As we began our exploration, we were soon greeted by the very place that the locals feared.
“Wow, it’s cold!?”
“B-b-b-but we’re wearing warm clothes! We even made items! Wh-wh-why is it so cold!?”
The moment we stepped into the “Black Death Ice Forest” the air around us seemed to freeze, causing the temperature to plummet. The ones who said this were Shishu and Shiitake. Neither of their health bars had decreased, nor were they suffering from any status ailments according to their markers. The fact that no one was penalized by the surrounding environment was probably a result of our careful preparation.
But imagine this: even if you’re bundled up in a fluffy down jacket and venture into a snowy winter land, the cold is still biting. Despite our game statuses showing no issues, it felt deceivingly cold. And me? I hardly feel a thing even if my bones get chilled.
“By the way, this is the first time for both of you in the Black Forest, right?”
“Hey hey, what are you talking about? If we go deeper, it’ll be even colder, right?”
Hearing this, Shishu and Shiitake took action. Shishu silently buried herself in Wool’s sheepskin, while Shiitake snuggled up to Shio.
Shishu’s action was usual, so Wool didn’t react. However, Shiitake wasn’t as successful. She tried to cling to Shio’s fluffy feathers, but Shio deftly flew away, escaping her grasp.
“Uu~! Warm me up, Shio-taaan!”
“Eh… I can’t. If I can’t move when it counts, that would be problematic~~ssu.”
“Ugh! When you put it that way with sound logic, there’s nothing I can say…”
Shio’s combat style involved flying in complex trajectories and shooting. Therefore, she couldn’t afford to have her mobility compromised; this was a crucial aspect of her tactics so it was not an option. Understanding this, Shiitake quickly gave up.
“Well, well. You’ll get used to it soon.” Moth-san said.
“That’s right! Besides, you should be thankful you can wear warm clothes at all!” Seventh Armor added.
Shiitake was still better off since she could wear clothes. On the contrary, Moth-san and Seventh Armor who couldn’t wear anything due to their form had no choice but to endure the cold. They had resistance thanks to their accessories, but they were still braving the cold.
“Um, sorry to interrupt your chatter, but enemies are approaching,” Ruby said.
Oh, we were about to engage in combat already. I was fairly familiar with the enemies in this area, but I couldn’t rule out the possibility of encountering a new race. Caution was essential.
“””Gyu-Gyu!”””
What suddenly appeared before us was a white rabbit monster with faintly blue-colored crystal-like horns. Ah, I recognized it. Its stats were as follows:
――――――――――
Race: Ice Horn Rabbit Lv40~43
Job: Water and Ice Mage Lv0~3
Skills:
- [Ice Horns]
- [Health Enhancement]
- [Strength Enhancement]
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Agility Enhancement]
- [Water and Ice Magic]
- [Cooperation]
- [Water Resistance]
- [Fire Weakness]
- [Slash Attack Resistance]
- [Cold Immunity]
――――――――――
“Hmm, a herd of Ice Horn Rabbits.”
“Tch, just the small fry then,” Jigoro said.
As evidenced by Jigoro’s bored grumbling, these monsters were not new to us. In fact, we had actively fought them numerous times and harvested their materials.
Why, you ask? The fur of these rabbits served as an excellent material for cold-weather gear. Additionally, their race skill, [Water Resistance] was reflected in the gear, providing it with the same property. So even though I didn’t need cold-weather gear myself, I used the excess materials to line my armor.
The items they dropped included fur, meat, magic stones, horns, and hind legs. The horns and hind legs were somewhat rare, with a drop rate that felt like about five percent. Moreover, the quality of these parts decreased if they were damaged too much during battle.
The hind legs in particular, were a pain to collect but necessary. They were used to craft the accessory, the “Ice Horn Rabbit Paw Accessory” which conferred cold resistance to anyone who possessed it. Though I am sorry for overhunting these guys for their drop items.
As for their strength, it wasn’t anything significant. However, they always moved in herds, making their numbers a nuisance. There were about twenty in this herd. While the Ice Horn Rabbits had an adorable, plush-like appearance, none of us felt inclined to admire them when they were baring their hostility in such numbers.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“They’re perfect for a warm-up!”
After saying that, a party with Seventh Armor as their leader jumped out. Currently, our group, including our familiars, consisted of nineteen members. We had formed four parties and operated as a united alliance. The team that charged in was led by Seventh Armoru and included Hanna, Roja, Sei, and his two familiars. It was the team best suited for ground mobility.
“Ah, you’ve become adept at hitting even small targets.”
“Quite skillful, indeed.”
They had defeated the Ice Horn Rabbits numerous times before, so their onslaught was nothing short of a rampage. The crows summoned by Seventh Armor attacked from above, and Sei and his familiars supported the summoned beasts. Riding atop her mount, Hanna skillfully beheaded the Ice Horn Rabbits with her halbred, while the mounted Roja was admiring her as he steadily reduced their numbers with her [Lightning Magic].
“It’s one-sided, isn’t it?” Usaji said.
“That’s right~~ssu. But the noise might attract other monsters~~ssu.”
