――――――――――
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The level of [Staff Mastery] skill has increased.
The level of [Magic Control] skill has increased.
The level of [Earthen Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Water and Ice Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Flame Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Storm Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Forest Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Lava Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Sand Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Mist Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Lightning Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Explosion Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Black Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Black Sword” spell attack.
The level of [Void Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Summoning Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Enchantment] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Triple Enchantment” spell.
The level of [Magic Circle] skill has increased.
The level of [Necromancy] skill has increased.
The level of [Curse] skill has increased.
The level of [Trap Magic] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Triple Trap” and “Crescent Trap” spells.
The level of [Spirit Channeling] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Summon Lesser Spirits” spell.
The level of [Witchcraft] skill has increased.
Newly learned “Auditory Illusion” and “Slow Death” spells.
The level of [Appraisal] skill has increased.
The level of [Ambush] skill has increased.
――――――――――
There were an overwhelming number of them! To be honest, the enemies themselves weren’t particularly formidable. However, what made it truly bothersome was the constant frequency of encounters and the remarkably large groups that attacked all at once. There’s no other way to describe it.
The most common were the Poison Bats, followed by the Poison Vipers, and the least common were the Poison Lizards. The drop items for each of them were as follows:
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Poison Viper Fang – Quality: Fair, Rarity: C (Common)
A fang from a snake that carries venom. The poison has a decently potent effect.
It is commonly used for arrowheads but cannot be replenished with poison.
Poison Viper Skin – Quality: Fair, Rarity: C (Common)
A type of snake skin with beautiful purple patterns.
Not suitable for armor, but serves as raw material for high-quality leather items.
Poison Lizard Fang – Quality: Fair, Rarity: C (Common)
A fang from a venomous lizard. The poison’s effect is not particularly strong.
Due to its large size and durability, it is popular as a material for short blades.
Poison Lizard Skin – Quality: Fair, Rarity: C (Common)
A type of lizard skin covered in densely packed purple scales.
It serves as an excellent material for armor, possessing waterproof and cold-resistant properties.
――――――――――
Looking back on it, if one had the courage to sleep and stay in the cave, the strength to defeat monsters, and an ample supply of healing potions, it would have been an excellent hunting ground. Especially the poison lizard skins were so tempting to gather in large quantities. I heard that once we returned to the laboratory with enough materials, Iris would enhance our armor. She was truly reliable.
Furthermore, I acquired various new magic spells. There was no need to explain the detailed workings of the [Enchantment] and [Trap Magic] new acquired spells. The only change was that now, with the new spells (Triple Enchantment and Triple Trap), I could use three of each skill simultaneously. It was straightforward and could be considered a pure enhancement. I have even more things I can do now!
What I should definitely check were the new [Black Magic] spell called the “Black Sword” and the new [Spirit Channeling] spell called “summoning lesser spirits”, as well as the new [Witchcraft] spells called “auditory illusions” and “slow death”. The Black Sword spell under the [Black Magic] skill conjures a pitch-black sword and unleashes it towards the enemy’s shadow, causing tangible damage to appear on their physical bodies. It seemed its effectiveness was heightened when the shadow was well-defined, much like when the sun shone brightly.
But I couldn’t use it now! To explain further, it was difficult to utilize unless I overcame my [Light Weakness]! Next, next!
The [Spirit Channeling] spell called “Summon Lesser Spirits” summoned a multitude of low-level evil spirits from the spirit world. Though it had the drawback of unstable numbers, each individual spirit seemed slightly stronger than a regular undead. The beastly spirits, in particular, when summoned, were ferocious and had a terrifying appearance. However, seeing Iris and Ruby’s horrified reactions, I decided to refrain from using it in their presence… but if the need arose, I would ask for permission to employ it.
Lastly, there were the [Witchcraft] spells of “Auditory Illusions” and “Slow Deat” and they were quite wicked. Auditory illusions could literally create illusionary sounds. You could choose from various options, such as voices of resentment or imitating the voices of the under the spell player’s friends.
It was rather malicious and cruel. Mastering this spell felt like a manifestation of a deeply malevolent nature. Truly befitting of the skill [Witchcraft]. And then there was Slow Death, a type of instant death curse that took effect with ease but allowed a thirty-second interval before actual demise. If the enemy could land an attack on me during that time, the spell would be nullified. I couldn’t bring myself to use it unless I had companions around.
