Chapter 34

I didn't expect to fall asleep before Leo yesterday.

Because I almost went to bed as usual, even though it was a day off, I woke up at my usual work time in the morning.

When I logged in, I was inside a carriage. For a moment, I thought I had entered a loop back to Fast, but the carriage was stopped in Secan's square. It seems that the carriages connecting the cities are set up as event fields, and they don't move to the next destination until I get off.

I was relieved that I didn't end up sleeping on the cobblestones and got off the carriage, watching it as it started moving.

I want to explore Secan, but it will be evening soon.

Despite it being a weekday morning, there are many players around. Many must be tackling the boss of Secan or the boss of Sar. I stopped by the commercial guild facing the square to withdraw some silver and registered for teleportation at the temple before flying to Fast.

I confirmed that I still had over 2,200,000 silver and opened the door to the usual inconspicuous shop, which was already starting to darken.

"You're early."

When I told him I had come to make the payment, the shop owner closed the book he was reading and turned to me.

Looking at the shop owner's face, I suddenly remembered that I hadn't read through the magic compendium I had bought, but I decided to read it slowly after making the payment.

"I can't settle with unclaimed items."

I placed the money on the counter.

"Indeed."

The shop owner confirmed the 2,200,000 silver and put it in a box. After finishing the payment, I felt relieved as he handed me a thin black book similar to the one with the lightning spell I had received before.

"That book is in multiple volumes. Since you've made the payment, I'll give you the rest."

Huh?

"Even with just one volume, I'm satisfied with learning a new attribute, but is there more?"

Do I lose the spells I learned if I don't read the second volume?

"Lightning is a composite spell. With just that book, it's still incomplete."

"Magic seems to have many aspects to learn. Even if you tell me to stop, I'll keep coming."

"Yes, I'm Cadis. Come as often as you like and spend your money."

The shop owner's name and Patkaget!

"Thank you."

He's still as unapproachable as ever, but when he said I shouldn't call myself a magician without the knowledge from the shelves, I realized that the books on the shelves are recommended. I pulled out a few and started reading in the armchair.

The shop owner was flipping through the pages of the book he was reading, showing no interest in me.

Magic exists in various forms such as ice, scorching heat, and time and space. There are other composite spells, and you can learn them by obtaining knowledge while having the corresponding light and dark magic. The lightning I obtained was a key item given by the shop owner, but key items can take various forms, such as orbs or stone tablets.

Magic and spells are influenced by intelligence, the blessings of the gods, and the intimacy with spirits. Composite spells are also affected by the magic levels of the base attributes.

I bought two new books on magic.

While magic is sometimes used broadly to refer to spells, it is more accurately the higher form of spells.

Even incomplete higher attributes are classified as spells.

And so on.

The knowledge from the magic compendium and the new magic books flows into me as I internalize it. It's really convenient, so I often just flip through dictionaries and knowledge books, and I tend to read stories here more slowly.

《By solving the mystery of the old bookshop, you have obtained the advanced magic 'Lightning'>.

《As a result, [Lightning Spell] will be integrated into [Lightning Magic]>.

As I left the old bookshop, an announcement came.

The old bookshop was indeed a mystery. I can't really tell the difference between quests and mysteries. Should things that shouldn't be told to others be treated as mysteries?

By the way, the effect of the title [Mystery Solver] is "Drawn to mysteries. You can vaguely sense places with mysteries," which I had been ignoring, but considering that you can get skills, it must be a very useful title.

[Lightning Magic] showed that I had learned 'Summon Lightning' at level 1, 'Red Lightning' at level 3, and 'Lightning Infusion' at level 5. The new magic I obtained seems to be at the same level as light and dark. The spells from the integrated [Lightning Spell] are still there, which is a relief.

[Lightning Magic] has a star. Looking it up in the help, it seems that the star is displayed for the first player to obtain the skill, and it comes with various benefits such as a 5% increase in effect.

So, it seems I was the first to obtain Lightning Magic. Well, with such a high price, it's not something most people can afford. Come to think of it, [Lightning Spell] also had a star, and [Carry] has a star too. It's better to charge into battle than to stare at the menu and status. I often get scolded by Ochazuke for this.

I remembered the general route much later:

Meet residents → Street stall → Find the old bookshop → Find a book with hints about the temple's mystery in the temple → Solve the temple's mystery → Use a light at the old bookshop after your combined magic skill levels exceed 30. For fighters, the route branches off to solving another mystery after the temple.

Thinking of the amount, I need to go to the commercial guild to register for consignment sales.

So, I came to the commercial guild. There are many more people here than before, even on a weekday afternoon. I wonder what it's like at night. By the way, stop producing in the lobby.

I remembered that consignment for alcohol was separate from the guild, so I called Kyro at the reception and was led to a reception room on the second floor. Kyro, with her tall, slender body in a black suit and a striped blouse that accentuates her chest, has a significant difference in height from her waist. The suit and blouse must be custom-made; there are no wrinkles!

