Thanks to the enhancement bestowed by Armadelux, Shiratsuki was advancing at a pace several times faster than planned while smoothly following the set course. The AI was automatically navigating, so Ruby appeared to have ample free time on her hands.
Although players must take control in critical situations, this also meant that there was little for them to do otherwise. This had been explained at the beginning, but… well, it’s fine.
“Wow… according to our initial calculations, this journey was supposed to take several days, but it looks like we might arrive before I even log out today.”
“As expected of the Dragon God! I have no idea what was done, but it seems like a powerful enhancement was bestowed upon us.”
Iris seemed a bit taken aback, but Shiitake was intrigued by whatever means had been employed. Naturally, I was on Shiitake’s side. As a mage in this game, it was only natural for me to wonder if players could use such a spell.
“Arriving at our destination quickly is a good thing. After days without battle, some of us start to get restless.”
“That’s true…”
If we were to travel by sea, we would likely face attacks from beneath the waves. In such cases, it would be inevitable to engage in battles either underwater or on the deck. This would provide ample opportunities for battle, which would surely satisfy those among our companions… Jigoro and Genjuro would have no complaints.
However, we were traveling by air, and at a frightening speed at that. This meant we would often shake off our enemies before a battle could even start. In fact, whenever flying monsters approached, they were detected by Shiratsuki’s radar only to disappear from range a few seconds later.
Engaging in aerial combat is incredibly challenging in the first place. Although many of us were capable of flight, only Karl, Shio, and Moth-san could move freely and fight in all directions. As for me and Seventh Armor, we were strictly rearguards, and it was difficult for us to fly swiftly. Genjuro had wings but was not suited for flight. Mikelo could only float, and Nenashi’s wings were merely for show.
Moreover, the rest of the members could hardly fly at all. Given this, the outcome of challenging monsters that inhabit the high altitudes we were flying at to aerial combat would be a foregone conclusion. The fact that we could avoid combat and keep dissatisfaction at bay, thanks to our increased speed, was indeed a blessing. This was all thanks to Lord Armadelux, for which I am deeply grateful.
“But still, it’s a bit sad to have fully armed ourselves without getting a chance to use it~~”
“I did want to check the wear and tear on the equipment.”
Iris and Shiitake had armed the battleship using parts recycled from McFarlane’s “Type 35 Dragon Model Magic-Enhanced Armor”. They wanted to test its power, but this time, they would have to give up on that idea. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
For several hours, we thoroughly enjoyed our journey through the skies. Though it was through monitors, we witnessed many marvels of the sky.
We saw powerful battles involving giant sky monsters, regions where pastel-colored clouds that don’t exist in reality gathered, and even squids and octopuses swimming through the clouds. It even turned into a sort of screenshot competition, with everyone trying to capture the best shot. This alone was worth it.
“Hm…? Shiratsuki, could you zoom in on the object on the front monitor?”
“Understood.”
While I was captivated by the various scenes, a small black dot on the monitor caught my attention and I asked Shiratsuki to zoom in. To my surprise, a large piece of land was slowly rising over the horizon!
“Towa, is that our destination?”
“Yes, based on the map you inputted and our navigational data so far, there’s no mistake.”
“Great! Shiratsuki, make an announcement throughout the ship. Tell everyone that the continent of Timbrica is in sight.”
“Understood.”
Unlike Iris and me, who needed to be on the bridge, the members with no specific duties were scattered throughout the battleship. They were either searching for spots that offered a clearer view of the scenery outside or exploring the interior of the battleship. Therefore, making an announcement over the ship’s internal broadcast was the quickest and most reliable way to inform everyone that our destination was in sight.
“What can I say… it’s a harsh landscape…”
“This is definitely not a place where one could live under normal circumstances.”
As you get closer, you can clearly see the entire continent. And its abnormality became clear to everyone here.