Though all these spells were powerful, the only one that proved incompatible was the Black Sword. It was ironic that a race like the Abyss Skeleton Mage, who seemed to excel in [Black Magic] had a spell I couldn’t use properly. I definitely couldn’t accept that. I needed to get rid of my [Light Weakness] as soon as possible!
“So, before we go further down… let’s take a break.”
Upon thoroughly exploring the cave, we discovered a path leading deeper underground. Everyone agreed to proceed further, but before doing so, we decided to take a break.
In real time, only an hour had passed, but in the game, where time flowed four times faster, it meant we had engaged in combat for almost three hours. While the damage sustained was not significant, the continuous battles had undoubtedly taken a toll on us mentally. That’s why a break was absolutely necessary.
“It’s not safe to log out here. So, I’ll use [Summoning Magic] to fortify our defenses. I want everyone to take a rest first,” I suggested.
“Ga-gya (I’ll stay too). Gu-gya-gu-gya, gu-gya-gya-gya-gya (in case something happens, can’t leave it to just one person),”
“…I see. Thank you. Jigoro will stay behind as well. Make sure the three of you rest well,” I said.
“Shu-rushu (Understood). Shu-shururu (Excuse me, I’ll be going ahead),” Iris said.
“Kachi, kachi-chi (Sorry, I’m counting on you),”
“Purupuru (Please, take care)!”
The three of them said their goodbyes and logged out. Their avatars lost their power, becoming intricate dolls. Oh, so this is how it looks like when someone logs out. Wait, I always log out in this state, right? Seeing my skeleton like this could be quite horrifying. I’m sorry, everyone.
Taking a deep breath, I focused my attention and chanted, “Summon, Skeleton Warrior, Strength Boost, Defense Boost, Defense Boost, Undead Boost.”
With my increased proficiency in [Summoning Magic], I summoned an evolved monster, the Skeleton Warrior, which was the evolution of a skeleton who was armed for battle. Though it appeared frail, its true capabilities far exceeded its appearance. Additionally, after summoning three of them, I utilized [Enchantment] and [Necromancy] to enhance the summoned minions to the best of my abilities.
“Oh, these guys seem pretty strong!”
“Don’t go saying you want to fight them. It takes quite a lot of effort to summon and strengthen them, you know.”
What I said was the truth. These three creatures were the highest-performing summons I could conjure at the moment. They were not something that could be easily defeated, but their cost was too high to let Jigoro fight with them. I can only foresee a future where all three would be utterly crushed!
“Don’t be so selfish in this situation. Come on.” Jigoro said.
“Sigh, if they’re still intact after the exploration is over, you can play with them to your heart’s content I can’t guarantee if you’ll enjoy it or not.”
“Oh, you’re quick to understand me!”
This may deplete my magic power, but it’s fine. I’ll just consider it part of leveling up my [Summoning Magic]. Lately, I’ve only been using it for the merciless tactic of summoning the Will-o-Wisps and bombarding enemies with spells, causing them to self-destruct. This was a good opportunity to practice summoning stronger creatures.
“Anyway, the tournament is about to begin. Since we’re free, why don’t we watch it; what do you think, Isam?”
“We’re supposed to be on guard duty… but oh well. We have summoned creatures with us, after all.”
Just after I found out I couldn’t participate, I hadn’t gathered any information, but that didn’t mean I had no interest from the start. I wanted to know how well my current abilities would hold up against the other player. I found a conveniently sized rock on the ground, sat down on it, and opened the menu to start watching the official live broadcast of the fighting tournament from the event tags.
The tournament was a major event that would take place over three days in game time, which corresponded from Sunday morning to midnight in real time. Today, the first day, featured individual battles. The winner here would be recognized as the current strongest player.
“Oh, quite a number of people are participating.”
I was amazed by the large number of participants. There were 50,000 players in the initial release of FSW’s retail version, but nearly all of those who met the criteria of accomplishing a job change had expressed their desire to join. Of course, there was a limit, and it was narrowed down to a thousand participants, but that was still a significant number. The tournament would certainly take up the entire day.
After the opening declaration and various announcements by the guild master of the adventurer’s guild, the details of the individual qualifying matches were finally revealed. It turned out to be a battle royale with 100 participants. The idea was to cram a hundred people into the arena and fight until only the last two remained.
