When we had momentarily distanced ourselves after predictably hunting down several fleeing players to get away from the monsters who were still looking for the players, it happened.
――――――――――
A notification from the management has arrived.
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It was an unexpected notification from the management. It felt like it had been a long time since the last one.
Even though I had heard that posting on the bulletin boards and such was disabled during the event, these kinds of notifications still came through. Let’s just accept that not providing information about the game as a whole would indeed be problematic. Now, I wonder what the content of the notification is.
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Just now, a player has reached level 50.
As of this moment, the “Ultimate Technique” and “Secret Art” systems are unlocked.
Please refer to the help section for details about each system.
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Finally, someone had reached the significant milestone of level 50. It must be a player participating in the event. There are players in this world known as hardcore players, boasting exceptionally long play hours. Apparently, their levels were in the high 40s before the event, so their reaching level 50 wasn’t surprising at all.
Incidentally, the reason I and the others in the party were able to catch up with those hardcore players who could play the game all day long was undoubtedly thanks to the Vetus Floating Island. This was due to the “Ancient Spring” where we could indiscriminately hunt down fish monsters that could be easily beaten once caught, and the “Ancient Ruined City” teeming with those harpies.
In fact, those who are at a higher level than us, who didn’t have to fight with other players for hunting grounds and freely adventured, are probably pretty awesome, aren’t they? Was it only the power of their playtime that was special? Or was it I, who, despite playing vigorously on holidays and only about an hour on weekdays, was special for being on par with them in levels? Opinions would vary from person to person.
“Wow! This ‘Ultimate Technique’ system is amazing!”
Eiji seemed excited, probably having read the help section right away. Let’s see, I should read it too.
According to the help section, “Ultimate Technique” is a type of martial technique available to those in warrior-type jobs. However, they are far more powerful than ordinary martial techniques, even surpassing in simple firepower those techniques learned at higher skill levels.
You can learn a new “Ultimate Technique” every 10 levels, starting at level 50. Thus, there are only six “Ultimate Techniques” that can be learned just by leveling up. However, there are NPCs known as martial artists scattered around the world who can teach “Ultimate Techniques” as well as items called “Ultimate Technique Scrolls” containing these techniques. You can acquire new “Ultimate Techniques” by being taught by these NPCs or by reading those scrolls found in dungeon chests or awarded as quest rewards.
“And the ‘Secret Arts’ are like the mage version of the ‘Ultimate Techniques’.”
Then there are the “Secret Arts” which are the magical version of “Ultimate Techniques”. Similarly, they are very powerful spells that can be learned at every 10 levels. These are taught not by martial artists but by NPCs known as sages or high priests, who give out “Secret Art Scrolls”.
However, such powerful finishing moves couldn’t be used without limits. Naturally, there were restrictions. The first was regarding the number of times they could be used per day. The count would reset after a full day in real-time, which translated to four days in the game. Players had to be strategic in their use, saving these trump cards for critical moments.
Secondly, players couldn’t use these techniques in rapid succession. Once a player used an “Ultimate Technique” or “Secret Art”, the same rule applied even if they chose a different technique next. Players needed to consider the cooldown period and plan their use accordingly.
Thirdly, the “Ultimate Techniques” and “Secret Arts” available to a player were determined by their job and the skills they possessed. It would be absurd for a swordsman who focused on leveling their [Sword Mastery] skill to learn a bow-based “Ultimate Technique”. Similarly, it was strange for a mage who couldn’t even use [Dark Magic] to be able to use a dark attribute “Secret Art”.
Fourthly, only one “Ultimate Technique” or “Secret Art” could be learned at every ten levels. This did not seem to be a problem for warriors, who would choose “Ultimate Techniques” and for mages, who would choose “Secret Art”… but there would be a lot of people who would probably be troubled by this.
This was because, in the current game environment, warriors who could also use magic, known as magic warriors, were considered the strongest. Just like Usaji, who had recently acquired [Non-Elemental Magic] and [Fire Magic]. Even if their magic power was inferior to that of a full mage like me, it was becoming common to learn magic for its strategic advantages and surprise elements.
In fact, pure warriors like Eiji were in the minority. This trend seemed largely influenced by the victory of that hero guy, Luke, in the first martial tournament. He was a victim I had beheaded in the event that was later shown in the PV, but even discounting that, his skills as a player were exceptional. To reiterate, he was the winner in both the individual and party categories of the first martial tournament.
However, many seemed to have forgotten this. After the event, quite a few underestimated him and picked fights, only to be soundly defeated. This, ironically, increased his followers. Had I not successfully ambushed him at that time, I would likely have been the one defeated by his party.
But leaving that aside, not only the build of an idol-like player was popular, but also the emergence of a job that required both vanguard and magic skills, along with the [Non-Elemental Magic]’s magic jammer, had shifted the trend. Players who had acquired [Non-Elemental Magic] along with one or two other types of magic, favoring a vanguard job, had become mainstream. Some players might even want to acquire both “Ultimate Techniques” and “Secret Arts”.
It might seem like a half-hearted approach, but in FSW, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were “Ultimate Techniques” and “Secret Arts” that could only be acquired by making such choices. Few players would likely act on such speculation over immediate power, but it wasn’t an impossibility. The dilemma of character creation would continue to perplex many players.
