shes a yer is simple. Although its enhanced a bit by the games system effect, making it look very pale, I wouldnt mistake Rare-chans face. Twins? Oh, you say such delightful things, my friend. But unfortunately, Im a bit older. Why is this happening, why set up such a trap, what does it mean for the lord to be a yer, or why y this game at all, and where does this person live now? There are so many questions to ask, but shes confused about whether she should ask them. Theres a lot you want to ask, but you look like you dont know where to start. Eh? Is that so? No, thats wrong. Thats not it! No, its probably not wrong. Well, forget it. We have time, and it doesnt feel like continuing the battle, anyway. In any case, today, its clear that its my loss. Ill answer anything you want. A loss. It might not be definitively decided as a win or loss, but she should probably see it as a concession here. It might bring up a feeling of frustration rather than losing, but she desperately suppresses her emotions and maintainsposure. Shes used to doing that in front of this face. First of all, theres something she must ask. If she doesnt know that, she wont be able to have a smooth conversation. Whats your name? Oh, I almost forgot. Im Lyra (T/N: 饤, so it can also be something like La). As you can see, Im a yer using a human avatar. Im usually the lord of this town. And what about you over there? I feel like Ive heard that name somewhere before. Um, Im nc. Im a vampire. Lyra, why did you do this? Various things she wants to ask. But first, the game. nc is here. She should ask about the game-rted things. What are you referring to, I wonder? Well, its fine. Ill answer. This, lets say, is about luring Rare-chan and trapping her here, right? Rare nodded. The goal was to [Subordinate] Descending Death, the event boss. Theres a proper noun shes hearing for the first time. Could it be referring to Rare? If so, its too embarrassing. That face. Well, sorry, but I just wanted to see that face. Some yers call it that on their own, and its not an official name, so rest assured. Lyra, you can use [Subordinate]? With the way you put it, you dont seem surprised Rare. So you can use it too. Well, of course you can, otherwise you wouldnt have been able tomand ants and undead to destroy the city. As expected. Enough of that. By the way, how did you acquire it? Are you still confused? Thats a roundabout question. Its like youre telling me that there are multiple ways to acquire [Subordinate]. Rare pursed her lips. Dont do that, its going to ruin your lips. Well, lets pretend I didnt ask. I gained [Subordinate] because I reincarnated from a Human to a higher race. My current race is called [Noble Human], so I am what you would call a noble. Are you saying that you became a lord because you became a noble? nc, right? Well, thats one of the factors. Ill exin itter, as my thanks for being good friends with Rare-chan. For now, Ill go ahead and answer Rare-chans questions first. The story of how she became a lord is a very intriguing part. However, she doesnt like being led by others when she goes on tangents. She will probably exin it for sure, but she will likely finish one by one. Theres also general knowledge about races that I might as well share. Since Rare-chan is called a cmity, or disaster or things like that, youve never heard of the regr city NPCs anyway, have you? Its not like that. I heard a lot today. Lies! What we talked about wasnt a conversation! Oh, I know about that. Thats why I could wait here tonight.N?v(el)B\\jnn So you havent heard about NPC races like humans. Probably not. Let me tell you, then. The noble ss of humans is called [Noble Human], which is me. The noble ss of elves is [High Elf]. The noble ss of dwarves is [Elder Dwarf]. Among NPC races, theres no concept of a noble ss for beastmen. However, among NPC beastmen, some are modeled after animals that yers cant choose in the beginning. So, I think they might be like that. Her views on beastmen are the same as Rares. She knows more about the higher races of elves than anyone else. Its the first time shes heard about the reincarnation of dwarves. In other words, dwarves ascend the staircase to be Elder Dwarves, spirits, and Spirit Lords. Lyra says nothing about Dark Elves. Whether she doesnt know or is hiding it is unclear, but if she opens her mouth, information will likely be picked up from there again. There should be more about dwarves. If Dark Elves exist as a reincarnation destination for elves, and at the end of that, theres a Demon Lord, it wouldnt be strange for dwarves to have something simr. Think of it asmon knowledge among NPCs. There might be something else, but NPCs seem not to know about it, and even yers dont know anything from checking SNS. And for these higher races, such as Noble Human, High Elf, Elder Dwarf, [Subordinate] is unlocked as a racial skill. Right, there are constraints on this [Subordinate], but Ill answer that when you ask. Its a considerably ominous way to say it. However, shes properly answering questions. She debated whether to disclose her information in return for this information, but it seems shes not going to. Well, for now, Im answering your questions and telling you various things because I lost earlier. Dont think too much about unnecessary things. Shes being read without saying anything. I think thats enough about how I obtained [Subordinate] and the details about my race. As I mentioned, the goal is to bring the Seventh Cmity under control. I can guess the next question, but before that, shall I answer nc-chans question? With a rustling sound. Oh, did something bother you? No, not really. If thats the case, its fine. Lets talk about how I became the lord. Its a long story if I start from the beginning, but should we take a break for now? Its okay. I have other things I want to ask, so please continue. Alright, lets continue. Well, even if I say that, I wonder where to start. Lets go in chronological order. First, its about when I passed the initial Closed Alpha Test. From there!? Isnt that too early!? Wait, is that really the beginning? Yeah, it is. Thats where it all started. Well, it might not be long enough to take a break, but can I prepare a chair or something to drink for you? You dont need to be on guard; I have no intention of tricking you now. And sorry, but can I take off my armor? Chapter 119: “Lyra” Phew, what a sense of liberation. Originally, full-body armor is created primarily for defense against shes, and its not something you should wear during closebat or when exining things. But we can talk about full-body armorter. For now, lets continue from where we left off. Um, I think it started when I applied to be a Closed Alpha Tester. Rare-chan probably heard about it, right? The rumor that this game is created using world simtion technology. When I first heard this rumor, I thought it was impossible. Mainly due to technical and cost issues. Even if thispany is a global hitmaker, its unlikely they have connections to such unreleased technology, and even if they did, its uncertain how much funding would be required for its operation, not to mention the infrastructure for operation. But leaving that aside, the game itself seemed interesting. So, I applied. And luckily, I was chosen as a tester. There were strict confidentiality agreements about not disclosing anything about the game, but thats normal for an alpha test, and ethically, I had no intention of spreading information to anyone. So, at this point, my n was just to get a glimpse and solidify the direction a bit so I could make a strong start when the official service started. And then, I set foot on thend of this world. Not in this town, but in the capital of this country, I felt the air, interacted with NPCs, sometimes killed, and spent a day. By that time, I was really thinking of taking this game seriously. It had been a while since I felt this way. But no matter how much I thought that, it was just an alpha test. Even if I did my best, the avatars data would be deleted once the test was over. It had no meaning. However, that was only about the testers avatar. This world is so detailed. Even if system glitches were found in this test, would they reset the maps and objects to fix it? Despite being so meticulously crafted, and NPCs living their lives desperately. So, I decided to take a gamble. Well, even if it failed, the data would just disappear. The original n wouldnt change. So, if it was just a test, there would be no harm in trying. During the alpha test, I gathered funds using every means possible. Mainly by attacking NPCs known as wealthy individuals. At night, when everything was quiet, I would sneak into mansions and stores, put safes into my inventory, and escape. I did this as much as I could in one night. The next day, in a ce where no one could see, I would destroy the safes and take out the contents. If something needed a key, I would leave it as it was for the time being. I repeated this until the end of the test, and on the final day, I snuck into a nobles mansion and threw everything that looked like a family heirloom into my inventory. I buried the obtained wealth in a corner of a safety area within the monster territory, which I had chosen in advance. If I won the gamble and these objects were not reset, I could start the next test with a good advantage and if I could connect that advantage to the official service, the benefits would be immeasurable. Of course, I applied for the next test as well and became a tester. I dont know if its because its easy topare, but do you know that once a tester passes a test, they are prioritized for the next one? Thats why the number of participants increases with each test, but well, thats fine. Suppressing my excitement, I watched the tutorial. Oh, you might not know, but the lines of the tutorial AI subtly change between the first and second tests. Furthermore, the lines during the open beta are different. Lets leave this detailed stuff forter. Anyway, on that day, I aimed for the location where I buried the treasure. Since in the recent tests, everyone spawned in the capital cities of each country, there was no problem with movement. But the density of testers was high, so I just had to be careful not to be followed. The ce I arrived at was undoubtedly the ce where I buried the treasure, but the vegetation had grown thick. There was no trace of someone burying something. I was desperate, but I noticed that only the flowers growing there, different in color from the surrounding flowers, caught my attention. Just to be sure, I dug there. And there, the treasure I had buried was sleeping. The different color of the flowers was because the soilposition was different in that spot. At that moment, I was convinced. I dont know if this game is a world simtor, but using technology close to it, it was undoubtedly developed with the intention of creating a real world. Long! Its really long Well, the story is interesting. And after passionately talking about how NPCs are living desperately day by day, theres a slightly shady vibe when theyre raiding them. Its like, Oh, this person is definitely rted to Rare-chan. So, in the end, what is Lyra trying to say? Well, the story continues from here. Come on, have some tea that my maid brewed for you. Theres also tart. I baked it myself. Even without skills, you can do things in reality, but there are no special effects. Oh, dont rush, theres still more. This is something you liked, Rare-chan. Now, thats how I uncovered a part of the truth of this world and gained immense wealth. Of course, in this test, just like the previous one, there wasnt much meaning in leveling up the avatar. I continued to focus on earning funds. However, this time, what I did was not criminal like thest time. I started a business with the funds obtained from the previous test. And at this point, when I tried to establish a tradepany, I realized that ten in-game years had passed since thest test. The tradepany I raidedst time had copsed, and the wealthy individuals had fallen. The reason my buried location was overgrown with vegetation was not because the objects had changed but simply due to the passage of time. So, I came up with an idea. To im that I defeated thieves and retrieved the stolen noble treasures, trying to establish connections with the nobility. If the stolen items appeared immediately, suspicions might arise, but it had been ten years. Moreover, I looked young. The likelihood of being involved in the events of ten years ago would be low. My appearance was randomly set, thinking that even if someone witnessed the previous crime, they couldnt link it to me now. In essence, I nned to gain favor through maniption. And so, I increased trust, achievements, and financial strength. With these connections, I considered what else I could leave for the next test. Money was already good enough. I couldnt think of a use for it. So, items. Only tangible items could be carried over, and if I could obtain special items using these connections, carrying them over would give me a bonus. Among the stolen recovered noble treasures, there seemed to be special items bestowed by the king. Thanks to those achievements, I was invited to the royal castle. Honestly, I thought I was lucky at that time. The reward presented by the king was either gold or a position. Even if I received a position, it wouldnt have much meaning, but at that point, I had already received enough gold. So, I tried requesting a position. In return, they asked me to pledge loyalty to the king. Dont you think thats a kind of scam? Originally, it should be a reward, but demanding loyalty in return, whats that about? Well, once you say it, you cant take it back. At that point, I didnt understand what pledging loyalty meant. So, I nodded. And I got it. The item needed for the reincarnation into a Noble Human, the Azure Blood. The moment I received this item, I understood how to use it. ording to the king, certain items called artifacts in the game had such functions. In other words, it was a manual. And at that moment, I understood one more thing. The noble treasure I was supposed to have recovered the item that became the reason for being invited to the royal castle. That was also an artifact. And probably, the gold I was supposed to receive here was hush money. So, when demanding loyalty in exchange for a position, there must be something to silence me. I stored the Azure Blood I received in the inventory andmitted suicide on the spot before anything could happen. Although I had established a tradepany with great effort, there was no help for it now. After respawning in thepanys room, I stored all thepanys safes in my inventory before thepany was confiscated by the country and disappeared. As a bonus, before disappearing, I sneaked into the mansion of the noble who facilitated my visit to the royal castle, and I took away all the family heirlooms and wealth. Well, its a fee for the trouble.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om And then came the Open Beta, well, its already Early ess. This time was troublesome. After all, the initial spawn location was random. But I didnt need to hurry, and I moved toward the vicinity of the capital like a normal y, earning experience points along the way. I used all the money I earned on the way to prioritize movement. It was just money lying around. I reached the capital using carriages or something, in about two days. There, I collected the saved funds, used the hidden Azure Blood, and became a Noble Human. So far is the story of my reincarnation. And from here, its the story of how I became the lord of this town. Well, this part is a short story. At that time, this town was without a ruler, essentially a direct territory of the royal family. The castle was cool, and I wanted this town. Well, there was another reason, but since no one asked, I wont say it. Actually, even this time, a few years had jumped from the previous test. Upon investigation, the noble who had taken care of me at that time had fallen, and their bloodline had ended. They had shown loyalty to the royal family until the end, and somehow, the story of their downfall was passed on as a kind of heroic tale. However, losing all their wealth and ending the lineage, there was no territory to give to the fallen noble family. Thend that family had was granted to another noble. I thought I could make use of this. Noble Humans, it seems, can only be born through the marriage of Noble Humans. Offspring from mating with Humans will all be regr Humans. So, at this point, having no history of using the Azure Blood managed by the royal family and suddenly existing, I was undoubtedly from some direct noble lineage, but my true identity was unknown. The Azure Blood I once received seemed to have disappeared along with the bodies of the thieves, and in any case, there was no evidence that I had used it at this time. There was no suspicion cast upon me. So, I stepped forward. As the direct descendant of that fallen noble. The dagger with the family crest that I had was the most convincing evidence. Of course, this dagger was borrowed from the noble family for thest time, but the royal family didnt know when it was lost. So, it couldnt be linked to the theft incident at that time. There was a certain conviction that this would be the case to some extent. No matter how much trust I had in my vassals, the royal family wouldnt manage the financial situation of a family. If they did everything, it would be ufortable, and eventually, loyalty would be lost. Breaking rtionships between people is always about money. Usually. So, I was officially recognized as a revived noble. However, the former territory was now someone elses. I couldnt just snatch it away, iming it was originally mine. So, I requested the royal family. Could you please grant me one of the direct territories of the city under your jurisdiction? That was long. Sorry, I wont ask unnecessary questions anymore. But, you know, the two of you look incredibly alike the way you act haphazardly and quirky, especially. Dont you think we dont look alike? No, you do. In appearance and behavior, even in the dangerous actions. Its not something you can usually say about a creature that looks just like a human. The vector is reversed, but it has the same vibe as a cooperator. Also, that super excited face when exining is exactly the same. I thought the story might be too long, but Im d you enjoyed it. Did you listen to what I said? So, was the next story about the full-body armor okay? Dont need it. Dont need it. Then, how about the story of the Tutorial AI? More importantly, how did you guide me here? And how did you n to defeat me? Also, about that magical-resistant armor. Wait, arent you forgetting something fundamental? On purpose? What is it? Your purpose foring here! Werent you looking for the whereabouts of the royal family in Hiers? Oh, right, thats what I was doing. Well then, let me exin that next. It might be a bit long. Eh? Huh? Chapter 120: “Well then, okay” Alright, lets start by examining the methods that led Rare-chan to this ce. However, I must admit, this was a failure, to be precise. What I had been plotting was to bring cmity to this town. So, I was considering using the transportationwork around the town to spread certain information. You probably already know, but the rumor was that the Hiers Kingdom had already perished. I learned this after bing a noble. Themon understanding on this continent is that the nations symbol of importance lies in itsnd and royal family. The capital is crucial too, but only the royal family and the core of the nation are aware of that. Oh, Rare-chan might know that as well. So, if I were to tell NPC nobles that the country has fallen, they would typically think, Did we lose ournd, or did the royal family perish? For the average NPC, it wouldnt mean much. They wouldnt grasp the significance even if they were told the country had fallen; its an unprecedented situation for them. But for nobles, its different. For the nobility of Hiers, its a crucial matter affecting their future, and for nobles from other countries, its a significant diplomatic issue. And for merchants who have dealings with nobles, its a major problem that directly impacts prices and the economy. Since the currency used on this continent ismon, the general poption wont immediately feel a sense of crisis, so this rumor will likely be treated as casual gossip around the town. Nobles and merchants who understand the gravity of the situation will use every means to gather information, further spreading the rumor. It will quickly be apparent that thend is not lost yet. So, what they will be searching for is the whereabouts of the royal family. The spread rumor will soon reach the ears of the cmity because the cmity is likely paying attention to NPC rumors and information. Why do I think so? Because the cmity is also searching for the disappeared Hiers royal family. The cmity was temporarily repelled. Well, at that time, I thought it was just an event NPC, faking its death and retreating. If Rare-chan, being the yer, experienced it, she probably truly died and respawned. Ouch, fold your wings, please. I wont mention it again. Anyway, at that time, cmity tasted bitterness due to the artifact used by the yers. However, the artifact should have disappeared from the destroyed royal castle immediately after that. Along with the royal family. So, cmity is searching for the royal family. They were quite a noticeable group. Its not hard to imagine that it would be discussed in the peoples rumors. If they catch some NPC randomly, torture them a bit, and inquire, they would know right away. I spected thats what cmity might be thinking. And in the midst of this, what if a rumor like Nobles are searching for the royal family spreads among the NPCs? If someone is looking for them, it means the royal family is still alive. And its much easier to find them through humans than through the cmity, which can only search through brute force. No, when this rumor reaches cmity, those nobles who were already searching might have captured the royal family. So, where does the informatione from, and who is searching for the royal family in the first ce? In the process of tracing that, you would realize that the original content of the rumor was Hiers is destroyed. And once you notice that, you would understand that the conditions for destruction are either the loss of thend or the extinction of the royal family. However, cmity knows that neither of these has been fulfilled. So, who and why spread such a rumor? At this point, only the yers would know if the nation has truly perished. If the destruction is true, the source of the rumor, who knows about it, would be the one who annihted the royal family. If the destruction is not true, then why spread false rumors? To figure this out, think about who would hate this the most. It would be the escaped royal family. To lure them out, someone might have spread the rumor. If the royal family is still alive, they cannot ignore it. When they think about rebuilding Hiers, this rumor bes a clear obstacle. So, if they wait, someone rted to the royal family wille. Either way, for cmity, its quickest to go to the source of the rumor. Finding the source isnt a difficult task. We didnt hide it, after all. Sooner orter, they would have identified it, and they should have arrived in this town. In short, although there shouldnt be any destruction, someone is spreading rumors that it happened. Its a matter of whats going on, and I hope youre curious about it. Whether theye alone or not was a gamble for me. Cmitys goal is information, not the destruction of this town. If they invade grandly, they might escape again. Also, the failurest time was due to the artifact, and theres no fear of it being used in this town, not the capital. So, its either a solo or a small group night raid. Well, thats the n. Can I ask you a few questions?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Of course, as many as youd like. Firstly, you mentioned a failure. I mean, isnt it a sess in a way since I was lured here? Oh, that. Well, Rare-chan, you hadnt heard about NPC talk until you came to this town, right? Im more interested in that. How did you identify this town? I saw it on SNS. A coupon, really! Rare-chan, you seem a bit different today, dont you? Expressionless and speaking less. No, its because you read a post from a yer-like person who happened to be in this town, mentioning the story of its destruction. So, thats how. I see. If I hadnt instructed otherwise, it means someone under me talked without knowing. Thats why the attack came earlier than expected. Indeed, SNS has a transmission speed that cant bepared to rumors. Still, its likely just a coincidence. My n failed. But your n relied quite a bit on uncertainty and spection, didnt it? If cmity hadnt thought that far, or if NPC rumors hadnt urately spread, it could have gone south. The likelihood of nothing happening was much higher, dont you think? Well, thats true. I just wanted to utilize the cmity. It doesnt have to be this cmity; I dont know much about other cmities or creatures of that level since theres no information. Anyway, all I can do is spread rumors, and considering the cost and return, its not a loss to try. Just to be clear, I had anticipated the cmity toe after the event ended, so there was a risk of penalty. Even with that, I always kept the experience points at least 10% free. Just in case. We had increased the towns vignce regrly, but apparently, residents suddenly disappeared for a short time, so it makes sense to be cautious. Thats when you guys arrived. At first, I didnt realize, but when that ck mist-like thing disappeared, it wasnt the appearance as described on SNS, right? I thought it must be the cmity, and when I saw the familiar face, I confirmed it. Quite amusing. Got it. Next, the importance of the capital for a nation. Does it have something to do with the activation conditions of certain artifacts? Yes, it does. By the way, I didnt mention something earlier, although you didnt ask. Its a service. Another reason I wanted this town. This town was the former capital of a once-prosperous nation. You might know this, but the king who ruled at that time was a person called the Spirit Lord. The artifacts I mentioned earlier were apparently created by him. One of the activation conditions is being within the territory of the capital. So, I thought I could use it in this town. Well, I didnt have that artifact myself. By the way, through subsequent investigation, I found out that the curse embedded in that artifact, most likely resentment towards the royal family in theter generations, causes it to activate. Hence, it only activates in the capital ruled by the six current royal families. This town had no relevance. It was quite a challenge to uncover this fact. Probably, only the royal families of each country would know. Its a secret how I found out. Not that its essential. For the Spirit Lord, the tragedy was probably that the cursed item he created with hisst power turned into an artifact because it was of too high quality. Since touching it reveals how to use it, these items have ironically be safeguards for the authority and safety of the current royal families of various countries. Due to such reasons, its possible that in the Hiers capital, where the royal family is now extinct, the activation condition might not be met anymore. This needs verification. If youre interested. I wont allow that. Alright, next. Probably, its all pointing to the same thing, so Ill summarize. First, when the Hiers capital was destroyed, there shouldnt have been any royal family or artifacts, as you mentioned. How did you know that? Also, where is the royal family now? And about the artifact, I said I didnt have it, but do I have it now? Well, yeah. Its all rted to the same thing. I ordered my subordinates to eliminate the Hiers royal family and obtain the artifact. Its currently stored in the treasure vault of this castle. Originally, I nned to have it prepared here, but it doesnt activate here. Initially, when I arranged the rumor, I intended to use the artifact. Butter, I found out it wouldnt activate here. If it had, I might have made Rare-chan mine by now. To [Subordinate] yers, their consent is necessary, so its absolutely impossible. But when I mentioned giving orders to my subordinates, considering the timeline, it wouldnt have been possible to kill the royal family and spread rumors unless I had set things in motion around the time I attacked Hiers. In other words, when Hiers capital was attacked, I was already convinced of the royal familys exile. However, since the suggestion for the royal familys exile came from NPC Chancellor OConnell, it shouldnt have been predictable. OConnell Chancellor? Whos that? The reason the Hiers royal family went into exile was because the Chancellor advised them to do so. I heard it from the person himself. Huh, is there a chancellor who suggests exile to their own countrys leader? Thats an outrageous way of thinking. Needs to be cautious. Ive taken care of him, so hes no longer around. Is that so? Well, thats good. What should I do? This doesnt directly rte to the recent series of events, and its rted to other things too. It feels like Im providing too much information, but well, if Rare-chan has one request, Ill answer. Okay then. Hey! Lets at least hear what the request is! If its nothing major, we can consider doing it! Whats the request? Send me Rare-chans friend card. Ill give you mine. I remember that you can register as friends with that. Okay. Wait, wait, wait! Thats fine! Just give it to her! Im curious now after hearing all this! Here it is. Oh, thank you. nc-chan does a good job. Now then, the royal familys exile. It was unexpected that the Chancellor suggested it, but it was a reasonably urate guess that the royal family would choose the option of exile. In the first ce, there was only one country on this continent in the past. Even the official site doesnt mention this fact, and most NPCs dont know it. Currently, there are six existing countries, but there has never been a war or the destruction of a country. So, the idea of exile would never ur to them. Since I became a noble, I focused onmercial policies and diplomacy. As part of that, I had connections with the Hiers royal family and those closely rted to it. So, I had a fair number of opportunities to talk. I proposed to the royal family that if things ever got tough, they could escape to my city. This town is far from the domain of monsters, and being the former capital of a unified nation, its roughly in the center of the continent. Its an easy location to escape to from any country. This continent rarely sees conflicts between human factions, so there would be no suspicion. Well, the rise in favorability due to good looks might have yed a part. Additionally, there was thatmotion about the birth of humanitys enemy. Wasnt that about Rare-chan? If the royal family ever despairs about the kingdoms future, they would surely remember me. Thats what I thought. So, I sent out the knight order. I had them kill everyone if found, snatch the artifact, and bring it back, given the order. Are you a demon or something? Well. Why did you suggest exile in the first ce? Because you wanted the artifact? Also, did you tell this to royal families other than Hiers? I did suggest exile to the Hiers royal family mainly because I wanted the artifact. It cant be made with current technology. Even if it doesnt activate in this city, it wouldnt hurt to have it. And maybe, when the bloodline of that royal family bes extinct, iming to be a descendant of the royal family because of the possession of the artifact mighte in handy. Well, this became difficult after the official site recognized national destruction once all the royals were dead. I did mention the exile idea to other royal families. Theyughed it off, though. The knights of this country are somewhat stronger than Hiers knights. So, even if the Hiers royal family was in danger, suggesting to shelter them in this city was persuasive. But for the royal family of this country, my knight order, while having quality, doesnt surpass the capitals in terms of strength. So, the proposal was meaningless. I didnt mention it because I knew that. Beingughed at by royal families of other countries Thats maybe its not the right time to bring it up. Itll be for a separate fee. Chapter 121: “Idiot” Then, I wonder how were you nning to defeat Rare-chan next? Right. Ever since encountering the person who seemed to be Rares older sister, Rares behavior had been a bit strange. Her expressions were more subdued than usual, and she spoke less. It was as if she was suppressing her emotions, keeping them from showing. Hey, are you okay? Is something bothering you? Im fine. Nothings changed. Well, as for how I nned to defeat the Cmity, to be honest, I hadnt thought much about it. I just thought I could win. The details of the battle were in that Cmity subjugation thread on the forum. From that, it was clear that using artifacts would be effective in dealing damage, especially when the Cmity was immobilized by [Fear]. Ive invested quite a bit in [Mental Magic] and MND, and while I dont know how skilled that MentaList yer is, I was confident that I had a significant lead in terms of acquired experience among yers. So, I thought it would probably work. Well, in reality, the Cmity turned out to be Rare-chan, so I had no choice but to yield the top yer position to her. Lyra said this, but she was actually much stronger than the knights. Even in nc, it was hard to understand what she was doing. At that hill of rubble, she instantly killed the old man who had tried to kill nc and fought Rare head-on, and yet she was now casually talking about it, demonstrating abnormal strength. So, it might not be entirely urate to say my estimate was too optimistic. If that artifact or some other factor had been activated, the oue could have been reversed. Now, about the armor. Its actually an item with a history. Its said to have been worn by the noblespossibly the current royal familywhen they defeated the Spirit Lord in the past, to protect themselves from the magic he unleashed. I dont know if its true. However, it does have magical resistance, so I collected it with money. If it really was worn by the royal family, they wouldnt easily part with it. Probably a replica, but it wasnt among the possessions of the Hiers royal family I took care of. If its not in Rare-chans treasure trove either, this story might be a lie, or the armor might be genuine. Except for the one I wore, all the others were scrapped. With this, have I asked everything I wanted to know? Ive covered the initial n and resolved the newly emerged mysteries. Theres no longer that lingering sense of unease. Unfortunately, I couldnt be of much help to Rare, but there might be another chance. Now, we could engage in small talk. It seems like Rare has something else she wants to ask aside from the game. Well, since my business is done. Huh? Youre leaving already? Dont you want to talk more? Arent you like an older sister? Im just a stranger. It doesnt concern me. She said it with a straight face. Rares wings were restlessly fluttering. Looking at Lyra, she had an expression that could be described as troubled or resigned, or it was hard to say exactly. Whatever emotion it was, one thing was clearanyone who witnessed it would feel a pang of sadness. With the same face as Rare, such an expression made ncs chest tighten. No, you cant. Its not like that. nc? Dont leave. Werent both of you really surprised just now? Its been a while since you met, right? I dont know about your family circumstances, so I cant say much But if you part ways here, who knows when youll see each other again? Shouldnt you talk more? Rare-chan, your way of talking is a bit unique, not very girly. Cute, though. But maybe its because of your sisters influence? Its just like hers. I could tell right away. The tart your sister baked was delicious. Its Rare-chans favorite, right? She couldnt have known you wereing today, so did she bake it every day? Baking tarts every day, even in the game, just for Rare-chan Um, can you please stop? Ill die of embarrassment. Seriously. Lyra covered her face with both hands. But pulling back here might prevent these sisters from reconciling. Its not like we cant meet again. Weve added each other as friends. Ah! By the way, thats right. If anything, nc and Lyra are also doing it. Even if they part ways here, if they both feel like it, nc can set it up and arrange for them to meet. Upon reflecting a bit, I might have interfered too much in someone elses family matters. nc is not very ustomed to having friends, so while she can engage in normal conversations with her abundant knowledge, mainly fromics, shes unsure how far she should delve into such situations. Maybe I went too far after all. Um, sorry for saying unnecessary things. But Its okay. I understand. Lets talk a bit. Well, I was nning to add you to my friend list. nc Ah, I can go home alone! I have [Summon]! So, Ill head back first! [Summon Caster]! You idiot Summon? Is there something with Summon? Are you going home? Ah- Her field of vision darkened, and when it opened again, it was the Lords mansion in Erntal. In front of me, a monster like a king of beetles and a deer were drinking tea. It seemed Azalea was serving. Since she targeted Azalea, it was natural for her to be in the room. Wee back, Lady nc. And, where is Her Majesty? Oh, Rare-chan is, um, a little, uh, what should I say Shes talking with someone she became friends with over there. Is that so? Well, unlike the outbound journey, the return journey is instantaneous. If youre with a friend, theres no need to worry. I see. Theres a slight sense of guilt. Well, given the situation, Rare might not do anything indiscreet, but I hope shes managing to cover for us. Still, I didnt want the two of them to talk just for that reason. Well, forget it. We cant do anything about whats already done, so lets wait for her toe back. By the way, whats the name of that stag beetle over there? It doesnt have a specific name. If you think of it in terms of Lady nc, its on par with those three Spartoi aside from them. The race name is, I believe, Queen Beetle. The stag beetle nodded with its entire body. Oh, I see, because it doesnt have a head Even though its called a Queen Beetle, why does it have such impressive jaws? Queen Beetle-san helps defend this city. How was it during the day? Did yers or anyone elsee? They dide. About the same as yesterday. The huge beetle that Queen Beetle-sama created was split in half, just like yesterday. Magenta, thats elegant tea drinking. I thought she was cheekily sitting there drinking tea, but it seems the serving duties are rotated. Queen Beetle is extremely tough, and it seems that things like iron arepletely ineffective against it. On the other hand, it seems weak to Fire Magic and Ice Magic. It was easily defeated by parties with magic users. Conversely, it seems challenging for parties with mainly swordsman sses to clear. Thats amazing! Being weak to magic is a concern, but being strong against swordsman is reliable. Let Queen Beetle take care of the front, and Spartoi can handle the back. Theres also the option of unleashing zombies. For the front, zombies arent much of a threat, but for the back, arge number of zombies can be troublesome. nc knows that well. You need not worry about that here. So, how was the journey with two female friends? Did you achieve your goals?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Goals, huh! We did! First, we found out what happened to the escaped royal family from Hiers Royal Capital. Also, the whereabouts of the artifact that royal family had. So, you could say we achieved the goal of the journey. There were things I didnt quite understand, but we also obtained various new information. Probably. In exchange, some information was unintentionally leaked. Mostly due to ncs mistake. Thats very good. Im sure Her Majesty was delighted. Yeah, I hope so. Chapter 122: “And then I thought, ‘This is it!’” I dont know what Rare-chan and Lyra-san talked about when they were alone after that. But from the look on Rares face when she came back, I am sure that my actions at that time were not wrong. * I think its a good thing, really. Im d, truly. Rare-chan seems to be enjoying herself every day. She chats with Lyra-san a lot, and sometimes they even have tea parties at the castle. nc, who had recently acquired the skill [Flight], was using it to overlook the capital of the country called Aural from above. The long event was now down to thest two days, today and tomorrow. nc, who had allocated a significant amount of experience points to skills rted to [Flight], [Summoning] and [Training], had be a [Greater Vampire], oveing sunlightpletely. The country Aural is known for having more knightspared to other nations, and they are said to be quite formidable. Although in the recent battle, Rare didnt seem to cause much damage, it was because the knights she faced were mainly stationed in the inner regions. The knights responsible for guarding the capital and those deployed to the border areas were much stronger. The ability to nurture such knights is crucial for nobles to climb the socialdder in this country. The yers, however, have plenty to do in this nation. The monsters inhabiting this country are rtively strongpared to those in other countries, and the territories of these monsters are vast, or rather, deep. If you divide the territories, the deeper you go, the higher the threat level of the monsters, bing more powerful. The monsters on the outskirts might not pose much of a threat, but asionally, powerful monsters from the depths may appear. To protect the city from such threats, they emphasize the training of knights. In terms of the game, it could be considered a nation for intermediate to advanced yers. nc, from above, witnessed knights shing swords in the city. It wasnt some festival or event; they were earnestly fighting. However, their opponents were fellow knights. Human knights were in conflict with each other. Most of them were wearing full-body armor, making it hard to tell, but they were probably humans. Like Hiers, this country also had a majority of human residents. This was mentioned in the official sites description. While the site didnt specify the royal familys race, it was probably to hide the fact that they were a superior race like Noble Human. Rare and Lyra had mentioned this. The fighting knights were divided into two groups: those heading towards the royal castle and those trying to stop them. Needless to say, the knights attacking the royal castle were Rares subordinates. The city that Lyra ruled was Hugelcup, located north of Aural, but it was one of Aurals cities. In other words, this was a coup. Its good that theyve reconciled, but its a bit of a mess now. Originally, the two were probably close sisters. From Lyras attitude, it seemed like she couldnt help but find Rare adorable, and Rare wouldnt talk in such a manner if she really hated Lyra. So, reconciling would naturally lead to wanting to cooperate in the gamey. Originally, Rare only had nc as a friend, and Lyra in particr was a friend only through Rare. ording to them, Lyras unique ystyle made others think she was an NPC, although it seemed she wasnt intentionally trying to deceive them. ording to Lyra, the reason she initially sought powerful forces like the Cmity was to incite a coup. The motives were nothing significantshe just wanted artifacts, or perhaps she had some grudge against the royal family and wanted to pay them back 100 times. But practically speaking, overturning a nation by ying normally was not easy. Assassinating the king might be possible by using business or positions to get close, but eliminating all members of the royal family in this way was extremely difficult. Then the event boss, the Cmity that destroyed Hiers royal capital, appeared. Thanks to Lyras information, the royal family escaped, but if Lyra and the so-called prime minister werent there, they would have been eradicated along with Hiers. So, Lyra thought about it. If she could somehow control the Cmity she might be able to overthrow Aural as well. The recent incident was triggered by such an idea. However, now that she thought about it, there was no need to forcibly control the power of the cmity if she wanted to use it. If the cmity was just a monster, it would be difficult, but if it was a yer with whom she couldmunicate, especially a few friends like Rare and nc, now in a resolved rtionship, negotiation for cooperation could be attempted. Moreover, as a yer, Lyra knew that revealing the cmitys power unnecessarily was not desirable. If she could use it without exposing it as a monster, it would be better. While controlling cmity as a monster would have required overwhelming numbers and power, if it was a yer, especially a few friends, and the long-standing resentment between them was resolved, the cooperation would be smoother. But the result of reconciling is this chaos. The knights objective was the chaos in the city, and the knights invading the royal castle were only doing so to apply pressure. There was a considerable numerical difference between the knights of the royal capital and Lyras knights. They couldnt win in a head-on confrontation, and the geographical advantage was probably on the royal capitals side. The fact that they could maintain the chaos was because the knights of the royal capital were also dispatched to the border areas during the event period. Lyras city was also located in the inner part, and they had considered such a situation, but it was canceled due to the turmoil in Hiers. Currently, Lyra, as a yer, knew that the chaos in the border area wouldst only until tomorrow. However, this wasnt known to the leaders of the royal capital. They were likely still preparing to send reinforcements based on the situation, considering the ongoing battle. Lyra, who was a yer, could go deep into the castle. Once she got as close to the king as possible, she would summon the attacking force of Rares adopted tiger cubs. If that happened, all that remained was for Rare and Lyra to secretly cooperate and deal with the royal family inside the castle. No one ising out of the castle. Did they manage to hunt them all down? I wanted to do some work too. Master. Azalea appeared. I have taken care of those presumed to be princes. Eh, when did that happen? On the north side of the castle, likely the passage for transporting goods, a shabby carriage and knights escorting it emerged. It seemed that there were two young men in luxurious clothing and what seemed to be attendants. I took care of them all for the time being. nc sympathized with the princes who were killed without ceremony, but considering the nature of the n, there was no choice.N?v(el)B\\jnn Well, I wanted to make a contribution too. Well, if thats the case, it cant be helped. Okay, understood. Good job. Lyra-sama mentioned that there might be a princess left, right? The king and queen should meet with Lyra-sama soon. Thats right. Lets continue searching for the princess and remain on guard. Since theres only the princess left, if you find her, dont kill her immediately; inform me. Lyra told me to kill her if she tries to escape, but in the n, it was mentioned that one of the children should be used for something. Understood. Chapter 123: “Aural Revolution” After throwing all the items in the treasury into her inventory, Rare walked out into the hallway with a satisfied look on her face. Since a magical key was ced on the door leading to the floor where the treasure vault is located, it cannot be opened. This applies whether its from the inside or outside. However, once you enter this floor, the doors inside dont seem to have significant security measures. The separation between items appraised and those not appraised probably serves only a ssification purpose. Thanks to leaving Kenzaki here, there was no difficulty in intrusion. It seems that magical keys dont have a barrier-like effect on the entire space. The next challenge is to escape from this floor, but if entry is possible, escape should be easy. In advance, Lyra has rare minions patrolling. Kerry and the others have finished their job in the city of Connaitre. Although this country is predominantly human, its not entirely devoid of beast people. Knights are extremely rare, but not nonexistent. Besides, since they usually cover themselves entirely in armor, their original race is not apparent. Rare gripped Kenzaki and activated [Camouge] to hide her presence and cast [Summon]. They arrived in a spacious area with a luxurious red carpetid out. Seems like an audience chamber. [Camouge] doesntpletely hide the effects, and some people are looking in their direction. But since nothing came out of the gate, their attention quickly returned to Lyra. I thought you had summoned knights or something, but it seems to have failed. A man sitting in the center of the audience chamber, looking like a king, spoke with contempt. From the situation, he seems to be the king. Knights stand at all entrances of the audience chamber, swords drawn, guarding the outside. About four nobles or royals are seated in the center of the room, surrounded by knights with drawn swords. The corpses on the floor are likely those who resisted. Considering the timing of the official site update and Lyra eliminating the royal family, its clear that the nation of Hiers has ceased to exist. ording to the official information, the royal family of Hiers has been proven to bepletely wiped out. However, its unlikely that only those directly rted to the royal family hold the rights to the throne. Lyra and Rare specte that it might be individuals recognized by the country as having the right to inherit the throne, regardless of blood lineage. If they manage to eliminate everyone with the right to inherit the throne of Aural, the coup should beplete. Initially, Lyra had no reason topletely exterminate the royal family. However, even if they only defeat the king, they might be pursued by his children, lineage, or the country itself. In that case, its simpler to take over the entire country and deal with anyone whoes after them. If they are attacked by hidden childrenter, the other party would be the criminal. If they can handle it openly, its just an opportunity for experience points for Lyra. At first, Lyra didnt n to act so quickly, so she hadnt nned anything. However, if Rare, the cmity, fully cooperates, it changes the situation. In reality, Rare has more cards in hand than Lyra anticipated. Lets see, I think theres the first prince, second prince, and the first princess left. Prime minister, anyone else? But the man who seems to be the prime minister doesnt answer. To be honest, Rare doesnt know which one is the prime minister. No one is willing to speak. It cant be helped. [Charm]. However, theres no change. Lyra raised her eyebrows ufortably. It wont work. My goodness, my [Mental Magic] is not working at all these days. You cant get through, you pervert. We are the rulers of a country. It is only natural that we should be the first to train our minds. We cant run a nation if our minds are under someone elses control. The experience points gained from knights are likely redistributed to the knights, and the rest is probably allocated to MND for mental magic resistance or VIT for poison resistance. < What should I do? If we show Rares appearance, well have to deal with all four here.> Initially, Lyra nned to kill all members of the royal family. However, in that case, like Hiers, Aural might officially be judged as destroyed. After all, the original royal family is no longer present. To minimize the perception of weakness, keep only one member of the royal family alive and [Subordinate] that character. By doing this, prevent Aural from disappearing from the official site and make the coup appear scenario-wise harmonious to the yers. If they want to emphasize a change in power through the coup, its preferable to control a royal who is not the current king, perhaps a direct child.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Make either the prince or princess a subordinate of Lyra, let that person inherit the throne, andplete the transfer of power. Present this coup as initiated by true knights and nobles responding to the aspirations of young royal family members who cared for the country. Since shes a noble, it would be preferable to make the most of her position. [Charm]. She aimed for the king, but there was no change. Its impressive that the king, who is resisting Rares [Mental Magic] as the Demon Lord, doesnt even notice being charmed. She canceled [Camouge]. To attract as little attention as possible, she wrapped all her wings around her body. The sudden appearance of the pure white being caused amotion among the four. !? What, who are you! Hugelcups Lord and the same face!? Oh, a demon? Does Lord Hugelcup have a connection with monsters!? Without wings, Rare apparently looks like a demon. Are there monsters called demons on this continent? It cant be goblins, at least. If thats the case, this man, whether hes the prime minister or a minister, is unforgivable. Well, whatever. Lets finish the job first. [Stupefy]. [Charm]. Even though she took the risk of revealing herself, failure is not an option. She prepared for it with [Stupefy] just in case. It worked. There was a strong conviction. The man who seems to be the king is looking at Rare with a dazed and cloudy gaze. Your Majesty? Your Majesty! The queen next to him shakes the king, but there is no change. Such a level of [Charm] wont break. Answer Lyras question. Approaching the king, Rare whispered in his ear. Can we talk calmly now? Well, Your Majesty. Please tell me who holds the right to the throne of this country. Queen Augusta, the first prince Gunther, the second prince Rudolf, and the first princess Cecilia. Huh, the queen also has the right? The queen is my cousin, thats why. With only Kerry here, the other three are probably cooperating with Lyras knights, searching inside the castle. She sends a friend chat. However, she cant give orders to Lyras knights, and if they go outside, nc and her mormos will probably kill them. It would be troublesome if that happens, but thats it. Rare is just ying around, cooperating with Lyra. As Lyra said earlier, its about the moment when it happens. This kind of, what should I call it, carefree gamey or an outlook from a higher perspective, where everything is fine no matter how it rolls, has a strange sense of pleasure and ease. This is what Rare originally wanted for her enjoyable gamey. The current Rare can be considered an enjoy-yer. Well then, lets see. We probably dont need the prime minister and the minister of agriculture anymore, right? When Lyra signals, the four knights move, and they take the two old men to a separate room. They will probably take care of them there. Rare might do it on the spot, but perhaps they are considering the queens mental state. Her husbands mind is being manipted, and the future for her children is not bright. Moreover, her retainers are dying in front of her. She might act recklessly. Excuse me. The knight opened the door to the audience chamber, and Riley entered with a woman dressed like a maid. Oh? Wee back, um, Riley, was it? And the girl dressed as a maid, but Princess Cecilia? Yes, she is presumed to be the princess. It seems she exchanged clothes with a maid. Lyra was surprised at Rileys response. I see. You didnt recognize her by her face. I didnt, but the hands of the woman wearing the princesss clothes were rough. And this girls hands are still clean. Just in case, I brought the maid as well. Behind them, one of Lyras knights was bringing a woman dressed as the princess. Lyra-sama! Why would you do such a thing! The princess in the maid outfit suddenly tried to run towards Lyra. However, Riley grabbed her arm, preventing her from doing so. Princess Cecilia, I didnt want to do something like this. But there was no other choice! Lyra looked down, rubbed her face with the back of her hand, pretending to wipe away tears. I have long rmended to other royal families to take refuge in our castle in case of exile. Unfortunately, King Hiers, who is here, heard about it and, unbelievably, ordered me to assassinate the Hiers royal family who had fled and seize the artifact they possessed! This Princess Cecilia sees only Lyra in her eyes. Rare, having disappeared with [Camouge], whispered into the kings ear, still under the influence of [Charm]. Ah. Wrong, not here. ! The queen tried to say something, but it was canceled with [Stupefy]. Father Why? Rare whispered something usible to the kings ear. Yeah the Hiers royal family are pigs. Such beings are nothing more than livestock in our country. Killing them whats wrong about it? In reality, Rare never had the chance to meet the Hiers royal family and had to part ways with them forever. She has no idea what kind of people they were. How awful The princess broke down in tears. Since Riley was still holding her arm, she looked like an alien being held by one arm. Lyra slowly approached and knelt in front of the princess. Princess Cecilia, I stood up for righteousness. I cannot allow such barbarism to go unchecked. Your Highness, would you please be the queen of this country in ce of His Majesty? If you do this, then this Lyra shall give my allegiance to you, your highness. Yes, like this. [Subordinate]. For a moment, all the strength drained from the princesss body, but she quickly stood up. Of course. Lyra-sama. I will defeat my father and rule this country under Lyra-sama. < Was this little act necessary?> Is that how it works? Certainly, it was proven during the battle with Sieg that eliminating resistance during [Subordinate] by defeating inbat works. [Mental Magic] induces mental abnormality, so if they are already in that state, there may be no need to cast it deliberately. However, in Rares opinion, it is overwhelmingly faster to cast [Stupefy] or [Control]. Well then, I guess thats enough. She canceled [Camouge] and spoke directly. Since only Rare and Lyra have the ability to use friend chat among those present in this ce,munication is difficult without speaking out loud. Who are you! Oh, right, the queen is still here. She probably understands that this entire farce is orchestrated by Lyra and the mysterious creature Rare. Oh, what should I do Why not just enve all the royal family already? They probably have their own knight order and attendants. It would likely significantly increase our fighting strength. Well, the thing is, [Subordinate] on Noble Humans doesnte with bonuses. Also, the cost is heavy, so its tough to continue doing it today Bonuses? Cost? What are you talking about? Eh? ording to Lyras exnation: In the Noble Human race tree, the [Subordinate] skill that can be acquired has a bonus effect on the sess rate for enving lower-ranking races close to the caster, in this case, Humans. The cost of activating [Subordinate] involves consuming LP and MP. However, the consumption amount varies depending on the rank of the sessfully enved target. Its not much of an issue for races like Humans, but as the distance to the target race increases, the cost bes heavier. I thought it would be fine for Noble Humans since they are close, but the LP taken by the current princesss [Subordinate] is over 20%. It seems the proximity of higher-ranked races doesnt affect it. So, giving it to the two of them right away carries a high risk. If thats how the system works. However, upon further thought, ncs [Subordinate] had a constraint where all subordinates turned into undead. In other words, even if they share the same name [Subordinate] skill, each might have subtly different effects. The reason for having the same skill name despite different effects is mostly imaginable. As seen in Rares [Horns], there might be skills or features that grant bonuses to [Subordinate]. It seems they are bundled together to enhance or resist various aspects. I see, Ive learned something. Thank you. No, its not thank you. Huh? Is Rare-chans [Subordinate] simr? Or is it really different? Tell me. Thank you, big sister! Ugh! N-no, I wont be fooled. Tell me! However, when she checked the [Subordinate] skill unlocked upon bing a High Elf, there were no bonuses when targeting Elves, just as Lyra mentioned. However, as Lyra said, the cost was heavy. If there were drawbacks simr to Lyras, then the disyed cost should be a basic value, and it might increase depending on the target. Compared to Rares [Subordinate], Lyras [Subordinate], and ncs [Subordinate], the High Elfs seemed to have significant drawbacks, no apparent benefits, and was challenging to use. Perhaps High Elves were not suited for increasing subordinates. Upon further consideration, Rare reincarnated as a High Elf when she brought the World Tree under control. It was strange that bing a High Elf unlocked [Subordinate]. Normally, it would be impossible to reincarnate as a High Elf through regr means. Did High Elves have special items like the Blue Blood in Noble Humans? Are you listening? If you help me, I can tell you. Well, it depends on the content. One is to conquer this continent. Wipe out all human race nations and expand the territory of monsters. It would be better if all those territories were under my control. Ah, you can consider this country already conquered. I wont guarantee sess, but helping with that is fine. Anyway, for me, Ill probably be ying in that direction from now on. Theres another thing, right? Whats next? How many are there? There are two. She intended to say that, but she hesitated whether to reveal it or not. Another one is to search for a specific yer. I know the names of some, but Ah! The guys who killed Rare-chan! Yeah, I know them too. Saw it on the celebration thread. Ouch! This was why she didnt want to say it. But if she already knew, it would make things easier. Then, Rare exined the current specifications of the [Subordinate] she was using and also how to acquire it. However, acquiring it would deplete Lyras reserved experience points, and Lyra strongly objected. But, in reality, there was not much time left. During the exnation, a message from nc came. Lyras knight order was on the verge of being wiped out. They had challenged the knight order defending the capital of a kingdom with just the private soldiers of a local lord. Although the main goal was the chaos in the city, it couldnt be prolonged for long. The two princes seemed to be dealt with, so if they could somehow manage the king and queen, the mission would bepleted. Once they were taken care of, some of the knights on the kingdoms side fighting outside would likely fall as well. However, it also meant a decline in the overall military power of Aural. If Lyra were to y with this country in the future, weakening it too much would be undesirable. Rare found it troublesome, forced Lyra to drink Life Potions and Mana Potions, and insisted on using [Subordinate]. Even if Rare were to use it herself, it would onlyplicate matters. Oh, thats right. Tell nc to confirm the faces of the two princes they dealt with. Since the princess was in disguise, the princes might have done the same. Yeah, Ill let him know. But more importantly, about what you mentioned earlier. If there are such restrictions on Lyras [Subordinate], then you probably had no idea how much [Subordinating] the Cmity itself would demand in terms of cost, right? What were you nning to do? Guh, I had nned to research more about methods to increase the sess rate or reduce the cost. But Rare-chan came too early Even if the cost was there, if Rare could beat her to a pulp, sess might have been possible. If Rare were an NPC, that is. Anyway, now the current king, queen, and the next queen are in Lyras hands. As for the scenario, the princess, in order to judge the current kings atrocities C killing the Hiers royal family and seizing the artifact C led loyal nobles in a coup, usurping the throne. The current king and queen would be imprisoned somewhere, and their knight order would be utilized under the new queen as a form of atonement. Alternatively, they could im that the whereabouts of the artifact stolen from Hiers are unknown, and they are currently torturing them to reveal its location. All that remains is for the new queen to officially apologize to the deceased Hiers royal family. Since the sun is already setting, this will probably be done tomorrow. It was unexpected that the conclusion of the lengthy event would be a deration of a change in the neighboring countrys regime. Chapter 124: “Sisters” How have you been? Youd know if you looked. No, thats just an avatar in the game. Well, its been decent.N?v(el)B\\jnn Did you feel lonely without me? Not really. I tried not to think about it too much. I see Wont you ask about Mother or Grandmother? If theyre doing well? Yeah, I have. Ive met them. What!? Why!? Why? Well, theyre family. Its normal to meet asionally. I dont mean that! Then what? Thats fine already. Oh, you meant Youve even met mother, so howe you didnte to see me? I said thats enough! Because, it seemed like you were angry about something? Oh, not now, I mean when I decided to pursue my studies. I wasnt angry. Just disappointed. Because I said I wouldnt inherit? Or because Grandmother approved of that decision? You have more talent than me, . Ive never won against you even once. And y you chose not to inherit and went off to some university. I might have been stronger back then. But now, youre probably stronger, . I dont understand talent, but if is stronger now, then was probably more suited to be the heir in the first ce. Its not like I ran away. I did what I wanted to do. Isnt that so? If we had trained simrly, I might have been able to beat you Thats not possible. We cant train the same way. Everyone has things they can and cannot do. I cant train the same way you can. I knew that from the beginning. But I can do things without training. So, I always had the idea in mind, that would surpass me someday. So, you backed off? I didnt back off. It was a rational decision. I dont know why Im strong. Ive been able to do things from the start. But youre different, . At first, you always lost to me, but now, even Grandmother cant beat you, right? , you trained every day and became strong. If you are stronger now, then you were more suitable to be the heir. Its not like I ran away; I did what I wanted to do. Then, is it also a rational decision that Grandmother didnt say anything when you left? I dont know exactly what Grandmother was thinking. Well, that might be part of it. But more likely, you seemed to enjoy training. Seeing that, Grandmother probably felt that , who enjoys training, is more suited to be the sessor than me, who isnt suited to teaching others. I knew from an early stage that Im not good at teaching. I was told that back in middle school. You wont get anywhere if you dont think more before you act. I couldnt figure it out even if I thought about it, so I stopped thinking. I wasnt training because I enjoyed it. Is that so? It seemed enjoyable from my perspective. You always cried when you lost to me, but thats part of training! Close your wings! So, Grandmother and Mother approved of you going to some university? Thats right. I cant afford tuition and living expenses. Do I look like the type who can work and study at the same time? Then, youre really attending university? Yeah, what do you think? I thought you had just abandoned everything. I wouldnt do that. Why would I run away from everything? Come on, dont cry. Im not crying! I know. Its just that tears seem toe for some reason. Come on, let it out. But suddenly saying youre leaving home and going to university It wasnt sudden. We talked about it properly. You just werent listening properly. Probably talked about it even when you were around. Maybe not, though. I wasnt listening. Maybe you just didnt want to hear it? Well, discussions about future ns dont usually involve younger siblings. If Grandmother and Mother didnt say anything, maybe they didnt want you to know, or maybe they didnt want to tell you. I can never beat , and suddenly Grandmother says youre the sessor, so I thought you were running away, pushing the heir position on me because doesnt want it. Oh, I see. Well, I didnt run away because I hated being the heir. If you asked me if I wanted to do it, Id probably say it doesnt suit me much, but if you really hated it, I would probably do it. But seemed to enjoy training, and Grandmother probably thought that , who enjoyed training, was more suitable than me, who isnt good at it. Mom doesnt say anything, but she gets mad when I leave burdock root. You still cant eat it? How old are you now? Age doesnt matter. Grandmother leaves it too. How old are you now? I dont have anyone toin to anymore. Oh Im sorry. But, you know, earlier I mentioned you seemed angry when I left home, and I feel hesitant to contact you. From what I hear about you from Mom and Grandma, you seem settled, so I thought it was fine. Sometimes, I receive data of you in casual clothes or training attire What!? Surprised you! Its s data. That stern-looking one. Always had that expression. It seems like not so much now, though. Its just a game, right? Delete it! Isnt that weird!? Huh? No way. Its currently set as the start screen for the VR module. I cant take it anymore! Oh,e on, dont cry. Im not crying! Forget it. More importantly, what is it that you want to do? What do you mean? You said it earlier. That you didnt run away but did what you wanted to do. Oh Yeah. seems to enjoy training so much. I always thought I didnt have anything like that. I dont need to practice things I can do from the start, and I dont enjoy things that require practice Or rather, I cant find joy in practicing. So, I was a bit envious. I wanted something like that too. Thats why, now I think the most enjoyable thing for me is observing . Isnt it strange? Ive been thinking about observing, even if I dont be the family head. Ive been considering ways to continue observing, and that led me to research the application of VR technology for rehabilitation. If we can use this effectively,bining it with the VR training were focusing on now, maybe we can achieve a synergistic effect. I never liked moving my body, but I always enjoyed watching others move. I thought of pursuing a qualification like a physical therapist, so I enrolled in the medical schools health science department. I thought you were crazy at first, but surprisingly, you seem quite sane after all. So, did you leave home because of this? If youre majoring in rehabilitation, there would be practical training, and you cant do all your studies through VRmuting, right? No, its withinmuting distance from home. Whats going on!? Im regretting it now. I left home because it was a bit awkward with . Well, I was young, or rather, Im still young. What is this? Well, it was a shock for me. Suddenly bing distant. She used to stick to me all the time. I thought I could live alone and peacefully leave home, feeling awkward but still okay. I never thought she would feel that way Because even if I ask Mother or Grandmother, they just say, Shes going through that phase. Forget about it. Theyve misunderstood me. They think Im manifesting something typical of adolescence Is that what it meant? If you suddenly decide to live on your own so close to home, of course, theyd think that. I thought I couldnt see you anymore. What was it all about Well, um, so is it okay now? Youre not angry anymore? As long as you didnt leave me behind, its fine. I didnt leave you behind or anything. The heir was always going to be . I thought you already knew, so I just decided on my path normally. I didnt know! I only found out when you mentioned going to university! So ugh. Here, take this tissue. I see. So, are you not angry anymore? Can Ie home? Even if you ask me, isnt it up to you? If you left on your own, you coulde back on your own. Besides, if youre doing fine living alone, isnt that enough? Well, thetest full-option VR module maintenance costs quite a bit. Its not something a student living alone should have. So, I needed to go home to get some money asionally. Did you observe the family at that time! Unbelievable! I cut back on food expenses and used the money for electricity and such. You baked and ate tarts every day in the game, didnt you? They taste good, but they wont fill your stomach! Are you paying rent properly!? No, Im being taken care of by a distant rtive, so rent and such probablye from home The worst! So, youreing back asking for more money from the family even after leaving like that!? What kind of nerve is that! Yeah, thats why its tough Its your own doing! Well, I cant say anything; Im just living in my parents house, eating their food, and ying around. But youre an assistant instructor, right? If youre teaching disciples, thats already a decent job, isnt it? Oh, thats nothing special. Its not nothing. The chance to be directly instructed by has an incredible sess rate. Grandmother mentioned that is quite popr. I didnt hear about that. Because youre stronger than the instructor, right? Or rather, stronger than the family head? Youre just an assistant because of your age, right? Well thats true, but Ive never beaten Grandma. Actually, I cant beat her. Whats with that olddy. Just so you know. Whats with that sister? Anyway, as long as youre capable of living, theres nothing to be ashamed of for you, . I had no idea. I never received any sry, not even pocket money. But I guess thats why she buys everything for metely Well, with that said, if isnt angry, Ill go back. Sure, but theres no room now. No room!? Why!? Mother cleaned it up. And also, she thought you wouldnte back since and I feel awkward. Isnt that harsh? Is it? Isnt it more human to leave on my own, periodicallye asking for money? Anyway, since is not angry, maybe Ill go back after the event. Oh, its been a long time since I met the real you. I see you every day at the start of the game in recordings. It was a video!? Chapter 125: “Official Forum 2” {Second Official Event Reflection Thread} 1: MentaList Thank you for the second event. First, Ive arranged the significant events that urred on the continent during this event period in chronological order. If theres anything else, please copy and add it. This thread is also being directed from the verification thread, summary thread, and event thread. We want to gather opinions from as many yers as possible, so feel free to share your thoughts regardless of your usual residency. Since you wont be able to log in after the event due to maintenance, take your time and rx! Before the Event [Hiers Kingdom] The Seventh Cmity is born. C Day 1 [Hiers Kingdom] Erfahren destroyed, Lourdes destroyed, Verdesud destroyed, Altriva destroyed C Day 2 [Hiers Kingdom] La Colline destroyed Cmity strikes C Hiers Capital First Battle (Day): Victory for yers C Second Battle (Night): Defeat for yers C Hiers Capital destroyed C Day 3 Hiers Kingdom disappears from the official website (Officially dered destroyed) C Day 4 [Hiers Kingdom] Erntal destroyed C [Pearl Kingdom] Neuschloss destroyed C Day 5 Nothing special C Day 6 Nothing special C Day 7 [Shape Kingdom] Einparast destroyed C [Pearl Kingdom] [Shape Kingdom] Tension rises between Pearl and Shape (virtually dering war?) C Day 8 Nothing special C Day 9 [Aural Kingdom] Coup detat in Aural Capital, Regime change C Day 10 [Aural Kingdom] New regime established Deration issued Not describing defense sess (since more than half of the cities were sessfully defended near the final date) 2: CountryPop Good job! 3: Alonson Event boss or rather, a new boss. It happened in the Hiers Kingdom, and the event led to the destruction of Hiers. After the first war between humans on the continent, there was a coup in the stable Aural? 4: Healthyunpeble Is it a greedy setting? 5: Amatein I wondered what the eventposition would be when a new boss appeared on the second day and the country was destroyed, but looking back, some kind of event was happening throughout. 6: Nameless Elf I wonder if the Aural revolution was the highlight of the event. 7: MentaList I get the impression that the operation is notpletely controlling the urrence and flow of events, so the triggers and such might be created, but the subsequent flow might be left to NPCs and yers. If thats the case, the order of event urrences may not matter. 8: Haust What the operation did was the birth of the seventh cmity and creating sparks between Pear and Shape, and sowing the seeds of Aural coup, right? 9: Yoichi No, the trigger for the Aural coup was the destruction of Hiers Kingdom. On the final day, the Aural new regime announced that the previous king of Aural killed the surviving Hiers royal family and took the artifact. Because it was inhumane, the princess overthrowing the king led to the coup. 10: Lyewarehouse Are there yers who participated in the coup? 11: Monkey Dive Sasuke >>10 Because it was the capital during the event, there were probably hardly any yers. Maybe just the production types? 12: Limited Company Smith Most of the production types had moved to the front lines. Theres no point in making things if they dont sell. This time, cksmithing and leatherworking, and alchemy for potion replenishment, and the towns cafeteria almost went bankrupt due to cooking. These areas seem to have earned quite a bit of money and experience. 13: TKDSG Even those who are not good atbat or production seemed to have earned quite a bit of money. Some people gathered and provided delivery services using teleportation to transport materials, water, and ingredients to the frontier towns. Ifbat continues, cirction stops, so the outskirts were short of goods. It came up in some thread, and well, you need initial investment for transportation, but other than that, its a money-making method you can do alone. It seems to have helped the conquering group, and its a win-win situation. 14: Orinki I understand prioritizing experience points and not defeating the boss, but thanks to that delivery, the whole town seems to have been saved. 15: MentaList Ultimately, not many cities werepletely destroyed. I think thats a good thing. 16: Healthyunpeble >>15 Dont forget that there were countries that were destroyed in the early stages. 17: Gi1gamesh Well, that couldnt be helped. 18: Wayne Thats right its like a natural disaster. 19: MentaList Well, if the cmity is in the position of the boss of this event, its a situation where monsters are being hunted by humans across the continent. In her position, theres no choice but to destroy entire countries. 20: Monkey Dive Sasuke >>19 Dont defend her so much. Well, she was beautiful. 21: Amatein >>20 Thats true. 22: Nameless Elf No, its not just because she was beautiful. There must have been some skills or something, like charm skills. The moment you felt your fighting spirit wither away. Thats probably why Menta is also affected by abnormal conditions. 23: MentaList Since the cmity has been mentioned, Ill summarize the flow and aftermath of the cmity extermination battle (skip). In the end, it seems to have been a showcase and awakening event for the new boss. . . . 40: Amatein So, thats how it was. In the end, it seems like it was a showcase and awakening event for the new boss. 41: Arafubuki Is that so? Could it be that if we hadnt forcibly defeated it at the beginning, it wouldnt have powered up? 42: Nameless Elf >>41 Thats a possibility, but considering the artifact was in the royal capital, it was probably eventually defeated by the knights. Even without yers. Thanks to Wayne gathering everyone, those who participated received a massive bonus experience, but the oue was likely the same, right? 43: MentaList >>42 I agree with that opinion. Furthermore, considering the power and strict usage restrictions of that artifact, its probably an event-exclusive item. But since its an item, monsters could potentially use it in reverse. So, it couldnt be handed over to the enemy. Going off-topic, but the Aural kings decision to secure the artifact, even if it meant killing the Hiers royal family, yed a part. The revolution happened because the method was poorly chosen. 44: Monkey Dive Sasuke Well, even I would consider killing to take it. 45: Gi1gamesh >>44 Thats probably true for you, but making such a judgment as the head of a country is dangerous. Well, even then, there was no need to kill. Protecting them would have sufficed. 46: Wayne But, from what I heard about Aural, in the end, the Hiers royal family didnt perish during the destruction of the royal capital. I wonder how they survived. 47: Gi1gamesh Maybe they were trying to flee? 48: Wayne Fleeing, huh Even though there has never been a war between nations, they thought of fleeing? 49: Amatein However, the prime minister of Hiers was an exceptionally capable individual. He probably devised a n to not hand over at least the royal family and the national treasure. 50: Wayne Certainly. So, in the end, theg from the destruction of the royal capital to the official deration of the nations demise was due to that. 51: Professor Mori Etti In other words, ultimately, the royal family and the national treasure are what constitutes a nation in this game. 52: Haust >>51 Considering the situation, that seems to be the case. Well, we dont know what happens with the national treasure since it wasnt lost. 53: Professor Mori Etti Normally, or rather, in our understanding, a nation consists of territory and citizens. Currently, in Hiers, most of the territory and citizens are still intact. For example, if Hiers had a trade agreement with a neighboring country, would it be invalid? Usually, new regimes inherit such agreements. To give an easy-to-understand historical example, think of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the States and Japan. It was signed by Japans Edo Shogunate, but it was inherited by the Meiji government. Because of the international norm that treaties signed by the previous regime remain valid, they had to struggle and eventually abolish unequal treaties by recing them with new ones. I wonder how Hiers Kingdom would be in such a situation. 54: Lyewarehouse First, do the countries on this continent have the concept of international treaties? And, its difficult to say, but technically its the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between the United States and Japan. 55: Haust Well, to exist as a nation, it must be recognized as such by other nations, usually through internationalw or treaties. However, on this continent, recognition as a nation seems to be revoked once the royal family and the national treasure are lost. So, the conditions for recognition as a nation by other nations are the royal family and the national treasure, and if those are lost, cultural traditions dictate that it wont be acknowledged as a nation. 56: Professor Mori Ettin/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Even if thats the case, how do they objectively prove the existence of the royal family and the national treasure? In reality, you objectively prove the existence through indisputablend and citizens and international treaties. However, in terms of proof of existence, the royal family and the national treasureck objectivity. 57: Lyewarehouse Thats probably because its modern times. Even ancient Japan established a nation through imperial authority and the Ritsuryo system, and the proof of imperial authority was the Three Sacred Treasures, or the national treasure. The structure is no different from that of this continent. 58: Professor Mori Etti Thats because it was an ind nation. If theres only one nation in a limited territory, thats fine. From an external perspective, in the end, the nation is determined by territory. Moreover, each city on this continent has considerable autonomy. Politically, its more like a feudal system than the Ritsuryo system. Furthermore, if we were to say that the outskirts have an aspect of pioneering cities, this is a system that was once practiced in Japan called the Shoen and Kokugaryo system. Japan had many mountainous areas, and opening up fields required significant effort and time. On this continent, that effort appears to be directly involved in clearing monster territories. 59: Haust Ancient Japan is just one example. Its unfair to negate only that example. Even ancient China had periods where the possessor of the imperial seal became the Son of Heaven, the highest authority. So, even the great empire located in the center of the Eurasian continent used such an item as a basis for imperial authority. . . . 70: Gi1gamesh Hey, is it okay to leave this as it is? Probably most yers arent following along. 71: MentaList I apologize, but the continuation is here. Ive created a new thread. [In-depth] Discussion on the Detailed Setting of the Continental Nations [Lets Talk About It] Getting back on track, lets discuss the next significant eventthe war between the Kingdoms of Pearl and Shape. I havent delved into the details myself, so does anyone know more about it? 72: Amatein It seems the trigger was the destruction of the city Neuschloss in Pearl. Im ying in Shape, so I dont know much about a city thats a bit away. 73: Crack I was in Neuschloss. At first, it felt no different from other cities. Maybe there were fewer attacks than in other cities. But around the second or third day, the monsters changed from undead to goblins. All goblins from then on; no more undead. They outnumbered us, and we tried to call for reinforcements from nearby cities, but couldnt gather enough. It felt like we were overwhelmed. I respawned in the neighboring city where I was before the event, but from what I saw on social media, Neuschloss had already fallen by that time. Even without yers, Neuschloss fell. Thats confirmed because I couldnt respawn there, and the inn was definitely taken or destroyed. 74: Gi1gamesh Why does that lead to war? 75: Amatein While Neuschloss is somewhat far away, the city next to it in Shape is within range. When yer forces moved to Neuschloss, the defense of that nearby city temporarily weakened. Since this city is also close to the frontier, it was under attack, but yers, thanks to real-time information sharing on social media, could tell that Neuschloss was in worse condition and went to reinforce it. However, the NPC residents of that city were not aware of the situation. It seemed like mercenaries were suddenly fleeing. Feeling the urgency, the lord of that city fled. So, when he took refuge, and Pearl recruited the mercenaries, the situation worsened. 76: ThoseWarmHands The city the lord fled to, Lysia, didnt fall at that time. yers respawned and came back, but now, relying on thest pigeon from the fallen Neuschloss, Pearl did not officially assist, and, without official help from Shape, good-willed mercenaries joined. But Lysia eventually fell ording to the information from thest pigeon as the lord who took refuge there was manipted into recruiting mercenaries for Pearl, worsening the situation. 77: Amatein Its unclear where this information came from. The content of the messenger pigeons letter is too biased. It feels like someone manipted the situation, but its hard to tell if the forces that wanted to start the war are benefiting from the current situation. 78: Crack Anyway, thats why theres growing mistrust towards Shape within Pearl. Maybe because Pearl has many beastmen, they have a more hot-blooded nature. Such widespread destruction hadnt happened before, making the atmosphere even more tense. 79: Gi1gamesh Are they that easily provoked? 80: Crack NPC beastmen seem to have a pride that they dont want to be looked down upon. While theres not much visible animosity between different races, they dont want to be inferior to other races. Its fine if the conversation is equal, but it bes troublesome when determining superiority or inferiority. 81: Amatein In addition, its troublesome that Shape is a nation with many dwarves. While themon citizens are known for their craftsmanship, the noble ss is different. They have an entirely different pride, and even if you say they are of the same race, it wouldnt be surprising if they were considered entirely different. 82: Wayne Did they run away just because yers were recruited? 83: ThoseWarmHands While not part of the Hills royal family, there seems to be a trend among nobles that they cannot let their bloodline die out. Were only hearing impressions from the city residents, so we dont know the actual situation. 84: Gi1gamesh Every noble ss seems to have a high sense of superiority. Wells are rtively open-minded, but even there, it seems impossible for nobles to marrymoners. If they marry amoner, the noble will be demoted to themoner ss. 85: Amatein So, during this, there was an attack by Pearls beastmen forces. They have good night vision andunched a surprise attack on the city Ainparast. This city was chosen because it was near the beastmens city in Pearl, and no undead wereing from nearby areas. They were creatures active during the day. So, they easily broke through the region during the night. Dwarves have good eyesight too, but not as good as the beastmen, and since they look human, Ainparast underestimated them. They didnt recognize them as enemies until they were attacked. Additionally, they were only cautious during the day, with most of their forces resting at night. As a result, the attackers swiftly invaded the lords mansion, and the lord managed to wipe out the beastmen alone but died in return. So, it turned into a quagmire, with clear casualties on both sides. 86: CountryPop Are dwarven nobles thatbative? I dont know about the strength of NPC beastmen, but isnt it strange to be evenly matched against forces attacking an entire city? 87: ThoseWarmHands Um, theres a bit of misunderstanding or something missing here. To be precise, the attack on Ainparast was indeed carried out by Pearls NPC beastmen, but along the way, yers who saw NPC beastmen moving thought it was an event and joined in. So, it turned into a night raid, and the yers who tagged along unknowingly participated in the attack, leading to a major disaster. The yers in Ainparast didnt intervene because they saw what seemed like yers participating in the attack among the NPC attackers. So, it ended up being a significant tragedy. 88: Gi1gamesh Hmm 89: MentaList I checked the threads at that time. Because the starting point was an NPC, the rightness of their actions is unclear. People just went along, thinking they were bad guys because many NPCs were attacking. It felt like a festival. Since there were more elves than beastmen among the yers, it might not turn into something bad unless it sparks animosity. 90: Wayne How could they just leave their city to that many people? 91: Amatein The city where the lord fled is Lysia, not Neuschloss, but yeah, nobles probably dont differ much inbat power. 92: Nameless Elf Elven and dwarven nobles are abnormally strong. Take Portly, for exampleits an elven nation, with almost only elves. The poption is low, but the public order is good. Even in a city attacked by monsters, they can repel them with just the city guards. The guards are few in number, but there are hardly any knights like in Hiers. Perhaps their long lifespan contributes to their strength? 93: Gi1gamesh Do they have lifespans? Oh, I see. So, yer characters also have lifespans, right? Aging and such. I feel like I heard about the same setting. 94: Professor Mori Etti yers also age. Theres a note in the appearance age setting during character creation. If you make your appearance too young, theres a possibility that youll grow older and change in a year or so. Also, I heard theres an item with effects like be one year younger or something. 95: MentaList Professor, are you done talking about that? 96: Professor Mori Etti Theres no information, and specting wont lead anywhere. 97: CountryPop Well, if you keep using that item, you wont die, right? 98: Professor Mori Etti Unfortunately, its a consumable item. Also, its on the level of a national treasure. Ive only heard about it, and I cant confirm its authenticity. 99: Wayne So, is the war still ongoing? 100: Amatein Well, they probably dont know that both sides can negotiate a settlement. 101: ThoseWarmHands Also, this is likely the first time were experiencing a war between humans. We dont know how to end it either. There hasnt been a clear deration of war, but the current situation is undoubtedly a state of war . . . 111: MentaList Now, lets talk about the coup in the Aural Kingdom. Since I only know the basics, Id appreciate it if someone more knowledgeable could provide details. 112: Yoichi There might be others, but lets discuss since we were active in Aural. Please provide additional information if you have any. As mentioned earlier, the trigger for the coup was the downfall of the Hiers Kingdom. To be precise, it was the destruction of the Hiers Royal Family. The one who ordered this was the Aural King. The order was to destroy the royal family and seize the artifact. Unfortunately, that order was executed, but the princess who opposed it led a rebellion. With the cooperation of some nobles, theyunched a lightning-fast attack on the capital, capturing the king. The first and second princes, who were loyal to the king, died in the battle at that time. However, the king and queen are still captured. The condition is not to kill them until they reveal the whereabouts of the stolen artifact. The Royal Guard and others are likely tied to the king, so there is fear that killing him would weaken the countrys military strength. Considering all this, imprisonment is probably the best oue in the end. These details were released as a statement on the final day, and the coup ended in just one day. 113: Amatein Considering that the Hiers Royal Family was likely killed on the evening of the third day, there were only about five days from the uprising. Its quite astonishing. 114: MentaList Maybe there was a groundworkid beforehand. If the king suddenly started talking about such things, he might have had radical actions even in normal times. 115: Monkey Dive Sasuke Since yers cant meet with the king, its hard to say. But it seems that the daughter got angry enough to start a revolution. 116: Yoichi Upon hearing about the coup, I somehow managed to go to the capital on the final day. The new queen seemed to be a daughter with a strong core. The person in full-body armor beside her might be a cooperating noble. 117: Wayne Wearing armor even though theyre a noble? 118: Yoichi It was clearly different high-quality armor from other knights. The behavior had elegance, and it seemed to be a martial arts-oriented noble. It also looked like the queen trusted her. By the way, its probably a woman. 119: Nameless Elf Are you only looking at those kinds of things? 120: MentaList What can I say, both in the original thread and regarding the coup, everyone is saying the same things. Its the capital during the event, and maybe no one involved with yers is there. Well, maybe it couldnt be avoided since the downfall of Hiers was confirmed. The war escted too suddenly, and it feels like there was some intentional element to it. 121: Gi1gamesh Speaking of that, wasnt it Neuschloss? Did they ultimately upy it? What happened to those goblins? Did they note to the next city like the ants in Erfahren? 122: Crack Oh, they were just moving between Neuschloss and the forest, gathering food. Doesnt seem like theyre in the mood to attack another ce. Well, if you think about it normally, there wouldnt be any other cities besides that, right? 123: Wayne So, the cmity was indeed a special event boss. It seems it was heading straight for the city. Certainly, looking back, it wasnt within visible distance, and theres no way to know about other human cities. I wonder if it originally had some purpose to the west. . . . 151: Gi1gamesh It feels like various things suddenly started moving quickly. 152: MentaList I dont really want to think about it, but it might be due to the yer, for better or for worse. 153: CountryPop Are you saying that the yer guided the cmity and incited the war? 154: Nameless Elf Not exactly. So far, the countries on this continent had low poption density rtive to their area, or to put it bluntly, minimal contact with other countries or races. There were even monster territories between nations. However, since the yer appeared, for better or worse, there has been a breakthrough in that culture or living environment. 155: MentaList Thats right. So, until then, we didnt really care about the differences in culture or ways of thinking between races, and those things slowly started to surface With the yersrge-scale movement through the event teleportation service, it elerated rapidly. 156: Gi1gamesh Seriously Cant act too recklessly. 157: Nameless Elf Its not like worrying about it now as an individual will change anything. Its a game where various changes ur due to the overall trends in yer behavior, so we just have to y and adapt. 158: MentaList Probably, thats why the intervention from the admins is kept to a minimum. They likely n to respond through events to the results that ur. 159: Wayne I thought that the downfall of Hiers couldnt be avoided, considering the birth of the cmity. But now that I think about it, it might have been inevitable since the cmity liked Hiers capital. After all, it hasnt made any noticeable moves since turning the capital into a dungeon. 160: Andy No, it has. Theres a city called Erntal and another called La Colline that have been turned into dungeons. 161: Healthyunpeble (Compared to the nations downfall) It hasnt made any noticeable moves. 162: Monkey Dive Sasuke Wait, dungeons were created? I thought ces like the Liebe Great Forest were too far and unreachable. Thats a relief. 163: Yoichi From Aural, it doesnt seem so different. T/N: One of the kingdom names is written as ڥ which I tranted it as Pearl for now, but it could also be something like Paire. Would that make more sense? I might have to retroactively change itter. While Im on the topic, another kingdoms name is 륹 which made me think of Wales. For now Im going with Wells but it could also be something like Welth. I thought there would be a trend for kingdom names to be 5 letters long, until ݩ`ȥ` came up, for which Im going with Portree. The other 3 names are straightforward: Hiers, Aural and Shape. Now, for peoples names: Nameless Elfs name has a -san honorific in her name, but Ill be skipping it because names donte with honorifics themselves. Otherwise she might be called Nameless Elf-san-san someday. My other notes are rted to the Mob of Deer trantion. Healthyunpeble was initially Sturdy and hard to peel off, its as weird a name as it seems since its like having a sentence for a name, not to mention its a weird sentence. I just went with the MoD trantion and called it a day. MentaList is written half in kanji and half in katakana. The guy seems to be really into Mental Magic, so its easy to guess that that was the intended name. Gi1gamesh was a creative interpretation for him wanting a name that was already taken and Im keeping that one. Chapter 126: “System Message 5” Chapter 126: System Message 5 To all yers, Thank you very much for ying our game Boot Hour, Shoot Curse as always.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The second officialrge-scale event, the Great Battle Event, has concluded sessfully, thanks to all of you. We appreciate your enthusiastic participation. We will continue nning various events for yers to enjoy in the future. Please actively participate in the uing events. Thank you for your continued support of Boot Hour, Shoot Curse. Maintenance Notice Thank you for ying our game Boot Hour, Shoot Curse as always. We will conduct system maintenance after the conclusion of therge-scale event on the following schedule. During this maintenance, we will make adjustments to the behavior of certain systems:
  • Issue where characters carrying other characters are temporarily recognized as equipped. We will review the criteria for determining equipped status and impose stricter limitations when characters are recognized as carrying other characters.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of Boot hour, shoot curse. Maintenance Schedule: Month Day, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Possible extension) Frequently Asked Questions We havepiled Frequently Asked Questions and Troubleshooting based on inquiries from customers. Please check here before reaching out, as it may help resolve your doubts or issues. Q: The 6 major nations on the official site were corrected to 5 major nations. Why? A: We apologize for the dyed announcement. The Hiers Kingdom in-game nation received a judgment of demise, leading to the correction. Q: What are the criteria for a nation to be judged as having perished? A: Nations meeting one or more of the following conditions will receive a judgment of demise. This specification applies only to the continent where the game begins and not to other continents or inds.
  • Loss of more than half of the territory
  • Loss of more than half of the poption
  • Extinction of the royal family
Q: I want to attack a certain area, but the ess to the Safety Area is inconveniently far. What should I do? A: We n to implement an item that allows the creation of a temporary Safety Area usable when there is a certain distance from other Safety Areas, and safety is ensured. Please check in-game after the maintenance for details. Thank you for your continued support of Boot hour, shoot curse. To all yers, Thank you for ying our game Boot Hour, Shoot Curse as always. We would like to conduct a survey regarding certain specifications. The survey results may lead to the implementation of new services, so please cooperate. About Paid Items: We are considering selling some items through the in-game store. While identical items with the same performance can be obtained in the game, items purchased outside the game cannot be traded and cannot be taken out of the inventory. They can only be used directly from the inventory. The items under consideration for sale are:
  • Items allowing reincarnation into the initial selected races: Human, Elf, Dwarf, Beastman, Goblin, Skeleton, Homunculus (*Using these items may require additional experience points consumption.)
  • Items allowing the cement of Quick Safety Areas (*yers who can use Quick Safety Areas are limited to the registered five names during activation.)
  • Items to delete already acquired skills (*Experience points used for acquisition will not be refunded. *If a skill that serves as a prerequisite for another skill is deleted, the dependent skill will also be automatically deleted. The experience points in this case will be refunded. *There are skills that cannot be targeted for deletion due to irreversibly linked prerequisites. *Due to the games mechanics, the amount of experience points consumed before deletion will affect the gained or lost experience points, so deleting unnecessary skills can increase the gained experience points.)
About Permanent Teleportation Service: We conducted a trial operation of the teleportation service during this event. To avoid disrupting the in-game worlds economy, we do not n to operate it in all cities like during the event. It will be avable to support new yers shortly after the start of the game, especially in regions where significant changes have urred due to the event. The nned specifications for the teleportation service are as follows:
  • Basic movement from any Safety Area, but it is one-way and has a predetermined destination.
  • The details of the destination are under consideration, but it will likely be an area where growth from the early yers to the current average yers is anticipated.
