Chapter 90

Returning to the forest where the orcs appear, we continued hunting.

Rigu returned and summoned Bunraku.

Bunraku's level is still low.

But it should be easy to level up.

What to do in the forest.

Of course, it's practicing the chokehold.

This time, I had Lambda deal with a group of orcs alone.

Lambda has the strength to take out a group of ten orcs alone.

I let him try, and there was no problem at all.

It's fine against monsters, but from my perspective, the way he uses his sword is too straightforward, making it easy to counter.

There's a limit to how much you can improve player skills.

There's never enough time.

There's not much I can do about that.

I finished off the last orc with a chokehold.

Anyway, it's all about numbers.

I'll have him gain experience by doing a lot of them.

"Next, let's alternate between crushing the throat and choking the carotid artery."

"Okay!"

The last orc was thoroughly toyed with.

Poor thing.

To be killed after such prolonged suffering.

My condolences.

"Next, we'll do the one where you lie down and lock the opponent's torso with your legs."

"Okay!"

"First, I'll show you an example."

We dealt with the next group of orcs on our own.

The battle style of the War Oni doesn't seem to have changed much.

Indeed, he does throw orcs around, but mostly he just punches and kicks.

Occasionally, he chokes them.

It's not really a technique.

He just uses brute force to choke and twist.

It's only possible because he has so much power.

I dealt with the last orc alone.

I attached myself to the orc's back and applied a chokehold.

I wrapped my legs around the orc's torso and locked them at the ankles.

Actually, there's a counter to this position, but the orc wouldn't know that.

I slowly finished him off.

I also reduced the orc's MP bar with Dark Heal and finished him with a Force Bullet.

The position for choking from behind is good for casting spells too.

No fumbling, and you can cast from close range, so it's reliable.

Let's try it!

"Are you going to do that much?"

"Yeah."

I don't think it's that difficult, considering the opponent is an orc.

In Lambda's case.

He took down orcs one after another and finished the last one with a chokehold.

He clamped his legs around the orc's torso, crossed them, and locked them.

It went well up to that point.

"Fix the arms. You don't need much strength. Imagine using your back muscles to choke."

"O-Okay!"

The orc was gone the moment he used his back muscles to choke.

Mm.

Orc, to die so easily is pitiful.

No, the problem is on Lambda's side too.

His strength is higher than mine, but it's hard to control it.

The result is an instant kill, but what I'm looking for is how to prolong the process.

It's not going well.

"It's a failure."

"I used too much strength."

"You don't have to rush the choking. Do it gradually."

"Gradually, got it."

Lambda's expression is serious too.

Can he control it?

I want him to be able to do that with player skills.

He should be able to get a feel for it.

The training continued.

I also showed him a few chokeholds as examples.

Lambda observed from various angles when I used my back muscles to choke.

I let him check the strength of the arm lock.

Well, teaching is also a process of trial and error.

After defeating the last orc with a Force Bullet, I received an info message.

[Your victory in this battle has increased the level of [Kick]!]

[Your victory in this battle has increased the level of [Wind Magic]!]

[You have acquired the spell [Wind Shield] in [Wind Magic]!]

[You have acquired the spell [Storm Wave] in [Wind Magic]!]

[Your victory in this battle has increased the level of the summoned monster 'Bunraku'!]

[Please add 1 point to any stat value]

Bunraku leveled up as planned.

Bunraku's intelligence value has already increased.

I'll specify an increase in mental strength for the remaining 1 point.

Summoned Monster: Bunraku, Wood Puppet Lv2 → Lv3 (↑1)

Dexterity: 25

Agility: 8

Intelligence: 19 (↑1)

Strength: 12

Vitality: 12

Mental Strength: 8 (↑1)

Skills:

Bow, Cooking, Magic Resistance [Slight], Self-Repair [Slight]

And I stripped two pieces of aegirine from the monster's corpse.

Finally, some gems.

Securing items is a struggle so far.

[Your previous actions have increased the level of [Dissection]!]

Right.

It's a problem if Dissection doesn't level up more.

It's the only way to cover my bad luck.

And two new spells were added to Wind Magic.

Wind Shield, a defensive spell.

I've seen it used in tournaments and even used it myself.

It seems to have various applications as a defensive spell.

And Storm Wave is an area attack spell.

Hmm.

The special attack that the tiger used was also a wide-area attack.

This spell will probably be similar.

It seems quite useful.

It was already 5 PM.

Lambda's chokehold is taking shape against orcs.

It just needs to be honed through actual combat.

I think it will take a considerable amount of time to reach a satisfactory level.

Let's head back to the Flame Spirit Rock.

On the way back, I kicked away two fire-eating parrots.

The multicolored wings are steadily being obtained.

That's a relief.

When we arrived at the Flame Spirit Rock, it was a bit early, but we had dinner.

I made do with the food I bought in the morning.

Lambda had portable food again.

Isn't it tasteless?

