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Race: Great Yuzu Pepper Fish Lv77
Job: Super Glutton Lv7
Skills:
- [Swallowing]
- [Adhesive liquid]
- [Super Strength Enhancement]
- [Defense Enhancement]
- [Rapid Regeneration]
- [Ambush]
- [Lightning Weakness]
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The moving wall turned out to be a creature known as the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish. This was the result of [Appraisal]. Despite its impressive level of 77, the number of skills it possessed was surprisingly few. However, this made it possible to predict its behavior.
It likely lay in wait for prey to approach and then, as its skills suggested, swallowed them whole. It seemed to have grown to this size by adopting the strategy of not engaging in combat but simply feeding.
If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of water coming from the other side of the hole. It probably led to a river, and anyone who wandered into the lair of the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish would be swallowed.
“There seems to be a rather large space beyond this hole, crammed full with that thing called the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish.”
“…. Sounds like something out of Masuji Ibuse’s books.”
I muttered unconsciously to Ruby’s report but only Genjuro reacted. Come on, don’t any of you read? It was even in the literature textbooks at one point… Well, never mind.
In any case, the creature before us was a giant predator, but not a warrior. It had grown by continuously feeding on prey, yet it couldn’t venture outside. Whether it lamented its situation like the character in the novel was unclear. Although the situation was unexpected, there was no particular reason to spare it, so we decided to try defeating it.
“Jigoro, could you start by giving it a good punch?”
“Sure thing!”
Jigoro happily accepted my request, wrapped his gauntlet in lightning and struck it with all his might. A heavy bang echoed, followed by a burst of golden lightning. The sound and effects were flashy, but since it seemed like he was just punching a wall and no markers were visible, it was initially unclear if the attack had any effect.
However, the response was significant. The creature writhed as if in pain, its wall-like skin violently shifting, causing the passageway we stood in to sway and nearly topple us. It was definitely affected.
“Damage is getting through, but if it thrashes about, it might collapse the tunnel. In that case.…Star Magic Circle Activation, Spell Adjustment, Paralyze.”
When I employed [Curse], the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish twitched and convulsed but stopped moving. Perhaps it had low resistance to status ailments? This was fortunate for us, but it was pitiful for a creature of its level.
“Let’s beat it up while we have the chance. It seems to have a lot of health, so prioritize power in your attacks.”
“How ruthless.”
“You really say the most brutal things so calmly. I’m happy to use my martial techniques of [Dagger Mastery] in actual combat, though.”
“If it’s not a strong opponent, I’ll quickly take care of it.”
“Um, everyone, please try to attack without damaging the materials too much.”
Despite Iris’s request, typical of someone in a production job, it turned out to be unnecessary. The reason was that the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish, thanks to its [Rapid Regeneration] skill, healed almost as quickly as it was injured.
It was a relief that we could still obtain quality materials from it despite our rough battle tactics, but this was just the beginning of our nightmare. The Great Yuzu Pepper Fish’s high regeneration ability was almost comparable to the total firepower of the five of us, and combined with its vast health, we entered into a grueling battle of endurance.
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You have won the battle.
The level of [Lightning Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Thunderbolt” spell.
[Lightning Magic] has reached its growth limit. SP is required to break the limit.
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“Oh, is it over? It’s over, right?”
“Since the victory notification appeared, there’s no mistake… I believe.”
For about an hour, the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish persisted solely on the strength and powerful skills its level afforded it. The task of striking what felt like an incredibly sturdy wall was excruciating. All four of my companions were visibly drained by the ordeal.
In my case, I was particularly exhausted for a different reason. I had been maintaining various status ailments like paralysis and attacking with [Lightning Magic], as well as using my tail and scythe. The diversity of options at my disposal meant that fully mastering them was quite the challenge.
“The skinning… is complete…”
When Iris finished skinning, the body disappeared, revealing a cavity far larger than anticipated. This meant that the creature’s body, which had filled this space, must have been several times the volume of Karl’s. Although we never saw its head, it undoubtedly had a mouth large enough to swallow us whole.
Iris manipulated the virtual display to send us the details of the materials she had skinned, their quantity, and the results of her [Appraisal]. This convenient feature which allowed sharing information with party members had been added during a recent event. Let’s see…
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- Soft skin of the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish – Quality: Good, Rarity: S (Special)
The squishy skin of the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish is known for its water-repellent properties, though it is highly susceptible to electric shocks.
It serves as an excellent material for high-quality cloaks.
- Mucous gland of the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish – Quality: Good, Rarity: S (Special)
This organ secretes the mucous of the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish. When infused with magical power, it can produce a similar type of mucous.
It emits a refreshing scent, but its high adhesive quality makes it difficult to remove once it sticks.
- Jawbone of the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish – Quality: Good, Rarity: S (Special)
The sturdy jawbone of the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish, capable of consuming all manner of creatures.
It uses this jaw to clamp down on prey that wanders into its lair, ensuring they cannot escape.
The bone faintly smells refreshing.
- 10kg of thigh meat from the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish – Quality: Superior, Rarity: T (Treasure)
The meat of the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish. This is thigh meat.
