Chapter 48

Keith stood at the top of the hill at his master's urging.

Even so, he couldn't see around due to the forest obstructing his view.

He returned Jericho and summoned Helix to scout the surroundings.

The sky was slightly overcast, but there was nothing he could do about that.

He could see the rich natural environment.

Birds were visible everywhere.

However, there was no sign of the monsters he was looking for.

The trees in the forest were tall, but the shade wasn't particularly dark.

Occasionally, he could see small animals.

"It seems the monsters are much further ahead."

"Yeah, it looks that way."

Keith also tried using the Call Monster skill.

But he didn't detect anything.

At least, none of the monsters he had seen before were around.

He boldly asked Helix to go up to the clouds.

The sun was already low in the sky.

It was getting close to evening.

"Keith, you've grown well."

"Thank you."

"I acknowledge that your skills are worthy of being my disciple."

"Yes."

"Hmm. Continue to hone your skills as you have done. You may use the facilities at my house as you please."

"Understood. Thank you."

The master's expression was very satisfied.

Perhaps he had finally recognized Keith's efforts.

[You have obtained the title [Apprentice of the Old Summoner]!]

The usual notification appeared again.

The title no longer had the (temporary) designation.

He stared at the virtual window text, but nothing happened.

It seemed he had finally graduated from the provisional status.

A magic circle floated at the top of the hill.

The master was about to summon something.

What appeared was a Roc.

"Keith, I must go now."

"Yes."

"You should return the way you came."

"Huh?"

"Let's part ways here."

Huh? Huh?

The master quickly climbed onto the Roc's back.

The fox also nimbly joined him.

"Can't you take me with you?"

"You should be fine."

The master left with a refreshing smile, sending the Roc into flight.

Keith could only stand there in shock as the wind blew past him.

He was left in the lurch.

Helix returned to Keith's shoulder after seeing the Roc off in the clouds.

Now, what should he do about this treatment?

More importantly, what should he do next?

Since he didn't know where the nearest logout point was, advancing would be risky.

There was no choice but to return.

He returned Helix and summoned Jericho.

He would have to retrace his steps.

He steeled himself and entered the cave, determined not to let his spirits fall.

He would use the Noctovision dark magic to ensure his vision, avoiding the Flash Light light magic.

He didn't want to fight the troublesome skeletons right now.

He encountered seven groups of skeletons on his way back through the forest maze.

It felt like there were as many as when he used Flash Light.

Perhaps even more.

He didn't have the leisure to count how many he defeated, so it was just a feeling.

He didn't encounter any Skeleton Dogs.

It seemed they were only found in the gorge.

Well, they weren't that strong anyway.

As for the loot:

Two magic stones.

To be honest, it was a bit disappointing.

He cut through the center of the forest maze.

He dispersed the approaching mushrooms and Branch Golems while conserving MP.

He returned to the Provisional Blue Square.

There, he saw something unexpected.

Well, it wasn't really unexpected.

He saw two parties leaving the hall in different directions.

He didn't expect to see the green marker here.

The battle might be tedious, but I hope they do well.

He slaughtered three mushrooms just before the forest entrance.

Mushroom hunting, mushroom hunting.

[Your victory in the battle has increased your [Dark Magic] level!]

[You have obtained the spell Resist Dark!]

[You have obtained the spell Dark Heal!]

[You have obtained the spell Darkness Stare!]

His Dark Magic had leveled up by the time the battle was over.

He had gained quite a few new spells in just one day.

He wanted to test them with Fire Magic, but he would do that when he had more MP.

Today, he had picked up fewer items, but the skill upgrades made up for it.

When he exited the forest maze, he returned Jericho and summoned Obsidian.

The amount of MP consumed by summoning had decreased with the level up.

Still, it consumed more MP than a level 3 attack spell.

Today, he had frequently switched summoning monsters, which was quite a burden.