"What do you usually do at this time?"

"I'm chasing PK players. The area around Regias Village is a good target."

"Hmm."

The forest around Regias Village is a good place for PK players.

There are many places to hide, so it's natural.

That's why PK players are popular.

Especially during the day, the terrain suitable for targeting players is limited to forests, caves, and dungeons.

And PKK players target those places too.

Hmm?

Then it's inconvenient to be here, right?

There are no players here.

That means there's no prey for PK players.

And for PKK players targeting PK players, it's the same.

"Then what are you going to do now?"

"I'll log out for a while and level up again."

"But it's going to be night soon."

That's right.

I don't know what will happen in the area around the Flame Spirit Rock at night.

We haven't confirmed if orcs appear in the forest at night.

Hmm.

It's something to think about.

"Shall I log out first?"

"I'll do that. I'll be back in 30 minutes."

After finishing his meal, Lambda set up the tent and logged out.

I also finished my meal.

30 minutes.

Maybe I'll continue making the pickaxe-like tool.

I took out the Kay's baton and the Angry Crane's beak.

I also disassembled the Snow Leopard's hidden claw to extract the Snow Leopard's claw.

I made another pickaxe-like tool like the one I made at noon.

Now I have two pickaxe-like tools.

However, I'm still not satisfied with them.

The weight.

To be more precise, the balance of the center of gravity is not good.

When I hold it and swing it, it's too light.

I want some weight at the tip with the beak and the stone butt with the claws.

Well.

Is there any way to process it?

I sorted through my belongings to see what might be useful.

Actually, I had something in mind from the beginning.

Obsidian.

It seems like it could be a good weight.

But how do I combine it?

I don't have a stonemason.

Should I get one?

No, there might be other ways?

I brought up the list of useful spells and selected one I hadn't used before.

Shape Change.

It's a melting magic spell.

Just to be safe, I checked the simple explanation, and it seems to soften the material to the hardness the caster imagines.

The shape can also be changed to the imagined form.

The effect lasts about 5 minutes.

When the effect wears off, it returns to its original hardness.

It seems to return to its original hardness even if the spell is forcibly canceled.

I immediately tried it on the obsidian.

I adjusted the hardness to the level of clay.

When I pressed it with my fingers, it deformed properly.

Wow.

This is interesting.

But one piece isn't enough to use as a weight.

I attached a total of four pieces around the joint of the Angry Crane's beak.

I pressed them together to form one block.

Did it fix properly?

I canceled the spell's effect.

When I held it and swung it, it felt pretty good.

I covered the stone butt with two pieces of obsidian to reinforce the joint.

It was also easy to process.

When I appraised the completed pickaxe-like tool, it looked like this.

[Weapon Item: Hammer] Angry Pickaxe+ Quality C Rarity 4

AP+8 M·AP+2 Destruction 3 Weight 2 Durability 60

A weapon that can both strike and cast magic.

A small pickaxe made with the Angry Crane's beak. Versatile in use.

[Custom]

Uses Snow Leopard's claws on the stone butt. Lowers the target's agility slightly with a low probability.

Hmm.

So the pickaxe is treated as a hammer.

The attack power and destruction are quite good.

It's a pity.

It's not a staff.

Well, I made it as a replacement for a pickaxe, so I won't complain.

There is a problem, though.

I have 7 pieces of obsidian left.

I can process another one, but my stock of obsidian will run out.

I checked the obsidian arrows in Bunraku's quiver.

There are a few arrows that didn't hit monsters and couldn't be recovered.

I used the remaining piece of obsidian as the fletching and made an obsidian arrow.

Now I have none left.

I guess I'll have to pick them up one by one with dowsing.

Lambda seems to have returned.

While I was watching him pack up the tent, I received an info message from the game operators.

[There is an operator information. Do you want to check it?]

What's this?

I looked at the contents.

What is this?

[Notice of Area Event Implementation]

The title doesn't make much sense.

Let's see the contents.

[We will add various small events starting at noon tomorrow in game time! For details, please refer to the help.]

What's this?

Well, we'll find out tomorrow.

Lambda also stopped moving.

He seems to be looking at the operator info.

"Did you see the operator info?"

"I did. What's it about?"

"Depending on the event, there might be a large movement of players. That's a problem."

Lambda seems to be concerned about the movement of PK players.

It's natural that it will affect PK players since their prey, the players, will move.

And PKK players will also move.

"I can log in until around 10 PM tonight. What should we do after this?"

"Um."

Let me think.

Lambda hunts PK players regularly.

I don't want to interrupt him.

"Are there PK players around Regias Village?"

"At this time, they're definitely there."

"Then there's no need to hesitate. Let's go and hunt PK players now."

"Now?"

What are you hesitating about?

Oh, I see.

He's considering the travel time.

He's worried about using Return Home on me, or something?

No, he might not even realize I have time magic.

I've used the Gravity Bullet spell in front of him, though.

