《Nightmare Fantasy Online》 Prologue: A New Challenger!! *Ding-dong* "Coming..." I opened the door and saw the delivery man with a huge box on the ground. "Yes, a delivery to-, huge!?" "Yes, yes they are." I showed my iPhone to the delivery man to drag his attention from my chest and had him beep the confirmation so he could hand over my package. The young man bowed and ran away almost as if he was fleeing the place. Geez, and here I wanted to invite him for a good time~... not. I can''t stand men. I can''t stand people in general, but guys just turn me off. Busty women are my favorite. I am one myself, but my interests are more aligned to a guy''s than a woman''s. My dislike for people is making it practically unbearable to be with people face-to-face, so I''m not into getting myself a relationship of any kind. I returned to the living room in my luxurious apartment and left the big box on the table. While trying to find a pair of scissors, the news on the holo-TV showed a pair of familiar faces. One was a black-haired female wearing a black sailor uniform. It makes you wonder how she could be the CEO of the leading IT company, Terra Sol AS. And I still can''t fathom that she''s got the same face as I have... There gotta be a limit to coincidences, right? Said CEO, the mysterious "Alvatria", or whatever her name is, was accompanied by a dark-skinned, handsome man with long, black hair kept in a ponytail. A classic example of a handsome man. But like his boss, you could mistake him for a cosplayer. He''s dressed in a dark suit and wearing sunglasses at all times. It''s as if he''s trying to imitate an FBI agent. The false FBI agent, Abraham Vashi, is someone I have met before. It was mostly by accident. One night, I had a craving for some sweets but forgot to order some from the supermarket drone, which forced me to go down to the store and buy some myself. But right after I exited the store, I almost collided with that guy. Why was he there at that time anyway? Regardless, I was caught off-guard by the sudden event. I managed to squeeze a small "sorry" before leaving in a hurry. But before I could do that... "MADEMOISELLE! Please, PLEASE, do not WORRY!" My ears still hurt from that night. And that guy almost got arrested as a molester. A quick explanation managed to save his skin though. A good rep always helps, even when you''re accused of being a pervert. After that, the false FBI Agent took me to some fancy cafe where he explained his outburst: that he was looking for talented gamers who could try out the new game when it''s released and act as a moving force for the player-base. And am I one of those? Not at all. I''m a casual gamer at most. People do call me the "Unknown modern Midas of the stocks" due to how I used the money I inherited from my late parents to earn a wallet fat enough to let me live my next few lives as a NEET without leaving my house, something I''m planning on doing, but I''ve got no big rep on the gamer-front. Turns out that the false FBI agent didn''t want me for my gaming skills, but for my appearance... Well, that''s happened before. Model agents and other people like that would stop me on the streets more often than once. It''s one of the main reasons I hate walking outside. Some of the offers were even of the sleazy kind... The false FBI agent''s offer, however, was way more acceptable. All I needed to do was to play the game without altering my appearance too much. As he put it: "it''s a shame for the world not to use your natural face!!"... Crap. Now that I think about it, didn''t I agree on his deal mostly because I''ve turned weak for compliments from my years of close to no social interaction? It did score me the newest Virtual Reality hardware though, so it''s not that bad. And the hottest VRMMO game on the market. Feeling better with that, I turned off the TV and started to prepare the box-like machine with a ring-like headgear attached to it close to my bed, put the headgear on, laid down in my bed as the manual said, and started the log-in. The first thing that needs to be done is to input my real name and have the device register my brainwaves. This is used as a replacement for a password. A common feature for VR games today. ["Welcome, and thank you for choosing Terra Sol AS''s VR console. Please input the necessary data. A scan will be used afterward to obtain bodily information that will be used for the in-game avatar."] Another common feature with VR games. The info is stored on the hardware and will never see the light of the internet, so theft of personal data is guaranteed to be impossible. ["Scan complete. Height: 168cm. Weight: 56kg. Bust: 94cm. Waist: 61cm. Hip: 91cm."] You don''t need to say it all out loud... ["The initial set-up is complete. What will you do now?"] "...install VRMMO-game...Nightmare Fantasy Online..." ["Confirmed. Starting the installation."] I''m not downloading from the web here but installing the program from the disk that came with the hardware. After a few minutes, I was ready to play. But a problem occurred: ["Nightmare Fantasy Online will be online in 01:22:54. Please wait until then."] Ah, the game goes online first thing today in the afternoon...guess I''ll kill some time on the web. I took off the headgear and started to look up things regarding the game. Terra Sol AS had even prepared a website that the players could chat on, write guides, and much more. Even the company itself will post out simple comments here. According to the site, NFO''s gameplay is built around something called "Aether Points", which will let you obtain stuff like skills, classes, and even evolve your avatar''s race! These Aether Points are obtained by increasing your player level, clearing specific quests and/or events, or defeating bosses. Not sure why they''re not calling them "ability points", but that''s likely some flavor text or such. Skills are special abilities that let you do more damage or perform special attacks, though you could still inflict damage by hitting people, and you could still swing a sword even without the corresponding skill for swordsmanship. Though, the damage is pathetically low, so you would wish for the skill if you could get it. Skills have "skill levels" that can be 1 up to 10, and you have to pay AP (Aether Points) to both obtain these skills and to level them up. A skill at level 10 can even "evolve" to a skill of a higher skill tier, and you can even merge some compatible skills into a new, stronger, and rarer skill than the originally evolved skill. Classes are special occupations that allow you to obtain skills. Meaning you can only take skills related to your class. NFO lets you have 1 Main Class and four different "Sub Classes"! You have to start the game with one of the four "Beginner-rank classes" as your Main Class, and you can only take Sub Classes that are of equal or lower rank. But you are forced to take the Sub Classes at the "Intermediate-rank" at first, so you have to "evolve" your class first. To do this, you have to increase your class'' "class level", which is done by actively using skills connected to your class. The highest class level is level 50, and the rankings are; Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Master. Some classes may even be stronger than others, but you need to clear harsher requirements for them, and they may turn out to be too difficult to be used anyway. And like skills, you need to spend AP to obtain and evolve classes, and you can also merge classes if they have some connection with each other. And finally, your race. The players can choose a race with a "racial rank" of G, F, and E. The difference in the ranks tells how strong that race is compared to others, and how much AP you get from level-ups. You can also evolve your race to something that''s one rank higher, but even that requires AP. Stronger evolutions need more AP, so if you spend them all on skills and/or classes, you may end up stuck with a weak-ass race. After reading about the general info about the game, I opened the tab "the developers'' recommendations". Here they talked about what classes, races, and skills we newbies should take while discussing weak points and strong points of their recommendations. The Human race is average in stats, starts as an E-rank that doesn''t need time to be developed like the G- and F-rank races, and it has no definite weaknesses. Most of the other humanoid races, such as Elf, Dwarf, and Beastkin, all started at E-rank, but they often leaned toward a special status value more than the Human race. You could also choose to be an animal even. Like a Wolf or a Rabbit. There would be a marking in your "status screen" that others could see, so even if you chose a monster race, players and the NPC wouldn''t mistake you for a real one. "Criminal players" who did bad stuff were still gonna be hunted down though. According to the developers, the bonus for choosing a race with a lower rank than E is that you could personalize your race more. Since evolutions are affected by your stats and skills, you could develop your character into a specialized play style that would be stronger than the humanoids. The downside is that the difficulty in reaching that kinda strength is much higher compared to the humanoids again, so only dedicated players should take this path, or so they say. The developers also suggest that we should take some "General Skills". These skills don''t evolve, and anyone can take them no matter the race and/or classes. But honestly, we players will probably have taken them even if they weren''t available for everyone. I mean, this [Identification] skill is what lets you see people''s stats and such, and the [Wallet] skill holds you Sol, the currency of the game, while you''re out of town. There''s even a [Head-Up Display] skill to see your HP and stuff while in battle! Not having these skills would dramatically increase the difficulty of the game. It feels like that old and popular console game with androids in a post-apocalyptic setting, which required special chips to obtain the typical gaming elements such as the HUD or the map. There was even a "core chip" that would result in a game-over if you removed it! Glad that''s not possible in this game. The list was so long that I couldn''t finish it in time before my alarm told me I could start the game. Not that I plan to be a pro-gamer or anything, but I don''t wanna end up as a loser either. The game does allow you to remake your character within 72 hours after its creation for free, so even if I do flop on the first one, I could do a retry if I need to. While calming myself with that logic, I put on the headgear again and laid on the bed before starting the game. ["Performing a check before starting NFO...confirmed the device and the user''s safe posture. Starting up NFO."] Well, here it begins. My first time in "Nightmare Fantasy Online"... Chapter 1: Character Creation "Welcome to Nightmare Fantasy Online." A black creature greeted me in a fancy throne room. How should I describe it...a black fog in the shape of a man with a goat head? He''s wearing a tuxedo for some reason, but his head and the other parts of his body that shows underneath the tux are made of a dark mist. "...hey." "My name is Support AI: D1-696. While it may be for a short while, I am pleased to be serving you." - D1-696 "...sure." "Now, esteemed Player, please input your name in this world before we can continue." - D1-696 A keyboard appeared at the AI''s command, who ignored my lack of drive. Okay, a name...let''s use something from an old novel I read once... "Garami...checking for duplicate names...no duplicates can be found. Esteemed Player, do you wish for "Garami" to be your name in this world?" - D1-696 Wow, it''s really old, that novel...or maybe it never was as popular as I believed. "It may be for a short while, but I am pleased to serve you, Master Garami. Now, please create your avatar that is required if you want to explore the world of Nightmare Fantasy Online." - D1-696 The AI produced a huge mirror that showed my real-life appearance as a default. A young woman with albino skin, hair, and eyes. The developers were kind enough to remove the bags underneath my eyes that I''d developed recently for staying up too many nights in a row. A ton of appearance-changing options was then presented for me, not that I''ve ever been good at designing characters, so let''s not make too many changes. I got a nice figure anyway, even if it has given me more pains than gains...okay, there are more personal gains than pains, but you get what I mean. I simply altered the length of my hair, from shoulder-length to it reaching my calves. It''s a fantasy game after all. I swapped the albino-red eyes with something more indigo-purple and added black stripes to the white hair. I also gave it a more glossy appearance. As a bonus, I added a beauty mark under my left eye. It turned out a little princess-ish. Maybe I was born in the wrong era? Not that I can see myself surviving in an age without cup noodles and microwave dishes. "This is quite the lovely lady." - D1-696 "Shut up." - Garami "A lady with thorns, I see," replied the stupid AI. Who designed its personality? And why does it need one in the first place? "Now, let us move on to the selection of your avatar''s race. Remember that your avatar''s appearance will be altered to fit that of the race of your choice." - D1-696 "I know..." - Garami "Great. Now, there are three methods in how you can select your race. Manual where you go through the list over all possible races, Semi-Auto that forces you to answer a questioning of questions to find a race to your liking or Auto which randomly chooses your race out of all your alternatives." - D1-696 "...Semi-Auto, then." - Garami Just reading the website was enough to kill one hour, so I''m not keen to read about all the races. And a random selection isn''t exactly how I wanna start the game either, so Semi-Auto it is. "Then, let us start the questioning." - D1-696 A glowing screen appeared in front of me with the following words written on it: Question #1: What do you find interesting? ...no yes/no questions? Alright, ehm..., an interesting story? Question #2: What is your favorite animal? Cats, if I have to choose. Question #3: Do you have any loved ones? What''s up with the random heavy question!? My parents are dead, so I''m forced to say; none. Question #4: Do you believe in magic? Mhm, I would say that I only believe in what I can see. Question #5: Do you want to use magic? Sure, why not? Who doesn''t? Question #6: ... --- Question #500: Between men and women, which one do you prefer in a sexual meaning? W-w-women... "Thank you for your patience, master Garami." - D1-696 The AI finally announced the end of the questioning...finally. Whoever at Terra Sol AS decided to make this the most preferable method for choosing races must have some real black humor... My avatar in the mirror started to transform. It went from a human to something resembling a grey-colored spider with no abdomen, strange claws on the end of each leg, a weird mouth with sharp teeth, a long tongue, and eyes that look more like pieces of coal. A new window was floating beside the mirror, probably the information about this...whatever it is. One of the seven Color Demons and the demon who represents the Sin of Sloth. The Grey Demon has low physical- and magical strength, but it is gifted with status ailments. It has a spider-like shape as if to demonstrate that. Be careful where you step when hunting down one of these. Some individuals may have great intelligence to lay tricky traps for their adversaries. "...are they trying to be mean?" - Garami This is one of the inhuman races. One that the site said is for the people with questionable sanity. And worst of all, a demon representing sloth? Are they calling me a lazy bum? They''re not completely wrong, but it still hurts being called as such. "I wouldn''t say so. The questioning should produce the creature that matches Master Garami the most based on your answers. If it does not fit your taste, it simply means you didn''t answer the questions truthfully." - D1-696 Tch. And worst of all, I feel deep down in my heart that he''s right. "...how many demon races can the players choose?" - Garami "Only one of the seven Color Demons." - D1-696 If the other demons are like this then, you would have to be pretty masochistic if you want such a racial start... "Okay, I''ll take it." - Garami Being among the rare players using a demon race sounds kinda attractive, so why not? "Excellent. Now, allow me to present your options for your Main Class, Master Garami." D1-696 With a snap of his fingers, the AI changed the image inside the mirror into four different copies of my monstrous self. The left-most me was wearing some sorta cheap armor and holding a sword in one of its legs. The next me to the warrior''s right was wearing a wizard''s pointed hat, robe, and was holding something like a grimoire in its hands. The third me was dressed in leather armor and had several daggers at ready. It looked like a rogue or some bandit. And the final me was wearing a blacksmith''s leather apron and holding a smithing hammer. "These four are your options for your Beginner-rank class. Warrior, Mage, Scout, and Crafter." - D1-696 Your typical RPG classes then. I asked the AI if I could get more specific information about them and he produced windows that explained the classes: One of the four Beginner-rank classes. The Warrior is about front-line combat, as they accept any enemy head-on while protecting their allies or work on defeating their enemies themselves. It grants access to skills that improves weapon mastery, Combat Arts, and other skills that can save a warrior''s hide. If you like a close-up brawl, take this class. One of the four Beginner-rank classes. The Mage likes to stay in the back rows and cast magic to either damage the enemies from afar, or to support the front-line warriors with support magic. It grants access to skills that allows them to cast magic or to simplify the use of magic. They are also experts in using and controlling MP. If you feel like overwhelming your enemies with incredible firepower, then this class may help you in that way. One of the four Beginner-rank classes. The Scout wishes to stay in the shadows during their adventurers, and will only strike when they see the enemy show a weakness. It allows one to obtain skills that one can use to hide from monsters and players, as well as skills to discover hidden enemies. Ambushes are their specialties. If you feel like cutting some throats and not being hit with attacks at all, the Scout will be a glorious first step to that future. One of the four Beginner-rank classes. The Crafter steers clear of combat and rather use their time to create new items made from the valuable materials they discover when they so rarely decided to leave town. This class unlocks crafting-type skills that allow you to produce new items by following a recipe and appraisal-type skills that allow you to discover rarer materials with higher quality. If combat is not your thing and you would rather create tools and items to sell or give away, then Crafter is the class for you. "...what do all these stats do?" - Garami Without wasting a second, the AI took out a list that describe the stats...which I had forgotten to look at while waiting for the game to be ready. That''s a little embarrassing... Oh, I see. This is simple to remember. "...what is my race strong with, again? Not stats, but regular stuff." - Garami "I would say that traps and tricks are its specialties, Master Garami." - D1-696 Traps and tricks. Yeah, that sounds about right. Then, my best class would be Scout. Being a Crafter demon may also be possible, but I doubt I can build anything with those claws. Especially since I suck with DIY-works even in real. "I''ll start with Scout." - Garami "As you wish, Master Garami. Now, what five skills do you wish to start your adventure with?" - D1-696 A large list of skills appeared before me, some skills being of the General-type that anyone could take, some related to my newly acquired Scout class, and some racial skills that you need to be a demon to get. However... "I only want [Identification] and [Auto-Map] for now," - I told the AI, who then proceeded to take the two skills out of the General tab. "While you are capable of obtaining the last three skills from the system menu later, are you fine with just these two skills?" - D1-696 "Sure. I''ll need to find out exactly what else I need before I can choose the last skills." - Garami Mapping has always been a pain for me, and even the website encouraged players to pick up [Identification]. That''s why I want those two skills taken as fast as possible so I don''t forget about them later. Then after arriving in the game world and taking skills that would give me levels and AP as fast as possible based on the situation there. "As you wish. But might I remind you that skills with Element require the corresponding Element skill to be used?" - D1-696 "Got it covered." - Garami "That is promising. And for the last bit, the system settings." - D1-696 The AI showed me all the settings and asked what they should be placed at. I could do it later on, but boring stuff like this is better to finish right away. "And finally, where would you like to start your journey?" - D1-696 Let''s go with a Racial Start. Better than being bullied for being a G-rank. And a "tough start" can be flipped to a "start with tough enemies with high EXP" if I act smart. "As you wish, Master Garami. I hope that your journey in this realm of hope and nightmares will leave you satisfied." - D1-696 The AI took a last bow as the world around me starts and I could feel the sensation of my avatar changing. Now starts the fun!! Chapter 2: Player Room & Angry Spider Light came back to the world and I could see my surroundings. I was inside a small room with the walls, roof, and even the floor made up of some black metallic material. The only items in here are a cheap, half-broken bed, a small wooden chest, and a fountain filled with dark water. Oh, and there''s a vault door that must lead to the outside world. Its handle was placed low enough for even me to reach. That''s right. I''M SMALL!! Correction, I''m a Grey Demon. And that''s small. I couldn''t reach my original knees if I''m walking on all six, which is how this race is designed to be like. Ah, now I remembered. This must be that "Player Room" that the website mentioned. I should see what''s going on here from the system menu. "Open Menu" - Garami And there it popped up! Voice command rocks! Ehm, there''s a tab for my stats, for my equipment (it''s empty right now), one for my Player Room, one for friends and messages (less likely to be filled than the equipment tab...), one for various stuff like the map-thing, and one for settings...yup. Nothing looks wrong here. My stats can be seen whether I have the [Identification] skill or not, but I can''t open the system menu in combat, so skills like [Head-Up Display] are necessary if I wanna keep a close eye on my stats while in combat. Anything else except for me is a lost cause for me, therefore the need of [Identification]. So these are my stats...I''M WEAK! Well, stats aren''t everything. Even if one guy had 100 STR and started a fist-fight with someone with 50 STR but owned some [Fist] skill that makes you better with your fist at a high level but the first guy didn''t, then the guy with the skill would be the one with the highest chance to win. Or that''s what the website said. I got no proof for that as of yet. As for my all-important skills... I knew it. I decided on them just before after all. I''m not feeling ridiculed...*sniff*... What about my Player Room... Cheap!? Why''s all my stuff "cheap"!? Calm down, me. These are likely the starter items that everyone has. No need to panic. There were even DLC-packs that you can buy to change the appearance of this place. I saw them while surfing their website. And those are worthy of being called "cheap"!! ...let''s wait until deciding whether to buy that stuff or not. Especially that R-18 special pack... Seems like I''ve checked everything I need to check for now. This body, despite being that of a monster, moves completely according to my own will. No discomfort or anything. As expected of Terra Sol-tech. They didn''t build stuff like cybernetic sensory organ replacements for nothing. Allowing blind people to see and deaf ones to hear is likely less difficult than making people get used to the bodies of monsters. How are they even doing that? Ah, I digressed. This isn''t the time to be thinking about nonsense. I gotta figure out where I am. All I know is that I''m supposed to be in some Grey Demon-friendly environment...hmm? The door...it''s...stuck...! HEEELP! MY STR IS TOO LOW TO OPEN THE DOOOOOOR!! WHOOOOOOOOO---!! --- *Wheeze, wheeze*, that was a horrible first start. But, I managed to get that door open! And the first thing I''m gonna buy for that room...is an automatic door. I walked out of my Player Room and walked into...a castle? There''s even a carpet on the floor...shouldn''t this thing be colored red? Or, velvet-colored? Why purple? The door leading to my Player Room is located in a dead-end of the castle corridor. Or more like the bottom of a T-junction with no places to go. The place is illuminated with torches that have a purple-colored flame. And it''s dusty here. Extremely dusty. Enough to make me admire the game developers'' sense of details. Maybe it''s supposed to be a ruined castle? There are lots of broken parts of stone here and there, and you don''t need to be an entrepreneur to figure out that this junk once used to be part of the walls and roof. I tried searching through the junk but found no hidden treasures or anything. The only special about this is that it seems to be of a material that resembles concrete more than regular stone. Feeling bored with messing with the concrete rocks, I decided to move on and walked toward the top of the T-junction. Now, which path should I take? Left? Or riiiiight..., right..., hello, mister spider. I''m not..., I AM NOT TASTY!! HEEEEELP!! --- "...happy deathday to me..." - Garami My vision returned to me after the humiliating defeat at the hand of that monster spider. In my defense, anyone would freeze up if a red spider the size of a large-breed dog came charging at you! VR sure is amazing... Fortunately, there is no death penalty here in NFO. It''s not because my level''s too low to be assigned one or anything like that. There is no punishment whatsoever. Except maybe having your equipment getting a serious beating from the battle. And that other nasty part... "That spider grew stronger with that battle, didn''t it?" - Garami Unlike most other games, NFO''s monsters will earn experience and level up when they defeat players, NPCs, and other monsters. This is the real "death penalty", so to say. Though, it also means that we players can learn from our deaths without worrying about our powers dwindling. Not that I wanna die that many times anyway. Knowledge is humanity''s greatest weapon. Gotta use it to its fullest. And while we''re on the subject, I did manage to snatch some info from that spider before it bulldozed me. I risked it all to Identify that thing. I think the result was something like this: Hmm, not much. Not much at all. At Lv.1, the [Identification] skill only gives us the name of the race, its level, and its disposition. ...wait a sec. Wasn''t it so that all creatures of a racial rank shared the same level-cap? And isn''t that the same level-cap I have... A-hahahaha...I lost to someone of the same standing. No, considering it''s just a mindless monster and I''ve got a human''s intelligence, didn''t I lose to someone that technically is below me on the totem pole!? Ugh, if I don''t find a way to beat this thing, I''m never gonna be able to live with myself... Since it has "Angry" in its name, is it safe to think of it as a berserker-like character? One that forgets anything and everyone in its anger and just breaks through anything in front of it with raw power? Well, probably not on that level, but it seems to operate underneath those rules. Which...is pretty bad. It''s this early in the game, yet I''ve already discovered my nemesis! Nightmare Fantasy Online...I shouldn''t underestimate this game... Enough goofing around. The problem here is that I lack any combat abilities. Even weapons would be fine. When I was walking around, I noticed that the two foremost of my eight legs can work as arms. If I want to, I could limit myself to four legs to walk with and four "arms", but my movement speed would plummet. These strange, four-tipped claws are also better at holding things than one would first expect. Meaning I could probably hold a sword..., maybe not something that big, but maybe a dagger or a hammer? Even a frying pan would be of help here. Maybe those concrete rocks would do the job? Not sure how to use them though... Eh, let''s look at some skills. Maybe there''s a "rock fighting"-skill in here. Scroll, scroll, scroll...oh? This! My best stats are DEX and LUC (as well as SPD) after all! Not that I expect that this alone will be enough, but...maybe I can throw shurikens and stuff like a real ninja if I develop this skill? Oh boy! Just imagining that makes my tension rise! Though, I would need to evolve to something with a human body first... Though, even if I take this skill or not, I''m probably gonna need something else as well. That spider doesn''t look like it would crack with just a few rocks thrown at it. Many rocks, maybe. But it''s too fast for me to bombard it enough to kill it before it reaches me. Isn''t there something else here...oh? Oooohh!? This skill-! If I have this one as well, I could..., probably beat that thing? I can''t see any other skills that could work...with this lame body! Ugh, I wanna evoooolveeee. And isn''t it way too few skills on this list? Or do I need to do something else to unlock more skills? Whatever the case, these two skills are the only ones that could give me an advantage against the spider...probably. I first gotta check if I can use those rocks outside..., outside......, round two, door! COME ON!! --- *Wheeze, wheeze*, I HAVE to replace that door ASAP. Ignoring my epic battle with what''s likely the last boss of this place, my research has born fruits. These rocks are possible to use. Croncrock, huh... pretty spot-on. Are the walls also made of it? Maybe if I find some dynamite, I could blast the walls to proceed? DUNGEON!? This place is a bonafide Dungeon!? It''s not a castle? Tch. Here I was half-hoping that some pretty princess (hopefully with a hot bod) with a nightmare fetish would adopt me... Welp, just means I can take stuff without feeling guilty then. Wonder what Mr. last boss is considered in the game system''s eyes? .........YOU WERE THE LAST BOSS FOR REAL!!? Can''t defeat this guy..., I mean, I''ll let you off the hook for today!! Okay, focus. Let''s rather target the jerk which I can defeat instead of Mr. Impossible over there. The rocks should be fine as throwing weapons, so let''s take [Throwing] and the other skill...there. After testing the new skills a little, gathered some rocks in both of my frontmost limbs and sneaked a peak on the right path of the top of the T-junction. The Angry Spider is still there. I believed that it would come and look for me when I started to make some noise with all those rocks, but guess it''s stationed there as part of some game rule. Hmm, it''s a little too far for me to hit with my low STR. How to get him closer...let''s see his info again. Lv.2!? That bastard, he did level-up from assaulting me! Police! We got a molester AND a thief here! Ah? Did the spider look over here? No, he''s coming over here with murder in its eight eyes!! Why!? Don''t tell me...people will notice you if you try to Identify them!? Crap, that''s a big weak point. Glad I noticed it now. I aimed at the spider with the Croncrock chunks in my "hands". And fire! How about one more! The two rocks flew in a straight line and hit the spider''s face with a notable "thud". The spider stopped for a moment before starting its chase with enhanced vigor. Rocks, rocks-! And throw! *Thud!* *Thud!* It''s still not dead!? More rocks, I need more-, too late! The Angry Spider jumped at me, ready to beat me to death for the second time today! Hehehe. Did you think I wouldn''t anticipate this? Watch this! The effect of my second skill, [Evasion]! With smooth movements my real self would never be able to replicate, I back-stepped away from the spider before it could reach me. While doing so, one of my free hands grabbed a new rock and threw it at the angry critter. After getting another rock to the head, the Angry Spider started to live up to its name and chase me in a blind rage. I used [Evasion]''s movement assistance to escape damage while picking up more rocks to throw at the jerk''s face. Backstep, sidestep, and I even ran under it while it was in the air. And after the twelfth-or-so rock, the spider fell onto its back. Did it die...? SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.2. You have obtained 0.2 Aether Points. You have acquired the title: [First Kill: Arachnid]. The title: [First Kill: Arachnid] has been set as your equipped title. Yahoo! I won, I won! I got to avenge my first loss!! I jumped around in pure happiness before noticing something strange happening with the spider''s corpse. It started to disintegrate into some black smoke, leaving nothing behind..., no drops? Boo~. Well, whatever~. I won~! I won~! Yippie~! Chapter 3: New Enemy, Elements, & First Quest Now that I''ve calmed down after defeating my bitter enemy, the Angry Spider, what should I do now? Logging out for today is one option, but spending a whole day just to figure out how to beat a baby''s first monster is sorta humiliating. Plus I''ve got no clue what I should choose as my fifth skill... Let''s explore some more. Afterward, I can see what other players have to say on the bulletin boards and cross-reference it with my own experiences. Then I can see whether to take the last skill tomorrow or wait for a better opportunity. Okay, let''s go and spelunkle! Since I''ve defeated the spider already, let''s take the right path that it was guarding..., did it guard this place, or was it a random spawn? Anyway, let''s take the right path. --- *Thud!* Mwa-hahaha! I win again! The new spider monster, a venomous green one, laid on its back as the Angry Spider before it. The only difference between them is the colors...did the designers simply give one model different color variations? No drops this time either. Tch. And no level-ups either. TCH! Well, this time I fought a creature with a lower level instead of the opposite. Guess levels don''t grow on trees. Or spiders. While I''m at it, shouldn''t my stats have increased since the last battle as well? Completely forgot to confirm that. Ooohh! Level 2! And the stats did grow! Well, obviously. Guess I''m getting too high here... What are these brackets for? Extra stats? Maybe they''re from this title thing? Let''s see if there''s something about it... Proof over having defeated a spider creature as your first kill in this world. The title grants no special effects. Status enhancements!? And you can get special effects from titles? Wait, there''s something in the tutorial menu here. Ehm... Or so it seems. Wonder if I''ll turn into some spider-killer when I evolve. Regardless, there are no obvious clues on how to get these titles, so I''ll just count myself as lucky if I get one. Moving on...there''s nothing here. The expectant right path has so far just given me one more spider to kill, and that''s it. I didn''t even have the time to Identify it, so I don''t even know what type of spider it was. This feels more and more like a miss. Let''s look some more before turning back...oh? A door. It was placed close to the end of the corridor in a way that you wouldn''t notice it right away. Maybe there''s treasure inside? There''s nothing else that looks suspicious on this path. Softly, I tried to open the door. It''s not locked. Excuse me... The inside of the room was small, with none of the torches inside, and only a single chest placed by the wall on the other side of the room. Treasure! Or maybe that thing is... I KNEW IT! A freaking Mimic! Way to kill the wind in my sails! And look at that level...it''s way above mine. Yeah, I can''t beat this thing. But my curiosity is getting the better of me... Safety first. Here, eat a rock. *Thud* *CHOMP! CHOMP, CHOMP, CHOMP! GULP!* A gigantic mass of flesh popped out of the chest and started to eat the rock with such voracity that drool was flying to the door opening where I was standing. After it was done with the "meal", the flesh-creature returned to the chest, leaving nothing behind of the rock I had thrown in.......... TACTICAL RETREAT!! AND LOG OUT!! --- Phew. That was one heck of a sprint I did there. Not that my real body feels the exhaustion. I took off the VR headgear and started up the computer. I want to see everyone''s opinion of the game and look for clues. Some people say that the difficulty of fighting so realistic monsters is too high for them, especially with limited numbers of skills at the beginning of the game. Some guys again find the experience thrilling and tell the first group to grow some balls. Ain''t that too...oh, the first guys are those starting with E-rank races and lost to G-ranks? Yeah, let''s ignore their comments. As for the gameplay, most people either chose to start in the main capital or one of the 10 sub-capitals that represents one of the primary elements. NFO has countless attributes, named elements in-game, that are given to monsters and skills. There are 12 "main" elements, referred to as "primary elements", as well as various "composition elements" created by combining two or three of the primary elements. The primary elements are: But the last two don''t exist in skills or monsters and are only used to form composition attributes. Players can choose to specialize in 1 primary element and 2 composition elements. The reason for this limitation of the primary-type elements may be related to the 10 sub-capitals, but we got no proof as of the moment. To "specialize" in an element means that you own a Talent-type skill. And it''s only after obtaining one of these skills that you can start obtaining and using skills of that element. Say, if I wanted to use Fire element skills, I would need to get the [Lesser Fire Talent] skill, which is the 1st-tier of the Fire element Talent-type skill. And apparently, a Talent-skill at a high level will make other skills of the same element stronger, so they act as an enhancement-type skill as well. There are no restrictions on the composition elements except the number, and that you need some special items if you want to buy their Talent-type skills. No one knows where to find these key items yet though. Not that I''m interested in an element this early in the game though. I wanna play some more before deciding on that. Looking at the section "Racial Starts = Hell-mode?", I found out that most people were having trouble in their starting locations and had to remake their characters. The nice part of NFO is that you can "save" your character ID and transplant it into a new avatar. Some people created a copy of their old avatar and simply switched their starting location to one of the capitals. Those guys must probably find it too difficult to brave a Dungeon right from the start and with no help from other players. Because wouldn''t you know: all the Racial Starting-locations are inside Dungeons~. Yeah, it''s hell-mode. Some people are preserving inside these "racial Dungeons", so I''m not the only crazy monster around. Let''s keep on going in this direction. As for that "Chest Mimic", it seems to be a monster of the demon-line just like me. Its level-cap of 50 reveals that it''s an E-rank monster to boot... Yeah, I can''t beat this one. The hardcore gamers have concluded that a level gap of at most 5 is the limit if equipment and skills are not taken into account. And that hope-crushing chest is likely to have more of everything that I have. Trying to beat it with no plan will result in me dying and feeding it EXP. Meaning, I''ll forget about that guy for now! No one has created a "Top 10 skills"-list or something like that yet, so I''ll postpone those plans. Regarding my other boss-like problem..., no one has figured out how to alter the Player Room, OR its door, yet. Tch. Tomorrow, let''s explore the left path instead. Good night! --- And good morning! After logging in, I struggled with the last boss (the door) and defeated the Angry Spider who''d respawned over the night. Its level had returned to Lv.1, so no worries about dying from now on. As long as I kill the killer afterward. The left path is just like the right one I traveled yesterday. Made of dark-grey concrete-like rocks, with a purple carpet in the middle, and torches lit with purple flames to cast some light on this gloomy place. Lots of dust on the floor as well. Hope no one sees my footmarks and comes chasing after me. After walking for a little while, I found something new. And dangerous. What is that thing? The Angry Spider''s evolved form? It''s bigger than a grown-up man! Maybe two meters high? It looks like it''s standing guard in front of some room with a sign of crossbones and a skull. Scary stuff. I looked at the huge, scarlet-colored spider from behind a pair of bigger pieces of broken Concrocks when the thing suddenly turned its gaze to where I was hiding. How?! No, calm down. It isn''t certain that it has noticed me- "HEY, THE GREY ONE HIDING THERE." - Huge, scarlet spider It knooows!! Crap, retreat! "COME OVER HERE. I HAVE SOMETHING TO ASK YA." - Huge, scarlet spider I paused my escape before it could even start. Not because of the spider''s words, but because something had appeared in front of me. SYSTEM MESSAGE: The guardian Red Rage Spider asks you to accept its Quest. Do you want to hear it out? Y/N A Quest? From this monster? Now that I think about it, players can use monster races, so maybe the same goes for NPCs? While thinking that I would just return even if killed, I pushed the yes button and walked towards this Red Rage Spider. "GOOD. TURNS OUT THAT I DROPPED THE KEY FOR THE STORAGE ROOM HERE, PROBABLY WHEN I WENT TO INSPECT THE CORRIDOR THAT LEADS TO THAT OL'' AND ABANDONED TREASURE CHEST, AND I CAN''T LEAVE MY POST WITHOUT THAT ON ME. MIND HELPIN'' OUT AN OL'' ARACHNID?" - Red Rage Spider The aged guard for the storage of old items has lost his key and cannot leave his post to find it. Give the old arachnid a hand and bring him the key. In return, you may be allowed to take some items from the storage. O-oh, my first Quest...and it''s from a monster. Yay? "O-okay...I''ll look for it..." - Garami "GREAT! IT HAS A SMALL GEM ON ITS HANDLE, SO YOU SHOULD RECOGNIZE IT WHEN YOU FIND IT." - Red Rage Spider And with that, the big spider shifted its attention to guarding the door again. I left, not wanting to pick a fight with it, and noticed that the marker above its head, which usually comes up when you''ve noticed a creature, had changed colors from orange to blue. Time to keep an eye out for things above others'' heads? Chapter 4: Official Bulletin Board 1 NFO General Thread @3 1: Management This is the General Thread where you can ask anyone questions regarding NFO. If anyone wants to discuss strategy information or other specific topics, please create a new thread for that. In the case of a post that contradicts the community policy is written, it may be deleted under the supervision of the management, ->950, please take care of the next thread. ... 242: Nameless Monster Damn, got killed again. 243: Nameless Adventurer ->242 My condolence. So, what did you do? Pick a fight with the city guards? 244: Nameless Adventurer Those are damn strong. Think they have stats above 500. 245: Nameless Monster ->243 I chose hell-mode! That''s what! 246: Nameless Adventurer My condolence! 247: Nameless Adventurer Sorry!! 248: Nameless Adventurer Rest in peace. 249: Ria-chan Rest in unpeace~. 250: Nameless Monster Shut up! Especially you, ->249!! 251: Nameless Adventurer Ah, Ria-chan! She''s nasty! 252: Nameless Adventurer To think there is someone who doesn''t go anonymous with that attitude... 253: Nameless Adventurer ->252 Maybe so, but she got more know-hows of this game than any of us. 254: Nameless Adventurer Is the management acting under a false name? 255: Nameless Monster If that''s the case, tell me how to survive this freaking Dungeon!! 256: Ria-chan ->255 If that''s the case, I''ll tell since I''m in such a good mood~. 257: Nameless Adventurer *rattle*! 258: Nameless Adventurer ->255 Good work!! 259: Nameless Monster Thanks, I guess...? 260: Ria-chan "Hell-mode", officially known as the Racial Start, is an option non-human players can take after creating their character. If chosen, the player will be thrown into a Dungeon that matches their character''s monster race, and therefore cut off all contact with other players. It won''t help if multiple players of the same race choose to start racially. They will be sent to different parts of the Dungeon, so meeting them will be equally difficult to meeting other players anyway. 261: Nameless Monster ...that''s no explanation of how to clear it!! 262: Nameless Adventurer So, the monster players are stuck in the Dungeon until someone comes and saves them? 263: Nameless Adventurer Dungeon diving is an adventurers'' call~. Let''s go and save the cute monster girls~! 264: Nameless Monster ->263 I''m a guy... 265: Nameless Adventurer ->264 I''ll be sure to subjugate you then. 266: Nameless Monster How cruel!! 267: Nameless Vanguard Adventurer ->265 Don''t enter a Dungeon without proper equipment! Our group got slaughtered. 268: Nameless Adventurer ->267 Hey, we got a vanguard here! 269: Nameless Monster ->267 SAVE MEEEE!! 270: Nameless Adventurer ->267 "Nameless Vanguard Adventurer"..., is that your player name? 271: Nameless Adventurer ->270 The first 100 players who kill a boss for the first time will get a "Vanguard" title and can change their anonymous domain name like how this guy does. 272: Nameless Adventurer A BOSS!?!? ...impossible. 273: Nameless Vanguard Adventure Bosses are easy compared to Dungeons. With a boss, you just need a Party with good enough abilities and enough time to kill to beat one of the bigger monsters. 274: Nameless Adventurer And Dungeons are...? 275: Nameless Vanguard Adventurer Hell. They weren''t joking when they called the Racial Start "Hell-mode". 276: Nameless Monster NOOOOOOOO!! 277: Nameless Adventurer ->275 What went wrong? 278: Nameless Vanguard Adventurer The entrance is filled with monsters, monsters will be notified when you walk in the corridors, and all your stats will decrease if your elemental alignment does not match with the Dungeon. 279: Nameless Adventurer "elemental alignment"??? 280: Nameless Adventurer If you''re a demon, you have a natural alignment to the Darkness attribute. Humans have Order-element, Beastkin have Life-element, and so on. 281: Nameless Vanguard Adventurer ->280 That one, yes. This means you need to form a party with people of the same alignment and can only challenge a Dungeon that matches your Party. 282: Nameless Adventurer ->276 What''s your alignment? 283: Nameless Monster ->282 Must be Darkness. My race is "Pink Demon". 284: Ria-chan A Pink Demon''s basic evolutions are the Lesser Incubus and the Lesser Succubus. 285: Nameless Monster Well, all of us are over 18-years old, so we guessed that... 286: Ria-chan No matter what gender you are, you can choose between either race when evolving from a Pink Demon~. 287: Nameless Adventurer *Clatter*!! 288: Nameless Adventurer The SOS came from a Darkness Dungeon!! 289: Nameless Adventurer SAVE THE TRAPPED TRAP!! 290: Nameless Adventurer Brave perverts who have bought the R-18 DLC, follow me!! 291: Nameless Adventurer OOOOOHHHH!! 292: Nameless Adventurer OOOOOHHHH!! 293: Nameless Adventurer OOOOOOOOOOHHHH!! 294: Nameless Monster Eh-eeeeehhh??? 295: Nameless Vanguard Adventurer ->294 Live strong. ... Demon Player Thread @1 1: Al Azif Fellow demons, this is a thread where we will share our hellish secrets and cultivate our devilish powers for the sake of Hell. Only those with a character-ID with a Demon-type avatar can see this thread. Trolls WILL be banished from this realm. Demon nr. ->950, please make the next thread. ... 551: "Trapped Demon" ...and that''s how people in the General Thread started to go ga-ga over Pink Demons...sorry. 552: Al Azif No need to worry. The demonic forces will simply continue to grow. 553: "Rage Red" Yeah, and more traps mean that there will be more yuri in this game!! 554: "Big Blue" Of course Red would focus on that part... 555: "D1-696" New here. Mind giving some tips? 556: Al Azif ->555 Oooh!! A new demonic brother has arrived. Just ask us of anything. 557: "Big Blue" ->555 The info-pervert of an edgelord above is trying to say "welcome". But yeah, ask anything. It''s too few demons in this game...for now. 558: "Rage Red" ->555 WELCOME! Make a nickname for this server if you don''t wanna go with your character-ID, or do like the big info-pervert and use your character name. 559: "Sleepy" Ok. I''m "D1-696". What is the info on demons in general? 560: "Big Blue" ->559 There are too few of us. 561: "Rage Red" ->559 We don''t have enough demon girls-! 562: Al Azif ->559 This is the forbidden knowledge in our possession for now: There is 7 kin of the demonic race, each one being named after a color and representing one of the deadly sins. Red = Wrath Blue = Gluttony Yellow = Greed Green = Envy Grey = Sloth Pink = Lust Purple = Pride All seven kins are of the racial rank of G, meaning that most players are scared for the grueling challenge of cultivating one''s demonic might. 563: "Big Blue" ->562 Yeah, so there are only a few of us here on the Thread. And while it''s not confirmed yet, we got some clues on the evolutions to some of the demons. 564: Al Azif As Blue says, we have uncovered some potential knowledge regarding our future races. The Demon of Red is believed to evolve into Lesser Fiends, F-rank demons that wander around the capital of Umbral. They attack anything in a fit of rage, so it is likely to believe they are related to the demons of red rage. The Demon of Pink is highly believable to evolve into either a Lesser Succubus or a Lesser Incubus, all based on the demon of lust''s choice. A halfway-reliable source just leaked that part on the General Thread. 565: "Trapped Demon" And now people want me to evolve into a Succubus even when I''m a guy if they try to "save me" from the Dungeon I''m stuck in... 566: "Sleepy" ? Just be saved by some yuri-lovers. 567: "Red Rage" *Clatter*!! This guy''s a genius!! 568: "Sleepy" ->567 Girl. And I''m not for men myself. 569: "Red Rage" MY SISTER OF YURI-HOOD!! 570: "Sleepy" How do I ignore the horny idiot? 571: "Big Blue" ->570 I want to know that!! 572: "Sleepy" Okay, then what do you know about Mimics? 573: "Trapped Demon" Now that''s an unexpected name. 574: Al Azif ->572 Mimics are believed to be of the honorable demon race. However, there are no witnessed specimens as of yet... 575: "Sleepy" ->574 Really? Because there''s an Lv.30 "Chest Mimic" in the Dungeon I started in. 576: Al Azif NANIIIIIIII!!!!???? 577: "Big Blue" Oh? The newbie has info prof. Azif doesn''t have? Impressive. 578: "Red Rage" ->575 Please be more detailed on the "chest"-part! 579: "Trapped Demon" ->575 You just opened Pandora''s Box, bud. 580: "Sleepy" ->579 Call me "your majesty". Hmph. Chapter 5: Quest Cleared & Blackmarket So now I have to run errands for a spider. What''s next? I walked down the corridor while turning every rock around in search of the key. Since this is a game, likely, the key spawned first after I met that guard-spider, so it may be somewhere I''ve already seen. Just have to look everywhere. The Quest did mention some skills. Maybe this is something like a tutorial Quest for monsters with the Scout class and it gives us an idea of what skill to take? Let''s take a look at it, at the very least. Huh...plain. I looked at the list and found that there are various "Detect"-skills. [Detect Human], [Detect Monster], [Detect Trap], [Detect Tool], De-..., wait, what was that last one? Let''s pause that thought. I found the key! That was easy. Too easy, in fact...where''s the rumored jewel? [Identifaction], please. Show your papers! Oh, phooey. Of course, there had to be fakes mixed in. This is a Quest related to the Scout class after all. I got to know the reason for that [Detect Tool] skill''s meaning. Instead of being a tool to detect stuff, it''s a skill that detects tools~. A little confusing without context. Still, if this is the worst that this Quest can throw at me, then no worries. I just need to Identify the keys I find until I find the right key~. Not this one...neither this...not you...I don''t even need to Identify this guy...unless it''s a trap...nope. Zilch. Nowhere close... Wait a minute! Isn''t the [Identification] skill draining you of SP with each use? Then...! I only have 3 SP left! Phew, that was close. I would have been stuck here while waiting for my SP to slowly recover. Even just moving around can consume SP, but I''ll be fine. I got that recovery mixture back in the Player Room. After returning to the Room (and having yet another epic battle with the last boss), I went to the fountain filled with recovery...potion? Looking closer at this thing, it looks more like a black goop than something drinkable. This thing''s description did go all the way to mention that it tastes "bad". Probably to inspire the players to spend time and materials to upgrade their fountains. Well, beggars can''t be choosers. Bottoms up! ..........DFATGRH)"@$eTGFSGbf4gsFGTJ)"!!!!!! --- "AH, THANK YOU FOR FINIDN'' MY KEY." - Red Rage Spider After experiencing the forced log-out due to the machine noticing the danger signs my brain gave off due to the horrific taste of that...brew, I returned to the game and got [Detect Treasure] like a good girl and found the key... "AS PROMISED, YOU''RE ALLOWED TO TAKE ANYTHIN'' FROM THE STORAGE. HAVIN'' TO GUARD LESS JUNK''S A BLESSIN'' FOR US, SO TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!" - Red Rage Spider SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: [Find the Storage Key]. You have obtained 0.1 Aether Points. You have acquired the title: [First Quest Cleared]. Quest Cleared, I guess..., but now I can''t obtain any more skills until I get enough AP for them. The cheapest skill would cost 1 AP if the chatters weren''t lying, so..., it''s 4 more level-ups away, unless I find another Quest that gives AP as a reward... The red spider then walked away like any good NPC would do after you clear their quest in other games. Some of them do, at least. He didn''t even bother to lock the door. Guess the key itself is more valuable than anything inside here. Let''s hope their trash can be my treasure in some way. Opening the door, I entered the..., "storage"? What the hell? Isn''t this some office? There are even computers here! The whole room feels like it''s been copy-pasted into the castle from some ruined, urban world. And I mean it when I say "ruined". There''s barely anything here that''s left in one piece. I bet that I would get "trash" if I tried to Identify these things. Not that I''m gonna do that. SP is precious. I don''t wanna drink that... "substance" ever again. Half, no, two-thirds of the reason I went with [Detect Treasure] is so that I could find valuables that I could sell once I find a buyer and use those funds to upgrade that shitty Player Room of mine. Then comes the question of "where to find buyers"... Let''s keep the future renovation plans shelved for now. Isn''t there any other way to recover SP? Like some potion? If I remember right, SP is shortened for "Stamina Points"..., food! Argh, I feel so stupid. To recover stamina, you need rest and food! But where am I supposed to get food from inside a Dungeon? Yeah, the Racial Start truly is a hell mode. If that''s the case, it''s time to look for valuables! There gotta be something in here that''s worth a dime. After breaking my back and looking through all the half-destroyed office tools, I discovered a few items that could be of some value. One is a pair of earrings (which I can''t use due to my lack of ears), some wedding ring (no usable fingers for that either), a fancy-looking fountain pen, and some strange coins. "Strange" as in that [Identification] didn''t classify them as Sol, the only currency used in this game. That''s the stuff that made [Detect Treasure] react. It takes the shape of a glitter that appears wherever there''s something of value lying around. Other than that, I also discovered some folders with paper in them that were in unnaturally good shape, meaning there''s probably something going on with them. My gamer instincts are telling me that. But you have to have the [Linguistic] skill if you wanna read stuff in this game! The papers look like they''re covered in mosaics! And I don''t have any AP for that blasted skill!! I''ll take it all with me back to my Player Room so I can Identify them without worrying about- "Kekekeke. That''s some fine merchandises, demon." Whoaaa!? Who''s there!? I know self-defense!! I took up a pose while holding my hands ready to strike at the mysterious figure that had snuck up from behind my back. And "mysterious" is an understatement! What is this thing!? It looks like a blob of darkness wearing a dark-green robe over it. Only a pair of yellow-glowing eyes can be seen from underneath its hood. What''s this, some new monster species? "Kekekekeke. Glock''s name is Glock. Wandering merchant. Demon, want to sell goods?" said this self-proclaimed merchant. As I wondered whether to flee and leave the items behind or test my luck and attack this suspicious creature, a System Message came to my rescue. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have encountered Glock, an inexplicable member of the Blackmarket Union. Glock can visit any area, be it a Dungeon or a City, but cannot take any items from there unless a player grants them to him. You can trade items and/or Sol to order anything from Glock''s catalog. The ordered items will be delivered to your Player Room in a short amount of time. Be noted that doing commerce with the Blackmarket Union will make your Karma Value drop. The "Blackmarket Union"!? Okay, that''s the name of guys I don''t wanna end up as enemies with. Still, isn''t this a blessing in disguise? It depends on what this guy is selling, but now I may get some items that can help me with my current situation. And it''s not like I have any reason to keep my "Karma Value" at its current number. Not seen anything yet that makes use of it. "...what do you sell?" - Garami "Kekekeke. Demon, need Sol, to buy." - Glock "...then, buy this stuff." - Garami I shoved the various accessories except for the pen and one of the coins to the black-market merchant. The pen because there may be a use for it later on, and the coin because I''m suspicious of its origins. For the same reason as the coin, I didn''t offer any of the papers I found. Those aren''t classified as "treasures" in the eyes of [Detect Treasure] after all, so their mystery is more worth than any monetary value they may or may not have. "Kekekeke. Thanks for your patronage. Demon, this is Glock''s offer." - Glock A new window appeared in front of me as Glock grabbed the items I offered to him. In the corner of the window, I could see the value I could trade for..., 28.000 sols!? That much!? SPRING HAS COME FOR ME!! Now, what should I buy? Weapons and such aren''t something I can use, but let''s look at them anyway. ..."Rusty Sword" for 500 sols? "Rusty Dagger" for 300? "Iron Sword" for 1.000? "Wooden Sword" for 200? And I have how many times more...? But I can''t use any of this shit! Damn it all!! Okay, what else is there? Potions, Emergency Rations, Accessories...maybe Accessories. My HP is so low that using potions to recover it would feel like a waste, and those Emergency Rations may recover SP, but it''s a pain to carry them around...oh? "Boulder-storing Bracelet". A fantastic item that lets you store up to 10 stones that you can throw at a moment''s notice. Only 200 sol...huh. And the rarity and quality of the stones need to be damn low as well...let''s splurge a little and order the 1.000 sol variant instead. Then I don''t need to worry about the quality, even if I can store only 20 rocks. There''s lots of "ammo" around anyway, meaning I can restock rocks in a flash. That gives me..., 27.000 sol left to use...should I save the rest? This body of mine can''t equip many different types of items, so...!? "Player Room...modifications!?" - Garami No way! To think that I could defeat that last boss (the door) this fast!! "You! This! Room! Door! Change!!" - Garami "Glock, scared..." - Glock "You''re a black-market dealer, for Pete''s sake! Tell me how to get rid of that damn door!!" - Garami "Glock, sick..., what door?" - Glock "My Room''s door! The place you deliver the goods to!" - Garami "Demon buy a new theme. Themes changes every non-furniture thing." - Glock That''s it? Great! Now, themes, themes, My Room themes...? They all sound nasty-sounding! Ah, they are from the black market. Get it. "Which one makes the door to the room easy to move?" - Garami "Only Standard themes have big doors. Everyone else, smooth moving doors." - Glock "...then, the clock-thing." - Garami "*Cha-ching*! Thanks for the sale!" - Glock Did that guy''s eyes turn into dollar-signs...no, into sol signs there for a sec? "...what about fountains?" - Garami "Medicine fountains, here. Good effect, everyone-" - Glock "The one I can get with the remaining money and has the best taste then." - Garami "*Cha-ching*! Thanks for the sale!" - Glock And then the "Evil Blood Recovery Fountain" (fruits-flavored) was added to the basket, and I saw my money being reduced from 12.000 to 5.000. Well, I''m not regretting that. Those things had to be changed, and it''s money I suddenly stumbled over anyway. Finally, I asked for one of the Automatic Money Vaults (small) for 3.000 sols and a pair of Random Package items for 1.000 each. The last one sounds like a gacha, but there''s nothing else I can spend the money on anyway. "Demon, good customer, even if wild. Glock, giving bonus. Putting it with other items. Have a good nightmare." - Glock And with that scary-sounding goodbye, the shadow-ish creature disappeared just as suddenly as he had appeared. Freaky guy. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your ordered items will arrive at your Player Room shortly. Your Karma Value has fallen. And my Karma Value went down! Not that I know whether it''s important or not. I grabbed the papers and the trinkets and left for my Player Room to store these things before venturing deeper into the Dungeon. They may contain some clue regarding this place after all. Luckily, the Angry Spider hadn''t respawned, so I didn''t need to drop my items to do battle...hmm? The last boss...did he get an upgrade?? The door leading to my Player Room has been replaced. Instead of the black vault door, there''s now one made of black wood and golden gears on top of it. As I got closer to it, a small window appeared in front of me. It looks like a bell made of gold. With a free "hand", I tried to push the bell and the gears on the door started to turn and move away from the door. And then the door opened! "Last boss", you''re retired! I hurried inside and saw that the room covered in black, metallic walls had been replaced with a room that was three times the size, with walls made out of golden gears and black background underneath them. There''s even a dark purple wall-to-wall carpet on the floor! And it''s super-soft! It can rival the thing I have back home! And the fountain! It looks like a black, gothic item fit for a vampire lord! And its contents are red! Blood red! No, it''s actual blood! ...*lick*...?! Strawberry... This is the kinda blood I would want to taste if I was some vampy! The only sorry-looking things left are my bed and the item chest. The new vault I bought is a different story. It''s made of dark metal with a purple sheen and any money I may discover can be placed directly into it without having to return to the room! Perfect! And then there are my new items. One is the black bracelet I bought. It has several rings attached to the bracelet with chains, and I can store any rock I grab with the hand equipped with this thing into it. And then there''s...a business card? From the "Blackmarket Union"? Not sure what it is, but I doubt it''s just some pleasantries. Well, their stuff seems to be good enough, so no worries there. Aren''t I starting to move up in this game life? Ge-hehehe! I''m number one! Ah, but not in combat. That''s a subject I suck in. And finally, there are these two Random Packages. They look like Christmas gifts with black- and orange wrappings. It feels sorta out of season..., and now that I think about it, they''re from some guy working on the black market..., they won''t explode, will they? --- Chapter 6: Planning & Spider Ecosystem "Can''t find any use for them right away..." I mumbled over the sad results from two days ago as I chewed on my cereals. The Random Packages I bought yesterday for 1.000 sols each gave me an "Iron Dagger", which costs 800 sols normally, and some strange crown called "Thorns of Nightmare". For a Rare (Ra)-rarity item with quality C+ (with C being the average quality according to the chatters), for it to only have 10 in durability is too strange! Maybe it''s was a miss... As they got no urgent value for me now, I''ve stored them in the item chest until I get the chance to use/understand them. The same goes for those papers, that fountain pen, and the coin I''ve got left. As for that business card, there seem to be other people who have stumbled across these "wandering merchants", but none are talking about the "Blackmarket Union". I tried to give subtle hints on the demon thread, but no one''s taken the bait yet. "Guess that guy''s a rare event. Maybe I''ll meet him again in one of the big cities? Playing as a villain character isn''t such a bad idea." After finishing my breakfast, I logged into NFO again. --- *Yaaawn*, spiders are starting to get boring. I''ve gotten way smoother in dodging them. *SPLATT* And there goes the fifth one for today. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.5. You have obtained 0.2 Aether Points. Another level-up! I got a whole two levels with the "kitchen Quest", where I had to "clean" a kitchen in the place of the grey-colored Lazy Spider, who didn''t wanna do it himself, was defeating a swarm of "Hungry Spiders"? There are not many monsters in this place, for better or worse, so getting more EXP always helps. What are my stats now? Quite..., not a lot. STR refuses to budge, so I gave it up to the point of switching out my equipped title. [First Quest Cleared] doesn''t have any other effects except increasing your LUC when equipped anyway. Well, even with my low STR, I can still beat monsters as long as I chose my target wisely. Like the Greedy Spider that I just beat. It looked like it was gonna use some magic-ish things, but its concentration was broken by getting hit by my rocks in the face. Looking over this again..., I''m less of a "monster" and more of a "gambler". When looking only at my stats, that is. And Scout''s just increased with one level, since the only skill related to the class is [Detect Treasure]. The last two additions don''t give "class proficiency" even if I use them. Should I get a new skill? The kitchen Quest did give 0.3 AP, so I have enough now..., but I shouldn''t act too hasty. Right now, there are five, no, six options I should consider regarding my AP. First, is a skill related to my combat abilities. I can''t expect that throwing rocks will help me when facing monsters of higher racial ranks, and my STR is just as you saw. Maybe I should pick up something magical..., no, if it''s Scout, then maybe traps? But how should I prepare those? I can''t dig a hole in this rock floor, nor do I have any rope... Second, I would need a skill that can help my class. Scout will only gain proficiency when I use skills related to it, and while [Throwing] and [Evasion] are underneath Scout''s umbrella, the proficiency I get from it is cheap low because those two aren''t limited to Scout. Warriors and Crafters can also buy those skills, even if Mages can''t. It''s only thanks to [Detect Treasure] that I have reached Lv.2 in my class, most likely. Well, if I''m lucky, I may be able to solve #1 and #2 at the same time with some smart skills. Not that I know which ones. The third is that I want something to increase my mobility. If I log out from the game in the field, my avatar will automatically return to the Player Room after 1 hour in the real world. Meaning I have to walk back to where I logged out from the start every day if I wanna progress with the Dungeon capture. It''s a paaaain... My fourth reason is those papers I discovered. They may contain some clue about this Dungeon, so skills like [Linguistics] may be necessary. I can obtain it since I am of the Scout class, but Mages and Crafters can get it as well, so it may not give too much class EXP. And the fourth reason is; evolution. Some of the G-ranks who started in the capitals have, with the assistance of their higher-ranked friends, have already evolved. Well, with good enough teamwork, you could even beat a boss on the first day like the rumored "Starguards", the group of six who were the first to get the "Vanguard"-title on the first day, and as of this date, the only ones to have done so. My point is that those early birds have confirmed that evolution consumes AP. Stronger evolutions need more AP. Not to mention you may need some extra requirements for the rarer races. "Red Rage" from the demon thread was one of those. She evolved into a "Lesser Flare Fiend" because she owned the [Lesser Fire Talent] skill. And that makes me arrive at the final reason; "Talent"-skills. Should I get one? According to the more advanced players outside like the Starguards, having access to Element-type skills is when the game starts for real. And like with "Red Rage", it may lead to some special evolution when that time comes. I''m not forced to evolve either when I reach the level cap, so I guess I can take my time to think things over, but... Yeah, I got no idea! It''s better to think about that when I have any AP to use. The only skills I can get with 1 AP are those related to both your class AND your race. If I was of some animal-type race or a Beastkin, it wouldn''t be a problem, but what skills can a demon take that''s related to Scout? "Detect Grudge"? Not something I expect will help me in a Dungeon, at least. They sound more anti-human-ish. Ah! I found a yellow spider~! KILL! *SPLATT, SPLATT, SPLATT!* Spiders must die. The Greedy Spider had died before it could even start chanting (casting?) its magic. I got a better affinity for these guys than the warrior-ish Angry Spiders or the durable, blue Hungry Spiders. Hmm, are the developers using the same theme for these spiders as with the one for the Color Demons? That Lazy Spider was gray, and the green spider I encountered on the path to the Chest Mimic may have been a "Jealousy Spider" or something. What''s next? Purple "Haughty Spiders" or pink "Horny Spiders"? ...the last one sounds scary, so I don''t wanna meet them. Oh? The path''s changed. After defeating the Greedy Spider, I reached a crossroad. The problem is that the other paths aren''t as dusty as the corridors I''ve been traveling through. It may be nothing special, but what if this means that I''m entering a more populated area of the Dungeon? That would be bad. I''m able to stand on equal grounds with the spiders, but that''s because it''s one-on-one fights. The kitchen incident made me learn that, as I first tried to fight several Hungry Spiders at the same time. I was sent straight to the Player Room and had to walk the long way back. It''s scary not knowing what''s lurking in these new corridors, but..., even if I die, I''ll just return to the Player Room. Something that would happen if I logged out anyway. Okay, let''s explore~! --- Who was the carefree idiot who wanted to explore this place?! I know, it was me! This place has no shortage of monsters, but they''re all traveling in groups of six! At least one of the spiders in these groups is a size bigger than the others, but not as big as the Red Rage Spider who gave me a Quest. I''ve dubbed these guys the "F-rank spiders" in my mind. That''s most likely their real rank as well. And I made sure to check, but none of them have blue markers above their heads. Just red ones. Just hostile ones. Luckily for me, they''re not so smart when it comes to keeping an eye out for intruders. Even when they have so many eyes. All I need to do is to hide behind any of the rubble around, or underneath some of the furniture that so rarely appears. One detail that I failed to recognize is that these parties of spiders are all of the same colors. Red spiders walk with red guys, blue with blue, yellow-and-yellow, and green with green. Haven''t seen any gray ones yet, nor the hypothetical pink or purple spiders. As for why I bring this up is..., the spiders are doing infighting. After I had braved through yet another patrol, I heard some weird sounds from where the spiders had been going. And what do you know, the red group had started to fight with a group of yellow spiders. Is there some rivalry between the different spider-races? And couldn''t I make use of this? Like, if both groups took too many casualties, maybe I could swipe in and rock the survivors to death for easy EXP...? Forget it! The yellow spiders are annihilated already! Show some more backbone, Greedy Spiders! And the red spiders walked away, with the black dust of the disintegrating yellow spiders blowing behind them. Are they trying to act cool? But this may be a problem. Some guys on the chats once tried to farm more EXP by power-leveling monsters with weak abilities and then killing those beefed-up monsters, but the result didn''t differ from if you had killed them right after they spawned. To answer everyone''s questions, the management themselves had jumped into the chat and explained that the EXP obtained from the monsters is calculated according to the monster''s original stats, from when they were spawned, and not their stats at the time of death. Meaning, if this infighting continues, I may have to face elite spiders that are way above my weight limit instead of a bunch of weaklings I could pick off one by one. And for no extra gains... I gotta farm EXP faster! Like, since yesterday! Big brawls will just get me killed, so should I look for a way to lure individual monsters into a safer place for me to fight them? I think this strategy was called "kiting", but how should I execute it? Better try to find a nice place to lay my trap. Maybe a small corridor that only one-and-one spider can enter? Time to search. Just as I was prepared to look for such a goddamn convenient place, my [Detect Treasure] skill picked up something on the wall. But the signal''s sorta weak. Is it a treasure that''s not so important, or is it covered by something? No new spiders seemed to be coming, even after that noisy mess the two spider groups had made with their fight, so I started to investigate the wall. After a while, I found a poorly hidden switch in between the bricks making up the walls which revealed a secret passage. I snuck inside, following the reaction from [Detect Treasure] as I proceeded deeper into the tunnel, and finally exited into a hidden chamber. It looked sorta like the "office storage" the Red Rage Spider guarded, but with a big difference. And I''m so glad that my race is already pale-grey colored, or else I would look like a ghost right now. Because the chamber was filled with tons of mummified corpses from what appears to be human scientists. All of them, covered in some ghostly-looking webs. Chapter 7: Emergency Quest & Horror Remnants Horror games are the worst!! I peeked at the hidden chamber, but it would be more correct to call it a catacomb. Unlike the corridor I''m in, which is illuminated with torches attached to the wall with thin metal constructions, thinner than those in the main corridors, I may add, there are no sources of light in there except for a few rocks that emit a ghastly green-blue light. That the content inside the chamber is ghastly as well isn''t helping. The empty chairs were filled with dried-out husks of what appeared to be humans. They were dressed in lab coats despite this game being classified as part of the fantasy genre. Hey, developers! Sci-fi and regular fantasy shouldn''t be mixed up like this! Ugh, but I still walked into this space of death. Because the treasure I was looking for is located in the deep end of the chamber. Why did the game developers have to include this smell of death?! The chamber wasn''t that deep. Around twice the size of some college laboratories, I think. I never finished college... After walking past the rows of mummified researchers, I reached an area where a single mummy was sitting on a chair. On his lap was an old tome, and he clutched onto it despite his death..., not. His arms have been rotten off for a long time already. His robe''s different from the others. more wizard-ish...huh? They''re not researchers? Or maybe they researched magic? If so, was there a need to go all the way and make this part of some urban horror flick? Geez... I grabbed the book, well-fed with all the leaps in themes, while I was forgetting the most important rule in treasure hunting: never take the treasure without expecting a trap. SYSTEM MESSAGE: EMERGENCY QUEST!! EMERGENCY QUEST!! EMERGENCY QUEST!! The sudden System Message, accompanied by a siren-like sound, scared me just as much as when I first saw this place. Then my heart broke when the Quest info was presented to me. The Horror Remnants. Ghastly things that have remained in this world due to the powers of the Vile Queen that rules the Arcechnia Castle. Their hunger for the warmth of life has made them trick you into entering their lair for the sake of consuming the power of your soul. Escape, NOW! RUN! RUUUUUUUN!! Okay, this is turning so bad that it''s gone funny, and then being bad enough after that again to return the situation to "bad". You can lose AP!? But I didn''t even have the luxury to act shocked. Because the corpse of the supposed lab chief was starting to shake as a black light appeared in its empty eye-sockets...and I''m out of here! Idiot! Do you think I would just stand there as you prepared to wake up? Mwa-hahahaha! I''ve got NO desire to stay in this hell hole! So long, sucker! Who''s scared of the Horror Remnant...s? Remnants? As in plural? The realization came to me too slow. I had reached the middle of the room as tons of mummified corpses driven by a jet-black light in their eyes walked toward me with shaky steps. And they HAD to block the exit! I walked with small steps backward to increase the distance between me and the zombie horde, but then I started to hear footsteps behind me. I switched the hands holding the tome from the foremost to the pair after that again so that I could get a rock out of the Boulder-Carrying Bracelet and lobbed it toward the head of the supposed lab chief. The rock hit the guy straight to the face, but that''s it. Grr, so these guys are tougher than the G-rank spiders...RETREAT! I quickly ran past the chief as I fled from the zombies. One of them seemed faster than the others, so I grabbed one of the strange-glowing stones on the ground and threw it at him with all my might. The rock hit the guy right into its eyes...and made the guy''s skull start to act as spotlights. Surreal...and freaky. Oh? The zombies started to beat up the spotlight guy. Maybe...they attack anything that has "warmth" to them? That rock did feel a little warm...or, do they think Mr. spotlight is trying to keep the rock for himself? In any case, I may be able to escape then! I put the book in my mouth, despite getting the shivers of having something a dead person had been having on them for god knows how long, and started to gather up the glowing rocks and threw them into the skulls of the mummies. The nearby undead started to gang up on those who had gotten their light rock, meaning fewer rotting guys chasing me. Things were looking great until the chief let out a horrifying howl. Some of the distracted Remnants started to chase me again, despite there being "selfish jerks" close by them. Guess the chief got some authority left in him if nothing else. Feeling irritated over my plan getting busted, I threw the next light rock into the chief''s howling mouth and down his gullet. That made the other zombies gladly ignore his orders and storm at him. Being a bad boss will only come back and bite you. Literally. I''ve learned my lesson. Okay, we got half the distance to the goal, and half the stragglers left. But I''m down to my last glowing rock! The others are underneath the zombie crew''s feet. I could get past those guys if I wanted. They''re your typical slow zombies, even more so because they still got that web on them that slows them even more down. And my top three stats are SPD, DEX, and LUC. Perfect for weaving through a mass of people-, er, zombies. The problem is the exit. Some idiots have gathered there and refuse to move. Rather, they can''t move. They want to get out of the chamber, but the webs are preventing that. Why...! So that''s it! Seeing a path to victory (and escape), I started to run to the side of the chamber. The zombies tried to follow, but I retrieved and threw a normal stone from the Bracelet and used it to hit the closest stone that illuminated this side of the chamber. And like billiard balls, the glowing rock was sent flying towards the next rock and sent it flying as well. The zombies'' attention was turned toward the moving rocks, but before they could comprehend things, I threw my last glowing rock toward the opposite side of the chamber compared to the first rocks. The zombies started to move to each side, thinning the middle of the horde just enough to let me slip past them. But god, why couldn''t more of them have moved away! It''s damn scary being so close to them! But I got through! All that''s left in front of me are the stragglers who''re trying to get out. Or more correct, get what''s outside of the chamber. I jumped onto one of the lab tables and used it as a stepping stone to jump even higher up. This body has an incredible jumping power, something I learned from my constant rounds of dodging the spider monster''s attacks, and with the assistance of the table, I got high enough to aim at the prize the zombies wanted. The unstable torches. Just, just outside the zombies'' reach. I threw a rock with all my back at the torch, with a prayer that it would do the trick. A sharp *clang* rang out throughout the chamber and then...the web around the path-blocking zombies started to burn. The zombies as well. Getting more "warmth" than they agreed on, the zombies ran around in panic, as much as you can call that "running". But, they got away from the exit. I used my arms to cover my face and the book and ran past the burning zombies and the fire, getting back into the passage and leaving the chamber of burning undead behind. After exiting the hidden passage, I could hear that a System Message had arrived, but I refused to stop and continued to run, thanking myself for having taken mental note of the path I used to get here. Soon, I reached the dust-covered passages, but my feet refused to stop as I continued to run, all the way to my Player Room. After all, zombies are scary!! --- Phew, that was one heck of a sprint. Think I''ll feel it even when I log out. I drank some of the restorative water (blood-colored water) from the fountain and praised my luck over being able to return without meeting any spider monsters. I got damn lucky there. Or maybe a gang-turf had just happened, reducing the numbers of patrolling spiders? Now that I''ve calmed down, let''s see what the System Message from was about. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Emergency Quest: [The Horror Remnant''s Wrath]. You have obtained 1.0 Aether Points. You have acquired the title: [Emergecy Quest Clearer]. Safe...now I can certainly say I''m safe. The extra AP is a good comfort gift. As for the new title... Proof over having overcome the sudden threat and emerged victoriously. Be prepared, because you never know what may happen in your life. Wow. That''s nice. It''s the most stats I can get from equipping a single title. Let''s swap some titles. As for this book...I brought it with me, but is it safe? Skill..., a skill book!? As in, the thing that lets you learn new skills in other games? Please tell me it works under the same rules here! Ah, but it''s a consumable. And [Mystical Threads], is that something a demon with the Scout class can learn? It won''t fail, will it? Maybe I should try to sell it..., but I''ve yet to see anyone else talk about a skill book on the bulletin board... Let''s test it. I''m too tired of both being scared and running around all day. Better to get this done and log out. I opened the book on some random page and saw...unreadable text. But not because I don''t have [Lingustics]. Because after a moment, the strange letters started to glow and disappear from the book. After all the text was gone, the book itself followed suit, and then- SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have learned the skill: [Mystical Threads Lv.1]. That was easy. I''ll go and confirm its effects tomorrow. I''m sleepy...and I need to watch a comedy marathon if I want to sleep after today''s events. Stupid zombies... Chapter 8: [Mystical Threads] & Giant Killing Log in! It''s the second day after I found that hidden room with the zombies and the first time that I''ve logged in after that. I mean, that event was too scary... I didn''t just laze around though. I looked up the bulletin boards regarding "skill books" and "Emergency Quests", but to no luck. Either people are keeping them a secret, or they simply haven''t been discovered yet. No matter the case, today''s the day to test out my new skill! Wo-hoo! First, its system-based info: Oh? A magic skill, you say? Those are pretty rare. At least, a magic that doesn''t come with a set of spells in it. Magic skills can be divided into two categories: the library-type, and the action-type. This skill is of the latter type, which is a single "spell" whose effect improves with its skill level and my stats. The library-type is something like that [Earth Magic] skill Al Azif from the demon thread boasted about. It obtains a new "spell" each time the skill''s level goes up, but the effect of the spells already learned won''t be changed. You need different moves for that. So, I have finally gotten myself something to use my MP on. The question is, is it gonna be any good? Well, it''s a thread, so maybe I can use them to climb around stuff? Speaking of threads, the spiders I''ve fought until now never used webs or such. Rather, the single spiderweb-ish thing I''ve seen in the entire Dungeon is the stuff in that room..., *brr*. Sorta explain why the skill book was hidden there, but the memory''s still giving me the shivers. The description did mention it could be used for an attack, so let''s try it out on the ever-present Angry Spider at the T-junction. I exited my Room and remembered something. I still don''t know how the skill is used. As in, not the info about it, but its practical knowledge. Deciding to test a shot before facing the spider, I aimed at one of the torches, and...how do I shoot the web? Ah, a manual-like window appeared. I just need to either click on the mental icon or set a trigger word/action to fire the skill when I give my consent. The former is the same method [Identification] uses, but the latter must be for skills aimed for active use in battle when you don''t have the luxury to fiddle with the mental controls. Not that I can come up with a good word right away, and my body''s too user-unfriendly for any fancy actions. Heck, the skill''s supposed to be able to select where the thread could come out from specific parts of the body, but no dice for the Grey Demon. Or threads. All I get is the magic circle-variant that appears in the air right above me. Having gotten through the "tutorial", I fired my first thread at the torch just as I first planned. A dark-purple magic circle appeared and released a single white beam toward the torch I was targeting. No, maybe calling it a thread of magic power is better? Anyway, the thread missed the torch itself and got stuck right in the middle of the purple flames. But it''s not burning? ...nevermind! After the magic circle disappeared, signalizing that the "magecraft" job had been done, the thread stopped glowing and ignited from the fire. I hurriedly scurried away from the burning thread, but this is a nice discovery. If restricted only as a magic attack, I may be able to ignore the defense of fire-type opponents? Not that I think there are any fire spiders in here, but you never know. Moving on, I walked toward the top of the T-junction, sneakingly so that the Angry Spider wouldn''t hear me. I peeked at it from behind the corner, and while its back was turned towards, I released the [Mystical Thead]. The magecraft hit the spider straight in the back, and...huh? HUUUUUUH?! IT DIED! IT DIED FROM JUST ONE HIT! Okay, calm down, me. There''s have to be an explanation for why that berserker-like Angry Spider died from a newbie attack..., that''s it! The spider''s too berserk-like! More precisely, its stat build must be leaning too heavily on the physical side for it to have anything to spare toward its magical defense. On the other hand, the magic-specialized Greedy Spider must be more difficult to defeat with just this skill. I should keep using rocks on them. As for the Hungry Spider that occupied the kitchen before, if they''re HP-focused as I believe, then it''ll likely that it won''t matter which method I''m using. The green spider close to the Chest Mimic and the Lazy Spiders are unknown. Got no clue there. Hmm, MP isn''t on auto-recovery unless you rest in safe areas or use some alternative methods, so I have a max total of 18, no, 17 shots when fully "loaded". Having one''s MP at 0 makes you faint after all. Which is ironically one of those "methods" from before. Then, at the very least, I have 10 shots available..., maybe I can do it? --- I reached the dust-free area after a little while. Then I started to look for a nice target. I ignored the yellow- and blue groups of spiders that patrolled and waited until they went past me. Aha! There they are! A big group of red spiders! No, it''s not that big. They''re down to just 2 smaller spiders and one of the in-official F-rank. Did they lose some suckers in a group brawl before? That fits me just fine. Just hope that there is enough... I jumped out from behind the rubble I used as cover and activated [Mystical Threads] through the mental command. Six magic circles appeared from above me and fired the magical threads toward the leader-spider. The big guy didn''t react in time and got all three magic strings right into its face. That got it..., or not. The spider got hit in a bad spot, as NFO reproduces the body''s weak points to a T. If your neck goes bye-bye, then even someone with a million HP left would die, for example. And some of those threads hit the spider right in the eye. I''d hoped that some may have hit its brain for a critical hit, but no such luck. And while the boss spider was throwing itself around in pain, the two remaining subordinates ran towards me in blind anger. Yeah, yeah. Here, take some threads. Each spider got 2 threads to the face and died instantly. I doubled the amount needed for the "lab rat" spider that I tested the skill on in fear of these guys'' levels, and by extension, their magical defenses would be higher than the lab rat. And then, that delightful jingle appeared~. