Chapter 42

7/18 This is the fifth post of the day.

The first定点乱獲狩り (定点 mass hunting) has ended, and upon returning to the stone pillar, their figures were already nowhere to be seen.

There were no signs of digging, and multiple soil-covered footprints were left on the generated stone pillar, so they must have given up, thinking it couldn't be knocked down.

Since the view is good, there's no worry that they're hiding somewhere, so I can breathe a sigh of relief for now.

It's exactly noon.

Leaning against the stone pillar, I take a sandwich out of the small leather bag hanging from my waist and start to chew while thinking.

(The stone pillar was created with 48 mana, which is good, but the problem is getting the basket...)

Of course, the basket on the stone pillar that even the Advents couldn't move with brute force is something I can't move with just my strength.

So, the task of getting the basket is a new attempt, an experiment that must succeed.

After resting for about 30 minutes while eating, I stare at the stone pillar in front of me.

(I'm getting nervous...)

From here on, it's a bit of a physical task.

My body naturally tenses up, but I have to put in the effort to clear this, or I won't be able to do stable定点 hunting in the future.

After checking my status screen once, I gently place one hand on the stone pillar in front of me and, while staring at my feet, mutter:

"Generate a stone pillar 5 meters long."

Zzzzzzz...

"Uuuuuuuu!!!"

A stone pillar rises up from under my feet.

My vision gradually moves away from the ground, and I feel strength in the hand touching the stone pillar with the basket.

At a good height where I can almost reach the basket by extending my hand, the movement of the stone pillar, which had been stretching while carrying me, stopped.

(I was scared... but the experiment was a success!)

This time, it's just the first run of定点 mass hunting, so I won't take the basket down yet.

I transfer the contents of the leather bag I was carrying into the basket, replenish my water, and then slide down the 30 cm diameter stone pillar, hugging it like a climbing bar I used to play with as a child.

The question is whether this method can be sustained.

I immediately check the mana consumed by this stone pillar and see that it took 26 mana to generate a 5-meter stone pillar.

Hmm, if touching the basket alone consumes this much mana, it's naturally heavy.

It's heavy, but if it's still manageable, I can adjust it, and I've done countless such adjustments in games.

"First, I'll measure the recovery time for 26 mana and adjust it within the range of the expedition's movement..."

I decide this and diligently engage in serious定点 hunting without exhausting my mana and stamina.

▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽

(I got carried away... I'm so tired...)

Still, I didn't stop jogging, and today is the first time the basket in Locker Plain is full.

More than that, it was overflowing, and I had to put materials in the leather bag to avoid dropping them on the way.

It's the fourth day since I took the pill.

Since my stamina was already low, the return trip was particularly tough, but the joy of the定点 hunting getting on track was irresistible.

The feeling of achieving maximum efficiency is something I can't stop.

I feel it would be a waste to stop, and I just want to do more and more.

If this were a game world, I would operate another account to handle the transportation and cashing out of materials while I stayed in Locker Plain without returning to town.

Hmm, this idea could work, but it would require a highly trustworthy transporter, and finding someone who can casually pass through Locker Plain is still difficult...

If only this were possible...

While I was lost in such fantasies, I found myself standing in front of the disassembly area.

"Hey. Hey, are you okay?"

"Huh!? Ah, I'm fine... My head was full of fantasies..."

"Well, if you hunt that much in a day, you'd be thinking about what to do with all the money, right?"

Saying this, Rody's face was clearly twisted when he looked at the contents of my basket.

Of course, it would be like that.

I was surprised myself when I realized it was overflowing.

From the middle of the hunt, I was only thinking about skill experience points.

"Hahaha... Well, I'll leave this to you. And this one too."

"Once I'm done with this, I'll check it. Put the materials on the counter and wait a bit."

I hand over the large leather bag along with the basket, and Rody, who is holding his head, has no sense of guilt because this is also his income.

"I don't know when I'll be able to go home today..."

"Well, well, it's fine, right? Your income will increase, Rody."

"Of course, but there's a limit... Do you know? Because of you, the mayor and the guild master are worried that the number of Poison Mice is increasing and have even issued an emergency request for preventive measures."

"I saw it this morning. The reward was a bit higher."

"When I asked the other hunters, they said it was the same as usual... It seems they're mistaken because Loki is hunting a lot."

"But that's not my fault, right? I didn't say anything about the Poison Mice increasing and causing trouble."

"Of course, it's not your fault. But you are the trigger, no doubt."

While talking, Rody, who had finished checking the materials of another party, was writing something on a wooden board and handing it to the party for confirmation.

"Poison Mouse material rank C is 3, B is 4, A is 8, and the rest are 15 each for the parts and magic stones. Air Mantises are 5 each for the parts and magic stones. Is that correct?"

"Ah, yeah, it's fine..."

The hunter, a man in his 30s with a scruffy beard, answered while looking at the materials I had placed.

In fact, he was answering the materials.

(I think a Poison Mouse is around 6000 bekes if the material rank is normal, and an Air Mantis is around 10000 bekes... So, the total reward for this party, whose number I don't know, is around 140,000 bekes.)

Assuming it's a party of four, that's about 35,000 bekes per person.

Considering the rewards of the Advent party and Jin's party, it's clear that Locker Plain is a profitable hunting ground.

(I wonder if Jin and his party should try it...)

While thinking about this, it seems my material evaluation is finished.

"Ha... You've been hunting every day and increasing the amount of materials. All the material ranks are A, with 53 Poison Mice and 12 Air Mantes in total."

Saying this, he hands me the wooden board, but since I don't remember how many I hunted, there's not much point in checking.

"I'm fine. Please take care of it for me."

"Understood."

"By the way, Rody, is there a bigger basket than this?"

"In this town, there's only one. Plus, it's always being used exclusively by one person, so it's practically non-existent."

"I see... In that case, it might be better to have one custom-made if needed."

"Sure, but... Do you plan to increase the amount of materials even more? Considering your size, it would be quite difficult, right?"

"That's the thing... Carrying this and running after hunting was quite tough."

"Huh?... Running? Walking, not running, right!?"

"Running, but just jogging. To increase my stamina."

"I can understand why you bring back such an absurd amount of materials... Hey Waldan! If you have time to be jealous, try working hard like Loki! That's the result of effort!"

"...Yeah, that's true. Carrying that and running on the way back is impossible for us."

Although the flow was a bit unclear, the expression of Waldan, who was looking at me with a slightly envious gaze, changed to a bitter smile, so it was good for now.

If multiple parties like that appeared, it would be beyond control.

(And I have to report today's events...)

Thinking this, I head towards the reception area, only to encounter the people I least wanted to see right now.

The members of the Advent party were all waiting for me.

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