Chapter 69

"Interesting story, huh? Let's meet again."

"Next time, when A-chan reaches Griffith, I guess."

"Hehe, I feel like we'll meet again due to the upcoming event."

After receiving a message from Tōka-chan that she had finished her errand, we decided to part ways and cut our conversation short.

Just as we were about to leave, I remembered something I wanted to ask about the event.

"A-chan, is there a good spot around here to level up?"

Rin-chan had told me that I didn't need to progress much further, but if I wanted to aim for Griffith, I thought it would be best to exceed level 50 before the event.

After thinking about it, I asked A-chan, who pondered for a moment before answering.

"Leveling up, huh? Hmm, if you're good with melee weapons, I think the 'Scorching Rock Cave' would be a good place."

"Scorching Rock Cave?"

"It's a cave in the northwest permanent scorched land, which includes the ancient ruins of flames. You need heat protection for reasons other than temperature, but the monsters there are less powerful compared to the World Tree Cave. It's not suitable for swordsmen due to the appearance of hard monsters, but it should be just right for you."

A-chan told me the name of a dungeon filled with fire attributes, along with the intriguing term 'permanent scorched land.'

It might just be a barren land, but 'scorched land' refers to land that has been burned out, not land that is currently burning.

"Using the ancient ruins as a leveling spot isn't a bad idea either. Or the depths of the scorched land... but I wouldn't recommend that."

"Is there something there?"

"You'll see if you go. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you want to go, go ahead. You'll only lose time if you die."

"True. I'll go if I feel like it."

As we waved goodbye, Tōka-chan arrived just in time.

"Sis, Arthur-san, I kept you waiting."

"Not really?"

"Alright, alright. Tōka, you're doing well too."

"Arthur-san, let's play together again."

This time, we said our goodbyes and headed to the market in Fiars to prepare for the 'Scorching Rock Cave.'

☆

"Chilled Tomatton..."

'Tomatton'

'Tomatton'

'The twist is a bit rough'

'Tomayto'

'↑ Isn't that just English?'

'Tomato'

Looking at the item sold at the general store in the city, I felt a bit strange.

The item was called Chilled Tomatton, which was just a large tomato cooled in ice water.

"Sis, it seems to be an oral consumption type."

"Are we supposed to eat this? I don't hate tomatoes, but carrying it around... something!"

"I understand how you feel, but we need it, so let's just accept it."

The permanent scorched land was a barren area created by a disaster in the past. Due to the high heat of the land, plants couldn't grow, and most of the living things had died.

Instead, monsters that 'consume heat' had moved in. They convert the heat they consume into energy, not just for survival but also for attacks.

Therefore, heat resistance plays a significant role when going to the permanent scorched land or its surroundings.

Since the Scorching Rock Cave is located in the permanent scorched land, it's necessary to prepare for heat resistance.

After hearing this, we came to the city's general store to buy items that temporarily grant heat resistance.

"It looks like just a cooled tomato."

"Tōka, do you dislike tomatoes?"

"No, not particularly."

"It's a bit bulky, but it can't be helped. The effect lasts... two hours per one. That's quite long."

"Let's buy two each. And... I need to buy potions too."

"You used them on the gorilla, right?"

During the battle with the gorilla yesterday, Tōka had taken quite a bit of damage.

She needed to buy potions to replace the ones she used.

Potions are quite heavy, so Tōka, who has low strength, can't carry many in her inventory.

So, she needs to replenish them each time she uses them.

"Since we have some extra money now, I'll buy a few too."

Thanks to the money from selling the Mysteria Rabbits to Koneko-maru, my finances are quite comfortable.

I expect some big expenses soon, but with more magic-using enemies appearing, it's a good time to buy some high-quality potions.

I chose intermediate potions, also known as mid-level potions.

"Hmm... 300 HP recovery for 5000 Iris."

"That's reasonable for an NPC shop, isn't it?"

"True. I also want some larger recovery items, so I'll buy a few."

Recovery items come in two types: numerical recovery and percentage recovery. In any game, higher-level players tend to prefer the latter because the effect of numerical recovery items diminishes with level increases, while percentage recovery items maintain a consistent effect.

Therefore, the price difference for percentage recovery items with the same recovery rate is determined by recovery speed.

Players want to use items that recover faster, even if the recovery rate is the same.

It might seem like numerical recovery items are only valuable in the early stages, but that's not the case in WLO.

While the recovery amount of numerical recovery items is fixed, such as 100 or 200, it is not tied to the user's HP.

Regardless of level, they always recover the same amount. The price is based solely on the recovery amount, making it easy to see the value.

For low-level players, numerical recovery items are cheaper and provide a decent amount of recovery, making them more cost-effective until a certain level.

Additionally, numerical recovery potions take one minute to fully recover, regardless of the amount.

This is the biggest charm of numerical recovery items. The one-minute recovery time is based on the maximum recovery amount.

For example, if a player with 100 HP is near death and uses a potion that recovers 500 HP, their HP will rapidly recover in just about 10 seconds.

Due to these factors, potion producers continue to refine their craft, and there are even factions dedicated to improving either the recovery amount of numerical recovery potions or the recovery speed of percentage recovery potions.

They also experiment with flavors, effects, and miniaturization, making production a fun and engaging activity.

Most potions in NPC shops are numerical recovery types, which are uniformly priced and slightly more expensive.

Recovery items are not limited to potions; they can be drinks, food, or snacks, and this is still a period of trial and error.

By the way, the Raise Potion in the upcoming event's ranking rewards is said to be the ultimate item, fully restoring HP and removing status abnormalities, usable even if you're not dead.

It's indeed a generous item for the early stages of the game.

"Eating tomatoes while strategizing feels a bit strange."

"Maybe we'll see eggplants or cucumbers in the future."

'Tomato dislike'

'Eggplant dislike'

'Cucumber dislike'

'Bell pepper dislike'

'Leek like'

'↑ You shouldn't have likes and dislikes!'

'Likes are safe, right? Bobo is suspicious'

'Who's Bobo?'

"It's better to be able to eat anything."

While it's not uncommon for vegetable-themed monsters to appear in games, I can't help but feel a bit relaxed at the thought of them actually showing up.

The Chilled Tomatton is a sad item born from the developers' reluctance to release a simple cold drink.

It tastes sweet like a fruit and is quite popular in Fiars.