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.6. You have obtained 0.2 Aether Points. YES! All according to plan! I was hoping that these "veteran" Angry Spiders would give more EXP than the weaklings in the dust area, and I was right! That there were fewer spiders than I expected scared me for a sec, but things turned out alright anyway! And why am I so happy for a level-up right now? Because they give a full recovery when you get one! The boss spider must have shaken off its pain, as it''s glaring at me with real rage in its eyes. Is it angry for me beating its subordinates, or simply because of that sneak attack? Whatever the case, my hat is off for the developers if they added even such details to a random monster. But sorry, punk~. My MP has recovered up to 19 (16 + 3 from my equipped title) points! So taste these 15 [Mystical Threads]!! It''s on the house!! The spider didn''t even try to dodge as its mind was clouded by its rage and got hit by all the threads before it could reach me. With a last scream, the spider collapsed on the floor with red special effects coming out of the many new holes on its face. Wait, did spiders bleed red blood? Eh, whatever. A game should have some artistic freedom. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 3. You have reached Lv.9. You have obtained 0.6 Aether Points. You have acquired the title: [Giant Killer]. I got a whole three levels from that ordeal. This is one heck of a tasty farming method..., but I won''t be doing it so often. I had luck with that full recovery just now, but now that I only need 1 more level before reaching the cap... ONE MORE LEVEL!? That''s one more before evolving! Wo-hoo! But man, just one more? C''mon, mister spider. Couldn''t you give me a little more? I looked at the remains of the big spider with a slight, childish grudge as I saw it evaporating into nothing. And I''m still not getting any drops, huh. And even when it cheated me for the remaining EXP... Having confirmed the spider''s death, I hid behind the rubble again. I wanna look at the new title...hmm? Is the ground shaking? That''s a first. ......oh, boy. Not good. NOT GOOD! That damn boss spider! That last scream it gave, it wasn''t a pre-scripted event! No, maybe it was, but that''s not the point! That stupid spider called on a stampede of spider groups with its dying cry! H-h-h-HEEEELP!! --- ...I died. Looking at the clockwork-sque roof of my Player Room, I couldn''t do anything but sigh over my overconfidence. Sure, the spiders may be in opposing groups, but there''s nothing that ever said they won''t band together against a common enemy, right? Like, say, an outsider who killed one of the patrolling spider groups. Meaning: me. This makes the whole EXP-farming a little more difficult than before. The patrols are off-limits for now. And it''s too boring to grind against the weaklings in the dust area. Not sure if the Chest Mimic has a weakness against magical attacks either, so that''s a no-go. Still got some playtime for today, so let''s check out the new title before doing anything else. Proof over having overcome an enemy greater than yourself, all on your own. Good work. Whoa. That''s plain good. The stat increase alone is worthy of having it equipped, so I''m gonna do that. It''s also the first title I''ve gotten with a real effect, [Mini] or not. All titles with real effects have the "quality" of the effect determined by a ranking system specially made for titles. [Mini] is the lowest possible, not that anyone is sure how much that is, but it''s at least lower than [Small], which is the highest possible ranking a title-effect can have, as far as we players know. Damn, now I wanna hunt down some more monsters! But the ones lurking in the dust area are too weak for my taste by now, the Chest Mimic being an obvious exception. Isn''t there some other area I can go to? I opened the map over this Dungeon and started to look for clues. The map over the patrolled corridors looks like an unfinished square, while the dust area is like a branch that sticks out of the square. Lots of areas are still not discovered yet, but that''s its current appearance, at least. The place where the skill book was hidden was somewhere closer to the middle of the square. The group of spiders I defeated today was wandering around closer to the square''s inner parts than its outer rim as well. Most of the spider groups do that, which is why I ventured there to look for a red group... Maybe there''s a boss in the middle of the map? That would explain why a Quest related to a skill book was hidden there, and why there are so many more monster groups in that area. If that''s the case, I should leave the middle section of the map alone and travel around the square''s outer rim. If I''m lucky, I may discover a new "branch" like the dust area. Hopefully, with more Quests that I can take. My AP is exactly 3 now, but I wanna obtain some more. I''m getting close to my evolution, after all. Okay! Time to explore!! Chapter 9: Spider Town & Quest Festival It''s the second day after the day when I was testing [Mythical Threads]..., and being so stupidly naive. On the day I started mapping out the "outer rim" of the main area, I got into yet another big brawl with tons of spiders. This time, the reason was for me getting too close to one of their nests. It turns out that there are other branches like the dust area. But they are inhabited by the spiders. Essentially, it''s their nests. One for every type of spider that''s living in this Dungeon. A characteristic about these "nest areas" is that the floors change color from black to whatever color the residing spider race has. The place I found the first day was the green nest. And I learned the special characteristic of the green spiders; they hurl globes of poison at you after they evolve. Bet the G-rank that lives near the Chest Mimic has venom in its fangs. The day after being poisoned to death, meaning yesterday, I walked past the green nest area and continued. The spiders will only be aware of you if you walk into the branch/nest, but walking past it seems to be not violating any territory rights they may have. I found a yellow nest and a blue nest but reached a dead end that I couldn''t get past after that, so I died and retired early from the game that day. Today, I took the opposite direction and came across a pink-walled area. But as I didn''t know what these spiders were capable of, and considering that all the spiders until now have been dutiful to the color theme and "sin" of the Color Demons, I decided to skip this place. Horny spiders are the last thing I need now. And just now, I passed by a red area. The Angry Spiders'' lair. If today''s exploration doesn''t bear fruit, I''ll go on a kamikaze attack on that place and beat as many red spiders as I can before dying in an attempt of reaching Lv.10. But man, I should have guessed it. The main area''s no square. It''s a body. A spider''s body. Looking over the map, I can now see that this whole "floor" or whatever it''s called is in the shape of a spider. As mentioned, the main area is its body, and the branches/nests are the legs. The blue nest is the left foremost leg of the spider, while the dust area is the left backmost one. Maybe the entrance to the Dungeon is located at the spider''s "head" and you can only reach that place by traveling from the middle-most part of the body to it? That would explain the dead ends by the blue nest. And here''s another branch..., the walls are grey. Just as expected. This is the Sleepy Spiders'' nest. Decision time! Should I keep on going after this? If things go like I think they do, the next branch will be a nest for some purple spiders representing "pride". And pride is normally portrayed as the biggest of the seven sins, so the spiders representing it may be the same. In other words, impossible opponents. On the other hand, the Sleepy Spiders wouldn''t be so bad. The one specimen I''ve seen from that race looked like a weakling, and it may not even be a group of monsters, but NPC. I''ve only got one example to go with, but it feels weird to not have any more quests for players to take, Racial Start or not. So, with that in mind, I decided to attack the grey nest. CHARGE!! As I walked through the grey corridors, I kept my guard up and prepared myself to release a barrage of [Mythical Threads] if needed, but no lazy crawlers to see. Or so I thought. Because, after I turned a corner, I discovered two of them. And they were guards for a gate blocking my path. "Holdt..., or something like that." - Guard spider A How sloppy! The guard spiders were more human-shaped than the other races. They''re standing on four legs while having a proper upper body, which is dressed in cheap armor with a cheap-looking helmet on their heads. They even have a pair of more human-like eyes in addition to their remaining six spider eyes. Both guards are holding on to a spear, but they seem far from willing to use it. The other guy is half-sleeping while using his to keep his body standing. "Ehm..., can I get past?" I asked, half-jokingly, half-seriously. These guys have the blue marker above their head after all, which indicates that they were NPCs instead of your everyday monsters. "...can we?" - Guard spider A "Huh...? ...maybe?" - Guard spider B "...which one is it?" I asked in a desperate attempt to keep the flow going. It''s like talking to corpses! No, corpses may have been better. Their answers can''t tick me off like these spiders''. Corpses can''t speak..., I hope. "...what''re you plan on doin'' inside?" - Guard spider B "Huh? Uh..., quests?" - Garami "...pickin'' up trash?" - Guard spider B "Huh!? I mean, sure. If there''s a reward." - Garami "......come on in." - Guard spider A "...make sure...to do a good job...zzz..." - Guard spider B Oh, sure! And I won''t be taking after you!! SYSTEM MESSAGE: You can now freely enter the "Nest of Sloth" in the Dungeon: Arcechnia Castle. The Quest: "New Location: Nest of Sloth" is now available in the Quest Menu. Ah, that''s good to know. As for the Quest... A new area is in front of you. Obtain the privileges to connect your Player Room to this area from the one in charge. Okay, that''s cool. Save me some travel time every day. Now, where''s the mayor..., OH, MY GOD! Eh, DEVIL! What''s that smell! I came to a more human-looking settlement than I expected. It looks like someone has built a primitive village with whatever materials they could find in the Dungeon. Most of the buildings are kept together with spider threads, but it doesn''t seem unstable. Quite the opposite. Wonder if I can do the same. But the positive impressions stop there. Because the place is filled with trash! Isn''t there anyone who cleans up this place!? "Hey, who are..., ah, whatever." "Try to finish, at least!" - Garami Ah, I acted like a straight man without thinking. The lazy one who tried to talk to me was a..., a human!? No, she''s a monster. It''s a woman with six arms, all three pairs being covered in a grey-colored exoskeleton, and has six red "spheres" on her forehead in addition to the normal, human-like eyes. Her legs and the rest of her body look normal. Her hair is notably grey. So are her human eyes. Her skin is pretty pale, but that looks more like the type of paleness that comes from living far from the sun too long. And her sloppy clothing of a half-worn skirt and a top tank that''s barely on her shoulders proves all that while leaving little to my imagination. Now I get why this game is rated 18+. "Then..., you are?" "Someone wishing to see the mayor of this place. You know where I can find them?" - Garami "Ah..., that''s me." - Mayor(!?) "No way!!" - Garami The many days of no interaction have made me more expressive than I ever believed I would be. Still, this one''s the mayor? Seems kinda unbelievable... "Ah, I''m the boss. Nobody else..., cares about that..." - Mayor Now that she''s mentioning it, I''m starting to notice more people in the shadows of the buildings. And with "people" written in bold letters. They''re all spider-people! That''s strange. All the other spider races I''ve encountered so far have got bigger with each evolution, not more humanoid. "Okay..., then can I stay here?" - Garami "...do jobs... first." - Mayor Now she wanna push her workload on me! As expected of a bunch of lazy bums! As the straight man inside my mind shouted as if his life was on the line, a new Quest window appeared in front of me. The mayor of the Nest of Sloth will think about your request of allowing constant access to the Nest of Sloth if you do some tasks for her. Go around and ask the slacking Lazy Grey Spiders, Lazy Spiders, and Sleepy Spiders if there''s something they don''t have the drive to fix themselves. What am I? A handyman-, or rather, a handy demon!? Well, some of the rewards do look promising. Especially the access rights. I only need to half-clear this thing to get them~. Plus, looking at the size of this village, there can barely be any more than a few dozens of spiders living here. And if they''re as lazy as their names suggest, this should be a clinch. Let''s get a move on and rack up those quest-clear-jingles so I don''t need to sneak across that long path back here tomorrow! --- "Get me a soda." "Yes! Right away!" - Garami --- "Make dinner for me." "Excuse me, there''s just cup ramen here...?" - Garami --- "I lost my keys." "[Detect Treasure], ON! ...except it doesn''t work on regular keeeeys!!" - Garami --- "Get rid of this trash." "I wanted some stress relief! [Mystical Thread] volley!!" - Garami --- "Deliver this letter to sis." "*Wheeze, wheeze*, again..., across..., the whole..., town?" - Garami --- "Get me a girlfriend for the night." "You''re not the only one in this world and others who want that!" - Garami --- A lot of Quests later: "*Wheeze, wheeze*, here''s your Sleepshrom extract from the drugstore," I replied with an exhausted voice as I handed over the items to the Lazy Grey Spider (the humanoid-type spider) with a sorta witchy attire. Justified as she''s the owner of the magic shop in the town. Though, like with the drugstore, the wares aren''t that impressive. "Thanks, handy demon." - Magic shop owner "Where did you learn about that!?" - Garami SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: "Deliveries for the Magic Shop". You have acquired 0.1 AP from the Quest reward. The completion rate of the Quest: "Serve the Nest" has reached 50%. You can now access the "Nest of Sloth" from your Player Room and vice versa. The embarrassing nickname excluded, I''ve gotten free rights to enter this town from now on. Great. This will make it easier to scout the rest of the Dungeon from now on..., but I''m damn tired! Why? Because there are no rules for the spiders here to ask for more Quests than one! And the new ones seem to be unlocked whenever I clear enough Quests. Or maybe it''s that "favorability" that''s doing its magic. Thinking about it calmly, you wouldn''t ask any random stranger for fetching important materials you''ve ordered, no matter how lazy your race is. Damn, I fell into that trap... The good side is that the individual Quests also offer rewards. I''ve collected 0.8 AP now thanks to the Quests, the main Quest''s points included. Not to mention lots of raw materials and sol. I gotta remember to stuff all that stuff into my Player Room. Can''t let them lie and rot in the corner of the plaza. "Hey, you are pretty trustworthy?" - Magic shop owner See! This is exactly what I was-, wait a minute, another Quest? Guess I can hear her out... "If you have time, could you look for a magic catalyst I lost in the hidden cave? Show this to the guards and you''ll be granted access." - Magic shop owner The owner shoved an amulet toward me, but I''m not in the mood for another Quest! And what do you mean with a cave inside a Dungeon? That''s gotta be a monster''s den, no? I''m tired, so I''m logging off for tonight- The owner of the magic shop located inside the Nest of Sloth lost her magic crystal when she went to the "Dark Cave" for some private time to investigate the strange area. Locate the item and return it to her for future favors. 0.5! And a book about magic!? ...sleep is for the weak. Come at me, monster!! Chapter 10: Dark Cave & EVOLUTION! There''s a cave here for real. Inside the Dungeon... "Okay, you can enter..." The guards (who I had to wake up) checked the amulet that the magic shop owner had given me and let me pass..., but couldn''t I''ve just snuck between them and entered the cave while they were sleeping? They were keeping the door open and all. Eh, whatever. The cave is unrealistically realistic..., as in, it looks just like a natural cave. Despite it being inside the walls of a castle-type Dungeon. There''s moss and stalactites and stalagmites, water drops from the roof, and no lights. Wait, how am I seeing stuff then? Taking out my system menu, I started to look for the culprit for my inexplainable impressive sight. And there they are! Located in the one list I''ve yet to take a better look at. The Trait List! Demon: Traits are special characteristics that each race has. It normally comes with strengths/weaknesses to some attributes, but in my case, I''m better out when the moon''s out and worse in the sun. Zombies and other undead supposedly have it worse, or so I read in one of the chats. They take continuous damage in the sun, and the alteration of stats is higher than my [Small] numbers. Plus I''m better with Dark-aligned elements than those related to Light. Now, this isn''t the time to be standing around! I got some cave to explore, and since I know there''s nothing wrong with my eyes (quite the opposite, actually), let''s rock! But man, this cave''s damn gloomy. Not as bad as that chamber, but people without night vision would have to travel through here with just a torch..., brr, that would be scary. I''m glad to be a demon~. And just as I walked through the cave wondering if I should take up the Earth Element as my primary element in the hope of recreating such scary caves on the opponent, [Detect Treasure] noticed something! Is it the catalyst? Wait, didn''t I see a [Detect Magic Item] skill when deciding whether to take Treasure or not? Then why am I able to notice it? Suspicion filled my head as I silently moved toward the reaction..., or, as silent as this clumsy body can be. I so wanna evolve soon. Even if I can''t do like "Red Rage" and evolve into an element-based evolution. She went from a Red Demon into a Lesser Fire Fiend thanks to owning [Lesser Fire Talent], was it? Showing the unnecessary thoughts out of my mind as I got closer, I started to look around for potential traps or ambushes. In such a dark place, there''s bound to be something. Especially when you have a..., huh? This thing over here..., isn''t it...? The catalyst!! Why''s it here!? And what about the treasure? ...the book about magic and the AP is making me wanna take the wand and rush back to the magic shop, but..., what if that locks me out of entering this cave again? But going for the treasure again may be a trap that could destroy the catalyst... A painful decision..., which to choose... Mmmmnrgh..., argh! FINE! I''ll go for the wand! Better with a reward I know I''ll get than a shot into the dark! And it''s not a joke even! It''s damn dark over there, even for me! I ignored the reading from [Detect Treasure] and went for the wand- *CRASH!!* Wha-!? A large explosion-, no, did something heavy fall down? Anyway, a huge dust cloud was now in the place just a few steps away if I had continued on my previous course. Not planning on standing around to wait and see what the culprit was, I hurried and grabbed the wand before taking a u-turn out of the cave. From my back, I could hear the scuffling sound of lots of legs hurrying up after me. A few rocks were in my way, forcing me to run zigzag, which seems to have saved me from an unexplainable attack. Some of the boulders in front of me were suddenly broken due to a "black flare". Can''t call it anything else. A black-colored flash appeared on the rocks, and they broke. The "something" that''s chasing me must be using some sorta attack against me, but the messy surface that forces me to do a trickier escape than normal is throwing its aim off. I kept on with the evasive run even when we reached better grounds and kept on running until I reached the exit and even after that. I could hear the guards hurriedly closing the door behind me. I''m leaving the rest to you guys!! --- "Oh, you found it..., thanks." - Magic store owner SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: "The Dark Cave". You have acquired 0.5 AP from the Quest reward. The completion rate of the Quest: "Serve the Nest" has reached 53%. After returning to the magic shop, luckily without any accidents, I handed over the shop owner''s wand and cleared the Quest. Phew. Only after handing over the item, I could relax. That whatever-it-was was too scary. Too close for comfort! Too freakish! What the heck was that!? "Extra payment!!!" - Garami "What are..., ah. The rumors were true?" - Magic shop owner Guess she had an idea, this cheating quest giver!! The shop owner started to explain to me that the caves often had people (meaning spiders) gone missing in that place. That''s why they''re keeping people (spiders) from entering the place, except for strangers (meaning me!) that are tasked with retrieving missing objects or such, even if it''s almost certain that they''ll get killed... "Grrrrrr..." - Garami "...fine, fine. I''ll give an extra reward. Just warning you, there is not much I have here that a Scout such as you can use..., oh, I did want to get rid of that thing..." - Magic shop owner Now she''s offering trash for reward!? This lousy spider! And while ignoring my raging outburst of justice, the shop owner took out two books. One must be the original reward, that beginner-book for magic. And the other one is...!? "Skill Book of [Magic]"!?Wait, what are those about? "I''ll give this one... as a bonus..., is that fine?" she asked while tilting her head. Kuh, a mature woman shouldn''t do such cute gestures... I secretly took a snapshot of the scene and accepted the deal. I mean, it''s a skill book! The same thing I got [Mystical Threads] from! It seems to be related to magic, so I''m a little afraid of whether I''m allowed to use it or not, but hey, it''s bound to be worth something! I left the magic shop in a good mood despite the horror chase just a few minutes ago. However, my future seems to be far from a happy walk. If this Quest could lead to such an encounter, what about the others? And, most likely, the difficulty of the remaining Quests will also increase... Am I in over my head? Yeah, I feel like that. I need an upgrade. The two skills may/may not help me, so in any case, I should try to find another source of strength. Though, that''s pretty much impossible for a weak little Grey Demon, no? I mean, I''m a G-rank, and there are no more free skills. Therefore... --- "[Mystical Thread]! [Mystical Thread]! And how about some [MYSTICAL THREAD]!!" - Garami *Splatt*, *squash*, *crack*! The blue spider trio got bombarded with as many magical threads as I could produce and got turned into pulp. Okay, next! I''m in the kitchen within the dust area that I''d exterminated Hungry Spiders before as part of a Quest. It seems that these guys spawn in big groups here even after the Quest, but luckily not as many as before. It''s a perfect place to farm EXP! I''ve killed all the other spiders in this branch already, so with this last guy... SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.10. For reaching your race''s level-cap, you have obtained 1.0 Aether Points. Congratulations. Evolution is now possible. You have 1 evolution option available. Jackpot! Ah, there was one left. [Mystical Thread]! *Splatt!* Another good day of work with spider extermination~. Wonder if I''ll get a title if I continue with doing this? "Garami, the spider slayer!"..., meh. Sounds stupid. In any case, I did it! Lv.10! And I got more AP than normal for it as well! Ya-hoo! Hmm? You thought I would go after the patrolling spiders? No way, idiot! I would have to do so if these guys didn''t give me enough EXP, but why would I charge at a horde of scary and strong spiders? Those guys are damn trauma-bringers, I tell you. Okay, let''s check my stats on my trip back to my Player Room. Kukukuku. Things are going smoothly..., except for [Scout]. I need to find some way to improve its class level. Not that easy when all the skills I have are as follows: Mhm, [Magic] turned out to be a bust. No magic stuff here. Not directly, anyway. But it did help me in a manner that caught me completely off guard. An increase in MAG is equal to an increase for [Mystical Threads]~. And following this rule of naming, I bet that the skill improving the SPD stat will be called "Speed". I looked up the skills I could take with my current points, and it seems that I was right. However, the only skills I could take were: [Mana], [Resistance], [Speed], [Dexterity], [Intelligence], and [Luck]. It''s probably related to my class, and that I''m a demon. We may be naturally gifted with magical stuff. Not that my species directly has that kinda abilities. Wonder if the human players get these skills. They do have the AP for it, but I doubt a few points added to their way-higher-than-mine stats would help them. And then we have the titles: Yeah, nothing new there. Still salty for not getting any spider-slaying title, no matter how stupid it sounds like. And while sorting out my current list of abilities, I reached my Room. Ah, it''s so nice with automatic doors~. Kukuku. Former-last boss, soon more weaklings will follow in your footsteps after this~. Now, what can I evolve into? Pushing the blinking evolution-text and... "Djinn"? Like a genie? And they''re related to sloth? Ah, thinking about it, them being inside lamps for who knows how many years could be linked to people who don''t wanna leave their beds. And looking at this description, I doubt I''ll have a boost to my STR. Tch. But my already strong stats seems to get an improvement, and the "use of tricks and traps" part is catching my attention. Evolution is said to give at most two free skills related to the race, so this may improve my range of abilities. It''s also within my ability to pay AP-wise as well. And if the element-variant of the Unstable Djinn is matching the price of the element-variants of the Lesser Fiend, then according to "Red Rage" on the demon thread, that evolution would cost 4 AP. Not much of an increase, but too much for me. Talent skills cost 3 AP after all... Okay, Unstable Djinn it is! Not that I have any other options... SYSTEM MESSAGE: "Unstable Djinn" has been selected. This will consume 3 Aether Points. During evolution, you will turn unable to move your body for a while. Do you wish to start the evolution? Ah, on to my bed. And click! SYSTEM MESSAGE: Commencing evolution to the race: Unstable Djinn. Yay! But can you stop including the "unstable" part all the time? SYSTEM MESSAGE: You can log out while the evolution takes place. Time before evolution is finished: 00:59:57 Ah, then I''ll take a break and return in an hour. Let''s hope it''ll turn into something cool. Chapter 11: Unstable Djinn & The Three Quests Login! After the hour had come and gone, I reentered NFO to look at the result. Ah, human hands. HANDS! Real ones! And a single pair of legs! Rather, this is completely a human body! I almost expected to have a smoke-like lower body, but it seems I''m spared from that this time around. However, the good parts end there. Because this new body? It''s broken. Parts of my body look like it''s made of broken, black glass. Black smoke is seeping out from the cracks, almost as if I''m on the verge of collapsing completely. I won''t take more damage if I''m hit on those places, will I? I seem to have a "damaged area" on my right leg, my left arm, on the right side of my waist, and when I looked into the fountain pool, I could see I had one on my face that went across my left eye. Said eye had turned white with black sclera as a crack went through it. I''ve also got a pair of down-turned, black-and-purple horns on both sides of my face, a common trait for all humanoid demons. Other than that, the avatar looks just like how I designed it. Long, white hair with stripes of black and a glossy appearance, indigo-purple eyes, and pale skin. The avatar''s a demonic me, to say it simply. And I''m half-naked. Half because the system gives humanoid avatars some basic clothing with no durability, meaning it can''t be destroyed. Can''t be sold or traded either. Got no defensive properties or special effects. It''s basically to prevent forced nudity and will automatically be equipped if the user doesn''t have anything else equipped. People with the R-18 DLC can remove them, but not in public areas. The clothes consist of a tattered black cloth to act as a shirt, one of the same standards that act as a skirt, and sandal-like shoes. ...aren''t the treatment of demons a little harsh here? Whatever. Let''s go and see what else is new. There''s a system message here, probably telling the result of the evolution. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Evolution is complete. Due to your evolution, the following abilities are granted: Your natural status values have increased. Natural Aether Point gain has increased from 0.2 to 0.4. You have obtained the following skills: [Create Trap]; [Sleep Demon''s Touch]. You have acquired the trait: [Spiritual Demon (Unstable)] And I was right..., skills! Yay! And I got another trait. Not sure how to react to that one. Never focused much on the old one. And it''s "unstable"..., will it be fixed if I evolve again? Wow, that''s an upgrade. But my STR..., is still low. Better not rely on that in the future... And there are the two new skills. As for their effects... [Create Trap] sounds useful, but how should I use that sleep skill? Forcing someone into a sleep-hold? With my low STR? Maybe if I could trap them..., but then I don''t need to make them go "zzz"! Okay, as for the trait... Trait: Effects: What? Did I just turn worse in tanking magic!? Considering I''ve never thought of tanking hits, it''s not that big of a problem..., and "Purification" is also an element, no? Reduced physical damage is sorta nice. I can start hunting red spiders for real now. And ironically, it''s the yellow ones who''ve turned into my nemesis. Times are changing. The "functionality of the five sense" thing though..., yeah, I can barely feel anything. I kept on trying to touch the stuff in my Player Room, but I can''t feel anything with my hands. Or the rest of my body for that matter. I can barely see anything, especially on my left side. The scenery changes into darkness just five-meter in front of me. And my hearing is worse as well. I bet even my senses of taste and smell are out then. Tch, this is one heck of a handicap. Was I too hasty with evolving? No, let''s hope this will lead to something incredible further down the line. I can also equip the "Tool Belt" I got from one of the spiders'' Quests, so I can equip the Iron Dagger I bought from that black-market guy. Not sure if I can use it, but having a weapon on hand is somewhat calming. The last two effects are..., the first one isn''t related to my current situation. After all, there is no sunlight or moonlight inside the Dungeon, which is what I think this effect does. Improve the status-altering effects from the Demon trait. And Karmavision..., got no clue! Okay, that''s all of my new abilities. And now..., I should learn how to walk with a half-functioning body. One step, two steps-, ouch!! --- A while after I learned how to walk with these feelingless limbs, and... SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: "Web Cleaning". The completion rate of the Quest: "Serve the Nest" has reached 85%. Despite this body being trashier than my real one, it''s surprisingly nimble. Or maybe it''s just that the sudden increase in my DEX is making me think so? Anyway, the Quests were easy to clear after I evolved. Having decent hands is way more practical than those claw feet, and I''m taller as well. Plus, it''s easier to use [Mystical Threads] now when I can use my fingers to produce the web. It''s damn cool to make a handgun and shoot the magical threads from it too~. Still..., where are all the Quest givers? They have a yellow "!"-mark over their head, meaning even my faulty eyes should see them, but there are no spider women with that marker on their head... Let''s go and ask the mayor. She may know what else I can do. And she''s the only spider who''s yet to give me a Quest, the "main Quest" not included. I found the mayor outside her house, a "mansion" that''s simply one size bigger than the other houses. "Gimme work." - Garami "...seems like you''ve earned enough accomplishments..., here." - Mayor The mayor took out three pieces of old-looking paper from her bag..., aren''t these... "Bounties?" - Garami They were. They look like those flyers you see in old western movies. The "Dead or Alive" thing. "The first one..., get rid of the thing in the Dark Cave..." - Mayor Impossible! Not right away, at least! None of the Quests I cleared after evolving involved combat, so I haven''t confirmed how well I can fight in this body! "The second one..., find our lost treasure..." - Mayor The flyer told me the rest. The grey spiders seem to have owned something valuable that suddenly disappeared one day. "The third..., is this." - Mayor ...fruits?! And sweet ones!? Not to mention, in such large amounts!? Where am I..., that could work. Maybe. Perhaps. Probably. I''m gonna try to clear them all, despite their difficulty. All of them have 0.5 AP as part of their reward after all. It would be a waste not to do so. Nevertheless, while the third one may be clearable, the first one is impossible. At the current time, at least. I want more combat abilities before trying to face...whatever''s inside that cave. As for the second..., it''s a complete joker. I''ve got no clues regarding it. I said my farewells to the mayor and left the nest. I wanna see how well I fare in battle... Yeah, I gotta do something about these eyes. The patrolling spiders will see me before I can see them. I got a total of 0.9 AP from the Quests before, meaning I have enough to take a new skill... Since it''s for the sake of my bad eyes, and it fits the Scout class to a tee, I''ll be choosing you! I saw this guy when looking at [Detect Treasure]. This is like the #1 skill a Scout need in a Dungeon~. Now I can expect some growth for my class. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have consumed 3 AP and obtained the skill: [Detect Monster]. There we go. How does it-whoa!? Monster-signals, 12 o clock! Time to hide! A group of spiders, yellow ones, passed me as I was hiding behind the boulder. Taking up the skill so far from the nest almost got me killed. That was careless of me. I kept on walking through the passages as I looked for some red spiders for a quick battle. They are the best enemies for the current me. And I also wanna see the last "spider leg" on the map. Therefore, I walked with the intent of mapping the whole outer rim~. The "core" of the map is still kinda sus in my eyes, and the other nests are off-limited unless I get some stealth-based skill. As I walked, there was a noticeably higher amount of rubble here than in the other places on the map. It feels like I''m walking in a Stonehenge made of rubble. And that gives me an idea. I kept an eye (detect skill) open for any patrols and started to check what traps I could make. Snares, glue traps, tripwire..., wait, glue? Oh, that''s right. [Mystical Threads] can also make adhesive threads. The problem is that the stickiness is weak, so I sorta filtered that effect out from my head. Maybe it will help if I increase the skill level? While pondering on future skill improvements, I started to prepare a nasty little prank of mine with all the rubble in the corridor while looking out for enemies. No one''s coming... Since it''s boring, not to mention dangerous, waiting here, I left my little trap behind and continued down the passage. --- Hmm, this is strange. The whole place is deserted. I can say this because the amount of rubble has increased EVEN MORE. Not to mention that dust is starting to pile up on the floor. If the spiders would patrol here, they would at least try to remove the rubble, or even leave behind tracks in the dust. Just as I was wondering if I''d taken the wrong turn somewhere and returned to the dust area, I discovered a new passage. One with walls in purple colors and covered in dust. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have discovered the "Abandoned Nest of Pride" in the Dungeon: Arcechnia Castle. It is now possible to travel to the "Abandoned Nest of Pride" from your Player Room. Eh..., there was a purple branch here for real. And it seems the people-, er, spiders here must have been a typical example of being "too prideful for their good"..., or they didn''t wanna live on the same floor as the other spiders. Ooh, that''s annoying. If I find one, I''ll give them a good punch. But to think I could create a shortcut from this place too. Is that the same for all the "spider legs"? As for the instant access to the shortcut, is it because there is no one here to complain about it? *Rumble, rumble, rumble...* While I was pondering over the mysteries of this new area, a distant, yet loud, noise could be heard from the path I came from all of a sudden. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 2. You have reached Lv.3. You have obtained 0.8 Aether Points. You have acquired the title: [Merciless]. Your Karma Value has fallen. Ah..., someone tripped the "crumbling Stonehenge"-trap I made..., my condolence? Well, I''ve found a nice shortcut, so how about quitting for today? I looked around and discovered the door to my Player Room hidden in an alley and proceeded to enter and log out for today. Chapter 12: Official Bulletin Board 2 Scout Player Thread @3 1: Unknown Scout This is a Scout-restricted thread that is only available to the players who have the Scout-line class as their main class. Stay polite and don''t break any of the official bulletin board rules. ->950 start the next thread. ... 333: Unknown Scout These threads are slower than snails... 334: Unknown Scout ->333 Then start a topic! 335: Unknown Scout Question: what primary element is useful for a Scout? 336: Unknown Scout ->335 Our prayers have been answered! 337: Unknown Scout ->335 NICE JOB! And it''s a good question. 338: Unknown Scout There aren''t many players who play as Scout, not to mention those starting to use elements. 339: Unknown Scout ->338 I think it''s around 5% of the total player count? 340: Unknown Scout JUST 5!!?? 341: Unknown Scout Around 5% Scouts, 40% Mages, 30% Warriors, and 25% Crafters, is what I''ve heard. 342: Unknown Scout ->341 LOW!! 343: Unknown Scout ->341 Well, it''s between fighting like a hero with a sword, throwing magic like in a fantasy, crafting stuff for the more casual players (I guess), and sneaking in the shadows. Ugh, it hurts me listing them up like... 344: Unknown Scout ->343 THEN DON''T DO IT! IT HURTS ME TOO! 345: Unknown Scout But honestly, Mages can bring DPS, recovery, enhancements, and there are even rumors about summoning being possible. 346: Unknown Scout Warriors give us tanks. HURRAH FOR THE MEATSHIELDS! 347: Unknown Scout HURRAH! 348: Unknown Scout BANZAI!! 349: Unknown Scout ->343 Crafters gives us equipment and items better than what the NPCs sell us, so I hope this number increases. 350: Unknown Scout ->349 Bruh. What about the girls in tight-fitting kunoichi outfits!! 351: Unknown Scout Can we go back to the original question? 352: Unknown Scout ->335 Restricted to the primary elements, the list goes like this: Fire: High firepower, but maybe too flashy. Water: Good on every subject, but no ace. May be useful for scouts specializing in aquatic combat. Wind: Brings silent moves. Good choice. Earth: Brings defense. Seems unfitting, but it may also let you sense creatures that walk on the ground. Light: Flashy, but maybe good for a distraction. Darkness: One of the few attributes that give stealth abilities. Great choice. Ice: Damn cold. Possibly useful for players that want to hide in a snowstorm? Metal: Defense-orientated, but not good for Scouts. Life: Support element. Not good. Death: May give some status ailments, but not good in hiding. Order and Chaos aren''t possible to take anyway. 353: Unknown Scout ->352 LONG 354: Unknown Scout ->352 We got a professor here! 355: Unknown Scout ->353 Did you use all this time to write!? 356: Unknown Scout Some supplement info: Fire has strong skills with high damage output, but it''s costly. Mages and Warriors are better for it, and maybe some Crafters that aim to become smiths? 357: Unknown Scout What, we''re adding more stuff to the info-bomb? 358: Unknown Scout Water is good, can be used on every field. But most likely best for Mages. 359: Unknown Scout ->357 Guess we are. 360: Unknown Scout ->359 Then let me contribute: Earth is better for Warriors. Lets them put up walls. Could be good for Crafters that work with dirt, or even Mages. Fine for Scouts to take it too, as mentioned before. 361: Unknown Scout Wind lets you silence your steps, so it''s extremely useful for a Scout. Not to forget about the movement-type skills. 362: Unknown Scout Light got shiny moves. Cool as a smokescreen. Darkness and the composition attribute, Shadow, give stealth skills, so either one should be almost mandatory for a Scout. Metal''s a buster. It''s better for defensive Warriors or Crafters that work on metal. 363: Unknown Scout Ice gives you the shivers. NICE. 364: Unknown Scout Death is nasty, but Life is bad. Scouts would rely on surprise attacks, not surprise recovery. 365: Unknown Scout We could go on about the composition attributes, but there are no clues on how to get them. 366: Unknown Scout ->335 Me again. Thanks. 367: Unknown Scout ->366 Sure. 368: Unknown Scout ->366 No prob. 369: Unknown Scout ->366 STAY STRONG, young Scout! 370: Unknown Scout Then onto the next topic..., we got anything? 371: Unknown Scout Us Scouts are horrible in gathering info...*sniff*. ... Demon Player Thread @3 1: Al Azif Fellow demons, this is a thread where we will share our hellish secrets and cultivate our devilish powers for the sake of Hell. Only those with a character-ID with a Demon-type avatar can see this thread. Trolls WILL be banished from this realm. Demon nr. ->950, please make the next thread. 117: "Red Rage" And trappy''s still trapped. 118: "Trapped Demon" STOP!! 119: "Princess" I evolved. 120: "Big Blue" ->119 Welcome-, WHAT!? 121: Al Azif ->119 Oh, our sleepy demon queen. Welcome back. Now, INFO!! 122: "Red Rage" ->119 How''re you doing? 123: "Princess" ->122 Good. ->121 Grey Demons evolve into something called "Unstable Djinns". Had no other options, but didn''t have any Talent skills or something. 124: Al Azif ->123 Djinns..., the granters of wishes, the demons who sleep in the lamp for centuries..., now I see. 125: "Trapped Demon" ->123 Ehm, can you fulfill my wish? 126: "Princess" Unstable Djinns look extremely close to normal humans, but they have demon horns, and parts of their bodies look like they''re broken and are leaking out black mist/smoke. 127: "Big Blue" ->126 Hey, is that safe? 128: "Red Rage" ->126 Sounds like you''re losing demonic powers. 129: "Princess" Also, my five senses are trash. Can barely see, hear, or feel anything. 130: "Trapped Demon" Ouch. That''s harsh. 131: "Big Blue" The lack of other options must be because an immature Djinn cannot be attributed to an element. 132: Al Azif ->131 Alas, I doubt that. For I have evolved into a Book Mimic as part of my occupation of Mage. The "standard route" seems to be Box Mimic. 133: "Big Blue" From Box to Chest then. 134: "Red Rage" CHEST?! 135: "Princess" ->133 Now you''re the one who opened the wrong box. 136: "Big Blue" ->135 SORRY!! 137: Al Azif Forget about the fiend that mistook her race from her desires. My point is that there may be different conditions for the different races. 138: "Trapped Demon" ->137 Sounds plausible. Some races don''t even have conditions... 139: "Princess" Which reminds me, how''s the trapped princess doing? 140: "Trapped Demon" I''m still a prince! Okay, maybe not a prince, but I''ve yet to evolve! 141: "Red Rage" And more Pink Demons in the cities have started to evolve. The trapped rarity has lost its value. 142: "Trapped Demon" ->141 You heartless demon!!! 143: "Red Rage" ->142 Duh. 144: "Princess" ->142 Duh. 145: "Big Blue" ->142 Duh. 146: Al Azif ->142 I feel shocked over your lack of ability to notice some things. 147: "Trapped Demon" DAMN IT ALL!!!! Chapter 13: Nest of Junk & Sudden Boss Login! Time to explore the new area. I exited my Player Room and entered the "abandoned nest" that I''d discovered the day before. The goal is to get whatever I can from here before planning my battle with the creature in the "dark cave". Before that, gotta confirm the new title I got yesterday. Proof of being a merciless jerk. Your Karma will keep on dropping if you don''t change that part of you. Mhm. Overkills are bad. I should keep it up. Maybe that''ll unlock a new evolution for me? Prof. Azif did mention there could be other requirements than just the Talent skills. Whatever the case, it''s still 17 levels before I can evolve. I got lots of time~. Closing the menu, I started to explore the purple nest. And I got one question for the developers: What-is-this? The place looks like the normal Dungeon corridors, meaning something taken out of some demon king''s castle, but there''s lots of junk here. Junk that would look like it''s come from some office in the real world. Broken PCs, document files with dirty papers in them, and even old suits that have holes in them. Both this, the "storage room" I looted before, and that "horror chamber" with the Emergency Quest, they''re pointing toward some deep secret regarding this place. If there was just a readable manual somewhere... While wishing I had a decent inventory, I looked for some stuff of value that I could take back to my Player Room when I noticed something: footprints. And big ones. The thick layer of dust easily revealed the tracks of some huge, many-legged creature that had been passing through the corridors of junk. I kept my eyes, or better said, my [Detect Monster] skill up and running to not get caught by this unknown creature. Wanting more info on whatever''s living here, I went further into the labyrinth of junk. After walking for a while without finding anything, monsters or treasures alike, I reached an open area. The junk formed a circle-shaped field that''s...bigger than as far as I can see. It may not even be circular-shaped, but... Yeah, this is that. A typical thing for games. I didn''t get any decent combat practice yesterday due to the trap doing all the job, but..., yeah, better with a strong opponent than a weak one. Without hesitation, I stepped into the open area. Then, I noticed that my body didn''t move as I wanted. It''s as if someone''s taken control of it. My body walked further into the open area before stopping just before it reached the center of the field. After I stopped, I could hear and see something coming from between the small hills of junk and jumped into the area, no, into the battlefield. A huge spider with legs of various animals instead of spider legs fell onto the field with a loud noise. Said legs seem to be from various animals, such as cows, horses, and monkeys only elongated to make them more in the shape of a spider''s leg. The creature''s head has no eyes, its mouth looks more like an alligator''s than a spider''s, and its body is tar-black with purple, cyber-like lines on it. The control over my body returned to me as the spider gave a strange roar and I didn''t waste time taking a step back before noticing something in the middle of the field. A countdown that started with a 10 had appeared, and a large System Message was shown to me. SYSTEM MESSAGE: BOSS BATTLE! Name: [Wandering Arrogance]. | Level: 20/F. | Rank: Solo. They''re going all-in with the aesthetics here. And as expected, it''s a boss battle after all!! Though, this thing is stronger than me. Ignoring the "boss"-part, isn''t this saying it''s racial rank F at Lv.20!? I''m only Lv.3!! But the countdown didn''t wait for any freak-outs. It reached 0 and the big spider, the "Wandering Arrogance", lept at me. In a hurry, I escaped to the side thanks to the boost from [Evasion] and fired a [Mystical Thread] at it in return. It hit the spider in one of its right-side legs. The spider didn''t seem to like that, but it doesn''t seem to be doing much damage either. It tried to ram me again, this time with more speed than the first tackle. I wanted to jump out of the way, but it almost grazed me with its many legs. This may be bad. I got no decent attack method to..., oh? An idea flashed in my mind as I saw the thread stuck on the spider''s leg. Maybe if I... Having no better plan in store, I shot another thread toward one of the spider''s right legs. The big guy stormed at me again..., he can only use body blows and biting for attacks, right? Feeling a little more positive about the fight, I fired an additional three threads and hit the two front legs of the spider, and his face. I don''t know how this guy''s sight works, but it''s obvious from looking at him that the thread is messing with his concentration. I took a chance and threw myself to the ground and had the spider run past me, or should I say, above me? Glad it''s so big that it creates a space underneath it big enough for me to escape to. I fired another two threads at the spider''s back-most legs before rising to my feet. The spider seems to be angry over me "decorating it" with the threads, but it doesn''t seem to worry about removing them, nor does it seem to have figured out my goal here. Good. From my fingers, I produced more strands of thread while drinking one of the MP Potions I''d obtained from the mayor''s Quest. Meanwhile, the spider..., tch. It ran outside my field of vision. Being able to see only 5 meters in front of you hurts when you''re in an area that''s bigger than that. I''ve tried to keep close enough to prevent this, but good luck doesn''t last. The red signal that was [Detect Monster] told me where the spider was, but not being able to see its figure directly hurts. It would be dangerous if it gets a "running start", so let''s annoy it. I started to throw rocks at the spider so I wouldn''t waste MP and waited until..., there! The spider came at me with full force! Too bad, but you''re too slow! [Create Trap]! The strands of threads were plastered on the floor in front of me and produced a weak, but still sticky, glue trap. The spider stepped on the trap and lost its balance from the stickiness, slowing down its charge which forced it to trip. I dodged the tumbling spider and shot more threads at it. When enough threads were covering it, I activated [Create Trap] again, this time producing a spiderweb..., using the threads attached to the spider as some of the materials. "Mwa-hahahaha! How''re you feeling now, you mismatched spider-freak!" - Garami I couldn''t stop myself from releasing a burst of evil laughter. As planned, the spider''s legs are too out of synch. Their power levels are too different from each other. If it tries to force the thread off unskillfully, it''ll rip off its weaker legs. The fear of that is preventing it from doing anything at all! So glad this guy''s got some AI brains. If it only moved with certain patterns, then this plan would never work. Seeing as the spider couldn''t move, I jumped onto its back and drew my dagger. It''s about time I got to use this thing. *Stab* *Stab, stab, stab* The spider let out a pained roar, but it didn''t die. Tch, how annoying... *Stab, stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stab stab, stabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstabstab...* SYSTEM MESSAGE: Boss battle cleared! Acquired 3.0 AP as a reward for having subjugated the boss: [Wandering Arrogance]. First-time clear bonus: The "Arrogant Clobber" item. No damage clear bonus: 3 AP Your level has increased by 5. You have reached Lv.8. You have obtained 2.0 Aether Points. You have obtained the title: [First Boss Kill] Your Karma Value has fallen. About time! I thought the blade was gonna break...!? 3..., and then 3..., and then 2 more!? A total of 8 AP!? YA-HOOOO! Spring has come for me! After..., after all these years...*sigh of unparalleled sadness*. While digesting the sorry history that''s my life, I noticed something that had appeared in the middle of the field. That was close. I could have overseen it with these faulty eyes. Thank you, [Detect Treasure]. Opening the chest, I found a..., "flashy club", to put it lightly. It looks weak, yet decorated with several jewels..., and I''m not good with STR, so this thing''s a miss. And the only other thing here..., a medallion? One-half of it, at least. And [Identification]...doesn''t work. Tch. Wait, does that mean it has some relationship to that coin or the papers I found? [Identification] didn''t work on any of those... And the last thing in the chest is..., a crystal orb? Hmm, [Identification] works on it.., the treasure!! This orb''s the treasure of the grey spiders!! That was damn easy! Did the spider here steal it from them? In any case, let''s keep the medallion and take this orb back to the spiders. As for the club..., I got a good idea~. --- After hurrying back to my Player Room and returning to the boss'' battlefield, I found the chest and the club right where I''d left them. Both are too heavy for me to lift anyway. Not that''s any problem~. I ripped the item that I''d stored inside my Player Room. Yes, this is the "bonus" that the black-market merchant gave me! A free ticket to call that merchant again! "Hey, Gloooo..., who are you?" - Garami That''s strange. Instead of that bundle of living darkness-looking fellow, I''m met with a suspicious-looking old "gentleman". He''s dressed in black, has a silver-colored mustache, and even got a top hat and a monocle. But the expression on his face is outright telling the world that he''s a nasty fellow. "Good day to you too, miss. My name is Ronandart, member of the Blackmarket Union. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Ah, so I got a different guy this time. I''m repeating myself here, but this guy looks too damn suspicious..., well, better him than Glock. "I wanna buy something from you guys, but first, there''s something I wanna sell." - Garami "Oho~? To have the chance to buy something from a beautiful lady like you, this must be my lucky day. And what do I have the pleasure of purchasing from you?" - Ronandart "Every item in this place." - Garami "......pardon?" - Ronandart "Every item in this area that I''m not wearing, plus anything that one can''t obtain information of with a [Identification Lv.1] skill." - Garami ".........w-with "everything", you don''t mean..., everything?" - Ronandart The false-looking gentleman asked me with a frail voice as he looked across the mountains of trash that covered the area. I gave him a silent nod with a friendly smile on my face- SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your Karma Value has fallen. And you''re scheduled to appear AFTER I''ve done the deal, so just shut up!! Chapter 14: Nasty Victories & Floor Cleared *Munch, munch, munch, munch* Tons of fruits, specially ordered from mc-suspicious from the Blackmarket, are placed around the plaza in huge crates. And the inhabitants are gleefully eating them. Hope they like those fruits. It cost me all the money I got from selling the trash in the purple area. Not that I didn''t have enough dough to buy a secret weapon or two~... And on top of the pillar in the middle of the plaza, there''s the crystal orb, AKA the lost treasure that beast-spider had stolen. It shined with a purple light across the whole village, and for some reason, I feel sorta uplifted from the light. A spirit-improver, huh? No wonder it''s called a "treasure". SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: "Recovery of the Lost Spider Treasure". You have cleared the Quest: "Sweet Fruit Delivery". You have obtained a total of 1.0 Aether Points. The completion rate of the Quest: "Serve the Nest" has reached 95%. Mhm~. The Quest-clear jingle is as nice on the ears as always~. Though I''m starting to get sick of hearing it by now... "Thanks..., white one..." said the mayor in between her bites of fruits. "Yeah, yeah," I replied offhandedly. While it may not be so important, that fake gentleman left the place after getting a call, I think. He did leave while crying tears of blood and had a longing gaze on the spider women. Maybe I can become good friends with that guy? Anyway, the Quest reward outside the AP is more important than him. Even if the AP''s also important. *Cough*, the rewards are two skill books that grant the [Luck] and [Speed] skills. The former is from the treasure-Quest, the latter is the reward for the delivery of the fruits. [Luck] and [Speed] boost your LUC and SPD by 1 point per skill level. Though I doubt people would have problems understanding that after seeing one example of those "Ability Skills", like [Magic] was for me. That''s probably the reason it''s so "easy" to get them. Still, skill books or not, these things only improve your stats by 1 point for each skill level. It doesn''t sound like something people would want to use their points on..., and you need to spend 3 AP to level them up. For each level. Oh boy... Well, free stuff is free stuff, so let''s get them all. The last Quest gives [Dexterity], another Ability Skill, so it may be the most important one I can get. Even if it''s only 1 point. I''ve spent 3 AP to increase [Mystical Thread]''s level to 2, and also bought two more skills that will come in handy. Meaning... --- I''m back! Dark Cave!! And as usual, this place is too gloomy for me. But thanks to the new additions to my skill list, I could find the bastard before it found me...whoaaaa... What''s this guy supposed to be? If the boss in the abandoned nest was a beast-spider, then this guy looks like a human spider. Its body looks like it''s a deformed human''s body, and its legs look like human hands. Just its eight eyes and mouth looks like a spider''s. Also, like the beast-spider, this... "human-spider", its body has a black and purple coloration. This time around, it''s the body that''s purple and with black lines instead of vice versa. It seems to have noticed that I entered the cave, but it''s clueless about where I''m hiding. Mostly thanks to the two new skills I got. I finally decided on my Talent after reading the Scout threads. The best attributes for a Scout are either Wind or Darkness. And since demons have a connection to the latter, I went for it. And it had [Lurk], which is more useful for me in the Dungeon-corridors than the Wind element''s movement-focused skills. They''re not without weaknesses though. Not the Talent skill, as it''s a passive thing, but as mentioned, [Lurk] requires the usage of MP to be active, so I''m almost empty at the moment. I''m recharging with one of the MP Potions, leaving me with 8 left, so..., I better get this right the first time. The human-spider hasn''t noticed me yet as I''m hiding behind the boulder and observing it. Guess its eyes aren''t as good as mine, even if mine only work at a 5 meters distance. Therefore, I decided to use the first secret weapon I bought from the Blackmarket. And throw~. *BOOOOM!* Crap, that thing had more firepower than I expected! Damn that "gentle-jerk", he gave me more for my money than I expected! Sucking up to him with some sweet-talk backfired! But that should have killed the human-spider. The level-up notification should appear..., huh? It''s not appearing... *FLASH!* GYAAAA!? IT HURTS, IT HURTS!! What the, that black flash again!? It hit my shoulder! And it DAMN HURTS! The stupid critter survived that explosion!? And this sound..., it''s coming this way!? I ignored the pain in my wounded shoulder and rolled away from the place I was lying in pain. And just in time. The human-spider just landed on the place I was lying at! And now''s it''s glaring at me..., why are its eyes glowing black like that? ESCAPE! A black flash struck the ground. And that would have been me if I hadn''t rolled away. An evil eye? Was that an evil eye!? I WANT!! Tch, if this is the case, I should have boosted [Evasion] instead of......, I''m such an idiot. Thread Volley, FIRE! Several magic circles appeared and released magic threads at the human-spider en masse. This is my ultimate attack, the Thread Volley! Thanks to [Mystical Thread]''s level going up, the number and quality of the threads I can release at the same time has increased! And for no higher cost than normal! And..., who the f*ck am I talking to? Did the evil eye do something to me? In any case, the human-spider..., has turned into a pincushion. That gotta hurt... SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 2. You have reached Lv.10. You have obtained 0.8 Aether Points. Class: [Scout] has reached Lv.10. You have obtained 0.3 Aether Points. Hmm, it was weaker than I excepted. Well, strong enough to survive the bomb, but it wasn''t like the boss which needed enough stabs that I felt my arm hurt even when I logged off...? WAIT A SEC!! Classes can give you AP as well? AWESOME! Okay, I''m motivated about getting more Scout skills! But before that... --- "*Horrifying screams of suffering*." - Chest Mimic I gotta defeat this guy first! I watched as the Chest Mimic trashed about in its room after it had swallowed the special bottle I''d ordered from the Blackmarket. An extremely potent poison that could kill even a D-rank creature! It may be considered a waste for the people outside, but I wanna clear this floor before starting exploring the center of this map! Ah, and regarding the "clearing this floor" thing, I''m not counting the populated nests as part of that. I''d need an army or two to clear those places... Still, this Mimic is holding out. Did that so-called gentleman give me a failed product? SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 6. You have reached Lv.16. You have obtained 2.4 Aether Points. Your Karma Value has fallen. Guess he didn''t. But only 6 levels..., I wanted to evolve one more time to fix this broken body of mine. Guess I can farm EXP as I explore the floor. I watched as the Chest Mimic evaporated into black smoke. That''s proof that it''s not only the spiders that have such a constitution, I guess..., oh? Something is remaining after the smoke cleared. A drop item!? My first one ever! I hurried into the secluded room and grabbed the item dropped by the Mimic. This is..., a coin? It looks like the same kind as the coin I found in the old storage room/ruined office, just shabbier. Is this a "nickel" compared to the first coins? And there''s something else here. A medallion...? Wait, this is half of a medallion! Just like the one I got for beating the boss in the purple nest! I wonder... Nope! Didn''t work! I tried to force the two halves together, but it seems that despite being the same medallion broken into two halves, they''re not designed to be merged again. At least, it''s not that simple. Maybe I need some help from a Crafter player? The medallions aside, I''m starting to become a decent player after all this time. I got decent skills, better stats, and even better equipment. The black leather armor that was the 100%-clear reward from the Nest of Sloth Quest is way better than the rags I used before. It takes the shape of leather armor that consists of a corset-like tanktop, shorts, greaves, and boots. All parts are made with either black leather or black cloth. It feels sorta erotic with these spiderweb stockings and gloves... I even got a handy Item Belt and the Iron Dagger~. Though, the latter is sorta busted up after I kept on attacking the hard exoskeleton of the beast-spider... Eh, whatever! As for my stats at the moment... Hmm, pretty well. Let''s ignore the dead stat known as STR. I''ve decided to make a build that doesn''t use it anyway. And let''s also ignore that my Karma Value has fallen to such deep depths. Anyhow, I got over 8 AP now! Yahoo! Let''s boost [Lurk] and [Detect Monster]...ah! Evolution! It requires AP as well! And I haven''t figured out about those papers from before! *Grr*, there''s no other way. I''ll keep from spending more AP for now. Let''s try to get to the center of the map without any new skills. At worst I''ll return to my Player Room..., with my pride wounded. *Sigh*... Chapter 15: The 4th Floor & the World Quest Heave and...ho! Phew, this is harsh. Better than having to battle the spider troops, but still. I''m currently climbing up the half-destroyed staircases that go to the next floor. Why am I climbing upward instead of trying to get out? Because the path that possibly leads to the exit is so guarded that it makes all the other parts of the Dungeon a joke. To properly explain, I reached the center of the map thanks to the golden combo of [Lurk] and [Detect Monsters]. But then I noticed that there was a path heavily guarded by E-rank spiders. A path that goes from the spider-shaped map''s core to its "mouth". That''s most likely the exit, but I need to travel past those E-rankers if I wanna confirm that, and it''s most likely that I''ll be spotted. Instead, I decided to do some spelunking and extend my map. The staircase to the next floor was in a sorry state, so I needed to climb up using the threads produced by my skill as a climbing rope. It''s tough, but not impossible. Is my body lighter than what it appears to be? I am something related to spirits after all... In any case, I reached the next floooooo-huh? What the heck''s this place? The new floor looks like... someone overlapped the castle theme from the previous floor with an apocalyptic urban theme. There is more broken stuff here than in the purple nest... Speaking of the devil, there''s a purple spider! And it''s big! If it follows the same rules as the ones down below, this guy would be an E-rank spider. Yikes. I''m not gonna fight that guy, so let''s go ninja on this floor too. Under the cover of the [Lurk] skill, I snuck around the purple spider and went deeper into the new floor. But before I left, I saw something shocking. There was a sign by the staircase, on the more urban plots of land. A sign that had a large 4 on it. Are you telling me that this is the Dungeon''s 4th floor? Could be a mistake on my part, but that would mean the floor I''ve been on all this time was the Dungeon''s 3rd floor. Meaning..., I still have to travel two more floors even if I did get past all those guard spiders... Argh, forget about that! Let''s focus on exploring this floor first! Maybe I find some anti-spider item hidden somewhere? Here and there I could see strange "sparks" on the floor or the walls if that''s the correct way to name them. They look like the game''s bugged at those places and are flickering between castle/urban appearances. It''s safe to touch the sparks, but they''re strange indeed. I saw more of the purple spiders, but I didn''t start a fight. That has to wait until I find another place I can connect my Player Room to. It''s too much of a drag to walk to the staircase every time I wanna go to this floor...? A map! On the wall that was more urban than fantasy-ish, someone has put up a modern-looking map over the floor! Or, I think it''s about the floor? Can''t read this damn thing... *Thump, thump* ......*sweat*. Crap. I focused too much on trying to figure out the map that I didn''t notice before it was too late. A huge spider was standing right behind me, looking at the map over my shoulder. ".........hi?" - Garami "......*nod*." - Spider Huh? It only nodded (or tried to) to me before it started to walk away. What was that all about..., BLUE MARKER! It''s an NPC! --- After some conformation, it seems that all the purple spiders here are NPCs. Not that I''ve explored the whole floor yet, but it''s still standing at 100%. And honestly, it''s a relief. If I had to fight myself through this floor, then I wouldn''t have been able to progress my Dungeon exploration. I mean, I asked one of the spiders if I could Identify it, which (surprisingly) it easily agreed on, and got to know that they are called "Purple Pride Spiders". This means, that if they''re following the same pattern as the spiders on the floor below, they have to be E-ranks or higher. Impossible for me to defeat in a fair fight, and regularly as I proceed through the floor. Peace is the best. I''ll keep my murdering instincts in check, not that I had any. After confirming the nonhostile behavior of the purple spiders, I started to map the floor while keeping my eyes open for an area that could be connected to my Player Room. Not having to worry about attacks is making this floor a breeze~. Maybe there''s something in this room? Inside, I found a Horror Remnant like the creeps from the chamber Emergency Quest. The breeze turned into a storm! Flee! Flee..., my legs won''t move! Crap, another event!! The Horror Remnant was sitting in a chair in the room and moved its head to stare at me. Grr, the second I get control over my body again, I''ll bombard the thing with [Mythical Threads] the second I can move again! The dried-up mummy opened its mouth, and... Wander of worlds, Migrant without blood or bone, With wit and help, take the Vile Queen''s throne. The threads that bind souls, cut it with your might, And then a new Queen will rise tonight. After reciting that poem..., or whatever, the Horror Remnant turned into black dust and I could move my body again... Okay, what was that all about?? The Arcechnia Castle is a Dungeon shrouded in mysteries. And now, the last former resident of this Dungeon before a certain event has entrusted you with his last wish: defeat the Vile Queen. However! Just destroying the Dungeon is unworthy of someone as despicable as yourself! Take out the Queen with any means possible, obtain the ownership of this castle yourself, and start a new reign with the spider-type monsters as your servants! SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have discovered the "Abandoned Security Room" in the Dungeon: Arcechnia Castle. It is now possible to travel to the "Abandoned Security Room" from your Player Room. Quest... Come on. That scared some years of my lifespan. Damn those designers. I could see the same old Player Room door appear on a wall inside the small room after getting the second System Message. That solves one problem, I guess. As for the other..., uhu..., right. Deletion..., I''m not surprised. The scale of this thing sounds too big for anything else. Let''s read about this stuff here. The worst possible end a player can experience. During certain events, Quests, or other conditions, there may be a danger for the character data to be unsalvagably corrupted, destroyed, or exposed to a different situation that would make it impossible for the player to use that character. A warning will be issued to the players that find one of these "fatal events", but it''s not for certain that they will be exposed to the character-destroying force, and only acts as a warning. However, these warnings should still be taken to one''s heart. If you do not want to risk losing your character, do not proceed with this "fatal event" if you can. If one''s current character data is destroyed, the player can create a new character with 10% of the total EXP and AP obtained from the previous character. Do note that items, sols, and other achievements will not be carried over. A type of Quest that will influence in-game scenarios and future events. Mostly related to the fate of kingdoms, Dungeons, or countries as a whole May also affect natural disasters. Oh, so I can just restart if I fail..., or maybe not. There could be a danger of the Dungeon suddenly starting to attack the outside world if I irritate the Dungeon Boss or whatever..., aren''t Dungeons a little too dangerous? Well, it seems that there is no immediate risk of failing. I can try to clear this "phase 1", then figure out what to do in the later phases. Even if I fail, I can just recreate my character in one of the cities instead of a racial start. That decides my plan regarding what to do on this floor. One method is to complete the map. Not having to deal with hostile spiders helps. As for the second method..., guess I have to get [Linguistics] after all. The biggest clues I got are those papers I found after all...*sigh*. Chapter 16: Results of the Investigation & Debugging Login. It''s the second day after I started to investigate the mysteries regarding the Dungeon, and I have some results. First, I was right before. This place is the Dungeon''s 4th floor. The "security room" that my Player Room is connected to had some monitors that showed the various floors of the Dungeon. The monitors marked "3rd floor" show the spider-shaped floor I started the game on, and there are two more unknown floors, one that''s connected to the entrance. And it seems the spiders down there are either E-ranks, and there are even D-ranks if I have to judge from their appearance. That sure killed my enthusiasm for trying to flee the Dungeon that way. And on another note, there''s at least 1 more floor here, as there are monitors that point to a 5th floor. Those were broken though, so I can''t see the situation there. I''ve been trying to look for more monitor rooms on my walks, but to no luck. I also tried to find a new hidden chamber like the one I got the Emergency Quest from. Such a place would have some sorta clues, but no luck there either. I even tried to return to the first chamber, but the wall there won''t budge. As for the investigation of the papers that I found before, not so good. I could read some parts of them, but [Linguistics] seems to be too low-leveled to read the more complicated words, but I did figure out four things that happened here: And while it wasn''t written in the papers, I think the Vile Queen acts as the "queen spider" or "primogenitor" of all the spiders in the Dungeon. I mean, the hostile Horror Remnants were covered in spider threads despite there being no spiders in the chamber, and a Dungeon filled with all-female spider monsters..., right? Even the "last researcher" said something about "threads that bind souls", so I think I''m right here. But other than that, I got nothing. Not where the Queen is, how to defeat her, or how to get to this 5th floor that is the most likely place for her to hide. In any case, time for another fun day of walking. I excited my Player Room, then the monitor room, then started to explore the floor. I think I have covered around 70% of the floor, based on the map I have from [Auto-Map] and those put on the walls, but nothing is preventing the Dungeon from adding secret passages. Therefore, I kept on walking while keeping an eye for anything suspicious. On my way, I greeted the purple spiders that were walking through the corridors as well. The researcher did also mention "with wit and help", and this Quest was specific that I needed to have a good relationship with the NPC spiders, so I refrained from battles and acted courteously with the spiders I met on this floor. Maybe I just need to lead a revolution or something against the Vile Queen to clear the Quest? If that''s the case, good PR is essential. --- After a while of walking, around when I''d mapped 90% of the floor, I discovered something. A safe. It looked rusty and old, just like the other urban items here and there in the Dungeon, so it''s likely not a mimic. I did try to Identify it, and sure thing, it''s a normal safe. No Mimics here. Okay, let''s try to pick it. There was no deep meaning in my decision. I just wanted to act like a proper Scout..., or, maybe as a Thief? After some time trying to figure out the dial lock used on the vault, I remembered something: my five senses are the worst! No way I can hear the faint clicks of the lock when I find the right combination to the safe! In that case, let''s just break it. The result of [Identification] told me that this thing has Durability, so it should be possible. I fired a few [Mystical Threads] at the hinges of the vault door and broke them. That allowed me to remove the door and get to the loot. It''s just that the stupid door''s a little heavy..., heave and HO! *Crash* Phew. I once again tasted the fault of having low STR. But I''m confident in dodging any attacks that would be normally impossible for others of the same rank to dodge. As for the loot~, we have..., huh? Two potions? And this is..., a vacuum cleaner? This is so surreal that it has deserved an [Identification]. Glitch? No, this is a vacuum cleaner, no? And the lack of rarity..., is it because it''s a key item that can be destroyed? The key from the storage Quest when I got [Detect Treasure] had infinite durability. I have an inkling of how this is supposed to b used, but before that, let''s take a look at the potions. They got a silver color, different from the red and blue HP Potions and MP Potions (both being weak variants). Skill-up... Is this what I think it is? A level-up item!? For skills, but even so! Yahoo! This is a dream come true! Wait, isn''t this too good to be true? I mean, even the weakest skill requires 3 AP to increase its level. And the name goes out to say the potion''s "deteriorated". Maybe there''s some side-effect? Better look it up on the BBS before using it. That only leaves the vacuum cleaner. Glitch..., it has to be talking about these bug-like sparks that I''ve seen on the 4th floor, no? Is this "magitech" supposed to clean the stuff? Not that I have anything against that. Seeing such bug-like stuff on the floor is freaking me out. I''m a gamer myself after all. Bugs and glitches are the worst. If I go by the impression that this vacuum cleaner works in the same fashion as the archetypical ones seen in certain ghost movies, I should try to suck up the glitches, right? Aim the head towards one, and... *Swoop!* Wow! It worked! With a strange sound effect, but even so! The glitchy-looking part on the floor had been sucked into the strange machine without damaging the floor. For some reason, a special effect that looked like black butterflies appeared on that spot before disappearing after a few seconds. After that pretty event passed, the floor where the glitch had been..., looked like it had gotten a renewal? Yeah, no joke there. The spot that looked like a messy mix of a dirty, abandoned office floor and the floor of an old, dusty castle now looks like it''s made of jet-black marble. What the heck, that''s cool! "Hmm, maybe the current appearance of the Dungeon is the result of the Vile Queen or something else wanting to "overwrite" the old lab used for the Outer Energy project into a castle-type Dungeon? And the glitches are in the way for the full takeover?" - Garami Story-wise, that would make some meaning. This vacuum cleaner could also be part of the experimental stuff the old researchers worked with. The question is: should I continue? If my theory is right, won''t removing the glitches improve the Dungeon? Or better said, allow the Vile Queen''s encroachment of the place to become stronger? .........well, it won''t hurt removing a few glitches~. Those butterflies were pretty to watch~. *Swoop!* *Beep!* Huh? A clear beep came after I sucked up a glitch from the wall outside the room where the vault was hidden. Hmm? The Arcechnia Castle is a Dungeon shrouded in mysteries. And now, the last former resident of this Dungeon before a certain event has entrusted you with his last wish: defeat the Vile Queen. However! Just destroying the Dungeon is unworthy of someone as despicable as yourself! Take out the Queen with any means possible, obtain the ownership of this castle yourself, and start a new reign with the spider-type monsters as your servants! The Quest was updated!? Now there''s a phase 2, even when I haven''t finished the first one, from the looks of it. The change happened because I removed the glitch on this wall..., oh? I can see a hollowed-out part of the wall now. A circular hole..., ah. The two medallion halves. They must be the keys. Thinking about it, it''s strange for that Chest Mimic to be placed in a Dungeon filled with spiders. And the second half was from a mini-boss hidden in a nest related to the purple spiders who''re occupying this floor instead. Did I stumble over a secret path by accident!? Hey, developers! Don''t place the hidden door so close to the key item needed to discover..., it...? This is starting to feel too easy. Way too easy. Why did the second phase of the Quest start when it says that the first one is still active? Hmm, let''s refrain from challenging the boss for now. At least until I''ve finished the first phase. And therefore, more swoop-ing! If there''s one hidden passage behind these glitches, maybe there are more? And if I''m really lucky, I may even find more Skill-Up Potions! Come at me, glitches!! --- Lots of *swoops!* later: *Click, click* Tch, did it break? Or is it filled to the brim? I shook the vacuum cleaner to see if that made it work again but to no luck. Not that it matters. Looking at the map, I''d say I''ve cleaned all parts of this floor now. And the result is stunning! The mess of a Dungeon has transformed into a splendid castle made of black marble, emerald-green gems lodged into the walls that act as magical lightbulbs, and beautiful paintings of various fantasy scenes as you walk down the corridors! Even the spiders are amazed over their new environment. And as I spied on the other floors from the monitors in the security room, it seems the effect has been spread to everywhere in the Dungeon! The only thing I feel is strange (stranger than what already is) is that those black butterflies have started to fly around the Dungeon even after the transformation. The smaller spiders like to chase those hologram-ish bugs and they''re not taking any hurt from them, so I guess they''re harmless. But that''s not all. I''ve also found some more documents that probably talk about the Vile Queen, but more important than that, I''ve also found a total of 10 Skill-Up Potions!! They''re all deteriorated, but who cares about that at this point? And more important than all the points above is this! "Evil Eyes for Dummies"!! A special grimoire just like the beginner magic book I got from the magic shop Quest! Not that I could use that one. You need to own a Mage-line class to use that. To keep it short, you have to pay AP to "activate" a Quest connected to the book and have to clear a puzzle within the time limit. Clearing the puzzle will award you with a new skill. Or so the bulletin boards told me. Failing means you simply spent AP for nothing. I''ve withheld myself from using the Skill-Up Potions just for this. I mean, an Evil Eye is a much better skill to level up than all the other skills I have! Mwa-hahaha! BWA-HAHAHAHAHA! Therefore, puzzle-time!! Chapter 17: Evil Eye & Event Info And clear~. Hmm-hmm-hmm~. A simple puzzle like that is no enemy for me~. Okay, it was sorta difficult. But I''ve cleared it! I didn''t play all those puzzle games before for nothing! While I was celebrating, the magic book started to burn, and the ashes rose into the air and created a list. This is..., Evil Eyes! Okay, that''s a lot. And here I thought I would be getting a random Eye without the choice of choosing it myself. Ehm, what should I take... All this stuff consumes MP, which is my lifeline despite not being a Mage. Gotta be careful when choosing one. Starting by eliminating what I don''t need should be the best..., which in that case, I can exclude [Analyzing Evil Eye], [Binding Evil Eye], and [Magic Evil Eye]. I have skills that do around the same thing as them in the form of [Identification], [Create Trap], and [Mystical Thread]. [Dark Evil Eye] must be the skill the creature in the Dark Cave used. It dealt lots of damage to me despite my high RES and natural resistance towards the Darkness attribute. Even then, there''s nothing that says that skill was at Lv.1. It could have been maxed out for all I know, so it''s rejected for now. At least until I find a way to improve my sight. My "attack range" with an Evil Eye is the same as my range of sight, meaning 5 meters. Have to take that into account. Meaning the Evil Eye should act as an emergency skill for the moment. Scary and Pain may bring opposite results in such a situation, so they''re out. A cornered rat and all that, and Pain may not be that strong either. That leaves me with the Evil Eyes of Blind, Sleepy, and Weakness. Sleepy may overlap with [Sleep Demon''s Touch], but the difference is that I don''t need to touch the target, which is a big plus. Blind would be useful for a distraction, else, Weakness would be the best option... Okay, I''ve decided. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have acquired the skill: [Weakness Evil Eye Lv.1]. You can now acquire Evil Eye-type skills from the Skill Shop. You have acquired the title: [First Evil Eye] My main element is darkness, so stuff like smokescreens and distracting the target may come up again. And weakening people just by glaring at them sound so cool! And what''s this title about? I guess that it''s something everyone gets along with their first Evil Eye skill... You are the first one to have stared back into the abyss when the abyss tried to stare at you. Now, go forward and warp the laws of the world with your maleficent eyes. I WAS DAMN WRONG! What''s this, it''s awesome! All these extra stats, AND bonus to Evil Eye-type skills?! That''s it. I''m getting more of those eyeballs. BWA-HAHAHAHAHA!! Nothing can stop me now! --- Later, in the real world: *Siiigh*... I silently ate my pizza as I looked at my character''s skills from the pc-screen. Those stupid potions. Why did they have to increase a random skill? And they didn''t hit a single offensive-related skill! Not that I have that many, but still... I close the game window and started to browse on the official site in an attempt to change my mood. And then I noticed something. An official notification from the management. THE FIRST EVENT IS CONFIRMED! [Nightmare Carnival]! Carnival? Are we gonna dress up? [Nightmare Carnival] event details: Oh? This is like a real carnival. Lots of stuff to do, even if you aren''t a combat player. There''s even info on the Skill-Up Potion. Seems like this one can increase the level of a specific skill, but only tier-1 skills. Even the management isn''t expecting people to have upped their skills past that. And the potions are non-tradable items. Probably a measurement to prevent people from over-leveling characters by using multiple accounts to get more potions. The duration of the event is 5 days, and it starts within two weeks. Maybe I should participate. Just the potion is enough of a reason to take a peek, but... Yeah, let''s try to clear the Dungeon first. If it turns out to be impossible, I''ll wait until the event starts and try to increase my battle potential there. But for now, good night. --- Good morning, and log in. The first thing I did was to take another look at the vacuum cleaner. The one I used yesterday to suck up all the "glitches", but something''s making me wonder. What happens to the glitches? Are they stored in some dust bag, or better, a "glitch bag"? Maybe I can use that as some bomb? After a while, I found out how to open the vacuum cleaner. But there''s something far more "developed" here than a simple dust bag. The [Identification] result tells me it''s an "Outer Energy Battery". Then should I plug it into some device? I exited my Player Room and started to look for something to use the battery on. And I found something right away! In the security room that my Player Room was connected to, a "thread" of light came out from the battery and went toward the broken monitors that should be for the fifth floor. After the thread of light connected to the monitors, they started to repair themselves right in front of my eyes! Cool! After the monitors were fixed, several screens started to show what I believe to be the 5th floor. No Vile Queens in sight though. But some of the monitors instead showed a recording, or maybe I should call it a "report"? It seems to be telling about the "Outer Energy" project, or, its later stages. Hmm..., you need [Linguistics] to understand most of this stuff, glad its level went up..., summarized, I can say the story''s like this: *Beep!* A sharp sound interrupted my reasoning at the same time as the monitors telling me about the "Outer Energy" project went black. Does that mean... The Arcechnia Castle is a Dungeon shrouded in mysteries. And now, the last former resident of this Dungeon before a certain event has entrusted you with his last wish: defeat the Vile Queen. However! Just destroying the Dungeon is unworthy of someone as despicable as yourself! Take out the Queen with any means possible, obtain the ownership of this castle yourself, and start a new reign with the spider-type monsters as your servants! YES! It worked! And hey! Who would challenge the Queen just like that!? That''s a one-way ticket to character deletion! Okay, I''ve got a plan now. Take this now-empty battery back into the vacuum cleaner and suck up as much glitch as..., the battery''s fried!? Crap, is it a one-time use? Th-th-there should be spare batteries somewhere else in the Dungeon! Like on the 5th floor! I hope... Chapter 18: 5th Floor & Water Torture Greydra Don''t forget to take a look at the Glossary for more info about the characters and (eventually) locations and other stuff. Ooh! This is almost a better view than from my apartment! After placing the medallion keys into the "keyholes" I discovered yesterday, the walls moved aside and revealed an elevator that''s taking me up to the fifth floor..., if we can call it that. Because this thing''s gone past several floors'' worth of height by now. It''s almost like a skyscraper. The elevator is the kind with glass walls and points toward the outside. Too bad I can''t see anything!! Damnit, I wanna EVOOOOLVE!! But I''ll wait. If I get the hang of stuff already as an Unstable Djinn, it''ll be a child''s play with the power-boost from the evolution. *Ding* Ah, we''re finally there? About damn time. After exiting the elevator, I found myself in a HUGE room. Big enough to make it impossible to see everything..., yet, I am seeing something. First, it''s [Detect Monster]. It''s going off like crazy for "something" that would be a few tens of meters below me. Most likely that the long elevator ride was because this specific floor is so stupid-high. And this is the first time my inborn "Karmavision" kicks in. It lets me see the owner of a "great karma", meaning those with high Karma Value. According to the manual, good Karma makes the "soul" of the observation target gain a white color, while those with bad Karma have their "soul" painted in darker colors. The normal spiders didn''t have much Karma at all. Probably due to being spawnable monsters or something, or they haven''t "lived" long enough to develop one? The creature down below, however, has a pitch-black Karma that has a hint of wine red. Just how bad is this thing...? The other thing I can "see" must be the "pipelines" that connect the Big Bad to those power sources the Quest talked about. My inborn Manavision lets me see it clearly from here, four large rivers of what I assume is "mana" or whatever. One green, one red, one black, and one white "pipe" connected to the Big Bad from each cardinal direction... Wait a sec. This position..., black is placed in the "northern"-parts of the floor, white is "west", red is "south"..., am I facing the Four Gods or something here!? No, it may just be a coincidence. But if not... Currently, I''m in the northwest part of the 5th floor. I''m standing on a reeling like those on oil platforms or energy plants. The walls and the decoration are still old-castle-themed, but I can see that the walls change colors the closer to their cardinal "pipeline". Meaning I''m in the white/black area right now. Oh, and there''s another Player Room door. Excuse me~. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have discovered the "Throne Room - Upper Floor" in the Dungeon: Arcechnia Castle. It is now possible to travel to the "Throne Room - Upper Floor" from your Player Room. Now I can skip that damn-long elevator ride~. Back to thinking time. What should I do now? If the idea that these energy sources are connected to the Four Gods, as red, green, black, and white isn''t used together that often, should I assume that there is a "god" protecting each place? The purple nest did have that mini-boss, so it would be strange for there not to be something like that at the most important parts of the Dungeon. If that''s true, then the bosses would, for the black, white, red, and green areas respectively, be ..., a tortoise, a tiger, a bird, and a dragon? And wasn''t the Four Gods connect to elements? Water, Metal, Fire, and..., Wood? Thinking about it, some guy posted that they''d discovered Wood element enemies, and we got the other three as primary elements, so it may be just that. Then the boss is the central dragon? Let your Karma be yellow-colored then! Not black+wine red!! Not to mention that this place is filled with spiders! Not dragons and whatever!! Damn, I swear I can hear my deductions falling apart here. But the part about each area being related to an element sounds like a thing. I''ll act based on that idea, especially considering that I''ve yet to encounter monsters with attributes yet. In that case..., let''s go after the black power source first. White being metal means it''s likely too sturdy for my threads. And if red = Fire, then I''m toast. Pun not intended. Green being Wood sounds like the safest bet, but if the boss is a dragon...*gulp*. Water may turn my threads too soggy to be used, but if I only use the skill strictly as a magic attack, it should work. Plus, if the enemy''s a tortoise, I can just stare at it with my Evil Eye, that slowpoke~. And with that, I started to make my way to the source of the black "pipeline". Like before, it''s not easy moving around while half-blind, but I''m managing. The pathway is not that different from the rest of the castle, and there are no monsters within the range of [Detect Monster]. Good, good- *Splash!* Wha-!? Who threw water at me! Come out and get threaded!! Did [Detect Monster] bug out? Or did I step on a trap? Hmm, both sounds unlikely. The latter because a trap should do something more deadly than throwing water- *Splash!* *Spit*, again!? And no response from my skill. Where''s that little..., there! Something emitting mana is floating above me. Monster or trap, that doesn''t matter. You''re not escaping my Manavision or my WRATH! [Mystical Thread]! The magic-like thread struck the floating water gun and destroyed it like popping a soap bubble. That was easy. What was that? *Splash!* Okay, fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me thrice, then what the heck''s going on!? [Identification] on the floating bundles of mana! Evil Spirit!? That''s a new one! But it''s a weakling, so it should be easy to ignore- *Splash!* "THAT''S IT! YOU''RE ALL GOING DOWN!" - Garami With an angry roar, I started to produce [Mystical Threads] and swung them around like whips at the evil spirits. The mere contact with the still-magical thread was enough to send the spirits back to whatever watery hell they came from, but for each spirit that I popped, another ten new ones were waiting for me deeper in the black area! I swung my threads at the spirits nonstop to the point that my arm was starting to hurting when that guy appeared. "Nice swing! Do some more!" Where did he come from!? Those were my honest thoughts as I turned around toward the voice that had complimented my 10-in-1 swing. And right as I made eye contact with it, a System Message appeared. SYSTEM MESSAGE: BOSS BATTLE! Name: [Water Fiend]. | Level: 5/E. | Rank: Solo. Why''s the boss roaming around outside the boss area!? Or is it a boss? Looks kinda weak. "What''s the hold-up!? Those nasty critters aren''t waiting for anyone! Every day, splash, splash, SPLASH..., oh." - Water Fiend "Sleep!" - Garami I can sorta guess this guy''s bone with the spirits that want him to root for my extermination of them, but an enemy of an enemy isn''t always a friend. So I rushed to his face and used a skill I thought I''d never get the chance to use: [Sleep Demon''s Touch]. "Hey, what are-, *SNOOOOORE*..." - Water Fiend Too effective! The blue-skinned fiend that truly lives up to one''s idea of a demon''s appearance fell to the ground while snoring loudly. Taking a better look at him, I can see that he has some serious bags underneath his eyes. Don''t tell me the reason he hates those spirits is that they kept him awake at night with all the splashing? Did the lack of sleep increase the effectiveness of my skill? I left the fiend lying on the ground and ran further into the black area, the mana-pipeline as my only clue. Defeating the guy in his sleep? I got nothing against that idea, but the odds are likely against me. If I wake him before depleting all his HP, I may get killed instead. And this is a super-chance that I can''t let slip past my fingers! The Evil Spirits flocked towards me, but I swatted them with more [Mystical Threads]. And finally, after the full sprint that had depleted a third of my SP, I reached my goal. In a large area, a huge ball of yarn had been placed. And it''s from this ball that the mana is coming from, along with it producing several magic circles that spawns water spirits from. Seeing no need in unraveling the big ball, I knocked off one of the torches from the walls and used it to burn the ball. The water spirits tried to extinguish the fire, but I swatted them away before they could fire their water guns. After a while, the flames wrapping around the thread ball had grown too big for the spirits to extinguish it, and the various magic circles started to disappear. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Boss battle cleared! First-time clear bonus: The "Magic Staff of [Water Blast]" item. No damage clear bonus: 3 AP You have obtained the title: [Alternative Boss Clear] Did that count as a win? Or did I escape the battle but won the war? The new title should explain it. Proof of having bent the rules and tricked a Boss enemy to fail their task. Oh, okay. Sorta get it. Compared to the [First Boss Kill] title: Proof of having defeated a Boss enemy for the first time. Oh, okay. Now I sorta get it. There are multiple ways to get around a boss. I returned to the "main hub" of the fifth floor after taking the magic staff-like item from the treasure chest that had been placed on the spot where I''d left the Water Fiend before. Guess he also disappeared with the ball of thread. Now that I think about it, didn''t the Water Fiend lurk around the area instead of staying here with the yarn ball? Does that mean the other bosses will be of the roaming type? Time to act more carefully from now on. I was only damn lucky this time around. And that the boss was so weak. Why was his level that low anyway? What a mystery. Chapter 19: Fire, Wood, & Metal MWA-HAHAHAHA!! Take this, fireballs! SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.17. You have obtained 0.4 Aether Points. You have obtained the title: [Spirit Slayer] Title and level-up! I''m on a roll today! It''s the day after the exploration and defeat of the "Black Area" on the fifth floor. I''m currently on a killing spree in the "Red Area" where tons of fire spirits similar to the water spirits from yesterday are trying to stop me. "Trying" is written in bold characters. And how am I overwhelming these floating fireballs that should have an advantage over me, specifically, my threads? Simple. I''m making use of the magic item I got yesterday~. The "Magic Staff of [Water Blast]" is a blue rod that wouldn''t look weird on a magician, but it''s far from any simple piece of wood. Anyone with high enough INT can equip it and use its abilities. Specifically, the ability to use a pseudo-[Water Blast] move! I learned about it from the BBS last night. [Water Blast] seems to be a skill of the Water element that inflicts damage through consuming MP to create a blast of water. Just like its name suggests. I''m not against simple names, especially for something that makes me a one-demon-army against these pesky fireballs! The Lesser Evil Fire Spirits have the appearance of floating fireballs with nasty faces visible in the fire, but as the water spirits from yesterday, they are Lv.1 G-ranks that hardly pose any trouble even for me. I''ll extinguish them like a prime exorcist! Hmm, that feels sorta wrong... Ignoring my bad monologue, I kept on dousing every fireball in sight until [Detect Monster] went silent. Time for a break. I have to recover my MP. Thank god that I obtained this new skill. Auto-recovery sounds like end-game content, but demons seem to have it easy in obtaining it. It''s even part of our trait. And despite the skill description saying I''ll recover 2 MP per 10th second with my lv.1 skill, I''m recovering 3 MP instead. Must be from the boost from the Demon trait. It''s little, but even dust can become a mountain if you gather enough. While waiting, let''s look at the new title as well. Proof of having killed many spirits. Do you have a grudge against them or something? Oh? 20 MP is generous, even if [First Evil Eye]''s better. Wonder if there''s a more advanced version of it. And yes, I have a grudge against them. Specifically, the water types, but I''m not the kind of demon to discriminate between elements. Looking at my map, I shouldn''t be far from the ball of threads now. If this area is designed similar to the "Black Area", then "that thing" should be..., there! I''m getting a reaction from [Detect Treasure]! It is right over..., and this guy is a roamer too. Rude bastard. I know I''m pretty, but stay in your room until I arrive, okay? "Water Burst!!" - Garami "*Blub, blub, blub*-!?" - Fire demon? I fired the magic attack into my shadow where the boss had been hiding, just like his compatriot from yesterday. That''s why I didn''t notice him, or this one, right before they exited the shadows. Not sure if it''s some demon-power or a boss-related privilege, but I could see him with Manavision, so it''s not a foolproof ability. SYSTEM MESSAGE: BOSS BATTLE! Name: [Fire Fiend]. | Level: 5/E. | Rank: Solo. So they''re all Fiends? And another one with a low level. "Why you-*Blub, blub, blub*-!!" - Fire Fiend Low or not, he''s stronger than me. Because of that, I made the magic staff keep on forcing water down his throat while I used [Sleep Demon''s Touch] to weaken him so he wouldn''t get away. It took a minute or so, but finally, the force of the water attack seems to have done its thing. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Boss battle cleared! Acquired 3.0 AP as a reward for having subjugated the boss: [Fire Fiend]. First-time clear bonus: The "Magic Bracelet of [Fireball]" item. No damage clear bonus: 3 AP Your level has increased by 3. You have reached Lv.20. You have obtained 0.8 Aether Points. For reaching your race''s level-cap, you have obtained 2.0 Aether Points. Your Karma Value has fallen. Congratulations. Evolution is now possible. You have 2 evolution options available. Thank you, all you sea-orientated players who''re posting on the BBS. Thank you for telling me that drowning takes away HP like a status ailment. And for "Red Rage" from the demon thread exposing her race''s weakness to the Water element. Thank you so much~. Because now I can..., 5 AP for each option!? Come on!! Hmm, let''s wait with evolving. The Quest reward, meaning that special evolution right, sounds like something to wait on instead. Ah, almost forgot. This hidden panel that [Detect Treasure] noticed was around here...*click*. Bingo! The contents of the secret room behind the panel contained one, two..., 40 bronze-colored coins! There were only 4 silver-colored ones in the "Black Area". Or is it that 10 bronze equals 1 silver? I''m talking about the set of coins that I''ve discovered across the Dungeon. Like the gold coins that I sold for a high price to that guy from the Blackmarket or the bronze coin that I got as a reward from that mini-boss. Now I have 46 bronze-, 4 silver-, and 1 gold coin of this "currency". I discovered a few on the 4th floor. Wonder how much a coin collector would pay for them. Anyway, the real treasure I''m searching for is the item placed alongside the coins. A new battery for the glitch vacuum cleaner. I found one in the "Black Area" as well, so all I need now is to take this back with me, then return here..., but let''s go and burn the ball of threads so it won''t summon more spirits. Time to taste my Fireball! --- Later, outside the "Green Area". *Cough, cough*. that was a stupid move of me. I looked at the scorching inferno that was supposed to be the "Green Area". It looks more like a stone oven in an authentic Italian restaurant. I-it''s not my fault..., the Lesser Evil Wood Spirits had the appearance of flowers and plants, so..., and I did try to defeat them with my [Mystical Threads] at first, only for the same threads to act as kindling... SYSTEM MESSAGE: Boss battle cleared! Acquired 3.0 AP as a reward for having subjugated the boss: [Wood Fiend]. First-time clear bonus: The "Magic Dagger of [Grasp Vine]" item. Your Karma Value has fallen. And there goes the Fiend! But he''s mostly the fault of this mess! Scaring people like that, didn''t his mom teach him better?! I got burned a little myself, so I''m not in the wrong here! More importantly, is the treasure chest gonna be alright? Not to mention the battery for the vacuum cleaner. I guess that there''s one in each area, seeing as how both the Black- and Red Areas had one each. Better wait for the fire to stop... Log out! --- Another day, another area! Let''s go! I''m currently in the White Area, and the place is filled with Lesser Evil Metal Spirits. They look like grey-ish blobs of melted metal... The Green Area? Of course, I got the battery! Thank god the hidden room was fireproof. Even if I was worried if even the glitches had turned to ashes... There''s no risk for another forest fire here, but the evil spirits aren''t what you would call "flammable". I''m stuck with trying to hit them with [Mystical Threads]. Back to the metal blobs. They''re too weak! The only good thing I can say about them is that they''re not as many compared to the Wood spirits. That was a disaster... But the "Metal Fiend" or whatever isn''t coming. Despite the other three guys trying to score a sneak attack on me, I can''t see anything weird happening with the shadows nearby. This continued until I reached the hidden panel in this area, and like the other three cases, there was a battery for the vacuum cleaner plus some more of these strange coins. I left the battery behind as I didn''t want it to be damaged if the boss suddenly appeared, but I grabbed the few coins and placed them in the pocket where I kept the others. I''m having a feeling that these things may have a special purpose, so it''s better to keep them on hand. ...maybe the Fiend this time around is a gentleman that doesn''t fight dirty? A real demon in white armor? What a loser. I mentally insulted my future opponent while whipping away the few spirits that tried to attack me in something I can only assume to be desperation. It may have something to do with that title I got from the Red Area. The slayer-title. Maybe the spirits see me as some boogeyman? While humoring myself with that thought, I finally reached the end of the area without being interrupted by a boss for once. Just as I predicted, the big bad was waiting here. And now I''m starting to understand why it wasn''t trying to take me by surprise like the other three. SYSTEM MESSAGE: BOSS BATTLE! Name: [Lesser Armor Devil]. | Level: 2/D. | Rank: Solo. A grey knight wearing full-plate armor that had a slight, demonic design was standing in front of the huge thread ball. A huge greatsword was stabbed in the ground which the demonic knight was resting its hands on. And despite its low level, the knight emitted an aura of experience that could make even an amateur understand that it was far from a simple-minded monster. So that''s the reason it never went for a dirty blow. It never needed to. Chapter 20: Devils & Contracts "The fools all died then. Just as expected." - Lesser Armor Devil The demonic knight talked with a voice devoid of any compassion for its fallen allies. It then pulled its sword from the ground- "Fireball!" - Garami But I didn''t have the time to stand leisurely and watch it prepare itself for a macho battle! Armor means its defense is big, and this Garami does NOT have macho-skills that can penetrate the defense of a D-rank armor-bastard! "Wha-! [Vibration Cutter]!!" - Lesser Armor Devil What the hell, a flying slash!? It cut my Fireball before it managed to score a hit on the ball of threads! "Hey, what''s the big idea!" - Garami "That''s my line! Who tries to end a magnificent battle between adventurers and monsters by cutting of the latter''s power line to existing!? ...hmm? You are..." - Lesser Armor Devil The devil stopped in his tracks after he took a good look at my face. What? Do I have some food on my cheek? "............haha." - Lesser Armor Devil What? "Haha. Hahaha. BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!!" - Lesser Armor Devil And now he''s laughing like crazy!? He''s even bending his back while roaring out laughter! What?! Did he use some madness-type skill or something!? "BWA-BWA-BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHA! To think at this place, after being unreasonably summoned to this hellhole, I can finally have my revenge! PREPARE YOURSELF, YOU DIABOLIC PIECE OF SHIT!!" - Lesser Armor Demon Gyaaaa!? The guy suddenly went into rage mode and attacked me! And he''s fast! I tried to dodge his rush, but his sword still cut off my item belt and..., MY ARM!! "IT HUUUURST!!" - Garami "What hurts!? Someone like...? That''s strange. For that woman to be so meek..." - Lesser Armor Devil "Who''re you calling meek!? Anyone would start crying when you cut their goddamn arm off!!" - Garami I shouted back at the devil while holding back my tears. It doesn''t hurt that much, but the shock and scare from having my arm cut off so suddenly and without warning have left me mentally wounded. "Hmm..., excuse me, o fair lady who is cursed with such a nasty appearance. It seems I have mistaken you for the wretched bitch who had forced me away from my home in Solomar to this abandoned dumpster of a castle. Not to mention forcing me into such a humiliating appearance..." - Lesser Armod Devil "What nonsense are you talking about!" I shouted to the devil who''d started to complain to himself while talking to me. "No, this was embarrassingly rude of me. Especially to one who may share my sufferings-" - Lesser Armor Devil "I already told you to stop talking nonsense! Aren''t you the boss of this place?" - Garami "Ah, that is my role here, I agree. Not that I wanted to myself..." - Lesser Armor Devil "...did the boss of this place summon you against your will or something?" - Garami The hostility in the air had disappeared as sudden as the devil''s fit of anger from before, so I found myself asking the devil in a casual voice before I knew it. Games are great like that. You can ignore the pain of losing an arm that easily. "Yes, just as you said! That bitch forced me to guard this place, linking my life to this stupid idea of a power source, and even stripped me of my original appearance and powers! Now, due to the greed of this place''s owner, the most power I can muster is the amount granted to be by the adventurers who are defeated inside this joke of a Dungeon..." - Lesser Armor Devil ...oh. So that''s why his level''s that low. The bosses'' levels must be decided by the killed players-, hey! That''s damn bad! If more players start trying to break through the first floors of the Dungeon unsuccessfully, won''t that end up feeding these guys more EXP!? Ah, there''s just this guy left..., but what about the Queen!? "Hmm, so you wish to defeat the Queen of this pitiful castle?" - Lesser Armor Devil "How did you know!? Was it that apparent?" - Garami "Of course it was. After all, I harbor similar thoughts. Who would want to stay guard over this place for all eternity?" - Lesser Armor Devil "Then-!" - Garami "But alas, o pitiful woman who plays the role of a demon. Destroying this mass of mana behind me is the same as ending my life. No matter how much I despise staying here in this false realm, dying is something I cannot allow myself to." - Lesser Armor Devil This guy''s talking too much. I can barely understand half of what he''s saying. At most, I get that even an AI like him doesn''t wanna die, but I don''t wanna be stuck here either! "Oh?" said the devil all of a sudden. He was looking at the items that had spilled from my broken item belt. ...phew. The potions are still safe. "Young lady, are these Kurs yours?" - Lesser Armor Devil "Kurs?" - Garami "These coinages," replied the devil while pointing at the coins I''d collected across the Dungeon. "Yes, they''re mine..." - Garami "WONDERFUL! Simply wonderful! Young lady, what do you say about making a contract with me?" asked the devil with a voice high-pitched from sheer joy. "C-contract?" - Garami "PRECISELY! Devils like me can be placed under a contract in exchange for something of value. It''s what you people would call a "devil summoning". During the period of the contract, we devils have to follow the orders of the contract to a tee..., even if it''s forced onto us such as in my case now." - Lesser Armor Devil "O-oh..., and what does that have to do with me? You have a contract already..." - Garami "And that is my point! A noble devil such as myself cannot be underneath two contracts at the same time! If I would take another contract, my old one would be invalidated. That is why it''s standard practice for modern devils like me to include a clause in our contracts that prevents us from taking a new contract until the previous one is fulfilled." - Lesser Armor Devil "...then isn''t it impossible?" - Garami "HOWEVER, foolish lady, I was forced into this contract of "defending the bundle of demonic energy", and ONLY that! There are no clauses whatsoever! BWA-HAHAHAHAHA!!" - Lesser Armor Devil "O-okay, I get it! Just stop exploding into laughter like that! It''s bad for my heart..." - Garami "Hmm, is it that bad, you say? The next time I gain a physical form, I should try to aim for the Sound attribute." - Lesser Armor Devil "Attribute? Don''t you mean "element"?" - Garami "Ah, yes. Whatever you say. Now, for the contract." - Lesser Armor Devil "...will this work? It sounds too simple to do so..." - Garami "I cannot say your doubts are meaningless but do not worry! In this long time of my imprisonment, I have simulated any possible method of escaping these unjust chains placed on my body. It is guaranteed to work!" - Lesser Armor Devil This guy''s starting to sound sketchy... "Now, young lady, we''re not getting any younger! I presume you wish a contract with the contents of "me assisting you in defeating the Vile Queen of this Dungeon" and "I am not allowed to take another contract until the Vile Queen is defeated", with my reward being my release from this realm and, let''s say..., around this much?"- Lesser Armor Devil The devil picked up the golden coin, the golden "kur", was it, and showed it to me. That''s a cheap price for an ally here, I guess... "...add a "no backstabbing" clause and a "won''t attack me right after the boss is beaten" clause, then we have a deal." - Garami "WONDERFUL! But despite your previous performance, you are not the careless type. Color me surprised." - Lesser Armor Devil "And you say a mouthful of words too many!" - Garami SYSTEM MESSAGE: A temporary contract with the nameless individual, [Lesser Armor Devil] has been created. Boss battle cleared! First-time clear bonus: The "Magic Shield of [Metal Wall]" item. A System Message and a strange pattern appeared on the back of my hand with the agreement from this devil, symbolizing an "interesting" companionship, to say the least. --- "Oh-ho? For a wimpy girl like yourself, you have quite the destructive line of thought." - Lesser Armor Devil Is that the first thing you have to say after I went all the way to share my anti-boss plans with you? What a rude devil. After the contract, I brought the devil with me back to my Player Room to collect the vacuum cleaner and suck up the glitches of "demonic energy" as the devil called them. During the process, I explained to him my idea of defeating the Vile Queen. "Though it is not a bad idea, even if extremely destructive. Using the stored packages of demonic energies as bombs against the weakened Queen should be enough to snuff her out. Not to mention it removes the potential damage of your body becoming permanently unusable." - Lesser Armor Devil It does? "What is with that face of yours? Don''t come and tell me that you did not know that exposure to the Queen''s demonic energy could mutate your body to beyond the point of your soul being able to stay in control of it." - Lesser Armor Devil "......, I''ll leave that to your imagination." - Garami Craaaaap, TOOO CLOOOOSE! The Queen could do that? Craaaaaap!! Glad I got those things outta the Queen''s hands! "Girl, if you can make even a devil such as me exhausted just by your natural behavior, then you have a future in the usage of status ailment-inflicting occupations." - Lesser Armor Devil "Shut it! But will this plan work?" - Garami "Of course it will! That is what I want to say, but that Queen is not stupid even in her weakened state. I will act as a vanguard and drag her attention..., girl. You have some extra skill-, no, that''s wrong. You have some extra Aether Points remaining, do you not? Spend them." - Lesser Armor Devil "WHAT?!" - Garami "Now, now, I have a plan here. If you cooperate with me here, that faulty Queen will not see the light of tomorrow. BWA-HAHAHAHA!" - Lesser Armor Devil I don''t know why, but I''m starting to feel a little sorry for her royal majesty. Just a little. Chapter 21: Vile Queen & World Message *Sniff*, all my AP... I had 12 AP before this, but that stupid devil forced me to spend 9 AP on upgrading some skills, plus getting 1 new one. Even the few points from when Scout reached Lv.20 are not enough to compensate for this loss... I''ve added the Magic Dagger I got from the Green Area to my arsenal, but I doubt I''ll have a chance to use it, considering my low STR. I lost the item belt from the fight with the stupid devil, so I was forced to take up a skill to replace the item. As for the Magic Shield I got from the White Area, the devil is using it. He''s the vanguard after all. "This is gonna work, right?" I asked the devil as we walked down the stairs leading to the Vile Queen''s "chamber". "It has to work, or we can say goodbye to our peaceful lives." - Lesser Armor Devil No guarantees and just threats!? What a shitty game! Despite my grumbling, we reached the "bottom" of the fifth floor. The Queen''s area. The battlefield is around 500 meters wide, so I can''t see the Queen from this distance. According to the demon, the Queen is chained to a throne that can turn, and she will fight players by using long-range attacks like threads and summons. The plan is to let the demon attract the Queen''s attention and move counter-clockwise around the circular area. I shall move behind the Queen''s throne and attach the batteries fully charged with the stolen demonic energy to the throne without being noticed by the Queen. ...honestly, it''s a sketchy plan. There''s no guarantee that the devil is on my side or if he''s faking it. The whole contract thing could be a big hoax. Well, the worst that can happen is my current character being deleted. I''ll just create a new character, restart in one of the cities, and prepare an army of adventurers when I find the castle again. I''m a girl that knows how to hold a grudge. SYSTEM MESSAGE: DUNGEON BOSS! Name: "The Vile Queen", Archechina. | Level: 25/D. | Rank: Solo. Ugh, it''s stronger than what the devil was... "Okay, let''s start the plan," whispered the devil before he walked out of my line of sight. He started to shout something, probably to the Queen, but my ears couldn''t catch on to what he was saying since he was too far away, and because my ears are as bad as my eyes. No other choice than to play along. This is a task impossible alone, which is the whole reason I agreed with his idea... I moved according to the plan, meaning close to the wall counter-clockwise. Loud sounds of battles could be heard on the other side of the room. I checked the map to see how far I''d walked and when I reached the 9 o''clock part of the room (with the entrance being 6 o''clock), I made a beeline for the middle of the room. Yes! The Queen has her back turned to me! The devil did it! Wasting no time, while keeping the stealthy [Lurk] skill active, I started to take out the four batteries from my newest skill. It''s pretty handy, even if it''s limited compared to some of the OP item bags from certain light novels. The batteries need two slots, while a single potion bottle requires 1 slot, just to make an example. But that''s for the weak-type potions I own, so the higher-ranking ones may need more slots. Anyway, time to start setting the "bombs". The new level of [Create Trap] allows me to make more complicated traps, even if it''s just sticking the batteries onto the throne with the sticky threads from [Mystical Threads]. The speed of the skill far surpassed my abilities, which would have been too slow and made the Queen notice me, so I''m grateful for the devil telling me to increase the skill level. After the batteries were set, I dragged the long "fuse" created from [Mystical Thread] and moved as close to the wall as I could while making sure to move clockwise so I wouldn''t end up in the Queen''s line of fire as the devil continued to keep her aggro on him. "Fireball." - Garami I activated the Magic Bracelet''s power with a small whisper and created a small Fireball due to giving as little MP as possible to the accessory. Not that I have that much left to give anyway. [Lurk] and the threads for [Create Trap] have almost emptied my gas tank. The moment the fuse left my line of sight, I crunched down while holding my head low. Three, two, one... *KA-BOOOOM!* A massive blast shook the whole room. It reached me, taking a good chunk of my HP with it. Did that do it? I tried to search with [Detect Monster] to see what had happened to the two..., crap. Two signals are left. Meaning they both survived. I restored my HP and MP with the two potions that had been all that I could store with the new [Small Inventory] skill before re-activating [Lurk] and tried to sneak up on the Queen again. I made sure to stay on the opposite side of the room as the devil''s signal, as the Queen is more likely to keep her eyes on him. After reaching the middle of the room again, I saw the sorry state of the Queen''s throne. It''s in pieces. The Queen herself is still linked to it, quite literally. Large, gothic-looking chains from the remains of the throne were forced into the flesh of the Vile Queen, meaning that she''s still stuck here even with the throne practically destroyed. The Queen looks like a female adult, but with an exoskeleton on her arms and legs like a spider. There are also huge horns on her head that take a shape similar to a crown. She''s dressed in a black evening gown, but it''s almost destroyed due to the explosion from before. The Queen launched several attacks that looked similar to [Mystical Threads] into the darkness, probably aimed at the devil who''s still fighting with the Queen. I could hear faint sounds of metal being destroyed..., please let it be the metal walls created by the Magic Shield. This ain''t gonna work. The batteries have done a lot of damage to the Queen, but we need a finishing move. The devil''s occupied, and my attacks..., probably won''t work. They''re too weak. Sorry for being a Scout!! Grr, if just that lazy devil could get a good hit in... "Grasp Vine!" - Garami I stabbed the Magic Dagger into the ground and created a green magic circle that released several vines that moved in a tentacle-like fashion and wrapped themselves around the Queen. "[Mystical Thread]!" - Garami While turning off [Lurk] to save some MP, I released a volley of [Mystical Threads] at the Queen before she could recover from the shock of being captured. The threads hit her, but they couldn''t even draw blood from her. The Queen, finally looking at me-gyaaa!? Instead of a human''s face, she has a too-realistic spider face! Bleargh. Being used to spiders does NOT mean I''m happy to see such a strange combination, developers! The Queen had prepared the magic circles for her own [Mystical Threads]-like skill while I''d been standing like an idiot when I saw her shocking appearance. I jumped outta the way and used [Create Traps] on the threads that I''d hit the Queen with and wrapped them around her like a half-assed cocoon. It didn''t stop the Queen from readying the second valley of threads, but then: "Fireball!" - Garami I poured all my MP into a big Fireball and shot it at the Queen while I hurriedly tried to roll away from the spot. The Queen fired her threads in visible panic at the Fireball, and..., YES! The magical threads simply passed through the Fireball. That skill is related to [Mystical Threads]! Just like my threads, the Queen''s threads aren''t affected by the fire while it''s in its "magical state", but on the flip side, they can''t affect the Fireball either. The Queen turned into a human candle due to the threads and vines wrapped around her when the Fireball hit her. I, on the other hand, had managed to escape without being hit due to the Queen messing up her aim in her panic. Still..., it''s not enough. The Queen''s on fire, but she doesn''t look like she''s gonna kick the bucket any time soon. The vines and threads are more likely to do that. And when she''s free... I stood up and took a stance against the Queen, who was glaring at me with her eight eyes filled with rage. Crap, scary... But it''s just what I wanted. "[Vibration Slash]!!" - Lesser Armor Devil Because the rage had made the Queen forget all about the devil. The devil in shining armor (from the flames of the candle-Queen) slashed at the Queen''s torso with his sword enveloped in some "moving force", or whatever I should call it. The Queen was taken by surprise, and this final slash managed to reap the last of her HP. As I saw the Queen''s body turning into the same old black dust as with the spiders on the 3rd floor and the spirits here on the 5th floor, I noticed I''d been holding my breath for a while. But now, there are no worries. SYSTEM MESSAGE: The Dungeon Boss: ["The Vile Queen", Archechina] has been defeated! Acquired 5.0 AP as a reward for having subjugated the Dungeon Boss: ["The Vile Queen", Archechina]. The Treasure Vaults of the Dungeon are free for your taking. You have cleared the World Quest: [Plunder of the Arcechnia Castle | Path of Chaos]. You have obtained ownership over the Dungeon: [Arcechina Castle]. Discover the Dungeon Core to start altering the Dungeon. New Evolution Options are available: 1. You have obtained 10.0 Aether Points. You have acquired the title: [World Quest Cleared]. You have acquired the title: [Dungeon Clearer]. You have acquired the title: [Dungeon Ruler]. WORLD MESSAGE: Player: [Garami] has cleared and obtained the Dungeon: [Arcechina Castle]. Alterations of the Dungeon will proceed shortly. It is impossible to enter the Dungeon: [Arcechina Castle] for the next 24 hours. I won. No doubt about it. "BWA-HAHAHAHA! Looks like things are going to become chaotic from now on!" - Lesser Armor Devil The devil started to laugh. Maybe the separate message was shown to him as well? I turned around to him and saw his body gradually disappearing in puffs of black smoke. It was different from how the Queen was disintegrating..., ah. "You''re going home?" - Garami "BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHA! YES, FINALLY! Allow me to thank you, o little lady of this false realm. If you ever would appear before me again..., I will let you go scot-free." - Lesser Armor Devil "...you''re thinking we''ll be enemies if we meet again?" - Garami "OF COURSE! I am the Archdevil of Irritation, Razor Emerwell! The one who may be stronger than the Demon King of Solomar himself! And I am not stupid enough not to predict that you would take a different route than to join that old bloke if you were to come to my world. He''s goddamn boring after all, compared to the alternative! BWA-HAHAHAHA! BWA-BWA-HAHAHAHAHA!!" - Lesser Armor Devil Leaving behind those strange words, the devil completely disappeared in a fit of joyous laughter. Well, I won''t be meeting him again..., right? Suddenly, I''m feeling dead-tired. No wonder, considering I''ve been going on ever since I challenged the White Area today. But before I log out, there are a few things I gotta do. Checking out the rewards~. Chapter 22: The Obtained Dungeon & Second Evolution In the middle of the room that was used as the battleground for the boss battle against the Vile Queen, I started to look up the rewards in the now-empty room sans for me. Even the Queen''s remains had become dust in the wind, leaving nothing..., oh? It seems like the Queen had dropped a key upon her death. It seems to be made of pure gold and is quite heavy... Is this related to the "The Treasure Vaults of the Dungeon are free for your taking" line in the System Message? In any case, I''ll be holding on to this. After storing the key in my [Small Inventory], I returned to check out the other rewards. The first and easiest one is my AP. It had increased to 15.7. That''s a lot. 10 came from the Quest I started, but the rest came from defeating the Dungeon Boss. Meaning there will be more people actively hunting down weaker Dungeons if this gets known. So I''ll keep quiet about it for now. The next is the titles. I got a whole 3 of them in one go. It''s easy to figure out why I got them from their names, but still... Proof of having gone against the enemies of Order, the Dungeon Masters, and defeated a Dungeon. Proof of having gone against Order and become a new ruler of a Dungeon. Humanity sees you as an enemy while monsters worship you as their ruler..., maybe. Hey, wait a sec! What''s up with these titles?! They boost all my stats! And the [Dungeon Ruler] is plain bad! Both regarding the amount of stats, AND its effects! I mean, can I even enter a human city from now on? Probably not. Damn... Proof of having been part of a World Quest that did not fail. Great work! That''s..., a lot, yes, but less compared to Ruler. This is for a World Quest, no? Oh, maybe you just need to be part of the "winning team" to get this title? Like, Nameless Soldier A would get it even if a Super-OP-Hero defeated the demon king? Yeah, think that''s the case. Still, all three titles boost all the stats..., because there are no special class requirements for beating a Dungeon or clearing a World Quest? Maybe I should start using the Ruler title while fighting outside public eyes, and the World Quest..., no, that won''t work. If I''m right, the "World Message" that was separated from the System Message may have been given to the whole "world". If that''s true, then every player out there now knows that "player Garami owns a Dungeon". The bulletin boards will give me more clues about that. All that''s left is evolving..., or not. There''s still the whole Dungeon business. I used my map to reach the opposite side of the room compared to the stairs I and the devil used to climb down and found a new door. Typical game logic. The next door is always behind the boss. Inside the next room was..., nothing much. Just a room small enough that even I could see all of it from the entrance. In the middle of the room stood a pedestal with a strange crystal ball on top. It''s sorta black-ish and purple-ish..., and I think the colors are moving around like fog inside the sphere. Weird. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have gained access to the Arcechina Castle''s Dungeon Core. Purging hostile individuals... Recalibrating Floors and Facilities... Removal of special-breed monsters... Connecting the Dungeon Ruler''s Player Room with the Dungeon Core Room... Done. Such a message appeared after I touched the sphere. Then this thing''s the Dungeon Core. I had a guess, but you never know. But how do I "use" this thing? I tried touching the Core a few more times, but nothing happened. Feeling fed up and tired of the long day, I turned around to the door that had appeared in the room. From its appearance and the System Message, it''s safe to say it leads to my Player Room. It looks no different than normal. Deciding to take a break, I entered my room and noticed a new contraption having been placed there. It looks like a touch screen terminal that you can find in high-tech buildings. Does the Player Room menu have some explanation for it? Dungeon Terminal!? So that''s how you do it. To test it out, I tried to start up the Terminal. It lit up without any problems and showed me the data of the Dungeon: Oh-ho..., I don''t get it. Ah, I can get more info here. The name of your Dungeon. Can only be changed during the recreation period after taking over the Dungeon. The level of the Dungeon. This level increases when the Dungeon monsters or Dungeon traps defeat invaders. The number of floors the Dungeon has. Can be increased by spending Dungeon Points and Facility Points. The main category of the Dungeon. Affects what type of items and facilities the Dungeon can create. Can be changed only once each month. The 12 elements that are possible to add to the Dungeon. Only monsters related to these elements can be spawned in the Dungeon. The Main Element has to be one of the 10 available primary elements, while the remaining 11 elements are required to be composition elements. The 12 "element slots" of the Dungeon represent the 12 primary elements, so one cannot obtain an element that does not have a free "slot" available. One can choose any related element "slots" for composition elements. Resources that the Dungeon Ruler can spend to alter and/or enhance their Dungeon. 10% of the total Dungeon Point value is recovered each hour. The total Dungeon Point value is based on the number of floors of the Dungeon, plus the Dungeon''s level. Each floor grants 10 Dungeon Points, while each Dungeon Level grants 100 Dungeon Points. Facilities that can be added to Dungeons. Costs Dungeon Points to be placed. Dungeon Traps are also placed within this category. A value that dictates how many Facilities the Dungeon can have. New Floors and increased Dungeon Stats also take up Facility Points. Some Facilities, like "Treasure Chests", may increase the total Facility Point value. These are special status values of the Dungeon that tells what the Dungeon can do. The stats are ranked after status ranks. [E] is the lowest while [A] is the highest. Some Dungeons with special builds may even reach a status rank of [S], but this is limited to a single stat even in those cases. Higher status ranks grant higher privileges related to that stat. One needs vast amounts of Dungeon Points to increase the rank of the status values. Category of various Dungeon functions. They all require Dungeon Points to be used. Special effects or conditions that affect the Dungeon at the moment, or urgent needs that require to be taken care of. Ugh, my head hurts. But I think I get the gist of things. It''s better not to let these "Dungeon Points" overflow, right? Because it would be a huge waste not using them if they recover automatically. Then..., let''s just add some new stuff to the Player Room for now. I''m starting to feel sleepy..., beeeed..., Ah? I need to choose a primary element for the Dungeon. I''ll just pick Darkness. I''m too tired to think of the other alternatives. Plus, if this "re-creation period" thing on the special tab is telling the truth, I still got a whole day in fixing up this place. I can add monsters and traps and make a shithole of a Dungeon tomorrow. For now, new Room Furniture~. The best inventory I can get, and..., that''s it. Wow, that''s some expensive item box. I''ll take a better look at it tomorrow. Unfortunately, there is one more thing that blocks me from my sweet sleep. But this one is something I''m willing to spend some time on! The two evolution options I had from the start are still there, along with the new addition: "Dark Udug". Strange name. It''s no surprise that I want the "Udug"-evolution. Its stats are high and highly compatible with my current style. That my defense goes down is no big deal, as it seems I''ll become faster as a trade-off. And it may even allow my poor STR to go up a little if the "high attack power" part is something to believe. There''s just one thing that bugs me. The part that talks about "extra evolution". Can I see what that means? A sudden mutation or a peculiar species. An evolution of either kind is classified as an "Extra Evolution". This strange evolution occurs when a creature fulfills specific requirements outside the mentioned evolution requirements for the race they can evolve into. This can be clearing a special Quest, owning a peculiar item, or having a strange stat-build and/or skills. Sometimes, the items required could be one-of-a-kind, meaning there is only 1 creature that can evolve into the race that requires this particular item. The creature that makes such an evolution will gain an extra boon to their new powers, often in the shape of a third skill obtained from the evolution, or an incredible increase in their stats. To compensate, an Extra Evolution requires more Aether Points than normal evolutions. Ah, I could. And after reading this, there''s no other choice than "Dark Udug", right! Sure, I could take a normal evolution and have enough AP to take a skill after my design instead of risking another fail like [Sleep Demon''s Touch], but that would be your common-Joe type of skill, right? Rarer is always better! SYSTEM MESSAGE: "Dark Udug" has been selected. This will consume 8 Aether Points. During evolution, you will turn unable to move your body for a while. Do you wish to start the evolution? Yes, please! SYSTEM MESSAGE: Commencing evolution to the race: Dark Udug. You can log out while the evolution takes place. Time before evolution is finished: 01:59:59 Then I''ll do just that. Log out! Chapter 23: Official Bulletin Board 3 General Adventurer Thread @22 1: Nameless adventurer This is a thread for people who want to come together and discuss the more efficient methods of adventuring in NFO. If you want to talk about a specific area or monsters, create a new thread and post a link to it. Trolls WILL be kicked out! ->950, please take care of the next thread. ... 199: Nameless adventurer So, how''re you working on your stats? 200: Nameless adventurer ->199 Dude, wrong game. 201: Nameless adventurer ->199 Level-ups, son. 202: Nameless adventurer ->200-201 No, I meant to ask, what''s good or not? As in, for each class build? 203: Nameless adventurer Up your MAG and become a mage! 204: Nameless adventurer EXPLOSIOOOON! 205: Nameless adventurer ->202 MP and MAG for mages, and maybe INT later on? STR and VIT for warriors, and DEX for crafters. 206: Nameless adventurer HP all the way! Can''t lose if you can''t die! 207: Nameless adventurer SPD! Run so fast that you create a breeze that flips skirts! 208: Nameless adventurer MAG, MAG, MAG, then maybe some MP. 209: Nameless adventurer ->207 Wait a sec, this guy''s a genius! 210: Nameless adventurer ->207 People, god has descended! 211: Nameless adventurer God of perverts, yes. 212: Nameless adventurer Just go to jail, all of you. 213: Nameless adventurer ->207 Not a topic on a gender-equal thread, guys... 214: Nameless adventurer ->213 Truth..., huh? 215: Nameless adventurer "World message"..., what the heck!? 216: Nameless adventurer "Player: [Garami] has cleared and obtained the Dungeon: [Arcechina Castle]. Alterations of the Dungeon will proceed shortly. It is impossible to enter the Dungeon: [Arcechina Castle] for the next 24 hours.", it says! 217: Nameless adventurer ->216 I can read, dammit! 218: Nameless adventurer PLAYERS CAN HAVE DUNGEONS!?!? 219: Nameless adventurer I WANT!! 220: Nameless adventurer Are "world messages" a thing? 221: Nameless adventurer Or rather, someone cleared a Dungeon already? 222: Nameless adventurer ->219 Hey, calm down. What''s the deal? 223: Nameless adventurer ->222 Dungeon = place with many monsters. Succubus = a type of monster! 224: Nameless adventurer ->223 We have another genius here!! 225: Nameless adventurer ->223 Hey! You''re 207! 226: Nameless adventurer Throw him in jail already! 227: Nameless adventure Made a thread about the Dungeon: http:// 228: Nameless adventurer MWA-HAHAHA! You can never imprison true eros! 229: Nameless adventurer ->227 Thanks. 230: Nameless adventurer ->228 AFTER HIM!! 231: Nameless adventurer ->227 That was FAST! And good timing. 232: Nameless adventurer Time to flee this ero hunt. ... Player [email protected] 1: Unknown Dungeon diver To all players, this is an exclusive thread related to the latest World Message regarding player "Garami" and her conquest of the Dungeon: "Arcechina Castle". Information about other Dungeons can be found on other threads, but if you have any clue which Dungeon the World Message is talking about, give us a hand. Idiots who are here just to be idiots will have the Management sent after them. 2: Unknown Dungeon diver ->1 Nice job! 3: Unknown Dungeon diver Info-collecting time! 4: Unknown Dungeon diver Time to work! I got nothing. 5: Unknown Dungeon diver Then don''t speak up! I got nothing myself though. ... 67: Unknown Dungeon diver And in the end, no clues. 68: Unknown Dungeon diver There are too many Dungeons out there! And we have to single out one of them? IMPOSSIBLE! 69: Unknown Dungeon diver ->68 The Message talked about a "castle", so that excludes the natural-looking ones. 70: Unknown Dungeon diver ->69 And that''s the problem! The castle-types are all pretty much out in the wilderness! 71: Unknown Dungeon diver The Dungeons closer to the cities are of the cave-types or forest-types, but the construct-types are too far away, or too hidden to have been found yet. 72: Unknown Dungeon diver Not to mention that you need [Identification Lv.5] if you want to know the Dungeon''s name. 73: Unknown Dungeon diver WHERE''S MY DUNGEON I CAN FILL WITH BEAUTIES!!? 74: Garami Note: Dungeon bosses may grow in strength if too many adventurers die in the Dungeon. If you carelessly try to clear one, the Dungeon may grow in strength to the point of attacking the outside world. Some may even get your character data deleted if you''re not careful enough. 75: Unknown Dungeon diver ->73 Tch, the idiot came here too. 76: Unknown Dungeon diver ->73 Why''re you not in jail!? 77: Unknown Dungeon diver Hmm? 78: Unknown Dungeon diver Wait a sec... 79: Unknown Dungeon diver No way..., right? 80: Unknown Dungeon diver ->77-79 Guys..., think it''s true. You''re either an unknown, or you''re using your name on this thread... 81: Unknown Dungeon diver ->74 IT''S THEM!!!! 82: Unknown Dungeon diver ->74 The star has come!! 83: Unknown Dungeon diver ->74 HOW DID YOU DO IT?! 84: Unknown Dungeon diver ->74 No, wait a sec! The bosses get stronger!? 85: Unknown Dungeon diver ->74 DELETING OUR CHARACTER DATA!? 86: Unknown Dungeon diver ->74 Invasion by the Dungeon?! Hey, is this true!? 87: Management ->84-86 All of it is true, yes. 88: Unknown Dungeon diver ->87 HEAVEN HAS SPOKEN!! 89: Unknown Dungeon diver Crap, should we cancel the future invasion plans? 90: Unknown Dungeon diver ->89 Think we should gain more levels and improve our skills. Like, it only happens if we mess up in the Dungeon, right? 91: Unknown Dungeon diver So much for "no death penalty"... ... Demon Player Thread @6 1: Al Azif Fellow demons, this is a thread where we will share our hellish secrets and cultivate our devilish powers for the sake of Hell. Only those with a character-ID with a Demon-type avatar can see this thread. Trolls WILL be banished from this realm. Demon nr. ->950, please make the next thread. ... 113: Garami -and that''s all. 114: "Big Blue" Damn, Princess sure knows how to drop the bombs. 115: "Trapped Demon" More like ATOM bombs! 116: Al Azif Devil contracts..., Dungeon gimmicks..., Vile Queen..., character deletion..., invasion forces from Dungeons..., 117: "Big Blue" And the prof. has turned so overloaded that he''s writing his thoughts without noticing!? 118: "Red Rage" ->113 Hey, some guys on the other threads said something about that they wanted to fill their Dungeons with monster girls or something. Is that possible? 119: Garami ->118 Not sure. Haven''t tried it out yet. The boss fight was almost right after a sub-boss, so I was too tired and logged off. Had to evolve as well. 120: Al Azif NANI!!!??? Forget short-circuited brains, what is this I hear?! The E-rank of the sloth-type demon!? 121: Garami ->120 Not really. Got a different evolution. Think the original evolutions are based on Karma Value, but I didn''t take them. 122: Al Azif ->121 Okay, no worries-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?! 123: Garami Extra Evolution. Cleared some bonus stuff and got a new option to choose from. 124: "Big Blue" Oh-ho? From the Dungeon? 125: Garami From the Dungeon boss herself, I think. Was part of a Quest. 126: "Big Blue" I see. And no one has ever seen one of those "Queens" yet, so it''s likely that they live in Dungeons or other closed-off areas. 127: "Trapped Demon" Ugh?! Hope there isn''t one in my place. Despite everything, I do not want my character deleted... 128: "Red Rage" ->121 JUST SUMMON THE MONSTERS ALREADY!! SUCCUBI ONLY!! 129: Garami And there went Trappy''s final rescue hope out of the window. 130: "Big Blue" R.I.P. 131: "Trapped Demon" ->129-130 STOP THAT!! ... Paparazzi Thread @4 1: Nameless paparazzi This is the thread where we talk about the famous players of NFO. Do note that trolls WILL BE EXECUTED WITHOUT MERCY!! ->950, please do the next thread~~. ... 332: Nameless paparazzi SO, we have a new name to follow! 333: Nameless paparazzi FINALLY! 334: Nameless paparazzi But who''s this "Garami" person anyway? 335: Nameless paparazzi ->334 Hopefully a girl. 336: Nameless paparazzi ->335 Agree. The only real famous players in NFO now are Grieger the "Starguard Leader", Al Azif the "Demon Professor", and Crow the "Master Artisan", and they''re all dudes... 337: Nameless paparazzi We need some flowers to enjoy~~. 338: Nameless paparazzi That''s what the next event is for! 339: Nameless paparazzi Huh? I thought it was a carnival, not flower-watching. 340: Nameless paparazzi ->339 You''re not wrong, but the reason we only have 3 guys and 1 unknown to talk about here is that it''s through events that players get the chance to make a name for themselves. 341: Nameless paparazzi ARGH!! DEVS! HURRY UP WITH THE EVENT!! 342: Nameless paparazzi And I was only gonna participate because of the Skill-Up Potion... Chapter 24: Dark Udug & Dungeon Monsters Login...whooooaaa... When I woke up in my Player Room, I was amazed at how clear things were. I''d almost forgotten how great it was with proper eyes in-game. After snapping out of my amazement, I started to look at my body. The "broken parts" that used to be on my body had all disappeared. The horns are still there though. And now, both my eyes had black scleras. There were no cracks though, so I didn''t mind. Even if my pupils had taken a cross-like shape. Other than that, my body was completely "human". Though, if the description of this race was right, then my insides wouldn''t be meat and flesh, but...darkness? It''s a little strange to think about. Anyway, what''s new on the game front? SYSTEM MESSAGE: Evolution is complete. Due to your evolution, the following abilities are granted: Your natural status values have increased. Natural Aether Point gain has increased from 0.4 to 0.6. You have obtained the following skills: [Dark Drain]; [Surprise Attack]; [Demon''s Presence]. The trait: [Spiritual Demon (Unstable)] has been upgraded into; [Spiritual Demon]. Okay, Three skills for the price of 1 evolution. Not bad. And the "unstable"-part of my trait has gone sayonara. I then started to look at my stats..., wow. Anyway, let''s swap the titles from the Evil Eye to the World Conquest title. Better this way so people don''t guess my (potential) killer skill. Now we''re talking. According to the BBS, the humanoid E-rank races start with an average stat build of 80 to 100 depending on the race. Some may have lower stats overall due to specializing in some status values, just like me right now. But my number of skills far surpasses any normal humanoid. Even if they''re a bunch of low-leveled ones. Which may not be so good after all. Yesterday night, I went around and spread bits of info on the BBS regarding the dangers of challenging the Dungeon while skipping out on the gains from it. While doing so, I also took a peek at the "meta"-boards. Turns out that high-leveled skills have higher worth than a bunch of low-leveled ones. Some guys even spend time and AP to get a single skill to the second skill tier. "But just 7 AP isn''t much..." - Garami Despite my turning into the ruler of the Dungeon, or precisely because I''m the one in charge now, there are not many opportunities for me to obtain more AP from now on. The few Quests that were laid around the Dungeon were there only due to the place being a "trial" to players, not something we players owned. That is my thoughts after seeing the "color spiders" being whipped out from the castle after I obtained its ownership. Even the grey ones... Anyway, even the BBS says that the monsters in some Dungeons are super-unique to those places and aren''t found either in nature, in other Dungeons, or as evolution options for us inhuman players. Some Dungeons have regular monsters inhabiting/defending them, but the unique ones are as explained: unique. No need to cry over lost AP opportunities or spiders..., okay, I''m crying for the latter. Just the grey ones. *Sniff*. L-let''s change the subject, *sniff*. What can the new skills do? The first two skills are cool, but WHAT THE ***!? [Demon''s Presence] is too fiendish! N-not that I know how bad this "corruption"-thing is..., I better not use it too often. And hey! It doesn''t say anything about it requiring any costs! Damn. Fiendish indeed. Okay, better keep a move on. The Dungeon Points are soon fully charged. Not acting would mean wasting future Dungeon..., let''s just call them DP for short. First, I need some bodyguards, aka, monsters...huh? When I tried to "spawn" some monsters, I got a list of the related elements of the Dungeon and something called "monster-lines". Currently, there''s only a "Demon-line" on that tab. I tried to push them both and got a list of various demon-type creatures. All of them are related to Darkness. From what I gathered from the system menu, it seems that each element of the Dungeon is required to be connected with a "monster-line" for me to spawn monsters here. Just one line per element, but it seems that I can use the same monster line for various elements, but only after I''ve obtained those. After that, I need to select a "chief" among the various monsters, or in my case, demons. I can then start spawning monsters of that race. And that extends to its evolutions below and above its current rank! But the Dungeon''s stats have to be high enough for that creature''s summoning. I can''t summon D-ranks with my all-E stats, and some races require me to up the ranks of more than the Monster stat. In addition to the chief, I can also add up to three "retainers" to that element. However, the element is stuck with the monster line I chose when selecting the chief, and the retainers have to have some "connection" to the chief. That last part isn''t a problem in my case. It seems that any demonic creature is considered a "demon". Be it a Fiend or a Mimic, or even these "Demon Dogs" that are a popular mob around the Darkness capital according to the BBS, I can still add them as retainers no matter what. They''re all demons in the end. It would be worse if my monster line would be something like "Beast". If I chose a wolf mob, then all the monsters of that element would have to be canines. Or so I think. There''s nothing that can prove me otherwise, just as there is no proof for my hypothesis. With that in mind, I started to look at the LONG list of potential demons. As expected of their "main element". Since there''s no big deal about who becomes the chief, let''s choose something cool and strong. It may be that the chiefs are easier to spawn, or the Dungeon bosses are based on only the chief. And after a while, I found something. This doesn''t sound bad. It''s not one of the races a player can evolve into, as I looked up Darkness Fiends and its description explicitly told it was among the demons that "represented the sin of Wrath". Well, Extra Evolutions are a thing, so it may not be completely impossible. I went with Stygian Clown for the chief and started to pick out its retainers. Not that I needed to, but it''s better to take care of stuff like this right away. And after a little while, I found them. To keep it short, I''ve added a Scout, a Mage, and a Warrior as the retainers of the Stygian Clown. From their names, I think there are other variants from the different elements. Maybe except for the Phantom? After I''d finished selecting the monsters, I could now place them on the floors. Seems like I can have up to 50 E-ranks on the first floor, with an additional 10 added each time we go up a floor. I can also swap 1 E-rank for 5 F-rank monsters, and 1 F-rank for 5 G-ranks. At first, I didn''t see the reason behind this ability, since F- and G-ranks are too weak to be trusted with protecting the Dungeon, but then it hit me. They were bait. A Dungeon can''t become stronger without invaders, since killing these invaders are what increases the Dungeon''s level and its DP-cap Despite that, I simply added Clowns, Boogeys, Phantoms, and Gazers to each floor with an overall ratio of 3:4:1:2. Before focusing on the Dungeon''s level, I should prepare it before the big event. Selecting and assigning monsters didn''t consume DP, but I couldn''t control when the monsters spawned as a drawback. An E-rank will take 20 minutes to respawn, and that''s only when there are no invaders on that floor. And back to the DP, they''re almost capped. It''s time to spend them on Dungeon stuff this time around. I added a special restriction on the invaders, limiting them to at most 2 parties at the same time. It took 100 DP, but it didn''t take any Facility Points..., guess I can shorten that to FP. After that, I ordered a Wooden Arrow Trap and placed them on the 1st floor. Seems like they''re placed randomly after I assign them to a floor, and they will move randomly a while after they''re triggered. Not bad for a test buy. I used up the rest of my DP on a Poison Arrow Trap and finished it for now. I want to take a walk. After all, this is the first time in a while that I could explore the Dungeon without limited sight. Chapter 25: Floor 1 & The Outside Wow, it really can bring me anywhere in the Dungeon now. I exited my Player Room and found myself on the first floor of the castle. The jet-black corridors stretched further than I could see even with my restored eyesight. Now that I think about it, I never got a good look at my upgraded trait. Spiritual Demon: Oh-ho? Did I get even better against physical attacks? So much for being weak in defense. And it seems that my weakness from the "Purification element" if that''s a thing, got better. Still weak against it though. And my magic defense..., no comment. The fact that my five senses aren''t reduced anymore is great to see, but haven''t the "fluctuation of stats"-thing gotten better? Before the evolution, the changes of my stats, both positive and negative, were enhanced with this trait, but now, the enhancements are greater than the reductions. As I looked at the new trait, I noticed the demons that were walking by. One was a huge, ogre-like creature, but its arms and legs looked cuddly like a plush toy. Another was a huge, black eye that was floating in the air and had several tentacles dangling from its bottom-side. Then I noticed something in the shadows, most likely thanks to my Manavision ability. That''s probably the Dark Phantom. And finally, there''s this strange, joker-looking character here and there. As in the joker in a deck of cards. That must be the Stygian Clown. As I walked through the black castle corridors, the monsters gave me free space to walk in, but they didn''t show extreme loyalty or anything. The settings for the monsters included "Hostile" and "Non-Hostile" towards me and people on my friendslist, but I think it''s possible to unlock new features if I spend DP on it. Then a sudden *thump* noise made me freeze on the spot. Turning around, I saw one of the plush ogres, the Gloom Boogeys, having several wooden arrows stuck in their body... AAAAHH!! The trap! Did the Boogey trigger it!? Crap, traps can be triggered by allies? Don''t tell me I have to spend DP on a feature to prevent friendly fire? The Boogey didn''t seem to mind as it casually pulled the arrows out of its fluffy arms. Are the arrows too weak, or is it the Boogey''s fluff defense that''s a bad match with this kinda trap? Then one of the flying eyeballs, the Dark Gazers, pointed at the Boogey with one of its tentacles and used a magic spell that covered the Boogey''s wounds with a black light..., healing magic!? Okay, I once again understand why most people chose Mage as their main class... Wait a sec, the Gazer healed the Boogey on its own? Without any orders? So, the monsters aren''t just mindless NPCs, but capable of individual thinking and actions? That''s a big thing to take notice of, even if it doesn''t look like a big deal. This may mean that monsters are smarter than what people may think if they''re "poisoned" from other VRMMO games. As expected of Terra Sol AS. They''re serious about revolutionizing this genre. While entertaining those thoughts, I reached my goal. And in one way, it''s the goal I''ve aimed at ever since I started this game. The exit of the Dungeon. It''s gonna take a good 9 hours before the DP is reaching its cap, and there''s no need for me to wait inside the castle while doing so. There is the catch that I can''t alter the stuff inside the Dungeon unless I use the terminal in my Player Room, but there are a few hours until that, so no worries there. It''s even possible to fickle with the Dungeon from my computer or smartphone, as I have the browsing app related to NFO installed on both of them. To summarize, the only time I can''t make use of the DP is when I''m outside my Player Room in the game. With that in mind, I took my first steps outside the castle with peace of mind. And this stupid game better not come with some "not a shut-in" title or something. I take offense to such comments. The outside of the castle was..., a dark area. That''s all I can describe it. The place looks like a rocky wasteland with various naked trees here and there, all of it either pitch-black or close to that in colors. The sky is extremely dark as well, so much that someone without a Nightvision ability wouldn''t be able to pass through here. As I marveled over the sight of the new land, being more than happy over being able to see it at all, [Detect Monster] warned me of something. In a hurry, I used [Lurk] and hid behind one of the dark boulders in the rockscape. The origin of the signal appeared shortly after I''d gone ninja on it. It''s a black frog with pearl-white eyes. Is it blind? Feeling curious, I used [Identification] on it. "Darkland", that''s not telling me much. I guess it''s of the Darkness element, but that''s all. Maybe it''s about time I upgrade [Identification]. The frog, excuse me, the toad is big enough to reach my knees, and it had dark skin that made it almost disappear in the black landscape. Natural camouflage? As for how dangerous it is, I don''t know. I can tell it''s an F-rank from its level cap, but that doesn''t say anything about the toad''s actual fighting ability. Maybe it rams into people with a jump? No, wait. It''s the frog that jumps and the toad that crawls. Then..., a tongue whips? Magic? While I was pondering over that, something strange was going on. Or rather, nothing was going on. Despite that I''d Identified the toad, it wasn''t doing anything that suggests that it had noticed me. Even when Identifying the spiders in the Dungeon made them charge at me in anger from me violating their rights of privacy... There are two possible explanations here. Either the toad is blinder than a mole to the point of not noticing [Identification] being used on it, or..., [Lurk] is hiding even the effect of [Identification] from the target. Or it could be a combination of both. Or maybe the toad''s just trying to trick me. To see if the toad is a trickster or not, I started to stare at it with [Weakness Evil Eye]. FINALLY, I can use this thing! The really good part of the Evil Eye skill is that its range equals my line of sight. Before, that was its bottleneck due to my bad sight, but now I can aim from this distance without any side effects! No lowered attack strength or higher MP consumption! Thinking about it, Evil Eyes are just cheating, no? The toad didn''t seem to have noticed that it was under attack. Is it faking it, or is it simply my skill that''s too weak? The effect of the Evil Eye should be weakening of the target''s stats, so... Don''t tell me that the punchline is that F-ranker''s stats are so low you can''t lower them any further!? Should I increase the level of [Identification]...? It was getting tiresome in staring at the toad while using both my Evil Eye and [Lurk] at the same time, so I turned off the Evil Eye and aimed a [Mystical Thread] at the toad. A huge hole emerged where the magical thread pierced the toad. Okay, I get that [Mystical Thread] is strong, but that''s taking things too far! Wait, what was the Evil Eye''s effect again? Inflicting "Weakness"..., ah. Now I get it. The toad never moved from the spot, so it didn''t notice that its stats, including speed and defense, was lower than before. Then I noticed that something had been dropped by the toad after the rest of its body had finished disintegrating. Ya-hoo! Does the wildlife have better drop-rates than Dungeons? But before I moved from my hiding space to get the item, [Detect Monster] pinged again. I returned to the shadows (not really, as the whole place is pitch-dark) of the boulder and peeked from behind it to observe the newcomer. This time, it was a bonafide frog. Its legs are much longer than the toad''s legs, and that''s not even counting the fact that it''s as big as me! Its eyes look like pale pearls, just like the toad, but its skin has dark-yellow spots here and there. Is it poisonous? A normal evolution of the frog, it seems. Ah, crap! The frog started to look around after I Identified it. I hid behind the boulder in a hurry. The frog stopped after a moment and grabbed something on the ground with its long tongue. A pearl-like..., the toad''s eye!? Urg..., and the frog ate it. Double-ugh! I get that toad eyes are something that a witch would use in her brews, but that''s not for me, mister! After swallowing the toad eye, the frog then started to jump away into the distance. Are higher-ranked monsters more difficult to trick with [Lurk]? Or is it that the Darkland amphibian family has some sorta Perception Skill to compensate for their apparent blindness? I''m not in the mood of fighting a higher-leveled creature than me at the moment, so I let the frog go without any problem. I''m sorta confused over its cannibalistic nature as well, so I want some more info about them before going hunting for real. My stats now are, after all, just..., huh? Scout is at Lv.24? I could swear it was Lv.22 before I left the castle. Did simply hiding from the frog and the toad give so much class proficiency? ...new plan. I''ll aim for evolving the Scout class before starting to grind levels for real. Doing so will let me take a new class that may not hamper the growth of the STR stat. My current race isn''t a weakling like the Grey Demon or the Unstable Djinn. If that''s the case, I should save..., no, let''s use some of my AP. The event is just around the corner, and several official leaks say it''s possible to earn AP in the event in addition to the Skill-Up Potions and other stuff. Therefore, I''ll increase [Detect Monster] by 1 level to make it easier to "scout" for those frogs/toads, and [Lurk]..., or maybe I should take [Lesser Darkness Talent]? Both [Lurk] and [Weakness Evil Eye] are classified as Darkness skills, and Talent improves all other skills of the matching attribute... Okay, I''ve decided. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have consumed 3 Aether Points to increase the level of [Detect Monster Lv.2] to Lv.3. You have consumed 3 Aether Points to increase the level of [Lesser Darkness Talent Lv.1] to Lv.2. And from now on, it''s hide-and-seek with the frogs until the event starts in..., how long was it before it started? Browser, browser..., around a week left? Well, time to scout! Chapter 26: Final Checks & Start of the Event Login! Today''s the event day!! Ah, calm down, me. Such behavior is not fitting for a lady like me. Anyway, today''s the day the event starts. I logged in a little early, so I''ll use the time to go over my preparations one last time before the chime rings. The event, Nightmare Carnival, is a big cluster of mini-events. Participating in these will award "Carnival Points" that you can trade for various prices. Of course, winning the mini-events will give you more points than losing, but the developers may want everyone to have fun in this first event. The Skill-Up Potion is given after the Carnival''s finished. And my goal to farm CP1Carnival Points in the Carnival is...the Item Exchange. What? Did you think that I would enter the battle tournaments? Wa-hahaha! You''re such a joker. I mean, look at my stats: Skill List: Title List: This is the result after 10 days or so with stealth training. I killed a few frogs/toads, but I was mostly undercover. It helped a lot in improving Scout, even if I''m a few levels too short of upgrading the class. Not sure how to either! But yeah, I''m no champion. Sure, I could improve my stats by switching to the [Dungeon Ruler] title, but then people would start a Dungeon Gold Rush and crush the places before I can reach them. Anyway, that''s not my point. I''ve been using the slowly-regenerating DP to build up the Dungeon not only to defeat invaders but also to provide me with a source of income. Facility List: Hehehe. I managed to upgrade the Dungeon''s "Stealth" stat to rank D~. It does take 50 FP to keep it there, and I can''t turn it off. I did get that Hidden Traphole trap by having this improved stat, even if I unlocked no new monsters... Regarding my talk about "profit", I''m referring to the "Royal Garden (Small)". I can harvest a total of 20 flower-type items a day from each of them, and I can even push the responsibility for them to the Dungeon monsters! Currently, I have 200 "Dark Lilies", a type of magical lily that''s related to the Darkness element. Their rarity is "Ra", meaning that they''re rare. They should fetch somewhat of a price. I hope. The bulletin board didn''t know anything about them, so they''re at least not so common that they don''t have any value. I''m also gonna sell stuff that I obtained by trading DP for them. Normally, this stuff is what you put inside Treasure Chest facilities, but I''ll be doing sales with them~. Speaking of "Treasure Chests", they''re facilities that give the Dungeon more FP. But all those facilities are stuff that would help the invaders, not the Dungeon itself. Like the Rest Area, which prevents monsters from entering, and Spring of Recovery (Small) that recovers the invaders'' HP. Other than that, I''ve placed Royal Pantries that provides free food to the Dungeon monsters (I almost fainted from the shock when I saw the starving monsters when I returned the first day of my Scout training week) and the Caf, which probits violence and lets everyone take a drink and some snack. Invaders have to pay for the grub, but the monsters and I don''t need to pay. The hot chocolate there is just to die for~. Finally, I guess there''s the Alarm? It warns me about invaders coming to any of the floors. Pretty handy, even if it''s never been used until now. My Darkland Fort is starving for EXP..., and I want to increase the FP- and DP limits of this place. How else am I supposed to obtain the "Gender-Deciding Monster Spawn" special effect facility!? I want my harem Dungeon of female demons!! *Ring* And that''s the signal! The Carnival''s started! I quickly registered the items I want to take with me for the Item Exchange and saw them disappear with a cyber-like light-effect. I mean, it''s not like people can carry so much this early in the game. After making sure that all the stuff had been registered, I started to dress up. Including the Arachnid Light Armor, the Iron Dagger, the Magic Dagger of [Grasp Vine], the Magic Bracelet of [Fireball], and the Boulder-Carrying Bracelet, I put on my newly acquired "Concealment Cloak" from exchanging my DP, plus a "Mask of Weak Identity". The former is a black cloak item that improves concealment skills, while the latter is a black mask that covers my whole face. It''s supposed to reduce the success rate of [Identification] when others try to get my stats. They both became available thanks to increasing the Stealth-stat to [D]. Now that everything''s checked and ready, it''s time to start this party! I mean, carnival! --- After the transfer finished, I found myself in front of a huge crowd. I fled in silent panic. Huh? Why did I flee? Because that many people scare me! Digital or not, I''ve been without contact with people ever since I started the game! The NPC in the spider village isn''t counting. So yeah, I fled to the top of one of the buildings while keeping myself hidden with [Lurk]. From up here, I got a good view of the event field. What should I say, it''s a floating island? Made of rocks, there are five different islands. The one we''re on now is connected to the other four, meaning you have to travel through this "hub island" if you want to travel between the four outer islands. Multiple posters with "Nightmare Carnival" on them are posted on the walls. It explains the concept of the festival while also showing a map of the event area. Nothing seems different from what the website told me. The event will last three days, over the weekend, and on the..., oh? On the last day, that "special survival" event will start. It seems that the content of the survival event will differ depending on the result of the other mini-events done on the first two days. This emblem or whatever''s new though. What''s it supposed to be? Two crossed scythes and a..., dragon''s head? Its eyes are pretty big for a dragon, and its horns are too thin... Whatever~. The Item Exchange is waiting for me~. I took some strange side-paths to evade most of the crowd. Game or not, I hate that many people in one place. After safely reaching the bridge to the "Exchange Island", as the posters call it, I, unfortunately, flopped on the finishing line. "Hey, pretty. Wanna hang out with us-" - Frivolous-looking player I pushed the button for the GM Call with a speed that must have surpassed what my current SPD should be able to. And right away, several black-suited characters with heads made of black fog in the shape of animal heads appeared around us. "How do you do today, player Garami?" asked one of the black-suited creatures with the head of a goat..., Support AI: D1? "Sleazy guys who try to hit on me," I replied while pointing at the trio of sleazy-looking guys who''d spoken to me just now while having their gaze glued to my body underneath the coat. "Now that is something we cannot have. And with repeating offenders, nonetheless." - D1? "H-hey! Don''t we get a say-" - Sleazy player "None. Men, take them away." - D1? The three players were grabbed by the other black suits and pulled into a dark portal that had appeared along with the black suits. The D1-looking black suit made a quick bow to me before following his colleagues. And then everything went back to normal~... "Did you see that?" "Calling on the GM right away, scary..." "What''s up with that "chest armor"? Share some of it...!" "The Devil Guards acted all courtly with her!" "Those horns and that just now..., a demon queen?" "Boobies..." "What''s her identity?" "...[Identification] failed?" "Ah..., I want to be stepped by her..." Okay, I lied. It''s 1000 times worse than a few dudes hitting on me! And some of them may be more harmful to me than the horny sloths! Overjoyed that my mask worked better than I''d expected, as it''s hiding my player name and my stiff face, I tried to walk as calmly as possible away from the place. As much as my stiff legs can accomplish! Crap, this is bad. Should I wait for the exchange until tomorrow? Rumors are bound to spread like wildfire. I know. I have personal experience regarding that. Meaning there''s no way I can exchange my items. Not with a ton of people staring at me! A business exchange is possible, but having a peanut gallery is too much! I started to look through the bulletin boards using mental commands while power-walking away from the scene of the crime. There has to be someplace..., I FOUND IT! And on the demon thread!! 111: Al Azif Fellow demons who participate in the exchange of lousy items rather than souls. In this joyous event, I have achieved the right to use one of the special houses placed in the event field. If you wish to trade the harvest of your demonic tales, please come to me. With my forbidden knowledge of talented crafter-players and merchant-players, I am sure to discover a foolish mortal that will sign a blood contract with thee. Location: ******* The chuuni is one gear higher than normal, but I''ll take it! To the prof''s house! Chapter 27: The Demons & the Crafters The Item Exchange island looked like a huge bazaar. Tons of stalls and shops were open for people, all of them manned by players. In the Item Exchange part of the Nightmare Carnival, you can trade items for other items or Carnival Points. There are no NPC shops. However, each item can only be traded once, so people can''t farm CP by constantly trading between each other. That''s what the sites said. Anyway, the big number of people ironically made it easier to sneak away with [Lurk] once the people on the bridge lost sight of me while I dodged the crowd. That was horrible... But even if I lament over it, the deed''s done and I can''t change that fact. If I ever meet those guys again...death! "Welcome...?" - Al Azif? The discovery of the shop was easier than the planned execution of those jerks. The place looks like an old pub, but it''s located far from the main street, so it''s reasonable that most people wouldn''t want to get this place for the event. Except if you''re roleplaying as some shady guy or someone naturally eccentric as the prof. ...this guy is Al Azif, right? I heard he had evolved into some Mimic, but the guy behind the bar counter looks human to me. A brown-haired, bespectacled young man dressed as a noble or a magician depending on which part of his appearance you want to go for first. The stranger thing is the creature sitting on one of the chairs by the counter. It looks like a pink rabbit, but its upper front tooths are too long, plus it has two equally long fangs that point upward. To finish the freaking look, it has two coal-like eyes that make it look simply scary. "Miss, is there something you want?" asked the man I assume to be Al Azif. While talking, I had this nasty feeling of being Identified..., oh. Right, the mask. I removed it so to prove who I was. "...! Miss Gara-*bonk*-ouch!" - Al Azif The guy went on his knees, or he tried to. He hit his head on the counter in his hurry. The pink rabbit looked at me with shock in his eyes (I think. It''s not easy to know with that kinda face). "Gara..., the princess!?" - Pink rabbit "Hello. Be at ease." - Garami "It''s the princess." - Pink rabbit The rabbit went from shocked to acknowledging in five sec flat. Now that I''ve had some time to think about it, aren''t those eyes similar to mine when I was a Grey Demon? If so... "Trapped Demon?" - Garami "That''s me~! My name''s Jillfried, but just call me Jill." - Jill The pink rabbit, Jill, talked casually, but I felt there was some exhaustion in his voice. Probably because he''s yet to clear his Dungeon. And even evolving. "And that guy is...?" I asked, pointing at the man holding his head behind the counter. "That''s the prof. I was surprised as well." - Jill The prof, Al Azif, emerged from the counter with a bump on his head while I was talking to Jill. "Do not spoil my self-introduction! *Cough*, as Jillfried told you, I am Al Azif, the professor within demonology." - Al Azif "...weren''t you supposed to be a Mimic?" - Garami "That is correct! I am glad that you remember. My race at this time is the Book Mimic. This is my real body, by the way," said Al Azif while showing me an old book...huh? "Your "real body"?" - Garami "That is correct. This appearance of mine is the product of one of my skills: [Mimic Avatar: Humanoid]. It produces a new avatar, a "Token", that I can switch into when activated. It is one of the skills I obtained when I evolved, with the other being the [Levitation] skill." - Al Azif Both skills are so the player can move around even as a book. Cool. I got [Create Trap], and it turned into a favorite of mine, but this guy got two good skills while I only got that one and [Sleep Demon''s Touch]. Well, the touch may turn more useful from now on, but still. "That''s nice..., you guys get to evolve..." - Jill "? Can''t you evolve inside your Dungeon?" - Garami "Well, that''s-" - Jill "The weaker enemies are too quick for Jillfried to catch, and they are naturally resistant towards his magic as well, so he is stuck at Lv.3." - Al Azif That''s horrible! "I got lucky the first few days, but then I lost the special item needed to catch the weaker enemies." - Jill "And that was...?" - Garami "A fishing rod..." - Jill Ah, so it''s a fish-type Dungeon. "That is why he came to me to ask if I knew of someone who sells good fishing equipment. He is also troubled that there are fewer people who challenge the Dungeon he is trapped in due to the influx of beautiful players. The possibility of a Succubus alone is not good-." - Al Azif "Hey, stop that!" - Jill "It is the truth. We have a prime example right here," replied Al Azif as he gave me a fancy-looking drink. "On the house," he said. Cool. Even if it''s just an ice cream soda. "What else can I do for you, princess?" asked Al Azif as he cleaned the stuff behind the counter away. "Need some buyers." - Garami "So you''re participating as a seller. What do you have for sale?" - Al Azif I showed the two demons the list of items I had with me. Their faces sunk while reading it. "Princess..., where did you-, oh. These flowers, they are from your Dungeon?" - Al Azif "Bingo." - Garami I''ll keep quiet that I''m cultivating the Dark Lilies. "You don''t say. Okay, I think I have some potential buyers on my friend list. I will take it from the rumors that you do not want many people to know about your current location, correct?" - Al Azif I nodded while drinking my soda. So the stuff on the bridge did spread. I figured as much, but hearing about it depresses me once again. "Then I will ask some reliable people to arrive here." - Al Azif "Is that okay?" - Garami "Why yes. Unlike Jillfried here who still struggles with his Dungeon, you are the first clearer of the hell-mode Racial Start. People would love to make connections with you." - Al Azif Really? With plain old me? "Sure, keep on smearing salt on my wounds! Prof, I''ll go to that buyer you recommended. And I''ll keep quiet about things here," said Jill and nodded his head toward me regarding the last part before jumping out of the building. "...why a bunny?" I asked Al Azif after Jill had exited the building. "The Pink Demons? I suggest it is because rabbits are a fertile race?" - Al Azif "Not because its evolution looks good in a bunny outfit?" - Garami "Do not forget, princess, that the Pink Demon can evolve into an Incubus as well." - Al Azif Ulp, that''s a nasty thought. Let''s forget that one... --- A while later, three people entered the pub. One is a tall man with long ears dressed in something that looks like a lab coat. Another one looks like a fox-eared girl dressed in a kimono-like outfit. The third is a..., a loli? She''s wearing a leather apron and a tool belt filled with stuff like a smithing hammer and pliers. "Hey, professor. Is this the big seller you told us about?" - Long-eared man "This is her, yes. Garami, these three are some of the best crafters currently in the game. The Elf is-" - Al Azif "Ah, I can do that. The name''s Crow. As Al said, I''m an Elf and a crafter. My class is Potion Maker." - Crow That means..., he''s evolved his class! Oh, so envious... "My turn then~? Call me Aino~. I am a fox-type Beastkin, and my class is Weaver~." - Aino So that''s where the kimono came from. It''s handmade..., ain''t that impressive? "...Tylin. Dwarf..., class, Smith." - Tylin She''s a Dwarf. Not so loudmouthed, but it fits her. Is she what you could call a "legal loli"? "As you heard, these people wish to buy the items you showed me before," said Al Azif to me after the introduction. "They have also agreed on keeping your identity a secret from the other players." "A cheap price to pay if I can get the chance to meet the first Dungeon Clearer in the game." - Crow "...got something against that?" - Garami "Why should I? Rather, I want a Dungeon for my use." - Crow "You would only fill it with herb fields, you potion maniac. Just by some fields from the NPCs." - Aino "Sh-sh-shut up! Those things are too expensive for me!" - Crow Huh, guess those two have some history. Tylin is nodding off, so maybe all three of them are friends? "Used to each other" may be the closest way to describe them. "People, we need to return to the subject." - Al Azif "Right, the purchase." - Crow "Fine with me~. I can bully Crow whenever I want to." - Aino "Crow..., equals..., nice bullying." - Tylin "You girls!?" shouted Crow at them with tears in his eyes. Why did Al Azif bring someone this pathetic? Can they even use the materials I have to offer? --- After THREE hours of business transactions, the three crafters, no, the three crafting aliens walked out of the pub with great smiles on their faces. "I''m dead..." - Garami "You still have HP left, so relax. Here, on the house again." - Al Azif I took the cup of tea and slowly drank it while feeling more exhausted than even after the boss battle with the Vile Queen. "...would things have gone better if the loli wasn''t here?" - Garami "You mean Tylin? Most likely." - Al Azif "Then why did you invite her?" - Garami "Simply due to her being the biggest collector of strange items among the crafters up to now. If there is someone who would pay for unknown items, no matter their usefulness, it would be her. And her pockets are deep." - Al Azif Ah, that explains why she wanted to buy all my items at the start. Then the elf and the fox started to complain and had a little war of words, with me sitting right in the middle of the crossfire. It was horrible... In the end, the loli went home with some Dark Lilies, a few chunks of Concrock that I''d kept in the corner of my room, a Darkland Toad- and Frog''s eyeballs that I''d gathered during my training week, several other random stuff that had been taking up space, and the Magic Shield of [Metal Wall]. After the devil disappeared, I didn''t have any other uses for it, so I sold it. In return, the loli sold me a set of throwing knives and a belt to keep them in. The elf got 120 Dark Lilies, plus the rest of the eyeballs. It seems that not many people can go to the Darklands, so they must have some value as a rarity. The Lilies are supposed to be part of some Element Cream medicine. Not sure what that''s for. Better take a look if I reach a city once. And the fox got the rest of the Lilies. She wants to use them for coloring cloth and give the clothing properties of the Darkness attribute. I also sold her a yarn of magic thread, which I created on my own with the [Mystical Thread] skill. Thinking back, it was a damn good job of me to escape that Emergency Quest. Well done, me. "No need to look so gloom. 