Chapter 55

Pete and I were supposed to meet at a restaurant. I went to Sekan's repair shop to have my equipment maintained before heading to the meeting place.

"Hello"

"Good morning"

"Stop wearing all black in the open air with a view of the sea; it makes you look like a laughing ninja."

"I'll consider changing my outfit."

"Did you become a ninja?"

"Not yet, but I couldn't resist buying the gear."

He was wearing hand guards, leg wraps, and a scarf-like cloth around his neck to hide his face, a completely gapless ninja style. Who made this?

"You stand out, you stand out."

While talking to Pete in the sea breeze, the tea came.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"At least you're not blending in at all."

"Also, Homura is white, so it looks like Othello."

While saying this, the tea was also white, so it did indeed look like Othello.

"Let's think of something for daytime use."

"So, what do we do? Recruit a party at the guild or the gate?"

"Ah, Homura, you might want to temporarily change your job. As a magic swordsman, it's a bit awkward to form a party right now."

"If you say so, my job is popular in the field and dungeons, but not so much for bosses who require high fire power."

"There's already a job gap!"

"There are fewer light users at this time. After 9 PM, it's not as much of an issue."

"But Pete has high fire power."

"You'll be turned down because of your job."

People who play during the day are extremely efficiency-focused, or if they're told it's good, they tend to follow the information. My job as a magic swordsman seems to have a mediocre position and fire power, which doesn't meet the demand.

The trend in party composition for boss battles is that knights are the shield, and holy mages are the healers. The rest are popular high-firepower jobs like mages, warriors, and fighters. Among these, warriors are often invited because they can also serve as a shield in emergencies. In the Circle Moss, where physical damage is low, mages are more common.

Pete's spy job is good for exploration in the field and dungeons because it can detect and take the initiative, but there's low demand for bosses that can be taken down with brute force.

"You're the winner!"

Tea always plays a main job that is in high demand, such as a healer or a shield, and a secondary job with high fire power.

Pete often decides on a character concept and plays slightly less popular jobs like archers or gunners. Not using ranged weapons this time is a rare choice.

I usually end up with a high-firepower job, so I admire how Tea can move efficiently and how Pete can create characters based on his own values.

We asked the guild bulletin board to post a recruitment ad until the specified time, and we spent the time until the party was formed doing our own things. Since we can communicate even in special areas if we're in a party, it's convenient. Tea and Pete were holed up in the production facility, but I wandered around Sekan and found the market, browsing around.

I bought some oysters at a discount.

Even if my production level doesn't go up, there are things I want to make and eat. So I holed up in the production facility too.

*Announcement: The Flame King and five others have reached the Labyrinth of the Labyrinth City. We will now disclose the information.*

*From now on, we will unlock pain, body destruction, and training, which were previously set at less than 1%.*

*From now on, when you reach the Labyrinth of the Labyrinth City, you will be given the option to unlock pain.*

*If you choose [Pain Unlock], you will feel the same amount of pain in the real world when you are injured, and you will be able to destroy your own and your enemy's [body parts].*

*However, if the pain is judged to be unbearable for the player, you will enter a [Fainting] state and the pain will be blocked.*

*Players who unlock [Pain] will be able to increase their base stats through [Training].*

*For more details, please check the menu.*

The announcement came. The party that defeated the boss in Faina must have been the first to go to the Labyrinth City.

That's nice, I'm envious. But I think skill improvement is necessary.

"Looks like the announcement just now was about the Labyrinth City. What do you think about the pain unlock?"

"[Training] seems good, but I think people who don't have time should just play the game normally. It's painful."

"From the menu, it seems that if you repeat your usual actions, your frequently used abilities will be strengthened."

"Maybe, but it seems that some races are easier to level up and some are harder."

"I'm human, so I'm average..."

"I'll stick with this because of the pain."

"You can try it once and go back, so maybe I'll try it out."

After talking about the announcement for a while, the recruitment deadline came.

"Hmm, it's a bit of a weird time, so maybe everyone is already gathered at Fos or Faina."

"The places where bosses appear have expanded, so the first two are cleared quickly. But the Fos boss is tough if no one has a way to heal. We were lucky."

"Maybe I'll level up the water spirit."

"Want to go with three people? If we lose, we'll go to the bath and dinner during the despawn penalty."

Tea suggested.

"Sure, let's go with three people?"

If we keep getting hit, the recovery pace with 'Activation Medicine' won't be enough, so solo is scary, but if someone can heal or take the hits, I think I can do it in Yaggyakul.

"Special attack"

"You're serious. We don't have a shield."

"I'll be a makeshift shield."

"You're not very durable."

"I'll dodge, and I've leveled up Black Jade, so I have a skill that makes me more solid for solo use, so I think I can do it. Besides, you suggested it!"

"I was joking. You always start challenging weird things. I remember when you were a shrine maiden and became a shield."

No, I didn't like being a shield; the enemy party just focused on taking down the support.

"I think I can manage the fire power if someone takes the target for me."

"Here, I'll distribute the medicine."

"I still have the 'Life Activation Medicine' I got from the dungeon."

"This time, I'll give Tea both life and magic recovery as insurance."

"This is expensive."

"I made a level 10."

I gave the life activation to Pete and both life and magic to Tea.

The result.

"Wait, what kind of cheat is this?"

"Too much fire power."

"Amazing."

"No, it's because of Homura."

"No, it's because of both of you."

When Tea cast a fire power boost and I used 'Moon Shadow' to perform [One Flash], Yaggyakul went down just like Galahad did, and then Pete's [Shadow Blade].

The short sword is apparently made by Leo, and it has a bizarre performance where the defense is 0, but the attack power is doubled.

