After spending time since then on training and production, we decided to head to the “Ancient Ruined City”. The initial group consisted of me, Iris, Jigoro, Genjuro, Ruby, along with Karl.
Shio still lacked the required level, and besides, she couldn’t join us due to her special training with the Birdians for the “Trial of the Azure Moon”. She had said, “I’ll catch up as soon as possible~~ssu!” If anyone could do it quickly, it was her.
But let’s leave that aside. After descending to the ground on the western side of Birdy Perch, we followed Jigoro’s guidance as we headed westward. The area around Birdy Perch’s rocky terrain was a vast grassland, but as we continued heading west for a while, we began to see what looked like an asphalt road.
The road was riddled with cracks, and weeds grew freely in the gaps. However, the unmistakable remnants of human construction indicated that we were getting closer to our destination.
“Here we are.”
“So, this is the ‘Ancient Ruined City’…”
After walking along the road for several tens of minutes, occasionally hunting down low-level monsters that didn’t even reach level 20, we arrived at our destination. It was a circular city enclosed by an outer wall made of reinforced concrete.
The outer wall had sections where it had crumbled, exposing the reinforcing bars, and many areas where these bars had corroded and changed color. Most of the city’s buildings, which could have been considered skyscrapers, had collapsed, leaving only two or three-story structures that retained their original shapes.
Even those buildings that retained their original shapes were covered in ivy on many walls, and like the road leading up to this point, the ground was overgrown with weeds due to cracks. As a result, we could hardly feel the remnants of its former glory. It had truly become a city in ruins, an abandoned metropolis.
“The enemies that come out might be troublesome, but… I don’t mind this atmosphere. Honestly, I quite like it.”
As I looked down upon the “Ancient Ruined City” from a hill slightly off the road, I couldn’t help but mutter to myself. It wasn’t just a deserted ruin; it had moved beyond that stage, with nature actively encroaching upon it. This tugged at my heartstrings. The fact that it was midnight at the time and the moon was hovering in the sky was probably one of the reasons for its mysteriousness.
“I like it here too, but come on, let’s get our revenge soon, okay?” Jigoro said.
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
I could enjoy this view at any time. What mattered more was exploring the unknown areas ahead. Personally, I felt a slight reluctance, but there was no other way around it. So, here we go!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
Naturally, there was a gate in the outer wall of the “Ancient Ruined City” for entering and exiting. It was made of thick metal, with a level of durability that even weaker monsters wouldn’t be able to scratch. But that was all in the past. Over the years, the gate had crumbled miserably, and the entrance had become accessible to anyone.
“Once you set foot in here, you’ll be a target for the Harpies. Be careful.”
It was Ruby who cautioned me. Harpies were known for their strong territorial instincts. They would relentlessly attack anyone who crossed into their territory beyond the outer wall of the ruins but would stop pursuing once the intruder escaped to the outside. In a way, they seemed to have a meticulous personality.
“Understood. Let’s stay on guard, so we can fight at any moment.”
With the warning in mind, I passed through the gate and stepped into the ruins. Jigoro and Genjuro had already explored the interior of the buildings around the gate to avoid the Harpies, so there was no need for them to enter them again. And our destination for this mission had already been decided.
“All right, let’s head for the tallest building right in the center, as planned.”
The building at the center of the city was one of the few skyscrapers that had managed to retain its original form. While the prospect of exploring a huge, ruined structure held a certain allure, it was clear that this building, situated in the heart of the “Ancient Ruined City” which had once thrived with an advanced civilization, must have played a significant role.
It was reasonable to assume that some kind of treasure lay dormant within, or at the very least, that the area might be home to some field boss. The chances of this expedition being in vain seemed slim.
“Uwah, they’ve already arrived!”
What? Had they detected us already, even though we had barely been inside the ruins for a minute?
“Goge! Goge!”
“Geeee!”
Two birds with green and red feathers emerged. However, neither of them resembled ordinary birds; their heads bore a grotesque resemblance to that of a human. These must be the Harpies that I heard about. I quickly used the “Appraisal” to learn more about them.
――――――――――
Race: Harpy Lv35
Job: Storm Mage Lv5
Skills:
- [Robust Digestion]
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Sharp Claw]
- [Storm Magic]
- [Flight]
- [Capture]
- [Ambush]
- [Coordination]
- [Dwarf Stature]
- [Wind Resistance]
- [Fire Weakness]
Race: Harpy Lv38
Occupation: Flame Mage Lv8
Skills:
- [Robust Digestion]
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Sharp Claw]
- [Flame Magic]
- [Flight]
- [Capture]
- [Ambush]
- [Coordination]
- [Dwarf Stature]
- [Fire Resistance]
- [Water Weakness]
――――――――――
“Oh? They don’t have a high number of skills, and their levels are lower than ours. However, their magic seems to have evolved and is quite troublesome to deal with. Still, it seems like each individual bird has different weaknesses.
Most likely, their weaknesses were related to the element that directly countered their magic skills. To handle this perfectly, we would need a party that could use various elements.
Well, it might not be necessary to perfectly match their weaknesses since we could still deal damage. However, the battle could be quite tricky if our party leaned heavily towards a particular element.
“Magic circle activation, spell adjustment, Fire Lance. Then, magic circle activation, spell adjustment, Water Lance.”
“”Gegyaa!””