“Wow, it’s going to be a chaotic melee,”
That was my initial thought as the first match of the qualifiers began. In a setup like this, it would be tough for spellcasters. Personally, I believed that in one-on-one battles, a cleverly strategizing mage had an advantage over a warrior. But in a chaotic melee like this, it was evident that the scales tipped in favor of the warriors. That was because someone would already be closing on you before you could even prepare for it.
Being a mage myself, I couldn’t help but be concerned about the performance of the other spellcasters in the qualifiers. It was indeed a challenging situation. Oh, another one got taken out! Watch out!… It’s possible that only one mage will make it to the main event.
“Hey, over there… Yeah, that’s it; go on the offensive! Don’t hold back, you idiot!” Jigoro exclaimed.
While I was focused on observing the mages, it seemed that Jigoro was searching for an opponent he could enjoy fighting against. He hoped to find someone who could match his skills.
He was still grumbling to himself, and it didn’t seem like he had high expectations for the first qualifying match. He frequently adjusted the video screen, perhaps because there wasn’t anyone worth paying attention to.
In the end, the last two standing were a male mountain-dweller dwarf clad in metallic armor and a female forest-dweller elf wearing nothing but minimal leather armor. They were truly a contrasting pair.
“What do you think of these two?” I asked.
“They’re nothing special. I’ll give credit for their good tactics, but if it were a fistfight, there would have been plenty of better opponents,” Jigoro replied.
“Harsh judgment,” I remarked.
“Well, let’s hope for better in the next round,”
Before the excitement of the first match had completely subsided, the second qualifying match began. I spotted a player among the participants who seemed familiar. Yes, it was the heavily armored warrior who had fought alongside that hero guy against Jigoro. His name was…
“Claude, right?”
“Huh?… Oh, the guy I knocked down,” Jigoro replied.
Jigoro operated the video, diligently searching for footage of the guy. Given Claude’s status as a renowned player, he was a prime target, and it didn’t take long for Jigoro to locate him. With keen focus, he observed Claude’s performance and nodded in admiration.
“He possesses impressive skill. I believe he can endure for a while longer,” Jigoro remarked.
“You think he can win?” I inquired.
“Sure. That’s the standard,”
Although he casually stated it, I wondered how many players did this guy think could actually achieve that level of mastery. What a real-life cheater.
“Anyone else… Huh?”
Oh? Did Jigoro find someone who could match his standards?
“This woman, strong…? No, skilled,” Jigoro pondered.
“Skilled?” I
Not strong, but skilled. He chose to express it differently. Was there a specific reason for that? Jigoro accurately sensed my curiosity and answered without averting his gaze from the screen.
“Yeah. Her movements are just average, to be honest. But her decision-making and distancing are exceptional. Moreover, her timing in utilizing combat techniques is impeccable.”
Ah, so she was not some sort of real-life cheater like Jigoro, but rather just exceptionally skilled at the game. It was unfortunate that she lacked knowledge of close combat and the ability to assess strength, so I didn’t know which of the few remaining female survivors she was. However, since Jigoro gave her his approval, I believe she’ll definitely make it through the qualifiers.
“Looks like she managed to make it through after all.”
The second match, which lasted about the same duration as the first, finally came to an end. In the end, Claude and a woman wielding a polearm-like weapon emerged as the victors. Seeing Jigoro’s delighted grin, I became certain that she was the person he had marked.
“Her name is… Hanna, huh?”
A formidable female warrior, recognized by Jigoro in the realm of close combat. I pray that we don’t encounter her if possible.
“Shurushuru (I’m back)!” Iris said.
“Oh, welcome back.”
It turned out that the first one to return was Iris. So, let’s take turns resting once the other people come back.
“Hey, Isam. I’ll stay here, so you go ahead and log out.” Jigoro said.
“…Alright, if you insist.”
Ah, it’s not like he was being considerate of me; he just wanted to make sure that Iris wouldn’t suggest that I and Jigoro log out together. Did he really want to watch the tournament that much? Well, I don’t mind, so I’ll take this opportunity to take a break.
I couldn’t blame him for being focused on watching the qualifiers, as I was guilty of the same thing. But I do hope Jigoro would take a break too. I’m just a little worried about that.
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