Please answer the survey using the dedicated form. Thank you for your continued support of Boot hour, shoot curse. Chapter 127: “That’s not what I meant” yer Name [nc]-sama, Thank you very much for ying our game Boot Hour, Shoot Curse. We sincerely appreciate your participation in the second officialrge-scale event. Regarding the operation of the game in the future, we would like to request cooperation from nc-sama, and that is why we are contacting you. Regarding the cities of Erntal in the northwest of the old Hiers Kingdom where nc-sama is located, as well as Altriva, and Verdesud, these are currently under the influence of nc-sama. Therefore, we would like to request your permission for the support from the game management to prevent attacks by other yers in these fields. Currently, there are significant changes in the situation in the old Hiers Kingdom, making it difficult for new yers to enjoy the gamefortably. Therefore, as the management, we are considering the implementation of a limited transfer service for yers to areas controlled by a single faction with reasonable difficulty. This transfer is one-way, and it is not possible to return. In connection with this, we n to concentrate the safety areas within the relevant fields to a location close to those fields and set the transfer service destination as this safety area. If possible, we would appreciate nc-samas understanding, especially in supporting the growth of new yers. Of course, this is a proposal based on respecting nc-samas will, and if you do not agree, we will create a simple special area and guide yers there. However, if the management creates a special area, there may be a significant difference in experience points and actual difficulty, and the emergence of yers growing rapidly with minimal effort is expected.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om If you can cooperate, we are considering supporting nc-samas area management, such as changing the death penalty content when nc-samas character dies within the relevant field. We appreciate your consideration. *Note: This message is being sent to all yers who dominate the corresponding fields in the game Boot Hour, Shoot Curse. Boot Hour, Shoot Curse Development and Management Team * What is this After the maintenance was over, I logged in after a day had passed, and I found that there were a lot of messages from the game admins. I was just skimming through all of them, but one of them had a banner guiding to a reply form, and it seemed like it wouldnt be marked as read unless I replied. And this is that message. All yers who dominate suitable areas Does that mean this message was also sent to Rare-chan? But its for beginner fields Is Rare-chans area for beginners? Well, whatever. Maybe itsing with slightly different wording for fields of different difficulties, or something. Hmm, it might be troublesome if lots of yerse to attack, but it would be helpful if its not too painful even if I die And if its for beginners, maybe I can fend off yers even without Rare-chans help, like when yers came to Erntal during the event. Well, Ill consult with Rare-chan when shees back. Rare informed me that she and Lyra wont be able to log in for a few days. Probably because of their family matters. I dont know if their family situation could change so much with just the sisters meeting here and reconciling, but I cant say anything about their influence within the family without really knowing. Its not that Im not concerned, but if theyve reconciled, thats good enough for now. Thats all that really matters to me. Well then, lets put the admin message aside. The event is over, so lets go meet Count-sama. Rare left her Queen Beetle on loan to me and told me I can use her while shes gone, so Ill leave her in Erntal for now. There are still only zombies in Altriva and Verdesud, but it would take a lot of guts, crippling time, and luck to get to that town without going through Erntal and La Colinne, in other words, without taking the city streets. Unless, of course, you are in possession of a map like nc and Rare. It would be better to leave it alone. If I think about it, if I want to turn that town into a training field for beginners, Id have to do some kind of transition. Youd be turned away in Erntal or La Colinne before you reach there. In those towns there are the bugs under Raresmand. Then, shall we head to the Counts old castle I mean, his residence? If you call it the old castle, senpai will get mad, you know? Im just teasing. Alongside Azalea and the other two, I used [Flight] to head to the Counts castle. * Im back! Hahaha! It seems everything went well! How many cities did you conquer? It feels like its been a while since I met the Count, but it doesnt seem that way from his perspective. Given his long lifespan, the perception of time might be different for himpared to nc. Or maybe its due to the density of experiences in these approximately 10 days. A lot has happened. As for conquered cities, about three? At least thats the number of cities under my control now. But there were so many things happening. Well, please listen, Count-sama. What, I have plenty of time. Speak as much as you want. Wait, I dont know where to begin, but what, the Demon Lord? Thats right. I made friends with her. Shes not a super nice girl but shes okay. Well, shes super cute! I see As usual, you never know what she will do. You see, the Demon Lord is considered to be above the clouds for us, on the same level as our ally, the True Vampire. However, it was just born, and Im not sure its there yet. I wouldnt be surprised if they eventually grow to dominate this continent. Huh. Thats amazing. I had vaguely thought it would be impressive, but never to this extent. Certainly, the strength of Rare seems to be unmatched, and ncs growth curve, now associated with Rare, is clearly on the rise. So, what exactly is Lyra, who seems to have fought Rare to a draw with a human body? But the Four Heavenly Kings, huh. Do you already have such outstanding subordinates? One of them is me! So, there already are three outstanding subordinates? Huh!? Originally, Demon Lord is a species that usually does not have many under theirmand. It is not suited to rule over subordinates. There can be a few powerful subordinates, but there are a lot more than just those four heavenly 3 names, arent there? Speaking of building such a great power, right, the Evil King, the Holy King, etc. would have been better at this. Whats the difference? Its the difference in the original species. The species that be Demon Lords are not originally good at [Subordinating]. This is the same for the Spirit Lord. Compared to that, Evil Kings and Holy Kings oftene from species that grow by [Subordinating] lower-ranking species. Thats the difference. What about the True Ancestor Vampire? Well, True Ancestors are closer to thetter. But considering them as individualbatants, they are probably stronger than Evil Kings. If two individuals with the same level of growth were to fight, a Demon Lord might not win alone, but they could beat an Evil King. Thats the power dynamic of the species. So, Demon Lords with a lot of subordinates are dangerous? As far as I know, they are a considerably dangerous existence. Eventually, I suppose. Perhaps it might finally be able topete with the Golden Dragon that is sealed in the pole? There are a series of entities that are new to me. Does Rare know about these things? No, I think I heard of something called a Golden Dragon or something like that. Golden Dragon That one came from outside this world. Ourmon sense doesnt apply to it. Therefore, its resistance to sealing was also low, so it was sealed for the time being and ced at the pole, where there is little change. At that time, as I recall, the Holy King of the time recruited coborators from all over the world, regardless of power, and that is how he sealed it. Our lord was also present at the time. I was too young to attend, so I only heard what he had to say. Where is this Holy King now? Hes no longer here. He died back then, and a new Holy King hasnt been born since. The Evil King didnt participate, but ording to our ally, hes a shut-in guy. Probably hasnte out for a very long time. I dont know him either. At least now, there seem to be several beings equivalent to or surpassing Rare in the future. Theres something like an Archangel, right? How about them? Archangel, huh That one was born recently. It was born around the time of the death of the Spirit Lord who once ruled this continent. It has grown at an rming rate, and has taken a Sky Castle with it from somewhere, attacking various cities on this continent on a whim. I dont know his purpose since I dont know him, but at least this castle has never been attacked. I leave them be. If that one attacks, will you retaliate? The Counts brow furrowed, and he looked abject. It was unusual for him to move his expression so much. Its tempting, but I probably wont reach him. Oh, but I can fly now! Hmph. Thats not what I meant. Chapter 128: “Leaving the Nest” After that, I participated in a coup and overthrew the government of a human country! The Count, upon hearing this, blinked his eyes and looked towards Magenta and the others. Please forgive my remark. Um, as the master says, I cooperated with a human noble named Lyra-sama, overthrew the king of that country, and established a puppet regime under Lyra-samas control. Lyra-sama is also a friend of the master and Rare-sama, who was mentioned earlier. Hahaha! Whats that! So, in other words, the current royal family has retaliated for the treatment the people of this continent once gave to the Spirit Lord! How delightful! He was in a good mood. Although he hadnt spoken in a manner that suggested a particrly close rtionship with the Spirit Lord, there seemed to be an acquaintance, and perhaps he didnt hold the countries of this continent in high regard due to the killing of acquaintances. Come to think of it, he was unusually enthusiastic when he mentioned wanting to attack the city. Well, Im d youre pleased, but the ones who nned it were the noblewoman Lyra-san and the Demon Lord Rare-chan. Sir Count, do you not attack human countries directly? The Count stopped his slowughter and looked into the distance as he spoke. Well yeah. Its forbidden to directly interfere with them. Its an ancient covenant Although at this rate, in the not-so-distant future, I might descend to the surface. Really!? A premonition of human extinction!? Well, if the covenant is voided to that extent, it might be such a situation. At that time, you can decide freely. You are one of the very few vampires who attained it voluntarily in the world. Even if he said that, it didnt make much sense to me. It was a result of receiving [Subordinate] from the Count and failing to resist it. In the end, I wasnt [Subordinated], but that was only because I was a yer. When I vaguely mentioned that, the countughed and replied, Results are everything. Most things are. * Well, thats how things have been for the past ten days. So, even though Ive been given a room and all, I feel sorry about it, but Im thinking of moving to the city over there Ah, I see. That would be good. Dont worry about us. What I did, I did because I wanted to. Besides, leaving the nest is usually like that. While relieved, there was also an indescribable sense of loneliness welling up. Looking back, nc had been with the Count since the first day of the game. It wasnt necessarily a farewell for this lifetime, but ncs current existence was undoubtedly thanks to the Count. Um, I dont think it will happen often, but if anythinges up, please let me know. For now, Ill be in a city called Erntal. Oh, thats fine. Dont worry about mentioning the names of modern cities. Just do as you please. Oh, right! nc summoned a Spartoi from Erntal. asionally, Ill Summon myself to y with this little one! What are you talking about? Its like this, just wait a moment! She rushed outside the room and, using [Summon Summoner], appeared next to the Spartoi in front of the throne. What is that! Teleportation magic!? No, thats not it, how did you do it!? Teleportation magic, there was such a thing. But it didnt seem like the right atmosphere to ask. If she could ask, it would probably be after answering the Counts question. Concisely, but due to theck of rity, it took some time to exin the necessary prerequisite skills. Even though she didnt know the Counts build, it was likely that the only thing missing was probably [Spatial Magic]. Oh Well, such a technique exists. Hehehe The Count couldnt contain his amusement,ughing like that. Was he really that pleased?n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om No, hehe. I never thought you would teach me something. Hahaha. Living for a long time is quite something. To feel this delighted in just one day Isnt that a bit disrespectful!? Master, I dont think thats what he meant. Then what did he mean? Well, its better left unsaid. Let it be. With a sidelong nce, the Count looked to the side, and the butler nodded and stepped forward. Ill assign him to you. That way, I can easily visit your city as well. Is it okay to go out!? And can I really have the butler? There should be no problem as long as I dont directly engage inbat. And Im not giving him to you, just entrusting him. But what about his daily care and all? He took care of himself originally! The butler bowed to the Count and stood beside nc. Azalea and the others seemed ufortable. When you and the others grow stronger, and if their abilities no longer suffice,e here. Ill help you grow in line with your abilities. It was too convenient. nc wasnt very familiar, but in gaming terms, it seemed like a non-yer character to apany her. To put it bluntly, she received it as a reward for the Counts connection having developed. No, Im not really knowledgeable about games, so I dont know. This is probably something like the Counts parental feeling. So, she decided to express her gratitude as best as she could. Thank you very much! Haha. Take good care of him. Although Ive told him to listen to what you say for the most part, if you go too far, he might not listen. Miss nc, well be in your care from now on. Please take care of us. The butler said that, ncing at Azalea and the others and smiling. However, it seemed to the Azalea and others as if he were smiling contemptuously, and they red at him with a resentful expression. By the way, whats your name? Ill let you decide on a new one. Although theres no change in being my subordinate, by doing so, a connection will be established between you and nc. The Count and the butler both seemed young inparison to their way of speaking. They appeared to be in their twenties, but their way of speaking was quite mature. The butler had white hair, making him seem a bit older, but perhaps it was due to his well-proportioned face that even the white hair shone. Probably a phenomenon simr to Rares. ording to Rare, it was because Im a beauty. I didnt know how to respond to such sudden boasting, so I just smiled vaguely at that time. Umm A white vampire White Drac Red eyes Red Eyes White Dra? The butler asionally made a bitter expression, but for now, he listened silently. Oh right, how about Weiss? I forgot whatnguage it is, but I know it means white! Thank you very much! He lowered his head somewhat eagerly. It seemed like he wanted to prevent a name even worse than this one from being given. Azalea and the others looked at him with sympathetic eyes. Well then Ah, yes! Ille again! The first time nc came to this castle was from a mysterious cave underground. She thought it was a run-down castle, but now she knew it wasnt. At that time, the Count got angry at nc, who called it an abandoned castle, but probably now nc would get angry if someone said the same to her. She was so convinced that it had be an important ce for nc. There was no need to walk out of the front entrance of the castle or the cave of the underground water veins. nc could fly from this window now. She wanted them to see her grown-up form. Um However, Weiss called out to nc, who had her foot on the window. Im sorry, but I cant fly Thats a shame! After that, nc asked the Count to give Weiss skills like [Flight], and the five of them danced in the sky. Even from the distance visible to nc, the Count was there, standing by the window. Chapter 129: “A new morning is here” Upon logging in after a long time, I found several messages from the system. Even though I say long time, it had only been a few days since Ist logged in. Due to ying the game every day, even just a few days felt extremely long. The system messages contained various interesting information. I quickly replied to the message addressed to me and got up from bed. It might have been the first time I logged out in bed since the closed beta. I thought my wings might be in the way, but once I wound them around andy down, it wasnt that bothersome. Hey, Rare-chan. Long time no see. Well, maybe good morning is more appropriate. I thought youd be waking up around this time. Good morning, Lyra. Knock next time. This is a guest room in the Aural Kingdoms castle. Since the surviving royal family and major nobles involved in state affairs are already under Lyras control, theres no need for Rare to hide anymore. Its widely known within the castle that the current regime is cooperating with the Seventh Cmity. However, revealing this information to the outside or yers might lead to the perception that the fall of the Hiers Kingdom was orchestrated by the new Aural Queen. Therefore, except for NPCs bound by [Subordinate], they cant show themselves to those who are not aware of their true nature. Rare-chan, did you see the system message? I did. Im not sure which one youre talking about, though. Probably about the confirmation of the nations downfall. If keeping the royal family alive is enough, it means we can do whatever we want with the artifacts, right? Well, that seems to be the case. But then, what defines someone as part of the royal family? Probably the right to session to the throne. If thats the case, maybe I could gain royal session rights by convincing the current regime to grant them to me. That way, I could join the royal family. It would open up possibilities, but its too risky. To attempt it, Lyra would need to have her royal session rights recognized, then eliminate the entire current royal family. If it failed, there would be no turning back. It might be possible, but the risk is high. And before that, arent they already [Subordinated], meaning they wont die? The release of [Subordinate] I think the [Subordinated] party needs to send a message. So if an NPC is [Subordinated], does that mean it cant be released? Confirmation from the game developers is necessary, but since the information is only relevant to yers who have acquired [Subordinate], asking might risk leaking the information to others. Even if yers without [Subordinate] learn about it, its unlikely to change the current situation. However, if there are other yers who have acquired [Subordinate], revealing their existence might unnecessarily raise suspicion. At the moment, if there are other yers like us, theyre either keeping quiet and thinking the same way or pretending to be NPCs. Theres also the possibility that theyre not thinking about anything, like nc. I should greet nc. Individual system messages probably reached her too. Individual messages? Did you get one, Rare-chan? Huh? It seems Lyra also received a personal message. Upon checking, the messages Rare received and the ones Lyra received were different. Rares message sinctly stated that the developers would support dungeon management, while Lyras message seemed to be about managing a nation of humanoid races. So, does this mean that because we fulfilled specific conditions in the game, I unlocked the nation management simtion mode, and you unlocked the dungeon management simtion mode, Rare-chan? In terms of the game, that seems to be the case. For Rare, it likely means that as long as she remains in Liebe, Erfahren, Lourdes, Teur, La Colinne, and the Hiers Capital, the death penalty will change. If you want to avoid death, you can just stay in the dungeon and live as a boss. Well, Ive given my approval for now. Its only beneficial for me. The event is over, so yers will probably be more cautious about attacking, but I have experience in adjusting the XP gains around that. Nothing will change if we go out and y In short, unlike regr yers, even if were attacked at home, there wont be any XP loss. To add, being attacked at home during that time is likely orchestrated by the developers. Oh, right. What should I do? City management is fine, but running a nation is a different story. My city was amercial one, but Hiers, our main trading partner, is already gone. A policy change is necessary, and there are many things to consider. Arent you trading with other nations? Ive done some, but not much. The market is narrow, and the risk is high. Also, the distances are great, and if the races dont share preferences or lifestyles, the popr items change. Its hard to imagine that barley and vegetables, which seemed to be cultivated by the Hugelcup, would be favored by beastmen. It might be biased, though. On the contrary, it might sell well to dwarves. Grains and vegetables rich in carbohydrates, such as barley and corn, can be used as raw materials for alcohol. Should I check the termster? If its possible in the game, would you drink, Rare-chan? Its free in the game. Im interested, but the image of my furious mother shes through my mind, and I shake my head. In my imagination, my grandmother isughing behind my mother. So, havent you exported to Dwarven nations? I havent. The risk of trade itself is too high, so I dont deal much with daily necessities or food. I do it domestically, though. When ites to other countries, you have to transport goods across borders, and the cost doesnt justify it. If you can add value by processing it into alcohol or something, it might be different, but There are freshness issues, too, Lyra concludes. That makes sense. So there are probably yers acting as inter-country merchants. Its safe as long as its in their inventory. The cirction between nations is too thin, and theres no concept of tariffs. If you y it right, you could make a fortune. There were many yers mentioned on social media who had done something simr using teleportation during events. Due to that, Remys potion sales didnt increase as expected, but shes ustomed to gauging the market. Financially, shes doing reasonably well. Since wars have urred, there are probably yers trying to profit from them, both in terms of money and experience points. Hey, Lyra, did you have anything to do with that? I didnt. Well, it does seem unnatural or like there might be some kind of maniption, but it wasnt me. I havent traded with Shape either. Besides, during that time, werent we scheming together in Hugelcup? Lyras subordinates were mostly preparing in that city or had been sent ahead to the Aural Capital, so there was no time for any unnecessary actions. Also, its unlikely for Lyra to secretly engage in such interesting activities now that shes with Rare. If that something was a yer, it could be troublesome. It would be troublesome even if it were an NPC. As I mentioned before, NPCs with unusual ideas are extremely dangerous. Certainly. However, even thinking about it now, its unclear. If someone induced the war, what could be the purpose? Whatever it is, for now, what I understand is that it doesnt seem to be a position with influence at the core of the nation like mine. Suspicious events are all happening on a city scale. If you want to manipte the contents of the messenger pigeons in a city like Neuschloss, you just need to be somewhat close to the lord of that city. Its chaotic, so perhaps just killing and recing the person responsible for sending the pigeons would work. You need knowledge of sending pigeons, though. And then, Lycia, right? If the lord of that city escaped, just subtly induce it on the lord or a close aide. Like what I did in Hiers. Perhaps you can manipte city rumors without directly contacting the area around the lord. I cant say for sure since I dont know the personality of that lord. Also, it might be easiest with the young, hot-blooded beastmen who rose in revolt. If they already have that kind of temperament, just go to a bar or something and feed them information. You cant do all of that at the same time. Besides, the direct cause of Noishuros falling was the attack by monsters, so unless you know that Then, assume that the monsters that attacked and the person near the pigeons in Neuschloss, the person who let the lord escape in Lycia, and the person who incited the beastmen are all yers. It would be the easiest if theymunicated through chat or something. If it was prearranged from the beginning, that would indeed be the case. Moreover, the sisters who obtained Hiers and Aural in such a coordinated manner are here. Although they didnt coordinate from the beginning. Well, some things may have had some ns behind them, but mostly its probably just coincidences. Even if there were intentions, they were likely minor, like thinking they could make money if a war broke out. Especially if they are yers. Yeah, that might be true. However, about the goblin that caused the fall of Neuschloss. If the monster controlling it was a yer, it should have reincarnated into a higher-ranking species that could acquire [Subordinate]. If there were announcements or something simr, Lyra should be aware of it through the princess. Even if not to that extent, causing the fall of a whole city is sufficient to be considered a disaster. Oh, by the way, Lyra. What is it? Is there something like a church in this city? Like a religious facility or organization? In Hiers, we crushed it without a second thought, but the existence of a mysterious skill called Divine Oracle cant be ignored. If I can manipte the contents of that, theres a possibility that Rares presence is known throughout the continent, or even the world. Conversely, when a significant entity rted to the Elemental King appears, it could be used as an alert. There is a religious organization or church. In my Hugelcup, theres a church too, called the Aural Holy Church. Ive been invited to a few banquets there. It seemed rtively modest or rather favored simplicity, so I didnt do anything in particr. Are you nning to seek revenge because you were exposed? I wouldnt do something like that for such a reason.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om I just want to know how I, or rather, how they found out about the birth of the Demon Lord. If its a skill that can be normally acquired, Id like to consider acquiring it, and there are many things I want to verify, such as the definition of disaster creatures, the difference between those associated and not associated with specific entities, and more. Lyra chuckled and answered mischievously, Oh, I forgot. Many unfamiliar words popped up. Rare, are you the Demon Lord? Rare looked surprised. Come to think of it, she didnt remember saying that. Did I not say it? I thought I did. I asked Rare-chan to write a bit in her y diary. Big sister is interested. I wont do it. But its true that some information needs to be aligned Except for the issue of aligning information about [Subordinate] with NPCs, which, if leaked to Lyra, could lead to unforeseen consequences, there shouldnt be any more confidential topics. The Philosophers Stone-rted concerns remain, but if Im going to exin about the Demon Lord, I cant avoid it anyway. Hey, Lyra. What is it? I exined to you the forces that I can summon to this city, didnt I? In addition, among the forces in my possession, there is someone called the World Tree Chapter 130: “Cat Hag” So thats how I was reincarnated as the Demon Lord. And then By the way, do you still have it? That Greater-something item. I think to myself that I am not as good as Lyra, but I dont like to be talked down either. I replied, somewhat miffed. With a somewhat annoyed tone, I answered, I have it, but I wont give it to you if you dont listen to the story. If I listen, will you give it to me!? I thought there would be more outrageous conditions! Well Ive struggled a lot to get the Blue Blood. Its aplete top-level item I know how much she struggled to get it because Ive been told that long story. However, it doesnt seem like she struggled as much as she ims. It might be due to the way she talks. Besides, its hard to imagine Lyra going through any hardships. I have it, but would you use it? By the way, how much experience points do you have left now? If a Noble Human is considered equal to a High Elf, using a Greater Philosophers Stone probably requires four-digit experience points. If shes going to use it anyway, theres a hidden agenda for the rare item. I want to acquire the skill thatplements the divine oracle and test itter, either on myself or one of my subordinates. I dont know what race Lyra will be, but considering that the princess she [Subordinated] was a Noble Human, its likely to be a legitimate reincarnation from a human. If its not an irregr route like the Dark Elf in the Elf race, letting her continue reincarnating should make her a race close to the Spirit Lord. If she has a Divine Oracle skill, we might know the moment, and if so, we can also test that skill. Four-digit experience points!? Eh? How much did the Demon Lord demand? 3000. So high! Are you sure youre not being swindled? Are you okay? Who would scam me like that, and for what reason? By the way, the World Tree demanded 5000, and there are two others on whom I spent 1000 each, and one more who took 3000. What did you do to earn so much? Attraction management and stuff. Until it gained poprity, I did small things in a farm, but it became quite popr after the misunderstanding about the beginner-friendly official service spread. I only found out about the misunderstandingter. I think Ill take state management seriously on this one. Well, let me know when you save up. Ill give it to you at a discount. So, after I be the Demon Lord I talked about the announcements of Rare being a , and others like Sugaru also bing . I also spoke about the fact that there would be no world announcements about the characters under my control. In case something bad is born from forces other than us, we want to have skills like oracles and their counterparts. Thats a good idea. I heard it from the priest at Hugelcup was it the Head Priest? They mentioned something about being revealed by a divine oracle. Im not sure how high the rank of Head Priest is, but if we can get that person, it would be quick. Hey, Lyra, about that person No, wait, Rare-chan. Lets make the Archbishop of the Holy Church of this country our subordinate. Then, lets make Rare-chan believe in it. Ill join the faith too. I dont understand what youre talking about. I thought she was saying something crazy again, but objectively, if the object of faith equals cmity, its not a bad n as long as its not known externally. Idol worship should be prohibited, and if there is a reliance, it should be something more abstract, a simple symbol. If done well, we might be able to spread spies throughout the continent. I think its not a bad proposal. What do you think? Of course, Im not just saying it for selfish reasons. It would be very useful for my countrys management if we cooperate. Youre just saying it for selfish reasons. Honestly, Lyra doesnt have time to get involved in such things, but if she handles the country management casually, I might entrust it to her. Alright. Lets go with Lyras idea. Lets call the Archbishop of this country and [Subordinate] them. Then, call people with the rank of bishop from various parts of the kingdom and [Subordinate] them under the Archbishop. If the Archbishop doesnt have [Subordinate], we may need to contribute experience points, but lets consider it as an upfront investment. Due to the impact of the coup detat, it was not possible to immediately invite the Archbishop to the castle. I had nned to take care of other tasks, such as conquering a volcano, during that time. However, with Lyras proposal, we decided to go to the Grand Cathedral right away. She said, Its better to go early, and since its not a regr task, theres no need to summon them by regr means. Rare-chan, cant you make your appearance disappear? If you use that and fly, it should be fine. Can you make my appearance disappear too? The target is only myself, so its impossible. If youre going to fly, you have to carry me, and in that state, cant you make both of us disappear at once? What do you think? ording to the system message, the specification recognizing carrying as an equipped state should have been revised. I cant imagine any loopholes. Lets not do that. Ill go alone. Tsk. Well, if thats the case, then go ahead. Do you know the location? If I cant figure it out from above, Ill ask in the chat. I tidied up my appearance in the mirror in the room, then flew out of the window. This was the first time I saw my own figure. As Kerry said, I looked very divine, but since my original face was the basis, it didnt feel that strange. I recalled the time when I yed with my mothers cosmetics when I was a child, exploding foundation or face powder all over my face. My mother had fair skin, and the cosmetics she used were of a pale color. Since I inherited my mothers skin color, there wasnt much change in my skin, but my eyshes and eyebrows turnedpletely white, a vivid memory of being scolded. Looking down at the capital from above, the cityscape had a more rough image overallpared to Hiers. While Hiers capital spread out in a circle centered around the royal castle, Aurals capital had a more squared-offyout, with roadsid out like a chessboard, and buildings constructed along them. It was probably due to differences in national character. The overall shape of the city was like a cross or a . The reason for the walls not being circr but having corners might be the same as real star-shaped fortresses. Perhaps to station weapons or troops capable of long-distance artillery in those corners. I dont know if there arerge firearms like cannons, but if I keep a few magicians ready, I should be able to achieve something simr. Because of the coup detat, it somehow worked out, but if I had tried to conquer it properly, it wouldnt have been easy like in Hiers. Of course, if I were to scatter adamantite from above, it wouldnt matter how much artillery is aimed outward. I quickly found a building that seemed to be the cathedral. Thergest structure in the center of the city is the royal castle, and facing it on the south side of the city is likely the cathedral. From this positioning, it can be inferred that the so-called Holy Church is not a subordinate entity to national power. I disappeared and stuck to thergest window of the cathedral, peering inside. Perhaps due to strength or the difficulty of creating wide ss, the windows were unusually slender vertically, and even if the ss were to be broken, it wouldnt be wide enough for a person to pass through. Several of these windows were arranged to provide lighting inside. It seemed to be arge chapel or a double-height space inside. Below Rare, something enormous was seated, and in front of it, there were several individuals offering prayers to something huge. Judging by their appearance, those individuals seemed to hold rtively high positions. ording to Lyras story, they prefer a doctrine of poverty, and if they wear such high-quality items within that doctrine, its probably not far from the truth. But, theres no way to get in. Considering the future, I dont want to cause amotion or break the windows. Maybe it would have been easier to just summon them. If I cant infiltrate from the windows or roof, theres no other choice. I descended to the ground while remaining invisible and looked for the entrance. I thought about entering through the main entrance, but many people were lined up there, either waiting for worship or something else. Since I didnt want to keep the believers waiting and worship alone, those individuals from earlier must indeed be high-ranking. I went around to the back to find a backdoor or another entrance. I quickly found one, but there was a man standing in front of it. He seemed to be cleaning the ground, but it was evident that he was cautious about his surroundings. To avoid trouble, I momentarily used [Stupefy] and quickly infiltrated while he was distracted. If the door had been locked, I might have needed to use [Charm] on this man, but fortunately, it wasnt. Once inside the building, I recalled the overall positioning of the entire building that I had seen from above, and while tracing it in my mind, I aimed for the chapel. In the chapel, those individuals from earlier were still kneeling and praying. I admire your fervor, but from today, please change the subject of your prayers. I lifted the [Camouge] and spread my wings fully while activating the [Knowledge Wing Barrier]. The clergy who noticed Rare all turned towards us, but it was already toote.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [Charm]. [Control]. Did it work? If so, I can probably allow the next one. I enved them one by one, and the control wasplete. [Charm] enhanced with the buffs from [Beauty], [Extreme Beauty] and [Horns] couldnt be resisted even by a king-ss individual. There is likely no character in this country who can resist it. Just to be sure, I checked, and it seemed they were the Archbishop and his entourage. Although they were called entourage, they didnt seem to be individuals seeking power; they seemed to be those purely assisting the Archbishop. So, I want you all to worship me. For now, follow the noble Lyra, who rules this countrys royal family I guess? We understand, our master. They naturally kneeled and lowered their heads. Their seamless movements made me uneasy. While raising the intelligence of the Archbishop just in case, I checked their skills. The Archbishop was a human and not a noble. It can be inferred that there is no power-rted connection with the country from such ces. After memorizing all the skills the Archbishop had, I made them stand. Well, let me give you this just in case. Also, if you think its necessary at your discretion, feel free to use it. I took out the Philosophers Stone from the inventory and handed it over, adding a few more for the people present. It was originally held by Sieg, but it was returned because he had already used the necessary amount. I considered taking [Subordinate], but for the time being, the regr noble human version of the skill should be enough. I calmed the Archbishop, who was about to prostrate in gratitude for Rares gift, and afterpleting the reincarnation and skill acquisition, I returned to the castle. The return to the castle was just to report the oue, and there was nothing else to be done. All the individuals above the rank of bishop who were in the cathedral were now under my control, I had them reincarnated as noble humans, and the rest was left to the instructions to follow Lyra. Ah, right. Lyra. What is it? Hide your face while living like this. Why!? Well, because when I fought with the yers, my face was seen. If anyone sees your face, theyll definitely realize were rted, right? Since were both ying as NPCs and one of us is already exposed, you will have to hide it. Ehh Well, I guess that cant be helped. But if I identally get exposed, dont get mad, okay? I see. At that time, I guess we can say my long-lost sister was turned into an undead by a wicked necromancer and became a cmity. Whatever works is fine. How that part bes a basis for bing a faith object is still unclear. But if we can somehow manage to create a cover story for that part, it doesnt seem like a bad idea. It seems good enough considering I came up with it on the spot. Well then, Im going to meet nc in Erntal. Wait a moment. What is it? Havent you said youre giving away everything in the castles treasure vault? Leave it here. Chapter 131: “Let Me Explain” Long time no see. Sorry for not reaching out for several days. Are you doing well? Wee back! Is everything okay now? Yeah. I should be able to stay online for a while again. I moved to the Lords mansion in Erntal through [Summon]. The target was Deas. Since then, Deas has been stationed in Erntal. The criteria for this arrangement are unclear, but Deas miasma seems to have some effect on the undead under ncsmand. Additionally, Deas can temporarily create disposable undead. Thises in handy when ncs zombies respawn cant keep up. Wee back, Your Majesty. The coup seems to have gone well. Im back, Deas. For Deas, havingpletely subdued one of the rebels who defeated the Spirit Lord is undoubtedly a significant achievement. Although there was a desire to take him along, standing out at this point might not be a good idea. Oh, right. Rare-chan, did you see the message from the admins? Shes talking about that personal message. That means nc received one as well. I saw it. It probably had about the same content as yours, but I went ahead and approved it for now. The drawbacks dont seem too significant. Okay, then Ill approve it too. In ncs case, Erntal, Altriva, and Verdesud are probably the affected ces. But, you know, what if hardcore yers or something like that use the service to transfer here? Even if its adjusted for beginners, wouldnt it be a problem if theye in and wreak havoc? This game generally doesnt restrict yers. Thats evident from the fact that Rare and Lyra can do as they please. Therefore, even if its intended for beginners, there may be no restrictions on advanced yers participating in that content. The message only mentioned, Support by the administration in case of attacks by other yers, so theres a good chance that higher-level yers might attack. Well, if that happens, tough luck. Its just normal PvP. We cant always be the ones dishing out the beating, and if the opponent is stronger, its only natural to lose. However, considering the penalty changes at that time, its dubious whether it would be fair. Nevertheless, as the ones being attacked, and with the risk of being continuously hunted by yers forming a party, even with a reduction in penalties, it may not be worthwhile. After all, the administration is actively sending yers to attack. Oh, I see. So, if the administration sends yers to our ce, its like being attacked by the administration. Exactly. Moreover, considering the content, even if we set our home in the area, we might be attacked without mercy. Not only that, but its safe to assume that our homes in this field will disappear since there wont be any safety zones within this area. Whoa! Why didnt you tell me earlier? I already approved it! Well, I think its better to double-check before implementation. Instead, if youre in this area, there wont be experience loss due to death penalties, its just that you cant rest. When logging out, you cane to my castle or even sleep in the Counts castle. Or, you can go to Lyras ce. Considering that, it might be a good idea to ce minions in various safe spots before the implementation is done. While the reduction in death penalties is a tremendous benefit, being constantly targeted by yers without resting is a significant drawback. Once killed, theres a risk of being camped at the respawn point. In that sense, the risk of death has increased even further. By the way, it seems like there was a message to Lyra about whether she agrees to support the nations operation, but I didnt ask if she epted or not. I havent heard the details over there, but its likely not just benefits. Regardless, its a discussion for after implementation. Rather than that, they didnt discuss it earlier with Lyra, but they are also curious about the sale of reincarnation items. For Rare, Lyra, and nc, those items have no meaning. Since they can only be used by themselves, they cant be used by their minions. Also, no matter which race they reincarnate into, it would only be a downgrade. However, for yers who havent reincarnated yet, the situation is different. For example, suppose there was a person who was a dwarf until yesterday. If that person appears the next day as an elf, would the people around recognize them as the same person? In other words, it could be a high-quality disguise item exchanged for real money. However, there are issues. First, against yers who know of the items existence, it cant be used too many times. It will be immediately suspected and exposed. Even against NPC opponents, those items are obtainable in the game. That means there are NPCs who know of their existence, and against such individuals, there is a possibility of being exposed as well. Another thing to consider is a more legitimate use. For example, a yer who reincarnated into a noble human like Lyra uses a paid item to be an elf. Afterward, they reincarnate into a high elf, then into a dwarf. Next, they be an elder dwarf, and once again, they reincarnate into a beastman. The upper-tier species of beastmen are unknown, but by hopping between these higher-tier races, they might umte various [Subordinate] abilities and unique skills. Although Rare herself is likely a rare existence, being a Demon Lord with Sacred Magic, the intentional creation of such a build is possible. For instance, if Rare were to reincarnate as a dwarf now and aim for the production-focused Spirit Lord, it would be feasible. However, looking at the nned items for sale, such as skill deletion items, it seems that the administrations intention is primarily a rebuild measure, and whether such acrobatic usage is possible remains uncertain. It wouldnt be surprising if all the race-specific skills obtained upon reincarnation were reset to experience points. Ordinarily, if Rare were to reincarnate as a dwarf, skills like Wing Strike wouldnt be usable. I want to verify it, but the risk is too high. Rare-chan, what are you nning to do from now on? Did you make ns for after the event? I wonder If yerse to attack, well have to be ready to face them. But thats probably a story forter. If the transfer service is implemented, it might be after the results of the survey arepiled and the implementation is done. Survey, huh? What will you answer, Rare-chan? For thest transfer service, I had to approve it when I epted the administrations proposal. As for the paid items, well, I probably wont buy them, but I might as well agree. It doesnt really matter if one or two people agree. Abandoning democracy! Youre sayingplicated things. Well, if thats the case, Ill give a proper answer. For better or worse, the situation has changed significantly between before and after the event. Originally, it was just a test of the siege battle, and if possible, I wanted to create a ruin-type undead area as a monster territory. Crushing two nearby cities would be enough to save face against the administration, and attacking further was just to try it out. There wasnt much meaning to it. However, looking back now, maybe it was for the best. I made friends, and, well, this might not matter that much, but I also reconciled with my sister. So, whats next? For now, theres a volcanic area south of the Liebe Forest. Should we conquer that? Arent you going to conquer other cities in the Hiers Kingdom? There are still plenty left. I could, but When I think about it, the goal was the destruction of the six major nations. Originally. So considering that the conditions for the downfall of nations are more lenient than I thought, if all we need to do is eliminate the royal families, it might be quicker, and probably wont umte as much yer hate, I think. I thought you didnt care about that kind of reputation. Its not that I care, but if cities disappear on a continental scale, the human side yers probably wont stay quiet. And if it turns into a situation where its all human yers versus all monster yers, itll be troublesome. So, its probably easier to just crush their heads. Even if the continent changes from having six major nations to having numerous city-states, I dont think there will be much change for yers or NPCs. Protecting the citizens from the threat of monsters is a duty of the nation, but knights or yers can do that. Doesnt that mean that the meaning of the nations existence diminishes as soon as yers appear? Thats part of it, but I think now might be a turning point in the era. Turning point? How should I exin it? Yeah Lets start by thinking about the noble system on the continent and the governance of each city. Considering how Lyra became a noble, I think the ancestors of the nobles governing each city were originally appointed or created by the royal families of each country. The loyalty to the nation is probably derived from that, but what the royalty, or rather the central government did, was probably just appointing local lords as nobles. You can tell because each city has strong autonomy. If thats the case, it can be said that the danger increases the further you go into the countryside on this continent. Those who develop or have developed that region are given effective control of thatnd, appointed as nobles, and receive taxes in return. If it was such a governance system, it would be a feudal state. Its the same as medieval Europe or Japan. But in this world, nobles are different races. With the reincarnation system, its not just about effective control, but they can also provide military strength rooted in skills like [Subordinate]. By doing this, they could be given further favors or instilled with loyalty, but I think that would fade over time. Originally, these local lords were the ones who developed thend with their own power, and theres no continuous support from the central government. They pay taxes because theyve been granted control of thend, but is that really necessary? The power given as their race is already theirs, and moreover, this is something that will be passed down as long as they protect their bloodline. Even if its not local lords but people sent from the central authority to rule, its the same thing. Considering the transportation between the central and regional areas, its impossible to send people regrly, and to govern locally, they have to stay there all the time. In that case, the central authority has no choice but to entrust full control to this individual. Eventually, the consciousness of acting on orders from the central authority fades, and since they are effectively in control themselves, they start to think its fine to continue ruling like this. As local influential figures start to think like this and act recklessly, and as the central authoritys centripetal force weakens, the feudal system begins to copse. In the case of Hiers, for example, it seems like the country could muster quite arge army, and it seems more centralized, with the influence of the central government still intact. But conversely, this time it seems like it worked against them. Because they sent that army to deal with me, they no longer have the resources to send reinforcements to the provinces. From the perspective of the provinces, without assistance from the center, they start to think they can manage somehow, and in the midst of all this chaos across the continent, if the center doesnt provide assistance, they dont particrly need it. Some cities have been attacked and destroyed, but this was mostly the work of me and nc, and I also wiped out the preparedrge army. In other words, even if the country put its full effort into resisting disasters, it would be meaningless. The trust in the nation is at a standstill. Actually, its been about two weeks since the fall of the royal capital, right? In terms of in-game time, but there hasnt been any turmoil within Hiers, has there? Like cities copsing due to civil unrest. If the central authority is gone and most cities havent been significantly affected, it might mean that were entering a transitional period from a feudal society. asionally, I check on the forum, and there are rumors about some lord dering independence, but since practically all the cities in Hiers are independent, its meaningless. Even cities that rely on trade are still trading with neighboring cities, and the cities that rely on business with other countries are doing the same. As Lyra said, since theres no concept of tariffs, it doesnt make a difference whether theres a framework representing the country or not. In this continent, it seems like the role of nations is merely to effectively use artifacts in times of crisis. Thinking about it, the war between Pearl and Shape also seems a bit different. Because most yers have an image of how states operate in modern society, they think of it as a war between two countries. But in reality, whats happening now is just minor skirmishes between several cities in the vicinity. There are even cities within the same country that are not affected at all. Its clear from the fact that yers in Shape like Amatein only know about the war through hearsay. The fact that beastmen talk about avenging Neuschloss or dwarf nobles express indignation seems more like itsing from a sense of camaraderie within their respective races rather than patriotism. Well, this is just my personal opinion.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Yeah, youre sisters after all. Eh? Whats that about? Im just saying its good that you reconciled. Chapter 132: “External Adviser” By the way, is there anything like awards ormendations? Huh? What do you mean? nc sometimes starts talking about things that are not easy to understand out of the blue. However, Ivee to understand in this short time together that ncs words are just missing a little something, and shes not saying things that truly dont make sense. Usually, that is. You didnt mention anything about it during the previous event, did you, Rare? Oh! You mean like an MVP award or something? Yeah, yeah! Like an award for effort! MVP and an effort award make a big difference, but I understand what shes trying to say. But at least for this time, I dont think Ill get one. Why? Because you lost? Exactly. *Thud* I dont remember discussing that topic specifically with nc. However, I have talked about it with Lyra in front of nc. If nc knows the details, she probably heard it from Lyra or saw it on the forum. Well, its not that painful of a memory now. Ill kill those yers on sight though. No, thats not relevant. Id actually prefer if they gave the MVP to those who defeated me. I really dont care anymore. Anyway, this time, the admins suggested or requested that I participate as a force on the monster side. If I didnt agree, they said I could participate as a yer however I liked. So, if I agreed, I think its more urate to say that Im on the side of the admins rather than the yer side. MVP stands for Most Valuable yer, literally the yer with the most value. Usually, its awarded to the yer who performed the most outstandingly. From that perspective, I think I might be excluded from consideration. Is that so? Then would I be excluded from consideration too? No, nc, you participated on the monster side as part of your ystyle, so if you were outstanding, you might still be chosen. By the way, isnt there any announcement or anything? I thought this had already been settled while Rare and the others were offline, but it seems that such announcements have not been made yet. This time, unlike the previous event, there were no clear goals or victories, so its possible that they havent been set up at all. However, judging from threads like the one mentioned, if there are no announcements, they would surely be disappointed. Well, maybe its okay not to have one this time. However, if there are no results for the entire event yet, it means that event rewards suggested by the organizers are also not avable. There wasnt any information rted to that in system messages either. If the evaluations are separate for the invasion side and the defense side, I think Im in a good position! Ive conquered two cities all by myself, after all.N?v(el)B\\jnn Yeah, youre probably the only one who managed to conquer two. If that goblin leader mentioned earlier were a yer, conquering the frontline city would mean they are superior to nc in a sense. Its unclear how they would be evaluated in practice. Moreover, objectively speaking, that goblin, who only conquered cities with beginner yers in the bordends, may be considered superior to Rare. Rare did conquer the capital, but there werent that many yers in the capital. Although she fought against a raid party, she ultimately lost. They probably got some experience points, so they might have killed about half, but whether they were active is debatable. Perhaps a goblin who attacked and defended a citys military forces properly might be considered more excellent. If they count the knights and soldiers in the capital and La Colinne, the kill score would skyrocket. But in terms of PvP performance, it didnt shine. At any rate, the chances of being considered for selection are low. If not selected, its probably because of that. It cant be helped; this is just a precaution. Well, there were various irregrities, and it might take time for the calctions and selections. Anyway, nc, what are you going to do now? Are you going back to the Counts ce? Wasnt that your home? Oh, if you mean home, Ive already moved to Erntal. This lords mansion is my home now! As a parting gift, I bid farewell to Count-sama and received a butler as a farewell gift! Its an honor to meet you. The white-haired butler who had been waiting in the corner of the room stepped forward and bowed. I was somewhat shaken because I thought of him as part of the background or an unconscious element of the environment. Oh, yeah. Nice to meet you too. I was thinking there was someone unfamiliar here. So, is he your new subordinate, nc? Strictly speaking, no. My master is still His Excellency Count de Habnd. But currently, I am in Lady ncs service and act as her main support. Please feel free to ask me anything. In other words, is he like a dispatched employee? Ive read somewhere that there used to be a system like a rentalpanion for events that required a partner, even though it is unnecessary in the current era where events are conducted seamlessly in VR. Or Ive heard of rental siblings, rental lovers and things like that. In the context of reality, its not too different from VR to treat someone who doesnt exist as if they do. After all, humanity has progressed to this point in a predictable way. While I was thinking about unrted matters, nc was talking about her interaction with the Count. And well, thats how the Count entrusted Weiss to me. nc exins it casually, but hes probably a kind of chaperone or surveince officer. From what I hear, the Earl seems to have a high favorability towards nc, so hes probably making arrangements to report regrly and lend a hand subtly. In that case, Ill leave nc in your care too. Sometimes she does things that make me worry. I understand. Just what do you understand!? Ignoring ncs retort, I can now go on that volcanic expedition without any worries. Even if yers attack this city, I n to leave Deas behind and keep Queen Beetle here. With the addition of the capable character Weiss and the waiting wolves, it shouldnt be a big problem. Deas will stay behind. Ill leave nc and the others in your care. Ill take as nned, Kerrys group of four, and my wolves that are already waiting nearby. Deas frowned a bit, but upon hearing that Kerry and the others would be with me, he lowered his head in a way that seemed to say, If thats the case, fine. I can jump to the location where the wolves are, call Kerry and the others there, and gather them. Its been quite a while since Ive operated with this group. Its almost like when we first started, hunting those wild boars. Well then, nc, see youter. Feel free to contact me anytime. Once things settle down, lets talk with Lyra too. Maybe there are factions ying together with monster yers and human yers, and we can discuss how to coborate for greater benefits. Okay! After all, were the Four Heavenly Kings! Oh, what about Lyra-san? Is she an adviser? Calling her an adviser would suddenly make her seem like an external consultant. But it sounds interesting, so try saying that to her when we meet next time. I want to see her reaction too. Chapter 133: “Excuse me, I will call my friend” The middle of the event was tough as I was desperately trying to catch up, so I couldnt really be active. However, as we entered thete stage, we were finally able to be a stable party of three people, and Wayne was able to earn a decent amount of experience points. Due to the proposal from MentaList, we prioritized earning experience points over funds, so I wasnt really catching up to Gil or MentaList, but I should have grown enough to fight alongside them. Currently we are earning money in the country called Wells, which is where Gil and MentaList were based previously. This country, like Hiers, is predominantly human, making it easy for our party of all humans to operate. Now we are in the lounge of an inn in the city of Carnemonte, just three men enjoying tea. Carnemonte is a rtivelyrge city even in Wells, but its yer-friendly due to the proximity of the monster zone. Despite being on the frontier, the city seems to have continued expanding, with multipleyers of outer walls, and the city is situated between these walls. We are in an inn in the outermost shell of the city. Maintenance is over, so each of us has logged in ande out of our rooms. Hey Wayne, your equipment is getting pretty bad. Is that made of iron and monster skin or something? Somehow youre still managing to keep up with that. Your yer strength must have improved a lot, not just your skills and abilities. Yeah, thats right. It seems like I hardly get hit these days. The sword is just a raw de, so the damage isnt that great, but I cover for my attacks with magic, so if I could improve the sword, the DPS I deal would be more stable. No, your equipment is shabby because Menta said to leave it forter. Honestly, looking like that, if you were active in another party, the members would be poached by others one after another. Wayne hadined several times, but MentaList simply said to leave the equipment forter and didnt engage in the discussion much further. In return, Wayne received plenty of support during battles, and if MentaList and Gil, who are his party members, say its okay, Wayne cant really argue. He is aware that he is dragging them down, but at the same time, he feels that he is being lifted up in return. But seriously, what are you thinking? Tell me. Its not like youve been letting Wayne wear shabby gear without any reason, right? In response to Gils words, MentaList finished his cup, stood up, and said, Thats right. Lets continue in my room. They brought chairs from Wayne and Gils rooms and gathered around a small table in MentaLists room. For Wayne, he would have been fine with a separaterge room, but since Gil and Mentalist are not strapped for funds, a private room would be fine. Wayne has managed to pay his bills, but it will be difficult to maintain his standard of living if he does not shift his weight to earning funds rather than experience soon.N?v(el)B\\jnn While MentaList mentioned it, Wayne realized that the current funds were prioritized over experience points in their activities. It might not be enough to catch up with Gil and MentaList, but at least they should have grown enough to fight alongside them. Now, by the way, let me confirm something. In the raid against the cmity, I missed collecting the metal chunks as drop items. Ive already honestly informed the participating members, gained their understanding, and we agreed to no rewards. Is that okay? As Wayne, it was a bitter memory. If only we had collected those chunks before the cmity reappeared. Since the Hiers capital is already under the influence of the cmity, those metal chunks have probably already been collected by them. Thats right I do feel sorry, though. Well, its not just Waynes responsibility, right? By the way, Menta, didnt you say you picked up a few of them? I did. I still have them. Although I briefly considered sharing with everyone, those metal chunks belonged to MentaList, personally collected within the capital, not the raid drops. They should remain with MentaList. Youre quite shrewd or maybe just smart. So, what was that metal in the end? Magic iron or something? Were you nning to use it to make equipment for Wayne? Its something like that, but theres one correction. This metal isnt magic iron. MentaList took out a metal chunk from the inventory and ced it on the table. It had already been processed into ingots, and it was evident that it had undergone appraisal and refining at a cksmith or simr ce. I had this secretly turned into ingots at the citys cksmith. I was told it couldnt be handled in the small towns Ive been to before. Even in this city, it had to be taken to a well established cksmith near the center for it to be acknowledged. Seriously? What was it then? Its called [Adamas]. Adamas. Wayne had heard of it before. It was originally a word mentioned in Hesiods Theogony, an ancient Greek text, likely referring to steel or something simr. The origin meant unconquerable, and it was generally associated with a hard and durable material. How is it treated in this game? Gil, have you heard of it? No, I havent. With the name, its probably something akin to Adamantite or Adamantium. Did that exist in the game? It seems so. ording to the cksmith, its particrly hard and durable among normal metals, and its performance is significantly superior evenpared to magical metals. He mentioned something like Orichalcum Its apparently somewhat inferior to materials with names like that. However,paring it to Mithril, which has different applications, its hard to say which is better. They had researched quite extensively. However, that meant it was a considerably rare metal. And it was lying around in the middle of the royal capital. Seriously The drops from the cmity are dangerous. If it became known that defeating the undead in the city center drops this metal, yers might swarm the old Hiers capital. It might but I dont intend to make it public. I see. Sorry, MentaList. What do you mean? Gil. Even though everyone agreed once, the fact remains that the cmitys drops were lost due to my mistake. If it turns out that it was actually a valuable metal chunk, the consequences are uncertain. MentaList is worried about that, so theyve been keeping quiet and only telling us. Well Sorry about that, MentaList. Its fine. If you didnt intend to make it public, why bring it up now? You could quietly sell it. Its not like anyone would find out. I already know, but I thought about getting new equipment for Wayne and Gil with this. It might be troublesome if we put it on the market. Even if yers wont find out, NPCs buying it would definitely mark us. Ive kept it quiet from the cksmith who appraised it, and Ill continue working with him in the future. What do you want to do, Wayne? To be honest, it felt awkward. There was a part of him that felt selfish for considering upgrading only his equipment, and besides, these were MentaLists possessions. However, MentaList was the one bringing it up, and Waynes subpar equipment was indeed hindering the overall partys performance. Looking at it from the perspective of boosting the partys overall strength, MentaLists suggestion made sense. Also, considering the amount of metal Gil would need for theirbat style, Waynes burden would be lighter. If Wayne refused, Gil would likely follow suit, stopping Gils upgrade. Knowing the personalities of the two, MentaList had carefully considered the proposal. MentaList, Im d youre not an enemy. Im honored to receive your praise, Leader. So, is it okay if we proceed? Yeah. Sorry, but please go ahead. Lets change our perspective. Eventually, the goal is to defeat the cmity again. The raid members will be rewarded at that time. These metals are borrowed for that purpose. All right! Shall we go now? To that cksmith. Yeah, theyre probably eagerly waiting for us to show up. So, the sooner, the better. Is that cksmith so dedicated to their work? No, Adamas seems to be rare even in this city. Opportunities to handle this much of it are apparently scarce because of it, so theyre quite eager. So that was how it worked, I see. Chapter 134: “What’s for dinner tonight?” The master cksmith in this country was a rare dwarf. Contrary to his silent and seemingly difficult appearance, he had a cheerful and friendly personality. However, due to his extremely loud voice, he wasnt suitable for casual conversations. Alright, alright, alright! Well then, Ill get started right away! Wait around here! It wont take long well, I cant promise itll be done today, but it will be finished by the end of the day! Saying that, he gathered all the metal chunks and Waynes current equipment and disappeared into the workshop. Are we supposed to just wait around for a whole day? Hey, I can hear you, Gil. But yeah, youre right. With our current equipment taken for measurements, we cant go hunting either. What should we do? I dont know. Well, maybe its a good time to stroll around the town. Maybe check out a bookstore. There might be things of interest. MentaList has been active in the verification thread. He wrote various things in the event summary thread, and he might be researching the countrys history. A bookstore, huh? Im not really good with that stuff What about you, Wayne? I think Ill join MentaList. I havent been to a bookstore or anything in the game, so Im curious about whats there. If the information obtained at the bookstore is anything, it could be considered generally known. The talk about the Six or rather Seven Great Cmities that they heard from the Prime Minister was new to them. However, its possible that its information known at a general level. They usually dont talk about such things with the citys NPCs. Not just because its a game, but in reality, people wouldnt casually discuss disasters or idents with neighbors they arent close to unless theres recent news. What about you, Gil? Theres nothing I can do alone, so Ill tag along. But, Ive sold all the old equipment that became obsolete so far, but with custom-made stuff, things like this can happen. It might be better to keep them from now on. They all agreed on that. yers have inventories anyway, so theres no concern about them being bulky. I mean, it might be risky if we get attacked by thugs or PKs while waiting, but this area is close to the city center. Its probably safer to kill time here than going back to the inn. Besides, my equipment hasnt been confiscated, and I can use magic to defend myself if needed. They asked the female clerk at the cksmith about the location of the bookstore and headed there. She seemed to have oveRarerd their conversation and kindly directed them to the main street, a clear and crowded path. The bookstore was quiterge, with a sturdy-looking door. There were no windows, and it looked like a warehouse at first nce. If not for the sign, they probably wouldnt have known. I wonder if there are no windows to avoid sunlight? Come to think of it, do we have to buy books at a bookstore? Honestly, Im not really in the mood to buy them. Surely, its not necessary. Well, since were here, lets go in and see. MentaList led the way into the bookstore. The door was as heavy as it looked, and MentaList, who hadnt allocated points to STR, seemed to struggle a bit. Considering his slender arms, it was impressive that he managed to retrieve that metal chunk. The interior was unexpectedly bright, contrary to their imagination of a dimly lit space. Magical lights seemed to shine everywhere. The price isnt that high, huh? They must have printing technology. Wayne also noticed the same thing and nodded in agreement with MentaLists words. They were aware that paper and such circted to some extent, and with the existence of the Mercenary Associations bulletin board, they knew that the literacy rate was reasonably high. This indicated that books or simr items were readily avable, and the bottleneck in production, which would presumably be printing technology, was already in ce. What, are books rare? Country bumpkins? Those on disy are books replicated with [Replication Magic]. If you want to see the originals, go to the grand library in the capital. The elderly man, who seemed to be the shopkeeper, with sses spoke with a twisted expression. Unlike the dwarf cksmith from earlier, he appeared entric at first nce, and his words confirmed that impression. Gil seemed ipatible with him, and as he turned back, it seemed he had no intention of engaging with them from the beginning, ignoring them and picking up random books. [Replication Magic]! Is such a thing possible? Shopkeeper, could you please tell me more? On the other hand, MentaList had forgotten his original purpose and was pressing the shopkeeper for information. In a sense, their original purpose was just to kill time, so in that sense, he wasnt wrong. Reluctantly, Wayne decided to do some research on his own. Well, Gil seemed to be doing something simr as well. As they strolled around the store, it seemed the books were organized by content, and it was more orderly than they had anticipated. Wayne was somewhat interested in legends and traditions rted to disasters, but he wondered how they were ssified. Maybe around here? He picked up a book from a shelf that seemed to contain books rted to legends and traditions. The title read, Great Discovery! The Cmities are not just Six!? The Legend of the Dragon Buried in Darkness! As he flipped through the pages, there were pages with clear,rge headings and subtle illustrations depicting the six creatures that seemed to be cmities. The illustrations were so subtle that their credibility was questionable. The text was also subtly difficult to read, and if the shopkeepers im about replication was true, perhaps the original authors writing and drawing skills were initially subtle. Despite theck of information on dragons, even in the illustrations or imagination, Wayne tried to read through it just for the sake of it. However, there was no information about dragons or anything rted. What is this It was entirely useless as a reference, but if there was any harvest, it was apparent that the information about cmities seemed to be a generally known fact. Otherwise, such books wouldnt be written. Well, there were people preaching in the streets, like in Portree, right? So, everyone probably knows.N?v(el)B\\jnn However, did this mean that the original versions of such books were stored in the grand library in the capital? Perhaps there was a rule that required the original version of any book to be deposited upon publication. Hey! If youre going to read for too long, you better buy it! The shopkeeper scolded, so Wayne hastily returned the book to the shelf. That was understandable. If everyone read for leisure without buying anything, it wouldnt be good for business. It was probably something like Tachiyomi, he vaguely recalled. Now, a bookstore only existed in fiction, so he was a bit hazy on the details. Did you find any useful information? It was MentaList. If the shopkeeper was reprimanding Wayne, it meant that MentaLists conversation with him had ended. How about you? I found out an interesting fact. What MentaList extracted from the shopkeeper was the details of Replication Magic. First, one needed to prepare all the materials required to replicate the existing item and create it from scratch. For a book, this would include the necessary number of papers, strings for binding, and, if leather or metal fittings were used for the cover, those as well. And of course, ink. Activate Replication Magic on the target item, consuming MP and the prepared items as a cost, and the effect would be obtained, creating a replica of the desired item. However, Replication Magic couldnt create an exact copy, and at best, it could only produce an item one rank lower in quality. In game terms, it meant a drop in quality. The quality drops, huh. Oh, could that be why the writing and illustrations were subtle! If the writing and illustrations were inferior to the original, it was reasonable to say that the quality had deteriorated. While the value of a book might not necessarily lie in such things, if the game system determined it that way, then so be it. Well, for that reason, its often not worth the cost or rather, if you have the skill, production time is shortened, so if you have the materials, its usually better to make it normally. Seems like its a technique used mostly for books. It seemed well-crafted yet, it also seemed like they failed in creating a good system. I see Oh, by the way, did that result in the writing and illustrations being subtle? If the originals had poor quality, then yes, thats likely. Its a technique mostly used for books that arent used for much else. Got it, thanks for the information. Well, lets look for the Reincarnation Item then. With that information in hand, MentaList focused on his initial purpose. For the next few hours, they stayed in the bookstore until the angry shopkeeper chased them out. They couldnt find out how to obtain such items, but they did find books with descriptions hinting at the existence of such items. The only harvest of the day was that MentaLists hypothesis was reinforced. In the end, I was forced to buy it this subtle book. The shopkeepers anger was quite intense, and pushed by the momentum, Wayne ended up buying the book with the subtle content, the one about cmities and dragons. Since Tachiyomi had only checked the illustrations, it wasnt aplete waste. MentaList purchased a book with information about reincarnation-rted items. Since he hadnt read it all, there might be information rted to acquisition in the details. Surprisingly, Gil bought a cookbook. It didnt match his appearance at all, but it seemed he was skilled in cooking. Without a skill, he couldnt obtain special effects, but it meant he could still make regr meals that would replenish hunger. A mans home-cooked meals, huh Yeah, who cares? Its all the same no matter who makes it. Wayne didnt have such preferences as MentaList did. Moreover, many food items sold at stalls were often made by men. Anyway, it might be almost done by now, so should we head back? Considering the time spent at the bookstore and the travel time, it wouldnt be surprising if its already finished. Even if it wasnt finished, it would bete afternoon. It would be difficult to kill more time somewhere, and all that was left was to wait at the cksmith. T/N: that Tachiyomi line felt a little bit off, but its what the chapter said, so I guess I just dont know enough about it orck some context Chapter 135: “New Equipment” When I returned to the cksmiths shop, the dwarf master was standing at the reception. That meant the work waspleted. It might seem too early to finish the metalworking job, but production skills worked that way. The master grinned and nodded, pointing towards the back room. Upon entering the room with the master, in the center of a space resembling a workshop, a dull-shining full-body armor stood imposingly. Next to it, there were many small metal tes bound together with leather straps, forming what ismonly known asmer armor. The full-body armor was for Gil, and themer armor was for Wayne, presumably. I decided to try them on. The master adjusted the belts and buckles, tailoring the armor to fit Wayne and Gil. The full-body armor wasnt as thick as I expected, deriving structural strength from its forged shape. It seemed to be a form of fluted armor. Thanks to this design, it didnt feel as heavy as it looked, and Gil, with high STR and VIT, wore it effortlessly. However, the defense was on another level. Waynes iron sword, which had been at his waist until this morning, wouldnt leave a scratch on it. On the other hand, Waynesmer armor felt slightly heavier than it looked. Despite being made of small metal pieces, the quantity used, along with the weight of the leather, made it so. But the defense was more than it appeared. It could withstand simple shing and piercing attacks just as well as Gils armor. However, it might not fare as well against attacks with significant force or blunt strikes. For mobility, the sides, groin, elbows, and the back of the knees were intentionally left slightly exposed. Adamas wasnt used in Waynes armor. While maneuvering required caution, Wayne, at his current level, should be able to dodge effectively or use the high-defense areas to his advantage. This is amazing. Yeah. Agreeing with Gils murmured words, Wayne received size adjustments from the master. There was no other way to express it in words. It was undoubtedly top-notch material and craftsmanship. Oh, you cant forget about these! The master pointed at the swords and shields on the workbench. There were two swords, one a slightly smaller broadsword, designed for one-handed use with a shield, likely for Gil. The other was a longsword, usable with one hand but with a longer hilt, allowing for a two-handed grip. It was also called a bastard sword. The shield was arge square-shaped one, referred to as a scutum, typically made of wood or leather. When made entirely of metal like this, it would be too heavy for most people, but for mercenaries and knights with high STR and VIT, it could be used effectively. Of course, it was for Gil. Like the full-body armor from earlier, the shield was impervious to Waynes iron sword. As for the swords, there was no suitable target to test their sharpness. If there were bundles of straw wrapped around bamboo, it would be perfect, but Wayne hadnt seen such things in the game. He hadnt seen them in real life either. To test the sharpness, you might have to try shing some monsters. Use that firewood over there! Cut it vertically, and youll save yourself the trouble of chopping firewood! It was an unreasonable request. While it might be possible to cut it, it wasnt something a sword was designed for. If its vertical, do it yourself. If its horizontal Gil raised his sword in an upper stance. The master grabbed some firewood and threw it, curving towards him. Normally, the firewood would be struck by the sword but not be cut, mming onto the ground. However, to Gils apparent surprise, the sword swung silently, and the firewood fell to the ground, neatly split in half. Woah, that was amazing! Even Wayne, who was watching, couldnt find the words. It was like Gils sword sh from two days agoor rather, the one hed seen every day before maintenance. It wasnt that his skill level had suddenly increased. If anything, the armor had be rtively lighter, giving him a bit more speed, but that was it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om You try, Wayne. Gil threw the remaining firewood in an arc. Since Gil had already cut it in half, it increased the difficulty. The target was smaller, and the weight had halved, making it harder to cut. With a brief moment to calm his mind, Wayne concentrated. It would be disastrous if he hit at an odd angle. At this point, he could not afford such rookie mistakes. Like Gil, Wayne raised his sword in an upper stance, calcting the timing for a downward swing. Huah! Due to theck of resistance, the sword passed through effortlessly, almost causing Wayne to hit the ground with the swords tip. Thanks to his STR, such a clumsy mistake was avoided, but he needed to be careful not to cut his own leg. At this point, making rookie mistakes like that was uneptable. Thats incredible, Wayne muttered, still shocked by the experience. The firewood on the floor had been further split in half. I checked the de and found not a single chip. Truly, it could be called fantasy metal. With this, it should be possible to cut through monsters, bones and all. No issues, it seems! Ah, I did a good job! Thank you, Master! This is fantastic equipment. Yeah! Weve certainly be much stronger, but it seems were still no match for our equipment. We need a bit more training. Wayne and Gil expressed their gratitude to the master and received their old equipment back. Gils equipment was taken as a trade-in, while Waynes was offered for disposal. They were asked if they wanted to leave it as it is, considering such incidents might happen again, and they chose to take it with them. Seeing this, MentaList looked satisfied. Now then, if both of you are satisfied, thats good. Now, about the payment. Well, about that, the materials you left with us this time are still in surplus. If you guys dont mind, you can leave them here, and Ill waive thebor cost. Wayne and Gil looked at MentaList. Originally, those materials belonged to him. If you promise not to disclose that you got them from us or mercenaries, its fine. You can say you came across them through some unique route. Yeah, well, you dont have to worry too much about that. Rarely does anyone ask about such things. After all, even if you have the materials, theyre useless if you cant process them. While the master said that, it might not hold true in the future. As yer crafting professions, especially cksmiths, continue to grow, when Adamas bes the appropriate material, such information will be crucial. However, even for MentaList and others, they obtained it as some sort of event reward by chance. He just didnt want Wayne and the others to expose their unique acquisition route. It wasnt about safeguarding their own procurement strategy or anything like that. Well, as long as you guys dont leak our information, anything is fine. By the way, is that really enough? It seems like youve incorporated quite a bit of skill into it. While the working time was effectively half a day, an unbelievably short delivery time, the quality was undoubtedly top-notch. Normally, reducing the delivery time withoutpromising quality would increase costs. Thats because the master was so pleased that he decided to improve the quality on his own, so theres no need for the customer to worry. Also, considering the amount well pay for the remaining Adamas, the difference shouldnt be that much. The woman at the reception, who had popped her head into the workshop, answered so. She was likely in charge of ounting. Her response indicated that, judging from the phrasing, the material itself had be quite valuable. Wayne, and even Gil, would probably take some time to fully pay off. Well, I dont think you need to worry about that. From the moment we were in the capital, I already considered us a part of this party. Picking up dropped items is also part of the partys work. If you really insist, you can return it to us in kind. This was likely what MentaList wanted to convey. Understood. Our equipment isplete, so lets start an attack on Hiers soon. First, lets head towards the city of Erntal, partly to assess the situation. I remember it was also devastated by the minions of the cmity. Werent there zombies and red skeletons? Also, a giant stag beetle? On the simple map, it may not seem like much of a distance, but well have to detour around that hignd. Itll be a bit of a roundabout, but theres no helping it. It was about time when the difficulty level in the vicinity of this town had hit a teau in terms of experience points. Wayne and Gil decided to move towards Hiers for the purpose of limating to their new equipment and gaining more experience. Once the teleportation service was implemented, they could reach their goal. Wayne and Gil, setting the conquest of the Hiers capital as their new goal, began nning their journey. Chapter 136: “Volcano Expedition” Boss, Ive been waiting for you. I targeted Hakuma and [Summoned] myself to the volcano. Although it was described as a volcano, the surroundings were a forest. The temperature was indeed high, but it didnt quite fit the image of a volcanic area. Comparing the simplified map on social media and the maps from the Hiers Kingdom and Aural Kingdom, thetitude of this area would be slightly south of the Aural Capital. Its hot in this forest. Hakuma might not be used to it. [Summon]. I called out to Kerry and the others, reassuring them. Hakuma smiled and shook his head. The resistance to heat obtained when reincarnating into a Sk?ll seems quite high. The Sk?ll is a mythical creature said to chase the sun across the sky. Its likely due to not being suitable for heat. A simr resistance was also obtained by Ginka after reincarnating into a Hati. So, in this game world, Hati may be interpreted as one who runs before the sun, not as one who chases the moon. Then it is possible that Ma?agarm exists separately as an entity that specifically chases the moon. Usually, young people with few friends are knowledgeable about Norse mythology. Rare is no exception. Well then, shall we go? Though Im not sure which way to go. Was Yoroizaka-san alright, Boss? I was wondering what to do. I had Yoroizaka sitting on its haunches in the royal capital as the first form of the cmity. Besides, I thought it wouldnt be a problem if you guys were here. Im counting on you, Kerry. Kerry nodded with aposed expression. However, her ears twitched, and her tail swayed. Its cute, but perhaps Rares wings appear the same way to others. This is a clear case of learning from others actions. Rare silently thanked Kerry. Boss, for now, the volcano is that way. Ginka indicated the direction with her nose. All that can be seen are trees, but if Ginka says so, it must be true. Ginka led the way, followed by Kerry and Riley. In the middle were Rare, then Remy and Marion, and at the rear was Hakuma. However, in the forest, Ginka and Hakuma were toorge. Its quite convenient that this formation can pass through the path. When thinking about it, there were traces of trees being knocked down. This means that, like the shallowyer of the Liebe Great Forest, Hakuma forcibly created a beast path. Since they have already leveled this path and are walking leisurely, there seems to be little need for caution in the surroundings. There were monsters attacking us. We not only defeated them but also found their leadersir and killed them. Theres the leaders den just ahead from that side path. There is definitely a branch road that is rougher than the animal trail we are walking on now, and that looks like it has only been traveled a few times. Ginka stopped and asked with the eyes what to do. The original goal is to control the area around this volcano. If the monsters that Hakuma has already defeated are the bosses of this area, then the job is already done. However No, thats not the case. It was the undead that ate that one up. Im sure its a setup for the Event, as they call it. Is it safe to eat the undead? Well, it might have been a skeleton. Rare knows that dogs like to chew on bones. So, it might be a good idea to bring wolf-type creatures to ncs territory. Since Hakuma is an adult, it should be fine, but if you bring the little ones, they might use the Spartoi as toys. In that case, the new undead boss in this area and the original boss didnt sh. I wonder why. A simr case would be the Teur Forest. That forest also didnt have the Elder Camphor Treant and Sieg fighting each other. The reason might be the difference in their activity times or the ipatible nature of their conflict. This forest might have simr problems. Or it could be that Hakuma found the undead before the boss of this territory, and when they came here, they died before shing. Anyway, we wont know until we see. For now, were heading towards the volcano. But is the original boss of this territory in the volcano? Weve been to the volcano, but we havent gotten that close, so I dont know. Hakuma wanted to go, but I stopped him. Doing things recklessly might spoil the Boss mood, so I wouldnt get upset about something like that, but Ginka seemed to want praise, so I gently stroked her chin. Ideally, I would have liked to pat her head, but shes toorge, requiring a stretch even to reach her chin. However, if the boss isnt in the forest, it would be reasonable to assume theyre in the volcano. Without changing our policy to head towards the volcano, the group resumed their journey. Upon further thought, considering that theres always a boss in a monsters territory might be Rares bias. As far as cases known to Rare, its only the Liebe Great Forest and the Teur Forest. Both had two raid boss candidates, but those forests might be special cases.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Another example could be the Abuon Mercat Hignds, and the boss residing there is a vampire count. Going from what Ive heard, its probably on a different level. It must be a ce that is normally inessible. Maybe the adjustments to the initial spawn locations during the official serviceunch were influenced by ncs situation. Eventually, the trees became sparse, and the volcano came into view. At this point, it was quite hot. Marion had been using magic to cool the surroundings, but without it, everyone would probably be drenched in sweat. Canines, not sweating much, regte their body temperature by sticking out their tongues to breathe. Without heat resistance skills, both Hakuma and Ginka would likely be panting. Assuming theres a boss in the volcano Just looking up at the mountain with only rocks. Where could it be There doesnt seem to be any decent creature. But theres no use standing here. Changing the formation to have Kerry and the others at the front, the group began to climb the volcano. If it were a straight climb, it would be quick, but there were steep rocks, so they zigzagged, avoiding rocks and asionally moving sideways, gradually ascending. Although its called climbing, thanks to their high stats, its no different from walking on t ground. Normally, it might take several days to conquer such a mountain, but for Rare and the others, such time was unnecessary. In fact, if it were just Rare, flying would be enough, and there would be no need to walk. Suddenly inspired, Rare checked the skills of Hakuma and Ginka. When they were reincarnated before, there wasnt much time, and the main goal was to be stronger in the environment. Therefore, Rare didnt thoroughly check them. But upon re-examining, there it was. A skill in the flying category. Named [Sky Drive], it is precisely the skill that allows one to run through the sky. While [Flight] has no specific conditions after acquisition, allowing one to fly even with their wings folded, [Sky Drive] has the effect of being able to run through the sky, thus requiring legs to fly. I wondered for a moment what the meaning of this was in separating them, but in other words, this would also have the effect of allowing one to stand on ones feet in the air. If Rare wanted to attack directly in the air, she would have to use [Flight] to generate speed and turn that momentum into attack power, or use her altitude to do so, or else she would not be able to do any real damage. If she were to strike normally, her body would spin around. In the future, when you have your subordinates acquire flying skills, you will need to be very careful in this area. More and more other yers will acquire such skills, and in terms of NPCs, there are already confirmed flying enemies called angels. Aerialbat is inevitable. Boss! This is amazing! Getting used to stepping on nothing in the air might take some time, but this is a wonderful power! Im d you like it. Sk?ll and Hati are wolves said to run behind and in front of the sun. If they cant run through the sky, they wouldnt fit the legendary wolves. Thinking so, Rare promptly had them acquire the skill. At first, it was intimidating, but whether it was the wild instinct or some kind of ability values, they quickly got used to it and began running through the air. Since Rare can fly on her own, she decided to have Kerry and Riley in front of her, Hakuma with Remy and Marion in the back, and conduct aerial exploration. Hati, said to run behind the sun, and Sk?ll, said to chase the sun. Whether Hakuma is consciously forming a formation with this in mind is unknown, but if so, it means Rare is being likened to the sun. A sr eclipse is said to ur when Sk?ll catches up with the sun and bites it. In other words. There are only rocks in the volcano. No moving creatures. Interrupting the trivial thoughts with a report from the sharp-eyed Riley. Maybe its a type of monster that cant be confirmed from above. There doesnt seem to be any flying monsters around here, so it doesnt seem necessary to camouge against an aerial viewpoint, but Just to be sure, lets asionally descend and explore. Its a hassle, but it should be faster than walking all the way. T/N: Sky Drive can be interpreted as Sky Walk or Sky Dash Chapter 137: “Elder Rock Golem” I give up There really is nothing here. After exploring the volcano for a while, there was no sign of any magical creatures, let alone any moving entities.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The crater area was left unexamined due to the heat and gas, making it impossible to approach. It requires more powerful heat-resistant skills and skills simr to not needing to breathe. If there is something in the crater, theres nothing we can do about it right now. Even if there was something, there was no effective means of attacking creatures that could survivefortably in the current environment, which the members, including Rare, couldnt approach. Well, I guess well have to postpone it Well, its not that close to Liebe Great Forest or my other dominion, so leaving it alone shouldnt be a problem. Once on the surface, I will listen to the opinions of the other members and decide whether to retreat or persist. At any rate, we stand on a rock formation that we saw and that wergely bypassed when we were first walking up the mountain. The considerable height allows us to see our surroundings clearly. Here, even if we took a break, we would not be attacked by surprise. If anything, it would be more helpful if we were ambushed because we would not have to worry so much. Now, what should we do? Is there any benefit in continuing to explore here? Im not sure. Currently, Marion, Hakuma, and Ginka are using magic to lower the surrounding temperature. However, as long as we continue this, their MP will keep decreasing. Stopping it may affect everyones LP, and it might be better to avoid long-term activity in this mountain altogether. Kerrys words make sense. It was hotter than expected. Reflecting as Rare, overall, underestimated this continent. There is a need for substantial introspection. Even though its an initial continent, there might be areas with difficulty levels simr to those unlocked in the mid-game. For example, in the vicinity of this volcano, the surrounding forest may have a normal difficulty level, but the rock mountain area could have a significantly higher rmended level. Normally, some restrictions would be set to make certain areas impassable, but this game generally doesnt constrain yers, indicating the freedom to recklessly challenge and die is allowed. I think Id bettere back after the authorized dungeon system is implemented and I earn more experience. Rare is a species that has even been called a cmity, but considering the reaction of the Count, ncs protector, and the fact that she diedpletely unable to resist the power of the former Spirit Lords artifact, it is hard to believe that she has that much power. Its probably because she has just been reincarnated and is still like a baby. Certainly, even for a single human, there is a world of difference inbat power between a resident NPC on the street and a tank yer like Gil who challenged Rare. Alright, for today Boss! Somethingsing! Remy, who has been quiet all day, shouts. Hakuma and Ginka also tense up. Given thisbination Is it sound? A powerful sound soon reaches Rares ears, almost as if the ground is shaking. Yeah, it seems like it! Is the ground shaking at our feet!? Only at this point did Rare notice that the huge rock beneath her feet is faintly imbued with magic, and its gradually bing denser. This thing isnt a rock, its a magical creature! Immediately, Kerry and the others evacuate Rare, Hakuma, and Ginka into the air. Soon, the mass of rocks below bes clearly imbued with magic and rises with a rumble. A giant no, this is a golem! First time seeing one Considering the harsh environment, Rare had been wondering what kind of creature could survive here, but it turns out it wasnt a normal living being in the first ce. Furthermore, in response to the activation of thisrge golem, the surrounding rocks also stand up one after another. It doesnt seem like every rock within the field of vision is a golem, but there are still a considerable number of them. Since there might be golems disguised as rocks, its not advisable tond on the surface carelessly. It seems like the ecology cant be observed until they start moving, and magic is needed to see their magical power. In this position, Hakuma and Ginka cant engage in closebat. They are carrying burdens on their backs that cannot be dropped. If they could engage in mountedbat, the situation would change, but they have neither the equipment nor the know-how for mountedbat. As long as they stay in the air, they wont be attacked, but their attack options are limited to magical bombardment. Alternatively, it seems we could crush them if we call in aviation and artillery But calling them here and forming a formation is not an option. What effective magic could there be against these masses of rocks? Certainly, there was Ice Magic that could grant Earth Resistance, but attacking with ice wouldnt necessarily deal significant damage to earth-aligned creatures. While there might be a tendency, its notmon for regr creatures to be strongly aligned with a specific attribute. But ants didnt like ice. If I had to say, ants are a race with a strong earth attribute, so its worth a try. Then, let me do it. Marion begins to shower the area with ice chunks from Hakumas back. I thought it was a single-target spell, but it seems to be a form of area-of-effect magic. With single-target magic, the recast wouldnt be able to keep up. Perhaps due to the size difference, therge golem doesnt seem to take much damage, but the surrounding small golems are greatly affected. Even though they are called small, they are considerablyrger than an ordinary human. While Marion observes the damage and waits for the recast, it bes clear that the attack is effective. So, she continues intermittently showering the area with the magic. While waiting for the recast, Hakuma and Ginka also cast simr magic. This should quickly deal with the small fry. The advantage of being able to unterally attack from above is tremendous. No, as expected, Im not sure theyd allow me to do that Stop the attack for now! Disperse! As soon as it seems like therge golem has grasped the rocks at its feet, it throws them into the air. Its quite fast. If they hit, they would be mmed into the ground. Dodging wouldnt be difficult if one were paying attention, but its challenging when focusing on magic. So, hes prepared for anti-air attacks. Is he the area boss? In any case, its doubtful whether current regr yers can contend with it. Its undoubtedly at least raid-level difficulty. She releases Hakuma and Ginka further into the sky and confronts it alone. Come to think of it, she has never really engaged in aerialbat. Although the opponent is on the ground, considering anti-air attacks and the opponents size, it could be called aerialbat. In preparation for future raid battles with yers who mighte again, training for cases where Rare fights alone is necessary. Hakuma, aim for the surrounding small fry. Ill deal with this boss. Boss Its okay. I havent done much today, and ifes to it, theres always [Castling]. Im not going to die. While its essential to leave experience points in stock for when she dies, its also necessary to have insurance to avoid dying in the first ce. [Castling] is originally for that purpose. To make it instantly usable, she designates Ominous-kun as the target. Using it means that even Rare, facing an attack that could potentially kill her, will ensure Ominous-kuns death. She apologizes to him, but theres no one else suitable. Other members are usually busy with some job. Now, lets start with [Ice Magic] Whoa, that was close! From a rock that she barely avoided, hands and legs suddenly sprouted, almost hitting her. Therge golem is throwing the rocks at its feet, but that means theres a certain probability of golems mixed in. The danger of rock-throwing has increased further. Avoidance needs to be done with a wider margin. If hes thinking about it and doing it, its very troubling. I dont know. I cant really judge. While using a suitable [Ice Magic] for suppression, she considers effective means. Its okay to get closer and punch, but considering the size difference, its uncertain how effective it would be. [Feather Gatling]. Countless tiny holes appear all over the golems body. It doesnt flinch, seemingly having no sense of pain, but it seems to have prated quite deep, allowing her to shift the trajectory of the rock-throwing. However, after repeating it several times, the holes initially made have somehow disappeared. They must have been repaired by natural recovery. In this game, dealing with high LP bosses ofrge size alone is already a hassle. It seems like its either a short-term decisive battle from the beginning, or unless we go for an all-out attack on the weakness, the battle wont end anytime soon. The automatic recovery of LP for boss monsters proportional to their total LP is tough. While its a basic ability that all characters have to some extent, when a yer is subjected to it by a raid boss, their morale breaks. Continuously firing [Feather Gatling] might eventually wear it down, but its uncertain how much time it will take. Moreover, the cost of this is LP consumption. The worst-case scenario would be fighting while using potions, but it doesnt look good for the Demon Lord to engage in a battle of attrition with a nutrition drink in hand. However, attempting a saturation attack with magic bes limited as recast times ovep, narrowing down the avable choices. Calcting the damage dealt, recast time, and the enemys recovery speed, one must choose magic that umtes damage most efficiently. Coordinating magic from the [Demonic Eyes], I unleash [Dark Implosion]. This dark magic, previously used in the capital, gathers and crushes all characters and objects within its range, erasing them to the realm of darkness. Although it consumes a significant amount of MP and has a long cooldown time, no one has survived receiving this magic directly so far. While the specific damage amount is unknown, it can be said to be the most powerful attack in the cards that Rare holds. Hmm. However, it ends up being a dud. While the MP was consumed, the activation did not follow through. It seems like some activation conditions were not met, causing the process to fail. As it is an area-of-effect magic, the target is within the specified range, but if theres something that doesnt fit entirely within the area, it seems to end up as a dud. Its likely not possible to cut out only a part of something and crush it. Certainly, if that were possible, targeting a weak point on any opponent, regardless of its size, could result in instant death. I guess it wasnt such a good idea after all. In that case, Ill quietly chip away with [Ice Magic] or simr spells. I scatter high-tier [Snowstorm], [Great Cold Wave], and [Downburst], which can only be unlocked after acquiring both [Wind Magic] and [Ice Magic] high-tier area-of-effect spells, primarily targeting therge golem, and continue chipping away. Oh? However, this had a more significant effect than expected. Clearly, its dealing more damage than anticipated. Could it be that characters with arge body have some disadvantages, such as multiple hits with area-of-effect magic, in exchange for a bonus to LP? While waiting for the recast, I ponder this while using [Feather Gatling] to chip away at the enemys natural recovery. Without something like that, it would be challenging for human-sized characters to counter a gigantic enemy. However, even with such a feature, its doubtful that magic users would gather to form a raid party. Without some merit for melee jobs focused on single-target attacks, its impossible to gather talents and fight in a bnced manner. The same goes for archery, and simr cases. Thinking normally, maybe theres a weakness effect on certain body parts? I have no idea where the weak point is, though. Attacks on weak points may cause knockback, temporary status effects like fainting, or induce part destruction. But exploring this is not Rares job. yers who can only perform single-target attacks should handle it. It has a head, but since it doesnt have a face, its challenging to gauge how much damage Im dealing. Since the opponents damage isnt visible as numbers, its usually estimated by expressions or the degree of damage. Perhaps there are skills that allow seeing damage and LP as numerical or visual information, but Rare hasnt grasped that so far. The movements of therge golem below have be considerably sluggish. However, whether its due to a bad status caused by the drop in temperature or a decrease in mobility due to umted damage is unclear. Since it seems to have no sense of pain, its challenging to imagine that its actions are restricted by damage. So, it probably still has LP left. If it received multiple hits, I think it has already taken quite a bit of damage. While its not terrifying as an enemy, its LP is extraordinary. However, effective attack methods already seem to be discerned, and now its just a simple job of avoiding thrown rocks and scattering magic. Keeping the opponent limited to stone throwing while Rare remains in constant flight makes things easier, but it would have been more troublesome if it had to be fought on the ground. Even a normal physical attack like trampling would turn into a challenging area-of-effect attack that is difficult to evade when the enemy is of this size. Its movement may not seem fast, but thats because Rare is fighting from a distance. If it were moving normally at that size, it would mean moving at dozens of times the speed of a human. If it couldnt fly, it would need to somehow trap it in a one-sided attack or train considerably before being able to contend with it. It took some time, but finally, the time came when therge golem fell to its knees. Even though there are no limitations on actions due to pain since itcks a sense of pain, if it receives enough damage to render its limbs powerless, it wont be able to stand up. If there were room, I could have tried if magic of other attributes would work, but this one doesnt show damage on its face. Well, if ice worked, thats fine. Therge golem hasnt died yet. Its uncertain whether it can be considered alive, but its LP hasnt dropped to zero. Even now, on its knees, it braces its arms and legs, attempting to stand up. If youvee this far, you could say youve surrendered to me, couldnt you? Now, give up and be mine. [Subordinate]. As it is, Mental Magic doesnt work on golem types. I considered using Soul Bind to apply Mental Magic using the stocked souls, but this time, confirmingbat capabilities took precedence. The usefulness of Mental Magic has already been proven, but its unclear whether its sufficient againstbat power from other offensive magics. I want to avoid a situation where theres no way to defend against opponents who surpass me in rank when ites to Mental Magic. Additionally, if theres an opportunity to earn experience points and strengthen Rare herself, acquiring more formidablebat and adaptability skills should be a continuous endeavor. Besides, if Im going to use Mental Magic on inanimate monsters, given that I managed to acquire the Hiers Kingdom capital almost unscathed, I want to try searching for that item called the [Soul Bind Stone]. Its for the purpose of verifying if it has effects simr to [Soul Bind]. Although I was curious, I thought there wouldnt be an opportunity to use Mental Magic on golem types or undead immediately, so I put it off forter. However, once this is over, there might not be such an opportunity for a while, and I can foresee a future where I forget about it again. Intuitively, I still felt a bit of resistance, but in front of the [Horns] bonus, it was powerless. Even in this state, if there had been even a bit of resistance, [Subordinate] wouldnt have worked perfectly. Its quite a high MND. The race name is Elder Rock Golem, huh? Then, are the smaller ones around it Rock Golems? It doesnt seem to have any connection to subjugation, and theres no sense that making the Elder Rock Golem a servant would make the surrounding golems its subordinates. Moreover, the Elder Rock Golem doesnt have [Subordinate]. Most of the smaller golems around, however, have be mere rocks due to the attacks from White Magic and Kerry. I feel like I saw a post on the forum that said, If its a golem, the drop is an item, not a corpse. Still, its unclear whether these scattered things on the ground are corpses or drops of rocks. If its an Elder, does that mean golems age naturally and growrger? Its like a marimo. It might be something like stctites or corals. The World Tree was born by being subjugated by elves What about this one? If it were subjugated by dwarves, would it fulfill conditions for reincarnation? It might be worth trying to forcibly reincarnate it using a Philosophers Stone, but it would be troublesome if the required experience points were in the four digits. I dont have them right now. Even if I were to do it, its forter. Expenses keep increasing even though theres no prospect of ie yet. There seem to be yers attacking Hiers Kingdom and La Colinne sporadically, but not every day. Its not easy to prepare potions that can ignore fatigue, and it cant be helped. Although it should have already been implemented, there hasnt been any discovery of items to create a Quick Safety Area. Until the full-scale dungeon promotion project using teleportation services starts, or until items for creating Quick Safety Areas are released as paid items, it wont be profitable. Well, whatever. For now, you live here as usual. Id like the small golems around here to be under my control, but If theres no reason, they wont fight each other of the same kind, right? So, its fine to leave them alone. It seems to be an unexpectedly mild race. Since they dont need to prey on other living beings to survive and can growrger if left alone, theres no need for conflict. Usually, they just camouge themselves as rocks, not moving or doing anything. Although they exist like monsters just to attack yers whoe to this mountain, such things happen. While it cant be said to be hostile, there are still many nonpliant monsters, so it cant be imed that the volcanic area ispletely under control. However, if thisrge golem is under my control, I can consider it a step towards achieving my goal. All right, lets go home. Until the survey results are tallied, lets work on preparing for the opening of each territory. Hiers Kingdom, La Colinne, Teur and Liebe. Lets decide on a boss for each territory and have them run the operations. T/N: Castling is a chess move where you essentially put your king piece in safety by moving it at the same times as the rook piece, almost switching their positions. In this context, its the skill that lets Rare exchange positions with one of her subordinates. Chapter 138: “The Oracle” Hakuma and Ginka were sent to the Liebe Forest. Currently, Queen Vespoid has taken over after Sugaru, using ants to manage the farm. There are also Queen Beetle and Queen Arachnea, and they help with training and forest management. Simr training is also being conducted in the Teur Forest, where there are several queen-ss entities. Considering the vastness and difficulty level, these forests are quite powerful. The beetles have higher heat resistance than ants. Even if they cant enter the volcano, they should be able to manage the forest at its base. If theres a Queen Beetle who haspleted training in Liebe, lets dispatch her. Leaving Hakuma and the others in Liebe might be excessive in terms of strength, but there are currently no other tasks, and its eptable to leave them as a precautionary force for any future events. The kids are apanying Queen Vespoids training, ying pretend shepherds on the farm. Disobedience has decreased significantly, and recently, they seem eager to be helpful and offer assistance. It seems they are growing well. Once Queen Beetle, who haspleted training, was sent to the forest near the volcano C though its unnamed on the map, so it might be okay to give it a name C to establish a nest, increase her subordinates, and manage the forest. Next, they stopped by La Colinne to check the situation. There is no longer any impression of a hill of rubble. It has grown into a fantastical forest where greenery and ruins harmonize. asionally, giant insects fly in the sky. They dont resemble beetles, ants, or spiders, what could they be? It was an unfamiliar term. After researchingter, it seems to be the ancient insect species called Mazothairos. However, it was better not to think too deeply, given theirrge size, numerous legs, and sturdy armor. Are there several queen-ss beings in La Colinne? With that, there shouldnt be a problem even without Sugaru. I flew to the capital and [Summoned] Kerry and the others, along with Sugaru, to the audience room. * Initially, I didnt n to make the capital my base, but considering the location and dungeon management, making this the base isnt a bad idea. Its not a lie, but its not entirely the truth either. The main reason was that I was slightly envious of ncs lord mansion and Lyras royal castle. Of course, there are practical reasons as well. Within my dominion, the capital is the most important target for yers. Considering the process of capturing the capital, it can be said to be a symbol of the Seventh Cmity. La Colinne and other ces might be targeted as footholds, but they have sufficient strength. With three queen-ss beings, the forces there are greater than the former Liebe Forest. Moreover, most of the trees forming the forest are Treants. If small monsters for food increase, they will automatically attack yers who intrude into their territory. I didnt really intend to nt Treants around the capital perimeter They dont mesh too well with undead. It could be divided by day and night, simr to the Teur Forest, but when the undead be active at night, Treants dont disappear. They are just affected by miasma and go into dormancy. I cant force such a ck working environment on my subordinates. Well, like ncs Erntal, let the insects work hard during the day. Then, Ill produce several queen-ss beingster. Im counting on you. No matter how much experience points I have, its never enough. Creating queen-ss beings consumes experience points unlike others, so its a painful expense. Rare also wants to use experience points for her own growth. Originally, the Demon Lord is said to be a race with few subordinates, and indeed, if Rare hadnt used experience points on his subordinates, she would have be even stronger. Even though paying 5000 for the World Tree was necessary, she has consumed quite a lot otherwise. Ill have to earn and bnce it from now on. Deas is currently with nc, and Hakuma and Ginka are babysitting in Liebe, but for now, these members can be considered as top executives. In the audience chamber, there are Kerry, Riley, Remy, Marion, Sugaru and Sieg, totaling six. Rare sat down on the throne. Oh,e to think of it, Yoroizaka-san is here too. Although the seating position was much higher than the previous throne she sat on, it was morefortable to sit on. It seemed to be Yoroizaka-sans knees. As ordered, it sat here instead of Rare and stayed still. Since Yoroizaka is not really a living being, its body doesnt stiffen even if it stays still, and it doesnt seem to have any difort. Then, let me put a knee nket for you. I took out arge monster fur from the inventory and ced it on Yoroizaka-sans knees. With this, even if Rare sits on Yoroizakas knees, she shouldnt feel any difort. Now, lets think about that skill, [Divine Oracle]. Finally, there was time for contemtion. It might have been more prioritized, but if a new cmity-ss monster were to be born, it would likely be during an event, and now that theyve passed that phase, theres no urgent need. Thinking this way, Rare temporarily set it aside. While calling up the skill screen of the Archbishop, who is likely in the Aural Kingdom, Rare considered it. When ites to adjusting the skills of subordinates, distance is not a factor. You can choose the character from your list of subordinates, and open a dedicated window in your mind. This is also due to the application of the brainwave control technology of the VR module, so its different from the conventional meaning of in the mind. A brief inquiry with the Archbishop indicated that he did not know which skill exactly granted the capability of receiving the oracles words. This is because there is no skill explicitly named [Divine Oracle], and the situation of hearing announcements was a first for him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om However, based on what Rare observed, there was a skill that she found suspicious: [Spiritual Wisdom]. Another possibility was [Suggestion], but if what is being heard is due to a suggestion cast by oneself, it would not be a World Announcement but something else requiring the attention of a specialist. Upon confirmation, the effect of the first tier of the [Spiritual Wisdom] tree, [Human Wisdom], was revealed to be the ability to receive part of the announcements broadcasted throughout the world. Judging from the content, this seemed to be correct. This would mean that you can hear everything, regardless of what kind of being you were born into, but However, that is not guaranteed. Since it mentions part of the announcement, there is likely some bias in the information being heard. If there is something determining this, it would probably be the next tier of [Spiritual Wisdom], called [True Wisdom]. This skill is not effective on its own but seems to unlock the performance caps of other skills, acting more like a secondary effect such as [Soul Bind]. Its effect is to expand the announcements that can be received in [Spiritual Wisdom]. Since the Archbishops [Spiritual Wisdom] tree is only open up to [True Wisdom], it is unclear if this is used to sort out whether a being is considered a cmity or not. Could it be that, while the birth of a disaster-ss entity is understood, whether to consider it an enemy of humanity depends on the interpretation of the listener? The former ruler of this continent was the Spirit Lord. When he was born, those who heard this announcement were likely religious figures. Later, when the Spirit Lord ruled the continent, those who heard the announcement would understand that the being indicated by the announcement was the Spirit Lord. Alternatively, it could have been revealed through direct conversation with the Spirit Lord. No, that doesnt seem right? Only those with this skill can hear the World Announcement. I probably heard it because I was the person myself, but that was a system message. However, since Ive never heard of a World Announcement, its unclear if there is a difference in how it soundspared to a system message. There is a possibility that what I heard was the announcement itself. In any case, even if there was a World Announcement, it is not certain whether the NPC Spirit Lord heard the announcement of his own birth. Anyway, if the religious figures of the past heard about the birth of the Spirit Lord through the announcement, the Spirit Lord would be recognized as a good thing for humanity. Regardless of the actual governance, if the contents were simr to those recorded in modern literature, there might have been some censorship. There might have been propaganda at that time as well. However, around the time his rule ended C if the story nc heard from the Count is true C an Archangel was born. ording to information on SNS, there was spection that the Archangel and the Spirit Lord were in close factions. From this, even if there was a World Announcement, it can be spected that both the Spirit Lord and the Archangel would have been simr. That the specific race would not be known in the announcement is indicated by the fact that I have never been called Demon Lord by an NPC. Nevertheless, I was instantly dered as an enemy of humanity. From the stories posted by yers from various countries on the official forum, it seems that they unanimously treat me as such without having discussed it deeply. I need to confirm this one at least once to see what it actually sounded like. Thinking that it would be enough to just gain the skill, this was left under the control of the Archbishop and ignored until now, but it seems that it cannot be left like that. Because they thought that as long as they could get the skills, the Patriarchs would leave Lyra alone after putting them under her control, but that did not seem to be the case. {***} Author Note for chapter 138: In each country, there is generally a Holy Church that bears the name of each country. Originally, it was a single organization, but it differentiated when the nations split, and each became like a local religion. Its like saying, We follow Buddhism, but we are of the Jodo Shinshu Honganji School. There are variations in sutra recitation depending on the region. The organizational structure includes: In the bishop ss:
  • Archbishop (Metropolitan Archbishop): Generally located in the capital.
  • Grand Archbishop: The coordinator in major cities or, in cases where there are strong ties with the state, may ceremonially appoint nobles to this position.
  • Bishop: Assistants to the higher-ranking individuals or coordinators in medium-sized cities.
In the priest ss:
  • Head Priest: Coordinator in cities where there is no bishop.
  • Priest: Coordinators at the vige level.