The entire continent was shrouded in overly huge black clouds, making it seem as if the concept of a blue sky was nonexistent on the ground. From deserts formed of purple sand, storms of the same color rose high enough to reach the clouds. There were also regions covered in forests of what could only be described as flame trees, with bright red fiery leaves.
It seemed that there were many other areas that could only be described as inhuman hell even if you look at them from a distance, such as ice fields with raging snowstorms and muddy green swamps. I’m starting to wonder if any intelligent life forms could possibly inhabit such a place.
“For now, let’s choose a place to dock that seems as safe as possible.”
“Then…how about around here?”
What Iris displayed on the main monitor was the mouth of a large river with a cape. The river was wide enough for even Shiratsuki to navigate, and the waves were fairly deep and calm. it was an ideal terrain for use as a port.
“That looks good. Let’s dock there, then. Shiratsuki, can you make it?”
“Initiating scan… Predicted threat level, low. No problems detected.”
“Then lower our altitude. Let’s make a water landing.”
“Understood.”
Shiratsuki gently descended and touched down at the river mouth. Unlike in the air, the ship swayed slightly with the waves on the water, but since we chose a spot where the waves were gentle, it was hardly noticeable. Following Iris’s suggestion turned out to be a very good decision.
As far as we could observe from the monitor, there were no large monsters in the rocky area near the river mouth. Shiratsuki’s radar also showed no reactions, which meant that there were likely no dangerous enemies around.
“Hey, hey, there’s no need to rush like that…”
Just as I was feeling relieved that a certain level of safety could be ensured, we soon saw Jigoro and the others already making their way to shore on the monitor. They could have waited for us on the bridge… I understand the excitement though.
“Let’s go ashore too. It would be a waste not to step outside after coming all this way.”
“That’s right, let’s go!”
“Whoa! Materials~materials~new materials~!”
“Take care.”
I couldn’t help but feel excited myself. Along with Iris and Shiitake, I too eagerly went ashore.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
We descended from Shiratsuki’s deck to the riverbank of the great river. The ground was mostly sandy, with only a few small rounded stones, making it easy to walk on. At first glance, it seemed like the scenery of a typical riverbank. However, this continent appeared to be anything but ordinary.
“The sand… it’s a strange color…”
“It doesn’t seem like a scene from this world… Well, it is a virtual game world, after all.”
The sand and pebbles along the riverbank were nothing short of bizarre. The majority of the sand and pebbles were a dark brown color, with patches of dark red and green interspersed throughout. There were some low-growing grasses,but the only ones that could be found bore leaves spotted with poisonous-looking colors. Everything about the place was eerie and filled with things that were far from ordinary.
However, through our eyes, these were nothing more than raw materials for new resources. I crouched down to pick up several stones of different colors from the sand at my feet and decided to use [Appraisal] on them right away. The results were as follows:
――――――――――
- Miasma Sand – Quality: Scrap, Rarity: C (Common)
This is a very fine grain form of ore found only on the continent of Timbrica.
It has the characteristic of becoming a deep black color when processed.
- Miasma Blackstone – Quality: Scrap, Rarity: C (Common)
This is an ore found only on the continent of Timbrica. Particularly small
It is very hard and also quite heavy. Many of the pieces are angular, so be careful not to cut your hands.
- Miasma Redstone – Quality: Scrap, Rarity: R (Rare)
This is an ore found only on the continent of Timbrica. Particularly small
Although very hard, it is light enough to float on water. It is slightly warm to the touch and prone to breaking.
- Miasma Greenstone – Quality: Scrap, Rarity: R (Rare)
This is an ore found only on the continent of Timbrica. Particularly small
It is so brittle that it shatters into powder with the slightest impact. It emits a beautiful sound when it shatters.
――――――――――
Even though these materials were unique to this continent, it seemed their value was limited to this region alone. The items one could simply pick up around here didn’t appear to be particularly powerful. I had never assumed that everything in this vast land held value, so I wasn’t disappointed by this realization.
