(TN: I had a hard time naming Hanna’s husband. His name seems to be Chinese. Luo Ya. I called him Ragaya, but now I’m changing it to Roja.)
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“I see… you want to become a Jiangshi. I wish you had mentioned that from the start.”
(TN Jiangshi is a Japanese folklore zombie)
“Sorry for being so roundabout with my request.”
Hanna’s request was for me to use my [Necromancy] skill to turn her into a monster. Originally, our group was a rare assembly of monster players who had come together through various twists and turns. Being the only human among us, she likely felt like an outsider.
Everyone I had recruited was a monster, and indeed, she did stand out. While it didn’t bother me or the others, the one who was different often felt concerned about it.
The reason Hanna knew about the Jiangshi transformation was due to a custom in the Flower County of the Aqualia Islands, where Iris and the others had traveled. There was a custom where only special warriors became Jiangshi to protect the nation. Apparently, Iris and the others had encountered such Jiangshi. These creatures had long overcome the typical Jiangshi weaknesses of [Fire Weakness] and [Light Weakness], almost becoming superior versions of their former human selves.
However, turning into a Jiangshi meant needing double the skill points to acquire new skills, and the skills obtained after the transformation required more experience points to level up. While it made learning new things more difficult, if you overcome your weaknesses, the transformation will surely make you stronger. For Hanna, who wanted both strength and the ability to become a monster, it seemed like an ideal solution.
“Oh, but I don’t mean right away,” Hanna added.
“Oh?”
“If the person turning into a Jiangshi isn’t at a high enough level, they just become weaker. It should be at least until I’m level 50. I’m two levels short.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. And I heard that there was a cult that knew about this and used Jiangshi as their soldiers. They were annihilated a long time ago. Since then, in the Flower Country, those who can perform Jiangshi transformations are strictly regulated.”
Oh? The reason I learned about the Jiangshi transformation was due to that Undead Mage, who was actually a necromancer who had been hiding in the cave. His diary mentioned that he came from the flower country. If strict regulation started after the cult’s annihilation, it’s possible that he, among others, had escaped.
However, this brought up some inconsistencies in the story I knew. His diary didn’t mention anything about a cult, and more importantly, it stated that his escape was due to his clan being exiled following a political upheaval. What could account for this discrepancy? It’s not uncommon for popular beliefs and historical facts to differ; yet this was often due to conspiracies or manipulation of information. Was there something shady in his past?
Investigating these details further would be intriguing, but I decided to keep it to myself for now. Meddling in these matters felt like it could backfire painfully. If we were to delve into this, it would be wise to wait until we had grown stronger.
“Once your level exceeds 50, let me know. Until then, I’ll work on improving my [Necromancy] and [Talismanry] skills as much as I can,” I said.
“That’s a huge help. Thank you.”
“Well, I’m off to greet the other new member of our guild.”
“Ah, we’ll come with you.”
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“Wow… this is…”
The five of us went down outside of Birdy Perch, where Hanna’s husband, Roja, was supposed to be playing with Karl. What caught my eye was the sight of Karl chasing a white horse with a golden mane at high speed.
To an onlooker, it seemed nothing short of a hunt led by Karl. Was this really just play? Not some form of bullying?
“It looks like they’re just playing tag, but…”
“Honestly, it looks more like a hunt.”
Iris and Ruby echoed my thoughts. Neither of them had any facial expressions, but if they actually had, they would definitely be smiling bitterly.
“Guoo? Guooooooooo!!!”
“Oh, there there, good boy, Karl. Sorry for leaving you alone.”
“Grrrrr…”
Karl had been energetically flying through the sky, but as soon as he spotted me, he swiftly approached me. After he landed right in front of me, he nuzzled his head against my body. Fufufu, what a cute one. He’s seeking affection!
“Oh, are you Isam-san?”
While I was busy caressing Karl’s head, the horse that had been chased by Karl earlier approached us. He appeared larger than when I had seen him in the recording of the martial arts tournament, and his mane had changed to a golden color. He must have undergone several evolutions and had his appearance changed. One could generally guess what he wanted to evolve into based on his player name.
“Yes, I am Isam, the guild leader. Pleased to meet you.”
“Thank you for your politeness. As you know, my name is Roja.”
Roja’s voice was deeper than I had expected. He was probably in his forties? Still, he was definitely older than me. Since we couldn’t shake hands, we both nodded to each other in greeting.
“My wife and I are looking forward to working with you.”
“Not at all. Having the winner of the martial arts tournament join our guild is a strong addition. And thank you for playing with Karl.”
“Haha. On the contrary, it was fun for me too. Running around in this avatar is exciting in itself, and being chased by a dragon was quite a thrilling experience.”
Saying this, Roja laughed heartily. He really seemed to have enjoyed the situation. It was fine if he did, but it was surprising that someone of his appearance enjoyed being chased by Karl.
“Isam-san, feel free to speak casually with my husband. He gets down if treated too formally, despite his age.”
“Hoo. Is that so? Then, Roja, let me say it again: I look forward to working with you.”
“Haha. Likewise.”
Even when interacting with those older than myself, here we were all companions playing together. If speaking informally was more appropriate, then I should adapt to that. As I deepened my relationship with Hanna and her husband Roja, Karl stopped rubbing his head against me and lifted his neck before looking into the distance. Following his gaze, I saw a shadow climbing up the cliff of Birdy Perch.
“Yesss! I’m the first one here!”
“Damn it, even with wings, I’m not good at flying. It’s frustrating.”
“Gahahahaha! I lost!”
Soon after, two more shadows appeared, followed by several Birdians soaring up. I recognized those voices.