The magic I unleashed, with the support of [Advanced Magic Control], homed in on the Harpies, heading straight for them. Perhaps they didn’t expect to be attacked first, as both harpies were hit directly by the spells and… well, they died instantly.
“Eeeh… isn’t that too easy?” I was surprised
“Ah, didn’t I mention it? They’re so weak that if you manage to hit them, it’s pretty much a guaranteed kill. Karl’s attack just grazed them, and they fell apart.” Jigoro said.
Speaking of which, when I checked my stats earlier, there was this skill called [Dwarf Stature], if I recall correctly. I remember it being a skill that made you feeble, and even the goblins had it. It might have something to do with that.
“However, it was only because there were two of them that you could easily defeat them…. Look, they’re here.”
Following Genjuro’s gaze, I saw a flock of harpies soaring in the sky. The exact number was unclear, but I estimated there were at least twenty of them.
With such a large group simultaneously raining down magic, it was the worst matchup for Jigoro and Genjuro, who specialized in close combat. However, it wasn’t the same for me.
“I see. In that case, let’s overwhelm them with numbers on our side. Star Magic Circle, remote activation, spell adjustment, Summon Evil Spirits.”
“”””Kyahahahahahahahahaha!!!””””
“”””?!?””””
I summoned a multitude of evil spirits that attack indiscriminately using [Spirit Channeling], right in the midst of the flock of harpies. It seemed like there were more of them than the last time I summoned them, and each one appeared stronger. This had to be due to the increase in my skill level and the necklace Iris had crafted. I couldn’t thank her enough!
“Gegegigya!”
The flock of harpies initially fell into disarray upon the appearance of the evil spirits. However, a commanding shout from one particularly large harpy snapped them back to their senses. They began to systematically eliminate the evil spirits with coordinated movements. While physical attacks were ineffective against the evil spirits, they suffered significant damage from magic, causing them to be steadily eradicated.
This success was largely thanks to the excellent leadership skills of that leader. At times, they would scatter to divert the attacks of the evil spirits, and at other times, they would focus their magical firepower on a single evil spirit to ensure its demise. However, I was already prepared for this.
“Judging from the color of their feathers, it seems they possess only the basic four elemental magic: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind. So, let’s overwhelm them with an element that isn’t a weakness. Magic Circle Activation, Black Field. Then, Magic Stone Absorption, Star Magic Circle, remote activation, spell adjustment, Dark Wave!”
If their weaknesses and resistances were all over the place, then using a type of magic that didn’t fall into either category should work on everyone, right? Besides, my strongest firepower happened to be [Black Magic]. It was time to make the most of it!
“””Gegyoaaaaaaah!”””
The harpies were dropping down like flies under the onslaught of my magic. It seemed that, thanks to their [Dwarf Stature], my enhanced magic was making short work of them.
“Gegyah! Gigyagyah!”
Oh, it looks like the commanding individual managed to survive. It really wasn’t an ordinary harpy, it seemed. Let’s use [Appraisal] on it.
――――――――――
Race: Harpy Leader Lv42
Job: Commander Lv2
Skills:
- [Robust Digestion]
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Sharp Claw]
- [Storm Magic]
- [Flight]
- [Capture]
- [Ambush]
- [Command]
- [Coordination]
- [Wind Resistance]
- [Fire Weakness]
――――――――――
So, it was a Harpy Leader. Being a leader, it possessed the skill [Command]. This had to be the source of its commanding power. It had lost its [Dwarf Stature], and it seemed to be a strong opponent even on its own.
“So this is it? Crescent Magic Circle Activation, Fire Lance!”
“Gegaaah!”
However, it had also taken a beating from the same spell that the other harpies had received, and its health was down by about eighty percent. So, when I said it was strong, that was when compared to other harpies. As expected, my Fire Lance spell struck it three times, and it fell down.
“These guys really turn into pushovers when brother is around,” Jigoro remarked.
“On the flip side, it’s tough without Isam.”
If it came down to a magical duel, I believed I could hold my own even against the top-tier competitors, thanks in part to my equipment. I didn’t think this was arrogance. After all, I was the leader of this guild, which consisted of such skilled members. I had to be capable of at least this much.
“It’s just that my compatibility with these harpies is good. Let’s finish the skinning quickly. Another wave might be on its way,” I suggested.
“That’s a possibility.” Genjuro agreed.
“Let’s get it done quickly, then!” Iris added.
Genjuro and Iris exchanged nods as they began the skinning process. The flock of harpies, including the Harpy Leader, numbered twenty-four in total. However, what we could harvest from most of them were magic stones with the same element as the harpies’ magic. But there were other things we could gather as well…
――――――――――
- Harpy Excrement (Fire) – Quality: Good, Rarity: R (Rare)
Harpy excrement imbued with the fire element.
When used as compost, it can yield special crops with unique effects.
――――――――――
Excrement (bluntly put). Putting this in the inventory was met with considerable reluctance. However, discarding it proved difficult because the item’s description was strangely enticing. After weighing practicality against sentiment…. we reluctantly decided to take it with us.
None of us possessed or were planning to acquire skills like [Agriculture] or [Gardening]. So, we intended to bring this to Birdy Perch’s farmers. In the future, we might have new companions who prefer food production, so it wouldn’t hurt to see how the experts could make use of it. Well, it was a bit of wishful thinking.
After we unexpectedly acquired new items, we continued our exploration. The conquest of the “Ancient Ruined City” had only just begun.
Leave a Reply