"Good evening, I'm sorry for the late hour."

"No, I'm on duty, so don't worry."

She smiled and offered me coffee. Is coffee popular in this world too? Damn.

"I'm here to register for alcohol consignment and regular consignment sales. What's the procedure?"

"Thank you. First, for consignment registration, each person can only register once. This is to allow the guild to quickly identify any fraud. However, if you prefer to keep your name anonymous, you can register under a different business name."

She explained, showing me a pamphlet like when I registered as an adventurer.

"What name would you like to register under?"

Name... Since it's Homura, I thought of En for fire, but that would be a circle. Cooking, medicine, alchemy, ren...

"Rengard, please."

"Yes, you've already rented storage, ... so I'll register you under that name."

The registration is done with a guild card, and the information is updated on the stone tablet.

"Once registered, you will be assigned a consignment sales system and number in the storage provided by the commercial guild. You can deposit items and set prices within the specified range, and they can be purchased from other consignment sales terminals. We also offer additional storage capacity services, so feel free to use them."

"You can register up to 30 items for consignment sales, but you can sell up to 99 of the same type, such as potions, together. The proceeds, minus the commission, will be transferred to the storage where you set up the consignment sales. Please note that if the rental storage's usage period expires and 3 years have passed, the items in the storage, including consignment items, will become the property of the guild."

When renting storage, the 3-year limit was also mentioned. In the real world, characters are deleted after 1 year if payment is not made, so it might be related.

"If you own a shop or a personal house, we also offer additional storage and linking between storages. It's convenient to separate storages if you don't want to sell something by mistake."

I don't need additional storage right now since I'm staying at an inn.

"Please feel free to use it from today."

"Thank you. What about the alcohol?"

I entrusted Kyro with beer, wine, and brandy and received a receipt.

The payment will be transferred to the consignment storage. I can deposit items from the storage, but I need to visit the guild once a month.

"Rating 9, that's impressive..."

Kyro, who had been expressionless, seemed a bit surprised by the alcohol rating. Thanks to the dexterity gloves, I have a few rating 10s. Kyro, you're staring at the wine.

"...Would you like a bottle?"

I gave Kyro a bottle of wine and went downstairs to deposit the items I wanted to sell in my storage and set the prices. I sold rating 7 alcohol, rating 8 dishes, and registered rating 6 'Antidote,' 'Life Activation Potion,' and 'Mana Activation Potion.' I checked the ratings of other items for sale. I couldn't find any antidotes rated higher than 5, which reminded me of a conversation with Roy and Akatsuki about only seeing rating 5 antidotes.

For now, I set the highest price for items rated 5 to 7, as the effects are subtle. I had already sold items rated 7 or lower since I didn't plan to use them.

I'll throw them in with the highest price. 'Activation Potions' and alcohol didn't show up in searches. Is it really that few people have the [Brewing] skill?

I arrived in Sar.

Sar, known for its woodworking and furniture, is a city surrounded by well-maintained forests and lakes, with little rain. The lakes are fed by springs from the Nalun Mountains to the east, and the abundant water nourishes the forests, while the dry climate is suitable for drying wood.

I confirmed that I still had plenty of 'Life Activation Potions' and 'HP Potions,' equipped Ruba's sword, 'Wind Boots,' 'Dexterity Gloves,' 'Yaggyakuru Mantle,' and 'Circle Moss Chestplate,' and changed my robe to a swordsman's coat before heading into the night forest.

The 'Strength Gloves' I received last night are fine, so I kept them on. There is a canceling effect for the same type of equipment, but the higher ability is applied. Both are equipped, but the 'Dexterity Gloves' ability is active. By the way, the equipment from the first kill reward is significantly more powerful for solo players than for party members.

That's right, solo kills are set for much higher levels, I think.

Skipping the enemies in Secan, I went to the night enemies in Sar.

With the resolve to respawn, I put all my silver and items in storage and also received a strength boost from the temple.

I left the gate, unsure which way to go, and decided to head for the Nalun Mountains.

I walked along the main road for a while, then chose an unmaintained side road. I entered the forest at a suitable spot. Despite it being a weekday, I saw several parties along the main road, but their presence was gone.

I found an enemy with my presence detection and approached a green slime. I summoned 'Black耀' and cast 'Dark Wings' to close the distance and swing my sword.

My target was the nucleus moving irregularly inside the slime.

It was easily defeated.

I tried using magic on the next slime, and while it dealt normal damage, the nucleus was protected by the gel-like body and couldn't be directly damaged. Even when I aimed at the nucleus with 'Needle,' the speed was slowed by the body fluid, and the nucleus moved away in the meantime.

[Lightning Magic] dealt more damage than other spells. Thanks to [Gel Slayer], it seems I can defeat them with magic alone, but the [Sword King] title is too effective.

