After that, following some fruitless negotiations, our residence permit and property were finalized. Ultimately, the property where we stayed turned out to be the largest vacant house in the lowest part of the town.
The property was a two-story building with a spacious living room that comfortably accommodated around twenty people beyond individual bedrooms and even a splendid kitchen. It was quite lavish.
Similar to real life, living in a high place seemed to carry an implied societal status. However, since many of us couldn’t fly, we went to a lower location for convenience. Somehow, I felt that if I were in a high place, I would frequently run into the elders and Mr. Hayes by coincidence.
It’s hard to put into words, but I was simply tired. If it were my own doing, that would be one thing, but I couldn’t understand why I had to mediate disputes among those who were arguing for gains even within the game. After receiving the property, I registered it as my respawn point and immediately logged out.
And now it was Sunday. Having slept overnight, my motivation had also recovered. Well then, as for what to do from today… I had actually already decided. Since it concerned everyone, I would wait until everyone gathered before discussing it.
As I headed towards the living room, I found that Iris and Ruby were already there. And then there was Karl, curled up and sleeping on the sofa. Did he take a liking to the soft sofa?
While the sight of the two conversing amicably was a usual one, Ruby seemed somewhat restless. I wondered if something was wrong.
“Good morning.”
“Oh, good morning.”
“Good morning! Hey, hey, Isam! Do you remember what day it is today?”
Ruby asked me while bouncing up and down. Hmm, was today some kind of special day? Uh, I couldn’t think of anything at all.
“Sorry, I give up.”
“Fufufufu! Today is the day the second batch is coming!”
Ah, that’s right! I completely forgot! Let’s see, if I remember correctly, the second batch of players was supposed to be able to log in from noon, right? That means… within about forty minutes here, but a whole ten minutes in real life, they’ll be arriving.
And I’ve heard that among the second batch is Ruby’s friend. It must be exciting to be able to play with real-life friends here.
“Speaking of which, Ruby’s friend was planning on choosing the Birdian race, right?”
“Yeah! We’ve already secured a base, so I’ll go pick her up once she logs in!”
“Hmm… You might not need to go pick her up.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Actually, there was something that had been on my mind for a while. It was about the first spawning points for monster players. I started in the sewers, Iris started on the mountainside, and Genjuro was in the earth. But Jigoro was in the goblin village, and Ruby was in a swarming area of slime.
What I could deduce from this was that it’s possible to start from a settlement or habitat of the same race. So, could it be that Ruby’s friend will start here, in the Birdy Perch town as her starting point?
I don’t think the possibility is unlikely. It’s more natural that way. However, I don’t understand why it wasn’t the same for me, Iris, and Genjuro. Could there be some specific conditions?
If that were to be confirmed, it would be a topic for a post on the bulletin board. It’s frustrating that I have no choice but to wait for the second batch to arrive to gain any certainty.
“If that’s the case, then it’s lucky we can start playing from today!”
Upon hearing my explanation, Ruby started bouncing even higher. Since there’s no certainty, please don’t complain if I’m wrong, okay?
“Well, if that’s the case, it looks like we have a completely open schedule now. We were planning on going to pick up Ruby’s friend after all.” Iris remarked.
“Yeah, that’s the thing. I have a suggestion to make as well,” I added.
“What is it?”
Iris bent her tentacles in a questioning expression. I took out a piece of paper and showed it to them.
“Is that the talisman from the zombie (Jiangshi) we defeated earlier?”
“Yes, exactly. I want to apply this and have everyone give it a try.”
“For what purpose?”
I said while tapping the talisman with my staff.
“To overcome weaknesses.”
◆◇◆◇◆◇
Right after I finished explaining my plan to Iris and Ruby, Jigoro and Genjuro logged in. Just as I was about to discuss my training plan with them, a notification sound echoed in my head.
――――――――――
You have 2 new management notifications.
――――――――――
Oh, it looks like it’s exactly noon. One of the messages was a report that the second batch of players had arrived.
The other message was a patch note detailing significant changes to the system. While there were parts that didn’t seem relevant to players, the areas highlighted in red in the patch notes were emphasized as must-reads. I should check them out immediately.
First and foremost, it became possible to create a guild. A guild is essentially a larger organization than a party. It’s not mandatory to join one, but it seems that being part of the same guild allows members to support each other in various ways. Unless there’s a specific reason not to, joining one would be preferable.
