Chapter 67: Off to the New World

We were able to return to the “Ancient Travel Tower” right after sunrise. Even though it was quite early, I should apologize for keeping everyone waiting.

“Sorry! I’m late!”

My first words as I returned to the three of them were a sincere apology. No matter how I tried to make up for it, I was at fault!

“Oh, it’s not like we were waiting or anything,” Jigoro said.

“Indeed!” Genjuro added

“You weren’t waiting? Why… huh?”

“Ah! Grandpa seems to have become something cooler!”

Huh? Hmmm? Somehow, I feel like Genjuro’s appearance has changed. Could it be that he evolved?

“What kind of race did you become, exactly? You were an Insector Beetle, right?”

“Yes, indeed. I became a Blade Insector Beetle, to be precise. It seems like after repeatedly cutting down powerful enemies using only [Sword Mastery], this option became available.”

The Blade Insector Beetle, huh? For Lizardman and Toadman, the norm was to add “War” to their names for their next evolution. The Insector Beetle race must have followed a similar pattern, but it seems Genjuro’s unique style of combat triggered a special evolution.

Looking at it this way, it appears that no one among us has actually undergone an ordinary evolution. No! We should be competent players! It’s just that we tend to engage in more unconventional battles than the average player!

“My level has also reached 28. Evolution is just around the corner for me ♪”

Iris was also in high spirits. While I was engrossed in crafting those undead creatures, were the three of them out hunting? I trust their strength, but this whole area was where birds swoop down from the sky. It feels quite dangerous…

“Kyuu!”

“Oh, Karl, I’m back. Have you been a good boy?”

Karl noticed my return and leaped towards me. Wait a second? Wasn’t he definitely flying with his wings just now?

“Actually, the star of our hunt today was Karl right here,” Iris said.

“As soon as you guys went to the hideout, this little one took off into the sky,” Jigoro said.

“Thanks to him, we managed to avoid surprise attacks from above,” Genjuro added.

Impressive! Well done! However…

“So, Karl had his debut while I wasn’t around…”

“Ah!”

“Aaah…”

“Well…”

“Kyu?”

While Karl seemed oblivious to the reason behind my low spirits, the three of them wore expressions that seemed to convey, “We messed up!”…I’ve really gotten good at reading monster expressions, even if I say so myself.

“Kyuu~!”

I soothed Karl by patting his head. It’s my first experience being comforted by a small animal, but it’s surprisingly pleasant.

“Phew… well, never mind. We achieved our goal too. We’ve collected all the items. With this, we have no lingering worries.”

In other words, we could now head to the new land without any reservations.

“I’m excited to see what kind of monsters we’ll encounter there!”

Jigoro was itching for a formidable new opponent. Truly, he’s an unwavering individual, that guy.

“Vetus Floating Island… I wonder what kind of place it is?”

Iris’s curiosity seemed impossible to contain; her tentacles wriggled in contemplation of a continent that had likely remained untouched by anyone before. I empathized with her feelings since I shared the same sentiment!

“Alright, let’s go!”

Ruby was still as lively as ever. However, it’s a mystery how she excels at acting stealthily like a ninja. Maybe she could fully showcase that skill on Vetus Floating Island.

“Hehe! My blood is boiling!”

And here’s the spirited old man on the other hand, Genjuro! Moreover, his anticipation seems to stem from nearly the same reason as Jigoro’s, right?

“Well then, let’s get going!”

“”””Oooh!””””

“Kyu? Kyuu!”

Karl, not quite grasping the situation, let out a slightly delayed cry. Everyone was amused by his reaction as we boarded the warp device leading to Vetus Floating Island.

――――――――――

Do you want to move to Vetus floating island?

Yes/No

――――――――――

Without needing to ask, there was only one answer! Yes!

As I selected the “Yes” option, the device began to glow brightly. By the time it emitted such an intense light that made me struggle to keep my eyes open, we started feeling as though we were in a zero-gravity space. Ugh! It felt nauseating!

◆◇◆◇◆◇

How much time had passed while we were in that state? It seemed like an instant, yet at the same time, it felt like a considerable amount of time had elapsed. However, as the blinding light that had been searing my eyes subsided, the surroundings became visible once again; only now the place was different from what it was just a moment ago.