5.000 CP is the same amount as winning first place in one of the four daily battle tournaments." - Al Azif Maybe so. There goes the need to look for Points for the next two days. But, CP and AP are two different things... "You know how people get AP from this event?" - Garami "There have been some AP-related prizes for the challenges in the combat area-" - Al Azif "Rejected." - Garami No way I''m participating in a public combat match. I don''t have the stats or the skills for that. "No wonder. Then how about the mini-event areas?" - Al Azif "...in plural?" - Garami "Yes. One of the areas is designed after a Japanese festival fair. You pay with Sol or CP and get to play the games there. The prizes are special lottery tickets with various prices, such as Skill-Up Potions or rare items." - Al Azif Lottery, meaning a gacha. Which again can mean I may end up with only "consolation candies"... "As for the other area, it''s Las Vegas." - Al Azif "Sorry??" - Garami "I am not fooling around. The whole second mini-event area is a huge casino district. Bet CP and you can win even more." - Al Azif Gambling, huh. Compared to the complete randomness of the gacha, that may be more in my style... Okay, time to show the world again the "Stella-style gambling arts" after a good and too long time~. Chapter 28: Lottery & Suspicion The second day of the Nightmare Carnival: "PLEASE! Take this and leave!!" - Casino owner "...why?" - Garami I am confused. When I returned for another fruitful day at the casino, the owner of the place, a rabbit-headed NPC, was kowtowing in the lobby after I entered. Again, why? I only crushed the spirits of a few dealers, emptied some slots, and gotten such a big windfall on the roulette that it should be dubbed a "stormfall". In front of the owner was a pretty fat item bag. Probably filled with various items as a bribe to get me to stop playing. However, I won''t stop. If I do, this will be the sixth casino in my life that I''ve been blackmailed from even without any cheating! I left without problems the first five ones, but that was because I didn''t want masked thugs after my life and winnings, but this is a game. I''ll just flip the odds against them as I did with the slots! "Please, I beg you! Just take this and leave! If our establishment does not clear our quota, then-!" - Casino owner "Quota? What quota?" - Garami The casino owner, a thin man with a full-face mask and dressed in a green suit, said something strange there that perked my interest. The owner''s voice turned more desperate as he tried to push the item bag onto me. "N-n-n-nothing at all! Now, away you go!" - Casino owner "Wha-, wait-!" - Garami --- "-and then they threw me out! Like yesterday''s garbage! Can you believe that!?" - Garami After the unreasonable treatment that I received from the casino, with the final nail being that all the other casinoes on that floating island had banned me from entering, I ran over to the festival island to vent my anger on the various stalls and games there. And after half a day''s worth of rage-filled gaming, so much that I didn''t notice all the people that were staring at my rampage, unbelievably enough, I found a secluded shop that was selling refreshments to the players. The place that Al Azif had obtained was another example of this. While drowning my sorrows and embarrassment over my berserker-like attitude earlier with amazake, I complained to the pink rabbit that had been in the shop when I arrived. "That''s horrible," replied Jill the Pink Demon, who was chatting with me with an expression on his face as if he was good-talking to a troublesome guy. How rude! But his next words looked to be straight from his heart: "Or rather, isn''t it strange? Why "quota" does a casino in an event like this even need to follow?" - Jill "That''s my line! It''s a different story in the real world, but why would an in-game casino run by NPCs even need to worry about that stuff? They don''t need to pay rent or anything!" - Garami "There''s also the question of what the "quota" is for." - Jill What it is..., I didn''t think of that. Maybe the CP..., but why would the NPC worry about getting those? Then the number of guests? But to my dislike, people began to gather at the casino when I started crushing the dealers. Not that they didn''t gamble much themselves. They only looked at my games... "Hmm, it''s a mystery..." - Garami "I don''t think there''s a big need for us to worry about that. People who watched that event have started chatting about it on the BBS, that "the demon princess'' demonic luck got her banned from the casinoes"." - Jill "What the hell?!" - Garami When did those kinda rumors start to spread?! Ever since yesterday with the incident with the sleazeballs? And who''s a "demon princess"!? I looked at the posts Jill told me about, and sure, tons of stuff I''ve done in the event is written here. There''s even a dedicated thread to it! The sole good thing is that my in-game name hasn''t been leaked yet... "Anyway, those verification-maniacs are working on it, so we should just enjoy the game." - Jill "Which makes me wanna ask, why haven''t you quit your current character and started a new one?" - Garami I mean, he''s still a G-ranked Pink Demon even after all this time. I would have stopped playing and re-started with a new character if I was in the same hopeless situation. "Meh, it''s not that bad. The Dungeon I''m trapped in is what you could call a "water ruin". Tons of magical fishes and water canals block you from moving as you please, but there are tons of books in the library-like areas of the Dungeon, so I''ve used my time in imprisonment efficiently." - Jill "Huh, you also use [Linguistics]?" - Garami "Along with [Water Magic]. Back then, I was hoping that skill would give me some magic that could let me escape from the Dungeon, but..." - Jill "My condolence." - Garami "Don''t worry about it. This is my problem. Anyway, you talked about getting some compensation from the casino? Did you get anything good?" - Jill "...just some gambling stuff." - Garami The contents of the item bag I got from the casino owner included several pieces of furniture that I can add to my Player Room. Specifically, a card table, a slot machine, and a roulette table. It was also a good amount of playing cards and board games inside the bag, and even a "Fortune Ring" accessory. I''m NOT gonna wear the bunny girl outfit that was included as well though. "Oh, sorry. Didn''t mean to pry into your matters." - Jill "No harm taken." - Garami "Then, you''re planning on hitting the lottery after this? I''ll join you." - Jill "Why?" - Garami "I''m hoping that your devilish luck is contagious." - Jill Don''t treat my "Stella-style gambling arts" as some virus or disease. After paying our bills, we went for the lottery stands. There are multiple of them, but..., most are mobbed by players. All of them must be planning on spending their lottery tickets. Many of them seem to be sucking on some candy. Is it popular? Even Jill didn''t seem to like having to wait in that huge of a crowd, so we went to one of the less populated stands. Masked men in a green kimono were manning the stand that had five lottery machines standing in rows. The kind you can turn around and colored spheres pop out. A sign at the side told us about the prices, to the point of their rate of appearing. The special prize seems to let your Player Room extend to the size of the field. As fitting for its name, you can only win 1 among all the stands, and no one has gotten it as of yet. Please don''t let me get that one. I''ve got enough attention on me as it is. And the Fortune Ring is part of the 4th prize. It increases your LUC by 30 points. Not bad for an event item. All the other accessories improve their original stat by the same amount. The "Nightmare of Greed" stuff isn''t that interesting to me. They''re strong and you can choose which type of weapon you want, but they come with the side-effect called "Hungry Greed" which reduces the EXP you get for the next 24 hours after you kill a monster by 1%. Kill 10 monsters. down 10%. Kill one more an hour later, your EXP is down with 11% for 23 more hours, then 1% an hour after that again. It can''t go past 50% though, but I still wouldn''t want to use it. Well, it could be a nice thing to have if you''re gonna fight a boss that doesn''t have any underlings. As far as I know, these weapons may be the strongest items a player can get their hand on at the moment. Kinda strange they''re offering them through an event. "...let me try out first." - Garami "Sure." - Jill Due to my rampage, I have 108 tickets to use for the lottery, with each spin needing 3 tickets each. This gives me 36 spins in total. I gave the masked man 15 of them for now and spun each machine one at a time. The results, from left to right, are; White, Blue, White, White, Yellow. "Wow! You got a weapon already!" - Jill Yeah, an Iron Spear. Can''t use this. I then tried three more spins on the fourth machine and got: Yellow, White, and... *Ding, ding, ding!* The masked men run a bell as a black sphere came out of the machine. The reward is...the Skill Book for [Spear Proficiency]. I still can''t use it due to my Scout class... "Awesome! So this is the good machine-" - Jill "It''s the worst of them all. Ignore it," I told the rabbit as I moved to the first machine again as I gave another 9 tickets to the masked men for another 3 spins. "Huh? How do you know that?" - Jill "Instinct." - Garami The rabbit looked at me with a face that voiced his awkwardness regarding my answer, but it changed into a shocked one when I rolled: Yellow, Yellow, Red. After accepting the two weak HP Potions and placing them with the MP potion from before, I equipped the "Power Anklet" on my leg before taking 5 rolls on the third machine again. Blue, Blue, White, White, and...Black. *Ding, ding, ding!!* I then spent all the remaining tickets to spin the first machine 20 more times. After all the spins were finished, I''d obtained a total of: Good enough. The only problem is that all the ringing and dinging from the bells had attracted a huge crowd of people. "What''s up with this girl''s luck..." - Jill "The fifth machine in your case," I told the rabbit who had given his tickets away for five spins and was about to use the first machine I''d gotten the three silvers on. The result was: White, White, Yellow, Red, and... *KA-POW!!* Instead of a bell, the masked men fired a firework from the top of their stall as a golden-colored sphere rolled out of the lottery machine. "........." - Jill And the rabbit had turned into a magnificent statue. Same with the crowd. All according to the plan~. While everyone was frozen stiff, I snuck away under the cover of [Lurk] and fled to the alleyways. --- As I maneuvered through the dark alleyways, I hummed a tune in my happiness over successfully switching the attention from me to the rabbit. Figuring which of the lottery machines were good hits wasn''t that difficult. The bad ones were those with loose handles. A small detail anyone would understand after a few rounds. Still, to think that the first prize came out. That was outside my expectations. I was thinking that another silver would pop out, not a golden winner... "*ksst* bad *ksst*" Is there someone there? While keeping [Lurk] active, I started to listen to the..., creatures around the corner... Oho? So that''s the case..., time to quit early today. Tomorrow''s gonna be interesting~. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Class: [Scout] has reached Lv.50. A Class Evolution is now possible. For reaching Lv.50 with class: Scout, you have obtained 1.0 Aether Points. I guess today''s that already though!? Chapter 29: Class Change & Confirmations In my Player Room after leaving the event field, I was struggling with a difficult and important decision: my class'' evolution. The class evolution requires 5 AP, which I''d obtained from the last level-up of the Scout class giving me such a bonus, and thanks to the lottery in the event field. All that remains is to choose one of the options that are in front of me at the moment: The Hunter is someone who relies on traps to do their dirty work. After stalking their prey, the Hunter prepares a fitting trap to take care of the deed. It grants access to skills related to detection and traps while also improving their effects. If a fight is the last thing you want, but magic is out of your reach, take this class. The Rogue is a dirty bastard that hates playing fair. They will fight without honor or scruples if it can bring them victory, and can without a care for others use forbidden items if they need to. It grants access to skills related to hiding and sneak attacks. They can also take certain skills related to the usage of "forbidden" or "evil" items. If honor is something that doesn''t fill your stomach, choose this class. The String Artist is far from as harmless as their name might suggest. These people use strings as hidden weapons to cut the vital points of their enemies. They can also use their strings to detect incoming enemies and/or prey. The owner of this class will be granted the ability to manipulate strings and use them as fetters, deadly blades, or even as distractions. If you have a serious case of chuunibyou, then this class could be a good fit for you. The Slasher is the answer the different classes had for the street slasher. Like the criminal, the Slasher runs through the streets (or wherever they are) and cuts through their targets with swiftness and mercilessness. The skills this class has to offer are all related to the usage of short-bladed weapons and hit-and-run tactics. Speed is the key here. If you want to play like a criminal, take this class. Ruin Carriers bring status ailments along with them and ruin the opponent''s ability to fight back. They are specialists in status ailments, or perhaps over-specialists, as they do not have any other means of fighting. This class provides skills that grant status ailments. But depending on your attributes, there may be fewer or more skills available to you. If you don''t like harming people directly and want them to sink in a swamp of status ailments they have no hope of fleeing from, take this class. Demonic Rogue is one of the race-limited intermediate classes for demons. They sneak around and defeat their enemies with their inborn demonic powers. This class provides demon-type skills and skills that make it easier to facilitate a surprise attack. This class is perfect for demons who want to fight in the shadows unseen by the public, yet they are known for their powers. A tough decision indeed... Or not! I mean, there is no other choice but to take the Demonic Rogue! String Artist and Ruin Carrier are also cool, but Demonic Rogue does feel like the safest choice. The thought of being able to use demonic powers like a pro is so alluring, and it seems to be the best fit for my current skill build. As for why Slasher is an alternative, I used the Skill Book of [Dagger Proficency]. I mean, daggers are my most used weapon, after throwing rocks. But enough delays! Time to do this! SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have consumed 5 AP to evolve class: [Scout] to class: [Demonic Rogue]. Due to obtaining the class: [Demonic Rogue], you have acquired the skill: [Demonic Combat]. Mwa-hahaha! The power of hell is within my grasp! I''m..., I think I..., may have received it for real? What''s this "Combat"...? Wow! That''s awesome! But, the MP cost is based on my Karma..., over 150!? Okay, this is a "sink or swim"-type of move. Better not use it without thinking. My max MP with my current title is 156, and the power-up effect requires 176 MP, to be precise. If I swap my title into [First Evil Eye] or [Dungeon Ruler], I should have enough, but just barely. Not to mention that I want to keep those two a secret, so this skill may not see much usage at the moment. I should try to increase my levels for tomorrow. Improving my MP won''t hurt, not to mention all the other stats. *Ding* Right as I was about to leave, I received a notification that someone had answered my post on the demon thread. It''s from Al Azif..., good. He''s preparing for the "popularity contest" tomorrow. Seems he''s gotten the fox- and loli crafters to help him, along with some other characters. This is good. The contest is the biggest thing regarding this event. The NPCs I overheard earlier in the alleyway had been part of that. As in, trying to facilitate the results into something useful for them. Turns out that the NPCs don''t want someone like me to win the popularity contest. That may have been the reason why the casino banned me, as I was gathering way too much attention. Following that logic, they may have facilitated that the rabbit won the 1st prize in the lottery. To move the crowd''s attention from me to him. It helped me out in the end, so I''m not mad about that. I wrote back to Al Azif to ask if he needed help, but a short reply later asked for me to stay clear so that the "masked demon princess of unknown identity" wouldn''t make a bigger ruckus. Who invented that nickname anyway!? Ah, whatever. Let''s go hunt some frogs. --- [Mythical Threads]! [Mythical Threaaaaads]!! *Ribiiiit!!* SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.4. You have obtained 0.6 Aether Points. Several magical threads were fired inside the mouth of the frog and pierced its brain, draining the last of its HP and killing it before its jaws could finish me off. I pulled myself out of the frog''s mouth that had been trying to eat me alive after my [Demonic Combat]-boosted punch failed to kill the frog. Tch, guess these guys are resistant to blunt attacks. I should have used my dagger... Okay, unarmed combat is not my style. Let''s stick to weapons. Good thing I used the [Dungeon Ruler] title instead of [First Evil Eye]. If the extra VIT hadn''t been there, I''d be frog food by now. *Brr*... I picked up the Darkland Frog''s Eye and threw it into my [Small Inventory] before I continued on my walk. Those things must have a high drop rate. I keep on getting one after every tenth amphibian. Deciding that this was enough for testing [Demonic Combat], I returned to my preferred battle-style of hiding and attacking with [Mythical Threads] after softening the enemy with [Weakness Evil Eye]. In-between the fights, I started to think about what to spend my CP on after the third day. Thanks to both the casino and selling my items to the three crafters, I''d amassed 10.000 CP. That''s equal to fighting twice in the combat events and winning the whole thing, which is pretty impressive as you''re only allowed to enter those events once per day. The most expensive price is an "Advanced Event Skill-Up Potion", which increases the level of any random skill at tier-1 and above Lv.3. It cost 1.000 CP, but I''ve got no interest in it. Instead, I want the "Lesser Event Skill-Up Potion", which works on a random Lv.2-or-below skill and can be bought with 100 CP. Getting a bunch of these and keep on using them until my skills are all Lv.3 is for the best. I could also stop drinking them if the only skills left are strange ones like [Magic] and [Speed]. If my luck suddenly decided to take a day off, I would need 34 of these potions to make all my skills reach Lv.3, so I''ll buy 30 of them, one Advanced Potion that I''ll use right away, and spend the last 1.000 on something else. Maybe one of the "Event Skill-Up Potions" that works on any random skill up to tier-1, Lv.5? They cost 500 CP each. Or maybe some items. Ah, another toad. I killed it swiftly but didn''t get a level-up. It''s getting late, so let''s go to bed for today. Tomorrow is a big day. Special survival and all that. Chapter 30: Popularity & Survival Login. The last day of the event. After entering the event field..., I was dumbstruck. "Come here, come here! Come and get a taste of the Crow cookies!" "We got Crow banners, Crow buns, and Crow coats here! Come and get one before they''re sold out!" "The play, "The Legend of Crow" will start momentarily! Get your tickets ready!" It''s a Crow festival! Despite being a carnival! "Oh? Hey, the masked one~, over here~." I turned around and saw the fox from yesterday..., Aino, was it? She waved at me close to the teleport entrance, so I walked up to her. "I knew it was Ga-, nothing. We can''t let your name get exposed. Come here." - Aino The fox woman made me follow her to a less populated spot from the huge bazaar featuring goods related to the elf from yesterday, Crow. "Phew, that was close~. If people started to gather attention at you, Black, then all the preparations would go to waste~." - Aino "Preparations as in the weird stuff back there? And "Black"?" - Garami Before she answered, the fox started to fiddle with something. Probably her menu screen, because a moment later, she made a system window appear and showed it to me. It was a list of the contenders of the popularity contest for the Carnival. Crow the elf was on a record-high first place. After that, there was some Grieger character and some other people, but saying there was a long shot for them to overcome Crow is the understatement of the year. Then the fox sorted the list to make two entries appear..., that''s me! Both of them! One is just my name and nothing else, while the other is my masked appearance with the name "demon princess" on it. "People have not connected your name and appearance yet~, but if they know that the first Dungeon clearer is such a beauty that has left her mark on the Carnival already, don''t you think that you may overtake Crow in popularity?" - Aino "Ah, that''s why "Black"." - Garami "Correct~." - Aino Well, I am wearing black armor, a black cloak, and a black mask... "Anyway, thank you soooo much~! It''s going to be hilarious to see Crow falling from his paradise to hell after this~." - Aino She''s talking about the true meaning of the popularity contest. The NPCs I overheard yesterday talked about making a male player win the contest so they would not be killed by "something" as the winner would be made the "offering" instead. After I shared this info with Al Azif, he then recruited the two crafter girls from yesterday, this fox and the legal loli, with the plan of making Crow the "winner" of the contest. "You have something against the elf?" - Garami "With Crow? Nothing personally. We both have our shops in Seira Chaos now, and we do not compete over most of the materials in our work. However..." - Aino "However?" - Garami "I cannot agree that his name is more known than me!! He is only brewing those boring potions of his every day while I create the most fabulous clothing you will see in the game or outside it! This is completely ridiculous!!" - Aino "...just asking, the stuff sold back there is...?" - Garami "That? My guild made them. It was a haste job, but we finished it with just half a day on us." - Aino Ah, now I get it. It was told on the BBS, but it seems that equipment-focused crafters aren''t that appreciated yet. They haven''t surpassed the quality that the NPC shops or the items found in the field have. However, consumables like potions are always sought after, as all the NPC shops have limited storage of their goods. Taking this into account, people would be shopping at the elf''s place rather than the fox''s. "Okay, I don''t care. I''ll keep a low profile for today." - Garami I got no urgent need for more CP at the moment. 10.000 should be enough. "Great~! Then, if you ever visit the big city, please give me a call~." - Aino That would be nice, but my title is making me public enemy #1 in those cities. Not to mention that I hate crowded places like a "big city". I saw the fox returning to the "bazaar" and started to walk towards the stands in the Item Exchange area. --- "That will be 1.000 sol, miss." I gave the shopkeeper her money and accepted the pieces of black-purple ore. It''s a "dark magitite", a strange type of ore that allows you to use skills by spending the MP stored inside the rock. Limited to skills of the corresponding element of the ore, or composition elements that include the ore''s element. It''s sorta costly, but since there''s nothing else for me to do other than window shopping, I figured out this could come in handy. I also bought other handy gadgets- "Hey, something''s happening over there." Guess things are starting over at the main area. Most of the players went over to the edge to get a better view. I for my part climbed up one of the stone buildings and pulled out the binoculars, one of the handy gadgets I had bought just now, and took a look at the situation. A huge stage had been constructed in the main area, right in front of a huge huge hole that made up the center of the area. Standing on it was that elf-guy, Crow. He was waving his hands at the people who''d gathered in front of the stage. One of the NPCs, another thin and slim guy with a green, full-faced mask on his head, handed the elf something like a trophy, and then... The trophy exploded into a blast of smoke and revealed lots of ropes that wrapped themselves around the unsuspecting elf. The NPC had already fled the scene. Literally. Right afterward, a green glow emerged from the hole in the center of the island. A huge body made of thin, sharp-looking limbs emerged from the hole. Its height easily surpasses 10 meters. A kaiju-level enemy? SYSTEM MESSAGE: The Raid: [Queen Predator Mantis] has started! Note, the Queen''s aggro is locked onto its "future husband" and "prey", the player: [Crow]. Defeat it before it can consume the player: [Crow] for a bonus reward. All Players, be ready for combat!! And there rang the gong! Still, a mantis..., aaaah. Now I get it. The emblem on the posters. It must have been supposed to be a picture of a mantis'' head with their sickle-like hands crossed. Thinking about it, the NPC being so thin and lean, plus that helmet-like mask, are they perhaps mantises as well? It would make sense, as this "queen" mantis would want a male, so they forced the job from themselves to one of us players. Was the popularity contest a method to choose a player, or to make the "queen" wish for the player that won? No wonder they didn''t want a girl like me to win the contest. Rather, I''m glad I didn''t win. Poor elf... Speaking of the elf, he''s getting carried away by a man dressed in metal armor. Not the kind that a knight in fantasy stories would wear. It''s mostly greaves and a chest plate. The crafters may not have reached the level where they can produce full plate armor, or the guy doesn''t have the qualifications to wear one. In any case, the "queen" doesn''t seem to like having her "company for the night" snatched away from the stage..., or maybe it''s some sorta "podium" in her eyes? The "queen", eyes red from anger, swung one of her massive scythe-hands at the elf and the armored player. Some guys holding huge shields moved like they''d teleported and took the blow for the two escapees. The tanks seemed like they would get crushed, but then magic spells from the magician-looking players struck the tanks and the latter group then proceeded to fend off the kaiju-scythe. That must have been defense enhancements and healing spells. Cool. While the "queen" staggered from the tanks'' deflecting her attack, probably due to some skill, various weapon-holding players came at her with weapons raised. Some of them did incredible high-paced moves that I don''t think I''ll ever be able to replicate without using a skill. Cool. ...are those two "cool"-things the reason why Warrior and Mage are more popular than Scout? We don''t have such cool moves. Then Crafters are either for hobby-type players or players who wanna profit "financially" in the game rather than go on adventurers, I guess. Tch, no love for the Scouts. I mean, sure we don''t have any flashy skills or moves, but still! So what if our only good traits are looking for things and keeping ourselves hidden!? ...looking for things? Keeping ourselves hidden? I just got a nasty idea. As I looked at the "queen", I used..., tch. It doesn''t work with the binoculars? That would have been an OP move that could break the game balance, I guess. In that case, I''ll take the "queen"''s too-big-for-her-own-good-size to my advantage. While looking at the huge mantis that was visible even from this distance, I activated [Weakness Evil Eye]. There are no big changes in the mantis'' movements, but I doubt it''s completely ineffective. I continued to glare at the queen with a whole area in-between us as I casually drank MP potions to recover what I used on the Evil Eye. Since there''s no increase in consumption even with this distance, I can continue for as long as I have potions. I could also just take a break and let [Mana Auto-Recovery] do its trick if I run out, but I want to inflict as much Weakness on the "queen" from the get-go as possible so the other players have a breathing room to reorganize themselves into better positions. And it worked. Soon, the players started to make use of the "queen''s" obsession-like aggro toward the elf to their advantage by staging ambushes with the magician players who had prepared tons of high-powered magic spells and to keep the "queen" away from the players that recovered from the damage and exhaustion. Around halfway into the battle, probably due to the "queen''s" HP reaching a certain threshold, the masked NPCs started to attack the players. They didn''t seem to do much damage to the players, but it led to reducing the number of players who could concentrate on the "queen" due to the manpower being divided into yet another role. Despite the difficulties, the "queen" seemed to gradually become easier for the players to beat. Were the players getting their game more together? Was the "queen" a type of boss that had her stats on its highest at the beginning for then gradually being reduced? Or is it due to my devilish Evil Eye-trick? Whatever the reason, soon, the "queen" and her troops of false NPCs were reduced to black dust in the wind. And I didn''t even need to move from this spot! Nice~. SYSTEM MESSAGE: The Raid Boss: [Queen Predator Mantis] has been defeated! Acquired 1.0 AP as a Raid Reward. Calculating rankings... Congratulations! You reached 9th place in the Raid! For being in the top 10 of the Nightmare Carnival Raid: you have been granted 500 Carnival Points. You have acquired the title: [Raid Clearer]. You have acquired the title: [Nightmare Carnival Participant]. Okay, okay..., 9th place? As in, the 9th player that contributed the most to the raid? WHY!? Crap, rumors are gonna start spreading again. Time for a quick retreat. I''ll decide the rewards tomorrow. Log out. Chapter 31: Official Bulletin Board 4 Nightmare Carnival - Day 1 1: Management This is the official thread regarding the "Nightmare Carnival" event, day 1. Please use it as a general thread for the event. In the case of a post that contradicts the community policy, it may be deleted under the supervision of the management. 2: Nameless Adventurer Nice! 3: Nameless Adventurer Game on! 4: Nameless Adventurer "Carnival" = SAMBA!! ... 481: Nameless Adventurer Damn, Grieger is a beast... 482: Nameless Adventurer I hit the jackpot! 483: Nameless Adventurer ->481 He''s not the "Starguard" for nothing. 484: Nameless Monster ->481 No, that''s ME! 485: Nameless Adventurer ->482 CASINO OR NOTHING!! 486: Nameless Adventurer ->484 You''re saying you could beat that guy? 487: Nameless Adventurer 482 and 485 are going to go broke. 488: Nameless Monster ->486 YOU WANT TO KILL ME!?? 489: Nameless Adventurer ->487 I wasn''t talking about the casino! Don''t lump me with that other guy! Also, I''m 482. 490: Nameless Adventurer ->488 No, just want to subjugate you and take my reward. 491: Nameless Adventurer ->489 YOU TRAITOR!! 492: Nameless Adventurer Wait, what''s the "jackpot" then? 493: Nameless Monster GOTTA RUN!! 494: Nameless Adventurer ->492 A cute girl with a dynamite body. 495: Nameless Adventurer ->493 YOU CAN''T RUN, NOR HIDE! 496: Nameless Adventurer Hmm? 497: Nameless Adventurer Cute girl? 498: Nameless Adventurer ->494 Cute girls are more important than the casino. TELL ME MORE! 499: Nameless Adventurer ->494 Cute girls are more important than CP. TELL US!! 500: Nameless Monster ->494 Dynamite bodies are more important than life. MOAR!! 501: Nameless Adventurer ->494 Sexy ladies are way more important than a scabby monster. SPEAK OR BE SUBJUGATED! 502: Nameless Adventurer Men... 503: Nameless Adventurer They''re the worst... 504: Nameless Adventurer It''s confirmed. 498-501 are the enemies to all women. 505: Nameless Adventurer 494 here again. Summarized, it''s this: There''s this hot girl who was walking toward the Item Exchange island. She was dressed in a type of armor that looked like it was made of black leather and was made up of a corset-like piece, shorts, greaves, and boots. She''s even wearing spiderweb stockings and gloves, and had a black robe over her and a mask! Soul food for a chuunibyo. And the clothes do far from hiding that she''s female. Seeing as she has horns, I think she may be a Succubus race. 506: Nameless Monster ->505 AOOOOOO!! 507: Nameless Adventurer ->505 MORE DETAILS! GIVE US MORE! 508: Nameless Adventurer I think I''ve seen that girl... Where did she get all that..., chest armor? 509: Nameless Adventurer Sh-sh-she has to fake her appearance... 510: Nameless Adventurer ->509 People who fake their appearance normally show it when they move. It will be stiff and unnatural unless you have adapted to the new body completely. But she was walking without any care... 511: Nameless Adventurer The girls have taken critical damage!! 512: Nameless Adventurer ->511 Shut up! 513: Nameless Adventurer ->511 Die! 514: Nameless Adventurer Continuing, while the girl moved like a phantom in the crowd, so much that I was not sure if she was a special NPC or not, some jerks tried to hit on her. 515: Nameless Adventurer Execution. 516: Nameless Adventurer Throw them to the dogs. 517: Nameless Adventurer ->515 Fast?! 517: Nameless Monster ->516 Okay. *Munch, munch, munch* 518: Nameless Adventurer Further on, the girl..., wasted not even a second to call on the GM. And they responded even faster and took the jerks with them. It was like seeing someone being dragged to hell by demons. The AI who responded looked the part, at least. 519: Nameless Adventurer Execution confirmed. 520: Nameless Adventurer ->518 That''s ruthless! 521: Nameless Adventurer People would call on the GM normally, but that sudden..., no honor or compassion here. 522: Nameless Adventurer ->518 Great job girl! 523: Nameless Adventurer Wait, the AI came so suddenly? That''s new. Aren''t they normally taking around 1 minute to process the request from the fakes? 524: Nameless Adventurer ->521 Didn''t they say she was a demon? Why would she have any of those? 525: Nameless Adventurer ->523 Maybe it''s because they want the event to run smoothly? 526: Nameless Adventurer No. That must have been a queen of demons! No doubt about it! 527: Nameless Adventurer Wh-wh-whaaaaaaat?! 528: Nameless Adventurer ->526 Isn''t that exaggerating it a little? 529: Nameless Monster I WANNA LICK THE QUEEN!! 530: Nameless Adventurer ->528 No, it may not be too far off. She had the "style" worthy of a being called a "royalty", and when is the AI responding to the GM call using demon-type avatars? 531: Nameless Adventurer No way! We have a real demonic highness in our ranks!? 532: Nameless Adventurer ->529 I''LL GO AND KILL THAT STUPID DOG!!!!!!!! ... Nightmare Carnival - Day 2 1: Management This is the official thread regarding the "Nightmare Carnival" event, day 2. Please use it as a general thread for the event. In the case of a post that contradicts the community policy, it may be deleted under the supervision of the management. ... 677: Nameless Adventurer The Demon Princess got booted from the casino. 678: Nameless Adventurer ...WHAT?! 679: Nameless Adventurer ->677 First thing I see after returning to the thread is something way too weird to be true. 680: Nameless Adventurer Well, demons are cheaters. 681: Nameless Adventurer ->679 How''s that weird? 682: Nameless Adventurer The casino''s supposed to be open for anyone, but I think they''re kicking out cheaters. 683: Nameless Adventurer ->680 It didn''t look like she was accused of cheating. 684: Nameless Adventurer I saw the event and it looked more like the owner of the casino begged her not to enter the place. He even bribed her. 685: Nameless Adventurer ->684 With what? 689: Nameless Adventurer ->685 Not sure. It was a huge bag with stuff inside, from the look of it. 690: Nameless Monster HER DEMONIC MAJESTY HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A DEMONIC BUNNY GIRL!! AWOOOOO!! 691: Nameless Adventurer Yup, today''s BBS is slow... 692: Nameless Adventurer ->690 There you are, you perverted mutt! Off with his head! 693: Nameless Adventurer ->692 NEVER! Not unless it''s the princess who does it! 694: Nameless Adventurer ? When was she degraded from "queen" to "princess"? 695: Nameless Adventurer ->694 Because we haven''t seen if she has a kingdom yet. 696: Nameless Adventurer "Yet", he says. As if it''s that easy... ... Nightmare Carnival - Day 3 1: Management This is the official thread regarding the "Nightmare Carnival" event, day 3. Please use it as a general thread for the event. In the case of a post that contradicts the community policy, it may be deleted under the supervision of the management. ... 888: Nameless Adventurer D-d-damn that bug... 889: Nameless Adventurer But.., WE WON!! 890: Nameless Adventurer The first raid in NFO''s story, and we were part of it! WE''RE HISTORY!! 891: Nameless Adventurer Too scary. That thing was way too scary. Why was it talking like a fancy prostitute? Why did it act like it was ready for babymaking even when it was a gigantic bug!!? 892: Nameless Adventurer ->890 Calm down. 893: Nameless Adventurer ->891 And it was a mantis. And it''s famous what a female does to a male after... 894: Nameless Adventurer ->891 Ugh, a man''s worst nightmare... 895: Nameless Adventurer ->893 I STAND CORRECTED! 896: Nameless Paparazzi The top 10 list of the raid is soon to be published. 897: Nameless Adventurer ->895 You can''t be corrected regarding that thing because it was sick to the bone (exoskeleton?) from the start. 898: Nameless Adventurer GOOD JOB, PAPARAZZI! 899: Nameless Adventurer ->896 Ah, the verification players (paparazzi) are at it again. 900: Nameless Paparazzi Here they are: 1: Soso: Dual sword psycho who stole the last hit on the boss. Pretty strong normally, believe it or not. 2: Grieger: Armor psycho who did most of the work from carrying the target to throwing commands. 3: Rei: Lesbian psycho and magic freak. Invested all her skills and AP into magic. Ridiculous firepower. 4: Crow: Potion-making psycho who invented the "tasty"-potion that people didn''t throw up from. Poor guy had the worst day of his life. 5: Ferno: Yuri psycho and demon-type player. Burned away lots of the boss'' HP with physical attacks. 6: Maria: Nun and the apparent best healing specialist and an angel player. But she''s a pervert wishing to be "corrupted". Meaning she''s also a psycho. 7: Trinity: Spear-using player. Not much info on her. The pet-owning psycho. 8: Valier: Nickname "Vali". Demon-type player of some huge demon race. Simply strong with a shield. 9: Garami: Unknown player. Got her space here by "constantly casting and stacking Weakness status ailment" on the target. The Dungeon psycho, I think. 10: Black Bone: Nickname "Bone". Skeleton player that uses magic. Psycho who loves undead girls. 901: Nameless Adventurer And the paparazzi strikes! 902: Nameless Adventurer Bruh, they''re all psychos... 903: Nameless Adventurer ...wait a sec... 904: Nameless Adventurer ->900 THE DUNGEON RULER IS HERE!! 905: Nameless Paparazzi ->904 And apparently, she''s the same figure that has been going around by the nickname of "demon princess". 906: Nameless Adventurer #%&$@#;=;#@??!?!?!? 907: Nameless Adventurer WHAAAT?! Who''s your source!!? 908: Nameless Paparazzi The management. 909: Nameless Adventurer Cannot compute. Cannot compute. 910: Nameless Monster PRINCEEEESS!! This loyal dog is coming for you!! 911: Nameless Adventurer ->908 HOW!? 912: Nameless Paparazzi According to them: "people need to know the truth before they start a revolution", so they told me everything. Besides, they plan on publishing an official list with the images of the avatars included, so the truth would come to the light of day anyway. 913: Nameless Adventurer Ah, good saving there, management. 914: Nameless Adventurer ->910 Someone throw that horny mutt into the kennel already!! Chapter 32: Carnival Points & Decorations Those damn management people... While eating my breakfast the day after the event, a heavy blow hit me from the NFO''s official web page: all the names and pictures of the avatars of the top 10 in the raid battle yesterday are revealed to the public! Now people will understand I''m the one who made all the ruckus in the event! On a different note, it seems that there are extremely few players that can successfully inflict status ailments onto monsters with higher stats than themselves, and there are even fewer people who can stack ridiculous amounts of those ailments onto the same monster in a stable manner. It seems that my Evil Eye is more powerful than I gave them credit for. It helped that I was in a safe location as well and that the mantis was preoccupied with chasing the elf to switch its aggro towards me. *Sigh*, whatever. It was bound to be revealed sooner or later. And it''s not like people know that the Darkland Fort is my Dungeon. Nobody has ever visited after it became my turf. Still, I''d hoped to keep my anonymity a little longer. Thank you very much, Weakness-weak mantis queen... --- Login..., or not? Instead of my Player Room, it seems like the place where I created my character. That fancy throne room-place with a grid-like floor like on a chessboard. When I tried to look for someone to explain this situation, I found a leaflet on the ground. This is..., ah, these are the rewards for the event. Do we need to choose them from here? Weird. ......okay, now I get it. This is probably something that''s only happened to me this time around. Because the leaflet is showing rewards that are related to the Dungeon. Specifically, stuff like adding new Elements or monster lines to it. Yeah, this isn''t something that should be done in public spaces. There''s even a button that tells me I can wait with choosing my rewards for now, as long as I do it within a week. Hmm... Let''s do as I planned and take the 30 Lesser Event Skill-Up Potions first. That''s 3.000 of the..., I had 15.000 CP available? Oh, right. The bonus from the raid battle. That leaves me with 12.000 CP left. The next thing I want can be something for the Dungeon..., wow. All the entries here are easily 5 times more expensive than the Advanced Event Skill-Up Potion. And it cost 1.000 CP. After pondering over it a little, I decided to obtain another element to the Dungeon. Even if I did get another set of monsters to choose from, I won''t have an element to assign them to. Plus, the only other options are [Mantis] and [Frog]. WHYYYY!? Why can I only choose between those two!? The mantis is sorta understandable when you remember that this is a prize from that event, but frogs..., don''t tell me it''s because the neighborhood is a frog wonderland!? COME OOOOOON!! Grr..., next event, I''ll unquestionably participate in it. Especially if it has some cool monsters in it. Back to the present, the elements I can get are: They''re even generous to tell me what element slots these new guys would occupie~. Though, I don''t get why these are among my options. Was I right in saying that there''s a frog wonderland nearby? Is there some huge swamp near my fort!? Geez, that takes the wind outta my sails. And because of that, the elements of Swamp and Mud are removed from my wishlist. Shadow can go as well. It seems to overlap with Darkness. Why''s Wood here? It means plants..., ah. Those pitiful trees outside the Fort. Maybe they''re connected. As for Mist..., is it related to Swamp? A foggy swamp filled with frogs..., can''t say I would like to go there. Finally, it''s this "Crystal" element. Why''s this one here? Hmm...... Maybe it is possible to mine crystals in this region? Maybe the same type of crystals that I bought from the stall at the event? Speaking of which, would it be possible to add facilities to the Fort that lets me farm-, I mean, mine those crystals? Okay, I''m convinced. Let''s go with Crystal. Even if it doesn''t give me those mana-crystal thingies, it''s still a cool element to add to the Dungeon. That leaves me with 4.000 CP left..., let''s use them on Advanced Event Skill-Up Potions. I''m happy with my current equipment, and this stuff is more for those who haven''t had an incredible start like mine. After pressing the "accept" button, a magic circle appeared underneath me and transported me to my Player Room. There, I found a huge cardboard box filled with potion bottles..., you couldn''t use a more fantastical wrapping? Geez... --- Many potions later: M-my stomach..., too many..., potions... I''d finished downing down the potions now, but the huge number made my brains play tricks on me. I felt like my stomach had been bloated despite food- and drink items not having such a function. And I needed a toilet break in between the potions. But I cleared them all! And the result..., is kinda..., vague. Skill List: Title List: Why did the Lesser Potions have to hit all the Ability Skills to their highest... Better be glad the free potion I got as the participation prize didn''t hit any of those. That it increased the level of [Lesser Darkness Talent] is good, but still... Oh, and these are the new titles: Proof of having fought against the strongest of the strongest and survived. Proof of having witnessed a nightmarish carnival that brings both pleasure and trauma to those who are winners in life and games. Pretty meh, but they''re titles that commemorate the event and the first raid. The former will probably be upgraded if I clear more raids, but I''m more likely to keep clear of that stuff. Then, what to do now? I could add demons to the Crystal element, but I think I want to improve the overall abilities of the Dungeon before that. See if I get some cooler demons out of it. Instead, I should see if there are any new facilities. Not that I have enough space (Facility Points) to place them. As I looked at the list, I discovered a new type of support facility. A "Recovery Crystal". Place it on the wall, and it can recover an invader''s HP. The crystal contains a single "recovery charge", and it needs 1 hour to recharge. It cost 20 DP to place and gives me 10 more FP to use on other facilities. Plus, I can place up to 3 of them on each floor, which equals getting 30 more FP for each! The effect isn''t that big of a loss for me, as each crystal only recovers a single invader''s HP, so these are great! I wasted no time placing as many crystals as I could all over the Dungeon. Due to their price, and my lack of DP, I could only place 6 of them for now. Let''s add the last three when the DP''s charged up. However, even with all the crystals, I''m still 10 points short of 100 FP, which is what I need to add a new floor to the Fort..., guess I''ll have to remove one of the gardens. Then I need to wait for more DP. And I want to continue decorating the Fort after that again. The carnival days surely made me enjoy spending the stored-up DP on various decorations since I lacked the means of using more FP back then. *BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!* What''s that? ...oh, the alarm... We have an intruder!? Hurriedly, I activated the Dungeon Terminal to see who the bastards were. On the 1st floor, surrounded by a group of Gloom Boogeys was..., what, just a toad? What a letdown. I watched as the Boogeys attacked the dark-colored amphibian. The toad jumped around as it dodged the fluffy ogres'' attacks..., isn''t this toad too good at this dodging thing? It''s as if it has eyes on its back. Nevertheless, that feeble attempt of survival didn''t last long. One of the Boogeys got in the way of the toad and prepared to squash it. The toad released its stupidly-long tongue like a whip at the Boogey, but she dodged it with no harm done. Not that any harm would be done if that attack hit her or anything. Three seconds later, and the carpet was filled with toad gunk. For once, I''m glad for the black dust disintegration phenomenon...AAAAHHH!! That stupid toad! It broke the cool suite of armor (decoration only) that I used to spice up the entrance!! He''ll PAY!! But he''s already dead!! Dammit!! If that''s the case, I know what to do from now on. TOAD HUNT!! I''m fine with frogs too! Anyone, get me in contact with a french restaurant! I''ll give them a lifetime supply of frog legs!! Chapter 33: Frog Hunt & Area Boss "Kill!" - Garami *Ribiiiit!!* "Kill!" - Garami *Ribiiiit!!* "Kill!" - Garami *Ribiiiit!!* "Kill!!" - Garami *Ribiiiiiiiit!!* One by one, I discovered and practically assassinated a Darkland Frog/Toad whenever I found one. [Detect Monster]''s improved effect made it more difficult not to notice one of those huge blokes, and the damage-output of [Mystical Threads] has been enhanced as well. It''s mostly due to the environment that I can fight so great. In addition to the naked trees and the huge boulders that I can use to hide, there are slippery patches of mud all over the place. They seem to contain some "darkness mana" or something that hides the mud, as my Manavision lets me see the bad places to step on for a slippery experience. The frogs aren''t that lucky. I managed to trip one of the unluckier ones and made him slide into one of the huge ravines that can be found here too. Rest in mushy pieces. It''s not all fun and games. Both my MP and SP get used up due to using all these skills and moving around so much. When I have little MP left, I take a break to let [Mana Auto-Recovery] do its job. For my SP, I have to rest even longer, but I have some food items from the Fort''s Caf with me, so that shouldn''t be a problem. And if there''s an HP crisis after a fight, I simply sneak behind the next toad with [Lurk] and drain it with [Dark Drain]. The skill takes the effect of some black energy that comes from the palm of my hand and can stretch like a piece of slime to reach something at most 5 meters away. Some green stuff gets sucked out from the target and into my palm. And I used [Weakning Evil Eye] to grant weakness onto a frog if it seems too strong. Like this one. Kukukuku. With the latest upgrade on [Identification] as well, I have finally reached the point where I can see my opponent''s stats! Some of them, at least. But man, these frogs are real muscleheads. Look at that HP and SP. And it''s on the same level as me. Or, before I started. I''ve killed a good dozen of frogs and toads each now, so I reached Lv.6 a few frogs ago. But that frog has easily three times more HP than me, and twice as much SP. Then again, it dies after getting hit with [Mystical Threads], and it''s easily affected by [Weakness Evil Eye], so I guess its RES must be in the dumps. Poor thing. Our matchup is the worst. Also for me, as I''m not good at taking a huge hit like from these guys. Its tongue is also nasty to deal with, for various reasons. I killed the frog I was busy with before its Weakness ailment expired. You see, I didn''t just exterminate those ribbits in a blind rage. I also experimented with the Evil Eye. Or more specifically, the status ailment it inflicts. From my observations, I can say that a status ailment will have different levels of strength depending on how many stacks of that ailment the victim has. In the case of Weakness, 1 stack of this ailment leads to the victim''s stats going down by 0.1%. Also, the stack gets reduced by 1 for each 10th second. On another note, I tried to stack as much Weakness on a toad once, but the stack didn''t go any higher than 100. Do I have to do some sorta Quest to unlock a more powerful Weakness or something? Not caring. Professor Garami is taking her day off now. And replacing her is BERSERKER Garami!! Attack!! Soloing the frogs was damn easy, considering they''re just wandering around without any worries. The only problem is that the eyes they drop with a high ratio is attracting new frogs before I can get ready for them! Why''re they so gung-ho about eating their killed friend''s eyeballs? Some sorta ritual? Or are they some sick kinda gourmet? Not that I''ll get to know, nor care..., I stand corrected. I found the reason for their appetite for eyes, I think. An E-rank..., a special evolution? It''s still a toad instead of a frog. A switch into a superior race instead of growing up? The Darkeye Toad didn''t look that different from the Darkland Toad. The same size, the same coloring, but this toad had lots of wart-looking bumps all over its body. Except that it wasn''t warts or bumps, but white-colored eyes. Don''t tell me that eating enough eyes will unlock a new evolution for that kind. But it seems that''s the truth even if nobody spills the beans. Tch. And worst of all, from what of its stats, it seems this eyeball-toad has switched from a physical type to a magic type. Maybe its RES has gotten better. While I wanted to test out my theory (okay, I just wanted some smashed toad), there''s a group of toads and frogs around the eyeball-toad. I mean, with this many bodyguards around it, does it even need higher RES? Or, maybe the normal toads/frogs are waiting for the eyeball-toad to kick the bucket so it will drop a "concentrated eyeball" or something that they can gobble up? So they''re scavengers instead of guards! That''s not a clique I wanna hang around with. Scavengers or not, I doubt that they''ll just stand around and watch the eyeball-toad die if push comes to show. Unless they''re really stupid. Or if they can''t see any enemies... Having an idea, I used one of the MP Potions I had on hand and fully recovered my MP before taking out one of the throwing daggers from the specialized pouch they''d come along with and aimed at the eyeball-toad. Tch. I only aimed at it and the eyeball-toad still seems to have noticed me. It''s looking around confused for something, at least. Guess all those eyes aren''t for show. It still hasn''t discovered where I''m hiding, so it''s better to end this quickly. I used [Demonic Combat] to spend almost all of the recovered MP to increase my STR and threw the dagger at the toad. Before a "ribbit" could leave its troath, its HP had been reduced to 0. Maybe switching to a magic-type reduced its VIT compared to the frogs? SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.7. You have obtained 0.6 Aether Points. YES! I didn''t expect that, but I''ll take everything I can get! The normal frogs/toads looked confused at the collapsed eyeball-toad, but they couldn''t see me as I was hiding with [Lurk] and had already moved away from my sniping position. The amphibians paused for a second, but the second the eyeball-toad''s corpse had disintegrated, they started to fight over the remaining eyeball like aunties over a 50%-sale. Yikes. Guess I was right about the eyeball thing. Not sure if they can evolve by eating it, but they won''t be living for that long anyway. I fired a volley of [Mystical Threads] using all my MP and killed the frogs and toads before they could do so to each other. A lot of eyeballs fell to the ground after the volley was over. I don''t wanna pick those up, but if some frog starts eating them..., that''s it. I could use these as baits..., but the risk that something (or lots of things at the same time even) above my weight limit appearing is probably high. Let''s quit for today-*rumble*-eh? No way, they''re already here!? Not wanting to let the eyeballs become dinner for a future eyeball-freak, I triggered the effect of my bracelet and fired a Fireball at them, burning them to crisps. And not a moment too soon, because something came from the sky with a *BOOM*! The new contender is a frog, but with lots of eyeballs all over its body. I can guess its name, but let''s confirm to be safe. [Lurk], don''t fail me now. Geh!? A D-rank frog!? And it''s some sorta boss!? That''s more than I bargained for! The frog looked at the scorched remains of the eyeballs before making an angry roar. Just how cannibalistic is this species?! L-let''s keep a low profile for now... *SMACK!* But the frog refuses! It smacked away the boulder I was hiding behind with its tongue! And it covered said tongue with mana when it attacked..., a skill that transforms magical power into physical one!? Not to mention that this guy doesn''t seem affected by [Lurk] at all! I fled. No way I can beat this one. And I bet it may even have some magic-type skills as well. Meaning it could probably crush someone with weak physical defense, a guy with weak magic defense, and a poor beauty''s stealth-based defense. It''s a complete defense-crusher! The frog jumped after me. Does it have such a grudge over the lost eyeballs? You glutton! Kin eater! Stop chasing meeee!! The tongue-whip flew toward me, and it was only thanks to [Evasion] and that I could see the mana building up in the frog''s mouth that allowed me to escape an instant return to my Player Room. This is too much for an E-ranker like me! Why do these frogs have to come after the dead remains of their comrades!? It''s impossible to get a good hunt going on then! Somewhere between the third or fourth failed attacks after I started to run, the frog switched to magical blasts. Probably something from the Darkness- or Shadow elements, if I have to judge from their appearances. Luckily, that turned out to be easier to dodge than the tongue thanks to Manavision. But even if I can escape its attacks, how am I supposed to beat it!? Or, maybe I don''t need to? While running down a slope, I used [Create Trap] to give the frog a special surprise. A birdlime-ish trap produced from sticky threads a la [Mystical Threads]. The second the frog stepped on it, it lost its balance and started to tumble down the slope. I fled to the side to escape getting run over by the frog and started to run in a different direction. See you later, froggy..., is that a cliff? The frog fell into it..., is that safe? SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have defeated the Area Boss of the "Darkland Plains". It is now possible to cross the "Darkland Pass". For defeating the Area Boss, you have obtained 2.0 Aether Points. A special reward for being the first to defeat the Area Boss of the "Darkland Plains" has been delivered to your Player Room. Guess not! And what''s this "pass"? That determines what I''ll be doing..., tomorrow. It''s getting late, and I need to place the last crystals in the Fort. Back home, I go! Chapter 34: Darkland Pass & Beginner Town *Ptui!!* This tastes awful! Why must these potions be "potions"? Couldn''t it have been some sorta button we just need to push!? It was the day after the frog hunt and I looked over the additional rewards I''d gotten from fighting the eyeball frog. Meaning high-quality materials from the frog. Such as eyeballs, its skin, eyeballs, tongue, eyeballs, meat, eyeballs, and eyeballs. How many eyeballs does one frog even need!? As for the other reward, it was a Darkness element-limited Skill-Up Potion. The good part about it is that it''s not randomly choosing the skill, even if it''s only for Darkness skills. The bad part is that it''s on my top 10 list of bad food and drinks. Strangely, most of the members on that list are related to this game... Oh, and the potion is a standard reward for when you beat an "area boss" the first time. One potion is connected to the boss'' main element. And regarding what the area bosses are, just think of them as rare monsters that appear when special conditions are satisfied. Like preparing tons of frog eyeballs as bait. The first time you beat one of these bosses, you''ll get a random variant of that potion instead of EXP. But if you do like me and be the first to kill the boss in the game''s history, you get the selectable potion and a set of materials from the boss. Still no EXP though. Not sure if I can make use of those eyeballs..., and the other stuff. I leveled up my Talent skill with the potion, but the best part about defeating that frog was the info about the Darkland Pass. The "wild" areas of NFO are divided into regions, with the Darklands being one of them. And in each of these regions, there are various fields like the Darkland Plains where the frogs jump around. These areas are normally a long road away from the nearest village or town, but there exists a shortcut. You clear some special requirements, like defeating an area boss, and are allowed to take a shortcut through a normally impossible method. The Darkland Pass is one of them. As for why it''s dubbed "impossible", that''s for me to go and see. Not that I can start decorating the new 4th floor I added to the Fort. I don''t have enough DP for it. --- Welp, finding the Pass was easy. I''d bought a few maps during the event from the few players who''d invested time and resources to reach the Darkland Plains and cross-referenced them with my own to find this place. It''s a huge mountain wall. Too steep to climb, and I can see the shadows of some flying monsters on the top. They don''t seem to be interested in the stuff here on the ground, luckily for me, but climbing up and entering their territory is something I can imagine would be a fun experience. The only way past the wall is to either go the long way around, the official way, or you can try to brave through a special fortification that''s practically built into the mountain wall. This is the special area, the Darkland Pass. Most of the place is covered in mist, but you can see the faint shape of a fortress made of rock. The problem is the various reactions I get from [Detect Monster]. And they''re moving so smoothly that I bet they''re not affected by the mist at all, unlike normal players like me. This gives the monsters one heck of a home-field advantage, Even Evil Eyes will be useless in this mist. Why does my favorite skill have to have so many weaknesses? My goal here is not to go through the fortress but through a special tunnel. A little away from the main entrance to the fortress is a huge door that leads into the mountain wall. This should be the real shortcut to get to the other side of the mountain wall. When I touched the huge door, it opened with anticlimatic ease and led to the tunnel. It took a quick walk, and I arrived at the other side..., wait, is this a teleportation tunnel? I looked at my map and saw that I had indeed switched areas. My current level in [Auto-Map] doesn''t let me compare the distances between two maps over different areas, but it''s easy to guess that I''ve crossed a far larger distance than what the small walk I did in the tunnels would suggest. The Darkland Pass behind me is still covered in fog, but the area in front of me looks like your typical forest. Green trees, lush grass, and I can even hear birds singing. A big difference compared to the dead and dark Darklands. But I feel horrible. There''s a big, stupid lightbulb up in the sky. I''m already hating that thing in real life, and it still wishes to mess with me here. My demonic self hates you, oh wretched sun~. Jokes aside, the decrease in stats doesn''t feel that bad. Compared to how horrible it is walking outside in the real world, this is way easier. SYSTEM MESSAGE: The Quest: [Village of Dusk Woods] has been unlocked. Do you want to take this Quest? Y/N That''s all of a sudden. Lost Migrant, you are getting close to the first settlement in your new story. Go there and begin the first chapter in your new life. Is this some tutorial-like Quest for players who''ve finished their Racial Start or have been in similar situations? From the sounds of it, it seems that I can use my Player Room to reach this village after registering there. Just hope that they won''t attack me all of a sudden. I did some research regarding the [Dungeon Ruler] title, specifically, the NPCs that would see red when they lay their eyes on me who has this thing. Lucky for me is that the Darklands are close to Umbral, the Darkness capital. One of the few places that don''t act all fanatically against Dungeons, so I should be fine in some of the more remote towns..., I hope. I followed the forest path as I followed the descriptions that had appeared on my mental map of the area. This gotta be a tutorial. No way a normal Quest would be so helpful. It was then I noticed a signal from [Detect Monster]. Something in the bushes is getting closer to me. I fired a Fireball at the sneaking stalker and burned them out. "...a wolfie?" - Garami The "monster" seemed to be just a normal, black-colored wolf. Then again, a wolf is far from anything "normal" you can encounter in a real forest, but this is a game world. Different places, different rules. The wolfie charged at me, but I side-stepped and slashed at its side with my dagger before shooting a [Mystical Thread] at its cranium for good measures. The wolfie died so easily that I feel bad for it. "That''s what you get for trying to take on someone who grew up in hell." - Garami After making a joke to the disintegrating wolf corpse and confirming there were no dropped items, I continued into the forest. --- A few wolfies and rabbits later and I arrived at the village. It''s, what should I say..., rural? It''s a village in the middle of a big clearing in the forest with huge walls made from timber to protect itself from monsters. The walls look like they''ve been attacked by monsters more than a few times. Claw- and fang marks all over the place. That doesn''t mean the wall looks unstable or anything. I believe they may have used magic or something to enhance it. While enjoying the sight of the primitive architecture that''s rare to find in the real world these days, I walked toward the entrance to the village. Multiple men in armor were standing guard there, probably guards of some kind. Hmm? Did middle-age villages (I presume that''s where the developers got their inspiration from) have proper guards? Weren''t hunters and their likes the best such a remote village could hope for? I entertained these thoughts as the guards started to scramble around over there. What''s gotten them in such a hurry? ...what are they carrying? Chains...-!? *CRASH!!* Guuh-!? Wh-what kinda guards..., throws massive..., chains at..., strangers...? --- ...okay, I don''t get this situation. "STAY CALM AND DON''T MOVE!" - Scared guard #1 "B-B-BEHAVE YOURSELF!" - Scared guard #2 "*Shake, shake, shake, shake*..." - Scared guard #3 If I had to explain the situation to the extent of my abilities, then..., the heavily armed, heavily numbered guards freaked out over little me getting close to the settlement and are now cowering in front of me who''s bound with chains big enough to contain an elephant while pointing their weapons at me. And if I had to guess, they''re too scared of me to even get closer than 5 meters, and they haven''t even tried to move me from my spot. Is there some "no demons allowed" law in this village? ...no, I don''t get it. Not one iota of it. What''s going on? Was I using that fear-based skill I got from evolving without noticing? No, it''s still turned off. Then why? I simply looked at the so-called guards who were acting like they were facing a demon lord of terror or something. Am I that scary to look at? That''s sorta hurtful. Or rather, these guys look so pitiful that I can''t even get angry for them almost crushing me back then, or for their outbursts toward me. I think some of them even spoiled their pants... And speaking of appearances, aren''t these guys strange? My intel-gathering told me that the capital of Umbral was supposed to be filled with demons, but the guards looks like humans, elves, and even a few furry Beastkins. One was the kind that only had animal ears and tails, but still, no demons. While the questions kept on piling on in my head, a figure came running out of the village. Like, running for real. He must be faster than someone on a bicycle. The guards, having noticed that I was staring at the guy behind them, turned around and got visibly better faces when they saw the running figure. "What are you nincompoops doing!?" - Running guy But hope is so easy to turn into despair. The running guy did a lariat on one of the guards and sent them flying into the "lucky" guys who''d escaped being hit directly and sent them all flying into the trees. What a power move! This guy isn''t your everyday old man. Because that''s what he is. Far bulkier than your average joe, but his hair''s revealing that he''s getting by the years. You could call him a dandy silver fox. There is a slight chance that he may be older than even what his appearance may suggest though. Because, on the top of his head is a pair of horns, similar to my own. The old dandy turned to me and did a 90-degree bow and said: "Please excuse these foolish brats! They are the snotty children of nobles who cannot inherit their houses, so they were sent here as part of a subjugation force to defeat a threat in this region but were left behind because of their incompetence! Please have mercy on them! Their families will make a ruckus if something happened to them, to say the least, so please, for everyone''s peaceful everyday life, let this matter be!" - Old dandy No, didn''t you just send them flying? But the old man''s powerful words made me swallow those comments and instead said: "...okay. But you owe me." - Garami "As you say, ma''am! ...hey, you''re one of those Migrants," said the old dandy as he rose his head and got a better look at me. "And in chains. Fredrick!" "Coming, coming," said a rat-looking man who was outta breath. Did he come running after the old dandy? In any case, he got the chains off me in a split second, so I don''t care if his stamina can''t match that macho-dandy. "*Cough*, again, excuse me for not supervising those blockheads. I''m the Union Master of this village''s Adventurers'' Union, Carnet Belford. If you have any problems, just come to the Union with them. That''s the least we can do, seriously." - Carnet Oho~? You don''t say~. Chapter 35: Adventurers’ Union & Teachers Oooooh. This is coooool~. "Hahaha! Everyone has a reaction like that when they''re given their Adventurers'' Card. Don''t miss it, as it will take 1.000 sol to compensate for it." - Belford I nodded to the Union Master''s word but didn''t take my eyes off the sparkling new card that represented my new status as a proper adventurer. The card was produced from a special machine referred to as a "magitech" and I could even choose its design myself. I made it black with a spider-web motif, and a big E was printed in the upper-right corner. There''s also info about my classes and other specialties. The first part is obligatory to show, but I kept my other talents a secret for now. Most adventurers are doing the same thing unless they wanna promote themselves. As for where we are now, it''s a place that looks like a tavern combined with a post office. The Adventurers'' Union building. The place smells a little..., not. They are keeping the place clean with some tamed slime-type monsters, according to the Union Master. "Moving on is the adventurer rankings. Keep your ears open, because this is important." - Belford Oh, and part of the excuse for the ridiculous treatment I got earlier is a complete "first-class course in an adventurers'' know-how" by the Union Master himself, plus free registration to become an adventurer. The price was just 100 sols, so the boss took the teacher role upon himself to compensate. We''re sitting at one of the tables in the tavern part of the building. Turns out the place also acts as the common meeting spot for the adventurers to take a drink, eat, and complain about their job. I''m getting treated to a wolf steak out of all things. Tastes better than what you would expect from a carnivorous animal. Especially the fruit-based sauce. According to him, adventurers are divided into the same ranks as the racial ranks. Meaning from G to A, but there''s also a special S-rank that''s given to adventurers that are literally outta this world. G-rank adventurers are just small children that want to earn some extra pocket money with G-rank Quests, which are better to be called "odd jobs" than Quests. The real thing starts at F-rank and above. The second an adventurer shows they''re combat-worthy, the Adventurers'' Union can rank them up to E-ranks, which they can with safety send out in the field. F-rank Quests are mostly harder work that children can''t do. "Missy is strong enough to travel through the forest without worries, so letting you skip the F-rank is no skin off our nose. Plus you even conquered a Dungeon. I''d promote you to a D-rank right away if I had the authority to do that." - Belford "Okay...? Dungeon?" - Garami "The world''s voice told everyone about it, that "Migrant Garami has conquered the Arcechina Castle and become its new owner"." - Belford Ah, the World Messaage. Guess it''s called different by the "inhabitants". Also, "Migrant" is what they call the players, while they refer to themselves as "inhabitants" to distinguish between our two groups. "E-rank Quests are the real deal where you have to hunt monsters or search for rare items that can only be found in the wild, and the difficulty goes up with each rank." - Belford According to the boss, the minimum requirement for an E-rank adventurer is that they can solo an F-rank monster and defeat an E-rank with a party of other E-rank adventurers. The D-rankers need to be able to defeat an E-rank on their own and a D-rank with their friends, and so on. S-rankers are real monsters who can go head-to-head with A-rank creatures. They''re so strong that each country tries to tie these guys to their place. A single S-rank can balloon a country''s war potential several to ridiculous degrees. The boss is "just" a C-ranker, as he put it. Turns out most of the NPC don''t try to risk their lives for levels. They don''t come back to life after all. He did however say that if the compatibility was good, he could defeat even several C-rankers if he had to. That''s awesome. "You''re only allowed to take up to 3 Quests from the quest board, plus you''re only allowed to take 1 Quest that''s 1 rank higher than your own. We can''t favorite a single adventurer after all. And finally, you will get Aether Points when you clear a specific number of Quests by the World System." - Belford Turns out I''ll get 0.1 AP after clearing 10 F-rank Quests. The number goes up to 0.2 after 10 E-rank Quests, then 0.3 with D-rank Quests, and so on. They''re a bonus given by the World System after all in addition to the individual Quests'' rewards, so I''ll be content with getting some at all. "Is that all?" - Garami "Except for the recommended skills all adventurers should take, but there is something I need to ask you," said the boss with a serious face. "That Dungeon of yours..., in what region, or area, is it located in?" - Belford The Fort''s location..., no, just a rough estimate of where it is? Well, he''s not asking for its name or concrete location, so... "In the Darklands." - Garami "Phew. That''s a relief." - Belford It is? Before I could ask him why one of the other adventurers in the tavern spoke up. "No one''s crazy to claim ownership over the Darklands, so there are no laws there." - Adventurer A "Meaning if people try to attack the place with no good reason, they can''t get angry for the Dungeon fending them off, or at worst, kill them." - Adventurer B "They''re right. Rather, the law regarding self-defense holds no matter where you are, so if someone invades the Dungeon, your rightful property, you even have the right to kill the invaders as they''re no better than thieves or worse." - Belford W-wow..., thievery can give you a death sentence? Or is it just that there are no rules that limit that law of self-defense? "Though, I would ask that you would lead people who get lost in your Dungeon without any harmful intents back to the nearest settlement." - Belford "Sure, but..., Darklands?" - Garami "Good point. Just keep it in mind." - Belford After that, the boss went on recommending skills that would be favorable for the adventurer business, like [Dismanlting], [Capture], and [Harvest]. "-and don''t forget to ask the Union if there are some skills you want to train." - Belford "Yes, got..., train them?" - Garami What, are there training locals here? That could be useful, but I find it easier to do so in the field. With some weak monsters, preferably. "A skill stuck on Lv.1 isn''t worth much, you know. And spending Aether Points on increasing the level when you can simply ask for tutoring from-" - Belford "Hold that thought! Skills can grow without spending AP!?" - Garami "Whoa, that was sudden. And you didn''t know? Some of us inhabitants have been selected by the gods and the World System to be able to teach in the arts of certain skills we have mastered. I can teach you close-quarter combat if that is your wish. You need to obtain the skill on your own though." - Belford Oh, so it''s not completely free. Also, you need good connections with the NPCs if you wanna find a good teacher. Plus, some skills like [Lesser Darkness Talent] feel like they''re impossible to "teach" about. "...I wanna take [Dismantling]. Is there someone who can teach me?" - Garami [Dismantling] is a skill that delays the deterioration process all monsters undertake when they die and allows the user to disassemble it to obtain more materials outside the drop item. The [Capture] skill stops the deterioration completely, with variating results depending on the skill level, so you can take the whole corpse (what''s left of it) with you and have the Union dismantle it for you for a price. However, I''m not sure if it can be taught by the NPCs. I asked the boss and he confirmed my suspicion. Damn... "Go to the back and ask for Jorgen. He''ll agree to teach you. But missy, there''s something I got to warn you about." - Belford "About what?" - Garami "Remember how scared those whippersnappers were at the entrance?" - Belford Ah, those pitiful nobles. Think "scared" is an understatement, but I nodded to his words. "That reaction of theirs is typical for someone from Seira Chaos, the country they belong to." - Belford That''s the main capital where players can start! No wonder why there were only humanoids among them. "Dungeons are being used as bedtime stories to keep children in check. That bad kids get lured into a Dungeon and eaten by its ruler." - Belford "How rude." - Garami "Probably, but that''s the point. Seira Chaos is one of the countries that despise Dungeons, but they''re still in the moderate faction. Even then, I suggest you forget about any ideas of asking those guys for teaching." - Belford "...then who''s good?" - Garami "To ask? Well, our country of Umbral is one, then there''s the country of Homura north of here, and the country of Serendipity to the south. Other than those would be Irkalla, the country under the ground, I think." - Belford Okay, then I''ll limit myself to those three places. And isn''t Homura a Japan-inspired place? It''s gonna be cool going there. "Other than those, keep clear of people you know are closely integrated to the other countries. Some of the more radical guys will attack first and never bother asking questions before or after the deed." - Belford Ugh, point taken. Let''s stay in this place for now. I went to the back room where this Jorgen guy should be. On the way, I noticed a strange Quest note on the space on the wall assigned for them. What caught my eye was its rank. Rank: "?" "?"? They don''t know its difficulty? Strange. The description didn''t make me much wiser either, but it has nothing to do with me. Let''s start clearing some Quests instead. But first, [Dismantling]. Since the adventurer card doesn''t count killed monsters or anything, so I need to present parts from it as proof. Time for a bloody mess at the butcher~. --- Vice-commander''s PoV: "Retreat, RETREAT!" - Vice-commander My soldiers ran for their lives, but they still fell like flies from the attacks of the wretched monsters. How could this be? Why did this happen? Our troops can individually match a D-rank adventurer in combat abilities, we had more than enough resources and potions for this expedition, and there was nothing out of the normal that..., no. That there was nothing wrong with the forest despite that thing being here is the strangest possible thing to happen. Why didn''t we notice it sooner!? Why... "Why is there a Vile Queen here in this region!?" - Vice-commande Chapter 36: The Goblins & the Survivors Three days since I became an adventurer~. Soon, my waiting will pay off~. I skipped as I walked through the forest to look for the targets of my chosen Quests while humming a song. As for why I''m so happy..., it''s a secret~. Good mood or not, I gotta stay on my toes in these woods..., but I can''t~! La, la, laaaa~. Ah, a wolfie. KILL! *Whine-!* The wolf fell to the ground after a [Mystical Thread] pierced its head, dead as a rock. I drew the dismantling knife I''d bought from the tool shop in the village and touched the corpse with it. A notification popped up and asked me if I wanted to auto-dismantle it or do it manually. Having no big desire to do so by hand, I selected the auto-option. [Dismantling] is such a handy skill~. Especially since this game doesn''t have an automatic kill counter or something. Quite nice. But I''m a noob at dismantling corpses, I''ll hand over this honorable task lord [Dismantling]. Until Jorgen from the Union teaches me how to do it more efficiently. And with this, I have one "Wolf''s Tail" and one "Wolf''s Meat". Jorgen could get 5 of the latter though, while I get one every fourth wolf, auto or not. The difference between our skills is clear as day, and I need to close the gap. Auto-dismantling has a limit to how high the quality of the obtained materials can be, so I need to learn how to do it by hand sooner or later if I wanna be a full-fledged adventurer. Now I have 10 tails, so I''ve cleared the E-rank Quest I took before I left the village. The rabbit meat has also been secured, so the last thing to do is that "unlimited" Quest. There are limitations to how many monsters the Union wants dead. Without any predators, the forest''s ecosystem would collapse after all. But there are a few exceptions for this, and they are placed on a "kill on sight"-list. Goblins. Green-skinned humanoids at the size of small kids. The wild goblins living in these woods are like locusts and will attack and devour anything they can find, even if they don''t stand a chance. I mean, a normal Goblin is a G-ranker. Some of the adventurers even said that "the G in the G-rank stands for Goblins". With that said, the violence of numbers is not something to be underestimated, and Goblins are damn fertile. The Union has been trying to remove those pests from the woods for ages now, but the Goblins are still present solely due to their high birth rate. They''re not part of the forest''s natural ecosystem, so we adventurers are free to kill them all if we find them. The "urban" and more intellectual kind, however, is off-limits. It''s only the "barbarian" Goblins that live out here that''s counted as a monster. The Goblin subjugation Quest requires you to hand over five left ears from the Goblins you kill, and if you have multiple of them, you can hand in as many ears as possible to clear the Quest multiple times. Honestly, I can only imagine those guys as bags of potential AP. Come here, gob~gob~gob~. But even after looking for those guys whenever I went into the forest these last three days, I''ve yet to encounter any goblins except for one time when I found (and killed) a party of three Goblins. And they gave no clue to where they were living...-! Speaking of the devil, or the Goblin, there are some right now! Four of them, but they seem different. Two of them are using swords instead of the primitive-looking clubs that Goblins normally use, just like that one companion of theirs. The last Goblin is holding a staff and is wearing something that looks like a robe, even when the other three are wearing cheap-looking clothes and armor. I''m no expert, but those three special Goblins don''t feel like G-rank monsters. Did they evolve? I mean, it''s not just their equipment, but compared to the simple-looking guy with them, those three Goblins seem more powerful for some reason. It''s been a long time since I saw any gobs, and these four will give me enough to clear the unlimited Quest once. In the shelter of [Lurk], I snuck on behind one of the gobs, the magician-looking one with the staff and robes. Those guys seem too busy talking about something, but I have no clue about what. I don''t understand "gob, gob". Silently, I removed an item from my Item Pouch, which I''d bought during the event, and retrieved a special bottle. Aiming at the back of the mage''s head, I threw the bottle at him with all my strength. The bottle broke into thousand pieces and the mage fell over. It wasn''t enough to kill him, but the sudden strike from behind with a solid bottle was enough to knock him to the ground. The two warrior Goblins drew their swords while the rank-and-file simply looked scared, but I threw a few bottles at the two warriors before they could get close. After confirming that they were drenched by the nasty-smelling liquid from the bottles, I used Fireball at all three of them. And presto~. Goblin barbecue~. Yup, that''s right. The contains of those bottles were a highly flammable substance similar to oil. The damage from the magic spell and the burns easily reaped the life of the three Goblins. Hmm? Overkill? Hey, these are unknown monsters I found by a coincidence. Who knows what they could do. And the oil''s pretty cheap in that item store anyway, and I''ve started selling Dark Lilies and Crystal Roses to that place, flowers that I have a steady source from thanks to the Royal Garden in the Fort. In other words, I''m not short of money. Better to spend it then~. My vault and wallet aren''t that big anyway... Ah, the last Goblin is trying to flee. Sorry, but taste a [Mystical Thread]. