――――――――――
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The race level of your familiar has increased.
The job level of your familiar has increased.
Your familiar, Karnaghtul, has acquired the skill [Tail Strike].
The level of [Staff Mastery] skill has increased.
The level of [Scythe Mastery] skill has increased.
Newly learned the martial technique “Grand Flying Slash” of [Scythe Mastery].
The level of [Intelligence Enhancement] skill has increased.
The level of [Spirit Enhancement] skill has increased.
The level of [Health Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of [Magic Power Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.
The level of [Advanced Magic Control] skill has increased.
The level of [Earthen Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Water and Ice Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Flame Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Storm Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Forest Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Lava Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Sand Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Mist Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Lightning Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Explosion Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Holy Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned the “Holy Ray” spell.
The level of [Black Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Space-Time Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned the “Base Teleport” spell.
The level of [Void Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Summoning Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Enchantment] skill has increased.
The level of [Talismanry] skill has increased.
The level of [Magic Circle] skill has increased.
The level of [Necromancy] skill has increased.
The level of [Curse] skill has increased.
The level of [Trap Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Spirit Channeling] skill has increased.
The level of [Witchcraft] skill has increased.
The level of [Appraisal] skill has increased.
The level of [Assassination] skill has increased.
――――――――――
It was Friday night, and within the game world, it was early afternoon. We were about to begin our exploration of the Vetus Floating Island.
Hmm? Wondering what I did during the weekdays this week? Well, I spent my time fishing and then engaging in some intense battles, over and over again. I managed to reduce the population of fish in the spring by nearly half.
This past week was all about grinding levels. Despite the effort, my level only increased by two, leaving me at level 35.
The creatures that appeared were mostly the Great Evilfish. And, interestingly, they were mostly carps. So, let me introduce a non-carp creature for a change.
――――――――――
Race: Great Evilfish Trout Lv43
Job: Earth Mage Lv3
Skills:
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Fish Scales]
- [Health Enhancement]
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Intelligence Enhancement]
- [Earthen Magic]
- [Water and Ice Magic]
- [Aquatic]
- [Water Resistance]
- [Lightning Weakness]
Race: Great Killer Water Strider Lv44
Job: Assassin Lv4
Skills:
- [Strong Jaw]
- [Agility Enhancement]
- [Water and Ice Magic]
- [Stealth]
- [Sneak]
- [Ambush]
- [Assassination]
- [Water Travel]
- [Water Resistance]
- [Lightning Weakness]
――――――――――
Well, as for the trout, there wasn’t much change from our previous attack tactic aside from resisting with magic after reeling it in. The real challenge was the fearsome creature known as the Great Killer Water Strider. Speaking of water striders, they’re basically pond skaters. I had no idea that’s what they were called in English!
However, these creatures weren’t opponents to be taken lightly. They could move on the water’s surface without making a sound, so when I was focused on fishing, they would strike without mercy. And they were quite courteous about it too, always attacking from behind.
They look like oversized pond skaters… Well, yeah, that’s definitely scary enough, but when a group of them attacked, I got pretty scared. If Ruby hadn’t noticed ahead of time, we might have faced total annihilation.
Now, let me introduce what these enemies dropped.
――――――――――
- Monster Fish Scale – Quality: Good, Rarity: C (Common)
Scales from a fish that turned into a monster, known as monster fish scales.
These scales are significantly tougher than those of regular fish and are suitable for crafting armor.
Moreover, scales with beautiful colors and patterns are in demand as interior decorations.
- Water Horse Snout – Quality: Good, Rarity: R (Rare)
An organ from a water horse that turned into a monster, used for siphoning bodily fluids.
It’s as hard as metal and is well-suited for crafting piercing weapons.
Additionally, its hollow nature allows for the infusion of toxins and other substances.
- Magic Stone (Water) – Quality: Superior, Rarity: R (Rare)
A stone generated within a monster’s body, imbued with water elemental magic.
It absorbs and stores magic power from its surroundings.
The absorption efficiency depends on the quality, and the maximum magic capacity is proportional to its rarity.