There is no sub-deacon ss, but there are monks. When monks be prominent, they directly be priests. From priests, they proceed to the rank of divine officials. Marriage is not allowed at this stage. If someone was already married before being consecrated, its eptable. The god they worship is referred to as the World Announcement. However, because the content of their training is difficult in rtion to experience point efficiency and, to be honest, they dont engage in production orbat, not many people acquire skills. Even if they do acquire them, the World Announcement itself is rarely heard, so there might be individuals who never use it throughout their lives. In addition to announcing the birth of characters of a certain rank or higher, the World Announcement provides information on normal disasters, such as a volcano erupting or a tsunami urring somewhere. However, before the service started, such events were infrequent, making it a truly vor skill. Its a skill where what one wants to do and what one should do dont necessarily align, but it allows them to hear the voice of the world. It seems that people who enjoy that sort of thing created this religion. > Is what it sounded like. The other bishops did not hear some of the words or ces, so there may be variations in the content for each individual. When I reincarnated as the Demon Lord, the system message that came was The Specific Disaster Creature [Demon Lord] has been born. If we consider that the information about the location was increased by the Archbishops [True Wisdom], its natural to think that Specific Disaster Creature: Demon Lord corresponds to the Raid Boss of the Evil Route. If the announcement at the time of the Spirit Lord, in terms of the meaning of the words, was Raid Boss of the Righteous Route, and if that was recorded in literature passed down through generations, then I would be most suspicious. You are the Archbishop of the Aural Holy Church. So, in the Aural Kingdom, you deemed that [Raid Boss of the Evil Route] is an enemy of humanity or a cmity, right? Why is that? I apologize! No, forget about that part. In the confidential documents handed down in the Holy Church, there are legends about the one called [Raid Boss]. It is said that at times, it is apassionate leader guiding humanity, and at other times, it is a fearsome disaster hostile to humanity. Just like humans, there are both good and evil. So, although it was the first time I heard the words, if its about the [Raid Boss], I thought it was necessary to determine which one it is. However, even if we determine it, if its a disaster, just making contact would lead to a situation involving the survival of the nation. I cannot easily meet it. However, in this divine revtion, the description [Evil Route] was attached. Since this was only heard by me in the Aural Holy Church, it seems that, thanks to the [True Wisdom] gained through my training, I understood its authenticity without the need to determine further. This is a normal judgment. This is not a modern society governed by the rule ofw and its reasonable to act on the principle of destroying the suspicious rather than do not punish the one not proven guilty. However, now I have grasped the overview of the World Announcement. There are no separate skills or anything based on the faction. There are just different interpretations of those who hear the announcements. But what is this Evil Route Its not like I dont understand, but emotionally, its hard to ept. I dont intend to say ethical things, but as an existence, there doesnt seem to be a difference between, for example, humans and goblins. If I were to say, there are cultural differences, and that leads to differences in experience points acquired when killing them, but considering other factors like reproductive ability, goblins might even be more valuable. Its the developers that created humans and goblins in the first ce, and I feel a strong sense of difort that they have divided them into Righteous and Wicked in terms of race. Unlike yers, NPCs cannot choose their own race. If they can choose, they can only choose what they reincarnate into, and even then, if they grow up normally, they can basically only choose the normal route Hm? The normal route the righteous route Lets think again about the case where I heard the World Announcement. But since I didnt have any skills, it only concerns things rted to me. First is my Demon Lord issue. The announcement at the time of reincarnation said, Special conditions have been met. It was mentioned as Specific Disaster Creature at that time. This was the first time it became known to the human nations. From the words of the Archbishop, it seems that the Demon Lord is the Raid Boss of the Evil Route. Next is the reincarnation of Deas and Sieg. At that time, it only said, Conditions have been met, but the situation where the undead meet the conditions due to heightened emotions is strange when considered normally. Originally, Deas and the others were undead with emotions, so it could be said that they were special from the moment of birth. The announcement for their reincarnation was also Specific Disaster Creature. Well, they are undead, so they are not living creatures, but it might be just a ssification as some kind of category. Also, Sugarus reincarnation into Queen Arthropoda. This time, she reincarnated with only a Greater Philosophers Stone and experience points. There were no special conditions, perhaps that was the legitimate route. And the announcement was Disaster Creature. Could it be that the righteous route means those who are reincarnated through the regr route, and that the reincarnated races with special conditions are the evil route? If thats the case, its not entirely unreasonable to ept the terms righteous route and evil route. In the sense of regr route versus side route, its within an eptable range of meaning. Choosing the evil route is the individuals choice, so it can be understood emotionally as well. If thats the case, when Sugaru reincarnated, if there was an announcement, would it have been called something like ? This could be a possibility even when using the Philosophers Stone on Lyra, so it can be verified eventually. In other words, as I initially thought, it wasnt about categories like humans, monsters, or neutrals. Its a mystery why such information needs to be announced, but if, for example, in higher-level skills, the race is clearly announced, and with [True Wisdom], only the information about the reincarnation route is disclosed as a prior stage, it might make some sense. However, if theres only one skill in that category, theres no need to rush the acquisition. After all, there are subordinates here. Since the conditions to unlock it are not confirmed, its good to aim for acquisition in terms of verification, but its not something to do right now. Even asking the bishops only resulted in proud remarks about the fruits of their training, so its unclear which condition is the unlock condition. Oh, right. Since its a rare asion, Ill tell you alone. I taught the Archbishop [Inventory] and [Friend Chat] and sent him back to Lyra. His eyes were about to pop out in surprise, and he was about to prostrate himself again, so I stopped him. I sternly warned him and, to ease his anxiety, distributed some experience points to INT and MND. I also made sure to imply not to let others see him using the Friend Chat. Once again, I sat on thep of Yoroizaka and pondered. I hadnt paid attention to it before, but it concerned me in particr. The Demon Lord is an advanced reincarnation race of the Evil Route, and if you trace its origin, its an Elf. Or it could be a Dwarf. I reincarnated from an Elf to a High Elf, and probably became a Dark Elf, sending out demon spirits to be the Demon Lord. Considering that the effect of the Great Philosophers Stone is something like Raises the targets stage by up to 2 levels, Dark Elves are probably on par with High Elves, with one level up being Demon Spirit and two levels up being the Demon Lord. In other words, at the point of bing a Dark Elf, I entered the Evil Route. The announcement at the time of reincarnation was also something like You can also be a Dark Elf by meeting special conditions. What could those conditions be? I have absolutely no idea. If I hadnt met those unknown conditions, I would probably have been the Spirit Lord now, and I probably wouldnt have directly confronted the Hiers Kingdom. The action of attacking the Hiers Kingdom would probably not change, but I likely wouldnt have fought against the yer raid party. That party was summoned because I was deemed a cmity by Hiers. For now, its too unclear to verify Its hard to imagine that the skill configuration is the reason. Even though Im heavily relying on [Dark Magic] and [ck Magic] now, at that time, I didnt have such things. Rather, I probably had skills that High Elves would like, such as [Light Magic], [Holy Magic] and [nt Magic]. Its unlikely that its rted to [Death Magic] or [Mental Magic]. Even if its rted to the [Horns] of the Demon Lord, it has no direct connection to Dark Elves. Besides, both of them are skills that Elves can acquire from the beginning, so its too loose to call them special conditions. Could it be because she has many undead under hermand? If so, that seems to be the most likely possibility. However, the Demon Lord is a race that doesnt have many subordinates, and considering that, its unlikely that the condition is rted to the number of subordinates. Well, whatever. If I dont know, it means it wont happen in the future. If, by any chance, I end up having a kouhai in the future, it would be enough to catch that kouhai and look formonalities with me.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om {***} Authors note for chapter 139 In each capital, there is usually one person at the level of a bishop who remembers up to [True Wisdom], and they seem to have reacted like, Evil Route!? How can you follow such a thing? I feel like I wont have the opportunity to depict the conditions for Dark Elves Will there be something to achieve just by living normally? It might not be the case for everyone, but yers probably have a higher probability of achieving it than NPCs {***} Chapter 140: “Not Eligible For Selection” The official results of the second official event have been announced. Well, I already knew it. In the department of acquiring Defense Points a term Ive never heard before, but apparently points were set for that as masked data Gi1gamesh ranked first, Amatein second, and a yer named TKDSG third. The rankings below that havent been announced, but it seems that individuals will be notified of their rankings. Rare also received the result not eligible for selection. On the other hand, in the Invasion Points department, nc ranked first. Second ce went to Lyra, and third ce to a yer named Bamb. Here too, Rare was not eligible for selection. She got her name on the Invasion ranking because of the coup dtat In the event, points are calcted based on the points acquired as the defense side or invasion side. The yers race is irrelevant. Lyra and nc, even though yers, coborated with Rare and overturned the Aural Kingdom. Currently, the national leader of Aural is under Lyra. They managed to earn points in this way and entered the rankings. With Lyra, we need to make sure not only her face but also her name is hidden Wasnt she called Lord Hugelcup by the NPCs? So, if we dont call her that in public, it should be fine. The same goes for nc. Even if shes revealed as a yer, it wouldnt be fun. For now, lets keep an eye on it. I thought this yer named Bamb might be the goblin who took over the city. If thats the case, they should have earned fewer points than Lyra at least, but If this yer named Bamb is not the goblin in question, then that goblin was an NPC. Alternatively, simr to Rare, they might have already been proposed by the operation because they had the monsters territory under control. On social media, it was said that goblins gradually reced the undead. If that goblin had already dominated the monsters territory in advance, its hard to imagine the type of small fry changing midway. But it cant be said with absolute certainty. Its possible that the goblins held back the undead, and at the start of the event, they instigated them into the city. There are ways. Anyway, since its about another country, lets leave it alone. At worst, if we summon Ururu in the sky and crush the city, well figure out who they are.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Ururu is the name given to that Elder Rock Golem. If theres only one, its okay to call it by its individual name like the World Tree, but its race name is too long. The name Uluru is another name for the famous monolith, Ayers Rock, in Australia. Even if were going to carry out the sabotage, it would be better to reincarnate Ururu first. The current Ururu was defeated by Rare alone, and theres a possibility of it being defeated even if dropped in the middle of the city. No, if it cant fly, is it impossible to defeat it? Well, never mind. Better safe than sorry. Rather than that, lets first think about the rewards. Rares special reward was three ingots of Mithril, slightly less than the third-ce reward for the publicly avable event MVP. Considering that you can receive it without being eligible for selection, its a significant return. However, thinking about it, if you had participated, you might have aimed for first ce. Thats a bit self-centered. The special reward is three ingots of Mithril. In reality, even if you say that, I have no idea how valuable it is. I know that something called Adama-something is a considerably high-ranking metal, but I dont know if its better or worse than that. For Rare, who has no intention of trading with the outside world, the market value is meaningless. The only criterion for value is whether it can be used. Lets keep it stored until somethinges to mind. Or perhaps it would be a good idea to hide it in the treasure chests of this capital dungeon. Since its been given out as a reward for the event, its probably not that rare. In any case,pared to the practically reward-less first event, the rewards are much better. And for Rare, there is something even more exciting than the rewards. The implementation of the limited transfer service, which means the opening of certified dungeons. This is supposed to be implemented as soon as the short maintenance is over, meaning tomorrow. On this day, the system message received upon logging in provided specific details about the changes in penalties and a final confirmation of the yers intentions. The specific details refer to changes in the death penalty. The details were that if a yer died in a field he controlled, he could not respawn for three hours in the game. To put it bluntly, its very heavy. Depending on how you think about it, losing 10% of experience might be better. The in-game three hours mean two real hours. This is fine. Not being able to respawn means being in a dead state for three hours. Therefore, subordinates will remain dead for four hours. If they were to die for such a long period of time, materials can be freely taken from ant-type creatures and treants that leave corpses behind when dying, and living monsters can would leave their drops where they were, opening up the empty area. The restoration of the dominated area will require an immense amount of time, and it would be disastrous if there were a group of yers in front of Rare when she resurrects. Once respawn points are scattered, within three hours, they can prepare and gather people, continuously hunting like a routine. After all, yers can teleport in from anywhere. So I absolutely cant die anymore. Moreover, its nasty that the target area is the field one controls. For example, you cant set individual settings like targeting the capital but not Liebe. As I thought before, if I agree, it means I will never be able to build my own home again. Theres no resting ce for a dungeon boss. Nevertheless, Rare still agreed. She couldnt discard the advantage of easily attracting suckers to the territories she controls. As long as she is in her own turf, theres no need to worry about experience loss due to the death penalty. Therefore, Rare poured her remaining experience into raising the INT and MND of brain-type subordinates like maids, wights, and ant logistics troops. Before maintenance, her forces gathered in the dance hall of the royal castle for a thorough meeting and exchanged friend cards between managerial parties. Since friend cards are not created unless consciously taken out of the inventory, convincing NPCs of this concept took the most time. So far, it had been enough for Rare to unterally hand over the cards, but it wouldnt work if she wanted subordinates to talk to each other without going through Rare each time. If that were the case, there was a risk that Rare wouldnt be able to respond while logged out. Ant-type monsters can intermittently and for a short time engage in activities with a few minutes of sleep. Supervised by Sugaru, who possesses this ecology, Sugarus direct subordinates were ced in various areas. In case of emergency, Sugaru can fly to the scene with [Summon] and directlymand or engage in directbat. This is the same for Rare, and she obligates her summoned subordinates to always act in pairs with Sugarus subordinates. However, considering the risks, Rare, Sugaru, and Sieg are almost not expected to participate directly inbat. The damage if these three were defeated would be unimaginable. Directbat is only allowed in the event that all queen-ss beings, undead, treants, and others have been defeated. If such a situation were to ur, it wouldnt make much difference if only Rare and the others remained. It wouldnt be respectable for Rare to run away alone. I decided on the head of the brain, but when I think about it, ant logistics troops werent specifically meant for that. At first, I didnt have anything else to do, so I had them do it. Before I knew it, they had be a status just below queen ss within the ants a bit biased towards INT. And I raised them together with wights, but thinking calmly, maids dont really need that much intelligence. The maid serving Rare looked shocked by Rares muttering. However, Rare knows. This is an act. It can be said that she unnecessarily added wisdom. Whats done is done. The fact that subordinates dont have a death penalty means that you cant reduce the given experience. Fundamentally, the growth of subordinates is irreversible. More worrying than that is nc. As exined beforehand, she warned her to be careful due to the significant risks, but by then, nc had already replied with her consent. She even went so far as to say that if the death penalty became a three-hour break, it would be lucky. I thought about directly exining it to them, but over there, Deas is left behind, and theres also Queen Beetle. In addition, theres Weiss, a brain. I have no choice but to leave it to them. More than worrying about others, I should worry about myself first. The fact that you can teleport from anywhere means theres no distance issues or travel times, and I will probably get more yer visitors than nc. {***} Authors note for chapter 140: Everyone talks about dungeons, but there is no such thing as a dungeon in the system. It is just a normal area with a lot of characters who are subordinated to other characters. I dont think the term dungeon was ever used in any system messages. All the management did was to implement a one-way transference service. {***} T/N: Good/Righteous Route (`) and Evil/Wicked Route (а`) seem to be basically the path that would normally be taken and the path that would be heretical, so to speak. Uluru is another name for the famous Ayers Rock. Its pronounced the same as Ururu, which is an actual Japanese name, so Ill go with Ururu for the name of the golem. Also, the Invasion 3rd cers name seems to be either Bamb or Bambu, and not Bamboo, in case anyone was wondering. Im going with Bamb for now, if enough people prefer Bambu I can change itter, but only 1 person has expressed that so again Ill leave it as is for now. Chapter 141: “Limited Transfer Service Implemented” The short-term maintenance has ended as scheduled, and the transfer service has finally been implemented. Anticipating the influx of many yers, I had been sending Ominous-kun flying over the capital to gain a view, but at the moment, I dont see any signs of such crowds. No one ising? What about my other fields? No one has arrived anywhere? Come to think of it, now that Im here, I realize that I havent checked where the destination released by the transfer service is. Its inconceivable that the dominions of Rare arent included at this stage, but there might be other attractions more appealing to yers. Oh no. I forgot to check. Or rather, do I even have a means to check? The exnation mentioned that the transfer service mainly sends yers to areas for beginners, but where exactly is that? If Rare doesnt have a means to confirm, theres no choice but to ask someone else. However, considering the circumstances, nc is likely in the same situation, and Lyra is probably preupied with national affairs and wouldnt have time for that. Update Where are you guys going? Dungeon Implementation 1: Thermos In celebration of the dungeon implementation Where are you guys nning to go in the dungeons? It seems you can go anywhere from any city, so feel free to use this thread for matchmaking. Below is a list of dungeons that appear as transfer destinations. There are many, so its rmended to take notes. Kingdom of Pearl City of Neuschloss Kingdom of Shape Others Old Hiers Capital Liebe Grand Forest La Colinne Forest Teur Forest City of Erntal City of Altriva City of Verdesud 2: Norgis There are so many Thanks, person-san fromment #1. By the way, what does this mark mean? 3: Alonson >>2 Degree of difficulty. ording to the exnation from the administration, it doesnt represent the difficulty needed to clear the dungeon. Instead, it signifies the approximatebat power required to engage in battles within the dungeon. Also, theres a possibility of the difficulty changing without notice. Either way, we wont know until we go there. And, by the way, does this forum have a limit on the number of lines per post? 4: Amatein If were talking about the current difficulty standard, it would undoubtedly be the Old Hiers Capital with the cmity. The level at which you can fight in a capital with that cmity is probably just right for the top yers in the defense side rankings from the recent event. 5: CountryPop The difficulty in Old Hiers has a drastic difference. Also, what does Other region mean? Isnt it in Hiers? 6: Thermos >>5 it was listed in the transfer destination list, so maybe its not a country anymore because its already destroyed? 7: Maniho >>4 What does it mean that the difficulty standard is a maximum of 5? Its not helpful at all. What about content for beginners? 8: Healthyunpeble If 5 is the maximum, in ces like Old Hiers it could be like Actually, its higher, but it only shows up to 5, so its set as 5. Honestly, its hard to believe that you can casually hunt in areas with disasters with just a few party members. 9: Nameless Elf Even in the Liebe Grand Forest, which was implemented early, if you stayed in the dungeon for too long, there was a mysterious attack that resulted in death. If the game reproduces such a system, staying too long might increase encounter rates, and there might be a roaming boss that you cant defeat. 10: Amatein >>9 its unlikely, but if it happens, itll be painful. Even if its just one monster, to hunt at the level where you can handle the trash in the Old Hiers Capital, youll need a party of mid-level or higher. If a party of mid-level or higher gets wiped out, thats a significant XP loss. 11: CountryPop Considering that, ces like La Colinne Forest and Teur Forest with the same difficulty level are also challenging to go to. Since the death penalty has returned and high-risk fields are not rmended. As for the administrations intentions, maybe 1 and 2 are for beginners, 3 and 4 for intermediate yers, and 5 for challenging? 12: Norgis If beginners are going, this 1 field seems good. 13: Lyewarehouse But even in fields like 5, if you can defeat even one small fry, cant you earn experience? If you lure and hunt near the entrance, it seems rtively safe, but it might be painful if it doesnt work. 14: Healthyunpeble >>13 it might be possible, but if it doesnt work, itll be painful. To handle the trash in the Old Hiers Capital, youll need a party of mid-level or higher. And if a mid-level or higher party gets wiped out, thats considerable XP damage. 15: Alonson Ive never heard of XP damage. Dont say its like damage to your wallet. 16: Amatein >>13 someone will eventually try it, but for now, its better to attack the dungeon normally and get a feel for it. 17: Orinki But the Liebe Grand Forest, once adored by rookies as the Forest of Teaching, is now 5 Its both a cause for celebration and loneliness I see, I understand now. Theyre disying the difficulty level so explicitly. That means I wont be going there. During periods like events where death penalties are eased, it might be reasonable to challenge a one-way ticket to a dangerous ce. However, Rares controlled fields all have a rating of 5, the highest possible. Its unlikely for yers to suddenly visit. It seems Ive worked too hard But I cant lower the difficulty of the capital, and I dont want them to go too deep into Teur Forest, either, because of the World Tree. The Liebe Grand Forest also has farms and it has the little ones, so maybe lower the difficulty in La Colinne? La Colinne was originally supposed to be a city, but it seems to be referred to as a forest in the current notation. No one would think of it as a city when looking at its current state, but the administrations flexible response is surprising. But the fields around the volcanic area and the forest around it arent listed. It may not include all the current areas, but at least, since Ive given my consent, the yer-controlled territories should all be included. In that case, it means that the volcanic area is not under Rares control. The surrounding forests are reinforced with her subordinates, and there is Ururu on the slope of the volcano. Even if there are other golems and surviving undead, the conditions should be simr in Liebe with its farm or La Colinne with its feeding monsters. Come to think of it, I didnt receive any messages like Do you want to set this as your home? Maybe there is another ruler, like in the crater. If something is assumed to be in the crater, it can be said that the current area is controlled by that something and Ururu. It can also be interpreted as not fitting the single force mentioned in the system message, hence not being included. In any case, its a dead end for now. I contacted Queen Arachnea, who manages La Colinne, and instructed her to lower the difficulty. I also ordered Sugaru to pull up the Mega-somethings, therge bugs, and other strong subordinates to the capital. Although somewhat disappointed, if yers gain confidence, they will soone to the capital and have opportunities to shine. Rare moved only the weakest spiders and ants, leaving behind powerful subordinates. Half are moved to the capital, and the other half to Teur Forest.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om While checking the forum periodically, a yer finally reports that the difficulty has been lowered to 3. Its painful that I can only check the difficulty indirectly. Well, even if its an NPC dungeon boss, its probably impossible. Theres no helping it. Speaking of 3, objectively, its simr to ncs Erntal. That city has Deas and Queen Beetle, so its not easy to fall, but Deas and the others wonte out unless you go to the lords mansion. If the difficulty level disyed by the number of stars when fighting in the city is correct, it should have dropped to a level where you mainly fight beetle-type monsters and Spartoi. It seems that the adjustment made by the administration is to disperse the transfer destinations ording to the forum. Certainly, looking at the forum, yers seem to be concentrating on fields with difficulty levels 1 to 3. Since there are many fields with difficulty levels 1 and 2 in each country, it doesnt feel like yers are concentrating on any particr ce. However, with 3, there arent as many as 1 and 2. There are also posts mentioning meeting up in Erntal where nc is. If this situation continues, yers will likelye to La Colinne soon. I do want to go directly to La Colinne and see whats going on But it would be troublesome if the difficulty level goes back up, so lets send Ominous-kun. Even if Ominous-kun increases by one, the difficulty level shouldnt change. Rare used [Summon Summoner] to move to Queen Arachnea in La Colinne, then used [Summon] to bring Ominous-kun there, and finally returned to the audience room in the capital. I wonder if there were any posts reporting a momentary increase in difficulty There dont seem to be any. There probably isnt someone constantly monitoring, and even if someone sees it, theyll likely think it was some sort of error if its just for a moment. Chapter 142: “The Forest of La Colinne” Oh, customers have arrived in La Colinne. This is not from the direction of the capital or Erntal. Could there be a new safety area in a direction Im not aware of? La Colinne was a ce where various roads intersected, a key point for transportation. I know the direction of the capital, and Im aware of the Erntal direction where I once saw off nc. Along the road heading in neither direction, there is probably a newly established safety area set up by the administration. Once I have some spare time, I should send someone to confirm the location. Im not sure if individual yers can conquer the newly set safety area dedicated by the administration. Even if its not possible, surrounding the area with creatures like treants and insects might make it possible for yers to hunt there. However, if I were to do something like that suddenly, it might reveal our involvement with the yers, and I might get scolded by the administration, so I wont do it. Since there were no posts about meeting up or simr on the recent thread on social media, these appearing yers are not a hastily formed party matched up through the system, but rather members who usually act together. At this timing, they probably just entered the dungeon for the first time. Attacking a 3 location immediately indicates they must be confident in their skills. Due to difficulty adjustments, some time has passed, but its still too early for them to appear after peering into other 1 or 2 areas. Transferring to the newly created safety area is supposed to be one-way, so it should not be possible to transfer to another location from there. If that were possible, it could lead to easy long-distance travel between countries, posing a threat to the in-game economy that the administration is concerned about. I dont think theres any loophole. Lets have a look at their skills. However, if its a party with a certain level of confidence, they should be somewhat advertised. These yers of this rank should enjoy the hunt and death respawn enough to feel it as a positive bnce. While the difficulty is higher than when dealing with beginners in the Great Liebe Forest, we have invested significantly in experience points. We should be able to handle it. The party of five consisted of one tank warrior, one warrior with a spear, one archer, and two magic usersbnced to the extreme in terms of adaptability. However, bnce is just abel, and in actualbat, the front line feels somewhat thin. If there are two magic users, adding one more front liner would be better, perhaps reducing the archer for better survivability. The party advances through the forest with the archer leading. asionally damaging the surrounding trees, they gradually move deeper, wary of traps and ambushes. It seems the archer is also acting as a scout, clearing bushes and small branches while being careful not to catch on the clothing of the magic users. They are quite an experienced party. Unfortunately, theres almost no significance here. There are no traps set up, and the damage to the tree trunks is probably for memorizing the entry route. Most of the trees are actually treants, and their wounds will heal in a few minutes. The cut branches will also recover due to automatic regeneration. The bushes are probably ordinary nts, so they are not entirely useless, but thats about it. Oops, small magical creatures. Probably mice. For a 3, theyre quite small. I think theyre on par with the rabbits from the beginning. Ill handle it. I want to save arrows. The spear user, who was standing a step behind, stepped forward, quickly thrusting the spear through the mouse. Certainly, as the archer mentioned, these are magical creatures brought in to increase the numbers, simr to the ones found at the beginning. Eventually, more advanced creatures would be released, but bringing them without using [Control] is troublesome. Well then, what should we do with these? Mice materials are nothing special now. Its just a regr Grey Rat. Lets leave it. Selling it is too much trouble. Since theres an inventory, theres no problem carrying it, but dealing with it, either by dismantling or selling, would be a hassle. Both in terms of disassembly and selling. For Rare, its a blessing. Those mice are just bait. If you leave the corpse lying around, ants or spiders will collect it as foodter. There cant be only mice for a 3. Well, we havent walked much since entering. Theyre probablying there, it seems theyvee. I hear sounds. At least, bigger than mice. The archer seems to have [Enhanced Hearing]. Since most of the trees in the forest are treants, ants and spiders can move without making any noise if they want. Simply avoiding branches that are likely to make noise is enough. However, deliberately making noise means its probably a service from Queen Arachnea, the overseer. Here theye. Its a spider! Its so big that I couldnt tell at first! Is it a Tarant? Be careful of the silk! Whether in reality or in-game, spiders of all kinds secrete silk. Therefore, the warning from the tank-like leader is not wrong. But its a bitcking. Some hairy spiders, like the Tsuchigumo, asionally release hairs. If you see a fluffy spider, you should be cautious about that. Those hairs are called irritant hairs, and touching them causes inmmation. In reality, spiders kick their bellies with their legs to release hairs, but this Lesser Tarant in the game releases them without any particr principle. It may seem unreasonable, but considering simr skills like my [Feather Gatling], we decided not to dwell on it. And the toxicity of those hairs is not something cute like causing inmmation. Whoa! Something was just shot at us! Ugh! Poison needles! Getting hit will induce a poisoned status! Are you okay!? [Detox]! One of the rear magic users seemed to be a healer. Approaching the poisoned scout, they activated Detox to cure and recover. Detox is a skill in the healing tree that removes any poison status. In the game, various types of poisons exist, such as nerve poison, bleeding poison, and muscle poison. However, Detox is sufficient to cure all of them. The poison from this Lesser Tarant is a type of muscle poison. It permeates the gaps in muscle cells, destroying them. While the symptoms may resemble muscle pain, if left untreated, it can lead to spasms, respiratory failure, and death. In game terms, it would inflict continuous damage and eventually result in death over time. Bleeding poison could be considered a more significant form of continuous damage poison, and nerve poison could be seen as causing damage and paralysis. Regarding this Lesser Tarants poison, while it can induce pain and damage, the final instant death has a separate VIT check. Beginners might sumb to it, but yers of their rank would likely resist it. The poisoned scout likely identified it as poison due to unusual symptoms that couldnt be caused by a mere needle. In any case, Detox would be effective against such mysterious symptoms, showcasing excellent situational judgment. Wait! This isnt such a powerful attack! I resisted it! Before that, it didnt even pierce me. While Lesser Tarants are stronger than infantry ants, they are stillparable to low-tier ants. They are not formidable opponents for yers confidently attacking a level 3 dungeon. The poison needle seems to have pierced the spear user, but they managed to resist the poison status. As for the tank, the creature failed even to breach his skin, seemingly repelled by his natural VIT. Here I go! Moreover, the archer delivered the finishing blow with a knife. This monster, which would have easily wiped out beginners who had juste to Liebe, showcased the strength of these yers. I havent seen this type of monster spider before. Should we take it with us? What could it be used for? If it doesnt shoot silk, maybe its for sewing materials? Wait, I think you can eat tarants. You hold on there! Casually chatting, they stored the Lesser Tarants corpse in their inventory and continued onward. However, we didnt notice it approaching until it was quite close. Yeah, this forest is constantly rustling, making it hard to hear. It doesnt feel like the wind is blowing either. Even as they chatted, they effortlessly dealt with asional spider and ant attacks, disying their confidence and experience. Meanwhile, it seemed that other yers were gathering around. Checking social media, words like meeting in La Colinne and many party matchings were evident. For now, she left the monitoring of other parties to Queen Arachnea and herpanions. Her focus was still on witnessing the end of this particr party. Against lower-level enemies, even with five people, they should have earned a fair amount of experience points and materials. This time, it seemed more like a cautious exploration, and they were thinking of pulling back soon. However, leaving without resolving this situation was out of the question. This might be bad. Whats wrong? Anyway, we were nning to pull back soon, and if theres a problem, lets leave quickly. The leader responded to the archers words. However, the archers expression remained grim. No, sorry. This might be really bad. Whats wrong? Did you hear something? Is it the heavy footsteps of a huge monster? No. I dont know the way back. Huh!? No way, didnt we mark it somehow? Just follow that? Wait! Look closely. At this tree. The one he marked with wounds earlier. But see, there are no wounds anywhere. The spearman shouted, and the healer pointed at the tree. The wounds they had carved into it hadpletely disappeared. It seemed the treants had moved slowly, closing the path they had taken. The corpses of creatures left on the way were also collected. Even if they had tried to remember the path, the treants were moving alongside them, erasing every trace. Clearly, the path has changed. Thats it! This is probably not a dungeon determined by monster difficulty but rather a dungeon determined by the difficulty of its gimmicks, given the level 3 designation! The Forest of Confusion, maybe. Hey, the grass at our feet isnt it growing? In addition to moving the treants, Elder Camphor Treants were intermittently spreading a weak [Blessing]. It could only somewhat elerate the growth of grass at their feet. With the dense trees, the forest felt dim even during the day. Ruins covered in moss and vegetation were barely visible. Even if used asndmarks, the Treants could move them along with the party. Going back the way they came was made nearly impossible. In addition, if they felt the enemies were weaker than expected for level 3, it was probably because numerous Treants were not participating inbat. This is bad. Damn, the only option might be to die and respawn. Weve been here for quite a while Yeah, it was probably a mistake. Parties attacking here seem to be doing fine but it might be toote to inform them now. Maybe a bitte, but lets issue a warning just in case. Issuing a warning was not an issue. It would bemon knowledge soon enough. However, self-killing to respawn was not eptable. In that case, Rare wouldnt gain experience points.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om A massive amount of silk was sprayed toward the party from all around. What the hell!? Silk!? Spiders!? When did they appear!? Unbelievable! No sound Uh-oh! Were surrounded! The path changing from the treants movements, the asional disruption of party members, and the spread of silk from Greater Tarantsall these signs went unnoticed. Constantly making such sounds was part of their strategy. In the midst of that noise, the spiders had surrounded them without being noticed. And these spiders surrounding them were not Lesser Tarants; they were Greater Tarants. Larger in size, with a darker color. Theyre not the same as before! Damn silk! The tank attempted to defend by tearing the silk, but he was a moment toote. A poisoned needle found its way through the gaps in his armor, and he began to suffer. While the pain might not be as intense as in reality, the poison might be apanied by paralysis. Another round of silk spraying, but this time, he made no attempt to shake it off. Please, [Detox] However, the healer had not even torn the silk that was first cast on the tank. Quickly entangled, they were already being dragged toward the Tarants. This fate was shared by the other magic user and the archer. Although the spearman managed to break free from the silk, like the tank, he seemed to be rendered immobile by the poison needle. Despite being called Greater Tarants, if there were only one or two, the yers would likely have defeated them easily. However, with numerous spiders surrounding them, disrupting their actions with surprise attacks and spreading status ailments, they could easily be overwhelmed. The yers, one by one, were ensnared in silk, met their end, and disappeared to respawn elsewhere. After finishing blows were systematically dealt to the yers entangled in the threads, and having confirmed that their bodies vanished upon death, Rare returned her vision from Ominous-kun. Chapter 143: “Dan Log Rating ☆3” It could be said that they were able to obtain materials, probably gained some experience points, and overall, it was a pretty good first dungeon for them. If they recognize that the problem is not the strong enemies that they cant defeat but the inability to escape, they might be willing to challenge it again. If they get stuck with enemies that are too strong, they might not attempt a rematch until they have gained more experience and strength somewhere else. Even if specific escape methods or maze strategies didnte to mind, if they know its that kind of dungeon, yers might start adopting methods like hunting only on the outskirts and quickly escaping to gradually earn rewards. Guiding such yers effectively deeper into the dungeon is a skill, and there are various ways to do it, such as cing treasure-like items further inside. Itsmon in anything that results require some level of risk, and yers are likely aware of that as well. I guess other parties are mostly the same. Even in emergency matching parties, like the previous group, they achieve decent results and then retreat. Some parties are being cautious beyond necessity, as warned on social media. Still, rather than urging them with Greater Tarants, we let them leave as they are. It would be a problem if a rumor spread that every entering party is wiped out, so the perception that they may be wiped out if they get too cocky is the most convenient. However, we still want to collect usage fees, so asionally we catch them off guard and kill one or two. For content I implemented right afterunch, Id say its a smooth start. However, since its just the beginning of the service, customer feedback is crucial. Title: Old Hiers Dungeon Conquest Report Thread C Misceneous 1: Lyewarehouse Thread for sharing information on dungeon conquest objectives in each region. Other regions:
  • [Aural] Dungeon Conquest Report Thread
  • [Pearl] Dungeon Conquest Report Thread
  • [Shape] Dungeon Conquest Report Thread
  • [Portree] Dungeon Conquest Report Thread
  • [Wells] Dungeon Conquest Report Thread
2: Maniho >>1 Good job 3: Tatt Is anyone attacking Old Hiers? 4: Nogisu >>3 In the Altriva of 1, Im here now. Ill enter soon. ? ? ? ? 122: Nogisu In Altriva 1, I entered a little, but there are only zombies. There are a lot of them, so I think youll die if surrounded. Other than that, theres nothing. Just zombies in the city. During the day, they seem to be inside houses, so you can explore freely if you dont enter the buildings. But even if you explore, its just an ordinary city, so it didnt mean much. Ill write again when it bes night. 123: Alonson >>122 Thanks for the report. I wonder if a boss-like creature wille out at night. 124: Nogisu I didnt enter the biggest building because it was scary. There were many other yers, so some might have entered, but probably most are beginners like me 125: Alonson Youre not obligated to report, and if you feel like it, do it. If you decide its okay to share the information you gained, write it here. 126: Cramp Thats right. Sometimes people startining about monopolizing information, but if they want it, they should go themselves. ? ? ? ? 231: White Seaweed Is it okay to report of Old Hiers dungeons here? Regarding 3 La Colinne, its more of a warning than a report. 232: Alonson A warning doesnt sound calm. Did something happen? 233: White Seaweed I dont think the monsters in the 3 La Colinne Forest are particrly strong. Ipared it with other reports, so Im probably not wrong. But unlike other dungeons, the route in this forest constantly changes. If you cant escape and get surrounded, youll be done for. Be careful when going to this forest. 234: Alonson There are even random dungeons? 235: White Seaweed >>234 Its not that simple. Maybe my wording was bad. It doesnt change every time you enter; its constantly changing. When I tried to return on the route I entered, the path disappeared, the scenery changed, markers we left on trees vanished, and the corpses of monsters left along the way were gone. The forest has a constant sound of branches rustling, making it difficult to hear or grasp the surroundings, and you cant see the sun clearly, so you lose your sense of direction. 236: Cramp Sounds like a forest of bewilderment. Well, its a dungeon, so that kind of thing happens. 237: Tatt But Ive never heard of anything like that in other ces, and I wonder if the management is putting in special effort. There used to be a town, and suddenly a forest appeared, right? If you can clear that forest, maybe youll understand some cover story. 238: Maniho Interesting, a cover story for each dungeon! Thats exciting. Maybe Ill aim for it. 239: Healthyunpeblen/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Cmities, national copse, high-difficulty dungeons, and now random dungeons. Isnt the Hiers Kingdom not blessed? I might move my activity area to Hiers too. 240: Thermos For yers, yeah. But if you look at it from an NPCs perspective, being called blessed after the countrys copse would be irritating. Not a bad response, huh? If more yers could move to Hiers or rather, to Old Hiers, my pockets would certainly be lined. Regarding La Colinne, the dungeon mentioned earlier, its in the area of nc, if I recall correctly. As I havent heard any specific news, she probably turned the city residents into zombies and left them alone. She might even have forgotten about it. However, all of them should be followers of nc, and even if defeated, they respawn in an hour. It could be considered a suitable field for beginners to gain experience, provided they have no qualms about defeating humanoid monsters. I wonder if the intention of the management is to have abandoned dungeons like nc well, it doesnt suit me anyway. Creating an area with only weak ants or zombies is possible, but theres no location. Could I create a Treant Forest suddenly in the barren wilderness and release ants there to be recognized as a territory? However, only the NPCs on the human side use the term Monster Territory, and its not systematically categorized as such. Some monster territories may have several safety areas, but they are irrelevant to NPCs. Anyway, since the update, there are no safety areas inside the designated transfer destination areas. I guess I can create it without worrying. If you create a low-difficulty forest near the transfer points bordering rare-controlled territories like the royal capital and La Colinne, it might be a popr transfer point for a wide range of yers, from beginners to advanced. Lets try it. As for advertising I cant think of anything right now, but someone will probably notice eventually. Thank you for your help. I decided to delegate it to Sugaru. While discussing this, yers are gathering in La Colinne one after another. It seems that rumors on social media and their delusions about random dungeons and cover stories are attracting people. It is a forest that covers the entire city, even more so than it covers the hills. It should be sufficient to handle unless there are significantly overpowered yers. It would be nice to have some means of visual illusion. Like mist. Wasnt ncs skill exclusive to vampires? I wonder how you go about the resurrection route for vampires. With my zombies as subordinates, it seems like they might only evolve into wights, revenants, or maybe skeletons in that direction. Perhaps being on the receiving end of the [Subordinate] of vampires at least once, or some trigger like that, is necessary. But in any case, the forest is mostlyposed of treants, and it doesnt go well with undead. Oh? Ive seen this one before. Through Ominous-kuns vision, I saw an elf woman. If I feel like Ive seen her before, shes probably a member of that raid party, right? In that case, Id like to y with her directly. Its a big risk to go out to La Colinne and deal with her. If someone notices the fact that I can move between the royal capital and La Colinne and monitor the situation in La Colinne, it would be troublesome. As long as they think thats what a raid boss is, its fine, but if someone senses that its not, its a whole lot more trouble. Those who are already aware of such skills, like Rare, will not bother to blurt them out now, but those who thought there was no such thing and found that there actually was, will wisely present their own theories. Not a bad idea. I never intended to let her return alive from the beginning. Even if its not someone we can handle with Greater Tarants, there should be a good chance against Queen Arachnea. Just to be safe, if Queen Beetle and Queen Vespoid are kept nearby, they should be able to handle her. Lets do that. Id like to kill them with all my might using treants, but it would be bad if the objects of the maze were known to be monsters. Just let the insects handle it. Since there are probably no Treants around here, theyll be noticed sooner orter anyway. If that happens, it will only make the dungeon more efficient, surrounded by almost all monsters. Actually, as they have misunderstood it as a random dungeon, keeping it that way may generate more interest. Its unfortunate that I cant take matters into my own hands, but it seems like its going to be a revenge after a long time. If I actually enter intobat with Queen Arachnea, it would probably be more immersive to switch from Ominous-kuns vision to Queen Arachneas. T/N: The title, written u, seems to be a reference rted to making reviews. Chapter 144: “Nameless Elf-san” If I were to say its a bit noisy, it is indeed noisy But its a more ordinary forest than I expected. Nameless Elf surveyed the forest and murmured. This is a massive forest that emerged in the ruins of the city of La Colinne in the former Hiers Kingdom, officially called the La Colinne Forest ording to the management. She had been active in Portree before, but that country only had 1, 4, and 5 dungeons. Being a yer asionally referred to as a top yer, Nameless Elf hesitated to disrupt beginners in 1 dungeons. However, charging headfirst into 4 or 5 dungeons seemed a bit reckless. Although she asionally peeked into Portrees dungeon strategy threads, parties with at least moderate strength struggled and got wiped out without significant results. While the party of Nameless Elf might perform better, it was judged that attacking a 3 dungeon with known characteristics would be more profitable than venturing into dungeons with only basic information about low-level monsters. Spider-type monsters dont appear much in the local areas of Portree. They seem to be in the 4 and 5 forests, but just hunting small fry in the shallows and retreating is not a bad idea. It was the first day of dungeon implementation, and such ystyles were possible, but it didnt seem like the approach of top-tier yers. No, it might be best to wait until enough information about 3 is avable. Haruka, a member of the party, spoke up. Haruka fought as a sword user in the vanguard. This party consisted of three vanguard members and one rear guard, a team of four with Haruka, Kurumi, and Lamp as the vanguard, and Nameless Elf as the rear guard. All of them were female elves, making for a morous team. Although the vanguard didnt have a clear tank role, the three melee physical jobs constantly switched, attacking and managing aggro alternating. It was a rare type of party where all three served as both tank and attacker by taking turns. While it required highly technical maneuvers, in this game with few instant-death level attacks, they consistently achieved results. During the raid boss battle with the cmity, they focused on transporting Nameless Elf from Portree and did not participate actively. Even if they had participated, due to the specifications of the artifacts, the number of vanguard members would have been limited, so they would have only been able to do support or undead hunting in the capital. Like the cmity, if all attacks are at an insta-death level or there are broken enemies, we wont be able to handle it. We need to gather some information. Well, were paper armor after all. Kurumi and Lamp had a point. While they didnt doubt their defense and evasion abilities,pared to dedicated tanks, they might fall short. Well, thats true. With Harukas agreement, they decided to start the conquest in earnest. From what they gathered on social media, it seemed that parties of about intermediate strength could fight reasonably well. The forest might be a rtively easy field for them. They hadnt found a clear strategy for conquering the ever-changing dungeon. However, the parties that managed to escape had carefully managed their directions, always advancing in the direction they came from even if they got lost. Many parties had members die in the process, butpared to them, Nameless Elfs party had much higher capabilities. With luck, they might be able to escape without casualties. To better understand the directions, they had purchased apass in Portree in advance. Although it was bulky since only a navigationpass was avable, it could be taken out of the inventory when needed. It cost a considerable amount, but selling materials like spider silk from this forest would more than cover the expense. Originally, they hade to this forest to obtain materials from those spiders. The equipment of the three vanguard members was made of abination of leather and metal materials, resembling a coat of tes. Since magical beasts with fur were found in various difficulty levels, they could easily choose leather materials that matched their abilities. Metal materials were also obtainable with sufficient funds. However, materials to create high-defense fabrics, such as robes worn by Nameless Elf, were not readily avable unless they were high-quality items. The spiders discovered in this forest were considered lower-tier variants of spider-type monsters that were said to inhabit the deep forests of Portree. Although their rank was not particrly high, their limited cirction made the materials highly valued and traded at a high price. Moreover, the presence of higher-tier spiders in this forest was confirmed. The monster that killed the first party to spread information about the dangers of this forest on social media was one such creature. It wasrger and had a darker color. Its silk strength and resistance to the necessary value for poison needles were also high. By hunting a few of these higher-tier spiders and retreating at that point, they should be able to survive. ording to the posts of the yer called White Seaweed, the party led by Nameless Elf had fewer members but far superior strength. From the posts on social media, it was clear thatndmarks and route memories were meaningless. There didnt seem to be traps either. The only thing to be cautious about was ambushes, which actually worked to the advantage of Nameless Elfs party, as they didnt have a dedicated scout or tank. All members of the party, being elves, had acquired [Enhanced Hearing] as part of role-ying, but unfortunately, it didnt seem very useful in this forest. As mentioned in the previous posts, the constant rustling of trees made it difficult to perceive their surroundings. However, with this muchmotion, there was no need for them to be overly concerned about a bit of noise. While clearing away obstructive branches and bushes, they carefully advanced, avoiding the roots of the trees underfoot. Their pace was quite fast for walking in the forest. The low-level monsters that appeared in the shallows were generally known, and there was no need to be conscious of anything other than those monsters. Oh, theres something. If the information is correct, its either ants or spiders. Ants had been somewhat in demand in the market due to beginners bringing in materials from therge forests beginner dungeon that existed before. Although the Hiers Kingdom, which was thergest yer in the market, no longer existed, some powerful merchants had brought in some to other countries. While other countries had simr wilderness with ants, the demand was not high. However, that area did not ovep much with ants and human living areas, and they were traded at a reasonably fair price. Spiders would be more wee, but well, ants are fine too. They wont be hard to sell. A spider emerged from the thickets,unching its bristles as soon as it appeared. [Gust]. However, dealing with it was easy with prior knowledge. They scattered it with a low-level wind magic spell called [Gust]. While this attack had minimal power, it was effective against small flying objects like the current spider. Additionally, it could be used to blow away sand at their feet or create a distraction. For dedicated magic users, it proved to be a versatile and efficient spell with minimal MP consumption and almost instant recast time. Ha! Ei!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Haruka and Lamp attacked from both sides, and the spider met its demise. Kurumi remained vignt for any additional enemies, but it seemed to be a solitary encounter. Feels like overkill. One hit might have been enough. Yeah, for something like this, a single strike should be sufficient. Although their personalities differed, the three frontliners were generally obedient. They had decided that, for precaution, they would always attack new enemies with at least two people. If the extermination speed is faster than nned, its not a problem. Lets move forward after storing the corpse. Enemies, whether ants or spiders, were not an issue. From the first encounter onwards, they hadnt faced single enemies; it was always multiple foes, sometimes a mix of ants and spiders. The number of enemies gradually increased, and the group they had just annihted had appeared continuously, seemingly pouring out between the trees, making it seem endless. A bit troublesome, but well, it might be efficient for hunting. Are ants and spiders coexisting? Are they teaming up to target humans infiltrating the forest as prey? Or is it just because its a dungeon? I wonder if it has nothing to do with that. Come on, Nhan. Do you have to worry about that every time you y a game? Dont call me Nhan Certainly, there were creatures with fantastical, almost illogical ecologies in the game. However, many were modeled after real-life animals like beasts and insects, creating a sort of ecosystem. Analyzing such aspects wasnt entirely foolish. Rather than that, isnt the difficulty higher than what was mentioned on SNS? Encounter rates with groups of enemies like this werent that high in my impression. Strangely, there are too many of them. That was indeed true. White Seaweeds party had been surrounded as they began their retreat at this point. Logically, they had always been followed by a group of monsters, blending in with the rustling of the trees. So, after turning back, they were immediately surrounded from the front, and had they proceeded, they likely would have encountered the group that had besieged them. Just as I expected! [Cyclone]! And as anticipated, they were ambushed from behind. Something was also approaching from the front. For now, they first cast a range magic spell to the rear. It should disperse the threads and bristles from behind. While Gust might have worked, the spiders surrounding White Seaweed and his party were mentioned to be a higher rank. They didnt want to risk action hindrance or status abnormalities from dealing with them using the low-level Gust. Their calctions were correct, and the projectiles from behind were neutralized. Attacks from the front seemed to have been deftly blocked by the three frontliners using their shields and swords. Soon after, spiders appeared. As expected, they were of arger size with a darker color, likely an upper-ranked species. The first hurdle is whether we can break free from this encirclement. T/N: Nhan is directed to Nameless Elf-san. In Japanese, her name starts with the word namae which means name, so its shortened using the starting na syble to an endearing Nhan. Chapter 145: “The Queen’s Punishment” After the Cyclone, I immediately scattered area-of-effect magic one after another, prioritizing reducing the numbers in the rear. The vanguard of three was holding the front, so for now, I had to leave it to them. There was a fear of getting caught in the magic if I were to shoot it towards them. These new spiders indeed seemed to have more durability than the lower-level ones we had faced so far; some didnt fall with a single hit of magic. Attacking with powerful magic could damage the materials, which wasnt good for the overall profit. However, survival was the primary concern at this point. If we were to be wiped out now, Nameless Elfs party would be at a deficitpared to White-sans party in terms of umted experience. Fortunately, it seemed that the higher-level spiders were taken down with the scattered area-of-effect magic. Although there werent many parties that had defeated them at this point, a mid-level party should be able to handle them easily in a regr fight. The challengey in the hindrance from surprise attacks and abnormal conditions. umting information could help mitigate these risks. The initial encounter was terrifying, but if a strategy could be established, it could turn into efficient hunting. Observing the vanguards situation, it seemed that we were sessfully reducing their numbers. At this rate, we could take a break while dealing with the recast time. Hah! Haruka crawled through the threads and shed the spiders abdomen. It wasnt defeated in a single blow, but she skillfully avoided the immediately released poison needles using her shield. She parried attacks with her sword and, taking advantage of the opening, struck the spider from below with her shield. As the upper body floated, a sword thrust from the side into the spiders abdomen, precisely where Haruka had attacked just moments ago. It was support from Kurumi, who was fighting next to her. Haruka then plunged the sword into the fallen spiders head and chest, delivering a decisive blow. Haruka immediately used her shield to strike the spider that Lamp was fighting from the side, destabilizing its posture. These three worked together seamlessly to support the vanguard. Whether facing a single enemy or attacking different enemies individually, their coordination remained unchanged. The job of Nameless Elf, as the partys mage, was to deliver the finishing blow to the enemies while the three vanguard members maintained the frontline. [ze Lance]! Since most of the recast time had been cleared, I cast a single-target spell as support. Being cautious of enemy reinforcements and not leaving any recast time this time, I targeted enemies that hadnt taken much damage, ensuring their elimination with more powerful single-target magic than area-of-effect magic. Is that thest one? Seems like it. Phew, we managed somehow. We survived the surprise attack from the higher-level spiders that wiped out White-san and his party. Having prior information was crucial. Without it, we might have been caught off guard, entangled in threads and poisoned needles, losing control of the situation. Even if I didnt think we would be wiped out, if subsequent enemies hade at us relentlessly, I couldnt predict the oue. Lets be cautious of reinforcements and resume the retreat. I took out apass from the inventory to confirm the direction. The direction we were about to go seemed to be subtly off from the originally intended direction. It wasnt a significant deviation. Continuing in that direction would probably still lead to an escape. However, the distance to cover for the escape would have undoubtedly increased. Increased distance meant more battles and decreased chances of survival.N?v(el)B\\jnn This is quite troublesome I understood the difficulty of knowing directions within the forest. Thats why, usually, I markedndmarks to secure the return path. However, in this forest, that method wouldnt work. Without thepass, we wouldnt have been able to urately determine the direction. Its not a straight line, but lets escape in the shortest distance. Thepass was heavy and cumbersome, but there was no helping it. The direction needed constant checking. The group asionally stopped, adjusting the direction while advancing through the forest. Apart from dense trees, they had to navigate aroundrge debris as well. ces where trees had grown to fill the gaps in what seemed to be originallyrge debris required significant deviations in their path. There shouldnt have been such urrences on the way in. This meant that the internal structure of the dungeon had changed, resulting in this altered route. Entering this forest was easy, but getting out was difficult. Its like a dungeon hell managed by ants The thought of an ant-operated hell was not amusing. Wait, Nhan! Dont call me Nahan It was a mistake. I was too focused on thepass and directions. Avoiding obstacles like debris and trees, they thought they had sessfully navigated and circled around. But whaty ahead was not just a dead end; it was a small clearing. This corner was the only ce where trees didnt naturally grow. Lets go back As soon as they turned around, a heavy sound echoed. From somewhere, rubble fell, blocking the path they had just traversed. No way, how did something like this? Looking up, all that was visible were interwoven branches blocking the sky. There was no chance that debris had fallen coincidentally at this timing. What if some monster blocked our retreat to trap us here? Should we consider that? As expected, Nhan. That seems like the right answer. Look at that. Theres no time to correct names now. Following Kurumis pointed direction toward the center of the square, there was a gigantic spider. A boss battle, huh Yeah, theres no escaping from this. Boss battles are like that From the reports of other dungeon conquests, its unclear whether its possible to escape from a boss battle. Currently, there are no reports of encountering a monster that seems like a boss. Some parties might be attacking lower difficulty dungeons for the purpose of conquest, but its unknown whether they havent cleared it yet or simply havent reported it. We might be the first ones here. But only if we can defeat it. Harukas sarcasm is justified. Nameless Elfs party is not a bnced party, its simply a gathering of frontliners. Faced with an unknown formidable enemy, the odds are not in their favor. The opponent is evenrger than the upper-tier spiders theyve fought so far. While its legs appear thin, its likely an optical illusion due to its sheer size. On closer inspection, the thickness might be slightly greater than the spiders encountered before. Unlike the previous spiders with a rounded leg shape, this one has sharp, thorn-like protrusions at each joint. The color is not the monotonous dark shade seen before; it includes yellow and red, creating a color scheme that instinctively triggers a sense of danger. Above all, from the location where its head should be, a humanoid upper body sprouts. Its not a direct attachment of a human upper body; it appears as if the spider parts were used to mold a humanoid form. Im pretty sure its name must include Queen I am aware that some ants and other creatures have queen-like entities that oversee the lower ranks of their species. Many of them have the power to easily destroy a small town, but that doesnt mean they are overwhelmingly powerful from the moment theyre born. Its highly likely that this spider queen is the boss. However, the dungeon was officialized just today. Perhaps it hasnt grown to its full potential yet. No Its said that a queen ant can only produce weak ants until it bes strong. Seeing that there were stronger spiders earlier, it might already be toote for that. Thats true Amidst the sounds of the rustling trees, spiders emerge one after another from debris and trees, while ants crawl out from the ground. Weve got small fry too! This might be hopeless Well, lets at least defeat as many as we can and earn some experience before dying! There is also the amount of money earned from the battle with the higher ranked spiders earlier. Even if we died here, we would probably have gained a good amount of experience. Even if we were to lose some experience, it would not be so much as a total loss considering the materials we had obtained so far. Considering the fact that we were able to get a real feel for the trends of this dungeon, I would say were not in the red. After all, this dungeons difficulty adjustment undoubtedly varies based on the challengersbat capabilities. The rating of 3 stars should only be considered as an average, a rough estimate. We thought that it might be possible to gain experience up to a medium level of difficulty, but perhaps it could be possible to handle higher levels of difficulty. Thats something I noticed again when I saw the small fry that sprang up in this boss room. There would be no doubt that the boss of this room was the queen spider. Then, who in the world is producing the ants that have just crawled out of the room? The queen spider was the boss of the spiders. Then there must be at least one queen ant as the boss of the ants. We do not know where she is, but we can be sure that she has information about us since she has been calling on the ants. So, if Nameless Elfs party was stronger, it would not be surprising if Queen Spider and Queen Ant were both present here. It means that the difficulty of this dungeon can still be adjusted upward. For now, Im just d that we can y around this area for a while. The decision to change their base was worthwhile. Here theye! The queenunches poison needles. Although it doesnt seem to have much body hair, there might be dense growth on the underside. Its unclear where it shoots the needles from, but they need to deal with it somehow. [Cyclone]! However, the magic unleashed with the intention to disperse it can only divert its trajectory. The damage is minimal, but its undoubtedly more troublesome than the spiders they faced before. Sorry, but guarding with magic might be tough! In this situation, leaving the defense against iing projectiles to the frontliners and focusing on using magic to ensure the defeat of the enemies is the best strategy. I unleash a [Fire Magic] area-of-effect spell on the spiders surrounding me. If the spiders burn up in the trees and we are surrounded by smoke or fire, we may end up strangling ourselves. Therefore, they were careful not to use [Fire Magic] in the forest, but in this za, it would be a little better. The aim was also to make sure that even if needles and threads flew from the cronies, they could be burned up in mid-air. Most of the spiders and ants that were burned by the mes died instantly and were left in a pitiful state. Although they are hopelessly worthless as materials, as before, the priority is to defeat them anyway. Normally, while the three vanguard yers are holding off the boss, Nameless Elf-san would sweep up the minions, and when the minions are cleared out, she would enter a full-scale battle with the boss. The boss is damaged by sword and magic, and the bosss attacks are parried by the three vanguard members as they disperse their targets. I kept attacking with the intention of doing so, but the number of cronies was not decreasing anytime soon. It is not that we are not defeating them. The experience ising in quite well. They are springing up one after another from somewhere. If you look closely, you will see not only the top spiders, but also a mixture of the lower spiders we fought earlier in the day. It is a waste of MP and recast time to hit weak spiders with ranged magic, but it is not possible to hit only the strong ones, and there is no choice. However, mages are decisive weapons by nature, and are not suited to countering such a wave of attacks. The cooldown time is also increasing, and there are fewer and fewer ways to take them out. It is time to take a break to recover MP and deal with the cooldown time. Haruka and the others in the vanguard manage to keep the queen at bay. It was not a good look not to be able to get rid of the small fry, but there was no point in acting tough. Nameless Elf also has a fair amount of experience with VR games. Even though she has a magic-specific build, she has melee weapons for when the need arises, and she is used to handling them. She can wield a sword without the need for skills. Her low STR makes it impossible for her to kill or inflict effective damage, but it would not be impossible for her to fend off attacks. I cant handle the trash mobs! Sorry! Then lets give up! At least defeat the boss! Got it! Understood! Okay! While the leader is indeed Nameless Elf, in moments where a quick decision is needed, someone can suggest a n like Haruka did, and the others confirm it, determining the partys actions. Despite calling the leader, they are ultimately just a friendly group of four. In reality, it doesnt matter who takes the lead. Most area-of-effect spells are still on cooldown, but single-target spells havent been used at all. If they focus on defeating the boss only, they can dodge the trash mobs attacks and cast spells on the boss. However, its quite challenging. They manage to dodge the trash mobs attacks somehow, focusing on the queen, and casting magic. [ze Lance]! But suddenly, another spear of mes appears in front of the queen,ing towards the Nameless Elf. What!? Magic!? The two mes sh in the middle as if sucked in and explode. The energy of two [ze Lances] scatters, burning the queens spider minions around. Ugh! Its hot! That applies to Harukas group as well. Only Lamp, who was behind the queen, remained unharmed, but the other two receive minor burn damage. Originally a single-target spell, it weakened significantly due to diffusion, but its still magic equivalent to the power of two higher-level yers. Ignoring it would be painful. Monsters like goblins and skeletons, humanoid creatures, rarely use magic. Even creatures with specific attributes, like wind tigers, might use attribute attacks, but its unheard of for insect-type monsters to cast spells. The queen ant monster from another country was rumored to primarily use physical attacks. Some yer who investigated posted information on social media. However Silence. But theres no time to be stunned. The queen has another magic ready, probably a single-target ice spell. Um, um, [re Arrow]! However, this is weak. They cantpletely nullify it. Yet, ze Lance is still on cooldown, and using a simr magic with a short interval risks causing damage to the surroundings during counteraction. In this short time, the only real option is Ugh! As expected, though slightly smaller, the ice spear pierces through the fiery arrow and hits the Nameless Elf directly. Its a losing magical exchange. Moreover, the opponent doesnt care about friendly fire, while they cant afford to ignore it. Even though its not a fair fight from the beginning And insect magic battles were totally unexpected. While healing and thinking about the next move, they dodge attacks. Haruka didnt acquire Healing Magic to avoid ovepping with other magic spells in cooldown, but now she regrets that decision. Moving was to position themselves to minimize coteral damage during the magical sh, but the queen adjusts her direction ordingly, making the effect minimal. Dodging the trash mobs attacks and restraining the queen, they circled around, but eventually returned to their original position. No choice! Ill cast a bigger one, so dodge! Okay! Only Kurumi responded, but everyone nodded. They cast [Lightning Shower], a high-level lightning magic with an area-of-effect. Since it originates from the queen, even if she tries to counteract it, she will suffer the most damage. This magic has a rtively narrow range among area-of-effect spells, and with quick movement, they should be able to leave the area safely. [Lightning Shower]! Alright, dodge!? What!? My legs! The three of them fell without attempting to escape. However, the magic had already been activated. The queen looks down at the fallen three, jumps away herself, avoiding the attack. Normally, it would be almost impossible to dodge after seeing the spell, but she seemed to be cautious because they had warned her beforehand. Ugh! Kyaa! Shivers As a result, Nameless Elfs magic only damaged their allies, achieving nothing. Sorry! Are you okay? But if the queen jumped away, she can approach their teammates. With healing and potions, they might be able to continue the fight up to their LP limit. Since the queen started using magic, her cronies, the spiders and ants, have not tried to get too close to her, and now they will be able to heal without being disturbed. Here, [Cure] and a potion. Also, just to be safe, I have an MP potion too. Thanks But I think I might be stuck with this one. What do you mean? Thats why we fell. Its hard to see our feet, but theyre pinned to the ground. I think it was the queens silk. I think she was taking it out a little at a time as she fought. You know that time we went around in a circle? Maybe that was the finishing touch. She tried to stand up as quickly as possible, but her grounded knee would note up because she had squatted on her standing knee. The ground appears to be soil, so even if its fixed, it seems like it shoulde off with the soil. However, it doesnt happen. It looks like soil, but its likely all solidified with threads. While fighting, adhesive trap threads areid on top of it, ensnaring the Nameless Elf party. When facing a boss of this ss, the job of the vanguard trio is do aggro control and deflect attacks. They wont dodge extensively unless its an area-of-effect attack, and if the character with the target is moving around too much, the boss attack focus may deviate. Therefore, they should stop their feet as much as possible. In other words, how we move depends on the boss attacks. So, if the boss intended to target and guide, its not entirely impossible. If it were PvP, Haruka and the others would probably be cautious, but the opponent is ultimately an insect-type monster. They generally have low intelligence. We should have noticed the moment magic was used. Many action checks rted to magic refer to INT. So, when ites to using magic, one should consider that there is a certain level of INT. Furthermore, shooting a magic spell with roughly the same power as Nameless Elfs ze Lance suggests a simr level of INT. Its unclear if theres a corrtion between monster INT and cognitive ability, but INT stands for intelligence, and logically, it signifies intellect. Its proven that raising STR allows one to carry heavy objects, so its not strange that high INT would enhance cognitive abilities. Come to think of it, even though its a queen spider, she hasnt spewed any threads. The other minions were casually emitting threads, but they were mostly blown away by magic, so they didnt care much. However, that was not the case. Threads were indeed being emitted. Its just that the clueless Nameless Elfs party didnt notice. With a boss like this, and more than one dominating, its no wonder that the survival rate in this forest is low. However, from the monsters perspective, there is no benefit in letting yers return alive. Regardless of the yers strength, if these queens were always on the lookout, the survival rate would have been not only low, but zero. The fact that this is not the case suggests that their actions are still usually restricted by the system or something. Only when a yer of a certain level of skill kills a certain number of demons, perhaps more than a certain number, are these nightmares released. I guess thats how it is. The ones who seem to be able to hunt efficiently to thest are probably those who have obtained information about this forest to some extent. So, this is what would be considered a difficulty level of 3. Well done. Without prior investigation, its only death like White-san and the others. Even if they gathered information before attacking, a few would still experience death. However, overall, its still a positive oue, and if they avoid death, its a significant profit. Moreover, the queens punishment awaits those upper-tier yers who attack with a smug face. Seemingly, it has no intention to approach the immobile Nameless Elf party and attack them. In the spot where she leaped away, the queen spider was generating a massive fireball. If she consecutively uses the ss of area-of-effect magic, theres probably no one in the party who can endure it. Well, the seed has been nted. Next I dont know yet, but Ill conquer it eventually. Fire, ice, lightning, wind. The Nameless Elf party were repeatedly attacked, and they were finally crushed by boulders and swept away by water. Chapter 146: “The 3 Second Rule” The old capital of Hiers, in the audience room with the throne. Sitting on the throne, on Yoroizakasp, Rare slowly opened her eyes. Fufu. Feels refreshing. That was truly a good feeling. That elven woman had misunderstood something about Rare, thinking she was magic-focused during the raid. To humor her love for magic, Rare decided to settle things with magic. Now she must be satisfied. Queen Arachnea, who fought against that elf party, was controlled by Rare. Initially, Rare intended to borrow only her sight and hearing, but watching their battles along the way made her eager, so she insisted on borrowing her entire body. Even if she [Summoned] her entire consciousness into her familiars and seized control, the skills usable in that state were limited to those of the familiars. The magic Queen Arachnea had learned was not particrly powerful, only single and area-targeted attack spells for various attributes. Despite ounting for the increase in stats, it was challenging to match the magic of the elf woman. However, she managed to overwhelm them by skillfully using traps with threads. It must have been a good learning experience for Queen Arachnea. Growth through actual learning, which cannot reflected in numbers, is invaluable. Checking the Old Hiers Kingdom conquest thread on social media, the elf yer from earlier is already posting. Is she the Nameless Elf-san that Rare asionally sees on social media? What a ridiculous name. Generally, she cleverly presents her theory that the dungeon is a dynamically adjustable difficulty dungeon, as Rare hoped for. While the management of it is left to the Queens, the n is to proceed as suggested by Nameless. In that regard, her post is not incorrect. However, theres a mention that difficulty might cap at maximum for specific challengers, regardless of their level. Rares dungeon territory is progressing smoothly. Its a fantastic start for the first day. Though, visitors are only from La Colinne. If its around 4, would visitorse? I cantpromise on Teur and Liebe, theyre crucial bases Can the capitals difficulty be lowered a bit? Is it unnatural for it to be 4 when Im here? Maybe it cant be lowered at all. It might not be a problem if Rare is not in the capital. But in that case, its necessary to make yers aware of it without directly posting on social media. All of Rares friendships are officially considered NPCs. Each has their own reasons, but they all want to avoid revealing their real names, including Rare. They cant make direct posts on social media. If they cant appeal on social media, they have to appear prominently somewhere as a cmity. And right now, the most prominent ce is the dungeon. So, appearing near the newly established safety area, i.e., themon entrance for yers, and conquering that dungeon would be a good choice. It aligns with the main objective, while conquering the dungeon is just a side task. Now, the first issue is which dungeon to go to. Although its called a dungeon, there are no restrictions like only entering and exiting from the entrance, or being in a sealed space inside. Rare is well aware of this, especially in open-field environments like forests or towns. Approaching an area where a boss might be from above is a quick solution. In that case, I still want to drop Uluru. Its shy. No, thats not it. The goal is not dungeon conquest. The main purpose is to make an appeal that theres no cmity in the Old Hiers capital by making Rare stand out. Conquering the dungeon is just a byproduct. With the list of transfer destinations posted on social media and the maps of Old Hiers and Aural, Rare contemtes. Its not an attachment to these two countries; its just that these are the only maps she has. Hiers has no distinctive features, or rather, theres nothing outstanding. It used to be a blessed country with no particr geographical or environmental concerns. Well, it used to be. Thend is of average size. Inparison, Auralsnd is a bitrger. Aural holds the central part of the continent. Its unclear how this country came to rule the capital of the former unified nation, but as a result, it is adjacent to almost all other countries. However, many of its borders extend into areas controlled by monsters, and due to itsrgend size, there are more regions with monsters than in Hiers. The threat level of those regions is also higher, and consequently, there are more skilled knightspared to Hiers. Currently, Lyra, who has control over most of the knights, seems to be sending the military to conquer areas not listed on the transfer destination mentioned on social media. Its unclear whether this is part of national governance or for some other reason. The idea seems to be that if the area is not listed on the transfer destination, it can be conquered without yers finding out. The reason for doing such a thing is unknown, but as long as it doesnt interfere with Rare, she doesnt care what Lyra is doing. If its revealed that I and Lyra look alike, we could create a story like we were originally blood rtives or something. If Lyra is the lord of Hugelcup, stirring up trouble in the nearby dungeons might serve as some motivation, right? If the premise is that mdy and Lyra-sama are originally sisters, how about unconsciously seeking the warmth of lost blood rtives? Its Siegs suggestion, but Rare felt a frown forming on her forehead even as she listened. While emotionally challenging to ept, it seems to have a certain persuasiveness. If Deas-san were here, he would probably give you a stern look. Another thing to mention is that humans probably perceived the cmity that emerged from the Liebe Great Forest and attacked this capital as heading straight west. If thats the case, making them believe that the original goal was not this capital but the further west Aural territory would give a reason to attack dungeons in that direction. Not a bad idea. Rare had previously told Wayne andpany that she acquired the Hiers capital because it looked beautiful. Its not really a lie, but she hasnt answered why she moved to a ce where the capital could be seen in the first ce. As a yer, Rare doesnt have a significant reason. She tried it because it seemed possible, just that. However, if she were an NPC, it would be better to have a stronger motive. If the purpose is to go west and, in the process, happened to see the capital and brought it under control, it could provide a certain consistency to the actions of the cmity. The main purpose is the journey west itself, although shes not willing, she could say she temporarily aimed for Lyras ce. Alright. Lets go with Siegs suggestion. When ites to dungeons west of the Hiers capital Theres one before entering Aural territory. It seems theres a town near it. ording to the list, this seems to be a 1 low-difficulty field, but If I were an NPC, it would be unnatural to selectively choose ces to attack based on difficulty. Ill just have to crush them in order. She could destroy the town as well, but if Rare is going to manage this 1 area in the future, its convenient to have a regr town here. After all, theres no normal town nearby. Even if she wants to send Kerry and others for undercover operations, theres nowhere to send them. Moreover, the town is still thriving even though the country has disappeared. Its close to Aural, and theres a chance theyre still trading with Lyra, even indirectly. Even if not directly, theres a possibility of purchasing Aural products from towns closer to Aural. While Rare doesnt care about Lyras governance, theres no need to deliberately interfere. The name of this dungeon is [Teur Grasnd]. With a town nearby and a low-difficulty grasnd, this might be one of the beginner areas for starting yers? Starting yers would earn and build confidence in Teur Grasnd, using the city, Rifure, as their base, then spread their wings to other cities. Once, simr activities were carried out in the Liebe Great Forest and nearby grasnds. That grasnd didnt have a specific name, and now it seems to have been integrated into the Great Forest as an area and not listed on the transfer destination. The difficulty level, including Liebe Great Forest, was suitable for beginners, but now it has turned into a dangerous area. Conquering another beginner field might feel somewhat ufortable.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om However, thinking about it, can the Hiers Kingdom still be chosen as the initial spawn point? Since the name of the Hiers Kingdom has disappeared from the official sites country introduction, its highly likely that it cannot be chosen. If yers who have been ying the game before this event know, they should be aware that the power bnce on the continent went crazy from the third day of the second event. During that event, incidents urred in all countries except for a country called Portree. Needless to say, the most chaotic was the Hiers Kingdom. yers no longer have sweet expectations for the beginner field in Hiers. yers who unfortunately flew to this dungeon after the implementation of the transfer service might exist, but if they deliberately chose to fly to the dungeon listed as [Other], its their responsibility. Even though Rare says it, its an extremely obvious country with a raid boss. Theyre at fault foring. For Rare, the main objective is to stand out in a ce away from the capital. She doesnt n to stay in the grasnd forever, and once her business is done, she intends to leave the management of it to a weak familiar and return it to 1. Even if she temporarily trampled on it, there shouldnt be anyints if she returns it to what it was. Shes heard about a tradition called the three-second rule from a long time ago. If its just for an instant, it might be considered safe. Chapter 147: “New services that are quickly being abused” I naturally decided to wear Yoroizaka-san on this outing. If the intention is to emphasize that the cmity has left from the capital, leaving a decoy here wouldnt make much sense. After much consideration among the options I had, I decided to bring Sugaru along. Even though having two disaster-ss entities in a 1-star level field seems like excessive firepower, Sugaru has been staying on standby at Liebe Great Forest for a long time. She rarely goes out, so it would be a good change of pace for her. Moreover, Sugaru can fly solo, making her adaptable to any travel itinerary. The sun has already setpletely. Leaving the management of the La Colinne Forest to Queen Arachnea is not a concern. Queen Vespoid is also included as support. They should have learned enough in this one day. Besides, very few yers enter the forest at night. Its notpletely empty, which is terrifying in its own way, but its definitely less crowded than during the day. Its the first day of the teleportation service, but yers who couldnt log in during the day due to business seem to have gathered information on social media and are entering cautiously, at least to get a feel for it. The next wave will likelye tomorrow. In that case, its best to finish the flight and movement during this night. Although the goal is to arrive unnoticed, attacking the dungeon will have to wait until the sun rises. However, its also essential to observe the surroundings of the town and the area. Lets go early and keep an eye on things. * They arrived in the town of Rifure before dawn. In terms of distance, this town is closer to La Colinne. If you can fly, it wont take much time for a straight-line movement. The town visible from above is dark and silent. Only sporadic streetlights can be seen here and there.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Since it looks bright both to the naked eye and with magic eyes, those are probably magical items. Im impressed that streetlights are installed. It seems to be a town with good public order. The vastnd spreading beyond the town is probably the Teur Grasnd. As the name suggests, grass is abundant. Short trees can be seen here and there as well. If I had to give a closer image based on my memory, it would be like a savanna during the rainy season. Since I havent heard of a dry season in this region, its probably like this year-round. Then, why arent there more trees, creating a jungle-like environment? There must be some reason for it. I dont know if that will be revealed, but lets leave it for tomorrow. Lets take it easy today and start our activities in full tomorrow. We prepared for a night camp a little away from the town and the grasnd. However, only I need the preparation for logging out; Yoroizaka and Sugaru do not need it for sleep. Since Sugaru was originally an ant, intermittent sleep for a few minutes is sufficient, and Yoroizaka, being a magical creature, seems to be the same. Yoroizaka doesnt move at all and doesnt tire even when stationary, and doesnt eat either. Considering these factors, she probably doesnt need sleep at all. Nevertheless, the setting for sleep is likely important in this game, perhaps for things like registering respawn points. It can be assumed that these few minutes of sleep are the minimum unit of sleep in the game. I casually opened a hole in the ground with Earth Magic and sat Yoroizaka-san in it. Then I logged out while within Yoroizaka-san. This way, even if someone passes by the road at night, we wont be found. And there are two people on watch that arent sleeping. If this doesnt work, beginners shouldnt survive in this area. The next morning, I logged in when the in-game sun was rising. I disappeared with [Camouge] beforeing out of the hole. Theres nothing to be done about Sugarus appearance, but for example, if I use Camouge within Yoroizaka-san along with Sugaru on my back, they wont be visible from the ground. Technically we would be visible from above, though. I look down on the town from above in the bright morning. Although I saw it at night with [Demonic Eyes], if I look through Yoroizakas eyes while inside it,bined with [Enhanced Vision], I can see very clearly. Even though its early in the morning, there seem to be yers attacking the grasnd already. Its enthusiastic and quitemendable of them, but if you look closely, there are two types of flows. Those heading from the town to the grasnd, and those heading from outside the town to the grasnd. Thoseing from outside the town are probablying from the Safety Area, [Teur Grasnd], added by the teleportation service. If the teleport destination is this town, the name on the list should be [Rifure Town], and if its listed as Teur Grasnd, a separate safety area has undoubtedly been added aside from the town. Huh? Does that mean The teleportation to Teur Grasnd is likely one-way, but yers from Rifure Town should be able to go to other dungeons. In other words, only in this ce, with a little walk, its possible to re-teleport to another location. If youpare the destination list with Hiers map, the only town that meets this condition is Rifure. Furthermore, from what can be read from the Aural map, a simr town exists in Aural. I wondered what the difference was between areas chosen as teleport destinations and those that werent. This must be it. In areas where there are towns around, teleportation destinations are not chosen. Exceptionally, there may be one beginner-friendly town, around 1, for each country. If you develop such towns as storage facilities, yer supply for dungeon attacks bes practically unlimited. Moreover, if towns with the same conditions can freely teleport between each other. It depends on the yers, but this could flourish more than the capital city. Indeed, it can be called a town promised prosperity by the operation. Probably set up with the intention of rescuing or providing services for beginners or low-rank yers. However, adjustments for beginner relief purposes in any game at any time are usually abused by hardcore yers, leading to a hellish scenario. It was fortunate to have noticed this town on the second day of the current situation. There are probably other yers who have noticed it, but if its not a topic on social media, then anyone who noticed is probably keeping quiet. Or maybe they have alreadye to this town and bought upnd and properties. Its clear from the wording of the system message that the operation is concerned about disrupting cirction, and the inability to re-teleport from the teleport destination is likely due to this dislike. However, if there is one town with the same location conditions in each country, smuggling can easily ur. If someone conducts it on arge scale, it will likely be a correction issue. yers who notice might be keeping quiet to prevent that. Later, Ill call Remy and Riley, and have them secure the properties in this town. No, Ill call Kerry and Marion as well and have all four of them collectively buy up thend. There is some money collected from the noble mansion in the capital, so with financial power, Ill control this town. Once again, its a different genre of game for me alone. Well, considering the possibility that yers have already noticed, it may not be limited to me. However, at this point, not much value should have been created yet. In that case, even if you secure the property, it would be considered an upfront investment. In the case of upfront investment, you cant invest more than your existing assets, and even if you borrow to buynd, the credibility of a yer who suddenly appeared in this world a few months ago is unknown. They probably wont be able to borrow much. Even if some of it has already been taken by yers, all that needs to be done is to buy up everything else. Since there is no immediate need fornd or buildings, its fine to stack up gold coins and only buy the rights, continuing to rent out the properties to the residents. If the selling price is much higher than the rent for the next few decades, they will likely sell without hesitation. Maybe even enve the residents. Well, if youre going to enve them, theres no need to pay gold coins. This is probably something other yers can hardly imitate. If they can, it would probably be someone like Lyra. This has been done before the dungeon attack. Contact Kerry and the others, exin the overview, and have them bring as many gold coins as possible from the castles treasure vault. T/N: For the citys name, I went with the literal trantion of Rifure for simplicity. Chapter 148: “I called my friends!” Alright then, its preferable to covertly control this town from the shadows without alerting the yers, correct? Not exactly aiming for control from the shadows, but securing thend might lead to that, I suppose. Kerry and the others were summoned through [Summon], and the outline was exined. Additionally, the experience gained in the past day was invested, allowing the four to acquire [Subordinate]. I leave the method up to you. You can focus on [Subordinate], saving gold coins, or distribute gold coins normally and engage innd spection. Oh, but lets keep the lord and those around him under control. Ill be taking over the lordter, so the rest can do as they please. Understood. Even if we say not to be discovered by yers, we dont know for sure how many yers are staying in this town for reasons other than the dungeon. Well, lets aim for diligence. What must not be known is that you are acting under my instructions. As long as the connection with me is not revealed, honestly, anything else is fine. You can pretend to be yers as usual, and if someone probes too much, you can even say something like Ill report you for stalking to the admins! and escape. Ideally, simr towns in other countriesreferred to as portals for conveniencewould be controlled. However, their locations were unknown, and it was impractical to manage them all. Assuming one per country, seizing this town meant controlling one-sixth of the continents portals, which should be sufficient. Though the country had lost its formal structure, the demand for the former Hiers Kingdom among yers was high. This was due to the presence of easily understandable raid bosses and unique dungeons. If they could control the portals in such regions, that would be satisfactory. Now then, before heading to the dungeon, shall we go greet the lord? Disappearing, they headed to the lords mansion. Meanwhile, Sugaru had been instructed to observe the state of the grasnds from above. Flying at such a high altitude, it was not easy to discern if it was an ordinary insect, bird, or something else at first nce. * Hiers nobles seemed more susceptible than Aurals nobles. They quickly became docile with just [Charm]. If Lyras information was urate, the noble family should all be Noble Humans. Controlling the lord, his wife, daughter, and son through [Subordinate], and additionally the elderly man presumed to be the steward. This was because he had witnessed the rare sight of [Charm] being cast on the lord.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om They could have disposed of him, but if he truly was the steward, his absence might jeopardize the lords duties and the maintenance of the mansion. By holding the lord family and the steward, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that this household was under her control. They could even hire Kerry and the others as mansion servants under the authority of this steward. If done cleverly, they might not arouse suspicion for any surface-level property dealings within the city, attributing it to the lords orders, and they could potentially even extort other yers who had already acquired properties. Hey, Sugaru. Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we head to the dungeon soon? As much as I will do. The rest can be left to the lord and Kerrys group. They were quite dyed due to dealing with other matters, but on the bright side, the yer poption around the dungeon had increased. With this many yers, some would likely post about it on social media. Now, lets go. But how exactly do we conquer the dungeon? Should we capture some character like an area boss somewhere? No, I n to ce them under our controlter. Turning the grasnd into a scorched field would be a waste. Lets try to traverse it on foot. Theynded in a location where yers, gathered at the edge of the recognized entrance area, seemed to be concentrated. [Camouge] had been cut off in the sky. To attract attention, they deliberately descended with force, creating a heavy sound. Dust rose, concealing Yoroizaka-sans figure. Shortly after, Sugarunded quietly in front of Yoroizaka-san. Sugaru pped the wings on her back, dispersing the surrounding dust. When the visibility improved, surprised yers came into view. Suddenly, a fully-armored, insect-like creature, three meters in size, descended from the sky with a height of around two meters for Sugaru. It seemed quite intimidatingpared to the Yoroizaka-san, but to an average yer, it was an imposing figure. Uh, whats this? Who? A monster? Some event? Who triggered it? Any idea? Not realizing it was the cmity that destroyed Hiers. Although, this field was for beginners. yers at this point might not pay attention to the appearance of a raid boss. Alternatively, some might notice when the rare creature emerges from Yoroizaka-san. Probably, visually, that would be more impactful. However, it felt a bit too much, a bit embarrassing. These yers and the magical creatures that would appear in this field wouldnt yield significant experience points if killed now. It would be a waste of time to engage them. If they dominated this area and the yers posted about it on social media, those aware of the cmity would likely make a fuss on their own. There was no need to introduce themselves here. Sugaru and Rare ignored the yers and started walking. Still misunderstanding it as some event, most yers near the entrance followed Rare and Sugaru. Was it okay in terms of dungeon raid etiquette to do this? I vaguely recall it being referred to as hyena behavior. However, Rare was not interested in what you can get in this dungeon. Its irrelevant if there are people who want to take advantage of it or not. After walking a bit, something jumped out of the ground. Initially, it seemed like arge capybara, but on closer inspection, it was a mole. Sugaru silently stood in front of Yoroizaka-san and knocked it down with her bare hands. It wasnt clear if the ws caught it or if it was intentionally torn apart, but the mole was deeply shed, covered in blood, and mmed onto the grass, lifeless. Sugaru reported while shaking something like antennae. Perhaps, this allowed Sugaru to understand the situation underground. Was it some kind of active sonar? If that were the case, eliminating the moles might change this area from a grasnd to a forest. Or, they could use the holes in the ground as they were and turn the entire grasnd into an ant nest. Sugaru summoned five Engineer Ants. The engineer ants quickly disappeared underground. Whether they found holes or not, they disappeared from this area in no time. In the same way, about five times, a total of thirty engineer ants were released onto the grasnd. Sugaru bowed to Rare. It remains to be seen whether the lowest level ofbat power in Rares camp, the arsenal of arsenal ants, will be able to cope with the situation. With thirty of them, if the engineer ants were considered to have the same strength as beginner yers, it could be said they had a force equivalent to a raid party by beginners. The required force for conquering a 1 dungeon was unknown, but this was probably not something they couldnt handle. I had forgotten. I had only allowed reincarnation, and I hadnt examined Sugarusbat abilities. While it was inadequate for the boss level of this area, it would be better than doing nothing. Voices of confusion came from the yers behind them. Whats going on? I cant understand it at all. What kind of event is this? What, what does it mean? Did the ant boss attack the grasnd? Then, whats with that armor? Its clearly not an ant. An armored giant with ants feels like Ive heard that phrase somewhere. About the grasnd monsters, its probably fine to leave them to the ants. I didnt have any expectations for experience points from the beginning. If there is an area boss, we might be idle until we find it. Looking back, the yers took a step back. Theyre looking over here. Oh, seriously, this is bad. Huh? Whats going on? I just asked my friend. Its that thing, the raid boss. The one who destroyed the Hiers Kingdom. The one that was on the forum!? Seriously!? Why is it here!? Ideally, this reaction would have been great when it first appeared, but it couldnt be helped. While I initially thought it might be a waste of time, if there was nothing else to do, ying along wouldnt hurt. Apologies to them for the suddenness, but its time for a raid boss battle. In terms of numbers, its about the same as the royal capital from before. It should be fine. Sugaru. Dispose of these noisy ones. To clearly signal the start of the battle, I deliberately gave the order aloud. Whoa! A raid battle out of nowhere!? What the heck! Who triggered the event!? Doesnt matter who! This seems to be the case! Anyway, lets do it! Tanks,e forward! I thought it was just beginners, but there seemed to be some intermediate yers mixed in. Perhaps they were support for the following group of acquaintances. Since the gamecked a clear party or alliance system, it was rtively easy to give guidance in-game. With no experience point distribution within a party, even if advanced yers followed beginners, the beginners could monopolize the experience points if they didnt participate inbat. Helping only in dangerous situations would be enough. It seemed like these intermediate yers were here for that purpose. Sugaru courteously waited for the tanks to line up in front. This kind of enemy could be defeated even with a surprise attack. The lined-up tanks raised their shields, preparing for the attack. Perhaps they intended to first defend against Sugarus attack and then find an opportunity to counterattack. While it was understandable to be cautious against a boss they encountered for the first time, they were a bit too passive. Since they needed to attack anyway to win, it might be better to try some long-range attacks first and see the reaction. Defense was important, but if they intended to win against an unknown opponent, they should consider first depriving the opponent of the opportunity to attack. No, it might be a difference in personality. People have different ways of thinking. On the other hand, Sugaru didnt seem to care much about defense. She approached the yers casually, and as she did when she shed the mole earlier, she delivered a sh of attack to the vanguard. Ugh! Heavy! It wasnt enough to send them flying, but the vanguard who took the attack fell backward from the impact. Some had their shieldspletely torn, while others had received wounds but managed to defend. Perhaps it was a difference in shield material or some defensive skill. Immediately after the attack, a few magic spells flew towards Sugaru. Single-target fire magic. Single-target magic had a high hit rate and usually hit the target as long as it was within range. However, it wasnt guaranteed to hit. Although it wasnt seen often, if the targets movement speed was faster than the speed of the magic, it could be avoided. Also, hiding behind obstacles could prevent it from hitting. In this case, it was abination of both, as Sugaru grabbed the fallen tank at his feet and used him as a shield against the magic. Gyaa! I see. Indeed, when mages gather and cast spells, if you have arge shield, you might be able to block them all at once. Its better to coordinate and focus on creating crossfire lines. The yer used as a shield was thrown away by Sugaru and soon disappeared into light. Sugaru then crushed one of the surviving tanks underfoot. The remaining tanks hurriedly stood up and distanced themselves. Its unclear what was activated, but mes of scorching heat attacked the retreating tanks. It was Sugarus area-of-effect magic. I wonder how characters of the non-speaking type activate their magic spells if they cant speak keywords. Sugaru had been with us almost since the start of the open beta. I have also tried to experiment with experience, and I have also assigned more of it to her abilities in order to strengthen her subordinates. Her magic skills are now second only to Rares. The same is true for ability values. Her species rating can be said to be the of the same level as that of Rare. If she was not under Raresmand, she would have been about the 10th cmity by now. Whether they were beginners or intermediate yers, there didnt seem to be a vanguard among them who could endure Sugarus magic. Together with some melee attackers who seemed to be watching from a little behind, they turned into charcoal and disappeared. This really is that raid boss, isnt it? The one you cant beat without event items! Wait, wait, this is different! The raid boss is the one standing with its arms crossed in the back! This guy is just a preliminary! Also, its a bug, and its using fire attacks? So, would water magic be better? Or maybe ice? For now, I spread it on the forum! If we endure for a bit, maybe some top-tier yers with free time wille! Its the second day since the start of the transfer service. Most top-tier yers were probably attacking some dungeon, or at least they had already transferred to a nearby safety area. Since they couldnt transfer again from there, I dont think theyde here immediately. However, if they say theylle, Im naturally weing. If top-tier yerse, members from the previous raid battle might alsoe, and I wouldnt mind waiting a bit. From within Yoroizaka-san, I secretly checked the forum. It seems that the information was indeed spread, as there were various threads on the games official forum. Since its troublesome to chase after them, I honestly wish they would stop, but for now, I bookmarked the ones I found. Chapter 149: “However, no one came” This doesnt look good. In any thread, the reactions are not particrly favorable towards the previous post. Some yers are pointing out the simultaneous posting in multiple threads,beling it as trolling. In this situation, the likelihood of new yers appearing here seems low. Back then, many yers, even those considered top tier, gathered in response to Waynes call, likely because it was during a global event. Firstly, the penalty was rxed during that time, which was significant. In a game where the fear of death increases with experience points earned, veteran yers need to be cautious in their approach. The temporary abolition of this penalty during the event probably had a considerable impact on the situation. In addition, there was a festive atmosphere due to therge-scale event. The game itself is already extraordinary, and this event added anotheryer of the extraordinary. Simply put, the mood was easily influenced by such calls. Now, the current situation is different from back then. Firstly, losing means losing experience points. Moreover, there are no event itemswhat yers perceive artifacts asmaking the odds of winning low. The area under attack is also a low-difficulty dungeon for beginners. From the sidelines, it appears to be a territorial dispute among monsters, and leaving it alone wont directly harm yers or human-side NPCs. The only consequence might be that all yers currently in battle will respawn, but for those who havent been ying the game for long, the lost experience points can be quickly recovered. Considering this, it doesnt seem like the damage is worth risking the lives of veteran yers who find the penalty severe. In the worst case, maybe a level 1 dungeon will be lost, or the difficulty level might skyrocket, but there are plenty of level 1 dungeons and others. Theres little reason to be fixated on this particr location. Those who recognize the value of this city and dungeon may not like the situation evolving. However, if they can make such calctions, they should know without thinking that the odds of winning are low. It would be a wise choice to cut losses in this situation. The attacks have stopped? Why? Doesnt matter! What about the forum situation!? Labeled as trolling! Damn it! Can someone help us? While waiting, they should organize their positions or strategize, but it seems their top priority is to wait for assistance from higher-level yers. In this game with no clear levels, a characters strength is determined by their build and how they use their hand inbat. Even though the total consumption of experience points can be used as a rough indicator, its just a guideline. Are these yers nning to define themselves as beginners who should be helped indefinitely? I thought maybe you were calling for friends to be your reinforcements, but it doesnt seem like anyone ising? Do you perhaps not have any friends? I-I-Its not like Im a loner! Hey, dont fall for a monsters provocation! Even if reinforcements are expected, theres no reason to keep the yers in front alive. If new reinforcements appear, they can simply deal with them again. Since the opponents are yers, eliminating them before reinforcements arrive wont make the reinforcements disappear. If help isnting, I guess Im wasting my time by waiting here. Sugaru aimed the ice-type area-of-effect magic towards the yers who had been muttering about ice earlier. It seemed like a retort to thement wondering if Ice Magic would be effective. Certainly, the ants were extremely weak to cold, but Sugaru herself was not. Most of the remaining yers were a group of rear-guard magic users. Even the tank vanguards couldnt withstand the magic that the frontliners couldnt endure. They froze and shattered one by one. It seems like an instant death regardless of damage, but what would happen if this magic were used against targets that were strong enough not to die in one hit? Damn it, why a forced defeat event all of a sudden? Seriously, who triggered this There are only a few yers left, about the size of one party. In such a desperate situation, one would think they should just run away, but they dont show any signs of doing so. Perhaps theres a preconception that you cant escape from a boss battle. As far as Rare knows, there is no such typical promise in this game so far. So, regardless of the characters background, the stronger one wins, and no matter how important an NPC is to the country or the world, they die when its their time. You can challenge opponents you cant possibly beat at any time, and if you want to escape, you can escape. Of course, its just the y of words. Whether the opponent lets you escape or not is a different issue. Sugarus handsthreads were released from both of her upper hands. I couldnt help but do a double-take, but considering that Queen Arachnea is also a creature created by Sugaru, its not surprising that Sugaru can do things that her underling spiders can do. Its probably an option covered by the experience points collected automatically at the time of reincarnation or something obtained through the reincarnation cost. Considering this, the Demon Lord, who had fewer unnecessary options for the same experience point cost, might be more powerful in terms of basic individual strength. No, I cant shoot threads from my hands, so its not entirely definite which is superior. Threads!? Isnt that an ant! If you look closely, it has eight limbs when youbine the hands and legs! Its a spider! Spiders dont have wings! On this point, Rare also somewhat sympathizes. Sugaru doesnt match any existing creature, whether in the number of legs or the presence of wings. What on earth is she?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om That being said, shooting threads from her hands implies that she has silk nds in her hands. Its an ecology that seems to facilitate knitting. If thats the case, maybe its worth letting Queen Arachnea, who is in training in the Treant Forest, acquire [Sewing] or something and try some side jobs. There havent been many characters needing clothes until now, but there have been a few in the past few days. It could be fine to use cotton grown in the forest along with herbs, but it would be more interesting to use a strong material with a special effect. Next, Sugaru showered the yers caught in threads with a mysterious liquid. When the mysterious liquid touches yers, it emits white smoke with a pungent odor, dissolving not only equipment but also their bodies. Its probably a stronger version of the formic acid used by engineer ants, but in reality, there is no acid that dissolves various substances to this extent in one type. Its a magical substance. Later, only the threads used for restraint were left lying on the ground. It seems that it melted even metal equipment with the equipment of beginner-ss yers. Although they should have been fighting on the ins, only the surroundings turned into a wilderness. Probably due to fire or ice. The acid seems to have beenpletely consumed after dissolving the yers, leaving only the murky liquid wetting the ground. Is everything taken care of? However, it seems that threads that cant be dissolved by that acid are valuable. That alone might create considerable demand. Like poison, there might be several types of acids, and like poison, it wouldnt be strange for there to be only one type of [Acid Resistance]. In that case, if there is only one type, it could be considered a very high-rank material in terms of defense against acid attacks. Shall we have Queen Arachnea produce it? My silk is of the same quality as hers. Although lower-ranked spiders can only produce lower-ranked silk. Thats true But having just the silk might not be enough. If were going to produce it, lets give [Sewing] to her first. To acquire certain production skills, a certain DEX value or INT value is required, but its not a problem for a queen-ss being. While were at it, it might be interesting to let Queen Vespoid acquire skills like Alchemy or cksmithing, and let Queen Beetle acquire Leatherworking or Woodworking. Even if yerse to the dungeon where they are left in charge, the queen doesnt have to go out every time. The number of subordinates for monitoring and operation has also increased. There should be free time. Its okay to have some hobbies. It seems that the engineer ants havent found the boss yet. With a in like this, it seems like it might take some time. Lets add a few more engineers then. Sugaru added 30 more Engineer Ants. At one point, Sugaru reincarnated herself to increase the total number of ants and increased the number of Queen Vespoids, but now there are slightly more than needed. The greatest strength of ants is theirbor force. However, with La Colinnes forest now running smoothly and most of the construction of the Hiers capital citys underground passagepleted, such a significantbor force is no longer necessary. The decrease in opportunities for low-ranked ants to participate in battles, with the increase ofbat-capable creatures like spiders and stag beetles, has also contributed to this. Setting the low-ranked ants loose on this in may provide them with new opportunities for action. Ill send some bees too, and if there are any changes from above well, it seems like theres no need to hurry now. It appears that some additional guests have arrived. Chapter 150: “Players Clan” There is amotion from the direction of the safety area. yers are gathering, and its quite arge number. However, there were no specific posts on the forum about this. Why did such arge number of peoplee here at this timing? At a nce, their equipment seems quite high-quality. I dont have a way to determine the rank of materials just by looking at them, and I dont even know if such a skill exists, but their equipment has a sense of unity, or rather, the design is sophisticated. Whether they are yers or NPCs is unknown, but someone must have designed them with a specific concept in mind. It implies that they could afford such expenses, and normally, one wouldnt spend that much on low-level equipment. There they are! That one is the rumored raid boss! Looks like the rookies were wiped out. No ones left. Their goal seems to be rare items after all. Judging from their conversation, they dont seem to be acquaintances of the yers who were wiped out earlier. So, at least, they must have learned that I was here through social media. But then why didnt they post about it? And how did they gather such arge number without such posts? Roughly estimating, there are more people here than in the raid battle in the royal capital. Its likely exceeding 40 people. Even though there are no parties or alliances in the system, there is a limit. Unless its a war, such arge number against a single enemy would hinder coordination. Its even impossible to line up all frontliners for an attack. If, for example, we were asrge as Uluru, we might be able to fight with arge number, but even though were big, Yoroizaka-san is only about 3 meters tall. Are you friends of the small fry earlier? How is it that so many people were gathered? If they are NPCs, it wouldnt be strange to ask in a slightly provocative manner. The leader of this group is unclear, but whoever answers is likely the leader. He has a rather pretty voice for his appearance, doesnt he? Hey, hey, youre sure this guy is the disaster in question, right? Okay, Im sure hes the disaster in question. We yers have a means ofmunication that you monsters cant even imagine!! Dont get too carried away!! The man in splendid armor who seems like a tank shouted at the front of the group. Due to Yoroizakas Enhanced Hearing, I could hear even the muttered part before he raised his voice, but thats not important. Or rather, what I want to know is not there. I see. For the sake of posterity, could you tell me more about it? What exactly is that about? Even if I told you about it, you wouldnt understand!! Why bother doing that!! Those weaklings earlier mentioned something about contacting somewhere. However, no help arrived, and they ended up in despair and disappeared. Yet, you guys appear, talking as if you received their contact. Whats going on? This should not raise suspicions, right?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Its probably fine. I should only mention facts that can be inferred from the information obtained in this situation. Ugh, how should I exin? How would one convey social media or the forum anyway? Its like shouting loudly in a za Even if its heard, theres no need to answer We justmunicated through a n-exclusive, password-protectedmunity. How should I answer that No, Captain, isnt it fine to just say we dont need to answer? There really isnt a need to answer. Why are you even having a polite conversation? Because its voice was cute? We dont need to answer!! Did you say that to me? Or to that other person? What are these guys? Comedians or something? However, I got the gist of it. While there are no n functionalities in the game system, yers are free to gather and im to be a n. Using external services to establish amunity,municate, and organize a n is not impossible. But its not something easily done. Gathering such arge number, acting as a leader, usingmunication tools, and functioning as an organization require considerable charisma and know-how. The matching armor seems to contribute to enhancing their camaraderie. Someone had inquired about ns in the FAQ, and this person might be the one. The fact that ns dont exist as a system is not entirely a bad thing. It means youre not being bound by the system for ns. Since its not system-bound, joining casually through verbal agreements is possible. One can remain a member without actively participating in n activities. Leaving the n is also free without any need for formalities. If they discuss renting a n house, they might need money, but if they dont n to amodate everyone, funding can be managed by a few high-ranking members. Including crafting yers in the group can make equipment updates smoother, and redistributing old equipment to new yers can benefit all members. While purchasing equipment requires coins, its the same for solo yers. Bulk material purchases may even lead to discounts, potentially reducing equipment costs. The leader created such a n, made preparations, and came here. That seems to be the case. If they were using their uniquemunity site, it makes sense that there were no posts on the official SNS. It was worth wasting the first day. Who would have thought a raid boss for the event would appear. Yeah. When I heard about the assembly on the second day, I thought we might bete. No, the leader was saying something like Its a nuisance to invade crowded ces with arge number by force, so lets find a less popted area. Didnt he target the first dungeon conquest? For promotion. Really? The leader is something else. Then why didnt you advertise on the forum beforeing to defeat the cmity? If we did that, it would backfire if we lost. Seriously? The leader truly is something else. Theres something about tank yers in this game; they generally seem capable. I had thought that most top yers would be away on the second day, but it seems there are yers with unconventional thinking like this among them. If you wont answer, theres no helping it. Can I assume youvee to defeat me? I dont think so, but if its some misunderstanding, it would be awkward to crush them. Just awkward, though; even if it was a misunderstanding, I would still defeat them all. Unlike the beginners from earlier, these guys should contribute to experience points. No need to say it! Lets go! Theyve probably already built up some strategy. The Cmity Subjugation Battle was a topic on the forum, and they had checked it. Having a n ready in such a short time, despiteing this far, suggests they may have been coordinating regrly for a raid boss. Its a benefit of raid bosses, I suppose. Sugaru. But Rare is not really a raid boss. Though that seems to be how its perceived, in reality, shes just a yer. Besides, Ive entrusted everything during this outing to Sugaru. But since theyre ying the role of a raid boss for now, not necessarily as a continuation of the previous conversation, I could provide a bit of roley service. My right hand, the Queen of Insects, Sugaru, will be your opponent. If you can defeat her, I might consider granting you the right to challenge me. Do your best. Chapter 151: “I wonder whose influence it is” ss 32, all members, activate D2 Ro! [D2 Ro]! The preemptive attackes from the opponents side. Upon the leadersmand, about four members of the rear mage-type group release what seems to be water-based area-of-effect magic. While it may not appear that there are 32 sses, its likely that each digit in the number has a specific role assigned C for example, tens could indicate a general role, and ones could represent the ss number. If such a rule exists, then ss 32 might mean the second ss of the third type of troops, or something simr. The activation key for magic is quite intriguing. The fact that they all activate in unison following the leadersmand suggests a unified word decided within the n. yers observed so far tend to set individual words for solo y, while party-oriented yers often use default words. This is likely because in party battles, its necessary to dere intentions to allies. However, by unifying within the n, they achieve shortened activation keys, secrecy, unity of will, and coordination. Unlike [Magic Link] of the [Demonic Eyes], which lets one skip activation keywords for casting, skills activated by vocalmands dont require individual brainwave checks. The yer casting the spell doesnt need to remember which magic their spoken keyword corresponds to. They simply repeat the word obediently following the leaders instructions. Even without knowing the specific magic, uttering the word with the safety released triggers the pre-set magic. Changing the keyword doesnt matter; as long as the leader remembers everything, they can control the magic users like limbs. No time to be impressed casually. The yers have cast targeted area-of-effect magic. It is designated to epass both Sugaru and Yoroizaka-san. I said Id deal with you if you defeat Sugaru. This game has no rigid rules. Saying that they wont attack unless Sugaru is defeated doesnt hold water. If theyre present, theyre free to attack. Understanding this, they likely attacked with the intention of provoking. Its a form of taunting. However, theres no need to take the bait, especially considering the circumstances. With four magic attacks, the power cant be ignored, but Yoroizaka-san has high resistance to water. Even if damage gets through, it would be minimal, and it can probably recover if left alone. Unfortunately for them, the four magic spells couldnt break Yoroizaka-sans resistance. It only ended up wetting the armor. As for Sugaru, she minimizes damage by flying. However, there seems to be no visible damage even on her. Her feet are just a bit wet. ss 31, continue with [B2 Ha]! [B2 Ha]! This time, another four yers cast lightning-based area-of-effect magic. It appears to be a considerably high-level magic. Its quite surprising that all members of ss 31 have acquired this. Magicians, due to their nature, seek versatility within the party, aiming to acquire magic of various attributes. Pouring experience points only into Lightning Magic would hinder the development of other attributes. To reach the same level, they would only be able to acquire one more attribute. This implies that ss 32 focuses on water and another attribute, while ss 31 concentrates on lightning and another attribute. Its a build specialized forrge-scale n battles. If one were to join a regr party in the future, it might be tough depending on the target, but as long as they stay in this n, theres no worry about running out of demand. Ah, so this was for Water Magic. If theyre wet, it certainly temporarily lowers lightning resistance. In addition, Yoroizaka-san, being metallic armor, originally had the lowest lightning resistance among attribute resistances. But not anymore. Currently, leveraging the lesson from the previous raid in the royal capital, she increased MND, allocated points to INT, unlocked several Branches of [Earth Magic], and obtained [Lightning Resistance]. Even if resistance is slightly prated due to wetness, the damage wont be significant. If these yers fought at the raid party level in the royal capital, they would never lose without artifacts. Based on what I saw of Nameless Elf yesterday, it seems they have also be stronger since then. Its the same for us. And the yers in front of me are roughly at the same level as that raid party back then. Quantity is their only advantage. [Lightning Magic] doesnt seem to have much effect on Sugaru. In terms of resistance and defense, Sugaru is higher than Yoroizaka. Moreover, only her feet are wet.