Chapter 57

Petroleum and I had already made a promise with the 'Transfer Stone' before he arrived, so I handed it over without forgetting and waited for a while. I also mixed in the bright red boomerang pants that Leo had sent as a bonus. This way, the pants would be laundered without ever being worn.

The production of the 'Transfer Stone' included a rating of 6. The price range for consignment is set for each item, and since no one else is making them right now, even a rating 6 can be sold at the highest price. Therefore, I produced extra rating 10 stones to exchange for them. Since I just released the 'Return Stone,' I don't want to put the rating 10 'Transfer Stone' on the market yet.

My 'Transfer' with [Air Magic] can be used from the field. Hooray for the initial acquisition bonus.

Regular [Air Magic] is for transferring from city to city, and [Air Sorcery] apparently has a recast time, but I immediately became [Magic] so I don't know the exact details.

The 'Transfer Stone' as an item has a success rate determined by its rating, and a rating 10 has a 100% success rate.

If I set up a stall, I can freely set the selling price, but that would require market research to determine the price, which seems troublesome. Even in the city, if I don't have to go to the temple, I could set the price of the rating 10 higher than the 40,000 silver for the temple's transfer. However, if it's too high, people can just spend time and carriage fare, and there's no demand. If I set it low, I'm worried about competing with the temple, which is also a dilemma.

The last one to arrive for the meeting was Kikihime. Thank you for your hard work with the overtime.

I took a break and prepared everything to be ready for the meeting time.

"By the way, what about the guild?"

Since everyone was gathered, I asked about something I was curious about.

"Ah, commercial or adventurer guild. Which one do you prefer, Petrol?"

"Adventurers have special requests from the guild they belong to. In the commercial guild, you might get offers for items that are hard to obtain, but which one... it's a tough choice."

"I vote for the commercial guild."

"I want to join the adventurer guild. I don't produce much."

"Ah, to raise the guild rank, there are tasks like delivery, quest completion, and donations."

"Either one is fine, I'll leave it to you!"

"Contributions."

"Hmm, since there are people who don't sell much, I'll vote for the adventurer guild. I'll make the two who can't contribute do quests like horses!"

After discussing various options, we decided to register with the adventurer guild.

"Ochazuke, I'll give you 50,000 silver."

"I'll be the guild master, not the clan master."

"Alright! Thanks!!"

"I'll ask you."

"Please take care of it."

"I'll leave it to you."

That's how it was decided.

Once the registration is complete, they say they will send an invitation email to the guild. When the email arrives, we'll go to the adventurer guild, pay the 100,000 silver individual membership fee, and join the guild. I'm a bit worried if Shin and Leo have 100,000 silver.

"Well, let's go to the boss fight."

"Is it like a jellyfish?"

"Yep."

"Apparently, there's an object that targets the back row and you can't recover while being chased, so everyone bear with it."

"Okay."

That's how we arrived at the boss field and faced the Water Polyp.

"[Surprise Attack]!!"

"Huh?"

"What!?"

"Why!?"

"Wait!"

"Spit!"

At the start, one person rushed in without casting [Shadow].

"Hey, Leo, it's about time you graduated from [Shadow]."

"At least tell Homura you want [Shadow]!"

"Ha ha ha ha."

Ochazuke and Kikihime said to Leo. I was speechless before I could respond.

Since the [Surprise Attack] failed or didn't activate, there wasn't much damage to the boss, and it didn't take the target from Kikihime, so it didn't turn into a disaster, but it was bad.

"White Lightning!"

Lightning is effective against the Water Polyp.

I cast [Shadow] on Leo with my secondary staff and charged two [White Lightning] spells.

[White Lightning] is a lightning bolt spell that I learned at [Lightning] Level 20, which glows white and consumes 95 MP. Before, I thought it might be tough on MP since I'm not specialized in magic, but now, thanks to [Attack Recovery and Magic Power], I can just slash and recover if I run out of MP. I also have [Activation Potion], and when soloing, I have the [Lone Adventurer] title effect. I don't need to worry about MP anymore.

Incidentally, magic attacks also recover MP, but the amount used far exceeds the recovery, so it doesn't feel like it's recovering.

The Water Polyp split into four spheres.

Initially, there were two. The more the battle drags on, the more spheres there are. When hit by the Fire Polyp, it caused the [Burning] status, but this one causes [Paralysis]. Polyps are the larval stage of jellyfish, hence the [Paralysis].

The spheres return to the original Water Polyp over time, but they also return if you deal enough damage. If they return naturally, a powerful area attack follows immediately.

Since there are few successful strategies, Petrol and Ochazuke explained the methods posted on the bulletin board by the few who cleared it before the boss fight.

1. When it splits, fast classes like spies and rogues take the spheres' targets.

2. Even if you attack, the target might shift to the nearest person, so pull them to the outer perimeter and move in a set direction to avoid collisions.

3. Magic users (including healers) are slow and can be caught, so they don't join the marathon.

4. A painful area attack follows immediately after the Polyp returns, so everyone should be at full HP before that. If the distance is too far, healing spells won't reach, so everyone should have their own recovery method.

5. Near the end, a paralysis spread + area attack combo comes, so it's good to have multiple people who can heal the entire party.

Since everyone can use the water spirit for area healing, we decided to save the spirit summoning for the end. The timing for taking the spheres' targets and healing is quite difficult.

The Foss Deidrizzards were tough when they didn't include area healing after area attacks, so I wondered if this was a practice run.

Since our group could all use area healing with the water spirit, we easily overcame it even if we missed the timing, but many players are stuck at Foss.