――――――――――
There were also other fish-based food items, but they aren’t relevant to me, so I’ll skip those. Speaking of which, I realized that I’d never received any ingredients when I skinned these creatures. Perhaps only necessary items are dropped.
Anyway, putting that aside, the materials for weaponry are something to be happy about. Also, those magic stones with attributes are quite valuable. There’s a limit to the amount of magic stones my staff can give out, and in crucial moments, it’s more practical to have an abundance of stones to let the staff absorb.
Moving on, there’s the matter of Karl’s growth, my new martial technique, and my magic spell. Karl has leveled up and grown noticeably larger. Despite remaining adorable in his voice, his attack sharpness and weight have undoubtedly increased.
His newly acquired skill, [Tail Strike], seemed to enhance tail-based attacks. At the tip of Karl’s tail, there were scales that have transformed into sword-like formations. It won’t be long before we witness the sight of him slashing through enemies with it.
As for the new magic spell, let’s delve into the ‘Chimer” spell of [Alchemy], which I learned after creating those undead for the Gravekeeper. This spell involves drawing a specialized magic circle, placing living beings or materials within it, and then activating the magic. This results in the birth of a creature formed from the combination of these elements.
Creatures, monsters, of course, and even beasts or humans could apparently be combined. The materials to mix seemed to be quite versatile as well—dropped items from monsters, forged weapons, and even materials from the same creature. The possibilities for combinations were virtually limitless!
However, there seemed to be numerous instances where the compatibility of materials was poor, leading to failures. Moreover, it was said that in the event of failure, the resultant creature would either die immediately or turn ferociously violent, wreaking havoc. If someone attempted this, he would have to proceed with utmost caution.
Furthermore, the fact that humans could be used as materials was quite unsettling. There was a disconcerting notion that players could possibly transform into monsters by using humans as materials… Well, even though the outcome of failure might be beyond imaginable horrors.
Moving on, the martial technique of [Scythe Mastery] called the “Great Flying Slash”…it remained unchanged. It required a slight charging period but was a more powerful martial technique than “Flying Slash”. It seemed like I would be relying on this move quite often from now on.
Next was the “Holy Ray”, a spell I had seen the mage of the hero’s party use during their battle with me acting as the boss in the “Cursed Tomb Tower”. It emitted a brilliant white beam of light. However, witnessing holy light radiating from someone as evil-looking as myself was quite surreal.
Lastly, there was the “Base Teleport” spell. This spell allowed one to return to the respawn point. While the consumption of magic power increased when in a party, every member could still return as well. Nevertheless, our current respawn point was the lizardman village—that house designated for our use—so we weren’t using it at the moment. Can you imagine how much of a hassle it would be to make our way back here again?
“Alright, then it’s time to set off.”
Having concluded the assessment of my weekday results, I was now ready to embark on the exploration of the Vetus Floating Island. Since everyone had diligently raised their levels, it seemed like we could even take down the strong Ratman King.
“Alright! Let’s go!”
Ah, Iris seemed to be brimming with enthusiasm. And rightfully so, as she had undergone evolution through leveling up during the weekdays. Her evolved race was the Big Roper Worker; her body had grown a size larger, enhancing her defense and enabling her to wield her tentacles with greater strength. She had indeed become significantly more formidable as a monster.
Not only had her pure combat power increased, but her newfound strength had proven beneficial in crafting as well. There appeared to be numerous instances where strength was required in production, and Iris was greatly pleased with this. Particularly, the scope of [Blacksmithing], a craft that involved tasks requiring a certain level of strength, had expanded significantly.
In any case, let’s set off. Firstly, Genjuro, who could fly through the air, me, and Karl transported Jigoro and Iris across the spring to the opposite bank. Both of them were quite large races, which made the process quite challenging. Meanwhile, Ruby had been assigned the task of keeping watch in the water in anticipation of fish or other creatures, even though in the end, nothing showed up.
