――――――――――
You have won the battle.
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
――――――――――
We encountered an unexpected group of formidable enemies, but we were able to use our past experience to defeat them. However, it seemed wise to consider turning back at this point. If we proceeded further, there was the fear of encountering enemies of the same caliber as the Spartoi Leade. Such a situation would undoubtedly be extremely difficult with our current circumstances.
Losing our hard-earned items due to a futile death would be foolish. It was better to return quickly and prepare anew. Understanding what kinds of enemies were there, how to fight them effectively, and what items they dropped was already a great gain. On top of that, a good portion of the map had been filled out. Sor the results of the first expedition could be said to be excellent.
“Iris, how’s the skinning going for you guys?”
“It’s done.”
“Good, let’s start heading back then. Everyone, gather around.”
My Base Teleport was a spell to return myself and my party to our respawn point. Even if I was part of a union or legion, I could still teleport everyone together if they just had the same respawn point as me, though such action would inevitably consume more magic power. It was incredibly convenient to be able to return from anywhere as long as there was enough magic power.
“…Hey, Jigoro. How long are you going to just stand there?”
Even though I called for him, Jigoro remained frozen in the same position where he crushed the Spartoi Leader. What was he doing… Ah.
“…Sorry, brother. Can you heal me?”
“…Heal fear.”
When I looked at Gigorou’s icon, it became clear to me that he was suffering from the fear status ailment. He must have unluckily received the effects of the [Terror Aura] skill when he dealt the final blow. I didn’t notice at all since I was too caught up in the victory. Sorry, Jigoro.
“Feels like a final act of resistance.”
“It’s annoying when an opponent can inflict a status ailment upon contact.”
“Like the wolf at the ‘Ancient Spring’ with its [Wind Aura]. It’s easier to understand when it’s a direct attack…”
“”Gaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!””
While we were reaffirming the troublesome nature of encountering a superior enemy with the [Terror Aura] skill, a thunderous roar struck our eardrums. There were two deep overlapping bass sounds that made the very pit of our stomachs tremble.
The source of the voice had to be stronger than the Spartoi Leader. There was an undeniable power in that voice that convinced us of its strength. We knew with certainty that we could not win against it with our current abilities. The best decision now was to turn back.
“Let’s head back immediately.”
“…If only it had come a bit sooner,” Jigoro said.
“What a shame,” Genjuro added.
While a couple of members grumbled, I chose to ignore them. The rest of the members silently nodded in agreement. Thus, our first expedition came to an end.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
――――――――――
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.
The level of [Tail Strike] skill has increased.
Newly learned the martial technique “Tail Bind” of [Tail Strike].
The level of [Intelligence Enhancement] skill has increased.
The level of [Spirit Enhancement] skill has increased.
The level of [Holy Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Sanctuary” spell.
[Holy Magic] has reached its growth limit. SP is required to break the limit.
The level of [Curse] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Berserk” spell.
――――――――――
A week had passed since our first expedition. During that time, my level increased, and I gained access to more martial techniques and magic spells. Let’s review them.
The martial technique called “Tail Bind” of the [Tail Strike] skill literally involves using my tail to restrain enemies. The tightening force depends on my strength, while the difficulty of escape depends on my dexterity. Both of these stats were low for me, so this was a skill I could effectively take advantage of.
There was also a skill called [Capture] that Iris possessed, which could augment the effectiveness of “Tail Bind” but I had no intention of spending SP on a skill I would likely never use. So, it seems it will remain unused.
The “Sanctuary” spell of [Holy Magic] creates a dome-shaped barrier for defense. It shares similar properties with “Holy Shield” as it could block any attack at least once, but it consumes more magic power than the latter, which is a drawback. That said, it was still a very useful skill. I hope to use it to protect my companions when the time comes.
Furthermore, [Holy Magic] following [Black Magic] reached its growth limit as well, and I spent some SP to break through this limit. I hadn’t expected the magic that I learned last to be the second to reach this limit.
Interestingly, the SP needed to break the limit of [Black Magic] was 20, whereas for [Holy Magic] it was 40, twice as much. This might be a penalty due to my undead nature, as I was originally unable to use light magic. Regardless, it’s sad to see the SP I had been saving up decrease significantly. Considering the possibility of other elements reaching their growth limits, I need to start saving SP again.
Lastly, there was the “Berserk” spell of the [Curse] skill. This spell induces a state similar to the state when the [Frenzy] skill is activated. Although it makes control more difficult, it certainly enhances the player’s physical abilities.
So, depending on the situation, I might end up using it on both enemies and allies. However, I should bear in mind that Berserk is a status ailment after all.
As for me, that’s about it. And then there’s the exploration of “The Black Death’s Ice Forest” which was the main goal of our guild. While progress has been made, it’s not yet complete. In other words, while most of the map has been filled in, we have not yet defeated the boss. There were two reasons for this.
The first reason is simply that the enemies are strong. We can reliably defeat the ones in the shallower areas, but the undead that appear deeper in were too troublesome. If we had members skilled in magic, we wouldn’t struggle as much, but their numbers are large, and they fight desperately, almost always forcing us to use up our items. This makes long-term exploration difficult.