"Combined with the spy's HP, one hit and you're dead."

"It's a troublesome weapon."

"You'll probably take the target with your fire power during a down or paralysis, so I'm scared to use it."

"What about Homura's?"

"It's a high-rank normal sword with an ignore equipment rank effect."

While talking, the two of them kept attacking.

"Unexpectedly, I don't get much of a chance to act."

I basically avoid or deflect, and Tea's healing only comes into play when there's a group attack.

If a charge comes, I'm ready to use [Steadfast Shield of the Earth], but since the skill is canceled during a down, it will probably end like the first time with Galahad, where I don't see Yaggyakul's charge.

And Pete, despite being a first-timer, is switching weapons.

"Can you predict group attacks?"

Tea asked Pete.

"Yaggyakul will lightly pull back before a group attack."

He apparently did some prep work by gathering information during his night shift.

"I tried to search for boss battle clear videos, but they didn't come up."

"Good job."

Unlike other games, you can't take videos out of this one. I listened to Tea and Pete's conversation while swinging my sword.

I don't usually look up videos anymore, so I don't have the experience of searching for them. I feel like I look up real-world cooking recipes more often than strategy information.

"That was a terrible battle..."

"Absolutely."

"Don't say that."

Tea pointed out.

"Since we beat it, it's fine. Homura seems to be able to go solo."

"Maybe I'll try it next time. I want meat, but I got the skin this time. But I think one hit and I'm done."

"Isn't the skin more expensive? You don't need it for cooking."

"There's a restaurant, too... But with level 10 and ability boosts, I'm sure it will happen eventually..."

"Sell the skin and buy the meat. Yarn only comes out during a down, so it's expensive. And don't let the conversation drift. It's weird, you know? Not normal. Do you realize that?"

"Living as I please, I have no regrets."

"It's not me, it's Leo."

Pete enjoys finding the right moments to use his quirky weapons.

"Thank you, we managed to unlock it."

"What about Circle Moss?"

"Oh, I managed to join a recruitment party before going to bed after my night shift."

"Great, so you can go to Faina's boss."

Pete, who had just finished registering the transfer gate at the temple, greeted me.

"Let's go to Fos, leave the carriage for Faina, and have dinner."

"I'll do the same. I should have followed the transfer gate. I ended up seeing you off outside."

"I'll check the commissions and probably go to dinner. I'll send you to Fos."

"You don't have to."

"We're going to the transfer gate together, right?"

The man silently used 'Transfer'. Faina was gray and couldn't be selected, probably because neither of us had registered.

"Huh?"

"Did 'Return' evolve?"

"Yes, you can go to a registered transfer gate from an area where no enemies appear."

I answered Pete, who was asking while using the party chat that can be used from a distance, so there was no worry about being overheard. I moved to a corner to avoid getting in the way of people who had just transferred.

"By the way, itemization is also possible now. I figured out how to make unattributed stones."

"Really?"

"If you bring me dark and light attribute stones, I can make 'Transfer Stones'. The number is 1:1."

"I'll give them to you now."

I received 15 dark attribute stones from Pete!

I received 15 light attribute stones from Pete!

I received 21 light attribute stones from Tea!

I received 21 dark attribute stones from Tea!

"Tagging along."

The revived Tea tagged along.

"There are more tagalongs."

"Light and dark attribute stones are rare, aren't they? I want to find enemies with dark and light attributes soon."

"They cost ten times as much as other attribute stones."

"Since there are no enemies with those attributes, they're not advantageous in any battle, so they're popular for production."

"If my alchemy level goes up, I think I can substitute the six basic attributes of fire and water, but I can only synthesize three types for now. And even though my dexterity is sufficient, one or two out of ten are usually rated 6 or 7, so please bear with it."

"What do you use alchemy for? Attribute stones? Magic stones?"

"Both, but you can't level up much with production anymore."

As soon as I answered, I received a large number of magic stones and attribute stones from Pete and Tea.

"To add to it."

"I throw away magic stones if they take up too much space."

"Thank you?"

"Homura, did you put the 'Transfer Stones' on commission?"

"I put a few 'Return Stones' on commission."

Since I'm making them with equipment that doesn't meet the recommended level, I get a certain percentage of level 6 or 7, so I put those on commission.

"Is this what was causing a fuss on the trading board with 'Stones, stones, stones'?"

"But wasn't it buried under 'More important than that, sweets!!!'?"

"Ha!"

Both of these hit home.

"Apparently, the discussion has spread from the trading board to the production board, and the method of making unattributed stones has been revealed by a few people. It's said that the method is magic, and now the magic board is a mess."

"Great, if it gets out, you'll be bombarded with questions!"

"Apparently, a few people are trying to remember the transfer by repeating it at the temple."

That's the wrong direction! If you try to learn the transfer, you'll never be able to do it!

"Putting out stones alone led to this... Scary."

"It's not just that, you're also putting out high-rated activation medicines."

"The theory that you're a production-focused player who's holed up in the production facility, buying materials on commission, and producing continuously is strong."

"What kind of play is that!"

"By the way, what's with the sweets?"

"Oh, that's because the Fast Adventurer's Guild's biggest-breasted receptionist said, 'If you bring Rengard's sweets for a week, I'll go on a lunch date with you.'"

"How did it come to this?"

"Who knows?"

"Well, anyway, put out more on commission when you feel like it. Even if you put out the maximum, there are only two or three thousand players, so it won't circulate."

"Okay, but I'm scared of transferring, so I'll stick with 'Return Stones' for a while."

With that, we parted ways to have dinner and take a bath.

I'll do the commission after the bath...