"Ah!"

Ochazuke is being chased by two spheres. Petrol, Leo, and Shin are fighting the spheres.

"Shin, the other way, the other way."

"Opposite, opposite."

Shin apparently went the wrong direction and ended up fighting. Since the party members weren't far enough apart, it was very difficult to fight. Shin was paralyzed. Kikihime is leading the spheres around the outer perimeter as planned.

Thinking it was tough, I switched my staff to a sword and cut in between Ochazuke and the spheres.

"[One Slash]"

I don't need to say it out loud, but sometimes I do. I slashed the two spheres.

"Magic swordsman is cool."

Ochazuke said while casting [Recovery] on himself. I wonder how regular magic swordsmen fight.

It seems Petrol's group also defeated the spheres. Ochazuke is healing the three and curing the paralysis. Kikihime is approaching the group of four.

"Let's take them down."

"Alright!"

"Okay!"

"Let's go."

The magic trap.

I missed the boat!

* * *

[You obtained 5 Water Polyp Slime]

[You obtained a Water Polyp Staff]

[You obtained a Water Polyp Magic Stone]

[You obtained 10 Water Polyp Eggs]

[You obtained a Ring of Intelligence]

"We should have taken them down from the start."

"Your firepower is amazing!"

"It feels like cheating, doesn't it? Without enough firepower, you can't take down the spheres, and they can split into eight."

"Also, at the end, it's dangerous without two people who can heal the entire party."

"Many players are stuck at the Deidrizzards and here."

After dealing with the spheres, we took significant damage but easily defeated the boss with the water spirit.

So, we left the boss field.

"Hello, did you defeat it?"

A woman suddenly spoke to us.

"Yeah! We did!"

The fearless Leo replied.

"Congratulations. Excuse me, but can someone with high firepower or an attacker who can heal help with the strategy?"

"I want to register the transfer quickly, so I'll pass."

"I'll pass too."

Petrol followed suit.

"Ah, the magic user can't run, so preferably someone else."

She's quite rude.

"I'll pass."

"Ha ha ha ha, me too."

In the end, we all passed and returned to the city.

"Maybe they should recruit on the adventurer guild bulletin board or at the gate. Maybe someone dropped out suddenly?"

"Apparently, they recruit on the spot if they're sure the person can clear it."

Ochazuke replied to Shin.

"Wild parties are quite harsh because if you fail, you have to wait for the penalty to recover and can't fight consecutively."

A wild party is a group formed with strangers at the time, not a fixed party. I don't know what others call it, but that's what we call it.

"Still, to reject the one with the highest firepower, Homura."

"Scary if they find out, so I usually pretend to be a magic user."

I'll change my job title as soon as [Conceal] allows it.

"Ha ha ha ha ha."

"Oh? A message from Roy."

"Ah, I got one too."

It seems everyone received it. Maybe it was sent all at once?

Roy: I'm C-rank now! If you get stuck at the Polyp, let me know. Also, I made a guild!

"Oh, you're C-rank now."

"Congratulations."

"Still the same short message."

"Maybe we should take the transfer registration and then the promotion test."

"Let's take the gondola, gondola."

We sent congratulatory messages and walked leisurely through the dawn, fighting the occasional enemy on our way to Faina.

"The canal is impressive, but the sea breeze? It's sticky."

"The sea at Sekan was clearer."

"The canal is too deep to see the scenery."

"Maybe it's low tide?"

"Too deep, and there are many places surrounded by the back walls of houses."

"Houses are fun to look at."

"Gondolas are varied, and I want to charter one."

"Leo, you're quiet. What's wrong?"

"...I'm seasick."

"Hey! Don't vomit on my lap!"

"You're fine in carriages, why not here? Let's switch seats."

"Wait, shouldn't we switch with the middle one, Leo? Why are we shifting one by one?"

"I'll leave it to the next person!"

"Ah! Leo, face the river! Don't cling to my lap!"

"Good scream."

"Disturbing the neighbors."

"Peaceful, isn't it?"

We enjoyed the gondola more than when we first came, as it was sunny and we were making a lot of noise.

We registered the transfer gate at the temple and returned to Fast. Since Leo and Shin seemed to have no money, we used my 'Transfer' to move, despite the registration.

"Using 570 MP for six people?"

'Transfer' is a Level 20 spell, and the MP cost for a single transfer is the same as 'White Lightning'.

"Sure, sure."

"Oh, Homura!"

"!"

There she is!

Ekaterina!!

We ran into her as soon as we left the room with the transfer gate in Fast.

"Homura, thank you for the meat. My siblings want to see you."

"Wha?!"

"Hey, Homura?!"

I silently slid four wooden boxes to Ekaterina with a smile.

Fried mackerel flew out of the boxes.

"Run!"

"What's going on?"

There was a bit of a commotion at the temple, but we safely arrived at the guild square.

"Homura, what was that?"

Petrol asked.

"There were no paper boxes or trays, and the amount was too much to cover with a lid."

The wooden boxes were cheap and sold in large quantities by a newly minted carpenter for leveling up. The mackerel boxes were the size of orange boxes, but there were also sizes that could be used as candy boxes. When I had to use wooden boxes, I thought, maybe it would have been better to leave the mackerel as is.

"I don't get it."

"Why did you give fried mackerel to the lady-in-waiting?"

"Well, I picked up someone who looked like an orphan and pushed them to the temple, and they're trying to push back, so I'm quietly fighting back."

"What are you doing, what are you doing?"

"So why fried mackerel?"

"You can't punch or kick. You're not Leo."

"Talk it out first?"