He decided to stick with Wolf, Jean, and Obsidian until he logged out.

He arrived at the village of Legias.

He headed straight for Yuka and Rick.

Unfortunately, they were busy with their stalls and customers, including NPCs.

They didn't have time to talk.

Since he had time, he decided to wait.

The dinner he bought in line was a stew of rabbit meat and vegetables with bread.

[Food Item] Stew of Rabbit Meat and Vegetables

Fullness +25%

Quality C+

Rarity 1

Weight 0+

A dish made by first roasting the rabbit meat with nutmeg and thyme, then simmering it with vegetables.

The broth, made from the bones, adds richness.

The flavor was quite strong, but it was just right when eaten with the bread.

Good job, Yuka.

[You have a message from a friend]

It was from Irena.

Shortly after, a message from Adele arrived.

They were quite diligent.

"Today, I started my training with Gertha. I was a bit nervous, but it seems to be going well."

"I found a new fluffy creature!"

The screenshot attached to Irena's message showed the inside of the alchemy guild and a group photo.

The screenshot attached to Adele's message showed a wolf, a tiger, and a fox lined up.

The fox was a different species from the master's fox, with only one tail.

There was also a screenshot of Adele with the fox, and she looked completely smitten.

This is bad.

Addicts are bad.

They might even get others addicted.

Reflecting on it now, Keith had been in danger too.

Yeah.

Well, if she likes her environment, that's good.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"No, business first is fine."

"Since the salesperson just arrived, it's okay."

Rick's gaze was directed at Shinohara.

"Sorry I'm late!"

"Just help out here."

Rick, Fumihiko, Yuka, and Ren-Ren apologized not only to them but also to Keith.

"Today's loot?"

"Huh? Oh, right."

Right.

He had almost forgotten his purpose in the relaxed atmosphere.

He lined up the loot on the table.

Logs, charcoal, and mushrooms, which had become standard.

Snow Ape skin and bones, which had become important items.

A stone axe with a Snow Ape bone handle.

In addition, Snow Leopard skin and claws.

"This is a good haul."

"The quantity is small, though."

"No, two Snow Ape bones can't be ignored."

"Ah."

"Also, there are new items."

Fumihiko, who had taken over as the salesperson, and Ren-Ren, who had fewer customers, had gathered around the table.

Their gazes were frightening.

They looked like predators eyeing their prey.

"The Snow Leopard skin would be good for a jacket if we had more."

"Unfortunately, our guild's leatherworker isn't here."

"I really want to learn the leatherworking skill."

"More importantly, the Snow Ape bones are strategic materials."

"What can the Snow Leopard claws be used for? Weapons, maybe?"

"Claw keys?"

"Probably weapons."

"I can't think of anything."

Rick's eyes remained calm.

"Keith, in my personal opinion, you might want to keep the Snow Leopard skin and claws."

"Huh?"

"You don't know their uses. It might be better to seek a wider range of opinions."

"Is that so?"

"I think so. It was the same with the Snow Ape bones."

That's true.

But since Rick, a merchant, said it, it was convincing.

"Can I post the screenshots and [Appraisal] results?"

"Sure."

There was no reason to refuse.

He could trust them with it.

"What about the other items?"

"I'll sell them."

"Rick, can you send the message to Feena?"

"Sure."

"Then I'll post on the bulletin board."

"Got it. I'll leave that to Fumihiko."

As Rick started the settlement, Ren-Ren and Fumihiko also began their tasks.

They were quick to divide the roles and get to work.

He received 20 silver coins, which was a decent income.

"See you later."

"Please continue to support us."

They exchanged business smiles and left the scene.

Now, what should he do next?

While heading back in the direction of his master's house, he thought about what he needed to do to progress further in the forest maze.

He remembered that he had already been given a hint.

He asked Obsidian to find a Ginkey nest and climbed the tree to steal the eggs.

It was a thief-like act, but there was no other choice.