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Ignoring the attacks, she flies up into the air. ss 33, [E2 I]! [E2 I]! The yers now cast wind-based area-of-effect magic towards the sky. Im impressed by the leaders decision-making. Currently, Sugaru is airborne. If she got hit by Wind Magic in this state, regardless of damage, a movement inhibiting effect would ur. Failing the resistance check would anchor her in ce for a while. Teams 11 to 13, defensive formation! Protect the 30-series! Furthermore, the leader issues instructions without seeing the results of the Wind Magic. Sugaru naturally seeds in resisting the movement inhibition check, but when she attempts to attack, the opponents defense barely manages to keep up. Nevertheless, without concern for that, Sugaru approaches the enemy tank group with a rapid descent. With three hands ready tounch a direct attack on the front line, at the moment of attack, she sprays threads from all hands, capturing several frontline yers. Since the enemy tanks were focused on defense, they couldnt react to cutting or dealing with the threads. Dragging the unfortunate tank ss yers entangled in the threads, Sugaru then initiates a rapid ascent. It happened in an instant. No one could react to it. While no one saw it, even Rare had her mouth half-open, seemingly fascinated within Yoroizaka-san. Getting to a height of about 30 meters at a high speed, Sugaru threw them upwards with the same momentum. I feel like Ive seen something simr before. Was it in Erfahren? Sugaru didnt participate in that battle, but all the bees were Sugarus Subordinates. She probably observed through the bees. Wait, what is this? Uh, how do we deal with this? Ive never taken fall damage before? What kind of resistance reduces fall damage? The enemy leader is also confused. He seems to have been lucky not to get caught but is looking up in a dazed manner. However, Sugaru doesnt wait. She descends again from above and casts an area-of-effect magic from the edge of range. Unlike skill attacks such as the artillery ants bombardment, magic, being propelled by mysterious energy, does not have differences in range due to altitude. Therefore, if it can reach from above, it means it can also reach from below. However, unlike Sugaru, who can move further up, yers on the ground cant escape further down. Sugaru was the one inplete control of the distance of thebat on both sides. It seems like she likes a one-sided beating strategy, but whose influence is this? With skilled use of a bow, one can reach much farther than the range of magic. Even considering differences in elevation. If there were archers in the opponents group, the situation might have unfolded differently, but it seems there are none in this raid. While bows are excellent for attack, theye with costs and are not very effective for crowd control. Unlike versatile magic, they are easy to counter. The basic build is to extend them inbination with other skills such as scouting. In the grasnds, scouting skills are not particrly necessary, and if they strategized for this raid thinking of the cmity as their main target, perhaps it wouldnt be so surprising to leave out a party with archers. The shot that once delivered the finishing blow to Rare was a single arrow from a bow, but it is understood that it was a result of various ovepping conditions. Without any ingenuity, it could easily be blocked like the first arrow in the royal capital. This n seems to have chosen to focus on thickening theyer of magic users rather than using bows ingeniously this time. Its quite difficult to remove Yoroizaka-sans armor or Sugarus exoskeleton with arrows alone, and the cost of a single arrow seems high. Well, normally you wouldnt do that. No yer is currently paying attention to Rare. Theres probably no room for considering tactics such as area-of-effect attacks or provocation. Mage-types with low LP are decreasing one after another. Tanks are holding up shields to protect, but not everything can be defended with a shield. Its like adding water to ashes. yers who seem to be close-quarters physical attackers are turning into light without being able to do anything. I feel a bit sorry for them. The power of Sugarus magic is high, roughly equivalent to what Rares power was back during the royal capital battle. Tanks that cant be wiped out in a single blow have considerable endurance. Its probably due to their equipment. Once yers other than the tanks are mostly dealt with using area-of-effect magic, Sugaru lowers her altitude and sprays threads again. Dont block with shields! Cut them with your swords! If you get caught, youll be taken away! The yer thrown earlier seems to have fallen somewhere far away. Seeing that he doesnte back, it seems hes beyond recovery. yers are cutting the threads with swords, trying to avoid getting caught. Its challenging because they are performing this within the crowded yers. Swinging the sword too vigorously might identally cut the adjacent yer. However, they cant disperse recklessly to avoid the acid since theres a need to protect the surviving attackers and magicians. The magician, even though Sugaru is within range, is unable to concentrate on attacking, desperately protecting himself from the threads. Gwah! Whats this!? Liquid!? Acid!? This seemed to be Sugarus aim. asionally, she sprayed acid mixed with the threads. I thought she was emitting it from her mouth, but it seems toe from a simr ce as the threads. Unlike threads, even if you cut the acid with a sword, it just scatters. Some yers were unlucky enough to get sshed in the eyes, and their eyes have be a target for part destruction judgment, putting them in a state of darkness. It should be until its repaired with a dedicated skill like [Healing]. Using the corresponding recovery item is also possible, but it wont heal with a regr potion. The effect doesnt seem to melt the metal armor or shield that tanks wear, but the leather parts of the surviving close-quarters attackers equipment are damaged. Even though they wear aposite armorbined with metal tes, if the leather part bes tattered, the armor wont serve its purpose. Only the metal tes drop to the ground. However, if they use a shield to guard against the acid, they will be sprayed with threads. Unlike before, Sugaru doesnt immediately lift them, hindering the overall actions of the surrounding yers like a chain of beads. yers no longer attempt to attack Sugaru. Struggling to escape from threads and acid, they can only flounder. There is no one capable of taking any decent tactical action. I guess its over If they could really defeat Sugaru, I intended to engage with them, but it seems it was impossible for that to happen. After several area-of-effect spells were cast on the group of yers, now mostly immobilized, the yers turned into light and disappeared. Only the leader remained until the end, but he was pierced by the Lightning Magic cast by Sugaru and disappeared as well. Chapter 152: “The Great Mole” Well, it seems nobody else will being. I stood there for a while after finishing the battle against the n, but no yer who seemed to be targeting us appeared. asionally, beginner yers who seemed unaware of the recent development from social media woulde to the grasnds, but upon seeing Yoroizaka-san, they would quickly flee. No, there wasnt much damage to speak of. It was more their fault for not listening to me, or just impatience on their part. You dont have to worry about it. I had dered that I wouldnt interfere until the battle with Sugaru was over, so it would have been better if they had just focused on fighting Sugaru. Even if it was for provocation, adding me to the battle, when it wasnt certain they could even defeat Sugaru alone, was meaningless and reckless. Did I underestimate myself or rather, did I underestimate Sugaru? It seems like they intended to attack me more, and if they could involve Sugaru in it, that would be even better. Certainly, in cases where there is a difference in strength between the boss and its entourage, such tactics may be employed. However, that assumes the entourage is much weaker than the yers. Speaking of the bosss entourage, it could be considered one of the gimmicks itself. In boss battles, you couldnt win unless you dealt with the gimmicks reliably. However, this battle wasnt winnable, and it didnt seem like the gimmicks were manageable either. I think the conditions fell a bit short. Id love to see them try again when their production yers are able to produce items closer to artifact-level on their own. If its artifacts, even rare or legendary ones can be made. If thats the case, it wouldnt be impossible for other yers. Even if not artifact-level items, a sword at that level would be enough to pose a threat to Yoroizaka-san. I would still take damage, and taking damage means theres a possibility of death. Still, a n, huh If we cant track them on social media, we wont have any information if they coordinate in a ce we cant check. I had thought that if I kept an eye on the yers movements, we wouldnt have to embarrassingly lose to traps like I did that time, but being coordinated in a ce I couldnt check was a blind spot. This time, we were lucky to finish unscathed because the opponents were weak, but it might not be the same next time. No, to ensure its not the same next time, we should work harder to strengthen our own side. This time, Sugaru was able to single-handedly dominate more opponents than in the previous capital, but a significant advantage was due to the ability to fly. I cant imagine what kind of conditions normal yers like humans would have to clear to unlock abilities like [Flight] or [Sky Dash], but if yers could acquire such abilities, it wouldnt be so one-sided. Thats when the real battle would begin. But if the opponent bes stronger, its okay as long as we be stronger too. The ideal situation is to gain enoughbat power to defeat a 50-person raid party solo, even if they use the aforementioned artifacts. Were not there yet. For that, will customerse to the Old Hiers Capital? The difficulty has already been lowered to 4. I thought it wouldnt go below 5 as long as Sieg was there, but apparently not. It seems that the difficulty judgment makes a distinction between the capital and the royal castle. If Sieg takes even one step out of the castle, it immediately jumps up to 5. If the system recognizes the royal castle as a separate field, it wouldnt be strange for there to be a teleportation service directly to the royal castle, but there is no such thing. There seems to be a rule that states that another area within the region cannot be chosen as a teleportation destination. You have to go through the proper steps to get to the boss area, and that might be the case. This is probably the same for the lords mansion of Erntal in ncs region. Deas is there, but the town is still only at 3. I have already received more than enough publicity for the matter of the cmity being out, so I honestly have no further use for this meadow. However, the ants are working hard, so I think Ill make this grasnd an ant paradise. Theres a town that can be used as a portal right nearby, so there should be no problem for visitors. If we keep it at around 1 to 2, beginners should continue toe. If we raise the difficulty too much, theres a possibility of unnecessary spection due to the difference from the portals of other towns. The difficulty level has to be fixed at 1 here. Oh, found it. Lets go. The engineers only havebat power that can be defeated solo once they get used to it, even if they are just starting as genuine beginners. Therefore, at this point, we have no idea about the opponents strength. Caution is necessary. At least they shouldnt be more formidable than us. The nearby town is an important base for yers and the administration. The boss area is treated separately to prevent the dungeon boss from being defeated. While unlikely, theres a possibility that a cmity-level monster is ced inside. Lets proceed with caution. The engineer ant flew to the location where the previous one was killed and descended into the underground through a cave entrance that looked like a raised mound right beside it. It resembled the entrance icon of a cave on a map in an old game. The entrance wasrge, but the underground passage was spacious enough for Yoroizaka-san, a three-meter-tall figure, to stand and walk. While walking in thepletely dark underground cave, it Reminded me of the Liebe Great Forest. The underground grand cave in the Liebe Great Forest was built by engineer ants, making the walls smooth due to the effects of acid. In contrast, this cave had exposed soil, appearing on the verge of copsing. If moles dug this cave, it made sense. Typically, mole burrows serve both as residence and traps, fulfilling a role simr to spider webs. They wait for prey like earthworms andrvae to fall into the holes they dug in the ground, sense it, and prey on it. Therefore, maintaining the original strength of the soil is desirable. However, the moles in this grasnd dont seem to rely on such small prey. It appears they detect the footsteps of humans walking on the surface and try to obtain food by jumping out of the nest to attack. Even though there was no light, I, who could see through her Demonic Eyes, could easily act. Since I couldnt lend Yoroizaka-san that field of view, Im currently controlling Yoroizaka-san. Sugaru also seems to have no problem with movement. Originally, she was active inside the Liebe Great Forest cave, so its natural. I remember she used her antennae to touch and move around, but now I dont see any such movement. Yeah, I see it. That hall over there, right? Judging from the visible MP, it seems to be a magical beast of no significance, about the strength of a newly born Queen Ant. Upon reaching a hall-like ce, arge mole was seated. Since the ant was defeated at the same time as the report, I thought we might be attacked as soon as we entered the hall, but that wasnt the case. Come to think of it, the ants couldnt actually see inside the cave. They were just moving along the walls with their antennae. They probably mistakenly touched the giant mole, got crushed, and thats how they died. The giant mole likely has a simrck of visibility. It probably just crushed the ant because it felt a buging into contact. In other words, an unfortunate ident. Now then. It seems the opponent hasnt noticed us yet, but shall we give it a try? It doesnt seem to go well with forest-type fields. It probably wont multiply easily like insects or treants, and if ants can do simr things, Id rather stick with ants. Insects are the most diverse group of creatures. Even though there might not be as many as the set one million species in reality, it can still generate quite a variety of followers at the moment. Many more can be unlocked depending on skills and situations. In terms of overall diversity and individual specialization, theres basically no need for new types of subordinates. Currently, since there are no useful fields under my control, I havent created any, but monsters inspired by aquatic insects and arthropods are increasing in Sugarus [Birth Allocation] list. There are only monsters called [Queens] in the [Breeding: Insects] list that Ive arbitrarily named, so it might be the difference between species that can form their own followers or not. Not only are social organisms included, but also creatures thaty arge number of eggs at once seem to be the motif. Perhaps beetles and spiders are included due to therge number of eggs. If not, it might be due to therge number of eggs in spiders. Ill leave it to you. Chapter 153: “The Transforming Queen” As Sugaru walked closer, it seemed that the giant mole noticed her approach. Is it thinking that another annoying bug has appeared? However, despite getting close enough to be able to touch it, the mole showed no signs of moving. This attitude seemed a bit too nonchnt. Its true that otherwise the engineer ant would have been killed before it recognized the giant mole, but this behavior could be considered arrogant, if we think that it doesnt know our strength. Is it a consideration to allow yers to strike first? No, the management wouldnt bother with such specific settings. It probably just happens to be the personality of this mole. Perhaps due to bing more powerful than other moles, its perception or response capability towards danger seemed to have dulled. In this grasnd, aside from small animal-type monsters found in other areas, there were only moles. The apex of this ecosystem would likely be the moles, and if this giant mole was the strongest among them, its arrogance might be justified. Im not entirely sure if its a dungeon but since its set as a transfer destination, these moles are probably Subordinated by the giant mole. Indeed, there seems to be no danger here. ording to individually sent system messages, it mentioned targeting territories dominated by a single force as the transfer destination. Since there were no clear allies like parties or ns in the system, a single force could only refer to a single character. The exception being [Subordinate]. Even though there were many monsters in the territory, being set as a transfer destination implied that one character dominated most of it. This suggested that dungeon bosses, regardless of being PCs or NPCs, uniformly possessed [Subordinate], serving as the leaders ofrge forces. This was a hypothesis, but given the situation, it seemed urate. After defeating this giant mole, Sugaru nned to check if other moles were still alive on the way back to confirm. Sugaru initially intended to let the mole take the initiative, but frustrated by itsck of action, she transformed both of her hands into scythe-like shapes and attacked. For a moment I wondered what had happened and checked carefully, and sure enough, her topmost arm had changed into a sickle shape. Im curious about what happened to the spiders outgrowth tubes and the ants acid-secreting holes, but first, what was the reason for the change? In my haste to check Sugarus skills section, the only suspicious thing I found was the [Metamorphosis] entry. Not in the sense of a dubious wording, but in the sense that it might be the cause. She had noticed this skill during Sugarus reincarnation. When it came to metamorphosis in insects, there was a clue. However, the ant monsters in this game did not undergo metamorphosis. They hatched directly into adults from eggs. Therefore, I thought that metamorphosis might not exist in the system, and I pretended not to investigate further to avoid potential issues. However, it appeared that metamorphosis did exist. Moreover, it served as a practical skill forbat and production, rather than a necessary process for the creatures ecology. The effect of the skill was to Transform a part or all of ones body into a specific shape. The time required for the transformation can be shortened by consuming additional MP. The transformed part may temporarily gain a skill based on the post-transformation shape. The duration is determined by the consumption cost. The original cost was LP, but by consuming both LP and MP simultaneously, instantaneous transformation was possible. The specific shape was predetermined, and Sugarus metamorphosis list enumerated traits that could be produced as subordinates, including the current [Scythe], as well as [Thread] and [Acid]. It seemed that the thread produced earlier, simr to a spiders silk or ant acid, was created temporarily through [Metamorphosis]. He hadnt confirmed if there was an actual skill for spider silk, but at the moment, it seemed absent. Sugarus statement of My thread is of the same quality as Queen Arachneas likely referred to this. Sugaru was merely reproducing the queens silk-producing organ through [Metamorphosis]. Does the variety of subordinates make the main body stronger? Is that how it works? To increase the variety of subordinates, acquiring seemingly unnecessary skills might be necessary. Considering efficiency alone, it might be a disadvantage for the strength of the main body. However, by increasing the variety of subordinates, the options avable during the main bodysbat would expand.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om It was unknown how effective it would be against significantly stronger opponents, but having more options could increase the chances of winning in evenly matched situations. Quite a powerful species, Queen Arthropoda. Its not surprising, considering its the apex of arthropods. I need to do my best too. Suddenly, the giant mole that had been shed by Sugaru attempted to crush her in a panic. However, Sugaru cleaved through its arm effortlessly. The shing range clearly exceeded that of the scythe. For a moment, a peach-colored light was visible, indicating that some skill had been activatedpresumably a temporary skill associated with the scythes shape. The giant mole, having its arm severed, finally seemed to recognize the terrifying nature of the insect before it. Adjusting its posture from being flipped over, it supported its body with its hind legs and stared at Sugaru, using the ws of its remaining arm to shield its face. The specific attack power of the scythe was unknown, but rtive to that, the opponents defense was like paper. Since damage could be inflicted regardless of where Sugaru struck, defense seemed pointless. Oh? So its not just a big fat blob. Suddenly, the ground behind Sugaru rose up and exploded. It was an earth-based area-of-effect magic, and surprisingly, it was a coordinate-specified one. Presumably, this was chosen to catch Sugaru off guard andunch a surprise attack from her blind spot. It seemed that the mole was not as foolish as it appeared. Formerly, Sugaru seemed incapable of using magic at all. Assuming this guy is on par with the Sugaru from way back, it means that,pared to a Queen Vespoid, its defense is lower, but it has learned some specific magic. In addition, with the passage of time since its birth, it has be reasonably stronger in its own way. However, Sugaru is no longer a Queen Vespoid. Despite being a boss, Sugaru doesnt care about lower-tier ranged magic or anything magic-specialized. Compared to the yers earlier, the current magic is not particrly powerful. Ignoring magic, Sugaru shed through the moles arms with the scythe, which it was using to guard. Even after losing both arms, the mole attempted to cast magic, but before that, Sugarus scythe glimmered slightly, and with a sh, the moles head was severed. This mole seemed quiterge, but at this size, it appeared there was no bonus to LP. But the Shikiyoku Demon Lord and the Hentai Queen Well, skills are fundamentally visible only to oneself, and if I keep quiet, no one will know. <> <> The announcement slightly differed from a simr one heard before. This might be because there is no safety area, and setting a home is now impossible. However, the fact that such an announcement was made meant that the single force that had dominated this ce was sessfully defeated. Now, they could officially rule this ce as part of Rares jurisdiction. No, wait. When we were attacking this area right now, the difficulty level would have remained at 1. As far as she checked when the beginners were asking for help, there were no reports of an increase in difficulty. At that time, yers capable of teleportation were paying some attention to this area, and if there had been any changes, they would have posted about it. Thinking about it, it might be obvious, but even if 5 ss yers attack a 1 field, it wont increase the difficulty of that 1 field. The dungeon boss and the attacking yers are not a single force, so its natural. So, if I send my Subordinates to a certain dungeon, deliberately leave the boss undefeated, and have them attack yers while pretending to be monsters from that dungeon Can we hijack the guests without increasing the difficulty of the dungeon? Theposition would be simr to the earlier battle between Sugaru and the yers. There shouldnt be a problem. However, there would likely be other monsters originally inhabiting that field, and since those monsters were probably the minions of the dungeon boss, no matter how many were eliminated, they would respawn quickly. Two teams would be needed: one to clear out the dungeon monsters and the other to attack the yers. In a way, it might be a three-way fight If we adjust the strength of the forces sent in, we could handle all the opposing forces ourselves. We need to verify whether the difficulty of other dungeons changes, though. Verification of that could be done immediately. We could ask for ncs permission and have Deas go out from Erntal while checking the forum. Considering the experience of adjusting the difficulty of the Old Hiers Kingdom, if Deas steps on the field, it should jump straight to 5. However, if Rares idea is correct, the difficulty wouldnt change in Erntal because its not actually a territory under Rares dominion, Deas should technically be treated as invading forces. If this scheme works, we can continuously gain experience points Oh, it feels like dj vu. This is the same as the goblin farm in the Liebe Great Forest, although on arger scale and structurally simr. yers will get bored if the trash mobs they fight are all insects and undead, and it might be better to destroy some dungeon and put the appropriate area bosses under our control and increase the variety of monsters. In this case, the dungeon should preferably be an area that is not currently on the list of destinations and is not known to the yers, since there will be no bosses or small fry in that dungeon after it is destroyed. The vacant area should be filled with ants. But what do you mean by conquering an area that is not on the list of destinations to be transferred? Ive heard that phrase somewhere. Could it be that that Lyra Theres no way. *T/N: Shikiyoku is written as (襯) and Hentai as (إ󥿥) in this sentence. Thetter is a pun on how hentai means pervert, but it can also mean transform which is the intended meaning for Sugaru as the Transforming Queen. The former is a reference too, but Im not sure of what exactly it alludes to. Chapter 154: “Blood Donation” At the time of the implementation of the transfer service on the first day. nc was overlooking the town from the balcony of the lords mansion. Isnt it already a bit deserted? They seem to be noting in. Is there a meeting or something? Since this town has no outer walls, there is no clear boundary between the inside and outside of the town. Even if they havent entered, if they are within nc-samas field of vision, it can be judged that they have already invaded nc-samas territory, right? Weiss gave advice with aposed expression. Its a refreshing morning, and nc, Weiss, and Azalea and the others have already reached a point where they can actfortably under the sunlight. If Weiss were not a Daywalker, it would have been necessary to send him to the Count for modification and enhancement, but that worry turned out to be unnecessary. If Weiss was already a Daywalker before the event, when nc and the others became Daywalkers during the event, Weiss was already superior to Azalea and even nc at that time. No, there is still a possibility that that is the case even now. If Weiss-san says so, then it must be the case, hehehe. I cannot fathom what you are thinking, nc-sama, but such words are unnecessary for me. Azalea and the others are preparing tea inside the mansion. The tea leaves were given by Rare, and the tea set was given by Lyra. As vampires, they thought they needed to consume blood, but system-wise, it only decreases hunger. Animal blood is the most efficient for hunger recovery, but other races require several times more than usual. In the absence of both food and blood, sap or nt juices are also eptable. When nc consulted with Rare and her sister, they unanimously suggested, Then, isnt milk or vegetable juice fine? Some fictional vampires asionally use tomato juice, and it seems to be for the same reason. What is needed is bodily fluids, and while animal fluids are preferable, nt fluids are also eptable. After experimentation, it was found that hunger can be recovered to about one meal equivalent by turning ck tea into royal milk tea and eating a fruit tart for tea time. If processed, such as cooking, it is not recognized as bodily fluids, and items like blood sausages only recovered to the extent of regr food. Therefore, when heating the milk for royal milk tea, it is stopped before boiling. The tea leaves are opened with boiling water in advance, put into warmed milk, and allowed to steep. ording to Lyra, if the milk is boiledpletely, the vor of the milk bes stronger, and the aroma of the tea leaves may be overwhelmed. Regarding bodily fluids, boiling is not considered if it is not brought to a boil, so it worked out well in that sense.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om When you think about it calmly, asking yers to drink a living beings blood is too high a hurdle, so its only natural to rx that aspect. However, if there is nothing, the meaning of bing a vampire would be diluted, so they are bncing the atmosphere with abination of hunger and bodily fluids and other food. nc-sama, Azalea and the others havepleted the tea preparation. Please leave the outside surveince to me, and go inside. Is that so? Well then, thank you. Inside, Deas was already sitting at the table, and Azalea was just pouring tea for nc. It seems like the yers are already gathering. Yes, I saw a few here and there. Its not to the point of intruding into the premises yet. Well, ording to Weisss theory, it could be considered that they have already invaded. nc sat down, taking a sip of royal milk tea. Todays tea time includes strawberry tart. What about Queen Beetle-san? Ah, she is monitoring the town from above the roof. She was ordered by our Majesty to assist nc-sama, so she seems to be enthusiastic. Its reassuring that she is watching over. In the end, they have not been able to summon a convenient flying-type magical creature. They didnt know where to find such creatures, and there was no time to go looking for them. They were busy allocating the experience gained in the event. The first thing nc did was to enhance herself. Weiss and Deas often warned nc not to engage directly inbat. nc herself had no intention of standing on the front lines, as she didnt want to die. However, she was curious about the conversation with the Count regarding the blood of vampires. ording to the Count, one could strengthen their subordinates by giving them their own blood, and a powerful vampire could elevate their subordinates to even higher beings. Judging from the context, thats what he was talking about. If nc were to enhance herself, and her vampire race transformed into something beyond Greater Vampire Baroness, she might be able to give blood to her subordinates again and strengthen them. She hadnt confirmed it when she gave blood before, but nc probably became a Vampire at that time, not a Lesser Vampire. The Count mentioned that the low-level status was shed when gaining skills like [Subordinate]. If that was correct, nc should have already shed the lesser status when she obtained her subordinates. Since nc was already at a Greater level, there might be some change even if she gave blood now. Nevertheless, she wanted to try it since she had the chance. ording to Rare, when subordinates undergo reincarnation, they may asionally require additional experience points. nc nned to stop just as her race name changed, checking her own stats. nc had acquired all the skills rted to enhancing subordinates, as advised by Rare. When there was no apparent change, she started allocating points to her attributes. After a slight allocation, her race designation changed to Vampire Baroness. This probably meant nc was granted a title. The source of this title was unclear, but the Count had mentioned something simr. In other words, if nc worked a bit harder, she could be on par with the Count after two more ranks. Considering the future, nc decided it would be better to stop here for now. Next, she called the three Spartoi she had created initially: Scarlet, Crimson, and Vermillion. Just like before, when she gave blood to the three, she felt an intense fatigue, even more so than before. Checking her LP, she found only a small amount left. She wouldter be scolded severely for this. It should have been done more carefully, one by one. After granting permission through the familiar system message, the change urred immediately. The Spartoi had grown significantly in size, adopting a more aggressive silhouette, with impressive horns extending backward from its head. It looked more like the skeleton of a dragon person than a lizardman. It seemed quite powerful, but fortunately, no experience points were demanded. The new race was called Dragontooth. A new skill, [Sky Drive], was unlocked. Since there was an exnation about being able to walk in the sky, nc decided to acquire it too. Now, the only ones in her faction who couldnt fly were regr spartoi and zombies. In terms of numbers, the non-flying group was overwhelminglyrger, but having scouts that could fly made a significant difference in base defense. Next, nc turned her attention to providing blood to Azalea and the others. Naturally, they postponed the process to another day and were forced to do it one by one. Deas also brought potions from Rare. Although they werent very expensive, nc had no idea about the mary value of potions. Since she was told she could drink as many as she wanted, she gratefully epted them. Azalea and the others demanded experience points for their reincarnation200 per person. Rare mentioned that when she became a Demon Lord, it required four digits, so nc was worried, but the number was surprisingly reasonable. However, it still amounted to 600 for the three of them, a painful expense. Azalea and the others were reincarnated from [Mormos] to [Laestrygones]. Their appearance didnt seem to change much, but apparently, there were now giants in the transformation list. In giant form, all magic skills couldnt be used, but STR and VIT increased significantly, and the speed of getting hungry doubled. Other than that, it was simr to the humanoid state, but since the three were developed with magic, it wasnt a very beneficial form. The remaining experience points were used to acquire skills for Azalea and the others. First was [Bare Hands], a skill rted to meleebat without weapons, considering the transformation into a giantter. Next was [Disassembly]. nc also acquired this because sheined to Rare, saying she remembered lines like Ill disassemble them barehanded from oldics. However, [Disassembly] required a small de. [Bare Hands] alone was not enough. When ncined to Rare about this, she was advised, If you also get [Pharmacy], you can unlock [Treatment]. nc ended up acquiring all three: [Pharmacy], [Treatment] and [Healing Magic] since she ran out of experience points. As a result, the strengthening process came to a halt. It should be noted that nc had forgotten about the Dark Magic skill, [Curtain of Darkness], which Azalea and the others had been requesting for a while. The following day, nc went around the entire town, giving each zombie a drop of blood. The squire zombies that received blood turned into low-level vampires. Although her LP was significantly drained, it wasnt as much as with Azalea, Crimson, and others. If things got dangerous, she could recover with potions. However, the original residents were unexpectedly numerous, and after visiting only a few dozen houses, it seemed like dawn was approaching. So, the next night, nc ordered all zombies in the town toe to the lords mansion. In a death march, she was continuously giving blood to the zombiesing in lines while receiving [Treatment] alternately from Azalea, Magenta, and Carmine. If it still wasnt enough, nc drank additional potions received from Rare. When receiving the potions, Rare gave nc words of encouragement, saying, I think its tough, but do your best. It was a genuinely heartfelt expression. Perhaps Rare had a simr experience. As the zombies would die when the sun rose, the process could only be done at night, but after three days, the task waspleted. Despite the hardships, a group of over 2000 vampires, all low-level, was born in the town of Erntal. nc-sama, yers have appeared infiltrating the town. Weiss, who was monitoring from the balcony, came to report. Finally, the dungeon defense battle was beginning. It seemed that this dungeon had a difficulty level of 3. Although it wasnt clear how challenging that was, considering that a considerable number of yers were gathering, it might not be too difficult. Alright, lets all work together to repel the yers! Dont kill them all immediately, or no one mighte back. If someone starts running away, let them escape. But for those attempting to reach the depths, tear them apart! Chapter 155: “Erntal” Is this Erntal? Quite a few people here, huh? Well, its a 3 dungeon. Considering that the highest is 5, its perfect for investigating dungeon difficulty right in the middle.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Although, I dont know if the actual difficulty maximum is equivalent to 5 just because its the maximum value in notation. Wayne, Gi1gamesh, and MentaList were in front of Erntal as nned. After leaving the town of Carnemonte, they continued their leisurely journey, checking equipment performance and earning experience points. However, with the official implementation of the dungeon, they had immediately teleported here. Since the disaster-stricken Old Hiers capital is 5 If we tentatively assume the cmity is 5, I think our party at 3 might find it a bit tough, you know? A bit tough might be good in terms of experience points, right? Yeah, it might be. But before that, we dont really know if the actual maximum difficulty is 5. Even if the setting allows for difficulties beyond that, if the notation can only disy up to 5, there might be a wide range of difficulties within 5. If thats the case, theres a possibility that the disaster is even higher than 5, and 3 might be a bit easier. It was something Healthy had mentioned on social media. That possibility certainly existed. Even if they were to face the disaster without artifacts, gathering the same members as back then wouldnt guarantee victory, even with their increased strength. They might not even be able to remove its armor. They had been lucky to cast MentaLists Mental Magic at that time, but it seemed to have been at the very edge. After emerging from the armor, it had beenpletely ineffective. In any case, their focus was on Erntal for now. They didnt n to conquer it immediately, but as Gil said, it would be a good opportunity to test their skills. If they couldnt handle it here, the dream of reaching the Hiers capital would be even more distant. Oh, it seems like the difficulty of the La Colinne Forest has decreased. Its also 3, just like here. Oh, damn. If thats the case, maybe we should have gone there. Its closer to the Hiers capital too. Just go after finishing here. Hey, are you still checking social media? Come on, lets go. Gil urged MentaList, and they entered the city of Erntal. Wayne followed suit. The inside of the city was quiet, with nothing particrly strange except for theplete absence of residents. Doors and windows of houses seemed to have been forced open, but everything had been repaired. Perhaps after the monsters attacked here, someone had fixed it. Lets be careful not to run into other yers while exploring. Its okay if theyre cooperative, but if not, it could be troublesome. Also, mistaking each other for monsters and attacking might happen, or be attacked. Although Wayne didnt trust yers as much as before, trusting them wouldnt reduce yer killing (PK). Trusting and being cautious werepletely different matters. Avoiding shes with other parties and not hindering them seemed to be amon understanding among the surrounding yers, so fortunately, they didnt encounter other yers. But they also didnt encounter any monsters. Just turned into a stroll in the town, huh? Yeah. There may not be monsters, but theres no guarantee. Thatrge building over there is probably the mansion where the lord originally lived. If thats the boss area, itsmon to ce monsters to prevent getting close. There are only houses. And no one around. How were the other parties doing? Had they already headed to the lords mansion? Or were they exploring inside houses? No one around doesnt mean nobodys here. Come to think of it, I havent checked inside the houses. Maybe thinking the same thing, Gil opened the door of a nearby house and went inside. Whoa!? Zombies in the house! In a panic at Gils voice, Wayne and MentaList also entered the house. There were several zombies inside, and on the floor, one had already been cut down by Gil. Wayne rushed to one still standing, cutting it in half at the waist with his sword. Normally, hitting the spine would stop the sword, but with this Adamas sword, that wasnt an issue. It had been proven during their journey that this sword could cut through enemies of this level with a single blow. After bisecting the zombies one after another, Gil stabbed the heart of the remaining one with his sword, and the battle ended. Hmm? Theyre certainly stronger than regr zombies Thats it, though. They dont look like regr zombies. More like clean? Not rotten? I wonder if decay doesnt ur in dungeons? Even if theyre a bit stronger, zombies are still zombies, and we probably wont get any significant items. And disassembling human corpses is a bit much. Well, lets leave them. If theres nothing valuable in the houses, exploring would just be a waste of time. Its interesting that the trash mobs in a 3 dungeon are just regr zombies, though. MentaList mentioned it, but since it was a fact, there was nothing they could do about it. It might also be possible that it was an exceptionally strong zombie, you know. Even though it was mostly a one-shot, our weapons are national treasure-ss or I wont go as far as saying that, but they are impressive enough to be considered as heirlooms of a noble family. Probably, even if it was a genuine match against someone of simr caliber, the difference with regr trash mobs would be indistinguishable. Gils words were on point. The feeling of being still manipted by equipment hadnt disappeared. From the master cksmith, he received a special whetstone as a service for proper maintenance, but the sharpness hadnt decreased at all, and there were no signs of de dullness. The maintenance, in this case, was wiping off things like blood fat. While thinking about that, he looked at his sword. Gil, it seems like the current zombies are not just ordinary zombies. Oh? Look at this. It hasnt dulled to the point of de dullness, but the tip is slightly tarnished. Probably, it wore down a bit when I cut through the bone. Normally, cutting through a beasts bone with an iron sword would result in the de breaking. While optimizing the angle, force, and speed of the de entry could minimize wear, it couldnt be reduced to zero. The current state of the Adamas sword resembled the minimal wear that urred on an iron sword after cutting. It was unlikely that Waynes skill level was high enough, so a master could probably cut without any wear. It was a case where the swords performance came to their aid. If it were an iron sword, it might have broken when hitting the bone. No, if the bone of the monster was so sturdy, it was questionable whether they could cut through the flesh with iron in the first ce. Seriously My sword seems to be the same. The shield there doesnt seem to be much change. Maybe because the opponent was unarmed. It seemed that Gil had blocked attacks with the shield. 3, huh? The map itself looks like an ordinary town, but the monsters are quite dangerous. If we hadnt updated our equipment, I think we would have had a tougher time. If the other parties were mostly mid-tier, nobody might have made it back alive. Upon checking, they had gained a considerable amount of experience points. If Wayne and the others were considered top-tier yers, it was the same acquisition as when they fought monsters of mid-tier or slightly lower strength. Because no enemies had appeared so far, they had prated deep into the city, but there was no guarantee that there were no stronger enemies ahead. Although on social media, 3 was spected to be around mid-tier, it was uncertain if it was really the case. It was a delicate situation whether mid-tier parties without preparations could defeat these zombies. There was also the possibility that 3 fields at the current point were top-tier among yers. If were going to advance further, it might be better to secure a retreat first. Anyway, lets go outside. If the opponent is zombies, they probably wouldnt be wandering around the streets in broad daylight. Whether we move forward or retreat, its better to go where the sun shines. At Waynes words, the group hurriedly left for the street. The town was still silent, and there was no sign of living beings. Hm? Whats wrong, Gil? No, I felt like I saw something over there Nothings there. Maybe its my imagination? Nothing was there, or so it seemed in the field, and the trash mobs that seemed to be just ordinary zombies had turned out to be surprisingly strong. Wayne wanted to resolve even the slightest suspicion. However, what Gil saw was in the further direction of the city, and it was hesitant to approach without a n. No, maybe I just saw it wrong. It was a momentary thing. It was far away. Maybe the stone wall of that house over there briefly shed. The stone wall shed. At that moment, it was suspicious enough. Even if it was a mistake, Wayne had never heard of a stone wall shing. What do we do, Menta? Its more than suspicious I think its better to check it out. Even if we retreat here, in the end, we wont gain anything. Someday, we need to investigate, and, we might not think this ourselves, but among the yers, were considered top-tier. With the equipment, including NPCs, we might even be top-tier in this continent. A little danger should be manageable. Alright, then lets go forward. Gil in the lead, with Menta in between, and Ill bring up the rear. They advanced cautiously, but still, nothing appeared. Taking their time, they approached the stone wall where Gil imed to have seen a sh. There was nothing particrly suspicious. Maybe theres nothing he Suddenly, the surroundings were enveloped in light. This was probably magic. Moreover, it was an area-of-effect spell of Lightning Magic. Although they had earned a considerable amount of experience points since the decisive battle in the royal capital and had obtained new armor, the current blow had taken quite a toll on them. One more hit, and they probably wouldnt be able to withstand it. Gil, acknowledging himself as a tank, had high defense and LP, probably among the top yers, but against lightning-type magic, there was nothing to be done. This was an area that couldnt be avoided as long as he wore metal armor. It seemed to be effective, as Gil was staggering considerably. He seemed to have taken significant damage. MentaList was lying on the ground. He was a magic user, and his defense and LP were correspondingly lower. What he raised was mainly MND, and the contributions of MND were [Mental Magic] and [Bestow Magic]. Apparently, he couldnt endure the current damage. Menta I came to check because someone appeared in a very short time. The voice came from above. Apparently, the one who cast the current magic could fly. There, a fair-skinned woman with long, glossy ck hair flowed in the wind, sitting in the air as if on a chair. It seems like youre not a big deal. This much with just one shot? Well, Ill give credit to your recklessness for stepping into this town. As a souvenir, you can take a trip to the afterlife. Chapter 156: “Reporting, Alright” After a report that came in through one of Queen Beetles subordinates reached Azalea, she leaped off the balcony. The report stated that individuals had emerged alive from a residence where four low-level vampires were hiding, in a short period. Or so it seemed. The details were unclear to nc. Deas tranted for her. If they emerged alive in a short time, it means they defeated the four low-level vampires in a short time. Judging from other intruders, the odds in a battle against the same number of low-level vampires would be even. If they managed to ovee that with fewer forces in a short time, they undoubtedly possess a certain level ofbat power. Moreover, there were no noticeable injuries or signs of exhaustion on those people. If thats the case, caution is necessary, Deas exined. With Deas saying so, there was no choice but to send someone to confirm for caution. Deas is officially under ncright now, but he is only staying at ncs ce thanks to Rares favor. Rare has instructed him to prioritize nc, but it doesnt mean Deas always follows ncs orders. If anything, his top priority is ncs safety, and he would prioritize his judgment over ncs when ites to matters rted to it. The same can be said for Weiss. Although theye from different organizations, their situation is simr. Its as Deas-sama says, indeed. If I may add, if they seem to have highbat power, we should not hesitate to attack decisively from the start to cut them off quickly. If they are confident in their skills, they mighte again. Even if they ask for uratebat power information, it is not something we absolutely must do without any information at all, Weiss continued Deas words, and Deas nodded in agreement. Hearing this, Azalea decided to go herself. Azalea, with her ability, can easily seal the deal by casting magic from above, and in the worst case, she can transform into a giant. Bing a giant would result in losing magical power, but also in gaining significant bonuses in defense and LP. Relying on that, she can endure and send reinforcements. If Azalea were to lose against such an enemy, Deas is probably the only one who could handle it somehow. The people in front of Azalea seemed to have taken quite a bit of damage from her unleashed [Lightning Shower]. Azalea, Magenta and Carmine are built with a focus on magical attacks, ording to the policy of their lord, nc. This seems to work particrly well against individuals who have not taken any precautions to fight against magic. While Azalea intended to turn them into ashes with a single blow, not only did they maintain their original form, but it seems that two of them managed to survive. They possess abilities that are entirely different from those Azalea has encountered so far. However, Azaleas pride didnt allow her to show surprise openly. It seems like youre not a big deal. This much with just one shot? Upon closer inspection, the mans full-body armor showed no signs of soot. This implies that Azaleas magic passed through the armor, dealing damage internally, and only managed to cause harm because it ignored the armors defense. If thats the case, attacks other than Thunder Magic may be less effective, as they could be deflected by the armor. The other man standing alone seems to be wearing armor with scales of metal attached to it, but it, too, has suffered no damage. If that metal is the same as the one on the first man, caution is needed when attacking the second man. Lightning Shower is in cooldown. It might be enough to defeat them if used continuously, but it cannot be cast consecutively. Trying another spell would only dy the cooldown of Lightning Shower if its effect is weak. While waiting for the cooldown, it is necessary to restrain the opponents actions through means other than magic. Suddenly, a red skeleton from the lords mansion was seen flying towards them from the sky. It was a Dragontooth, a peer who serves the same lord. That face is probably Crimsons. Crimson and the other Dragontooth members are kouhai to Azalea and the girls in terms of hierarchy. Although theirbat abilities are not definitivelypared, in a one-on-one fight, Azalea would undoubtedly lose. As a magic user, Azalea would defeat her enemies by attacking them unterally from beyond their reach in one-on-onebat. However, if she couldnt finish them off before they got close, she would lose in closebat. This remains the case even if recast oveps and she runs out of options. This would be likely to happen against Crimson. However, if Crimson is an ally, there couldnt be a betterbination in terms ofpatibility. Crimson would deal with enemies in closebat, while Azalea attacks from a distance with magic. A Dragontooth excels in closebat, and due to its light weight, it is particrly fast. Also, with a name like Dragontooth, its ws and fangs boast attack power derived from dragons, demonstrating considerable sharpness. For the same reasons, its durability is excellent. Being bone, it is weak to striking attributes but resistant to cutting and piercing. Although skeletons are originally weak to fire attribute damage, for some reason, since the time of Spartoi, they possess Fire Resistance independently. Perhaps its because of the red color. No, that color should be the color of their lords blood. Fire has nothing to do with it. Anyway, such a reliable kouhai is lurking behind the enemy party. This is as good as winning. Its okay to be a little more confident. Well, for boldly setting foot in this town without knowing your ce, Ill give you that as apliment. Take that as a souvenir to the afterlife. Whether heard or not, Crimson skillfully shrugged in mid-air. Rather than aiming at the people in front of her, Azalea impulsively cast magic in response to Crimsons attitude. [Hellme]! Positionally, Crimson might be grazed by it, but it doesnt matter. He has Fire Resistance. It wont cause much damage anyway, and if needed, healing can be appliedter. At that moment, as if to demonstrate the attitude towards her senior Aggh! Lowering her gaze at the scream, she saw the mage who should have been finished off by the initial Lightning Shower impaled by Crimsons ws, turning into light and disappearing. ? Understanding what happened was beyond her. The mage, who was supposed to have been defeated by Crimson, was in a different location than where he supposedly died. No, he wasnt dead. He wasnt killed by Lightning Shower. And now, trying to move to avoid Hellme, he was pierced by Crimson. Wayne! Menta! And it seems the man wearing scale armor also perished in the current mes. The lone survivor in full-body armor is shouting the names of the two, Wayne and Menta, it seems. The performance of this mans armor is formidable. Despite thepatibility, Lightning Shower was able to pass through and deal damage, but the current Hellme doesnt seem to have caused much harm. As there were many areas on the mans scale armor not covered in metal, it seems the fire prated sufficiently. His face was especially charred, turning into light and disappearing. The surviving mans armor, shield, sword, all of them are dangerous. Caution is necessary. However, he is ultimately a melee physical ss. He cannot effectively strike Azalea, who is hovering in the air. So, what about that mage? He was in the same party as this metal-armored man. If he was a mage with a threat levelparable to equipment like these armors and swords, its not certain if he couldnt make a fatal attack on Azalea above. Perhaps that was the n, and thats why he feigned death. If thats the case, its not entirely wrong to say that Crimson saved her. Azalea is not so petty as to not acknowledge her juniors achievements. Considering those achievements, it might be eptable to teach the senior a lesson regarding her attitude. The man in metal armor is trying to strike at Crimson, who appeared suddenly. Perhaps because he defeated the mage. For that man, Azalea, who dealt damage to everyone, and Crimson, who defeated the scale-armored individual, might both be unforgivable. However, Azalea cant intervene while shes airborne. It seems that even with Crimsons ws, damage doesnt pass through the mans full-body armor. However, the mans skill level is not enough to decisively strike Crimson with his sword. Crimsons movements are faster than the mans sword speed. While Crimson ys with the man on the ground, Azalea waits for the cooldown in midair. Once the cooldown is ready, she casts a single-target thunder magic at the man. Each time, the man res at Azalea in the sky, but that doesnt change anything for him. He only creates a useless opening, getting hit by Crimson. Crimson abandons shing with ws and attacks with kicks and palm strikes to deliver striking damage. The impact seems to prate, but it doesnt seem to be very effective. The only effective damage is still Azaleas Thunder Magic. Why she couldntpletely kill the mage earlier is unknown, but she is properly damaging both the man and the scale-armored one.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Wasted time unnecessarily. Its probably about to end. Crimson ascends to the sky, distancing himself from the man. Its as if hes saying that being involved would be unbearable. After confirming that, Azalea unleashes all the cooled-down Thunder Magic consecutively onto the man in metal armor. His LP seems to have been running low, and before he could fire all the shots, the man turned into light. Ah, youre back. How did it go? It wasnt anything significant. If it wasnt anything significant, then there was no need to take this much time, was there? Bringing Crimson-dono along. Azalea res at Weiss, pointing out the issue. Deas interjects, Its not like anyone doubts your work. However, it would be better to report urately. Even if they were temporarily defeated, they wont truly die. They will definitely reappear. If the information isnt urately conveyed, theres no guarantee your lord will be safe the next time they appear. I believe thats what Lord Weiss is trying to say. S-Sorry for the inconvenience! ording to Azaleas ount, the three yers she fought seem to be considerably stronger than other yers. They might be a tier or two above. Even with Azalea and Crimson, its surprising that it took this long. They have be significantly stronger due to their second reincarnation. ording to Deas, they are on a simr level to the Queen Beetle borrowed from Rare. If their attacks could withstand Azalea and Crimson, its due to the armor they were equipped with. Azaleas estimate is that only a certain level of Thunder Magic would be effective against them. Only a certain level of Thunder Magic is effective Hm. It seems like Yoroizaka-sama. Yoroizaka? Ah, you mean Yoroi the Castle!? Eh? That armor that was durable and robot-like? Thats a formidable guy! However, they managed to defeat them this time. With the experience points reduced by the death penalty, and even if theye back for a rematch, it will be a littleter. Before that, they have to earn experience points, make preparations, and be ready for a rematch. But yers with equipment on the same level as Rares If we meet them again, Ill teach them a lesson! T/N: Yoroi the Castle references how nc misheard that as Yoroizakas name when she and Rare met in c101. Chapter 157: “Mastery” Sugaru gave birth to a new Queen Vespoid and we entrusted the Teur Grasnds to her. Without giving additional experience points or conducting training, if its a 1, that level is sufficient. While giving various potions to infantry ants and engineer ants, they are mass-produced and released throughout the grasnds. During the cooldown of [Birth], Sugaru has the ants summoned to maintain the situation. The n is to withdraw once the new queens rule is established. If the boss area is treated as a separate field, the difficulty will not change as long as Rare is in this hall. There are no noticeable posts about it on social media so far, just warnings from beginners who have been wiped out. But wouldnt changing the dungeon specifications without any change in difficulty create suspicion? Temporarily changing the difficulty during dungeon transformation might add some realism. Sugaru went out to the grasnds. Alright, yers who have posted on the forum are already reacting. As expected, it instantly became 5. That confirms that only the boss area is treated separately. The results were immediately apparent. Currently, Teur Grasnds is highly popr. Quick responses are good. Additionally, contacting nc, Sugaru informed her of the possibility of changing difficulty and requested permission to take Deas out of the Lords mansion. The attention on Erntal is also high. Due to the recent presence of a wandering boss, it has be popr as well. It seems that when a wandering boss appears, the difficulty temporarily increases to 4, and it can be known immediately. Even if its known immediately, if theyre not in some town, the teleport list cant be seen, and theres nothing to be done inside the dungeon. Regarding the unusually strong yers, Deas reported that they were individuals wearing armor made from Adama-something. Since it exists in the continents veins, it was known that someone would find it someday. Its earlier than expected, but its unavoidable. If the confirmed Adamant equipment is still in small numbers, theres no need to go that far. Updating Adamants can wait until the yers standard equipment bes Adamant equipment. Does Erntal have a dedicated thread? Im a bit envious Oh, theres one for La Colinne too. I guess it became too much to handle in the general thread. Theres also the old Hiers capital. No one hase yet, but It seems the lowered difficulty is known. Despite having no internal information, a thread has been created for the old Hiers capital. From a nce, its already mentioned that the difficulty has been alleviated, and concurrently, a cmity has appeared in Teur Grasnds, leading to the conclusion that the absence of cmity has lowered the difficulty. However, fearing the unknown cmitys return, yers who are still hesitating to attack havent appeared yet. Its a matter of time. If we keep it at 4 for a few days and observe, someone wille. Now, Erntal while Deas is on a walk The difficulty hasnt changed after all. In that case, its possible to turn other peoples dungeons into farms. I waited for a while while checking the forum for updates just in case, but there were no reports of any significant change in difficulty. If I leave it alone for too long, Deas might encounter yers. Ill contact Deas and instruct him to return before hes found. If Deas is discovered by yers, it would ruin the excitement of having him appear as a wandering boss whose actions can be predicted due to the change in difficulty. Its supposed to be a new topic of discussion. Creating a secret boss that cannot be predicted in terms of difficulty is fine, but it would be better to do it elsewhere. Theres no point in having both predictable and unpredictable bosses appear in the same dungeon. The yer base they appeal to is different for both types. Erntals dedicated thread only checks for thetest posts. However, when I went back and looked at the posts from the previous day, an interesting fact came to light. It was Wayne and the others who were defeated by Erntals wandering boss! So, these guys have the equipment of Adama-something. That parts not explicitly stated on the forum, though. Wayne aside, the apanying Gi1gamesh and MentaList are top-tier yers. Its not surprising even if they obtained thetest items. However, when ites to mining and cksmithing, the Shape Kingdom is renowned. If Adama-something is circting, its likely they have it in that country. Wayne and his group dont have particrly close ties with the Shape Kingdom. Where could they have obtained it? The Yoroizaka they defeated left behind a massive Adamant chunk, but that was collected by Rare. Currently, it should be used as material for equipment for monstersin the forge of the Liebe Great Forest. The drop items of Adamants scattered throughout the capital are also the same. Undead and Adamants collect them themselves and send them to the Great Forest. Since all the residents of the capital have been turned into Undead, the portion collected by the residents should be simr. I see, if yers were collecting them, it would be impossible to retrieve. So, was it during that time in the capital? Its surprising that they had the leisure to do such things amid the chaos. For Rare, Wayne, as a yer, had an image of being smart but narrow-minded, sticking to a straight path once convinced, so this was a bit unexpected. Perhaps Wayne was a yer who could adapt flexibly. Rare recalled that time a bit. What the defeat brought to Rare was not just the determination to seek strength without arrogance. It was also the acquisition of arge amount of Adamant chunks. It was an oversight that by respawning the Adams, an infinite supply of Adamant chunks could be obtained. However, like experience points, drop items dont appear in battles between factions of the same side. Even for races that leave corpses, they disappear immediately without leaving a corpse. But defeating Adamants, even ordinary ones, is not easy, and even if Rare were to throw them at yers like Wayne, it would be difficult to snatch the drop items before they were collected. While its possible to obtain the same amount again if Rare dies, its the most unlikely choice. When I have time, maybe Ill have a war with Lyra and mutually return the spoils as a condition or something. Anyway, everything that needed confirmation has beenpleted. The handover of the grasnds is also done, and Rare staying here any longer would interfere with business. For now, she decided to go to the city to check on Kerry and the others. Is thend acquisition going smoothly? Yes, Boss. Weve secured all the prime locations along the main street, and also the warehouse district. Negotiations are tough in the craftsman district since mentioning the Lord doesnt make them nod their heads easily. I was nning to go around the residential district after this Only Kerry was present in the Lords mansion. The other three are probably out negotiating in the city. Despite only half a day passing since then, achieving this much is remarkable. Yoroizaka-san was left with Sugaru in the boss room of Teur Grasnds. Sugaru needs to takemand in ce of her until the eggying of the Queen Vespoid in Teur is done, and Yoroizaka-san is toorge and would be a hindrance in the Lords mansion. Dont push too hard with the residential district. The Lord is already under control anyway. And then, arrange for the former owners of the already purchased primend and the warehouse district to be called to the Lords mansion. Utilize them as subordinates and let them continue their lives as before. Otherwise, it will stand out. As for the craftsman district is Remy handling it? Then, because its troublesome, lets just Subordinate them all. Lets redevelop the citys craftsman district as a production base. The forge in the Liebe Great Forest is ultimately nothing more than a temporary makeshift structure built in the forest. By using skills to force Adamant chunk processing, it is somehow being done, but using appropriate facilities would likely produce higher-quality items. Furthermore, by referencing the facilities in this city, it should be possible to update the hypothetical forges in the Great Forest and other workshops. From now on, the Liebe Great Forest will be used for trial development, and the craftsman district of this Rifure city will be used for mass production. Once the cmity separates from the Teur Grasnds, yers will return to this city again. In fact, the difficulty has already reverted to 1 since Rare left. Now is the time to produce equipment and items for beginners and prepare for the surge in demand. For skilled craftsmen, mass-produce Adamant equipment. This way, not only can they earn experience points and boost their strength, but they can also earn gold coins on the side. When yers move, it means that even if we dont impact cirction in the form of smuggling, yers assets will move with them. If the Old Hiers Kingdom bes popr among yers, gold coins will gather from all over the continent along with the yers. This will increase the market size, and with arger market, more gold coins will flow in. While NPC movement methods are limited, the instantaneous movement of yers will make up for that. The destination of this asset movement is the economic disparity between nations. Moreover, since the Old Hiers Kingdom no longer exists as a nation, leaders of other countries wont notice the disparity. At most, they might suspect that yers are hoarding gold coins somewhere. In this continent, the same currency is used in all countries. And that currency is gold coins. In other words, the economy of this continent operates on the gold standard, and if there is only one type of currency, there is no exchange rate. Its surprising that there is enough gold avable to be used as the base currency for the entire continent, but its a magical world, so thats eptable. It might be worth only as much as silver in the real world. In any case, the economic power of each country is directly rted to the number of gold coins it holds. Unbeknownst to the yers, these gold coins are in their inventories, and if they are transferred, there is no way for NPCs to know about them C they are gathered here in Old Hiers. Since no country has its own currency, it is impossible to buy back the gold coins. So far, with no conflicts and limited trade, some economic disparity was eptable. Its unclear how each country or city collects taxes, but perhaps some countries didnt use gold coins much. However, with the explosive increase in inter-state exchanges due to yers, it wont be like that in the future. Economically weaker countries will lose their voice, and they will need to sell everything domestically to survive. Well, I dont expect it to get to that point anytime soon. If yers and assets gather in the Old Hiers, probably the key city for cirction will be Rifure. Immediately order the Lord to construct a second outer wall and n the citys expansion. This way, they can increase thend and shops for clever yers to rent out, and NPCs attracted by the liveliness will increase as well.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om If they manage residence and business through registration, residence permits, etc., it would be possible to collect slightly more taxes from yers. It might be a good idea to send someone from Kerrys group to the foot of that volcano. Lets use the Rock Golems there as ves for the materials of the citys outer wall. This way, they might be able to shorten the construction period. If the materials move on their own, it would save a lot of trouble. In that case, lets leave it to Marion. Dealing with rocks should be morefortable than dealing with humans, and that girl, who is good at [Ice Magic], should be more than enough even alone. And then, lets use the redevelopment as an excuse to make residents registration based. Create a registry for all residents so that yers and residents can be identified immediately. It will require a vast amount of clerical work Well, if we [Subordinate] suitable residents, increase their INT a bit, and let them work as office workers, it should be fine. Ill take care of that. An unfamiliar male voice is heard, and it turns out its the Lord. Yeah, if its about the city, youre better suited. Uh Albert. Viscount Albert Zebach, Your Majesty. Wow, thats a cool name! Huh? The surname isnt Rifure though. Yes, originally, our family were noble dressmakers in the capital. When the lord ruling thisnd was overthrown, my grandfather, who exposed his corruption, was ennobled, recing the Viscount of Rifure and ruling thisnd. Such a system, but it doesnt seem like knowledge that would be useful anywhere. Its a very trivial matter. If Albert thinks so, hell leave it to him in detail, and also instruct him to proceed with the city expansion n. Hell call Marion and have a meeting about securing materials. Alberts Subordination is inconvenient because of the standard Noble Human skill. Along with obtaining skills such as [Summon Summoner] for Kerry and Marion for movement, she also taught various things to Albert. Well, then, Ill leave the rest to you. Ill return to the Liebe Great Forest for now. Since Ive done what I came for. Chapter 158: “Differentiation” I returned to the Liebe Great Forest. Sugaru had gone out with me, so I wondered who I should target with [Summon Summoner]. Ultimately, I decided to jump to Hakuma. The wolves had been ying in the Liebe Great Forest, but now they had new jobs. It was just right to exin that. Im back, Hakuma. Ive dominated it without any issues. Also, the town. Its the first time Ive dominated a human town, but leaving it to the newly subordinated Albert andpany should be fine. Ive already arranged for them to proceed independently. Lord Alberts INT has been raised, and as a support in case of emergencies, the INT of the elderly housekeeper has also been raised. I even raised VIT to withstand the intense work. Its unclear if VIT contributes to fatigue from office work, but I did it just in case. So, Im thinking of giving you guys some new jobs too, Hakuma. Yeah, I want everyone to take on the task together. The wolf cubs should have grown quite a bit, right? Its about time to give them proper work. Even though theyre called wolf cubs, they wont be cubs forever. At some point, the cub part should be dropped. ording to Hakuma and Ginka, it seems like its about time, but its not clear what will happen. With that, he came out of the cave and flew towards the sky. You could just summon them, but it wouldnt take much time to fly through the air. I decided to wait. Once, two ice wolves and six wolf cubs lived in this cave, but now it feels quite cramped. Probably because everyone has grown a bit. After exining the situation to Hakuma, I petted the wolf cubs in turn. I had an image of them ying around, but now they are sitting there with a clear look on their faces. In spite of their appearance, they already have enough fighting strength to treat goblins as toys. The wolf cubs nodded. Although theyre not registered as friends and thus cant use friend chat, they should understand what Im saying. That must be their appeal. By the way, the growth of the wolf cubs, or well, their adulthood? Itsing soon, right? What specifically causes said growth? Time passing? Meals? umted experience points? I havent given them experience points, so maybe its meals and time passing? Cant it be facilitated with experience points? Most things in this game can be solved with experience. You might be able to force a monster to grow by giving it a Philosophers Stone, but I would hesitate to do that to a monster that has not yet reached adulthood. It would be a pity if they were reincarnated in a smaller size or something like that. In addition, if they were to go on an expedition, it would be better for them to be adults first. If it can be achieved now, that would be better. For now, I arbitrarily increased the stats of one wolf cub, Mizore. While tinkering with it gradually, a system message appeared. Your Subordinate has fulfilled the conditions for reincarnation Do you permit the reincarnation into [Ashen Wolf]? Oh, the conditions are fulfilled Huh Its not an Ice Wolf. Could it be that wolf cubs are the young forms of all wolf-type monsters? And the growth destination diverges depending on conditions. If thats the case, maybe Sk?ll and Hati are the top species. I was thinking they might be Fenrir, but Fenrir might be set as the reincarnation destination for a different route. Alright, lets go with Ashen Wolf for Mizore. Im curious about whates next. Then, Mizores body was enveloped in light and grew fluffy. When the transformation wasplete, she had grown to the size of Ginka. Limbs that were originally round had be slender, and her facial features had be more refined. Still young, so more like a husky dog than a wolf, but its not a problem as long as its cute. It seems she has a slightly smaller headpared to Hakuma. Next, I had Hyou learn [Fire Magic] and raised its stats like Mizore. Your Subordinate has fulfilled the conditions for reincarnation Do you permit the reincarnation into Ashen Wolf? Do you permit the reincarnation into me Wolf? I thought about what to do if the conditions were spending a certain period in a specific area. It seems like branching can ur through acquired skills. Next, the other four underwent reincarnation. Arare became an [Ice Wolf]. Fubuki became a [Wind Wolf]. Kogome became a [Sky Wolf]. Zarame became a [Forest Wolf]. For me, Ice, and Wind Wolves, acquiring skills of their respective attributes was sufficient, but acquiring [Earth Magic], [Thunder Magic] and [Water Magic] did not bring about any changes. With some skills on hold in the system, after acquiring a few other skills randomly, the choices increased. It seems that [Sky Wolf] and [Forest Wolf] were unlocked by acquiring abination of skills. The trigger for each is already unclear. Mizore, who became an Ashen Wolf, is thergest among the former wolf cubs. It seems to be specialized in closebat. Although it looked like its head was small earlier, it probably has a broad shoulder width. The fur-covered front legs, upon closer inspection, are quite muscr. Hyou, the me Wolf, has a reddish-ck color. Very cool. Apart from the [Fire Magic] I allowed it to acquire, it seems to be able to acquire skills rted to mes. This feature is also the same for Ice Wolves. Being able to use skills as a bridge during the recast time of magic is a practical build forbat. Arare, an Ice Wolf, has a familiar appearance due to her white fur, simr to the former Ginka. Fubuki, the Wind Wolf, is jade-colored. The fur on the belly is somewhat white, making it look even more like a huskypared to the others. She can also acquire [Wind Magic] and skills that assist in movement. It can be considered a species capable of tricky movements. Kogome, the Sky Wolf, has an elegant, light blue fur. [Sky Drive] is unlocked from the beginning. Since she has acquired almost all types of magic that can be obtained in the end, it is unclear which was the trigger, but the experience points consumed are the highest. Other than that, there are no new skills, so its unclear about thebat power as a species, but being able to rain down magic from the sky alone is already strong. Zarame, who reincarnated into a Forest Wolf, is a deep green color. The newly acquired skill is [nt Magic]. This can be expected. When Rare acquired [nt Magic], [Light Magic] was supposed to be necessary, but it seems that skills can be acquired through species characteristics without such prerequisites. Care is needed. With this, theres no ovep. The Ice Wolf can be said to ovep with Hakuma, but for now, its fine. I further raised the INT of the six, conducted inventory guidance, and friend registration. Ill teach Hakuma about friend chat and suchter. For now, they can be considered a force capable of easily conquering dungeons around 3. Werent you originally born in the northern forest? As a country, it might be in the Wells Kingdom or something. So, you should visit there for a homing. If you want, you can even go and conquer your hometown forest. It would be better if its an area listed in the teleport destination list, but it doesnt matter if its not. If they keep the area Boss alive as instructed, then even in areas not listed as teleport destinations,ter on, I can bring myself and Subordinate the Boss there to increase my number of cards. Hakuma should be sufficient as a force, but their numbers are small. It would be difficult to cover all dungeon areas. In that case, it might be better to have them act as irregrs, whimsically attacking suitable dungeons instead of managing a ranch. After sending off Hakuma, the next task was the Goblin Farm. If its possible to extensively turn other peoples dungeons into farms, theres no need for a small-scale Goblin farm anymore. We will Subordinate them and incorporate a new goblin unit into the Demon Lords army. The goblins that have been exploited by Rare so far will now be the exploiters under Rare. So, well, I know we have our differences, but lets let bygones be bygones and join hands to cooperate for a better future, shall we? Addressing what seemed to be the Goblin Chief, I spoke in this manner. However, they dont necessarily understand what were saying, and they probably dont even know about Rare. In fact, they might not even realize that they have been raised. In the bountiful forest, they have managed to maintain their herd while asionally battling dangerous ants. Thats probably how they feel. [Subordinate]. Hey, dont run away. [Fear]. I made the Goblin leader my Subordinate and cast [Fear] on the others. Since they are surrounded by ants, they cant escape anyway, but its just a hassle to gather them here again. First, lets enhance you, the leader, to at least the strength of an Adaman-Leader. Rare took out the Greater Philosophers Stone and threw it towards the Goblin leader, the Goblin General.N?v(el)B\\jnn Short in stature but muscr and sharp, a middle-aged man with green skin and a round, narrow lump on his foreheadwell, hes a Goblin. But that Goblin spoke to Rare. All the brethren in this forest have be my subordinates, Your Majesty. The Goblin Leader, who had raised his INT and MND as much as possible, had be fluent in conversation. He had reincarnated from Goblin Leader to Goblin General. His abilities had been increased appropriately, and for the time being, he was made capable of fighting at the level of an Adamant Leader. He was also equipped with prototypes of Adamant armor and a sword made at the cksmith in the Liebe Grand Forest. Since I had raised his INT, I had also allowed him to acquire various magic, including [Mental Magic], [Training], [Necromancy], and [Summon] for [Subordinate]. He might be the [Subordinate] who received the most experience points in the past few days. And now, all the Goblins in this forests farm were given the order to be Subordinated, and the report I received just now was about that matter. Thank you for your hard work. What I want you to do is to attack areas not under our control. Specifically I exined to him the Dungeon Farming n. With such high INT, he should be able to understand even within the range of what has been rified about the system. I understand the details. Therefore, we would like to prepare several special teams for strong enemies Oh, yes. We need both hunting teams and guarding teams. Understood. Lets be flexible about equipment and experience points. yers or hostile NPCs defeating them doesnt matter, but in that case, I dont want only this General to die. If the General is defeated, all the other Goblins on other fronts will also die. If they are deployed widely and yers see this, it might raise suspicions about the existence of multiple forces within the dungeon. Indeed, the fact that the cmity invaded the Teur Grasnds has already spread among yers. There is a possibility that their rtionship might be suspected. Ill contact you, so visit the cksmithter. Also, as an additional Ill give you this many experience points. I leave the detailed distribution to you. Thank you! Counting on you. Um oh, right. Gark. Oh, could it be that its my? Yes, thats right. Your name. The Goblin, who looked like their leader, spoke to Rare. If Hakuma is allowed to act freely, I would like Goblins to focus on farming in the areas already listed on the teleportation list. So, Ill call youter. Prepare until then. Chapter 159: “Double Summoning” Having finished what needed to be done in the Liebe Great Forest, Rare returned to the Lords mansion in the city of Rifure. Its quite busy, but unavoidable. There are still things she wants to try that havent beenpleted. Your Majesty, I have proceeded as per your instructions. Regarding the census, we will issue notices for registration applications within the uing deadline and conduct on-site investigations afterward. Thank you, Albert. However, Your Majesty, if I may speak out of turn. Wouldnt it be more efficient to simply bring all the residents under your control with the special [Subordinate] skill you bestowed upon us? It seems impossible with the residents, butn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om No, its not good to control all the residents. In this game, there is no difference between yer characters and NPCs, and there is no distinction between NPCs and monsters. ording to the system message sent by the administrators, they are implementing a transfer service to areas controlled by a single faction. The selection criteria for areas controlled by NPC monsters seem to be decided through screening. However, for areas controlled by yers who have agreed, they are likely automatically added to the transfer list. Even if they werent initially selected, they would probably be added if a yer newly controls an area. While this needs verification, if not, it would allow yers to set up their homes in ces they agreed to control, rendering it meaningless. I see Understood. We will use the [Subordinate] skill sparingly. Good. We dont know the exact percentage of how much it would be considered control by a single faction, but at least, its not something to experiment with in this city. If they were to do it, they should choose a less significant city. By the way, can you lend me a chair or a bed? Rare didnte to this city to exin dungeons to Albert. Rare borrowed a guest room in the Lords mansion, took out some Philosophers Stones from her inventory, and ced them on the table. Kerry, I need your help with something. Would it be alright for you toe to the guest room in the Lords mansion? Of course, Boss. Rarey on the bed, borrowing Kerrys body through [Summoning]. Its been a while since she acted using Kerrys body. Unlike Yoroizaka, characters with a strong sense of self take some time to get used to their usual behaviors. Thats why I had Yoroizaka for that. Well, cant be helped. Her monologue was, of course, in Kerrys voice. Of course, she cant use Flight or Demonic Eyes like this. However, Summon is still usable. Though its Kerrys skill. She can only summon those who Kerry has Subordinated. Choosing someone randomly from Kerrys list, she tried [Summon Summoner] to see what would happen when summoning using the subordinates skills. When the vision switched, an elderly man was in front of her. Greetings, Lady Kerry. If you hade, I would have prepared a wee Ah, sorry. Im not Kerry right now. I am Rare, Kerrys liege. She briefly introduced herself and exined the summoning mechanism. This man is probably Gustav Urban, chosen from the list. It seems that Double Summoning is possible. Well, its unexpected to be in the presence of Lady Rare. I apologize for my rudeness. I am Gustav Urban, head of the Urban Trading Company. She knows nothing about the Urban Trading Company, but judging from the instructions given to Kerry, it seems to be some kind of tradingpany with a store in a prime location on the main street. Apparently, he is a human merchant. Just what she needs. Im currently borrowing Kerrys body for a little experiment. One of them has already seeded. Now, I want you to help with another one. I want to see if you can be a Noble Human, that is, a noble, by using a certain item. M-me, a noble!? Such a thing I wont force you. If you dont want to, I can ask someone else N-no! Please, Id be honored! Bing a noble doesnt mean joining the official noble ss. Its just a racial thing. She thought of refusing just in case, but considering that the Hiers Kingdom is already gone, and all the nobles in the capital have be undead or been destroyed by Lyra, the surviving nobles are probably only the ruling ss in each city. Even if this man, Gustav, ims to be a noble, it doesnt have any particr downside. In fact, in the territory ruled by Rare, she might even grant him the rights of a noble if he wants. Well, never mind. Now, take this. Rare took out a Philosophers Stone from her pocket and handed it to Gustav. Gustav was enveloped in light Confirming yer brainwaves. Canceling automatic processing. Subordinate has fulfilled the conditions for reincarnation. Do you permit reincarnation into [Noble Human]? Ah, so thats how it works. Rare chuckled to herself. This experiment was to see if, while borrowing the body of a subordinate, Rare could hear the system messages directed at that subordinate. Judging from the text, if a Philosophers Stone is used on a subordinate controlled by an NPC, the processing will proceed automatically. NPCs that cannot hear system messages cannot respond, which is a reasonable limitation. Certainly, in the past, when she used a Philosophers Stone on Siegs Subordinated Skeleton Knight for an experiment, the processing had started automatically. However, if there is a yer involved, it seems the decision is left to that yer. Permit. Commencing reincarnation. Approval through mental signals is possible. It seems that Rares brainwaves were detected earlier, and for now, Kerry is provisionally treated as a yer. In other words, if I borrow someones body, I can act just like a yer. But theres something to be careful aboutthe inventory. Rare couldnt use it. The reason she took out the Philosophers Stone from her pocket earlier was because she couldnt put it into her inventory. It seems the inventory is apletely personal space, and no one other than the owner can interfere with it. If its absolutely necessary, well, I can briefly return to Kerry to take it out, and then I can put it back In front of yers, the quickest way to demonstrate being a yer is to use the inventory. Even if saying A yer pretending to be a yer in front of yers is an incredibly awkward phrase, it might be necessary. Oh, this is being a noble Ah, I forgot. She had turned Gustav into a Noble Human. His appearance hadnt changed much. It seems the racial characteristics made him look better, but this level of change could be easily covered up by saying he went to a mens esthetic salon or something simr. If there was a mens esthetic salon in this city, that is. At least, he doesnt look like a different person. You should have the skill [Subordinate] that befits a noble. Ill also give you [Mental Magic]. Additionally, lets give a slight bonus to INT and MND. Its a gesture of gratitude for helping with the experiment. It should be useful for a merchant. After that, she warned him not to use [Subordinate] on the residents too much. Its fine for his family or close associates, the Urban family in other words, but beyond that, even if they bring other tradingpanies under their umbre, she instructed him not to use [Subordinate]. Gustav bowed deeply, almost to the point where his forehead touched the ground, and listened to Rares words. Well then, I have something to do, so Ill take my leave. Ill count on you in the future. With a bow of her head, Rare left Gustav behind and walked along the main street. Her destination was the Mercenary Guild. She could ask someone for directions, but its likely to be along the main street anyway, and she could casually look for it during a walk. Walking through the city center like this is quite refreshing, as it has been a while. There are streetlights, so the public order seems good. The people in the city seem lively. If they make a living by the blessings of the grasnds, there should be a prominent Mercenary Guild, right? Ah, maybe that one. Even if they talk about the blessings of the grasnds, the materials they obtained until now and in the future are likely to change. Until now, they might have sold ws and fur from moles, purchasing crops from elsewhere. However, from now on, the main product will probably be ant materials. The target audience will also change, and if they were using it as meat for food until now, the food situation will change as well. Rare will have to rely on Albert and Gustav to adjust to this, and it will take some time. I might try nting medicinal herbs cultivated in the Liebe Great Forest in the prairie. The ants can take care of the maintenance. She could see several people, who seemed like mercenaries or yers, entering the guild. It seems that building was indeed the Mercenary Guild. Without any particr expression, Rare passed through the guilds door. Chapter 160: “Golf Club” The interior of the building, I dont remember which town it was, but it doesnt seem much different from the mercenary guild I visited during the closed beta test. However, there is an unusual atmosphere. The cause is the yers. Those who enter the building and head towards the back room are still fine, but the problem lies with those who stand still in the lobby, staring into the void. They are definitely dangerous individuals. Could it be that theyre watching the forum right now? Does it look like that to others too? I need to be careful. I came to the mercenary guild to catch a suitable yer and inquire about the location of the teleportation service portal. But it doesnt seem necessary. After all, that back room looks suspicious. I had vaguely thought it existed somewhere independently in the city, but it seems to be inside the mercenary guild. Thinking about it, yers who arebat-oriented and have business in dungeons would likely visit the mercenary guild, so it makes sense. But if thats the case, Im curious about how the NPC working in the guild perceives this. Since teleportation is a one-way process, yers who enter the room will nevere out again. To put it mildly, its nothing short of a ghost story. I decided to casuallyor rather, directlyask the middle-aged man at the reception counter. Excuse me, may I ask something? Yeah, what is it? I want to teleport to a dungeon. Do you know where I should go? A dungeon? Oh, the monster territories. In that case, go through that door at the back. There are others like you going in with those guys. Just follow them. Thank you. But what exactly is the principle behind teleportation? I have no idea. Rumor has it that its the same principle as that storage facility or something. Beyond that, I dont know anything. Someone said its simr to a special skill for storage, but apart from that, who knows? So the term teleportation is casually epted. It seems like an unknown technology, but people just ignore it because they cant understand it. Unknown principles, like the yers inventory, are already present, and they are ustomed to things like bizarre ecology of monsters and mysterious skills. However, the mercenary guild seems to have a headquarters. Im very curious about how theymunicate with the headquarters, how they coordinate with the headquarters and other branches, but it seems futile to investigate. The fact that there is no dedicated thread on the forum probably means that someone tried to investigate initially but failed. Perhaps there is an answer in the frequently asked questions section, saying something like We cannot provide an answer. Or maybe there is no actual headquarters, and a dedicated AI prepared by the management controls a dedicated avatar, iming to be from the headquarters, andmunicates directly with the branches, as in the case of this update. It could be a scam. Anyway, the teleportation device is in the back room. I decided to go there immediately. I thanked the middle-aged man at the reception and headed towards the back room with Rare. When I opened the door, there was a corridor, and beyond that seemed to be a backyard. And in that backyard, there was something like a monument. Seeing yers gathering around that monument, it seems that the teleportation device is rted to it. This isnt a room Well, did anyone say it was a room anyway? As I approached the monument, I could hear the voices of the yers around me. How is it? Wait still 1. Ive been checking regrly, but its been 1 all along. So, bing 5 was just for a moment. What was that about? That infamous event boss was there. I dont know what kind of event it was, but it was a troublesome story. If its still 1, should we go check it out? Seriously, what if its still there? If it became 5 for a moment and now its back, it should be okay. But when we were getting beaten by the raid boss, it was 1 apparently. It was when you were posting. Well, it was considered trolling because of that. So, the boss and difficulty level are not rted? No, the fact that it briefly became 5 afterward is true. ording to the verification thread, it seems that the event boss invaded the dungeon, and it became 5 after the invasion waspleted. Ah, since the event boss was also invading, the difficulty level of the dungeon didnt change when we encountered them. So if its 1 now, the event boss has either left or moved on to the next one. Sorry, can you exin it so that I can understand? It cant be helped. Listen, okay? In other words I thought I recognized their faces from somewhere; they were the ones who were scattered by Sugaru earlier in the morning. Listening in, they seem to be generally thinking along the lines of my n. Though, thinking along the lines or not, its just a fact. I cant help but envy their position, where they can reach conclusions based on hypotheses without going through the trouble of verification like Rare. In the end, it seems that the yers decided to go and check it out. I hope they seed. Since they acquired this city and advertised the appearance of the cmity, there is no meaning beyond maintaining the lives of NPCs in this citys context. But having customers is always a good thing. Moreover, its only now, at the beginning of the game, that they can recklessly head towards a ce where they might die. Once they get used to earning more experience points, they wont be able to afford such reckless actions. Inspired by the party that teleported first, other yers began teleporting one after another. The backyard quickly became deserted. I touched the now-empty monument. Since my current avatar is that of an NPC named Kerry, it would be problematic if there were any unexpected reactions from yers. Its convenient that no one is around. < > <> <> Of course, it doesnt matter. < > I thought an error would be gged due to the message, but it seems like I can still proceed with teleporting. However, the terms used, such as device and monument, are not consistent in the messages. It might be an unexpected case. Teleportation services have only been implemented for two days. There may still be some bugs. For the destination, I chose the 3 Golf Club Mine in the Shape Kingdom. I dont know if its because of the name or if its genuinely excellent as a dungeon, but it seems to be rtively popr as a 3 dungeon in the Shape Kingdom. This teleportation is the first since the first event. Just like back then, the scenery changed in an instant. The sensation is simr to when I Summoned myself somewhere.N?v(el)B\\jnn There are several yers in front of me. It seems they are waiting for their party members to gather in the safety area. Simr to the previous [Summon Summoner], I was able to move my entire consciousness this time as well. With this, except for the inventory, I can almostpletely be considered a yer. A beastman yer who made eye contact with me casually greeted me. Oh, are you alone? We still have room in our party, want to join? Sorry. Mypanion is waiting inside. Ah, I see. Got it. Be careful. Politely dismissing them, I quickly headed towards the mine. The ce that seems like a safety area looks like a rest area on a mountain trail. Perhaps because the mine is built into the mountainside. Beneath tarps stretched by ropes that extend from stake-like objects protruding from the mountain rock, benches made byying t rocks are ced. Several of them are lined up, and yers who have fallen asleep on the benches, wrapped in nkets, are there. They are yers who are logged out. They use this ce as a base to attack the dungeon. Even after leaving the safety area, there is still a bit of distance to the mine. However, there are no obstacles along the way, so Ill reach it quickly by walking. Mypanion is waiting insidethis isnt a family restaurant. Theres no way thats true. It was easy to brush them off, but maybe it was a bit too casual. Inside the mine, its cool, and dark everywhere. Examining the walls, remnants of what seems to be magical lighting are visible. The favorite cover stories of the yers are unknown, but the appearing monsters are of the goblin type. Most likely, the mine was either abandoned because it was taken over by goblins, or goblins settled in the abandoned mine. Walking along the wall, I handed control back to Kerry at a suitable location. Immediately, through the friend chat, I instructed Kerry to remain vignt and wait. After confirming again that there is no one around, I then flew back to Kerrys location with my own body. Alright, thank you for your cooperation. The conditions are now set. Youre too kind, Boss. My own body has the [Demonic Eyes], allowing me to see the surroundings clearly. Within the visible range, there are no yers. In the distance, a group resembling goblins can be seen, but theyre not of any concern. Despite the mine tunnel stretching straight ahead, there is still a considerable distance. They seem unaware of our presence. Kerry, you stay here and remain vignt for a while. [Summon: Gark]. Following the summoningmand, a robust goblin general named Gark appears. Oh? Your Majesty, this is? This is the mine tunnel where youre assigned to work from now. Understood. I am ready. Anytime youmand. Good. From now on, we will operate this dungeon as our own farm. I entrust the establishment and management to you. If anything happens, contact me. I humbly ept the duty of farm management. Gark respectfully kneels. Our objective here is to gain experience points. In other words, attacking hostile forces. Its safe to assume that anyone from a different faction within this tunnel, besides us, will resurrect if killed. In other words, our prey will never run out. However, if you manage to kill the dungeon boss, this whole endeavor will end, so be careful not to do that. I understand. Also, the same applies to us. Therefore, theres no need to overly focus on defense, but you mustnt die either. Yes! Since the original inhabitants of this tunnel are goblins, it shouldnt be a big problem if the yers adversaries change from native to non-native species like you guys. First, deal with the goblins here to some extent, and then, based on their strength, engage with the yers. Being certified as 3 suggests that the goblins here may have at least the strength of the guys in La Colinne Forest. Be careful, especially since we are just ordinary goblins in our natural state. They should be somewhat strengthened with the granted experience points. If thats still not enough, I instruct him to apply for additional enhancements. This will be one of the model cases for future farm management. Therefore, there are currently no effective manuals. Youll create them. Everything is trial and error for now, and its okay to fail. After all, its someone elses dungeon. Even if there is a failure in difficulty adjustment and customers stoping, it wont be a problem. At that time, just hunt the goblins here for profit instead of the yers. There is no response to this. The implication is probably that there is no intention to fail. It would be great if things went well, but its also okay if they fail, as mentioned. Its not good to be too eager, but even if there is a failure, it will be a valuable experience. I leave the rest to you. If you decide to create your base somewhere, let me know, and Ill send worker ants to assist. I dont know of any race that can dig holes better than them. Good luck. Leave it to me! Leaving it to Gark, Rare returned to the Old Hiers Royal Capital. Using Kerry, I used [Summon Summoner] myself and returned to the town of Rifure. Even though it might be okay to leave it alone as long as there is a lord, it might be good to let her get used to living in the town. Observing yers can also provide good stimtion. Finally, I can take a breath. It was a busy day flying around here and there, but asionally, its not bad. From now on, things should work out on their own. If I observe for a few days, customers should starting to this Old Hiers Royal Capital. Chapter 161: “First Time Special” The next day, leaving the Queen Vespoid in charge after the ants were ready, Sugaru was recalled to the royal capital. Yoroizaka was too. The throne was too wide for Rare to sit alone on it without Yoroizaka sitting on it too. We just have to wait for guests toe to the capital. Liebe and Teur probably wont get customers anyway. Liebe Great Forest and Teur Forest are listed as transfer destinations, so anyone cane quickly if they just want to visit. However, since there are no towns or anything around, once theye, they cant go back. Even if you walk along the road, the nearby destination is still a dungeon, namely the La Colinne Forest. Not only is the difficulty level 5, but the difficulty of ess is probably one of the reasons why nobodyes. It doesnt matter if no onees to Liebe and Teur now if we can earn elsewhere. Rather, its kind of convenient in the sense that we can gather the forces that were left out due to difficulty adjustment in one ce. Specifically, its Adamants and Megasyros. If there arent too many Adamants, its okay to leave them in the capital, but if you gather them all in the capital, it exceeds the level of 4. Therefore, currently, they are ced with the former residents of the capital under Siegsmand. The Carknights are intended as a bonus for the yer. They are much stronger than ordinary undead, but if you defeat them, they turn into Tungsten Carbidewhether thats true or not is unclear, but they definitely turn into a metal lump. Its unfortunate that they cant bemercially exploited on arge scale, but those who try to challenge 4 will eventually be able to defeat them and obtain them. As for Megasyros, thats out of the question. Not only does it have a face that looks more like a dragonfly than a mayfly, but its body is that of a centipede. Moreover, the problem is its size. Probably, even Yoroizaka could fly with it on his back. They cannot exist in areas other than 5. I wonder if theres an area they are native to. I dont really want to go there. It has been confirmed that using a certain amount of Adamants will raise the level to 5. However, if its Rare, they wont lose even if all the Adamants be opponents. That means, even if its 5, there is a difference in difficulty. The hypothesis posted on the forum that the maximum difficulty level is 5 is probably correct.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om More importantly, I think they should being soon, but arent they here yet? Old Hiers Capital Dungeon Individual Thread 1: Alonson Ill set this up just in case. With the increasing number of spections and conjectures in the general thread, its getting in the way, so lets continue discussions here. Please find other thread links below: Dungeon General Thread Old HiersDungeon Exploration Report ThreadOthers ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 251: Orinki Well, it seems like Wayne-san and the others arenting. 252: MentaList Even in 3 Erntal, we were wiped out, so maybe its still too early for us. 253: Nameless Elf Us too. Were training in 3 La Colinne Forest. Even if we go to the capital, well be able to handle whateveres up here. 254: CountryPop Is La Colinne the ce with variable difficulty? It measures the yers strength, and the enemys strength changes, right? Thats interesting. If, like in some retro games, it tells you the number of battles or something, those who only hunt weak enemies for experience points would all end up dead. 255: Healthyunpeble Is La Colinne next to the capital? If we cant stand a chance in the capital, we should go there instead. Alright, Ill join too. >>240 Healthyunpeble requests joining, please! 256: Lyewarehouse >>255 Healthyunpeble, participation acknowledged. With this, we have 26 people. Im thinking of closing it soon, is that okay? 257: Lyewarehouse Looks like theres no one else. Alright, Ill close it. This time its the first dungeon, and moreover, its in the heart of the disaster, so we dont know what will happen. Lets go in a direction where we wont be discouraged even if the attack fails. For now, it seems the cmity is absent, but if it returns in the middle, consider it a failure and give up. 258: Healthyunpeble Well, weve already beaten it once, so no problem ughs). 259: Orinki >>258 So whats the deal with the preventive statement from >>255? ughs) 260: Lyewarehouse The assembly time is ? ? ? ? Your Majesty, it seems they have arrived. Oh, is that so? The king returned his gaze to Ominous, who was hovering in the sky. 1, 2 26 people. If the discussions on social media are urate, it seems only the participants have arrived. I had considered the possibility that there might be some tourists or other tourists, but I did not see any such visitors. Once they arrived, they would have no choice but to return to La Colinne, which was only natural, considering the situation. And there is no town in La Colinne. There should be a town if you head in the opposite direction from the nearest safe area to La Colinne, but it would be a bit of a waste of time to waste that much travel time just to visit. Nevertheless, 26 people is an exceptional number for a party. Most of them consider themselves high-level yers. Reports from other countries mention parties attempting 4 dungeons, but none have achieved significant results. Whether they were wiped out or retreated shallowly, there was no substantial aplishment. Some high-profile parties or yers with significant recognition also attempted the challenge, but there have been no reports of sess. This group of yers might be one solution to the high difficulty dungeons. If parties in small numbers cant clear it, overwhelming the challenge with sheer numbers might be the answer. Since there is no party system, and each yer party is essentially a gathering of individuals, the number of participants doesnt matter. Its a rational decision. Even Rare would probably do the same, as long as they can synchronize with each other. But if it were me After they finish their job and get tired, Id probably ambush them one by one. That would be the most rational. However, Rare currently has reliablepanions, and theres no need for such sneaky tactics. Monitoring will be done through her usual eyes, but forest owl Ominous is not a creature normally found in urban areas. Even if it pretends to be an owl, it stands out here. Therefore, the only option is to secretly observe from the sky without being detected. While she wont be able to hear the yers voices, theres no helping that. Unfortunately, I cant hear them, but lets enjoy watching it as if were watching a silent movie. Now, its the entry of the invaders. Unlike La Colinne, Teur Grasnd, or the former Liebe Great Forest, the territory here in Old Hiers Royal Capital doesnt seem to have a clearly defined area. The capital is a city protected by sturdy outer walls. Of course, the city gates are wide open. Its not for their benefit but rather to avoid unnecessary destruction if they were to close them. The city walls have excellent functionality, and their beauty is consideredplete with the gates closed. They have been designed to maintain a sense of unity even when open. However, if they were to be destroyed, that would no longer be the case. We had obtained the intact outer walls and rted structures. We would like to keep them that way. The group passing through the city gates advances in a cohesive mass along the main street. It resembles something seen in historical documents or school trips in the real world. Their cautious looks, ncing around as they walk, give off an unmistakable vibe of tourists. If theyvee for a journey to gain knowledge, we should educate them. Whether that muttering was heard or not, several zombies suddenly jumped out from the gaps between the buildings, attacking the yers. However, due to the wide street, the element of surprise wasnt very effective. Before the zombies reached the formation, they were detected by archers resembling scouts, and their heads were pierced by arrows. At the same time, fire-based magic rained down, turning all the zombies into ashes. Even considering they were naturally taking damage from sunlight without doing anything, it was a rather miserable performance. Well, I guess zombies are like this. Truly weak for being the 4 dungeon trash mobs. Most of the residents turned into undead within an hour after death, making them rtively strong among zombies. However, they were still only strong enough for beginners to handle. Some types of zombies, such as those unable to secure a soul, like knights, were even weaker than regr zombies. As for zombies, maybe some improvement is needed But resurrecting all of them is troublesome. nc did well. We have arger poption than Erntal here, so what should I do? However, if the system categorizes them as 4, the current difficulty of the capital is undoubtedly 4. If zombies are only as strong as 1, then zombies likely contribute nothing to the difficulty judgment. Whether they exist or not, the result is the same. Its a bit wasteful from the perspective of human resources. Lets strengthen them. Probably something for Sieg to do. Huh? Having forgotten about it while gazing at the city, Rares body is between the thrones. Naturally, Sieg is also next to her. It seems he overheard. We dont have the convenient blood of vampires, so maybe theyll be Philosophers Stones. Its a shame, but at least initially, not everyone needs to be resurrected. Just mix in a few top-tier individuals. Ill rely on you after this settles down. Understood. If zombies are utterly powerless, letting them attack is meaningless. It wouldnt be significant experience points for the opponents, and they probably wouldnt even bother with material harvesting. Its a waste of time for both parties. Next, the skeletal knights under Sieg appeared. Originally under Siegsmand, if skeletons and zombies are considered on par, these skeletal knights are stronger. They formed ranks and attacked the yers with coordinated movements. However, there was not much difference on this side either. Being ughtered by the yers was inevitable. And then, the advance of those yers suddenly came to a halt. It was because there were Carknights mixed in that couldnt be defeated in a single blow. No, not Skeletons. They were Carknights. Apparently, Carknights are tougher than the weapons carried by the vanguard. After showing signs of requesting support from the rear magic users, mes poured down from the magicians. However, even with that, the Carknights didnt fall. Their fire resistance was high. The magicians immediately switched to ice magic as soon as they realized fire was ineffective. To Rare, who was watching, this was surprising. Were the yers acting on reflex? Normally, one would understand that undead are not very susceptible to cold damage. However, coincidentally, this was the optimal solution against Carknights. Due to the nature of the metal they originated from, they were weak to temperature changes. After being hit by a fire attribute attack, their resistance to cold temporarily decreased. The same applied in reverse. The pitiful Carknights were easily scattered by the saturation attack of [Ice Magic] from the group of magicians. Only metal lumps were left behind. It seemed like they were skipping the early stages a bit too much. Is it because theyre so focused? Or did the failure to prate the vanguards attacks weigh heavily on them? After that, Skeleton Knights and Carknights continued to attack the yers. Carknights had high cold resistance even in their normal state. While the yer magicians seemed to be confused about whether to attack with cold or fire at first, once they realized the weakness, they could hunt them down before they got close. Of course, before it came to that, they had inflicted some damage, but no yer that they could defeat was found. The damage was also recovered with potions and skills, and the only achievement was breaking the equipment of some vanguard members. The Skeleton Knights were never enemies to begin with, and they had be nothing more than providers of experience points and metal lumps. Its more threatening than I thought to have many magicians. Above all, the ability to shoot without worrying about cooldown times is significant. Its like having several crossbow or musket squads, alternating between loading and firing. Was it Duke Maurice who did that first? I dont remember well. This was not a battle against a party but a fight against a number greater than that. The horror of it was bing apparent. All the previous battles against multiple opponents involved facing powerful individual pieces. Whether it was when Rare fought in the royal capital or when Sugaru fought on the Teur Grasnd. In those times, the enemys attacks were not a threat in any true sense. Even the awareness of being continuously hit by magic was faint. However, in a battle like the one happening now, where there is not much difference in strength between opponents, the situation is entirely different. If only physical attack sses like vanguards and scouts were the opponents, they might have won with the quality of their equipment. However, with many magicians present, and their weaknesses exposed, Carknights couldnt handle it. Its truly an educational experience. I intended to teach them, but it seems like were the ones being taught. Just like the recent battle with that n, yers sometimes show strength that doesnt rely solely on experience points. And that brings growth. For my subordinates. Sieg, watching through the eyes of his subordinates, should be observing this battle. The battle on the Teur Grasnd should also be nourishing Sugaru. The raid parties of the yers n increase the overall responsiveness of the team by limiting the types of magic they use and adopting apletely specialized system. There should be much for Sugaru to learn, as she can generate many different types of subordinates. On the other hand, those here each have their way of dealing with weaknesses as generalists. The Adamant series, which is a uniform force, should be more suitable for them. Unlike the elite Adamant Squad, there are no magicians among Carknights. Even among my subordinates, the only ones who might counter those magicians are the former nobles, the Liches. Its indeed disadvantageous. There should be Skeleton Mages as well, but they wont likely be a match for the yers. It would be like water off a ducks back. The yers continued their victorious advance, approaching the gates of the royal castle. The inside of the royal castle has a different difficulty setting. Theres no need to hold back, so theres no trouble with firepower, but the main gate of the castle is closed. They want to avoid it being destroyed. Besides, it would be irritating if the furnishings inside the castle were looted. Shall I call a few Adamant Scouts? If its a small number, the difficulty shouldnt change much. They have no weaknesses like Carknights, and they excel in stealth. They shouldnt be easily taken down. Confronting magician with magician will just be a power struggle. If those are troublesome, it would be quicker to approach from behind and assassinate. If you could lend them to us, please. Well, today should be enough for the yers to earn a considerable amount. The first-time bonus ising to an end. Lets collect the payment and send them home. This is the royal castle. Theres no problem with calling as many as they want. Just to be sure, a battalion has been [Summoned] from the Liebe Great Forest and ordered to be used freely in times of emergency by Sieg and the wights. Chapter 162: “False Identity” In ordance with Rares instructions, the Adamant Scouts deployed on the battlefield silently approached from behind to avoid detection, swiftly beheading the wizards. It was all about critical hits. Humanoid races are disadvantaged due to their easily identifiable weaknesses, but theypensate by easily enhancing themselves with equipment such as weapons and armor. Despite infiltrating the enemy territory as a group, there was little vignce towards the rear. To prevent this, they attacked only from the front or, if at all, from the sides, starting from the Royal Capitals main gate. Regardless, the Adamant Scouts harvested yers heads like picking cabbages. To avoid increasing the difficulty, the number deployed was kept to a minimum, matching the opposing wizards in number. This allowed them to execute a surprise attack on all of them in the first strike. In other words, the wizards were wiped out in the first attack. When the vanguard and enemy scouts sensed them, the Adamant Scouts had already disappeared into the alleys. Whether their scouting abilities were superior to the yers or not remained unclear, but at least evading opponents who only guarded the front was easy. The front-line yers who lost their wizards were now vulnerable. The vanguards weapons were ineffective against Carknights, and some were even backup weapons. If the Carknights had the leeway, they were instructed to prioritize destroying the equipment of surviving vanguard members. It didnt have much deeper meaning. yers who had teleported to the Royal Capital had no nearby towns to recover their equipment. Rare was interested in seeing how they would recover after losing their equipment. Confirmed that yers followers can infiltrate the safety area. It seems they cannot take hostile actions. By infiltrating followers into the safety area for teleportation to the Royal Capital, we can create a makeshift town, which might develop and prosper. As a side note, Rare was also interested in experimenting with creating an area for artificial monsters. They nned to create a town-like area in the safety zone near the Royal Capital, with a rocky area and a forest beyond to attract yers. The rocky area would feature Rock Golems, and the forest would have Treants. The difficulty of the small fry would be kept around 1 to 3 to cater to a wide range of yers. Its not an official dungeon, and the difficulty wont be disyed, so itll be a bit tricky, but it should work. If someone were to be entrusted with this project, Kerry would be the most suitable. Specifically, it would be Gustav, who was under Kerry. He introduced himself, even including the name of his tradingpany, in the introduction to his lords lord. It must be of a considerable scale. It would take time for people to gather in the town of Rifure. If he could delegate the business there to his family or subordinates, Gustav would be tasked withunching the town here. If the results were favorable, he could be the ruler of the new town, a lord in both name and reality. Rising from a merchant to the lord of the adjacent area to the Royal Capital was an extraordinary sess. He seemed pleased to be a noble and would likely be enthusiastic about taking on the role. Your Majesty, thest invader has just been eliminated. Oh, is that so? Well done. Since she was lost in thought towards the end, she hadnt paid much attention, but she returned to his senses at Ominous report. The yer-versus-yer battle this time provided many valuable lessons. The same should be true for Sieg. If attacked by arge number of yers, there was a high possibility of facing a formidable strategy of wave attacks using powerful magic. This needed urgent attention. Nevertheless, if we strengthen the Carknights, the difficulty will increase. We might have to counter with a small assassination squad or some items. As for items, she decided to consult with Remy. Her own skills and intelligence were reliable, but now she also had many artisans under her. Consulting the opinions of NPC artisans would yield better ideas. Well, it doesnt matter if Carknights are defeated. It was originally intended as a bonus. Its unexpected to be efficiently hunted inrge numbers like this, though. Additionally, next time, we should consider preparing not only magic but also melee equipment that can counter Carknights. They would likely use the metal ingots dropped by Carknights to update the equipment of the vanguard. In reality, this wasnt much of a concern. Quantity is strength. Even if yers gathered inrge numbers, if they were countered with evenrger numbers, it wouldnt be difficult to defeat them. While simultaneous attacks by everyone in the urban area were impossible, as long as theyunched wave attacks to prevent MP recovery and fatigue recovery, there wouldnt be a problem. If groups of several dozens appear, it would be troublesome, but thankfully, thats unlikely. Sieg, if such a situation arises, promptly summon Sugaru. In that case, dont worry about the difficulty; go all out and kill them. Allowing raid parties of one or two is eptable, but any more significant numbers attempting arge invasion will not be tolerated. Considering the difficulty, they will have to test the capabilities of minions that cannot be used while taking into ount the situation. Not only Megasyros, but also insect-type monsters without Queen species are powerful individually. There are others in the [Breeding] list who cannot be revealed. In this room, Sugarus supply troops are stationed. Since Sieg and Sugaru are also friends, summoning Sugaru immediately is possible, not through the skill [Summon] but in the regr sense. While instructing Kerry and Remy on the recent ideas, Rare checks the results of the current battle on the forum. Apparently, among them, this attack is considered a sess. The main reason is the obtained metal ingots. Presumably, its about the abnormally strong undeadlikely the Carknights. Since they couldnt inflict much damage with existing equipment, and knives couldnt even scratch the metal ingots dropped, they judged it to be a higher-grade material. Theyre not wrong. It seems they were able to secure a considerable number of these metal ingots. From this sessful experience, the possibility of raid-sized parties challenging high-difficulty areas in the future has increased. Additionally, the equipment of higher-tier yers is likely to shift towards magical super-hard alloys. I apologize to the rulers of other regions, but theres no helping it. We have to increase our hand to provide support as much as possible. By support, she means the conversion into a farm. If they cant keep up with the yers growth, Rares minions will take over the management of dungeons that cant cope. Suddenly, she recalls the yer who looked foolish while browsing social media. She adjusts her posture somewhat awkwardly. Rare is careful not to appear suspicious to those around her, but originally, her eyes are closed. If she were to look foolish, it might be when her mouth is half-open. However, Rare has been disciplined not to open her mouth unnecessarily. Most likely, she never shows an undignified appearance. In her childhood, she often had her hand struck with a wooden sword by her mother, alongside her sister, all under the guise of naginata training. That striking technique was quite cleverno injuries or visible marks remained, but the pain lingered. It was like using a naginata to p someone. If she was scolded in a way that left marks, her grandmothers wrath would befall her mother. Since discipline in the house was overseen by her mother in general, and everything else by the head of the house, her grandmother, it led to such peculiar situations. Rare has mastered that exquisite striking technique. Its unclear if it can be reproduced in this game, but in reality, it would be possible to urately inflict pain without leaving any visible marks. She hasnt actually done it, but it would work even with a real sword. A naginata, huh Maybe I should try making one with adamant-material. If she brings up the idea at the cksmith in the Liebe Great Forest or the artisan district in Rifure, it wouldnt be impossible. However, it wouldnt be suitable for Rare, who is believed to be an NPC raid boss, to wield a traditional Japanese naginata in battle. It would seem like shes introducing herself as a Japanese person. But since its a game, she can have a naginata made ording to her preferences. She definitely wants to swing a real sword and fight. For that, she needs a new undercover identity. While its possible to use Kerrys body, Kerry has her own movements, optimized for handling swords and daggers. This applies to her other close aides like Riley as well. Its unclear how they have reproduced such details in their technology. In other words, mercenaries who already have a certainbat ability are not suitable. Lord Albert has a daughter. I wonder if I should ask for her assistance.N?v(el)B\\jnn After stopping by Remys artisan district to ce an order for the naginatas design, Rare headed towards the lords mansion. ording to Albert, this time is apparently for etiquette lessons. Since there were no specific instructions, he continues as before, but noble childrens etiquette is for the sake of social circles. Theres no point in continuing it when theres no chance of her marrying somewhere. The Lords family trusts Rarepletely since they are her direct minions. Although she tried to get permission from the father, Albert, she ended up being told to take good care of his daughter. Its not like she asked to borrow her in that sense. Excuse me. After knocking and receiving permission to enter, she stepped into the lords daughters room. Inside, there is the intended daughter and an elderly woman. She looks familiar. Shes the wife of Cervantes, housekeeper of the household. All the servants in this mansion are now under Alberts control, so theres no surprise at seeing Rare. They simply kneel and bow their heads. Both of you, lift your heads. I came today with a little request. Oh, you dont need to ask. Im at your service Its going to be a somewhat long-term job. Your fathers permission has already been granted. At that point, the daughter raised her face. A Noble Human, and a very beautiful girl. Albert has brown hair, but his wife and this daughter have vibrant blonde hair. If I recall correctly, the heir, a boy, has brown hair like Albert. He is still a young boy. The daughters age is probably simr to Rares. Their height is also close. Whether due to strict discipline or not, she has a very good figure. The thing I want you to cooperate with is Rare briefly exined what she wanted to do to the daughter. In simple terms, she wants her to imitate mercenaries literally and be Rares hands and feet, which is not something that would be easily epted or done by a nobledy. However, whether due to [Subordinate] or the result of her upbringing, the daughter nodded humbly without a displeased expression. To choose me for such a crucial task is truly an honor. You will be by my side as much as possible, even when you are not needed, and I suppose you will be in a position as my personal servant. What to be the one to do that and not my father. No, itd be no use to ce your father by my side He must manage this town well. Its not umon for noble daughters to be attendants to even higher-ranking women. It seems to be simr in this world, and saying it this way would probably make it less resistant. If youre willing to ept, Ill be counting on you from now on. Um I am Amalie, Your Majesty. Amalie Zebach. It is a pleasure to meet you. Nice to meet you, Amalie. Then shall I call you Mare*? Ive never been called that, but will that be the case? Well, then you will be called Mare when outside this mansion from now on. Its still unclear about the ovep of NPC and yer names, but if its a nickname, there should be no problem. Kerry and the others have pushed through being called that, so If consent is obtained, the first step is reinforcement. From now on, she will be Rares hands and feet, swinging a naginata, cutting down monsters, humans, or anything that catches her eye. Appropriate strength will be necessary. *T/N: Mare is written as ީ`, so it would be pronounced mah-reh, if that makes any sense. Chapter 163: “Adaman-Naginata” I decided to primarily enhance Mares abilities through attribute points. Of course, Ill acquire skills such as [Command] and [Spatial Magic] from [Mental Magic], as well as [Necromancy], [Summon], [Training], and some attack spells, but it means I wont be taking skills like [Spear Technique] or [Sword Technique]. These weapon skills provide bonuses to uracy and damage when attacking with the corresponding weapon, and theres also the benefit of acquiring active skills from the skill tree. However, I can cover uracy with real skill, and I dont really need rare active skills. Increasing my STR covers the damage bonus as well. Of course, if I were to take [Spear Technique], for example, I could expect a significant damage boost with much less experience points, especially considering the adamantite construction of the naginata I n to use. Theres no need for a damage bonus. Several prototypes of the naginata had been produced, but I rejected them all and had them remade. Each time, theyve been getting closer to the ideal. Its so exciting. Simultaneously, Im working on a prototype short sword. This will be my secondary weapon. In case the naginata is not suitable for a situation or if it gets knocked out duringbat, Ill use the short sword to counter. While waiting for thepletion of the naginata, Ive also been educating Mare. Ive briefed Kerry and the others, apanied Mare on inspections of various areas, and even had them observe scenes where yers were attacking from above. Recently, wild birds have been settling in the man-made forest of La Colinne, so we captured one suitable wild bird and had it [Subordinated] as a messenger. This is what Kerry and her team have been doing. It is very effective to have our own means of reconnaissance. However, it seems that Remy and others have already established a surveincework using household rats in the town of Rifure. Like the previous management minions and Mares father, Albert, Mare has also prioritized distributing experience points to INT. She would have learned quite a bit just watching the yers roll over on Rares side. Of course,bat training using [Mind Summoning: Spirit] as the main focus is also being conducted. While its actually Rare who is undergoing the training, the results are remarkable, and they can move quite naturally now. Mare wasnt originally very active, and without any strange or unnecessary habits, she was very easy to work with. After several days of intensive training with rare, Mare started mimicking Rares movements despitecking any skills, which was surprising. Of course, at this point, Mare is only imitating, but all learning starts with imitation. If this continues, Mare might be a substitute instructor sooner orter. Her growth is unusually fastpared to real apprentices, but this is probably due to the high values in each of her attributes. Once the naginata ispleted, the training with the naginata will begin. By that time, Mare may have developed a rudimentary skill even without the training wheels of Rares assistance. Even if theyre NPCs, growth without skills seems possible. Does this mean the AI can reproduce up to non-derative memories? Whats the purpose of this technology? With [Mind Summoning: Spirit], only the skills of the summoned minion can be used at the destination. However, since the caster moves the body, actions that the caster can perform without relying on skills can be done without any issues. This implies that non-derative memories exist on the AI side, and skills exist on the avatar side within the system. If thats the case, the differences in sensation between borrowing Kerrys body and borrowing Yoroizakas body may not be due to the strength of consciousness but simply differences between races. For example, characters in the natural creature category may be more affected by the influence of acquired skills on their bodies, while characters in the magical creature category may not be affected. I dont know if such categories exist. However, conversely, if actions are taken using the skills of a summoned minions body, it might be possible for the AI to umte technical experience as non-derative memories. It might be possible to master skills pseudo-naturally without using experience points. It seems like it could be useful, but the prerequisite is having a minion, and that minion must acquire skills. In that case, it would be faster to just acquire the skill myself from the beginning. Considering the time for training, its better to earn experience points in that time. Thats what it means to Meg from the second floor. This is an old saying used in Japan in the past. Its an example of doing something convoluted and ultimately meaningless. Your Majesty, Lady Remy has arrived. Thank you, Mare. For the past few days, Rare has been staying at the lords mansion in Rifure. The basement, which used to be a wine cer, was renovated, and furniture and furnishings were brought in to create Rares private room. She doesnt take damage as long as it doesnt receive direct sunlight for an extended period, but for some reason, bright ces are unsettling. It doesnt really matter since I dont spend time with my eyes open. How about this one, Boss? Led to the basement, Remy took out a naginata from the inventory. She handed it over to Rare with a nervous expression. Thank you, Remy Hmm. The basement was too cramped for swinging a long weapon. The walls and ceiling, made of stone, would likely get cut, leaving the room full of damages. After lightly holding the naginata to check its weight bnce, Rare decided to step outside. Mare. Please, anytime. Handing the naginata to Mare, Rarey down on the basement bed and transferred her consciousness to Mare. Now, lets go outside and give it a light swing. Remy, lets do this. Yes, Boss. The mansions courtyard was modestly adorned with flower beds, and there was an open space in the center for setting up tables for tea parties. Regardless, the table set was probably cleared away by the time Rare arrived, and such events were not frequent anyway. Whatever the reason, if there was space to swing a long weapon, it was good enough. While trying various forms and incorporating the short sword, Rare performed a solo dance. As expected, the adamantite-made naginata was exceptionally heavy. The handle was wooden, but it was cut from a branch of the World Tree, making it much heavier than regr wood. It might be even heavier than ebony. Nevertheless, with enhanced attributes, Rare could swing it like a twig. In reality, such a feat would be impossible, and it was even possible to spin it like a windmill using only the fingers of one hand.