“Then, as planned, let’s go scouting! Shishu, are you okay?” Ruby asked.
“Ugh… it’s cold, but I’ll go. Ruby must be feeling the cold too…”
“So, we’re thinking of going on a scouting mission; is that alright?”
Usaji who had been observing the battle turned to me with a question. She was also the leader of one party. Her team consisted of herself, Ruby, Shio, and Shishu, a group of four girls known for their agility and quick movements. They were experts in scouting, surprise attacks, and guerrilla tactics. I was confident that they would conduct their scouting mission efficiently.
“Please, be careful.”
“We know. Let’s go, everyone.”
“Alright~~ssu!”
The four women swiftly set into action. Shio darted through the trees, while the other three used the branches as footholds, nimbly advancing through the treetops like ninjas.
“Hey, brother, we’re just waiting here until they return?”
“That’s the plan. After all, we were going to have them scout from the beginning, weren’t we? The battle just happened before we asked them.”
Even when there were only five of us, Ruby was always scouting ahead, and we proceeded with caution. With more members, I was even more inclined to be cautious. Jigoro must have known this, but he probably was just bored.
“Yeah, but it’s boring, isn’t it?”
“I thought you might say that. Then help Iris and Shiitake. Even if they are within sight, they still need protection.”
“Alright then.”
Therefore, I decided to assign him the task of guarding the two production workers who were diligently gathering resources. Jigoro, who had benefited from the items they produced, obediently agreed to the task. Good grief, can’t this guy just sit still for a moment?
“Jigoro’s always been like a migratory fish, hasn’t he?”
“Absolutely.”
Before I knew it, Genjuro had arrived next to me and I smiled bitterly. He’s not a bad guy by any means.
“By the way, Isam, have you looked into the information about the next event?”
“Yes. It’s the event coinciding with the third batch of players, right?”
Recently, the game’s developers announced the launch of the third batch release and along with it, there was a new event announcement. This time, it was a product fair. Previously, this product fair was held concurrently with the fighting tournament event, but this time it seemed to be the main event itself.
The event would span three days: the day of the third batch’s release, the following day, and the day after that. Given the extended duration and the inclusion of an auction for items exhibited at the fair on the final day, it was likely that many veteran players of the strategy group would attend as well.
It seemed the event might be aimed at fostering interaction between veteran players and new players. I hoped it would prove to be a stimulating experience for both. It didn’t concern me much, though.
“So, are you two participating in the exhibition?”
“It seems so. This time, they’ve added a system that eliminates the need to physically go to the event location.”
In the previous event held in Firth, players had to bring their items to the venue. However, this time the circumstances were different. Players were now dispersed across several cities and some had even reached different continents.
Moreover, this newly discovered continent called Flama Volcanc Island was a sacred place for all types of production players. Hence, the top players in production jobs had migrated there, and it was quite a hassle for them to return to Firth city, even for an event.
Therefore, a function has been added that allows you to sell items to the production guild from the menu screen. This guild was the association for players in production jobs and was in charge of overseeing this product fair event.
“Iris seems serious about taking part. It seems like she plans to use the materials she obtained from this exploration.” I said.
“Hoho, that sounds serious. Is she aiming for the top prize?” Genjuro asked.
“Once she decided to participate, she said she wouldn’t hold back.”
I had little knowledge about the items created by other production job players. What I knew was limited to the screenshots posted on the bulletin board.
If these were the masterpieces of top production players, then Iris’s work would surely be no less impressive. Moreover, she had access to items that others could not obtain. It seemed quite possible for Iris to aim for the top prize.
“What about Shiitake?” Genjuro asked.
“She apparently wants to submit a novelty item. However, her main goal is to make a quick profit by mass-producing cheap items for new players.”
During the product fair event, the production guild would set up booths for players to sell items on consignment. There would also be booths selling items for newcomers, and Shiitake planned to use this opportunity to make a fortune.
“Do you think she’ll make much money?”
“Who knows? She talks about making small profits on large volumes, but these are rookies who’ve just logged in. Their zel coins won’t be much more than the initial amount they start with. To make a profit, she’d need to sell a considerable amount….”
“There’s a chance for success, I suppose. Whether it’ll work out or not, that’s another matter.”
Just like me, Genjuro wasn’t much interested in profit-making schemes. He was indifferent to whether Shiitake made a profit or a loss. Since we had gathered all the materials ourselves, the cost was effectively zero, which would make any sales pure profit…but it wouldn’t be surprising if human players who were pharmacologists or alchemists were aiming for the same thing.
For any player, it must have seemed like a good opportunity to earn some extra money. But I doubted that there was much profit to be made with so much competition.
“A commission is needed for consignment sales, but it will still bring in some cash. Though it might just be pocket money.”
“That sounds about right.”
“Nobody’s~ expecting~ to make a fortune~. I’m not~ for sure~.”
Wool, who had been listening quietly, seemed to agree with us. Anyway, my focus at this moment was on conquering the “Black Death Ice Forest” rather than on an event I wasn’t participating in. As I was pondering this, the last rabbit in front of us was hunted down as well.
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