There was no other choice.

It was to train the auxiliary skill [Climbing], please forgive me.

Sorry, I lied.

He was quite enthusiastic about stealing the eggs.

The female raging Ginkeys were no longer much of a threat.

The problem was the males.

Even though Keith had leveled up, he thought they would become cannon fodder, but they were still formidable.

In fact, Wolf had taken quite a bit of damage just now.

They seemed to become more aggressive at night.

No, it was probably just their desperate actions to protect the eggs in the nest.

Well, they were monsters, after all.

He didn't know how many eggs he had harvested.

He couldn't count them because he had to focus on hunting, and there were also ant attacks.

Therefore, he didn't know how many Ginkeys he had defeated.

However, he had counted the male raging Ginkeys.

Six.

And when he defeated the sixth male raging Ginkey and collected the eggs, he got what he had been hoping for.

[Your [Climbing] skill has leveled up due to your actions!]

Good.

But he might have gotten a bit carried away.

By the time he reached his master's house and climbed into bed, it was already late at night.

It was important to know when to stop.

Today had been productive.

He would test the spells he hadn't used tomorrow.

Tomorrow, he had an appointment with the guild leader.

He hoped it wouldn't be a troublesome request.

He logged out with that thought in mind.

The next morning.

As soon as he logged in, he received a notification from the game operators.

[You have two new announcements. Would you like to view them?]

Two.

The titles were as follows:

[Notice: Clock Function Implementation!]

[Notice: Tournament Announcement!]

He decided to check the content of the clock function immediately, as the tournament announcement could wait.

It was odd that the game didn't have a clock function until now.

Most people couldn't be glued to the game 24/7 like him.

Many players must have found it inconvenient not being able to tell the time in the game.

The function was displayed on a dedicated virtual window, which could be placed anywhere in the player's field of view.

The size was adjustable, and it could be minimized to an icon at the edge of the screen.

There were two display modes: digital and analog.

The analog clock had Arabic numerals by default, but Roman numerals and Chinese numerals were also available.

Keith chose the analog clock with Roman numerals.

He set the background to white and the clock face to black.

That wasn't all.

The basic three-hand clock design could be customized with additional functions.

Standard options included a stopwatch and calendar, but there were also moon phases and world timers.

He decided to add the stopwatch and moon phases for the atmosphere.

Yeah.

It looked good.

Simple was best.

This was perfect.

However, the clock was in a trial phase, and feedback was being solicited.

Indeed, it was odd for individuals to have clocks in a fantasy world.

Even an old-fashioned pocket watch would be out of place.

He summoned Residual Moon, Helix, and Obsidian in turn and headed for the town of Remto.

The weather was good this morning.

Compared to yesterday, which wasn't very nice, there were more players around.

Red markers were chasing green markers everywhere.

They were actively hunting from early in the morning.

There were fewer prey coming his way.

He only hunted two rabbits on the road.

He arrived at the town of Remto.

There were clearly more players than usual.

What had happened?

He looked for Mio's stall but didn't find it in its usual spot.

No, it was waiting at the end of an alley, folded up.

He could see Feena, Mio, and Reina.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Hey!"

"Good morning."

"Good morning!"

"Are you moving today?"

"Yeah. We're waiting for Saki now."

It seemed they were ready to go.

It was a shame he had missed breakfast at Mio's.

"Yesterday, you brought in a lot of stuff again."

"Yeah."

"The blacksmiths are excited about the Snow Ape bones again?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. There's also the tournament."

"Huh?"

"Have you seen the operator's announcement?"

"I saw the clock."

"What about the tournament?"

"Um..."

Feena's gaze made it impossible to look away.

For some reason, he felt pressured.

"To be honest, I haven't seen it."

"Aww."

"I thought so!"

Mio and Reina were being harsh.

He really hadn't seen it because he was distracted by the clock.

"The tournament is in five days. Players who want to level up before then are being more active."