A high-quality ingredient that is tender, fatty, and extremely delicious.
However, it spoils easily and must be consumed quickly.
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“This is really strange… I don’t know what to say.”
The name Great Yuzu Pepper Fish was not for naught, as it seemed that a refreshing scent emanated from all parts of the fish except its skin. When Iris took out a piece of the meat from her inventory, a smell reminiscent of yuzu gently wafted through the air…. What was this sorcery?
Perhaps because it was huge, the size of the meat as an item was quite large. If the description was to be believed, this piece alone weighed about 10kg. It appeared there were other types of meat available as well, such as shoulder and breast meat, but the descriptions were too inconsistent to rely upon.
What was truly surprising was that the meat had the highest rarity. Since I couldn’t eat, I decided to pass my share on to Karl and the others.
“The total weight of the meat doesn’t reach 100kg, so it seems there’s been a loss of weight that’s typical of drop items. Still, given that the opponent was of a higher caliber, the amount dropped for the five of us to share is considerable.”
“It looks a bit like chicken, doesn’t it? Although the size and weight are all wrong…”
“Hmm. But like other edible items, it might not have any taste, right?”
“Why not just try eating it to find out? Iris, give me one.”
“Eh? Oh, sure, here you go.”
After taking a piece of meat from Iris, Jigoro did something quite astonishing. He bit into it raw! He continued to chew on the raw meat. Even though this was all happening in a game, the sight of him consuming raw meat as if it were nothing was completely surprising!
“…Delicious. This is really good!”
“Oh, it actually has a taste?!”
Jigoro opened his eyes wide in surprise and muttered, then began to greedily eat the meat. Of course, it was still raw.
The scene looked like something out of a mountain ogre’s meal, but the real issue was the discovery of a food item with a distinct taste. In the virtual world, eating and drinking were generally considered to be bland experiences. This was to prevent promoting unrealistic diets or diminishing interest in real-world food due to overly delicious virtual alternatives.
Yet Jigoro seemed to distinctly taste the meat. While drinks might be one thing, the presence of taste in food raised concerns, especially from a legal standpoint…
“Tasting distinct flavors in food… I believe that’s usually reserved for luxury items.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you see…”
Sensing my confusion, Iris shared her perspective with me. The issue wasn’t with the flavorful food and drink items themselves, but rather the negative impact they could have on the real world. Therefore, she thought that the ingredients that could be tasted were limited to highly rare items that could not be easily obtained.
Indeed, the rarity of this “Great Yuzu Pepper Fish Meat” was quite high, classified as a T-class. Given its description as a high-quality ingredient, its market value must be substantial. If it’s impossible to buy enough to affect reality, it wouldn’t cause any harmful effects. Thus, it likely wouldn’t pose any legal issues.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like she might be right. However, if Iris’s speculation holds true, this meat could be incredibly valuable. It’s regrettable that there’s no way to cash it in at the moment. Moreover, since it’s prone to spoiling, it seems we need to consume it quickly before it turns to waste. It would be a shame to let it go to waste, but what should we do…
“Brooding over it here won’t help. Let’s head outside for now.”
“I agree. I’ll lead the way.”
Before we could think about the possible uses of the meat, we had to get out of this hole. And just like we had done when we entered, we followed Ruby’s lead and made our way outside.
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Exhausted from the battle with the Great Yuzu Pepper Fish, we decided to take Karl back to Shiratsuki with us. When I gave Karl a piece of the meat, his previously sullen demeanor disappeared, and he instantly became happy. It seemed the meat was also tasty for Karl.
“Jigoro, was it really that good?”
“Nah, it wasn’t exquisite or anything. Felt like I was eating sashimi with a bit of seasoning. Maybe the fact that it was raw played a part…”
“So, you were surprised because it actually had a taste?”
“Exactly. It was decently good, but that’s about it.”
So, even though it was tasty, it wasn’t anything extraordinary compared to real-world food. Thus, only enthusiasts or eccentric gourmets among players would possibly go to great lengths to seek out such high-quality ingredients.
“Jigoro, did you notice any changes in your body after eating the meat?”
“Nothing at all. It’s different from the tea we had at the old man’s place.”
“It’s odd for an item of such rarity to have no effect when consumed. It seems that even with high-quality ingredients, their potential cannot be fully realized without proper preparation.”
Does that mean that if you don’t cook high-quality meat, it will become an item that only tastes good and restores your satiety level? Hmm, in that case…
“Shall we do a barbecue party at Shiratsuki today?” I asked.
“That sounds great!”
“Let’s do it before everyone logs off!”
“I’ll message everyone in the clan chat to make sure. Luckily, it seems like everyone is logged in today.”
“I thought something like this might happen, so I actually made a BBQ set!”
The excitement among the four of them was nothing short of amazing. I was happy to have made a suggestion that brought joy to everyone. But if I have one regret, it’s that I as the initiator couldn’t eat… But I decided it was best not to dampen the spirits by mentioning it. With these thoughts in mind, we returned to Shiratsuki using [Space-Time magic].
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