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.10. You have obtained 0.6 Aether Points. Garami has leveled up~. The steady hunting these days has given me some levels by now, and my AP is steadily growing as well thanks to the Quests. I''m on fire~. Kinda literally. Water! Water! The Magic Staff, quick! There''s a forest fire here!! --- "We have confirmed that you have completed the Quest. Thank you again for your hard work." The receptionist accepted the monster parts even if they raised their eyebrows over the scorched Goblin ears, but let''s ignore that. I also got a System Message that told me that I''d earned 0.3 AP. 0.1 came from clearing the F-ranked Goblin- and rabbit meat Quests and the last 0.2 from the E-ranked wolfie subjugation Quest. At this rate, forget about getting enough AP to cover for [Dismantling], I''ll have enough to obtain my first Sub Class! Still haven''t decided on just what yet, but the idea still excites me! ...is there something going on outside? There''s a lot of noise out there..., and now adventurers are storming into the Union building and taking whatever potion that the Union had kept stored. Feeling curious, I peeked out of the window and saw a bunch of armored and battered guys spread across the street close to the Union building. Some of them look hagged enough to be called zombies. I grabbed one of the adventurers who had entered the building and looked free to ask them some questions. And the lucky guy turned out to be Fredrick, the rat-looking man that works as the Union Master''s right-hand man. "Missy? What''s up? This isn''t the time to be-" - Fredrick "I know. I have eyes. But I lack details." - Garami "Details? The big and mighty guards from Seira Chaos got beaten, that''s the details." - Fredrick "By who?" - Garami "You seriously don''t know? See that request?" asked Fredrick as he pointed at the Quest with the "?" ranking. "They were investigating that." I read the leaflet and soon I understood. This thing asks the adventurers to look for clues for a possible "something". And out of all, it had to be... "A Vile Queen..." - Garami "Yup. The real deal witch who fell from grace." - Fredrick "...what did you say?" - Garami "Come on! It''s common knowledge! Witches that try to earn too much power end up "falling" and turn into Vile Queens." - Fredrick "Hmm..., can anyone be a witch? Even a weak one?" - Garami "That''s..., don''t ask me! Try figure that out yourself!" - Fredrick So he doesn''t know. Figures. I let Fredrick go and walked outside where the boss was talking with some important-looking fellow from the failed expedition group. Let''s give them some space. If the latter is the same as the "whippersnappers", then it''s better to keep a good distance from him. Besides, I got something better to spend my playing time with~. Adding the Crystal element demons to the Fort~. I walked to the central plaza of the village. A fancy fountain with something like a goddess statue was placed in the middle of the place. I touched the waters of the fountain and a doorway appeared in front of me. The door that leads to my Player Room. With a hum, I entered my sweet "home" and started working on the newly recovered DP. Hm~hm~hmm~. Chapter 37: Crystal Demons & Revenge Plans Aha..., this guy''s huge. The Crystal Hellion looks like your typical image of a fiend, only made completely out of crystal. I watched it as it walked down the corridors with heavy steps. Hm-hm-hm. That''s right, the Darkland Fort''s Crystal element goons have finally arrived! The Hellion is just one of the four demon races I''ve chosen as the Fort''s new bodyguards~. Even if they''re only protecting the 3rd floor for now. Ah, and the pre-evolutions of the Crystal Hellion are the Vile Pebble, a jumping rock-like demon with a jagged mouth, the Vile Crystal, the same as the Pebble, just with crystals instead, and the Lesser Hellion, which looks like a moving statue just like with the Crystal Hellion, except this guy being of some black-colored material that I''m not sure what is. As for why I''ve dragged out adding these guys to the Dungeon is because I needed time to let the DP recharge itself. And with that DP, I did some changes to the Fort. Specifically, I boosted its stats. This is what the Dungeon looks like right now: Facility List: Considering that these stats requires FP to be kept at high ranks, it would be smarter to focus on a single stat..., but then I remembered that increasing a single stat to rank [D] alongside the Monster stat would provide rank-D monsters. Of course, I would spend some points to get them all up after considering that! *Cough*, and the other bad guys under my reign are as follows: As for their pre-evolutions, the Djinn is Grey Demon => Unstable Djinn => Evil Djinn before they reach Orbuculum Djinn. The Bomber evolved from Vile Pebble, => Vile Crystal, just like the Hellion, and its E-rank evolution is called Crystal Cracker. The name probably comes from firecrackers. The Succubus is from Pink Demon => Lesser Succubus => Lesser Jewelry Succubus. And as an extra note, I can''t get the original Succubus, just like how the other E-rank Djinns are impossible. However..., I can''t order the Succubi to my Player Room or whatever..., the most I can have them do is to serve as waitresses in the Caf facility. That''s pretty decent. Especially since you can use DP to modify facilities like Cafs so that the workers will cosplay and stuff. But I lack that all-important DP right now!! Grr, just adding new floors won''t cut it. Not that I can even if I save up to it. I need to pay 150 DP for the fifth floor, which I can''t get right away. If I wanna let the Dungeon grow, it needs to get some invaders. But there are barely any frogs that take a visit these days! ...should I try to lure players into this place? No, there''s the risk of them conquering this place. But right now, I have D-ranks patrolling the 3rd and 4th floor. If anything, won''t it be better to lure them in here now before they grow too strong for my Dungeon? But the Darklands are too far from the nearest player town, and too worthless for people to come here. They could try to brave the Darkland Pass, but if they''re strong enough to do that, then this place won''t stand much of a chance in its current state. Still... Damn, what''s with this catch-22 situation!? I want weaklings to come, but they need to be strong just to qualify to come this far. Strong enough that they can be a potential threat to my Dungeon! If there was just some sorta bait I could lure even the weaklings with. Something that lures JUST the weaklings would be the best, but I''m in no position to be picky... Let''s go and ask the boss. He should be done listening to the complaints from that expedition group or whatever they are. --- "-and therefore, we want your opinion regarding this problem." - Belford "No, why me?" - Garami The first thing the boss did, along with the vice-captain guy from the expedition group, was to drag me into his office and start talking about some gibberish about "defeating the Vile Queen". "I won''t do it. It sounds scary." - Garami "That''s fine and all. We''ve tried to come up with a plan all day but to no luck. We even tried holding a meeting with the low-ranked adventurers, not that it worked. Honestly, we''re grasping at straws here..." - Belford That''s sorta rude, calling me a straw. "Weren''t you guys ready for her majesty?" I asked the vice-captain who jerked at my question. Sus... "...top secret. I cannot tell you." - Vice-captain "Tch. So there was some dirt going on," said the boss with a sour tone. Guess even he wasn''t told of this. "...all you need to know is that the Queen, or one of her henchmen, is in the ownership of an enchanted ring. We are required to bring it back, no questions asked." - Vice-captain "Hey, you''re going to ignore that the Vile Queen is setting up her lair so close to this village?" asked the boss with an evergrowing angry voice. The vice-captain didn''t say anything back and simply looked at the floor. "...the Queen builds a Dungeon around her, was it?" I asked the boss in an attempt of getting the conversation back on track. "Ah, that''s right. Like I mentioned before, when the Vile Queen arrives in our world from wherever they come from, they first create a Dungeon that secures their powers while in our realm. Never knew they hired local Goblins as henchmen though." - Belford And that''s how the expedition group fell. The Goblin army enhanced by the Queen''s leadership and magic took them by surprise in the worst way possible. They even lost their leader who was as strong as a C-rank adventurer. From what I can gather, it seems that this ring was stolen from its owner, considering how this vice-captain guy said that they were supposed to "bring it back". They must have been prepared for robbers, or maybe they even believed that the villagers were the thieves? That could explain why they left a group behind, "whippersnappers" or not. That didn''t do them good against her majesty and her horde of green goons. "...where did you say the Queen was?" - Garami "That''s a sudden change. What''s going on?" - Belford "If the ring is all this guy wants, then it''s fine if I get whatever non-rings the Queen and her goons stole?" I asked the boss, who then turned his gaze at the vice-captain. "...we were given no other orders than returning with the ring, yes. Not that I think we will ever obtain it. A Dungeon produced by a Vile Queen is said to be impenetrable." - Vice-captain He''s not wrong. I only busted my place because I was inside from the start. "And said Dungeon''s not completely created?" - Garami "That seems to be the case. A Dungeon this close should bring a hit on our radar-type magitechs." - Belford Meaning it''s still in the state from when the vice-captain got his butt kicked. A cave system that the Goblins use as a hideout/fortification against the forest life and the adventurers. The Union has known about it for a long time, but they didn''t have the means of taking the Goblins out when they had the home-field advantage. Though, the Dungeon could be finished before we know it, so waiting for reinforcements ain''t a good option. This means that all we have on our hands are anything in this village and the bounty of the forest that we can harvest... "I think I have an idea," I said to the two men, who straightened their backs as I explained my plan. Geez, what sorta star was I born under to get mobbed by two Queens while playing this game? Chapter 38: Cave Oven & the Demonic Plains The day after the day when the Goblin extermination meeting had taken place, in the wake of dawn, I, along with a small group of NPC adventurers, was hiding in the bushes close to a huge cave. This cave is the lair of the Goblins, and also, of the Vile Queen. "Okay, men. The Goblins took the bait, so the rest is up to you. The attack force will come in an hour, so try to get your job done before that. Warn your companions with the magitech we''ve provided you with. The green light will signal that someone has found the ring, and the red for that they have started on "that" part of the plan," said the Union Master. "Now, get busy!" All the rogues, thieves, and hunters nodded silently to the boss'' words before they stealthily headed to the cave. There were a pair of Goblins on guard, but they were far from guarding the place. Two seconds later, and an equal number of Goblin corpses were towed into the bushes. As the path was cleared, I followed my seniors into the cave, ready to start the operation. When we arrived at a cross in the path, we split up into different groups so to cover more grounds. But this place is damn complicated. It''s a wonder that simple-minded Goblins would choose to live here. Before I knew it, I was all alone. Ah, a Goblin. I snuck past it with [Lurk]. I could kill it, but the smell of blood could''ve warned its brethren. Using both Detection-type skills, which I''d improved thanks to Fredrick''s teaching, I kept on searching for my goal. What the goal is? A bunch of highly flammable alcohols that we''ve snuck into the Goblins'' lair. The plan I suggested to the boss and vice-captain was simple: bake the Goblins inside their cave. To do that, we "hide" tons of bottles containing alcohol around the forest so the Goblins could find them and take them back home. We also snuck in some trinkets and other stuff that would cause Detection-type skills to react. The purpose of us Scouts being sent in first is to sabotage this place. Specifically by igniting the loads of alcohol that the Goblins have done us a favor of transporting into the cave. And as a bonus, we''re supposed to take with us any treasures we may find in the cave, the enchanted ring included. If we don''t find the ring, big deal. We''ll still cook the Goblins, and hopefully, the Vile Queen. The fire won''t kill the Queen? So what? We still would have weakened her for the attack force that comes later to finish her off. The Goblins don''t seem to have noticed that they have intruders. Guess the Queen didn''t improve their communication abilities. They got no clue that the guards on the front are already dead. But where is that blasted..., got it! [Detect Treasure] found something, and from its reaction, I''d say something big. Following the signal, I found a door guarded by a pair of Goblins who were drowsily leaning on their spears. Goblins aren''t morning persons then, I guess. I quickly killed them with [Mystical Thread] by shooting the thread right into their brains and kept it there until the disintegration of their corpses started. Doing it this way would prevent their blood from spilling, therefore not alerting the sharp-nosed Goblins..., I hope. And behind the door, I found something that could be described as the Goblin''s treasure chamber. Lots of valuables were spread all around. Rather, it''s too messy in here. How am I supposed to find the ring in this big mess? While searching through the various tools the Goblins have gathered over who knows how long, the magitech I''d gotten from the Union started to vibrate in my pocket. It''s flashing green, then it started to flash red... Those stupid senior adventurers!! They''re too good at this! I hurriedly tried to snatch some of the expensive-looking stuff before high-tailing outta here. When I reached the entrance, I saw several Goblins fighting against adventurers outside. The Goblins are losing big. They don''t have any decent equipment on them, probably because the adventurers came as such a big surprise. Plus, they''ve gotten the worst wake-up call in the form of an inferno going on inside their home. Using [Lurk], I got around the battlefield of adventures and Goblins and left. I don''t wanna join that brawl. I''m too delicate for that, plus it''s not my part of the plan. I''ll leave the rest to you guys~. I don''t wanna face a Queen so soon after the last one~. Or ever~. So don''t screw this up. --- After the brawl at the Goblin lair, along with the sudden appearance of the Vile Queen, the NPC adventurers returned to the village without any casualties. They did take some beating though, especially the boss who was the one who finished the weakened Queen. As for the ring, it seems that Fredrick was the one who discovered it and brought it back in one piece. The vice-captain lived up to his word and made sure that the village would be compensated for all the damage and expenses that the village had experienced due to this event. Including the alcohol and oil used to turn the Goblin lair into a huge oven. And regarding my reward, the vice-captain promised to tell the capitals that "the Darklands has a secret area where one can harvest as many Dark Lilies and Crystals Roses as they please". The former has become a popular ingredient for Darkness-related potions while the latter is a big hit among the nobles due to their beauty. That should be interesting enough for adventurers to get their lazy butts over to this region. Me? I prepared to leave the village. I don''t like parties, and there''s no way I wanna be stuck in this place for the rest of the game, so I said my farewells to the boss discreetly while he and Fredrick became the guests of honor for the party. I''m now following the map the boss gave me as a final parting gift. If I follow this, I should reach the nearest town outside the forest before it gets dark again, another reason why I left the village so early. There were a few rabbits that looked like they wanted to attack, but they fled when I glared at them while using that [Demon''s Presence] skill. Honestly, this skill is useful when you don''t wanna have monsters after you. Not that it''s any useful in other scenarios, I think. Thanks to the map and my fearful presence, I reached the outside of the woods without any problems. Thank god! I don''t think I wanna be in a forest for the rest of my life. It''s not bad, but the lack of modern necessities can kill a city girl like me. I took a break on top of a huge rock so that monsters wouldn''t reach me and looked at the new area. It''s a huge plain filled with cows, bulls, and pigs for some reason. No boars, just plain old pigs. I''m as confused as anyone else would be. Why pigs? Are these plains supposed to be a meat gathering area or something? The only common points I can see between the monsters are that they''re all quadruple animals and that their hides are jet-black. Some sorta Darkness animals? There''s a piggie near me, so let''s get its info. Demonic? This little guy? And the piggie didn''t seem to like that I Identified him. The piggie curled up into a ball and started to roll around the plains before hitting the rock I was sitting on. The attack did more damage to the pig than the rock, as the little guy lost more than 10 HP from that rollout. I finished it off by throwing a dagger into its back. Despite our little dispute, none of the other animals didn''t seem to take notice of it. Guess they''re "non-active" mobs. If so, then great. I can just walk my way out without worrying about attacks. After dismantling the pig and taking its meat as my trophy, I continued to travel across the plain. If you ignore the fact that these animals are supposed to be demonic, then this is quite a peaceful place. I even took a few screenshots of the grazing cows. Maybe I should consider them as a target for the new skill I obtained today. One of the items I snagged from the Goblin lair was a skill book. God knows where the Goblins got that from. It''s not a rare skill or anything. In fact, it''s a common General-tier skill like [Identification] is. But just like the example, this skill here may also turn into something amazing. While pondering whether to go on with my idea or not, a dustcloud was suddenly running around on the plains. What is that..., and it''s coming this way. I can guess the next thing that will happen... --- "...didn''t you say you were leaving?" - Fredrick *Punch!* I gave the rat-looking guy a silent belly-punch before looking for the boss to demand an explanation from. "Figured you''d return quickly." - Belford "What was that dustcloud?" - Garami "A strange bird-type monster called a Zoom Ostrich. They''re a flightless type of bird that has no fixed habitat and travels to new areas as they please in a hurry. Also, they are damn fast runners and can hit like a golem. They''re close to the Demonic Plains at this time of the year, but the odds of meeting them are normally damn low. Just what star of misfortune were you born under, missy?" - Belford "That is what I like to know..." - Garami "No worries. Those birds are leaving faster than they arrive, so they should be gone in the next two days. And you Migrants cannot die even if you want to, so think of it as a valuable experience. Gua-hahahaha-*guh*-?!" - Belford I gave the boss a belly-punch boosted with [Demonic Combat] and went for the Quest board. After finding some decent hunting-type Quests, I left for the forest again. I need some venting done before I go to bed tonight. And especially if I find some bird-type monsters! Chapter 39: Follower & Clear Passage A bunch of wolfies that looked like they had bushes growing on their backs tried to attack me, but I threw a Fireball on the ground in front of me and made them pause. Then I threw daggers and [Mystical Threads] at them from behind the "firewall" to shave off more of their HP while keeping an eye on them with my Evil Eye. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.11. You have obtained 0.6 Aether Points. And that''s all she wrote. I extinguished the fire and started dismantling the wolf corpses before they disintegrated. I''ve been on a roll since yesterday. I did start the monster hunting just to vent out some stress over having been so unceremoniously killed by those "ostriches" as the boss called that dustcloud, but I''m getting quite the hang of this "forest battle" thing. Though, it''s only thanks to the magic items I have. If they''re gone, so does my efficiency. With that in mind, I should start planning for the future. Especially what class I wish for. Classes enhance the status boosts from level-ups, so it''s better to take as many as possible from the start. Then again, I don''t wanna end up as a joke that can''t do anything right, so I should prepare right away before getting too many levels. My battle style right now is to use distractions through items or skills before finishing the enemy off with a solid attack. I''m strong physically thanks to my main class and race, but most of my skills require magical prowess. I''m weak with defense, but I''d say my evasion covers for that. And instead of direct attack magic, tricks and disruption may be better for me. Meaning I should take classes that focus on magic and tricks while not sacrificing my physical attack strength and speed, I guess. The classes I can take now are only those I could take when I evolved the Scout class, meaning Hunter, String Artist, Rogue, Slasher, and Ruin Carrier. But I don''t feel like any of them are worth my time. Ruin Carrier reduces MAG and STR, Slasher is just a fancy knife-user, String Artist lowers my STR again, Rogue seems like it would overlap with Demonic Rogue, and Hunter forgoes anything magical. I need to unlock new classes. The question is how... *Clack, clack, clack* Ah, one of my traps got something. The area over there''s filled with my traps by now. It''s become something close to a spiderweb by now. But because of that, I can''t use the Fireball strategy. Following the slates of wood I''d used as signal traps, I found that one of the snares I''d put up had captured a..., a shadow? It looks kinda like one. How did the snare even work on it? The "creature" looked like a humanoid made outta shadows. It''s different from the Dark Phantoms that live in the Fort, as they didn''t have a solid form. There''s a pair of purple spheres that must represent its eyes and part of its body looks like clothing. It has a pair of horns pointing backward and thin, yet strong-looking limbs. I''d say it''s female from how it looks like it''s wearing a skirt, but..., how pitiful. In so many meanings. Wow! The stats are far from pitiful. Only its SP is pretty low compared to the other two. And it''s a servant... Okay, let''s settle for this one. It sorta fits, and if it''s female, then it may be worth training it. Maybe it will end up as a cute monster girl? With that settled, I pointed my hand at the shadow creature and activated my newest skill, obtained from the skill book I "borrowed" from the Goblin lair: [Taming]. After using the skill, the Umbra Servant calmed down a little as it turned around what I guess is its "head". I cut the thread making up the snare and let it down to the ground. It turned around in the air and landed on its feet like a cat. Not bad. Then it sat down and stared at me. And stared..., and stared........., this is getting awkward...... "...raise your left arm." - Garami The creature lifted its left arm. "...jump twice on the spot." - Garami The Servant did so. "Do a backflip." - Garami And the Servant did a magnificent backflip. Wow! I gave the Umbra Servant some dried sweet fruits I''d bought from the village as a reward. It walked over to me on all four in the same manner as something like a gorilla. It looked different since its limbs were so thin compared to the banana eaters, and it''s not that big either. It reaches my knee at most when walking on all four. While feeding my new..., pet? Partner? Whatever I should call it, I noticed that there was a notification from my system menu outta all things. When I opened it up, I saw that a new tab had appeared in the window, one that was named "Tamed Followers". I accessed this new tab and got up the Servant''s status. Skill List: Title List: Huh, it''s pretty strong. But what the heck''s with that title!? A title granted to creatures that have successfully become a follower of player: Garami. They can now obtain titles in the same fashion as humanoids. Ah, I see. Guess tamed monsters won''t get any boost from equipped titles. But it doesn''t tell me anything about the Servant itself. If I try to "access" the name of the race... A spiritual demon evolved from the Demonic Elemental. They have a humanoid appearance but their whole body is made of darkness. They are subservient to mages who summons them as familiars and are highly valued. In combat, it makes use of supernatural abilities to weaken and drain its enemies before dealing the final blow. And it worked! Go me! To summarize, this thing seems to be a different evolution path for the Demonic Elemental compared to the Dark Phantom. Maybe the Phantom is an over-specializer in the Darkness Element and this one only picked it up as a hobby? As for its stats, I would say it''s an all-around with a focus on MP and RES, but the Warrior class altered it so STR, VIT, and HP got a boost in return for MAG and INT being lower. And this girl could become such a great magician... Wait! If I groom this demon into a true Ashura-like warrior, can''t I use her to my advantage? Brute force has never been my strong side, and all the big battles I''ve won were because I worked together with someone else! The armor devil with the first Queen, the other adventurers with the raid-class mantis, and the adventurers with the second Queen recently! Not that I properly participated in two of those fights... The biggest monster I''ve defeated on my own was the area boss frog, and that thing practically self-destructed. Let me tell you, it''s not that I can''t fight alone. It''s just that big games are too big for a delicate girl like me. Sure, Demonic Rogue sounds like a class that''s strong in a fight, but my main thing is sneak attacks. And to do that, I need a diversion. Something I didn''t have until now. If I train this one into a Benkei-class warrior, I can let her take the pain and I take the good parts! It''s a perfect division of roles! ...now I feel like some piece of trash. *Thug, thug* Hmm? What''s wrong? Did you eat all the fruit? Eh? Already? And you want more? Are you going for a Beelzebub theme instead of Benkei? Okay, let''s return to the village. Wonder if it''s gonna be satisfied with a wolf steak? Oh, I can set a name for it. Guess that should come first. Hmm..., calling it "Beelzebub" would be rude... "Nyx. Your name will be Nyx." - Garami I only gave it the name based on its black body, but it seemed to like the name. It was jumping around in what I''d guess be joy, at least. What a funny demon. --- "Miss Garami, we have successfully registered your completion of the Quest. Here is your reward," said the Union receptionist as they handed over a bag of sol to me. This should easily cover the food expenses. The little imp''s currently on her fifth steak..., I do have enough with this, right? "Also, could you please give this to your tamed follower?" asked the receptionist while handing me a bandana-like cloth. "Tamed followers requires to be equipped with a mark provided by the Adventurers'' Union if it is to be allowed to enter a town normally." That sounds important. I tried to grab the cloth, but Nyx got it before me and wrapped it around her left arm. Don''t tell me this glutton understands fashion!? "The second I turn my away from you and this happens. As expected of the demon princess." Some guy started to talk behind my back, and who''d known? It''s the Union master. "...what did you call me?" - Garami "Hmm? Demon princess. The HQ told me that you''re a little celebrity among the Migrants after I sent the status report after the raid on the Goblins." - Belford Those bastards!! Who told them to spread that name around!? "But that''s not what I was going to talk to you about. Turns out the birds have fled the Demonic Plains already. You''re free to go now." - Belford "Really?" - Garami "Honestly! The guys in the HQ told me that themselves, and they''re keeping a close eye on creatures like the Zoom Ostriches or Bloodrush Bulls." - Belford Tch, already? I wanted to test Nyx''s powers. Guess the pigs in the plains should be a good enough sparring partner for her. Should I try giving her a weapon before we leave? I still have that [Spear Proficiency] skill book from the event, but..., can she even hold a spear? "By the way, you planning on becoming a Demon Caller or something?" - Belford "Caller? What''s that?" - Garami "You don''t know? It''s a class that tames and summons monstrous demons to do their bidding." - Belford Oh, a tamer class? Nice! "Tell me more," I demanded, asked the boss politely. The plains can wait. They''re just so plain anyway. Stories about taming demon girls, demons are much more interesting. And Nyx? She was starting on her 6th steak. My poor wallet... Chapter 40: Nyx’s Abilities & the New Town "Demon Caller". A Mage-line class that tames and commands demons, summoning to wherever the caster may be. A class that is often found in the Umbral region due to the numerous demon species living there. It doesn''t work on humanoid demons that are considered part of "humanity". Meaning players and NPCs. While recalling the info the boss had given me about this "common" class, for this region at least, I walked through the Demonic Plains along with Nyx, the Umbra Servant. Honestly, who gave this place such a dangerous name? Just because there are some demonic animals here? The ostriches from before were way scarier, even if it''s only from their speed. Nyx didn''t seem to be bad with long distances, nor did she have any lingering regrets of leaving the Dusk Woods. Maybe tamed creatures have their will ignored? The boss didn''t mention anything like that, but if that''s true, I''d start feeling bad for the little imp. I wanted to see her prowess in battle before we reach the next town, but what can she even do? I opened the system menu again and looked up her skills. While doing so I noticed that her AP had increased by 0.2. Did she gain the same amount of points as I did because I cleared those last quests? If so, then things won''t be that difficult in raising her. These are her skills. I recognize some of them, as I have them myself, but the rest is new to me. Let''s take a look: Okay, none of these skills scream "warrior" to me, maybe except for the [Dark Claw] skill. And the shapeshifting skill sounds useless. "Crude" is the right word for it, yeah. If I wanna train this girl into a warrior, I need to make her tougher. [Dark Drain] may be a good start, but she needs more power-related skills. And from how her body''s build, I''d say we should give up on making her a knight in shining armor. At least unless she evolves and gets a stronger body. Maybe we should go with the martial artist route? That does sound like the easiest way to make use of her natural abilities... Whatever. I''ll think about that later. Because now I found a pig that would be a good training target for Nyx. I snapped my fingers to get Nyx''s attention and directed her toward the solitary pig. She understood my intents and got into a fighting position while aiming at the pig. Guess her brains are better than her INT stat would make you believe. In replacement of a gong, I Identified the pig to start the fight. Level 7, huh. It doesn''t change it''s still an F-ranker, so Nyx should be fine. The pig rose with an angry expression and ran towards..., me. Figures. I was the one who Identified it. Nyx took the advantage of the pig''s tunnel vision and attacked it from its side with its claws. The pig quickly changed gears and tried to headbutt Nyx, but it failed utterly after Nyx''s eyes shined mysteriously. The pig looked confused as if not understanding why it failed to hit, which gave Nyx the opening to grab the pig with her hands covered in darkness and drained the pig''s HP with [Dark Drain]. Maybe Nyx used a combination of [Mind Trick] and [Prediction] to escape that attack? The magic skill aside, [Prediction] seems like a good skill. Maybe I should get it when I have enough points again? As for the rest of the battle, it went completely in Nyx''s favor. She kept on slashing the pig with her claws until it died and turned into pork ribs through my usage of [Dismantling]. As a reward, I gave her some jerky I''d bought from the village. But at this rate, Nyx would be more of an attacker than a defender. There''s also the question that she doesn''t have any aggro-control skills, which would be essential for a tank. Maybe I should tame another demon post-haste? The Demon Caller class sounds even more attractive now than before. Especially if I can de-summon them whenever I don''t need them..., where would they be living in the meanwhile? Is there a kennel for demons nearby? We continued through the plains while hunting down some lone piglets here and there. We tried ourselves on one of the cows, but it was more durable, stronger, and scarier than I''d expect. We turned into pork fans after that. Just wait until I get stronger, you walking piece of beef... The battles boosted Nyx''s levels to Lv.6 while its Warrior class went from 29 to 32. I don''t think it has any warrior-related skills, but maybe [Dark Claw] counts as one? Maybe the definition of a "warrior" is different between people and monsters. In any case, the increase is a godsend. We''ll keep it up, have Nyx upgrade her class, then focus on improving her skills. Which means we need to clear quests. And I should rank up my adventurer rank so I can get D-rank quests. And after quite the number of pigs (and no new levels to me), we reached our destination: the port town of Barataria. --- As I entered the town, I got the strange feeling of hoisting a jolly roger up a mast. Because there were a lot of pirate-looking people here. They''re wearing eyepatches, peg legs, and some even have parrots on their shoulders. Are they trying to be pirates, or is this just a big cosplay town? ......I stand corrected. IT IS A COSPLAY TOWN! There are costume stores, weaving ateliers, and regular clothing stores all over the town! Not to mention strange maid caf''s that looks more like a place where you can show off your costume. What''s wrong with this town? I moved to the center of the town where a huge billboard was placed. There''s a "Pirate week"-notice plastered on it with a list over the next week''s "cosplay-themes". Nurse, police, drag, even a church-inspired theme! Not to mention they''re preparing rewards for the best costume. Not that I''ll ever enter one of those. Geez, what''s up with this place''s inhabitants? The town itself looks awesome, like a rural Italian port town but with more "glamor" added to it. The walkways are made of some white granite and there are pieces of art from different genres placed in tasteful locations, giving the city this antique yet modern feel to it. Maybe I should move from this city..., or wait! What if the thread I can produce through [Mystical Thread] is worth something in this town? It doesn''t hurt to try. "Hey, ain''t that...?" "Yeah, it''s her." "And with a demon..., no, a retainer!?" "The nickname wasn''t far off..., *ba-wow*." A bunch of guys in more normal clothing compared to the locals was whispering behind my back. And one of them''s a wolf. A Wild Wolf..., or not. It seems to be an evolution similar to the plant wolfies I fought right before meeting Nyx. Different evolution line though. Its fur''s bright red. After taking a better look at them, I saw that they were players. And they all turned away and tried to act innocently when I glared at them. Men... While we''re on that subject, there are only male players here in this city. There are a few female ones, but the rest stinks of masculinity. On the other hand, the NPCs are almost all female. And demons..., female demons with voluptuous bodies... Don''t tell me! The whole port town of Barataria is a Succubus town!? What a wonderful, I mean, degenerate place. I better stay here for a while in an attempt to remove the filth in this area. It''s probably an impossible task, but you have to give it all for a just cause! Okay, time for dramatic jokes is over. I moved to the fountain placed in the same plaza as the billboard and registered myself to this town. Now I can move between here, the Fort, and the Dusk Wood village whenever I want to through my Player Room. There''s just one more thing I need to do before logging out tonight, and that''s talking with the local Adventurers'' Union. I need to find a place where Nyx can stay until I log in again, or if I even need to do so at all. The Union hall, the building used by the Adventurers'' Union (the boss from the village told me before I left. Never knew it had such a name before that), was much larger than the one in the Dusk Wood village. The latter was just a tavern with an additional area where one could accept and report quests, but this place is easily double the size, and with multiple floors. This first floor seems to be the place where you ask for quests, as there are counters with large billboards filled with quest notes. I went to one of the counters to ask for info and was greeted by the sight of a beautiful female demon..., a Succubus. Just like the Jewelry-kind in the Fort, except this one looks like it''s of the normal breed. The Succubus provided me with info about the rumored library, and also gave me a list of potential facilities to my Player Room that could assist in keeping tamed creatures. But god damn, they''re expensive! The good news is that I can simply keep Nyx in my Player Room normally, but if I want to have more, I should consider expanding my Room. To finance this future cost, I asked the receptionist if there were any good hunting grounds for money and quests. She recommended the Demonic Plains were if I wanted some casual hunting, joining a fishing crew if cash was all I carried about and not safety, or pillaging a poisoned swamp nearby for herb items. Or... "A Dungeon?" - Garami "That''s right~. It is a Water element Dungeon filled with fish-type monsters. Many adventurers, especially many Migrants, have tried to clear it, but everyone failed~. Maybe there are some expensive treasures there~? There are no guarantees, though~." - Receptionist No guarantees = no Garami going there. Never! I thanked the receptionist for the info and went to my Player Room to retire for the day. Nyx seems to like the place, so there''s no urgent need for the expansion..., but my wallet won''t survive. Should I try to take up a loan? Ah, I should use the stored DP now. They''d go to waste if I didn''t empty them before going to bed... THAT''S IT! I don''t need any stupid expansion! I got a whole DUNGEON to let my critters roam around in! And there''s even a "Follower''s Hotel" facility that I can buy! It even comes with a dining hall that''s similar to the Royal Pantries. I let Nyx off at the 4th floor of the Fort where I''d placed the Follower''s Hotel. She ran straight to the dining hall. Guess being a Dungeon Ruler isn''t all that bad after all. Log off. It''s been a long day... Chapter 41: Library & Fishes SYSTEM MESSAGE: [Linguistics Lv.3] has reached Lv.4. After finishing a book explaining special Crafter classes, the System Message signalizing the increase in my level popped up with perfect timing. I''m currently in the library located in Barataria town, studying so I could unlock the Demon Caller class. To do so, I need to read a designated "quest tome". Doing so would fill a "completion gauge" that I could see in the corner of my vision, and when it hit a specific number, the quest would be cleared and I could obtain the class. Most Mage-line classes are obtained in this fashion. However, reading requires the [Linguistics] skill. And the Demon Caller book was of a higher difficulty than my class could handle, so I asked the librarian if they could help me with that. They gave me some books they asked me to read through, and just like that, my skill level went up! General skills may be easier to train than I first thought. And with this..., FINISHED!! SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have consumed 5 AP to obtain the class: [Demon Caller]. Due to obtaining the class: [Demon Caller], the skill: [Taming Lv.1] has been replaced with the skill: [Demon Taming]. Bwa-hahahaha! Take a look at that! No, seriously. Better take a look at this class. The Demon Caller is a Mage-line class that focuses on taming and summoning demons. They do not shy from using the powers of evil to make their work easier. Succubi are not classified as tamable monsters, so many hormone-ruled boys do often fall into despair when reading this description. The class grants skills related to taming, supervising, and summoning demons. It also grants access to general magic skills, as this class is still considered a Mage-line class. If you want vicious demons to do your bidding (and you are not the kind to be terrified of the potential consequences), take this class. There are no downsides with the stat-growth, but on the other hand, it means I won''t have such a drastic increase compared to classes that do have such a situation. Not that I can see a stat a "tamer" would be bad with. After that, there''s the "upgraded" skill I got from the class: Yup, this is a straight upgrade. The summoning part sounds tricky but helpful. I can''t drag Nyx with me everywhere either, like when I need to sneak through places like with the Goblin lair recently. Regarding the part about "type", it seems that it differs if the tamed demon is from a race that works alone or not. Nyx is a "single-type", or so says the additional info on the "followers'' tab" in the system menu, but I bet species like Goblins are of the "flock-type". "Swarm-types" must typically be insect-type monsters, no? Not that I wanna have a bug around me. I''m blank on what a "Special-type" could be. Perhaps something like a dragon or a giant? Or even a demon god? I''ll know if I ever encounter one. I still have more than 1 AP thanks to clearing all the quests recently, but I don''t feel like hasting it with the last class. Most of the books here described heroes of the sword, spear, bow, and so on, including great magicians of lore. Bluntly speaking, they''re explaining the different classes by showing protagonists using them in their stories. Using my time to study here to learn about the stronger classes doesn''t sound bad, plus I need to develop my skills if I want to unlock rarer classes later on. Plus the stories are simply amazing on their own. I''ll end up as a regular here if I''m not careful. I dragged Nyx out of the picture book corner and we ventured outside to the city. The Succubi inhabitants didn''t seem to be cosplaying today, but that only meant that they were dressed in incredibly revealing clothes. It''s easy to get why there are so many male players here. Hmm, what should I do for the rest of the day? I got Nyx with me, and it would feel strange to send her back just to test out the summoning effect..., Quests. Let''s farm quests and get AP to level up this new skill. With Nyx being completely an attacker-type, I still lack a meatwall to defend me in battles against stronger enemies. So with that, I returned to the Union hall. I''ll look for unlimited Quests and go on a killing spree, be it F-rank or whatever. The most lucrative quest seems to be..., "Color-Fishes'' scales". Creatures that live in the Dungeon and are unique to that place. [Dismantling] is required since the fish doesn''t drop items normally. There is one quest for each of the different colored fish, meaning red, blue, green, yellow, purple, pink, and grey...... Suddenly, I feel like I''m having deja-vu. Ain''t these fishes similar to the "sin spiders" that used to live in the fort before I took over the place? And the description of the place, ain''t it the same as the one for the Dungeon where Jill, the "trapped demon" from the demon thread, is trapped in? It could be a coincidence, but I sent a message on the demon thread that I was gonna take a look at the Dungeon close to Barataira town. Not that I''m gonna waste time waiting for a reply. Those fish scales are waiting for me~. But before that, some preparations. As in, shopping. --- "*Graw!!*" - Nyx Nyx''s claws slashed through the flying fishes and reduced them to sashimi. Well, they''re G-ranks. They''re so easy to beat that we''re not getting any EXP from them even. The ranking difference is brutal, for both sides. In the late game, it will be difficult to level up from then on, won''t it? We''re currently inside the Dungeon. It feels like we''re inside some ancient Greek temple, but with lots of waterways and small waterfalls on the walls. Colorful fishes, our target for the trip, keep on emerging from openings in the walls to attack us. Luckily they''re just G-ranks, so they do practically no damage if they hit. Besides, we can use [Dark Drain] if things get dicey. We''d split the workload so that Nyx was responsible for killing the fishes that kept on charging at us while spitting water bullets and I took care of dismantling them so we could get our hands on the colorful fish scales. This doubles as both farming for the unlimited quests and giving Nyx some proficiency with her Warrior class. Sweet~. As for why other people aren''t hunting the fishes here with us, they''ve graduated to fishing in the sea. The colorful fish scales don''t sell for a lot, plus the fish themselves don''t give much EXP, so most people have turned their attention to the much more profitable sea fishing industry. Speaking of status growth, I haven''t been that occupied with my own lately. Skill List: Title List: Hmm, not bad. And the only thing I''ve been using AP on is the new Demon Caller class. Nice~. Teachers are a blessing to us talentless mobs~. Not that I am one. As for the advanced title, I got it after clearing some quests back in the village. Its effects aren''t that dramatic, so I never showed much interest in it. A title that commemorates the many quests you have cleared. Keep it up, because you have barely begun. And while I was busy looking at my stats in between taking the fishes apart, the number of colorful sushi ingredients seems to have diminished. Rather, we''re out of them. Nyx looked around in dismay, but she couldn''t see any more fish. Did she find them that enjoyable? Wow, am I raising a future mass murderer? Or fish-murderer? Now, this is a problem. There should be more fishes inside the Dungeon, but the place''s closed off. Specifically by a huge set of doors. Many other players have tried to pry them open, but there have been few successful attempts..., not. These doors have a nasty trick to them in that there are multiple methods of opening them. The nasty part is that they can easily lead to monster houses with tons of D-rank creatures, insta-death areas, or places filled with overpowered tentacle-like creatures. The last one is a gender-equal threat. And even if someone managed to unlock these doors, they only lead to the second floor..., only to find another set of doors blocking the path to the 3rd floor. Most players have given up on this Dungeon, especially since the correct "solution" to the doors seems to change with each attempt. "Hmm, yeah, too risky. Let''s give up for today." - Garami Nyx let out a sad sound in response to my decision. Was it that fun? Claw-fishing, I mean. *Beep* Ah, someone responded to the message I left on the demon thread. And it is good ol'' Jill. He says..."wait, there may be a way to let you in"? Let me in? Is he talking about the doors? Not too soon after, a screenshot appeared on the thread, showing a wall that seems to be from this Dungeon from its architecture. It has several engravings on it, and some of them..., are glowing? Let me guess, there is some similar stuff here on the door..., yup, a classic. You need two players to get past these doors without taking any risks. I tried opening the door by using the combination of buttons shown on the screenshot. The doors opened and revealed..., the stairs to the next floor. I walked one step at the time up the stair, ready for any monster houses popping up at any given moment, but I reached the second floor quite anti-climatically... "Hey, what''s the big idea!? If you could let people in, why did you never give a hand!?" I wrote that kinda message on the board, aimed at Jill, and his reply was: "Because they were all a bunch of horny perverts with an interest in gender-bending!!". Yeah, I guess that''s a reason for being uncooperative. "Nyx, it seems we''re having an extension on this fishing trip." - Garami "*Graw~!*" - Nyx Time to collect as many fish scales as possible and evolve that class of yours! Chapter 42: Farming & Deals *Crash!* Floor 3. Fish-heads, lots of water, and stone walls for breakup sale~. Like, literally! The real path was blocked by a huge rock wall. A fragile one, luckily. After kicking the wall in, something I''ve wanted to do all my life, me and Nyx have reached the third floor of the fish Dungeon. And were greeted by E-rank fishes. Humanoid fishes with realistic bodies. Too realistic for my taste. We''ve scored tons of scales from the G-rank and prettier F-rank fishes on the 2nd floor, so I''m good dumping these guys. And I''m scared what Nyx would do if she gets the taste for humanoids, even if it''s just the shape. Luckily, fish breath didn''t seem to be up to date regarding scouting abilities, so the two of us could sneak around the few patrols. Unlike how the Fort was before I took it over, this Dungeon makes use of those weird gates and quizzes to defend itself, not a high amount of monsters, be it in quality or quantity. The old Fort had tons of E-ranks already on the first floor. This place gradually scales up the rank for each floor but at the cost of a lower total number of monsters. Maybe it''s designed more like an ordinary Dungeon instead of a "trial-type" like how the Fort used to be? "Psst, princess! Over here!" A hushed voice reached me as I saw one of the fish-heads turning the corner. And the source of it is..., a pink bunny. Jill. We followed Jill until we reached a closed-off location. The fish-heads don''t seem to be able to enter here, so I guess it''s a safe area. It looks like a library. If it isn''t, you know, already one. Tons of books and bookshelves that are a discreet distance away from the flowing water that can be found all over the Dungeon. "Phew, that was a close one." - Jill "It was?" - Garami "...sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. And why''re you here, princess?" - Jill I gave him a quick outline of my story that left out some details like Demon Caller and focused on the part where I wanted Nyx to gain class levels. "Tch. The talk of someone who can beat monsters..." - Jill "You switching to a Green Demon?" I asked, remembering that the green ones represent the sin of envy. "No, just sulky. And when you even win a cheat weapon but cannot use it properly, you start getting a little tired of this game!" - Jill Oh, the "Nightmare of Greed" weapon he won in the lottery in the event. It''s impressive that you didn''t quit earlier, but before that: "The weapon doesn''t work?" - Garami "...you see, the Nightmare Staff of Greed amplifies the effect of spells, but..., my skill level is too low to use attack-type spells, so..." - Jill Ah, now I get it~. It doesn''t give physical attack power so it''s no better than some random stick then~. ARE YOU AN IDIOT?! "Increase your skill level then!" - Garami "But then what should I do when I can evolve but have used all the AP on skill levels!?" - Jill "How''re you supposed to reach that stage when you can''t even attack!? How arrogant can you be!?" - Garami "Who''re you calling arrogant!? And there was smaller fish here but they all moved to the first floors because players kept on attacking this place!" - Jill "You don''t say! My condolence! And can we stop shouting now!?" - Garami "Fine!" - Jill "Great!" - Garami Damn it all. An honorary shut-in like me shouldn''t be shouting like this. My troath hurts, and Nyx got scared to the point that she''s taking cover behind the bookshelves. Tch... "A-anyway, there''s no need to worry about that now. With the doors open, we can escape-" - Jill "Sorry. Except for the last door, all of them closed behind me after I entered." - Garami I kicked down that wall of chalk after all. As for the other doors..., no comment. "Whaaaaat!?" - Jill "What did we just decide regarding screaming and shouting?" - Garami "Ugh..., then how am I supposed to get out this place!? I mean, this place?" - Jill "If you can''t go backward, forward is the only way left." - Garami "Stop trying to act all cool! If it was that easy to advance to the next floor, I''d be there by now!" - Jill "You''re still shouting..., huh? Wait, if the doors on the previous floors were connected to the engravings here," I said as I looked at a wall in the library that seemed to be the source of all the snapshots, "what''s this floor''s door connected to?" "I know where it is if you want to take a look. But we need to be careful of the guards." - Jill They''re E-ranks after all. I get why he doesn''t wanna be found by... "I think I have an idea," I said out loud with an innocent smile. "...why am I feeling that your avatar''s race fits you perfectly?" - Jill I don''t know. It just feels right. --- "Mwa-hahaha! Take this, and this, and here''s repayment for the time you flushed me away!!" - Jill *Bang* *Smack* *Bonk!* The pink rabbit kept on clobbering the fish-heads with the strange, demonic-looking staff. Which, by the way, looked way too big for the rabbit''s small paws... "Surreal..." - Garami "This was your idea though!?" - Jill Yup, that''s right. The creator of this weird scene was me. It''s simple. I''m trapping the fish-heads that''s walking around alone with sticky traps thanks to [Create Trap] and [Mystical Threads], then I weaken the walking sushi with [Weakness Evil Eye]. With all these preparations, even the little rabbit can defeat the fish-heads, as long as he''s careful not to get hit by the trident the fish-heads are using. Though, I''m having Nyx take care of that. So yeah, we''re power-leveling. The negative effect of the staff the rabbit is using is that it decreases the EXP he obtains with each kill, but since he''s killing monsters whose racial ranks are two ranks higher than his own, that''s not much to worry about. Guess sharing EXP with others only works when we''re talking about tamers and their followers. Unless there''s some special skill that lets you do that. When even HUD is done with skills, I can''t write off that having parties also requires a skill to be done. "Hahahaha! Haha...ha...? A-HAHAHAHA!! FINALLY! Lv.10!!" - Jill "Oh, congrats," I said while offering small applause. Nyx copied my actions, but I''m not sure if she''s getting what''s going on. And this proves it. I can be of much help to allow lower-ranked players, and maybe even monsters, to gain easy levels. If I continue developing trapping-type skills and skills that inflict status ailments, I could start taming weak demons and evolve them into behemoths in no time! I gotta continue with this character build. I won''t be needing to lift a finger in the end, only watch as my demonic hordes do all the dirty work for me! Mwa-hahahaha! "Now that''s taken care of, mind showing me the door?" - Garami "Okey-dokey," replied the rabbit with an appearance that looks happier than I could remember. Seriously, just re-create your character if it''s been such a pain... While dodging the fish-heads in our path, we reached the so-called "door" to the next floor. And it''s strange. First, it''s placed in a wide-open room, but it seems that the fish-heads aren''t getting close to this room for some reason. Then there''s the door itself. It looks like an octopus statue''s tentacles are keeping the door shut. There''s a keyhole in the middle of the door, with several tentacles intervening around it. "Not a puzzle-type, this one." - Garami "And there was no key all over this place. I''ve been looking for something to use all this time..." replied the rabbit with a gloomy expression. I can see the frustration that must have been piled up over this long time. Still, there''s no key? That''s weird. I kept an eye open, but [Detect Treasure] didn''t give any signal. And from what I can see, this Dungeon doesn''t feel like a place where a Scout is that necessary to complete. The place is smaller compared to the old Fort, and there are no hidden doors or traps here at all. ...maybe all the racial starts are connected to the player that''s starting there? This place has a huge library and is easy to travel through (when you have any means to fight the fish-heads), so it feels like a better fit for a Mage who can use powerful magic than a Scout who can find secret treasures... Then there''s the fact that it''s possible to help the invaders get to the 3rd floor from the inside. Seen in another view, doesn''t this place encourage the racial starter to ask for help from the outside? Following that line of thought, Pink Demons are supposed to evolve into Succubusi and Incubi, aren''t they? An extremely "social" type of demon. Maybe "asking for help" is part of the starting Pink Demon''s racial start? Then the key..., may not be in this Dungeon from the start? Maybe the only way to unlock this door is to gather info from the outside? I summarized this idea and told the rabbit about it. Wow, that''s one depressed rabbit... "Then there''s no way to get out..." - Jill "Yes, there is. I just need to get outside and ask the locals about this thing," I said, giving the octo-lock a good knock, "and return. Then we can proceed, beat whatever boss that''s bossing over this place, and get you out." "...! Princess...*sniff*..." - Jill "Hold your horses. Who said it was for free?" - Garami "-!? I-I don''t have any money..., no way! Even you-!" - Jill "I don''t care what you evolve into, nor will it do me any good! Give me 70% of the materials from clearing this Dungeon, and we''re square." - Garami "70!? That''s too much!" - Jill "Then 60. And you owe me a favor." - Garami "60 is too much as well! But if it''s a simple favor, I may help..." - Jill "Then it''s a deal. 50% of the items we get, plus you owe me a favor." - Garami "Grr..., 40%, and a favor! That''s my last offer!" - Jill "Okay, that works," I replied nonchalantly as I started to prepare the Return Feather, a consumable that lets you escape a Dungeon, that I bought before challenging the Dungeon earlier today. It only works on the player that bought it, plus their followers, so I can''t get the rabbit out with it. Nor do I want to. AP for defeating the Dungeon Boss or nothing!! "Huh? Why am I feeling that I''ve been tricked...?" said the rabbit while tilting his head questionably. "I''ll be writing a new entry on the demon thread when I''m ready. You can go and evolve in the meanwhile, so we''ll try again tomorrow." - Garami "-!! That''s right, I can EVOLVE NOW!!" - Jill The rabbit jumped around so much that I''m getting afraid that he''ll attract the whole Dungeon. Therefore, I hurried with activating the feather that brought me and Nyx, who''d guessed my intents and climbed onto my back, and we were sent out of the Dungeon to its entrance. "...time to go snooping." - Garami "*Grr*." - Nyx --- "That''s it?" I asked the Succubus dressed like a fisherman, er, fisherwoman. "Yes~. A lock that an octopus holds is always designed to be opened that way~. It is like a local specialty ~." - Succubus fisherwoman Not sure if that''s the right way to call it, but I''m not complaining! As for why octo-locks are popular enough to be such a "specialty"..., I know better than to ask such a question. All that''s needed now is to send a message to the rabbit..., the former rabbit, and ask when we should meet up again- "I FOUND YOU!!" Gyaaa! That scared me! Who the heck''s incapable of using indoor voice?! ......crap. This may spell bad for the former rabbit. Chapter 43: The Tag-Along & Octopi "Hey, Jill? We''re here." - Garami I spoke out loud as I entered the library inside the Dungeon for the second time including yesterday''s visit. And on one of the chairs sat a person. A demon, to be exact. His clothing was the same shabby clothes that players have as the "default equipment". He''s small. Probably around 150 cm, give-or-take a few centimeters. He''s got aqua-blue hair that reaches his shoulders, and his eyes were of a strange pink color. After that, I gotta comment about those bat-like wings and the thin tail of his. Not to forget about the sheep-like horns on his head. He looks just like the Succubi in the city. Rather, his face is so pretty that I could mistake him for a female. Guess he went with the androgynous look. Or, I''m just expecting that he''s a he because it could only be Jill..., he didn''t take the forbidden path, did he? "...hehehe..., ahahaha... MWA-HAHAHAHA!!" Geh, that scared me. He suddenly started to laugh like a madman. A three-step laugh even. "Princess, what do you think?" "...you look like a mad shota, Jill." - Garami It took a little [Identification] to finally recognize him, but it is Jill, alright. His species is now "Lesser Incubus". Why did he go for the gender-neutral route? "Who''re you calling a shota!? I''m simply short in real life-*CRASH*-guh?!" - Jill I think I heard something crazy there for a moment, but there was no way to confirm it now. Because the shota-Incubus got body-tackled by a huge oni-girl. The tag-along that had forced herself onto the "rescue team" after finding me in town yesterday. Guess using a semi-public bulletin board came back to bite Jill. Not me so much, as she''s more obsessed with Jill than me, luckily. "KYAAA!! He''s so cuuuute! Princess! You''re a real devil! Forcing a pure innocent yuri-fan like me on the road to become a shota-con! KYAAA!!" - Oni-girl "Just treat him like a trap." - Garami "That''s ingenious! Princess, what''s your INT?" - Oni-girl "Wait, what''s going on here?! And stop-, rather, don''t stop!" shouted Jill while squeezed in the oni-girl''s bountiful bosom. "Introductions are in order. *Cough*, Jill, meet Ferno, AKA Red Rage. Ferno, that''s Jill. Don''t break his neck." - Garami The girl who''d abruptly joined the party was the self-proclaimed yuri-fan of the demon thread, "Red Rage". Her player name is Ferno, which according to herself comes from shortening "inferno". Her appearance is that of a Japanese oni. Two sharp, blood-red horns emerge from her jet-black hair. She''s dressed in a kimono-like outfit that''s mostly red with black, and there are red markings on her face, a racial trait among the oni. And I''ve already mentioned it, but this girl''s tall. Close to 2 meters high. Her body is well-trained yet she has some impressive curves. She''s practically a fusion of "powerful" and "sexy". As for why she''s an oni, she took a special quest after the last event and recently evolved into this yokai-related race. Yokais exists in many variations, and it seems that you can evolve into one that''s related to your current non-yokai race. In us demons'' case, that''s the Onis. And they again are supposedly divided into 6 different categories depending on the race''s "playstyle". Ferno''s race, the Red Oni, is a physical combat race, according to the oni herself. She forced me to accompany her last night as she kept on talking about her stories. And couldn''t she keep those grabby arms of hers away from me for one second, at least? "Anyway, hothead? Shouldn''t we prepare ourselves?" - Garami "Prepare? Oh, for the boss~. No need for that! Let''s go and butcher it!" - Ferno And with Jill still in her bosom, she dragged the huge metal club with her and exited the library..., hey! I ran after the hothead as she flew into the corridors. The second a fishhead appeared, the hothead swung her big mallet and smashed the HP outta the monster! In one blow! What''s up with that strength!? Some more fishpaste later (literally), and the hothead stopped in front of the octo-locked door and waited for me. "You, just what are you thinking!?" - Garami "?? I''m thinking about inviting lil'' Jill to my Player Room tonight~?" - Ferno "And go on with the R-18 DLC, I guess!!" - Garami The (seemingly) lifeless body of Jill twitched at the sound of me talking about the DLC. Then he raised his hand with his thumb pointing up. Tch, his lower half seems to be working even when his brain isn''t getting any oxygen. Should I warn him that the hothead was quite "enthusiastic" when she talked to me last night about the "shemale-option" on the R-18 DLC? "Garami, deliver punishment to that door quick, swiftly, and deadly!" ordered the hothead right after putting Jill down. His nosebleed had made her chest sticky with blood, so even she couldn''t hold him there any longer. The guy himself has gotten the "Fainted" status condition in the meanwhile. This game sure tries to keep itself "realistic" in some strange areas. Fine, I''ll take care of the door. Like the fisherwoman Succubus told me yesterday, I pulled out an oar and some chili sauce from my item bag. "...what are you doing?" - Ferno "Blame the locals. This sea is filled with multi-armed creatures, a big reason why Succubi started living here. And those things hate chili sauce. So much that smearing something on an oar and putting it in the ocean is enough to scare them away." - Garami "......wait, you''re telling me the key for this octopus lock is..." - Ferno "A chili sauce oar, yes." - Garami "WHAT?!" shouted Jill as he finally woke up. "I''ve been stuck here for so long because of such a stupid thing!?" "Yup." - Garami Jill started to hold his head in frustration before taking his staff from Nyx who''d been carrying it around ever since we left the library. Good girl. I opened the taste-based lock and revealed the next set of stairs for us. From up the stairs, I could smell something fishy. Like, for real. The fish stench overwrote the sea salt smell that also came from up there. Ugh... "Time to make some sushi-!" - Ferno "Wait a sec! Add nosebleed over there to the party before storming off again." - Garami "Good point. Push the button, and..." - Ferno She may be a reckless idiot, but this hothead has managed to claw herself up to the rank of D in the Adventurers'' Union and was gifted the skill: [Party]. This skill is how people form parties. You can see the party members'' status in the system menu, and you share the EXP between each other. The killer gets the most of it, and the party members get [5 * [Party]''s skill level]% of the original amount. "Finished~. Let go, dammit!!" - Ferno Wow, someone''s bloodthirsty. But despite her urge to kill, I haven''t gotten enough EXP to level up yet. Nyx reached Lv.8 just a while ago though, so I shouldn''t be far behind. I followed Ferno and Jill up the stairs and we reached the fourth floor. It''s, how should I call it, it looks like a fish tank? The one used in an aquarium. Its shape is similar to the fifth floor of the old Fort, but the middle part of the room is filled with seawater. And the boss of this place. SYSTEM MESSAGE: DUNGEON BOSS! Name; Little Kraken. | Level: 10/E. | Rank: Party. We''re already facing off against the boss? This place is different from the old Fort. And it''s way weaker compared to the Vile Queen. Then again, I don''t know the power difference between a "Solo"-rank and a "Party"-rank boss. "Some tentacles were hiding behind the tentacle lock? Real original," said the hothead with a ferocious smile on her lips. But despite its name, the "Little" Kraken is bigger than a truck. We need to go through this carefully- "BANZAI!!" - Ferno "Are you allergic to making plans or something!?" - Garami That stupid hothead, she jumped at the Kraken without thinking! She started to jump around on the big thing while hitting it with her flame-covered club. Doesn''t she know that octopi are resistant to blunt attacks!? They don''t have any bones to break, you idiot! "Tch, Nyx! Go after her and help her!" - Garami Nyx saluted to me before jumping at the Kraken with her claws ready to tear apart its flesh. I handed some of the remaining bottles of chili sauce to Jill. "Try to throw this at the big thing if you get the chance, even if just as a distraction." - Garami "O-okay..." - Jill I know it''s a bad plan, but that idiot didn''t give me any time to think this through! Think on your feet! I separated from Jill and ran on the reeling that makes up the upper part of this floor. No need to have both of us attacked by clinging together. I kept an eye, an Evil Eye, on the Kraken as I ran, which was easy thanks to its huge size. While running, I saw the hothead dealing more damage to the Kraken than I first believed. Was I wrong about its blunt resistance? No..., the burns? Is it weak to fire, no, to heat because it''ll turn into a dried octopus? Seriously?? Whatever the reason, if it takes damage, then that''s fine..., it''s recovering!? Come on, that''s one of the top 10 taboos a boss shouldn''t break! Its HP isn''t going up that fast, but certainly, it''s recovering. Not to mention that its HP bar is huge. Are all octopi-type monsters this high on HP? Amazing. Thanks to the Weakening, the HP regeneration can''t catch up to the duo''s damage output. The Kraken is getting anxious and its movements are turning more violently. Time for the chili bomb. I threw one of the remaining chili bottles at the Kraken''s face and it hit..., its eye. The fragile bottle broke and all its contains were spilled on the Kraken''s eyeball. Along with the glass shards. Even those who love chili wouldn''t want that... And now the Kraken''s locked on to me! Crap, I shouldn''t have been stingy with the MP and just used that stupid [Lurk] skill! One of the Kraken''s tentacles rose to the reeling''s height and came toward me surprisingly fast. But I''ve escaped faster attacks, so it was a clinch in dodging it. However, after the tentacle struck the wall, a wave of seawater came from the area and splashed me. And it hurts! What the-, the seawater deals damage to me!? Crap, is it some sorta skill? More tentacles came at me, so I ran and dodged them. But the shockwaves, with a focus on "waves", almost reached me all the time. Hey, hothead! Nyx! What are you doing!? Blowing bagpipes?! Get this thing to focus on you guys again already! *Crash!* While I was running for my life, another bottle hit the stalker Kraken''s head. Oh, Jill! Nice shot..., nice batting? Wait, that staff isn''t a baseball bat! But good job anyway! Now the Kraken was aiming its anger at Jill after he batted two more bottles at it. Its tentacles came at him, but I fired a [Mystical Thread] at them in the hope of the attacks getting off course. They did, as the Kraken''s aggro was aimed at me again. I''m such an idiot!! I readied myself to run away from the tentacles again, but that was never necessary. Big flames erupted on the Kraken''s body. I could feel the heat from up here. Nyx climbed up the walls with her claws and returned to my side, leaving the Kraken alone down there with... the hothead. Is this her skill? Impressive. The last of the Kraken''s dwindling HP fell to 0 thanks to the barbeque, and a big quake struck the Dungeon. What now? SYSTEM MESSAGE: The Dungeon Boss: [Little Kraken] has been defeated! Acquired 5.0 AP as a reward for having subjugated the Dungeon Boss: [Little Kraken]. Your level has increased by 3. You have reached Lv.14. You have obtained 1.8 Aether Points. You have acquired the title: [First Clearer of Atlantirana Library]. You cannot challenge the [Atlantirana Library] Dungeon again within the next 24 hours. You will be kicked out from the Dungeon momentarily. WORLD MESSAGE: Party: [Ferno''s Harem] has cleared the Dungeon: [Atlantirana Library]. From this point onward, the Dungeon Boss will have its strength boosted and the Dungeon will be enlarged. Okay, this is different from the time with the Queen. And that''s a lot of EXP! I wasn''t even the one to lay the final blow! And I told that hothead to change the party''s name!! Hmm? Wait..., "kicked out"? Then a hole opened below my feet. Wait, what did-whoooaaaAAAAAA!! STUPID TRAPHOOOLE!! Chapter 44: Saltwater Mage Set & Payment for the Rescue "OUCH!" - Garami "OOH!" - Ferno "OWIE!!" - Jill All three of us had a hard landing as we exited the tunnel that forced us out of the Dungeon. Only Nyx cleared the landing. Talented girl..., ouch... "Everyone alright? To a certain degree?" - Ferno "Think so..." - Garami "I..., I think I left my stomach back there..." - Jill Okay, one of us seems to not be in shape, but considering what we experienced, it''s a small price to pay. I''m never gonna use a slide ever again... "Garami, did this happen to you as well when-?" - Ferno "Shh. Look around." - Garami A lot of people had started to gather around the Dungeon, so talking out loud now would be like broadcasting anything we may want to keep a secret. Catching on to my intent, Ferno picked up Jill, whose eyes were still spinning, and said "Let''s continue in a more private area". We returned to town, ignoring most of the questions the players bombarded us with, and entered the Union hall. Ferno then asked to rent a private meeting room and we could finally take a break there. Several snacks and drinks were brought to us, all ordered and paid for by Ferno. Then don''t mind if I do~. "Continuing from where we left, Garami, did something like from before happened to you when you cleared your Dungeon?" - Ferno "...I can at least say I wasn''t kicked out as we were. And most of the Dungeon felt different from mine. I had to clear a quest to become that place''s ruler, and there was the risk of losing your character data if you failed. This place was relatively easier, so it was probably not a Dungeon you could obtain by clearing it from the start." - Garami "Hmm, there are a lot of different Dungeons~. In a lot of meanings~." - Ferno Oh? I was expecting her to not understand what I was talking about, but I guess she can use her brain when she needs to. "In that case..., Jill, you got something?" - Garami I turned my attention to Jill who was starting to get his head straight. He then started to navigate through his menu, even if I can''t see it, and paused for a second before rubbing his eyes..., then rubbing them some more. Did something incredible happen? "I..., I think I may have obtained something..., could you girls please keep this a secret?" - Jill Both of us nodded to his request, which made Jill start operating his menu again..., I think. I can''t see other people''s menus, so I''m just guessing here. A huge treasure chest appeared in front of Jill. The kind from when you clear system-related quests. And in it was..., a set of blue equipment. A sleeveless vest, a frilly skirt, a mage''s robe, a pair of elegant boots, fingerless gloves, a wizard-looking staff, and a belt that had some hinges that seems you could put big books in there. If not grimoires, because the belt came equipped with two of them already. All the items had a blue, black, and white color scheme. It feels like they are based on the ocean, and as for what my [Identification] can tell me, they are... A vest that represents the elements of Water and Salt, created by the library constructed from a salt pillar and where the water of knowledge floats endlessly. This vestment was created from weaving sea salt together with the purified water produced when extracting the salt from the seawater through techniques long forgotten by the world. Only its true owner can own this item, and only they can use its powers. It protects its true owner against fluid-based attacks by a certain amount and will grant them excessive mana. A skirt that represents the elements of Water and Salt, created by the library constructed from a salt pillar and where the water of knowledge floats endlessly. This garment was created from weaving sea salt together with the purified water produced when extracting the salt from the seawater through techniques long forgotten by the world. Only its true owner can own this item, and only they can use its powers. It reduces the effect of movement reduction by fluid-based environments or abilities, but only to a certain degree. A robe that represents the elements of Water and Salt, created by the library constructed from a salt pillar and where the water of knowledge floats endlessly. This robe was created from weaving sea salt together with the purified water produced when extracting the salt from the seawater through techniques long forgotten by the world. Only its true owner can own this item, and only they can use its powers. It enhances the magical powers of its true owner, but it is restricted to magic related to Salt and Water. A pair of boots that represents the elements of Water and Salt, created by the library constructed from a salt pillar and where the water of knowledge floats endlessly. These boots were created from carving out sea salt while adding the leather of sea creatures that lived in the water the salt originated from through techniques long forgotten by the world. Only its true owner can own this item, and only they can use its powers. It allows its true owner to walk on fluid landscapes. A pair of gloves that represents the elements of Water and Salt, created by the library constructed from a salt pillar and where the water of knowledge floats endlessly. The white glove is the Glove of Salt while the blue glove is the Glove of Water. These gloves were created by respectively weaving sea salt and seawater into gloves through techniques long forgotten by the world. Only its true owner can own this item, and only they can use its powers. The Glove of Salt can cover whatever its true owner is holding in a shell of salt while the Glove of Water can control any water-based fluid the glove''s true owner touches with it equipped. A wizard''s staff that represents the elements of Water and Salt, created by the library constructed from a salt pillar and where the water of knowledge floats endlessly. This staff was created by carving out a salt pillar taken from the library it was created in and enhanced with the water of knowledge through methods long forgotten by the world. Only its true owner can own this item, and only they can use its powers. The staff will enhance its true owner''s magical capabilities based on their knowledge regarding the magical arts. Also, the true owner''s ability to support creatures related to Salt and Water is enhanced. Thanks to [Identification] reaching Lv.3, I could read the description of the items I Identified now. It didn''t help against the "book belt". Maybe it has some concealment effect. Since the other two don''t have their [Identification] on a level as high as mine (one never had the AP to spare and the other is a meathead), I showed them screenshots of the [Identification] results. "...they''re amazing, but..., why a skirt?!" - Jill "Why complain?" - Ferno Both of them latched on to the skirt-part, but give it up. Even the game system seems to think of Jill as a girl more than a man. As for why I believe this, the part about the system, it''s because I''ve seen words about this kinda equipment. It''s when I looked at a certain facility I could place in the Fort. The "Treasury" facility. After I defeated the Vile Queen, the system message back then said I had access to some stuff lying in the Treasury. However, I need to spend 300 DP if I wanna place it in the Dungeon, so the stuff''s been out of my reach. However, a note that came with the facility description told me that the items inside were something tailored after me and the "original" Fort. If my theory is right, then this "Saltwater Mage" set is something based on the Dungeon from before and Jill himself. So the skirt must be tailored to match his feminine looks. Just give it up, you gender-confusing demon. Jill calmed down after a while, probably because the items are so powerful if their descriptions are telling the truth. But there''s something else in that treasure chest of his. It''s a..., gem made of salt? What does [Identification] say? A strange stone that harbors the element of Salt. It will unlock the Talent of Salt for whoever uses this item. ...okay, I guess why Jill''s not getting a Dungeon. "Jill, your place was a Salt Talent-unlocking facility." - Garami I showed the two the new screenshot. There are likely two types of Dungeons you can start a racial start in; one that''s dangerous to the point of losing your character data if you''re careless, and a less dangerous (but still dangerous) one that will become a "trial ground" of some sort if you want a composition element. "Ah, then you gotta let the Dungeon stay, or else other players won''t get a chance," said the hothead after I explained my idea to them. And she has a point. One player having exclusive access to an element? People would flame Terra Sol AS if that happened. There may be other Dungeons with different "set-ups", and this may not even be limited to Dungeons where you get a racial start in. There may be more sources to get a composition element as well, but we''re not part of the "verification paparazzi". This is something for them to look into. We got no obligation to do so, and, at least for me, no interest in doing it anyway. Still, can demons have something like a Salt element? Isn''t salt used to ward off evil beings or something? But it seems that Jill didn''t have anything against that as he put his hand on the keystone to make it glow and disappear. "...yes, it seems that the new skills have been unlocked in the skill shop." - Jill You don''t get it for free? Cheapskates. "Ah, thank you again for helping me out of the Dungeon," said Jill while lowering his head to us. "No prob~, no prob~. Just return the favor someday~." - Ferno "You can do so right away in my case," I said and showed Jill a paper. It''s one telling about the next cosplay contest in town. "The participation reward for entering this thing is a weak skill-up potion that works on Lv.1 skills. Give me that, and we''re square." - Garami "That should be easy. It''s just a participation prize...HEY!" - Jill "Aha~! A cross-dressing contest~!" - Ferno "For guys only, which is why the locals have to lure people to join with a promised potion." - Garami "Even if I''m indebted to you or not, dressing up as a girl is-" - Jill "He''ll do it~," chimed Ferno in as she easily lifted the smaller Jill with one arm. "Hey, let go-!" - Jill "Never~. This is too great of an opportunity to say no~." - Ferno "For who!?" shouted Jill as Ferno dragged him outta the meeting room. "......Jill, if you play along as a dress-up doll, more girls may wanna do the same with you, don''t you think?" - Garami "Consider that contest of yours cleared. I''ll bring your payment here tomorrow at the same time. And let me down already, you lesbian fiend!!" - Jill ...yeah, he''s a Pink Demon, alright. Or, both of them are. *RIIIING!* As I was enjoying the calm silence after the hormone-overloaded duo had left the room, a sharp sound rang out. It came from..., my system menu? It can pop up on its own? ......hey, isn''t this a little early? Better go and supervise on the site. Chapter 45: Invaders & Advertising After returning to my Player Room, I wasted no time activating the Dungeon Terminal, the very one that had been ringing aloud to get me to return not too long ago. I sent Nyx back to the Followers'' Hotel through her special entrance in the Room and started sneaking a peek at the invaders. That''s right. The intruder alarm had been triggered. And the first EXP, I mean, the first rude bastards to enter the Darkland Fort is... A bunch of teenagers? No, they must be faking their age. Anyway, a bunch of teenager-looking kids was wandering around the entrance part of the Fort''s first floor. Two girls and four guys. There are no monsters at the entrance, as our regular intruders (like the toads that come once every blue moon) would simply flee if the monsters attacked them that close to the exit. This is a good time to be testing out the second special effect after the Alarm. The "Intruder Spy-Eye"~! With it, I can see the intruders'' names, races, levels, and main classes~. Perfect to formulate a strategy with, and get some inspiration for new classes. People aren''t posting much info about their skills or classes... Wait a minute. Then isn''t this "owning a Dungeon"-deal pretty sweet regarding collecting info? It probably is. Let''s see if these guys are worth taking a peek on: Three attacking warriors, one tank, one magic caster, and one healer. A typical party, but..., where are the Scouts? Whatever. And the most common race is human, and with the rest being humanoids as well, I''d guess they would be from that Seira Chaos-place. Wow, news travels fast. Did they register a nearby town for their Player Rooms or something? Hmm, they seem to be discussing something with each other. I can''t hear what they''re saying... If they''re leaving, it would be good, but..., I wanna see how well the current Fort can hold out against invaders. Just toads aren''t what I''d call "practice". Therefore..., I ordered some Flying Eyeballs, the G-rank demon that can evolve into the Dark Gazer, the also G-ranked Lesser Demonic Elementals, who can evolve into a Dark Phantom, and some G-ranked Imps, who could evolve into either the Stygian Clown or the Gloom Boogey, to go to the entrance and attack the invaders. The Flying Eyeballs arrived first. They look like eyeballs floating with the help of small wings. They tried to fire some sorta magic skill on the intruders, but the Shield Warrior and the Dual Swordsman blocked the attacks with their weapons. The Beast Brawler, who looked like a humanoid blue dog, and the Spear Warrior rushed at the Eyeballs and either punched them to the ground or swept them away with the spear. But then came the Lesser Demonic Elementals! They look like dark-colored clouds that enveloped the blue dog and the spear dude and started to drain their life and mana. The dog and the spear dude tried desperately to shake off the Elementals, but sorry to tell you, but those guys are immune to physical attacks! Take that! But the fairy''s wind magic struck them and resulted in an OHKO. Tch. An absolute weakness to magic is what kills those guys'' worth. Then came the Imps. Furry small bodies with large ears and teeth, but..., they didn''t last 10 seconds. The intruders confirmed that no other monsters were coming at them and started to cheer for their first victory. At this rate..., they''ll try to brace through the Dungeon as I hoped for. Sacrificing the weaklings to increase those guys'' motivation seems to have worked. They''re just as immature as their appearance is. Wait, maybe they''re teenagers for real? On the other hand, the G-ranks are horrible in combat. The F-rank monsters aren''t much different from the G-rankers outside their higher stats, but..., even they are no better than bait for proper adventurers. Returning to them, the intruders walked deeper into the Dungeon. The blue dog took the lead, followed by the dual swordsman and the spear due, then the shield guy, and finally the two girls were making up the rear. ...are they relying on the dog''s nose as a Scout replacement? Sorry, but let me teach you guys something: some dangers in this world don''t leave a scent behind. And some scents may be dangerous on their own. And I can see the perfect teachers that can teach them lurking around the corners. The blue dog seemed to catch the whiff of something, but right as he was turning around to tell his comrades, a red ball was thrown at him. It exploded in a puff of smoke, and the dog fell to the ground, holding his nose while tears and snot fell as if his eyes and nose had been turned into waterfalls. The red ball just now was something thrown by a Stygian Clown. It''s made of a powder similar to chili pepper and would leave the sharp-nosed dog guy down for the rest of the day. The other intruders moved over to the dog to see if he was alright, but right there, the second assailant struck. From the shadows, a Dark Phantom snuck out and attacked the Cleric. It stabbed her throat with its sharp claws, depleting the Cleric''s low HP, which is probably guarded by an equally low VIT as well. The thing is, in NFO, if you strike a living creature''s weakness, like the neck or the brain, it''s possible for the attack to instantly kill the victim. Like the Cleric just now. Seeing another one of their allies go down for the count, this time permanently, the intruder party got distressed and started to panic. They tried to attack the Dark Phantom, but it had escaped into the shadows again. The fairy tried to blast it with magic, but unlike the Lesser Demonic Elemental, you need more specific types of magic if you wanna strike the Phantom on its home turf. And as they started to retreat, the fairy stopped in mid-air. She was hit by the Dark Gazer''s [Stunning Evil Eye]. After that, a Gloom Boogey that had been hiding in the shadows lept out and struck the grounded fairy with its heavy arms. The four warriors looked with shock at the spectacle, but even as the Dual Swordsman tried to slash at the Boogey, the Dark Phantom that had been hiding the Boogey until just now triggered a trap in the road. Several poisoned arrows flew toward the Dual Swordsman and distracted him enough to let the Boogey punch him in return for the failed attack. The guy was sent flying into the air. Like, for real. The Boogey may look cuddly, but it conceals some real herculean muscles underneath its fluffy appearance. As for the Dual Swordsman''s allies, they weren''t just standing there. The shield guy tried to run to block the arrows when he saw the Dark Phanton triggering the trap, but the Dark Gazer from before stunned the shield guy. Guess his defense against status ailments needs some work. The spear guy threw a knife from his pocket at the Dark Gazer, but a different knife blocked his in mid-air. A Stygian Clown, different from the first one, had been hiding in the ceiling and given support to the Dark Gazer. It then threw some of the chili bombs that the first Clown had also used and incapacitated the spear guy. Then came the Dark Phantom who''d been assisting the Dark Gazer in hiding from the intruders and stabbed the spear guy''s throat. The end. Only the dog seemed to know that the war was lost. He drenched his face with the contents of a potion bottle and started to run away for his life. ...? Did he remove the effect of the first chili bomb with the potion? That''s..., pretty clever. It flushes away the powder and also recovers the damage. A little luxurious usage of a potion, but a smart one. The only members left in the intruder party are the paralyzed shield guy and the Dual Swordsman whose eyes are still spinning. But that didn''t last for long. The two Dark Phantoms and the Stygian Clown cooperated to take out the Dual Swordsman with speed and tricks so fast that he couldn''t recover fast enough from his dizziness. Soon later, he turned into white-colored particles in the air. In the meanwhile, the shield guy could only curse his durability as the Boogey kept on bashing at him with its fists while the Dark Gazer kept him paralyzed through its Evil Eye. Soon, he followed the Dual Swordsman into the next life..., or where their Player Rooms are located. It''s not in the Darklands though, so I won''t be seeing them in a while. Regardless, I hadn''t noticed that players turned into white dust when they died until now. Monsters disintegrate into black dust, while players go white dust. Is there some hidden meaning behind that? *Beep* Something''s beeping on the Terminal, but before that, I gotta take care of the dog. I gave some simple orders to the remaining monsters in the Dungeon: "Don''t kill the dog. Guide him by letting some of you be noticed. Don''t encourage him into a fight." While following my orders splendidly, the demons let their presence be known for the sharp-sensed Beastkin to notice them and take an alternative route through the castle corridors. It took some finesse, but soon we had him just where we wanted him. In front of the dog, one of the treasure chests I''d added to the Dungeon recently was placed. The dog looked at the chest with stars in his eyes, but quickly shook the excitement out of his head and tried to listen for the demons. I''d made them take a distance to not get noticed this time around, which calmed the dog down enough for him to turn his attention to the chest. Yeah, I feel you. A treasure chest is a real man''s romance. You can''t resist it. Even I, one of the opposite sex, know exactly how you feel. The dog looked suspiciously at the chest. He must be trying to decide whether it''s worth the risk of opening the chest and possibly triggering a trap or not. But in the end, his curiosity got the better of him. When the dog opened the chest, he found..., a bouquet of Crystal Roses. Yup. The treasure chests, which only turn active (as in adding extra FP to the Dungeon) when you have a stock of items to place in them, are filled with the produce from the Royal Garden facility~. I''m planning on adding more of them when the Fort''s FP-limit has grown again. The dog looked at the flowers with stars in his eyes again, but you''ve gone past your bonus time now. I ordered the monsters to lead the dog again, this time to get him out of the Dungeon. Soon after, I saw the dog leave the Fort and venture into the Darkland Plains. Wonder if he can survive the long way home. Eh, he can just log out and return to his Player Room. Kukuku. Hahahaha. MWA-Hahahahaha! Splendid! This went perfectly! I managed to test the Dungeon''s defense, AND publish the news that the "mysterious castle-type Dungeon has lots of Crystal Roses to be harvested" thanks to demonkind''s best friend: the idiot. Still, they didn''t even reach the trap-filled area of the Dungeon. Most of the total number of traps in the Fort is placed on the first floor, and the demons there have the most experience of all the monsters in the Dungeon. They''ve been efficiently training themselves by hunting toads that ventured into here. In other words, the first floor of the Fort may be the toughest one. A-hahaha..., I need to develop the other floors before decent adventurers arrive. After my excitement over seeing my goals being cleared so perfectly and the small depression over the thought of the trouble I had to go through for upgrading the defense of the upper floors, two things caught my attention. First, the monsters who were fighting the intruders were carrying something up to the second-floor entrance. It''s..., one of the swords the Dual Swordsman used. Wait, why''s it here? Just kidding. It''s something I predicted would happen. It''s one of the new special effects of the Dungeon, one that was only unlocked due to the Dungeon Ruler, meaning me, having a Scout-line class as my main class. The "Robbing Dungeon" effect. This effect is helpfully easy. Invaders who die in the Dungeon have a chance of dropping their items or equipment. The probability is based on the item''s value, plus the killed intruder''s LUC stat. Worse LUC equals a better chance for an item drop. This time, it seems only one of the Dual Swordsman''s swords. And that''s counting all the invaders'' deaths. Did I strike a jackpot for getting what appears to be a strong weapon, or did I flop since I only got one item? In any case, I can guess what the Dual Swordsman''s worst stat is. After sending Nyx down to the first floor to retrieve the sword, as she''s the only creature other than me who can move freely in the Dungeon, I looked at the second thing that caught my attention earlier: a certain line blinking in the corner of the Dungeon Terminal''s screen: The Dungeon: [Darkland Fort]''s level has increased. It has now reached Lv.2. Chapter 46: The Upgraded Fort & the Sea of Islands "Here you go, you damn bastard!!" What''s going on? A blue-clothed magical girl threw a potion bottle at me the moment I entered the Union hall. I caught it in mid-air, a feat that surprised me more than the overwhelming defeat I handed to the intruders yesterday. "......oh, Jill." - Garami "What''s with the weak response!? It''s your fault I''m like this!" - Jill Jill had gotten a makeover. Or, he''s being forced to wear makeup that highlights his more feminine features. The outfit he''s wearing is not the Saltwater Mage set from yesterday, but some hardcore magical girl cosplay. It strangely fits with his horns, wings, and tail. A demonic magical girl... "You''re going all out? With the contest?" - Garami "It''s the Succubi that are going all out! Do you know how embarrassing it is to play a dress-up doll for those fanatics for cuteness!?" - Jill Ah, they''re more for cute than sexy. Though luck. Then again, they may have forced him to wear some kinky outfits if they favored the latter, so isn''t this guy luckier than he thinks? Jill looked like he wanted to complain some more, but a few Succubi dressed as makeup artists entered the building, resulting in Jill fleeing in fear when he laid his eyes on him. Live strong, buddy. After the Succubi ran after Jill with shouts that practically had heart marks at the end, I drank the BITTER potion and saw that [Demon Taming]''s level had gone up to Lv.2. Then I used 6 AP to further increase its level to Lv.4. Doing this allowed the skill to now let me tame two demons, Nyx included. Therefore, I went to the Union''s library. I wanted to look up the bestiary of the neighborhood. Hmm? The Fort? That''s put on hold. I''ve used up all the DP and have to wait for it to recharge. Still not good enough? Fiiine, I''ll take it from the top: Yesterday, with the defeat of the invaders, the Dungeon''s level went up. It was anticlimatic easily. I expected it would require killing up to a few hundred players before the first level-up, but I was proven wrong. It''s probably more like with player levels. "The first levels are easier than the later" or something like that. Anyway, with the level increased the Dungeon gained access to a lot of new special tricks..., or not. The level-up only increased the DP-cap by 100. Though, that itself is worth a lot, as there are lots of facilities that require more than 100 DP to be placed. I''ve been only messing with the "trial-version" of most of the facilities. Take a look: Facility List: It''s starting to look like a decent Dungeon now. Maybe I should go over what everything is again so I don''t forget what they do: As for the facilities: Then we have the traps. The bread and butter of all Dungeons~: Speaking of Recovery Crystals, I can''t forget about the FP-giving, invader-supporting facilities: I''ll be upgrading the support facilities to higher variants for now, then use the FP to upgrade the second floor into an "invader-friendly floor" filled with facilities like the Casino where they can play and stuff. There''s also this "Return Terminal" thing that lets the invaders return to the entrance of the Dungeon, so I''ll place one there, and only there. As for the third floor, I gotta make it brutal. The sudden change from Darkness element demons up to E-rank to Crystal element demons up to D-rank is sure to throw most invaders off their game at the first visit, but I gotta do better than that. And the fourth floor..., it''s the final line of defense. We''re back to Darkness demons, but these can reach even the D-ranks. And again, I gotta turn the floor brutal. No, fiendish even! The first floor is fine as it is. Filled with traps and tricks. Maybe I''ll add some more stuff once I get the chance. Anyway, I can''t do anything more with the Dungeon until the DP recovers, so for the rest of the day, I''m on demon hunt duty. The lucky thing is that this town''s within the region of the Umbral capital. Lots of wild demons around. After consulting the Adventurers'' Union''s books of wisdom, I found three potential areas around this town that could give some good demons to tame. I could also include areas around the Dusk Woods and the Darklands, but there''s no info about them here, there are no libraries or books in the Dusk Wood village, not to mention there are no human (or demon) settlements in the Darklands at all! Therefore, by the process of elimination, I''ve limited my search for a new ally in the places near this town where I can study on. The three areas that caught my interest are the Demonic Plains with all the animal-type demons; the Barataria Gulf, the sea area that''s connected to the port and has lots of small islands here and there with demons living there, and the Alberido Alpha Swamp that''s a "Haunt", a special area where a specific element is going crazy. On a different note, the Darklands are also considered a Haunt, one made of several Haunts. The Alerido Swamp is also the same, as there are Beta and Delta swamps close to the Alpha swamp. There are lots of Poison element creatures there, demons included. But I need specialized protection items if I wanna go there without dying from the poisoned air... It''s decided. I''ll ignore the swamp for now. And the Demonic Plains don''t seem to be that interesting either, so I''ll take a look at the Gulf. After giving my thanks to the librarian, I paid for a spot on one of the small ships that were going to the islands and set off. On the way, I asked the sailor what he knew about the Gulf. According to him, only normal fish and fish-type monsters lived in the Gulf, but the ocean had some big-shot sea monsters, and he''s serious when he says "sea monster". Stuff like C-rank creatures is the norm out there. Luckily, the big ships have good-enough stealth technology to escape their attention. However, I''m not gunning for fish-type monsters or sea monsters. The latter may be cool, but neither are exactly demons. And they''re limited to the sea, so even if I tamed them, there would be few opportunities for me to use them. That''s why I want to find the monsters living on the dozens of islands in the Gulf. These are the typical hunting grounds for adventurers that don''t have any fishing-type skills, and these creatures are amphibious. Can act both on land and sea. That''s what I want. But I gotta be strict about this "audition". If I only get demons that can do the same thing, it would end up with me only summoning the strongest demon and turning the other guys into NEETs. I need different guys to fulfill different needs. Nyx is sorta like an assault trooper. Fast legs and sharp claws. Not sure what class she can end up with, but she''s training in the Fort even now to level up her Warrior class. If needed, I can summon her, but I wanna do today''s hunt on my own. I have a new skill bought for the last of my AP that I wanna test out as well. This is the skill that the Stygian Clown had, so I know it could become something awesome with training. And combined with the effect of [Evasion], maybe I''ll be able to do dodges like in the Matrix? Could probably use Nyx''s [Prediction] skill for that. Eh, let''s go with what I have for now. Oh, and I almost forgot to check out the new title I got yesterday. There''s still some time before we reach the islands, so... A title commemorating the first conquers of the library of salt, the Atlantirana Library Hmm, a commemorating title. Tch. It''s probably a good title for someone like Jill, but I have the [World Quest Clearer] title, not to mention [Dungeon Ruler]. It''s not worth equipping. Just then, we reached the dock made on one of the bigger islands. The sailor was gonna be fishing for the rest of the day, so he warned me that he may not be available if I wanted to return to town. Sorry pal, but they have one of the Player Room-connecting fountains here. I''m good. The port island didn''t have much except for a tavern and an inn for sailors that were too late to return to the town, so I ignored it and went to the next island. After getting out of the "town", I finally realized the nickname the locals had given this area. Several small islands covered most of this part of the Gulf, with small stripes of bedrock connecting the islands like bridges. The sheer number of rocky islands truly lives up to the name "sea of islands". I found the spectacle resembling a spiderweb thanks to all the bridges. It wasn''t difficult traveling through the islands on foot, and on the way, I saw several other players fighting against strange, sea-based creatures. A big clam with spikes is jumping around and trying to skewer some players, a fish that''s doing rider kicks with realistic-looking human legs, and an eel that''s so slippery that even magical fireballs are slipping off its skin. It''s important to mention that all referenced creatures are walking and breathing on land. Good to know. Better find those demons. And hope they''re not as weird-looking as these guys. I kept on walking through the various islands while undercover with [Lurk]. It''s to test whether the monsters can notice me or not. Something like a prerequisite if I should tame them or not. So far, there''s been no creature, demonic or not, who''s noticed me with [Lurk] active. Not even the players! They did get a scare when I "suddenly appeared" when turning off [Lurk] to let my MP recover. Hmm, should I lower the "difficulty"? At this rate, none of these demons will satisfy...whoa!? *CRASH!