"Really?"

"Have you seen outside Remto? Players are flooding in to meet the event conditions."

It wasn't just his imagination.

The town's atmosphere seemed to have taken on a feverish quality.

"Are you going to participate in the tournament, Feena?"

"No way. We don't think we can beat the top players who are advancing the game."

"No way, no way."

"But we're interested!"

"We're going to the deeper parts of the forest to build our strength."

"But we want to watch the matches!"

"At least the finals, if not the preliminaries!"

"If our schedules allow."

"No, no, we can adjust our schedules. Schedules are meant to be adjusted!"

"We can learn from watching other players' battles."

"That's true, but if we include the preliminaries, the schedule will be long. Can we just watch the finals?"

"Compromise!"

"Compromise!"

"And if Saki is okay with it."

"Unfair!"

"Unfair!"

What kind of labor union is this?

The tournament.

He wasn't uninterested in watching other players' battles.

As Mio had said, it could be a good reference.

"Keith, what about you?"

"Probably not. I'll prioritize requests."

"Right. But that might be the right choice."

"What do you mean?"

"The tournament is individual combat only. Summoning magic is prohibited."

"Elves are at a disadvantage! We rely on spirit summoning!"

"Can't help it. It would be too advantageous for elves otherwise."

"Summoners can't use summoned monsters! They should create a team battle category!"

As before, Reina's opposition to the operators was strong.

She might just be quick to anger.

The tournament.

From this conversation alone, it was clear that participating as a summoner would be disadvantageous.

Well, he could just skip it.

"Ah, right. I have something to ask."

"What is it?"

"This."

He took out the broken Kay's Rod from the [Item Box] and bowed deeply to Reina.

"I'm sorry, but I ended up breaking it like this."

"Whoa. How did you break it like that?"

"A Snow Ape. It took a hit with its weight on it."

"One hit did this?"

"I know the monsters get stronger as you go deeper, but..."

"I can understand this level of damage!"

"Is repair impossible?"

"Buying a new one would be faster and cheaper!"

"Then a creation request?"

"Yeah. I can take it, but we're going to Legias and then deeper into the forest, so it will take a while!"

"That's a shame."

"No, there are NPC-sold rods, and there are players at the woodworking shop!"

"Right. Yeah."

"If you have the money, it might be better to improve that leather armor."

"Yeah. The carapace part of the Evil Ant is a bit cracked."

Yeah.

He had noticed that too.

The carapace of the Evil Ant he had hunted last night was in his possession.

Oh, right.

"Feena, can I ask you to buy these?"

"Sure, as long as it's not too much. Logs are a problem, though."

"Mainly Evil Ant needles and raging Ginkey eggs."

"Then it's fine."

"Eggs!"

Mio latched onto the eggs.

But she was surprised by the number.

When she counted them, there were 32.

He also decided to sell a small amount of rabbit skin and meat.

Oops.

He might have overstayed his welcome.

He settled the payment and decided to leave quickly.

"See you later."

"See you!"

"Please say hello to Saki for us."

"Okay."

"Be careful of PKs."

He bowed and left Feena and the others.

There was something he couldn't forget.

Breakfast.

He decided to eat at a convenient place.

Protagonist: Keith

Race: Human, Male, Race Level 6

Occupation: Summoner (Summoner) Level 5

Bonus Points Remaining: 19

Set Skills:

Staff Level 5, Strike Level 3, Kick Level 3, Joint Techniques Level 3, Throw Level 3

Dodge Level 3, Block Level 3, Summoning Magic Level 6

Light Magic Level 3, Wind Magic Level 4, Earth Magic Level 3, Water Magic Level 3

Fire Magic Level 3, Dark Magic Level 3 (↑1)

Alchemy Level 3, Pharmacist Level 3, Glassworking Level 3

Coordination Level 5, Appraisal Level 5, Identification Level 5, Insight Level 1, Cold