To start one up, all one needs to do is apply from the newly added guild tag in the menu screen. They’re considerate even toward non-humans, aren’t they?
Next, they mentioned adding an option for setting up notifications for skill level-ups. It appears that one can customize the timing so that notifications only come at intervals they’ve set, like every 5 levels or every 10 levels.
I’ve wanted this feature for so long! The constant notifications about my skills were becoming such a hassle. This is a fantastic addition! I’ll immediately set the notifications for everything except race and job level to every 5 levels.
And finally, the last change was the inclusion of friendly fire in team battles. We used to employ a strategy where we’d send the vanguard charging in and hit them with area magic. It was useful, but has it become impossible now? Well, it was undeniably too convenient, so it’s understandable if it’s been addressed. We’ll need to confirm tactics and coordination.
However, the last change wasn’t that much of an issue for me. In fact, it’s just about perfect for executing what I had in mind.
“Oooh! Just as Isam thought, that kid is in the Twelve Great Temples!”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
Hmm, the Bardian race started from the Twelve Great Temples of Birdy Perch, huh? Quite envious. Iris was wriggling her tentacles in a complex manner. Well, she had been lonely and struggling when she spawned on her starting point…
“Also, it seems there aren’t many players who chose the same Bardian race.”
“Is that so?”
Being a race with the ability to fly, I thought it would become quite popular…
“Well, think about it. Maybe because the PV (promotional video) didn’t show any Bardian monsters?”
“There didn’t seem to be any dungeons featuring them as bosses either.”
“Ah, I see…”
The grand unveiling event of the random dungeon, where we served as the bosses. Back then, each boss was designed as a race that players could become if they fulfilled certain conditions.
The skeleton executioner I portrayed was the same. It seems that one has gained quite a bit of popularity, so there are likely many players aiming for it. By this point, I wonder if there are swarms of scythe-wielding skeletons roaming around the Firth City area?
Other notable discussions online were the intense battle between the cavalry player and Jigoro and the captivating performances of Genjuro’s battles. Additionally, there were several visually impressive races, despite their defeat. The name of the Birdian race was not among them. Perhaps this made all the difference.
“But isn’t it convenient for us that there aren’t any other players of the Bardian race?”
“That’s true.”
If there had been other Bardian players, we would have had to do everything in our power to recruit them into our group.
It might sound like bragging, but we surged ahead before anyone else. Our very existence held immense value. To conceal that, our only option was to bring others into our team. No matter how disagreeable they might be.
“For now, I’ll go and extend the invitation!”
“Yes, I’m counting on you.”
Ruby dashed off energetically. She must be really excited.
“So, where are we heading today?” Jigoro asked.
“Are we aiming for the southern part of the forest?” Genjuro followed.
Hey, hey! The southern part of the forest is where that boss from Margaret’s story is, right? There’s no way we can take a beginner there with us, can we?
“Well, no, for a while starting today, I want us all to focus on training while holding back on adventuring.”
“”Training?” “
Jigoro’s and Genjuro’s voices overlapped. Though they seemed puzzled by my words, they didn’t seem opposed to the idea. They probably practiced martial arts or something else in real life, so their reaction likely came from an understanding of the importance of training.
“Yeah, it’s sudden, but there’s one problem. Birdy Perch here trades not only with the villages at the foot of the island but also with countries beyond the Vetus Floating Island.”
“Really? No way!”
“Yeah, it’s true. It seems that Birdians of the migratory type can fly even while carrying heavy loads.”
By the way, the country they’re trading with is called “Flower (Hana)” from the Aquaria Islands. Does that ring a bell?
“So, what’s the issue then?” Genjuro asked.
“That’s right. My question is, ‘what special products are used in the trade?’ What do you guys think?”
“Hmm… maybe bows and arrows?” Jigoro replied.
“Then I’d say intricate woodwork.” Genjuro gave his answer.
Oh, both of you are close!
“Close. Those two products are contending for second and third place among the special products. The first place is incomparable in terms of the quantity traded.”
In the vicinity of Birdy Perch, many birds inhabit the area, and arrows crafted from their feathers and the trimmed ends of nesting trees are highly popular among archers. Similarly, intricate woodwork carved from the same nesting tree material is favored by the wealthy.
So, it’s arrows that sell in large quantities and finely crafted woodworking that fetches high prices.
“Ah, I have no idea!”
“Me neither. Can you tell us?”