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It went against the desire to test well-trained techniques, but it was interesting in its own way. In the weak Rare, or rather, in the martial arts school at home that assumed weakness, there were no power-oriented techniques. While not relying on strength, the philosophy of suppressing the opponent was not forgotten. At the same time, a new conflicting philosophy of trampling with strength was being explored. For now, lets imagine this adamantite naginata as a hollow wooden sword. Continuing to enjoy the performance while trying various things for about an hour, the result was not bad. It felt lighter than a wooden sword but was actually very heavy, unaffected by air resistance. Without actually fighting, it couldnt be said for sure, but with this result, Rare could probably handle yers who appeared in the capital the other day. It would be challenging with coordinated attacks, including long-range attacks, but with the right approach, Rare might be able to overpower one person alone. If Mare could use a little magic, RareMare could too. Of course, it wasnt training to fight yers. The main assumption was to deal with monsters in some dungeon. What do you think, Boss? Oh, I got carried away. Thank you, Remy. Excellent work. Please give my thanks to your workers in the artisan district. Remy bowed happily and headed back to the artisan district. She headed back, or rather, Rare hadnt really thought about it, but where does Remy live now? Although as long as shes producing results, it doesnt matter much, and recently, it seems that shes been busy developing new items without specific instructions from Rare. Its quite fine. Also, some of the master craftsmen have been trained in [Alchemy] and the necessary magic skills under Raresmand, and they have been grown to produce philosophers stones and fill in the recipe gaps. Under Remysmand, they should be working on producing Philosophers Stones and filling in recipe gaps. Meanwhile, Kerry, along with Gustav, went to the safety area near the capital. Theyve already enlisted favored vendors under Gustav and have started construction of makeshift amodations. In this game world, there are skills rted to construction, so building can be done at a surprisingly fast pacepared to reality. It would be troublesome if Wayne, who knows Kerrys face,es here, but as far as the forum shows, he seems to be ying around with nc in Erntal. There shouldnt be any worries for a while. Riley is in charge of internal security in the town of Rifure. All the original patrol squads were [Commanded], and she wields her skills as their captain. She hasnt [Commanded] any volunteer self-defense groups, but originally, they were a subordinate organization of the patrol squad. They seem to follow the instructions of the patrol squad members and readily obey Riley, who is known as a lords associate. Marion, who brought back arge number of rock golems from the volcanic area, is helping with the construction of the second outer wall. Rock golems gradually grow over time, but it seems to be rted to experience points. They dont have a specific skill, but they have a racial trait that causes their size to increase with acquired experience points. In other words, if Rare doesnt give them experience points, their size wont change. For this purpose, Marion is giving them a significant amount of experience points and using them to adjust the size of the rock golems. The size of the rock golems varies from individual to individual, but if they give the same amount of experience points to all of them, they should all meet the same specifications. Now. It seems like each department can handle things on their own for a while, and preparations areplete, so lets go y. Now, even if Rare ys, experience points should automatically umte as long as she logs in. When a substantial amount of experience points umtes, Rare ns to extensively strengthen herself, her main minions, and items like adamantite. However, it will take a while to reach the target value. I mentioned the town of Neuschloss or something. The city-type dungeon not managed by me and nc. The boss there is said to be a goblin, so it might be a good reference for Garks build. Lets go y there for a bit. Chapter 164: “The City Of Neuschloss” In normal circumstances, if Rare were to go out alone, her noisy familiars would apany her, but they wouldnt make a fuss unless it was Rares own body. Even if she were to die in this state, it would be Mares body dying, and Rare herself wouldnt actually die. However, depending on the MND values of the spellcaster and subordinates, there might be back damage. This was verified by Riley, who had manybat-oriented ones under her. Rares basic policy was to maximize the MND and INT of her direct familiars. The closer the MND values of the familiar and the spellcaster, the more damage they would take. However, Rares own MND was so high that back damage was not a concern. There was another risk if she died in this state C the respawn time. Rare would only have her spirit returned to her original body, but Mare wouldnt be able to respawn for an hour. It would be troublesome if yers found out. Even if she pretended to be a yer, it would be best to avoid acting with other yers considering what happens when she dies. Heading from the Rifure Mercenary Union to Neuschloss, they encountered other yers along the way, but Mares beauty was not exceptional among yers. Carrying a long object on her back was a bit noticeable, but there were yers who didnt stow their weapons in the inventory. NPC mercenaries couldnt do such a thing, and those yers might be not using their inventory for role-ying reasons. Rare intended to pass it off that way if asked. As for armor, she preferred light equipment that didnt hinder her movements. However, the fabric was a special creation by Queen Arachnea, and the metallic parts were made of adamantite. It provided much better defense than ordinary armor. There was a hood with some metal embellishments around the cor, which she wasnt wearing in the city. However, inbat, she could cover her head with it for protection.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The nearest safety area to Neuschloss was a grassy field. There was only a rock that seemed to serve as andmark. Tents were lined up around the area, presumably the sleeping ces for yers. It was much fewer than the tunnels she had seen before. Neuschloss had a difficulty level of four stars, so it seemed only a few top yers had attempted it. Theck of crowding was a good thing. Oops. I didnt bring camping equipment. For now, lets just observe today. Worst case, I can respawn right? No, that would be a bad move. It wasnt about feeling sorry for Mare. If she was pretending to be a yer, she had to be cautious not only about the inventory and respawn but also the loss of experience points upon death. yers who lost experience points due to death penalties wouldnt choose the easy way of respawning. They would approach the game with the consciousness that they must absolutely return alive if they wanted to earn. Dying casually would draw unnecessary attention. If a yer-like corpse was left untouched for an hour, it might raise suspicions. I didnt n on saying Im okay with dying, but I thought I could y more rxed than the main body Well, it seems I cant die easily either. In terms of not wanting to be seen, it might be riskier than intentionally respawning, but Rare considered sending her spirit back and [Summoning] Mare at the Lord of Rifures mansion. Hide somewhere in the dungeon and do it from there. For now, she decided to stop worrying about it and started walking towards Neuschloss. The city of Neuschloss was about a fifteen-minute walk from the safety area. The safety area in the royal capital that Kerry and others investigated was roughly the same distance, so it was likely simr here. The appearance of the city was quite dpidated. The outer walls were crumbling, and entry was possible from anywhere. The forest visible beyond the city was probably the original territory of monsters. Since that forest was not listed, it was likely integrated with the city of Neuschloss, simr to how Erfahren and Lourdess cities were integrated into Liebe and Teur. Although the forest retained its name, the city retained the name based on the degree of destruction. The cities of Erfahren and Lourdes no longer resembled their original forms. Inparison, Neuschloss, though in ruins, still maintained the form of a city. She entered the city. The dpidation inside was probably worse than the exterior, maybe even worse than the outer walls. If the goal was to kill the residents, it made sense. The monsters that attacked during the event clearly invaded with the intention of targeting the residents. Whether out of extreme hunger or with the sole purpose of killing, it was unclear. If the goal was killing, there was a high possibility that the dungeons boss was a yer. Reframing it as the goal being experience points made more sense. While walking cautiously, something jumped out from the shadow of a copsed house. It was a goblin. No, was it truly a goblin? It certainly looked like a goblin, but it was considerablyrger than those in the Liebe Grand Forest. In fact, it wasrger than an average human. She quickly drew her short knife and dodged the goblins charge, shing its knee as they passed each other. There was hardly any resistance, but she was confident that she had indeed shed it. It was probably already incapacitated. Therge goblin fell with a dirty scream, trying to get up but unable to move its legs. She swiftly stepped back to avoid the blood, and then, with a quick motion, she drew her naginata from the back and prepared it. It turned out therge goblin was not alone. One after another, they attacked Rare. Huah! While swinging the naginata with one hand, she sheathed the short knife. Whether adamantite rusted with blood was unknown, but she would have liked to wipe it clean before sheathing it. It couldnt be helped. She would clean itter, and reluctantly, she discarded the sheath. It was also a product of the World Tree, but it was made of steel and wood. Once the short knife was put away, she could swing the naginata freely. She demonstrated the results of repeated training by swinging the de, sometimes with the right hand, sometimes with the left, performing moves like windmills, water wheels, thrusts, and lifts. The sharpness of the adamantite naginata was terrifying, cutting off the limbs of therge goblins one by one. It was almost as if she was performing a solo dance. Though surrounded, at times, she extended the polearm with a stone tip to the rear, but due to the speed and hardness, it had the same power as a thrust attack. In other words, it prated the bodies of the enemies, piercing them. In such cases, she would forcefully swing the enemies corpses. It was a way of using a naginata that would make her grandmother scold her if she saw it, but even with Rares excellent strength, she wouldnt do such things with a real naginata made of steel and wood. It was only possible because it was made of adamantite and a fragment of the World Tree. For a while, I swung my weapon with satisfaction, but eventually, the prey disappeared. Of course, I didnt make any mistakes that would let them escape. They all turned into corpses, rolling on the ground. I took out a tissue to wipe off the blood and fat, but it wasnt enough to clean them. On a whim, I acquired the [Cleanse] spell from Mares skill list under the Water Magic category. Normally, washing a naginata with water would be unthinkable, but its magic, so it should work somehow. As expected, instead of washing with water, it seemed to have an effect of making the target clean, making the blood and fat disappear. I tried activating it on the short sword and its scabbard, and it worked the same way. When I thought about it, even if the game allowed realistic cleaning, it wouldnt benefit anyone. The reason why mercenaries insist on having a magician in their party is probably because of such aspects. Thanks to that, I didnt have to discard the scabbard. If I had known this earlier, I wouldnt have had to do troublesome maintenance during the closed test. I didnt strip therge goblins. I didnt even have a dismantling knife. I acquired the [Dismantle] skill, but it was just a stepping stone to acquiring the [Heal] skill. I had no intention of using it. Since its someone elses territory, I left the corpses as they were and continued exploring. Is this a level 4 trash mob? I think its definitely weaker than Carknights, but Which one is stronger overall? Im not sure. It might be the same, or maybe Carknights are stronger. Maybe because I only use physical attacks. One aspect ofing here was the investigation of the level 4 difficulty. Although its determined by the system, there is a range within the same difficulty level. Here, it would probably be apetitive rtionship, like a 4 dungeon with the old Hiers Kingdom, and an investigation was necessary. I had only fought once so far, but with this content, anyone would choose the old capital. To clear it, several magicians are essential, but if you infiltrate the raid, just being a shield would get you experience points and dropped items. Once you get those dropped items, make equipment through processing, and you canpete as a front-line job even if its less efficient. As long as you have a mindset to return alive, its guaranteed that youll earn more than you make as payment to me, the business owner. yers understand that. As evidence, yers attacking the Old Hiers capital have been gradually increasing every day. I didnt give them bonuses like the first day of the attack, but they were paying a reasonable return, and eventually, they were wiped out. Whether its experience points or dropped items, they dont seem to care anymore. They seem to attack with the thought of how much they can earn before being wiped out. Such a strategy is often seen in high-difficulty game content, and that seems to be the case for the old capital now. Its truly wonderful. Considering the scarcity of tents in the safety area of Neuschlosspared to the Teur grasnd, at this point, the Old Hiers capital is clearly offering higher-quality service. However, I dont know how the situation will change. For example, what would happen if a yer appeared who conquered Neuschloss? In the case of an areaposed of minions [Subordinated] by a single boss, when that boss is defeated, all the monsters in the area die. At that moment, the force loses control of the area, but it doesnt necessarily lose control rights at that moment. This is evident from the fact that when I died, the Liebe Great Forest and the Teur Forest remained under my control. The transfer of control rights urs only when a new single force conquers the area after the boss of that force is defeated. In other words, control rights will only move to the side of the victor when its a single force that defeated the boss. At the time when I defeated Sugaru and took control of the cave, that was it. At that moment, only me and my party were alive in the cave. The same processing will take ce when yers challenge the dungeon and defeat the boss. However, as long as multiple yers form a party, it cannot be a single force. In addition, there should be many other parties in the area besides the one that actually defeated the boss. In this case, the transfer of control rights will not ur. In the Teur Grasnd, all yers died or fled when I appeared, and no one approached the grasnd for a while. Thanks to that, I could im control over the grasnd. It was idental, but luck was on my side. In other words, as long as I perform a normal dungeon attack, even if yers defeat the dungeon boss, there should be no significant change. If it follows the same specifications as the area control by yers, probably, the boss will respawn three hourster, and an hourter, the mobs will respawn. In that case, if the boss of Neuschloss is easier to defeat than the boss of the Old Hiers Kingdom dungeon and has arger benefit when defeated, this ce might be more popr. The benefits of defeating it are unknown, but it can be said for sure that the boss here is easier to defeat. After all, the boss of the Hiers Kingdom is the cmity-level Sieg, and if ites to a situation where Sieg, Sugaru, and Deas might help, Im not sure if I, even with all my power, can win against the three of them. In other words, as far as I know, even if all the yers join forces, they wont be able topete. Before that, if the boss here is a yer, the situation would change. Theres no need to be cautious if the trash mobs are at this level, and it might be a good idea to go meet the boss of this ce. Chapter 165: “Suddenly a player came along” Is it just my imagination? The goblins now seem to be wearing armor. Sure enough, with a killers precision, she had been cutting down anything that moved in her field of vision in an instant. Then, as soon as she made a somewhat forced remark, the corpses turned into light and disappeared.N?v(el)B\\jnn So it was a yer after all. Due to the excessively high attack power of the naginata made from the adamantite-esque material, even if they wore inferior armor, it could cut through them effortlessly. It was only after shing through them that he noticed the metallic armor from the odd sensation at his hands. Not that she didnt realize. She noticed and still shed. However, there wasnt much reason to intentionally kill the yers she discovered. It was just that conversations were troublesome. If anything, it might be because she had developed a reflexive sense of yers being enemies when she saw them. She had discovered them first, and their faces hadnt been seen. Even if they had witnessed something, at most, it would be being cut by someone with a hooded appearance. Hooded yers were abundant, and in the current VR game world, which was as realistic as reality, many yers chose spears with longer reach than swords. As one became more experienced, sword users increased, but there was no dramatic decrease in the poption of spear users. Identifying a person named Mare should be difficult. Moreover, she was confident that she hadnt even been sensed at all. Its because they suddenly appeared. Well, it was just bad luck for them. Perhaps being yers ustomed to dying, they disappeared in an instant as soon as their death was certain, likely choosing respawn during the system message. Watching that, she couldnt help but think. Rares corpse that had been defeated in the capital must have disappeared immediately like this. At that time, the yers present there didnt have any suspicions that the cmity might also be a yer. If they had disappeared right after death, Id think it could only be a yer, but what clouded their judgment? Was it their preconception that event bosses were special? Certainly, if the boss prepared for the event disappeared on the second day, it would affect the subsequent excitement. So, should they have set up a system to respawn instantly during the event? Of course, there was no need to say it intentionally. If doubts arose, it was enough to vaguely hint at it. Its already in the past, so its fine now. For now, the goal was the central part of the town, probably the lords mansion, which was still a bit away. Thanks to the performance of the weapon and Rares skill, the walking speed was not much different from normal walking even during battle. Moreover, there were times when he didnt perform any skinning or such. It should be significantly fasterpared to a regr dungeon attack. If the boss of this area was monitoring the movements of intruders by some means, Rare would be an important target. If they approached the lords mansion any further, there might be a reaction different from ordinary mobs. Looking forward to that, she advanced with a slightly heightened vignce. However, even as she approached the lords mansion, there was not much difference in the mobs that appeared. They were still goblins slightlyrger than humans. Although some used magic, their attacks, which only flew in a straight line, were easy to dodge no matter how fast they were. Despite their rank allowing them to use area-of-effect magic, they only used single-target magic for some reason. Perhaps because there was only one rare. It could be that there was a programming routine that did not choose area-of-effect magic if there were no multiple targets. Or rather, it might be an order not to waste MP since the higher-ups have it. The strategy was named Magic Efficiency. In Rares opinion, what needed to be saved was the overall resources, which included time. If using area-of-effect magic would result in a faster conclusion, it should be used, but it would be cruel to expect each soldier at the bottom to make such judgments. For Rares subordinates, such as infantry ants and zombies, who were at the bottom of the bottom, there were few things they could do. Therefore, it was natural for them to always do what they could do without thinking. What needed to be considered was the arrangement of those soldiers and the division of their numbers, in other words, the job of the manager. And the manager was given a certain level of experience, and education was also provided to enable them to make somewhat advanced judgments. This is a difficult problem. Although we are a pyramid structure based on argepany, we also have many intermediate managers like Sugaru and the queens. Its basically a top-down type, but its called middle-up-down management. In a one-man organization where all decisions have to be made by the top, strategies and orders may be sloppy. If the organization had a small number of personnel, a one-man structure would be more rational. The speed of decision-making for the entire organization would be on a different level. However, this further increased the likelihood that the boss of this area was a yer. If it were a wild boss, they wouldnt consider the performance of the battle cost and would give orders with killing intent as their top priority. While chopping down therge goblins that attacked, she gradually approached the lords mansion. The citysrgest building was just ahead. However, including the yer she encountered by chance a while ago, theck of challenge was starting to get a little boring. After all, martial arts in reality had been honed as a technique to wield weapons made of wood or iron. Fighting with a weapon like this, which was like a magical item that never broke, bent, or chipped, was not something that had been anticipated. The weapon was too strong. Maybe I shouldnt have used equipment that was higher level than my own. But theres a different kind of enjoyment in blowing them away with magic, and this is not bad either. If you think of it as some kind of overpowering game. Before long, she arrived at the front of the lords mansion. While the gate was closed, there didnt seem to be any lock in ce. Rather, it appeared that the gate, once destroyed, had been haphazardly closed for the time being. The main entrance door of the mansion, visible through the gaps in the iron bars of the gate, showed a simr state. There were no signs of other yer parties entering or leaving here. However, if the walls were as high as those of the royal capital or the citys fortifications, it would be a different story. With this kind of fence, it would be possible to climb over from ces other than the gate if one raised their stats. The gate being closed didnt necessarily mean that yers hadnte. Moving slightly to the side of the gate, she jumped, ced his hands on the top of the fence, and effortlessly used her strength to soar over it. Even a yer who wasnt Rare could easily do this if they hade this far. Even magic users who hadnt allocated any experience points to physical abilities could probably manage it by using ropes or simr tools. The garden beyond the fence that she had crossed was also in a state of neglect. It was far worse than the garden of the Rifure lords mansion. The garden of the Rifure lords mansion was well-kept with a sense of taste, despite nobles guests rarelying. The main visitors were likely traders involved in transactions and residents who came to make petitions. It was also a sign that Albert considered residents important. Here, guests would likely be unruly yers invading, and entertaining them with a beautiful garden might be pointless. The entrance door opened when pushed, or rather, it copsed. It seemed the hinges were also destroyed, and it no longer retained its shape as a door. How is the boss entering and leaving? Perhaps the boss never leaves the city, or there might be another entrance. Even if that were the case, it wasnt necessarily because they nned to escape. If that were their intention, they wouldnt havee alone. It was probably just a leisurely y. If possible, she wanted to take a look at the bosss face, and if she killed the boss, she wanted to see what would happen to the territory. No, thats right. I want to see that. In that case, Ill prioritize defeating the boss. First, she decided to explore the mansion floor by floor. The entrance hall was spacious, with stairs on both sides. Above, there seemed to be arge chandelier-type magic light. Of course, it wasnt there now. Whether goblins took it or it was destroyed was unclear, but only the remnants of chains that seemed to have held something were hanging. The drawing-room, dining room, kitchen. ces that seemed like rooms for servants and the linen room. Aundry room facing the backyard. Then, the wine cer and food storage in the basement. There was no boss, not even arge goblin, on the first floor. Did they send all the small fry out to the city? Dont they have any meat shields to protect themselves when needed? What are they thinking? The fact that nothing attacked him aftering this far could be considered evidence that there was no means of monitoring the intruders movements. If that were the case, it seemed somewhat unnatural not to consider base defense against intruders who might attack at any time. She didnt feel the presence of goblins packed on the second floor, but it wasnt impossible. For now, she returned to the entrance hall and decided to explore the second floor by going up the stairs. There were only guest rooms and what seemed to be the lords familys private rooms here, but still, there were no goblins. The only thing left was the west side of the second floor, the room at the very back. Among the ces she hadnt checked yet, it should be the study. Most likely, that was it. And it was the only ce where he felt some kind of living presence. During the exploration, she tried to make as little noise as possible and moved stealthily to suppress her presence, so she shouldnt have been noticed. However, it wasnt an absolute guarantee. Approaching the door slowly, she sliced it three times in a breath. First, the hinges, and then the door in a cross shape. In an instant, the door fell into four pieces onto the floor. Then, magic flew out from the room. She had intended tounch a surprise attack, but it seemed they were waiting. It was fortunate that she didnt rush in at the same time as destroying the door. However, it was too close for a mutual offset. There was no time. And the corridor was too narrow to dodge. Kuh. This was the first damage she took sinceing here. To minimize the damage, she covered her face with her arms and turned half of her body to reduce the area of impact. Queen Arachneas thread seemed excellent, as there was no significant damage. It seemed to be [Fire Magic], but she didnt receive the bad status of burns. There was no damage to his equipment either. Thanks to the excellent equipment, I was saved. Until now, she hadnt paid much attention to what she wore, but there was room for consideration now. Equipment should be based on Adamant and Queen Arachneas thread, and the items necessary for the equipped characters should be renewed. Needless to say, the original dress that Rare was supposed to wear was being made by Queen Arachnea and herpanions. Once that waspleted, it might be a good idea to have clothes made for Kerry and the girls, Lord Albert, the Gustav family, and even the Archbishop of Aural. The magical resistance was amazing. If turned into a cape for defense, it would likely be impervious to low-rank magic. That being said, she jumped into the room before the next attack came. The interior seemed to be an office, with bookshelves, a sofa, and a heavy desk and chair. Reclining on the chair was another goblin. It seemed it had fired magic while sitting. Quite audacious. In the same swift motion it prepared to cast magic again, she cut off its right hand with a lightning-fast thrust. Unaware of the low table at his feet, he identally kicked it away, but thanks to his high STR, it didnt be a significant obstacle. The table that was kicked flew into the bookshelf and knocked it over. Gyagyau! A strange cry, isnt it? With her arm extended, she rotated the halberd and also severed the left hand. With excessive force, she also tore through the desk, but she didnt mind. She dismantled the desk as if in passing and, since she saw the feet of a goblin sitting on a chair, she sliced that off too. Numerous marks were left on the ceiling and floor, but it wasnt her room, so she didnt care. The cramped space was worse. Gyaggiaau! Its not a scream. Is this a howl? Youre just a goblin. This goblin,rger than therge goblins she had cut down before, had decent equipment, but that was it. If it were a yer, or rather, if it were reasonably intelligent, they could probably converse like Gark. In other words, the creature before her was an NPC small fry without much intelligence. The fact that shepletely defended against the magic earlier might be due to the enemys low INT. Which means youre not the boss, right? Wheres your boss? Even if she asked, there wouldnt be an answer. Even if it did answer, it would be impossible to determine what the strange howl meant. Kill this one and return to the city. If there are still goblins in the city, then this one is not the boss. It would have been more convenient if there were small fry inside the lords mansion, but in that case, she probably would have killed them all, and the result would be the same. She cut this one into small pieces to the point where she could be convinced ofplete death, cleaned off the blood with [Cleanse], and left the lords mansion. Chapter 166: “What Bones Are Skeletons?” The adventurer returned to the town and immediately slew another group ofrge goblins. Being attacked by goblins was amon urrence. This meant that the one in the mansion earlier was indeed not the boss. Since entering the town, the encounter rate has been lowpared to the difficulty level. Perhaps its difficult for mobs to find Rare, who acts alone. Not only facing the inconvenience of being attacked by arge number of enemies like the other day, but also being infiltrated by a yer with excellent stealth skills is troublesome. Now, the focus is on finding the location of the goblin boss. If the previous goblin wasnt the boss, then the boss must be hiding somewhere else. If its not in the town, it can only be in the forest. Theres no need to wait foolishly in the dungeon being attacked. If the boss controls multiple dungeons like Rare, it would be wise to wait in a different location than the attacked dungeon. In the case of Neuschloss, strictly speaking, both the forest and the town are considered a single dungeon. Still, drawing attention to the town while hiding in the forest makes sense. Shall we head to the forest? As a guide, Rare summoned a bird and sent it flying overhead. Confirming the direction of the forest, it guided them forward. Although Rare entered from the south side of the town, the forest was on the north side. If the safety zone is in the south and the forest is in the north, considering the entire area as one block, the deepest part would be the forest. Even yers other than Rare might consider the possibility of the boss being in the forest. Theres no reason for goblins to live in the town just because they control it. However, yers would find it more convenient to have the lords mansion as their base. Rare considered the lords mansion as the boss area because of the possibility that the boss could be a yer. If considered a wild boss, they might have headed straight to the forest from the beginning. The goblins appeared from the forest. So, its reasonable to assume that the root of all evils lies in the forest, and the boss is likely there. The low encounter rate may be because the town is not essential for the boss in this area, or simply because the number of minions ced in the town is low. In any case, going to the forest should provide rity. Passing through the heavily deteriorated north outer wall beyond the south side, Rare exited the town. It was covered in thick fog outside. Beyond the fog, something like a forest could be faintly seen. Its too close from the town to the forest. Building a town in a ce like this is absurd. Maybe the forest spread after the town was constructed. Alternatively, monsters might note to important facilities like the town roads, so they built an outer wall as a breakwater and then created the town inside. Checking documents in the lords mansions office or study might reveal information about that, but its not worth spending time to know. Carefully walking through the mist, Mares summoned bird returned. In this fog, aerial reconnaissance is not very effective. Its just a deste area. Because of the fog, the sunlight is poor, and the weeds growing sporadically are low. There are no small fry around since its an open area where one cant hide. However, Rare remains cautious. In the previous event, undead were initially emerging from this forest. Although Rare has fought Siegs undead in the Teur Forest before, undead asionally crawl out of the ground. Its not certain that it wont happen here. As soon as a sound like boof was heard, Rare thrust the spears tip into the ground where the sound came from. As expected, there was a hand made of bones growing there, about to be crushed and scattered by the spears tip. One after another, bone hands emerged from the ground. Just beating mole hands wont solve anything. [Earthquake]. If you want toe out so badly, Ill make the ground plowable for you. Although its called an earthquake, its an offensive magic. Its not just a normal earthquake. The earth undtes, pulsating as if alive, creatingrge, sharp protrusions like rocks intermittently. When the protrusions extend about two meters, they return to ordinary soil, crumbling and bing the material for the next protrusion. After about five seconds of this, the changes stop altogether, and the ground returns to its original t state. The skeletons buried in the ground couldnt avoid it. Shaken with the earth, they were shattered and mixed with the soil. I wonder if its settled at once. Its just small fry, and it didnt add anything to the bnce in terms of MP. Considering time efficiency, its inevitable. If spending a little MP can expedite the journey, it should be done. Then, whenever there was a sign of skeletons, Rare activated [Earthquake] and progressed through the destend. There seemed to be quite a few buried, as skeletons began to appear around the area where the effect range of the previous [Earthquake] had ended. Therefore, without even confirming the appearance of enemies, Rare had developed a routine of walking while periodically activating [Earthquake]. Adjusting the walking speed to the cooldown time of [Earthquake] was necessary, but once adjusted, it became a mere task. But, you know, what an ugly skeleton. Maybe Im biased, but our skeletons look more handsome. Since Rare only saw the scattered remains, the overall body style is unknown, but even just looking at the asional head, its clearly different in terms of facial features. It resembles the skull of something like a primitive human that you might see in a history textbook. Is it a different race? Its unclear if skeletons have different races. Well, what race are skeletons in the first ce? Are they human, elf, or beastman? Those in Rares party are probably human or elf. Judging by their height, they are not dwarves, and there is no tail, so they are not beastmen. What kind of bones make up a character that was originally a skeleton? But no matter what, it doesnt seem like the facial bone structure differs significantly. Whether its a beastman or an elf, although you might feel they are attractive, it doesnt seem like a different race enough to cause difort. Oh, goblins These are probably the bones of therge goblins from earlier. Thinking that, they indeed look simr. These are probably goblin skeletons. In SNS posts, it was mentioned that in the early stages of the event, undead attacked the town. Rare had thought that they had either [Subordinated] the undead or subdued them with the strength of their goblin subordinates, sending them to the town before the event started. However, it might be different. Perhaps this boss only used goblins from the beginning. The only difference is whether they are alive or dead. Specializing in goblins, it seems like quite a versatile enemy. They even have the cleverness to ce a decoy in the town. They are indeed a formidable opponent. The forest is already in front of them. Skeletons havent appeared for a while. Theres no need to use [Earthquake] anymore. Even though its daytime, the forest is dim, emitting an eerie atmosphere. Its not filled with fog like the destend, but visibility is poor. [Hellme]. For now, she burned the surrounding trees with magic. The forest ignited over a wide area, turning into ashes and crumbling. What remained were the ckened ground and a few charcoals standing on the ground. Kicking one of the charcoals, it easily crumbled and disappeared into the wind. It doesnt seem to be a treant. If they had a treant as a card, they would mix it in with ordinary trees. If there are no treants within such a wide range after burning everything, its reasonable to assume that the opponent doesnt have treant minions. So, normal caution will suffice. She walked through what has literally be a burned field. And just as she was about to enter the forest again, she sensed a group-like presence. Rai Wait! Please wait! Thinking that they would all be enemies anyway, Rare was about to cast a lightning-type area-of-effect spell when a hurried voice stopped them. It seems to be a yer party. While keeping their guard up, they temporarily stopped casting magic. Looking towards the group, Rare gestured for them to speak. Uh, um. We are yers who are conquering this forest. Are you too? Is there a need to answer? However, theyve already been seen. Even at this distance, the face under the hood may not be visible, but recognizing a person is not only about their face. The figure, clothing, walking style, behavior habits, etc., can all be used to identify an individual, and voice is also an important element. If they engage in a conversation face to face, it will be immediately apparent when they meet again. Its different from being briefly seen during a surprise attack. If Rare doesnt intend to have Mare act as a PK from now on, its not good to kill them recklessly here. Im also a yer. Solo, not in a party. Speaking like a nobles daughter, she decided to speak politely, at least to some extent. Its not quite a role y, but if Mare is going to act solo, there is a need for Rare to imitate the current Mare. A polite tone should be easier to trace. Also, many yers use politenguage in the game, so it reduces the likelihood of being suspected. You came here solo all the way!? Magic user? No, a spear? You have something like that. A magic warrior, huh. If so, you must be a pretty high-level yer Can I ask your name? Oh, Im Takuma. Call me Mare. Thats what my friends call me. She introduced herself, but its just a nickname. No problem. The yer called Takuma seems to be a beastman, and judging by the name, he seems to be a tank ss. Hes carrying an impressive armor and shield. The armor is full of scars, and the shield is dented in ces. Whatever it was, if repaired with production skills, small scratches and dents could bepletely erased. If that hasnt been done, it means that this party hasnt returned to the town for a while. Is your friend not here today? By the way, I havent seen your face around here. Did you reallye to the forest just today? Thats impressive. Oh, Im Shiitake. Nice to meet you. Shiitake is an elf. The gap between appearance and name is severe. Moreover, he seems frivolous. The name Shiitake and the race Elf do not match this frivolity. Shiitake, who seems to be a light warrior with a short bow, is probably the scout of this party. I think beastmen, who have a bonus in acquiring sensory skills, are more suitable for scouting, but its not something to nitpick about. If a scout also handles trap removal, the initial low DEX of beastmen might be a drawback, so they might have prioritized that. Im Kouki. Your magic is amazing. How much INT do you have? Theres no way she would say. He seems to be the most friendly, but also the most rude. He looks like an elf based on his ears, but his facial features and style arepletely human. He seems like a wizard, and he probably chose Elf for its high initial INT. Or maybe he, like Rare, had his real body fully scanned. Hey, isnt it rude to ask someone you just met? Sorry about that. Im Tonbo. Im a spearman attacker. The name seems like it could be cut by a famous spear. Tonbo is arge human man. Hes more polite, but his appearance is rough. From sideburns to mustache and chin beard, everything is connected. He seems to be curious about Rares spear on her back, but he doesnt ask about it. His own spear is simr to a bamboo spear but with a slightly longer tip. Perhaps its a custom order. Hourai. The silent man is short. He looks almost like a child, but hes carrying a huge hammer on his back. If he has been active with this ystyle from the beginning, he would have needed a reasonably high STR from character creation. He has a slender and childlike face with a sweet mask, but hes probably a dwarf. Even if youvee here alone so far, I think its amazing, and judging by the power of your magic, your skill is unquestionable. However, to be clear, the difficulty of this forest area is iparable to the town area. Probably, the disyed difficulty is an average per unit area between the town and the forest. Huh. Rare had considered the possibility that the towns forces were modestly deployed. If they think that way, there is probably an imbnce in the deployment of forces, just as Rare thought. Even if youvee this far alone, I dont know if you can continue alone from here. What do you think? Wouldnt you like to form a temporary party with us? If youre as skilled as you seem, theres a benefit for us, and our Kouki can use [Healing Magic]. Leave the surrounding vignce to Shiitake, and it should be easier to proceed than solo. Easier means being in a state of ease, not that the work is easy. Its impossible for Rares mood to be easy by forming a party with five men she just met. Killing them all here is easy, but that would make the self-introduction she made quietly useless. On the other hand, its not entirely without benefits. Observing the tactics of an elf scout, the general skill of a spear user, the use of skills, coordination, and the performance of equipment is a rare opportunity. Sure, why not. Well, it will be for a short time, but nice to meet you.N?v(el)B\\jnn If it bes too much trouble, its better to kill them all. Its just a difference of doing it here orter. In that case, its not toote to see how things go a little before deciding. If she was seen during PK in town, it might be a bit troublesome, but thats a problem for when it happens. Chapter 167: “Takuma The Tank” Is that a spear, Mare-san? Do you fight as a spear warrior? Well, yes. Something like that. The yer who introduced herself as Mare, encountered in the northern forest of Neuschloss, answered Tonbos question that way. To unleash such powerful magic and also be able to fight as a spear user, Mare disyed extraordinary strength. Takumas party was confident in their abilities, considering themselves among the top yers, but they might need to reconsider. Mare, at least, seemed capable of handling the tasks of both Tonbo and Kouki on her own. Not only that, she had a short dagger strapped to her waist. It was too long for a utility knife. It could be a sub-weapon, but it wouldnt make sense to carry it in such a position if it couldnt be used. Perhaps Mare had invested experience points in dagger skills simr to Shiitakes proficiency in short sword techniques. Considering these aspects, Mare was likely among the top yers, possibly even surpassing the current upper echelons. Perhaps it was unnecessary meddling. Due to their pride as a top-ss party, they hadnt been conscious of yers with greater abilities than themselves. Although Tonbo approached with good intentions, it might have been unwee. Despite the difficulty in reading expressions due to the hood, Mare didnt seem weing from her tone. However, the fact that she at least agreed suggested that she saw some benefit in it. It was essential to move forward positively and focus on supporting each other as temporary party members. Well then. For now, our party already has Tonbo and Hourai as melee physical attackers, so Mare-san, could you act as a magic attacker alongside Kouki? Is that eptable? Yes, thats fine. It was regrettable not to see Mares skills with the spear or dagger, but their roles would ovep with Tonbo and Shiitake. Shiitake could provide long-range support with a short bow, but Tonbo had only a spear for attacking. If they assigned Mare the role of a spear user, Tonbo would be left with no tasks. Moreover, the goblins in this area had high defense, and finishing blows were mostly left to Koukis magic. On the other hand, Mares magic was formidable. If she could cast such powerful spells, she likely had sufficient MP. If she had area-of-effect magic, she probably had single-target spells as well. While there was a possibility she only had fire-based magic, it didnt matter much, as the monsters in this forest were goblins and skeletons, both vulnerable to fire. Additionally, with a cooldown time on magic, having multiple magic users would be advantageous. They rearranged their formation: Takuma, Shiitake, and Hourai in the front; Tonbo in the center; Kouki and Mare in the rear. With this, they resumed exploring the forest. But seriously, I was surprised when the forest suddenly burned. Tonbo spoke to Mare from behind Takuma. I apologize. Many skeletons were emerging from the ground in the wastnd. I wanted to check if the same was happening in the forest. More importantly, what was that magic you used earlier? Such a wide-range attack, and itpletely incinerated a 4-ranked forest! As far as I know, theres no fire magic with that level of power. Did you discover a rumoredbination magic? Combination magic? Oh, my mistake. Well, there are rumors about it. You see, magic cooldown times are separate for each spell. So, if you adjust the ejection speed and activation time well, its not impossible to shoot different spells almost simultaneously. Normally, they would cancel each other out, but if thats the case, its not strange to have a magicbination that produces synergistic effects with specificbinations. Ive never heard of that. Huh. Those are interesting rumors Kouki also joined the conversation. Even if they had more firepower than usual, this was the forefront of a challenging dungeon. In fact, Takumas party had never reached the deepest part of this forest. They went back and forth, sometimes experiencing a death and respawn, earning experience in town while progressing through exploration. It was not a ce for casual conversation. Hey, you guys Front! Skeletons! Probably goblins too! As Takuma was about to intervene, Shiitakes warning interrupted all conversations. Quietly on guard in the front, Hourai was already inbat mode, gripping the hammer and ring at the shadows of the trees pointed out by Shiitake. Shiitake released a distracting arrow. Since skeletons were mostly immune to arrows, the reaction was minimal. Still, if there were goblins apanying them, they would likely be lured out. Silence. Magic flew from the shadows of the trees. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a mage among the enemies. The goblins in this forest wererger than those in other areas, almost human-sized. The mage was simr, possessing magic power on par with some yers. Depending on theposition and number of enemies, an ordinary party could easily be defeated. [Thunderbolt]. A refreshing voice was heard from behind, and a lightning bolt pierced through the formation, intercepting the magic unleashed by the goblins. Both magical attacks burst and scattered around, but the damage wasnt significant. As soon as the magic was repelled, skeletons emerged from between the trees. However, the waiting Hourai swiftly swung her hammer, sending one skeleton flying and smashing it into another tree. Skeletons were weak against blunt force, and with the impact and collision with the tree, it should be on the brink of death. The goblin that followed was being restrained by Shiitakes arrows. Tonbos responsibility was to keep it in check. Tonbo raised his shield and advanced. Shiitake, noticing this, confirmed the lowering of the bow and activated [Shield Charge]. It was a skill that continued running in a straight line with the shield raised until canceled. Tonbo charged straight ahead, reaching the tree where the goblins had emerged and mming the goblin against it. Canceling the skill, Tonbo immediately used [Backstep] to retreat to the rear. While watching the goblin, now slumped at the base of the tree, getting hit by Koukis magic, Tonbo raised his shield again, activating [Taunt] to prepare for attacks from other creatures. [ze Lance]! And, is that thest one? The goblin mage was incinerated by Koukis [Fire Magic], and the caution was temporarily lifted. Shiitake, still attentive to the surroundings, eventually sheathed his short sword. There were a bit more than usual this time. Mare-san, thanks for being here. The first magic was Mare-sans, right? Yes. But it wasnt a big deal. No, our Kouki has considerable magical power, but he doesnt use magic for interference. Its helpful not to take the initial hit. Rather than using magic to avoid taking damage, its more MP-efficient to cast [Heal] a few times after the battle. Im just acting rationally. In Koukis case, it was more about beingzy and frugal than rational, but since it wasnt causing significant problems, Takuma didnt strongly object. This time, Mares different style of magic use allowed them to take it easy. This was one of the charms of a temporary party.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Now, lets proceed once the stripping is done. Tonbo, Kouki, please. While goblins didnt yield significant items, the red-ck translucent stones in the protrusions on their foreheads were valuable. Initially, they thought it might be a horn or something, but the protrusion didnt reach the bone; it was formed by the hardening of the skin. These translucent stones could be sold at a high price to the NPCs in town. It seemed to be some kind of material, but yers specializing in crafting hadnt been collecting it, so the recipe for it hadnt been discovered yet. Yes. Thats fine. With Mares consent, they resumed their exploration. Encounters with groups of goblins and skeletons urred frequently, but they were all defeated without much danger. There seemed to be slightly more than usual, but it was surprisingly easier than usual. Needless to say, it was because of Mare. While she didnt cast the high-powered magic seen during their first meeting, her cool and effective actions, like nullifying magic and hindering enemy movements, contributed. She even showed off tricks like using magic to shoot down arrows from goblin archers. ording to her, lightning magic had a fast activation and projectile speed, making it easy once you got used to it. However, Takuma had never seen anything like it before. While still being efficient inbat, she discreetly left the job of delivering finishing blows to Kouki, ensuring to preserve his pride. Clearly, she was a yer of a significantly higher caliber. Though they received less experience per enemy due to her presence, the overall efficiency of their battles increased, resulting in higher ie. Yeah, having one more magic user really changes the efficiency. Shiitake, for his standards, made a considerate remark. Takumas party had no dissatisfaction with Kouki, but such a clear difference in abilities couldnt be ignored. It would be ideal to have Mare continue with the party from now on, but she had mentioned teaming up with different members regrly, making it difficult. Takuma, what do you think? Since we have the chance, how about challenging the deepest part of the forest today? As Tonbo suggested, if possible, they wanted to try reaching the deepest part of the forest. Until now, Takumas party had never reached that far. They usually prioritized surviving and returned when they could cover about half the distance to abat-ready location. Even though there were often casualties, they were still alive. Normally, they would be close to turning back now. However, considering the time, it was still quite early. Thanks to the efficiency of their battles, they were ahead of schedule. The overall n wouldnt change, but checking the boss of this area before returning for equipment repairs seemed like a good idea. Of course, Mares approval was essential since there was a possibility of being unable to retreat, meaning a potential wipe. Yeah, Mare-san. How about it? If youre okay with it, would you explore all the way to the deepest part and check out the boss here? Of course, theres a possibility of being wiped out right there on the spot, so if Mare-san isnt willing, well turn back right here Its okay. Im interested too. However, if ites to fighting the boss, Im sorry, but I will prioritize defending myself first. Of course! Thank you very much! It was only natural for her, a temporary member, to prioritize her own safety. They hadnt built a level of trust in this short period that would justify her risking her life and experience points for them. It felt too apologetic to have her go through that for Takuma and the others. Well then, lets continue towards the deepest part without turning back. Although it was described as the deepest part of the forest, it wasnt precisely clear where that was. However, through their exploration so far, they had a rough idea of the general direction. While the overall density of monsters in this forest was higherpared to the town, there was a significant increase in monsters only when approaching specific areas. It was evident that they didnt want them to go in that direction, likely because a boss was there. Shiitake, utilizing mapping skills and items, had mapped the forest from the surface to the middleyer. However, beyond the middleyer, there were areas not yet mapped, forming an arc. These areas were left nk due to the extremely high monster density, indicating ces where Takumas party hadnt set foot. Usually, this served as a guide for turning back. That meant this area beyond and likely the center of the arc contained the boss. From there, the difficulty level increased significantly. Even with Mare in the party, it could be described as barely making it. They had to drink potions for fatigue and MP recovery at every short break. They hadnt prepared potions for Mare, but she insisted it wasnt necessary, so they used only their own. It wasnt that the enemies became stronger, but the increase in numbers took its toll. The excessive number of enemies couldnt be covered by Takumas provocation-type skills alone. Shiitake, who didnt usually engage in closebat, had to focus on defense. Still, they managed somehow, thanks to the partyposition. yers who couldnt engage in closebat were only Kouki, and the others had some form ofbat capability. If Kouki was targeted, Shiitake guarded him, enduring until Tonbo and Hourai attacked and pulled the enemies away. In this situation, Mare, the guest, couldnt support much, but that concern seemed unnecessary. Mare was taking on several goblins by herself. In the chaos, she didnt use her spear but smoothly dodged attacks, asionally throwing enemies and precisely piercing vital points with her short dagger. In the midst of this, she casually cast magic, seemingly neutralizing enemy magic and hindering their actions. It couldnt be confirmed as they didnt watch the entire time, but the fact that hardly any magic came from the enemies suggested as much. This forced march was somewhat selfish of Takumas party, but Mare seemed unconcerned. The surprise attack from behind, which had been absent until now, was especially nerve-wracking. The timing was undoubtedly chosen to ensure the sess of the ambush, exploiting the umted fatigue. Shiitake, whose attention was focused forward, didnt notice the approaching enemies from behind, falling victim to the surprise attack. Even so, Mare took care of it. Suddenly, at the rear with Kouki, she cast an area-of-effect spell, piercing multiple goblins with lightning, leaving them charred. Simultaneously, enemies came from the front, so Takumas group couldnt support the rear, but it wasnt necessary. The enemies from behind, who were supposed to execute a foolproof surprise attack, seemed flustered, and it appeared they werent Mares foes. Before the front battle concluded, the clean-up in the rear wasplete. After that, it was the usual scenario, with Mare supporting the front battle. Understanding what it meant to team up with a yer of significantly higher skill level, Takuma felt it unpleasantly. With just one such yer, they could challenge dungeons of one or even two difficulty levels higher. However, this couldnt be called conquering a dungeon. They were merely being taken on an attraction by Mare. Mare-san, I apologize for the impoliteness, but I have a favor to ask. What is it? Well, if we happen to fight the boss, Im sorry, but Id like you to refrain from getting involved and just watch. Hey, Takuma! No, yeah. If Mare-san is okay with it, it would be appreciated. Tonbo seemed to share the same opinion. Shiitake also nodded in agreement. Hourai remained silent with closed eyes, but he always did so when he agreed. If he disagreed, he would immediately express it. His silence meant he, too, felt the inadequacy of their partys strength. If its okay for me to prioritize my safety, I dont mind. If Mare were to use Takuma and the others as meat shields, there might be a chance of winning against the boss. However, Takuma and the others wanted to at least try fighting the boss themselves, even if they ended up losing. Since she had acknowledged their intention with a nod, appropriate gratitude was necessary. Fighting the boss with just Takumas party would likely lead to a wipeout. If that happened, she would have to face the boss alone. Even with Mare, it didnt seem likely they could defeat the boss. While the value of her experience points was uncertain, they decided to hand over all the drop items they had obtained so far. No one in the party opposed this decision. Uh, thank you? Uh, wait a moment, please. Ah. Yes, here you go. Thank you very much. Um, thank you. Mare epted it, momentarily wearing a surprised expression. Her gratitude seemed unexpected. She was not only skilled but also had a wonderful personality. Takuma considered himself fortunate to have met her. He would have liked to be friends, but that was out of the question since Shiitake had attacked her during their journey. If he proposed it now, it might seem like he was trying to lure her with drop items, so he decided to give up on it this time. What is this a house? Its built here. Goblins build houses? Thats the first time Ive seen that. This was probably the deepest part, where the boss would likely be. There was a cleared space where surrounding trees seemed to have been cut down, and in that space stood something like a log house. The log house was quite sizable, possibly two stories tall. Although doors werent visible, they might be on the opposite side. It was almost certain that the boss was inside. Oh, hey, itsing out! From behind the log house, a massive goblin appeared slowly. By rough estimation, it seemed to be around three meters tall. If it lived in this massive body, the log house might be a single-story instead of two. The clothing was neaterpared to other goblins, made from oddly sewn together colorful fabrics. No, it was different. These were probably clothes taken from people in the town. They were sewn together to make their own attire. Considering monsters having concepts of decoration or clothing seemed unlikely, this was probably some kind of hunting trophy. It conveyed the message that it had invaded the town and killed this many humans. Its intimidating. Can we win against this guy? A 4 is this? Or is the boss in a different league? More importantly, here ites! Mare-san, please step back! Swinging a log that seemed like it was just pulled out from a nearby tree, the boss attacked. Chapter 168: “Necro Revival” Without being told, Rare had already crouched down in the shade of a tree. It seemed that Tankman was unable to withstand the giant goblins attack, as he was crushed and stuck to the ground. If they had intended to fight, instead of casually observing, they should have preemptively blown away the log house. Once they gave time to an opponent they knew was superior, their fate was sealed. There was no way for them to recover after losing the tank. One by one, they were mmed to the ground by the giant goblins club. Tankman and Hourai, who were the first to be attacked, seemed to be still alive, but they were repeatedly struck by the giant goblin who noticed them.N?v(el)B\\jnn Light leaked from the dented ground shaped like the club. It was death for them. If they had initiated with magic, causing some status ailment damage, prioritized evasion over defense against the clubs attack, and concentrated the attack on one leg to first deprive it of mobility, the battle might have been a bit better. But thats something that can be said because it was observed from behind. Its difficult to win suddenly against opponents who use such instant death attacks. Its a one-shot kill. Regardless, with their current abilities, even if they tactically maneuvered perfectly, it was uncertain whether they could win. Even if they could win, it would take hours to reach a resolution. In short, theycked the power. The giant goblin seemed to have noticed Rare and was staring intently at her. There was no sign of letting them escape, but she had no intention of running away. Mare was alsocking in power, but she had weapon capabilities that more thanpensated for the difference. Mare had already taken care of the nuisance, and now it was just a matter of killing without mercy to see what would happen to the territory. [Hellme]. Magic was cast centered around the middle of the log house and the giant goblin. If this goblin had noticed Rare, it would have been good if it had attacked, but for some reason, it was waiting patiently. Perhaps it was deliberately giving up the initiative. Fortunately, thanks to Tankman, thebat style of the giant goblin had been figured out to some extent. If it was going to let her take the initiative, it wouldnt hurt to take advantage of its kindness. Even if she thought she could win, she couldnt afford to be careless. Rare would teach the same thing she learned from yers to this boss. The mes licked the surroundings, expanding the square a little. The log house naturally turned into ashes, and the giant goblin also suffered burns all over its body. The damage itself didnt seem significant, but luckily, it seemed they were able to inflict a bad status. Burns would persist until healed, causing slip damage based on the area and severity. If there was natural recovery exceeding the slip damage, burns would heal over time, but it seemed this goblincked such recovery power. The goblin turned around to see the log house reduced to ashes and rushed towards Rare. It seemed more angered by the destruction of the log house than by pain or damage. To be concerned about the log house during a life-threatening battle, either it still didnt think it would lose, or Because it never truly dies. In other words, its a yer. She narrowly dodged the kick delivered with the momentum of the charge. The trees where Rare had hidden were kicked along with the surrounding ground, soaring into the air. Without confirming that, Rare quickly moved to the goblins supporting leg in the fleeting moment before the kicked leg returned, making three cuts on the Achilles tendon. Gah! The goblin couldnt help but crouch down, holding its kicked leg. There was no sign of a follow-up attack. Swinging its arms seemed to be just a reflexive action. It was wide open. [ze Lance]. However, Rare didnt approach carelessly. They swung down the halberd and cast a spell. If this goblin were a yer, there might be some kind of act. If Rare patiently chipped away at its LP from outside the range of its attacks, she should eventually defeat it. There was also slip damage from burns. If the body structure was the same as humans, getting up should be difficult. At least, it shouldnt be able to charge again. Despite attacking from behind, the goblin was crouched, clutching its chest as if waiting for something. Reinforcements, perhaps? Even if reinforcements came, if they were the level of trash mobs encountered before arriving here, it wouldnt be a problem. They could dispose of them effortlessly while finishing off the giant goblin. After that, Rare repeatedly hit the goblin with attack magic, but it showed no significant reaction. Or perhaps its already dead. No, its certain that its alive. asionally, it twitched slightly and, if one listened closely, muttered something. And then. [Necro Revival]! What!? As soon as the goblin shouted some words, a pitch-ck darkness erupted, enveloping its body and swirling around. It wasnt a dim darkness like the [Curtain of Darkness]. It was true darkness that absorbed all light, making it impossible to see through. In an unexpected turn of events, Rare gritted her teeth, realizing that this wasnt her original body. If it were the [Demonic Eyes], she might have been able to observe more closely. Rare kept her eyes focused, watching the situation unfold. Even though the goblin was covered in darkness, it should still be there. Rare could have followed up with more magic attacks to finish it off. But curiosity took that opportunity away. The darkness quickly dissipated. Rather, it disappeared as it was sucked into the center. In the center stood the goblin, now slightly smaller in size. The bulky, muscle-packed body resembling a muscle doll was gone. It was more like a slim matchstick figure. The body wasposed of bones, skin, and thin muscles pulled to the limit. Its height had also shrunk to about two meters. If you ignored the face, it could even pass for an elf. Due to its dark skin, it could be considered close to a Dark Elf. Rare hadnt encountered a regr Dark Elf, so she didnt know for sure. The face no longer looked like a simple goblin. Emaciated cheeks, exposed fangs, and red light glowing in sunken eye sockets. The closest image would be a mummy. However, since it was made from a goblins skull, it was far more grotesque than a human mummy. The [Necromancy] skill acquired by Rare, or rather, Mare, whispered. This thing is undead. Someone had mentioned that the boss would undergo a second transformation or something like that. But to actually do it Despite the opponents appearance, Rare had forgotten that this boss could also control Skeleton Goblins. This meant that, despite its physical appearance, it should have aspects of a necromancer. The culmination of that was probably the current situation. Rare didnt know about a skill called [Necro Revival], but it was undoubtedly a skill unlocked in the [Death] tree under certain conditions. Its effect was probably to resurrect oneself as an undead. It might have been a single or double transformation, perhaps an upgrade to a higher form. I didnt expect the day to use this toe so soon. Is it my luck, or is it your misfortune? It spoke. Considering Deas and Sieg, it wouldnt be surprising for a goblin mummy like this to speak. However, judging from what it said, it was clear that it had either anticipated or schemed this development. The fact that it mentioned luck indicated a high possibility of scheming. If an NPC was as intelligent as this, it would have spoken before. In fact, its underling, Gark, conversed fluently. So, it intentionally didnt speak until now. At least, NPCs wouldnt have any benefit in doing so. The boss of Neuschloss was a yer. Discovering dungeon owners other than herself was good, but the situation wasnt favorable. Revealing Mares true identity and offering cooperation might be considered, but there was no guarantee the opponent would ept that. No. Even if they eventually established a cooperative system, Rare would likely feel the urge tond a punch first. Besides, revealing their true identity and asking for cooperation would seem as if they were cowering in fear of the opponents resurrected form. That was not eptable. So, they had no choice but to fight. And winning was the only option. However, the first form of the giant goblin was suitable for a surprise attack, and they were fortunate to seal its movements. However, against this slender mummy, the same approach wouldnt work. This yer was clearly reincarnated. It was surprising that there was a means to reincarnate through skills, and they risked activating it in their near-death state. It didnt seem like they intentionally weakened themselves. At the time of the giant goblin, its stats were probably much higher than Mares. Even in terms of speed, if it were apetition, Mare wouldnt be able to catch up, especially with its charging speed. The strength to swing a log with one hand, vitality to survive even after stabbing the heart, didnt need to be mentioned. INT and MND were unknown, but if they had invested experience points in the [Death] skill tree, there was a possibility that MND had been increased. Resistance checks for an undead target, as induced by the [Death] skill, were both done with MND. Additionally, the fact that the opponents body had shrunk was problematic. Rtive to the opponent, it could be said that the target had berger. Rare couldnt be sure about the opponents physicalbat skills and yer skills, but in closebat, having simr body sizes usually made it easier. Considering the possibility of increased AGI and DEX on the opponents side, it was not guaranteed that Rare could easily evade as before. Youve been doing whatever you wanted. Youve crossed the line. Until now, you might have been invincible with that weapon and skill, but that ends here. Die. I refuse. If the opponent were an NPC monster, it wouldnt matter even if I died. I learned from the conversation that the Tankman guys from earlier were a fairly well-known party in this area. Without Rares help, they wouldnt be able to approach the deepest part of the dungeon. Even weakened due to death penalties, they and other parties wouldnt casually get here. So, leaving Mares body here for an hour wouldnt be a significant issue. However, if the boss in front of me is a yer, its a different story. Moreover, this monster speaks so fluently. Its a monster that probably doesnt even have production skills, yet it builds a log house, wears clothes, and wields a weapon like a club. The high level of intelligence is something even Rare, who knows the opponent is a yer, can sense. In front of such an intelligent monster, leaving my body untouched for a full hour is akin to asking it to strip my equipment. Common sense dictates that I should avoid such a situation. Moreover, with the acquired [Subordinate] skill and the numerous minions this Goblin Mummy controls, it might consider the possibility that Mare is someones minion NPC. Currently, it likely thinks Im a yer based on the situation, but if the body doesnt disappear, it would probably start suspecting that Mare is an NPC. Yet, its impossible to suddenly regainposure and use [Summon] to bring Mare back. Suddenly disappearing from view would be as unnatural as leaving the body unattended for an hour. I let curiosity get the better of me, watching the enemys transformation scene without interruption. I should have stopped it. I now understand. In old Japanese live-action shows, the reason enemies dont interrupt the heros transformation is that of curiosity. They end up defeated due to the curiosity of wondering what cool form the hero will transform into. And now, Rare is about to join that group. Ill pass on that. Huh? Well, of course. Its natural not to want to die. Its not that, but since its not incorrect, I wont correct it. Even if I think I can win, I must not let my guard down. I feel like telling my past self from a little while ago not to say such things. I have many questions. Why is the goblin here well-developed? What are the acquisition conditions for [Necro Revival]? However, theres no way to ask. Besides, there are plenty of good experimental subjects for verification. I can give experience points to Gark and its minions, conduct various experiments in different scenarios. Its something to add to the to-do list when theres a substantial amount of umted experience points. Even at this stage, is the goblin still nning to yield the initiative to Rare, or is it just talking about killing without showing any sign of attack? Or did it acquire skills that excel in countering or taking advantage ofter actions, unlike before? But, unlike earlier, I cant bring myself to attack first without knowing the opponents physical abilities. As Rare, following the principles of the familys martial arts that prioritize self-defense, its generally easier to let the opponent take the initiative. Taking the initiative should only happen when the opponents hand is somewhat revealed or when I can swiftly eliminate them regardless of their hand. Whats wrong? Dont you want to die? Arent you attacking? Arent you going to kill me? Arent you attacking? The opponent is also wary of Rare. Despite talking about luck earlier, it seems strengthened considerably by [Necro Revival]. Nevertheless, its this cautious. It seems sealing the opponentpletely in the first form left quite a trauma. Alright. At this speed, you wont be able to dodge like before! Just as I thought it was ready, the Goblin Mummy was where Rare had been standing. However, Rare wasnt there. Theres no fool waiting without dodging, despite dering theyll do attacks that cant be dodged easily. If I start evading in response to the opponents first move, I can dodge in a straight trajectory. If theres a significant difference in AGI making it impossible, it would be helpless, but fortunately, the difference doesnt seem to be thatrge. Considering the distance between us and the opponents speed, even if the opponent saw my evasive actions, correcting the trajectory wasnt easy. It was a calcted dodge, assuming that my actions would be visible. Are you dodging this one too! Even if its fast, the opponents speed is slower than single-target magic. Dodging is not difficult if you can read the trajectory of the attack. And the opponent is semi-naked, with no unnecessary fat. The movements of the muscles are clearly visible. In this game with high reproduction uracy, for Rare, who is sullying the position of the familys martial arts representative, its more challenging to overlook the signs of action. Its good that the difference in strength isnt so great that I cant even see the moving figure. However, if the opponent attacks unarmed, the naginata is not suitable. The range doesnt match. Yet, I cant outmaneuver the opponent with my range either. The opponent isnt weak enough for that. If its unusable, it would only get in the way. I dropped it at my feet while still holding it. Have you given up!? If youre not using it! Just put it away! Hey! Quickly delivering kicks and thrusts, the Goblin Mummy targeted the vulnerable spots. If it can do that, Ill counter while narrowly dodging attacks. The attacks of the Goblin Mummy are simple but efficient. Although its movements dont seem like those of someone trained in martial arts, its undoubtedly ustomed tobat. It seems to have extensively yed this type of game. As encounters like this have increasedtely, its an era where you cant afford to be careless in both real life and virtual reality. Its fortunate that the family business is thriving. My main job isnt the naginata. I enjoy swinging the naginata, but its just a hobby, not my main upation. The naginata teacher is not my grandmother but an acquaintance of my grandmother. In other words, its a pastime. Ive be ustomed to the opponents speed. Im learning the patterns of its attacks. Im used to dealing with formidable opponents with significantly different physical abilities barehanded. Hey!? From the opponents perspective, they might wonder why they were caught despite the slow movements. They knew it, but for some reason, they acted ording to the opponents n. Thats what they think. However, its different. I skillfully maneuvered to not let the opponent realize, setting traps. After everything is over, theyll feel like they should have seen it, but thats all. Those who have honed their skills independently are undoubtedly strong but very straightforward. Theyre even easier to deceive than amateurs. The Goblin Mummy soared high into the sky through its cleverly distorted power and eventually fell. What the hell! Does it even have a throwing skill! However, the damage wasnt as significant as I thought. Abnormal strengthbined with abnormal lightness. Due to this unreal body characteristic of the Goblin Mummy, I couldnt inflict substantial damage. Moreover, its VIT must be high. Using the opponents strength to capitalize on falling damage from a throw seems impossible. However, with Rares stats, its challenging to deliver enough damage with simple strikes to knock it out, and joint techniques might be returned with only a STR difference. I see, this is hopeless. I feel like I want debuff items now. I admired Wayne and the others who faced the cmity without hesitation a little. In the face of a significant difference in abilities, all techniques are meaningless. Its also a skill to fill that gap, but RareMare doesnt have it. The kind of techniques I just used, which promise damage bonuses by the system, wont work. Even with a slight difference in abilities, against opponents like the current top-ss party, it seems these techniques wont be effective. Its natural, of course. If that were possible, there would be no point for Rare to earn experience points. The Goblin Mummy, wary of my throwing technique, stays away, providing an opportunity to create distance. With my original body, this half-baked undead would be a one-shot with Sacred Magic, but stating that now wont change anything. No, wait. Theres nothing to do about it. Its a fact. T/N: she does call him tankman, the name Takuma () is simr to tankman (󥯥ޥ) Chapter 169: “Bamb” The woman with the hood is indeed strong. Moreover, that spear-like equipment is a considerably high-ranked item. Its likely made of Mithril or a high-quality metal simr to it. However, judging from her speed, I knew that her overall abilities wouldnt be as highpared to mine. Back when I was a Hobgoblin Great Shaman, I suffered a straight defeat due to the difference in size and standing, but with this Deovoldraugr, I wont easily fall behind. In spite of myself, I marvel at how strong Ive be. Bamb recalled the beginning of the game service. Goblins are weak. Its so weak that one might wonder if there are yers who choose such a weak race other than me. However, precisely because of that, the initial experience points one receives are the highest. Having a lot of experience points means having many choices. In other words, it can be said that goblins are the most free race. Bamb sought even more freedom and increased his experience points by taking disadvantages with inherent traits. Examples include [Bad Eyesight] and [Gluttony]. Gluttony doubles the rate at which the hunger gauge decreases, but in return, it grants a unique effect depending on the race. For goblins, it allows them to increase the satiety level beyond the maximum even in a full state. Essentially, its an effect that allows food hoarding. Bamb happily acquired it, considering that despite receiving only 5 experience points, it wasnt a real disadvantage. He also liked the act of eating. It seemed like a trait prepared just for him. Thats what he thought. However, this game world wasnt so forgiving. There were hardly any things goblins could eat. It wasnt a matter of dietary habits but rather a problem of the natural hierarchy. Bamb couldnt secure food. The hunger gauge quickly bottomed out, and Bamb died. Despite starting with a considerable amount of experience points, he lost some because he had more than the minimum guaranteed value that wouldnt incur a death penalty. All that remained for Bamb were disadvantages. Bamb chose a forest environment for the initial spawn point, but it seemed to be a goblin settlement. There were many goblins around, simr to Bamb, but some of them were corpses. Furthermore, some of those corpses had turned into skeletons. In other words, this settlement had been in this state for a long time. The reason for the poverty of the settlement was its inability to survive thepetition. In this forest, there were also settlements of higher-ranking hobgoblins. Although it was rare to be killed by hobgoblins, they had a simr diet. If they could eat, goblins would starve. Thats not all. Near the forest, there was a human country. Many beastmen seemed to live there. It seemed to be a country of the beastman country mentioned on the official site, probably called Pearl. Humans asionally entered the forest from that city, defeated goblins, and then returned. The goblin settlement was on the edge of the forest. Even if Bamb wanted to escape deeper into the forest, it was upied by hobgoblins. He was cornered. For a while, Bamb continued to y, defeating small animals for meals and experience points, losing them due to starvation, and repeating the cycle. It was umon to starve multiple times a day, but here, it was amon urrence. Although there was some mercy from the developers, starting with about 10% recovery, it would deplete until something was eaten. For Bamb, that 10% was very little. While doing so, the other goblins in the settlement continued to decrease, and before he knew it, Bamb was the only one left. Everyone else had be corpses. Well, Bamb was technically theirrade, but being a yer, he managed to avoid death. This settlement had maintained a precarious bnce, miraculously avoidingplete extinction. However, the arrival of yers into the forest and their killing of goblins upset that bnce. The oue was already decided when the game started. Bamb thought while looking at the skeletal goblins. He wanted a body that didnt get hungry. At this point, he regretted his choice during character creation. However, he couldnt bring himself to start over. What would be the point of starting over? He wanted to make hobgoblins and the beastmen in that city bow down to him. However, even if he reset, it wasnt certain he could start again in this forest. Once he became a corpse, he wouldnt need food anymore. Undead probably didnt need to eat or drink. Magical creatures were likely the same, but there didnt seem to be a way to be a magical creature now. However, bing undead was not impossible. Bamb acquired the skill [Necromancy]. In the skill tree, there was another skill called [Necro Revival]. It was a bingo. However, he didnt have enough experience points to acquire it. He needed to earn more. Bamb allocated all the remaining experience points to STR and AGI, relying on his own hand-to-handbat skills to attack yers entering the forest. Rookies whoe to such a forest aiming for goblins are fools. If they were solo yers without caution, even a goblin in almost its initial state, especially if STR-specialized, could defeat them. He would attack them by surprise, and if he couldnt defeat them, he would rely on the increased AGI to escape. It was a series of gambles, but doing nothing would only result in starving to death. It was unfortunate for yers entering the forest with goblins as their target, but there wasnt a single goblin left for that purpose. Bamb was surprised as well; he never expected that the games monsters would be hunted to extinction. * And so, by repeatedly gaining experience points through the process of climbing two steps of the stairs and descending one step, and fulfilling some unclear conditions several times, Bamb finally stood at the pinnacle of this forest. Originally, Great Shamans are more of a magic-oriented race. However, due to Bambs ystyle favoring meleebat even in other games, he had a tendency to allocate more points to physical stats even after gaining experience points. Hobgoblins themselves are fundamentally a physical-oriented race. The effect of [Gluttony], which was a stock for the hunger gauge during the goblin stage, now, as a Hobgoblin, allowed Bamb to consume additional experience points for each extra meal, erging the size of his body. In primitive shes, naturally, the bigger one is stronger. Forgetting that he was a Great Shaman and allocating points to the physical stats wasnt entirely unreasonable. However, thanks to that, Bamb was able to annihte the yer party ahead. If he had been an ordinary Hobgoblin Great Shaman, it would be hard to imagine engaging in a proper battle without any subordinates on hand. However, most of the reliable subordinates had already been ughtered by that yer party. It didnt seem like they had that much strength, but perhaps the woman with the hood had done something. However, for Bamb, having many subordinates killed in a short time was fortunate. It was because it was necessary for activating the special derivative skill of the [Necromancy] tree, called [Necro Revival]. This skill required preparations through another skill to activate, a so-calledbo skill. The preparation involved using a skill called [Necromantic Ritual] to gather a certain number of souls under one location under the casters control. Although it wasnt explicitly stated to use [Necromantic Ritual], there were no other means to gather arge number of souls. There were no such skills in the [Necromancy] tree, and there were no other skill trees that seemed to handle souls. [Necromantic Ritual] was probably a unique skill of the Great Shaman, meaning that [Necro Revival] could only be used effectively by races with shamanic abilities or, if they existed, necromancer-type races. While it was possible to gather souls with [Necromantic Ritual], there was no means to gather the crucial sacrifices. If the nearby city had been intact, he could have used the citys residents as sacrifices. However, the destruction of that city was the catalyst for using the experience points gained to acquire these skills. Giving up on gathering sacrifices from external sources, he decided to use the subordinates already under his control. He ced them within the range of [Necromantic Ritual] in advance, and when they all died, he would gather the floating souls. Although the subordinates used in [Necro Revival] lost their characters, sometimes you had to make sacrifices. The subordinates would respawn one hour after death, so the time limit to gather souls with [Necromantic Ritual] was one hour. Other conditions needed to be fulfilled before that. One of those conditions was the death of the caster, in other words, Bamb. However, naturally, if he died, the skill wouldnt activate. Therefore, it was desirable to activate it just before dying and have the conditions checked at the moment of activation. There would probably be a few seconds or minutes of grace period in reality, but this time, thanks to the hooded woman inflicting a status abnormality with slip damage, it was remarkably easy. Counting the remaining LP while adjusting the timing, considering the asional damage from iing attack spells, was all he needed to do. By killing the necessary number of subordinates within a short time and reaching Bamb, a yer could potentially kill him. He had been using [Necromantic Ritual] constantly since acquiring it, nning for such an asion, but he thought it would take a bit more time for the yers to grow to that extent.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om If it took too long, he considered trying to kill his subordinates himself and attempt suicide. However, he didnt know if [Necromantic Ritual] allowed friendly fire, and he also didnt know if suicide would function as a trigger. Since the territory would bepletely defenseless after death, it would be ast resort. It was fortunate that this achievement was reached at such an early stage. He couldnt forgive the fact that the log house he had painstakingly built was turned to ashes, but the results more thanpensated for it. And he hadnt expected the size of his body to change so much. In any case, reconstruction was necessary. Just as Bamb thought about the status of this Deovoldraugr and attacked: He was thrown by the hooded woman. The damage itself wasnt significant. However, being dealt damage by a yer who should be considerably inferior in terms of stats was surprising. Bamb knew well how difficult it was to deal even a little damage to a superior opponent without weapons. Taking damage meant that if the fight continued, he would eventually be defeated. At the current level of attack, the damage would likely have already disappeared through natural recovery. However, if this attack was just a test to determine the effectiveness of throwing techniques, or if the yer had more powerful skills hidden, the possibility could not be denied. He had thought that only the spear with its strange shape needed attention. Therefore, he had initiated an infight to prevent its use, but it seemed that the hooded womans hand wasnt just the spear and magic. She was definitely not an ordinary person. Approaching carelessly was dangerous. Although the spear was left on the ground, there was still a possibility that it was a bluff to make him think it wouldnt be used. It was not guaranteed that another one wouldnte out from the inventory. Being cautious about the womans movements, suddenly, her atmosphere changed unexpectedly. A premonition of something, and he tensed. Then, the woman suddenly shouted: Eh Ah, Sa, [Sacred Smite]! A skill he had never heard of. Shortly after dering the activation key, the space in front of the woman distorted, but it quickly returned to normal. It seemed to be a failure. Feeling disappointed, Bamb rxed his guard. A bluff. Something like At the moment he was about to say something pointless, a dazzling white light enveloped Bamb. The light ascended to the sky, but it was unclear how far it extended. However, there was no time to worry about such things. ! He couldnt even make a sound. The damage wasparable to the earlier blow to the heart. In other words, if he took another hit, he would probably die. To make matters worse, he also had bad statuses like darkness, burn, self-inflicted, and immobilization. Although it was known when the log house was burned that the hooded womans magic skills were high, he hadnt expected her to have such high-level magic. He hadnt shot until now because there was likely a timeg between dering the activation key and the actual activation. There was enough leeway for short conversations. Hitting with this magic duringbat would be impossible for a vanguard role. Keeping a distance in caution had backfired. However, with just one blow, this much damage and multiple abnormal statuses. It undoubtedly was a powerful magic that had a long cooldown time. Another blow wouldnte immediately. Nevertheless, he couldnt move due to self-infliction, immobilization, and darkness, and he had no idea about the surrounding situation. If she picked up the spear and aimed for the heart, it would be the end this time. Ah, yes. Uh, [Holy Explosion]! With that voice, all sensations disappeared. <> T/N: The guys name is written as Х and I just went with Bamb, but I guess it could also be Bambu (although its not Bamboo in case anyone was wondering) Chapter 170: “Stand By Me” The [Holy Explosion] is the most powerful magic in [Sacred Magic] at the moment. In terms of sheer attack power, [Dark Implosion] is probably the highest magic Rare has, but since the enemy seems to be undead, [Sacred Magic] would likely deal more damage. I thought one shot of [Sacred Smite] would be enough, but my estimate was off. It seems like the yer has heavily invested in VIT and STR, resulting in a high LP. Despite appearing physical, they use [Undead] skills. Whether its a physical build or a magic ss, they engage in closebat, have high LP C where is this characters build headed? However, it did cause some trouble. As usual, its mostly the result of Rares carelessness, but its also true that this yer had an unconventional build.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om In summary, the responsibility of Rare can be considered practically nil. But well, maybe I should avoid acting alone from now on I think thats a good idea. It was nerve-wracking. Mare, who had been watching the whole situation closely, nodded. Acting alone might lead to situations like this, where kindness is forced upon you. Even if I continue to use Mares body to explore, it would be better to bring Kerry and others as party members. Unlike Rare, everyone has jobs, so they cant be free anytime. It seems that when a body is returned to a familiar and the original owner takes possession of that body, there is a slightg. It seems that it is not possible to switch seamlessly during a battle. This was discovered when I received the items from the Tankman. Thisg is important, because until now, the only time I had paid attention to this was when I had achieved my goal of returning the spirit. This time, the Goblin Mummy enemy was cautious, keeping its distance and giving us the time to do that. When an enemy is cautious, whether to reset the situation by keeping a distance or to continue attacking without giving us time depends on the persons personality. It just went well because we were lucky. In any case, thats why we struggled. Returning the spirit to the main body, activating [Camouge] on the main body, instructing Mare to shout the skill name in the friend chat, and summoning the main body as the target using [Summon]. And quietly casting magic using the [Magic Link] of the [Demonic Eyes]. This method creates a considerableg from the deration of the activation key to the actual activation, so if not done well, it might be seen as suspicious. However, its a useful trick when you need to turn the tables in an emergency. Since the activation key can now be freely set, its possible to pretend its a normal conversation and perform it, a high-level technique. Its a move that takes advantage of what was done to me when facing Lyra in Hugelcup in the past. The problem is the high difficulty of suddenly starting a conversation during a mission. Its an advanced technique, but theres no help for it. Its impossible for me, but a noble youngdy like Mare should be able to handle it well. What do you think a noble is? Its impossible. That is a future task, the result of the battle. Ill have Mare release a bird to the city, and also summon Ominous-kun to explore the forest. There are many big goblins, but it seems like theyre all dead. There are other yers here and there, but I can see theyre confused. The goblin mummy just now, Bamb, was undoubtedly the boss of this area. The reason the dominion of the area did not transfer to Rare is probably because of the presence of other yers. It is believed that taking control is possible even if not all within the range is controlled by a single force, but it is unclear exactly what percentage of the area needs to be controlled. If it is a simple number, it would be absolutely impossible to dominate if we include the usual insects and small animals, and if we are thinking in terms of strength ratios, then Rares main body could have gained control if it came here. It might be the case that some dedicated AI determines the distinction between enemies and allies for certain magic and skills each time. However, this time, I dont particrly mind since dominating this forest is not the goal. On the contrary, if we were to dominate it, that goblin mummy would probably relentlessly target us. Considering he went to the trouble of building a log house and living here, its clear he has a strong attachment to this forest. Wasnt it simply because his body was too big to live in the city? With that size, even a mansion for a lord wouldnt befortable. Yeah, thats right. Or rather, I wouldnt let it into a house in the first ce. If thats the reason, now that hes shrunk, he could probably live in the lords mansion. Hopefully when he respawns, he will be grateful to Rare and live peacefully in the city. There maye a time when we will offer him some kind of cooperation again. To avoid any lingering grudges from this incident, I wont let Mare meet him at that time. Thats right. Lets create a shortcut. To quicklye here, teleportation is the only option, but in that case, Rares main body cante. Temporarily closing the mercenaries union in Rifure is not impossible, but the disadvantages are too significant. No matter which city we perform it in, it will likely cause a bigmotion. Leaving Mare there, I used [Summon] to move to the volcano with Uluru as the target and ced several rock golems there under my control. It used to be a destend with rocks as far as the eye could see, but now it looked like an ordinary volcano with the mountains surface exposed. Marion must have taken quite a number of golems with her. Other than Uluru, who looks like a part of the mountain, there were only newly born small ones. But this is convenient in its own way. Although theyre small, not as much as dwarves, I returned the small golems to the forest using [Summon] and ced them at the edge of the burnt square where the boss was. Id like to reinforce them just in case, but if I do that, they might grow into giants. Theres no choice but to leave them as they are. I activated [nt Magic], turned the burnt square into a green area in one breath, and returned it to its appearance before the battle. Now, lets pick up the bosss corpse and head back. It might be useful for something. Come to think of it, a long time ago, I stored the corpse of a knight in my inventory in La Colinne. After that, when I met the knight again in La Colinne, he was strangely dressed in shabby clothes. Thats natural because the armor is with the corpse. Eventually, when I have time, Ill need to organize my inventory. I dont feel inclined to dismantle or mess around with human or mummy corpses, but its okay to use them as materials for suitable undead. Whether I can turn a mummy corpse into undead materials is unclear. In fact, just the term mummy corpse is powerful enough to give me a headache. By the way, the fall of Neuschloss was the cause of the minor sh between Pearl and Shape. There didnt seem to be any coborators, and it appears to have happened by chance. From the reconnaissance from above, there were no yers exhibiting suspicious behavior. Every party was either cautious of corpses or driven by greed to strip them. Even that goblin mummy didnt go out of its way to proim itself as a yer. Currently, there might be no need to consider yers from the monster side cooperating with non-monster yers. When you think about it, cases like Rare and Lyra, each having influence at the national level, are exceptional. Even if a mere soldier cooperates, the impact might be limited, and if one ns to cooperate in the game, its more rational to start with a closely rted race. Even if they have gained some influence, at most, they can create a staged race for the Pump and Dump scheme. As Lyra said, maybe its pointless to worry about it. Now then, for a test run with the naginata, it was a satisfying result. In fact, the performance is a bit too good to use. I was nning to make several more of the same, but lets use a weaker metal for those. Using magical superalloys will make them even heavier, so I wonder what to do. Liebe Great Forest only produces iron and copper besides these. This city has developed a lot thanks to Your Majestys help. The immediate area can only satisfy low-ranked mercenaries, but in Your Majestys opinion, it will be connected to the whole continent in a pseudo way, wont it? If that is the case, why not have that man Gustavspany deal in middle-grade weapons and the like? I think there is enough demand for it. You could make a naginata by casting what you can get there. Mare had a point. Even if we dont have to cast it down, if there is a route to get the armor, we could purchase that material. Yeah, thats a good idea. Lets quickly assign someone to handle that and make arrangements. Or perhaps, in the safety area being constructed around the royal capital, we can build a post townthough Carknight materials may be the main focus. Then, lets also have a post town constructed in the safety area around La Colinne, and you can pick suitable materials there. I havent checked the progress of constructing the post town near the royal capital, but even if its not yetplete, well have them proceed concurrently. This, too, will have to be left to Gustav. If he wants to be a noble, he needs to learn how to use people more than he does now. The construction of post towns, including those near the royal capital and La Colinne, is all entrusted to Gustav. I had given the orders through Kerry. Once they are on track, considering the positional rtionship, the next one should be constructed near Erntal. I dont mean to sound like Im ingratiating myself, but it should end up being helpful to nc. Chapter 171: “System Message 6” To all yers, Thank you very much for ying our game Boot hour, shoot curse. Thanks to your support, the newly implemented limited transfer service has been enjoyed by many. We sincerely appreciate it. We have also received positive feedback on our sales items, and the entire staff is grateful. We have been instructed by higher-ups to expand the lineup even further, so please look forward to more enriched products. We will continue to n various events for yers to enjoy in the future. Please enthusiastically participate when the opportunity arises. Thank you for your continued support of Boot hour, shoot curse. C Frequently Asked Questions: We havepiled Frequently Asked Questions and Troubleshooting based on inquiries from customers. Please check here before contacting us, as it may help resolve your questions or issues. Additionally, please note that there are questions we may not be able to answer, especially those rted to game content or specific details. This page may include not onlymonly asked questions but also unique ones. Q: Can I bring NPC characters from the town with me during the transfer service?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om A: In the transfer service, we confirm the consent through system messages. NPCs that cannot receive system messages cannot be transferred, as a general rule. Q: What happens to other monsters after defeating the boss in a dungeon (considered a supported field through the transfer service)? A: If a character with control over that field dies, all characters under their control will temporarily die. The character with control will respawn at a designated location after three hours. Q: Sometimes I dont receive a response to my questions, and they are not listed on the Frequently Asked Questions page. Why is that? A: If we cannot answer a question, the responsible party may take such measures. Q: Can you define the criteria for questions that can be answered and those that cannot? A: We will answer questions rted to specifications, but questions about other yers, in-game skills, items, and NPCs, are generally not answered. Q: Are there ns to update the game to allow viewing detailed information about items and monsters? A: While this is typically not something we answer, it has been discussed, and there are considerations for implementing a paid service in the form of consumable items to ess such information. Q: Can goblins or skeletons be hired in a dungeon if I start with them? A: It is possible through in-game negotiations, but as the operator, we do not rmend it. Sincebor standards do not apply, it may create a challenging work environmentpared to our AI. Q: Can you provide more detailed criteria for dungeon difficulty? Is it based on average values? Does it include the difficulty of defeating the boss? A: The difficulty in the transfer services destination list is calcted with the assumption of fighting against the faction controlling the field. Depending on the faction, if they focus on strengthening defense only in the central part (not necessarily the center), taking an average may not be urate. Therefore, we calcte by excluding the central part uniformly for all fields. Q: What kind of bones do skeletons have? A: Skeletons are born as skeletons, and the original bone race is not specified. The bones are created specifically for skeletons. However, for races with names like Skeleton, the original bones are specified. Thank you for your continued support of Boot hour, shoot curse. Chapter 172: “Official Forum 3” Old Hiers ErntalDungeon Specific ? ? ? ? 324: Healthyunpeble So, did the leaders manage to defeat the roaming boss after that? 325: Wayne >>324 No, its tough because the attacks of melee sses dont reach. Plus, theres no yer specializing in long-range attacks in the party. My magic isnt a decisive blow either. However,pletely shifting to magic specialization at this point seems awkward. 326: Healthyunpeble Seems like being a jack-of-all-trades backfired. In this game, theres no clear boundary betweenbat and nonbat times. You can employ tactics like hitting and running freely. I thought having a variety of skills would be an advantage, but it looks like having someone specialized in long-range attacks is essential. 327: Gi1gamesh Roaming bosses onlye out when you approach that big mansion in the center of the city, like a small castle. You can gain decent experience by breaking into houses on the outskirts of the city and hunting zombies. 328: Nameless Elf >>327 Are those really zombies? 329: Cramp >>328 I strongly doubt it. There are times even mid-level yers cant win, and they dont die unless you destroy their heads or hearts. 330: Haust Could they be vampires? 331: Gi1gameshn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om No way, its not that. Theyre inside every building in the city. There are thousands of them. Some dont evene back to life when you enter their houses. Whatever they are, theyre undoubtedly animated corpses. 332: Cramp >>331 Could it be that they onlye to life after another party defeats them? 333: Gi1gamesh There are no external injuries at all, so its probably different. 334: Haust Is that so? Any other information? 335: Gi1gamesh Fangs, you know? Their teeth are long. 336: Haust In that case, its definitely a vampire. 337: MentaList I see, a vampire. In that case, if you get your blood sucked, it might fulfill some kind of resurrection condition. 338: Cramp I want to be a vampire for real! But Ive never experienced an attack like bloodsucking. Ive died in Erntal, though. 339: Haust Then maybe its not a vampire after all. 340: Nameless Elf >>339 Youre targeting me with yourments, arent you? ? ? ? ? Old Hiers Capital Dungeon-specific Thread ? ? ? ? 1312: Lyewarehouse By the way, what happened to the vanguard whose equipment was destroyed? You cant repair it here. 1313: Healthyunpeble I negotiated with a cksmith-type production yer and had theme to the capital safety area. They charged a hefty fee, but the vanguard yers pitched in to pay. However, were struggling to earn enough to cover the production cost of new equipment. 1314: CountryPop >>1313 Oh, an NPC merchant came to the safety area. 1315: Healthyunpeble >>1314 Seriously? How did theye? Can NPCs teleport? 1316: Orinki They cant teleport, but they just came by horse-drawn carriage like it was nothing. And then, there was a yer, maybe a bodyguard-like beast person, taking materials from the inventory. The NPC craftsmen brought by the merchant were building houses. 1317: Healthyunpeble That building, huh? It suddenly appeared when I logged in, so I thought it was a silent update. 1318: Orinki I thought the same! But when I looked closely, the NPC craftsmen were building it in shifts. The power of their skills is amazing. 1319: Healthyunpeble What is that building for? Is it for living? 1320: Lyewarehouse >>1319 It seems to be an inn. There are various production facilities too. Well, you could say its for living. The NPC in charge, like the merchants boss, stays here and supports yers, especially mercenary yers aiming to recapture the capital. Of course, they charge a fee. With that, we can finally repair our equipment, but I wonder how we managed until now, as mentioned in >>1312. 1321: Healthyunpeble Will they buy the new materials I have now? If they do, it could be a way to make money for updating equipment. 1322: Orinki They actively buy the metal chunks dropped in the capital. So, from now on, magic users like us can find benefits other than experience points. 1323: Lyewarehouse >>1322 It might be a good idea to advertise this widely. If the yerbase increases, NPC facilities might be more sophisticated. 1324: Orinki >>1323 Lets clear sub-quests and develop the city kind of content! First quest: Increase the Poption. 1325: Lyewarehouse One more thing, I heard this from a yer who was a bodyguard, but if you see a weird forest-like area on the opposite side of the capital from the safety area, its new. When they asked the merchants, they said there was nothing like that before. It might be a new area. 1326: Healthyunpeble Seriously? I have time until new equipment arrives, so I might check it out. Anyone want toe? 1327: CountryPop >>1326 Youre an unyielding one, huh? Well, theres probably no reason to set up an area with a difficulty level higher than the capital right next to it. Ill go along. 1328: Lyewarehouse >>1326 I want to report it in the verification thread, so Ille too. ? ? ? ? Old Hiers C La Colinne ForestDungeon Specific ? ? ? ? 1512: White Seaweed Theres asionally a luck-based element, isnt there? 1513: Lamp Ah, I think I understand. 1514: Mountain Grape Even if you think youve gotten good at judging when to leave or something like that, sometimes a Queen Spider suddenly appears and tramples you. 1515: Walnut Also, there are traps that you cant escape from. When you think there are no traps, you suddenly get caught in a trap and killed by spider silk. Well, there might not be conventional dungeon traps, but 1516: Nameless Elf Even so, the experience points are quite substantial, and spider silk can be turned into money. Its a good hunting ground, isnt it? 1517: Burning ss Sis, werent you in the Erntal thread earlier? 1518: Nameless Elf Dont call me sis. Just checking things out. Theyre neighbors, so it might be good for a change of pace to go over there. 1519: Haruka Speaking of which, there was an NPC merchant in the safety area. They were building a house. 1520: Nameless Elf I saw that. Is it okay for them to build buildings like this on their own? I wonder if its fine since theyre NPCs? Whosend is it anyway? 1521: White Seaweed If you think about it normally, its the country, right? But the country doesnt exist anymore. 1522: Lamp If the cmity took over the country, wouldnt it be considerednd of the cmity? 1523: Mountain Grape So, did the merchant get permission from the cmity to build a house? 1524: Walnut If they didnt get permission, its quite bold. 1525: Nameless Elf Even if they got permission, its still bold. How did you go to meet them? And where are they now? The capital is out, and no ones home, right? ? ? ? ? Old Hiers C Teur GrasndsDungeon Specific ? ? ? ? 722: Marshal Matsukasa So, its confirmed that this dungeon was taken over by the boss from the previous event? 723: Macky Definitely. The spawn has changed fromrge moles to giant ants. 724: Dyna So, is the boss here the cmity? 725: Nose Elephant No, if that were the case, it wouldnt be ssified as , and the boss itself might not exist separately. 726: Zekio Or it could be like the  ruined city with only zombies, something like another area in Hiers. There might be no boss at all. 727: Lin Company Like Altriva? How would we conquer it if theres no boss? 728: Marshal Matsukasa Who said dungeons can be conquered in the first ce? 729: Cokyu No one said that. Its true that there are dungeons with bosses and without, but defeating the boss doesnt necessarily mean clearing it. 730: Dyna Well, that cant be helped, right? Even if there are many dungeons, the number is limited. If clearing means the end, the top yers will dominate everything, and the content will be over. 731: Lin Company Thats true. If cleared dungeons be manageable by the yers who cleared them, it would be interesting. 732: Zekio Isnt that already a different game? And what about the regr monsters inside the dungeon? 733: Lin Company >>732 Party members. 734: Cokyu Insane, huh? ? ? ? ? 3006: Zekio Isnt the city developing at an incredible pace? Are there really so many people building and living here? 3007: Lin Company Dont you know? As mentioned a while ago, the city of Rifure and Teur Grasnds are close by. Teleportation is one-way, so normally, when you teleport to a dungeon, you have to walk back to the city via roads or whatever. But since the Teur Grasnd is right next to the city of Rifure, you can teleport to a different location right after teleporting. If there are simr cities, they can mutually teleport. There are dedicated threads for that. Thanks to this, a lot of yers have gathered, and NPCs have increased due to the influx. Simr cities in other countries seem to be the same, but in terms of development, Rifure and the city of Felicita in Aural are outstanding. 3008: Zekio I had no idea. Could it be that residents are registering because of this? 3009: Cokyu I think I saw a notice about zoning for registration. Did you know that yers can also register? There are residence registration and stay registration, and even with stay registration, most guilds offer discounts on consumables. Inns also be cheaper, but considering the current building rush, it might be a good idea to buy a house for the future. It seems that if you want to buy a house, residence registration is required. 3010: Zekio I dont have the money to buy a house. This is the  Dungeon Thread, you know? 3011: Dyna Or rather than the main thread, if you look at the thread created by the person who first discovered these special location conditions, yers who have money, such as wealthy merchant-type yers, seem to be actively grabbingnd and buildings. Rifure and Felicita already have too highnd prices, and it seems impossible to rentnd, but considering the development speed, these two cities are undoubtedly actively funded by the lords. They seem to be working hard to establish shops in Rifure or Felicita for the future. 3012: Zekio Is that why there are yers who dont seem like beginners in the city? I was wondering why there are still only rookies in the dungeon. 3013: Lin Company For better or worse, Old Hiers is gaining attention. It might be because yers are interested in it in a negative way, but attracting yers is also a plus. The lords probably noticed that yers are gathering, and it makes sense for them to focus on Rifure and Felicita. Felicita is probably close because its a neighboring country. 3014: Marshal Matsukasa Isnt it still not relevant whether its close or not if its just teleportation? 3015: Dyna It might not matter for yers, but its not the same for NPCs. Ultimately, NPCs living in the city are the ones that will develop it, so the location is crucial. Kingdom of Pearl C NeuschlossDungeon Specific ? ? ? ? 258: Crack Its here!! 259: Saint Riegan Whats here? 260: Crack Finally, a special boss enemy has appeared in Neuschloss! 261: Saint Riegan Eh? Seriously? In the city? In the forest? What kind of enemy? 262: Crack In the city! While wandering around the city, everyone got wiped out without us noticing. 263: Saint Riegan What the heck? You didnt see iting? 264: Crack No, because we were killed almost instantly, all four of us. We didnt even have time to see what happened, lol. 265: Thermos Ugh, Im stuck. 266: Crack But I can probably sense the signs. Its like the difficulty changes seen in other dungeons. 267: Tatt To  or something? Are they nning to wipe out everyone when there are already so few challengers? 268: Crack No, this one is the type you wont notice unless youre in the city. If you start seeing goblin dismembered bodies in the city, be cautious. Probably. 269: Saint Riegan That might be the work of another party. 270: Crack Its not that. Its just a normal corpse without any signs of being skinned or anything. Moreover, the tough giant goblin with hard skin and bones was cut smoothly. Its not something that can be done with the weapons and magic yers have. Also, our respawned armor was cleanly cut. The culprit who did that is undoubtedly the same. 271: Thermos So wearing armor is pointless? Equipment destruction? Defense-ignoring attacks? Either way, its tough. What are the conditions for its appearance? 272: Crack Weve only encountered it once, so I have no idea what triggered it. 273: Tatt Approaching the central part of the city, maybe? Or getting closer to the forest? 274: Crack Ive never been to the forest, but there are parties attacking the forest already. Maybe the forest is unrted? Also, its not impossible that getting close to the Lords Manor triggered it. There were parties attacking the forest that ignored the Lords Manor. 275: Saint Riegan Yeah, thats right. I wonder if theyre attacking now. 276: Thermos Why are you so happy about it, Crack (258)? Also, theres a possibility of idental deaths with an unknown cause in the future. 277: Crack Because there are so few people here! If theres a sensational topic, hardcore yers mighte and liven things up! ? ? ? ? 311: Takuma Im sorry, Mare-san. If youre there, please post. 312: Saint Riegan Hey, the forest attackers are here. Whos Mare? 313: Shiitake The solo yer we teamed up with earlier. Or was it just a coincidence that she was solo today? Anyway, she was ridiculously strong. Yay! Mare-san, are you reading this? If you are, send me a message! 314: Takuma I went to the deepest part of the forest, almost piggybacking on Mare-san. The boss was indeed in the forest. The Lords Manor is probably a dummy. 315: Crack Seriously? If its a dummy, then the appearance conditions for Jack the Ripper are unrted to the Lords Manor. Or maybe Jacks dwelling is in the Lords Manor? 316: Kouki Whos Jack? Well, seeing the strength of the forest boss, it doesnt matter if something was in the Lords Manor. 317: Saint Riegan So, what was the boss like? 318: Takuma It was a giant goblin wayrger than regr mobs. About three meters tall? It had a log-sized club and literally crushed us to death. 319: Thermos It hurts just hearing that. Did that super strong Mare-san alsoe back from the dead? 320: Tonbo No, she had been with us because we asked for her help. I didnt participate in that battle. 321: Saint Riegan So, you parted ways in front of the boss? 322: Takuma It would have been better if thats what happened, but in the end, we stuck together until thest moment. At that timing, I dont think she could have escaped from the boss. Probably, after we respawned, she had to fight alone. I had already apologized and got her understanding in advance, but I wanted to apologize and thank her again. 323: Crack Instead of that, havent Takuma and the others encountered Jack the Ripper? 324: Takuma Whos that? A yer? 325: Crack No, probably a special enemy, like a roaming boss. While wandering around the city, we found many dismembered goblin bodies. Then, before we knew it, we were also dismembered. 326: Thermos In an already unpopr area, an unexined boss appears. 327: Kouki I read the previous posts. Did such a thing really happen? Maybe all the users are actually on site? 328: Shiitake Passing each other. Considering the time of the post and the time we met Mare-san, we must havee from the town to the forest in about a short run. Thats impossible while fighting the goblins in that town, isnt it? Mare-san is a magician, and if shes going to fight, shes going to have to recap. 329: Tonbo But Mare-san seemed to be carrying a weapon like a spear. 330: Kouki But we didnt see her true strength. Her physical skills and short sword were amazing, though. 331: Crack What, is Mare-san a high-level magic user who can handle both long-range and closebat? Such a hardcore yer! And shes cute too, no doubt an essential VR idol! The era of Neuschloss hase! 332: Takuma Hey, no one has explicitly mentioned Mares appearance and gender yet. (T/N: the text until here is gender neutral in Japanese) 333: Crack Its oozing out from your posts. 334: Shiitake Sharp observation. Creepy. 335: Saint Riegan Hey, Im in the city now, but there are no regr mobs. In fact, there are only corpses? In other words, there are corpses that are unharmed. 336: Crack Oh, dismembered corpses!? 337: Saint Riegan Not dismembered, just intact corpses. At first, I thought they were just sleeping. 338: Thermos Really? Ill go check it out. 339: Takuma I want to go, but I just got a death penalty. 340: Hourai Takuma, I just gained so much experience points a while ago that even after losing some, I have more than before. 341: Shiitake Oh, seriously. Lets go check it out too. 342: Thermos There are random corpses lying around. Its a free-for-all on looting! 343: Tatt No one has posted since Takuma and the others dered their departure. Is everyone here at the scene? 344: Takuma Because there are no regr mobs at all, we rushed to the forest. The forest is alsopletely empty. There are corpses, but 345: Crack Lords Manor explorationplete! Theres nothing here! The office has signs of being ransacked, but the corpses are untouched. Goblins were sitting in chairs, so I thought something happened, but upon closer inspection, they were dead. 346: Kouki Some kind of ghost story? Its creepy, though. 347: Takuma The boss area in the back of the forest is also empty No corpses. The log house that should have been there is gone. The square is the same as when we respawned, but there are ashes and charcoal scattered around here and there. Maybe Mare-san soloed the boss in the forest? 348: Shiitake After that, the mobs disappeared, which means Mare-tan might have soloed the boss. Then, the dungeon is considered cleared, and the mobs disappeared all at once? 349: Tonbo Then why isnt the person herself here? 350: Hourai mutual kill, perhaps? 351: Takuma What the hell Mare-san! If youre watching this thread, please post! 352: Saint Riegan Is that yer really there? Its too dramatic; its either an orchestrated NPC by the developers or something. If there was a battle intense enough to turn that log house into ashes, the square should look different too. Depending on the country, the nobility is supposed to be strong, right? Maybe an undercover duke or duchess traveling to various countries for reform? 353: Tonbo No, we handed over the dropped items we got to the inventory. Everyone witnessed that. 354: Crack Is it a collective hallucination? 355: Saint Riegan >>354 Is it the ce to talk about others? I heard that youre also skeptical about this Jack the Ripper person that you saw. 356: Takuma Mare-san! Arent you seeing this, Mare-san! 357: Tatt Instead of that, why are Takumas party members talking to each other on the forum when theyre in the same ce? lol 358: Saint Riegan Anyway, even if what Takuma and the others are saying is true, its probably the first dungeon clearing report. Unfortunately, the person who cleared it is absent. And if the dungeon is cleared, do all the monsters disappear forever? ? ? ? ? 381: Tonbo Its been about three hours since Mare-san defeated the boss, right? Around that time, the next one should respawn. 382: Shiitake Are you saying that calmly? Whats wrong with that guy? 383: Kouki Is that guy Jack the Ripper? But he was barehanded, right? 384: Crack What happened? 385: Takuma While wandering around the area where the boss was, suddenly, a monster Id never seen before appeared, and we got wiped out. It might be a new boss. I dont know which one is stronger between the previous boss and this one. Both fights were one-sided. 386: Saint Riegan For now, it seems that the dungeon wont disappear, so thats a relief. After defeating the boss, does a new boss appear? Kingdom of Shape C Golf Club TunnelDungeon Specific ? ? ? ? 892: King J Has the spawning been bettertely? Feels like the efficiency has increased. 893: Suama Yeah, thats true. At first, you wouldnt encounter anything until you went deep, but recently, even weak goblins appear in shallow areas. If you go deeper, you encounter more formidable enemies. Did they make adjustments? 894: King of Fuji Adjustments, huh? So, was that a bug after all? 895: Suama Did you find a bug? No one has found one until now, but theres a rumor that youll receive rewards if you report a bug. 896: King J Why is it bing a rumor when no one has found it? 897: King of Fuji Well, I saw goblins attacking each other. After that, they quickly surrounded me with other allies and beat me to death. I wonder if it was a bug behavior. 898: Suama Oh. Its kind of subtle whether its a bug or not. If goblins from another cave or something wandered in, it wouldnt be strange, right? Apparently, that happens sometimes with real wild animal herds. 899: King J Possible. They tend to intricately mimic real things here in this management. 900: King of Fuji Now that you mention it, those goblins did seem a bit different in atmosphere. Well, I cant really tell them apart, so its just a guess. 901: Suama Just to be safe, should you report it? 902: King of Fuji Nah, its fine. I havent seen it since then, and if its a feature, Id just embarrass myself. 903: King J Is it really that embarrassing? 904: Suama The border of shame is different for everyone. WellsDungeon Clearing Report Thread ? ? ? ? 2011: Farm Ive seen that. Its a damn huge pack of wolves. They dont attack outright, but if you initiate an attack, they counter, and youre wiped out for sure. 2012: Monmon Theyre also fighting the dungeon monsters, right? It feels like theyre more hunting in the dungeon than engaging in a real fight. 2013: Hasera Is that their ecology? Are there only sightings in Wells? 2014: Monmon For now, yeah. They have colorful fur, cool visuals, and yers who wanted to pet them charged in and suffered casualties. 2015: Farm If anything, the victims are probably the wolves. 2016: Beam-chan In any case, theyre special enemies. Old Hiers seems to have many special dungeons, but in the case of Wells, its these roaming wolf monsters that stand out. 2017: Monmon Dogs Roaming Legendary My head hurts. 2018: Farm At least Ive confirmed the Fire type. Ive been burned by a red-furred wolf before. 2019: Hasera What about Water type? 2020: Beam-chan There was a light blue one, but I dont know if its Water type. Chat General Thread Part 10 ? ? ? ? 1211: Alonson Did the person in charge of official public rtions change? Is it okay? T/N: yers names can be tough to get right sometimes Chapter 173: “Unofficial Forum 1” BHSCMonster yer Thread ? ? ? ? 511: The 1st to 3rd ranks on the invading side are monsters, right? Doesnt anyone have a friend among them? 512: We dont even know how they earned points. We cant be sure if they are monsters. 513: The cities that fell this time were: Pearl Kingdom: Neuschloss Hiers Kingdom: Verdesud Hiers Kingdom: Altriva Hiers Kingdom: Erntal Hiers Kingdom: La Colinne Hiers Kingdom: Lourdes Hiers Kingdom: Erfahren Hiers Kingdom: Royal Capital They all fell to monsters, so they must be monsters. 514: Exclude Hiers,e on. Event monsters are in a separate category. 515: Could the yer named nc, who is in 1st ce, be the event boss? 516: Are you kidding? Theres no way a single yer could do something like that. 517: Points havent been disclosed, so maybe someone just killed a bunch of yers or NPCs somewhere. 518: Honestly, Goblins are too tough. Theyck reach, and you can only build a magic sniper-type effectively. 519: Well, if its Goblins, Goblin Mages are stable. Take magic skills, focus on INT, and you can quickly reincarnate. 520: Are there no other items or options? 521: Learn magic, reach a certain level of INT, and meet the conditions to reincarnate. 522: Seriously? What are the conditions for reincarnation? 523: Go check the past logs here. 524: I dont care about Goblins, what about Skeleton builds? 525: Youre asking questions with that attitude? 526: Well, those who answer this are probably Skeletons. They probably dont care about Goblins, so they might answer, right? Im a Skeleton Knight, by the way. 527: Im a Skeleton Mage. Honestly, with the initial low value of INT, aiming for melee at the beginning is easier, but the difference isnt that desperate. Like Goblins, they are below averagepared to humans. Just build as you like. 528: Oh, really? So what are the conditions for reincarnation? 529: Check the past logs regrly. 530: Teleportation during events is limited to cities, and the uing services can only be used from cities, right? In practice, we cant use them. This is seriously annoying. 531: You can use it if you go to the city normally. 532: You cant go to the city, you jerk. 533: But they wont release any items for monster yers, right? 534: >>533 Whats that? Was there such a thing? 535: >>534 Initial race reincarnation ticket. 536: >>535 Oh already ? ? ? ? 602: Is anyone there? 603: Hey. 604: Im here. 605: Still here. It suddenly became deserted, didnt it? 606: Most people have moved to the official forum. 607: Oh Well, if youre on the human side, you dont need to use an underground site. 608: Well, monsters can use it too. 609: No way. 610: Well, yeah. Your name is disyed perfectly, and if you write something that reveals your location, PKs wille. 611: Why would that be? 612: I dont know, but basically, those who want to kill humans choose to be monster yers like us, and those who want to kill yers do monster yer kills so they wont be openly condemned. 613: Seriously annoying. 614: Its getting rotten. But probably, even among famous monsters, there are yers. We have hope too! 615: Really? Who? 616: That town called something. You know, the one where the goblins took it down. I think the boss that dropped that might be a yer. 617: Seriously? Whats your source? 618: I recently reincarnated as a Goblin Great Wizard, and the skill [Subordinate] was unlocked. Its exclusive to monsters like Goblin-something, but you can tame them. 619: Really? Is it with the human NPC nobles!? 620: Really really. Well, the resistance check to seed is pretty tough, so you have to beat them up pretty badly to tame them. But, Im a Great Wizard, so against lower-level opponents, its easy, and if the numbers increase, it gets easier. Finally, it feels like my BHSC experience has started! 621: Whoa! Thats seriously hidden! 622: Whats your race? Goblin type? 623:n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om No, Im a Skeleton Leader. 624: Then, its soon, right? Skeleton Leader -> Skeleton General, probably. Well, I dont know. 625: Really? Alright, the tension is rising! 626: For now, if you try hard, you can apparently create a goblin army and even drop a city. Among the cities that fell in the event, only that one was Goblin, suspicious, right? 627: When you say that, it does seem that way. 628: Insects and angels arent races yers can be, and red skeletons are clearly special enemies. The only town that seems to have yer potential is that something town. 629: I cant imagine yers bing human nobles, and if you want to make NPC subordinates, you have to master monsters. Those guys who quickly used premium items to reincarnate into elves must be crying now. 630: If that idea is correct, then nc = Goblin Boss is almost certain. 