Chapter 70

With a grinding sound, the rock mass approached at a speed that belied its appearance.

I timed it and sent it flying with the Arts *Home Run* of my Impact Weapon Skill.

By the time I repeated this action three times, the rock had shattered and turned into polygons.

"Hmm, it's hard. But it's definitely efficient."

"Yeah. It's a bit monotonous, but the experience points are really good."

While checking the results with Tōka, I let out a sigh of relief.

A few kilometers northwest of Feas.

The Eternal Scorched Earth we reached was, as its name suggested, a land of scorched earth with nothing on it... no, it was a mountain.

Not a massive mountain range, nor a volcano. It was as if mountains about 500 meters high had been burning endlessly.

The ground pulsed as if blood were circulating through it, emitting intense heat.

One might say it was like a charcoal glowing red in a brazier, with cracks running through it.

The temperature was probably around 60 degrees. When Tōka and I exchanged glances and ate a Cold Tomato, we no longer felt the heat at all.

Thanks to the Cold Tomato, we could move freely for at least four hours.

The goal, the Scorching Rock Cave, was a cave that opened up in a part of the Eternal Scorched Earth, visible after walking around the perimeter a bit.

The Scorching Rock Cave itself was not much different in temperature from the Eternal Scorched Earth, but it was still hotter than the outside.

Compared to the sensation after eating the Cold Tomato, being outside felt like being in a cool room with air conditioning, while being in the Scorching Rock Cave felt like a tolerable heat compared to the scorching sun.

I didn't mind the 60-degree heat, but Tōka seemed to be struggling more than when we were outside.

Still, there was no sign of any living presence.

With the Detection Skill, I could see monsters camouflaged as the ground or rocks here and there, but the rock-type monster *Dodrock* I just blew away seemed to have only the presence of something inorganic.

If asked what that meant, I couldn't say, but I felt it was a lonely place.

Incidentally, Dodrocks basically only charge by rolling. They are incredibly hard, but since impact weapons don't have a concept of sharpness, I can knock them back with *Home Run* and take them down in three or four hits.

"Hey, it dropped Heavy Metal!"

"Heavy Metal, I think it's the heavy steel that Lady used for her gauntlets."

"Right. I wanted to make weapons for the event, so this is perfect."

The blacksmith Haru, who sold me weapons in Dueris, said that Heavy Metal could be found around Feas, but I didn't expect the Scorching Rock Cave to be the source.

Oh, speaking of Haru... maybe the *Meteor Impact Zero* would be more suitable for this stage.

The *Golden Bat *Pierce* I have now is indeed strong. It's light and easy to handle, and has more than enough durability.

However, due to the use of light steel, I felt it lacked a bit of power, as I did in the Mount Gorilla battle.

The two-handed mace *Meteor Impact* is a bit larger than the bat, making it a bit cumbersome to swing in the cave, but that can be managed.

When I switched equipment using the Mew Card, a heavy weight settled on my back.

"Lady, is that the weapon you used in the Forest of Demons?"

"Yeah. By the way, Tōka, you're watching the stream pretty seriously, huh?"

"Hehehe."

Do you really only watch when you have time?

I couldn't help but worry a little about Tōka's studies.

"Huff!"

With a *Dagon!* sound, the Dodrock was blown away.

*Your battle cry is so deep.*

*You like swinging the hammer.*

*Huff!*

*↑Lol*

"It's not that deep!"

Judging from the fact that it took only two hits to take it down, the firepower was indeed different.

It was easy to take down, and the experience points were quite good, about half of what I got from the gorillas, and the drop rate for materials was also good. This place could indeed be a good hunting ground for impact weapon users.

Incidentally, the drop rate for Heavy Metal was about one in ten. There were many Dodrocks, so it wasn't hard to collect Heavy Metal, but there was a problem.

"Heavy Metal is incredibly heavy even in ingot form."

"It's taking up a lot of inventory space... I can't carry any more."

The inventory capacity is determined by weight, not number, and that capacity is decided by Strength.

In that sense, Kōhaku might have the largest inventory in this world.

Anyway, my inventory has more than twice the capacity of Tōka's, but it gradually gets heavier as I take down dozens of them.

Since Tōka, who supports me, can carry more than I can during combat, she has been holding the Heavy Metal I dropped, but it seems she is already at her limit.

"Shaa!"

"Here it comes!"

I blew away a *Rocksnake*, a snake with stone scales, that leaped out from the cracks running through the area, slamming it against the wall.

It might have been trying to ambush us, but all the monsters here have stone-like bodies, so the sound of their approach was always audible.

It's as if they have a constant negative stealth bonus.

"It's a surprisingly good hunting ground, but it's surprisingly unpopular."

"Even if it's good for impact weapon users, it's not at all good for anyone else. It's quite a unique field. It seems that only water or ice magic works here..."

"Besides Heavy Metal, the drops are mediocre. Is Heavy Metal not popular?"

I'm having a lot of fun collecting Heavy Metal for future use, but for those who don't need it, it's just a troublesome item that takes up inventory space.

Still, I thought it might be somewhat popular among impact weapon users...

"It's not popular. Lady, with your very light and highly defensive named equipment, you might not notice, but normal front-line fighters have quite heavy armor. They also have to carry the weight of their weapons, and the Oni race is specialized in physical stats, so Heavy Metal is quite compatible with them."

"Oh, right. I forgot about the lightness of this armor."

The Red Wolf Armor's main selling point is its agility enhancement, but it's also incredibly light.

It's lighter than most cloth armor. It doesn't require much Strength to wear, so I only have to consider the weight of my weapon.

Combined with the Oni race's stats, I can finally wield the Meteor Impact. Pure Heavy Metal weapons require a significant amount of Strength.

Considering this, it might be that only Oni race players or highly leveled Strength-focused players can use Heavy Metal weapons.

"Come to think of it, I might be the only one with named equipment?"

"Currently, that's the case. But after Lady defeated the named boss, two more have been confirmed. Both players managed to make weapons..."

"Weapons... Yeah, they were strong."

"Do you know any named weapon holders, Lady? I hear their effects are kept secret."

"Ah... a bit."

Speaking of which, I didn't stream when I fought Rau.

*The Murder Princess* Rau. The only PK player I've fought so far, and someone I've fought a little as both an enemy and an ally.

The *Seductive Rapier* she wielded had a very special effect of lowering status resistance.

While it's more powerful against monsters than in PvP, the battle was tough due to her skill and the level difference.

The battle was interrupted by Apocalypse, but I want to settle things with her someday.

However, she probably won't participate in the event.

The event dungeon paths are created in each city, so players have to come to the city to participate.

Even if the path is created outside the city gates, a battle with PK players would be inevitable.

That might be an option for Rau, though.

Named boss monsters. It might be time to challenge them again.

Thinking back to my battles with Aria and Rau, I felt that way without saying it out loud.

Pure Heavy Metal equipment has a very limited demand, but there are apparently some enthusiasts among certain players...