* That was close! Someone finally answered my prayers and attacked me. Even with [Lurk] still functioning! This guy is showing some promise~. ...huh? Like, for real? ...maybe I should introduce this one to the locals in the port town? Yikes... Skill List: Title List: Chapter 47: Official Bulletin Board 5 Dungeon Conquest Thread @7 1: Unknown Dungeon Crawler WELCOME, to the thread where we brave through the mysteries surrounding the "dens of evils", the DUNGEONS! Trolls will be faced with the same fate as a poor Dungeon monster who meets a capital knight. ->950 you know what to do. ... 88: Unknown Dungeon Crawler IMPOSSIBLE!! 89: Unknown Dungeon Crawler The management hates the players... 90: Unknown Dungeon Crawler DUNGEONS = HELL!! 91: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->90 Truth. 92: Unknown Dungeon Crawler Tons of E-rank monsters aren''t that bad. Tons of SMART E-rankers is not! 93: Unknown Dungeon Crawler Are the Dungeons post-game material or something? 94: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->92 Don''t forget the home-field advantage. 95: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->93 The game''s just started! 96: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->93 It''s a Terra Sol AS game. No wonder. 97: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->94 Never been more true than the place we tried to challenge. And with "tried", I mean "TRIED!!". And I''m tired... 98: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->96 Again, truth. 99: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->97 What happened? 100: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->99 We went to a place called the "Darkland Plains" to challenge a Dungeon there. 101: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->100 Whoa, the Darklands!? Those empty wastelands!? 102: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->97 That''s the worst joke ever... 103: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->100 Rather than the Dungeon, that you could reach the Darklands so fast is more impressive. 104: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->103 We were part of the "mapping teams" that were trying to document all the outer regions during the game''s first weeks. We had already recorded a spawning point in a village close by. 105: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->104 Props. 106: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->104 Wow, hard work does reward you sometimes... 107: Unknown Dungeon Crawler Was it the strange castle built of concrete, the one filled with big spiders? The Dungeon in the Darklands, I mean. 108: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->107 ??? No, it was a castle, but it was filled with demon-type monsters. Strange ones at that. 109: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->107 We got another hard worker here?! Props! 110: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->108 More details, please. ->109 Thank you. 111: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->110 Okay, I''m going to list down what we saw there. Give me a sec. 112: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->111 Great! 113: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->111 Make it worthwhile. 114: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->113 Who do you think you are? 115: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->114 A nobody. 116: Unknown Dungeon Crawler And you still act so arrogantly!? 117: Unknown Dungeon Crawler Done! First, the Dungeon is located in the Darkland Plains. There''s quite a distance to it from the nearest village. It looks like a huge, dark castle on the outside, and the inside matches it to a certain degree. The walls are mostly black, and purple carpets are placed in the middle of the corridors. However, parts of the walls look like they''re from the inside of a giant clock. Golden gears that move around all the time. We can''t touch them either due to a barrier protecting them. The Dungeon is decorated with various pieces of art. But they don''t seem to have any value, nor can we take them with us. They do look possible to break, but we didn''t try so as it felt like a big waste. Lighting consists of purplish crystals that give good lighting, but it also creates extremely dark areas due to how they are placed. As for the monsters, they are demon-types as I mentioned before. Spirit-like demons, Imps, and floating eyeball-like demons. We first encountered such monsters, probably G-ranks, and wiped the floor with them. When we got further into the Dungeon, however, we were the ones used to wipe the floor with. Before we noticed, our scout-acting Beastkin got his nose made useless from a smoke bomb of some sort, then when we tried to chase the culprit, we were ambushed and killed. The monsters include a demon dressed like an acrobatic clown that''s wearing a mask, a "fluffy"-looking ogre-ish demon, a bigger eyeball than before with additional tentacles, and a literal living shadow. The last one even triggered a trap on purpose and used it as a weapon. One of our members, the Beastkin I mentioned before, managed to escape while the rest of us was a lost cause. On his way, he discovered a treasure chest filled with a bunch of Crystal Roses, the rumored treasures. After escaping the Dungeon, he logged out and logged in again to regroup with the rest of us. The end. 118: Unknown Dungeon Crawler What the... 119: Unknown Dungeon Crawler It''s sorta underwhelming, but... 120: Unknown Dungeon Crawler It feels like the demon king''s castle... 121: Unknown Dungeon Crawler Demons and traps everywhere... 122: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->120 Or at least the first of the four heavenly kings. 123: Unknown Dungeon Crawler So..., what''s the verdict? Should we leave this place be? 124: Unknown Dungeon Crawler NO WAY! Crystal Roses alone are worth several Iron-class weapons! We just need to prepare ourselves better!! 125: Unknown Dungeon Crawler It would be easier if the traveling distance from the nearest login point was shorter... 126: Unknown Dungeon Crawler True. 127: Unknown Dungeon Crawler Yes. 128: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->124-125 Both have a good point. 129: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->125 Maybe that''s what the "frontier expansion quest" that can be started in the capital of Umbral is about? 130: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->129 OH! Good point! 131: Unknown Dungeon Crawler I''d completely forgotten about that quest! 132: Unknown Dungeon Crawler Huh? What are you talking about? 133: Unknown Dungeon Crawler ->132 Go to Umbral and ask the government officer NPCs about it. It''s something you wouldn''t believe would be possible in other games. ... Tamers Thread @3 1: Unknown Tamer This is a thread where tamers can come together and discuss their partners, sweethearts, or meatshields. Whatever you wanna call them. Trolls (non-tamed) are not allowed here~. ->950 start the next thread. ... 775: Unknown Tamer Still not many of us... 776: Unknown Tamer Taming is not a well-known playing style after all... 777: Unknown Tamer Ehm..., can I ask of something? 778: Unknown Tamer Hmm? A newbie? 779: Unknown Tamer ->777 WELCOME! Ask away. 780: Unknown Tamer Okay..., what can you "tame"? I''m a complete newbie in this field. 781: Unknown Tamer No prob. We all are~. 782: Unknown Tamer ->780 With the General skill [Taming], you can tame any creature the system recognizes as a "monster". NPCs are out of the question. Also, it seems that Dungeon monsters are not possible to tame. 783: Unknown Tamer Huh, you don''t say... And if you want to tame more? 784: Unknown Tamer Then you''ll need a tamer-type class. Just tame a monster, clear the other requirements, and you can get a tamer-type class that lets you tame multiple creatures of the same genus as the one you''ve already tamed. When you get one of these classes, [Taming] will be replaced with a taming-type skill unique to that class. Important, or maybe not, note: the skill level of the new skill is the same as [Taming]. It''s not an evolution of the skill, but a replacement. 785: Unknown Tamer Continuing, these are the tamer-type classes currently discovered: Beast Tamer: need to tame a beast-type monster. You can tame beast-type monsters. Bird tamer: need to tame a bird-type monster. You can tame birds with this one. Insect Catcher: need to tame an insect-type monster. You can tame insect-type monsters. Spectermancer: need to tame an undead-type monster. This class "creates" undead by absorbing corpses and creating "blueprints" for the undead. The undead you tamed will "possess" the new bodies you make for it, even if it''s multiple ones. Doll Dancer: need to tame a doll-type monster. You can make new dolls and let the "spirit" of the first one be used to control the rest. And there are some more, but people have just read about them or heard some hearsay from the inhabitants/NPCs. 786: Unknown Tamer ->785 Cool! Thanks. Maybe I should become a Spectermancer? 787: Unknown Tamer The sad thing is: only those with either the Death element- or the Undead element Title-skills can become a Spectermancer. The undead players down below have figured that out. 788: Unknown Tamer Tch. I wanted an undead army... 789: Unknown Tamer Another piece of bad news is that you can only have 1 monster follower with you at the same time. 790: Unknown Tamer WHAAAAT!?!? Then what''s the point!? 791: Unknown Tamer You can, however, fill the empty slots in a party you''re in with summons. Oh, and all taming-type skills let you summon any tamed monsters if you don''t have them at hand. They''re normally staying in your Player Room. 792: Unknown Tamer Oh, then you can have 6 monsters out at once? Since a party can have at most 6 people in it, plus the "free slot"? 793: Unknown Tamer ->792 Yup. Sorta strange that even parties are taken care of with skills. Why''s the [Party] skill something you need to be an adventurer to get? 794: Unknown Tamer Guys! The demon princess has a newly discovered tamer-type class!! 795: Unknown Tamer ->793 Think it''s because adventurers are supposed to adventure in parties, no? 796: Unknown Tamer ->794 Wait, that princess? The rank-9 from the event? What class!? 797: Unknown Tamer Calm down. The princess must have "Demon Caller". It''s been written about in books in various libraries that are located in the Umbral region. 798: Unknown Tamer ->797 Ah, my bad. 799: Unknown Tamer That''s not the only thing that''s old news. The princess having such a class is already known. Just look at her dedicated thread. 800: Unknown Tamer ...she has a dedicated thread??? 801: Unknown Tamer Her fans have made one, at least. Not sure if I envy her... ... The Demon Princess Fanclub Thread @15 1: (Future) Servant of the Princess This is a personal thread about the player "Demon Princess" Garami. The Princess may read this thread herself, so be careful what you post here. As for anything that''s simply weird, remember that (big brother) the management also watches. About the Demon Princess: Her real player name is Garami, but after a certain event during the first NFO event, she has gained the unofficial nickname "Demon Princess". Her current race is Dark Udug, according to reliable sources from the demon thread. It is a Demon-type Extra Race, but how she obtained it is a mystery. She is using a rare sort of equipment including leather armor, a cloak, a mask, a dagger, and various magic items. However, they seem to be "only" rare and not unique items. As mentioned, her "seemingly" weapon of choice is the dagger, but no one has seen her fight for real yet, so it is uncertain as of now. She seems to possess abilities to weaken strong enemies from a long distance, which has been confirmed as she weakened the raid boss of the first event from across a whole area. The reason for her popularity is her "adult" beauty for one, even if she is wearing a mask all the time. The Princess is also the first person to have conquered a Dungeon and even become an owner of one. That''s it for now! ->950, Be a loyal servant to the Princess and start the next thread. ... 663: (Future) Servant of the Princess Hey, we mustn''t forget to add "She is also the one who discovered the info about Element Keystones" when lucky guy 950 makes the next thread. 664: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->663 Agree! 665: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->663 Agree! 666: (Future) Servant of the Princess I am the princess'' beast!! 667: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->663 Agree! 668: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->663 Agree! 669: (Future) Servant of the Princess Everyone except 666... 670: (Future) Servant of the Princess You guys, don''t forget it''s the gender-bender demon who has that honor. 671: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->670 Tch! 672: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->670 Let''s behead this guy. 673: (Future) Servant of the Princess GLORY TO THE PRINCESS! Also, ->670, give us the pics of the gender-bender demon participating in that contest, then we''ll consider sparing you for your treachery. 674: (Future) Servant of the Princess Roger. Here: ****** 675: (Future) Servant of the Princess He''s spared! 676: (Future) Servant of the Princess Good guy! And good job getting the pics! 677: (Future) Servant of the Princess Tch, guess I could forgive you..., but only if you prepare some of the Princess next time!! 678: (Future) Servant of the Princess When did I turn into a professional photographer? 679: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->677 This guy''s trying to defile the Princess. 680: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->677 Guilty 681: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->677 Blow him up. 682: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->677 Eat his brains. 683: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->677 EXECUTION!! 684: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->682 I''m a Spectermancer. Should I prepare a zombie? 685: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->677 HANG HIM!! 686: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->677 Throw him to the beasts!! 687: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->684 Great plan! 688: (Future) Servant of the Princess The Princess is trying to get a new servant. 689: (Future) Servant of the Princess HUH!? 690: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->688 Dude, we all want that... 691: (Future) Servant of the Princess To be more precise, the Princess is currently fighting a tentacled demon now. Think she''s trying to tame it. My pal is streaming it as we speak. Her site is here: http://********/Rei 692: (Future) Servant of the Princess THIS GUY''S GOLDEN!! 693: (Future) Servant of the Princess The princess and tentacles...*nosebleed* 694: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->693 *nosebleed* 695: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->693 *nosebleed* 696: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->693 *nosebleed* 697: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->693 *nosebleed* 698: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->693-697 Stop polluting the world with that nasty blood of yours! The fight is almost over! You bleed, you lose!! 699: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->698 Isn''t that "snooze"...? Chapter 48: Natural Enemy & Contact *CRASH!* Too close-!? *CRACK!* Give it a-! *CRASH!!* "REST!" - Garami I fired a Fireball in frustration at the attack of the wild monster. It hit with a huge flare, leaving the attacker''s "arm" singed. That didn''t stop its other "arms" from coming at me. The enemy is, after all, an octopus. Or, a squid? One, two..., twelve!? W-well, its head looks squid-ish, so let''s call it a squid. Or stalker works as well! It''s the perfect word for someone as persistent as this guy! The Sea Stalker looks like a cartoonish squid that''s around two meters high, using multiple tentacles to crawl onto land, and its white body has dark-blue spheres on certain areas, like the end of its tentacles. Its mouth is strangely attached to the front of its face, unlike with normal squids. Granted, it isn''t a real squid, but a demon. I got proof for that since it was a valid "target" when I tried to use [Demonic Taming] on it. Sadly, this big bloke resisted the taming. Thinking about it, taming must be that kinda thing. You gotta make the target subjugate to you for it to work. Stuff like "friendship" and "kindness" may also work, but not this time around. I mean, this guy''s serious about killing me here. Sitting down to chat will result in lunch. With me as the main dish. Luckily for me, this thing''s sole method of attacking is with its tentacles. The areas it hits get crushed as if being hit by a heavy hammer, and there''s even some moisture on those spots for some reason. Probably a water-type skill of some sort. Another strange thing about these attacks is that they''re difficult to keep a track of. If I let my concentration slip, it''s easy to imagine one of the squid''s attacks getting past a normal adventurer''s radar. [Detect Monster], however, seems to keep a track of things, so I guess it''s a skill that hides tentacle attacks to a certain degree. Unluckily for me, however, is that this thing has such a huge body. Meaning the damage I deal is dispersed. Guess some hidden factors are working here. Something like "damage is given based on the area it hits". It would be a different thing if I hit someone''s vital point... But I don''t know a squid''s vital points! Even if it had one or two! All my knowledge about "assassinations" comes from movies, and you don''t see squids as secret agents or whatever. Anyway, the fight kept on going for a minute or two before I noticed that the squid was recovering its HP. It wasn''t that fast compared to my Auto-Recovery for MP, but it''s gradually going up. As if I didn''t have enough trouble getting past its already-huge HP. However, that problem seems to be solved as soon as I noticed it. By the squid himself, even. As we were fighting, I tried to prevent myself from getting cornered by the waterfront, so I kept on retreating toward the island. And the squid followed with its tentacles slamming at the ground. And that seems to have stopped its recovery? I''m not 100% sure why, but since it has stopped, that works for me! I did a somersault to dodge the two tentacles that were aimed at me, fired a [Mystical Thread] at the third tentacle, and threw a throwing dagger to pin the squid''s tentacle to the ground. Honestly, even I''m impressed over my acrobatic talent here. Is this all from [Parkour]? It''s the only new thing to my status sheet, so if that''s the case, I know what skill to level up from now on! The squid seemed to get agitated over my quick escapes, but it''s not retreating. Rather, instead of angry, I''d say it''s getting..., excited? Whatever the case is, my SP is dwindling here. At this rate, I''ll be the one empty of gas, so I should try to finish this as fast as possible. Seeing how the squid''s not getting depressed or willing to serve me despite having lost over 30% of its total HP by now, should I change my approach? Trapping it could be a better method. With that in mind, I started to prepare for the big catch. The threads are useless if I want to use them with [Create Trap]. They''ve gotten too soggy from the tentacle + Water-skill(?) rampage of the squid for my creation-type skill to consider them worthy as materials. If I could control the threads directly, It''d be a different story. Alas, I gotta use what I have at the moment. The squid, not tired of this game already, tried to smack me with its tentacle again. Does it think I''m a mole? Anyway, I backflipped (backflipped!!) to dodge the appendage, and when I landed, I struck the ground with my magic dagger. The magic dagger of [Grasp Vine]. Several green vines rose from the fertile ground and held the tentacle on the spot. The squid, surprised over this new move I''d shown it, tried to get its arm free, but the vine''s power isn''t to sneeze at. And even if you do sneeze, please turn the other way, okay? However, being too occupied with its trapped limb was a bad move on the squid''s part. While it was busy trying to break free, I ran closer to it and struck the ground with the magic dagger again, creating more vines which I used to wrap up the squid''s legs like a Christmas present. Wow, I bet the one getting this gift won''t have a happy new year... Looks like the damn solid squid can''t get out of this one. Seeing that, I calmly drank an MP potion to recover my close-to-zero MP back to its full state. Good thing I spent some DP on several of these back when I couldn''t get any more facilities before the level-up. The potions in the shop are eeeeeexpensive! After putting away the dagger, I cracked my knuckles while positioning myself in front of the squid. Is it my imagination, or is this guy cold and sweating? Well, no mercy to find here. Try another shop. "OOOORRRRAAAA!! [DEMONIC COMBAT] KIIIIICK!!" - Garami My power-upped kick struck the squid right between its eyes and sent it flying backward. Or it would be, hadn''t its limbs been trapped by the vines. Meaning it''s getting a special kick-course for the prize of a single kick~. "Ready to submit? Or die?" - Garami I asked the squid again while stuffing the small fear I had in the deepest part of my head. Because this guy won''t handle a few more blows. It''s a real deal "submit or die" situation we got here. But it seems that my good luck hasn''t failed me this time as well. The taming was a success. What is worrying me is the eyes the squid has after I knocked it out. They looked too..., aroused... Oh, "he"''s a girl. Then for her name...Scylla? Charybdis? But those are probably made into real monsters, so if I meet them, it could get complicated... Wait, wasn''t there some sea creature called "Nautilus"? Hmm..., then let''s change it into "Nala". It may be sorta rude to call a squid-like creature something based on that creature, but I''m bad with names anyway. With that figured out, I sent Nala to the Followers'' Hotel thanks to the "Return Home" art that''s part of [Demon Taming]''s effect. Calling it the opposite of "Summon" would be the right... Who''re those guys? There''s some floating light ball right beside one of them..., are those the rumored streaming functions? Oh no, did I just reveal most of my hand for the rest of the world to see!? ...should I try to threaten them? Wait, how am I supposed to do that? This is inside a game..., and thinking about it, I didn''t use the Evil Eye, so my best weapon is still a secret. And [Demonic Combat] takes too much MP to be useable in a fair fight, so it''s not hurting me that people know about it. Hmm? Then I can simply ignore those..., okay, I have to ignore them. Because there''s nothing I can do to them anymore. They''re dead. While the players were too busy gawking at me, someone got behind their backs and crushed their heads. It happened in the blink of an eye. I bet that those guys are looking around confused in their Player Rooms right about now. The culprit then left the sorry remains of the players'' corpses (it''s just white-colored dust anyway) and walked toward me. Not that I felt threatened by him. I know this guy after all. I guess you could call him an old friend. --- Later, after I logged in again after lunch, I returned to the Fort. That old one did me the favor of inviting me to his place, so I should bring a gift at least. Crystal Roses should be good. They''re pretty, and it seems that practically anyone wants them for some reason. I should also take a look at how Nala''s doing. With that in mind, I walked over to the Followers'' Hotel and discovered..., the squid playing card games with Nyx. Hey... Let''s take it as a sign that this squid''s talented. Wait, I didn''t get to check her stats earlier. Better late than never. Skill List: Title List: ......there is some stuff here I wanna complain about, but everything should be solved in its proper order. First, is her race. A demon of the sea that can operate as good on land as in the water. They have an appearance similar to a normal squid, but their mouth is located on the front of their face instead of the top of their face. Their bodies are also upside-down compared to normal squids. They are natural predators of sailors and fish-type monsters. They can easily stalk their target for days if needed. In combat, the Sea Stalker makes use of its tentacles to crush its victim with brute force. They also have incredible stamina and can withstand most attacks. Finally, some specimens may release special attacks from their mouth, meaning they can take a turret-like position if they need to. So that''s why it''s called a "stalker". I don''t think any of the skills Nala gives her long-range capabilities, so is she one of the specimens that don''t do the turret-style? Best to take a look..., starting with this [Greater Health] skill. Isn''t it just an upgraded [Health]? Did she waste her AP on just improving her HP? ..."increases the level-up growth"?? So, Nala gets 1 more HP each time she goes up a level!? I take back all the bad things I''ve said about Ability Skills. This effect is awesome! Ah, but T21Skill Tier 2 skills need 6 AP to be obtained, not to mention increasing its level. 6 AP just to increase the status growth when leveling up..., yeah, not something I would do. People who rely more on their stat values than their number of skills choose to do so, but I like to have a lot of tricks up my sleeves. Speaking of different skills, I haven''t seen this one before. I can guess what it does though... Yup. I guessed it. This explains why the ground got wet from this "girl"''s attacks. The next one is... Hey, she''s a proper tank! Lucky~. But she would need more defensive skills if I wanna put her on the front line. Maybe I should look for a healer as well? Okay, this skill is no good! Sure, a tank would like it, but it puts me in a bad light as this girl''s master! Let''s forget about it... And I guess I don''t need to see the talent skills either. Meaning what''s left are the three monster skills: Now I get why those tentacle slaps were so powerful and why I almost didn''t notice them a few times. Not to mention that recovery effect! This girl''s a combined tank/assassin! I''ll love seeing how she''s gonna improve from now on~~. And as for the title, no need to see that again. But she does have a different trait than me and Nyx, as we both share the same traits. Nala has the [Demon] trait like the rest of us, but this [Sea Demon] is a new one. Sea Demon: Hmm, not flashy. But there are no drawbacks, so I won''t complain either. All that''s left is for her to evolve her class, I guess. Luckily, she''s got both the class at its highest level and enough AP to upgrade it. The only problem is that she''s not likely to get any good classes. You need to clear specific quests if you want rarer and stronger classes. Nyx has the same problem. If there was something I could... And being a Dungeon Ruler solves all my problems yet again! After I returned to the Player Room based on a hunch I had, which turned out to be right, I discovered that I could place a "Dojo"-facility in the Dungeon! There are some problems regarding this Dojo though. First, it is that it cost 200 DP, but that''s already cleared as my DP has recovered that much since I used them up earlier today. The second problem is that I also need to hire some "teachers" for the Dojo. But that doesn''t seem to be a problem in the future, as I can pay DP to "summon" some teachers and add them to the Dojo. It''s just that the quality-class teachers come with a high salary (DP-cost), and the Dungeon''s stats is influencing what type of teacher I can summon. ...wait, why am I worrying about this now? I don''t have enough FP to place the Dojo (which requires 250 FP) yet! Tch, guess I need to postpone the evolution of these two''s classes until tomorrow. Right now I got to prepare for my visit to my old "friends"... I can call them friends, right? Those Blackmarket guys. ...let''s add some more Crystal Roses to the gift. Just as a precaution. Chapter 49: Dinner Party & Kidnapping This is the place...? I arrived at the address I was told about in the sea of islands. It looks like a mansion made out of black wood and metal. It''s sorta stylish, but far from something I''d expect from a self-proclaimed "criminal guild" or whatever the Blackmarket is. Ah, that could be their goal. To not stand out. Or maybe this place is a fake hideout/HQ that they use when inviting strangers so that their real place doesn''t get busted? Yeah, that could be it. These guys are a bunch of tricksters after all. Having solved that small mystery, I walked to the guard of the mansion. He''s dressed in a full-plate armor that makes it impossible to guess his race, but his voice revealed his gender, at least. "Yes, we have been expecting you, miss Garami. Please follow me." The guard left his post to his partner and escorted me to the mansion''s front door. There, a maid-like person welcomed me and took over for the guard who returned to the front gate. The maid then took me to a changing room. I gotta dress formally for the party? Ehh... Okay, fine. The clothing here looks pretty anyway, and I bet they''d be too expensive to buy even in the game... Or maybe not. I have tons of sol just laying around in the Player Room now due to the vault being too small to fit it all. A side-effect from clearing so many Quests in the hope of getting more AP. Even if I tend to stock up on MP potions. Some other players are having the same problem, but they use their money on equipment. I am promised something amazing (I think) from the Fort''s Treasury, so I''m waiting for that. Back to the dresses, I took a revealing black dress that exposes the center of my torso and my back. It also reveals lots of my legs. I also grabbed some long black gloves and stockings, plus black high-heels. If I''m gonna dress up in a game, I better be throughout with it. Dressing up wasn''t that hard. Just needed to replace my equipment with these fancy garments. Just a few pushes of a button. Man, I''d like reality to take a note from this. After exiting the dressing room, the maid brought me to the dining room. Lots of fancy dishes are already placed on the table..., so fancy that I think I''ll end up crying tonight during my dinner. Why must VR be capable of reproducing taste? *Sniff*... On the other side of the table were the hosts. Glock, the shadow-ish creature that I first met in the old Fort, and Ronandart, the "gentleman" I packed all the trash from the purple nest on. I''d say the gentleman''s the one with the higher ranking in their organization, seeing how Glock is standing by his side like an attendant. "Welcome, miss Garami of the Arcechina Castle. It is such an honor to have you here. And I must say, you are more beautiful now than ever." - Ronandart The old man opened his speech with such words. Yeah, I almost forgot. These guys know my Dungeon''s previous name and its location. That''s a bummer, but not a big one. People on the BBS seem to be favoring me for some reason, so them knowing that I own the Fort may not be so bad after all. It could work as a deterrent. Then again, there are always some jerks in games like this one, but it''s not something I need to be that worried about. Like before, all I need to focus on is to make the Fort grow so it can handle any opposition it may face. "Nice to see you two," I replied while taking my seat. I''m not good with formal talk, but the duo doesn''t seem to be too occupied about that. "Then? Why did you invite me?" I asked, wishing to skip past the pleasantries. "Right on point as always. You do know that some people would take offense for that?" - Ronandart "Whatever. Keep the story going, pervert gentleman." - Garami "Pervert-!? ...*cough*, miss Garami, I presume that after you obtained the Arcechina Castle, you renamed it into the "Darkland Fort", a Dungeon that has rumors about being a treasure trove for rare and therefore expensive plants such as the Crystal Roses and Dark Lilies, am I correct?" - Ronandart "Who knows?" - Garami "I will take that as a yes. Moving on, as a representative of the Blackmarket, I want to strike a deal with you, the Dungeon Ruler of the gossiped Darkland Fort." - Ronandart "Representative", as in the whole underworld organization wants a deal with me? This can''t be good. "Please be at ease. It is a simple deal. First, I need to ask: are the flowers discovered in the Darkland Fort a product from the Dungeon itself? Or is it something you have personally added to it?" - Ronandart ...tch. He''s completely on the idea that I rule the Fort. No need to pretend that I''m not anymore. It won''t be that bad for me even if the cat gets outta the bag. "Okay, I''ll be honest here. The plants are produced by the Dungeon. Specifically, a facility I added to it." - Garami "Oho! And what else can your Dungeon provide?" - Ronandart "Not much right now. Still working on improving its defense." - Garami "That is reasonable. Then here is my real question: can you sell the produce from your Dungeon to us, the Blackmarket Union, wholesale?" - Ronandart ......? Wholesale? Wholesale as in, selling a lot at the same time? Eh? "Just why...?" I asked, a little confused over the sudden big business talk. Please keep it to simply selling/buying stocks over the internet, okay? "Miss Garami, are you aware how rare just the Crystal Roses are? Extremely so. The reason is that these flowers normally grow in fields where vicious Crystal element creatures live. We are talking about high-leveled D-rank monsters, at the very least. Not to forget that the flowers may be just one out of many products your Dungeon is capable of providing. Say, do you know about the Cloacrystal?" - Ronandart "Nope." - Garami "I thought that was the case. They are light-absorbing crystals that grow in areas filled with Darkness aether. Many items with concealment powers are built using these types of crystals. The problem is that they are located in caves that even demons such as us cannot see in due to the intense darkness produced from these crystals. I presume that your Dungeon can eventually grant you a "facility" that allows you to harvest them. And this is just the icing of the cake. Who knows what your Darkland Fort can provide?" - Ronandart ...in short, the Fort can give easy access to close-to-impossible items if it''s "cultivated" right? "And if I did say "yes", what would prevent you guys from ratting me out to those Dungeon-hating guys in the other countries?" - Garami "Hohohoho! Those guys hate us as well, so you have nothing to worry about there!" - Ronandart "We, honorable, bad dudes. Still, they, hate us. A mystery." - Glock "Even if you say that," I started while thinking of an excuse to skip this deal, mostly because I''m not sure if I could hold their quota of items, an extremely conspicuous appeared in front of me. What now? The 6-years old daughter of this town''s mayor has been kidnapped! A ransom note has been delivered to the mayor, which asks for an astronomical high ransom for his daughter at the night two days after this message has been given. We of the Adventurers'' Union have been tasked with assisting the mayor in retrieving his daughter and putting this so-called "underground organization" to justice!! ......"underground organization"...is it? "Hey, you bastards! What "honorable bad dudes"-joke are you throwing at me? You wanna know how I deal with liars, huh!?" - Garami With a gusto that I''d never shown to a bunch of criminals in real life, I jumped onto the table and accused the two lawbreakers of their crimes. No way a bunch of no-good lowlives that would steep could be capable of something like deleting my character data, so I''m going at them with full force! "Wh-wh-wh-what are you saying all of a sudden!?" - Ronandart "Glock, confused." - Glock "Don''t play innocent! I just got a message from the Union! About how people from an underground organization did a low-handed kidnapping on some kid!" - Garami The two bastards simply blinked a few times while processing the hurtful truth I threw at- "WHAAAAAAAT!?" - Ronandart & Glock "Whoa-?!" - Garami They reacted way more intensely than I expected. Did they rehearse on that in case I figured them out? Crooks or not, they''re well-prepared. "Listen up, lady, but we, the Blackmarket, may do some less-than-honorable business from time to time, but kidnapping a child is NOT part of the agenda!!" - Ronandart "Glock, disappointed." - Glock ...eh? Why''m I treated like the bad guy here?? "Prove it." - Garami "Eeeeeehhh......" - Ronandart & Glock I knew it! These two are too sus! Guess they''re wishing for some special Ste-, I mean, some special Garami-class punishment- *Ding~* What now!? Does this public message thingy, or whatever it is, have a kink for interrupting me all the time!? What''s it saying this time? "The culprits'' identity has been discovered. They are the Lunalatic Clan"... "Hey, one last chance to redeem yourselves," I told the two guys who''re still acting like programs in deadlocks. "Who''s the Lunalatic Clan?" "Those guys? A bunch of honorless whippersnappers that are trying to wrestle themselves into the underground market..., ah. They are the real culprits, are they not!" - Ronandart The old man roared out as he connected the dots, but I''m not buying it. It''s not for certain that those Luna-whatever guys are the real culprits or not, plus they could be a subordinate group of the Blackmarket. "Kid, kidnapped, who?" - Glock Ah, I never said that, did I? "Some mayor''s kid or whatever. A 6-year old-" - Garami "WHAAAAAT?! What happened to poor little Tiris!?" - Ronandart Before I could react, the perverted not-gentle-man grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me while demanding an answer. "S-s-stop it, lolicon gentleman!" - Garami "L-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-!?" - Lolicon gentleman And the lolicon fell to the floor as if he was a doll whose strings got cut. The most powerful weapon isn''t the sword or the pen, but the truth... "This, Tiris. And mayor," said Glock, who''d grabbed a picture frame from somewhere. It showed a little girl''s birthday party..., with Glock, the lolicon, and some other shady-looking guys among the guests. Don''t tell me... "Mayor, and geezer, old friends. This town, and Blackmarket, partners. Geezer, honorary uncle, to the little girl." - Glock I think I heard a secret I wasn''t supposed to hear?! It would explain the lolicon gentleman''s current condition. He''s even puking out foam... I-in admiration of this guy''s acting skills, I think I may go along with this story as if it was real, a-hahaha... "Problem. Blackmarket, part of the, Underworld Treaty. Can''t beat, jerks because, other organizations, would beat us, afterward," said Glock as he picked up the lolicon gentleman. "That sounds troublesome indeed..." - Garami "But you, not Blackmarket," said Glock before leaving the room with the lolicon..., hmm? Wait, was I just recruited for a revenge plan or something? A-hahaha, no way~. I bet this all is some sorta trick. These guys must have some secret device that can make fake quest notices, right? Right? Right!? Chapter 50: Amusement & Infiltration Hello there~. It''s been two days since the sorry excuse of a dinner party with Glock and the lolicon~. And I feel terrible~. It''s most likely since that stupid lolicon forced me into an intense stealth-training course~. Ugh, I hate my life. Even if it''s just a game. To make a long story short, the lolicon-bastard almost killed me with an intense [Lurk]-, [Parkour]-, [Detect Treasure]-, AND [Small Inventory] training course! All in the same day! Don''t even ask how I did the last one. My back''s still killing me... However, it did result in level-ups for all mentioned skills. Even Glock said I had talent in sneaking around. Are player skills related to how well you can train in-game skills? Back to my story: I''m being used as the Blackmarket duo''s tool of vengeance. The plan is simple: steal so much from the Lunalatics that the ransom money won''t cover the loss. The best part about this plan is that I get to keep the stolen goods~. They said it''s because of that "whatever treaty". The same one that prevents them from bashing in the Lunalatics'' heads directly without using me as the middleman. Eh, middle-lady? The bad part is that I have to do this all on my own. It''s a technicality that allows the Blackmarket duo to arm me up to rob the Lunalatics, so if it gets out, then those two are in trouble. Meaning they don''t have the luxury of hiring other people for this plan. I wanted to ask Jill and Ferno for help, but they both seem busy participating in the rescue of the mayor''s daughter. True, that part is also important. More important than what I''m doing. Seen objectively from a gamer''s point of view, the rescue is sorta like the main quest while I''m busy with a sub-quest. So, yeah. I''m on my own. Only got Nyx and Nala to help me. They did obtain new classes thanks to the new coach I hired. Some Amazon-like ogress. She sorta reminds me of Ferno... Not that I wanna resort to calling on those two. They''re far from stealthy, and with tonight''s job, the more we kill, the lower is the chance of succeeding in this quest. *****!! ********!! ***!!! He even went as far as providing an official quest, that lolicon gentleman... But he better have washed that filthy mouth of his if he''s even gonna stay 10 kilometers close to any brat. He''s bad for their education. Not that I have anything against that. Because, right now, I''m deep into the Lunalatics'' hideout. What they''re showing to the public, at least. "Welcome! Welcome to Solland amusement park~!" Those bastards, running a place where kids can go and have fun while also targeting the very same children (some of them). It''s such a big joke that I don''t even wanna laugh. The park is built on top of an old dock and it is filled with typical attractions. Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, shooting ranges, food stands, and the horror house. And behind all this is the den of a bunch of new-and-rising criminals who even relies on doping with harmful side-effects to gain enough strength to gain a seat at the table of the successful criminals in this world. Seriously, what a joke. Right now I''m wearing casual clothes, or so it seems. It''s some decent stealth-based equipment provided by those crystals the lolicon talked about before. [Lurk]''s effect is way better than before, and it has become so cheap that [Mana Auto-Regeneration] can cover for the loss. I could run [Lurk] 24/7 at this rate. Though, that''s only if I''m not in battle. This is my current get-up: It''s not too bad. The new earring has changed my skin color to a healthier one and turned my hair all red, and the Race-Concealing Ring hides the fact that I''m a demon. As for the other new ring, it''s supposed to give a hint to hidden locations/items, but there''s been no beep on the radar so far. Hmm, maybe I should stop relying on the items so much and instead use my noggin? Where would I place a hidden hideout inside an amusement park that''s open to the public..., someplace where no guests would go. That leaves me with the fast-food stands, the park toilets, or the staff-only areas. Since the first two are too horrifying for even charlatans like these guys, I''ll start with the staff-only areas. Mostly because I''d be too scared of facing someone with a twisted-enough mind to place their hideouts at such places. *Brr* As for where only the staff''s allowed..., let''s check out the haunted house. There''s normally a door inside there leading to the staff area. Or so I''ve seen in animes. I joined a group of adventurers and snuck behind them while using [Lurk]. Even the ticket guy didn''t notice me. "Hey, about the next event, isn''t it soon?" - Adventurer A "Yeah. The management is keeping it a secret. Maybe they want it to be a surprise?" - Adventurer B They''re talking about something interesting on the way to the scares, but I don''t have time to listen to them. The secret-busting ring is telling me there''s something to bust nearby, so I left the group and followed the signal. ...bingo. A door labeled "staff" was hidden behind a false spiderweb. Opening the door''s no problem. I''ve got some experience from a rogue-type VR game where you play as a thief, and the lolicon provided me with some lockpicking tools...*click*, Hehe~. I snuck into the staff area and found...a plain old waiting room. Then a changing room. Luckily, my trusted old (okay, new) ring told me of a secret entrance. There should be a hidden switch around here...*click*. There we go. Damn, I should have taken some burglar class instead of Demonic Rogue. Ah, but it may be part burglar, now that I think about it. I ventured into the hidden corridors in search of the cash. No thugs are walking around, probably because they''re busy with the ransom exchange, which is both fine and bad for me. Fine since there''s less chance to be discovered. Bad because I can''t tail some idiots to the vault. It took me a while with careful searching, which almost got me discovered more than a few times by the remaining Lunalatics. The vault. I mean, literally a vault. One huge vault door..., but may I comment on the rest of the room? It''s fine? Then, I''ll start. First off, the vault door is inside a circus stage. No, really. Trapezes, small strings in the air that the circus clowns or whatever would walk across on, flaming rings, and even trampolines. What''s going on with these guys'' heads? They''re lunatics for real... But what I want people to take notice of is the huge, mechanical lion-dragon-thingy that''s guarding the vault door! How should I describe it... It has the body of a lion, but its neck, head, and claws look like a dragon''s. Also, it''s completely a mecha. Or, a locomotive mecha? It has this steampunk appearance, but it''s not steam it''s spewing out, but smog. It''s gonna be a loud fight if I try to attack it head-on, and that''s gonna attract the few remaining Lunalatics... Ah, I got an idea. I found myself a good hiding spot up at the top of the room among all the trapeze equipment and summoned Nyx. Then I had her go down undetected and pick a fight with the loco-lion. As I expected, the mechanical beast let out a huge roar similar to a train in the rush hour and attacked Nyx. Nyx did as I ordered her beforehand and prioritized dodging the attacks. Soon, I noticed that people were getting close to the vault room, so I sent Nyx back home and left the noisy loco-lion alone, bewildered over Nyx''s sudden disappearance, which made it continue to thrash around in anger and confusion. Then came the Lunalatics. When they saw the loco-lion making a mess of the place with no enemy nearby (right now), they forced it to stop and made it fall asleep. Then they left the room while asking each other if the loco-lion had started to malfunction. Nice~. And then, act 2. I re-summoned Nyx and had her do an encore. She got down without the loco-lion noticing anything yet, gave it an ass-kicking, and then I sent her back to the hotel. The Lunalatics came back, saw only the loco-lion making a mess again, and forced it to sleep-mode yet again. If that''s the case, act 3~. What, not enough? Act 4~. One more? Act 5~. It was after the 6th round that the Lunalatics had enough. They sent the loco-lion into a cage and turned it completely off. Then they left a pair of thugs as a replacement and left the rest for them. This is the final act then. Silently, I summoned Nyx and had her go into position above one of the two thugs. Then I climbed down from the ceiling and snuck behind the last thug''s back. Before they could notice me, I stabbed the guy I''d hidden behind with the venomous dagger. Nyx then jumped down from the ceiling and killed the other guy before he could recognize his partner''s death. After their corpses disintegrated into dust, I made Nyx clean up the blood spill with a special blood-removing agent that Glock had packed on me. He sure knows how to think ahead, as opposed to some other guy I know. And now, I got free access to the vault. It''s luckily a combination-type lock, so I don''t need to go out and look for some keys. Trying to find some clues to the combination would take too much time, not to mention too risky as well, even if I did it before pissing off the loco-lion. Time to put my faith into this special ring and hope it can help me find the right combination to the vault door. Please don''t let an alarm ring because I opened it with the wrong code..., 6 to the left..., 12 to the right..., 25 to the left... *Click* Is there an alarm?! ...nothing? It''s quiet. Sweet~. Just please don''t let it be a silent alarm that only warns the guards. I hate those. While keeping an eye on for any guards that could storm into the circus room, I grabbed anything I could stuff into [Small Inventory] or the various item bags I''d brought along. Yes, anything. Even the wooden shelves. Did they break the budget on the vault door? I also grabbed the lightbulbs, just for good measure. In return, let''s add these special bombs the lolicon forced on me. Let''s set the timer to..., 2 hours. That''ll give me enough time to flee the place. After confirming that the bomb was ticking, I closed the vault door and left the room, my pockets and bags notably bulging. Using the map produced from [Auto-Map] when I wandered around earlier in search of the vault, I swiftly exited the hidden hideout, returned to the staff area, left the haunted house, and calmly walked out of the amusement park. ...kukuku...ahahaha...BWA-HAHAHAHA!! I did it! I freaking did it! Nobody noticed me at all! Of course, there''s the loco-lion, but how is it supposed to spill the beans about Nyx? Heck, what would knowing that even help them with finding out that it was me there? Dark Servants are a standard choice for summoners! Just knowing that I''m following the current summon fashion trends won''t give them a good reason to suspect me! And with a good mood, I returned to my Player Room and logged off. Tomorrow, I''ll go and tell the duo the good news. They better be rewarding me damn well~~. Chapter 51: The Strange Encounter & Regret Log in~...or not? Hmm? Where''s this place? It''s all flabby and meaty and gory. Far from my stylish Player Room. Someone with less courage than me would have fainted if they came here..., okay. I''m also getting weak in my knees. Please tell me this is a bug. I wanna go home... A presence! No, seriously! There''s someone..., not behind me? Over there! ...wrong again... "Hey, get out here already! Why''m I-whoa-!?" - Garami Something grabbed me by my legs and lifted me into the air! I threw a Fireball at whatever it was and escaped. Let''s stay silent that I sorta burned my legs... But this confirms that it''s the game world. Or else I wouldn''t have been able to cast Fireball. The question is why this is happening. Did the login fail in some strange way? Khe-hehehe... See you later... *Shiver*-!? What was..., that strange, don''t-know-how-to-call-it voice? It felt like I was hearing a bunch of people, old and young from various genders and species (as in monster species), and it was recorded in a wind tunnel and I heard it through a filter that includes a nasty BGM made from the sound of nasty big-ass sea currents and goopy sounds like the sound effects from a Lovecraft-based movie. I did NOT want to find out what made that "voice", and I couldn''t, luckily. Something like a trapdoor opened right below me, and before I knew it, I fell into my bed in my Player Room. "...what was that? No, let''s forget about it. Just send a message of a potential bug to the management and forget about it." - Garami Some stuff out there''s better not to know. Let''s rather change gears and figure out what to do today... A System Message? SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: [Kick Those *****''s Butt!!!!]. You have obtained 15.0 Aether Points. Your favorability with the Blackmarket Guild has drastically increased. Through clearing this Quest with the following bonus requirements: [No Witnesses]; [Undetected Assassination]; [Complete Robbery]; [Lair Destruction]; [Revealed Secret]; You have acquired the title: [Observed by the Corruption Goddess] You have acquired the title: [Destroyer]. You have acquired the title: [Forbidden Item User]. Your Karma Value has fallen drastically. You have acquired the title: [True Chaos]. Hey, hey, hey, hey..., HEY!! WHAT''S THIS SUPPOSED TO MEAN!!?? --- "Here''s your drink." - Waitress "...thanks." - Garami I handed the girl some tips and started sipping the contents of the beverage while mentally holding my head. The talk of the other adventurers in the Union hall''s tavern area didn''t lift my mood either. "They said it was some terrorist organization..." "The amusement park was cursed!" "Criminals right underneath our noses..." "Did they get divine punishment or something...?" Ah, I can''t taste my drink... Last night, the stupid bomb that stupid lolicon gave me turned out to be some sorta erosion-type bomb. It released a burst of "Death aether" or something and gradually made the old dock that the amusement park was standing on rot away. The whole place fell into the ocean. And said bomb''s something prohibited by the law in most countries in the game world... ...should I see the fact that the decay of their hideout busted the dark secrets of the Lunalatics and got them all in the slammer as something that surpasses all these bad titles I''ve obtained? Proof of having destroyed many manmade objects. Proof of having used an item that the law has forbidden its usage. This title may prevent you from gaining access to certain cities, towns, and countries. The proof of your chaotic existence. All of Order steer clear of you, all those of Neutral upbringing flees from you. A life of chaotic madness is your fate, and even that fate is something you fight against. The gods of good and justice will not tolerate an evil person, but can they handle you? No, never. It''s impossible. They''re too bad. I know I was talking about going on the bad-guy route, but this is ridiculous! And the last title''s plain scary! But its stats are nice... Equipping the last title could lead to trouble, both with the other players and the "inhabitants", so I''ll stick to [True Chaos] for now instead of [World Quest Clearer]. As for the rest..., let''s hope they never see the light of day. One of them can send me to jail. As for those extra AP..., let''s save them. And go to the library to see if there are any classes that I want. It doubles as improving [Linguistics] anyway. Then I could recruit more teachers to the dojo. The Amazoness-demon that acts as the Warrior-line teacher in the Dojo facility did wonders with Nyx and Nala these last two days. Nyx learned the [Close Quarters Combat] skill, something that lets its owner use "combat arts" of the unarmed kind, plus giving positive correction to unarmed combat. My own [Dagger Proficiency] does the same, but it''s for daggers, and I don''t have a "combat art skill" yet, so I''m only using the secondary effect. And after teaching Nyx the CQC skill, the Amazoness then proceeded to train Nyx''s skill to Lv.3 right away. She even added some training to get [Dark Claw] to Lv.2 and [Prediction], of all things, to Lv.3. Even the newly-bought [Evasion] skill reached Lv.2. As the icing on the cake, the Amazoness taught Nyx the arts of being a Monk. I had a screenshot when I bought the class for Nyx somewhere... The Monk class is a special close combat-type Warrior-line class that is more dependent on MP to access special battle arts related to ki. Monks cover their fist and legs with ki to grant their attacks additional effects and destroy their opponent from the inside. The downside is that they cannot use orthodox equipment such as swords or spears. The class grants skills related to the usage of ki and skills related to unarmed combat in general. If using your arms and legs is enough for you, but you want some flair to your combat, then take this class. There we go. Monk''s a physical mage, but without magic. Nyx obtained some ki-controlling art. From what I could see from its skill description, it lets you use ki by consuming MP to perform special combat arts. Like the "Element Blow" arts that copies the properties from one of your Element skills. Skill List: Titles: As for Nala, that Amazoness taught her the Bouncer class. It''s damn useful for her who''s fighting bare-handed, even if it''s killing her potential future as a magic caster. The Bouncer class of the Warrior line provides a strong body that shall guard the class owner''s allies against any danger. But the owner requires a strong mind to withstand the pain from constant attacks. It could be seen as a self-sacrificing and heroic class. The class grants skills related to the arts of tanking damage, attracting the aggro of enemies, and punishing whoever tries to ignore the Bouncer. If you have the confidence to withstand any punishment for your team, this is your kind of class. Ah, and she''s improved her [Taunting] skill, plus the new [Cover] skill she obtained alongside the new class. Skill List: Titles: Mhm, this looks good..., too bad neither of them can help me kill the rumors. If some Lulalatics remnants ever find out I was the one...then nothing bad will happen? I mean, any potential evidence that I was the culprit must have sunk into the ocean, and only if there was anything at all. Plus, I acted in disguise, so why should they suspect me? Rather, won''t acting all scared and trying to stay under the radar make me look sus instead? With that in mind, let''s change gears and not be bothered about last night''s events. There''s also the next event that starts soon, so I should prepare. They''ve given no new info about it, so I should be ready for anything. Even improving [Linguistics] in the library could give me a chance. Also, I wanna scout some more teachers for the Dojo. One for both the Mage-line classes and the Scout-line classes. Also, I have to think about how to get rid of the stolen goods. Not that I don''t know some people that specialize in stuff like that. --- "Master Ronandart, miss Garami has arrived," said the maid as she let me into the lolicon''s office. "Garami! Our guardian angel, well done last night! Those kidnapping whippersnappers have lost any means of continuing in the underworld! My many thanks-" - Lolicon "Then you can start excusing why you gave me such a nasty bomb!" I shouted back to the lolicon geezer who was all smiles and happy faces when I entered. "Hmm? For crooks like them, the Death-and-Decay Bomb should be the least, don''t you think?" - Lolicon Tilting your head cutely won''t help you here!! "I don''t! But I want to dump the stuff I stole, so give me a good price." - Garami "Pleased to do business with you. Follow the servant to the storage, then they will appraise the goods for you," - Lolicon "You better not be cheating on me with the price after all this mess." - Garami "Hohoho~. I would never. Especially since it would turn an immortal walking lucky charm against us." - Lolicon "...lucky charm?" - Garami "Oh? You did not know? The Secret Guiding Ring we lent, no, that we gave you, it only has a success rate of 1%." - Lolicon "...did you wish for me to fail?" - Garami "It was an impossible mission from the start, or so we thought. That is why we gifted you many items that would conceal your identity as well." - Lolicon "...I want to buy some stuff, so give me a discount. A big one." - Garami "Pleased to do business with you. And here, take this brochure. It contains most of the items we have for sale at this branch." - Lolicon There are more of these places? As expected of people who call themselves an underworld guild. After dumping the big amount of stolen goods for the appraisers to take a look at them, I waited for them to finish while looking at the stuff I could buy in the waiting room. Geez, they got almost anything at this place. Maybe a new vault for my Player Room would be...hmm? Wait, they even sell "stuff" like this? ...interesting. --- Skill List: Titles: Chapter 52: Slaves & the Big Income "You want to buy a slave?" A secretary, or something like that, came when I told them that I had some questions about their "wares". The appraisal of the items I brought is still underway, but it should be a decent sum. I got some cash saved, but more is always better than less when it comes to money. "No good?" - Garami "No, it''s possible. We have a few slaves in this branch. Some of the locals are more into debauchery than cleaning up their place." - Secretary Ah, that''s right. Most of the port town consists of cosplay-loving succubi. This makes me wonder if the slaves bought are only doing housework or not. "I''ll go and get the papers about the slaves we have. Got a preferred type?" - Secretary "What sort of type?" - Garami Is she talking about my fetishes or if I want a battle slave or something? I don''t own a colosseum, yet, so I couldn''t use such a slave even if I had one. "You don''t know? There are different types of slaves, depending on how they turned into slaves. How you can treat them according to the law depends on what type they are." - Secretary "Even slaves are protected by the law?" - Garami The secretary then started to explain to me the slave system. It was created to give people who were backed against the wall a final chance. How much the law protects the slave depends on their circumstances, but they''re not seen as humans no matter their reasons to be slaves. It''s a horrible system, but it''s a game, so I''m not gonna start a slave revolution or something. Other players may take that path or not. Simply put, it''s something like this: There are also "birth slaves", meaning children born from slaves. They''re treated like debt slaves, and some rich people even buy them to adopt them, so some slavers try to raise them as attractive as possible for such families. They can also buy their freedom, regardless of what type of slaves their parents were, but the price varies between who their parents were. Looking at the list, what I want is... "Criminal slaves. Female only. Also, young adults." - Garami The secretary froze for a second before going to get the papers. I''m not gonna eat them or something. Rude girl. But I wanna experiment with them. One of the skills I still don''t have much data on is [Demon''s Presence]. It''s supposed to "corrupt" people that are exposed to it for too long, maybe as a side-effect of the Fear-inducing one, maybe as a stand-alone ability. But I got no clue what that means. I gotta test it out one day, and criminals are the best option. For my kind soul''s sake. Those guys deserve some roundhousing. ...somehow, I feel like people are laughing at me. I''ll go and trash them if I find them. It took a while, but the secretary returned with a bunch..., or not. It''s just a few papers. Guess my request isn''t easy to fulfill. There are five papers here, each explaining the slave''s physical information like their weight and height, their numerical stats like their levels, their race, and their crimes. Even the reason why the Blackmarket are the ones responsible for the slaves! And they are... Thinking about it, there''s quite the selection of slaves they got here, despite this place being closer to a backwater-town compared to the capitals. Especially when you look at these girls'' variety. It''s a tough choice. They all cost more than 10.000 sol, which is around what I have stored in my Player Room now. What I get from the sale is gonna have a say in who I could choose, but..., I''ll skip the Beastkin and the slime-person. The former''s got more than just cat-ears. She''s practically a furry. And I got no interest in slime-play. Hmm? Yes, I wanna make use of my R-18 DLC. Got a problem with that!? Anyway, that leaves me with the elf, the robot, and the witch as my possible options. The elf is sorta tempting, considering she''s probably one of the better targets to "corrupt". I''m not against her voluptuous body as well. The Automata is straight out cool, but it''s not certain if she can be affected by the skill or not. But the human witch... Humans are what demons normally go after... "Miss Garami? The appraisal is finished now." Nice timing. Let''s see how much I can spend on this idea of mine. --- "......sorry, can you say that again?" - Garami I asked the appraiser, a man named Johnatan. His biggest characteristic must be the gas mask he''s wearing. But I''m not gonna be nasty and point that out. I don''t have the composure for it. "No biggie. The total amount of cash for this stuff ''ere is around 235.000 sol. That''s a big golden birdie ya shot down, girl." - Johnatan ...that''s almost 10 times what I got the first time I met Glock, selling the rare stuff from the old Fort''s storage room. And it''s more than 20 times of my current assets, Dungeon not included. "It''s no big surprise when ya look at what''s part o'' this haul of stuff. All these Venomydra Leaf Scarfs, for example, are worth their weight in gold, even if they don''t weigh too much. Have one of these bad boys over your mouth, and ya can cross even the poisoned swamps near town like a walk in the park. 7.000 sols per piece." - Johnatan ...okay, that''s useful. And looking at the heap of items, I can see tons of monster materials from Poison element monsters. Did the Lunalatics hunt monsters when they didn''t kidnap brats? That could explain why they tried such a risky move as making a move on the mayor''s kid. Maybe they were damn tired of risking their lives dealing with poison monsters? "...I''ll sell them all except 5." - Garami "For you''re own use? Sure. There are still tons of ''em left for us. Something else ya wanna save?" - Johnatan "No, it''s fine..., but I need a bigger vault to store the money." - Garami "I can recommend the stuff the brass uses at the HQ. The model that cost 50.000 sol can store up to 500.000, and it comes with a function that lets ya transfer money from the vault with a special card." - Johnatan Like a debit card? That''s useful. "I''ll take that. Also, I want this one as well. Who do I need to talk to for the transaction?" - Garami I showed him the paper for the slave I wanted to buy, but he said: "Leave that to me. I''ll get it over with for ya. That''s another 35 grand taken from the selling sum, but that''s fine, right?" "Sure..., is it weird to ask if you can deliver it to my Player Room...if you know what I''m talking about?" - Garami "That weird place ya Migrants stay in? Sure, no prob. But I''d recommend being there to receive the "package". But man, it''s been a long time since crime slaves got sold." - Johnatan "Not popular?" - Garami "They''re criminals. Why would they?" - Johnatan Figures. After doing all the remaining paperwork, I said farewell to Johnatan and left. The money''s in my Inventory now, and I don''t wanna walk around with it in a city filled with such a surprising amount of people from the underworld here. Besides, I have to receive my "package". Then..., I should start planning for the next event. It''s around a week until it starts, and I got a good, if not a little spartan, method that could help me with the training. I gotta figure out how to properly use all my abilities after all. Chapter 53: The Slave & the Parasite "Sign, here, then there, and one more." - Glock Why does an underworld guild have to need so many signs? I''m getting writer''s cramp here. Tch. I''m getting second thoughts about this slave business. And for a reason that nobody would have imagined. But anyway, I''d signed all the papers now, and it''s scared me (specifically, my writing hand) so much that I''m gonna walk the slaves back home if I ever buy one again. Thank god only slaves have this much paperwork... Glock, the delivery guy for the Blackmarket in this town, after accepting the papers filled with my signatures, opened up the carriage-like vehicle behind him and lifted a..., how much power does he hide in those thin arms that let him carry such a stupidly big vault!? Once again I''m convinced that this is a game-world. After placing the jet-black vault in the corner of the room where I''d pointed out, Glock went inside the vehicle again and brought out a young lady dressed in..., not rags, but close to it. It seems like a dress, but the clothing looks hard and dirty. "Fit for a slave", or something among those lines. The black leather collar with a padlock around her neck shows that she''s a slave. The design is something I chose, as the heavy-looking ones made from metal looked too off-putting for me. As for the girl in question, it''s acceptable to call her pretty. Her long silver hair and emerald green eyes are her main charm points, but other than that, she looks like she''s seen better days. Her limbs are thin, her face''s sunk in, and one can see bruises all over her body. "Don''t look at Glock. The witch, she like this, when got her, a few days ago." - Glock Glock understood my question just by me glaring at him. Guess kidnappers aren''t treated well in prisons or wherever they''re keeping them. That''s right. I chose to buy the witch. Thinking back, the photo of her said it was a pic before she was taken in by the police. I''ll take this as a reminder that I''m dealing with a real crook organization and be on my toes next time. Or rather, they even asked me if I wanted to take a look at the slaves before I left. My mistake. Among the luggage were several clothes that had been given along with the sale. Glock said it was a bonus for all that I''d done for the organization, so the lolicon had selected some fitting clothes for the witch. And his taste of clothes...tch. It''s damn good. Glock said his farewells after giving me a special item. It looks like a tablet, and it works like one as well. I can remotely order new furniture from the Blackmarket with the new debit card-including vault. Pretty handy. I''ll try it once when I need something new. But for now, there''s the witch. She looks too weak for any rough treatment, not that I was planning on it. Even her eyes look empty. I bought her because I wanted to see how [Demon''s Presence] works, but can I even corrupt someone that looks this broken? What did the so-called police do to her? I looked at the papers regarding the witch that I got along with her and it says that..., she was mentally broken from the start? What gives? Let''s see... Summarized, it''s something like this: "The subject in question was a normal Witch practicing pharmacy and sold her medicines at the market. But one day, after going to gather more materials for her potions, she suddenly disappeared. Many days later, when the town guards raided a building presumed to be the hideout of the culprit for many recent kidnappings, they discovered the subject in question in her current state of mind. The bruises came from her resisting the guards with a temper equal to a wild beast. She is currently kept pacified with the Obedience spell, but it does not remove the fact that she''s responsible for kidnapping and torturing people to death. In the end, becoming a slave was the only way she could escape the hangman''s noose." What a story. And yes, I know. Shame on me who only looked at the slaves'' appearances and talents and not their background. But they were all beauties! Who can blame me!? ...but I should have given a thought to why she was way cheaper than the others. Seriously, my bad. I can''t see anything weird on her status page. It became possible for me to access it after I became her owner. The only thing that could make people stop to think is that she doesn''t have a name, but that''s normal for a criminal slave. They lose their name when they''re turned into a slave, as part of their punishment. But man, what to do? She''s pretty much "corrupted" in both mind and body. Whatever I do will probably have no effect... Time to change the experiment''s goal. From "how to corrupt someone" to "what will happen if I try to corrupt something that''s corrupted". Even if it doesn''t work, I''ll know that for a future case. I''ve been running [Demon''s Presence] ever since Glock left, but there are no results yet. She''s just sitting there and gazing into the air. Maybe I should give it some time. The description did say it was through prolonged exposure to the skill. In the meanwhile... "Hey, stand up." - Garami The Room''s untidy, so having her clean it up would be killing two birds with one rock. Or so I thought, but she started to fumble as she tried to stand and collapsed! "H-hey, are you..., not okay, I guess." - Garami The witch had broken her nose with that fall. Is she that weak? This is bad. In lots of ways. *Ruuuumble...* She''s just hungry!? W-well, that''s obvious, looking at how thin she is. Damn, I don''t have any experience in nursing anyone. I''ve barely had contact with people for the last five years. First thing first, get her some food. Since I never stocked up on food items since Emergency Rations always helped me in the field during the rare times when my SP was getting too low, I used the tablet-thing I got from Glock right away and looked for some food items. Oh? They serve delivery!? Why are they..., ah. Now I get it. It acts as a cover for their real occupation. That doesn''t prevent the food from looking delish... I ordered lots of stuff and waited for them to arrive, which happened in less than 5 minutes. They were transported through some teleport-gimmick. Guess only slaves are needed to be delivered by hand. Since I lacked a table or anything, and it would be too sad to see someone eat from the floor, I used the waiting time to order some new furniture. A dining table, some chairs, a chandelier, and even a kitchen. All came as two different sets, each matching my Player Room''s theme. "Ugh..." - Witch What now?! The witch looks like she''s in pain. Crap, I should have ordered some medicine first!! Maybe a potion- "Ugh, *cough*!" - Witch As I was flustering around from this newfound situation, the witch coughed up something. What the..., bleargh!? It''s moving! What is this, a bug?! Ah, a token. AS IF THAT''S EXPLAINING ANYTHING!! In any case, I squashed the bug into black dust. What the heck was that? A parasite? It said something about "take-over", so it may be the reason for the sudden personality change in the witch as the docs mentioned. "*Cough, cough, cough*-!" - Witch Awawawawaw! Wh-what now!? F-f-first, I should calm down! Wait, it''s this one who''s in trouble! Why am I trying to get myself straight!? Try acting more as a demon, me! At least inside the game! "Wh-where...hiii!!" - Witch The witch got better. Then she fled to the corner of the room in something that could be best described as a mild panic attack just from looking at me for half a second... What is this feeling? My heart feels both struck and emptied... "There''s...there''s food over there..., and don''t leave this place..." I said while suffering an impressive depression attack on my heart and soul before leaving the Player Room. But it was only after I left it that I remembered that the Fear-inducing [Demon''s Presence] was still on. Damn my bad memory... --- It would be strange returning to my Player Room right away after the mess I left there, so I killed some time by reading the books in the library. Specifically, stuff regarding the bug that the witch coughed up. While "take-over token" wasn''t written in any of the books I looked through, I found something on the "Venemitella". It''s a Poison spider that thrives on making allies fight each other through using deception and tricks, then it kills them all. However, there is nothing about the Venemitella attacking humans, nor that it can mind-control people or create parasites. At most, it uses poison that makes people more easily irritatable and tricks through its usage of thread-based skills. This species making "tokens" or whatever is something unheard of... Unless it''s a new species? Maybe something like a "named monster" in other MMOs? It''s not impossible, but for an NPC, correction, an inhabitant to find one, that must be the worst luck she could ever have, that poor witch. I also looked up the local laws, but it seems that too severe crimes can''t be excused by saying that something controlled you. And anything that severe is enough to make you a criminal slave. Not that we have any proof anymore, seeing as I squashed the bug to dust. Not that I wanted to anyway. I won''t get a refund, plus I gotta keep my demonic image. Still, it doesn''t mean I''m for a little spider-hunting. I''ll schedule it for after the event. It''s been long enough now, so I decided to return to the Player Room. Inside, I found the witch eating while shedding tears. Her hunger must have won over her fear since I, the boogeyman, left. As for why she''s crying..., did she remember what she did? I sorta feel bad for her... "Delicious, *munch, munch*, too good...