631: Well, its likely to be like that. ? ? ? ? Chapter 174: “This is a Blessing and a Curse” Three weeks have passed since the implementation of the transfer service. Though not based on any specific rationale, I have decided to embark on some strengthening, as we have reached the target value set as a benchmark of sorts. First, Ill focus on enhancing my own abilities. In the underground basement of the Rifure Lords mansion, which has be my makeshift room, I sit on the bed and distribute experience points. Mare is still asleep on the bed, showing no signs of waking up. While it is more efficient to directly allocate experience points to ability values when they are low, as they be higher, it is more efficient to acquire passive skills that increase stats in proportion. These skills include things like [STR Up I]. The percentage itself is not significant, but it often oveps in most cases. However, these boost skills are not referenced as lords ability values in skills like [Enhance Follower]. When considering the overall enhancement of forces, even if it incurs some cost, directly manipting ability values for managerial ss individuals is more effective. But for me, Rare, I will also acquire boost-type skills in addition to enhancing ability values. If a yer has grown to this extent, they will undoubtedly acquire boost-type skills, and in the event of a direct confrontation, its not certain that they will be easily defeated. Even if that scenario is in the distant future, one should y their cards preemptively. You never know when you might be caught up. At least in terms of equipment, some yers like Wayne already possess items of the same ss as me. Although they are at the mercy of ncs subordinates because they cannot fly, they should be able to grow more efficiently by making effective use of equipment if they do not cling to Erntal. It wouldnt be surprising if other yers have obtained weapons and armor made from materials like the adamantite metal, or even higher. Until recently, I hadnt paid much attention to equipment, but as I experienced firsthand, having excellent equipment can give an advantage in battles against stronger opponents. At the same time, caution is necessary when ites to items equipped by subordinates. If a subordinate is defeated, there is a possibility that the equipped items will be handed over to the opponent. Therefore, adamantite weapons and armor are distributed only to subordinates of adamantite rank or higher. Carknights have been given weapons made of magical super-hard alloy. Its generally best for tools to be suitable for ones stature. Come to think of it, what is Mithril anyway? As far as the current understanding goes, it is lighter than iron, harder than iron, has a higher thermal conductivity than iron, and does not rust. Compared to something like adamantite, it is much lighter but also more brittle and softer than adamantite. It doesnt rust like Adamantite, but its thermal conductivity is higher. In summary, it can be considered roughly the same rank. Opinions may differ on whether high thermal conductivity is a good or bad feature. For example, if Mithril is used for armor, there is a risk of significant damage from fire attacks. If used for handheld weapons, the significant increase in attack speed due to its lightness also means a decrease in the power of each strike. The sharpness of the Naginata that easily cut through goblins to the bone was not only due to its sharpness but also its weight. (T/N: the Japanese text said the word Neuschloss instead of Naginata here, but Neuschloss is a city and it made no sense for the sentence, so Im assuming its a typo on the authors part) Well, whatever. I only have three ingots anyway. Once ability values and boost-type skills are done, the next step is other skills. First, Ill check skills that are presumably exclusive to the Demon Lords race based on their names. [Demonic Reason] is a toggle-type passive skill simr to [Demonic Eyes]. It provides a significant bonus to the judgment and effects of all magic-rted skills. However, during activation, the MP consumption of all magic-rted skills increases significantly. Given the exnation in the effect column, such as by understanding further demons reason, the unlock conditions are likely when the Demon Lord acquires a certain number of magic skills or when the INT value reaches a certain level. Upon acquiring [Demons Reason], the skills [Demons Armor], [Demons Shield], and [Demons Sword] are unlocked. These are undoubtedly skills opened by acquiring [Demons Reason]. There may be other conditions, but Im not sure anymore. [Demons Armor] is also a toggle-type passive skill like [Demons Reason]. When activated, it protects oneself from all attacks. Specifically, it reduces damage. However, the MP consumed is proportional to the reduced damage amount, and the reduction rate cannot be adjusted. During activation, it automatically cuts all damage to the extent possible. In other words, a skill that substitutes MP for the damage received. In terms of bing harder to kill, the effect is significant. However, even though Ive devoted experience points to MND and INT, Ive also allocated a fair amount to STR and VIT. The numerical value of MP is influenced by the higher of INT or MND, while LP is derived from the higher of STR and AGI, plus the VIT value. In other words, ording to the specifications, even if I evenly increase my abilities on average, the numerical value of LP will be about twice that of MP. Even for Rare, LP is indeed higher. Moreover, most of Rares actions as the main body involve MP consumption. If MP decreases too much, the avable means are limited. Its not practical to keep it activated all the time. Its necessary to discern when to use it. Additionally, the cost for LP recovery is significantly lower than the cost for MP recovery. If you decrease MP for LP, its more cost-effective to heal with [Treatment] or [Healing Magic] after taking damage. The 1:1 exchange of LP:MP is not worthwhile. However, if theres no other choice when theres no room for recovery, it may be the only option. [Demons Shield] is a skill that creates an invisible shield through magic power, and the created shield remains in ce until it is destroyed. The shield has a set LP, and it wont be destroyed until that LP is depleted. The required MP for activation is not fixed, but a shield with the same amount of LP as the consumed MP is created. The number of shields that can be created simultaneously is the same as the number of skills with the name Demons, which is currently four, considering [Demons Reason], [Demons Armor], [Demons Shield], and [Demons Sword]. [Demonic Eyes] doesnt seem to be counted. In summary, its like having a stock of [Demons Armor]. Considering the difference in recovery cost between MP and LP, the cost performance is not great. However, if you create it when you have enough MP, it wont be much of a burden. This one is highly useful, so its advisable to keep creating and floating it. [Demons Sword] is an active skill that creates a weapon through magical power. While active, MP remains at a certain value, and when the created weapon disappears, it returns to its original state. In that sense, it can be considered a toggle-type passive skill simr to [Demons Reason] and [Demons Armor]. It involves toggling between an equipped state and a non-equipped state. The performance of the created weapon depends on the amount of MP consumed during activation, and if arge amount is invested, a powerful weapon is generated. However, considering that the consumed MP does not recover at all while the weapon exists, it doesnt seem to be a very effective means. MP restriction is synonymous with restricting actions, and like [Demons Armor], caution is needed in choosing when to use it. Speaking of which, this is almost like a boost skill. The effects and costs are significantly higher, but ultimately, it is essentially simr to boost-type skills. While acquiring it alongside other skills doesnt result in losses due to ovepping effects, theck of mboyance gives it a slightly anticlimactic feeling. I have heard that the Demon Lord race excels in individualbat. Perhaps this is the reason for that. However, from the image of these skills, despite having the name Demon Lord, it feels more like an image of a king who uses magical power like water and physically strikes rather than a king who maniptes magic. Although I have acquired all these skills, whether they will all be useful in a full-fledged battle with someone is uncertain. Regardless, its necessary to test them at least once. I should engage inbat with someone suitable soon.N?v(el)B\\jnn Due to acquiring [Demons Reason] or perhaps due to something else, a new skill has been unlocked for [Demonic Eyes] C [Evil Eyes]. [Evil Eyes] is an active skill that inflicts status abnormalities on the opponent. It forms its own skill tree, initially only providing the self-loss status abnormality, but by acquiring skills like [Evil Eyes: Burn] in the tree, the types of status abnormalities that can be inflicted increase. The resistance check is performed with the INT of the activating side and the MND of the target. However, the activation cost is in LP, making it hesitate to use it recklessly. Rather than an additional skill for [Demonic Eyes], it seems more like a tree structure that emtes different skills using [Demonic Eyes]. If thats the case, there might be individuals who have acquired [Evil Eyes] without any rtion to [Demonic Eyes]. Depending on the situation, characters might emerge who emte [Demonic Eyes] by mastering the [Evil Eyes] tree. Caution is necessary. Hmm? Upon acquiring [Evil Eyes], my left eye suddenly felt itchy. Its a familiar sensation. I touch it from above the eyelid, but there doesnt seem to be anything strange. Then it must be the eyeball. Kuh, the left eye is itching After the itching subsides, I peer into the full-length mirror installed in the room. This mirror was not requested by Rare but was brought in by the considerate Cervantes. Its not easy to see in the dim basement. I cast [Light] from [Light Magic] toward the ceiling, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the light. Of course, the activation key is through chanting. I know that activating this magic with [Magic Link] from [Demonic Eyes] could lead to self-blinding. I wont make such a foolish mistake again. Purple, I guess? While my right eye remains red as before, my left eye has changed color to purple. Looks cool I would like to see the changes when the skill is activated, but I dont want to risk activating [Evil Eyes] in front of a mirror. Im in trouble if it affects me. I know that a mysterious magic circle appears in my eyes when [Magic Link] is activated. Sieg taught me that. Well, I used more than expected, but these should be the Demon Lords skills. Other than that, mainly magical skills, but I have acquired all that are currently unlocked. Its possible that more will be added in the future, either by meeting certain conditions or through updates, but for now, I cant do anything about it. I have no intention of taking martial arts skills, of course. I filled out the entire [Bare Hands] tree based on past lessons, but I havent taken anything else. In terms of production, its still only the [Alchemy] system. Negotiation skills that are useful in a merchant role-y are mostly untouched, and its hard to imagine them being useful in the future. As for sensory skills, it might be worth acquiring. Enhancement of various senses. Although the required experience points are higher than for skills that can be obtained from the early stages, considering the passive and unconditional benefits, it can be said to be rtively cheap. Until now, I didnt feel the need to acquire them myself since I had Yoroizaka-san acquire them, but it is too big, andtely, I havent been using it much. There might be times when I ask it to pretend to be Rare in the royal capital in case of emergencies, and Im likely to act separately in the future. In that case, it might be good for Rare herself to acquire them. I have acquired [Enhanced Vision], [Enhanced Hearing], and [Enhanced Smell]. Enhancing vision just offsets my weak eyesight, but its better than nothing. As for [Enhanced Touch] and [Enhanced Taste], Im not sure what to do. They dont seem necessary. I guess I dont need them. Cant think of a use for them. If I were to acquire skills like [Cooking], they mighte in handy, but thats not in the ns. Oh right. Since Im at it, I should fill that one too. Its the [Spiritual Wisdom] skill. Its not particrly necessary, considering that the Archbishops, who are my subordinates, have acquired it. However, its not guaranteed that it might not serve as an unlock condition for something. But since the Archbishops were somewhat of a mess, the acquisition conditions remain unknown. Theres a possibility that only those who havent undergone reincarnation at all or those who have reincarnated on the righteous path can acquire it, but considering that the skill itself has a neutral content, that possibility is low. I dont want to take it, but [Hypnosis] seems suspicious. The [Hypnosis] tree only had [Hypnosis]. However, upon acquiring [Hypnosis], immediately [Self-Hypnosis] and [Group Hypnosis] were unlocked, yet [Spiritual Wisdom] has not appeared. Reluctantly, I acquired [Self-Hypnosis]. The effect of [Hypnosis] is to temporarily increase or decrease one of the targets ability values, making it both a buff and debuff skill. However, whether increasing or decreasing, there is an automatic resistance check. The activating side uses INT, and the resisting side uses MND, simr to [Evil Eyes]. Moreover, to activate it, you need to make sure the opponent sees your figure. Its a skill with very poor usability. Although the experience points required for acquisition are low, it wasnt listed in the skills that could be acquired at the beginning of the game. Its certain that its a skill that is unlocked by fulfilling conditions rted to ability values or other skills, but it doesnt seem to have the value of such a skill. The next [Self-Hypnosis] is an effect that applies [Hypnosis] to oneself. In this case, there is no resistance check, but the increase and decrease rates are lowerpared to [Hypnosis]. Its more of a constion. [Group Hypnosis] is an area version of [Hypnosis], but the range is iparable to other skills. It epasses everything within the field of view. However, simr to [Hypnosis], it is limited to targets that the activator can see. The resistance check specification is also the same as [Hypnosis]. The numerical values here are even lower than [Self-Hypnosis], and even if sessful, whether the targets notice is at a subtle level. I really cant think of any use for it. However, one of these must be one of the unlock conditions for [Spiritual Wisdom]. [Spiritual Wisdom] is now on the list. I acquired [Human Wisdom], [True Wisdom], and [Divine Wisdom] from [Spiritual Wisdom]. Now then. Oh, something has increased. Whether [Spiritual Wisdom] was the key or [Hypnosis] was the key. No, judging by the skill names, [Divine Wisdom] seems suspicious. A tree called [This is both a blessing and a curse] was opened, and within it, a passive skill called [Art is long, life is short] (written intin: Ars longa, vita brevis) was unlocked. This skill cannot be deleted by any means once acquired, and it cannot be turned off. Truly a cursed skill, but its unavoidable due to its effects rted to the games rules. The effect is that In LP calction, the ability referred to is only VIT, and in MP calction, the ability referred to is the sum of INT and MND. Also, even if there is not enough MP, skills that require MP can be used, but the shortage results in a loss of LP. Originally, it means In life, ones skills are long, but life itself is short, but looking at it in terms of the game, it seems to be saying something like The MP bar is long, but the LP bar bes short. This is an unexpected byproduct. The value of Demons-something skills has suddenly increased. In my case, its like MP has almost doubled. LP has halved, but its not a significant problem. If I keep [Demons Armor] deployed at all times, there wont even be a distinction between LP and MP. However, since [Art is long, life is short] cannot be turned off, theres a possibility that I might get carried away, keep firing off magic and skills, and end up on the brink of death. I guess thats it for today. There are other things Id like to try using experience points for, but its about time for the promised appointment. Chapter 175: “Black Businesses” The dungeon management is on track, and with each of them reaching a temporary stopping point in their respective pursuits, the trio of Rare, nc, and Lyra gathered in the conference room of the Aural Kingdom Castle. Um, Lyra-san. Is it okay if I leave a zombie in this castle? Dealing with the ones flying in is quite troublesome. Oh, right. I was going to ask the same. Anything goes, but if nc is turning it into a zombie, count me in too. Hey, could it be that you two dont like me? Youre the types who dont like anyone else! Besides, Rare-chan, just today, you casually warped in aiming for the archbishops position! Resistance sessful What are you up to now, Lyra? Nothing, really. Well, forget it. Ill askter. More importantly, considering the location and surroundings, wouldnt it be better for this group to gather in the city under my control, Rifure? Rifure Is that the city in the Hiers region closest to Aural? Did you conquer that? I didnt conquer it. I just peacefully ced the entire city under my control. I conquered the zone next to it, the grasnds. So, by peacefully controlling that city, are you nning to economically dominate the human side? Isnt that sneaky? Especially since youre managing a dungeon on the monster side. Its a mutual arrangement. Lyra, youre probably thinking of controlling some boss in some region and setting up a dungeon farm, right? You showed interest when we talked about farms before. I cant follow this conversation at all. Oh, these waffles are delicious. nc is being left out of the conversation. Lyra, praised for the tea treats, responded. Right? I tried baking them in the Liege style. What about the waffle iron? Did you make it? Well, of course, I had to make it. By the way, I got a Mithril one as a reward for an event. It doesnt rust, and it has high thermal conductivity, so its super convenient. Its probably not made of aluminum, right? Its light. With its highpatibility with magic, if I could add fire attributes or something, I might be able to cook with just that. I havent tried it though. While I generally know about the properties of Mithril, thepatibility with magic is news to me. I wonder how Lyra found that out. Oh, really. What should I do? I got one too, but I dont cook. As a special reward, Rare and the other two received Mithril ingots as prizes for ranking high. Though it should have effects other than just that, if Lyra is using it for cooking utensils, maybe its not such a remarkable metal. I think it should have performanceparable to Adamant-something. Now then, if youve enjoyed the waffles, lets get to the main topic. Its been three weeks since the massive update called the Transference Service. I think its about time we shared and aligned our information. Ivepleted the projects I was working on, and I think you, Rare-chan, and the others have settled down by now. Huh? nc looks around anxiously. It seems Lyra did something again. I want to press her for details, but since it might stall the conversation, I endure it. The purpose of this tea party is information sharing. She probably has ns to exin itter. As for the situation calming down, thats urate. In Rares dominion, there are yer visitors in the Old Hiers capital, La Colinne, and the Tuer Grasnds, but all regions are steadily increasing their sales. In exchange for the increasing number of high-rank materials circting among yers, by having the surplus quickly bought by the NPC merchants in the nearby Safety Area, the outflow outside the dungeon is minimized. This measure is also taken with the Greater Tarant threads in La Colinne. Gustav, who Rare met through yers in the capital, dispatched an Urban Family merchant to La Colinne, and a rest area was built in the nearest Safety Area. Many yers came there originally to buy threads to sell to NPCs, but if you offer higher prices than those NPCs, unnecessary scattering of materials can be controlled. Perhaps yers think that materials sold to NPCs disappear, and no one mentions what happens after we buy them. The economic activity in the city of Rifure is also going well. The outer walls have been expanded, and they manage it by calling the central area the First District and the outer area the Second District. Most yers, while not as wealthy as merchants or nobles, have more gold coins than regr NPCs. Attracted by their wealth or perhaps the glittering allure of gold coins suitable for betting their lives, many NPCs have migrated to the city of Rifure. The increase in NPCs has boosted the overall vitality of the city, attracting even more immigrants. Although there is an element of anxiety about the rumored downfall of the Hiers Kingdom, Rifure, being a local area, is close to Aural. If things get tough, they can always escape into Aural, or perhaps the brilliance of gold coins is deemed worthy of risking their lives, causing an unending influx of immigrants. Additionally, in Rifure, there are quite a few refugees whoe with the naive estimate that things will somehow work out as long as people gather, without any connections or prospects. However, preparations are in ce to support even such individuals to live. They started cultivating medicinal herbs in the shallow depths of the adjacent dungeon, the Tuer Grasnds. Initially, they had the engineer ants brought from Liebe Forest take care of it, but if theres excessbor in the city, theres no reason not to use it. Under the guise of Lord Alberts request, theyunched the medicinal herb cultivation project, allowing refugees to handle cultivation, harvesting, processing, and sales at a higher daily wage with danger allowances, all as dungeon internal work. Perhaps due to being in a dungeon, various medicinal herbs grow exceptionally fast. While normally insect and animal pests, or rather, damages caused by monsters, would be abundant, this area ispletely under Rares control. As long as monsters are kept away from this area, theres no problem. Though damages from regr insects cannot be avoided, preventive measures are possible by installing insect repellents created through [Alchemy] using Camphor Treant leaves. These repellents are mass-produced in Rifures artisan district and sold externally at a high price. In the first ce, refugees likely originated from cities that Rare and nc destroyed multiple times. The cities they originally came from are already under Rares control, making them, in a sense, Rares assets. Its just a difference of whether theyre alive or dead. Offering generous protection is only natural. Some may have spent nearly a month, crossing the country. Taking into ount the likely depletion of their physical and economic resources, refugees are offered interest-free loans from the Urban Merchant Guild. They are also given priority for temporary residence in boarding houses. Naturally, everyone is registered with their residence and repayments meticulously managed. Those in debt are referred to the national project of medicinal herb cultivation by the Urban Merchant Guild, effectively bing part of the workforce. I summarized the information in this manner. And well, thats roughly how things are on my end. It seems to be going well overall. I have a few ongoing projects as well. You secured Rifure because the entrance and exit of the Transference are close, right? Thats right. If there are other cities with the same specifications, long-distance transfers be possible. The economic value is immeasurable. In fact, I also secured a city in Aural with the same specifications. Its called Felicita. I call it a portal for convenience. If Rare-chan has the portal for Hiers, it might be better for future simr gatherings to be held in Rifure. That makes sense. Then, Ill call it a portal too. Teacher! I dont understand the meaning! A portal is a term used for an entrance or exit. Not the meaning of the word!! I exined to nc about the unique features of the city of Rifure and the existence of a simr city in Aural, and probably in other countries as well. Wow. Is Transference that convenient? I never thought about it since I can pretty much warp anywhere with [Summon] and fly in the sky. Most yers cant warp on their own, and they cant fly in the sky either. Oh, I see. While warping might not be a big deal, if someone flies in the sky to attack, it could be troublesome. It would indeed be quite troublesome to be warped by someone else. More importantly, how about you, Lyra? Progress on the national management simtion and the farm? Oh, right. Regarding national management, its probably mostly the same as Rare-chans dungeons in the big picture. We dont have a Safety Area disappearing, but the death penalty doesnt change either. The original purpose of governing a nation is probably for the sake of the citizens lives and happiness, but thats irrelevant to a yer like me. So, although the framework is set up as a system, the goals to achieve are vague. If I were to set specific goals as a game, it would probably be to make the nation more powerful. So, I decided to start by annexing the surrounding cities! In simple terms, forcibly annexing them with overwhelming military force is quick and easy. However, even if each city has a certain degree of independence, going as far asplete domination, especially if the homnd shows up, would likely lead to a full-scale war. Even if you can win against a country, there are some countries that would find it a bit tough, and even if you win, other countries wouldnt stay silent. So, I decided to invade more subtly and less conspicuously. That is, economic warfare. But in the current world situation, each country is pretty much in a state close to istion, with economic activities being self-contained within each country. There might be some trade, but there are no countries that are properly calcting profits and losses, and even if there were, it would be at the city level, depending on whether the lord there cares about profit and loss. So, honestly, even if you have economic power at the current state, it doesnt have much impact on the power rtions between nations. Each city independently conducts trade, and whether the partner is a city in their own country or a neighboring country, no one cares. Each city has its unique features, and the races are different, so in that sense, its undoubtedly a foreign country. But on the other hand, they speak the samenguage, and the currency ismon. Therefore, they have a faint consciousness of dealing with a foreign country. In other words, you could say that this continents economic world has no borders. And so That was long. Oh, um, more tea, please.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om nc ispletely bored, but shes enjoying the waffles and tea. Although she had heard thattely nc has been having fruit tarts and royal milk tea for breakfast every day, its impressive how she can consume such sweet things all the time. Well, for now, I spent about half a month Subordinating all the lords within Aural, working to create a united and strong nation. Simultaneously, I focused on enhancing trade with cities in neighboring countries. I also progressed with projects like road construction and crushing territories to reduce trade risks. I also increased the number of monster subordinates, and in my free time, I instructed them to invade nearby dungeons. We didntpletely conquer the dungeons, but we had them kill yers for experience points and hunt dungeon mobs, which I guess is what Rare-chan refers to as the farm. For territory expansion, I used the knight order for arge-scale publicity campaign, and I emphasized Auralsmitment to trade. I showcased the improved roads as evidence and, as a trial, distributed agricultural products almost free of charge. I also used the monsters under my control to attack fields in surrounding countries, disguised idle knights as bandits to steal food, and, thanks to territory expansion, some cities no longer needed the knight order, so they found new employment. I was listening with a certain level of admiration even though I didnt fully understand, but thest part is too much! Dont do that in Hiers. More importantly, I dont kill other countrys citizens to weaken their nation. We are an agricultural powerhouse. Its more profitable for other countries citizens to stay alive and buy our crops. If its a city near the border, its faster and cheaper to buy food from us than from the central areas of their own country. The currency is the same. Its sad that heartless bandits sometimes attack people, but I keep it to the extent of injuring them without killing. If injuries reduce productivity, our sales increase. Also, as long as the injured people are alive, they need food. Lyra boldly ims that Aural is an agricultural powerhouse. Depending on the region, Hiers was also quite something in terms of agriculture. Lyra was the one who dealt the finishing blow to Hiers by killing their royal family. As mentioned in the conversation, trade is mainly conducted between cities rather than nations. Therefore, even if Hiers as a nation disappeared, not all transactions would stop, but there would be some impact. The situation might not be entirely unaffected. Ah, if you say its an agricultural powerhouse, then give me some fruit! I realized recently that my lower-level vampire children are dying periodically; turns out, they are starving. Come to think of it, I havent been sucking blood or anything. While nc criticizes Lyra as if she were inhuman andpares her to Rare, this statement alone reveals ncs own macabre nature. It seems that Rare is the only one among them who is rtively normal. nc-chan, isnt that a bit too much? Theres a limit even in a ckpany environment. You could get sued? No, because it seems the zombie vige children dont need meals, and I guess vampires are the same. But nc is a vampire, too, right? You enjoy fruit tarts and milk tea for breakfast, and your excuse wont fly. Undead creatures are generally not in need of food and drink, but vampires are an exception. Or perhaps strictly speaking, vampires may not fall into the undead category. In the end, they settled the matter with Erntal by regrly importing fruits from Aural. Despite the considerable distance, they transported them to Rifure by carriage and then brought them back using ncs [Summon]. Including this arrangement, nc left her subordinates in Rifure, and it was decided that future simr gatherings would be held in the city of Rifure. Lyra mentioned that she would teleport from Aural through the portal in Felicita. Oh, by the way. You might have already tried it, but if your subordinate is acting with their consciousness transferred, you can use the teleportation service as is. Even with NPCs. Really? It was written that, as a rule, NPCs cant use it. When they say as a rule, it usually means there are exceptions. Otherwise, they would express it more definitively. So, the constraint of not being able to act with your face revealed is practically nonexistent. When going to Rifure, just use your subordinates body and go incognito. Maybe Ill borrow Cecilias body. Be more discreet. Im kidding, Rare-chan. Resistance sessful For now, they left Lyra behind, and nc informed the puzzled expression on her face that she is the current queen of Aural. And, of course, you cant use the inventory when pretending to be a yer, so be careful. It seems its somehow linked to the main body. You cant use the inventory of the subordinate where youve transferred your consciousness. However, that doesnt need to be mentioned. Even though it seems fine with this group, there is a slight unease about nc. Its not like they can criticize others, but they cant say for sure that nothing outrageous will happen with Pokamis. So, how is nc-chans dungeon management going? Besides the food issue, everything seems okay? Yeah. Ive arranged for Azalea and the others to take care of any yers who get too close to my mansion. So far, things are going smoothly. Deas-san, who Im borrowing from Rare-chan, also goes out asionally to y with yers. The zombie vige has be a hunting ground for beginners, but Im just leaving it alone. Even if it werepletely wiped out, it wouldnt be a problem. And if the yers who earn money and grow theree to Erntal, theyll be high-paying customers. Will the difficulty increase if the hunger problem of lower-level vampires is solved? I wonder. nc, does being in a state of hunger affect your abilities? No, rather than that, if they are dying periodically, it means that the fighting force is constantly reduced by a certain percentage while inbat. Its normal for the fighting force to be rtively low, so wont the difficulty increase when they be a full-fledged team? Hmm, rather than feeling weaker due to hunger, its more like fighting with a constant reduction in the fighting force. I dont know anything beyond that. Even if its the same difficulty level, there is a range, so for example, when the team is full, it might be closer to 4 out of 3, and when weakened, it might be closer to 2 out of 3. Ah, theres a range. I see. I understand. With this, the overall status report should be almost finished. Most of the waffles have already been eaten. Even though the hunger gauge is full, she can still eat if she wants to. Rare silently pushes her empty te toward Lyra. Okay, okay. Lyra hands the maid the te, and the maid leaves. She thought the maid looked familiar, probably one of the maids who had swapped with Princess Cecilia. Is she okay not being with the queen? She cant provide political support, so its fine. She usually helps with things like this. Well, thats about it for the current report. Now, does anyone have any useful information to exchange or something? I told quite a significant tidbit earlier, so Im good. About how to have your subordinates use the teleportation service? Is a significant tidbit a big or small thing? Oh! Thats right! I forgot! By the way, a yer with the toughness of Rare-chans robot came to Erntal! It was about three weeks ago. Isnt it a bitte to mention that? I already knew. Eh? Wait, what robot? Does Rare-chan have a robot? What does that mean? Chapter 176: “Blanc Space-Time” Show me the Robot next time. Absolutely. Okay, okay, youre noisy. But more importantly, Lyra, do you have any information or something? Huh, is nc-chans turn over now? Yeah, well. Im not expecting much Huh? nc is in shock. However, if nc can obtain information, Deas, who is also guarding, should be able to obtain it too, as evident from the current report. It seems like the Count asionally visits, but even if he obtains something there, if Deas doesnt know about it, its information he doesnt intend to share. So, what should I do? Honestly, Rare-chans information isnt that significant in terms of effects, but its confidentiality is on a different level. Its information that absolutely shouldnt be known by anyone else. It vites the rules the operators have publicly disclosed. And if its information equivalent to that hmm. Oh, speaking of bugs, there was some strange behavior. When trying to transfer while controlling a subordinate, there were some odd messages. They may have fixed it by now since they log it. Huh, really? So theres a possibility that the transfer itself has been fixed? How about that? If youre in a state of possessing a subordinate, it seems like you can hear system messages that were originally supposed to be announced to that familiar. ording to the official disclosure in response to questions, NPCs cannot hear system messages, so they generally cannot transfer. So maybe transfer should be possible. Uh-oh, I really cant keep up with the conversation. Um, is it okay to bring Magenta or someone next time? Its fine, right? Next time is Rare-chans ce, so you need Rare-chans permission, maybe? More importantly, trying to hear system messages with the avatar of a subordinate is an experiment you wouldnt do unless you actively wanted to and went out of your way for it. Was it bothering you for a while? Yeah, well. Since its said that the only difference from yers is there, if you can clear that, its practically impossible to distinguish, I thought. The only difference is there, huh. I see. Hmmm. Lyra is staring at us with an exploratory gaze. For all yers, itsmon knowledge that NPCs cannot use the system, including the inventory. However, the exnation that the only difference is in the matter of system messages should be seen as the developers deception. Lyra is likely suspicious of Rare talking about that deception information as if it were correct. If roles were reversed, Rare would probably feel the same. What should I do? The information disclosed by Rare-chan this time is too significant, and I cante up with anything equivalent. Can you stop with the cryptic talk? Its a bit thoughtless to scold me only for that. Well, its a private tea party, so I guess its fine. Um, do you happen to have a waffle maker? Can I exchange it for a mithril ingot? Im sorry, I need to check with Lady Lyra. nc, whopletely gave up on joining the conversation, is engaging with the maid. In ordinary thinking, its an absurd exchange rate, but the waffle iron is also made of mithril, so its not unusual. By the way, I mentioned a waffle iron earlier, but when I think about it calmly, its not really an iron. Because its mithril. Oh, you can have a spare, nc-chan. If you give me a mithril ingot, I can make another one. Were getting off track. So, what fantastic information will Lyra bring us? Lyra closes her eyes and seems to have hesitated for just a moment. It might be just a pose due to the extremely short time, but its also possible that she genuinely made a decision in this short time. Rather than having a fast thought process, she seems to entrust decisions to her intuition. Thats the opposite of Rare. Alright, lets go with this! Youve read the system messages, right? The FAQs too? Yeah. I havent read them! Well, it doesnt matter if you havent. There was something about wanting a means to see information about enemies or items in that question, right? No way. I found it! Its called [Appraisal]! It was a skill build that usually isnt done, requiring both the production-based [Discernment], the negotiation-based [Insight], and unlocking both the [Genuineness] and the sensory skill [True Eyes]. The acquisition rate for this is said to be low, but does anyone even have it? Starting from scratch, even if you start with goblins, there wont be enough experience points, and after a certain point, you wouldnt simultaneously develop production, negotiation, and senses. I had thought about using a considerable amount of umted experience points like waterter on, but its a good thing I didnt. It would have required many times more experience points than originally needed. How did you find this, Lyra? Of course, I spent many times the necessary experience points to find it. It was easier since I used the familiar artisan for the experiment, but I had [Discernment] from the beginning. And whats [Appraisal]? What use does it have, for instance? Oh, seriously, nc-chan Living in a peaceful world, huh For instance, when facing an opponent for the first time, you have no idea what actions theyll take, whether theyre stronger or weakerpared to you, right? If you know things like the opponents skills, name, or even race beforehand, you can have an advantage inbat, right? I see! Its like peeking at the opponents hand! Then you can prepare countermeasures in advance or destroy the hand before its used! If both are impossible, its a stalemate! I cant tell if nc-chan is smart or not. I believe shes smart. She just doesnt use it often. But is this what shes been hinting at since earlier? It seems her apparent contemtion was just a pose. If she had said nothing, she would have been questioned by Rare sooner orter. I promptly proceeded to acquire the prerequisite skills and unlocked [Appraisal]. [Appraisal].n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om You used it right away. Well, I probably would have done the same. nc, youve be a [Viscount]. When did that happen? I was being peeked on!? As if Id lose! Alright! [Appraisal]! Huh? <> Its not clear what criteria the resistance check is based on. I experimented with various buffs and ability adjustments, but it doesnt seem consistent. Maybe its based on aposite score or some other unclear metric. Even if resisted, sometimes only the name is visible, or even the race, and the results are quite varied. Ive been using it casually for a while, but I cant see Rare-chan at all. I think thest time we fooled around, it was in the form of a battle anyway, I dont know, were you going easy on me or something? Ive made a lot of progress since then. I wasnt holding back. Its just that my build leans towards magic. Ive increased physical stats too, but not as much as magic. And it wasnt subtle at all. It was obvious. Really? You could definitely win barehanded, so why bother with magic? You can do that at a dojo, right? Since its a game, Im doing things that cant be done there. Like unleashing magic or swinging a naginata seriously. A naginata? Did you make one? Oh! So, you were the one who cleared Neuschloss, Rare-chan! Ipletely excluded you because it sounded like something a yer would do! I see, well, if thats possible, it wouldnt be strange for you, even if its Rare-chan. Im d its someone I know. I was on guard thinking that a new dangerous yer had appeared. At this point, the issue about the inventory has beenpletely exposed. Considering Lyras personality, she wouldnt disclose it publicly, and as long as it doesnt spread to other yers, its fine. Is there anything else youve messed up? By the way. Anything else? Hmm Oh, about that frequently asked question, I asked what kind of bones skeletons are made of. Who cares! Huh? Isnt it that theyre the bones of the original monster? My Spartoi, for example, used to be Lizardmen, and I thought it was Lizardmens bones. Well, now theyve turned red, though. Im talking about born skeletons. The ones without an original monster. I mean, ncs have changed into Dragontooth or something like that, arent they more like a dragon than a lizard by the name? Wait, whats a born skeleton? What does it mean to be born undead? You mean yourself. Youre not a skeleton to begin with. When nc-chan joins the conversation, it feels like being dragged into ncs time and space. I dont mind this rxed atmosphere. Oh, right, nc-chan, there was something I wanted to ask. Earlier, you mentioned Magenta-chan, right? The vampire girl among your subordinates. Was she originally a vampire, or did she get reincarnated from something else? She looks so human-like and seems convenient to use, so if possible, Id like to have one like her under mymand. Currently, Lyracks a flying unit among her pieces. While capturing random bird-like magical creatures would work, having intelligent humanoid flying units would significantly enhance strategic capabilities. With Lyras newfound awareness of the inventory, acquiring such units would be even more beneficial. Oh, finally, youre interested in my story! Its about Azalea, Magenta, and Carmine, right! Those girls were originally bats in a graveyard. I caught a bunch of them and resurrected them with my blood. You caught a bunch of them. Are there others? Others? Huh? Didnt you catch a bunch? Normally, you wouldnt call three people three creatures, many, right? Oh, right! I caught nine of them, and threebined to be one Mormo or something. Even now, when they transform into bats, they be three. Each of them seems to hold a third of the original LP What!? What is that!? Biological fusion is quite a revtion. If limited to individual transformations, how would, for instance, magical creatures inspired by some coral or jellyfish that are group organisms handle reincarnation? Although its an extreme example, the idea of multiple individuals merging into a single powerful entity is intriguing. Depending on the circumstances, you might be able to produce a magical creature surpassing existing cmity-ss beings. Lyras [Appraisal] was impressive, but this information could be even more crucial. Strange, though. I thought I was offering quite a treasure, but suddenly my appraisal seems hazy. I, on the other hand, have only provided information relevant to Lyra. More reaction than I expected! Huh? Is something strange? No, nothing strange. Thanks, nc. Yeah, yeah. nc-chans information is amazing. First, I need to considerbinations and try various things. I dont think its possible for all races. The idea of humanoids like humans or elves merging into one entity would be horrifying. However, right on the borderline, there could be a fresh golem made from the flesh of a dead zombie. It would be sphemous, but then again, the undead themselves are sphemous. Other possible candidates for Rares camp would be Yoroizaka and Kenzaki. Rare treats them like the same entity for convenience, but the four Kenzakis are only physically attached to the shoulders. If they are integrated into a single entity, it will be a more powerful entity. Then theres the skeleton types. I vaguely remember reading something about a Japanese youkai called gashadokuro or something. If we take only the part that says growsrger, for example, it is possible that several rock golems could be gathered together to be an elder. But didnt nc have zombies in her group, and didnt she reincarnate them into lower-ss vampires? Does that mean zombies cannotbine? Or did she use a different method than with the bats? Ehh, I wonder. I dont know if the method matters, but with Azalea and the others, I think I reincarnated them all together. Thats how I got three daughters, and it was quite a surprise. With the zombies, if I remember correctly, I did it one by one, in a line. Reincarnation with blood is tough on LP consumption, you know. I tried to do it all at once, but I was stopped. So, in other words, its possible to fuse and reincarnate multiple characters into one by almost simultaneously using items to meet specific conditions for a particr race. While theres a possibility of special effects from vampire blood, considering the Philosophers Stone as the superior counterpart to the Noble Humans azure blood, its also conceivable that the Philosophers Stone could be used as a substitute. Furthermore, if the Philosophers Stone has a superior version known as the Great Philosophers Stone, using that might not be impossible. However, in this game with abundant masked data, its not guaranteed that items alone are the conditions. For instance, conditions like when a vampire uses vampire blood to reincarnate a subordinate could also be set. Yet, considering races that seem likely to merge, not limited to undead but also magical beings and golem types, its hard to believe that vampires are the only ones that are special. What would it take to recreate this in something else? The image of fusion suggests that the Magnum Opus of Alchemy would be a strong candidate. Using that You seem lost in thought. Did youe up with something? No, not really anything. Youre bad at lying. Even I can tell youre lying If you came up with something, just show it. My information was quite valuable, right? Consider it a return favor! Grr While Rare has indeed leaked quite important information, for nc, its undoubtedly worthless. Despite its importance, and regardless of value, nc had considered sharing information about NPC inventories with this group. With that in mind, Rares provided information can be considered zero. Theres a slight sense of guilt, but realistically, its practically zero. I just came up with it. I dont know if itll work, and even if theres some reaction, it might not lead to character fusion. But you were nning to verify it, right? Just show it to us. After all, Rare-chans contribution is practically zero. Practically zero often implies something remaining. However, frustratingly, its also a line where one might reluctantly acknowledge. You can see, but I wont exin. Is that okay? Im fine with that. Oh, I know this. You say that, but if we ask, youll eventually exin. Whats it called again, this kind of thing? Ignoring ncs words, they proceed. Allowing them to be present is not an issue, but the critical factor bes the location. Where should we do it? Its fine here, but since we might end up summoning a superrge subordinate, it could be tough indoors. Might as well perform enhancements and reincarnations for Ururu. Howrge are we talking? If its not too extreme, we can use the courtyard. About the size of this royal castle. If I fall, the capital might copse. There are limits! Chapter 177: “Fuse the undead in your hands” The experiment ended up taking ce in the Tore Forest after all. Rare can directly fly to the location of her minions, but the other two need to consider their means of transportation. Tore Forest should be registered in the transfer list as a 5 location, so you can fly from the Mercenary Guild in this town. I havent checked where the safety area is, and I dont know if anyone wille, but Ill go to pick you up if possible. If possible is just another way of saying you wonte, right? Teacher! How do you perform a transfer? Theres a transfer-specific monument at the Mercenary Guild. Youll understand when you go. Lyra just needs to hide her face normally. nc, too if she just hides her face. Although herplexion is pale and her eyes are red, if thats all, it shouldnt be umon for a regr yer. As long as she doesnt open her mouth, it should be fine. Did you say that talking ruins the beauty!? I didnt say beauty, and its because her fangs show when she opens her mouth. Were not discussing the content for now. Oh, good. * By the time they gathered, the sun had tilted, making it afortable time to spend outside. Im not sure where to start, but I told you I wouldnt exin. The chosen location for the experiment was beside the World Tree. Even in this forest, there were only treants around the World Tree. While ordinary trees used to grow sporadically in the past, they disappeared over time, possibly due to the World Tree and treants absorbing nutrients. As they moved towards the outer perimeter of the forest, the density of treants gradually decreased, and regr trees increased. Although the old Lourdes town was mostly filled with treants, even around it, ordinary trees gradually multiplied, and now the forest is more extensive than the original town. Therefore, around the World Tree, they could freely create a za under Rares guidance. It only required temporarily moving the treants aside. The outer perimeter of the za was densely filled with moved treants, making it impossible for even a single ant to pass. Lyra seemed to want toment on whether they created the za or the World Tree, but it was unclear which one. This za seems like it could be used for something else. Adjust the cement of the treantster, so it can be maintainedfortably without any problems. Understood. After giving these instructions to the World Tree, they surveyed the experiment location once again. There was enough space in the za to nt another World Tree. If they summoned arge character here, it should be no problem. Now, where should we start? Lets begin with the most likely candidates. The skeletons from the Hiers Kingdom capital would be suitable. Currently, they were almost useless, so it wouldnt matter even if they were all gathered. Even if it failed, the damage would be minimal. The problem was that, to summon them, they had to temporarily call Sieg here, which would leave the capital without its boss. However, Sieg wasnt doing any regr work either. Although he might be supporting the undead in the capital with a skill that enhances them, the undead in the capital rarely yed an active role within that range. For safety, it would be best to temporarily leave it to Sugaru. She had the highest responsiveness in emergencies. From the Four Heavenly Kings, Sieg of Grief, has arrived, Your Majesty. Good work. Why do you guys always act cool in front of others? Huh? What are the Four Heavenly Kings? Is there such a thing? What do you know! Im one of the Four Heavenly Kings too! Really!? Huh? What about me? Youre the advisor! Wait, its already decided!? And an advisor!? I feel like an external consultant! Hehe~. Now that they mentioned it, they had talked about this before. The reaction was exactly as expected. It felt surprisingly pleasant, like unexpectedly outsmarting someone. Well then, Sieg. How about summoning some skeletons from the capital Ah, its troublesome, so just call all of them. Youre not using them anyway, right? If its skeletons, there are only skeleton knights and skeleton leaders in the capital. Is that so. Well, thats fine. It probably wouldnt make much of a difference. The summoned skeleton knights lined up in the za. Looking at it this way, there seems to be quite a number of them. Perhaps several hundred. However if you think about it calmly, its not a lot. There are more Carknights, but when ites to defending the vast royal capital theyre like a drop in the ocean. Especially when dealing with yers of high caliber, they might be easily ughtered. Is that so? I think they could afford destroying a small town. If its not a small town, there are people who can wipe out all of these alone. Both ncs and Lyras words make sense. In a game world with significant differences in individualbat capabilities, its unavoidable. So, how exactly did you resurrect them all at once? I made all the bats lick my blood, like, from my fingertips. I did it with all nine, and then simultaneously, they transformed into three Mormos. In a way, it could be considered a unique effect of vampire blood. Since the Philosophers Stone has a fixed reaction each time its used, its not possible to do it slowly for everyone. It might be possible if prepared for each person, but in that case, everyone would likely reincarnate separately. Ive only put items in the [Philosophers Egg] before, like the Philosophers Stone I wonder if living characters can be put in. Anyway, they should try. The total MP amount is iparable to before. Wasting a Philosophers Egg wont make a difference. [Philosophers Egg]. Okay, everyone, the skeletons, enter this. Enter? But its a ss egg. How does one ent Oh, they entered! What is this thing, its amazing! Be quiet for a moment, nc. Like the crystal egg before, the opened mouth swallowed the approaching skeleton knights and contained them inside. The opened mouth immediately closed smoothly, and there was no change before and after swallowing.N?v(el)B\\jnn The skeletons floating inside seemed to have lost consciousness, limp and lifeless. It seemed to be in a state of functional shutdown. It would be interesting to see what would happen if it were a more normal, lively race with life force. I dont really understand, but it seems to be working. Okay, next. The Philosophers Egg continued to swallow the skeletons one after another. With each instance, the egg grew slightlyrger, and additional MP was consumed. By the time it swallowed ten, it seemed to have exceeded five meters in diameter. However, it didnt open its mouth even when the skeletons approached it. It seems that ten is the limit. For now, lets start with [Athanor]. A goldenmp appeared directly below the egg and began to heat the crystal egg. However, even after waiting for a while, there was no change in the contents of the egg. The ten skeletons still floated inside as before. It just looked like they were burning a group of skeletons. I feel like Ive seen something like this before. Oh, its like doll memorial services. nc, shh. Is something missing for the reaction not to progress? However, when they previously inputted the branch of the World Tree and heated it, it turned to ashes at this point. That means, that was apparently a legitimate method. If its not a special alchemy, it seems that the [Philosophers Egg] and [Athanor] alone can cause the item to change. Then this too. Taking out the Philosophers Stone from the inventory, Rare brought it close to the egg. The egg, which didnt swallow the skeletons no matter how close they got, had a hole opened when the Philosophers Stone was brought close, and it took it in. It seems like the correct answer. The contents of the egg, which had taken in the Philosophers Stone, all melted into rainbow colors and began to swirl. Oh, looks good. Alright then, [Magnum Opus]! In terms of Rares current total MP amount, its not a big deal, but still, a considerable amount of MP is lostpared to higher-level magic spells. The egg emitted a strong golden light, and the inside waspletely unobservable. Rare closed her eyes and checked with her [Demonic Eyes], but mana was swirling, and she couldnt see anything. As a side note, she also tried using the [True Eyes] obtained for appraisal earlier, but apart from seeing that it had many LPs, it wasnt clear what else it conveyed. However, because it appeared as a single mass, it seemed that the fusion was sessful at least. <> It seems that it wasnt just a simple fusion. Rare remembered this announcement. It asionallyes when Sugaru is creating a queen. Its a message thates when the experience points possessed by the minion are not enough for the activation of the skill. Although Sieg is not using any skills right now, and Sieg himself is not aware that he needs experience points, NPC minions reincarnation automatically progresses even without permission. As a result, only the invoice seems to havee to Rares ce. I transferred the experience points to the egg through Sieg. Then, the field of vision through [True Eyes] suddenly connected, forming a huge figure that began to move. Ah, it might be better to step back. The figure extended its arm, cracked the egg from the inside, and crawled out,nding on the ground. As soon as the egg cracked, the light subsided, and its form became visible to the naked eye and the [Demonic Eyes]. The cracked egg scattered light like particles around, even reaching the ce where Rare and the others were observing a moment ago. The crystal shell that fell to the ground disappeared as if melting immediately, but the giant figure did not disappear. It was indeed a figure that could be described as the skeleton of a giant. Although its total length was probably less than 10 meters, it easily exceeded 5 meters. It seems that it was carrying its knees within the egg. Wearing armor reminiscent of Japans Sengoku period, it stood dignifiedly. Um, a samurai skeleton, huh? Maybe because I used a skeleton knight instead of a regr skeleton, a higher-level magical creature was born? What did Rare-chan think of creating? A gashadokuro? Ive heard that they were born around the middle of the Showa era, so its possible that it didnt exist as data from the beginning. Is that so? But even so, it clearly has a form and name based on the assumption of a gashadokuro. Well, for now, lets consider it a sess. A- Ah, nc. Thanks to your information, it seems that we can strengthen our forces. Thank yo Amazing! Huge! Dangerous! Can my children do this too!? Crimson and everyone! nc is excited. Since she was also very interested in Yoroizaka-san, she might like giant things. Well, Rare couldnt me her for those feelings. What Rare was thinking about was whether gathering another ten of these skeleton knights could create something else. ncs children, huh. I wonder. What I did just now was a skill of the [Alchemy] secret tree, but I just tried stuffing magical creatures instead of items into it. Whether its the same with magical creatures under my control or not, I wont know until I try it. But if its just a regr item, it probably doesnt have ownership settings, so it might not be impossible. Alright, lets do it! Ill call them right away! You exined almost everything after all. I like that about you, sis~. Chapter 178: “Skeletal Ghidorah” Call them, but make sure not to leave holes in your defenses. Deas and Queen Beetle are instructed to be on alert, just in case. Then, 30 red skeletons were summoned in the square. The three fierce Dragontooth were also summoned. These three seem to have no need for anything extra, but thats not for Rare to determine. Siegs Skeleton Knights step back as if under pressure. It seems that the Spartoi are more prestigious than the Skeleton Knights. All right, lets give it a try! Come on, hurry up andy your egg! nc, your choice of words! Fine. [Philosophers Egg]. As soon as arge crystal egg appears, nc gives instructions to the Spartoi. All right, everyone, dive in! Eh? Everyone? Following ncs instructions faithfully, the nearly 30 Spartoi gather around the Philosophers Egg. The egg swallows the red bones one after another, and inside the egg, Spartoi who had rxed are floating. Do you know a mouse called lemming, Rare-chan? I was thinking the same thing. Anyway, its not stopping, is it? I think its already over 10 bodies. Perhaps the recipe varies with different species. The crystal egg that swallowed all the spartoi swelled up to a muchrger size than with the skeletons earlier. Perhaps to about the size of Ururu. Huh? All of them Hey nc, what about the Dragontooths? Eh? Ah? Whered they go? If theyre gone, theres only one ce they could be. Inside the egg with the Spartoi. Is it okay? Well, if they got in, there should be no problem with the fusion. Its clear from the incident with the skeletons that unnecessary parts wont get in. If you think you can do it, that probably means you should do it! Just go ahead and do it! nc is overwhelmed with excitement, losing her ability for calm decisions. But honestly, Im interested, and if we stop now, the MP for the [Philosophers Egg] will bepletely wasted. Whether MP consumption depends on the eggs size or the number of fusion materials is unclear, but at this point, its much more than the time with the gashadokuro*. (T/N: the big samurai skeleton that was fused earlier) Then the Philosophers Stone. Ah! Use my blood for that! nc bites her finger, and with the injured fingertip, she approaches the egg. Ohhhhh? Its sucking, sucking, sucking! Blood pours from ncs fingers, from what seemed like a small wound, and its all being absorbed by the egg. Along with that, ncs light, visible with the [True Eyes], gradually fades. Hey this is bad! [Medium Heal]! Its not catching up!? [High Heal]! Lyra and I cast as much Healing Magic as we could remember, and since it wasnt enough, we took turns using [Treatment] to somehow avoid her death from blood loss. If it were ncs bare LP, she would have died five times from this. I hand nc a potion as she copses and looks at the egg. Inside the egg is dyed reddish ck, and I have no clue whats happening. I dont know if I can continue this. Its definitely a bad idea. If we stop here, a lot will be wasted. Like ncs LP and our MP used for recovery, and so on. C-Continue, please. Well, if nc says so. [Athanor]. The goldenmp glows, and the reddish ck substance begins to shine in a vivid rainbow color. Oh, good. It seems to be back to normal from here. [Magnum Opus]. <<[Magnum Opus] cannot be executed. The target Dragontooths and Spartoi have been tamed by another character. To proceed, permission from the tamer character is required.>> Oh. Oh. Our voices ovepped. It seems that a message is also being sent to nc at the same time. I give permission! I will pay! <> I see how it is. Well, its not information that can be used elsewhere. Eh? What is? I wont exin. Rare treated Lyra coldly. After that, the MP consumption was enough to start eating into my LP. Im d I had enough, but it was dangerously close to dying due to negligence. After this is over, Ill need to take an MP potion Simr to earlier, with [True Eyes], someone with huge LP is trying to get out, wriggling in the light. However, its figure is iparablyrger than the already big samurai skeleton, and the color of the light indicated that its LP maximum is very high. It has a deeper color than mine. In other words, this monster possesses LP surpassing me, a Demon Lord. Is this okay This is a staggering figure, even discounting the fact that my LP is halved from the usual. Lyra seems to be seeing the same thing and is now even further away. Eventually, from the light, something appeared, crushing the crystal. It was a three-headed dragon with a body of reddish-ck bones. Its size is almost the same as the crystal egg from earlier, meaning it is the size of Ururu.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Then, a stagnant air began to fill the surroundings. !? Uh-oh!? Woooooow! Cool! Thats so cool! Super cool! What is this! Its a dragon! Since the appearance of the three-headed bone dragon, it seems we have suffered some damage. The gradual decrease is simr to when Im exposed to direct sunlight, but the nted sunlight is blocked by the treants and does not reach this za. If its just this level of slip damage, I can offset it by natural recovery. Not a significant problem. The natural recovery amount is determined by the maximum value, so Rares LP natural recovery amount is currently reduced. However, due to the effect of [Demons Armor], the damage is converted to MP. Therefore, it is the MP that is decreasing. And since the maximum value is higher here, the amount of natural recovery is also higher. Slip damage from burns in the past was such that natural recovery could not keep up, but now it seems to recover enough to heal the burns themselves. However, we do not know if the burns are healed by the recovery of MP, and we do not know if the [Devils Armor] is applied to damage caused by abnormal conditions such as burns. If Im taking damage, does that mean this damage went through the [Demons Shield]? Looking at it, the LP of the four [Demons Shields] was also gradually decreasing. Since there is no natural recovery for these shields, once it decreases, it stays that way. Also, the shields cannot be restored by recovering LP. To return the shields to their perfect state, they have to be destroyed once. For normal attacks, the damage can be transferred to the shields by blocking with the [Demons Shields], but range attacks affecting the entire space like this cannot be blocked with the [Demons Shields]. In other words, this type of damage is a very effective form of harassment for the current me. It was fortunate we were able to quickly demonstrate this, but it is frustrating that the first created [Demons Shields] were made pointless so simply. Looking around, nc, Sieg, and the skeletons seem fine, but Lyra is moving away in pain. So the undead group took no damage. Undoubtedly, this three-headed bone dragon is the responsible one. [Appraisal]. Uh, Skeletal Ghidorah it seems? Is the slip damage due to this passive skill [Death Aroma] or something? Is it so smelly that you could die? Stop making baseless usations! Its not smelly at all! How can it be smelly when its so cool! nc doesnt feel anything, probably due to racial characteristics or because she is its master. In reality, nothing actually smells, its more like the air around is just dead. Skeletal Ghidorahs LP is surprisingly about four times that of Rare. Even if [Art is long, life is short] was not acquired, it would still be double. Other than that, he does not seem to be able to match Rares abilities at all, but he is still one of the stronger onespared to those under Raresmand. In general, I would say that they are Ururu-ss. Considering that Ururu was a raid boss that would give trouble even to me in ground battles, it can be understood how dangerous this Ghidorah is. Moreover, this Ghidorah seems to be able to fly in the air. One-sided attacks from above wont work. The skills are really interesting and I have never seen many of them before. Most of them seem to be species-specific skills, and there is not much that can be reproduced by another race. The only one I can think of is [Sky Drive]. Its terrifying that this huge body can use [Sky Drive], but besides that, it also has [Flight]. The wings seem to be just skeletal, but its probably the usual magical thing. Cant this skill [Death Aroma] be turned off? My LP is decreasing, and my World Tree is taking damage. If it can be turned off, I would like you do do it. Oops, sorry about that. Let me check Looks like it can be turned off! The unpleasant sensation of continuous damage disappears, and the air around seems to have cleared somehow. Lyra runs back to us. Phew, phew. Weve got a badass over here. I [Appraised] it, but I could only see the species name. Im pretty sure that it outranks nc, so will it listen? Uh! Right! I forgot! What if it doesnt listen! No, you heard me. Now. Until now, even NPC rumors among civilians mentioned dragons, but its deeply moving to see one with my own eyes, even if its just bones. Id love to get my hands on one, but it may be ipatible with undead, treants, and insects. If anything, Id like to try keeping a fresh, or rather a living dragon anyway. Werent they originally Lizardman skeletons? So if I catch a bunch of regr Lizardmen and fuse them, can I create a living dragon? Spartoi, which is a rumor, is said to be made from dragon fangs or bones. And the Dragontooth is pretty much the same. Even if its possible, it seems like you need to reincarnate it several times to get close to a dragon. Do you want to do it too, Lyra? Of course. My country having a guardian dragon! It would be a super bluff. In reality, there are even national gs based on dragon legends, its verypelling. If Im going to do it anyway, I would like to add a Demon Lord element and create a one-of-a-kind pet, but I dont know if such a variation is avable, and before that, I have no Lizardmen. Even if its not Lizardmen, if its a lizard-like monster, it seems possible to do something simr. So, from now on, lets prioritize telling each other when we find habitats of such monsters. Lets do that. Phew. But its a good thing we didnt do it in the royal castle. If we had done it in the courtyard, it would have been a disaster by now. The royal castle would have copsed, causing an unprecedented catastrophe with many casualties. The survivors would have had their lives slowly eroded by the [Death Aroma], and its unimaginable how much damage would have urred in the end. Hey, if nc summons this one over a suitable city and drops it, it would be devastating, right? Its a tactic that I was considering for Ururu. If it were Ururu, it would not be recognized as a monster as long as it doesnt move, but in exchange, Ghidorah has area-of-effect slip damage, which is more effective depending on how its used. All right, decided! Your name is Burgundy! Oh, are you giving it a new name? With three heads, I thought they were the dragontooth kids from earlier. Huh? Is that so? To ncs question, the three heads nodded. It seems that the middle head is Crimson, the right head is Scarlet, and the left head is Vermilion. In the end, nc decided to call the specific heads by their previous names and call the whole body Burgundy. In [Appraisal], the name disyed is Burgundy, and it also mentions the individual names for each head. Now that youve settled down, next is zombies. Lets get it done quickly. *** T/N: I have to say Im not sure if dragontooths is the correct plural of dragontooth, but dragonteeth just felt strange for some reason. About the Skeletal Ghidorah, the name seems to be a direct reference to the character with the same name from kaiju movies, whose name is based on the word hydra. I generally try not to ramble, but while Im on the topic, its an interesting challenge having to decide on wordings like these. Theres all kinds, some are pretty obvious at a nce, some are really tough, some have many options that work, etc. For example, Rares skill, [Art is long, life is short], written as [gL϶̤] but with furigana saying Ars longa, vita brevis. I personally like the idea of leaving it intin, but at the same time I get the feeling that the next time people read it, they might go what the heck was this again? and wont know where to even look for the answer, since theres no real resource about this series in english (that I know of, at least). Anyway, recently Ive gone back and modified a couple of wordings that I wasnt fully confident on, nothing really major though, and Ill probably keep doing that along the way if I feel like something about the text can improve. Ill bring it up if its important. And also, its fine to offer me wording alternatives and things like that, or any feedback if you think its appropriate. And while Im here, to everyone who has pointed out errors and inconsistencies, thank you! And to everyone who has thanked me, youre wee! Chapter 179: “Damage From Rumors” The zombies used for fusion experiments will first be those under mymand. To be precise, they are under Siegsmand, but like the skeletons, they are those who are spending their spare time idling in the royal capital. As zombies are weaker than skeletons, they should have been used for experiments first. However, if resurrected, they can perform tasks closer to those of humans. Thanks to Siegs diligent work, about half of them had already been resurrected as Revenants. He thought it would be fine if that was the case, so he gave priority to the skeletons. However, the fusion monster, the Warrior Skeleton, was a powerful unit because it required additional experience points. It surpassed even Queen-ss entities. In that case, creating monsters of equal rank using the remaining zombies could significantly strengthen our forces. Ten normal zombies make a Fresh Golem and ten Revenants make a Giant Corpse. Squire zombies can turn into Fresh Golems too, huh? Squire zombies seem to be no different from regr zombies except for the unlocked route to bing vampires. Furthermore, once fused into a Fresh Golem, information about vampires is lost. Even when nc gave blood to the Fresh Golem that was originally a squire zombie, it could only be resurrected as a Giant Corpse. In any case, Fresh Golems are more powerful than ten zombies, and Giant Corpses are more powerful than ten Revenants, so all the summoned creatures were grouped together. Although there are still many zombies in the capital, not all of them can be summoned here. Attempts to create something with ten Giant Corpses failed, as approaching them to eggs resulted in no change. This also applied to Warrior Skulls, and it seemed impossible to create evenrger units from the remaining undead. So, whats next? Well, since its clear they wont enter the eggs, maybe we should ask Yoroizaka and Kenzaki. As magical creatures, theres a good chance they can do something. By the way, why is Lyra in charge? Arent you going home? Huh, isnt that awful? Im not telling her to go home, but she probably doesnt have anything more to do here even if she stays. So youre free? Im not exactly free. Well, Ive already done everything that needs to be done, and some things are waiting for results. Its fine to stay, right? Eh? Cant I? Its not like that! Im just genuinely wondering why youre here. Its that works the best, I guess. Then, give me some Mithril. If you havent used it for anything other than cooking utensils, you probably still have some, right? Well, whats with that? Its true that I have some left. Rare might not know, but in the market, its quite valuable. It rarely circtes. I see, market value. If thats the case, asking Gustav or someone about Mithril might have provided the desired information. Since it was received directly from the management, the idea of asking an NPC didnte to mind. Thinking about it, there might have been someone among Remys artisans who knew about it. Since the performance could already be understood through [Appraisal], it wasnt necessary, but Lyra, the value of something is fluid, depending on the time and ce. Theres no such thing as universal value. So, yeah, whether Lyra herself needs it at this moment speaks louder about its value than anything else. Huh, didnt I just say its quite expensive now? Before that, you said you have some left. So, give it to me. Youre like a spoiled little sibling in certain aspects. Well, whatever. Youre really indulgent with Rare-chan. Mithril, obtained. I called Yoroizaka-san from the capital. I want to move the Skeleton Warrior and Giant Corpse back to the pce instead, but I cant just do that. I dont want to put them in the wrong spot and make the difficulty of the royal capital 5 stars. Theyre also toorge in size to operate there, so they can only operate well on the main streets. It will be necessary to think of some effective way to operate them.N?v(el)B\\jnn For now, we decided to send Sieg once to the Liebe Great Forest and leave the giant undead waiting in the meadow near it. It used to be frequented by novice rabbit hunters, but no onees there now. If we leave it as it is, it wont be good for the health of the undead when the sun rises, so we remember to contact the queen whos waiting nearby and instruct her to dig a cavity underground in the meadow. There are still fresh golems and giant corpses under nc, but only a few of them were created for verification purposes. If we had them pull over to the edge, they wouldnt get in the way of our work. Alright, lets try it right away. [Philosophers Egg]. I prompted Yoroizaka-san, but the egg showed no reaction. Even after removing the shoulder-mounted Kenzakis, nothing changed. It seems that Yoroizaka and the Kenzakis are not fusion materials. It seems that just because theyre magical creatures doesnt mean then can be casually fused. It could be that the current sess is specific to undead creatures, a phenomenon unique to them. Too bad, lets give up on this idea for now. Now, what about the others However, it might just be a coincidence that Yoroizaka-san and the others cant fuse. From Rares perspective, Yoroizaka-san and the others are unique. Its necessary to verify with more normal ormon magical creatures, like the Adamant Team, the Carknight Team, or perhaps the Rock Golems. Hey, Rare-chan? If youre not going to use it, can you return the Mithril? Im going to use it now! [Summon: Rock Golem]. I summoned a regr-sized Rock Golem, and ced it inside the egg. It was easily taken in. The hypothesis that only undead creatures can be used was proved wrong. Next, the Mithril confiscated from Lyra was put in, and it was exposed to the me of [Athanor]. When the Philosophers Stone was ingested, the usual beautiful rainbow pattern appeared. Good. Golems seem to work. [Magnum Opus]. Although only one Mithril ingot was input, the process proceeded without any issues. Eventually, after crushing the crystal, a majestic warrior made of shining silver rocks appeared. Instead of being made of ore, it seemed as if Mithril had been deliberately shaped into the form of a rock, a natural shape with an unnatural shine. Since Rare had never seen natural Mithril ore, this might be how it looks. Small! Whats this! Its cute! Lyra pointed andughed, which is not surprising. The form is that of a Golem, but the size has be considerably smaller. Its only up to Rares waist. While it isrger than the input Mithril, it has undergone significant downsizingpared to the original Golem. Where did the rocks thatposed the Rock Golem go? However, the Warrior Skulls and Giant Corpses have clearly grownrger than the total weight of their original minions. Theres no room toin. The most notable change was with Skeletal Ghidorah. This small warrior is called [Mithril Golem]. Its a Golem, so there should be no problem. If experience points are poured into it, it should growrger on its own. Even at this size, it has higher overall stats than the Rock Golem, especially in INT and MND. Despite its appearance, the high magical affinity characteristic of metal is evident. AGI is rtively low, typical for a Golem, making it suitable for use as a mobile artillery. Ill take it back to the capital instead of the Warrior Skulls and Giant Corpses, and use it as a defensive weapon. All the Mithril ingots that Lyra had were transformed into Mithril Golems. Next is the main event in a sense. Clearing enough space, Ururu was [Summoned]. The World Tree is towering nearby, and with Skeletal Ghidorah, it doesnt seem thatrge, but thats just an illusion. It bes apparent whenpared to the nearby Mithril Golem. Well, this is not the correctparison either. Is this the king-size they talk about? I still think the royal castle is bigger. But where were these things? At the foot of a volcano. Using the familiar process, Ururu was ced in the crystal egg and exposed to the me of [Athanor]. It was found through [Appraisal] that the other metals official name was Adamas. The Adamas left in my inventory was a surplus, after an amount was given to the craftsmens discrict of Rifure, and it was all thrown in. Because of the size, it consumed as much additional MP as the Skeletal Ghidorah, but the process proceeded without problems. It is the only one and a named subordinate. I was excited here and decided to use a Great Philosophers Stone. I wouldnt want it to turn out smaller because I was stingy with the item I used. Furthermore, I imitated nc and mixed in some of my own blood. Like before, it was sucked vigorously by the process, but not to the point of it being life-threatening. This seemed to be recognized as a cost instead of damage, and was collected from LP even though [Demons Armor] was active. [Magnum Opus]. The subordinate has met the conditions for reincarnation. Do you permit the reincarnation into [Elder Adamant Golem]? Do you permit the use of your experience points (1500) for the reincarnation into [Adamantalos]? Naturally, the choice is [Adamantalos]. From the consumed experience points, it seems to be some kind of cmity-ss monster. After crushing the crystal, Ururu was reborn. What is this? Cant you see the race? Its [Adamantalos]. It looked as if an ancient Greek temple had taken human form. The arms and legs were designed like temple columns and the chest was directly in the shape of a temple. Inside the temple, a glowing red crystal can be seen as if enshrined. The head is also made of a short pir, with a horizontal slit in the middle. Perhaps it has eyes there. And all of it was covered with a back metallic luster. Talos was some sort of bronze automaton, right? Does Adamantalos mean a Talos made of adamas? Is that even possible? As you can see. But if its called Talos, does the red light in its chest mean it has gods blood? In other words, paradoxically, I am a god. I dont know whether Rare-chan is a god or not, but its seems like an obvious weak spot. In legends, Talos died of blood loss after the blood vessels in his torso were destroyed. I thought it was, , right? Well, there doesnt seem to be anything like that. Or maybe its just not exposed. Amazing! Hey, hey, hey, want to fight my Burgundy? Where? Ehh? You wanna do it? Dont do it, youll definitely be in big trouble. The monster showdown was wisely canceled. Disaster creature [Adamantalos] has been born. [Adamantalos] is already under the control of existing forces, so the issuance of the standard message has been canceled. Even though they had just acquired [Divine Wisdom], verification was impossible because the message was canceled. However, the fact that it doesnt say Specific Disaster Creature means Adamantalos is considered a legitimate raid boss. It doesnt sit well with Rare, who is aware of the various strange processes she went through. Or perhaps Adamantalos is a species that can eventually be reached through a smooth reincarnation from Adamant Golem. In that sense, it might be legitimate. By forcefully changing the trajectory from Rock series to Adamant series with [Magnum Opus], the reincarnation itself followed the normal route. Did it be Adamantalos because we used Adamas? If we had used Mithril, would it have been Mithriltalos, and if we used bronze, just Talos? Certainly, there should be metals beyond Adamas in the game. If so, there might be a Talos with performance surpassing Adamantalos somewhere. It seems like a magical creature with a short lifespan, and it wouldnt be surprising if it was buried somewhere, perhaps underground on this continent, without anyone noticing. Whats next? What are you going to do next? When is Lyra really going back? Since I can go back in an instant, it doesnt matter! nc is ying with Skeletal Ghidorah and Fresh Golem. While the Fresh Golem is not that strong, it seems to have high VIT and LP, as it doesnt die in one hit even with Ghidorahs intentionally reduced attacks. On the other hand, Ghidorah doesnt take any damage from the attacks of the Fresh Golem. Rare confirmed this using [Appraisal] when she activated it on Ghidorah, and there was no sign of her noticing. Since the result notification of resistance checks is a system message, NPCs probably cant hear it. In the case of actions that cause status abnormalities, even if messages cant be heard, they would notice something is happening. But for skills that dont cause any changes to the target, the reaction indicates whether the entity is an NPC or not. Well, whatever. Next is probably the Adamant Team. It was pretty dangerous when I let the Hiers knights fight themst time. Now, with the equipment changed to Adamas, it should be somewhat better, but The so-called suppression team soldiers from La Colinne who survived are almost all dead due to the bombardment, but the knights who fought against the Adamant squad were strong. When Adamants were dropped in the royal capital, there were knights holding them back. However, it wasnt to the extent that they were one-sidedly defeated. It is reasonable to assume that those knights were the top-level ones in the old Hiers Kingdom. The Hiers Kingdoms military, mainlyposed of humans, can be considered a nation relying more on quantity than quality. So, if its a country ruled by a different race, there is a possibility that they have even more powerful knights. With the currentbat power, its a bit worrisome. However, like with Yoroizaka, the crystal egg didnt swallow them. It seems like their reinforcement has to be done individually with the Philosophers Stone. In the end, only undead creatures were sessfullybined this time. While Golem types might still be a possibility, there are not many Golems left near the volcano. If left alone, they will likely increase over time, and it would be sufficient to go and capture them once they have multiplied to some extent. With the desired metal and arge amount of MP, it seems possible to create any Golem. So, as long as she secures more golems, it should be fine. There is no schedule set for the next tea party, but the location is decided to be the town of Rifure. If someone has something to do, they will be summoned. As for the Skeletal Ghidorah, I wondered what to do, but it seems that nc simply brought it back. That thing probably wont enter the lords mansion, and if its released in the town, it would be a disaster. Uponter confirmation, as expected, the difficulty level of Erntal had be 5. It seems that the city is considered to be rted to the cmity, and on the forum, I was being med. Chapter 180: “Portree King” Portree Kingdom. This country, located in the southern part of the continent, enjoys a mild climate throughout the year. The soil is firm, and the undting terrain makes it unsuitable for cultivation. However, since most of thend is covered in forests, orchards benefiting from the warm climate are prevalent. The main food source for over 90% of the poption, who are elves,es from the fruits harvested in these orchards. However, recently, incidents have been urring where certain orchards are being attacked by unknown assants, causing harm to farmers and others. Bandits, perhaps? Yes. In some cities near the northwest border, there has been an increase in food raids by individuals believed to be bandits. In the administrative office of the pce at the heart of the Portree capital, King Ustashe receives a report from a pce official. Normally, Ustashe wouldnt be concerned about the food of local citizens being stolen. However, this is a turbulent time with the emergence of the Seventh Cmity and the neighboring country of Hiers being annihted. In such times, anything could be a catalyst for the downfall of a nation. ording to reports from agents infiltrated in Hiers, there were no significant mistakes in Hiers response. They had even repelled the threat once, implying that they simply lost in a pure disy of strength. High elves like Ustashe and the nobles of Portree are far stronger than the nobility of Hiers, not only due to racial differences but also the umtion of years. Elves have long lifespans. However, this doesnt mean they are arrogant enough to believe they can counter a cmity-level monster. While its not impossible if an artifact is activated, its not something they are eager to test. In preparation for the worst-case scenario, careful attention must be given to securing resources, including food. Despite the responsibility trusted to the ruling royal family, if there are damages, it falls on the shoulders of the local lords. Being taken advantage of by mere bandits suggests that the citycks adequate defense. Who is the lord? The reports indicate Viscount Pasquier and the territory of Count Cobell. Cobell? That ce has a sizable territory nearby and should have its own substantial knight order. They shouldnt be incapable of dealing with bandits. ording to the reports, the monsters in that region have been restlesstely, and there are changes in the types of monsters appearing. They are fully upied with dealing with that, and handling bandits is beyond their capacity. When you say that the types of monsters have changed, does that mean that higher-ranking species are appearing? This is no joke. If the ranking of monsters in the territory is increasing, it implies that the bosss rank, the ringleader of the region, has also risen. If thats the case, its unpredictable when they mighte out of the territory to attack the city. Just about a month ago, monsters flooded from territories across the country, causing significant damage. It was therge-scale flooding triggered by the birth of the Seventh Cmity. No, it seems different types have appeared. Again with the undead? During the previous flooding, undead creatures emerged from the territories of various monsters. Either the undead overflowed and triggered local monsters, or local monsters stimted by the undead flooded out. The flooding happened in that manner. No, ording to the reports, various monsters like goblins and kobolds have appeared. What is that? Ive never heard of such a thing. Is the report urate? The sign of Count Cobell is there, so there is no mistake. If this man says so, there is no doubt. He is also the heraldic officer employed by the court. He has memorized the signatures of major nobles. Since summoning him every time a letter arrives for a [Discernment] is cumbersome, he was also assigned the task of a court official serving the king. Though it might be troublesome for him, being a heraldic officer used to involve traveling throughout the country as a military envoy or messenger in the distant past. Compared to that, this is much more manageable. Things are getting suspicioustely. We may need to investigate what is happening. The Seventh Cmity is urring in the north. It might be rted. Even the bandits might not be unrted. The bandits seem human. If we consider that they flowed in from the destroyed Hiers due to the cmity, its unlikely that they are unrted. Certainly, the damage is in the northwest, but its not far from the Hiers border. The Old Hiers Kingdom is to the northeast from Portree, and when looking to the northwest, there is the Aural Kingdom there. However, despite the recent coup, Aural is surprisingly politically stable now, and its hard to believe that there are refugees resorting to banditry. Most likely, the bandits are using cunning tactics to disguise the location of their hideout within the Old Hiers territory. Send knights for investigation to Cobells territory.N?v(el)B\\jnn What about Viscount Pasquiers territory? Send a punitive officer there. If Pasquier is involved in any wrongdoing, bring them to the capital. If Pasquier is ipetent in dealing with bandits withoutmitting any wrongdoing, his ipetence is serious. Execute him. Perhaps due to the long lifespan of elves, their reproductive ability is weakerpared to other races. Their numbers are inherently small. Among the few elves, High Elves are even rarer. Recently, crude elven mercenaries without manners have been appearing from both within and outside the country. Choosing the profession of a mercenary at the outset means they are not noble elves. Those beings, despite having simr appearances, are considered a different race. While not said publicly, Ustashe refers to them as long-eared barbarians. Such rare High Elves are deeply immersed in the concept of being the chosen ones. Even among the already small poption of elves, High Elves are the selected few. Therefore, ipetence is not tolerated. Born as High Elves, they must be outstanding without exception. An ipetent High Elf is more harmful than a High Elfmitting misdeeds. Also, no matter how hungry, it is unforgivable to enter the country where noble elves reside with dirty shoes. Send troops to the nearest town in Hiers where the bandits are presumed to have theirir. We need to recover the stolen goods. Is that eptable? The location of the bandits has not been confirmed yet. I dont mind. The country called Hiers no longer exists in this world. Therefore, the people of Hiers also do not exist. Even if it was a case of mistaken identity, there will be noints no matter how many non-existent people are killed. The stolen items are mainly food, and even if we do manage to recover them, we cant just return them as they are. Plunder the equivalent amount of stolen food. Most countries have self-contained economies, and until now, there havent been countries willing to engage in disputes with others. Also, each royal family owns artifacts. In the event of a full-scale conflict, it would be troublesome if those were activated. Or, in the unlikely event of a war breaking out and one country acquiring artifacts equivalent to two nations, other nations wouldnt remain silent. Before such a situation arises, it would either be supporting the weaker side or forming an alliance with the stronger side and dividing the stolen artifacts. If every country were to think like that, it would escte into a continent-wide war. Even if they were to win, it wouldnt be without consequences. Theres no strong motivation for war since they are already satisfied, and every country has lurking monsters nearby. They are too busy dealing with creatures they canmunicate with to engage in conflicts. Even if conflicts were to arise, the existence of artifacts should ensure outward peace. However, on the flip side, a country without artifacts is considered no threat at all. Speaking specifically about Hiers, without even a royal family, its no longer a country. So, theres no need to be considerate to those living there, and if they are spreading disadvantages to ones own country, its only natural to eliminate them. Theres a possibility that the bandits areing from the Aural Kingdom, but even if thats the case, I cant honestly inquire about it, and attacking Aurals cities is out of the question. If the opponent is a legitimate nation, there are procedures to consider. Just because the bandits crossed the border and attacked doesnt mean we can me the other country for everything. Its a different story if the nation is orchestrating the looting. Bandits who dont belong to any country are essentially no different from local monsters. Its the fault of the poorly defended towns in the first ce. However, that doesnt mean I intend to passively ept the situation. The stolen goods need to be recovered, and honestly, whether the ones we recover from were actual bandits or not is not important. What matters is whether they are opponents who wontin. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention, send troops only to the town. Strictly instruct them not to approach the monsters territory. Theres a cmity in that country. I dont want to provoke it over trivial matters. Portrees poption is mostly elves, and their numbers are few. In addition, the cost of [Subordinating] High Elves is high, and they cant afford to have too many subordinates. For these reasons, Portrees military is small in number, with only a few knight orders. However, the power possessed by their soldiers is significantly greater than that of other countries. In a sense, each soldier is a force to be reckoned with. The territories of monsters are distant, and in agricultural cities without dedicated knight orders, it was impossible to resist them. The city at the edge of Hiers was devastated overnight from the start of the battle, disappearing from the map. Renamed by the Portree army as the First Frontline Base, all residents were killed. yers who focused on agriculture or happened to be passing traders were also killed without exception and respawned. Those who were lucky enough to be sent back to their original city were the fortunate ones. For yers who had never left this city, a random respawn point lottery was conducted across the continent since the Hiers Kingdom no longer existed, and they respawned randomly. This sparked discussions on social media, and yers were very passionate about organizing a volunteer army to reim the city. However, someone noticed that all the residents who should be handed over after reiming the city had already been killed. This revtion halted the n, leaving yers with only negative feelings towards the Portree Kingdom, and the discussion subsided for the time being. Even though the discussion ended, the logs on social media didnt disappear. And there were yers who regrly checked threads with the name Hiers for updates on the Hiers Kingdom. Chapter 181: “System Message 7” To all yers, Thank you very much for ying our game Boot hour, shoot curse as always. We would like to announce the details of the third officialrge-scale event. The event is a Massive Defense Battle. Information has been received about attacks from the sky across the continent. Regardless of nationality or race, everything on the continent will be under attack. yers, whether they are humans, monsters, or affiliated with any nation, are encouraged to forget their differences and cooperate to protect cities, forests, and other areas where you and others reside.
  • The event willst approximately one week in real-time and is scheduled for 10 days in-game.
  • During the event, there will be a 10% experience points bonus.
  • Penalties will be eased during the event, with no loss of experience points. Instead, for one hour in-game, all attributes will decrease by 5%.
  • A dedicated social media tform for the event will be set up. Please use it for coordination between cities and building newmunities.
  • There is no need to apply specifically for this event.
  • The difficulty of the attacks from the sky is set to approximately 2 in the teleportation service list.
*In the previous event, we apologize for theck of consideration regarding privacy protection when publicly disclosing yer names of the top scorers without their permission, despite the forced participation and the masked data nature of the points. *For this event, we will refrain from disclosing the yer names of those who do not wish it, even if they are in the top rankings. Please indicate your preference by replying to this message. *The event will take ce across the entire continent, and regardless of the progress, the above bonuses will continue until the end of the event period. Thank you for your continued support of Boot hour, shoot curse. *** To yer Name [Rare], Thank you very much for ying our game Boot hour, shoot curse as always.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om We would like to inform you about the details of the third officialrge-scale event. Please refer to the announcements sent to all yers for detailed information about the event. *This message is sent to all yers as some rules have been changed.
  • Penalty Changes During the event period: there will be no loss of experience points due to penalties. Instead, there will be a 5% decrease in all attributes. However, yers who have already experienced penalty changes will not benefit from this adjustment.
We apologize to those yers affected, and please understand that the easing of penalties will not apply to you. All of us at Boot hour, shoot curse development and operation appreciate your understanding. Chapter 182: “Ururu Impact” Not allowed, it said. But an event, huh? Not the right time for that now. The system message was an announcement for the third official event. For the next week, meaning for approximately 10 in-game days, an event would take ce. It seemed like the event would involve an attack from the sky, likely the assault of the [Archangel] cmity. ording to the Vampire Count, ncs acquaintance, the Archangel cmity seems to be a fairly young cmity. If thats the case, then this Archangel cmity is undoubtedly the sixth cmity. In other words, this is one of Rares senpais. ording to the system message, the angel attacks were expected to be around 2 in strength, weaker than most areas dominated by Rare. The Tore Grasnds were only 1, but even that was deliberately kept subdued. So, the only ce to consider defense was the city of Rifure. The residents of that city were merely kept by Rare without being under her control, and she couldnt openly defend with her proud monsters. However, there was not apleteck of defense capability. The citys main patrol force could be strengthened through Riley, and in case of emergency, Rare herself could take on the defense using Mares body. Moreover, Mare could already fight alone quite effectively. If the opponents were around 2 in strength, they wouldnt be a threat. But whats the intention behind introducing a cooperation-rmended event at this point? Even if the administration said, Lets set aside our differences and cooperate, monsters and angels are equally enemies to NPCs who have been living in this world since before the game service started. On top of that, the devs intentions will not be conveyed to them. If they really wanted to make it happen, they could use abilities like [Spiritual Wisdom] tomunicate. However, the fact that Rare currently hears nothing implies that the administration has no intention of doing so. In other words, for the administration, it doesnt matter how the NPCs behave. And yers are facing the same problem. The former goblin she defeated a while agothe mysterious goblin mummy yerprobably never revealed his identity to anyone. Its likely because if it spread, some yers would actively target him, or some yers actively proposing to collude might emerge, causing troublesome situations. In that case, its unlikely that monster yers would approach human yers for cooperation. Moreover, discovering the identity of an unrevealed monster yer would be difficult for other yers. However, the administration probably anticipated that much. Even so, the intention behind such notation was probably to warn yers and NPCs alike that theres a possibility of being attacked by angels regardless of their race, so be cautious. I think it would be fine to say that inly. Maybe theyre afraid of causing panic or something if they exin it straightforwardly. But for now, there are other things to do. A formerly-Hiers rural town was attacked by Portree. The reason is unclear, but it seems all the residents were killed, and the city was effectively taken over. ording to the yer who posted on SNS, there was no prior notice or anything. I wont dwell on the morality of that act. Its the same for what nc did in Erfahren and the capital. However, unlike nc, who is a yer, if the ruler governing a country deliberately attacks and takes over another countrys city, stationing troops there, there must be some purpose behind it. Normally, youd think the purpose is invasion. There hasnt been a war on this continent for a long time, but theres no particr aversion to war. This is evident from the fact that minor conflicts between cities have urred from time to time. Certainly, every country operates independently within its borders, and there is no reason to invade another country. But that doesnt mean war is only caused by poverty. Portree is a small countrypared to Hiers. Its probably because of its low poption, but its unclear whether the Portree citizens truly ept that fact. Perhaps they have been eyeing the neighboringnd since ancient times, divided from their country. If thats the case, the invasion might not be the goal, and this consideration adds some credibility to the idea. In that case, what would they do after subduing this rural town? If the goal is invasion, they would undoubtedly advance. After all, there is no longer any nation to stop them. So, it would inevitablye. To the former Hiers Kingdom, to its capital. So, before that happens, I have to stop them. Its known that the Hiers capital was taken over by the cmity. In other words, this means Im being challenged. My next mission is to crush the Portree Kingdom within the week leading up to the event. Soooorry. Its fine, really. Well, it was an unfortunate ident. I remember that during the recent tea party, Lyra mentioned something about dispatching bandits to neighboring countries and engaging in covert activities. I never expected that it would backfire and affect Hiers. I could hear the details from Lyra, who suddenly appeared unannounced at Rifure. It seems the root cause was the bandit operations that Lyra had dispatched to neighboring countries. Portree, a town near the border, was attacked by bandits, and they assumed that the bandits came from within the Old Hiers territory. Just that wouldnt be enough to determine if the bandits came from Aural or Hiers, but regardless of which, if retaliation against Aural were to happen, it could escte into a full-fledged war between nations. Of course, Lyra doesnt desire that oue. If ites to that, she would likely find a way to settle it peacefully. However, Portree doesnt know that, and they cant risk provoking Aural without proper knowledge. On the other hand, Lyra seems to have a good grasp of the military and strength of Portree and neighboring countries, analyzing it through the posts on the SNS of the yers in each country. This bandit incident might also be a way for her to verify her analysis. In any case, Portree, rather than facing Aural, or more urately, human species nations, sought an outlet for its frustration and chose Hiers, which is under Other Regions and no longer a human species nation. While the cause was the bandits sent by Lyra, it doesnt change the fact that Rare is being underestimated. Lyra may not be too concerned about it, but for Rare, reputation is important. Even if its for self-defense, its a matter of life and death to underestimate someone who stands behind a dojo that ultimately sells strength. It was an unfortunate ident, but we need to settle it. Nah, its just a game, cant we let it end there? Even in a game. In fact, precisely because its a game. Its not like an NPC known as a cmity would quietly sit back and let someone mess with their territory. Territory? Rare-chan, you hadnt done anything to that conquered town yet. You didnt even know it existed, right? And I know it now. Youre just trying to get it out of your system! In any case, its certain that the fist of retaliation has already been swung back for the counter. I will use it to evaluate the new forces that had just rolled out.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om I threw Ururu, who had been enhanced without ever being deployed. Threw not in the military sense of causing a sh, but in the physical sense. Ururu was [Summoned] and dropped above the relevant town. Ururu, seemingly heavier than in its Elder Rock Golem era, blew away most of the towns buildings with just the impact of its fall. The enemy soldiers seemed considerably strongpared to the Hiers soldiers I had trampled over before, and even with the shockwave blowing away the buildings, most of them survived. Afterward, Ururu obediently stepped on them one by one as ordered. Some managed to damage Ururus legs in a counterattack. Inflicting damage on Ururu, made entirely of Adamas, means they possess weapons of Adamas level or higher, or they have some skill that can override weapon performance. I gave up on [Appraisal] since they were already crushed, but if theyre that strong, theres a high chance theyre someones [Subordinates]. We might meet again someday. There were also those who aimed directly at the chest temple with magic or arrows. Its a tantly important part, and their judgment was not wrong. However, hitting the moving Ururu, and moreover, threading through the pirs of the temple, is not an easy task. Moreover, even if they scored a hit or two, Ururu wouldnt fall immediately. A hit was like a drop in the bucket. If they knew the folklore about a mythical being called Talos, they might have considered targeting the heel as a weakness, but NPCs like them wouldnt know. Moreover, Rare herself doesnt know if it has an actual weakness in the heel. To defeat Ururu, they would need to somehow put it in a downed state, expose the weakness in its chest,unch a concentrated attack, then aim for another downed state when it recovers, and repeat the process. Such bosses aremon in other games, so yers would likely adapt quickly. But, at least for themander stationed in this town, it seemed impossible. In any case, the town was reduced to ruins, and the first step of the retaliation wasplete. If there are no remaining residents in the town, theres no point in leaving it standing. Its not close to the territory of monsters, and its not particrly active in trade with other ces. It was a small town that engaged in agriculture, buying only essential goods like salt from merchants. Since there seem to be no remaining residents, there is no special value. Even if they were to rebuild and recruit new residents, using the skills of this world, it would be faster to build from scratch than to repair half-destroyed buildings that could be attacked by enemies. The town that was attacked and conquered has already been crushed. They probably noticed my reaction, so its toote now. I wonder how theyll respond. They didnte here initially because they didnt want to make a big deal out of it, I suppose. They came here topensate for the loot Lyra took from them by looting from another ce. Since doing it to Aural would cause an international issue, they came to what is consideredwless territory here. In this continent where governance at the city level has bemonce, its quite impressive tobel itwless territory just because theres no national leader. In a world where the concept of basic human rights seems absent, such detailed matters seem pointless. In essence, it means that as long as theres a license to loot, anyone can attack anyone at any time. Truly barbaric. As someone with a High Elf background, its embarrassing. Oh, right. Thats true. In any case, if its already toote, lets teach them what w means to these barbarians. An eye for an eye, or something like that? No, starting with more fundamental things. What Ill teach them is the worlds oldest existing legal code. I believe murder and robbery were punishable by death. If the perpetrator is from the national army, the mastermind would be the national leader, and the king would face capital punishment. The Ur-Nammu Code, huh By the way, if thats the reasoning, wouldnt I be the first to be judged? Thats fine too, but its something the affected ones should do. Its not my concern. Lack of execution is worse. Vignte justice! You were talking about thew Lyra wants to be judged, perhaps. But sorry, theres no time to deal with Lyra. However, there should be that artifact in Portrees capital. If I attack without a n, I could end up repeating the same mistake asst time. But even if we attack, the artifact is troublesome. Oh, that thing. It feels more like it just scatters annoyance around rather than giving an advantage in battle. Doesnt it react indiscriminately except for a few predefined individuals you set? The remaining Hiers artifact taken from Lyra and posts on the forummemorating the cmity subjugation also mentioned such characteristics. If Aurals artifact is simr, then its safe to assume that all artifacts, or rather the legacy of the Spirit Lord, have the same specifications. If the Spirit Lord, who held a grudge against the current royal families of the six nations, created them, it wouldnt be strange if they spread curses indiscriminately. The artifact itself has a clear form, so wouldnt it be enough to avoid getting close once you find it? Or maybe take it before activation? Certainly, if you know about it, theres no need to approach it willingly. Or maybe thats it. Basically, we just dont have to get close to the capital. Its most rational to send someone who wont be troubled if they die, right? You like that, right? Doing things rationally? The way she puts it is irritating, but indeed, Rare likes rational things. asionally, she does irrational things seeking romance or atmosphere, but those are just exceptions. Like putting curry inksa or Fukujinzuke. I wanted to test my own skills too. Well, cant be helped. Although, in the sense that it would have a significant impact if I die, most of my higher-ranking subordinates would be troublesome. Ururus test is already over Oh, there was one more. Someone whos strong, even though they dont have any subordinates. Chapter 183: “Food is procured locally” The one entrusted with the subjugation of King Portree was Deas, the strongest among the vassals who had no subordinates. Since Erntal has be difficulty level 5, yers have rarely dared to challenge it. asionally, there are daredevils who jump in, but they seem to unknowingly suffer from unexined slip damage. By the time theyy eyes on the Skeletal Ghidorah, it appears they lose their will to fight and retreat without engaging in battle. Because of this, Deas strolls have been unproductivetely. When approached with a conversation, he seems to have a liking for words like retaliation and revenge, eagerly engaging with high enthusiasm. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Deas and Sieg were also strengthened. They were previously reincarnated into [Immortal Ruler], but apart from that, they havent done much. Even if they are formidable cmity-ss monsters, Rare knows that its not enough to truly be a cmity. Especially this time, she ns to let them invade the capital, where there will likely be artifacts. She wants to ensure that both Deas and Sieg havebat abilities at least equal to or even surpassing Rares past abilities. On the other hand, Sieg, in his position defending a capital where artifacts can be used, also needs strengthening for the same reason. They are knights andmanders. Deas seems tock awareness as amander, but even if they were to acquire new skills like magic at this point, it doesnt seem very effective. Sieg might handle it adeptly, but it would be difficult for Deas. For these reasons, the focus of their enhancement was on strengthening martial skills using swords and shields. They also focused on sensory and body maniption skills thatplement these, such as [Agility] and [Sturdy]. Deas is likely to charge solo in times of crisis, so adjustments were made to ensure he doesnt die even if he charges in alone. The debuff that Rare received from the artifact at that time limited the attribute values. If its a part supported by skills, they might be able to ovee it. As an additional means of attack, they also acquired an active skill that can blow away enemy lines with a single swing of a sword. The principle is unclear, but its written in the help section, so that seems to be its performance. Including bare hands, direct attacks with weapons are nowhere near magic in terms of extermination power and impact. It might be that unless they have such outrageous skills, there is an imbnce. However, these skills are few in number and consume a lot of experience points. Close-quarters physical roles mainly focus on approaching and attacking, with long-range or area skills limited to a few special skills, like secret techniques. If such skills exist, close-quarters physical roles might be able to shine against giant enemies like Ururu. It suggests that you cant let your guard down just because the opponent is mainly close-quarters roles. Some Adamant troops are standing by in the capital in case of emergency, but everything else has been left to Deas. Considering thebat he once had against the knights in La Colinne, I can say that he might not be very good against Portrees soldiers. A person who managed to wound Ururus leg can probably cut Adamantite as well. Unlike the Carknights, Adamants are units that are not intended to operate in peacetime. Theres no need to over-strengthen them and make it difficult to use them. We should use this expedition to identify any problems that surface and strengthen them collectively once the situation is settled. While leaving the invasion to Deas, Rare has things to do as well. The strengthening of Gark and the verification of being reincarnated into a giant goblin. Disappearing with [Camouge], Rare summoned herself to Garks location in the Golf Club tunnel. Your Majesty, thank you foring to such a humble ce. The destination was inside a cave. Along the walls, there were benches made of rocks, resembling a waiting room in an arena or something simr. It might even be more secure than the resting ce for yers in the external safety area. Probably the work of the engineer ants stationed for support. Good job. It seems like youre doing well. As a test case, itsmendable. The feedback from yers posted on social media was satisfying for Rare. For a first attempt, it was well done. I appreciate it. She wanted to reward him for his hard work. However, whether out of reluctance orck of material desires, he didnt seem to want anything in particr. Even if forced to say, the expressed wish was for strength. In that case, Ill provide it as necessary expenses, not as a reward. No, considering the meaning of our existence in this cave, our currentbat power is just right. Wanting to be stronger is just my selfishness. The fact that they can have such thoughts indicates that they already possess abilities beyond the job assigned to them. However, looking at the radar chart shape of the ability values for typical goblin-type monsters, Garks current state stands out only in INT. This may also be making him aware of his own weakness. In that case, it would be good to choose Gark himself and a few of his subordinates for enhancement and turn it into a reward. First, Gark himself. Originally the leader of the vige and a goblin leader, he was reincarnated as a Goblin General for this mission. With the added meaning of a reward, Rare used the Great Philosophers Stone and, as expected, Gark was reincarnated into a [Goblin King]. The requested experience points were only 300, but considering the original goblin status, it might be on the higher side. No, thinking calmly, 300 is not a small value. Originally, using the Great Philosophers Stone, they could have reincarnated two stages higher. Still, since there were no other choices, this route seems to end with at King. His body became about a sizerger, slightlyrger than the average humanjust about the same size as therge goblin foot soldiers fought in Neuschloss. However, the intimidation waspletely different. I cant believe all those goblins in Neuschloss were [Goblin Kings]. The size is simr, but they must be a different race. Ah, right. She took out the corpse of the boss Neuschloss. Your Majesty, what is this? Its the corpse of arger goblin from another location. Unfortunately, it turned into a corpse on its own before being defeated. Rare tried to [Appraise] the goblin mummy. While ability values and skills were not disyed, it showed [Deovoldraugurs corpse C Status: Inferior]. The skin surface was scorched by [Sacred Magic], and it was in bad condition. Its not even a goblin. What was this thing? Certainly, it was only yers who said it was a goblin or something. If thats the case, those goblin impostors might not have been goblins. It might be better to give up on using them as a reference. In fact, Gark has [Necromancy] to [Control] for raising the dead, but the skill [Necro Revival] has not appeared in the previous or current acquisition, whether looking again. Theres a possibility that the yers goblin changed the skill name, but theres no other skill with the effect of reincarnating into an undead. I guess theres no help for it. Lets choose two subordinates for now. Goblin General and another magic-type monster for reincarnation. Using the Great Philosophers Stone on Garks chosen goblin leader, they were each reincarnated. The magic-type monster seems to be called [Goblin Great Wizard]. Now, they were reincarnated from [Goblin Leader] and [Goblin Mage], bute to think of it, were they originally leaders or mages? No, at the point when they left the Liebe Great Forest, Gark was the only leader. So, did they reincarnate on their own in this cave? As NPC Gark is their lord, there is no need for permission for the reincarnation process to proceed automatically. Its not strange in itself, but if so, there must be specific conditions for reincarnation only within this cave. Gark, by the way, do you remember when and how these two reincarnated? Yes. It was when we defeated enemy goblins and ate them. Eat what? In summary, it seems that by eating something like a stone in the goblins forehead lump, they can reincarnate. Come to think of it, the lump in the forehead of therge goblin in Neuschloss also contained a strange stone. In that case, lets see if verification is possible. [Summon: Amalie]. CDid you call me, Your Majesty? In the inventory of Mare, there were arge number of mysterious stones received from Tankman and the others at that time. If he gives one of those to the goblins here, some change might ur. The leader or mage might have different reactions. For now, a regr goblin would be fine. I tried giving the [Big Goblin Stone] to a regr goblin. The goblin is trying hard to bite and crush it, but its teeth literally cant make a dent. Your Majesty, it seems to be much harderpared to the regr goblins lump. Does that mean it usually breaks more easily? Oh well. I raised the STR of the goblin, who was trying hard to crush it. If the biting force increases a bit, it should break. With a small sound, the goblin finally crushed the stone while munching on it. While still chewing and moving its mouth, it began to react as it was surrounded by light. It hasnt swallowed it yet. Maybe the condition is not eating but crushing? When the light subsided, a monster of about the same height as Gark stood there. It was therge goblin that Rare killed many in Neuschloss. It seems it was called a [Hobgoblin]. After a few more experiments, several things were rified. The goblins reincarnation condition was indeed to crush that stone. It didnt matter if they used teeth or tools. [Appraisal] revealed that the stone is called the [Hobgoblin Core Stone] and is necessary for the reincarnation of some races. Even if a philosophers stone is given to a regr goblin, it cannot be reincarnated into a [Hobgoblin]. So, using that core stone is one of the essential conditions. Its like the Dark Elf Lute for the Elf race, although the conditions for Dark Elves are still unknown. Also, by giving the Hobgoblin Core Stone to a Goblin Mage, it was possible to reincarnate it into a Hobgoblin Mage. The body size became human-sized, and the ability values were boosted. After trying to crush another Hobgoblin Core Stone for the reincarnated Hobgoblin, nothing special happened. However, it seems acquiring skills is one of the conditions. For example, giving it to a Hobgoblin with a magic skill allowed it to reincarnate into a Hobgoblin Mage. If goblins follow the same specifications, its clear that Garks goblin became a goblin leader by crushing the enemy goblins core stone. If these creatures suddenly appear in this cave where Hobgoblins have never appeared before, it might raise suspicions among yers. To prevent them from being found by yers, Rare strictly instructed them to participate in battles only when Gark is in danger. Perhaps if Gark himself is given this, he might be reincarnated into a Hobgoblin King or something, but if he were to be gigantic like the boss at that time, it would be uncontroble. The cave would copse.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Weve learned quite a few interesting things. The yer who was the boss goblin probably reincarnated like this. However, why were you eating defeated goblins? Is that a habit? No, there is hardly any food in this cave other than bats and moles. Its not enough to satisfy the hunger of all of us. Its uneptable to let the subordinates go hungry. Its an area that needs reflection. I decided to send the ant queen, who is the lord of the engineer ants, periodically to deliver food here. Chapter 184: “Lonely as I thought” Master, what should we do about that? The town is in ruins, and the number of customers has decreased. That thing called Burgundy, the Skeletal Ghidorah might be the cause. It might also include giant undead creatures. We brought them back, but they are toorge, causing a part of the town to copse. We chose the square in front of the lords mansion as the [Summoning] location to prevent such incidents, but our estimation was off. Tore Forest had other giant magical creatures and trees, so we couldnt urately assess their sizes. In other words, its not ncs fault. If the buildings are broken, we can fix them. Humanity has progressed through such improvements. Its called scrap and build. However, its troublesome that the number of visitors is decreasing. Even if we fix the town, we need experience points. The destroyed buildings are already being rebuilt, avoiding Burgundy and making the square evenrger. Some of the lower-ranked vampire residents have acquired production skills such as [Construction] and [Stonework] to contribute to this effort. However, its still in the experimental stage, and more people are needed to speed up the process. To do that, we need experience points. Obtaining production skills requires a certain level of DEX, but those from the zombie background generally have low dexterity. If I had known, I should have postponed my own enhancement and left more experience points. No, nc-sama, improving your strength is the top priority. We may fall, but nc-sama cannot fall. Moreover, I heard that you had quite a bit of experience points left. The more important question is why it disappeared. Everyone here, including Weiss, is a servant of someone other than nc. Even if they die, they will resurrect. nc, as a yer, is the same, but her respawn has a 3-hour cooldown. Initially, I didnt think much about it, but Im not horrified by the idea of leaving the city unattended for three hours. Incidentally, the experience that was left behind is a necessary expense because it is for what Azalea and her colleagues call that thing that has gone missing. Thats true. But whats done is done, and Erntal will have to be run as a 5 dungeon from now on. As for ie, there should still be a small amount collected from Altriva and other newbies nc-sama, its difficult to say, but in Altriva and Verdesud, yers rarely die nowadays. That ie is close to zero. Weiss cannot receive experience points from nc, and he probably cannot see how much ie there is. Nevertheless, his ability to analyze this is a testament to his excellence. I see. Well, even if youre a beginner, you wont get killed by zombies forever, and new yers can get support by joining someones party. Well, that makes sense. I dont mind giving beginners experience for whats ahead, but its no fun to get nothing in return. In addition, its not good that grown-up beginners are not likely to challenge Erntal. They probably wont say 1 is not enough. Lets go for 5!. Then lets adjust either Altriva or Verdesud to 3. That way, there will be a gradual progression from 1, 3, to 5, and the number of customers may increase even more! That would be good. What specifically would you do? A simple solution would be to move the lower-ss vampires to Altriva, next to Erntal, for example, and move all the zombies there to Erntal. But that would make Erntal less defensible. Rare has told me that the zombies are no obstacle against the higher-ranked yers. In effect, it would be just Burgundy and the giant undead. At present, they seem like sufficient forces, but theres no absolute certainty in this world. Considering the size of their bodies, urately attacking small yers might be difficult. Moreover, if they engage inbat, there might be significant damage to the city due to the size difference. All attacks from them would likely be area attacks, causing unavoidable damage to buildings. I wonder if we should turn all the zombies in Altriva into lower-ss vampires At the moment, that seems to be the most reasonable. Please rest assured. Before Lord Deas and Queen Beetle left, they left several MP potions. If we have Azalea and others give those to nc-sama while using [Healing], nc-sama can continue giving blood all night without copsing. Tough. Oh, vampire well. Just recently, I almost died from blood loss. Vampires are usually feared as beings that wander seeking blood, but it might be because they are alwayscking blood. After spending two days, all residents of Altriva were turned into lower-ss vampires. It was easier thanst time, given the smaller poptionpared to Erntal. I had hoped that bing a Viscount would make me a more powerful entity, but nothing changed. I wonder what would happen if Count-senpai gave blood to the zombies in his home castle. Asking might be good. After that, intending to keep the difficulty at 1, I also created a few lower-ranked vampires in Verdesud. Not as bosses, but to provide moderate tension for beginner yers. Its not good for yers to feel invincible. This is ncs kindness. In return, we receive a small amount of experience points. Its tough not being able to know the difficulty changes in real-time. Lets see n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Old Hiers C Erntal [Dungeon Specific 621: MentaList We need to close this thread and start a new one. 622: Cramp No, no, no, no! Why did that suddenly appear! Whats going on? 623: Healthyunpeble Did something happen? 624: Wayne A giant bone dragon-like creature appeared in Erntal. It has three heads, and just approaching it causes damage. 625: Nameless Elf Thats dangerous. Not only melee jobs but also magic attack jobs cant get close enough. I think bows could reach at that range, but bone types are resistant to arrows Well, before that, we dont have bows. 626: Gi1gamesh I almost died without directly engaging inbat. The bone dragon stands out, but there were also inconspicuousrge creatures like Flesh Golems. 627: MentaList I havent seen any red lizard-like skeletonstely, and that bone dragon is born from gathering red skeletons, right? 628: Nameless Elf The Flesh Golem (tentative) was probably originally a zombie, and something happened, like merging multiple undead creatures. By the way, the disaster in the capital was absent recently. 629: Gi1gamesh Come to think of it, thats right. Does that mean the disaster used Erntals undead for such experiments? It should do that in the capital 630: MentaList If it had done it in the capital, it would have been a disaster. Besides, the cmity seemed to like the cityscape of the capital, so they wouldnt create something this big there, right? 631: Nameless Elf Coming to Erntal for a change of pace, and this happens In that case, paradoxically, the capital might be more stable. 632: Cramp Maybe. If the cmity returns, it will probably go back to 5, but theres no guarantee it will necessarily lead to a battle with the disaster. 633: Wayne The capital started at 5, soon lost the cmity, and settled down to 4. Erntal might follow suit. Lets observe a little longer. 634: Healthyunpeble But doesnt that mean the bone dragon will wander away from the dungeon? If an enemy with widespread slip damage roams around, it could lead to a massacre. 675: Nameless Elf Its different from Wayne-kuns prediction, but it seems stable. 676: Wayne Thats right. Its good that unnecessary damage didnt spread. 677: Cramp Well, beginners who were in Altriva at this timing are in trouble. But Verdesud isnt that far either. 678: MentaList In conclusion, the difficulty levels for this area are: 1 C Verdesud, 3 C Altriva, 5 C Erental, 3-4? C La Colinne 679: Healthyunpeble Including the 4 in the capital beyond that, this area seems quite manageable. It might attract more people. 680: Nameless Elf With NPC-constructed towns increasing, it would be nice if they made a teleportation portal there, even if its just for domestic use in Hiers. 681: Cramp Lets make a request to the admins. Maybe a limited teleportation service, even more limited, to create stone monuments in temporary waystations. 682: Gi1gamesh Maybe there could be some conditions to unlock it, like when the NPC town is recognized by a certain number of people. What foolish expression are you putting on now? Hyoa! When nc, returned to consciousness from the Forum, she found herself face to face with Count de Habnd, who had appeared out of nowhere. It seems the Count had arrived with [Summon] targeting Weiss. The Count had nevere to nc before, so there must be some business for him to visit now. I havent seen you for a while. Well, while checking on Weiss, I thought Id drop by for a bit. Oh! Im sorry; I had some things to do. It must have been lonely, huh? Not for that reason! But the timing was just right. Whats that outside? Judging by how obedient it is, its probably your familiar or something, but its an undead Ive never seen. It is an undead, right? Yes, its an undead! Its just that nc briefly exined the circumstances that led to the birth of Burgundy. Since she had already conveyed his acquaintance with the Demon Lord Rare, the exnation was rtively easy. Using Spartoi for such things But the secrets of alchemy, huh. Its like the old Spirit Lord. Speaking of the Spirit Lord, he was undoubtedly an old acquaintance of the Count. Although they didnt seem to be particrly close, considering the Count, he probably had few friends. It could be assumed that the Count had valued him as one of the few acquaintances. Was the Spirit Lord good at Alchemy? Not only alchemy, but he had mastered all sorts of production skills. Some of his works should have remained to this day. Your friend, the Demon Lord, would probably know. In the royal family of the human nation, there should be artifacts left by the Spirit Lord without exception. He seems to have been an extraordinary man to leave that cursed item as a relic. No wonder hes favored by the Count. But it means that Rare must have already known about it, so there is no need to say anything. But to see twopletely different species working together to create such a powerful undead creature is something I would never have thought possible. It is something I would never have thought of. I suppose that is your unique strength. From the Counts way of speaking, it didnt seem like he limited you guys to Rare and nc. It seemed to refer to a broader category, but he didnt disclose what that was. Oh, by the way. Now that I think about it, Rare-chan and the others wanted Lizardmen. Are there any around here? Even if theyre not Lizardmen, anything lizard-like will do, right? There are still few in number, but the settlement in that undergroundke where you created Spartoi should be in the process of reconstruction. As long as you dont destroy the undergroundke itself, feel free to do as you please. And about lizard types, Im not sure if theyre considered lizards, but in the river that flows from the undergroundke where you descended when you came to the surface, there should be monster types like newts. Newts? Creatures resembling smanders. Smanders? You dont know anything! Ask the Demon Lord! After finishing a fruit tart and milk tea, the Count left. He seemed to have liked it, and he woulde to eat asionally from now on. Additional orders for Lyra would be necessary. * newts? There are such things?>* (T/N: the first 2 times she just says newt as if mimicking the sound, the third time she says , which is the Japanese word for newt) Speaking of amphibians, frogs are famous. Even if the Count was senile, he probably wouldnt mistake frogs for lizards. It might not be the same as reality, and in the game, Smanders might be considered lizards. By the way, nc, did you see the system message? I havent seen it! I thought so. You should take a look. It was an announcement for the next event. Well, whether you participate or not, it doesnt matter. Oh, really! Ill take a look. Thanks! Chapter 185: “Straight Line, Rotation, Meteor Sword” What do you think happened?