“The correct answer, well, it’s this.”
I tapped the zombie (Jianshi) talisman with my staff, just like when I showed it to Iris.
“A talisman?”
“No. Wrong guess, Jigoro.” Genjuro said.
Oh? It seems Genjuro has figured it out.
“I see. This is a treetop town. There is no shortage of plants here, right?”
“Plants…? Oh! It’s paper!” Jigoro exclaimed.
“Exactly.”
Indeed, the local specialty of Birdy Perch was paper, which was both produced and used in trade. It seemed that in the country of “Flower” paper currency was employed, and as a result, they procured it for that purpose.
Considering this, one might think that the Birdians could simply request metal products as compensation. However, things were not as straightforward. The other party was aware of the Birdians’ eagerness for metal goods, making it less than favorable. They took advantage of this situation.
With that in mind, the desire to find alternative trading partners emerged. Yet, it appeared that there were no other nations where trade could be conducted relatively safely with monsters. Despite knowing they were overcharged, they had no choice but to continue with the trade.
“And then we show up with the iron and a skilled craftsman who can work with it?” Genjuro said.
“Exactly.”
“They even constructed a personal workshop for my use outside the town…”
Iris spoke with a wry smile. Erecting a forge up in the tree would indeed be risky, so the Birdians had established the workshop in a location close to the tree but not so close that a fire would pose an immediate threat.
As of yesterday, it was already completed and in a state ready for immediate use. This demonstrated the Birdians’ true dedication.
“But hey, how does that paper relate to training?”
“Well, you see, I can use a skill I haven’t employed a single time yet—[Talismanry].”
[Talismanry] involved drawing specific symbols onto paper, infusing them with magic power, and then triggering their effects. It was essentially a skill for creating disposable talismans. With these talismans, even individuals without magic-related skills could perform spells, making it a remarkable skill.
However, the symbols that could be drawn were limited to those related to the magic one could use, and the strength of the magic depended on the creator’s level of the said magic skills. Furthermore, while turning spells into talismans increased portability and versatility, it also slightly diminished the power compared to using magic directly. The extent of this decrease depended on the level of the [Talismanry] skill.
Let’s consider a specific example. Imagine two individuals, A and B, who can use [Talismanry]. Suppose A’s normal fireball spell had a power of 100, while B’s was at 80. This disparity arose from their differing levels of [Fire Magic] skill, which serves as the baseline. In terms of [Fire Magic], A was clearly more proficient.
However, if we consider the difference in [Talismanry] levels resulting in a 30% power decrease for A and a 10% decrease for B, the situation changes. The power of A’s created talisman would be 70, while B’s symbol would result in a power of 72. Thus, albeit by a small margin, B’s talisman would prove more effective.
“I want everyone to use this to overcome Element Weaknesses.”
Initially, I had considered applying the [Enchantment] skill to bestow weakness attributes and exploit the resulting damage. However, the fact that paper was a local specialty in Birdy Perch, combined with the introduction of friendly fire due to the addition of same-faction combat, altered the circumstances.
Given my low [Talismanry] level, using the talismans I create to make everyone experience damage with their elemental weakness would not only enhance my skill level but also increase the damage, thus alleviating their weakness. This was a plan in which no one suffered a loss.
“Sounds good! If this works out, I can go after water-attribute enemies with gusto, right? Let’s do it!” Jigoro said.
“Count me in too. I’ll become an insect unafraid to fly into the flames.” Genjuro added.
Both Iris and Ruby were in agreement; the decision was made.
“For the time being, let’s train Ruby’s friend and work toward overcoming element weaknesses…”
Bang!
“I’ve brought her over!”
Just as I was about to conclude by laying out the future plan, Ruby energetically swung the door open and returned. Well, this seemed like an unconventional way to bring things to a close!
“Here is my friend! Introduce yourselves, everyone!”
“Nice to meet you! I’m called Shio~~ssu! Looking forward to working with you~~ssu!”
Well, what can I say… It seemed like an enthusiastic girl had joined the group!
(TN: In the cave exploration part, the party discovered bamboo slips where Isam learned of a clan that was forced out from their country due to politics, and that country was called Flower(hana). They later migrated to the land mc and his party lived in and were chased by others because of their use of forbidden arts. The sole survivor turned himself into an undead; he was the undead mage Isam and the others defeated inside the cave while the tournament was happening in Firth.)
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