“Oh? Hey, brother! You got back first?”
“Yeah, just now. Good to see you’re doing well too.”
The ones who had climbed up from the edge of the cliff were the duo of Jigoro and Genjuro, along with the Birdians who had gone to a different island from Iris and the rest. They, too, must have had their own thrilling adventures.
“Good to see everyone in high spirits. Are these our new companions?” Genjuro said.
“Yeah, they are. Well, we must have a lot to catch up on. Shall we head back home?”
“Sure thing. See you later, old man! Thanks for everything.” Jigoro said.
“Don’t mention it! Let’s go on another adventure together when we have the chance!”
And so, after regrouping like this, we parted ways with the Birdians and headed back to our guild house. It was time to share and exchange our stories and information!
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Firstly, there’s the story of Iris and the other girls. After arriving in the Flower Country, they quickly hit it off with Hanna and Roja, who were also players and began to act together.
Later, just before Shio and several Birdians faced “The Trial of the Azure Moon”, Iris and the others accepted a quest to subjugate a certain monster. The quest was named “Heaven’s Mercy”. On the Twin Dragon Island, a large number of snake-like monsters appeared every few months. The group’s main task was to subjugate one that had nested on the outskirts of the town.
Why were Iris and the others chosen for such a quest? The reason lies in the title held by both Iris and Ruby—”Friend of the Water Dragon Lord”. The request came from an official of Flower Country, but the true client turned out to be the Dragon Emperor who reigned at the top of Flower Country.
He was not a dragon lord, but a dragon emperor. His race was even higher than that of the dragon lord Agnasrelim, whom I had seen. Their high favorability with intelligent dragons, thanks to their titles, was likely the reason they were chosen for the quest. One never knows what might trigger such events.
After completing the quest, everyone received a new title, “Acquaintance of the Wind Dragon Emperor”. There was no change in their status, and the effects seemed almost identical to “Friend of the Water Dragon Lord”. However, if the effects were to overlap, it could lead to something interesting.
Next, there was the battle-maniac duo, Jigoro and Genjuro. Those two apparently spent their time in relentless combat on Heavenly Spirit Island, one of the larger islands in the Aquaria Islands. They mostly sparred with various demons (yokai) in dojos and occasionally fought deadly battles with powerful demons.
Afterward, Jigoro received a new title, “Direct Disciple of the Great Tengu” and Genjuro received the title “Swordsmanship Instructor of Heavenly Spirit Island”. Moreover, both of them had apparently evolved their weapon-based skills.
No, I must say this. Didn’t everyone have more events in their journey than the actual event? My English is getting weird, but that can’t be helped at this point!
“I understand how everyone spent their time. Now, I’d like to decide who will accompany me to pick up the others.”
Well, that’s fine. When I mentioned how I picked a fight with a goddess, I was laughed at by the others, but I believe I haven’t lost in terms of impact. More importantly, now that we’ve shared our situations, the question is what to do next.
The first thing I must do is bring Eiji and Usaji here. Unlike the others, they are in a far-off location. So, I need to go pick them up, but I have to select members for that.
The reason is that, due to various circumstances, we must limit the number of people. This is because the base teleport can’t be used by players who haven’t been to the location. Therefore, I need to somehow bring the two to the floating island of Vetus.
Firstly, it’s certain that I will go, and Karl, who will serve as our transportation, is certainly needed. Then, adding Eiji and Usaji, whom we’re going to pick up, brings our count to four. Considering a party consists of six people, this leaves two slots open. The question now is who will fill these remaining spots.
“I’m coming along! I’m interested in the enemies of the desert!” Jigoro said.
“The country of warriors… intriguing indeed,” Genjuro said.
“There might be new production techniques!” Iris wondered.
“Visiting various places sounds great…” Ruby added.
Yes, all of the old members are eager to go. I can understand their enthusiasm, but aren’t they willing to step aside for the newcomers, especially those two grown men!
“I’ll pass this time~~ssu. I want to level up~~ssu, and there are many flying enemies around here good for practice~~ssu.”
“I’d like to run around this area.”
“So, we’ll sit this one out.”
Shio, Hanna, and Roja were apparently not planning to go. They clearly had their own things they wanted to do, but there was no doubt they were also being considerate of the others.
Well, it was actually a relief concerning Roja. His large size would have posed a huge burden for Karl, our transporter, so I had been planning to persuade him not to come.
“Eh, Shi-chan isn’t going? Then I’ll pass too,” Ruby said.
“Hmm, if Ruby isn’t going, then I suppose I’ll stay as well. It’s sad to be separated continuously when we’re playing the same game.” Genjuro interjected.
“Mmm, Grandpa!”
Ruby playfully hit Genjuro, trying to hide her embarrassment. The sight of a grandfather and granddaughter playing together, even if they were an insect and a slime, was still endearing. And with their decision to stay back, the two people who would accompany me were decided.
“It’s just the original three of us then, brother?”
“Seems like it.”
“It’s been a while since we’ve done something just the three of us.”
Iris was right. It was rare for me to venture out with just the two people I first teamed up with.
That aside, with the team now decided, the next step when I log in will be to go and pick up Eiji and Usaji!
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(TN: This is the horse husband’s name in the raws “羅雅”. From the chapter and what Isam said, it would seem his name holds some meaning. But in Chinese, 羅 means net or gathering, and 雅 means elegant or refined.
I could translate his name in that sense by mixing stuff. And then we get “elegant gathering” or “refined net” which has no connotation to any famous thing or person. The name Luo Ya is also used by a lot of people, so… If you find out his correct name translation, feel free to tell me. Till then, I’m sticking with Roja.)
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