Other enemies included 'Krofukuro,' a fast-attacking owl-type monster from the sky, and 'Worm,' a plant monster that uses 'Vine' to immobilize me.

Krofukuro can be defeated in one hit if I hit it, and thanks to the 'Wind Boots,' I can easily keep up with its speed. Worm is the most troublesome, but its attack power is not very high, so I managed with repeated fire spells. However, it was inefficient and stressful to be immobilized.

So, I avoid Worm and fight other enemies. It's faster to deal with multiple Green Slimes and Krofukuro than a single Worm.

While taking a break due to EP depletion, I received greeting emails from Ochazuke and Petros, both mentioning being harassed by Black Lily. I'm glad I went to bed early last night!

After the break, I hunted until dawn.

I tried to cleanly bisect the moving nucleus and aimed to slash Krofukuro as it approached at high speed while dodging. I don't know what the point is, but it's a hobby. Simple tasks are more enjoyable with a goal or obsession.

《By defeating 500 enemies above your level by targeting their weak points, you have obtained the skill [One Flash]>.

《By defeating 500 enemies above your level in close combat during their attack, you have obtained the skill [Counter]>.

...Hmm. Obsessions are good!

[One Flash] increases damage when attacking weak points and has a chance to instantly kill the enemy.

[Counter] allows you to block or deflect enemy attacks without taking damage using your weapon or shield.

Fortunately, they have stars.

These two, like [Insight], can be obtained by others eventually. Without a way to one-shot higher-level enemies, it will require tedious adjustments to weaken them and then defeat them with a suitable attack.

Ah, the lack of a star on [Insight] suggests it has already been obtained. ...I'll work on leveling up [Stealth].

If I keep hitting multiple enemies, will I learn an area-of-effect attack?

Result.

I learned [Phantom Blade].

It's a skill that's hard to categorize as swordsmanship or an assassin's skill.

It creates illusions that look like the blade is wavering, and these illusions have attack hitboxes, allowing for wide-area attacks. However, the damage is not very high, and it's faster to repeatedly attack weak points one by one with [One Flash].

□ □ □ □ □

・Increase・

Level +2

Skills

[Lightning Spell] → [Lightning Magic]

[One Flash]

[Counter]

[Phantom Blade]

□ □ □ □ □

Homura Lv.30

Rank D

Occupation: Magic Swordsman, Alchemist (Assassin)

HP: 958

MP: 1206

STR: 42

VIT: 22

INT: 58 (+2)

MID: 18

DEX: 23 (+2)

AGI: 35

LUK: 22

NPCP: [Galahad][—]

Titles:

■General

[Communicator][Circulating Power][Mystery Solver]

[Economic Pioneer][Lone Adventurer]

■Blessings of the Gods

[Blessing of Val][Blessing of Verna]

■Slayer Series

[Lizard Slayer][Bug Slayer]

[Beast Slayer][Gel Slayer]

[Bird Slayer]

[Dragon Slayer]

■Mastering

[Sword King]

Skills (13 SP)

■Magic

[Wood Magic Lv.5] [Fire Magic Lv.5] [Earth Magic Lv.5]

[Gold Magic Lv.5] [Water Magic Lv.5] [☆Wind Magic Lv.5]

[☆Lightning Magic Lv.5] [Light Magic Lv.5] [☆Dark Magic Lv.15]

■Swordsmanship

[Swordsmanship Lv.18] [Slash]

[Sword Lv.14] [☆One Flash Lv.3]

[☆Phantom Blade Lv.2] [☆Counter Lv.3]

■Summoning

[White Lv.1]

■Spirit Magic

Water Spirit [Rufa Lv.3]

Dark Spirit [Black耀 Lv.2]

■Talent

[Body Techniques][Dodge]

■Production

[Alchemy Lv.11] [Advanced Alchemy Lv.2] [Cooking Lv.8]

■Gathering

[Harvesting][Mining]

■Appraisal & Stealth

[Tool and Potion Appraisal Lv.4] [Plant and Food Appraisal Lv.5]

[Animal and Monster Appraisal Lv.5] [Skill Appraisal Lv.4]

[Weapon and Armor Appraisal Lv.5] [Insight]

[Presence Detection Lv.8] [Presence Dilution Lv.7] [Stealth Lv.5]

■Enhancement

[Strength Enhancement Lv.3] [Intelligence Enhancement Lv.4] [Spirit Enhancement Lv.3]

[Dexterity Enhancement Lv.3] [Agility Enhancement Lv.3]

[Swordsmanship Enhancement Lv.3] [Magic Enhancement Lv.3]

■Resistance

[Alcohol Resistance]

■Others

[HP Natural Recovery][MP Natural Recovery][Night Vision][Map][Telepathy]

[Equipment Change][Life Magic][☆Carry][Magic Shield]

☆ indicates first acquisition, enhanced by event bonuses, etc.