“Heh? I’m all for ‘Ultimate Techniques’ only.”
“So, you mean to use magic just as a supplementary method?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, for us, that’s still a long way off. Even Isam-san hasn’t reached that yet, right?”
“Ah, yes. My level is currently 47. Reaching 50 during the event seems a bit difficult.”
Once players surpassed level 40, leveling up became extremely challenging. The required experience points were probably high, and gaining three levels in a day was nearly impossible.
So, the plan was to observe the player who had reached level 50 during the war and see how they used their “Ultimate Techniques” or “Secret Arts”. Of course, if there was a chance to outsmart them, that would take precedence.
“So, what are we going to do now?”
“We’re safe for now, aren’t we?”
“Yes, we should have put enough distance between us. If they chase us this far, it would actually be beneficial, experience-wise.”
“That’s right. If we’re this far away, we can sneak in a little snack without getting caught, right?”
It seemed Moth-san and Shiitake were thinking along the same lines as me. Was this a case of birds of a feather flocking together?
“Getting too greedy and getting attacked back is a common tale in games. And if someone doesn’t return, they won’t let their guard down completely.”
“…You really are ruthless, aren’t you?”
◆◇◆◇◆◇
“…. Hey, doesn’t that one look dangerous?”
“Oh, it’s huge…!”
As we hid in the shadows, a group of trolls appeared. They must have been the fools we were waiting for who would chase us too far. There were five of them, and they were all trolls.
However, mixed among them was one creature that made us hesitate to attack on the spot. Its status was as follows:
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Race: Troll Knight Lv50
Job: Knight Lv0
Skills:
- [Robust Digestion]
- [Strong Claws]
- [Large Fangs]
- [Axe Mastery]
- [Shield Mastery]
- [Armor Mastery]
- [Strength Enhancement]
- [Physical Enhancement]
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Roar]
- [Herculean Strength]
- [Rapid Healing]
- [Physical Resistance]
- [Fire Weakness]
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It was a troll knight, and a level 50 one at that; it was a monster that was two tiers above a normal troll. It might not sound very intimidating, but its power was comparable to that of the Tarrasque.
Among the monsters currently attacking Illeves, this one was one of the highest-ranking. Unlike the common trolls, who were merely foot soldiers with poor equipment, this one was different. While the other four carried only stone axes made by attaching large stones to wooden sticks and shields made of hard wooden planks tied together with plant vines, the Troll Knight’s stone axe and shield were reinforced with some kind of monster material, and it even wore a leather armor.
Moreover, as the results of the [Appraisal] skill indicated, it possessed a wide array of skills to effectively use its superior equipment. Although it retained its [Fire Weakness], the presence of armor and shield suggested that it wouldn’t be easily defeated.
“What do we do, boss? Shall we let it pass?”
“…Let’s have a vote. I think we can take it on.”
I had a good grasp of everyone’s abilities and believed we had a fair chance of winning. However, it was certainly a risky move. There was no point in taking such a risk, especially when we had been acting behind the scenes in the entire event.
Yet, the temptation of the experience points was hard to ignore. Even against such a formidable enemy, with our numbers, there were plenty of strategies we could employ.
“I’m in… I’ll do it! Can I use my regular weapons?”
Eiji wasn’t going to use the worn-out drop items he had been using until now, but instead, he pulled out weapons made in the Orc country, his original base. Though mass-produced, these sturdy and high-quality weapons made him look quite formidable.
“I’ll join too. There are still things I want to try out.”
Usagi smiled slyly as she spoke. Although she had finished testing her stats improvements from leveling up and her new skills through the previous player hunts, she seemed eager to find out if these would be effective against stronger opponents. Though she had a cool demeanor, she was surprisingly an aggressive woman.
“I’m in too! Running away now wouldn’t be manly!”
Seventh Armor spread his wings, showing his eagerness to participate. His bird funeral strategy, which was a product of his [Summoning Magic], had already been proven effective. He would likely excel, even against superior foes.
“I heard that Isam-san and his guild members once defeated a level 50 enemy. If that’s true, then there’s nothing we can’t do either.”
Moth-san seemed to agree, which was a bit surprising. But when you think about it, despite his small bat form, he had chosen a melee combat job, indicating his bravery. He probably didn’t hesitate to challenge stronger opponents.
“Eeeh… everyone’s really eager! I’ll join in, even if I can only provide support.”
As an alchemist, Shiitake wasn’t naturally suited for combat and seemed hesitant. However, she was one of the few who could induce status ailments, making her support invaluable in battle.
“It looks like~ we’re definitely heading into a fight~.”
“I-I will do my best!”
Wool and Shishu also did not oppose the plan. Wool could put enemies to sleep with his cries, and Shishu’s sticky threads were an effective means of restraint. This had been proven in our recent battle against the knights. I firmly believed that these tactics would also work against the troll knight and his henchmen.
“I’m definitely in. I want to level up even more!”
Sei rode on the back of the nimble Phil as he wielded his staff, while Tess, who specialized in magic, provided support. This was their standard strategy. Sei had significantly honed his coordination with his familiars, yet it seemed he was still not satisfied. Having such a drive for improvement is indeed a positive thing, yes.
And just like that, it appeared that even though many were somewhat carried away by the atmosphere, the decision to fight had been made. Now, the hunt for the big game was about to begin!
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