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om I dont know. ording to the messengers ount, not only the knight order but also the town, fields, and everything else were lost and turned into a barrennd. Its like a natural disaster. However, for our country with few professional soldiers, losing a knight order is more than just a setback. In the capital of the Portree Kingdom, within the central pce, Ustashe was troubled. The third knight order was dispatched to Hiers. Usually tasked with defeating monsters, the third knight order was the most experienced inbat within the Portree Kingdom. Although theycked experience in interpersonalbat, they were expected to perform better than other units. In reality, their n seeded, and they quickly took control of the town of Hiers. Unable to identify who the bandits were, and fearing potential retaliation from survivors, they killed all the residents and looted food and crops. However, the next report came from the messengers and transport team sent for food transport and regrmunication. The unbelievable content was that the town they believed to have conquered had disappeared, and there was no sign of the knight order anywhere. Could they have mistakenly ventured into the territory of monsters? Normally, as the third knight order whose main duty is to defeat monsters, they wouldnt mistakenly attack in that direction They didnt understand what was happening, but the fact remained that the town they thought they had conquered had been destroyed. Unless an unprecedented natural disaster urred, someone had done this intentionally. Logically, whoever that was likely intended to attack either the Hiers Kingdom or the Portree Kingdom. If the intention was to attack Hiers, they could leave it alone. However, if there was hostility towards Portree, they needed to take measures. The already small Portree Knight Order couldnt deploy widely and wasnt skilled in defense. The loss of the third knight order further weakened their position. Nevertheless, they had no choice but to strengthen their defenses with the remaining knight orders. We dont even know if these bandits have any connection. Those bandits and now, what grudge do they hold against our country? Ustashe once again held his head in his hands. Your Majesty, there is amunication stating that Wilrab is under attack by an unknown assant. Portree is and with rugged terrain, utilizing its mountainous and narrownd. Forts are constructed on mountain tops and slopes, housing specializedmunication soldiers to establish amunicationwork through semaphoremunication. Communication soldiers require advanced specialized training, andmunication may be disrupted due to weather. However, it allows for much faster information transmission than messenger pigeons. Wilrab? The fortress city, right? Another monster outbreak? Wilrab is a frontier city bordering a forested region. Serving a central role among neighboring frontier cities, it boastsrger walls and a city size twice that of others. Thest major outbreak yed out as expected, fulfilling its role during that time. It is also a city where the Fourth Knight Order is stationed permanently. Apart from the capital, there are only three other cities with a standing knight order in the country, making Wilrab one of the cities with considerable military strength within Portree. Because of this, including thest outbreak, no monsters have ever breached the city. It is known for its imprable defense. It seems that the monsters attacking are stronger and more numerous than usual, and the Fourth Knight Order is having a tough time. Tough time? Even if they are strong, they cant be as formidable as our knights. There are hardly any monsters in this country stronger than our forces, and those few wouldnt attack a city for no reason. Even during thest outbreak, they remained silent. For instance, therge Great Tree Forest in the south, lying seemingly to obstruct the countrys expansion to the sea. Legend has it that the forest is home to a Spider King. The thread obtained from this spider is said to repel even magic, and a cape woven from this thread is stored in the national treasure vault. Even the threads obtained from the smaller spiders in the forest, while not as potent, have high magic resistance and can produce beautifully colored fabrics, fetching high prices in trade. However, even the smaller spiders have a sizeparable to an elfs height, making them formidable for ordinary mercenaries. While the knight order can easily handle their extermination, the knights swords arent meant for such tasks. Recently, threads brought in by the long-eared barbarians and their kin had increased from somewhere, and though of slightly inferior quality, they still met the demand to some extent. Even Ustashe acknowledged that asionally, the barbarians proved useful. During thest major outbreak, the Spider King remained silent. Though there was somemotion from the smaller spiders, it wasnt to the extent of them venturing out of the forest. Besides the Spider King, there are other equally powerful monsters said to exist in the country, yet none have ventured out of their territories. Even if they did, facing one formidable opponent wasnt a challenge for the entire knight order. Even mediocre mercenaries could be somewhat useful in clearing minor nuisances and acting as a meat shield in battles. Well, never mind. What kind of monsters are attacking? Spiders? Slimes? Wait, if its Wilrab, could it be harpies? Being attacked from the sky would indeed be troublesome, but Wilrab was built as a defense against the mountains where harpies reside. It should have solid anti-air defenses, prepared for opponents flying through the air. No, it seems to be something like ck skeletons. Skeletons? Just low-level trash. No need for the knight order to intervene. What are they doing? Do they want to be executed, the lord of Wilrab? Im afraid not, Your Majesty. There is also information suggesting that the disaster that attacked the Hiers Kingdom summoned arge number of ck skeletons. Perhaps Is the disaster now targeting us? The disaster that never left the Hiers Kingdom until now? The disaster is said to originate from the Liebe Great Forest in the Hiers Kingdom, an area located on the eastern side within the Hiers Kingdom. The disaster headed west from there, destroying the Hiers Kingdom capital. Now, it seems it turned back, headed south to attack Portree. For what purpose? They had dispatched troops to avoid provoking the monster territory. Um, if the town to which we sent troops is already under the influence of the disaster, this might be retaliation. Nonsense! Are you saying the disaster used human bandits from our country to plunder? Im afraid, Your Majesty, that those bandits might havee from the Hiers Kingdom. Indeed, that was a possibility. There was also the possibility they came from Aural. Although there were no clear signs within the country originally, if a group of human bandits were active in the Elven country of Portree, it would attract attention. Unlikely. Aural? The forces defeated in the political upheaval in Aural came here? Damn, it was almost a bloodless revolution! Reports from the grass suggested that there were minor shes in the Aural capital, but it ended before escting into arge-scale conflict. Well, its toote to say that now. It is a fact that the town in Hiers was destroyed, and it is likely a fact that we are under attack in retaliation. Whether its due to the disaster or not, we have no choice but to defend ourselves. City gate, hold it! Hows the preparation of the heavily armored infantry? If the city gate is breached, its up to the heavily armored infantry to defend the town! Ensure everyone provides support! The wall team, reduce the enemy numbers as much as possible! Its okay to damage the anti-air guns a bit at this point! Aim them downward somehow! What!? We must survive this moment; we wont even be able to confront those harpies! Face reality! The city of Wilrab is enveloped in turmoil. However, its only the knights causing themotion. The residents are holed up in their homes, holding their breath, and the invading monsters are silent. This fortress city, which has never allowed monster intrusion before, is under attack by mysterious ck skeletons, and the city gate is on the verge of being destroyed. What are those skeletons? Their numbers are overwhelming! If they were just ordinary skeletons, it wouldnt matter even if there were tens of thousands of them. However, it seems these are not ordinary skeletons. Their ck bodies are covered in a metallic sheen, making them impervious to the knights attacks. In terms of pure strength, Portrees knights are superior, but if they cant inflict damage, defeating them is impossible. Some active skills from squad leaders seem capable of destroying them, but its not as simple as a single blow. Additionally, there are individuals among them using magic, and they can be devastating with long-range magical attacks. Meanwhile, arrows and magic from Portree seem to have no effect on them. Initially, themander, seeing them as just skeletons, decided there was no need for a siege and chose field battle outside the city walls. However, gradually pushed back by opponents impervious to their attacks, they ended up retreating within the walls and resorting to a siege defense. Not only that, but the enemy magic attacks are now on the verge of breaking the city gate. This is the terrifying aspect of magic. In one-on-onebat, they may not be as formidable, but when effectively utilized by an organized group, it allows for a wide range of tactics. They can perform the roles of archers and battering rams in a single unit. While they may be inferior to archers in range, they dont need to carry arrows, and though they may be less powerful than siege weapons, their numbers make up for it. For amander who has never considered a siege, this use of magic makes it both impressive and threatening. Tactics like these would make sense if the opponent were human. However, the enemy is monsters. Even themander, who has not experienced wars between humans, and if he has, only dealt with bandits, has never seen monsters attack city gates, let alone use magic. If there were a history of wars between humans, this situation might have been different. Squad leaders, despite being at themander level, you can inflict damage with active skills! The anti-air guns should be able to destroy them in one shot! Hurry with the work! The city gate is no longer holding. Inside the gate, the heavily armored infantry is already in formation, but if they are infiltrated into the inner part of the wall, even if the anti-air guns are modified, they wont be able to shoot. Theres a possibility of involving allies, the city, and ordinary citizens. I see! Alright! Fire! The modification was just in time, and some of the anti-air guns have transformed into anti-ground artillery. However, since they are not securely fixed, its unclear if the second shot can be fired after the first. Also, if the firing angle is too low, the projectile might fall from the barrel before shooting. It can only aim at the rear of the enemy formation. Shooting the frontline enemies would damage the city gate, so thats not an option. In other words, until the city gate is breached, the makeshift anti-ground artillerys role is to reduce the enemys numbers. The fired projectiles pierce through the enemy rear column, destroying several skeletons upon impact. The enemys magic users are focused on breaking the city gate, so most of them are in the front row. Only knight-type skeletons, which are powerless against the city wall and gate, are gathered in the back. While theres not much the anti-ground artillery can do against the crumbling city gate, reducing the number of skeletons in the rear might influence the subsequent battle if the gate is breached. So, only one shot can be fired. Doesnt matter! FireWhat! Commander, skeletons are on the city wall! What!? From where!? It seems some agile skeletons climbed the city wall! While the wall team is busy with the anti-air guns Shit, can the wall team handle it!? Its impossible! The wall team consists only of technical jobs suitable for making projectiles and gunners with shooting skills. Theyre not effective against skeletons! Against skeletal enemies without flesh, arrow attacks have little effect. Even swords and maces cant damage them unless wielded by high-ranking knights. Moreover, bows are even less effective than other weapons. The gates have been breached! Oh no, we can no longer fire our anti-surface guns! Tell those on the ramparts to keep the enemy there somehow! The anti-surface guns no longer need to be protected! Heavy infantry, are you ready? The others, hit them from the nks while the heavy infantry hold the enemy off! Heavily armed infantrymen are in formation on the boulevard extending from the castle gates, bumping into the enemy. If the knights standing by on the side streets of the avenue, etc., led by their squad leader ss, charge from the enemy nk, they should be able to use their breakthrough power to devour the enemy. The enemy knight ss, which should be holding the line in front, is being moved backward, while the wizard ss, which should be supporting the enemy from the rear, is moving forward. If we can divide them and prevent them from joining forces, we can obstruct the enemys coordination. Although the enemy outnumbers us, we still have a chance to win if we can break up the battle and destroy them individually. Or rather, we must believe that we can manage to do so. Compared to other countries, the number of knights in Portree is small. Therefore, they are ustomed to fighting enemies who outnumber them. Even if they are more powerful than us. However, although the enemys fighting power itself is weaker than that of the knights, its strong body makes it almost impervious to our attacks. What on earth is this chaotic monster Where did ite from? The enemys attacks are also sharp, and the shields of the heavily-armored infantry are damaged. However, they havent beenpletely destroyed, and the heavily-armored infantry have the luxury of taking turns and resting. The separated enemy forces are gradually reducing their numbers. At the same time, several metal lumps are generated from the ground seemingly out of nowhere, causing some knights to stumble and fall. What are those Metal lumps, huh? From the skeletons? No, wait, does that mean those arent skeletons? Magical creatures? Some kind of golem? Themander of the citys defense is also concurrently serving as the captain of the Fourth Knight Order stationed there. Being the captain of the Portree Knight Order makes one an elite. Although they dont have authority surpassing the lord, apetent lord entrusted with such a significant city would typically delegate the defense to the elite captain in times of crisis. Every captain is over 100 years old, and themander himself is over 200. Living for such a long time provides opportunities to gather information on various monsters. Portree might have fewer eyewitness ounts, but there have been reports of golems, a type of monster, leaving behind metal or rock chunks when defeated. While not metal chunks, angels that periodically invade also leave behind items when defeated, disappearing afterward. Things are improving, but just in case, transmit this information to themunication unit. The number of metal chunks rolling on the ground is gradually increasing. At this rate, it will take time, but they should be able to exterminate them. The fatigue of the knights is a concern, but they all carry fatigue recovery potions. While rarely used due to concerns about aftereffects, in this situation, no knight in the Fourth Knight Order would hesitate to use them. Commander! The heavily armored infantry is! Wh-what is that what happened there!? However, at that moment, the heavily armored infantry was suddenly blown away. For amander who has lived for 200 years, its a sight he has never seen before. Heavily armored soldiers, d in thick armor and holding sturdy shields, are airborne. At the center of it all, standing at the forefront of the pseudo-skeletons, is an old knight resembling a human. It seems that old knight is the one who blew away the heavily armored infantry. Is that the enemy leader? If its the leader of the skeletons, that thing is undead. However, skeletons are technically monsters. So, is that one also some kind of monster like the pseudo-skeletons? Regardless, whatever it is, the situation is bad. The enemy is just tough. This n is based on the premise that the enemys attacks cannot prate the defense of the heavily armored infantry. If theres an existence that can disrupt the formation of the heavily armored infantry, even if its just one person, the n is in jeopardy. There are still many pseudo-skeletons remaining, and some are on top of the city wall. No, its not about disrupting the formation; thats Even after the first blow, the heavily armored infantry is continuously blown away. They have no experience with such a thing. Every soldier seems to be taken aback. Moreover, at an inconvenient time, it seems the cooldown of the enemy magical troops, who had destroyed the city wall, has finished. Also, the knight-types that were held back in the rear have now moved to the front, recing the magical troops, further increasing the enemys defensive capabilities. This was a strategy that relied on a small number of strong individuals, the squad leaders. The result of that strategy is unfolding. It has been overturned by a much stronger single individual. If the squad leaders are defeated, there are no cards left to resist the monsters in this city. And that is only a matter of time. Instruct the residents to evacuate. Its probably toote, but Themander unsheathes his sword. Commander? Staying here like this is pointless. The n has failed. Theres no way to recover. Even if we manage to escape, well only face judgment from His Majesty. Themander, along with all the knights in themand post, wield their swords and fight as dead soldiers. Ustashe never expected to hear such a report. Wilrab has fallen? Was it the ipetence of the lord or the ineptitude of the knight ordersmander? Its likely neither. Its simply that the enemy had more formidable forces than anticipated. Thestmunication from the Fourth Knight Ordersmander was information about the enemy leader. With a single swing of his sword, the leader blew away several heavily armored infantry men, repeatedly executing such attacks. It is unknown whether our attacks would work against the leader. After all, all our attacks have been evaded. Moreover, we failed to find and establish effective tactics against the enemys foot soldiers. From the report, there is no confirmation of the existence of what seems to be a cmity. However, that doesnt provide anyfort. If it can destroy us, whether its a cmity or an unknown entity, its the same thing. Hurry, issue evacuation orders to all cities between Wilrab and the capital. The enemy has the strength to capture Wilrab. Resisting would be futile. We have no choice but to confront them in the capital. Immediately. Shall we proceed with a scorched earth strategy? No, whether undead or magical creatures, they dont seem to require sustenance. It would be a waste of time. Prioritize evacuation. We cant afford to lose more citizens and weaken the nation further. Watching the emblematic official leave, Ustashe also rises from his seat. There are things he must do. An artifact. Never thought Id have to use one in my time The only relief is that the opponent seems to be close to undead. If thats the case, the artifact should be effective. Even if its a magical creature, if its the opposite of undead, it likely wont take a form simr to a skeleton. The same spection can be made about the enemy leader leading them. Theres no point in holding back and losing. Lets go with the best one. Even if the bnce of power with other countries is disrupted No, thats irrelevant now. Hiers is already gone, and there is an enemy of humanity on the continent. Its truly a turbulent era. Even if we manage to survive this crisis, what awaits us beyond is Bowing to the humans is distasteful, but seeking protection from the neighboring country, Aural, might be necessary. That country is probably the most stable nation at the moment. Even cities that suffered from bandit attacks are now receiving generous food supplies from Aural at an exceptionally low price. So, its certain that they are at least friendly to Portree. The enemy forces that advanced through the deserted highway appeared in the Portree capital in a matter of days. Portree is a long and narrow country stretching east to west. Even if the enemy forces appearing from the north aimed for the capital, it wouldnt take much time. Especially if the enemy forces, which would require minimal sleep and rest, were considered. No, if anything, it was ratherte. I see, theyre ck. The ones waiting for the enemy forces in the capital were primarily the Second Knight Order, responsible for the defense of the capital. Next were the Fifth Knight Order stationed in Piacere, a town facing the Umidita Lake where slimes emerge, which is usually to the east. Further, the Sixth Knight Order protected Aspen City, ying a role as a defensive wall against the southern forest. And the First Knight Order guarded the pce and the royal family as the royal guard. The Seventh Knight Order stationed in the western city of the country couldnt make it in time. ording to the information, the enemy had numerous individuals using magic and had siege weapons as a unit. In the battle at Wilrab, they were pressed by the overwhelming number of enemies in the field, ultimately luring them into a narrow urban area to gain an advantage. However, with these many knight orders, such tactics were unnecessary. It was possible to surround and divide them without using the walls of confined spaces. Many knights had acquired effective and powerful active skills. Especially in the First Knight Order, being the royal guard, where everyone had such skills. They wereposed of the elite of the elite, including high elves who were nobles. Ustashe, not wanting to turn the capital into a battlefield, chose the grasnds surrounding the capital as the battlefield. Thisnd was usually used as pasture. Once it turned into a battlefield, it could no longer be used as pasture. It would be necessary to think of an alternative, but what mattered now was surviving today, not tomorrows milk. With this force, there should be no defeat. Indeed, its a total war. If, at this moment, monsters overflowed from Umidita Lake and the southern forest, cities facing that side would be wiped out. However, what Ustashe must protect above all is this capital and the artifact. Even if major cities were destroyed, the country wouldnt be lost, but if the capital and the royal family were annihted, the nation would fall. Strictly speaking, the grasnd, the battlefield, was not the capital, so the artifact couldnt be used. The conditions werent as strict as saying it could only be used inside castle walls, but it still needed to be closer. Therefore, the artifact was already installed near the castle walls. In the worst case, troops would be immediately moved closer to the walls, and the battle would take ce around the artifact. It spread curses indiscriminately, so knights directing the enemy would also be cursed along with the enemies they led. The exclusion condition only registered the leaders and deputy leaders of each knight order, and Ustashe. Since the artifact is a consumable item, using it would mean a decline in the value and status of the country. Still, it was much better than losing everything. Its about time the Second Knight Order, stationed in the center, would encounter the enemy. Once they made contact, the Second Knight Order would gradually fall back, and the Fifth and Sixth Knight Orders, stationed on the starboard and port sides, would surround and encircle the enemy. The First Knight Order was guarding Ustashe. For some time after the start of the war, the situation unfolded as Ustashe had nned. Currently, the enemy is surrounded by the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Knight Orders and is gradually decreasing in number as expected. The report that only certain active skills could prate their defense was initially not believed, but it turned out to be true. The knight orders were overwhelmingly superior in numbers. Ustashe thought that once surrounded, the conflict would be resolved quickly, but the sturdy enemy soldiers were not decreasing easily. Furthermore, since it was a tactic relying on only some knights, there was also concern about the fatigue of those knights. Enemy magical attacks were troublesome, but in the current situation of surrounding from all directions, they were sporadic. Squad leaders and above, the true main forces, were engaged in closebat, so they werent targets for magic. The knights forming the encirclement were suffering casualties, but some damage was inevitable. The enemy leader was reported to be exceptionally strong, right? Seems like theres no such person. If they take their time, it should be possible to annihte them. The damage to the knights should be less than initially anticipated. Ustashe personally went to the front line considering it a crisis of the nations survival, but it turned out to be anticlimactic. It might have been fine to wait in the pce after all, but Ustashe was also a high elf. As someone noble, there was no choice but to stand on the battlefield, against a potential crisis for the nation. If the city is in dire straits, its the lords ipetence. If the nation is in dire straits, its Ustashes ipetence as the king. After a while, a knight from the encircling group ran towards Ustashe, holding his chest. There wasnt a designated role like a messenger in the ranks, but was this what it was supposed to be? Or perhaps a wounded soldier? He might have suffered damage to his chest, but if he could run, he should still be able to fight. Ustashe, as a king, rarely appeared on the battlefield. It seemed normal for defense battles in frontier cities, although it had never happened before. If he intended to sabotage, it would be necessary to execute him. To which knight order does he belong? The knights hand left his chest, revealing the emblem indicating his affiliation on his armors chest, yes Your Majesty! Please step back! Hes from the annihted Fourth Knight Order The emblem officer beside him shouted, and the knight, who had somehow approached in the blink of an eye, was now in front of Ustashe. It couldnt have been that Ustashe was absent-minded or looking away. In an instant, the knight had moved over a dozen meters. Now, were you being called Your Majesty just now? The face couldnt be seen due to the helmet, but it definitely wasnt a skeleton. It should be a normal, fleshy man. If it were a skeleton, even in armor, it would be hollow and make noise. And the voice was natural. Ustashe had never encountered a talking skeleton before. What [Gerade Schneiden]. The area around Ustashe, guarded by the First Knight Order, was cleaved in a straight line by the sword sh released from the knight wearing the Fourth Knight Orders armor, causing the formation to split in two from the center. This attack was undoubtedly aimed at Ustashe in the center, but he narrowly avoided it. Being a king would umte a considerable amount of experience points. As a high elf who also demanded excellence from himself, it was only natural to use that experience for self-strengthening. Even without practicalbat experience, Ustashe avoided the attack of the mysterious knight based on his ability values alone. Guagh! Royal Knights! Kill this man! Hes not a knight of our country! The mysterious knight was surrounded by the royal knights. The royal knights were Ustashes followers and had more experience points than other knights, as they were meant to protect Ustashe and the pce. Therefore, all of them possessed the strength equivalent to or greater than squad leaders from other knight orders. Even if this mysterious knight were the leader of the enemy skeletons, possessing the strength reported by the Fourth Knight Order, defeating him was not impossible. [Drehungbahn]. (T/N: dont mind me, just doing my best with, apparently, german) However, with the skill released by the mysterious knight, the royal knights surrounding him were all split vertically. The sword sh that split the formation in two earlier had an abnormal level of power. The royal knights had top-notch abilities, and their armor was made of a mithril and magic iron alloy. Mithril, on its own, has high magic affinity but high thermal conductivity, making it unsuitable for armor. However, bybining it with magic iron into an alloy, thermal conductivity can be suppressed, and hardness can be slightly increased. Portree had weak metalworking technology. This armor was made using technology established in the former unified nation. There were reportedly even better armors in the past, but they no longer existed in the present. In other words, this armor represented the highest performance avable in Portree. The mysterious knight easily cut through this armor and, with a single skill, split them all in two. It was unbelievable. What kind of sword could make that possible? Or was there a secret to these skills? Enough! If surrounding him wont work, then It seems undeniable that youre the king. Then, this time, I wont let you evade. Be blown away altogether! [Schwert Meteor]! Perhaps it was an illusion. The sword sh released by the mysterious knight pierced through Ustashe like a shooting star from the sky, causing an explosion that blew everything around, including the royal knights. Nothing was left afterward. There was only the gouged earth. With Ustashes death, the remaining royal knights also fell on the spot, and when the knights fighting on the front lines realized it, no one was standing in the headquarters. Oh, well done. Deasmended the Adamant Scouts. The Adamant Scouts had lurked around the city outskirts a day ahead of the main force, with the mission of confirming the location where the artifact was installed. Rather, it was more urate to say that they deliberately dyed their movements by one daypared to the scouts. The scouts, who had collected all the artifacts set up next to the castle walls, reported to Deas, who had disguised himself as an enemy knight and wreaked havoc on the main camp. It would be ideal to store them in the inventory to avoid bulk, but it was uncertain who might be watching where. He couldnt afford to make a careless move that could threaten the position of his lord. In the group continuing the siege on the front lines, it seemed that some knights had noticed them. However, the enemys main force capable of defeating the Adamant Scouts was still ying with the Adaman-knights near the center of the siege. It would take a while to defeat them all, so Deas decided to leave them alone. Now, you guys, lets take over the pce. Her Majesty doesnt seem particrly obsessed with the extermination of the royal family, but theres no harm in aiming for perfection. They had already achieved the assassination of the nations head, which was the most crucial objective. In a sense, the rest was a formality. However, Deas attempted to infiltrate the royal capital to eliminate all members of the royal family. The city gate was tightly closed, but that was not a problem. The scouts could climb the walls, and Deas could run along the walls. Its impossible to escape from us. We dont know which one is the royal family, but they are probably in the pce. If we kill everyone in the pce, including those inside and anyone trying to escape, the mission will be aplished. The time limit is until the Adaman-knights on the surface arepletely wiped out. Lets go. Chapter 186: “Tectonic Shift” From ncs story, it was at I think its around here. Normally, during this period leading up to the event, I should have been extremely busy setting the stage for retaliation against the Portree Kingdom. Initially, I was determined to beat them up myself, because it was as if they had suddenly punched me, even though I had done nothing to them. However, when I opened the door, I found that the other party had attacked me in retaliation for the attack by the bandits. The other party, however, was Lyra, my sister. I hesitated to attack myself, partly because I was wary of the enemys artifact, but also because I was somewhat aware that I was the one who had caused Lyra trouble, and my will to kill was weakened. Having suddenly found free time, I heard from chatting with nc through friend chat that there seemed to be a creature named Newt. Thinking it might be a good opportunity to search for a dragon, I decided to take Sugaru and fly out. Literally. Ah, is that the river? At a distance where the shadows of the city began to appear in my [Demonic Eyes], I noticed a river flowing below. The river was quite wide, making it seemingly impossible for a humanoid creature to cross it alone. The area around the river was dense with vegetation, but a bit away from the road, there were sparse nts, and rocks were exposed. nc had described it as a wilderness, but it could be described as having a mild desert climate. When people think of deserts, they often imagine vast sandyndscapes, but Ive heard that in reality, there are more rocky areas. The surroundings were lush only along the river. Taking advantage of this, something resembling fruit trees or barley was cultivated, but now it was covered in ckened charcoal. It didnt seem like an environment for sh-and-burn agriculture, but sometimes NPC thinking is hard to understand. There seems to be something in the river. That seems to be the case. From the glow of LP and MP, it seems to be an insignificant monster. Is that a Newt? During the day, Rare covered her entire body with wings. [Demonic Eyes] and [True Eyes] can be set to exclude oneself, and since activation is centered around oneself, it is possible to confirm the outside of the wings without any problem. On the other hand, [Magic Link] relies on the line of sight, so it cannot be activated in this state. If an attack is needed from here, I would have to rely on Sugaru. Alright, letsnd. Confirming that there was no one else around, I descended.N?v(el)B\\jnn The surrounding towns had been destroyed by nc. If anyone was there, it would only be yers aiming for the dungeon. The location of the dungeon is well known, and yers whoe all the way to the river off the main road should be few. Havingnded by the river, there was no reaction from whatever was in the water. It felt more like a dull sensation, rather than being unaware. Is it non-active? Non-active. It means not active, so its an enemy that wont initiate an attack on us. You dont need to remember that word. (T/N: in the japanese she said it in english) Since the movement of mana in the water is different from the air, the figure is notpletely invisible, but it is very difficult to see. Also, with [True Eyes], only a vague form is visible. I tried to open my wings a little to check with those eyes, but it was still early in the day, and the sunlight reflected off the water surface was dazzling. I quickly gave up. Sugaru, can you bring one of them onto thend? Without hesitation, Sugaru entered the water and soon returned with one smander in hand. Perhaps due to the presence of aquatic insects or the inclusion of crustaceans such as shrimp and crab, Sugarus characteristics include [Aquatic]. Characters with this can act in water without reducing performance. The monster Sugaru pulled up was about two meters long. Rather than a smander, it felt more like an ugly crocodile. ording to [Appraisal], it seems to be called a [Hiers Newt]. It seems that there are Newts with different names in other countries. The Hiers Newt, brought up onnd, seemed to recognize Sugaru as an enemy and repeatedly attacked with its tail skillfully. However, due to the overwhelming difference in ability, no damage was incurred. Sugaru seems to recognize this as an important sample for Rare, enduring the humiliation in silence. Its really weak. Probably on par with 1 trash mobs. However, its epidermis seems to be thick, and it seems like itd be impossible to cut through with a blunt de. With this level of weakness, I wouldnt be surprised if they were being overhunted and used as food, but Ive seen no signs of that. These creatures were found in the deepest part of the river. It might be difficult for humans to capture them. If its difficult for humans to capture, it also means its a challenging ce for yers to attack. So, what is the purpose of these monsters being here? The riverbed shows many clusters of LP, indicating strong reproductive power, but usually, such creatures are lower in the food chain. Its like an invasive species that has undergone abnormal proliferation due to the absence of natural enemies. Its hard to imagine someone brought them here. If so, perhaps their natural enemies are gone? For example, they went extinct due to some natural disaster, or they couldnte here anymore due to a change in terrain or something. Its about nature, and theres no literature somewhere to exin. But their strong reproductive ability is convenient. Lets breed them in Liebe or Tore Forest. For them, a river flowing through a lush,rge forest would be morefortable than this wilderness. For now, lets [Subordinate] the noticeable ones and take them with us. Staying here indefinitely doesnt guarantee we wont be found by yers. After moving a certain amount to Liebe, [Summon] the rest to the World Tree Square for experiments, maybe. Before that, it might be nice to greet Lady nc. After all, wevee this close. True, lets do that. What! If you wereing, you should have said so; I would have prepared something. I just happened to be in the area with some free time. Besides, its not easy to predict when youll be able toe. It seems nc has decided to designate Erntal as a 5 dungeon. Unlike what Rare is doing, where only the boss area is filled with powerful monsters and the rest is filled with challenging monsters to entertain yers, all areas are set to 5 difficulty. This is an unavoidable measure taken for the Skeletal Ghidorah that cant enter the boss area. To bring back the dwindling number of visitors, it seems nc also increased the difficulty to 3 in the neighboring town, Altriva. For Rare, its weing that the yer base visiting this region is increasing, as the NPC managing the inn town in the nearby safety area is someone affiliated with Rare. If you ever encounter difficulties in dungeon management, feel free to ask me about it. Helping you is beneficial for me too. Thanks! Oh, by the way! Count-senpai said we could go catch Lizardmen. Would you like to give it a try? nc will guide them to the habitat of Lizardmen. There dont seem to be many, and they were asked not to kill all of them, but being able to obtain reptilian-type monsters is significant. Rare, about that outfit Im not good with sunlight, you see. Apparently, its only rted to the parts of the human skin that sunlight affects. With this, I can avoid sunburn and go out without worrying about sunlight during the day. Well, as long as the person is satisfied. Flying with nc, they arrived at the source of the river, where a towering rock wall stands. There was a small, human-passable crack in the rock wall, althoughrge inparison to the size of the wall. It seems the source of the river is flowing from there. I made that! I came out from there and flew into the city! It seems like a memorable secret passage. But, something seems to be there. Could those be the Lizardmen? In the crack of the rock wall, several creatures resembling Lizardmen were seen fidgeting. Oh, youre right! Maybe those guys cane out now that the exit has opened. The Lizardmen, upon closer inspection, were holding the Hiers Newts in their hands. Those were their food. So, for some reason, they were confined within the rock wall, and as a result, the Newts, with no natural enemies, abnormally multiplied and filled the riverbed. This scenario seems usible. Why were the Lizardmen confined in the rock wall? I dont know. Maybe its because the hignd itself suddenly rose a long time ago; thats what the story was. Whats that? It rose up? Is that even possible? I did say it was sudden, didnt I? That part is not important. In any case, there seems to have been arge-scale change in the terrain here in the past, and it happened at an observable speed. Whether it was caused by some character for the convenience of an operation, or if such natural phenomena exist is unknown. But at least for now, its a no for me to do something like that. The world is vast. Thats right. For now, I [Subordinated] the three Lizardmen near the entrance and decided to enter with them. Chapter 187: “The scenario drawn by the Demon Lord” The inside of the cave was dim, but surprisingly spacious. In the past, there was probably more water, right? It might have expanded back then, I think. I see. That could be possible. As the walls gradually narrowed towards the ceiling, the cave itself seemed to resemble a crack of some sort. Since it was a cave stretching along an underground waterway, nc seemed to believe that it was originally all a waterway. However, it seemed more natural to think that a crack formed somehow, causing water to flow and turning it into a waterway due to some incident. Considering the significant mass ofnd rising as if uplifted, there must have been some cause for the formation of cracks. However, this contradicts the hypothesis that Lizardmen couldnte out due to tectonic shifts. Before the tectonic shift, there were probably no cracks, so where did the Lizardmen originally live? Combining both spections, it would be reasonable to assume that the cave, originally serving as a waterway, expanded due to tectonic shifts. And you know, at first, Lizardmen would turn into zombies, but if you reject the system message, they be skeletons. Oh, really? So, if you left them like that, would they have be Lizardman zombies? If youbined them, it might have turned into a Dragon Zombie or something. Dragon Zombie! Well, but its still a zombie We already have Burgundy in the dragon category, so its fine. [Death Aroma]. Stop it already! During their trivial conversation, they reached an open area. This seemed to be the undergroundke that nc mentioned. While there was an undergroundke in the first cave of the Liebe Great Forest, this one was iparablyrger. Near the undergroundke, there were several structures built on raised ground. It seemed to be a Lizardman settlement. Should we check each one individually? Isnt it dangerous? Then, you guys, bring a fewpanions with you.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Although it was unlikely that Rare and nc would be in danger of a surprise attack by Lizardmen at this point, it was better to be cautious to avoid falling into suchcency. They decided to send the Lizardmen they had tamed earlier to investigate. There werent many adults, but there seemed to be quite a few children. Lets leave the children alone. Bring only those that have grown to a certain extent. And lets leave a few adults No, forget it. Lets turn all the adults into subordinates. We can leave some here to protect the children. This could be called the Lizardman farm. That would have been a good idea. I usually take care of them when I see them. No, nc, if you turn them into subordinates, wont they be skeletons? Raising Lizardman children under the care of skeletons leaves some concerns in terms of moral education. If Rare nned to make them themander of the Demon Lord Army in the future, that might be eptable, but They can be zombies too, you know? If you really think thats a solution, then youvee full circle. Anyway, they had managed to acquire as many Lizardmen as they could for now. They also got quite a number of Hiers Newts. Both were left without much intervention, so they were expected to multiply again. The growth cycle for humanoid-sized creatures was too short for them to reproduce as a game, but without such limitations, the game wouldnt work. Looking at examples like treants, it seemed that the system restricted the number of creatures within a certain range and set the limit for reproduction speed until they reached the stage of being able to reproduce. What about Lyras share? Is it okay if theres none left for her? It will probably increase sooner orter. Besides, there are still plenty of Newts outside, and even after Lyra goes on a rampage, there should be no problem. Moreover, Lyra couldnt fly easily. She wouldnt be able toe here as casually as Rare or nc. Well, for example, if she takes over the avatar of a human subordinate, uses the transfer service to fly to Verdesud and walks from there, she cane. Then, Ill let her know. Please. Since there are still few Lizardmen, tell her to capture only Newts. Okay! In order to push through with ncs insistence, they decided to go even further upstream through the waterway to visit the Counts castle. I brought some friends, Count! Friends? Isnt it the Demon Lord!? Give me a heads-up next time! Sorry for the sudden intrusion. The Count stood up from his throne-like chair and walked towards Rare and the others. This was the first time someone had seen through Rare as the Demon Lord at first nce. Even if the Count knew about the Demon Lord, Rares appearance was quite unique, how could he have known? No, I dont mind. Today, what kind of No, I just dropped by to say hello to a friend of mine who has taken care of me, since I happened to be in the neighborhood. nc has always been a great help to us. Oh, not at all. Its the other way around. Always causing me trouble. Whats this, a teachers home visit? ording to nc, the Count seemed to know a lot about many things. For Rare, he was a figure she wanted to have as an acquaintance. nc, in the meantime, had summoned a zombie in the corner of the audience room, possibly as a marker for his movements. Rare wanted to add the Count as a friend, but sharing that information with such an important NPC might not be advisable. Considering the official silence on this matter and the absence of NPCs who knew about it so far, it was safe to assume that the developers did not want to widely spread this inventory aspect of the in-game world. In that case, it seemed reasonable to think that Rares current state was tolerated by the system. She didnt want to touch on delicate matters and risk penalties. First and foremost, I want to make it clear that I have no intention of being hostile to you, sir Count. Please refrain from being overly formal with me. Theres no need for honorifics, youre higher ranked than I* am. I*!? You But I is what you always say! (T/N: he uses the pronoun but he changed to ˽ while speaking to Rare) - Its good to know that you dont have the intention of antagonizing us in the immediate future. Im sure there are several other factions in this world, but are there any other factions that are friendly with the vampire faction? I cant tell you much in terms of details of what goes on outside of this continent Theres no such thing as a friendly faction, at least not at all times, for any of the factions out there. They join hands or turn against each other depending on the situation at the time. That is the way of those who are watched by the world. Watched by the world? When something is born that has the potential to be an exceptionally powerful being, there is a signal that is sent out to inform others. Special skills are needed to receive that signal, which unfortunately I dont have. However, some humans and some highly intelligent monsters specialize in such thing. In other words, he was referring to the kind of announcements that could be heard through the [Spiritual Wisdom] skill. If such an announcement was audible, it was natural to assume that one was under surveince. In fact, everything in this world is being monitored, but it would not be wrong to assume that a being that warrants an announcement is seen as a particrly important target for surveince. And apparently, although its unknown how many of them exist in the world, each of the so-called disaster-level beings is aware of each other to some extent, and they cooperate or antagonize each other depending on their interests. Then you can assume that if you dont go against their interests, they wont bother to antagonize you. On the other hand, if we suffer damage, we can fight back without question, but other forces will not bother to intervene. However, there were exceptions. Once, a Golden Dragon fell from a height higher than the sky itself to the northern pole. At that time, all factions temporarily joined forces to seal the Golden Dragon, and cover it with a Crystal Wall to prevent it from being broken. Is that Crystal Wall some kind of skill? It is likely something like that. It was activated by the former Holy King at the time, but she passed away at the moment of activation of the Crystal Wall, so the details are no longer avable But the Holy King was a race with excellent defense, so it would not be surprising if she had such a skill for exclusive use. I dont know the principles behind how it works, but I was told that to destroy or disarm the Crystal Wall, you need proof of power from the Spirit Lord, the Queen of Insects, the Sea Emperor, the Mythical Beast King*, our True Ancestor, and the Holy King, who provided the mana at the time of its activation. *(T/N: written ê where means king and means beast, seems to mean something like mythical, phantom, illusion, dream so Im guessing its Mythical Beast King) It sounded like a condition for unlocking endgame content. To unlock the content rted to defeating the Golden Dragon, one needed to meet or defeat these top-level entities and obtain some event items Some of them are already deceased, right? We dont know the details since we dont have the Holy King herself. If the wavelengths are close to each other, it might be possible if a new Holy King was born. In addition, I dont know much about the existence of the Mythical Beast King. Im sure it wasnt among the 6 great cmities mentioned in the Official Forum discussion threads. That being said, neither the Spirit Lord nor the Holy King were included there. If these do not currently exist in this world and are set to be achieved by the yers, the first possibility would be a Spirit Lord. By growing elves or dwarves, a Spirit Lord can be created. Considering the convenience of the game scenario, it is reasonable to assume that the Holy King and the Mythical Beast King have simr difficulty levels. Assuming that the Mythical Beast King is the destination of the beastmen, then the remaining Holy King can be considered the pinnacle of the human race. In other words, the yer grows up or promotes the growth of the human race or nation, and the yer obtains key items by cooperating with or defeating the disaster-ss characters that have appeared in this way. We have alreadyunched an offensive against the elven kingdom of Portree. Deas is a character with a grudge against the human species nations, although the key target is their rulers only. Its not certain that he will not kill all the royalty under the guise of being considerate. If this happens, it will be hopeless to produce a Spirit Lord from the NPC elf country. Be that as it may, I am concerned that there are two people who are counted among the six major disasters but have no role in any of them. If we include up to seven major ones, there will be one more unemployed, but that is not important right now. Come to think of it, there is one other faction that is an exception to the rule besides the Golden Dragon. The Archangel that hangs around this continent, he is basically always hostile to all factions! Is there a reason for that? I dont know. They only came into being fairly recently. They? The Archangel and the Archdemon of the Sea of Trees in the southern continent. However, the Archdemon is a little older than the Archangel. Well, the Archdemon doesnt seem to be have the personality to pick fights with anyone. I can imagine from the name that there might be some connection between the Archangel and the Archdemon. Theyre usually thought of as a pair, like the Demon Lord and the Spirit Lord. It is therefore natural to assume that their roots are in the same race. The fact that both have only recently appeared suggests that they may not be species that originally inhabited this world. They were probably not there in the first ce when the Golden Dragon fell. So Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Beastmen have a role in opening up endgame content. Skeletons and Goblins, well, lets leave them out for now. There was one other race that yers could initially choose from. A magical creature that Rare once tried to create through alchemy but has yet to find the recipe. That one probably wont be born until someone has mastered [Alchemy]. No wonder they are young in terms of species. Speaking of which, there was one more race with an endgame role for the initial yer choices. The magical creature that Lea tried to create with [Alchemy] but hadnt discovered the recipe for yet C the Homunculus. The homunculus, was it? Its like hard mode, to put it mildly, with no bonuses, lots of disadvantages, and if you get caught, youre treated as a monster. Skeletons were easy. I dont think skeletons and goblins are easy mode, and I think its more like very hard, considering that Sugaru was in ncs initial spawn location, but Ill leave it at that. A homunculus is a creature that resembles a human child, but if its true identity bes known, it will be attacked by humans as a monster, and because of its appearance, it is usually prey in the monster territories. In any situation, they have enemies, a true hard mode. Moreover, they dont get an initial experience bonus. I have never seen it on socialworking sites or in the game, so there are probably not many yers who have chosen it, but if it were possible to reincarnate from it into an angel or demon, its value would be immeasurable. If that was the case and it was discovered and publicly revealed by someone, the paid initial race reincarnation charge items, for example, will sell like hotcakes. About this talk, you cant talk about it anywhere else. The only other people I talk to are Rare-chan and Lyra-san. Well, in that case, its fine. What was intended to be just a casual greeting and chat turned into a really eventful conversation before I knew it. Moreover, it was with the Vampire Count, who was probably an essential NPC in terms of the continents action-limiting cap. Its likely that, under normal circumstances, defeating this Count would have earned us information about factions and hostile forces outside the continent and about endgame content, but I seemed to have bypassed all such procedures with this turn of events. If I were to defeat the Count and have a conversation with him, it would require some sort of process whereby I would prove myself and be recognized by him through fighting. Perhaps this is the way it happened because I was recognized only by my title, and maybe my rtionship with nc, without needing to fight. Count, thank you for today. I learned a lot. Im d I could be of help. It was also fortunate for us to have made the acquaintance of the Demon Lord. By the way. I have received some very detailed information just now, but what if after hearing it I nned to revive the Golden Dragon? The Count kept his eyes down andughed lightly. It doesnt matter. Even if you know, currently, no entity is currently capable of breaking the seal on the Golden Dragon. If someone was actually able to do so, that person might also be able to reseal it or maybe even defeat it. Now that the Holy King has passed away, it is unclear how long the Crystal Wall will remain in good state. If we can do something about that ambiguity, we should force the situation to move, even if it might make the situation worse. And you think Im the one who can do that? Thats right. It could be anyone from your side. The Count seemed to be looking at Rare, then at nc, and then into the distance. By your side I assume he means the yers. This all tells me that he is probably the most important NPC on this continent; he may have even more privileged information, or the ability to sense something about the yer or something, within limits that do not affect the AIs personality. I will be diligent. Well then, I think its time for me to take my leave. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I hope you will continue to take care of nc from now on. Likewise, I apologize for the trouble, but please take care of this one, Im counting on you. Again, what is this, a parent-teacher meeting? It seems Ive overstayed quite a bit. By the time of leaving the Counts castle, the sun had started to tilt. I parted ways with nc above the Counts castle and flew to the forest of Tore with the quiet Sugaru, who had been well-behaved all along. However, I managed to obtain a considerable amount of invaluable information. Some of it might be mixed with spection, but thats usual. Since its a game, its probably fine to consider this as the correct answer to some extent. Just thinking about it makes for an exciting scenario. If possible, I would definitely like to be ahead of the yers and try breaking this so-called Crystal Wall, releasing the Golden Dragon. If using substitutes is possible, theres already the Queen of Insects, even if its a different person of the same race. In this regard, its safe to say that Im at least a step ahead of other yers. Releasing the Golden Dragon would undoubtedly lead to a worldwide crisis, but aiming to bring about a worldwide crisis is quite fitting for a Demon Lord, isnt it? This is by no means a retaliation for the fact that [Demon Lord] was not involved in the conditions for unlocking endgame content. {***} Author note: Endgame Scenarios Envisioned by the Administration: Scenario 1: Ordinary yers aim to liberate and defeat the Golden Dragon for the purpose of subjugation. If unsure when the seal might break, they intentionally break it at a convenient timing and proceed to defeat the root cause. Scenario 2: yers from the chaotic side, or those ying a heel role, aim to destroy the seal with the goal of the worlds copse. The unleashed Golden Dragon is cooperatively defeated by yers on the human orwful side. Scenario 3: As no yer attempts to interfere with the Crystal Wall, the seal unintentionally unravels, releasing the Golden Dragon. All yers then coborate to defeat the dragon. The lines for the Count are crafted in a way that could fit into any of these scenarios. The way he expresses himself may vary based on his emotions towards the other party, but the fundamental content remains the same. Since he wont answer unless asked, there might be yers who engage in battles with the Count without any specific purpose, concluding with a simple won/lost or you were strong without gaining any information. These three scenarios are prepared for such developments. At any rate, at this point, there is no anticipation of the situation unfolding. {***} Chapter 188: “Amphisbaena” After returning to Tore Forest, I decided to conduct experiments right away. Originally, I had nned to gather the Newts and leave them somewhere, but it didnt make much difference whether they were ced in a separate territory or left by the river. Keeping the za was a good idea. Lets try various things right away. I only brought five Lizardmen with me. While there were quite a few Hiers Newts, their appearance aside, they were ssified as amphibians. Probably. Its unclear whether the game clearly distinguishes between amphibians and reptiles, and even if it does, its uncertain whether dealing with amphibian Newts would lead to Dragons. Before that, I wonder if dragons are reptiles. And what about Lizardmen? They were bipedal, and their skeletal structure seemed suitable for upright walking. Does that mean they are closer to dinosaurs? Then, are dragons dinosaurs? Its said that the biggest difference between dinosaurs and reptiles that have survived until modern times is the suitability of the skeletal structure for upright walking. Following that definition, it could be said that Lizardmen are dinosaurs. If Lizardmen can evolve into dragons, theres a possibility that dragons are also ssified as dinosaurs. I dont know what the official intention was, and its pointless to think about it. Regardless, the key seems to be the Lizardmen. Currently, there are only five of them, but Rare decided to strengthen these five as much as possible before considering other options. When Rare gave the Lizardman a Great Philosophers Stone, two options appeared: [Sub-Dragonkin] and [True Dragonkin]. Since the evolution into a [True Dragon] required experience points, it can be considered superior. (T/N: the words here are o or sub-dragon-man, and o or true-dragon-man) Considering that Lizardman Skeletons transformed into Spartoi and Dragontooth through ncs blood, it can be assumed that Sub-Dragonkin is a race fed with flesh and blood from Spartoi and True Dragon from Dragontooth. No, the other way around. Those are probably the undead forms of the dragonkin. There was no reason to evolve into Sub-Dragonkin, so I evolved all of them into True Dragonkin. True Dragonkin had a physique that was overall one sizerger than Lizardmen, with horns growing from their heads that extended backward, and their ws on their hands and feet changed into thicker and more robust shapes. The color seemed to have be darker, but it seemed more like the scales covering their bodies had thickened than a change in body color. Moreover, the scales had grown sharper than before, indicating a heightened sense of hostility. If there were about 25 more Lizardmen in this ce, I could continue with this, but currently, there are only five. Even though all five have evolved into True Dragonkin, its a bit disappointing if they end up being too small due to taking shortcuts. Its just a matter of waiting for more Lizardmen toe. However, information about the Lizardmens habitat has probably already beenmunicated from nc to Lyra, and sharing information about lizards is a priority for both of them. Since Lizardmen were acquired first, its probably better to give the next ones to Lyra. Nothing to lose, so lets throw the Newts into the mix. For now, I decided to reincarnate some Newts and, depending on whether they leaned towards lizards or dragons, use them as fusion materials or expand the undergroundke in the Liebe Great Forest and toss them in there. And the reincarnation destination for the Newts was Smander! Specifically, its Hiers Smander, but it really looks like it! Cant they drop the Hiers from the word? A monster depicted in many fictional works as a fire lizard, among other things. However, when talking about Smanders, they generally refer to newts, and thinking calmly, it could be said that its just an axolotl turned into a newt. Depending on the nuance when tranting, there may be a difference between aquatic and terrestrial tendencies, but generally, both Newts and Smanders refer to simr creatures. But this is a game world. Although we dont know the details just from the name, its not entirely impossible that it refers to a fire lizard. If not, they wouldnt add Hiers to the name. This feels more like a newt, like a Mexican Smander. Definitely an axolotl. But even though I used a Greater one, only one reincarnation option came up. Is this the end or rather, does it mean there are some conditions that need to be met? If I want to bring it closer to a dragon, the image would be mes. To emte Japanese or Chinese dragon legends, lightning might be good. Or, considering the dragon god, a water element might also be considered. Anyway, for now, I gave permission through the system message and reincarnated it into a Hiers Smander. As expected, it was a giant newt. With dark skin and a body length exceeding three meters, the silhouette still resembled a crocodile, but the t face and round eyes ruined the tension. It didnt change much from the time it was a Newt. It would be good to verify if it could be brought closer to a dragon by acquiring magical skills, but if I get caught up in it, it will require a tremendous amount of time and experience points. However, unlike when I was ying with ants alone in the Liebe Great Forest, there is now a reliable friend. By smuggling a Philosophers Stone to Lyra and providing information about Hiers Newts, she should be able to proceed on her own. Since there is probably the closest thing to a dragon, the True Dragonkin, I can try something here. Currently, there are five True Dragonkin. I definitely want to make a three-headed dragon like ncs Ghidorah. In that case, three need to be left. Currently, only two can be used for verification. Philosophers Stone, huh? Alright, lets leave three of themAh! Whether it interpreted Rares words as an order, two of the True Dragons entered the crystal eggs. Well, thats fine. The fact that they could enter meant that some kind of fusion was possible. Next is the task of giving each Hiers Newt a Philosophers Stone and tossing them into the eggs. This also went smoothly, and it seems that at least Hiers Smanders can be used as ingredients. I kept tossing them in, but the end was not in sight. When it was about to reach 30, the 29th was bounced off the crystal and fell t on the ground. With the initial two True Dragonkin included, this would make it 30. This is the same number as during ncs Ghidorah incident. The size of the crystal is also simr, so expectations are high. Putting the Great Philosophers Stone inside and heating it with [Athanor], the lizards melted into a vibrant rainbow color. Well, strictly speaking, there isnt a single one that can be called a lizard. Even though they just used the Philosophers Stone a moment ago, it seems theres no cooldown period for them. Perhaps fusion is recognized as just one of the effects of the Philosophers Stone, not a resurrection. That might be the reason. For good measure, I mixed in a small amount of blood. If theres a branching point, it should transform into a species closer to a demon. [Magnum Opus]. The followers have fulfilled the conditions for reincarnation. Do you permit the reincarnation into [Amphisbaena] by consuming 800 of your experience points? Permit it! Amphisbaena, huh! Amphisbaena is a two-headed snake with another head at the tip of its tail. However, she used True Dragonkin, and the ingredients were also amphibians. Theres no snake element at all. Its probably safe to think of it as a two-headed dragon interpreted inter times. Soon, the crystal was crushed, and a giant dragon with two heads emerged from within. Its scales gleamed ck, gradually turning red towards the tips of its wings, ws, and the horns on its heads. The heads were split from the neck as usual, and the tail also seemed to have two branches. When ites to Amphisbaena, I thought the tip of the tail would be a head, but its different in this game. In terms of overall abilities, its higher than ncs Skeletal Ghidorah, but LP is not as abundant. VIT and STR were higher on the undeads side, but in return, INT, MND, AGI, and DEX seem to be higher for Amphisbaena. Regarding skills, it doesnt have the passive area-of-effect slip damage like Skeletal Ghidorah. Thats a relief since it would be difficult to coordinate with other followers if it had it. But that doesnt mean itcks a species-specific special technique. While Skeletal Ghidorah didnt have it, Amphisbaena has two types of breath attacks: [Toxic Breath] and [gue Breath]. ording to the help section, it seems to be breaths of poison and disease, just as the names suggest. Skeletal Ghidorah is a skeletal dragon and probably doesnt breathe. Thats why it doesnt have a breath attack. Overall, Skeletal Ghidorah is stronger. However, subtracting the experience points nc apparently invested in them, they are roughly on par. It also has [Flight] and [Sky Drive]. I wonder if these skills aremon for dragon types? Whether it had them from the start is unknown, but it also has [Bare-Handed]. This skill gives a bonus to damage and judgment when attacking directly without weapons. However, its unclear whether the original attack power of ws and fangs is taken into ount. If thats the case, characters with sharp ws and fangs might have more than just numerical attack power in closebat. Breath and that part, I want to try those out here. I wish the angels woulde soon. If my spection about the true identity of the angels from the Counts story is correct, they should be magical creatures. In that case, theyre likely to drop items and disappear when defeated, just like Adaman-knights. Confirming this would add anotheryer of excitement to the event. I would like to use the event to test the operation of myself and my subordinates. Whats also concerning is the weakness of the angels. Theyre at a reasonable level considering the current military strength of the continents nations. If they were stronger, the human nations, which rely on sheer numbers, would be on the brink of destruction, and as a game event, it would be designed to leave rookies behind. As an event where participation is forced without choice, its not very eptable. In light of this, it can be said to be exquisitely bnced, but this time, on the contrary, the difficulty level is somewhat unsatisfactory for the top tier of yers. For yers who are active in Hiers Capital and Neuschloss, dealing with a group of 2 small fries is probably not worth their time. The bonus to experience gained seems to apply to all activities, regardless of whether they are event-rted or not, as before, and if that were the case, I would continue to stay in the dungeons I usually attack. Alternatively, if theres no death penalty, I might try challenging areas of a higher difficulty than usual. Is it correct to recognize that the angels themselves are for rookies, and that it is simply an experience boosting week for intermediate and above?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Regardless of the intentions of the operation, thats probably what the yerbase will assume and how the yers will move. At that time, if I think about what I should do, it would be intercepting as nned and entertaining as usual. In other words, there will be a three-way battle in the dungeon. Its unfortunate that the reduction of the death penalty doesnt apply to me and my group, but it cant be helped. More than that, the fact that the bonus to experience points and the reduced death penalty will encourage yers with higher ranks to challenge more challenging dungeons is a bigger deal. Likest time, it will be a fever time for all yers. Maybe there will be yers who try to hunt down the cmity itself, meaning Rare. Im really looking forward to it, but first I have to get the Portree matter out of the way. I think it should be done by now, but I dont know whats going on. It seems like they dont trust me to contact them, so I guess Ill just have to wait a little longer Chapter 189: “Colony” Your Majesty, there is no excuse I can offer Huh? What happened? Did you let the king escape? Since the situation had concluded, Deas was [Summoned] to the Hiers Castle. As soon as he appeared, he knelt and began apologizing abruptly. No, we killed someone who seemed to be the king, but it seems some of the royal family members managed to escape. Oh, is that so? After destroying the main camp where the king was located, Deas, leading the Adamant Scouts,unched a surprise attack on the pce. It seemed that all the elves and high elves inside the pce were killed, except for the kings eldest son, the first prince, who had already escaped to the town. Its strange that he managed to escape after weunched a surprise attack. The n details were probably known only to you, Deas. If thats the case, maybe he left the city regardless of how the attack on the capital would turn out. If the city is under attack, one would normally think of taking refuge in the most heavily defended pce. However, if he was in the city when it was attacked, it might mean he had a great deal of trust in the king and the knights. Even if that were the case, if the king left the pce empty for interception, it would make sense for the first prince to fill in. In the central pce, which is crucial for the country, there should be someone capable of making decisions in case of an emergency. Although its unclear how important matters in the city were, it seemscking in self-awareness for someone who would eventually bear the responsibility of the nation. He might not be interested in national affairs or something like that. Well, I dont know. Maybe he didnt want to inherit the throne? If the king was healthy enough toe to the front lines, there would still be time for a session, and maybe he hadnt fully grasped his role and position yet. Unfortunately, his grace period moratorium ended forcibly. Thanks to his own foolishness, he ironically survived alone No, I dont know. Maybe he really had important business in the town. Deas seems frustrated, but the situation is not bad. The execution of the main objective, Portrees king, has been achieved, and ording to reports, the prince is the only surviving member of the royal family. Considering the possibility of the lizardmen quickly reproducing, its not entirely without risk, but ording to the official site, Portrees poption is low, and thats because elves, as a race, dont reproduce easily. So, it should be safe to assume that only one royal family member will remain for a while. Depending on the future developments, we might have to produce a Spirit Lord from the Portree Kingdom, and it would be better if some survived. More options are always good. If necessary, we could [Subordinate] and forcibly reincarnate them, but paying a huge amount of experience points just for a key item is something she hesitates to do. If Im going to spend experience points, I would prefer to use them on something more useful. For now, the result of the assault on Portree is reasonably good. Good job. Now, Id like you to give me the next report, especially about the issues with the Adamant team. Yes. Regarding the Adamant Knights, there is no concern about their defensive capabilities. However, there are many challenges remaining in areas other than defense, such as attack and evasion, this time. Weapons have been reced with Adamas, so theres no problem with attack power, but if the opponent is superior, it bes difficult tond a direct hit. Even with armor, if the opponent is superior, it can be difficult tond a direct hit. Even when we try to dodge, theck of experience in receiving damage from normal attacks makes them somewhatx in recognizing evasion. As a result, they are easily defeated by opponents who use powerful skills asionally. So, its better to promote a change in mindset rather than easy strengthening? No, it might be possible to change their mindset through training, but it might be more efficient to strengthen them quickly by investing experience points. After all, they have weak self-awareness, so its unclear if the method of mindset change will be effective. If they can move faster than the opponent, evasion bes easier, andnding an attack bes easier too. Also, bing smarter will make them more capable of learning, and they can predict the next move from the opponents actions. While there is a problem with theirx mindset, the idea that it will be fine if their foundation improves is not entirely without merit. Perhaps the minions tend to be simr to their master no matter what. But that is more convenient for me. Understood. However, I dont have enough experience points to do something about everyone. Ive already used quite a bit. Well, I dont n to use the Adamants for anything immediate, and I can use the points earned in the next event. Also, not an immediate problem, but all the Adamas clumps dropped in Portree were notpletely recovered. Some of them might be reused within Portree. I knew that to some extent from the beginning, and it doesnt bother me. Whats more important is that we wiped out their elite guards by defeating the king. ording to reports, the Royal Guards were significantly more outstandingpared to other knight orders, right? We can easily create weapons with skills, but gathering talented individuals takes time. The overall excellence of the people in Portree, an elf country, isrgely due to their long lifespan. The low poption is also a reason. Because they are hard to get rid of, they are hard to generate. So, it would take a considerable amount of time to recover the lost talent. I dont know how many years have passed since the current king took over, but for the surviving prince to inherit the country and cause trouble for Hiers and Aural again, it will take some time. However, its not guaranteed that they have that much leeway. After all, thismotion originally started because Lyra used bandits to provoke Portree. She said during the tea party that the goal was to efficiently sell agricultural products, but considering the final goal is economic domination, the sale itself is important. When temporarily losingbor due to injuries and experiencing a drop in harvest, there is no reason not to jump at the chance to obtain cheap food from elsewhere. I recall Lyra mentioning that she was practically giving it away for free. If people realize that this service is avable continuously, some might stop working seriously. Well, considering that the main food source for Portrees elves seems to be fruit, it wouldnt be surprising if Lyra ordered bandits to raid orchards. Unlike wheat and vegetables, orchards cannot resume operations the following year after being raided. In that case, there wont be a decent harvest for a while, regardless of the residents intentions. With the loss of the king and elites due to the attack, the shaken leadership of the Portree Kingdom is in no position to handle this situation. Portree only has rtions with Hiers and Aural. Well, Hiers is probably no longer a nation in their eyes, leaving only Aural. In a situation where a force that sessfully executed a lightning-fast decapitation operation against monsters is nearby, a new and inexperienced king cannot rebuild the country without relying on anyone. If the same thing happens again tomorrow, the country will surely be destroyed. They will likely seek help from the neighboring Aural. Especially since Aural is providing cheap food to the viges that were attacked by bandits. Its not unreasonable to mistake them for a friendly nation. With assistance from Aural, they will try to rebuild the country. If this situation continues for a while, Portree will be unable to sustain itself without Aurals assistance. It may be fine as long as there are gold coins, but once those run out, they wont be able to obtain food from Aural. At that point, Lyras n will enter its final stage. She will leverage the supplied food, pushing for something effective for Aural in ce of orchards, possibly producing something that cannot be consumed directly. If I were to do it, for example, it might be cotton or rubber trees. In terms of being difficult to use as food alone, spices, oil palms, coffee beans, cocoa, and such might also be suitable. Assuming they exist in the game. Once that happens, even if Portree realizes Aurals malice and tries to break free, it will be toote. Food self-sufficiency will have dropped to the extreme. They can only survive by selling the crops they produce to Aural. Even if they try to find other trading partners, the only neighboring country is Hiers. Well, not really a country. Since Lyra has control over all of Aurals cities, whether they sell to the country or the city is the same, and the possibility of having decent trade with the remaining cities on Hiers side has been crushed by the previous king of Portree. There may be other cities within trading distance besides the invaded one, but no one trusts groups that suddenly invade, even if they were mistaken for bandits. Unlike Portree, the yers position in Hiers is not bad. That incident has likely already been spread to the NPC residents of nearby cities by yers. Theck of time for Portree to rebuild its country is due to such circumstances. There is even a possibility that someone like Queen Cecilia may end up bing the King of Portree. Whether its allowed in the game is unclear. I didnt expect Portree to provoke us, but thanks to that, Lyras n has been elerated. Probably, Lyra intends to colonize Portree. There is no need to worry about how much Adamas flows into such a country. There are probably some yers in the country, and if Portrees gold coins are gradually being drained by Lyra, Adamas will flow to the yers in exchange for gold coins. Considering that high-level yers like Wayne already have Adamas equipment, its toote for yers to get their hands on Adamas. Anyway, I think the concerns before the event have been settled. If I have to say one more thing, I would just advise the managers of each dungeon to be vignt. During the event, yers might push forward with reckless strategies without fearing death. And, well, its not a big deal, but just one more thing. What is it? I might as well hear it since were at it. Weve recovered what seemed to be the legacy of the Spirit Lord, which the enemy leader intended to use. Please ept it. Somethingrge was taken out in front of Rare. It seems it was stored in the inventory. Whats thHeart of the Spirit Lord? An artifact! yers who once defeated me in this Hiers capital used an item that was precisely the Heart of the Spirit Lord. This is without a doubt the name I heard from Hiers Prime Minister Dous OConnell. At that time, I believe he said he had obtained permission from King Hiers to use the Heart of the Spirit Lord.N?v(el)B\\jnn What the hell. Do the royalty on this continent just use the heart if their capital is attacked? For someone who has never experienced war, they all seem to think boldly, throwing their maximum forces in from the start. Or maybe its just that their malice is too high. After all, they are descendants of those who seized the country. The heart is the item with the greatest power among the curses left by the Spirit Lord. I confirmed its effects in the treasure trove of Aural, so there is no mistake. And there is no longer the Heart of the Spirit Lord in the treasure trove of this royal castle. There was only one in Aural. In that case, its safe to assume that its an item left in each country. In other words, Portree no longer has theirs. Their threat level has decreased by another notch. The heart that was intended to be used to threaten Aural was returned to Lyra, and its fortunate that we were able to obtain it here. Deas, this is a splendid achievement. Yes. The fact that they were able to take it means that the enemy brought it to the battlefield with the intention of using it. How they managed to take it away from them before it was used will never cease to interest me. Theres still some time until the event starts. Lets take it easy and hear about it. Not in the form of a report, but of your tale of valor. Chapter 190: “Official Forum 4 / Unofficial Forum 2” Third RoundLarge-scale Defense BattleOfficial Event 1: Amatein I created this post as there was an announcement for the third official event. Currently known information:
  • Attacks from the sky.
  • Targets are indiscriminate (no rtion to country, race, or whether they are monsters).
  • Event period is approximately one week in real-time, 10 days in-game time (same as the second event).
  • Experience gained during the event is increased by 10% (same as the second event).
  • Penalty during the event is changed to 1-hour decrease of all stats by 5% (same as the second event).
  • Event-specific social media tform will be set up during the event (same as the second event).
  • Enemy strength is equivalent to difficulty level 2.
  • Anonymous reporting of results is allowed.
Please add details if anything is missing. 2: Nameless Elf Thank you for creating the thread. 3: Alonson Thank you. It was close to being a duplicate thread. 4: MentaList Attacks from the sky, huh? That must be the Archangel in the Sky Castle. One of the Seven Great Cmities. 5: Healthyunpeble It says they attack indiscriminately, but I wonder if theyll attack the Seventh as well. Or maybe cmities get along with each other? 6: Lyewarehouse Judging from the announcement, even if cmities sh, they might do so upon meeting The Seventh, was it pure white with wings? They seem rted. 7: ThoseWarmHands But the trademark halo of an angel wasnt there. Instead, it had yellow horns, I think. 8: MentaList Arent those golden? 9: Wayne In any case, there are already dungeons controlled by a cmity in Hiers, and well have to see if angels will attack there too. 10: Amatein True. But if the Archangel and the Seventh coordinate their attacks, honestly, theres not much we can do. 11: Nameless Elf The 2 difficulty is suspicious. Angel attacks might be 2, but what about the Seventh? 12: Healthyunpeble If thats the case, wouldnt the announcement from the administration say something like attacks from the sky and thend? 13: Gi1gamesh If, hypothetically, the Archangel and the Seventh are in conflict and sh, would the venue be Hiers? 14: Crack Seriously? Gotta go to Hiers then. 15: Zekio >>11 Honestly, from a casual yers perspective, having 2 enemies for the event is just right and helpful. 16: Amatein >>11 >>15 Considering there might be missions to protect the city, if enemies stronger than that attack inrge numbers, it could be tough. 17: Monkey Dive Sasuke NPCs should be fine. ording to that old mans story in Hiers, theyve been attacked many times before, so theyre used to it. . . . 51: Crystal Princess Hey, has the event already started? By the way, when did the previous event end? 52: Arafubuki Maybe its Urashima Taro? 53: Crystal Princess Stop joking. 54: ImpoliteSpeech >>53 Thats my line. 55: Crack If its the 3rd official event, it starts next week. If its the 2nd official event, it ended a month ago. Why? 56: Crystal Princess The city was suddenly attacked by skeletons and destroyed! If its not an event, then what is it?! 57: Gi1gamesh Calm down. Which town? 58: MariWolf >>57 Its Wib in Portree. I was there too, but there were too many, and it was hopeless. Even the regr knights were defeated; it was impossible. 59: Nameless Elf Portrees city destroyed? Is that possible? NPCs in that country, or rather, the upper-level knights and nobles, were stronger than yers, right? 60: Healthyunpeble Because of that, they had this arrogant attitude. The NPCs in Portree were kinda rude. Hiers is morefortable; I probably wont go to that country again. 61: ThoseWarmHands I think Portree suddenly invaded some city in Hiers, right? There was amotion about them massacring all the residents. 62: Healthyunpeble Ah, Portree did that? Then its probably Ingaouhou*. (T/N: written 󥬥`۩` and from what I can tell, this seems to be apound term that basically means karmic retribution, what goes aroundes around, you reap what you sow) 63: Nameless Elf Even if it was retaliation, who retaliated when everyone in the city was killed? And with arge army of skeletons? 64: Gi1gamesh Wasnt the first invasion in the city in Hiers? If the retaliation was done by skeletons, then, well, theres only one possibility, right? 65: Wayne If they perceived that city as their own, then the retaliation must have been by the cmity. 66: MentaList With the appearance of the Archangel, things are getting confusing. Its not as simple as the Seventh or the Seventh (T/N: this is written in a confusing way) 67: Crystal Princess Ive been following that thread, and I know about it, but it wasnt done by Wibs knights. I have nothing to do with it! 68: MariWolf Originally, the city was probably attacked by a knight order dispatched from the capital. I know they passed through Wib. If they really intend to retaliate, it wont end with just Wib. 69: CountryPop How about we gather at the Portree capital likest time, taking a chance? 70: Amatein But this time, Portree made the first move. Unlike Hiers, Portree has knights equal to or stronger than yers. Even if we offer cooperation, its uncertain whether theyll ept. 71: Wayne It looks simr to that time, but were asking about the situation in the Hiers town that was invaded first. If we decide to go, the mode of transportation is also a problem. We cant teleport directly to the city. Besides, back then, it was a request from Hiers, which made it happen.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om 72: Udonko Why report it in the next event thread? Theres an evacuation notice from King Portree! Ah, its the city of Grano in Portree. Its probably between Wib and the capital. 73: Gi1gamesh I dont know when it was devastated, but if you think about it, >>51 responded and posted Its pretty messed up. How did the king know the situation? 74: Nameless Elf I dont really understand Portree, but the information spreads quickly. During the previous event, I teleported to several cities, and it seemed like information about monsters was quite shared. 75: MentaList I wonder if theres a magic or skill for that. Id like to ask, but it seems like there wont be another chance 76: Healthyunpeble >>75 Already given up, huh? lol 77: MariWolf No way, I think. Wib is the biggest city in Portree, and if it falls, what about the capital? The Seventh? Thats the white one, right? I havent seen it at all, so maybe even after doing this it hasnt even gotten started yet? 78: Crystal Princess Whatever! What aboutpensation for my experience points?! This is definitely not my fault! 79: ImpoliteSpeech Theres no way thats happening. Why is this person so arrogant? 80: Arafubuki Maybe you were doing decently in Portree, so youre a mid-level or higher yer, right? With that personality, youre managing well. Are you really a princess, as your name suggests? 81: Amatein Take personal matters elsewhere. For now, at least in my and Waynes party, well observe Portree this time. It doesnt mean we dont care, but local yers should decide whether to evacuate based on that. 82: Healthyunpeble Im also leaning towards observation. Id rather stay here and see the top battle between cmities that might happen in Hiers. 83: MentaList As for me, I rmend evacuation. Facing opponents like the Seventh who seem unbeatable is good, but if possible, its better after the event starts and theres no death penalty. 84: Gi1gamesh Everyone is cold towards Portree. Well, I understand though. . . . 134: Ikukasane Kazenaru (T/N: LQ; something like the sound ofyers of wind) I dont know why, but is this thread the right ce? A massive army of skeletons has arrived at Portrees capital. Portrees knights have gathered from somewhere, and there are quite a lot of them. More than the opponents, it seems. 135: Healthyunpeble >>134 Thanks for the report. Feels like the final showdown. By the way, what happened to the yer who posted earlier? Did they evacuate? 136: Crystal Princess Yeah. 137: MariWolf Yep. 138: Udonko Yes. 139: Ikukasane Kazenaru Huh? 140: MentaList Late to escape (-- 141: ThoseWarmHands But it hasnt been decided that weve lost yet, right? 142: Arafubuki Seems pretty much decided, though. 143: Ikukasane Kazenaru There are hardly any knights inside the city Are they all outside? Is this okay? 144: ImpoliteSpeech If its okay, then everyone hasnt evacuated. 145: Ikukasane Kazenaru Ah! But it looks like the king-like person is also deploying! Hes surrounded by knights with luxurious armor, so thats probably the king! If it was dangerous, the king wouldnt havee out, right? Seems fine? 146: Alonson Dont say anything more it looks like a g lol 159: Ikukasane Kazenaru Couldnt defeat the cmity 160: Healthyunpeble Too slow, isnt it? 161: Wayne In the end, it was the cmity after all. 162: Ikukasane Kazenaru Eh, I dont know. Around the king, things were blown away and exploded, so maybe. I didnt see what happened. 163: Crystal Princess Is the capital destroyed? Where did you respawn? Were forming a party with the three of us now. Wanna join? 164: Ikukasane Kazenaru Wow, is that okay? But the capital isnt destroyed! The city seems fine. Are there quite a few knights left if we talk about numbers? Only the king and the people around him died. 165: MentaList They only targeted the head and the guards, huh? Since they havent captured the city, it means they didnt intend to destroy Portree this time? 166: Gi1gamesh Maybe because Portrees cityscape wasnt beautiful? They didnt like it, so they didnt need it. 167: Wayne Ah, that might be it. 168: Ikukasane Kazenaru So, we survived because of that 169: Nameless Elf Its beautiful, though, Portrees capital. Harmonious with greenery. 170: Healthyunpeble Probably tired of seeing green. Youre probably from the forest, right? 171: Amatein I checked, and Portree is still on the official site. Its confirmed that the king died, but it seems like the nation itself didnt copse. The damage is to a part of the knight order, including the king and the guards, and maybe a city like Wib? I dont know what happened to the passed-through cities, but for now, it seems to have settled. If theres any informationter, lets discuss it in Portreesprehensive thread. It probably ended before the event and had nothing to do with the event. By the way, its rare to consume so many threads, almost reaching 200 before the event starts. 172: CountryPop Amatein, youre too quick to create threads, regr. 173: Healthyunpeble Is this a regr urrence for them? (Confused) 174: Crystal Princess Its because I posted. Sorry. 175: MentaList So, in the end, has anyone seen the appearance of the Seventh? 176: Gi1gamesh Its unclear if the person (??) was there, but given the situation, its definitely the handiwork of the Seventh, right? 177: Wayne I dont think theyre having a memorial for the dead NPC residents, but if its retaliation for someone meddling in their affairs, I can understand it to some extent. . . . PortreesBetzilc AnnihtionUnforgivable ? ? ? ? 899: Kenken I heard that the king of Portree was defeated by the cmity, so I walked back to the city to see what happened. 900: Takeshida Oh, youre doing your best. How was it? Are the knights gone? 901: Kenken Not just the knights, the entire city was gone. 902: Vancool I dont quite understand what youre saying. 903: Autumn Please report urately lol. 904: Kenken If you haveints, go check it out yourself. Seriously, everything is gone. Its aplete wastnd. 905: Vancool What happened 906: Takeshida Doesnt matter, does it? All the residents were probably killed by Portrees crap, and if the city, along with the knights, has turned into a wastnd, serves them right. 907: Autumn Did the organizers clean up because the mastermind who attacked the city died? 908: Kenken If thats the case, its a sloppy job lol. Maybe they couldnt delete the objects systemically, so they dropped a meteorite or something? Game System Verification Part 6 ? ? ? ? 63: nk It might be a bitte to mention, but it seems that the natural LP recovery rate is not constant. 64: Professor Mori Etti Really? 65: Saint Riegan >>64 Character! 66: nk It subtly changes depending on the hunger level. Although most people wont deliberately let themselves get hungry until the change is noticeable, if you do, youll almost die if you dont eat something soon. 67: Haust I doubt anyone bothers to check the LP natural recovery rate in that state. Why did you do such a thing? Training? 68: nk It was by chance lol. I was hunting constantly while being hungry. 69: Professor Mori Etti Isnt that what people call training? 70: nk The vige where I was staying was attacked by bandits at night, and the orchard we were cultivating in the vige was raided. After that, a merchant-like person came from a nearby country, offering to trade with the vige. However, I didnt have any gold coins, so I couldnt buy anything. I had no choice but to try and earn some by hunting near theke. 71: Saint Riegan What were you hunting? If its beasts or fish, you could eat that, right? 72: nk Slimes. Theres a proper town at a bigke farther away, but I cant go there yet due to my abilities. So, I was hunting weak slimes in a small puddle-likeke nearby. 73: Professor Mori Etti I see 74: nk While fighting and sometimes starving, I noticed that the LP natural recovery was strangely slow. I measured the time, and it seems that when the hunger gauge drops below a certain value, the natural recovery amount decreases. Around just before starving, it barely recovers at all. 75: Haust Even if it recovers, youll die of hunger anyway. 76: Professor Mori Etti What about MP natural recovery? 77: nk That didnt change. It was recovering normally even right before starvation. 78: Saint Riegan Recovering only MP is meaningless lol. 79: Professor Mori Etti No, if theres a magical skill or something that can create food or directly restore the fullness gauge, it might be possible to avoid starving. 80: Haust Considering the deliberate distinction, there must be some significance. It wouldnt be surprising if there were such skills. . . . Unofficial Bulletin Board BHSCMonster yers Thread ? ? ? ? 966: The new event is said to be a cooperative y one. 967: Who with whom? 968: Dunno. Maybe yers and NPCs from ces other than here? 969: Well, thats true. What are you guys gonna do? 970: Stab them in the back while yers and NPCs cooperate to fight event monsters. 971: In that case, hiding in a dungeon would be good. 972: Im in a cave. Probably some dungeon, I think. yers oftene there. Does the event happen inside the cave too? It says attacks from the sky. 973: I dont know. But if it doesnt matter inside the cave, they wouldnt describe it as an event across the entire continent. There are quite a few cave-type dungeons, so you can probably just ignore it. 974: So how are they going to attack? Will they enter from the entrance obediently? 975: Theyre sitting ducks. They cant fly inside a cave lol. 976: Then its seriously behind my house. My ce is a forest. 977: Not your house lol. But in a forest, you can fight advantageously by using trees and stuff, right? 978: Now that you mention it, thats true lol. So, whats dangerous? Towns and ins? 979: Desert dweller, announcing retirement. 980: Ive never seen a desert lol. Theres one? 981: Still, there are a lot more people than before. 982: Well, the start is super hard mode, but if you can tame monsters, then 983: Hehehe. Can I drop some super-sized info even though its before the event? 984: Annoying. Spit it out! 985: I managed to change the route from goblin to kobold! I wont tell you how because I didnt like >>984s attitude! 986: I apologize m(_ _)m 987: Cant be helped lol. Anyway, first, you need to find Kobolds Chapter 191: “The Angel Attacks” The third event is finally starting. However, Wayne and the others dont n to do anything special, just challenging the Bone Dragon of Erntal using experience point bonuses and reduced death penalties. Although they are only a level 2 threat, they wanted to confirm theirbat power against the angels, who have the means of flight and whose impact on battles is uncertain. So, they waited in the nearby town theyve been using as a base in Erntal. This town serves as a bridgehead for conquering the surrounding dungeons, almost like a frontline base, and many yers try to protect it from the angels. There are definitely more yers here than there were in Erfahren at the start of the open beta. Wayne and his group dont need to protect it, and once the confirmation is done, they n to go to Erntal. Hey, look over there! Something is flying towards us. Gil pointed in the direction where a group of birds-like creatures was approaching. Wayne, aiming to be an all-rounder, has taken [Visual Enhancement], but due to the distance, they still appear quite small. No, its different They were originally small. Are those really angels? I was checking on social media, and it seems they are indeed angels. Oh, I can see them now. Its definitely confusing. But in other towns, it looks like they are already under attack, and they are the target of this event. A winged human appeared from high above. Is that a child? Is this okay? Has it passed the ethical review? Is it an enemy we can attack? In a way, it looks like the image of an angel. Wasnt that the trademark of a candy maker called Something-something? More like mayonnaise Gil! Here theye! Even if the yers were confused, it didnt matter to the angels. The lovely angels had grotesque expressions that couldnt be imagined from their silhouettes, attacking people in the area. Since this town has more yers than NPCs, currently only yers are under attack, but if the number increases, NPCs will likely be affected too. Alright, if they are attacking, we have to fight back! [Thunderbolt]! Waynes arrow of lightning pierced one of the angels and brought it down. It was the most basic attack magic among the [Lightning Magic]. It didnt take it down in one hit, but it dealt substantial damage, interrupting its flight and causing it to fall to the ground. This is tricky! Here! Gil stabbed the fallen angel with his sword. It wasnt his intention, but he ended up with an unpleasant role for Gil. They should have aimed for a single strike instead of attacking halfway. With Waynes current strength, they could easily aplish that. Oh? It disappeared but theres something left, an item. They disappear, leaving drops, huh. Well, thats a relief. Its probably too high a level to dismantle [ze Lance]! If the body disappears, there shouldnt be much psychological resistance after the initial impact. Yeah, it feels the same on social media. If they allowed dismantling, there might be regtory issues. Stop looking at social media and fight, Mayonnaise! Sorry, sorry. Ill do it now. While flying and attacking, their appearance and difficult-to-hit nature make angels troublesome, but in terms of strength, they are not a match for Wayne and his group. With some effort, they can observe their surroundings during the battle.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Other yers in the vicinity gradually adapted to the situation and became able to handle the angels. Since the surrounding dungeons have difficulty levels ranging from 1 to 5, yers of various levels enter this town. For yers other than rookies earning experience in 1 dungeons, this level of enemy is not a problem. Moreover, they only use normal attacks, making them easy targets for yers with long-range capabilities. However, without special attacks, their basic stats seem to be higher. Even yers with simr strength to Waynes group would receive considerable damage if hit directly. Despite that, with Waynes armor, he wouldnt take much damage even if he got hit. But their attacks are monotonous. It might hurt if you get hit but avoiding them is easy. If your yer skill is high enough, even a beginners stats might allow you to dodge. Isnt that obvious? If you raise AGI, your dynamic vision improves, so if you havent raised it much, it might be impossible. As a dodge-focused style, Wayne hasnt been hit once. It might be a good idea to take a hit forbat power assessment, but with limited healing options in this party, avoiding unnecessary damage is crucial. Even if Wayne doesnt take much damage thanks to his armor, it will eventually wear out, and repairing this armor will likely cost a considerable amount of money. Its about time; the number of enemies has decreased a lot. Yeah, it seems like the first wave is over. The angels attacking from the sky decrease in number as yers defeat them, and eventually, they all disappear. Normally, creatures retreat before their entire group is wiped out. However, the fact that they dont retreat indicates that their behavior routine is not that of ordinary creatures. Its likely that they were ordered to fight until they arepletely annihted by a higher-ranking entity, just as the Prime Minister of Hiers mentioned. Suddenly, MentaList picks up a red gem that fell to the ground. It seems to be an item dropped when they defeated the angels. There are quite a few of them scattered around the town, and if this invasion urs periodically in the continent, their mary value might be low, but they are not as clear as regr gems. I wonder what kind of item this is. For now, lets pick up what we defeated. Maybe the number of these items determines our ranking or something. That makes sense. Last time, the rankings were based on data such as defense points or invasion points. Its reasonable to assume that this time it is also a point system. However, considering their concerns about anonymity, it wouldnt be surprising if they changed to a visible point system. The yers who want to remain inconspicuous can choose not to pick up the items even if they defeat the angels. But yers who wish to remain anonymous are likely to indicate their intention within the game. Whether there is a need for a physical change in the game until anonymity is changed is unknown. Even if it does, if they dont announce it, its no different from the masked data. Items that can perform identification are also sold, right? Based on the previous pattern, probably after the maintenance following this event. If we had it now, we could figure out what it is. I cant shake the feeling that the timing of the sale is to prevent that. Anyway, it seems they were able to weather the first wave of enemy invasion without much damage. Looking around the sky, there doesnt seem to be any sign of the second waveing anytime soon. It seems that they wont be constantly under attack. If that were the case, these towns without knight orders would always have to be guarded by yers and mercenaries, making it impractical for events. In a way, it can be considered a natural specification. We dont know when the next wave wille, so lets go to Erntal now. With this feeling, as long as were vignt, we can handlebat interruptions, and, well, even if we make a mistake, theres no death penalty right now. Lets do that. Alright, lets depart once we pick up the items. * Near Erntal, it seems there are few yers, and a few angels are still flying around the city. Since its daytime, the zombies in Erntals city are holed up in their homes. Thats probably why there are no yers taking down angels. From outside the city, its unclear if angels are taking hostile actions against Erntals zombies. In other words, it remains unknown if disasters are in conflict with each other. Lets try entering the city. Even if the zombies are holed up at home, we might not know if zombies and angels are hostile when we enter the city. If we leave the doors of the houses open, wont the angels go in that direction? You shouldnt need to do that. Cant we just break into the houses? I wonder. Such questions were resolved upon entering the city. While a few angels were flying around the outskirts of the city, there were none within the city. There were only those murky gems scattered around. In other words, the angels that invaded the city have already been defeated by someone. Considering that the Bone Dragon probably rules this city, it would likely be him or one of his subordinates who did this. If thats the case, we can at least consider that the Bone Dragon and the angels are in conflict. Undead and angels, huh. Thats more convincing than saying they get along. And if it was the Seventh Cmity that created the Bone Dragon, that means the seventh and the Archangel are also in conflict. So, is the seventh disaster leaning towards undead after all? The theory of angels turning into undead is also usible. Just like how humans dont get along with zombies, its a story that can happen. Whether the true identity of the seventh disaster encountered in the Hiers Royal Capital at that time was undead or not, it seemed too overflowing with vitality to be ssified as undead. Even in the twilight darkness, its entire body shone white, emitting an overwhelming presence. Although the first time they managed to defeat it didnt leave a strong impression, the way the second time they were defeated without any means to resist was particrly impressive. When it opened its closed eyes and attacked with some kind of attack, with magical circles shining in its red eyes, it seemed as if it would be absorbed into those eyes and disappear. However, whether the true identity of the seventh disaster was undead or not, the fact remains that it seems to be in conflict with the forces of the Archangel. If thats the case, as long as Wayne and the others y in this dungeon thats under themand of the seventh, it should inevitably be a three-way battle. As long as they are careful with positioning, they should not be at a special disadvantage. A three-way battle is it like that again? Considering this dungeon has already been defeated, its not really different from usual. Well, thats true. The problem is who and how they defeated it. Oh. You guys. If thats the case, probably the answer is that way. Look, around the city Looking in the direction Gil was pointing, the Bone Dragon was flying slowly, scattering a pitch-ck aura around. It was flying so gracefully with wings made only of bones, and it was unclear how it gained lift, but it looked as if it were flying like an ordinary creature. Although its elegance was only in its posture and attitude, the atmosphere it exuded was the worst. It might be something visible only from a distance, but that pitch-ck aura was probably that infamous slip damage. Even though the Bone Dragon was just flying, nearby angels were turning into murky gems one after another and disappearing. Its not as if they die the moment they enter the slip damage area. The angels seem to have designated the Bone Dragon as their primary target,unching reckless and seemingly futile attacks against it. However, it appears that no damage is being dealt to the Bone Dragon at all. With the repeated futile attacks, their LP seems to run out due to slip damage, resulting in their death. Thats right, its really just flying. Or rather, it can fly, huh Yeah If it chased us in the sky like that, wed definitely have no chance of winning. How are we supposed to defeat it? Even during the event, the decision to challenge Erntal was made with the idea of confronting the Bone Dragon, finding its weaknesses and effective attack methods even if it meant repeatedly facing zombie attacks, and using that information in the future. However, if it constantly stays out of range of their attacks, that n wont work. Well, the event period is long, so if it seems hopeless, lets go somewhere else, like the royal capital or La Colinne. Lets wait for a while for it toe down. Chapter 192: “Pure Heart” In Tore Forest, specifically in its center, stands a towering World Tree. To the west of the World Tree lies arge open square, and bare earth gazes up at the sky. I see, a Pure Heart huh? It seems quite murky for such a name, but if its said to be a drop from an angel, I guess I could see it. I was picking up the red, murky gem-like objects scattered in the square. ording to [Appraisal], these dropped items are called [Pure Hearts]. However, both the name and information about the monster that dropped them are not particrly important, trivialpared to the exnations provided by the [Appraisal]. There it was written C it supposedly had the effect of anchoring the soul to the body. So I should consider it as a material for revival items, right? At this point, few yers would have thought about the topic and realized this. The game developers would likely introduce premium itemster. yers that have acquired [Appraisal] are probably very scarce. But thats just for now. After the event ends, there will be maintenance. Premium items are likely to be implemented after that. During the event, many yers will acquire arge number of these items. If they have no immediate use for them, they may sell them, but if the buyback price is low, they will probably store them in their inventory for now. Unlike NPCs, yers do not have to worry about the problem of bulky luggage. Angels periodically attack, and various countries knight orders and national armies can handle them. Many Pure Hearts must have been scattered across this continent. If thats the case, their rarity value might not be significant. In that case, the buyback price would be low. yers will end up purchasing appraisal items with a lot of inventory. However, if they be the raw material for valuable consumable items, its a different story. It wouldnt be surprising if they were traded at a surprisingly high price. In that case, yers may choose not to sell. In any case, its necessary to know the current market value. Ah, I see. Maybe I should ask. Speaking of Pure Heart, is it the murky gem left by those angels? Thats right, Gustav. They must have appeared in the market before, but I want to know how they were treated. Its not anything special. There are many of them, and they are the annoying crap left by those angels. If hes been suffering for a long time, thats understandable. Gustavs tone is harsh. If he were an elf, it might be different, but Gustav, being human, should not have directly suffered from angels so far. Or was one of his ancestors killed by an angel? For me, seeing it for the first time, the appearance may be frightening, but the angels themselves have a very lovely appearance, and despite being slightly murky, this heart can be considered a beautiful gem. Gustav, do you have any information about what this can be used for? Ive heard rumors that it has the effect of anchoring the soul to the body. Because of that, those shady practitioners in dark upations like necromancers are buying them up. Thats also why its not considered a good item inmon society. Is that so? I am a yer who has acquired and taken the skill [Necromancy] up to a considerable level. This was something worth noticing. No, its impossible. Associating necromancy with words like angels, pure, and anchoring the soul is too difficult. Conversely, NPC necromancers are quite observant. How do theye up with such ideas when they think about it every day? However, even if I try to anchor a soul to a physically deceased body, in this game, the result would be nothing more than a high-quality undead. That cant be called ordinary resurrection. Theres probably another crucial factor missing. Perhaps something to bring a dead body back to life. Until that is clear, crafting resurrection items is impossible. Even rallying yers, unlocking just the [Healing Magic] required waiting until the second event. It may need a bit more time. Thinking about it, if materials were abundant, even if the price was high, NPC vendors in the city should be selling resurrection items. However, Ive never seen such items before. It means that this material alone cannot be used for crafting. Another material or some special skill like the [Magnum Opus] of [Alchemy] is likely required. Well, it doesnt matter. Anyway, for now, the value of resurrection items is low for me. Its more beneficial to think about countermeasures and hindering usage. If so, its not a problem even if I cant craft them myself. I instructed Gustav that if yers asked him about this item, he should emphasize and exin things rted to necromancy. As a precaution, I subtly instructed him to gather pure hearts from yers without arousing suspicion and then ended the friend chat with Gustav. Leaving that aside, the weak angels didnt prove to be much of a challenge after all. It was a test of my own skills and stats, as well as a performance test for the pets, Ubel and Amphisbaena. Angel attacks were very light, and no one had managed to directly damage me through my [Magic Shield], which protected me on all sides. Damage to the shield itself was minimal, and probably, if the attack was directed at my main body, it would result in no damage. The defense value of the shield was basically the same as mine. However, since the shield was not made of equipment like the Queens thread-woven dress, its defense was lower. Out of curiosity, I appraised the dress that Queen Arachnea had woven. The dress that I was currently wearing was called [Queens Dress (Pure)], having high magic resistance and defense even surpassing the armor that an NPC knight had worn before. Additionally, it had an equipment attribute that nullifies damage of 1 or below. However, since this description was also found in the knights armor and previously worn clothes, it was probably amon attribute of protective equipment. I recognized this description. It was simr to one of the effects of the racial trait [Dragon Scales] of the True Dragonkin. This was probably why the life of the [Magic Shield] was being reduced. The shield, due to angel attacks, was slightly decreasing its LP at regr intervals. Although the defense power of the dress was lower, there shouldnt be a significant differencepared to Ubel, who was lively next to her. The only difference might be that Ubel inherited [Dragon Scales] from the True Dragonkin. Damage from the angels attack on the shield was not visible with just one hit. However, damage was urring at intervals. Taking advantage of this system where damage calctions included decimal points, there were damages that didnt appear as visible numbers. Normally, when receiving damage with decimal points, it would recover immediately through LP natural recovery, and damage received before bing a visible number would disappear due to natural recovery even whenpletely naked. However, [Demon Shield] had neither LP natural recovery nor minimal damage nullification, so the damage received umted straightforwardly, gradually bing visible results. Whether this feature could be utilized or not, it was still a useful verification. But that was about as far as its usefulness went. I wanted to verify which attribute affected the power of breath attacks and yed around with Ubels stats, but it was not achievable. Although Ubels breath attack itself didnt seem to have much damage set, the additional effects of venom and gue caused angels to die within a few seconds. Angels were considered pure and immacte beings. They were probably weak against poison and diseases. Naturally, they should have high resistance, but if resistance fails, the damage in case of failure is significant. Usually, when talking about resistance to poison or diseases, it would indicate resistance to the difficulty of dying after being invaded. In this game system, resistance is one of the indicators of sess or failure in action judgments. If the resistance is sessful, there will be no impact at all, but if it fails, all additional effects will be suffered. Considering Ubels overallbat power, these angels should not have been able to resist. I wanted to verify the power of breath attacks while adjusting INT and DEX a few times, but before statistical confidence was achieved, the angels disappeared. Its aboutpatibility. Its like a curse from the Spirit Lord against me. Probably, the attribute or something like that is close to the opposite. This means, paradoxically, that me and Ubel also have the potential to suffer significant damage if we were to be subjected to the special attacks of angels. Since the angels flying around only seem to use normal attacks, its not a problem, but caution may be required when facing, for example, the Archangel. However, in that case, it would probably be mutual. Other controlled territories it seems everything is fine. The attacks from the so-called angels have calmed down for now. As nned, it seems there is no issue leaving each of my controlled territories to their respective overseers. In case of reckless yers attempting unreasonable assaults, separate measures would be necessary, and I have instructed to immediatelymunicate in such situations. From a quick scan of social media, there are still areas inbat or regions seemingly unaffected by angel attacks. The system messages for event announcements mentioned that all characters on the continent would be attacked. If thats correct, the reason some areas havent been attacked yet is probably because angels havent appeared there. I have already dealt with the angels mainly due to the power and range of the tested attack methods, but there are many regions in cities guarded by yers or national knights where the situation has already concluded. In other words, the timing of angel attacks varies depending on the region. Regarding my controlled territories, for example, cities like the City of Rifure and the capital of Hiers Kingdom were attacked earlier than the Liebe Great Forest. What is the reason for this subtle timeg? It may be reasonable to assume that the difference is due to the distance from the current location of the Sky Castle. And considering that all angels have the same 2 rank, their abilities are likely uniform, and there probably isnt much difference in movement speed. If all the posted reports on social media, the times and locations of the posts, and the maps of the yer-made board game, as well as the maps of Hiers Kingdom and Aural Kingdom, are cross-referenced, it might be possible to determine the detailed position of the Sky Castle. Well, no, its probably impossible for one person or rather, its so much work that I dont want to do it. Even if I get Lyra to help, the amount of work will only be halved Well, lets give up on it this time. Perhaps someone among the yerbase will figure it out eventually. Lets check the forum and wait for it. I am not alone. Beyond the sea of thework, there should be manyrades with the same aspirations. Even without saying it explicitly, some yers have probably already noticed this and started taking action. The devs mentioned that the yers should forget their biases and cooperate. Lets believe in the power of these yet unseenrades. At that moment, a message came from Queen Vespoid, who manages the Liebe Great Forest. Hmm? Is there a party that enthusiastically focuses only on dungeon conquests without reading the atmosphere? Moreover, in the Liebe Great Forest, which is unusual. In fact, its the first time since thest event.N?v(el)B\\jnn However, abandoning the cooperative y rmended by the management is uneptable. In this case, its essential to teach the yers who only think of their own interests the importance of cooperation. Chapter 193: “Natural Recovery” Entering the Liebe Great Forest like this feels like its been quite a while. Thest time I came here was when I stopped by the grasnds for a while. Somehow, I decided to visit the cave where I had encountered Kerry and the others. Back then, I could only set a very small area as my own territory in that cave, designated as a home area. But now its different. While I cant set a home area anymore, the entire vast forest belongs to me, the master of the monsters. Just like before, even without light, I can somehow grasp my surroundings. I used to think it was a service of the initial area, but now I understand its different. The mana here is ridiculously dense. What is this? Because of the excessively dense mana, it seems I can feel it on my skin even without the [Demonic Eyes]. Perhaps thats why I can somehow understand my surroundings. Before ying with the yer, lets do a little experiment. Yeah, please. News of the yers arrival had also reached Sugaru simultaneously. Its part of themunication rules. Although Sugaru came along to this ce, it has been a long time since a yer invaded her former territory. She probably cant stay still. We advanced deeper into the cave and reached the undergroundke. Ive washed Kerry and the others here before, but thinking about it now, I did something like that with this cold water. Marion aside, it seems that the cat beastmen and regr cats are different. Compared to the undergroundke at the Abon Mercat Hignds where the Count was, this one seems very small. But its enough for a few Hiers Newts to live. Summoning about three of them casually, I released them into theke. Since there were no creatures in the cave, I wondered what to do about their food, but apparently, there is something like white, blind worms inside theke. Probably due to the dense mana or some other reason, such creatures seem to be abundant, so I decided to leave them be. In this environment, they might unintentionally fulfill the reincarnation conditions. Next, I did something that unnecessarily consumes MP (Mana Points). It is ideal for verifying the fact that the caves mana is too dense. The safest and most efficient way to waste MP is to activate [Philosophers Egg], heat it with [Athanor] without putting anything in, and then end the process. Then, themp and crystal egg disappear without anything happening, and only MP is lost. These skills have a rtively high MP cost, and the cooldown is not set, probably because they are not considered useful or spammable. After struggling to reduce my MP to about half of the maximum, I found that just waiting a few seconds returned my MP to its original value. Its an abnormal natural recovery speed. Is there such a difference? In that case, the natural MP recovery is not individually set for each character but is part of the games overall system, properly absorbing the surrounding mana. Or maybe its constantly calcting the recovery amount based on the surrounding mana concentration. I wonder if LPs natural recovery amount is not a fixed value set individually for each character but is affected by factors such as hunger. LPs natural recovery amount is basically a constant percentage, but there seems to be some difference depending on hunger, as verified by someone. If the natural MP recovery amount is influenced by the surrounding mana concentration, then the LP natural recovery amount would be affected by the characters physical condition. There could be some other factors affecting LP natural recovery besides hunger. This is perfect. Theres a yer around, and I can roughly perceive their LP using [True Sight]. Lets try it out a bit. * Is this a 5? Not really worth mentioning. At this level, yeah, probably 3 or a bit lower. Its all insects, huh? Spiders arent insects, you know. As they exchanged these remarks, the yers continued their journey, observed through the vision of Ominous-kun. The yers who bravely challenged the Liebe Great Forest were a party of fourtwo frontline warriors and two mages, making for quite a specialized team. Its unclear who took on the role of the scout. Judging from theirbat skills, they seemed to be quite powerful. Perhaps they had focused solely on efficient XP farming through battles. If theres a ce where they can earn experience points just by fighting without worrying about traps, I would like to know about it. Lower defense than the skeletons in the capital of Hiers, and its easier to handle than over there. I just came for reconnaissance before the death penalty, but maybe its worth moving here permanently? The dungeon without traps referred to the capital of Hiers. Indeed, to preserve the appearance of the capital, they didnt set traps. When buildings were damaged, Revenants with the skills [Construction] and [Masonry] were immediately tasked with repairs. In addition to a separate counteroffensive force, Carknights were regrly patrolling to address graffiti on walls and littering. They seemed to havee from a country where the capital city was well-maintained. However, not every dungeon allows for a stroll in sandals like the capital. Without knowing this, it would not be beneficial for them, and above all, its not amusing to have the Liebe Great Forest underestimated. Hovering above the yers with Ominous-kun, I summoned Ubel there. They had already evacuated monsters from their surroundings. Although they might have been able to see Ubel if they looked up, the Liebe Great Forests trees were densely packed in shallower areas. In an environment where sunlight barely reached, it would be difficult to notice a giant dragon covering the sky. I instructed Ubel to slowly release [gue Breath] from above. What? I took some damage. Me too. Area attack? Where is iting from? Hey, my LP is decreasing bit by bit! Stats are also dropping! Some kind of status ailment! It was the status ailment [gue]. Rare didnt check in detail to avoid being noticed, but judging by their condition, it was certain that they were all under the effects of the gue. The [gue] inflicts less continuous damage than poison, but instead, all stats decrease ording to the severity. Without healing, it progresses over time, and once it reaches a certain severity, it spreads to the surrounding area. What is this [gue]? No antidote potion seems to work! When did we get hit? We didnt bring any minor status ailment countermeasures! Ugh! Im already in a severe condition! Why is the progression speed different? Im in a severe condition too. Maybe it progresses faster if VIT is low. But if its just the gue, we wont die immediately. Alright! Ants areing! Spiders too! Their threads I cant tear them off!? I could earlier! Its because of the stat debuffs! If we leave it alone, it will progress and lower even more! As the stats decrease, VIT naturally decreases, and the progression speed of the ailment bes faster. While there wouldnt be much impact if healed early, leaving it untreated results in a more serious condition than poison or venom. This is [gue]. Currently, its one of the status ailments Rare wants to avoid the most. Poison and burns are the same, but the damage from these cannot be converted to MP with [Demons Armor]. However, the countermeasure itself is simple. For some reason, whether it was to simte immunity or for another reason, once afflicted with the gue and cured, you wont get it again for a whole day. But the enemies that induce the gue are rare in the first ce, and usually, countermeasures are not always prepared. In NPC shops handling potions in general, there is usually no treatment for gue or vines. They are only avable in stores run by craftsmen who have mastered [Pharmacy] and directly sell the items, or in stores specializing in potions. To heal, you need the appropriate treatment for the ailment. However, like poison, there arent many types avable. While preparing countermeasures in advance canpletely prevent it, if not, it can be considered a surprise attack for first-timers. These yers, who came to the forest in a mood simr to taking a walk in the neighborhood with sandals, are helpless. The frontline yer, restrained by the threads of the Greater Tarant, is being attacked by Beetle Warriors and Beetle Knights while immobilized. For magic users severely affected by the gue, its even more pitiful.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Due to the fear of infection when approaching, they are bing targets for Sniper Ant sniper shots from a distance. Sniper Ant, under Rares instructions, avoids aiming for vital points, making it look like a skilled sniper in a battlefield who shoots only the legs, causing them to copse, and the next target is the enemy soldier whoes to help. However, no onees to help him. Besides a fellow yer lying next to him in the same position, there are only yers restrained by spider threads being bullied by giant stag beetles and rhinoceros beetles. Its not about satisfying sadistic tendencies or giving such instructions for harassment or revenge. Calmly, Rare observed the yers LP status with [True Sight]. The natural recovery speed seems slower than usual. Its a slight difference, but it seems like the magic users are slower than the frontline ones. Its safe to say that the natural recovery is affected by health status. Although the difference isnt significant, in a situation where they are on the brink of offense and defense, this can be a significant help. It was good that they were able to confirm the usefulness of the gue at this point. If she continues to unlock the [Evil Eyes] tree, eventually, she might be able to inflict gue or venom with just a nce. It also indicates that there may be entities that use such attacks against them. Ive got a rough idea, even if the specific numbers arent clear. Thats enough for now. The reason the frontline yers couldnt tear the spider threads wasnt solely because of the gue. It was because the baton had been passed from Lesser Tarant to Greater Tarant. If the goal was just to wipe them out in a simr situation, there was no need to call Ubel. Rare simply wanted to verify gue Breath and LP natural recovery. They intentionally lure weaker ants and spiders into the killing zone, immobilizing them with threads or tank-type beetles, and then have the sniper finish them off. Currently, its the most cost-effectivebat pattern in the Liebe Forest. Although its the most efficient, its rarely used because there are not many visitors. If overwhelming force is enough to crush them, all they have to do ismand the graceful Megasyros flying through the sky. For them, whether its a densely packed area of trees or not doesnt matter. With their high STR and VIT, the trees in the shallow depths of the forest are like boiled broli to them C no obstacle at all. An increase in customers due to an event would probably make these guys approach their missions with more tension. Currently, its just a window-side department. Theres no city nearby, and theres no chance of NPC mercenariesing. Wild monster hordes dont attack either. Its probably the most peaceful area on the continent. Considering that, the angelic attacks were just right. They wouldnt mind if the frequency was higher. Rare-chan, are you free now? I have a little request and also a consultation. It was from Lyra. Certainly, she had just taken a break. However, while the request ismon, the mention of a consultation is unusual. In adult terms, a consultation is often just another way of expressing a request. What could it be? Ive got some free time now. What do you need? Where are you at the moment? Im currently in Hugelcup, but Ille to you. The square we metst time is good. Please wait there. Chapter 194: “Joking Around” Does choosing this as our meeting ce mean that youve figured out the conditions for Smanders reincarnation? Yeah, well, one of the requests is rted to that. Are there multiple requests? And is consultation something different? Well, consultation is not exactly a request, right? Not that it matters. Maybe its a matter of nuance. Oh, I see. Its a way of making a request indirectly. Its modest. Upon reflection, it was the adjective farthest from what Lyra would use. She wouldnt phrase things so admirably. Well, lets start with the requests for now. How many requests do you have? Not many, just two. One is for the Philosophers Stone; I want another one. The other is to fuse my Aural Skink. Aural Skink? Is that the reincarnation destination for Hiers Smander? Hiers Smander? Its Aural Smander, you know? The conversation wasnt making sense. Lyra had brought Hiers Newt from that river, and they both agreed on that. However, when I experimented in this forest, it reincarnated into Hiers Smander. On the other hand, when Lyra used the Philosophers Stone, it reincarnated into Aural Smander. In other words, its like this. Perhaps their species name changes depending on the ce of birth. Like Hiers-produced Smander or Aural-produced Smander. Its probably how the system judges the rebirth, literally giving birth anew. That seems reasonable But Hiers doesnt exist anymore. Its evident from the official websites national introduction page. So, even if the system judges it that way, Im not convinced that it bes Hiers Smander. In terms of the regions that were once called that, its not wrong, right? Theres no other name for it. Its like calling them Ezo Deer or Yamato Nadeshiko. The same? In Lyras case, it was unclear whether she was teasing, being sarcastic, or saying it seriously. If it was sarcasm, was she referring to the Yamato Dynasty that conquered Ezo and me who annihted Hiers? It was a bit hard to understand. Could it be that Yamato Nadeshiko was also taken from there? It seems like youre troubled, but theres no deep meaning. I just said the first thing that came to mind. Its confusing! Dont say unnecessary things!