Now, with no major incidents as we crossed the spring, we were faced with an expanse of dense forest. While it might appear as an ordinary forest at first glance, its dangers were undoubtedly on a different level compared to the forest on the western side of Firth. Let’s brace ourselves and move forward cautiously.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
“Stop. There’s something up ahead to the right,”
In response to the warning from Ruby, who had been moving through the trees, we readied our weapons and turned our attention slightly to the right front. After about a minute, a rustling sound drew closer, gradually growing louder.
Despite it being daytime, the one-eyed giant with a bald head, that emerged from behind the trees, obscured the sunlight and cast shadows over us. The giant was only clad in a loincloth, with a single horn protruding from its forehead. In its right hand, it held a stone axe crudely tied to a stick. Perhaps a member of a barbaric tribe with an ogre lineage?
“Grrrrrrrr!”
“Enemy spotted. Get ready to fight!”
Thanks to the [Linguistics] skill, we could tell that it held nothing but hostility toward us. Besides, encountering a charging foe barking at us didn’t exactly encourage the idea of making friends. First, let’s start with [Appraisal].
――――――――――
Race: Cyclops Lv45
Job: Berserker Lv5
Skills:
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Sharp Claw]
- [Sharp Horn]
- [Fist Technique]
- [Kick Technique]
- [Staff Mastery]
- [Axe Mastery]
- [Helath Enhancement]
- [Strength Enhancement]
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Herculean Strength]
- [Roar]
- [One-Eye View]
――――――――――
The number of its skills was quite impressive, but it was clear that this creature was a complete musclebrain….. or rather, a pure physical attacker. It was certain that it would use its endowed physique to come crashing down on us.
However, the meaning of the skill [One-Eye View] was rather mysterious. A weakness, perhaps? Or could there be something unique that [One-Eye View] could enable for its wielder?
…No, this was indeed a weakness. For me, this might be the perfect opportunity. Let’s give it a try!
“Activate magic circle, Sand Wind!”
“Goah!?”
As I thought. I was now convinced that [One-Eye View] was a weakness. Blinding its sole eye like this leaves it unable to see anything. While using the Dark Mask might also be effective, this was a chance to showcase [Sand Magic], which was a skill I rarely used. It’s settled then, I’m going with this approach!
“Oraa!”
“Hmph!”
“This is a breeze!”
“Kyuu!”
“”Great Flying Slash!””
The Cyclops, with its one eye covered by its free hand, wildly swung its stone axe around. There wasn’t much else it could do.
However, our vanguard was a group of monsters. They paid no mind to precision and attacked relentlessly with punches and slashes. Iris and I, both in danger if we got too close, pummeled the enemy from a safe distance with martial techniques and magic spells. As for Karl, he seemed to be mimicking me, casting spells of his own.
“Gaaaaaarrrr…”
Considering that the one-eyed cyclops was at the same level as the Ratman King, we should have struggled significantly if we had fought it head-on. However, the pitiful cyclops, with its weakness exploited, was mercilessly beaten and fell down.
Since arriving at Vetus Floating Island, our fights seemed to follow the same pattern. Well, except for the battle with the Great Killer Water Strider. We did fight it head-on, but it turned out to have low health, despite its appearance. So long as you were cautious and didn’t get hit, you could manage surprisingly well.
I was fine with it, to be honest. It was easy. But Jigoro and Genjuro seemed a bit downcast… I get that they want to face formidable foes, but could they please be a bit more patient? I’m begging here!
“Well then, it’s time to collect our spoils.”
Iris extended her tentacles and thrust a skinning knife into the fallen, cyclops. Now, I wonder what would drop from it?
――――――――――
- Cyclops Horn – Quality: Good, Rarity: R (Rare )
This majestic horn comes from a male One-Eyed Cyclops, known for acting independently.
It’s harder than metal yet possesses a certain flexibility.
Although it is difficult to process, it serves as a premium material for high-quality weapons.
――――――――――
A horn, huh? We had Iris, a skilled craftsman among us, so I’m sure it’ll be turned into an excellent weapon.
Now then, we’ve figured out an easy way to defeat the Cyclops. So, let’s proceed as usual, hunting down monsters along the way!
Leave a Reply