"You don't need to worry about the travel to near Regias Village. It'll be quick."

"Huh?"

"You'll see when we form a party."

I sent a party formation request to Lambda.

When we crossed the edge of the area portal together, I selected and cast the spell.

"Return Home!"

The scenery in front of me changed instantly.

In a moment, we were teleported in front of my master's house.

"Wow, we're already near Regias Village in an instant."

Well, yeah.

That's what the spell does.

"From here, we'll hunt as usual."

"Huh?"

"Isn't this what you usually do? There's no reason to stop."

Lambda seemed to think for a moment.

But he seemed to have made up his mind and started applying a new disguise to himself.

He quickly transformed into a different person.

This time, he was using a wig.

He seemed to be ready after taking off his leather armor.

"Is it okay to take off the armor?"

"To move as quickly as possible. I also don't use the leather helmet because it hinders my hearing."

"Wow."

Is it that serious?

Indeed, most PK players I've encountered so far were lightly equipped.

It's a stealth battle.

I'm interested, but I don't want to get in Lambda's way.

"You can use the chokehold I taught you today. But there are times when it's better not to use it depending on the situation."

"Understood."

"Misjudgment can lead to serious consequences."

"Understood."

"What about tomorrow?"

"I'll wait outside Regias Village."

He bowed deeply and disappeared into the darkness without a sound.

A seeker of revenge.

I wonder what kind of results he will bring back?

Even if it's just for one day, I'm curious to see how the things I taught him will be put to use.

But in actual combat, gaining experience is definitely better.

I'm worried that the PK players are definitely stronger than orcs.

What should I do tomorrow?

Practicing against orcs might be too easy.

Are there any other monsters that are closer to human form?

Of course, they would be stronger than orcs.

It's that guy, isn't it?

The Snow Ape.

The difficulty will suddenly increase, but considering Lambda's stats, it might be just right.

What about me?

I could hunt in the forest, but for now, I'll go into my master's house and head down to the underground workshop.

First, I'll replenish the potions.

[Your previous actions have increased the level of [Pharmacist]!]

[Your previous actions have increased the level of [Precision Operation]!]

The pharmacist leveled up during the work.

Precision Operation also leveled up.

I finished making potions to fill the empty bottles and made two recovery pills.

Well, this is the usual work.

Should I let Bunraku help?

I tried letting him make a potion, and even without the pharmacist skill, he immediately made a quality C potion.

Is that impressive?

It's probably due to his high dexterity.

I might have him help with production activities in the future.

Next, I'll make hidden claws.

The materials are wood scraps and the Swift Tiger's claws.

I have one Snow Leopard's hidden claw left, and I'll use this to make up for the shortage.

Actually, the wood scraps are the leftovers from disassembling the Snow Leopard's hidden claw.

The processing was minimal.

The Swift Tiger's claws are slightly thicker and longer than the Snow Leopard's claws.

I carefully filed down the part that would interlock.

It's really fun.

I wonder what kind of thing will come out?

[Weapon Item: Blunt] Swift Tiger's Hidden Claw Quality C+ Rarity 4

AP+3 Destruction 1 Weight 0+ Durability 60

Slightly increases critical hit probability, Wind attribute.

A throwing weapon. Almost ineffective against armor and helmets.

Slightly increases critical hit probability.

Wow.

Compared to the Snow Leopard's hidden claw, the attack power and destruction are higher.

It doesn't cause status effects, but it seems to increase the chance of critical hits.

I held the Snow Leopard's hidden claw in my right hand and the Swift Tiger's hidden claw in my left.

The tips of the claws protruding between the fingers of both fists were gleaming dully.

The claws protruding from the left fist were slightly longer than those from the right.

Hmm.

It seems usable.

I'll keep the hidden claws in the storage part of my belt so they're always ready.

I still have plenty of time.

Maybe I'll continue the potion experiments to pass the time.

Continuing various experiments is fun,

but I also felt a sense of being stuck.

I couldn't see the decisive factor.

Well, I can sense something, somehow.

Extracting with water.

I felt the limits of that.

No, it's strange to say I can sense it with a scientific mindset.

If there were other solvents, it would be good to compare them.

If I had dichloromethane, I could dissolve many organic compounds.

Then I could use thin-layer chromatography to separate the components.

But that's not going to happen.

What other solvents can I get besides water?

Can I distill ethanol from alcohol?

If I have ethanol and vinegar, I might be able to make ethyl acetate?

But in any case, it would be good to have a distillation apparatus.

I want an evaporator, even at a laboratory level.

No, I would need various other equipment.

I would need an exhaust system, and the room for experiments would need to be designed.

No.

It would turn into an organic synthesis laboratory.

Should I go that far?

I'll stop daydreaming about something I can't do right away.

For now, I'll try to make some progress with the experiments I'm doing.

I'll continue the experiments to a good stopping point.

The results may not be good, but it won't be a waste.

It's important to eliminate