No, the structure of the room itself hadn’t changed much. However, the characters written on the floor were undeniably different.

“Welcome! Enjoy the sky continent to your heart’s content!”

That’s what was written. In other words…

“The teleportation was successful!”

――――――――――

A management message has been received.

――――――――――

…Oh no, isn’t this ruining the afterglow we just had? Something like this happened just before the battle with the Twin-Headed Wind Eagle a little while ago! We could use a bit more time to bask in the emotions…

“Eh?!”

“No way?!”

Ah, am I the only one complaining about the afterglow? It seems Iris and Ruby were surprised as they read the information. Now, I wonder what it says…

――――――――――

Just now, a player has reached a continent different from Luxresia. In response to this, we will be implementing a World Map.

Please note that the World Map will only display places the person has actually visited or purchased maps for.

However, exchanging map data is possible. We hope you continue to enjoy FSW.

――――――――――

“Kyu?”

I see. I see. Essentially, we’ve unlocked one aspect of the game’s system. Quite a significant accomplishment, isn’t it? We can revel in a sense of superiority, right? Like saying, “We’re progressing more than the strategy group players!”

Alright then, let’s take a look at my World Map while petting Karl. Let’s see, the one in the center is Firth City… Oh! The western and northern parts are indeed unlocked! Ah, even boss areas and hidden regions have their names displayed. I suppose only those who have entered or discovered them can see this.

Looking at it this way, it’s mostly hidden areas! I think we found a lot of them because we couldn’t access the places where regular players are likely to go. I wonder how far we’ve strayed off the established path.

And as for our current location… Yeah. It’s properly marked as Vetus Floating Island. The area is named “Ancient Springs”… Springs? Even though there’s no water, are there springs?

“Everyone, let’s head outside for now. We won’t get anywhere like this.”

“You’re right. Shall we go out?”

We stood before the automatic door, which stood motionless in front of us. However, it seemed that all power except for the warp device had gone dead, and there was no sign of the door opening. It was the same with the “Ancient Travel Tower”; I suppose that was to be expected.

“Ooop…eeen…uuup!”

Jigoro, gripping the door, used his brute strength to forcefully pry it open.

Creeeeak…

A grating sound echoed out as if something was grinding. It must have been due to years of disuse and accumulating dust and debris. If it could be forced open with sheer strength, that would be quite a find.

“Ugh… Grrraaahhh!!!”

Jigoro strained his arm to the point where his veins stood out, and with a resounding shout of determination, he finally managed to swing the door open. Truly living up to his reputation as the party’s strongest power!

“This place… is definitely a spring.”

Beyond the door lay a dense forest, and where we stood was a spring within the heart of that forest. While the exact circumstances of how water accumulated around this place remained uncertain, it was clear that many events had unfolded over the past few centuries.

Regardless of the origins of the spring, there were no signs of human presence in the vicinity. Even when applying the spell of Magic Echo, the result remained the same. However, there were multiple indications of monsters. What’s more, one of them was quite close!

“Everyone, be careful! There’s something in the spring!” 

Ruby warned all of us. In response, we all assumed combat stances. Now, what will emerge?

As if sensing that we were aware of its presence, an entity that seemed to have been beneath the spring’s surface rose up. From my perspective, it looked like a fish?

“Whoa! Light Wall!”

Phew, that was close! Almost at the same time I recognized the fish-like form, the enemy unleashed a [Water Magic] spell—Water Lance—from beneath the water’s surface! There was no room for talk. Well then, there’s no need for hesitation on our end either!

“Iris, can you handle this?”

“I’ll give it a shot!”

Iris plunged dozens of her tentacles into the spring, skillfully weaving them into a net-like structure. One might call it a tentacle-based casting net.

“I-It’s heavyyy!”

It seemed Iris had successfully ensnared the enemy. However, the opponent’s resistance was fierce, and if things continued like this, her tentacles would likely snap.

“That’s enough! Activate Star Magic Circle, Black Thread! Genjuro!”

“Aye! Here I go!”