The second reason is that our countermeasures against the [Terror Aura] are not yet perfect. Even if we avoid the Demon Spirits and continue exploring the forest, the Spartoi monsters appear with high probability deeper in. To counter the [Terror Aura] my “heal fear” spell is essential. If I’m not there and the others encounter them, they will have no choice but to retreat.
Even if they manage to reach a new area, it’s frustrating to have to turn back immediately. Unless we establish a strategy against them, challenging the boss would be far too reckless.
However, it’s not that we’ve been exploring without any thought. We’ve challenged “The Black Death’s Ice Forest” time and again, gathering materials and repeatedly experimenting. As a result, Iris and Shiitake have succeeded in creating an item that enhances resistance to fear. And here it is!
――――――――――
- Black Lantern Amulet – Quality: Superior Rarity: S (Special)
An amulet that contains a black light.
Provides high resistance to status ailments caused by undead creatures.
Made with dragon fangs which enhance its effect.
Equipment Effect: [Limited Status Resistance] Lv7
※Only provides resistance to status ailments caused by undead creatures.
※No effect against status ailments caused by undead creatures above level 70.
――――――――――
As much as one might try to avoid it, it cannot be said that the item is a cure-all for status ailments. It only works against status ailments caused by undead creatures and it’s ineffective against higher-level opponents. Perhaps it can be seen as a repelling status ailment item caused by other monsters due to the strong resentment it embodies?
However, it proved effective against the Spartoi, the Spartoi Leader, and the Demon Spirits. It’s been confirmed that merely possessing it can almost certainly prevent fear.
But gathering enough of these for everyone was a difficult task. The problem lay in the materials. All could be gathered in “The Black Death’s Ice Forest” but among them was an item made using the so-called “Black Flame”. This item, as mentioned in the description of the “Black Lantern Amulet” is the “Black Light”
――――――――――
- Black Light – Quality: Good, Rarity: S (Special)
A collection of the remnants of souls that have turned undead.
Cannot be extinguished by ordinary means, and those who carelessly touch it have their souls eroded.
The stronger the lingering attachment, the greater the intensity of the flame.
Gather them and bind them.
――――――――――
This “Black Light” could be created by gathering just twenty “Black Flames”. However, gathering this number was a difficult task. It was a rare drop from the not-so-weak Demon Spirits, and naturally, it was necessary to collect enough for each person.
Particularly challenging was the task for Sei and me, as we needed to collect multiple items. Unlike me, who needed only two, Sei, with his familiars, required three. He managed to gather them just yesterday, thanks to Seventh Armor and Moth-san who luckily had extra drops and were kind enough to share.
I was immensely grateful to the other members who assisted in collecting the materials with us. Although they said it was a good experience for earning experience points, the hardship we imposed on them is undeniable. I made a mental note to actively lend a hand when they face difficulties in the future.
By the way, I didn’t actually need this “Black Lantern Amulet”. The reason is that I possess the [Status Immunity] skill. So, I should have only prepared one for Karl, just in case. Yet, why did I seek another one? It was because it served as an enhancement material for my weapon, the “Ancient Scythe”!
Iris has already made the other material, dark iron. It was created by fusing iron with dark element magic stones using the [Blacksmithing] skill. I had known the method for a while and had even received some from her, but only now had I acquired the other necessary component.
“Then I’ll start the enhancement.”
“Yes, please do.”
And so, here I was, visiting Iris’s workshop. I had come to hand her the materials and to watch as she enhanced my weapon. Having spent quite some time with this “Ancient Scythe” I felt a certain urge to witness its transformation.
“This goes here, and… there!”
Iris placed my scythe along with a dark iron ingot into the furnace. Then, the ingot began to melt and slither over the surface of the scythe like a viscous slime, gradually covering it…was weapon enhancement always like this?
“Weapons with specified enhancement materials seem to move on their own, you know? The weapon itself guides you through the process. Figuring out the steps is usually the fun part…”
“That’s a strange thing to say for a blacksmith,” Iris added. It seemed she had researched weapon enhancements with specified materials on the crafters’ bulletin board. She was indeed knowledgeable.
“Now to hammer this out and smooth the bumps…”
Iris took the scythe out of the furnace, hammered it, and then placed it back in multiple times. She looked to be deeply concentrated, creating a tense atmosphere that made me hesitate to speak casually.
During this process, the rust that had covered the “Ancient Scythe” began to flake off and the blade damage also disappeared. In their place, a plain rugged blade emerged. This surely was the scythe’s true form. It was beautiful. Those ordinary words were the only things that dominated my mind.
“Yeah, this is good. It’s time for the finishing touch.”
After repeating the process several times, Iris took out the “Black Light” from her inventory and dropped it directly onto the scythe. The “Black Light” was silently absorbed into the scythe. Immediately after, the scythe began to tremble on its own!
“Whoa!?”
“Eek!?”
Iris and I couldn’t help but express our surprise aloud. It seemed that neither of us had anticipated the scythe’s sudden movement. Can you at least not startle the blacksmith?
“Has it settled down?”
“It seems so…”
The trembling had lasted only about ten seconds, but its abrupt stop was even more eerie. Should I use that? Why not! It’s perfect for me!
“This completes it… Eh?”
“What?”
When I eagerly reached for the newly enhanced weapon, the scythe suddenly sprang up and decapitated me. I was instantly killed by my own weapon.
Leave a Reply