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Regardless of the name, the Aural Skink that Lyra summoned looked simr in size to Hiers Smander, but it had lost its smander-like features. It resembled something else, a Komodo Dragon. And the one individual that hadnt been reincarnated looked exactly like Hiers Smander in appearance. When appraised, it was indeed identified as Aural Smander, and upon closer inspection, its color seemed slightly paler. It might be an illusion. Im willing to listen to your requests and offer consultations, but I have something Id like to ask in return. If youre talking about the conditions to turn Smander into a Skink, its probably [Water Magic] and [Fire Magic]. These little ones can actually use breath attacks. They can breathe fire? No, its a steam breath. Isnt that just warm breath? Its a proper means of attack! In the tests, they were confirmed to have the water attribute, but if the resistance fails, it also inflicts a burn status as an additional effect. How much of this is true? Everything so far. Its suspicious, but in a situation where Im asking someone for help, I wouldnt unnecessarily tease them. Anyway, it seems like Lyra has taken care of the reincarnation conditions for the smanders, which Iwanted to test. That alone is not an issue aspensation. Although slightly annoyed that she preemptively answered my questions, its a minor issue. That aside, I still have a question. I believe I gave you 60 Philosophers Stones; what did you use one of them for? Well, that actually happens to be the final consultation. Should we address that first? Since wevee this far, maybe its better to finish dealing with the Skinks first? Reluctant as it may seem, its not an unwillingness to answer. Its fine to discuss itter, and as Lyra suggests, its okay to finish the Skink fusion experiment first. It will incur significant costs, requiring two rounds of Philosophers Stones and teaching all of them [Fire Magic], but if it can create something dragon-like from the abundant Newts, it could be a considerable force. Okay then, here you go. Philosophers Stone. Go ahead and reincarnate into Aural Skinks quickly, and lets see the results. We can talk about the detailster. Alright, here we go oh. What is it? It turned into a Hiers Skink. Oh. This is Hiers Forest, as expected. Unexpectedly, the earlier spection has been proven correct. However, mixing one Hiers Skink among the 29 Aural Skinks likely wont change the overall oue. The details of the fusion seem quite approximate and flexible. Probably, as long as it falls into a certain category, such as specific monster + monster in a certain category, or monster in a certain category + monster in a certain category, it should be fine. Even though I asionally added blood like nc did, its unclear whether Rares blood had any impact on the results. Perhaps any blood would suffice, and theoretically, any liquid containing proteins, like soy milk, might work. However, soy milk is not sold in Rifure, making it challenging to use. Hehe. Huh? What is it? Why are youughing now? Its nothing. [Philosophers Egg]. Proceeding with the work as usual, but with only 30 materials, its uncertain whether its truly the end with just 30. However, I can try with my own subordinates as much as I want from now on. Since they are Lyras pets, it doesnt matter what she uses; she just wants to see the results quickly. Considering the cost spent on each Skink, it feels like she could create even stronger magical creatures. However, the Newts used as a base are too weak. Currently, they are undergoing an experiment in the undergroundke of the Liebe Great Forest, but maybe they could be reincarnated with even looser conditions. Using Philosophers Stones for reincarnation is just a temporary measure. To reincarnate a Goblin into a Goblin Leader, all you need is a Goblins core stone, but without knowing that, you would have to use a Philosophers Stone. The value difference between a Goblins core stone and a Philosophers Stone is like the difference between heaven and earth. [Magnum Opus]. The eggs size is not asrge as it was with the Amphisbaena and Skeletal Ghidorah. Its not asrge as thest time. Even though its at the corner of the square, its still a bit smaller whenpared to Ururu and Ubel standing next to it. Ururu isrger than Ubel. The size of the eggs should have been the same, but it seems the egg grewrger because of the wings and two long necks. Breaking the crystal egg revealed a dragon with scales of a bamboo-like blue color, a truly dragon-like figure. There are no exactly horn-like structures on its head, but in the ces where horns should be, there are fins extending. Since the fins seem to have a skeletal structure, it might be more urate to say that fins are attached to where horns would be. The wings,pared to the Amphisbaena, arepact and dont seem very suitable for flying. However, they are thick and more like fins than wings. The neck appears longerpared to the body. However, since the tail is also long, it doesnt look unnatural. Both the Amphisbaena and Skeletal Ghidorah have longer necks, so it might be the default design for dragon-type magical creatures. Cool! Its a [Gargouille]! Isnt that a bit obscure? Dont say that, Amphisbaena over there. When did you make that? Upon [Appraisal, it has [me Breath], [Aqua Breath], and despite these wings, it also has [Flight] and [Celestial Run]. Both the Gargouille and Amphisbaena seem to have stats close to their racial default values, as theyve only used the bare minimum of experience points. However, overall, the Amphisbaena appears to be superior. But Gargouille has [Underwater Breathing] and [Submersion]. It gives off the impression of a dragon that can be active in various ces. By the way, despite trying various things, I havent seen a dragon with a name like something dragon. Are you only using lizards? Thats only Lyras Gargouille. Rare and nc both use species materials with names containing dragon, such as True Dragonkin or Dragontooth. I read about it somewhere online once. There are rumors of dragons in NPC folklore, so I think they exist. We also have Dragontooth. Thinking they exist just because theres a name is hasty, Rare-chan. Dragons dont actually exist in reality, but the name does. Even Dragons Beard is a nt unrted to dragons. At first nce, it seems like a valid argument, but its just sophistry. In this game world where races like elves and goblins use real words for their names, there should be a reason to intentionally name an unidentified monster dragon. To have a name, there must be a reason, and in reality, the word dragones from the Greek drakon, meaning gazing or serpent. Its unlikely that the word dragon was born from the same origin or a simr-sounding word here. If theres a legend saying, There are dragons, then its safe to say that dragons actually exist. Lyra should understand this, so its likely just yful banter. Well, Ill go look for dragons when I have time. But more importantly, about the Philosophers Stone, what did you use it for? Oh right. The consultation is about that too, but before that, can you tell me about the system message when you became the Demon Lord? Chapter 195: “Birth of the Evil King” I roughly understand. In other words, Lyra used one Philosophers Stone on herself. But from what I can see, she still appears as a Noble Human, so shes probably holding off on the process. I used it when I was a High Elf, not the Philosophers Stone, but the upgraded version, the Greater Philosophers Stone. After thinking about it and gathering information, Ive interpreted the announcement at that time as mentioning two routes: the regr route to bing a [Living Spirit] or [Spirit Lord], and the route with special conditions that let me be a [Dark Elf] and that would let me reincarnate into a [Demonic Spirit] and [Demon Lord]. Maybe the Dark Elf and High Elf are of the same rank, which means that as long as you meet the conditions, you can have a sidegrade reincarnation in the Philosophers Stone system. I see. When was that? In terms of time. It was right before the second official event announcement So, before Hiers something-or-other town and the capital were destroyed. Yes, thats right. Why? Whats the problem with the destruction of the town? No, actually I used one on myself, a Philosophers Stone. When I did so, all I got was a system message announcing that I had fulfilled a special condition and could be an [Evil Human] or a [Wicked Human]*. Its as if, if I hadnt met the special conditions, I couldnt reincarnate into anything. I was wondering what was going on. (T/N: this is a bit of an odd trantion, because one of the options is literally just evil human in katakana, and the other is evil human but written in kanji) In my case, it would be as if I could only go from High Elf to the Dark Elf or Demon Lord route. As usual, its unclear what the special conditions are, but its hard to imagine that there would be any difference between the Philosophers Stone and the Greater version other than potency. So, for example, did you fulfill those special conditions too much, leading to the disappearance of the regr route? I thought so as well. Thats why I wanted to ask you about the timing of your reincarnation, Rare-chan. You talked about the dark route and Demon Lord, so maybe you did something bad and met the hidden special conditions. But if you overdo it, you might only be able to go through that route. If thats the case, the destruction of the town is indeed a clear indicator. So, whats the state of fulfilling both conditions to the limit? Maybe in a state where youre killing just enough? I wasnt involved, but do you remember how many participants there were in the first event? I think Rare-chan won. How many people did you kill? I dont remember, but I feel like I killed a lot. If this hypothesis is correct, even if I try to reincarnate now, I might only get the Demon Lord route. I cant verify it myself, but if I want to create a Spirit Lord in the future, I need to be careful. But if killing is not allowed, Ive killed quite a bit even at that time using the livestock in the Liebe Great Forest farm. Before that, the ants were also killing quite a few, and yers who came to the forest were killing too. As initially mentioned, there is no systemic difference between yers and NPCs, and the same goes for monsters. The first half was correct. So the second half should be correct too. Whether its a goblin or a human, the kill count is the same. If it counts separately based on the race of the killed opponent, what exactly is considered as the special condition? Even if its divided into the regr path and the dark path, normal yers killing goblins and me killing residents of Hiers should still fall under the category of the right path. If thats the case, it makes sense. What could be the conditions for counting? Lyra thought for a moment, then began to speak as if summarizing her thoughts. It can be said for anything, but there is always one thing you must consider first in the act of making distinctions. That is, the distinction between oneself and everything else. In this case, it might be about how many characters of the same race as oneself you have killed. I see. That wouldnt be too far-fetched. In that case, for me, perhaps only the yers I killed in events or in the Liebe Great Forest are being counted. At that time, I hadnt met any NPC elves. But among yers, the proportion of elves is quite high. Although I didnt check each time, there should have been many elves among those I killed during the event. So, Lyra did you kill too many Noble Humans? I havent killed that many Noble Humans, so strictly speaking, it might include the time before reincarnation. Rare-chan, you didnt specifically kill High Elves either. Then, are you killing a lot of humans? Well, you know, the human race is efficientpared to monsters, so to some extent, yes. Since the start of the open beta until reincarnating in the capital of Aural, it seems like she did something. However, its undeniable that characters of the human race have a good experience efficiency. Even characters who havent learned magic skills and have somewhat high INT dont have much influence inbat, but in return, they gain a lot of experience points. And characters of the human race tend to have higher INT even if they are nonbatants. If you want advice on how to return to the regr route, unfortunately, I cant be of any help.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Yeah, I know. Well, it cant be helped. Although we can redo the initial selection with premium items, if theres a factor like kill count being considered, even if we go back to being Human and redo it, it could be the same anyway. This is probably an unavoidable aspect. If Lyra cant do it, then the Holy King needs to be prepared separately. Thats a shame. Its harsh to say I cant do it. And by the way, who is the Holy King? Holy King might be a race thats the final stage of Human. I dont think Lyra can do it because it seems impossible to reincarnate from Evil something or Wicked. But I need one for my goal. Theres no merit in remaining silent. Its unlikely that Lyra and I will have conflicting interests in this matter. I briefly exined the story I heard from the Count. nc-chan is kinda amazing. I think so too. The story goes that she died, respawned randomly, and her respawn location eventually ended up being the basement of the Counts castle. So I think it was actually because of her in specific that the respawn point specifications were changed by the devs in the first update after the start of the official service. If you initially chose a country, you shouldnt end up in such a strange ce, but if you chose otherwise, it might have been different. The misfortune of the respawn point bing someone elses personal area a few hours after the start is an extreme case, but being thrown into their of an incredibly important raid boss almost immediately after youve created your character is quite extreme as well. I wonder what bad things she did in her past life to deserve such treatment. However, the Holy King huh. It would have been nice if we knew what came after Noble Human. The only thing I can do is reincarnate myself into an Evil Human and see if I can be an Evil King or something by using Philosophers Stones. Quickly. Ehhh? Well, if this is the only route I have left anyway, Ill have to do it someday. But I wonder if weird feathers or horns will grow this time? Im also a lord, so having such a rocknroll appearance would be a bit of a problem. Huh? Its not weird or anything. My horns and wings are not particrly strange. There are times when they feel a bit inconvenient, like when sitting in a chair or lying on a bed, but there are more situations where theye in handy. As for whether its convenient for the position of a city lord, I dont know. Well, at that time, Ill just create a substitute and step down from the stage. I will reincarnate as an [Evil Human]. That seemed to be her response to the system. She was immediately enveloped in light, and when she appeared again, it seemed that both the LP visible with [True Sight] and the MP visible with [Demonic Eyes] had increased by one round. Her appearance visible to the naked eye was You got a tan. A tan? Oh no, Im so dark! Glossy brown skin. Perhaps Dark Elves also have this color. Well, this is cool in its own way. No wings or anything, huh? Maybe next time? Okay, heres the next Philosophers Stone. Has it been more than a day since youst took it? What is this, a prescripted medicine? I used it the day before yesterday, so its been more than a day. But is the cooldown counted from the moment of use, or from the moment the effect is resolved? Depending on that, whether its usable now or not changeswell, if it can be used, does the cooldown start counting from the moment of use? While saying, Wow, so expensive! Lyra was enveloped in light. The Philosophers Stone is consumed and lost at the moment of use. The fact that the system message is on hold is just stopping the process triggered by using it. If there is a cooldown set for usage, this specification is understandable. Soon, the light converged, and Lyra, now emanating an evil atmosphere, appeared. Whats that, a cloak? I had thought that wings might sprout like in my case, but what extended from Lyras back was a tattered, jet-ck cloak. Its not a cloak. This is like a hand. Probably the [Wicked Hand] skill is unlocked, so maybe thats what this is. Also, I have [Horns], but do I really have horns after all? You grew some. I didnt notice because the cloak was so impactful, but theyre horns like those of a sheep. If my horns were likened to those of a goat, Lyras horns resembled those of a sheep. They were spiral horns, growing from the side of her head and curving backward, with the tips facing forward. Combined with her dusky skin, she exuded a very sinister atmosphere. Additionally, her ears had changed to a shape resembling something between a Human and an Elf, slightly pointedpared to Human ears. These were the same as mine, even though I was a Demon Lord. The ck thing on her back that looked like a cloak turned out to be several tentacle-like bands upon closer inspection. They seemed to be tentacles made of shadows. Depending on how far they could stretch and whether they could be used like normal hands, this could be a very useful racial skill. Oh, there might actually be a cloak. [Flight] is also unlocked. And the horns probably had a characteristic that guarded against control. In the case of me, the Demon Lord, [Demonic Eyes] was already unlocked at this point. Therefore, it wouldnt be strange if Lyra, the Demon Lord, also had that unlocked. Theres probably another skill called [Evil Eye], right? Ah, yeah, thats right. Rare-chan had something simr. It seems to exist after all. The Raid Boss of the Evil Route, [Evil King] has been born in Tore Forest. I see. So, this is it. Its extremely suspicious. Although I, being a yer, am ustomed to it, NPCs would be thrown into a panic if such a message were suddenly thrown into their brains. In fact, NPCs matching this description all over the continent should be in a state of panic right now. After all, the raid boss of the Evil Route which they had recently heard about is actively acting as an enemy of humanity, having destroyed the Hiers Kingdom. So, Rare-chan heard this. It probably refers to yers with specific skills. Oh, is this about when I took control of the Holy Church? Thats right. I tried it myself. But now various countries will make a fuss again. Ill tell the Aural Holy Church myself, but theres nothing we can do about the others. At that time, the Hiers Kingdom organized the Cmity Extermination Army because the disaster originated in their backyard. In the end, their judgment was correct. However, what led to their downfall was just an unfortunatepatibility. The Human army, with overwhelming numbers as its strength, was attacking, and by sheer coincidence, my hand had cards specialized in wide-area annihtion. After destroying the Hiers Kingdom, I only meddled with Portree, which was causing trouble for me. In this situation, there should be no country dispatching troops to Tore Forest, the origin of the new cmity. The Aural Holy Church already has its hands full dealing with the situation involving the angels. Promptly, I informed the bishops of the Aural Holy Church about the situation and instructed them to still make a fuss publicly. If not, yers might be suspicious of the Aural Holy Church. But, you know, this feels good. Its like I want to beat anyone to a pulp. This is the result of a sudden increase in abilities and the emergence of new organs and skills. I have experienced it too. Rather, by honestly releasing this feeling, I went to the Hiers Kingdom all by myself. As someone who has gone through this exact same experience, if you get too carried away, youll die. Its okay. Even if Ipare myself to how I was just a while ago, I dont feel like Im about to die. And it feels good. Humans who gain power beyond their status tend to be foolish. Its as if theyre looking at their own reflection in a mirror. However, I am a senpai when ites to being an enemy of humanity. I must guide my kouhai sister in the right direction. Dont say such cheeky lines until you can [Appraise] me. Tch- Resistance Sessful Wont you stop that already? Sorry. I got carried away. I once lost to yers, but I also fought Lyra to a draw in a magic-and-skill free battle. The danger of overestimating my own power is something I have learned from my own experience. Thanks to those lessons, even if I get carried away, I have invested in myself so that it bes a fact rather than overconfidence. I am not so weak that I can be [Appraised] so easily by a newborn cmity. If Lyra has be the Evil King, theres no helping it. Well have to search for the Holy King separately. Oh. You can use my Cecilia if you want. Although, even if I say you can use her, does that mean I have to pay the 3,000 experience points? Its simply needed as a g for unlocking content. If we can instigate the royal family of Wells, the only remaining wild human nation, and lead them to be the Holy King, the objective will be achieved. The same goes for the Spirit Lord and the Mythical Beast King. Id like to know specifically what the [Proof of Power] is. Do we just have to defeat them? If thats the case, it could be troublesome for the proof of the Queen of Insects. I cant afford to let Sugaru die. Also, theres a possibility that items cannot be obtained within the same faction, just like experience points and drop items. I wouldnt mind if the Holy King dies in my faction Maybe raise a Holy King without subordinates or skillfully guide a suitable wild NPC to reincarnate and defeat them. Which one is more cost-effective? If you defeat a wild NPC, its over for them. If obtaining proof through defeat is eptable, then its fine, but if not, everything will be in vain. In that case, the development of revival items or revival skills may be necessary. What about reincarnating them as the Holy King or Spirit Lord and then [Subordinating] them? No, considering examples like me, Lyra, and Sugaru, the corresponding races might have high resistance due to traits like [Horns]. It might be a bit tricky. Although its hard to imagine the Holy King or Spirit Lord having horns, there might be something simr with a different effect. The same can be said for True Ancestors or Sea Emperors. Assuming that the design allows any yer to unlock endgame content, the conditions should probably be able to be met in both cooperative and antagonistic rtionships. If its cooperation, something should happen if you take them to the scene. It might be difficult for antagonistic rtionships, so the problem might be solved by fighting. Raising and reaping wild NPCs seems to be the most rational choice. Maybe cornering an NPC royal family, and then using a Philosophers Stone while saying something like Do you want power? or something. Whats with that? Wonderful. A truly cool role. Then, its necessary to have the royalty of each country currently in existence gain as much experience as possible and have them feel a sense of urgency to the extent that they do not die. We should prepare a dungeon of moderate difficulty at a distance where the knight corps directly under the royal family needs to go. Since the yers have no use for it, there is no need for it to be set as a destination. There is no problem even if the system does not recognize it as a dungeon. It just needs to be a convenient hunting ground for NPCs. There are monsters whose materials are appealing, monsters whose experience is tasty but weak, and other such things. Im d youre having fun, Rare-chan. I will not be able to leave for a bit at this point. I need to put on my full body armor for the ceremony marking the establishment of the new government. What about the [Wicked Hand]? Ill slip it in the armor and Ill have to push the idea of the cloak. Does it have space? Im talking about drilling holes in helmets and decorating helmets Its a hassle! Its faster to just take a suitable town girl and make her a substitute! It takes a great deal of dexterity and functional design to match the rolled horns to the helmet properly. So it would be faster to set up a substitute. Then for a while, we investigated the range of movement and detailed specifications of the [Wicked Hand] and unlocked the [Evil Eye] a little. Considering my case, it seems that Lyra will eventually unlock a skill that bes crucial for her, but for now, its not there. For now, this is probably all I can do. The strengthening skills for subordinates that can be newly acquired have a high increase rate for those whose race names include Human or Evil, but theres quite a rise. In any case, most of my subordinates are either Human or Noble, so its not a problem. It seems that the Evil King can acquire many skills specialized in strengthening subordinates. Its enviable, but if the Demon Lord had the same specifications, the targets would probably be something like Elf-something and Demon-something. Unfortunately, there isnt a single one. It would be super convenient if we could create evil dragons or something. Yeah, thats a good idea. Try catching lots of Newts and experimenting with them. Well, since all the objectives have been achieved, and some unexpected work has been added, its time to go home. Certainly, there might be no more business, but its not that simple. Since Ive been stuck with this much, its only fair to keep herpany for a while. I looked up at the sky. Well, its a rare opportunity, so how about warming up that body before going back? Huh? Look, the second wave is here. In the sky, a flock of angels had arrived. Chapter 196: “Abigor the Gargouille” Isnt it a lot? Are there moreing from the forest than the town? I dont know about that. But it seems like there are more than earlier, at least. Maybe its some event where weak ones keep increasing in numbers gradually? From the way she spoke, it seems like during the first wave, Lyra was protecting Hugelcup. The number of angels flying in from above is clearly greater than the first wave. Honestly, whether a few moree or not wont change the oue, and dealing with them wont yield much experience for me and for Ubel. As of now, even if we obtain drop items, its uncertain whether we can effectively utilize them, making it somewhat of a waste of time. If possible, Id like to lead them somewhere and pass the problem on to other yers, but unfortunately, there are no yers around here. The fact that the party we killed earlier hasnt respawned in the vicinity means, for some reason, they teleported from the town without resting and attacked again. Whether theyll reappear or not is unknown. Its still strange. No doubt about it. Those angels are irregr. There doesnt seem to be any other towns or dungeons under attack. At least, theres no information on social media. I thought she was sleeping while standing with her eyes closed, but it seems she was checking social media. Lyra seemed to have received a simr education as mine in general after all. Even if she was absent-minded, she wouldnt expose a foolish expression. So, only this forest is under attack? Certainly, Rifure was attacked earlier than here, but now there doesnt seem to be any other ce under attack. Whats going on? Rare-chan, did you do something? Like, did you do something noticeable during the previous attack? Even if I did, well, I didnt see it, so I cant say anything. But probably, nc must have done something without holding back. There are many yers there, and if theyre being attacked because of something they did, it should have been a topic on social media too. Yeah, well, thats true. Is there anything else noticeable No, there was something else noticeable. Its the birth of the Evil King Lyra, announced to the entire world. Maybe those angels were ordered by their boss after hearing that? Hey, stop with that wording; its making my back itch. Is the [Wicked Hand] stirring? If this hand also increases in number with added skills, it might be possible. (T/N: it could also be Evil Hand) But for now, lets focus on the angels. The angels are probably minions of a greater angel, and no matter how many we kill, they should resurrect automatically over time. Even if we exterminate them here, it wont affect the event, but if the original second wave is dyed because of this, it could be troublesome. No, it doesnt really matter. Whether the intervals of angel attacks are slightly off or not, other yers wont notice. If they sent angels after hearing that announcement, its certain that the Archangels faction has [Divine Wisdom]. Coming here means they heard the information about the Tore Forest with [Divine Wisdom], so, in other words, it either possesses at least the Archbishop-ss [Divine Wisdom], or it has minions who do. If theres something like a floating object called the Sky Castle that can move freely, they mighte this far. Especially with the Symbol Tower over here. What Lyra is calling a Symbol Tower is probably the World Tree. It does stand out. But even if theyre said to dominate the Sky Castle, is there a possibility that they cant move freely? Saying they dominate is only a legend of human nations. For example, it could be as simple as building a castle on a naturally floating continent that orbits the continent in a specific trajectory. In that case, its not entirely imusible. Unless magical creatures like angels areunching attacks, there might not be any NPCs paying attention to the sky, even if a small ind-like rock is floating there. They might only be aware of it when an Archangel builds a castle and attacks. Could something like that happen? If a massive rock stood in the sky, enough to build a castle on, people would surely notice. Until then, if it was shrouded in clouds and no one had seen it, well, the important thing is not there, so it doesnt matter. Certainly, that might be the case. If the Sky Castle doesnt appear here as it is, either the Sky Castle cant move freely, or Lyra doesnt see enough value in moving the Sky Castle. In thetter case, it means that Lyra deemed it sufficient to deal with the increased minions of angels, and considering its an entity significant enough to be announced to the world, it might be somewhat underestimating the situation. Well, never mind. Ubel, take care of them. Abigor, please. Abi huh? Is that the Gargouilles name? I was thinking of naming him Eligos, but that didnt work, so I gave him another name, Abigor. Maybe theres a race or an important NPC named Eligos. (T/N: both are demonology names) The World Tree is already registered with the name [World Tree]. Naming a character with a race name is possible. If it wasnt possible, it could suggest that NPC names must be unique, or it might not be allowed to give an existing race name to a character of a different race. It might be unreasonable to disallow duplicate NPC names, but for important NPCs, its not entirely imusible. Trying to give an existing race name to a character of another race is an experiment that can be conducted immediately. For example, try naming a Hiers Newt Aural Skink. Since regr minions disappear and be materials eventually, there shouldnt be an issue. In the sky, angels are boldly attacking Ubel and Abigor. Since they are unarmed, their main attack methods are body mming, flying kicks, fists, and so on. However, they are knocked down by Ubel and Abigors breath attacks before they enter the effective range. Although there are more than double the number from before, the time it takes for extermination wont change much. By the way, I said you should do the body conditioning, didnt I? What are you doing, taking it easy? If its body conditioning, Abigor needs it too. More importantly, Rare-chan, is Ubel a German word? Yes, isnt it cool?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Among yers, theres someone named Justiz. Do you know them? Ive seen them somewhere. Come to think of it, I remember. I feel like Ive seen them on social media. Ubel means evil or something like that. In English, its close to Evil. On the other hand, Justiz is probably justice. In English, that name would be written as Justice. (T/N: this may seem redundant but its an issue of tranting multiplenguages) That yer is in Aural. Or rather, in Hugelcup. They seem to want to be a knight and want to be a vassal to me, who is the lord of Hugelcup. Really. If a yer bes a vassal, or in other words a subordinate, to another yer, would the one being vassalized realize that the other is a yer? If a yer bes a vassal, and even if theyter reincarnate or acquire some special skill, the vassal, being an NPC, cannot hear system messages, and the process progresses automatically. In this case, if the master is a yer, the process will proceed based on the yers expressed will. However, if the yer who is the master is logged out while the vassal yer does something, it could pose a problem. If the master is an NPC, the process automatically progresses regardless of whether they are awake or asleep. However, if the yer is logged out, the process wont proceed no matter what. It would definitely be exposed. You want to make someone your vassal, Lyra? I wont. The risk is too great, and theres no benefit. But maybe Ill consider it if its a vassal of a vassal. I might reincarnate the decoy Im preparingter as a noble and try to [Subordinate] that child. However, the name, as if it were Ubels rival, bothers her a bit. There was indeed a memory of seeing it on social media, but she had forgotten until it was mentioned. Or rather, she doesnt remember each yers name that shees across. Ubels aura is truly fitting for something evil or demonic, and it can be said to be the perfect boss for a knight to defeat in a heroic tale. If Justiz indirectly bes my vassal, lets have a little battle. Ill initiate it like some kind of hidden quest. I dont mind, but I wont hold back. Thats fine; theres no need to. It wont be a problem even if I lose. Its just for fun. Saying this, Lyraughs. For example, if Lyra and I were to engage in directbat now, it would be difficult given our positions. No matter who wins, it would likely cause chaos. However, Lyra has been thinking about settling the score with a pseudo-war or something simr. After all, they first met at the Hugelcup, and they havent resolved the draw yet. Recing that with a duel between Ubel and Justiz might be surprisingly interesting. Chapter 197: “Trained” In the end, I waited for a while, but the Sky Castle did not appear. Thinking that, I told Lyra about the story of determining the position of the Sky Castle from the timing of the angel attack earlier. However, the response was not favorable. Whats the point of figuring it out? Are we going to conquer it? Well, it seems like the yers are expecting a showdown between Rare-chan and the Archangel, a monsters battle. If were going to do it, lets save it for the end of the event. By then, someone might have roughly determined the location, and it wouldnt be toote. Who are you calling monster? Well, its true. Since the experience points have increased, maybe we should focus on gaining experience points with the yers whoe to the dungeon, leaving the angels aside. No, how about following the announcement from the management and ying Co-op? They explicitly mentioned it, and I think that might be a ranking criteria. Certainly, its hard to imagine that the management would make such an announcement without any meaning. But even if they say cooperation y, what should we do? ording to the announcement, it says to cooperate regardless of the race, whether its a human species, a monster, NPC, or yer, but I have no idea what exactly to do. They also said something like regardless of affiliation, but how do you determine affiliation or camp, let alone race? I guess forgetting ties is not much of a point in cooperating with your normal friends, but then what distinguishes normal adversarial rtionships? Theres no such system as a n or guild, let alone a party. I dont know about NPC AI, but Im pretty sure thew restricted the yers thoughts from being used for anything other than controlling the game avatar or whatever. Im not an expert either, but Im sure theres nothing you cant color-code from your normal behavior. Its a technology that has been around since the olden days, but have you ever heard of behavioral targeting advertising? Its a technology that uses a persons search history and the sites they visit to determine their interests and preferences, and then serves them the most appropriate advertisements. Its the same thing. Its legal to log yers in-game behavior, and there are no restrictions on analyzing it, so I think we have some insight into yers thoughts without having to read their thoughts directly. Indeed. No wonder then that Deas [Miasma] recognized the zombies under nc as allies. The logs are analyzed to determine the rtionship between the yers or NPCs at any given time, and then the most appropriate target is selected for the effect. Okay, well, Im going home. Right. Say hello to Justiz and the gang. I doubt well ever meet in person, though. After Lyra left, I had the ants collect the Pure Hearts in the vicinity. Lyra didnt pick up any, but maybe she didnt need them. Certainly, at the moment, I cant think of a good use for them, but its not something that would be a loss to keep. Even without the [Necromancy] skill, being able to keep a soul attached to a corpse would undoubtedly extend the resurrection reception time. However, in the current situation where I cant even make resurrection items Extending the resurrection eptance time By specifications, when a character belonging to someone is defeated, they automatically respawn after one hour. The setting is that the soul is bound to the corpse for one hour, and during that time, respawn cannot ur. In terms of the game, its probably to prevent conflicts with booking of revival skills and items. Unlike yers who can choose whether to respawn, NPCs can only process automatically. If the respawn timing of a follower is random, or if the time until automatic respawn is too short, even if you want to resurrect, you may not be able to. The limit is set to one hour. Then, if you use a pure heart on the follower of someone who has been defeated, can you extend the time until respawn? There may be no reason to do that in terms of the game, but it wouldnt be strange in terms of the setting. Thinking about the processing like MP automatic recovery earlier, the system seems to be designed to follow the setting as much as possible. The possibility is not nonexistent. Thete Prime Minister of Hiers was said to have used the respawn of his followers to gather information from afar. Whether a yer or an NPC, if they are a cautious opponent who checks the respawn position of their followers in advance, they might also estimate the enemys movements from the time of the followers respawn, or identify the person who killed the follower. In such a situation, if it were possible to shift that time with this item Well, even so, I dont think the opportunity to use it wille. Lets just keep it in mind for now. If we have time, maybe well verify it. For now, theres nothing left to do in Tore Forest. Somehow, when I look around the square, the first thing that catches my eye is the World Tree that seems to pierce the sky, and next, my attention is drawn to the grand temple that stands in front of it. And guarding the wings of the grand temple are the Amphisbaena and Gargouille. Lyra immediately replied with something suitable. Well, the term trained might be a euphemism forpleting the friend registration. Not a bad expression. Ill use it. Anyway, due to Ururu, Ubel, and Abigor, the square has be considerably crampedpared to the beginning. Ill ask the World Tree to expand it more and make the outer perimeter of the forest a bitrger. While the Gargouille could increase my amount of followers immediately if I wanted, its not something that needs to be done right now, and theres also the issue of space. Increasingrge followers recklessly could lead to trouble. After finishing the cleanup, its time to deal with the continuation of the event. The issue of angels can be handled easily. ording to the official announcement, only those weak angels are supposed to appear unless something significant happens. As for the yers, so far, its only that couple who came to Liebe. They might be observing on the first day and nning to attack the dungeon from the next day. Co-op y, though. Well, I never thought about wanting to rank in the event in the first ce. Since I replied to the system message with a request for anonymity, I am unlikely to have my ranking disyed properly. But if, by any chance, the first ce is disyed as Anonymous or something, yers who are seriously working hard might feel frustrated. Although its not seen much now, there was a time when admission to higher education institutions was tested based solely on academic ability. At that time, during rehearsals for entrance exams, which people called mock exams, there were widespread pranks of taking the test with ridiculous names and then cing at the top of the results list. It may not be elegant behavior, but it feels more like a clever prank than a meaningless one. After all, to sessfully pull off that prank, you needed to have top-ss academic ability nationwide. There must have been considerable effort involved. Well, thats not bad either. Anyway, when the regr second wavees, lets clean up the sky over Hiers. After observing and making sure there are no problems, if I guard the city of Hiers while visible, no nation will dare to bother Hiers again. It doesnt seem to be precisely determined, but the interval is about 5-6 hours, I guess. If thats the case, its approximately four hours in real-time. As a timing for regr global events, its not a bad interval. Originally, only the NPC knights who lived in this world would deal with it, even if they suffered damage to the extent of the destruction of countries and cities, it doesnt seem likely, and its just the right bnce for yers to join in on a whim. However, the top yers are probably unsatisfied with the current situation. I dont know if it will satisfy you, but let me give you a little buzz. Summoning Yoroizaka-san from the capital, I don it after a long time. Then, taking Ubel and the airborne troops and flying beetles, I took off from Tore Forest. I will recruit airborne troops from Liebe Great Forest and La Colinne Forest as well.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Each is instructed to aim for a meeting point while dealing with the angels in the sky over Hiers, and the designated meeting ce is the capital of Hiers. Arge number of insects take off from the east side of Hiers territory and head for the capital, ravaging the angels along the way, like a swarm of locusts. Well ignore the hearts dropped when defeated. I cant pick them up one by one, and if needed, I can have the Urban Trading Company buy them. If Hiers Trading Company buys hearts under the pretext of supporting angel victims, merchants who hear about it wille rushing to Hiers. The gold coins exchanged for hearts will flow out of the country, but that will also contribute to the activation of the economy. Im also heading towards the capital myself, while dealing with angels along the way. Although the attack of the angels for this wave ended before the assembly in the capital waspleted, for some yers, it would have been an opportunity to see the Seventh Cmity, Amphisbaena, and the insects fighting in the sky. For the future attacks, it wont be possible to intercept them one by one from the forest. Shall we make a base in the vacantnd? Although the sun had already set, it was convenient for me. During the night, I flew around Hiers, summoned Elder Treants and regr Treants, created some small forests in inconspicuous ces, and prepared bases for ants and beetles. As a result, from the second day onward in the airspace above the former Hiers Kingdom territory, battles between angels and insect-type monsters could be seen almost everywhere. Chapter 198: “Adamant Legion” In that way, a confrontation structure between the Archangel and the Seventh Cmity was emphasized among NPCs and yers, centered around Hiers. It was possible to give the impression that the damage caused by angels was minimized, at least within the former Hiers territory. Instead, a psychological pressure was created by periodically having giant hos and stag beetles patrol the sky, though it was considered a trivial matter. What became clear after several attacks was that the so-called Sky Castles location seemed to be undetermined. Each attack had a time difference in the assault on cities and dungeons. Figuring out the Sky Castles location after each attack and calcting its movement route from there could allow us to estimate its current position, but its too troublesome. If more data points were avable, it would be possible, for example, to find the town attacked earliest during each wave and its corresponding time, and deduce the movement route from there. While uracy might bepromised, it would be the easiest method. However, at this stage, determining its location required a considerable amount of effort and time. Moreover, its not like it was a simple object moving in a regr orbit. In the game, the second day of the event had arrived, and yers were increasingly immersing themselves in dungeons dominated by rare creatures, disregarding the angels. This was understandable since, in Hiers, angels were mostly taken care of by myckeys in the sky, and only the murky gems or dead insects fell to the ground. In such a situation, yers had no choice but to attack dungeons to avoid wasting time, experience point bonuses and penalty mitigation. ording to social media, the proportion of top-tier yers within Hiers territory seemed to be the highest. They would find it difficult to earn event points, and rares also provided experience points. It was a two-in-one deal. Not that they were specifically aiming for the top rankings. However, the parties of yersing to dungeons didnt seem focused on hunting efficiently, even though this was a experience point boost period. They seemed more interested in exploring deeper into the dungeons, or traversing the entire map, disregarding efficiency and safety rates. Perhaps, during this time when the risk of death was minimal, they intended to create dungeon maps for future use. In La Colinne Forest, it seemed futile to create maps, and many yers were attacking the deepest parts. They likely aimed to fight bosses and powerful monsters to discover strategies. Even though reaching the deepest parts was uncertain due to the three-inch chest of the local Queen Arachneas, their passion wasmendable. yers daring to take on challenges without fear of death during this experience point boost period were greatly weed, as it directly contributed to obtaining rare experience points. One inconvenience was the appearance of Wayne and his group, who were fixated on Erntal and showed up in the Hiers capital. Their defense and physical attack power were a cut above other parties. Even in the Hiers capital, they couldnt be contained with just Knights and could barely be defeated by asionally mixing in Adamant Leaders. Thanks to powerful equipment, they were undoubtedly bing one of the top yers. At about 4 difficulty, theyre at the appropriate level. I can only locally increase it to 5 where they are, but if it bes a close call with an Adaman-Leader, Ill have no moves left. Fortunately, they gained a lot of experience points due to yers reckless charges, resulting in the highest instantaneous ie ever. If calcted per hour, it might still be less than when they conquered the national army in the La Colinne city, but it was undoubtedlyparable. Events were truly wonderful. Should I seriously strengthen the Adamants? Well, I dont have an infinite supply of Philosophers Stones, and maybe I could mix in my blood instead of the Philosophers Stone. However, the Adamants couldnt be ced in the [Philosophers Egg]. They couldnt serve as fusion materials. Strengthening each one with a Philosophers Stone was the only option. Yet, it was true that the supply of Philosophers Stones was running low. Setting aside other materials, monster hearts were already in short supply.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Cinnabar and iron could be obtained in abundance at the foothills of the Liebe Great Forest and the volcanic area where Ururu was. Ants provided acid limitlessly. The ashes of the World Tree were also simrly abundant. Just plucking a branch and leaving it alone would result in natural recovery. However, taking a monsters heart meant taking a life, and preparing an infinite supply of that was difficult. In retrospect, it might have been a good idea to take the hearts of the Hobgoblins in Neuschloss. They were probably servants of that Deovoldraugr yer, and they likely would have respawned infinitely. Like the ginkgo trees in the autumn avenue, it would be convenient if there were ces where hearts dropped like chestnuts. Huh? I feel like Ive seen this scene recently. I looked at my inventory. Inside, there were numerous Pure Hearts, obtained from the angel attacks in the Tore Forest. Since then, attacks had urred in various dungeons, and theck of reports indicated that each had been appropriately dealt with. I didnt know what was being done with the dropped Pure Hearts, but they likely hadnt disappeared. If that was the case, there were probably arge number of them, and they would likely continue to increase. Lets try using these. If the name has heart written in it, the system probably considers it a heart. Since all the cinnabar and iron were left in the artisan city of Rifure, experimentation could only be done there. I borrowed the body of Mare, who was waiting in Rifure, and went to the artisan city. As a way to observe the skills of the artisans who had be Remys subordinates, I had them try making it. Its done. Using Pure Hearts, can Philosophers Stones be created? But even with that and using World Tree Ash, it wont be Great. It seemed that as a heart, it was of a low rank. Perhaps due to extra effects, using it as a regr heart might reduce its effectiveness. Or it could be purely a matter of the creatures rank as a monster. Well, whatever. At least, while the angel attacks are ongoing, we can mass-produce Philosophers Stones. Thats right. Shall we proceed with mass production? Go ahead. Philosophers Stones have good experience point efficiency. At least, the artisans making one Philosophers Stone here would get more than Ubel defeating ten angels. Ubels extermination power was tremendous, but due to a significant difference in strength, defeating one angel only yielded a pitiful amount of experience points. Aside from cleaning them up all at once, there was no merit in the action. However, because it attracted a lot of attention, it was currently patrolling the sky throughout the Hiers Kingdom to intercept angel attacks. There was now a prospect for the supply of Philosophers Stones. With this, they could be used again like they were water. I used Philosophers Stones on the Adams and collectively strengthened them. The location was the Liebe Great Forest and the adjacent ins. Currently, a storage facility had been created underground by the ants, where a dozen or so Adamant Leaders and Giant Corpses were waiting for their turn. Unfortunately, there were no opportunities for them to shine at the moment, but the day woulde when they would see the light. Well, it might be better not to see the light since they would receive damage when exposed. Anyway, one by one, I used Philosophers Stones on them in such ins and reincarnated them into higher-level monsters. As a result, Adaman-leader became Adamandux. Adaman-knight became Adamantarma. Adaman-mage became Adamanscientia. And Adaman-scout became Adamantumbra. Lets see, General, Weapon, Knowledge, Shadow. This looks pretty cool (T/N: the rough meanings of the suffixes) Other than Adamandux, there was no additional experience required for reincarnation, so it didnt visibly strengthen them. However, for example, in the case of Adamanscientia, though STR had decreased, INT and MND had increased, making them more optimized for their respective roles. Especially, the drop in INT and MND for Adamantarma was severe. With this, it truly became just a weapon, literally a meat cleaver. This would now test the leadership skills of Adamandux, their leader, who had requested additional experience, making it truly reinforced. The previous Adams didnt have much difference in appearance, but now they look quite distinct. Adamandux has a ck-based metallic luster with golden edges, giving it a luxurious appearance. It exudes a strong character vibe, truly resembling a general at a nce. Adamantarma has be slightly sharper overall, with silver ents shining on its ck body. The shield it previously had is gone, and it now wields a sword in each hand. Both the shield and the sword were likely armaments prepared by rares, but whether they were assimted is unclear. It leaves a somewhat unsatisfied feeling. Adamanscientia has its armor restricted only to the shoulder area, while the lower part is draped in a glossy robe woven with Adamas fabric. Upon closer inspection, that robe seems to be made of Adamas. To make something decent like that, youd probably need quite a high-rank skill. However, its likely just a part of its body, and it might not have a significance beyond indicating that it provides more magic resistance than physical defense. Adamantumbra looks like itpletely painted all the silver parts of Adamantarma in ck. Both the swords in its hands are shorter than those of Arma, and its entire body seems slimmer. Its truly a form specialized for assassination, a shadow of Arma. With this, it seems like I could easily handle Wayne and his group in battle with just one squad. However, the yer known as MentaList possesses a Soul-Binding Stone and excels in Mental Magic. I need to be cautious; otherwise, Adamantarma might easily fall victim to abnormal conditions. Nevertheless, its all part of thebat experience, and I can only rely on Duxs skills. The enhancement of the Adams is now temporarily concluded. If I were to go further, Id probably need experience points for each individual, and considering cost-effectiveness, its not practical. Instead of that, its more efficient to spend all that experience on a single character. There might be asions to specially enhance a few Adams or a small squad, but thats not for now. With this, Ive generally taken care of what I wanted to do. Regarding the event, all thats left is to gather data on the timing of attacks and wait for the information on the Archangels whereabouts to be revealed. Chapter 199: “Nobles and Commoners” If possible, I wanted to strengthen Yoroizaka-san as well, but the bnce is uncertain as I had the experience points absorbed by the Adamandux. Depending on the situation, Yoroizaka-san might also need a significant amount of experience points for reincarnation. It seems like Ill need to wait a bit longer. Theres nothing to do now in terms of events or investments. In that case, it wouldnt hurt to indulge in hobbies for the future. If Im thinking of creating a Holy King Maybe its a good idea to stir things up in the Wells Kingdom. After all, there are practically no human nations left other than there. I remember that Hakuma went in that direction. It feels like its been quite a while, but maybe Ill go take a look. * The Wells Kingdom is a country located north of Hiers. Due to the presence of monsters in the border areas like the Abon Mercat Hignds, separating it from Hiers, there hasnt been much interaction between the two nations. That was the case. The main industries are forestry and agriculture. Agriculture is practiced to some extent in almost every country on the continent due to limited inter-country exchanges. However, Wells seems to particrly emphasize livestock farming. Livestock is exported to the neighboring country Pearl, and through Pearl, timber is further exported to Shape. In this world with many monsters and challenging trade, the livestock, which seems to be some kind of domesticated magical creature, is used to pull timber. This way, the entire caravan is sold to the Pearl Kingdom, and afterward, Pearl merchants sell the timber to Shape. However, this trade has not been very active recently. It seems like Lyra is buying up the timbertely. If selling timber to Aural is more profitable than selling livestock to Pearl, there might be farmers shifting from livestock farming to forestry. If that happens, it could eventually lead to trade friction involving Pearls food situation. Lyra really doesnt do anything good. Originally, the end-user Shape, where the timber flowed, currently receives no timber at all. This is not directly rted to Lyra. Due to disputes between cities surrounding the devastated Neuschloss, the mutual national sentiments in the border zone between Pearl and Shape have worsened. Since Wellss timber is exported to Shape through Pearl, if the rtionship between Pearl and Shape deteriorates, cirction of Wells-produced timber would also cease. Simr to magical creatures like Newts and Lizardmen, the growth cycle of trees in this world is quick. While they dont grow in a matter of weeks, it doesnt take decades either. Perhaps this is a design choice to ensure that resources do not deplete regardless of how much NPCs or yers consume. In that case, there is a possibility that the underground resources of the Liebe Great Forest will eventually revive. It might be a good idea to fill in the once-dug tunnels, wait for some time, and then dig again. If thats the case, shifting from livestock farming to forestry wouldnt be such an unreasonable thing to do. Wellss nobility, like others, lives a life separate frommoners, as mentioned on social media. The yers who made these posts did not seem to have positive feelings towards the nobility. However, having a privileged ss like Noble Humans to maintain strength and privileges for the next generation is considered a natural societal system. Even if individuals of different races marry, it seems children can only be born in the pre-reincarnation race. In other words, the Noble Human race consists only of purebloods, and to pass on power and privileges to the next generation, nobles must marry each other. This leads to a challenging future if individuals of different races associate with each other. Thus, its better not to get involved from the beginning. This naturally creates a gap in consciousness,pounded by the existing power difference, making the nobility appear aloof. As yers initially start with so-calledmoner races, their first impression of NPCs is from amoners perspective. It bes difficult to be friends with nobles from there, and without befriending them, yers wont learn about the aforementioned system. Thus, for yers, nobles be NPCs that are hard to tolerate. Observing Wellss capital from above doesnt reveal any particrly unusual signs. Unlike the beautiful circr or square shapes of Hiers and Aural, it has a more amorphous, somewhat messy shape. Perhaps its the national character. Peeking around the castle gate, there are gatekeepers, but they dont seem to be conducting any inspections. Its unknown if inspections were done in Hiers or Aural, but since the city walls themselves serve as a defense against monsters, they probably dont check much for the entry of criminals. As for me, it doesnt matter since I can enter from above anyway. Oh, is that the cathedral? Like the cathedral infiltrated in the Aural capital, a simr building is located, and as in that instance, its the second time around. The influence of religious organizations varies depending on the country and era, but having such arge piece ofnd and a building in the prime location of the capital, where priests can walk confidently down the main street, undoubtedly indicates a certain level of social status. In a world with angels and demons, the statements of priests must be more reliable than reality. Even though the statements are mostly nonsensical, as evident from the discrepancy between the recognition of the Archbishop of the Aural Church and the game system, people trust them due to societal trust established by the country, society, or public opinion. Being a priest alone makes people trust without conditions. Proof of being a priest is easy in a game with skills. Activating skills demonstrates proper training, leading to a position within the organization. In essence, once you control a socially credited church, it bes easier to manipte the royal family. * So, I want to elevate the royal family of this country to a higher level. Did you understand? Of course, my lord. This mission was much easier than the previous one. It involved appraising NPCs dressed in suitable attire, applying [Command] to characters with high levels of [Spiritual Wisdom] and [Suggestion]. After dominating the Archbishop, reincarnating them into a Noble Human, and summoning other bishops to ce them under the control of the Archbishop, they were gathered in the cathedral for a grateful sermon to share the situation. [Summon: Kerry]. [Summon: Amalie]. Yes, boss. Present, Your Majesty. This is Kerry, and this is Mare. They are my confidantes, but Ill leave them in this town for a while. Kerry was instructed to control the townsrgest tradingpany. The most information in the town gathers at the merchants and mercenary guild. Due to suspicions about the operation of the mercenary guild, its considered risky to interfere. Suddenly being teleported to a strange room and receiving a sermon like, You understand why you were called, dont you? is something to be avoided. Therefore, control the tradingpany. Kerry, having Gustav as a subordinate, should be more ustomed than other members. The same process is applied here. By gradually taking control of the business rivals in the capital through this tradingpany, the economic dominance of the country can be achieved. Once Portree deals with Lyra, she will eventually move to control the economic aspects of this country, providing assistance when needed. Its also good to use this as leverage to extort Mithril and rare materials again. As for Mare, for now, Ill have her live in this cathedral. Dont worry, Ill cover any living expenses. Ill reincarnate Mare into a saintter on, so Ill say something appropriate like Saint! while lifting her up, and turn her into the idol of the Wells Church. Not singing and dancing idols. It means an idol in the sense of an image. Singing and dancing are fine, but its not necessary. Mare was instructed to go to the poorer or less secure areas of the town and perform charity there. She was provided with sufficient funds, and if it falls short, a budget can be allocated from the tradingpany controlled by Kerry as a donation. When in the less secure areas, Mare was ordered to [Command] the underground society boss present there. The boss would cause trouble for the townspeople using their subordinates, and Mare and the church members would resolve the situation skillfully. Through repeated conflicts, the saintly personality of Mare would gradually bond with the underground society boss, and eventually, they would recognize her beliefs and feel ashamed of their actions. From then on, they would cooperate with the church quietly for the towns security. That was the script. This kind of thing is called Match Pump in old Japanese terms. It means extinguishing the fire ignited with ones match using the water from ones pump. To finish it off, Mare was given the Philosophers Stone and reincarnated into a [Saint]. (T/N: can also be understood as [Holy Human]) While there were no significant changes in appearance for a saint, her originally blonde hair now sparkled as if transparent, with the cuticle highlighting angel rings. Her irises were also golden, giving the illusion that her entire body was surrounded by light. Do all saints be blond, or is it just the revival of the cuticle in their hair? I dont know, but it doesnt really matter. Your Majesty, but if I engage in conspicuous activities and am seen by yers, as was the case when we met the yer in Neuschloss, there is a possibility that they may specte whether I am a yer or not. Come to think of it, at that time, Rare, acting as a yer, demonstrated the use of the inventory in front of them. However, if it is portrayed as if Mare has been lifted up as a yer saint, it would raise other troublesome questions, such as why she doesnt post on social media. Even if I hide my face, its quite impossible to pass off as a saint with such a suspicious appearance. If I cover just around the eyes, I might be able to manage I could say something like -I cant fight if I cant see-. Cant fight if you cant see, huh Its not necessarily true, as I have proven, but for that, [Demonic Eyes] or at least [True Eyes] are required. Well, it could be justified by saying that having [True Eyes] allows her to see the enemies appearances at a minimum. Alternatively, making her a Saint here might awaken some kind of Special Eyes simr to what happened with Lyra and me. However, if its something like [Evil Eyes], which only harbors killing intent, it would be useless. Besides, the purpose ofing to Wells was to create an NPC Saint. It would be counterproductive. Obtaining [True Eyes] Lets make a bandana-like blindfold. For now, lets use the fabric from my dress I tore off the hem of my dress, creating a long piece of cloth to cover Mares eyes.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Since the Queen Arachneas thread was the original material, even though it looked shabby, it still had considerable physical defense and magical resistance. On the other hand, my dress seemed to have lost its qualities as material, and although it appeared to have only a torn hem, its physical defense and magical resistance had dropped to the level of an ordinary fabric. This might be considered an action under the category of production processing. Since the goal was to make a blindfold, I engaged in production using my dress as material. Due to my low skill level, or more precisely, theck of the relevant skill, a ragged blindfold waspleted. Nevertheless, the original material was Queen Arachneas thread, and even if it wasnt of such a superior quality, it still possessed decent physical defense and magical resistance. Mare was then given a shooting-type skill and unlocked [True Eyes]. Although Mare had no proficiency in shooting, I had experience with Japanese archery. If I had the time, I could use Mares body for training, and she should be proficient through that. Well, Ill have Queen Arachnea prepare a better blindfold No, this is sufficient. If its a gift from Your Majesty, it will enhance the credibility of being a saint. Its not clear what Mare is saying, but if shes fine with it, then theres no issue. Even though [True Eyes] can see only those with LP, it cant see through obstacles like buildings, disguised creatures like Rock Golems or Treants, which may pose a problem. To make walking in the city more convenient, a female priest was assigned as a guide. Theres a possibility she might apany them in battle. She, too, was reincarnated into a Noble Human and reinforced to the extent that she could withstand at least the attacks of angels. It was at this moment that I realized that none of the members of the church had [Healing Magic] or [Treatment]. It might seem far from the fantasy priests I imagined, but in this world, members of the church seem to be more like schrs, especially historians. Only in this aspect, it seems to lean towards real-world religious schrs. Until now, it might have been fine, but with the appearance of undead all over the continent, the birth of enemies of humanity one after another, and an increase in angel attacksassuming its an event, it should naturally be like this in this erahaving power is essential to gain peoples trust. History and academics are important, but with just that, one cannot protect lives. In this situation, as an additional measure, all the bishops and priests under her control, including the Archbishop, were given [Treatment] and [Healing Magic]. Some of the higher-ups were also given [Light Magic]. Although it doesnt seem effective against angels, using [Dark Magic] to mow them down wouldnt reflect well on the churchs reputation. The same applies to Mare, who is a saint. It was emphasized that she should avoid using [Dark Magic] as much as possible. Other than that, she is free to use any other type of magic. Oops, but more importantly, it seems like we have a target already. A flock of angels ising. Its perfect for the debut battle of the saint. Appeal the church for the peace of the city. Chapter 200: “La Pucelle d’Wells” I had initially considered hiding somewhere to observe Mare and the activities of the Holy Church, but even if I disappeared, the angels would flock to me. Suspecting something, I used [Appraisal] and realized that apparently all angels have [True Eyes]. Whether they are prioritizing based on the abundance of LP or not, angels were approaching in the order of me, Mare, and Kerry. This wouldnt contribute to the Churchs propaganda. Since I could not help it, I decided to disappear and slowly evade, then let Mare wipe them out after casually gathering the angels. The scene of the beautiful character facing arge army of angels and sweeping them away with dazzling magic seemed vividly impressive to the citys residents, and cheers erupted from everywhere. In terms of effectiveness against angels, it would seem that Dark Magic, Shadow Magic, and skill attacks that inflict poison or disease would work. However, as a saint, Mare couldnt possibly exhale poisonous breath. In a saint-like manner, I allocated a considerable amount of experience points into Holy Magic and Light Magic. Other attributes were also acquired, simr to what was used in Neuschloss. When Mare acquired Light Magic, Holy Magic appeared. Considering my own experience, one of the unlock conditions is likely to be a race of Noble or higher. Whether Dark Magic would appear if reincarnated as an Evil Human or Dark Elf, despite already acquiring Dark Magic, wasnt clear, but based on Mares avable skills, it seems unlikely. In other words, to acquire both Holy Magic and Dark Magic, one would need to experience both righteous and wicked races. I identally achieved this, and its likely that Lyra did the same. Presumably, Lyra had already acquired as many skills as possible beforeing to me. I gathered the angels in the city, and Mare and the members of the Holy Church exterminated them on a prominent avenue. The second day, probably thest attack, ended in this way, and one could say that the first impression of the Saint of Wells was sessful. Even the knights who should protect the city were praising the saint enthusiastically towards the end. They followed the angels attracted by me to the main street, witnessing the saints battle prowess. By tomorrow, themercial guild controlled by Kerry would slowly spread rumors about this day, and in no time, everyone in the city would know about the appearance of the saint. Even before that, the king and other rulers would be informed about the saint through reports from the knights. From what I observed, the knights seemed to be weing the saint. It was unlikely that unfavorable reports would reach them. However, theres no guarantee that the king would receive the news as favorably. If the poprity bes too overwhelming and theres a risk of it destabilizing his power base, theres a possibility he might view it as a threat. In a typical situation, if an exceptionally popr figure arises from themon people, as long as the nobility and royalty are determined by race, that person cannot shake the existing power structure. However, Mare has already be a saint. If the royalty isposed of Noble Humans, she is an existence higher than them. Whether theres a way for the country to know about this is uncertain, but this would undoubtedly be an rming situation for the royal family. But the reason for the royalty being royalty is not only their race. The existence of artifacts stored somewhere is also a crucial support. As long as these artifacts exist, no matter what kind of being appears, it wont lead to a situation that would shake the nation. However, this is information known only to the royalty and some nobles. If the public begins to desire the saint more than the royal family, and the winds of favor start blowing in that direction, the country has two choices. One is, of course, to assassinate the saint before the public enthusiasm spreads throughout the country. If its only the citizens of the capital, the knight order should be able to suppress them, and dealing with a single saint, even if of a higher race, would not be impossible. The other is to win over the saint and incorporate her into their ranks. In this case, the best option would be a marriage with the royal family. Even if the saint refuses, for example, by embracing influential figures within the church with money or power and exerting pressure from there, they could close off the saints escape route. In practice, the church is united under mymand. Bribes wont work, and if there were infiltrators, they would be exposed immediately. If they were entrusted with shady work like bribery and spies, it would be considered reliable personnel for the state. If they were not attached to anyones entourage, they could potentially be utilized to get closer to the royal family. In any case, I really want Mare to continue to do her best as the . (T/N: the furigana says La Pucelle d Wells) * At some point, I let Hakuma do as he pleased and sent him to Wells. For this reason, I didnt impose any reporting obligations. When I contacted them beforeing here, they mentioned being in some forest, but thats all I knew. When I tried summoning Hakuma to their side, many wolf-type monsters and ape-type monsters were waiting there with lowered heads. All the wolf-type monsters were Ice Wolves. Presumably, this forest is covered in snow and ice. They likely acquired ice-rted skills and magic during their growth process while surrounded by ice, leading to their reincarnation into Ice Wolves. As for the ape-type monsters, the results of the [Appraisal] indicated that they belong to a species called [Snow Baboon]. They have white fur, and their hands are slightly longer than their legs, resembling Mandrills. There was onerge individual among them, and that individual was named Baboon Hih. In Japanese folklore, the term Hih originated from the name of Baboon, which is the source of the Japanese name for Mandrills. Although the Baboon in front of me simply appears to be arger Snow Baboon, in this game, it seems that Baboon, or rather, a higher-level existence than Mandrills, is referred to as Hih. Its a bitplicated. What is this Whats going on? ording to the exnation from Hakuma and Ginka. Leaving Hiers and heading towards Wells, Hakuma aimed north. However, when they escaped, it was still the time of the Ice Wolves when their INT was low, and they didnt remember the detailed path well. Ive heard that real dogs dont forget their hometown, but apparently, its different in the game. Perhaps, due to bing as intelligent as or even more intelligent than humans on the way, they may have lost this wild capacity for memory. Anyway, even after entering Wells, they continued to rampage through various territories of monsters while heading north, and around the time the snowy coniferous forest began to appear, their memories finally connected, recalling this forest.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Returning to the forest, the monkeys that had scattered away were still arrogantly upying it, and their fellow Ice Wolves were nowhere to be seen. So, for the time being, they subdued the monkeys and seemed to have taken control of the forest. However, none in Hakumas group has the [Command] ability. Therefore, on the system side, this forest is still the monkeys paradise. Its just that the wolves dominate it by force. In other words, its a ranch. Certainly, at the beginning, that was the intention when I strengthened them and sent them out, but I didnt expect much, and I didnt give such orders. Its quite something. So, while waiting formunication from me, who was hunting yers in the forest, it seems that the monkeys sensed the anomaly in the forest and came to see the situation, fearfully. They absorbed that group, increased their numbers, and that brings us to the present. Do none of the wolves have the [Command]? How do they determine the Alpha? In short, its simr to an ordinary wolf pack. This time of year refers to the so-called breeding season. Wolves are a strict hierarchy society, and reproduction is carried out ording to the order. As for the reproductive instinct, it is primarily the Alpha female. This social structure is somewhat simr to ants or bees. Perhaps thats one reason why Sugaru and the other ants quickly adapted to them when they first met. Also, the born wolf cubs are raised by the entire pack, and there is a rule that allows them to do anything to anyone for the first year after birth. The fact that the wolf cubs, Zarame and the others, were somewhat selfish right after birth is probably because of that rule. They had deliberately chosen not to use the [Subordinate] system to maintain each individuals ambition, preventing a decline in the overall abilities of the pack. However, this system could be sustained because external threats were minimal. If there were always external enemies to threaten them, they wouldnt experience a decrease in abilities without internalpetition. In other words, they could regrly gain experience points, and there would be no room for internal conflicts. Although they didnt know where these monkeys came from, by chance, the monkeys outnumbered the wolves. The wolves were defeated not so much by strength but by the sheer number and cohesion of the monkey pack. However, that was all in the past. Hakuma seemed to have avenged themselves against the monkeys, and both Hakuma and Ginka were magical creatures with a much higher rank than other wolves and monkeys. If there were an overwhelmingly powerful boss, there wouldnt be a need to determine the alpha every year. For the time being, they had Hakuma and Ginka obtain the mentioned [Subordinate], and the wolf pack became their subordinates. Hakuma took control of the male alphas, and Ginka controlled the female alphas. As for Rare, she didnt really care. They could handle it as they pleased. The monkeys originally had a structure where one dominant baboon controlled the other Snow Baboons in the pack, so I took control of that dominant baboon. Consequently, this coniferous forest fell under my dominion, serving as a base for activities in Wells. Lets see, how about Hanuman? Oh, that wont work. Then how about Valin that wont work either. Well, then, lets go with Monkichi. There might be important NPCs like Hanuman or Valin somewhere. Hakuma and Ginka were instructed to continue raiding the territories within Wells as before. They were told not to defeat the bosses in those areas and to hunt only minions or yers for experience points. Monkichi was still in charge of dominating this forest. They didnt know when another race might appear for territorial disputes, and the current situation was somewhat weak. Not to mention, they were curious about why they came to this forest in the first ce. If there were any entities forcing the monkeys out nearby, that issue would also need addressing. Chapter 201: “Hit them with ice and they will die” Monkichi is a baboon. It looks like a giant mandrill. From the moment they appeared, Snow Baboons are alreadyrger than humans. In the case of baboons, their forward-leaning posture might even be around three meters. They can win against ice wolves in battles, which is only natural. For now, they are an unfamiliar race, and, well, its better to be strong, so I decided to give Monkichi a Philosophers Stone. Your subordinate has fulfilled the reincarnation conditions Do you allow the reincarnation to Shoujou by consuming 100 of your experience points? Shoujou might mean orangutan. Well, if thats what it is, then Ill just ept it. When I actually reincarnated him, Monkichi turned into a muscr mandrill. It looks like they just fattened up the baboon with muscles. Speaking of Shoujou, it generally refers to orangutans. Or in terms of legendary beings, this one is said to be a heavy drinker, living in the sea, or a sage of the forest, but none of these associations fit the handsome gori in front of me. But the INT is quite high. Maybe because hes a forest sage? STR is also higher than expected. This is pretty urate. The experience points paid were not significant, but it can be roughly said to be on par with a queen-ss in terms of strength. There is also the umtion of leading a group as a baboon for a long time, and its unknown which race is superior. Now, for now, this should be fine. If we have been dominating this forest until Hakumas return, we should be able to continue without further enhancement. So, in the end, why did you guyse and where did youe from?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ording to them, Monkichi and the others came from a forest much further west from here. It might be Pearl. The reason foring to Wells was the same as Hakuma, driven out of the forest by people entering. Speaking of Pearl, its a country with many beastmen. Just as the elves consume a lot of fruitspared to humans, Ive heard that beastmen prefer meat. Thats why they buy livestock and wood from Wells. If the beastmen came into the forest, would they just be hunting, or did they intend to eat Monkichi and the others? I thought while saying it. Theres a psychological barrier to eating a species close to human like monkeys, but first and foremost, theres their strength. Snow Baboons arerge. Their STR and VIT are high ordingly, and especially NPCs that havent undergone much training would likely not be able to defeat them. Even if you surround them with numbers, the opponent is also a species that forms groups. Its not realistic to surround one in the forest. If their goal wasnt to hunt Snow Baboons, what could it be? Its possible that it was for the resources of the forest rich in underground resources, like the Liebe Great Forest. But would they cut through a forest infested with monsters for that? Even if the goal was the wood itself, there are still doubts. Pearl buys livestock and wood from Wells, and if they can produce wood themselves, they wouldnt need to buy it. Even if they were trading, it would likely only be through certain cities, and its possible they were conducting forest clearing in an unrted area. Perhaps it was the forest where Monkichi and the others were. Or maybe they had some conflict with the Snow Baboons. From Monkichis recollection, there doesnt seem to be any such thing, but it doesnt necessarily mean the same for the other party. NPC beastmen tend to be impulsive or easily angered, and even if they were fighting at the level of monkeys, it wouldnt be surprising. If theres a chance to go to Pearl, Ill investigate. I also need to look into the Mythical Beast King. Once things settle in Wells, the next destination is Pearl. The most mysterious thing right now is the Mythical Beast King. I havent heard any information about it dying from the Count, so it might still be somewhere in the world. If the destination of the beastmen is the Mythical Beast King, it might be faster to create it than to search for it. Its okay to reincarnate Kerry and the others, but at the moment, I dont know the conditions for their reincarnation. Kerry and the others reincarnated from cat beastmen to other beastmen, but its unclear if they are on the same level as High Elves or Noble Humans, or if they simply shifted horizontally. At least, they didnt acquire the ability to [Command] as a racial trait. If I can learn about such things, or if I can learn about the current nobility and royalty of Pearl, I might get hints for the reincarnation of higher races. In terms ofbat power or abilities alone, reincarnation is certainly more efficient with stat increases. However, if I give them experience points and let them grow in their current race, they will still be stronger. In that sense, theres no need to force reincarnation. Especially for humanoid characters, this tendency is prominent. For example, if they gain wings like Ubel and can fly, or if they get additional breath attacks, it would be a different story, but if theres no significant change in physical appearance due to reincarnation, its essentially the same. Eventually, its the same if I invest experience points and acquire skills. Some individuals may not fit into that framework. Therefore, I had thought until now that its fine to leave them as they are. But if the race itself is a condition, then its a different story. Ill look to obtain information about higher races of beastmen, and use that information to strengthen Kerry and the others. If thats the case, then the next target is the Dwarves country, Shape. If Lyra can handle Portrees reins well, I wouldnt mind leaving it to her, but the Spirit Lord should be suitable for the Dwarves, considering the previous Spirit Lord. However, thinking about the previous Spirit Lord, strengthening the Dwarves might lead to the production of strange items or scattered items again, which could be troublesome. Like the Holy King, the Spirit Lord is particrly vulnerable to rare items. Handling them requires caution. It would be better to ce the Spirit Lord in an environment where monitoring is easy in some form. In that sense, Portree, essentially sealed off by Hiers and Aural, is just right. On the other hand, Shape is the farthest country from Hiers. There might be concerns about it being hard to keep an eye on. If its the Dwarves, they have a stubborn image, and its okay to destroy them like Hiers. Investigate roughly what kind of country it is until the next event or so, and if it seems troublesome, we can hunt down just their leaders again. Dwarves and Elves, with their long lifespans, are rtively strong entities among NPCs. It might be suitable for them to serve as a stage for the activities of Warrior Skulls and Giant Corpses. If using real undead, it might be good to ask nc if we can borrow Skeletal Ghidorah. In the meantime, Erntals defense can be handled by lending out Ubel. Sure, go ahead. Then, Ginka, you can handle the western part. On social media, they seem to be recognized as wandering-type special boss monsters, or something like that. If they enjoy it, then its worth sending them out as rare creatures. Although their numbers have increased significantly, it shouldnt be a big problem. Having more is probably better. After sending out the wolves, I summoned Queen Vespoid to create a base for Wells in the underground of the coniferous forest. However, the response was not favorable. It seems that its too cold here. The Queen has acquired magic of all attributes and has resistance skills for each attribute, but the engineers dont count asbatants, so they dont have resistance skills. In other words, its difficult for ants, who are weak to cold, to create a secret base in the underground of this ce. My faction covers all production-rted tasks with the craftsmen of the ants and Rifure. This also applies to facilities and buildings. If ants cant be used, there are only human craftsmen left, but thinking calmly, ordinary humans not involved inbat are not necessarily resistant to the cold. If ants are hit with [Ice Magic], they will die and respawn, but hitting human craftsmen with magic will usually result in actual death. In other words, there are no suitable personnel in hand to perform productive work in such an extremely cold ce. I thought it could be a base for Wells. Well, theres no need to make one in the forest. If they have business, they cane, and we can make the operating base in the underground of Wells Holy Church Cathedral. The main focus of activities in Wells is the strengthening of NPC royalty. There was no reason to deliberately create a base in the forest. Actually, theres no need to force the creation of a base in the first ce. Wells capital is not as cold as here, and if ants are quietly called, they can dig a basement. After that, call construction craftsmen from Rifure and have them make rooms. Its inconceivable that they would be refused, but just to be sure, they decided to fly to Mare, the head of Wells, to get permission from the Archbishop of Wells. Chapter 202: “Legendary Gambler” Angels are unreasonable! Super creepy! Its like a horror movie! To put it mildly, theyre like neat and tidy murder dolls! Were facing an attack from above, so lets all work together! This was the announcement from the administration with the theme of cooperation, and I was looking forward to what seemed like a rare cooperative y event. yers were supposed to coborate to fight against a horde of murder dolls, resembling the plot of a horror movies third installment where the director goes crazy and turns it into a panic movie. Then, in the fourth installment, they switch to a war action movie, followed by the fifth installment where they start battling against aliens. So, this is the third installment now, right? Its the third event. We did warst time, so next is angels vs. monsters! Were going to throw monsters at monsters! However, one could argue that this has already been covered this time. Angels attack all characters indiscriminately, so if you enter an area with a lot of monsters, angels and monsters are already fighting each other. This holds true in Erntal as well. I gave up on directly fighting the angels upon seeing them, and I decided to leave all interception to my subordinates, so initially, Azalea, Magenta, Carmine, and Burgundy went out to intercept, but they soon realized that Burgundy alone was sufficient. Azalea and the others were found drinking tea with me. Even one Burgundy turned out to be excessive firepower. Burgundy itself does not attack at all; angels that approach receive damage from the [Death Aroma] on their own and fall. Anyway, monsters vs. monsters can be seen as much as you want in Erntal. There are probably simr situations in various parts of the continent, especially in the dominions of Rare and Lyra. They are probably killing angels without holding back. Moreover, yers whoe during the intervals of angel attacks still seem to have not found a way to break through Burgundys defense and area damage over time. Taking advantage of the reduced penalty, they seem to be repeatedlyunching futile assaults. Its a wee situation for me, as I keep gaining experience points. What a situation Wars and monster battles are already over; theres no future in this angel movie series I have absolutely no idea what youve been saying since earlier. Its nothing. Anyway, my enthusiasm was considerably dampened on the first day of the event. * Its interesting that the older sister of the Demon Lord Rare is the Evil King. For humanity, these sisters are quite troublesome. The story was that she was too much of a shut-in to even cooperate with the sealing of the Golden Dragon. But if you think about it, even in the human world, there are those who shut themselves in and those who dont. Just because they belong to the same race doesnt mean theyll act the same way. This is especially true for beings with high intelligence like humans and Demon Lords. For example, insects are said to have no worries.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om They decide without hesitation and do what is necessary for themselves at that moment. The fact that each of them has evolved to specialize in their own way makes them one of the most diverse categories on the world. On the other hand, humans, through individual struggles, have gained diversity within their species, ultimately dominating the world. Its not a matter of one being better than the other, but humans, by struggling with their thoughts, sometimes fail and sometimes seed. Some were forced by their environment, but that doesnt necessarily lead to the same oue. Even in simr situations, peoples responses vary. Most people consider this freedom. Being a shut-in or not is Lyras freedom as an Evil King. I dont know what she means by something to do, but in Rares style, its probably not something good. So, is the little chat over? What about Lyra-sama? Weiss asionally shows concern about my social circle. Azalea and the others, with faces that seem to have no worries, are in stark contrast, as if they were someones parents or something. Just a little update on the current situation. It seems she became a member of a race called Evil King. What? Weiss looks down in thought for a moment, then says, I have some business to attend to, so Ill be away for 2-3 days, and leaves. At that time, he said something to Azalea and the others, but Azalea and the others just gave a shudder as they watched Weiss leaving. You usually only see that kind of expression in dramas. Lately, people are decreasing more and more. Isnt it a bit lonely? Its sad that Lord Deas and Lady Beetle are gone Not so much for Weiss. Shall I summon a few lower vampires? Its not about that, but well, Ill just appreciate the sentiment. During the event, parties of yers who repeatedly made futile attacks have not beening recently. Therefore, when there is no angel attack, even Burgundy seems idle. In the square, there are also Giant Corpses and Flesh Golems, but they are just sitting around the Burgundy, curled up and sleeping. Its decadent Well, they are undead. Isnt decadence healthier for the undead than being healthy? ? I thought about it a bit, but I didnt really understand. What are you talking about? This might lead to something bad. All right, since its the event period, lets attack some city and expand our territory! Huh? No, when doing something big like that, its better to consult with Lady Rare or Lady Lyra first. What Magenta says also makes sense. However, if I always do that, my own growth is not something to be expected. If, for example, she aplishes something significant here without relying on the two, they will surely be surprised. Dont worry! I can handle a human city on my own! In fact, even a whole country is a piece of cake! At this point, my mind was filled only with visions of the praise I would receive after seeding from Rare and Lyra. Um, normally, I wouldnt want to say something like this, but at least when Weiss is around Its okay, its okay! Im sure the Count will praise me too! During the Aural coup when Lyra lent me a hand, the Count smiled with a face Weiss had never seen before. If theres a chance to see that face again, its enough to boost my motivation. First, I unfolded the map Rare gave to me. Even though I say Ill destroy a city, attacking Hiers or Aurals cities might interfere with Rare and Lyras ns. When you think about it, Rare effectively controls Hiers, and Lyra controls Aural. On the other hand, I only have control over cities like Erntal and Altriva. I also want to try ruling a country. Um, the nearest country from here is Wells, I guess? The map only covers the internal areas of Hiers, so details about the country called Wells are unknown. However, the borderlines are marked. Entering Wells seems easy. If she can fly, crossing over the Abon Mercat Hignds where the Count resides will lead her to Wells. She doesnt n to stop by the castle because she intends to act secretly without the Counts knowledge. Well, lets go and see what happens. The ones who can fly are me, the girls and Burgundy. Burgundy has to stay here to guard, so this time its just the four of us. The Giant Corpses and Flesh Golems seem to have nothing to do, so she wants to utilize them. After crossing the hignds, she can summon them there. The yers probably perceive only the threat of angel attacks during the event, and likely the NPCs as well. After all, angels attack both humans and monsters. In such a situation, there shouldnt be anyone who ignores angels and attacks another faction. If fields and mountains are all weak, be a fool and buy rice! Whats that? Rice? Its a quote from a legendary gambler! Theres also where theres a will, theres a way, well, the main point is, if you do the same things as others, you wont win! Rare and Lyra also seem to have yed differently, just listening to them talk about things. So I figured Id do the same. Um, you seem unaware, but probably your master has already All right, lets go! Oh, by the way, Ill take the sword I borrowed from Rare. Its been a wall decoration for a while now. T/N: I think that with the gambler thing, nc is paraphrasing something Korekawa Ginzo, a famous japanese investor said. For what its worth, Im not sure if its meant to make a lot of sense. Chapter 203: “Official Forum 5” Third Official Event: Large Scale Battle ? ? ? ? 302: ThoseWarmHands Has anyone heard the news from the NPC clergy? 303: Healthyunpeble Theres no clergy in the Old Hiers Capital. Whats going on? 304: Wayne When you say clergy, do you mean someone like a pastor or a priest of the Holy Church? Was there some kind of oracle or something again? 305: Gi1gamesh An oracle? 306: Wayne During thest event, the prime minister told me that the information about the birth of the seventh disaster of the event boss was brought to him by some guy who was the Archbishop of the Holy Church of Hiers. I think the clergy in this game are supposed to convey the managements announcements to the NPCs like that. 307: Gi1gamesh Oh, that. Well, its not exactly an announcement of the birth of a cmity or anything, since it wasnt announced by the devs. 308: MentaList If you want to get in-game information, you should get in-game information, right? 309: ThoseWarmHands Um, Im active in Shape, and the Shape Holy Church and the Shape government have jointly notified the city. The content of the notice is An enemy of mankind has been born. 310: Healthyunpeble Now thats information! What you are talking about? 311: CountryPop You say, Its happened before. Doesnt that mean an eighth was born? 312: Wayne You dont mean the Archangel, do you? 313: MentaList The Archangel is already counted among the 6 initial great cmities. 314: ThoseWarmHands The location is said to be in the former Hiers territory, a ce called Tore Forest. 315: Healthyunpeble Hiers again! I mean, where is it? 316: Wayne When you say Tore Forest, is that the forest a little north of the Liebe Great Forest? Its a 5* dungeon, as I recall. 317: Amatein I thought you said that the Prime Minister was unsure if this cmity, the 8th, was rted to the 7th? I think Wayne told me that the 7th is mainly about undead and insects, but the town near the forest was reported to have been swallowed by trees or something like that. 318: MentaList I think the eighth must be a nt-manipting-type cmity then. If it was already enough to swallow the city at thest event, did it grow up to be a disaster this time because no one did anything about it? 319: Gi1gamesh I dont know if thats possible. Then Neuschloss is in trouble, too, isnt it? I dont think it has anything to do with the 7th or the 8th, either. And the monsters that appear there are goblins or something. Maybe this time, or maybe next time it will be the ninth or something. 320: Amatein Not out of the realm of possibility, but even if it were, theres nothing we can do about it. 321: Takuma If its the boss of Neuschloss, its been defeated once. After that, it was just a normal resurrection. But he looked even worse afterwards. 322: Gi1gamesh Is that possible? I dont know if thats possible, I mean,e to think of it, weve seen it with our own eyes. Thest time we killed a cmity, it was immediately followed by the same resurrected and powered-up cmity and it killed us in a snap. 323: MentaList I see. Maybe thats how certain bosses are supposed to do it. If you dont defeat them after fulfilling some conditions, they may be revived after being powered up. 324: Amatein Not impossible. Its also possible that this eighth could have turned into a disaster level creature with that pattern. If so, I wonder who took it down. If no one defeated it, I dont think it will be revived with a power-up. 325: Healthyunpeble You know whos the strongest candidate 326: Wayne Is it the seventh 327: MentaList Ahh. I get it, there was a potentially powerful entity in your own garden other than itself, so it tried to eliminate it. 328: Gi1gamesh You could say that as a result, it helped its opponent grow up. 329: Takuma NPCs do that on their own? 330: MentaList Im not saying its self-exnatory, but it can be exined by the simple routine of attacking everything thats not your own forces. Thats what even the angel has been doing. 331: Healthyunpeble Yes, thats true about the angels. So the angels and the seventh are in conflict after all? 332: Wayne. Oh, I forgot to mention that it sounds like a conflict. The Bone Dragon was shooting down angels in Erntal. 333: Healthyunpeble Seriously! Thats good! 334: Gi1gamesh I wonder if we can say its okay. If youre not careful, it could be a three-way fight between the Eighth, the Seventh and the Archangel. 335: ThoseWarmHands Um, please include the human race in there and make it a four-way fight. ? ? ? ? 411: Healthyunpeble Angels and bees are fighting in the sky above the Hiers capital? Is this finally the cmity vs. cmity g? 412: White Seaweed It seems like its happening again in the airspace above La Colinne since thest attack. 413: Healthyunpeble Just say the important things like that! 414: Lyewarehouse (T/N: i֭) Maybe because there are no insect-type creatures in the capital. Undead cant fly, so they dispatch flying forces from the forest. Perhaps the shes with angels in the capital were dyed. 415: MentaList >>414 Undead cant fly? Since when was that the assumption? 416: Gi1gamesh There are flying undead in Erntal. 417: CountryPop Erntal? Could it be that bone dragon? Can it fly? 418: Nameless Elf Can it? 419: Wayne Didnt I mention it the other day? It was flying. Not attacking or anything, just flying. The angel crashed into it on its own and fell due to its mysterious passive area damage. 420: Nameless Elf Can it really fly 421: Haruka If it can fly, what about melee sses? 422: Wayne I saw a red skeleton running in the air once before. Maybe it has skills or abilities like that. 423: Lamp Even if it did, what if its impossible unless it loses weight like a skeleton? 424: Kurumi Youre good at dieting, right? Youve done it several times in real life. 425: MentaList Well, thats 426: Gi1gamesh Well, it usually lies on the ground, and it doesnt necessarily have to fly to fight. Weve seen it fight on the ground when not facing angels. 427: Nameless Elf Oh, you tried challenging it. How was it? 428: Wayne Well, it was so-so. The passive area damage cant be blocked by armor, and even if youre an angel, just approaching it causes damage. Its probably impossible in a prolonged battle. I could inflict some wounds, but I dont know how much life it has. 429: Gi1gamesh I dont know if a boss monster of that size has natural LP recovery, but when I challenged it the second time, the wounds I inflictedst time were gone. It probably does have it. Considering that, the pace of damage we deal is not nearly enough. Even if there were ten times more attackers, wed just die in a prolonged battle. 430: MentaList Anyway, Ive takes notes on its normal behavior patterns, so if we organize a raid, we might be able to make some progress. I wonder how many woulde if we recruit. 431: Healthyunpeble I feel like going, but in the beginning, it would just be dying and increasing pattern notes. Moreover, with the possibility of a battle of cmities, its not advisable to do much during the event. 432: CountryPop But once the event ends, death penalties will be back on. Now is the only time to do it. However, being upied with something unrted to the event is also Ive never ranked high in events before, and this time Im trying a bit harder. Protecting the people in the town. 433: Healthyunpeble There are knights in the town, so you wont be able to do much. 434: Nameless Elf There are no knight orders in the recently increased outpost towns in Hiers, so you can act as you please. Well, considering its a newly established town, there are people in the town who were originally strong, and NPC-like vigntes. 435: MentaList Recruiting now might not be the best idea. In any case, weve already moved from Erntal and are in the Hiers capital. 436: Healthyunpeble True, right? I felt like I saw you guys in the capital. 437: Wayne I dont know where CountryPop is putting in effort, but judging by the situation of this wave, earning points by defeating angels in Hiers seems impossible. The insects in the sky will probably take care of the area. 438: Crack Hey, did you see that guy fighting angels in the sky! 439: Healthyunpeble An insect, right? Im watching. 440: Crack No, not that! Well, that too! Where are you guys? Look at the sky in the Hiers capital! 441: Wayne What is that? 442: Healthyunpeble Theres something dangerous! What is that, a dragon!? 443: MentaList Its not bones. It has flesh. 444: Gi1gamesh Dont say its like meat in a bone lol. It has two heads. Its a different species from the one in Erntal. 445: Lyewarehouse Its fighting the angels in coboration with the insects. So its the sevenths pawn. Theres one like that? 446: MentaList Rather, that seems more like a disaster-level creature itself. The Seventh initially appeared d in armor, and its second form looked like an angel, so theres a possibility that its the third form, although not impossible. 447: Wayne No, thats not it. People with enhanced vision might see it, but that dragon is holding something like armor in its hand. That armor is carrying the Seventh. 448: Lyewarehouse So its the sevenths pawn after all 449: Healthyunpeble What is the Archangel doing! 450: MentaList By the way, if a card with Archangel vs. Seventh is drawn, which side would Healthyunpeble support? 451: Healthyunpeble The one with bigger boobs 452: Wayne >>451 In that case, probably the Archangel. Although I havent seen it yet. 453: Gi1gamesh True. Well, I havent seen the Archangel either. ? ? ? ? 510: Alonson In countries other than Hiers, NPC discussions often revolve around the Eighth and angels, but theres no follow-up on the Eighth, especially rted to the angels. 511: Nameless Elf Could it be that its noting out from the Tore Forest? 512: Healthyunpeble Someone, go check. Theres no death penalty now, so if youre going to go, nows the only chance. 513: CountryPop You go, lol. 514: Healthyunpeble I have a duty to witness the battle of cmities in the capital. 515: Warehouse Ash Soup Its not certain that it will happen in the capital. For example, theres a possibility that the Seventh or Archangel might go to the Tore Forest to defeat the Eighth from now on. 516: Healthyunpeble Aaaah! 517: Amatein In any case, the Holy Church often holds speeches in the city, stirring up a sense of crisis with the continuous appearance of enemies to humanity. However, there doesnt seem to be much effort from the country to deal with it. Is it the same in other countries? 518: Yoichi Aural also had warnings from the Holy Church on the first day. However, here, we shifted towards cooperating with the knights to calm the citizens down. The Tore Forest is far, so things wont be resolved quickly. 519: Monkey Dive Sasuke Maybe its a difference in national character. Humans are generally weak. Even though there are many of them, unlike Dwarves and Elves, who can fight individually, humans cant survive without uniting in times of crisis. 520: Nameless Elf What about Wells? 521: Beam-chan Wells is in the middle, I guess. The Holy Church made a fuss at first, but here too, it was only for the first day or two, and from then on, it seemed to settle down. Anyway, its not about a new cmity; the Holy Church and the Knights here 522: Crack Oh, I saw that in some thread. The descent of the Holy Maiden or something. 523: Monmon Thats right. Shes blindfolded, so you cant see her facepletely, but even so, shes so beautiful that you can just tell. 524: Farm Shes unfair. Its not just blond; its like a beautiful shade of tinum blond. I wanted to create my character with that hair color, but I gave up because I couldnt do it in character creation. Probably an impossible color for yers. Can they add it with microtransactions? 525: Crack Is the Holy Maiden blindfolded? I wonder if it wont be regted. Depending on the connection IP, the blindfold might be removed, and the mouth might be closed. 526: Beam-chan There are cases where the blindfold remains as it is. Instead, the chest might be made smaller. 527: Monmon What are you talking about? 528: Beam-chan Anyway, the Holy Maiden has appeared, and shes mowing down angels left and right. The topic is dominating Wells capital. 529: Hasera yers in unrted cities are also gathering in the capital to see the Holy Maiden. Like me. 530: Gi1gamesh Well, honestly, fighting angels is not exactly fun in a visual sense. 531: CountryPop Eh? 532: MentaList >>531 ^ This guy right here, officer 533: Alonson Last time, if I remember correctly, the city was already destroyed the day after the church started making noise, right? Considering that, the Eighth seems quite quiet, or rather, inactive. 534: Amatein Thats right. Just because theyre both cmities doesnt mean they get along, as seen in the conflict between angels and insects. If the Eighth rampages in Hiers, the Seventh wont stay silent about it. 535: Crack Maybe the Seventh is already depressed. The result might be the birth of the Eighth, as mentioned above. 536: MentaListn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The Seventh is a deeply connected opponent, with yers and NPCs teaming up to defeat it. Making it the main boss and having the Eighth as a subordinate is not unthinkable. 537: CountryPop Someone, go check the situation in Tore Forest! 538: Healthyunpeble I really want to go and see, but the outpost towns around the capital are not technically cities, so theres no teleportation spot. The closest one from here is probably the town of Rifure. Its a bit troublesome. Chapter 204: “Littering in tourist areas is a no-no” The power of skill is wonderful. In less than a day, there was a vast space in the cathedral basement of the Royal City of Wells. We had the engineering ants dig a cavity, and using therge amount of soil they found, the craftsmen of Rifure created bricks, which were then used to build the basement. In order to prevent copse, stone pirs were ced regrly in ces. This makes the space seem small, but it is muchrger than it appears. This ce would make a good base for Wells. The ceiling isnt that high, sorge monsters cant get in. I dont see the need forrge monsters, so I dont think thats a problem. You can build walls and some rooms as you see fit. My room may or may not be there, but Mares room, Kerrys room, etc. If anything else is needed, it could be a safe. Inventory is convenient in terms of security and capacity, but it is not suitable for storing funds that will be used by everyone. Alright then, I think Im done at Wells so Im going back to Hiers. Call me if you need anything. I decided to return to Hiers and check on the progress of the other projects I was working on while watching the yers who continued to attack without getting bored. * In the capital city of Hiers, Wayne and others, who seemed to have moved from Erntal, were assaulting without fear of death. There were a few others mixed in as well. Since there were some familiar faces, they were probably individuals who had once defeated Rare in this capital. Since its an opportunity, it might be good to settle the score from that time with him. Wayne and Gi1gamesh, the yers, also had new reasons to confront. I wasnt sure what to do, but I decided to leave Yoroizaka-san behind and go, just me on my own. In order to be intimidating, I summoned Ubel and made a grand entrance sitting on its front legs. Ubel usually walks on four legs, but it can also stand on its hind legs alone. Its wrists have joints as flexible as a humans, and it can even turn its palms upward like a human. Thats where I took a seat. You never get tired of your work, day in and day out, dont you? Especially now, when creepy children are attacking us all from the sky all over the continent. Shouldnt you be protecting the people from the other countries? Cant you guys just go and do that immediately? ! Cmity! The fact that you put it that way means that the people of this continent are aware that youre protecting them. Continent? Rares enhanced hearing picked up the words that MentaList muttered. This might have been a slip of the tongue. If Im an NPC born from monsters, it would be somewhat unnatural for me to know that thisnd is referred to as a continent. Unless someone knows that there are inds and continents in the world, the phrase all over the continent wouldnt be used. If I only knew this continent, in this case, I should have referred to it as thend or the world. However, even if I exin now, it would only raise suspicions. Talking too much doesnt lead to anything good. If only I had blown them away silently with Ubels breath or area-of-effect magic from the sky, things might have been more simple. If I were to be questioned about this incident, I would have to stick to the story that I was originally an NPC human or something, but was forcibly turned into this through an experiment. However, even with that n, my sister, who was supposed to y a role, had already transformed into a grotesque kind of form. The original n was to pretend we were headed west in search of home, but even in the fabricated story, said home had already been lost. Although since no one seems to be suspicious of the behavior of the Event Boss, it doesnt matter so much. As you know, Im protecting the airspace around here now. You could at least say Im protecting it from the angels. In other words, you guys have nothing to do here. But youre the one who destroyed this capital! You could say that the only thing that changed was the residents race, but in the sense of eradicating humans here, thats true. But it was the humans of thisnd that attacked me first. I dont know if you were aware of this or not, but this country, unprovoked, formed a strike force for the sole purpose of killing me. I dont want to die either, so since that was the case, I had no choice but to kill them. I concluded by saying that it was some kind of hillside town where the sh had taken ce. In reality, whether there was a strike force or not, I would have attacked the Hiers capital anyway. Just like with the Lord of La Colinne before, there was no need to mention it. What about Erfahren? You should have attacked it before encountering the strike force. Hey Wayne, if there was a conflict between the upper echelons of the country and the cmity, it would be a conflict between NPCs, which means its a scenario, isnt it? Theres no point in arguing. Even the Prime Minister might not have told us everything, we cant be sure. By Erfahren, do you mean the town near the forest where I was born? If so, you know that it was you and your people who were going into my forest every day from that town and killing my lovely ants. Thats why I destroyed it. Dont me me for that. Thinking about it this way, it could be said that, for now, my actions were only a counterattack. Within the game and its nature, it was a normal thing. As the system allows characters to grow by gaining experience through production andbat, it is only natural for yers to attack monsters, and it is a natural progression for retaliatory monsters to appear. However, considering the current situation and the actions taken in coboration with Lyra, there are excuses for not justifying everything as mere counterattacks. And now, you are once again invading my beautiful city every day. Some of you even paint graffiti on the walls, throw away empty potion bottles, and empty wrappers of portable food. This is unforgivable. Eh? Are there guys like that? W-wait! Thats not our problem! Well, it doesnt have to be you guys, but youd better tell other people you know when you get back. For now, I decided to make the most of the advantage of being in the sky. The first move would be Ubels [gue Breath]. Wait! More importantly, arent you going to fight the angels, the Archangel!? The one who shouted was not a member of Waynes party, but he was someone whose face I had seen before. Could this man be that peel-something yer? I remember he had shown considerable interest in seeing a sh between me and the Archangel. There was another person too, but not someone who looked familiar. It was a yer who was not in the previous raid party. Whether I fight that so-called Archangel or not is none of your business, is it? Well, if that Archangel youre talking about is the one whos sending those creepy kids, then of course I would fight him if he appears in front of me. But I dont even know where he is, so I dont know what youre talking about. And if this yer is the one who is that peel-something guy, then he is an enemy. A dark radiance emanated from Ubels open jaw. If released slowly, the effect bes quite subdued, turning it into an attack that only inflicts a status abnormality without damage. However, when released forcefully like this, it also causes some damage upon impact. Ugh! Its not much damage, but I failed to resist something! Its a gue! Menta, do you have a healing item!? I do! Just a moment!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Surprisingly, he does have it. In fact, encountering the status abnormality of a gue is something that can happen quite early in the game. However, those who have only done early-game experience grinding in forests or grasnds may not be familiar with it. But in cases where you undertake quests for cleaning sewers in the city, or defeating rat-type and slime-type monsters nesting there, countermeasures be necessary. There are also cases where bat-type monsters in caves act as carriers, although these are exceptions. Whether he prepared it for a quest he once took or has been keeping it in his inventory for convenience in various situations, its surprising. Regardless, theres no need to leisurely wait for recovery. The next one is here! Its a different breath from earlier! Its okay; this one is poison-type! It can be healed with the skill [Detox]! [Toxic Breath] is an attack that inflicts nerve poison. It falls under the higher-level category of [Venom], causing continuous damage, but its main effect is paralysis. Therefore, if relying on items, a nerve system treatment is required. When attempting to recover with items, it can be confusing for first-timers to decide which treatment to use since both damage and paralysis are inflicted simultaneously. This is one of the troublesome aspects of venom. However, if recovery is done with a skill, Detox can cover everything. The sess threshold for the recovery skill depends on the depth of the targets abnormality. To recover from severe poison, a considerable stat would be required, but amazingly, it worked in one shot. This yer called MentaList didnt seem to use recovery skills when I met him before, I wonder when he acquired that at such a high level. Well, I knew that I wasnt the only one growing as a character. Honestly, I underestimated this yer. He had quite a proficiency in Mental Magic, but it was of no threat against me. In terms of directbat power, only Wayne and Gi1gamesh warranted any attention; he was just their support. While recovering from damage and abnormal statuses, the five yers regained their footing. However, they came mainly to fight the Carknights of the Hiers Capital, and they didnt have means of attacking me in the air. Considering efficiency, they should have brought at least one mage, but perhaps they didnt need it with the attack power of Wayne and Gi1gamesh. Alright then, dont forget what I said earlier and tell your otherrades. Staring at Gi1gamesh in the center, I activated [Dark Implosion] through [Demonic Eyes] and disposed of the five yers. Whether they wore Adamas armor or not, it didnt matter. Even Adamandukes couldnt endure this magic unleashed by me. The experience gained this time is less than the previous one. In other words, the gap in strength has widenedpared tost time, and it seems unlikely that they will catch up anytime soon. * On the evening of the third day of the event, a system message informed me that the three Newts left in Liebes cave had fulfilled the conditions for reincarnation. The destination for their reincarnation is the Hiers Smander. Originally, this was a case where I had considered the possibility of them naturally reincarnating to save on Philosophers Stone usage. Now, the issue of mass-producing Philosophers Stones has been resolved thanks to the pure hearts. To be honest, I had forgotten about it until it came up. Since they were thrown into the undergroundke on the evening of the first day, it took two in-game days. While it is excellent in terms of operability as they can meet the conditions automatically without doing anything, listing other things that could be done within these two days would imply inefficient time usage. For now, lets reincarnate them and leave them be. They might be Skinks. If that happens, it will save on experience points. To turn them into Skinks, Water Magic and Fire Magic are required. If I intend to mass-produce Gargouilles, it will involve a considerable consumption. To prepare ten, they need to acquire the skills for 300 bodies. The specific requirements beyond that for turning them into Gargouilles are unknown, but judging from the example of Amphisbaena, it might be around 800. For ten, it would be 8000. A considerable amount that can be used to upgrade a set of both a World Tree and a Spirit Lord. I wonder if I should take the romance out of it and create a Dragon Corps, or if I should acquire my own Spirit Lord Well, I think Id rather have a dragon squad, assuming that the Spirit Lord can be acquired from a Portree royal family survivor who can be seduced. If they are Portrees royalty, they should already be High Elves. Therefore, there is no need to prepare the World Tree for their reincarnation. By the way, if you need a World Tree to be a High Elf from an Elf without using any items, how did the first two High Elves reincarnate? It could be that someone created an item, like the item to turn an Elf into a High Elf. In that case, the most suspicious would be the former Spirit Lord, but ming everything on him seems like a suspension of thought. To create a centrally controlled nation, superior beings with Subordinating abilities were needed as hands and feet, so an item was created for that purpose. While it doesnt seem like a person who can think politically based on what Ive heard, there might have been a separate person serving as the brains. The image of the former Spirit Lord in my mind is a muscr dwarf with a double biceps, showing off his upper body with a Santa us-like beard. Alternatively, he may have had wings on his back or horns on his head. In any case, he seemed more like an enemy of humanity than Lyra or me. Perhaps the aesthetic sense at that time was different from that of the yers. Im d I wasnt there at that time. This in-game world seems to have continued since before the start of the service, except for minor adjustments and updates. Perhaps the reason the management chose this era for the service was that the aesthetic sense of the NPCs was waiting for it to approach that of modern people. For now, the cave in Liebe Great Forest always exudes dense mana without doing anything meaningful. Although its meaningless, its a waste to just leave it as is. I decided to put as many Newts as possible into the cave. Oh, by the way. While Im at it If Im going to Liebe Great Forests cave anyway, there are things Id like to do. There should still be Lyras Gargouilles in Tore Forest. Lets ask her for help a bit. She contacted Lyra to convey that to Abigor and headed to Tore Forest. * This. Fufu. Im sure this wont kill you so easily. I verified to reduce my own lethality while in the cave of the Liebe Great Forest, and when I took a break, I received a friend chat from Mare. Whats that? Thats not very clear. If thats just a fancy way of saying that youre trying to get my attention, its a big deal. After taking a break from the verification to reduce her own lethality while in the cave of the Liebe Great Forest, Mare sent a friend chat to me. Chapter 205: “Dashing Appearance” Perhaps it seems we are under attack by Lady nc. In a hurry, I flew to the capital of Wells and upon inquiring with Mare, that was the report. What? nc? Why? I cannot say for certain the reason Currently, Lady Kerry and the Holy Church are coordinating with the knights outside the city walls to restrain the massive undead. Please have a look there. As instructed, I [Summoned] Kerrys perspective and shared it. Indeed, those undead were her familiars. They seemed to be a Giant Corpse and a Flesh Golem. While it was not impossible for them to ur naturally, if such conspicuous creatures were wandering around, it would have be a topic on the forum, especially in a city with somewhat lower defense capabilities; it would likely have been destroyed. If these undead were not naturally urring, then they were most likely created by me. Since undead fusion had only been done once, it was undoubtedly from the previous production batch, the result of merging ncs zombies as an experiment. Or rather, it would be faster to ask nc directly. Hello, nc? What are you doing right now? Oh, Rare-chan! Right now? Its a secret! Could it be that youre attacking a city? Perhaps Wellss capital? Eh? Amazing! How did you know? Are you a mind reader? Ah, so that was it. It was indeed nc. While it was unclear why she did such a thing, it wasnt like nc had done something wrong. They had discussed cooperating as much as possible with Lyra included in their three-way conversation. However, regarding Wells, no one had dered any specific actions yet, except maybe Lyra releasing bandits or something trivial. It was all minor. In terms of timing, nc and I had both set their sights on this country almost simultaneously, with me operating covertly and nc nning arge-scale attack, coincidentally colliding. Thats probably the case. No, actually, Im in the city right now. Eh!? Is that so!? It wasnt necessary to report every detail of future attacks or actions to each other. After-the-fact reporting was sufficient. I had intended to do so, and it seemed nc too. I see So, it means Rare-chan came here first. What should I do? Should I go back? Uhh, Im sorry? No, its mutual. Just wait a moment. You can continue your attack as nned. However, since they had collided right at the beginning, there was no helping it. The ident had already urred. Moreover, it was a big deal for the NPCs and yers living in this city. In the midst of dealing with the iing horde of angels, the sudden appearance of a saint from the Holy Church, followed by the onught of a massive undead, was too abrupt. Even though it was an event, the unfolding was so rapid that it would likely cause confusion. One would worry that the reports to the country were already congested somewhere. However, if nc suddenly retreated now, it would look suspicious. If the giant undead, which had been attacking with great enthusiasm, were to back away without any particr reason, it might be suspected that someone had given them instructions to do so. Especially now, when angels are scatteringrge numbers of Pure Hearts. It is unclear if there really are any living necromancers, but if Gustavs story is correct, they must be very active. If there is such a person, he or she would be suspected. If there is, or rather, as far as I know, there is definitely one necromancer who has infiltrated the royal capital. Of course, that refers to me. Logically speaking, there is no solid evidence linking a Pure Heart to a giant undead creature, but if there is even the slightest reason to believe so, people will readily believe it. It is called normalcy bias. People tend to believe what they want to believe. Then there are scenarios that are more sensational and make us want to believe them. For example, a giant undead appeared at the same time as the angel, but the city was protected by the saint sent by God. This is where the Church of the Holy Church of Wells, which has a reputation for match pumping,es in. * The walls that envelop the capital of Wells are remarkably high. However, the undead currently attacking the city arerge enough to seemingly reach over those towering walls. This is the capital, the most heavily defended ce in Wells. The quality of the knights defending the city is higher than in other towns, and their numbers are greater. Even recently, creatures called angels had been indiscriminately attacking cities, but this capital had not suffered any significant damage. This was not only due to the strength of the knights but also because of a remarkable savior. A radiant maiden known as the Saint from the Wells Holy Church appeared, diverting and defeating the attacking angels single-handedly, repeating heroic actions. This city, or rather this entire country, felt protected by the watchful eyes of the gods. However, on this day, giant undead suddenly appeared from a distance and headed towards the city. The undead approached the city walls, knocking down several knights. While its strength was not enough to render the knights incapacitated with a single blow, its sheer size provided an advantage. The attacks from the knights seemed to inflict damage, but the giant undeads high vitality made it appear less effective. Thanks to capable bishops from the Wells Holy Church and mercenaries affiliated with the citys trade guild participating in the defense, the situation had not escted to the point of breaching the city walls, but it seemed to be only a matter of time. To make matters worse, an rming number of giant undead, double the attacking force, appeared as reinforcements. The original undead, perhaps due to umted damage, fell back, allowing the newly arrived undead to take the forefront, breaking the spirits of the knights. The citizens looked up to the sky in despair. However, God had not forsaken Wells. Enter the aforementioned Saint. Her hair gleamed even in the dim twilight as she swiftly ascended the city walls. Without a moment for the residents and knights to react with surprise, she leaped outside the city and, using her proficient [Sacred Magic], obliterated the nearby giant undead that had not yet suffered damage. Magic, however, is not omnipotent. Once cast, there is a cooldown period called recast time before the same magic can be used again. But that wasnt a cause for concern either.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The Saint ascended the bodies of the giant undead, just like the city walls, kicked the enemys shoulder to leap, and thrust her sword into the top of its head. Whether it was a skill or a feat, the head of the giant undead pierced by the sword exploded as if struck by [Sacred Magic], and it fell to the ground. By the time the Saint had already moved on to the next enemy before the fallen one, shing its neck. As one foe fell, she seamlessly moved on to the next, and the next, defeating the undead in a flowing sequence. By the time the reinforcements of giant undead that appearedter were mostly taken care of, the remaining undead seemed to sense the disadvantage and fled back to where they came from. And they fled. Alls well that ends well, I suppose. Timing my sword thrust with Mare, I blew away the head of the Giant Corpse with [Sacred Magic] and took a breath. The ones I had summoned from Liebes grasnd with the recent call were thest batch. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I decided to enhance the fame of the Saint. However, not wanting to harm ncs pawns for that, I summoned identical Giant Corpses and had Mare defeat them. They portrayed it as if things were turning unfavorable after Mares defeat, and nc and the others naturally withdrew. Good job! Thank you. Sorry, nc. Ill make it up to you. Nah! Its my fault for attacking on my own without saying anything. We did say its mutual, right? If nc wants to start a war anywhere, how about Shape? Its the least important ce right now, but what do you think? By the way, if nc could keep an eye on Shape, which is not easily observable, it would be a great help. Anywheres fine! Alright, lets go there after this! Eh!? Right now? Well, okay. Let me know when you decide. Once the cleanup here is done, Ille check the situation. Roger! Oh, by the way, you were so cool, Mare-chan, right? The saintly girl! Graceful entrance! Wells beautiful Saint! Well, see youter. While the situation was contained before the city walls could be breached, some knights had injuries. Parts of the attacked city walls had copsed. The church provided aid to the injured knights, and once healed, the knights assisted in repairing the walls. Kerrys controlled trade guild also contributed manpower. Skilled craftsmen under theirmand swiftly progressed with the wall repairs, thanks to their abilities. After the departure of the Giant Corpses, the Wells capital was filled with joy. Citizens were celebrating in the main streets and squares, and the owners of taverns and daytime stalls were selling simple dishes, expecting loose purse strings from the joyous residents. Of course, the first to start this were the merchants under mymand. The goal was not to make money. It was to ensure that the residents remembered that they overcame this threat thanks to the church. Themotion would serve as a good reminder of this eventter. Human memory is vague and tends to fade over time. Especially for things observed or heard only once. However, if multiple senses, such as smell or taste, are involved in the experience, memories tend tost longer and be more vivid. It was unknown if NPCs or AI in the game had such specifications. In fact, it was unclear whether AI even experienced forgetfulness. But it was better to do it than not. At least for now, the entire city had a positive atmosphere. Looking down from above, Saint Mare and the Holy Church appeared incredibly popr. It was unknown how the knights, dominated by nobles and royalty, felt, but at least the guards, or soldiers, seemed to look favorably upon them, probably due to receiving healing from the knights. Well, there might be nobles thinking its better to die and respawn than create debts by getting healed, but For now, there was no sign of anyone recognizing me from below. However, that might not be the case forever. When Mare was urged to climb the city walls, I used my Demonic Shield as a foothold. Originally, I had considered using myself as a stepping stone, but Mare vehemently rejected the idea. We had to settle for using my Demonic Shield, which was possible because Mare could perceive it. Demonic Shields with LP could be seen with True Eyes. In other words, if someone with True Eyes were present, I would appear as an unnatural ovep of multiple LP instances. yers with True Eyes like the archer who targeted me in the Hiers capital did exist. And NPCs with such skills, like the angels, also existed. From their perspective, disappearing into the air and floating might seem suspicious. Whether I disappear or not, I still stand out. Well, nothing can be done about this. It might be useful when I want to efficiently find someone with True Eyes, though. As themotion began to settle down, nc contacted me. It seemed she had arrived at Shape. My underlings, the Giant Corpses, had respawned in the grasnd. I would lend them if needed, as an apology. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!