Besides, I was confident that Iris and Shiitake, if left to their own devices, would surely find some way to make use of these finds. It was a bit irresponsible to leave it all up to them, but entrusting tasks to those who excel at them tends to work out best for everyone.
I decided to set aside thoughts of new materials for later. It was more pressing to regroup with those who had gone ahead.
“What’s Nenashi doing over there?”
Jigoro and the others had gathered by the riverbank, and as I approached, I noticed Nenashi inexplicably placing several vines into the river. Unsure of his intentions, I asked Eiji who was closest to me.
“Ah, Isam-san. Nenashi is currently trying his hand at fishing.”
“Fishing?”
“Yes. Nenashi-san has attached portable food to the end of the vines and is letting them flow into the river. If something bites…”
“Ooooh! Took the bait!”
As I listened to Eiji’s explanation, Nenashi suddenly raised his voice in excitement. It seemed that something had taken the bait. We were still within the range of Shiratsuki’s radar, but the scent of the bait must have attracted it.
If it came to a fight, we might get a sense of the level of the monsters on this continent. I wondered whether a water creature would serve as a good benchmark, but even a rough idea would suffice. For now, I decided to watch and wait.
“Grnnnnn! Oh, it’s heavy! The vine feels like it’s about to snap!”
“Nenashi-san, stay calm. I’ll support you.”
Reeling it in proved to be a challenge, and Nenashi was visibly struggling. Mikelo was the first to step in and help him. Mikelo gazed at Nenashi with one of his many eyes, which resembled a glass marble and began casting [Healing Magic] and [Soul Magic].
This eye was known as the “Healing Magic Eye” and it was capable of restoring the health of any creature it gazed upon. Additionally, since Mikelo had a priest-type job, he could use [Healing Magic], and since he was a priest of Lady Yifa, he could also use [Soul Magic]. I also would have been able to use [Healing Magic] if I weren’t an undead… Too bad.
We didn’t just sit back and watch. I used [Enchantment] to enhance Nanshi’s strength and defense, increasing both the power and durability of the vine, while the rest of the group grasped Nenashi’s vine and pulled together. Observing this scene, I was reminded of the children’s tale “The Enormous Turnip”. However, the sight was far from innocent, with every participant being a unique type of monster and none of the same race. This shouldn’t be included in children’s picture books.
“Puuuuuuuuull!”
“Hahaaa! What a catch this is!”
With our combined strength, the fish that had bitten the bait was hoisted out of the water before it was launched into the air with great force. The fish, much larger than we had anticipated, was more than three times the size of the Great Evil Fish we had previously hunted.
It closely resembled a catfish, but it was quite creepy looking because it had nearly twenty whiskers and they were constantly wriggling around. Without further ado, it was time for “Appraisal”!
――――――――――
Race: Elderwise Catfish Lv73
Job: Wise Fish Lv3
Skills:
- [Strong Fangs]
- [Hard Fish Scales]
- [Tail Strike]
- [Whisker Control]
- [Health Enhancement]
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Dexterity Enhancement]
- [Intelligence Enhancement]
- [Spirit Enhancement]
- [Water and Ice Magic]
- [Storm Magic]
- [Lightning Magic]
- [Aquatic]
- [Lung Breathing]
- [Slash Attack Resistance]
- [Piercing Attack Resistance]
- [Water Resistance]
- [Wind Resistance]
- [Lightning Resistance]
――――――――――
Level 73! it was quite the strong creature. Moreover, it seemed adept at using both physical attacks and magic. In addition, it possessed various resistances… there were no obvious weaknesses. A direct confrontation seemed to be the only option.
Seeing “Lung Breathing” in its status, it appeared that unlike the Great Evil Fish, this Elderwise Catfish, could fight on land as well. Indeed, when the Elderwise Catfish was washed up on the riverbank, it skillfully used its fins to right itself and then, with a fierce leap, it attacked us!
Was I cursed to battle fish demons whenever I set foot on a new continent? I pushed such frivolous thoughts to the back of my mind and prepared for battle.
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