Once we had a general sense of the enemy’s location, victory was within reach. I employed the Black Thread spell, while Genjuro used threads he had spewed from his mouth to capture the fish-like creature in the water. All that remained was to reel it in!

Whoa, it’s quite heavy! The three of us, including Iris, strained to pull it closer.

“Need a hand here!”

“I’ll head underwater!”

Jigoro grabbed onto Genjuro’s thread and pulled alongside him, while Ruby dove into the water.

“Kyuu!”

Karl also adeptly grasped my Black Threads and pulled with all his might. His earnest and innocent dedication, like that of a child, might seem endearing…. but in reality, he possessed more power than I did, making his assistance genuinely appreciated.

Huh? The resistance weakened? Surely it was Ruby’s doing! She must have succeeded with her underwater attack! This was the perfect opportunity!

“Whoa!”

“Oraa!”

“Eeey!”

“Hmph!”

“Kyuu!”

Working together, we managed to haul up the resisting fish, revealing a massive carp. However, despite being a carp, I visually confirmed the presence of teeth inside its mouth. What kind of creature was this?

――――――――――

Race: Great Evilfish Carp Lv42

Job: Water-Ice Mage Lv2

Skills:

• [Sharp Teeth]
• [Fish Scales]
• [Health Enhancement]
• [Defense Enhancement]
• [Intelligence Enhancement]
• [Water and Ice Magic]
• [Aquatic]
• [Water Resistance]

――――――――――

Level 42?! Isn’t that on par with the Ratman King?!

“Look at this fish that washed ashore.”

“Usually, that’s used as a metaphor…”

However, such a formidable creature was flopping around in front of us. Its level seemed high, but ultimately, it was just a fish. Once we reeled it in, it wouldn’t be an enemy, just a source of experience points.

“So, should we take it down for now?”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

“Kyuu!”

We pummeled the pitiable Great Evilfish Carp, which could now do nothing but flop around. And just as if it were nothing, we used it as a punching bag to level up our combat skills.

For me, it was [Scythe Mastery]; for Genjuro, [Spear Mastery]; and for Iris, [Sword Mastery] and [Staff Mastery].

It was quite a terrible treatment, but that was also due to the monster’s three defensive skills: [Fish Scales], [Health Enhancement], and [Defense Enhancement]. Anyway, it was so tough that physical attacks hardly had any effect. Well, that’s why it made a good punching bag.

――――――――――

You have won the battle.

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 [Scythe Mastery] skill has increased.

The level of [Intelligence Enhancement] skill has increased.

The level of [Spirit Enhancement] skill has increased.

The level of [Health Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.

The level of [Magic Power Recovery Rate Increase] skill has increased.

――――――――――

Alright! We won! Well, we won, but the sense of accomplishment was somewhat underwhelming. The thrill of reeling it in was more intense than the victory itself. In essence, it was like pounding a punching bag.

More importantly, I was happier about Karl’s level going up. Well, when I think about it, Karl fought alongside Jigoro and the others against those birds, right? And yet, his level didn’t increase. How much experience does it take to raise a single level for him?

Scratch, scratch…

However, there were still many enemy reactions lingering around this spring. They were likely companions of the Great Evilfish Carp. So, could we efficiently level up by reeling them in and then pummeling them?

Chomp, chomp…

I should discuss this with everyone else. Well then, let’s start by skinning the dead fish. What could we use fish materials for… wait, what?!

“Ka-Karl!?”

“Kyukyu~♪”

While I was lost in thought, Karl, seemingly stimulated by his appetite, latched onto the Great Evilfish Carp’s corpse, and began devouring it. Making a loud crunching sound, he tore into it as if scales and such didn’t matter. Quite the wild one, I must say!

“Isam… does this mean it’s…”

“Yeah… we can’t skin it…”

In FSW, when you skin a heavily damaged corpse, you usually end up with poor-quality drops or none at all. Currently, Karl was ravaging the Great Evilfish Carp, and with the extent of the damage, it’s probably a lost cause.

Alright! Let’s give up on the first one! Karl, eat as much as you want. After you’re done feasting, I’ll have you fight to your heart’s content!