-!" - Witch Forget it. She''s just a glutton. "*Cough*." - Garami "Hmm? ...hii!!" - Witch And take two! My poor heart''s getting ripped to shreds!! "...you remember what happened?" I asked after I saw the witch having calmed down after making a barricade with the dinner table. I gotta say I''m impressed that she managed to take all the food behind her cover without spilling it. "...remember what?" - Witch "...from when the bug got inside you?" - Garami "Ahh..., wait, that''s from the start!!" - Witch She looks spunky enough now. But she went into a small coughing fit for raising her voice so sudden. "Then you know the law can''t see through its fingers for your situation?" - Garami "It''s not like I cared about those people that I was forced to kidnap. All the people here are either perverts or big perverts. You know how much pain I have had to live through while living here?" -Witch All my sympathy for this one just flew out the window with a jet plane. Or maybe a rocket. "Then I won''t accept any complaints about how I treat you. And this is an order. Got it?" - Garami The witch twitched for a moment before nodding. Not that I would agree if she decided to disagree with me. "Okay. First, why did you end up like that?" I asked. The whole event surrounding the witch is so confusing that I couldn''t stop myself from getting interested in it. "Not sure. All I could remember was that my body moved on its own to do something about mutations." - Witch "Mutations?" - Garami "Something about merging one or more of your traits with something else''s. It''s not my field of expertise, so I don''t know much, nor do I understand what my body was doing," - Witch Meaning it was the bug that had all the info about the forbidden rituals she did? Things are getting stranger and stranger, but I bet there''s a way to find out why if I ever discover the "true culprit". "That''s fine for now. Start cleaning this place." - Garami "Huh? Why should I..., why is my body moving on its own!? I hate cleaning!!" - Witch Did she forget the whole slave thing? Maybe I should hurry up with the corruption experiment. Two negatives become one positive, wasn''t it? Let''s hope that''s true for personalities as well. Chapter 54: Bloom & Magic "...ah. Completely forgot." - Garami "What is it this time?" snapped the witch at me while she was busy cleaning my Player Room. She must be really against cleaning to take that tone even when I''m running [Demon''s Presence] here. Or maybe she got used to the fear. "Your name." - Garami "What about it? I never liked my old name. It was a damn embarrassing one those horny caretakers at that sorry excuse of an orphanage forced on me. It''s good riddance not having it anymore, nor having to worry about being used as a dress-up doll. I hate costumes and their likes." - Witch W-wow. No mercy. And her backstory is damn detailed. That''s impressive work there, Terra Sol AS. "Then..., how about "Bloom"?" - Garami "Bloom?" - Witch "For your new name." - Garami "Bloom..., Bloom..., I like it!" - Witch Bloom Let''s keep the origin of the name, that I hope she''ll "bloom" into a proper lady with the corruption experiment, a secret. The name''s properly shown on her status page now, which I have completely neglected up until now. Shame on me. Skill List: Titles: Traits: Human: She''s..., unimpressive? Compared to Nyx and Nala, her stats are pretty low. Is this the standard for humans? Now I get why monsters can boss around in the wild. Outside the fact that this is a game, of course. There are a lot of different abilities here that I''m seeing for the first time..., but humans are such cheaters. Not with their stats, but with their trait. Making an army of humans would be easy for a skilled commander. To clarify, I need to talk about "Leadership Skills". These are divided into three categories: the skills that can form different types of groups based on something called "Leader Points", skills that improve the abilities of those in the same group as you, and skills that alter one''s Leader Points, aka, LP''s value. All creatures start with a "5 times their racial rank" amount of LP, and the number of people they can form groups with is centered around how much LP they have. This extends even to skills like [Party]. If an E-rank, who has 15 LP, tries to make a party, they can only accept people with an original, total LP of 15 or less. This means that without any special tricks, "parties" will just consist of "duos". That''s where the third category of Leadership Skills comes in. They can change how much LP you have, how much LP that''s required to hire someone, or lower the LP required for you to join someone else''s group. And they are pretty easy to level up as well, according to the BBS. You just need to find a commander or something, even some towns guards would do the trick, and have them teach you. Ferno herself complained to me that she needed to boost her Leadership Skills before she could form proper parties with other players. Turns out she''s gotten a nice, demon-based skill along the road, which explains how she could make a party with me and Jill. And as for why I find this annoying is because I can only bring one demon with me through [Demon Taming]! Both Nala and Nyx require 15 LPs after all, and that''s all I have! The good news is that each group-making skill doesn''t share the same LP, so if I got [Party] like Ferno, I could make one and take either demon into my party, which would make the party register full, while still being able to use the other demon through [Demon Taming] like normal! But it''s still annoying that simple humans get to have such an advantage in numbers... "Hey, you know magic?" - Garami "Sure I can. I ain''t called a witch for nothing. Why do you ask?" - Bloom "I want your help with something then," I said before retrieving a certain book from the item chest. It''s the "Beginner''s Introduction to Magic" that I got from the magic shop the time before I owned the Fort. "This is nostalgic. Does this mean that master is learning magic?" - Bloom "I want to." - Garami "Then I have no choice~. Leave this to this beautiful future witch, Bloom~." - Bloom Ah, she''s all for the idea. That''s good, but I''m afraid she''s the type to easily get carried around by others'' compliments. And I didn''t even do that. Uh-oh... "*Cough*, magic is divided into two skill varieties: the single-action types and the library types. I own two skills of each category myself. "First is the single-action types. These types of skills execute a single magic spell, therefore the name. This makes it easy to mistake them for a normal skill, such as a superhuman-like ability had they not been influenced by the MAG-stat, a common point for all magic spells. "The library-type however is a collection of various magic spells of a certain category, such as healing, attacking, or spells of a certain element. Each level these skills have gives the magic caster one or more magic spells. "However, one needs the [Magic Operation] skill to access the library-type skills, and you cannot have a library-type skill with a skill level that surpasses [Magic Operation]''s skill level. This makes the library types similar to Battle Arts skills, as they require a proficiency-type skill for some weapon if one wants to use the Battle Arts. "Ah, and this beginner book grants both [Magic Operation] and the [Basic Magic Ability] skill. The latter is a collection of low-ranking spells, mostly the first spells you learn from the library-type skill from the primary elements, but they are useful so it''s not a loss to improve this skill." - Bloom That''s a lot of info, but Bloom smoothly repeated it whenever I seemed to miss something, so it wasn''t that hard to understand. This makes [Mystical Threads] a single-action type then. And to learn the library-type skills, I have to start studying. Proceeding with studying... --- "Master, are you still not done yet?" - Bloom "...give me a sec..." - Garami The quest related to the book, which is the true giver of the two magic-related skills, is quite easy. It takes the shape of an assignment you need to fulfill, just like the ones you would do in school. And all the questions are about stuff written in the book. The problem is... "Master, your drawing skills suck." - Bloom "S-shut up! It''s these circles that are too difficult for a normal person!" - Garami The problem is the "practical" part of the test, which is drawing magic circles. I''ve always had a bad drawing hand. As if I wasn''t already falling behind due to the writer''s cramp from earlier. Just a small deviation will make the circle useless, even if I don''t get why we gotta learn how to draw it by hand. Aren''t the skills taking care of that part? In the end, after several tries and hours wasted... SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: [Beginner in Magic]. You have acquired the skill: [Magic Operation Lv.1]. You have acquired the skill: [Basic Magic Ability Lv.1]. I did it. I cleared it. And my hands are killing me. They''re working just like how Bloom explained them. [Basic Magic Ability] comes with a whopping 4 spells right from the start, but they''re nothing impressive. Ignite produces fire with the same strength as a lighter. Create Water just makes drinkable water, and not much either. Breeze is just a fancy AC. And Create Earth gives you just a handful of earth. The skill description only shows you what spells are available at the skill''s current level, as Bloom''s [Basic Magic Ability], which is Lv.3, tells that she got the spell Make Light at Lv.2, which produces a floating ball of light for lighting-purposes, and the spell Turn Dark at Lv.3, which just makes things darker nearby. I tried out all the spells I had, but the result wasn''t that different from how Bloom had described them. They''re useful for non-combat stuff though. Even if I wasted two hours trying to learn this stuff... "...let''s continue tomorrow." - Garami "Oh, okay..., wait! Master, where should I sleep and eat!?" - Bloom "Huh? ...ah, right. The slave-thing..., guess I could get some more stuff..." - Garami While feeling tired to the bone, I opened the Blackmarket tablet again and looked for a place where Bloom could rest. Having her sleep in the same bed as her owner (= me) would be sorta strange. And I''ve neglected to customize my Player Room all this time except for the essentials, plus I got money for it now. Why not splurge a little? Ehm, there''s a "slave''s pen"..., whoa. This place is nasty. Isn''t there something..., oh? "Servant''s quarters"? This looks cool. Almost like a cheap apartment, with a proper bed and even a couch. There are different sizes for this, so let''s add a big one in case I wanna get more "servants". It feels better saying it that way. Then I want this thing here, an expansion there, and this... Mwa-hahahaha! This is the power of money! Even furniture that enhances my stats is possible to obtain! ...but I''m left with 10.000 sol to my name... I splurged again... "Master, this is awesome! I love the design!" - Bloom "Yeah, yeah..., also, don''t leave this place until I come back tomorrow." - Garami "As you wish. Besides, I want to test out these new clothes," said Bloom with a smile as she picked up the bag filled with clothes for her that the lolicon had provided her. If she''s got something to kill time with, no need for me to worry then. Log out. ...hmm? Didn''t she say she hated playing dress-up? Hmm??? Chapter 55: 2nd Event Info & Corruption ...now this, this gotta be a joke. What are the odds... New info had been posted on NFO''s official site. While eating my toast, I read about the second official event in the game''s history, planned to take place just five days from today. The second event is confirmed!! Name: [Haunted Haunt Hunt]!! Things suddenly went up a notch or ten. And if we''re talking Greek letters, then isn''t the Haunt in my country the Alberido Alpha Swamp? And regarding these"mutations", is the parasite that was inside Bloom part of this event? More detailed info about the event was also included... ...yeah, things are much bigger this time around. And from the sound of it, it''s not just a battle event. They specifically ask the players to do their research about the monsters, so musclebrains without those abilities can''t do anything except fight off the riffraff that escapes the Haunts. And they even threw the threat of "character data deletion" into it as an extra warning... I like that there''s a guaranteed reward even if you don''t go by the Adventurers'' Union. That essentially doubles the reward for me~. But I gotta rank up. I''m currently E-rank in the Union, so I gotta reach D-rank before the event start, at the very least. Another thing I gotta do is... Guess I got no choice left. *Beep, bip, boop*. Let''s hope there are some suckers out there. But for today, I''ll do as planned. Magic training. --- Log in. "Hey, Bloom. Bloom?" - Garami The witch isn''t here, even when I said she wasn''t allowed to exit the Player Room. I looked inside the "Servant''s House", which sorta feels like a dorm for students, and found her in the room that had her nametag on it. And she''s dead asleep. Even when I am one of the worst heavy sleepers around here... "Wake up!" - Garami "Gya! ...five more years..." - Bloom Don''t fall asleep again! --- "My head..." - Bloom Blame your sleeping habits. They''re worse than mine. Her sleep status has been lifted...for now, anyway. ...hmm? Her Karma Value just went down by 1 point. And it''s lower than when I checked yesterday. Now it''s on -42, but it used to be around -20 before I started to study the magic book... Is this the "corruption" of the [Demon''s Presence] skill? I did turn it on right to show the witch that I''m serious, and it was constantly on while I was trying to solve the magic book assignment yesterday with Bloom close by. Does "corruption" mean it automatically lowers the NPCs'' Karma Value while they''re around me? Thinking about it, demons do have it naturally easy to gain negative Karma, so maybe being around a demon will do the same to others? And while we''re on the subject, didn''t demons in old lore and such encourage people to do bad deeds? And "bad deeds" will normally lead to "a drop in Karma Value" in this game, so... Tch. It''s just a Karma-influencing side-effect. Nothing big then. And since I''ve confirmed its effects, there''s no need to continue with it. It won''t be pretty to one day find Bloom having turned into an unsalvagable villain. Not sure if the Karma works that way or not on the NPCs, but better safe than sorry. "Come on. We''re late" - Garami "Ouch...late? For what?" - Bloom "For the classes." - Garami "Ah, okay. But...what are we learning?" - Bloom "Magic, of course." - Garami After answering Bloom, I operated the Dungeon Terminal to create a door leading to a specific area on the 3rd floor. It''s where the "Practice Area" facility is placed. I couldn''t afford the Dojo facility, as it costs more DP than what my upper limit is, so I placed this thing here so that Nyx, Nala, and the other Dungeon monsters could have a place to test out their skills. "...wait just a minute. Ain''t this place a freaking Dungeon!?" - Bloom "Ah, forgot to mention it." - Garami "That''s not something you "forget"!" - Bloom "Something wrong with that?" - Garami ".........as long as it does not end with me returning to prison. But are we safe here?" - Bloom "Sure we are. I''m the Dungeon Ruler after all." - Garami "No, you have to say stuff like that sooner!" - Bloom "Calm down. Besides, it''s not like we''re doing anything bad here. At most, I''m cultivating plants and stuff-" - Garami "Cultivating plants!? With the Dungeon?!" - Bloom "Yup. I wanted something to sell, so I used the facilities of the Dungeon for some gardening." - Garami "...is a witchcraft atelier also possible?" - Bloom "If I have a reason to include one." - Garami "Please~, master~. Be it anything from shopping groceries to world conquest, this humble servant of yours will do it~." - Bloom ...this girl never needed to be corrupted. It''s a wonder her Karma''s not any lower than it already is. Speaking of, didn''t she use a forbidden item as I did before? Yeah, she''s been on this side from the start. "Focus. First off, how can one improve one''s magic efficiently?" - Garami "That would be by studying underneath a master." - Bloom "...and you?" - Garami "No way I can teach people how to improve their skill levels. I am a slave." - Bloom Yeah, that''s right. That would be logical. Speaking of which, I''ve yet to look through all her skills yet, not to mention the titles. Now''s a good time as any. A title awarded to the dutiful apothecary who constantly created potions of a certain quality. But you must still make more. A title that shows how much of a coward you are. Grow a spine already! The individual with this title is someone who has broken the law. If the owner of this title is not kept prisoner or is a crime slave, contact the authorities right away. A title awarded to those who have lost their freedom. Live strong, poor one. Ignoring the last two titles, I can say this girl''s not a fighter. She''s only fast to flee, even as a magic caster. "Hey, is there some way you can even train here?" - Garami "Not at all. I hate labor." - Bloom We''re two there, sister. That means..., we got time to kill while waiting for the plan I placed to start working. It''s only after that the Fort''s DP limit will exceed 250, so...should I try training my aim here? Got nothing else to do, I guess. Maybe except for looking for a Charm-related skill and getting Bloom hot and bothered? Ah, there came Nyx and Nala. Tch. There goes the second option. "Shadows and tentacles?!" - Bloom ...first thing first, I gotta get this one up to speed. Chapter 56: Official Bulletin Board 6 World Exploration Thread @24 1: Unknown Explorer This thread is to share and flaunt your discoveries as we explore the vast world of Nightmare Fantasy Online. Trolls that are of no use will be thrown outside the edge of the world (once we discover it). NOTE: Current fad is the discovery of locations that awards Composition Element Keystone items. ->950 You have the honor of starting the next thread. ... 51: Unknown Explorer "Death Cavern" in the country of Thanakar has been confirmed as a place with the Undead Keystone! 52: Unknown Explorer "Solar Beach Cave" in Serendipity has the Sand Keystone! 53: Unknown Explorer ->51 Leave it to the country of Death to have the Undead keystone. 54: Unknown Explorer The "Lost Mecha Fortress" in the Juggernaut country''s got the Mechanical Keystone! 55: Unknown Explorer BIG NEWS!! The "Zevereus Island" sky island close to Boras got the Lightning Keystone!! 56: Unknown Explorer ->54 Mechas in the country of Metal~. 57: Unknown Explorer ->55 Hey, is that true!? Damn, I can''t get up there!! 58: Unknown Explorer ->57 There''s no airships or whatever yet, so you need wings if you wanna reach that high. 59: Unknown Explorer Hey, does anyone else think the event-related Haunts has Keystones? 60: Unknown Explorer AIRSHIIIIIPS!! 61: Unknown Explorer ->59 Why do you think so? 62: Unknown Explorer SKY PIRAAAAATEEES!! 63: Unknown Explorer ->59 It feels like there''s something with those Haunts, yes. 64: Unknown Explorer ->59 Who knows? But the warning part of the event description did specifically mention the Haunt having a chance of disappearing on us. 65: Unknown Explorer SEXY SKY PIRATE BABEEEEEES!!! 66: Unknown Explorer ->63 I''d say they''re pretty sus the start they''re used for events. 67: Unknown Explorer ->65 Shut up already!! 68: Unknown Explorer ->67 NEVER!! 69: Unknown Explorer Made a list of the possible Haunts that may be used for the event, which country they''re located in, and my idea for what Keystone may be there if there is any at all (*** refers to its "numbering"): 70: Unknown Explorer ->68 why you-!! 71: Unknown Explorer That''s SOME list! 72: Unknown Explorer Lol, there''s too much stuff written on that thing. 73: Unknown Explorer ->69 this guy''s confirmed to be a paparazzi! 74: Unknown Explorer ->73 yes, I am. And so what? 75: Unknown Explorer There are this many places with Greek letters in them? I can see a connection though. 76: Unknown Explorer But even if it''s just wishful thinking that these places have Keystones... 77: Unknown Explorer ->76 yup. It''s worth taking the trip to check. 78: Unknown Explorer I want a "popularity" Keystone... 79: Unknown Explorer Fun fact: the resort only lets you use bikini-type armor. 80: Unknown Explorer ->78 who doesn''t... 81: Unknown Explorer ->79 I''M GOING THERE!! 82: Unknown Explorer ->79 where are the trains when you need them!? 83: Unknown Explorer ->79 TO THE COUNTRY OF DREAMS!! 84: Unknown Explorer Men... 85: Unknown Explorer The worst... 86: Unknown Explorer Let them get grabbed by an octopus themselves. 87: Unknown Explorer I''m reflecting. So sorry. Just don''t make such a joke even as a joke, please!! 88: Unknown Explorer This event is gonna be..., eventful. Yet again. 89: Unknown Explorer Hey, everyone. Something incredible just happened on a different thread! 90: Unknown Explorer ->89 What did? 91: Unknown Explorer ->89 Something''s up? 92: Unknown Explorer ->90-91 where should I start...? ... The Demon Princess Fanclub Thread @20 1: (Future) Servant of the Princess This is a personal thread about the player "Demon Princess" Garami. The Princess may read this thread herself, so be careful what you post here. As for anything that''s simply weird, remember that (big brother) the management also watches. About the Demon Princess: Her real player name is Garami, but after a certain event during the first NFO event, she has gained the unofficial nickname "Demon Princess". Her current race is Dark Udug, according to reliable sources from the demon thread. It is a Demon-type Extra Race, but how she obtained it is a mystery. She is using a rare sort of equipment including leather armor, a cloak, a mask, a dagger, and various magic items. However, they seem to be "only" rare and not unique items. As mentioned, her "seemingly" weapon of choice is the dagger, but no one has seen her fight for real yet, so it is uncertain as of now. She seems to possess abilities to weaken strong enemies from a long distance, which has been confirmed as she weakened the raid boss of the first event from across a whole area. She''s also a possible tamer, as the few observations of her in combat is her taming an octopus-like monster. She is also quite fast on her feet, so she may be an offensive-type Scout-line class owner. The reason for her popularity is her "adult" beauty for one, even if she is wearing a mask all the time. The Princess is also the first person to have conquered a Dungeon and even become an owner of one. She has also been part of the raiding party that defeated the Atlantirana Library Dungeon, the first-ever discovered area where one can obtain key items to unlock a composition element. That''s it for now! ->950, Be a loyal servant to the Princess and start the next thread. ... 444: (Future) Servant of the Princess Do you guys have some news on the princess yet? 445: (Future) Servant of the Princess She has been pretty docile after the salt library event. 446: (Future) Servant of the Princess Maybe she''s taking a break? 447: (Future) Servant of the Princess I know that personal space is a thing and all, but..., it''s just not that fun without some flair to the game. 448: (Future) Servant of the Princess Yeah. Did the princess get tired of the game? 449: (Future) Servant of the Princess Since party play is getting more important nowadays, most players have gotten busy with getting their [Leadership], [Charisma], and [Cooperation] skills. The princess'' supposed to be a tamer, so she may be working on those. 450: (Future) Servant of the Princess Good point. 451: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->449 Excuse me, but I''m friendless, so I''m clueless here. 452: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->451 (Sad). 453: (Future) Servant of the Princess Someone give this loner a quick briefing. Not me, as the population on my friend list is the same as the church "whatever-its-name" in Dograkt''s tolerance to Dungeons. 454: (Future) Servant of the Princess [Leadership] = gives you more LP to use. [Charisma] = lowers LP required to recruit people. [Cooperation] = lowers LP required for people to recruit you into their groups. 455: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->453 Who are you calling a loner!? 456: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->454 Ah, and thanks. 457: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->454 A nice summarization. 458: (Future) Servant of the Princess Then there are skills like [Encouragement] that boosts allies'' stats and [Order] that improves the ability to direct people. 459: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->458 How does the last one even work? 460: Garami Request: come to the Dungeon called the Darkland Fort. It''s located in the Darkland Plains area. Reward: free tickets to special facilities located on the 2nd floor. 461: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->459 Like switching from shouting orders to making them clear enough as if you were hearing them from headphones you''re wearing. 462: (Future) Servant of the Princess I see..., huh? 463: (Future) Servant of the Princess Th-th-th-th-th-the PRINCESS!? 464: (Future) Servant of the Princess Herself!? 465: (Future) Servant of the Princess "Darkland Fort"..., what''s that all about? 466: Garami ->465 It''s my place. Need some field data on how to enhance the place''s defense. 467: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->466 THE PRINCESS'' DUNGEON?! 468: (Future) Servant of the Princess Wait, wait, WAIT!!! I can''t attack the princess'' home!! 469: (Future) Servant of the Princess It''s blasphemy!! 470: (Future) Servant of the Princess Disrespectful! 471: (Future) Servant of the Princess Execution!! 472: Garami ->468-471 It''s fine up to the 3rd floor. I''ll post a summarization in a sec. ->471 Are you talking to me? 473: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->472 Ah, okay. 474: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->473 Too casual!! 475: (Future) Servant of the Princess Number 471 just wrote his death sentence. 476: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->474 I mean, she suddenly appeared all of a sudden... 477: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->475 I-I''M INNOCENT!! 478: Garami The Darkland Fort is located somewhere in the middle of the Darkland Plains. There''s a special registration device located on the 1st floor that lets you return to your Player Rooms, but if you try to go somewhere else than right back to the Dungeon when you leave the room (excluding logging out of the game), you have to walk the long way back to the Plains from the nearest spawning point. Half of the 2nd floor is filled with various enjoyment facilities like a caf or a casino. A special ticket system is implemented in the Dungeon, which you can obtain from Treasure Chests, both normal ones, and special ticket-limited ones. There''s a "Return Circle" placed right before the second half of the 3rd floor which can bring you back to the entrance. The casino has special entrances on all floors that can take you to the casino, but you will leave through the same entrance as you came from no matter what. More facilities could be added if the Dungeon''s level goes up, so please die for my-, I mean, for the Fort''s sake~. Also, anyone who goes past the "return area" on the 3rd floor will be designated as true enemies of the Dungeon and their names will be posted here. 479: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->477 The princess is the one to decide that! 480: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->478 YAHOOOO!! 481: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->478 TIME TO OFFER OUR LIVES TO THE PRINCESS!! 482: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->478 It''s also time to see if there is indeed a title for dying a certain number of times. 483: Garami ->479 Yes, he''s guilty. 484: (Future) Servant of the Princess I KNEW IT! 485: (Future) Servant of the Princess ->483 PLEASE RECONSIDER!! 486: Garami ->485 No. 487: (Future) Servant of the Princess Guess the first offering for the princess'' Dungeon has been decided. Not sure if it''s healthy for it to "eat"... 488: Garami ->487 I like junk food, so no biggie. 489: (Future) Servant of the Princess Aaaaaand 485''s dead and buried. 490: Garami The next 485 will do better. 491: (Future) Servant of the Princess The princess'' RUTHLESS! 492: (Future) Servant of the Princess I like it. 493: (Future) Servant of the Princess Me too. 494: (Future) Servant of the Princess In that case, me as well. 495: (Future) Servant of the Princess You guys... Chapter 57: Bull Fighting & Honest Desires On the plains connecting the port town and the forest I first visited after leaving the Darklands, a bunch of bull-like demons came charging at me. The bull spearheading the assault rushed toward me, and the second before he struck, I used my quick footwork and [Evasion] skill to dodge just in the last second. I then fired a [Mythical Thread] at the bull''s unguarded flank. Several of them, as this walking beef''s likely to have lots of HP. The bull collapsed after getting struck by my threads (maybe I hit its heart or something?), the second and third bull came at me. It was also then inspiration struck me. I took off my coat and used it as the cloth used by bullfighters. I dodged the 2nd bull and then the 3rd before firing a new bunch of threads in the last bull''s guts. I didn''t let the 2nd one out of my sight, especially the sight of my Evil Eye, just like the already dead duo. But I gotta be careful for bull #4, #5, and last but not least, #6. #4 and #5 came at me while I was trying to weaken #2. I jumped over #4 and onto its back, where I used [Dark Drain] to weaken it. No need for the HP, but I''ll live with it. #5 and #2 who''d turned around and joined the rest again looked at me while looking unsure of what to do. #4 tried to shake me off, but to no luck..., for me! This guy''s crazy! Take a [Mystical Thread] to the head, already! I jumped off #4''s corpse and prepared myself for #2 and #5. But the one who attacked was #6! The bastard, he''s got something like [Lurk] in his repertoire. Not that it went unnoticed by my [Detect Monster] skill. I jumped out of #6''s way and saw him crash into #5. But while I was in mid-air, #2 came at me. Hurriedly, I invoked the Create Earth spell I learned yesterday to produce some dirt in front of me. I sent it flying with the Breeze spell and blinded the bull. With his eyes covered in dirt, the straight line he was running on ended up less straight, so I escaped without harm. Can''t say the same thing about that guy. He crashed into a huge rock. I fired a few [Mystical Threads] to make sure the job was finished. All that was left were #5 and #6. I stabbed my magic dagger into the ground and used the Grasp Vine spell of the dagger to entangle the two bulls with solid vines. Then I made some precise shots with [Mystical Threads] at the bulls'' weak points, and one two three, the subjugation was done. --- "Congratulation with your rank-up, miss Garami! We are wishing for you to stay safe on your even greater adventures!" The receptionist gave me a beaming smile after returning my adventurer card. Defeating a party of dangerous E-rank monsters on your own is one of the "promotion quests" to elevate your rank to D in the Adventurers'' Union. D-rank adventurers should be capable of at least this. After returning to the town with the witness from the Union, I was given back my Adventurers'' card, along with a new skill. I even gained a new level from that bout with the bulls. Skill List: Titles: Hehehe~. I''m getting better and better~. And look at all that AP! The promotion quest counted as a D-rank quest, so I got enough to get 0.3 AP from the System~. Getting 0.5 each time my classes reaches a level that''s a multiple of 10 is nice too. Maybe I should take the third one already...? Then there''s the new [Party] skill: It''s a little limiting for someone not playing a strictly human race like me, but I''ll live with it. While speaking of skills, I''ll wait with skill upgrades until the Dojo can be established. It would be a waste to spend AP on early skill levels I could get just from training. For now, let''s return to the Player Room. Bloom should be done cleaning the place now. --- "I''m back." - Garami "Welcome back." - Bloom ...this girl, who said she could be lazing around like some sloth on the couch? The only thing I could praise her for is that she finished cleaning up the place before I arrived, but show some diligence. On an unrelated note, Bloom''s not wearing the rags from when she first arrived here, but what looks like a witch''s costume. It''s a black/gray dress with fur trims and decorations in aqua-blue colors. She got black stockings and boots in the same design as the dress. She''s also wearing a small, grey cape, and a witch''s hat that''s in the same style as the dress. "Done much?" - Garami "Actually, yes. Not sure if watching madmen throwing themselves into the Dungeon and getting killed several times counts as something, but it was a good way to kill some time." - Bloom ...what? "Hey, did those fanatics arrive here already!? That''s too fast!" - Garami I hurriedly started to look up at the recordings on the 1st floor and saw...a bunch of idiots who half-heartedly fought against the fluffy Gloom Boogies and the dexterous Stygian Clowns. They did say they were gonna lay down their own lives, but this is just creepy..., but they''re crushing the Dark Gazers and Dark Phantoms! Not to say anything about the poor Imps and the other low-ranked demons! Ah, and they went on to defeat one Clown. A male one... Hey! You''re just letting the first group crush you because they''re beauties even as demons, right!? Sorry to say, but they''re all ladies here in my Fort! Especially the Imps who have a chance to evolve into Boogies and Clowns!! Facilities: I need to add that "female monster-only" special effect sooner or later. Fanservice, I mean, physiological warfare is a must in this age. When I get enough DP to buy it. The 5th floor is a must-have security-wise for my plans. As for the division of demons, the 1st and 3rd floors are covered by Darkness demons while the 2nd and 4th floors have Crystal demons. The new 5th floor has both. And D-rank demons only appear from the 3rd floor onward. Fast-forwarding the recording, I saw the invaders getting skewered by the many crystal arrows, which do not only do more damage than normal arrows, they also come in an economical package of 7 sets of arrows for the price of 5 wooden ones. The invaders lost 1 of their members, but they managed to reach the 2nd floor. Some looked like they wanted to go to the casino, which is marked by a sign on the first crossroad when you enter this floor from the 1st one, but the majority voted the opposite. Ah, I see. They found some Ticket Chests (treasure chests that contain tickets that can be used as cash replacements for facilities like the caf and the casino), so they must want more to play with. On the second floor, they first encountered some Vile Pebbles, rocks that gained life through demonic energies, and some Vile Crystals that have the same kinda background, except with crystals and not rocks. Needless to say, the poor G-, and F-ranks didn''t stand a chance. Then the invaders discovered some Grey Demons..., HEY! Those rude bastards! Why''re you laughing at the poor grey ones!! Grr, I''ll make sure your end will be pitiful and miserable... But they got all worked up when they saw the Pink Demon..., think I know why. And their hopes turned true when they saw a Lesser Succubus (rank F) and a Lesser Jewelry Succubus (rank E). The former is a flirtatious woman, and so is the latter, but with gems on visible parts of her body. They lured the guys into a hug..., and then the Lesser Succubus stabbed the poor fool''s eyes. The Jewelry made the gem on her stomach into a spear and penetrated the other idiot. What irony... Like on the 1st floor, the three remaining invaders didn''t seem so keen on hurting the female-looking monsters, so they opted to flee from the scene. When they rounded the corner, they were greeted by the buff, statue-like demon, the Hellion, and a demon that looks like me before my latest evolution but without the cracks and with dark fog surrounding her purple-blue body, the Evil Djinn. The three survivors went at them with weapons raised, but their attacks didn''t work on the Hellion who acted as the tank. It''s too tough. And I can see that the Djinn is boosting the Hellion''s toughness by using support-type skills. And it''s throwing something at the survivors. What''re those? Balls? *KA-BOOOOOM!!* Correction. They''re bombs. Rest in pieces. "Several people like those guys kept on entering the Dungeon when they had the chance. But it''s these guys that survived the longest. Most people died by being crushed by those female, teddy-bear-like demon women''s hugs. Think some''s getting their butts kicked right now." - Bloom Aha. I see. But a woman shouldn''t use such foul language. And doesn''t that mean... The Dungeon: [Darkland Fort]''s level has increased. It has now reached Lv.3. A new message saying so appeared on the Dungeon Terminal just as I thought of the idea. Right on schedule! "I finally got enough for the most sought-after new addition to the Fort!" - Garami "You mean the Dojo?" - Bloom "Huh? Ah, eh, y-yes. Of course..." - Garami Guess the "only female monster" thing has to wait...ah. And there''s the Treasury as well. Tch, things never go the way I want them to... Chapter 58: Dojo & Demon-Trainers "Wow. This is a nice place~." - Bloom Why''re you acting like it''s your dojo? I agree that it looks good though. It''s the day after the long-awaited level up of the Fort, and we''re standing in front of the Dojo facility placed on the 5th floor. I''ve even hired 3 D-rank teachers and placed them inside, even if it took 100 DP to hire each one. The Dojo itself looks like a standard, eastern-looking dojo made of black- and purple-colored wood. There are several large buildings inside the designated area for the Dojo, six of them to be precise. Its size can be upgraded as well if needed. Each building represents one of the four class lines..., even if I got no clue what the last two buildings are for. The two of us entered the building and discovered two persons..., demons, waiting for us. They''re the two teachers I hired..., where is the last one? "Honorable Dungeon Ruler, it pleases me to meet you," said one of them. Probably the Mage-line teacher. She''s dressed sharply like a secretary, but with some raw accessories that would fit a magician. Her face, however, seems artificial. Like a doll''s. Though, there''s nothing else that makes her look anything different from a human... "I have no name as of yet, but my race is Demonia Magia Doll. Pleased to meet you. If you wish to learn about the secrets of magic, please ask me." - Demonia Magia Doll "Wow. A D-rank." - Bloom She is what? Oh, you''re talking about her racial rank. "And I''m a Yami-Kitsune. Got no name, need no name. Wha-hahaha!" - Yami-Kitsune The other one was a tall, lean man with black hair and the ears of a fox, dressed in a simple, silver-colored kimono and armed with a wooden sword at his hip. He''s also spotting two foxtails. A youkai, perhaps? Ferno managed to evolve into an Oni, so it wouldn''t be too far-thought for youkais and demons to be close-enough relatives for this guy to be recruitable in a demon-type Dungeon. "...? Where''s the third one?" - Garami "You mean the Oni in the Warrior dojo? A squid and a shadow came by, so she dragged them into her place." - Yami-Kitsune They do run Warrior-line classes after all. And the last teacher''s an Oni. Can''t say I''m surprised. "And you, boss? What''s your purpose today?" - Yami-Kitsune "Fox, that''s rude to the Ruler." - Demonia Magia Doll "Loosen up a little, Doll. No need to put up the airs." - Fox "...I need some training for an event that happens in two days," I said, wishing to move the conversation along. "In that case, Ruler, may I suggest the arts of magic? I can-" - Doll "Hey, wait a sec. The boss'' using a Scout-line, so she should visit my place first." - Fox "I hardly think that someone like you could ever be useful for teaching the Ruler-" - Doll "Eh, excuse me?" started Bloom hesitatingly. "If it is about learning magic, I would like a lesson..." "And you are?" - Doll "Something like my servant," I cut in. Better for me to answer here. "Is that so? ...she does have a higher potential for wizardry..., no, witchcraft even. ...that is fine. Fox, do your utmost in assisting the Ruler." - Doll "Yeah, yeah~," said the Yami-Kitsune..., that''s pretty long. Let''s take a page from "Doll''s" book and just call him Fox. "Meaning it''s just us two left," said Fox as Doll and Bloom left for the Mage-line Dojo. "Any requests?" "Some suggestions for a new class." - Garami "Hmm," said Fox while looking at me. I felt that he used [Identification] on me, but I''m not against it. I''m the one asking for suggestions here. "String Artist is something I would suggest...IF you didn''t have your main class." - Fox "Why not?" I asked, remembering that I could take String Artist before when I evolved my Scout class. "String Artist is good for guys that don''t fight directly and rely on traps, but Rogue-type classes are the opposite. In the way that they can go into a brawl but aren''t specialized on traps." - Fox "Meaning I shouldn''t take both at the same time?" - Garami "Not really. I only said that Rogue-type classes aren''t giving you an edge in making traps. That''s far from being weak with them. But String Artist on the other hand-" - Fox "Can only hide while waiting for something to trip on the strings." - Garami "Bingo~. Taking String would waste the potential in Rogue, so it''s out. Same with other low-rarity classes that sacrifice your direct-combat abilities." - Fox "...low-rarity?" - Garami "Didn''t know? The classes that are locked behind quests have better efficiency than those you get just from having some stats and/or skills," said Fox with a grin on his face. "...there''s another string-based class that''s better?" - Garami "Better, she asks," said Fox to himself while chuckling. "But boss, you better prepare yourself first. Quests that unlock new classes can only be taken once." "...okay. How do I do that?" - Garami "Hmm, for the guy I have in mind... First, you need another skill. It''s gonna be helpful. Not only here, but also for the event that you talked about." - Fox "It''s that important?" - Garami "Damn straight. For anything related to battle, actually. And you should already know about it, boss. It''s the [Prediction] skill." - Fox ...oh. The skill that lets you predict the paths of attacks? Yeah, that is useful. I''ve even thought about taking it a few times myself. "Don''t think one new Lv.1 skill will make a big difference." - Garami "That''s why we''re not letting it stay as Lv.1," said Fox while walking into his dojo building. You don''t mean... "We''ll have you train [Prediction] to at least Lv.3, even if Lv.5 would be the best. And as a bonus, we''ll train [Detect Monster], [Dexterity], [Evasion], [Speed], and even [Luck]." - Fox "Okay...?! Six skills at the same time!?" - Garami "Why''re you so surprised? Efficient training programs can be used on multiple skills at the same time." - Fox "I-is that so..." - Garami "Not that any no-names could make such an efficient program like me! Wha-hahahaha!" - Fox ...this guy may be more talented than I figured from his appearance. I followed Fox into the building. The inside looked like what a typical dojo would look like, a single big room with a wooden floor and all that, but lots of obstacles were placed all over the room. Fox jumped onto the biggest pillar and napped some hairs from his tail. He threw them at the floor, and before they hit, the hairs had turned into shadowy copies of Fox. "Okay, boss. Here you will be attacked by these Dark Clone Tokens while we''re putting this building in such deep darkness that even a demon like you can''t see through it." - Fox "Hmm, okay." - Garami "And you''re to let them attack you without retaliating." - Fox "WHAT?!" - Garami "Just focus on dodging them while staying in the same spot. That alone, over a certain amount of time, will improve all the skills I mentioned." - Fox "...really?" - Garami "Why wouldn''t they?" - Fox "Even the Ability Skills? I''ve been meeting some other people who trained skills, but they never mentioned those." - Garami "Obviously. Only certified dojo masters can train almost any skills." - Fox "Almost?" - Garami "Regulations, boss." - Fox There were teachers, or rather, dojo masters who could only be recruited when the Fort had higher stats... "Alright. Let''s start," I said after buying the [Prediction] skill for 3 AP. Fox snapped his fingers and covered the whole dojo in darkness. The clones who were already "dark" to begin with disappeared completely..., but I can still see them thanks to [Detect Monster]. It''s not easy though. This darkness seems to have an effect of weakening detection-type skills. Even my inborn Manavision''s not working well. And Karmavision is a bust from the start. "Tokens" don''t have Karma, from how I can''t see anything from them with that vision. Drawing my dagger, I waited for the first token to-*CRASH*-gephu!? *CRASH!* "Wow, boss. That was a beautiful flying-into-the-wall skit you did there." - Fox I-I''ll kill that guy... "Hey! That power''s too much for the starting levels!" - Garami "No, the goal''s to dodge, you know?" - Fox "There are times when I can''t dodge! Even if I''ve been lucky so far!" - Garami "Hmm, got a point there. But it''s not like you can learn a skill like [Guard], boss." - Fox "[Guard]? That''s a skill to boost defense?" - Garami "No, it''s a collection of battle arts that doesn''t require a specific weapon proficiency- or battle style skill to use. Defensive ones whose common goal is to tank the attacks, as opposed to the [Parry] skill that got battle arts to deflect attacks." - Fox [Parry]? Wait, maybe... "I can take it!" - Garami "No way!? You mean [Guard]!?" - Fox "Not [Guard]! [Parry]!" - Garami "Huh? ...oh, right. Rogue-types do have access to battle-worthy skills. Something like [Parry] should be possible..." - Fox In that case, let''s take it! I''ve been playing some games including swordsmanship before. It was always hilarious seeing the monsters trip when I parried their weapons. Without hesitation, I bought the [Parry] skill for 3 AP again, leaving me with around 8 left for the next Sub Class. Hehehe..., now I''m invincible!! "Now, come at me! ...*PUNCH*-gephu!!" - Garami --- One hour later: "Melee Parry!" - Garami The token''s sword got deflected by my dagger and sent back into the darkness. Then I noticed that another token came from behind me so I ducked away from its attack. Then three more came with downward swings, so I jumped up to escape them. After landing, two tokens came from each side, so I used Melee Parry to send the first one crashing into the other. Who''s next? "......that''s enough." - Fox Eh? When I''ve finally gotten into the groove? Tch. "I could go for more." - Garami "No way, boss-s! You''ve already reached Lv.4 on a program I estimated would take a whole day to reach the same result! Take a break already!" - Fox Hmm? Let''s see...guess I have. "Then let''s move the schedule and proceed with the quest you mentioned." - Garami I''ll take a proper look at it all after getting the class. "Seriously..., just how much progress would she do in that world..." - Fox "What? Did you say something?" - Garami "Nothing at all. But I need some time to prepare the dojo so that the quest can be taken." - Fox That''s a bummer. Guess I''ll go and kill some time then. I want to see how the others are doing as well. Chapter 59: New Classes & [Arachnid Assailant] ...what''s going on here? I went to the Warrior-line dojo building to see how Nyx and Nala were doing and found the two of them in a battle to the death! Okay, it''s not that serious, but they''re still fighting with more gusto than my training. ...or are they...? Nope, my bad. Nyx''s only hitting Nala who''s doing her best to defend herself..., but knowing about that skill that the squid owns, I''m not so sure... "Oh? Dungeon Ruler~. Over here~." A voice called out to me from my left. A person, correction, it was an Oni who was sitting there. She''s pretty tall, probably over 2 meters high if she was standing, but it''s better not to mention the rest of her figure. So pitiable... "And you are?" - Garami "I''m a Lesser Ginkaku~. If you need to call me something, then Gin''s a-okay~." - Gin Ginkaku..., ah. "Silver horn". She does have such a thing, along with silver eyes. Her barbarian-long hair is dark brown, however, and her spare clothing is dark green, so it''s not a perfect match. "And those two?" - Garami "They''re your demons..., oh! What they''re doing? Right, right, my bad~. The octo''s getting beaten up to train its tough-guy skills~. And the shadow''s leveling up her beat-them-up skills~. Your HP can''t go down in this area after all~. Oh, and they need your okay to get new classes I''ve made them qualify for." - Gin Her way of describing stuff is giving me some doubts, but let''s see what she''s chosen. The Water Protector is a defensive class that uses the Water element to withstand attacks. This class works like an ordinary element-focused Warrior-line class, yet most of, if not all, its abilities are related to defense. Due to the nature of its element, the Water Protector is even more useful in water-type fields. The class grants skills of the Water element that has the purpose of withstanding and counter-attacking any hostiles that may come at the Water Protector. If you like to play it defensively in the water, this class is your pick. This is supposed to be Nala''s class..., it''s not bad. It fits someone who I want as a tank. But with Nala being its user... The Demon Predator class is a special Warrior-line class that can only be obtained by those of a Demon-type race under normal circumstances. Demon Predator revolves around skills that leeches HP, MP, and whatever else the demon using this class can get their claws on that their opponent owns. The class grants drain-type skills that suck up the enemy''s strength and grant them to the Demon Predator. As one can guess from its name, the skills are all Demon-type skills. If fighting dirty and taking what you want is your kinda thing, then this is your class, demon. Oh? This is a better fit for Nyx than I imagined it would. The part where the class "unlocks special evolution paths" is also alluring. The only problem is that I think Nyx will have way more MP than she needs. "This looks good," I said as I agreed on the classes and allowed the two demons to buy them from the Skill Shop. "What else?" I asked, seeing as the two had enough AP for a Sub Class. "Who knows~? The octo could get a class that''s related to the sea, you know, because of her second element, but the shadow may be better with a "bad" spell caster-type one~?" - Gin That''s an idea. Nyx''s combat style is fast movements while making life sour for the enemy. Sorta like how I do it. And she does have more MP than she needs even with her Monk main class. As for Nala, I made a quick return to my Player Room and retrieved the old skill book for [Spear Proficiency], and gave it to her. I figured it would be nice for her to have some sorta weapon, and it''s not like she could use Monk as good as Nyx. Besides, I''ve seen on the BBS that tridents and such are part of the spear line. It fits Nala''s overall design. I then walked over to the Mage''s dojo...and immediately turned around. The place looked like the area for a sabbath. Better stay clear... "Boss? You''re already back?" asked Fox as I returned to the Scout''s dojo. "...finished my preparations." - Garami "Funny thing. So did I." - Fox I took a look inside and saw that the dojo had gotten quite the makeover for such a short time. Large cables and wood-like ornaments were spread all across the room. It''s sorta like an artificial mini-jungle in here. "The deal''s simple," said Fox as he started his explanation. "Hit the "tester" that appears with a thread-based attack skill 10 times, and make sure it''s ONLY thread-based attacks. Also, don''t get hit. 10 hits on you equals "game over", and the quest can''t be retaken." "That''s harsh." - Garami "Hey, you''re trying to qualify for a class that normally only arachnids could take." - Fox "Really?" - Garami "As real as me and..., no, that feels wrong. Anyway, go and break a leg or eight! Ahahaha!" - Fox Hmm? Does this guy have a "4th dimension breaker" skill or something? The management sure knows their meta-jokes. Fox ran out of the building, which got covered in darkness as the quest..., the trial started. It''s not as bad as the darkness that Fox used during the training session. Meaning I can still see clearly as if it was in the middle of the day. Even when I don''t want to. Because this "trial" includes a stupid-big spider that''s currently climbing across the cables and obstacles close to the roof. An especially ugly spider, I may add. Where should I start? It''s big, bigger than the almighty Truck-kun, it has four joints on each leg, sixteen extendable fangs, and a huge tongue filled with warts hanging out of its mouth. I don''t wanna touch it... Luckily, it seems it''s not planning on it either. But I wish it wasn''t mooning me. Or shooting threads from its butt. Better than seeing its hideous face..., maybe. Back to reality, I was about to throw a Fireball at the threads when I saw them coming beforehand thanks to [Prediction], but then I remembered what Fox had said. Only threads are okay in this challenge. So I gave up on the spider barbeque and relied on my legs to get the hell outta that spider''s line of fire. Trying to hide behind the obstacles that make up the jungle could come back and bite me if they make me lose track of the giant spider. Rather, that could be the original purpose behind them. That''s why I focused on evading the butt floss and waited for a chance...there! I slipped past a predicted bundle of spider threads and fired a volley of [Mystical Thread] in return. 20 of them even! So much for this quest~...HUH!? Just as my volley of threads was about to strike the spider''s unguarded back, I learned the hard way that it wasn''t. The strange joints on the spider''s legs allow it to turn said legs around in otherwise impossible directions. And each leg was covered by something that looks like a shield made of...aura, or something. It blocked the threads. And seeing how the quest''s still going on, it doesn''t qualify as a "hit". "*Khekhekhekhekhe~*" - Ugly Spider Grr, that bastard''s laughing at me..., and shooting more junk from his butt! Should I give up on the quest and just burn him? I''m getting extremely tempted to do it... That''s it! "Fireball!" - Garami I shot a Fireball while making a dramatic movement to show what I was doing. And just as I predicted, the spider desperately tried to block it with its "aura shields". This move also made its cocky laughter stop, which is a personal bonus for me. My idea was that blocking with the shields doesn''t count as hitting the spider itself. anything non-thread-related would be fair play. And I was right. I fired a few more Fireballs at the cables and the spider itself while making sure that the spider could block those aimed at it while running to the sole place where the limbs shouldn''t reach (I believe): underneath it. Even if it could, it''s too busy guarding itself against the heat from the burning cables. Seeing its unguarded underside, I couldn''t resist. 30 [Mystical Threads], coming up! "*KHAAAAAAA!?!?*" - Ugly Spider And that''s that~. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: [Assault on the Arachnid]. "Nice going," said Fox as he came back into the dojo, which was changing back to its original state. "But has anybody told you you''re ruthless and coldblooded?" "Not today, at least." - Garami "Figures." - Fox As I decided to leave the dojo, I found Bloom still occupied with the "study session" with Doll, so I left her alone. Nyx and Nala...are K.O.-ed. Better leave them alone. In that case, let''s buy that new class. The Arachnid Assailant, normally a class restricted to only those with an Arachnid trait, has now been made possible for you to take. This class allows you to make traps and hunt down prey like a real spider monster. Do note that this class is difficult to master, as your species is different from its original users. The class grants skills related to crafting spider threads, customizing them, producing items and traps with them, and other abilities related to a spider. Most notable is the ability to paralyze and poison your victim. Do note that some skills are locked behind various Element skills. If you are ready to become an arachnophobe''s worst nightmare, step forward. Arachnid...figures. After that quest and all. And the bonus about it being related to status ailments is an unexpected bonus. Without any doubt, this is something I want. Therefore, *beep*: SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have consumed 6 AP to obtain the class: [Arachnid Assailant]. Due to obtaining the class: [Arachnid Assailant], the skill: [Thread Control Lv.1] has been obtained. And there we go! It cost 1 more AP compared to Demon Caller and Demonic Rogue. Is it an extra fee because it''s an extra class? Eh, whatever. Let''s make the verification freaks take care of that problem. In the meantime, it''s time to go and look at my loot. The DP''s fully charged now, so I can finally place it! Time to go to the Treasury!! --- Skill List: Titles: Chapter 60: Treasury & Short Circuit The "Treasury". One of the most sought-after facilities I''ve had on my wishing list for a long while now. And darn empty. The large room behind the beautifully ornamented doors, which were so big that even a giant could enter, I believe, had tons of hills and rows on the walls where one could place items on display, and even large vaults where money and other items could be stored. Some of them are the types where I can store items that will automatically distribute items to the Treasure Chests in the Fort after the Chests are emptied by someone. But despite all this storage ability, there''s nothing to store in this Treasury. Figures, considering that I only bought the room and not any content. Well, except for this huge, closet-shaped chest in the middle of the room. With anticipation, I opened the "chest" and found a set of clothing. The clothing for the Upper Body slot was a sleeveless shirt that highlighted the bust line, while for the Lower Body was a pair of short pants. Like, extremely so. Whoever designed this had fanservice as their first, second, and third priority. Both articles of clothing had black as their main color with silver lines as decorations. There was also a purple jacket with shoulder guards made out of black metal. The sleeves were wide, probably to allow one to hide stuff in there. A black cloak is attached to the shoulder plates, and a hood was attached to it. Dark golden crosses were embedded into the shoulder guards. A pair of tight-high boots were also included. They were made outta some black metal, probably the same material as the shoulder guards, and had quite a wicked appearance. Nobody would be happy about being stepped on by these. Again like the shoulder guards, similar-looking dark-golden crosses were embedded into the boots. They also came with jet-black stockings. The gloves looked closer to claws. They were made mostly outta black leather, but the fingertips have metallic protectors that give them a beastly appearance. The gloves also had silver lines going down the fingers and a dark-golden star was embedded in the middle of the back of the glove. Then onto the stuff that looks like they would use accessory slots: a dark leather belt with an item pouch on it, a pair of earrings with gems that looks like the certain black rock that could call on a certain "crawling chaos", and a necklace that''s made of a darker metal with dark-purple gems. There''s also a ring made in the same design and materials as the necklace, and a similar armband. And finally (I''ve saved the best for last) is a pair of daggers. One looks like it''s made of some white material, whiter than even ivory. But the touch of it is undoubtedly that of metal. There is no warmth in it at all, as opposed to the bone accessories I''ve taken a look at when window shopping. The blade is straight like a Japanese sword, and the hilt is painted dark grey. It looks sorta boring outside the monochronic coloring, but the weapon is giving off some eerie aura. It''s not a beginner''s weapon, at least. The other dagger isn''t any better. Its blade is curved like a claw and it''s dark purple for some reason. The hilt is colored a darker purple than the blade. And I could almost swear that it was covered in some liquid, despite being dry as a desert. Like the first dagger, it''s giving off a bad aura. One that makes me think of poisons and diseases. After having appraised the items through my senses, I ran a round of using [Identification] on them. It''s still not on a level where I can get all the data, but it''s good for now. A magical armor that was created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. A piece of upper garment and a jacket that is a set of items. Both articles are created from a mysterious, metallic material, but they can still be confused with clothing. It recovers the stamina and magical powers of the user. Damage from attacks of evil-aligned elements is reduced. A magical armor that was created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. A set of shorts and stockings that are made of a mysterious, metallic material that can be confused with clothing. They conceal the user''s steps and make it easier for the user to move around. A magical armor that was created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. A pair of gloves that are made of mysterious, metallic materials. One is a type of material that could be confused with cloth, while the other material used has its origin in the bones of dead, vicious monsters. They make the user''s finger movements more nimble, make it more difficult for the user to drop an item they are holding, and can be used for certain attacks. A magical armor that was created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. A pair of boots that are made of a mysterious, metallic material that could be confused for leather, and a grudge-filled metallic ore. They make it easier for the user to walk around, and kick-type attacks are enhanced. A cursed cloak that was created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. A cloak that can be equipped with the "Fragmented Ego: Armored Garment" item. It is made of a mysterious, metallic material that has the same traits as cloth, yet is more durable than heavy armor to a percentage of the weight. It makes it extremely difficult for others to notice the user. It also enhances "eating"-type moves such as Drain-type skills. Finally, all status ailment resistance values are improved. A magical belt pouch that was created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. A sword belt and a pouch that is in one set. They are made of a mysterious, metallic material that can be mistaken for leather. It can store vast amounts of items in the pouch. It is also possible to equip sheats for blades and other items to the belt. A pair of earrings that were created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. They are made from rocks that seemingly devour all light that hits them. When equipped, help their user to concentrate, and they improve the usage of disruption-type magic. A necklace that was created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. It is made from cursed, dark-looking metal and purple gems that have a regal, yet mystical, atmosphere. The user wearing this item will gain greater resistance to magic-based attacks. It also grants resistance to good-aligned element attacks. A ring created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. It is made from cursed, dark-looking metal and purple gems that have a regal, yet mystical, atmosphere. When worn on one''s finger, it will improve the ability of any creatures underneath the user''s command. A set of magical bangles that were created by the fallen queen in her moments of madness. This item is the proof of the last traces of herself having gone lost to the wicked instincts that were forced onto her. It is made from cursed, dark-looking metal and purple gems that have a regal, yet mystical, atmosphere. When equipped, the user''s self-recovery effects are drastically improved. ...this stuff made by "that" queen? The former boss of the Fort? Wow... Even without a more detailed Identification, I can already tell that this item is way above the Saltwater set that Jill has. Like, above its head, shoulders, and even its ego! Even if this one''s ego, if I''m forced to guess from its name, looks broken. Ah, maybe that''s why the items'' specks look so broken! Jokes aside, I just went from a no-named Dungeon owner to a goddamn last boss! Did I graduate from being a player to becoming the demon king? It''s so much that I''m delaying the Identification of the weapons until tomorrow. This is too much to digest in one sitting... While in a small daze, I returned to the Player Room and found Bloom already sitting there while reading a big book. It looks like something a magician would have, a typical grimoire-looking book. "...wow! Master, that''s an impressive getup! Where did you buy it?" - Bloom Bloom asked me with stars in her eyes when she laid eyes on the equipment from the Treasury. I figured it wouldn''t be bad to test them out, so I put them on before leaving the Treasury. "Ruler priviligies." - Garami "You don''t say. ...hmm, think I''ve heard something like that before..." - Bloom Really? She''s been around a ruler other than me? "Anyway, I''m gonna be going now. If you need some food, you''re free to go to town and buy it. Just wear this," I told her as I threw a certain something. "Okay~. But what''s this?" - Bloom "An earring that conceals your appearance. Some people may have a bone to pick with you in town." - Garami "Ah...a-hahaha..." - Bloom After hitting the witch/slave/servant with the cruel reality so she wouldn''t do something stupid in a thoughtless moment, I logged out and returned to reality. Damn, my body feels damn stiff..., or not? Weird. And here I thought that the long play session would make me into a wreck. Guess I''m in better shape than I thought...or simply so bad that all this didn''t make any difference...*sniff, sniff*...? Why am I smelling something burned? I hurried into the kitchen, but of course, nothing was burning there. I''m not that big of an idiot. Then what is... Crap! The hardware! --- Turns out I''ve been playing around too much. The hardware got short-circuited. There are lots of reasons why this happened. Me playing with it in too long stretches is just one of them..., okay, there are no other reasons. Except that the VR machine is from its first generation, all this mess is solely on me. I did send a complaint to the manufacturer, but the replacement will take more than a day to be delivered. Whether that''s too long or way short isn''t something I can decide, but tomorrow will be without any gaming. I can still give orders to the Dungeon, Bloom, and the followers-duo through my portable terminal, plus spend DP on the Fort, but even then, tomorrow''s gonna be boring... I hope the new machine is of better quality... Chapter 61: New Game + (sorta) & Preparations for Swamp Hunt Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored, bored... *Ding-dong* *Zoom!!* "Deliver-huge!?" - Delivery boy ......yeah. As if I''ve not heard that one before. "Ehhhhh..., delivery to a miss Stella Blackwood?" - Delivery boy "Yeah." - Stella (Garami) I accepted the pack and sent the (obvious virgin) delivery boy packing. Pun included in the price. Anyway, time to open this thing and get the old junk to the trashcan where it belongs. And as I expected, I found a brand new VR machine inside the package. One of the newest models even! Plus...a letter? Trying to give excuses now, are you? ...or not. This logo''s not from the manufacturer of the VR machine. This is the logo of Terra Sol AS! What''s this about? Dear mademoiselle, Stella Blackwood It pains me to hear that the Hologear 2050 did not live up to your expectations. Truth be told, it pains me to say that, since it was on such short notice, I could only acquire a prototype we had left in the lab so to fulfill our agreement. ...? ...oh! It''s from that guy! The false FBI agent that made me start playing NFO! Then, this is his fault? It was my mistake to dismiss the researcher''s plight that the console was easy to overheat, yet I ignored them when I heard the worst that could happen was that the console''s inmate would become a little fried. While it fails to make up the blunder of mine, I will still provide you with the newest version of the Hologear game console, along with some new tools related to it, such as a free, three-year-long Streamer''s Rights package. That''s the DLC that lets you stream certain games and post them on websites, right? ...live streams are impossible, but I could take up some boss fights and make a channel for them or something. I''ve already learned how good publicity can help, with the latest Dungeon level-up. In addition, I have prepared a special in-game present for you when you manage to log in again. Once again, I am sorry for this predicament. Please take contact again if anything bothers you. Yours truly, Abraham Vashi ......guess I could forgive him. It''s not like anything bad happened, and the gift''s pretty good. And I haven''t even logged in yet. Which I''ll do right away. Just gotta configure this thing and get it running... --- One console-start-up sequence later: I arrived at my Player Room...or not. This is that fancy throne room from when I created my player avatar. Don''t tell me... "Lady Garami. It is a pleasure to see you once again." - D1 I knew it. It''s that goat-headed fog-man from back then. "Please be at ease. There have been no difficulties with your avatar or data. I am only here to present the gifts of apology to you." - D1 "...*phew*..." - Garami That was damn scary. Now that I think about it, I''m already using my Garami-avatar. What was I so afraid of? "Okay, tell me what you got?" I asked while sitting down on the throne as if I was the boss of this place. I sorta am. "Very well," said D1 as he bowed to me. Hey, this AI knows how to play along~. "My superiors are willing to gift a total of 10 AP to lady Garami, up to three new skills given at Lv.3, and a special set of items that I will come back to after you select the skills you wish for." - D1 Hey, that''s pretty swell of them. A little too much, now that I think about it. 10 AP plus 3 skills at Lv.3 = 46 AP in total. "Isn''t that a little too generous?" - Garami "Far from it. My superiors are already thinking of lowering the difficulty of obtaining AP from now on. You could say this world has entered its second stage." - D1 They''re moving the gameplay up a notch? I''ve got no problems with that. I''m itching to improve my skills. "If there are no other questions, how about we move on to the fun part?" said D1 as he produced a list of various skills I could take... "Just tier-1 skills?" - Garami "We cannot spoil you too much, my lady. Oh, and you can ask for AP instead if there are no skills you wish for." - D1 No worries there, because I''ve already found them: I needed these guys sooner or later. Plus, [Darkness Magic] hits my edgelord heart like cupid''s arrow. "Very well. And as for the additional item," started D1 as he showed me the data for the extra gift...oh? Oooohh~? --- "Honey, I''m home~." - Garami "...yeah." - Bloom What? It''s been more than a day since I visited, and old Bloom''s gotten all apathetic on me? She''s not even jumping at the bait I gave. The one where she could make a flower/honey joke from my greeting just now. "How''ve things been doing while I was away?" - Garami "Thugs have been visiting. Sometimes dying, sometimes being smart and retiring before that, sometimes reaching the teleport thingy, most of the time at the casino. And some people tried to go past the 3rd floor. They got crushed by the D-rank monsters on the upper floors before they could do anything bad." - Bloom "For real? What happened after that?" - Garami "I told the other Migrants in the Dungeon about them along with showing their faces. The rule-breakers got defeated by the other Migrants before they could even reach the first demon." - Bloom They''re good guys, those gambling perverts. Good thing I made the 6th floor already. Better start propping it up sooner or later..., and I also need to find something that the Dungeon can produce so I can sell it to the Blackmarket. Argh, things are getting too hectic nowadays. "More importantly, master..., what is this?" - Bloom What is what? ...oh. Yeah, the new item. "An egg." - Garami A big egg-incubator-looking thingy had been placed in the Player Room. And inside it was a huge egg. A black egg with silver stars on it. "Not just any egg... It''s a Monster Egg, for the love of goddess Heretina!" - Bloom "Yeah, I know. It''s a gift." - Garami "Gift, or no gift, that thing is dangerous! What if the monster goes berserk after it hatches!?" - Bloom "Did something like that happen before?" - Garami "The whole Trimitistus kingdom got destroyed because they tried to hatch a dragon egg!" - Bloom "...sure that wasn''t the egg''s parents trying to get revenge?" - Garami "Eh?? Ah..., that could be it...I think..." - Bloom Honestly, this girl... Well, I''ll make sure [Demon Taming] has a free slot for this little guy when he finally hatches. And that leads me to... "Three new teachers should have arrived at the Dojo while I was away. How are they?" - Garami "Those three? They''re good. One of them taught Nyx and Nala how to get their new [Cooperation] skill to Lv.3 yesterday." - Bloom Seriously? [Cooperation] is something that lowers the price other need to recruit you so..., my LP is at 18 now thanks to [Leadership], I need to use 3 LP less to summon Nyx or Nala with [Demon Taming], [Cooperation] is lowering their costs by 3, so... "...I can summon them both at the same time." - Garami Their costs added together are exactly 18 LP, just what I have. I gotta award that general... "What was that about?" - Bloom "It means we''re going to the swamp. Pack your stuff!" - Garami --- ...alas, you can''t go on an adventure without preparing properly. Which includes buying antidote potions at the market. Bloom, in her disguise, was haggling with the potion seller. The witch was dressed in a set of robe-type armor and armed with a wand that I had bought for her with the Fort''s DP. But we should prepare something more decent than some mass-produced stuff later. But that''s not crucial for today. Because today''s more of a test for my new equipment, and with Bloom collecting materials for her potions. AND looking at what the event has in store for us in the swamp. While killing time, I looked at the new skill I got two days ago along with the Arachnid Assailant class. Sorta figured that out from the name. I''d talk with the dojo-bunch if I- "...no, seriously?" Hmm? "It''s no joke. You just need to collect 10 of them." I think I''m hearing people talking over there...I think I recognize some of them. ...[Lurk]... "10..., and there are 5 of us." It''s a group of adventurers. One looks like a female magician clad in red. And if I''m remembering right, she was the one spying on me when I fought and tamed Nala. "No probs, Rin. If we all work together, we can be more than five times as efficient compared to working alone." The one talking to the red magician, named Rin, was a man dressed as a ranger with a bow and arrows. I think he was with Rin when she spied on me. "It''s because the only other girl here''s Trinity, so Rin''s motivation''s dropping like lead in the ocean." "Shut up, Furfang!" - Rin The one talking just now was a wolf outta all things! It must be a player using an animal-based race. He''s not even a beastkin, but a pure-breed wolf. Looks sorta cool even for a wolf. Is he evolved or something? "...Nirvana, tell your sister to be quiet," said the girl presumed to be Trinity. She''s resting a huge-ass spear on her shoulder and has this "professional killer"/"veteran soldier" air to her. She looks like the strongest of the group of five, and from how she ordered the ranger from before, Nirvana, it seems she''s something like an aloof leader. And Rin and Nirvana are siblings... Rin, Nir-vana. Rin, Nir...ooohh. They do look sorta like each other as well. Their eyes seem similar to each other, for example. "Impossible. Both her and Furfang are impossible to stop. Black Bone is one thing, but those two are impossible." - Nirvana "Hey! You''re not wrong, but it feels sickening being compared to them," said the last member of the group. The "guy" named Black Bone. What can I say..., he''s a skeleton. Dressed in a dark-black robe to boot. Is he going for a lich-route or something? "That''s crossing the line, bonehead!" - Rin "Yeah! I''m gonna chew you!" - Furfang "...be quiet," said Trinity as she dunked the end of her spear to the ground, stopping the quarreling of her "team members". "The goal is certain: make use of the player base''s lack of interest in challenging the overly-difficult Alberido Swamp and gather enough of those "Extra Medals" to unlock those special skills that Black Bone heard of. Is everyone fine with that?" - Trinity "Yeah" "Sure" "Why not..." Seems like they''re getting together on the plan. And Extra Medals, huh... "But wait!" said the wolf, Furfang, all of a sudden. "What about the girl from before." Who? "I think we should forget about her. She seems like a bad choice." - Nirvana "I''ve heard the rumors that she spoiled a quest for many by letting loose an area boss when they were guarding a caravan." - Rin "Yeah, I heard that too. She''s too much of a loose cannon." - Black Bone "If everyone says so. Sorry, Furfang." - Trinity "Aw, maaaaan..." - Furfang Huh? Is there someone else who''s aiming for the swamp or something? "Master? Where are you?" - Bloom Whoops. Gotta go. These two daggers of mine are thirsty for poisonous swamp monster-blood. Chapter 62: Deadly Daggers & Pitiful Caterpillars The air tastes disgusting, the ground''s squishy, and the smell''s worse than airplane gasoline. Yup. This is the truest definition of a "poisoned swamp". "Well, this is the alpha region of the Alberido Swamp. Have a blast." - Bloom Bloom, dressed to survive and having dropped her disguise, gave me a quick rundown of the purple swamp area before trying to leave. "Stay." - Garami "Gyaah!? I...I hate this stupid collar!" - Bloom Sometimes, I just gotta love that slavery collar. It''s still bad taste though. "Please, can''t I go home? This place is giving me bad memories..." - Bloom "You have some memories, which equals experience, with this place. I don''t." - Garami "Damn my life..." - Bloom Having given up, Bloom stood up and started to lead me through the swamp. Hey, you''ve even been given the Anti-Venom Necklace in addition to the Venomydra Leaf Scarfs. Even if the latter is necessary from the start if you wanna walk around in this place. "You won''t lose your life as long as you don''t do anything stupid. I''ll take care of you." - Garami "Just don''t be too cocky because you guys return to life..." - Bloom Hey, dying hurts even with reduced pain settings. And I won''t let someone without "continues" be on the front line. "What are the locals in this place?" I asked Bloom, urgently wishing to start turning this place on its head. "Poison spiders, poison centipedes, poison worms, and even more poison." - Bloom "... isn''t there anything else? Something that''s not poisonous?" - Garami "There are the big frogs who can survive this land with their high vitality, or we have the will-o-wisps." - Bloom I doubt any of them is good for a trial run for my new daggers..., and now that I think about it, I never got to know what they can do. Whoops. A wicked dagger that was created by the mad queen. The steel includes the bones of creatures who met the unfortunate end of being the queen''s "dinner partners". The list of victims extends from humanoids to monsters. Even those of the undead were not spared. The dagger has incredible sharpness and durability. Even when lost, it will return to its rightful owner. Cuts made from it are practically impossible to heal, and the damage is much greater than its appearance suggests. The cold and terror from the underworld are contaminating any wounds created by it. A wicked dagger that was created by the mad queen. The blade is steeped in the cursed blood of the unfortunate souls that tried to challenge the queen, only to have been used as "playmates" for the queen''s sick games. Even an archdemon was tricked into an early death through these "games". The dagger pollutes anything it comes in contact with. Even when lost, it will return to its rightful owner. Poison, blisters, diseases, anything goes. A great curse resides in the dagger, capable of wounding even the soul or even mana. HOLY SHIT! Or should I say "unholy"? Think it fits better considering the items in question. "Why''re you making such a funny face?" - Bloom "Nothing..., isn''t the right word here. It''d be disrespectful." - Garami "Hmm? Then, did you find out what you will challenge first?" - Bloom "I say: let them all come!!" - Garami "Wow, she''s going to get herself killed. Better sneak away when I have the chance..." - Bloom Be quiet, disbeliever! Not that I wanna waste precious time scolding her. I need to test these gifts from heaven (or hell?) right away, then start looking for event-related clues! "...there! [Mystical Threads]!" - Garami With more gusto than needed, I released my attack at the huge reading from [Detect Monster] that''s trying to hide in the swamp water. And with a big splash, the target for today arrived in his...flabby dignity? "...that''s a biiiiig frog." - Garami "Iiiik! Deadly Frog!" - Bloom The "Deadly Frog" isn''t as fearsome as its name. It''s just big. Big as a truck, but still, only big...ah. "Whoops." - Garami The frog''s tongue came shooting out of its mouth like a bullet and almost grazed me. I''m in no haste for getting tongue-tied. Especially with this guy. Urgh. The frog kept on swinging that tongue-whip of its at me. Sorry, pal. I''ve got experience with the Darkland amphibians. You''re too late for the party. But this damn slippery lick-ery is annoying. There...oh? "*COOOOOAAAARCK!!!!*" - Deadly Frog I tried to swat the tongue away with the hand holding Helheim, but whaddya know. It cut the lickety-lick right off. As expected of an Ex-rarity item that''s focused on attack power. I wanna see its real stats now. The Deadly Frog looked at me with a deadly angry look in its eyes. I don''t like it when people (or frogs) do that, so I threw Helheim at its head. As a distraction. The frog jumped out of the way after seeing the dagger come flying at him, but the second before it landed, I threw Pandemonium at the spot where it would land and scored a direct hit on its flabby belly. The effect was instantaneous. The frog screamed from the pain of the wound, and probably the dagger''s curse. But it doesn''t seem to have killed it, so I started ...... [Mystical Threads] at it and ...... to keep it in place. Then, with a small mental command to the daggers, I walked over to the flobby giant with both daggers returned to my hand. It''s time for a live dismantling~. Wonder how long it will take. --- "Damn. What a durable guy. It took me 10 minutes on it alone..." - Garami I''d finally finished dismantling the big frog to death, but it was damn tough. I bet it had auto-recovery skills for its HP as well. What a frog... "...Master? You know what that creature was, right?" - Bloom "Hmm? It''s a Deadly Frog, whatever that is." - Garami "So you didn''t know. Master, a Deadly Frog is a D-rank monster. You normally need a party with at least 3 D-rank adventurers or more to defeat it." - Bloom For real? "Its toughness is incredible enough to make it the strongest monster regarding defense when you ignore the Haunt''s local lords. And even then, it has a ridiculously high instantaneous speed thanks to its jumping powers, and its tongue can be used both close-range and mid-range. And that''s not counting the fact that it can swallow you whole if it gets the chance." - Bloom Seriously, for real?? "From what I have overheard, the normal strategy for adventurers hunting the Deadly Frog is to blast it with magic from a distance, but it is difficult spotting those things when they are hiding in the swamp, so even the match of getting the first attack can decide which side wins or dies. Not to mention that the frogs can easily cross the distance between them and the spell casters with a single jump or two." - Bloom For fiction!?!? ...that came out wrong. And I have a new System Message. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 5. You have reached Lv.20. You have obtained a total of 3.0 Aether Points. ...yeah. It''s D-rank. Even so... "Are there any easier prey to beat?" - Garami "Easier than the frog just now?" - Bloom "That was mostly luck, no? And I want you to get a few levels as well." - Garami "I am not a combatant! I am your normal witch apprentice!" - Bloom "But with more levels, you could unlock more skills to help with your witch work, no? And we''re practicing "safety first" here, which is why I want a weaker target than the frog." - Garami It''s also because I''ve gotten more than a little scared after hearing about the frog''s real abilities. It just had a bad match-up with me this time around. "Something even I can give a hand with..., maybe the Veoron Caterpillar?" - Bloom "Caterpillar?" - Garami "Caterpillar. E-rank monsters that live in great numbers here in the swamps and they can tolerate practically any poison, but they don''t have any themselves. Their biggest threat is that they call on allies when in a pinch." - Bloom In a pinch, you say... "Then worms it is." - Garami "Is that fine? They will continue to swarm onto us." - Bloom "Which saves us the need of looking for them." - Garami Of course, I do wanna prepare the battlefield first... --- "*Skreeeeach*!" - Veoron Caterpillar A big, ugly caterpillar-like creature with sickly-purple skin shouted as it was suspended upside down from a tree with my threads. The scream must be its ally-calling skill. Though... It''s a caterpillar massacre! Leave no potential butterflies alive! I chose an area that''s sorta like a cape in the swamp water. There''s only one path to reach the place we''ve made camp, and we''ve also made sure that no surprises are in the swamp water for us. And we''ve also made sure that the caterpillars can''t swim. The result is that the Veoron Caterpillar''s screams are attracting its friends to the cape, the cavalry caterpillars are forced on a single road which we have a good view of, and it is also pestered by my traps. The traps are mostly the hindering- or slowing-down types, as I already know that I cannot make traps that deal decent damage. Besides, slowing one caterpillar down will create a roadblock for the other bugs. That the caterpillars I kill remain for a little while thanks to [Dismantling] is also helpful with that idea in mind. Nyx is fighting on the front line, running past the caterpillars and slashing at them with her claws. Sometimes, she''s throwing out screams or aura that seems to unnerve the caterpillars. Those actions are the new Monster Skills that Nyx obtained while I couldn''t log into the game. Such growth in such a short time. That''s my girl! Nala''s acting as a wall in case some of the caterpillars survive and manage to reach this far. She''s now armed with several trident-like weapons, and she is using them well enough for a newbie. The surging water that surrounds the tridents is helping her compensate for her lack of ability. Plus she''s still using her tentacles in the same fashion as when I fought her. Bloom is obviously out of harm''s way in the back. But her [Quick] and [Slow] skills are pretty much the game-changers here. Nyx and Nala have turned so fast that they can keep their game up even when faced with so many caterpillars, and Bloom''s sure to slow down the bugs that are getting too close to both of them. As for me, I''m fighting on the front line along with Nyx. Like her, my speed''s enhanced thanks to Bloom, and I can honestly not see myself losing. The caterpillars are gross, but my experience with those freakish ghouls from the emergency quest has made me numb to their horror. I kept on mowing down the crawlers with Helheim and witnessed the dagger''s incredible attack power. Most caterpillars went down after two solid hits or so, even when Bloom mentioned that these creatures are quite durable, even if not on the same level as the frog earlier. But the real unfortunate bugs must be those that I slash at with Pandemonium. Poison may not work on these guys, but they are getting slabbered with lots of status ailments from the cursed dagger. Some stop in their tracks and collapses to the ground after being cut, some have their wounds increase in size over time, and some have more blood (I''ve put the special effects option on "realistic") spewing out of their wounds than one would think their blood was high-pressured. The "lucky" ones are those that only fall asleep, but they''re quickly trampled over by their allies. And while fending off caterpillar after caterpillar, I noticed that my movements were getting better and better. I moved with less hesitation, took fewer unnecessary actions, and I managed to strike the weak points of the caterpillars more often. Not to mention it was getting easier to combo skills and [Parry] battle arts even in the middle of the brawl. My greatest feat was using [Mystical Threads] and "weaving" several caterpillars together with smart usage of [Create Trap]. I''m honestly proud of that one. It took a while, but we managed to win in the end. And the result''s a big field with caterpillar corpses...if they hadn''t dissolved into black dust. We also killed the captured caterpillar. "M...master...no more..." - Bloom "Yeah, let''s return for today," I said as I dismissed Nyx and Nala back to the Fort''s Followers'' Hotel. We returned home while I kept a lookout for swamp monsters with my skills, and after finally returning to the town, I could look at the result of today''s pest extermination. Niiiice~. Only Bloom''s falling behind as EXP is distributed according to how much you contribute to a group''s fight, and she was only on support duty. Well, for a non-combatant, as the girl described herself, this much is pretty good. And excluding Bloom, all of us obtained the [Insect Slayer] title and the [Army of One] title. The former''s a template copy of [Spirit Slayer], giving more damage against insects. As for [Army of One], it is a title that you need to score more than 100 opponents on your own in a single battle, and the opponents have to be of an equal or higher racial rank. And its effect is to improve SPD based on the number of enemies of equal or higher rank than yourself outnumbers you. The increase stops at a certain point though. Honestly, it''s been a good hunt, even if we didn''t get any clues regarding the event. But I''m not sure I''ll try it again. Way more monsters arrived than we expected. Bloom was downright starstruck by the sheer number of crawlers, which exceeded anything recorded by the Adventurers'' Union... Maybe the increase of monsters is part of the mysteries surrounding the event? I''ll better start the exploration for real from tomorrow on. But for tonight, log out~. Chapter 63: Dojo Upgrades & Bugging Rumors "......yeah, not good." - Garami I looked at my status page with a less-than-satisfied expression on my face. Sure, high numbers are well and all, but there''s something else I gotta worry about. Evolution. Several players have started to reach racial rank D now, and more so after the event started. There have been no problems up until now, but..., I sorta wish to be better prepared for it. My current race was the result of clearing super-special conditions. What if there are some for a D-rank evolution but what if my rushing through the levels has limited my chances to get it? Okay, maybe I''m overthinking stuff. There are lots of players saying they got their evolutions without a prob. It''s just that the idea of something extremely rare is so alluring... Therefore, I''m spending the day training! I want to buff my skills! Maybe evolve a few as well, if I''m lucky. As for the event, I''ll have Bloom go into town and ask around. With her disguise, the locals shouldn''t give her any problems. And as for the players, the targets for Bloom''s questioning, most should be more than happy to talk to a cute maid-witch. "Boss, welcome back," said Fox the Yami-Kitsune. He, the Demonia Magia Doll nicknamed (just) Doll, Gin the Lesser Ginkaku, and the three newcomers, were all having a drinking party outside the dojos. One is a Lesser Baphomet, the famous goat-headed demon''s lower-quality little brother, and the teacher for the Crafter-skills. He''s nicknamed Thirteen after the infamous day for the Templar Knights. Next is a Lesser Kinkaku. She''s Gin''s bigger, golden sister. They''re not related for real (can monsters even be related to each other?) but the two seem to have hit it off so well that the Lesser Kinkaku took on the nickname "Kin". She''s training leadership-type skills, believe it or not. And finally is the Vile Wendigo. He''s a big hunk of a demon that''s easily 3 meters high. He''s wearing dark armor over his whole body, with only a pair of nasty-looking dark-red horns sticking out of his helmet. He''s teaching monster-type skills. Nicknamed Vile. After hearing Fox''s comment, four out of six went down on their knees, except Fox himself and Vile. Fox is kinda a my-pace guy, so that didn''t come as a surprise, but Vile seems to not be the type to care about ranks either. "I''d want some training for the day." - Garami "Already done with the swamp?" asked Fox casually, which earned him the evil eye from the four of the "prime and proper"-group. "Bloom''s collecting info, but I''m close to evolving." - Garami "Okay...oh. Now I see. You''re aiming for some extra medals before asking for the "promotion"?" - Fox "Sorta like that." - Garami "That''s fine with all of us," said Fox, which resulted in the other five nodding to his words, "but there are limits on how much we could teach you." Tch, that''s true. Even Fox''s super-hard training plan''s no good if I wanna train stuff unrelated to Scout-stuff. I wanna improve my magic abilities since I can''t take Bloom with me deeper into the Haunt. It''s too dangerous for her. The fight with the worms the other day was easy, but only because we made it be so. I''d never imagined we would get so many bugs after us, nor did Bloom. The "quantity" of monsters has sky-rocketed due to the event. That''s something I can imagine being the case without waiting for Bloom''s report. And nothing is stopping the "quality" from being in the same circumstances. Rather, considering how sadistic this game can be on the players, it would be stranger for there to be no OP-turned monsters now! That''s why I wanna have at least some magic stuff with me. Just in case we meet something weaker than weak towards magic. It''s always good to have a good number of aces in your hand. Unless you''re playing Old maid. "...upgrading could reduce the time?" asked Vain...? Wait, I can upgrade this place? I didn''t see anything about that when I looked through the Dungeon menu through the Dungeon Terminal. "Boss? Where are you going?" - Fox "Gonna check if I can upgrade or not." - Garami "Why''re you leaving then?" - Fox Huh? Now all six of them are looking at me funny. Can I do the upgrade here? Let''s see on the menu..., looking at the "Dungeon" tab...HUH!? Including the normal window that showed the Dungeon''s current state, I now see a new tab that''s labeled "dojo". Don''t tell me... A facility that can be found inside and outside a Dungeon. Several monsters live here to train the (unfortunate) souls that arrive at the Dojo and whip them into shape. Sometimes with real whips! I never knew I could do this! And there are lots of other upgrades down the list, but they are grey-ed out, and they require that I fulfill some special conditions if I wanna buy them. ...I think I''ve found a biiiiiig trick when it comes to Dungeon management. "Give me a sec," I told the six as I ran for the nearest Dungeon facility. The first thing I came across was a Bomb Crystal, the lookalikes to the Recovery Crystals (except these go boom instead of heal), but nothing appeared when I tried looking at the menu again. Ignoring the crystal, I aimed for the second-closest facility instead. And it was a Gift Shop, a dedicated area for selling stuff that originates from the Dungeon to invaders. It''s manned by a doll-like being. It looks like a stand used in festivals. In other words, it looks cheap. This time, I got some results, which was mostly about adding decorations to hiring a dedicated worker here. Or upgrading the wares I could buy. After seeing this, I raced across the 5th floor and looked at all the non-trap facilities here. Except for the Casino Entrance and the Treasure Chest-type items, I got a result from checking them out with the menu instead of the Terminal. The Caf even told me how to add specific monsters instead of summoning random ones. That was what the Terminal did, and I had to suffer seeing a Lesser Hellion in a maid dress. *Brr*. To summarize, it seems that the Terminal is to add and alter facilities of the Dungeon itself, but if I wanna go detailed on a specific facility, I gotta go there in person and add the upgrades to it from my System Menu. For now, I threw in 120 DP into the Caf to hire 3 Jewelry Succubus as waitresses and 1 Stygian Jester (D-rank demon evolved from the Stygian Clown) as the chef and bartender, 30 DP each. After that, I returned to the Dojo and spent a total of 100 DP to add the "common training ground", the bamboo theme, and the clock to the place. The last one was just because I wanted to see how it changes with the bamboo theme. A big arena-like thing appeared in the plaza leading to the 6 dojo buildings. Afterward, a small, black gothic-looking clocktower emerged at the arena''s north side. After the bamboo theme was purchased, the walls were replaced with thick-growing bamboo plants, the arena got small fences made from bamboo, and the miniature clock tower got an eastern theme along with the metal it was made from was replaced with a structure made from bamboo. There''s even a lake added in-between the paths of the 3rd and 4th dojos, with one of those decoration-thingies made from bamboo that goes *clunk* when it''s filled up with water. And FYI, all this bamboo is different from regular bamboo. Its trunk is black while the few leaves I can see are purple. And my Manavision tells me that this stuff could be awesome if I managed to harvest some of it. "Is this good for you?" - Garami "Ha-ha! As expected of the boss!" - Fox "Not bad~." - Kin "Could need some liquor dispensers..." - Gin Hey! ...that''s a good idea. "Naturally, master Garami. Please tell us your wishes. What arts would like to train in?" - Thirteen Weeeeell... --- "And then you took what?" said Bloom after she''d returned, asking me to repeat myself for the third time already. "Everything I had." - Garami "...master, have you heard of something known as "limits"?" - Bloom Sure I have. You''re supposed to break them. Unless the result''s boring. Kukuku. I''m confident that I could beat the caterpillar army single-handedly now. I mean, I did survive facing four of those sinister six back there..., it''s scary just remembering their "serious mode"... Traumas aside, even Arachnid Assailant leveled up thanks to that trial of evil! That gave me 0.5 AP, since, unlike the beginner class Scout, Intermediate-tier classes give you that much when they reach a level that''s a multiple of 10. I also used 9 AP to increase the level of my Talent skill. Getting that to T2 has to do something to my evolution options. But I''m saving a good chunk for now, in case of an emergency. "And what about you? Did you figure out anything?" - Garami "......fine, we''re changing the subject. Ever guessed why there were so many bugs after us yesterday?" - Bloom "I dunno. Maybe there was a picnic festival nearby?" - Garami "Nice try. The answer is: in all the Alberido Swamp regions, there''s been a bursting increase of a particular type of bug-type monsters. For the Alpha region, it was caterpillars. For the Beta region, I heard it was ladybugs." - Bloom "We got the short stick insect of the deal." - Garami "That does bug me too. The point is, aren''t those bugs sort of sus?" - Bloom "Great minds think alike. The same idea popped up in my head too." - Garami That settles the deal for tomorrow''s plans. But before I log off, let''s add the 6th floor with the recharged DP. Another floor, another increase to my total DP by 10~. ...and let''s publish another post on my fan club thread. To talk about those "brothels" I found in the Dungeon menu recently, and "how you can be served by succubi in Caf-facilities" if the Dungeon level goes further up. For no particular reason~. Chapter 64: Poison Sanctuary & Mistress of Webs Ahh..., taste that disgusting smell of poisoned swamp. Lovely. I marched past various swamp creatures that I didn''t wanna fight with for the safety of my clothes and started looking for clues. My goals here are to find out the sudden increase of bugs in each area, or at least why there are so many caterpillars here in the Alpha region, and I wanna find the source of the parasite that infested Bloom before I met her. It''s sorta a personal matter, and honestly, the idea of NPCs being infected by something so gross is freaking me out. I don''t wanna end up with a zombie apocalypse, or something similar. Moving around isn''t that difficult. The monsters living here are too low-leveled to get past my [Detect Monster] skill. The problem is that anything that''s not a monster will slip past my eyes, and that could include the clues I''m looking for. Due to that, I''m treasure hunting. That''s what I do best, after all. And sometimes, I kill the caterpillars I discover on the way. Nyx is more than happy with assisting me with the hit-and-run strategy. I sometimes see other players in the distance, but they''re busy relying on their priest-looking partners to cast antidote-like spells (I think that''s what they do) on them and fighting the monsters that are seemingly attracted by the spells. Maybe even the monsters living here want antidotes? I''m not planning on getting involved though. After a while of looking for treasures, I found something strange on one of the branches of a dead-looking tree. More specifically, the branch itself is strange. [Detect Treasure]''s going crazy about the whole, thing. It''s sorta black-and-silver colored, and it''s almost as long as I''m tall. Despite all the other branches being barely half a meter long. I cut it off and tried to Identify it, but nothing came up. Seriously strange. I''ll have Bloom take a look at it when I get back. But just as I was going to place the branch into my storage, it turned itself on its own, almost as if someone had used some telekinetic ESP on it the branch pointed toward a rocky wall, and since I had nothing else to do, I followed its lead. Games are to be enjoyed, down to every random event. The wall looks..., pretty boring. Is there something here? Like, a hidden switch or something? Oh, magical branch. Lead me the waaaay~..., hey! Stop pulling! You''re gonna-*splatt*-, make me stumble... I tried to clean off the mud with no luck before looking at where the branch had pointed me to. There''s a strange rock that extends out from the rock in a suspicious fashion..., and press. *Clack* I heard some mechanical sounds after I pushed the button-disguised-as-a-rock and part of the wall moved to reveal a secret doorway. Did I just stumble across some ancient legacy hidden in the swamp!? ...nah. It''s prolly just some ol'', nasty drug ring if I know my luck. After walking through the hidden passage, I reached something that could be described as a concealed sanctuary, outside the reach of the rest of the world and its problems..., except that the whole place stinks of poison! Disgusting!! To be more precise, I''m inside a dome-shaped cave inside the rock walls. There are lots of fauna here and there, but they are black and purple-colored. Lots of mushrooms here too, plus other diabolic-looking plants. There''s even a river going through the cave, but it''s poisonous green. Not drinking water. While holding my breath, and lowering the real-world settings in my game menu to cut off my sense of smell, I started to explore this "poison sanctuary". What''s over- --- ...I died. The second I opened my eyes and saw the ceiling of my Player Room, it hit me. I''d died. "You''re back already?" - Bloom "...Bloom, have you ever heard about some secret sanctuary in that poisoned swamp?" - Garami "Huh? Did you hit your head or something?" - Bloom Rude. But I would have reacted in the same way, so I won''t punish her. Much. --- And I''m back. It took a while, but I managed to reach the secret entrance faster than my first time here. I recorded my progress with [Auto-Map] the first time after all. This time, I stepped carefully so I wouldn''t get caught by whatever killed me the first time. I took out the branch (which I''d completely forgotten to deposit in my Player Room) from my storage and tried hitting the ground with it. A small plume of purple dust came out after a few hits. This is poison, no matter how you look at it. I advanced while hitting the ground as if my eyes had failed me, and then..., something hit my head and I respawned at my Player Room. Again. Not wanting to take the trip yet again, I bought the [Detect Trap] skill, and the [Disarm Trap] just to be safe. and had Fox teach me how to use it. It took a day, but I finally reached Lv.4 and Lv.3 for the two skills respectively before I went to bed. Oh, and the effects of the two skills are to warn me when there''s a trap nearby, and give me a passive correction on my trap disarming skills, give giving me hints on how to disarm them in the first place. The next day, I did some more training with [Detect Trap] and had it reach Lv.5 before I left for the poisoned sanctuary. Again. This time around, I could see the "trapped" spots that released the poisoned gas through my new skill and efficiently found a way around them. Then the skill notified me of something else. A trap wire. Keeping my head down, I tried to trip it from a distance and with my head down. Several arrows flew toward where my head would have been if I had stepped on the wire without knowing anything. All according to the plan~...except that a too-big-to-comprehend wave of poisoned mush came toward me after that. Another retry... --- This time around, I''ve gone all the way! Both trap-related skills are at Lv.8 now! Along with some other skills that Fox managed to squeeze into the training program. Even if I needed to spend the rest of yesterday after the mush-wave to train them all! Meaning this is the 3rd day of exploring the sanctuary, in case someone didn''t follow. AND I''M GONNA CLEAR IT TODAY! Half a week has already passed, and I''ve made barely any progress with this event! Then again, there have been no haunts that have been reported as "cleared". It''s just a matter of time though. Probably. But after clearing this trap gauntlet, I''ve finally reached the other side of the cave. Phew. That last one, the flower that suddenly grew five meters big when I got too close, was a freaking surprise. Especially the "freaking" part. Back to the present, there''s a new passage here on this side of the cave. Maybe there are multiple of these sanctuaries? I''m not sure what to expect further down this cave, but after all the work and time I''ve used to clear that trap hell back there, there''s no way I''ll be satisfied with just leaving now. Since there''s no one against it (I''m an eternal loner...), I''ll be charging in! Guns blazing! If I had any. Oh? Ooh? What''s up with this place? The passage led to yet another dome-shaped cave, but this one seems to be the last. I mean, a big castle in the middle of a pretty (yet venomous) garden does feel like the home of some last boss (since the place''s filled with poison). It''s not all fun and games though. Because in addition to all the above-mentioned stuff, there''s a bunch of a certain something spread all over this cave. Something I''m damn familiar with. Webs. Spider webs. Yeah, time to get the old magic bracelet up and running. Not to mention "burning"-whoa!? Something got my leg! Before I could even react, both my hands were tied up and I was dangling upsidedown from the ceiling. Crap, so this is how it feels to be thugs in New York... And then came my captor. It''s a..., purple Arachne? The spider with a human upper body. Pretty hot-looking one too, except for the spider parts. This one is a female, with a fancy dress that showed much of her human half. She got light-blue hair that reaches her..., "hips," I guess, slightly purple skin, and bloody-red eyes that seem to shine on their own. The spider-half looks outright demonic, with long fangs and feet that end in vicious claws. Yeah, I''m dead. Can''t beat this one. I can''t even summon Nyx or Nala. Guess it''s back to my room and make a plan on how to defeat- "...you''re so not fashionable, you know that?" - Arachne "Okay, WHAT?" - Garami "I mean, black on top of white? What are you supposed to be? Some kind of edgelord or something?" - Arachne Screw plans. I''M GONNA KILL HER RIGHT NOW! "Not that your uncoolness is of any importance-" - Arachne Where is the spider swatter when you need it!? "How did you manage to reach this place?" - Arachne "Ugh..., it wasn''t easy," I told the spider-woman off while struggling to get the webs off my hands. "Those stupid traps kept on killing me all the time!" "...a Migrant then. But you couldn''t have died that many times. This location is impossible for your kind to enter if they fail to do so more than 5 times." - Arachne Yikes. I was cutting close there. "And that is not what I was asking about. How did you locate this area? There should have been nothing that told of the existence of this place." - Arachne "I got lucky! And my wish twig, I mean, my wish branch showed me this place!" - Garami "Your..., what now?" - Arachne Hey, stop looking at me with those pitying eyes! I''m gonna smack you! Hard! "Were you talking about this?" said the Arachne as she revealed..., my branch! When did she-, rather, how did she-!? "Give that back!" - Garami "That is fine with me. I was getting bored of staying sheltered in these caves anyway." - Arachne Sheltered? And how''s giving back my branch related to her...entertainment... "It seems you have connected the dots already~." - Arachne Don''t say it. Don''t say it. Don''t say it! "If you wish this "wishing branch" of yours back, please try to reach my parlor inside my mansion. And we can add these to the pot." - Arachne Gah!! That b*tch!! She took my Helheim and Pandemodium daggers! How!!? *Snap* *Crash* Ouch! Who drops people to the ground like that? Damn rude spider-woman..., who''s not even here anymore! Argh! So, I gotta find that stupid wh*re again, give her a Fireball in the face, then steal back my items. And if what she said is true, this place is off-limits if I die two more times or something like that? Great. Just lovely. Hurray. Why is it that I and spiders can never see eye-to-eye? Any eyes would be fine. Argh... --- Skill List: Title List: Chapter 65: Spider Skills & the Boss I entered the web mansion with murder on my mind. That stupid Arachne-woman, she''s gonna regret ever messing with me! Not caring about manners, I kicked the door and entered the building. It looks like a Japanese mansion from the warring stage period, but with more spiderwebs. Lots of them. It''s a bargain sale on webbing! And no floor. Huh? No floor!? ...yup. No floor. There are only walls, the ceiling, and a doorway leading to a different room..., plus the one I came from, of course. How am I supposed to move forward? Just then, I got a notice from the system itself. It''s sorta like the message board for quests, but without any proper window. Just text. >Tip: to pass this stage, forget your mystical powers and think like a crafty spider. Now I get it~. It''s so obvious now~. NOT! But after thinking over the tip for a while, I came up with a solution. Maybe you''re supposed to swing to the other side by using something like a rope? There are various hooks attached to the ceiling, so I think I''m right here. In that case, go! [Mystical Threads]! ...it isn''t going. What now? A few experiments later and I found the problem. It''s not just [Mystical Threads], all my skills that consume MP are unusable. This must be what the "no mystical power"-part of the tip was referring to. I should have noticed it right away, but I must have been too "berserk" to do so. After brooding over the matter, I decided to take a new skill. One that could be a good match with my current thread-related skills. And what I got was the skill [Spider''s Thread]. It''s the same as [Mystical Threads], except it''s SP-based and normally limited to spider races. And it doesn''t have the magic-damage effect of the [Mystical Threads]. I can take it thanks to my Arachnid Assailant class. ...thinking about it, isn''t it [Mystical Threads] that takes after [Spider''s Thread]? Or more precisely, the former skill is something made to allow any race to produce threads? Shoving away the unrelated thoughts, I started to test out my new web-based skill. I can now produce threads from my fingertips with more ease than with the [Mystical Threads]. The webbing isn''t as durable though, but it should hold..., I hope. I''m not that heavy after all. Even if I''m "top-heavy". One Tarzan swing later, and I reached the next room. THANK GOD that the thread held! But it was kinda fun... The next room is...full of electric fences. And at the other side of the room is a button-like thing that''s moving at high-speed thanks to special rails on the wall. Is there another tip here, or... >Tip: to escape the fate of having your skeleton shown, throw a sticky object to force the switch to stop. No, I know that visible skeletons are a clich in comics..., but since this is inside a game, that may happen... Okay, back to the zappy fence blocking my path. Sticking the button seems to be the way past it, but..., yeah. The [Mystical Threads] aren''t sticky enough. Or more precisely, it''s not sticky enough. The skill only produce threads for attack purpose after all, and I can''t go and touch the threads so I can use [Create Trap] on them. The threads are conductive and it''s touching the lightning fence... Alright, FINE! One more skill! Is there anything here..., got it! I''m going all spidey today. But why''s this an Attack Skill and not a Crafting Skill? Eh, whatever. I purchased the skill right away. Even if I wasn''t in the current situation, I would have taken it way before if I knew it existed. Since [Mystical Threads] didn''t provide the stickiness I wished for, I made the first [Web Bomb] outta [Spider''s Threads] instead. It formed a fine sphere, sorta like those black-colored bombs in cartoons. That may be where the designers got their idea from. After finishing the appraisal of the new skill''s effect, I threw the web bomb at the rails on the wall and waited until the switch..., yes! It got stuck! Another room cleared~. Even considering I''ve been forced to take new skills, these challenges aren''t as difficult as you would have believed. --- I stand corrected. This place''s hell. This was..., the 20th room? The 21st? In any case, I''ve solved more puzzle rooms than I can care to count. One of them even required me to use [Thread Control]! Good thing I already owned it. How else was I supposed to get the thread through the stupid eye of that ridiculous mini-needle!? In any case, it seems...I have to spend my last AP for today. Because I''m now standing in front of a bottomless floor with an electrified ceiling. The entrance to the next room is one floor below, but there''s no bridge or stuff I can use to jump across either. And don''t even suggest that I should just jump. It''s too far from here. And the Tarzan swing is impossible due to the zaps on the ceiling. Meaning I need a new trick in my book... Wow. This looks cool. But it''s limited to gliding..., but that''s just what I need right now. And it sounds so damn awesome! Why haven''t I discovered all these cool skills before today? Ignoring my grief of being so late to the party, I purchased the wing skill and tried it out. When activated, the threads I''d prepared turned into something like a jacket glider. Like flying squirrels or bats, I guess. But with webs instead of membranes or whatever. Okay, time to jump..., any second now..., it''s just a game..., oh my gosh. That''s a deep hole..., breathe, breathe...GERONIMO!! Wha-wha-wha-! Falling, I''m falling!! ...I''m flying! *Snap* Nope. I''m falling. HELP! [Spider''s Thread], help me!! ...phew. I did it. Honestly, that was scary. The wings started to come apart somewhere two-thirds over the hole. Luckily, it was just the distance I needed for my [Spider''s Thread] to reach. I crashed hard into the wall, but I survived! Yay! And I''m SO gonna evolve this wing skill. So it becomes safer and more reliable to use. Otherwise, I''ll never use that thing in the field ever again... And please don''t tell me there''ll be more rooms I require new skills to clear! I don''t have the AP for it! ...hmm? There''s just a treasure chest in this room and no other doors... Oh, now I get it. It''s the final room. Sorta forgot that this hell-house had an end there for a second. Running [Detect Trap] at full power, I cautiously closed in on the treasure chest. Neither it nor [Detect Monster] is showing any response (I still remember the Mimic from back when the Darkland Fort was a spider castle), so I guess it''s fine to open...? I honestly wanna open it. Mostly because [Detect Treasure] is more than making up for its two brothers'' lack of response here. And the chest''s big enough to hide a rhino in it. HOWEVER! I''m not an idiot. Even an idiot can see that this thing''s a big, elaborate trap. There''s no way that it''s gonna be so easy getting rich in here. So I softly, silently, and gently, got closer to the treasure chest before trying to..., it opened up without any trouble. How anti-climactic! The contents of the chest are far from boring though. Because it contains my daggers and my lucky branch! And is that gold bars? Bonafide gold bars!? And these gems..., KEYSTONES!? Those things you can get new Element skills from!? And there are two of them even! My [Identification] skill can''t get all the info behind them, but I do know what composition elements they give. Poison and Swamp. Kinda fitting considering the location. I do find the Poison attribute handy. It''s focused on status ailments after all, and it fits my ninja-ish playing style. As for the Swamp-stone..., let''s give it to Bloom. Maybe she''ll get skills that make it easier for her to travel to the swamps so she can gather materials for her witch brews? She did do that even before she got into the mess that resulted in her losing her freedom, so it isn''t that bad of an idea... Let''s ask her when I return. "You managed to reach so far on the first day. I''m impressed." Crap! This voice-! I turned around and saw the Arachne from before, hanging from the roof. She got past my detection skills AGAIN! I hurriedly got into a stance with my recently re-obtained daggers and prepared for a fight. "...what are you doing?" - Arachne Which isn''t...coming? Hmm? "...aren''t we gonna fight?" - Garami "Why would I do that? Do you know how difficult it is to keep this place clean? Not that I want to stay here." - Arachne "...isn''t the bad monster supposed to attack after they have lured the adventurer to their nest?" - Garami "I''m not doing that! And who are you calling a bad monster?!" - Arachne I silently pointed at the Arachne, who then looked like she wanted to say something, but after noticing her "monstrous" body, she refrained. "A-anyway, I just wanted to see you fail all the challenges I created while being stuck here! And how could you even clear them all!? They were designed so that only those with spider-related powers could clear them! I wanted to taunt people who couldn''t do something even a young spiderling could do!" - Arachne "One of my Sub Classes is Arachnid Assailant." - Garami "...there was something like that... Wait a sec! That class shouldn''t be possible for normal, non-arachnid people to earn!" - Arachne "I learned it in my dojo in my Dungeon." - Garami "Dojo? Now that''s said, I think that Dungeon-related dojos did have it less difficult in teaching rare and specialized... DUNGEON?!" - Arachne "Yup. I own one. Took it from its previous owner." - Garami "Now that''s impressive..." - Arachne The spider woman doesn''t look like she''s lying. And where did the hostile atmosphere go to? Well, this is fine too. "J-just asking, little missy..." said the Arachne with a way more polite tone compared to before. "How exactly does your Dungeon fare?" "...pretty well, I guess. Lots of visitors." - Garami "Ugh..., I see. Th-then what about your Dungeon itself?" - Arachne ...I think I''m catching on here. "Pretty sweet. It''s a fancy fort after all." - Garami "A fort!?" - Arachne "Quite a luxurious one as well. With several floors even, and a fan club." - Garami "Several floors!? And..., did you just say "a fan-club"?" - Arachne "Yup. They''ve made it a rule not to go past the third floor. Even when we have five of them." - Garami "F-five floors?!" - Arachne "Mhm. And there are free sweets for the monsters thanks to the recently upgraded facilities. Plus the fan club is more dangerous when it comes to protecting the Dungeon and its casino, brothel, and restaurants. So much that I think the upper-floor monsters wouldn''t have anything to do if someone set on clearing the Dungeon appeared. They would be mobbed before they cleared the 4th floor. Probably." - Garami The Arachne listened to my words with steadily growing breath. Is it just me, or are her eyes almost shining from pure excitement? "L-little missy-, I mean, your highness? Are you still looking for outside personnel for your esteemed Dungeon? Like, someone to take the place of a floor boss on the higher floors?" - Arachne "It''s possible to recruit outsiders to the Dungeon?" I asked with an innocent voice. But if I''m right... "Isn''t that obvious?! I mean, why of course you can, your highness." - Arachne Bingo. Kinda figured that out by the flow of the conversation. "Weeeeeell..., if there was someone who could teach me stuff like that-," - Garami "I can!" - Arachne "And if that someone could assist my training in the spider-related arts-" - Garami "I am a spider! With a teacher''s license!" - Arachne "But there''s still the fact that I need to find out what is bothering these swamps-" - Garami "I have info on that! Rather, those bugs are pestering me too!" - Arachne "...how much are you offering?" I asked the Arachne while trying to stop my diabolic smirk from coming out. Chapter 66: Demonic Energy & Boss Room Another day, another round of pain. Hope I''m not scheduled for that. "Hellooooo..., you''re still mad for yesterday, right?" - Garami "...*hmph*." - Bloom Yeaaaah, she''s still mad. Quick summarization, but Bloom lost it when I tried to suggest her using the Swamp Keystone. Something about "do you think I am ugly enough to be living in a swamp?!" and stuff like that. And even Nyx and Nala also rejected the thing. So do I, mostly for the same reasons. I just didn''t wanna admit it yesterday when I chose the Poison Keystone over the other one. Maybe I could sell it...? "...someone is getting close to the 5th floor," informed Bloom me while retaining the still-angry-at-you voice... "Wait, is this those guys again?" - Garami "It is as you feared," replied Bloom and showed me the visuals of the invaders... Yup. It''s those guys again. The mostly-white equipment that makes them look like paladins or whatever is not possible to mistake. They''ve constantly tried to clear the Dungeon no matter how many times they die and respawn, and that''s on top of the "friendly" warnings from the Fort''s more enthusiastic patronage. "They''re getting better by the day. Or is it their equipment?" - Garami Those weapons do look shinier than the ones from the day before. Maybe they struck a deal with some amazing blacksmith player? "At this rate, they will reach that room soon." - Bloom Ah, yes. That room. That will be...interesting. It''s gonna take a while before the show starts, so I could kill time by looking over the new additions to the Dungeon. Annnnd the subtractions as well, I guess. Specifically, I gave up the ticket system. It didn''t give as much "income" as I wanted FP-wise, and even if I get FP from adding Support Facilities, they still take up space on each floor. Which led to me giving the ghost on the tickets and rather focusing on something more profitable. The Demon monster-line exclusive Demon''s Shrine series. This line of furniture is linked to the Demon monster line. In other words, you can''t have the goods if you don''t have the demons. The common trait of the furniture of this category is that they''re all centered around something called "Demonic Energy". One half of this stuff, like the original Demon''s Shrine, produces the energy, while the other half requires it to be placed in the Dungeon. The Shrine produces 100 Energy per unit, and the special Demon''s Brothel (unlocked by having a Succubus-type among the spawned monsters) gives me 20 Energy per unit in addition to being another safe area for the invaders. I also bought the "Improved Demon''s Shrine" special effect right away to boost the Shrine-type "generators" by 10%. It''s gonna be useful in the future. I just know it. Among the stuff that consumes the Energy, we have the Demonic Tomes that give invaders a boost to their stats for a limited time, the Demon''s Rewarding Statue that gives a random item based on what you give the statue in return, and the Demon''s Vile Statue that looks the same as the Rewarding Statue, but you''re hit with a mental status ailment if you walk into the statue''s line of sight. And before I forget, I''ve also added the 6th floor. Then again, I only moved all the stuff from the previous 5th floor to the current 6th, so that part''s not that different from before. The big deal is about the current 5th floor... "The intruders have reached the Boss Room." - Bloom Guess the show''s about to start~. I jumped onto the couch with some popcorn that I''d stuffed in the item chest for an occasion like this. No worries, the corn''s still fresh. And hot. Ouch! While I was busy licking my burned fingers, the show started. The "paladins" entered the Boss Room. After entering, the paladins looked around confused. It gotta be because the scenery changed so drastically inside that room alone. If I had to describe it, the room''s sorta like an old Roman public bath. Just more classy and evil-looking. The first part is because the room looks like it could fit the emperor rather than the public. And the latter is because it''s not bathwater there. It''s poison. Furthermore, there are enough spider webs on the ceiling to cover it all. And from those webs climbed the owner of the room down. That''s right. It''s the Arachne I managed to "hire" yesterday. And now, she''s the worst thing the paladins could hope to face. Quick on the uptake, the paladins started to spread out and prepare themselves for battle. The two tanks, one with a tower shield and one with a round shield, ran to the front line while the spear user and sword user tried to circle the Arachne. The two magicians are staying behind, probably to support the warriors. "Again with that formation?" - Bloom Bloom gave a bored sigh at the sight of the paladins, probably more than tired of it after having seen it for three days straight by now. And I agree with her. No one likes a one-trick pony! I want my money back! Not that things aren''t gonna turn interesting after this. The Arachne gave one of the threads near her a small thug, and all of a sudden, the webs on the ceiling moved around as if it was alive and attached to the sword-user. Before the idiot could react, he was crushed by tons of webbing. His HP reached the red zone before his friends could react, but he busted himself out of the sticky mess by igniting the big thing. He''s a Fire element user, so he simply burned all the sticky stuff. But the second he escaped with more than "simple" burns, the Arachne appeared behind him and snuffed out the last of his HP before the magicians could release the spell they were preparing. I bet that it was supposed to be a healing spell. The magicians erased their first magic circles and prepared new ones, but before they were finished, the Arachne had already disappeared. "How did she do that?" asked Bloom in confusion. "Stealth-type skills of the Shadow element. It goes hand-in-hand with her main class: Arachnid Assassin." - Garami Bloom whistled in admiration after hearing the Arachne''s talents. Compared to the Darkness element, Shadow is even better when it comes to stealth and sneak attacks. In addition, the Arachne also owns the Water and Poison elements. Yes, she''s specialized in three out of three possible elements! And she even has 4 Advance-tier classes! Including the Arachnid Assassin class, I can see from my Dungeon menu that she also owns the Web Alchemist class, the Shadow Puppeteer class, and finally, the Poison Mistress class. And it seems like the paladins are gonna find out just how deadly the combo of that class and the elements of Poison and Water is. While the paladins tried to find where the Arachne had hidden, mostly by keeping an eye on the webs above them, one of the tanks jumped up and held his leg in agony. It was the poison from the pools. It was overflowing from the pools and reached the tank''s leg. That''s right, the poison''s so damn potent that it''s hurting him through his boots! One of the paladins tried to freeze the poison thanks to their Ice element spells, but the second after the spell was finished, the ice started to crack before breaking and melted back into poison. To explain, the increasing poison is due to the Poison abilities of the Arachne, and she''s using the Water element abilities to improve the control of the liquid poison. That''s how she broke the iced poison before. The paladins then tried their best, but..., no luck. They couldn''t find the Arachne which also meant they couldn''t stop her from flooding the room with poison. And soon after that, they were all washed-up corpses from the DoT-damage1Damage over Time.. "That was more boring than I expected." - Bloom "Hey, it''s important to keep some tricks hidden for the future." - Garami It''s not like the paladins will forget what happened in the Boss Room, so they may prepare some countermeasures if they try to challenge the Arachne again. "I guess it is true. Even if she can return to life, I do not want to see miss Miranda dying." - Bloom Ah, that was her name. It never stuck for me. And when did Bloom go all buddy with the Arachne-, er, with Miranda? As for her fears, I think Bloom has nothing to worry about. Miranda didn''t even use her shadow puppets. She barely gave me any details about them, but from the few facts I managed to squeeze out from the spider woman, they''re some damn scary dolls. And she didn''t even use the full potential of her other three classes. AND she''s still got the potential to grow stronger with time! "Maybe the next floors after Miranda should be spider-themed..." - Garami "What was that?" - Bloom "Nothing special. It''s just that when Miranda joined, I could add a new element or monster-line to the Fort." - Garami Specifically, I could take the monster line and elements that Miranda had. Meaning the Arachnid-line, and the elements of Poison and Shadow. The Water element wasn''t possible as the Fort''s sole primary element is and will always be Darkness. "So the Fort can summon spiders from now on?" - Bloom "Not yet. I got the monster-line, but I need a free element that can be assigned to the spider-line." - Garami A monster line can be used with several elements, but you can only use an element a single time. And both Darkness and Crystal are in use with the Demon-line, so I need a new one if I want to have some crawling critters in the Fort. "Are you planning on making all the floors after a boss be themed after that individual?" - Bloom "Ahahaha~. As if there would...hmm..." - Garami With some heavy stuff to think about, I gave a listless goodbye to Bloom as I left for the swamps again... I should also be looking for a gift for her. Slave/servant or not, I guess I did her bad with the whole Swamp-thing. Is there some Keystone trading store nearby? Chapter 67: The Labyrinth & Team-Up ...wow. Who''d thought it was that easy? I''m currently keeping track of some caterpillars in the Alpha-swamp. Miranda was saying that these guys were unnatural for the swamp, so I got the idea of following them could lead me to the source of the event and I was right. Seriously, this is too easy. Makes me think it''s a trap. You see, most of the monsters living in fields tend to stick to certain areas and don''t venture outside them. The verification teams, aka the paparazzi, have confirmed it. Or, that''s what Al Azif told me after I asked him for some in-depth monster knowledge. But these guys are scouting all over the swamp. Like, the whole place. I''ve wasted my whole day''s worth of playing time watching these jerks, but I''m glad I got some results for it... YES! I do have a life outside this game! Rude! Anyway, where was I? ...oh yeah. The caterpillars'' water hole after a long day of walking around the stinky swamp. A stinky labyrinth made outta swamp material and solidified caterpillar silk. I thought only spiders and silkworms could produce... I''m an idiot. Where did you think the materials for cocoons came from, you idiot girl? Back to the point, deep inside the Alpha swamp is a gigantic labyrinth-like structure. And I mean a literal labyrinth. Not a hive for caterpillar/wasp hybrids, not a test stage for lab rats, but a proper labyrinth. You know, like with the Minotaurus. Or the hedge labyrinth in, I don''t know, royal gardens, or wherever they make those things? The entrance is camouflage like an ordinary cave, but after walking somewhat into the place, you got your typical head puzzle from the kid''s menu. Most of it''s underneath a roof, but it seems to be under construction. That''s how I managed to escape. Some spider-web cords and a jump and I was out of there. And no, I wasn''t caught. My spy skills have been polished like crazy, and I bet this event''s not designed to be a post-game tier difficulty thing. But more and more caterpillars started to appear as I stalked the guides I''d been following all day, so I decided to quit and call it a day. I need to stretch my real limbs... YES! I can walk outside, social real-life angst or not! Rudest. Guys. Ever. --- It''s the day after the labyrinth discovery, and I''m currently in the "poison spa", the nickname I came up with to Miranda''s Boss Room. Why am I here? Do I need a reason to visit an utterly sexy (goddamn scary as hell) spider lady? ...yeah, you caught on. It''s no pleasure trip. "Webs left. Cut right. Wings up. Bomb behind. Threads everywhere." - Miranda There, there, there, there, and everywhere!! Yes, it''s "spider-studies"! And they''re damn hard! Why did I ever ask for this sadist spider''s teachings?! Stupid Boss Room-that-can-be-used-as-a-training-ground!! "Okay, take five." - Miranda F-f-finally..., I think I''ll just lay spread out over here like a used napkin. *Dead*. "And we''re back. Webs upside-down." - Miranda "Just five f*cking seconds!?" - Garami [Garami, can you hear me?] - Bloom Phew! Saved by the communicator. "Sorry, Bloom! It seems the signals are bad from here! I''m coming over! Miranda, we''ll continue another day. Cheese and peace!" - Garami "...she''s so running away." - Miranda La-la-la-la! I can''t hear you~! And after a successful escape, I mean, after saying goodbye to Miranda, despite how heart-saving, *cough*, despite how heartbreaking it was, I returned to my Player Room. Bloom was waiting there, hopefully with good news. "Did you get anything?" - Garami "I went to the Adventurers'' Union as you asked me to, but no one has ever heard of poisonous caterpillar monsters building labyrinth-like hives." - Bloom So much for the hopes and dreams about an easy victory. But it''s nice to know even the Union can''t see through Bloom''s disguise equipment. The Blackmarket sure knows their quality goods. "However, I did find someone who said they could help with our...infestation problem." - Bloom "Really? Who?" - Garami "That''s the thing. They wanted to meet you in person. In the Barataria Adventurers'' Union hall." - Bloom ...ah-hahahaha. Yeah, as if I''ll ever go somewhere that public. Not after the horrifying misadventure that I did to myself yesterday after I logged out. And even more so after the web-hell just now. What a joke~. --- It wasn''t a joke. "Can I take your order?" "...just water..." - Garami "As you wish~." Ugh, I hate waitresses. Or restaurants without takeaway in general. Their clothes do look fancy though. Fancier than the last time I was here. Did someone clear a "Union hall upgrade"-quest or something? Fortunately for me, this alleged info broker has scheduled a private room, so other than the waitress, there won''t be anyone staring at me. The "event" at the entrance was enough for me... "That was fast of you. The little maid didn''t tell me you were that interested." Someone entered the private room. She must be the broker. It''s a female Beastkin with fox ears being the only thing differing her from humans. She''s got black hair, amber eyes, and dressed in a red-and-black kimono that invokes an image of fire... Where have I... "*Gasp*! It has not been that long and you have already forgotten about this Aino~! *Sob, sob, sob*...*glance*" - Aino Now I remember. She''s that Weaver who introduced herself to me during the first event along with the elf that was used as bait that time and the loli-smith. Can''t say she''s the type I''m comfortable with. She''s too...lively. And the crocodile tears don''t suit her. "Sorry. You said you knew something about the swamp?" - Garami "Now, now~. Why don''t we take our time and catch up~? Have some girls'' talk~." - Aino "No." - Garami "Tch. You were such a bore back then too," replied Aino with a sour face before switching into a more professional one. "Then let''s skip the pleasantries. Is it fine if I simply call you Garami?" "Whatever." - Garami "Yes, yes. I figured that you were not bothered by those kinds of things. *Cough*, Garami? How much do you know about the Venemy Caterpillars?" - Aino "Venemy? Nothing. All I''ve seen are Veoron Caterpillars." - Garami "I suspected that. Believe it or not, the source of this infestation of caterpillars in the Alberido Alpha Swamp near this city is due to the Venemy Caterpillars, a mutated evolution of the Veoron Caterpillars." - Aino "You think so?" - Garami "Why, I do~. This new species is taking command over the well-known Veoron Caterpillars you are acquainted with and is creating chaos~! I suspect that every swamp-areas, or rather, all the areas affected by this event will have one of these mutant species as their outbreak''s source." - Aino "That seems likely, assuming your "mutant"-idea is true." - Garami "No worries there. I have studied these creatures even before the event started~. You can count on me when it comes to the Alberido Swamps~." - Aino "...why? Didn''t you say you were going to that fire country? Why''re you in the darkness region?" - Garami The two regions are close by, but that doesn''t mean it''s a quick trip between them both. That this fox has been using a lot of time to study the swamps is another suspicious thing. There''s no need for her to do that if her end-game is setting up shop in a different region. "That''s simple~. I found a sweet quest and decided to follow it above my original goals~." - Aino "...just like that?" - Garami "Just like that~. The reward even includes a Keystone for a certain Darkness-related element, so there is no reason not to take it." - Aino "...and said quest is related to the swamps?" - Garami "Co~rrect~! I would love to talk more about it with you, but before that, I have a proposal." - Aino "I''m not going up to some alter if that''s in your mind." - Garami In-game marriage is possible after all. There are even some guys who''ve struck gold with some NPCs or have married to match their real-life status. "It''s nothing like that~. What I want to ask you is this: Garami. Do you want to form a guild with me?" - Aino "...a guild?" - Garami Guilds are a thing in this game. You gather some friends, clear a special quest to gain a key item known as "Guild Certification", then register two-or-more players, and voila. You have your guild. It''s comparable to "clans" or whatever from other games, I guess. It''s not a big secret or anything, as guilds have popped up at a hasty pace after the first event. And as some added info, the Adventurers'' Union is different from a guild. Anyone can use the Union''s services while a guild is restricted to a certain group. Well, technically, anyone can join a guild and there are no limitations to how many members can join, but still. "Yes, a guild~. Specifically, one with Garami as the guild master~." - Aino "Thanks, but no thanks." - Garami The guild master is the guy running the whole guild. It''s a job that comes with the pain called "lots of social interactions". Even if I''m more durable against that kinda terror due to that we''re in a game world and not reality, I''ve got my limits. "Don''t be such a killjoy~. Most of the inner workings will be done by me. You just need to act cute..., is maybe not your style, I guess. To say it simply, all you need to do is to attract trouble, and we''re golden." - Aino "Are you trying to be rude?" - Garami "By good heavens, no. What I am trying to say is that you have a knack for entering "interesting" situations. I figured if you were leading a guild, that would extend to the rest of us." - Aino "Meaning, me being the guild master would lead to more exciting gameplay? Is that what you think?" - Garami "That is the gist of it, yes. Besides, you are the owner of your very own Dungeon. Having you as some common member would be like an insult, no?" - Aino I guess there''s that too. "...is me having a Dungeon related to that quest of yours?" - Garami "Hmm, you could say so? But only in an indirect manner. What I require is several medical herbs of rare nature. If Garami''s Dungeon could assist me in gathering them, then it would save me countless hours of searching in the swamps." - Aino "If it''s swamp-related plants, sorry. None of my subordinates in the Dungeon is even an iota interested in the Swamp Keystone. The idea of giving it a swamp-theme would make them wanna strangle me, I bet." - Garami "Oh my. Alas, I can see why they have such a reaction. If my idea of you is correct, I believe that your Dungeon is filled with cute ladies like the little maid from before, correct?" - Aino "Only the servants. The tamed demons being female was just a coincidence." - Garami "Hm-hm-hm~. As I figured, you have quite the karma to attracting interesting events." - Aino Don''t patronize me. "However, what we want to discuss is not about my quest, is it not? Of course, there is no need for you to answer my proposal regarding the guild. Let us work together to liberate the Alberido Alpha Swamp from the Venemy Caterpillars, then we can come back to that talk." - Aino Working together, huh... It could be beneficial for both of us if she has the info needed to bypass that labyrinth. Not to mention if she knows the weakness of those Venemy-things or where they came from. Still...should I? Hmm... "One question. What should we do about the rewards?" - Garami "I would say we split it evenly? And since Garami is the stronger one of us, how about you being the first one to choose?" - Aino "And if we can''t share it?" - Garami "Then I would gladly pay you with something of equal value~. And of course, the same could be said if Garami wishes for the reward~." - Aino "...fine. We''ll work together. For now." - Garami "Yes~. Pleased to work with you~." - Aino The fox lady offered a handshake, which I accepted. Guess we''re tag-teaming it now..., how long has it been since I had contact with another player (real-life human) in this manner? Gosh, that''s saying a lot about me...*sulk*. Chapter 68: Color Factions & the 4 Books of Magic "Soooo cuuuute~~!" - Aino ".........*silently suffering*." - Bloom Letting these two meet may have been a mistake. For Bloom''s case, anyway. We''re currently in my Player Room after I gave Aino a "visitor invitation" to let her in. The first thing she said after entering was "wow, dark!". My place is sorta dark-ish, I agree. Most of my furniture got "dark" in its name even. The second thing she said? Look above. "...could you stop sexually harassing my servant until you tell us what you have on that swamp?" - Garami "Boo~!" replied Aino with a disgruntled face, but she did leave Bloom alone. I told her that she could take the rest of the day off and saw her flee into the "Servants'' Home" area. "Now, what''s your big plan regarding those bugs?" I asked the fox-girl. "Burn ''em." - Aino "...huh?" - Garami "I said we''ll burn the lair of those caterpillars down." - Aino "...and how do you propose we do that?" I asked while rubbing my head. Damn sudden headache. "And how''re you sure that''s needed to get rid of this infestation?" "Have you heard about the Vile Queen that appeared in a village near the port town we met?" - Aino "...a little." - Garami Is she talking about the Queen that supposedly appeared in that goblin cave in the forest where I first met Nyx? "A fire happened in the cave the Queen used as her lair and killed her. So I thought about recreating that event." - Aino "Impossible. Forget about it." - Garami "That didn''t take long." - Aino "The event you talked about was possible because the full force of the Union in that village was behind the attack. The swamp has this natural defense system called "it''s goddamn poison!!" that prevents normal people from entering it, and there are few ways to enter even for the abnormal guys." - Garami "That is no problem. Do you remember about the medical herbs I requested earlier? Half of the reason why I requested them is that I need them for the quest I mentioned before, but the other half is related to clearing out the Venemy Caterpillars." - Aino "You''re gonna heal them to death or something? Pesticides would be better." - Garami "Not in that manner! You see, in one of the teaching books related to the Weaver class-" - Aino "The class you have?" - Garami "Yes, my main class. One of those books explained methods about how to alter the silk spun by the likes of silkworms and spiders. One of the methods is related to altering the diet of the silk-spinners to turn the silk they produce less flammable, or, like in our case-" - Aino "The other way around." - Garami "Correct~! We will spread drugged bait with that specific medicine. Normal poison will probably not work on insects that are so closely tied to the Poison element, but medicine-" - Aino "Sorry, but that won''t work." - Garami "Eeeh~?! Why not?" - Aino "If you''re thinking the caterpillar''s nest is just a bunch of silk, then you''re sorely mistaken. That place''s mostly made outta mud collected from the swamp. You can''t make it a fire hazard just by feeding some random bugs with drugged bait." - Garami "...w-wait just a sec! I-I''ll think of something..." - Aino So much for that brilliant plan. "...hey, maybe it could work." - Garami "H-how so? We''re still burning the hive?" - Aino "Forget your pyromaniac ideas for just a sec, okay? The part about using bait''s not bad, but we have to give up turning that place into an oven. Instead, we''ll try to give those things the worst stomachache in their short lives." - Garami Aino tilted her head to my declaration. Just watch and learn~. --- "Yes, we will handle your order as soon as possible," replied the receptionist-ish girl of the Blackmarket. "As for the payment..." "Will goods work?" I asked, showing her an example of my bartering offer. A sword that was dropped by some random adventurer who died in the Fort. "...yes, items of this quality should be a fair offer. Please return by tomorrow with the payment," replied the receptionist, purposely not asking where I''d gotten this thing. After we left the mansion of that perverted gentleman (who luckily wasn''t here today), Aino and I went to the port for a quick break. "You were calling me a pyromaniac, yet..." - Aino "It gets the job done. Can''t say if our Karma Value will survive, but that''s what you get for working with those guys." - Garami I took a bite of one of the apples that Aino had bought on our way here and enjoyed the view of the sea. Hmm, wonder if I could make Nala do some deep-sea searching for rare items... "But to think the "Demon Princess" is part of the Black faction. I''d believed you were part of the Purple one," said the fox girl all of a sudden. "Don''t call me by that nickname. And what''s this talk about factions?" - Garami "You didn''t know? Each country has a certain faction that is related to a color, which again is related to one of the primary elements." - Aino "Hmm, didn''t know. And Blackmarket''s the local specialty of Umbral?" - Garami "No, the Blackmarket is, from what I''ve heard, linked to the Chaos element. The group of the Umbral country is called the Purple Cult." - Aino Cult... They don''t sound like the type of people I wanna be affiliated with. "And they''re the guys who gave you that Keystone-rewarding quest?" - Garami "How did you know?" - Aino "If Blackmarket''s a faction related to Chaos, the element said to be represented by the negative Karma Value, then working with the faction related to Darkness'' the most likely way to gain dark powers. Like a new composition element related to it." - Garami "And you connected those pieces of information on the spur of the moment!?" - Aino "It''s not such a big deal. And these self-proclaimed fanatics, are they safe to work with?" - Garami "I''d say so, yes. They call themselves a cult, but it''s mostly made of demons who are worshipped instead of the people worshipping them." - Aino ...that''s right. This is the country of demons. Kinda forgot about it. "...which means that getting on a faction''s good side will award you with new elements. Guess I know what the next fad after "Dungeon-Hunting"''s gonna be." - Garami "And like with the current fad, you''re already on a good way with the future one." - Aino "You serious? Do you know how big of a cheapskate those guys in the Blackmarket can be? I''d be broke if I wanted a Chaos-related composition element from those guys." - Garami "Hmm, that''s true. Then are you planning on kissing up to the cult-people?" - Aino "Who''d do anything like that? And do you have some bad blood with those guys?" - Garami She suddenly referred to working with them as "kissing up" to them. What''s up with that? "I don''t think you would blame me if you ever met them yourself. They''re so goddamn arrogant for a bunch of NPCs." - Aino "...ah, now I get it. You''re misunderstanding something." - Garami "What?" - Aino "The "NPC" of this game isn''t like what you''re probably used to from former games. These guys are Terra Sol AS'' newest self-sufficient AI-type programs or whatever they called them. They said so on their web page." - Garami "...self-sufficient AI-type programs?" - Aino "Yeah. While their access is most likely limited to this game world, these guys act and learn just like normal people. They''re not pre-programmed to do stuff according to a scenario written for this game. These guys'' actions, along with ours, are what''s writing the scenario of this game." - Garami "..." - Aino "Well, some guys with a sufficient backstory may be dropped in for events like this sometimes. Anyway, what I''m trying to say is that you shouldn''t just dismiss them as some "programs". We''re the "Migrants" here, and they''re the "inhabitants". You think some no-name could come and act like they owned the world and expect that society would bend according to their needs?" - Garami "...I guess...not..." - Aino "Yup. Those cult guys must either be just some arrogant jerks like you suspect, or they could be some really important guys in this country of demons. In any case, going around and expecting that everything will go your way''s not gonna help you." - Garami "...yeah, I get that now. Who''d thought an MMORPG would double as a real-life simulator?" - Aino "Good question." - Garami We went silent after that, just watching over the sea. Then something caught my eye. A magician was fighting some sea..., maybe not a "sea monster" like a Kraken or whatever, but a monster that came out from the sea. The mage used something like a spell and captured the monster with a sphere made from seawater. "That''s one nasty spell. Water Mages are practically invincible here." - Garami "Water Mage? Isn''t that one a Hydromancer?" - Aino "Huh? They used a water spell, so wouldn''t they be a Water Mage?" - Garami "Water-type spells cannot affect seawater, so that spell must be of the Ocean element." - Aino "People''s already found that component element? That was fast." - Garami "No, I think it''s more likely that person has the Hydromancer class from the Book of Arts." - Aino "Book of what-now?" - Garami "The Book of Arts. You know, one of the four books that the magician-line classes are a part of." - Aino ".........?" - Garami "Oh, is it that you don''t have any magician-line classes?" - Aino "I got one...self-taught at the library here." - Garami "Oh, then it''s no wonder. Let me start from the beginning: "All magician-line classes, outside the Magician beginner-tier class itself, is written in one of four magical tomes. These are the Book of Worlds, the Book of Arts, the Book of Traditions, and the Book of Creatures. "The Book of Worlds refers to the magician classes that command specific elements of the world. Water Mage, as you mentioned before is a great example of that. The downside with this Book is that the magics are focused on an attribute and not a purpose, so it''s not fitting for someone who wishes to be an attack-type mage or a healing-type mage. "The Book of Arts, on the other hand, is perfect for those people. The magics recorded in this Book and its related magician classes focus on specific actions such as healing, supporting, attacking, and so on. I''ve even heard rumors about a Sword Magus class that uses sword-related spells. "Then we have the Book of Traditions. Unlike the two first Books, this Book does not use magic in the "normal" way. These classes use unique ways of spell-casting that are outright weird when compared to the former two Books. Most of the support skills for normal magic would not work with these spells. I think classes like Spectermancer, a weaker necromancer-ish class, and the Druid class are part of this Book. "And finally is the Book of Creatures. It''s quite simple to understand. It is the Book related to summonings, taming of creatures, and commanding them. It''s essentially a magician''s answer to a Tamer-type class, even when most of them''s likely to be written about in this Book. "And these are the four Books of Magics. What class you can use depends on your inborn talent to understand and clear the quests related to these four Books, but it''s average to have talent in at most 2 Books, or at least 1." - Aino "...guess I''m good with the Book of Creatures." - Garami "Oh~? Then the Demon Princess can summon proper demons~. That explains the rumors." - Aino "Shut up with that nickname. And yes, I got the Demon Caller class. What about you?" - Garami "Me?" - Aino "Yes, you. You''re not gonna tell me that you don''t have a magician-line class or two while having such in-depth knowledge about them, do you?" - Garami "Busted~. I have two of them, the Pyromancer class from the Book of Arts and the Shaman class from the Book of Traditions." - Aino "Another -mancer class... What''s so different with them?" - Garami "Pyromancer is a class that relies on spells that inflict the Burn status ailment. It can be from any element from the Fire element to the cursed burn-wounds from the Curse element. Not that I''ve had the chance to learn those advanced spells yet...te-hee~." - Aino ...should I tell her she''s too old to act like that? Too old visually, at least. "And Hydromancer?" - Garami "I think that is related to the Drowning status ailment." - Aino So, the thing related to when you can''t breathe and a gauge appears that tells how long you have until your character die? That''s nasty!! Aino continued talking about the different types of magic (she must enjoy having someone to teach) before moving over to talking about weaving and fashion and other stuff before it got too late and she logged off. Tomorrow I need to gather that special "bait" from the Blackmarket and prepare for the raid on the caterpillar nest... Still, factions... Maybe those guys are related to that. Chapter 69: Good Night & Infiltration Greydra There was a "small" mistake in chapter 59. Nyla and Nyx were supposed to obtain new Sub Classes, but I wrote about their Main Classes. It''s fixed now, so you can take a look if you want to. "Seems like things went well." - Garami "That''s the understatement of the year." - Aino Loud noises could be heard from inside the labyrinth. Aino and I could hear them even when we were 10 meters away from the entrance. Yesterday, I retrieved the order I''d asked the Blackmarket for. It''s a certain something that''s called "the strongest older brother of the chamomile tea" by the locals. It''s a special herb that could be found in the swamp, and a single teaspoon of it can K.O. one of the demonic bulls in the plains between Nyx''s home forest and the port town. After getting the stuff early yesterday, I had Bloom spike the bait Aino had prepared with the stuff before we logged out and returned in the evening when the "sleep bait" was finished. Then we had a girl''s night out (in the swamp) and spread the bait across the caterpillars'' patrol routes. The result: a labyrinth filled with snoring bugs. "That tea is awesome. I wish I could bring some back home." - Aino "In reality? Don''t think someone could buy this stuff even if it existed over there. It''s even categorized as a harmful herb." - Garami "Damn, that''s one killer sleeping medicine." - Aino "Killer''s the word for it," is what I said as we snuck through some sleeping caterpillars by the entrance. Did Bloom overdo the dosage? Better with too much than too little. "Hey, couldn''t we take with us the little witch?" - Aino "I told you before, she''s no good in the field. It''d be a catastrophe if she died. Can''t resurrect, remember?" - Garami That''s right. It''s only me and Aino who are stepping over the sleeping caterpillars as we proceed deeper into the labyrinth. Bloom did her thing by prepping the bait and helping us spread it around the swamp. No need to take unnecessary risks and bring her with us. Besides, Aino''s the one who''s the party leader this time around. Her LP lets her take 2 equally ranked beings into her party, but with me taking a slot, there''s only enough LP left to recruit one more member. And that''s reserved for either Nala or Nyx who I can summon in case things goes crazy. I can summon the other one with the free slot provided by the [Demon Taming] skill. Also, Bloom''s skill set has gone far from what you would call a "combat build" since I "hired" her. Skill List: Title List: Her stats are something like this now. She''s gotten quite the power-up since the first time I met her, but her skill growth rate is lower compared to Nyx or Nala. Well, those two have become training junkies lately. The two new classes Bloom has are strictly non-combatant type classes. Apothecary is, as one can guess, a potion-making class. It gave the [Create Potion] skill. [Mixing] can be used to make potions too, but the proper Create-skill gives bonus correction to the created cocktails. To say it simply, the drink''s become more useful. It does look at the first glance that the new class sorta overlaps with Witch Apprentice, but Apprentice is a class to create magical mixtures, or in another way, it''s all about making magic in liquid form. Apothecary works more in the direction of making medicine based on the natural properties of the materials. And the "Crime Caster" class? All RP. The skill [Forbidden Magic Arts] is just a way to unlock new events. You need the [Criminal] title to get it, and that''s limited to the inhabitants. I bet there are some quests where you gotta escort such a Caster if you want to advance a quest or something. Guess I don''t need to find those guys anymore. "Ehh, Garami? That guy doesn''t seem sleepy. Or friendly either." - Aino While I was busy going over Bloom''s build in my head, we''d reached a point in the labyrinth where we started to find stronger caterpillars. Some of them are even evolved. These guys look like a bigger version of the black caterpillars, except these guys are blood-red. And it seems that their evolution gave them more than just a fresh look. Going by that this guy is still awake, even if a little groggy, I''d say the evolution gave them some resistance to the sleeping drug. "It''s just one. Prepare something hot to serve that guy. Summon, Nala!" - Garami I ordered Aino while summoning Nala to the frontline. Since the last time we fought together, Nala had equipped herself with six spears, leaving only two tentacles free. Nala moved to block a spit-globe of something purple and disgusting that the caterpillar hurled at us. Don''t ask from where. Nala moved one of her free tentacles and produced a shield of water that blocked the gunk. "What was that?" - Aino "Some Defense Art. Water-type." - Garami "Oh, from the Protector-line? Cool." - Aino Aino and I did some small-talk while we went into position. We have a special plan that we came up with yesterday. Meanwhile, Nala kept the caterpillar at bay with her water shields and spears. Sometimes, the shield changed shape to adapt to the attacks of the caterpillar. It''s not an automatic function. It''s all Nala''s handiwork, and she does it so skillfully that she takes close to no damage. I think she could have blocked all the damage, but since I know about that specific skill that Nala has..., I think she''s failing on purpose. But our honorable tank won''t be able to keep it up any longer. After I circled the caterpillar, I started throwing some [Web Bombs] on the beast and covered most of its back with webbing. That was Aino''s cue to release the Fire-based pyromaniac-spell of hers, which hit the big and slow caterpillar head-on. The webbing caught fire and turned the big bug into a nasty bonfire. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 1. You have reached Lv.42. You have obtained 0.6 Aether Points. "Hey, I leveled up~." - Aino "Me too," I said while giving Nala the sign to extinguish the fire. We were in a hurry, so I decided not to dismantle the corpse. Even if the other caterpillars didn''t wake up from the noise of the fight, it''s better not to drag our feet here. While we fled the scene, I decided to take a look at Nala''s stats: Skill List: Title List: Sweet. She''s also gone up a level. That''s one full recovery for the strange octo-squid creature. Regarding Nala''s new tricks, she unlocked the [Spear Proficiency] skill after I gave her that skill book. Then she went straight on to getting the Spear Soldier class, which gave her the [Spear Arts] skill. "...hey, you think Warrior-line classes are separated like Magician-line classes?" - Garami "I don''t know. What gives?" - Aino "I mean, two of Nala''s classes are focused on defense and tanking attacks, while her Spear Soldier class is all about attacking." - Garami "Hmm, maybe? But why''re you asking me, the girl who''s 100% not-a-warrior?" - Aino "Because I''m in the same category." - Garami "I hope not. My Karma Value''s gone down too much for my taste with this strategy. I may end up being locked out from future events!" - Aino "Kukuku. Come over to the dark side. We got cookies." - Garami "If there are cute maid-witches and a registration form for a guild, then I''m in." - Aino "...I''ll come back to you." - Garami Damn, that fox''s slippery. How''s she not become the lady of some crime ring already? ...that would be kinda cool. I gotta write that down. But, to be honest, Aino''s not such a bad girl to hang out with. As in, she''s capable of getting even an anti-social wreck like me to do small-talk. That''s goddamn impressive of her. But I''m not making a guild with her. And here''s our problem numero dos. A duo of caterpillars is guarding a suspiciously huge and fancy door inside this otherwise hive-looking labyrinth. And they don''t seem drowsy at all. The first guy was wobbly from the sleep drug, but fighting two at the same time when they''re in prime shape is a different story. If we make too much noise, we may wake up the sleeping bugs. "So...web-barbeque again?" - Aino "No, I got a better idea. Summoning Nyx." - Garami Nyx the living shadow (visually) emerged from the magic circle and saluted. Aww, who''s the cute little diabolic critter of darkness? You are, yes, you are~! "Go and "convince" those guys to take the day off," I told her while pointing at the guard caterpillars. Nyx climbed up the wall, to the ceiling, went behind the bugs, and did her magic. "Hey, you think that little girl could just magically whisper...why''re the bugs being whispered away?" - Aino "Nyx''s class: Eldritch Chanter." - Garami "...you know the Eldritch-type classes are infamous for giving bad evolutions..., rumored among the inhabitants, yes, but still." - Aino "We kinda crossed that bridge when Nyx got the Demon Predator class." - Garami "...oooh. She''s got a bad-enough future that you don''t care anymore...yeah, I get it now. Wow, that girl''s going to be scary in the future..." - Aino "Whatever you do, don''t ask what Nyx whispered to those guys, or what happened to them." - Garami "Got it. Roger that, ma''am. Oki-doki." - Aino Sweet. And since there are no other bugs in our path to the (potential) boss-room, it''s time to get down and dirty. ...actually, cross that. I don''t wanna be dirty in this place. Not in the poisoned swamp Haunt. No, sir. Let''s do that to the boss instead. CHARGE!! --- Skill List: Title List: Chapter 70: Vile Remains & Paplioterror Nyx and Nala pushed open the doors for Aino and me as we entered...what is this room? "Is this some laboratory?" - Aino "If I had to guess...that''d be my guess." - Garami We''re not joking here. We went from a caterpillar hive into what looks like a sci-fi lab. The walls, floor, and ceiling are made of some metal-like material, there''s electrical light, and a whole slew of different gadgets that are way above the technology level of the medieval-themed game world outside the swamp. The only difference between this place and the high-tech labs in sci-fi stories is that this place isn''t colored in sterile white, but fear-inducing black. Plus there are lots of "red marks" all over the place. And please don''t make me mention those flesh-colored lumps here and there. I''m doing my best to ignore them... "Wh-why did we step into a horror game all of a sudden?" asked Aino while trying to keep her voice from cracking. She failed. "......let''s take a look." - Garami "Eeeehh!?" - Aino "There should have been a boss here." - Garami "Boss...oh. Yeah, the setting did feel like it was leading to a boss fight," replied Aino after thinking over it for a while. We started to look through the mountain of junk in search of something like a self-destruct button, some kinda clue for why the caterpillars were here, or anything helpful at all. And forcing ourselves not to look at Nyx and Nala as they gobbled up the unspeakable lumps on the floor. I could order them not to, but..., I honestly don''t wanna acknowledge those things at all. I flipped through some files that I found, but they''re in a language that I can''t understand. The skill level of [Lingusitics] doesn''t seem to be the problem, ''cause that would turn the text all fuzzy like when old TVs get a bad signal. "...maybe this place''s from another world?" - Aino "Hmm?" - Garami "No, it''s just a rumor, but... I think we may have stumbled over solid proof that a Vile Queen is living here." - Aino "A Vile Queen?" I asked as I turned to Aino who was messing with some gizmos. "Remember when I talked about following the White Order and that they were hunting Vile Queens? I managed to snap up some info on the royal majesties as well. Turns out that they''re not of this world, the Vile Queens." - Aino "So, the setting for the Vile Queens are "queens from different worlds"?" - Garami "Something like that. I overheard some White Order members, high-ranking guys even, mentioning stuff like "pocket dimensions" and "encroachment"." - Aino "...that does sound familiar." - Garami Before I conquered the Darkland Fort, the place looked like it was half a dark fantasy castle, half a modern office building that had been exposed to the Apocalypse. The research notes back then did say that they were trying to leach off the energy from a different world... "Wow, that sounds just like the rumors!" said Aino after I gave her a brief description of the former Darkland Fort. "Just that her majesty was dragged into this world instead of her invading it." "I''m believing in that too. But there are some differences compared to the rumors. I managed to remove "bugs" that were responsible for the half-assed encroachment or whatever, but that turned the Dungeon into a proper castle. If the Queen was dragged into this world, wouldn''t the castle turn into the modern building instead?" - Garami "Maybe it was the opposite? The researchers tried to drag the Queen to their modern world, but instead, they were pulled to the Queen''s world?" - Aino Which means...that Vile Queen I fought with that armor-demon was a Vile Queen that originated in this world? That''s...not something I can deny. We know too little about these Queens from the very beginning. Making speculations around them in our current state is a waste of time. After closing the talk, we continued searching through the junk, but to no luck. Until... *Click* "Garami!" - Aino "I didn''t push any red button!" - Garami I''m serious! For real! The big, red button with a bug pictured on it pushed itself! I''m innocent!! .........okay, so I pushed the stupid thing, so what? And while I was so unjustly interrogated by the gaze of the fox-woman and the two demons (who should have been on my side, dammit!!), the ceiling started to open. From the darkness inside the hole opened there, we could hear the sound of fluttering wings. BIG wings. ...maybe I messed up? SYSTEM MESSAGE: BOSS BATTLE! Name: [Paplioterror Guard]. | Level: 20/D. | Rank: Party. No, I didn''t! I found the hidden boss for us, so it all worked out! No problem! "A butterfly!?" - Aino Yup. As some may guess from the name (and the fact that this hive is one for caterpillars), the enemy is a butterfly-type monster. A gigantic one the size of a truck. Rather, it seems like it could grab a truck and fly off with it. Its body is mostly purple and black, a combination I could get by. But what catches my attention are the patterns on its wings. Are those...eyes? "-! Spread out!" - Garami I gave an impulsive order to Aino and the demons, who hurriedly went for cover behind the heaps of trash/equipment. Just in time as the eye patterns glowed venomously green and releases something like a death ray! "This thing, it got Evil Eyes on its wings!" - Garami I recognized the skill the butterfly used just now since I also got an Evil Eye. Even if I''ve been focusing on honing my web-related skills, I still remember that one. I''ve even got plans to upgrade said skill at a later date. "I know it looks evil, but what do eyes have to do with this!?" - Aino "...Aino, you never read stuff like dark fantasy?" - Garami "No way! Those are too freaky-, here it comes!" - Aino The Evil Eye butterfly flew down from the ceiling, cutting our conversation short in the process, and crashed into one of the heaps of trash. Luckily, it wasn''t where Aino or I hid. The bad news is that it was Nala''s place. As the butterfly crashed into the squid, Nala tried to keep herself from being pushed back by stretching her tentacles towards the heavy equipment in the room. Unfortunately, it wasn''t enough. The butterfly didn''t stop, but Nala didn''t let go of the equipment. The result: all that heavy stuff came crashing into the butterfly''s back. "Wow! Unexpected bonus damage~." - Aino True. The stuff that crashed into the butterfly included various blades like scalpels, and they''re stuck in the butterfly''s back even now. "Aino, plan W-B." - Garami "Oki-doki~!" - Aino Watching Nala and the butterfly''s semi-wrestling match gave me enough time to calm down and start planning the latter''s demise. Aino went into position while making sure not to attract the butterfly''s attention. Meanwhile, Nyx jumped at the butterfly''s back and started to twist the knife (not the actual scalpels) in the butterfly''s back with some martial arts-related battle arts that I don''t know the name of. It looks like she punched the bug''s back three times in one strike. In addition, she was using [Dark Claw] to further gouge into the wounds. The butterfly tried to go into the air, but Nala stabbed one of its wings with her spear. She got damn long reach with those things thanks to her tentacles. And if that wasn''t enough, I noticed that Nala kept on spamming [Taunting] to force the butterfly to keep its attention on herself. Good job, but will her HP hold out? I better start looking into recovery measures soon. While the two demons were fighting on the front line, I started to web the boss'' wings with my web bombs and normal threads. I made sure only to aim at the wings so that I wouldn''t hit Nyx. Nala noticed what I was doing so she stopped attacking the wings and focused on defending herself with her Defense Arts. After a while, the butterfly collapsed on the floor due to its wings being useless with all that webbing. Nala crawled (or whatever she''s doing) away before she got body-slammed and Nyx jumped away before the impact. "It''s all yours!" - Garami "Leave it to me~! Pyroball!" - Aino Aino came out from her hiding place and released a huge, crimson fireball at the butterfly. A spell from the Pyromancer class! The second the fireball hit the butterfly it got torched. I did cover it with highly flammable threads... "...this is more than we expected." - Aino You can say that again. Plan "Web-Burner" turned out to be too good. People would burn us for using this kinda over-excessive firepower. But the butterfly didn''t die from that. After my webbing turned to ash, the butterfly shook off the remaining flames and turned its ugly (yet somewhat cartoonish) face toward us. It spread its wings again, most likely to try another "Evil Eye-beam" from the markings on its wings. HOWEVER! That''s futile! Futile, futile, futile! That''s because its wings were burned off by the fire! Mwa-hahahaha! "Body Part destruction" is a thing in this game! I mean, getting your neck cut is enough to empty your HP-gauge no matter how large it is. This game''s developers are too focused on "realism". The butterfly tried to rise to the air, but as I mentioned before, its wings were burned off to the root. They must have been as flammable as my webbing. Seeing as it couldn''t fly, the butterfly tried to tackle us, but it is too slow on its feet to get any speed behind its charge. We just need to sidestep to dodge it, not that we wouldn''t need to. We''re not gonna lose any HP from such a slow charge. Heck, I''d be impressed if it could even scratch the HP-gauge''s paint. ...now that I think about it, isn''t this thing harmless without its wings? It can''t fly, the beam''s no good, and it doesn''t seem to have any other attack methods... "...*sweat*." - Paplioterror Guard "...leave this to me," I told Aino and the two demons while drawing my two deadly daggers as I walked toward the grounded butterfly who was covered in a cold sweat already. Pal, a little hint. If you''re losing SAN points just from this, you won''t last till the end~. --- WORLD MESSAGE: The Event Haunt: [Alberido Alpha Swamp] has been cleared!! Calculating scores... Rank: A has been achieved!! Information regarding the other "Alberido Swamp"-Haunts has been unlocked in the Adventurers'' Union. SYSTEM MESSAGE: The Event Haunt: [Alberido Alpha Swamp] has been cleared!! Rewards for clearing an Event Haunt will be gifted: You have acquired 5.0 Aether Points. Your tamed creatures/servants have been granted 3.0 Aether Points. Rewards for clearing the [Alberido Alpha Swamp] Event Haunt: A special reward will be granted when logging in after the event period. Stay tuned. Extra reward for clearing the Event Haunt at rank A: You have acquired 10.0 Aether Points. Your tamed creatures/servants have been granted 5.0 Aether Points. You can choose a special skill to be obtained for you (or your monsters/servants) after the event period. A special Dungeon-owner-related reward has been granted: A special preview of a Dungeon-related game update. "What was my time?" - Garami "Around 40 minutes." - Aino "Tch. That long?" - Garami It took some time, but since the wounds inflicted by my Helheim dagger couldn''t be healed by normal means, and then we have the Pandemonium dagger that dishes out nasty status ailments. With enough time (and the opponent not being able to fight back), I bet I could defeat even a god with these babies! "...can we start shouting in happiness for the big reward?" - Garami "No way. That would be below us as proper ladies." - Aino Aw, come on!! I''ve barely got any girliness to my name! "It''s a total of 15 AP to me alone! Why can''t I shout out in happiness!?" - Garami "...15? I obtained 20." - Aino "WHAT?! ...oh. Maybe I got less because Nyx and the others got some too." - Garami Damn, do we tamers/summoners/masters have to live with lower AP-rewards from now on? Tch. Blasted developers and their foresight. Now I can''t amass a demon army with the same strength as me. "I wonder what we will be given after the event." - Aino "Cross that bridge when you get there. Now, let''s leave. I don''t wanna stay here when the place blows up." - Garami "...blows up?" - Aino "Ain''t that what happens to all the evil hideouts?" - Garami "Phew. I thought you had pushed another button." - Aino How rude! In any case, I''m taking all this trash with me before we leave. It may give me a penny with the Blackmarket. The stuff from the old Darkland Fort sure did. Also, I want to see this "preview"-thing. It seems to be some notification with info that I can access from my system menu. Let''s see............ "Wh-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" - Garami Chapter 71: Official Bulletin Board 7 [Haunted Haunt Hunt]-Resolution Thread @1 1: Management: This is the final thread for the 2nd official event: [Haunted Haunt Hunt]. Please use it as a general chat thread regarding the event. Please refer to the separated threads if you want to discuss the different Haunts that were part of the event. [Volcanic Resort] is here. [Coral Sea] is here. [Indra Skylands] is here. [Anima Plains] is here. [Mirror Wonderland] is here. [Alberido Swamp] is here. [Pelira Glaciar] is here. [Wartorn Ruins] is here. [Golhoney Forest] is here. [Feariff Haunted Mansion] is here. 2: Unknown Haunt Hunter Good work! 3: Unknown Haunt Hunter Goddammit!! 4: Unknown Haunt Hunter Finally done... ... 666: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->659 Your place got crushed? 667: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->666 You''re slow. That''s a big thing already even in-game and for the NP..., for the inhabitants. 668: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->666 LOL 669: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->667 Explain. 670: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->667 WE WANT THE STORY!! 671: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->666 If people don''t clear the various parts of the mega-haunts, a Vile Queen will be revived and crush the nearby area. The strength of the Queen is based on how many unconquered Haunts remain, but even 1 Haunt over the clear ratio is enough to make her majesty impossible to beat. 672: Unknown Haunt Hunter That explains the huge queen bee that emerged from the forest... 673: Unknown Haunt Hunter Read the threads for the different Haunts if you wanna know what happened. 674: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->672 Try the gigantic wyrm-queen that emerged from the volcano in the iceberg... 675: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->673 Thanks. I''ll do that. 676: Unknown Haunt Hunter 672 & 674!! What happened to you guys!? ... [Haunted Haunt Hunt] - Alberido Swamp Thread @35 1: Management This is the official thread dedicated to the raiders of the Alberido Swamp Haunts in the 2nd official NFO-event: [Hunted Haunt Hunt.] Do note that trolls will be hunted down. ... 477: Unknown Haunt Hunter Anyone got any more hiiiiints to share~? 478: Unknown Haunt Hunter Stop trying to act cute. 479: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->477 We got a lazybutt here who''s asking the Princess for more help. 480: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->477 Get to work. 481: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->479 Think that was the Princess'' right-hand woman who said that. 482: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->479 Nah, that was the Princess'' female attendant. 483: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->479 No, the Princess'' female toy said that. 484: Unknown Haunt Hunter Hey, the last one was sorta weird! 485: Unknown Haunt Hunter STOP! 486: Unknown Haunt Hunter Phew. I stopped posting because I was afraid I was the only one who noticed. 487: Unknown Haunt Hunter No way the Princess would take a boyfriend, or in this case, a girlfriend. Hahahahahahaha...ha...ha... 488: Aino Ehh~? Is someone talking about me~? 489: Unknown Haunt Hunter There she is! The Princess'' company for the night!! 490: Unknown Haunt Hunter Give us all the juicy details!! 491: Management You guys are forgetting what this thread is about. 492: Garami What he said. 493: Unknown Haunt Hunter Who cares about some stupid Haunts!!! 494: Unknown Haunt Hunter Anything related to the Princess is worth more than national secrets!! 495: Unknown Haunt Hunter ...hmm? 496: Unknown Haunt Hunter Wait a sec... 497: Unknown Haunt Hunter Number 492... 498: Garami The next 493, 494, 495, 496, 497, and Aino, will do better than you guys. 499: Unknown Haunt Hunter SORRY!! 500: Unknown Haunt Hunter OUR DEEPEST APOLOGIES!! 501: Aino EEEHHH?! Me too!!? 502: Garami Stop lazying around and beat the Haunts. I don''t want to lose my urban headquarters. 503: Unknown Haunt Hunter YES! OUR PRINCESS!! But, how should I explain it... 504: Garami Huh? 505: Management In the deep, dark swamps of Alberido, the Vile Queen of Insects plotted her resurrection. To do this, her servants tried all possible methods such as mind-controlling the inhabitants, but the brave Migrants fought them off and prevented the sacrifice of more fair maidens, and destroyed the wretched bugs. -Alberido Swamps: Good End 506: Management Due to reaching the Good End, every notable participant of these Haunts will be granted a bonus reward after the game update after the current event. Stay tuned~. 507: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->504 Well, we''re already finished it all... 508: Garami ...you guys are working too fast. And Aino, you''re still in trouble. Don''t think allowing such weird rumors to fly will make me join your Guild. 509: Unknown Haunt Hunter The Princess is starting a Guild!!!!!!!! 510: Unknown Haunt Hunter Guild with the Princess!? 511: Unknown Haunt Hunter Princess, please join our Guild! 512: Unknown Haunt Hunter Ah! Don''t listen to that jerk, Princess! Join our Guild instead! 513: Unknown Haunt Hunter We''re an all-female Guild! Please join us! 514: Unknown Haunt Hunter JOIN US!! ... 662: Garami ...whoops ... [Haunted Haunt Hunt] - Pelira Glaciar Thread @26 1: Management This is the official thread dedicated to the raiders of the Pelira Glaciers Haunts in the 2nd official NFO-event: [Hunted Haunt Hunt.] Do note that trolls will be hunted down. ... 882: Unknown Haunt Hunter Are you guys sure we''re doing this right? 883: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->882 Stop being such a wussy and get those hands moving! We gotta beat the cold-making monsters to turn up the heat in the ice caves where the event monsters are living, or else we can''t clear the event! 884: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->882 Yeah! It''s not like it''s too cold for us that we''re pushing up the heat or something. 885: Unknown Haunt Hunter You guys are so not believable... 886: Unknown Haunt Hunter Hey, are the glaciers sorta melting...? 887: Unknown Haunt Hunter You gotta be imagining that. 888: Unknown Haunt Hunter The monsters are getting stronger here! Like, they''ve starting to burn red-hot! 889: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->888 G-good! That helps us melt these oversized ice cubes faster! 890: Unknown Haunt Hunter Something big''s coming out from the magma! 891: Unknown Haunt Hunter Th-th-that must be the event boss! Told you so! 892: Unknown Haunt Hunter Hey, the message plate says it''s something of a "queen of wyrms" or something!! 893: Unknown Haunt Hunter Ehh? The girl''s mega-cute! I want her number. 894: Unknown Haunt Hunter I''m not fighting this boss. She''s too pretty. 895: Unknown Haunt Hunter Rather, I wanna be beaten by her... 896: Unknown Haunt Hunter MEN! 897: Unknown Haunt Hunter No, I''m a woman... 898: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->897 -!? 899: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->897 -!? 900: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->897 -!? 901: Unknown Haunt Hunter Ehm, her majesty is preparing a stupidly-huge fireball over there... 902: Unknown Haunt Hunter I-i-i-it''s to melt the ice! I-I-I-I wasn''t wrong- 903: Management From within the ice, the Vile Queen of Wyrms has finally been revived. With a blast of her deadly fire breath, the Queen announced her revenge on the world. Already the first night of her rebirth, she summoned her vast armies of wyrms and destroyed half of the living areas in the Ice country Givlace. -Pelira Glaciers: Bad End 904: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->902 You were dead wrong... 905: Unknown Haunt Hunter I''m so sorry... ... [Haunted Haunt Hunt] - Feariff Haunted Mansion Thread @37 1: Management This is the official thread dedicated to the raiders of the Feariff Haunted Mansion Haunts in the 2nd official NFO-event: [Hunted Haunt Hunt.] Do note that trolls will be hunted down. ... 777: Black Bone I got the lucky numbers!! 778: Unknown Haunt Hunter Shut up, undead! What are we gonna do now!? 779: Unknown Haunt Hunter This is the last time I''m ever working with an edgelord who roleplays as a necromancer... 780: Unknown Haunt Hunter Why does someone who plays as a Skeleton race have "bone" in their player name? Talk about lack of imagination. 781: Unknown Haunt Hunter Hey, has anyone a clue on how we''re gonna defeat this haunted house? 782: Unknown Haunt Hunter Haunted houses attacking us is a bad design choice!! 783: Unknown Haunt Hunter I came here to fight a haunt filled with monsters. Not a monster that doubles as a haunt!! 784: Black Bone Just burn up the place. 785: Unknown Haunt Hunter Haunted houses are too scary even normally! 786: Unknown Haunt Hunter And there are no busty girls that''ll cling to us in fear... 787: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->784 No way that''s gonna work! 788: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->784 Ah, it worked. 789: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->784 NO WAY that''s... It''s working!? 790: Management The mansions located in the depths of the underworld finally showed their true colors as they were one step away from awakening their Vile Queen of Inanimated Objects. However, the quick thinking of the brave Migrants allowed them to find a way and destroyed the living estates and prevent a rise in the stock markets. -Feariff Haunted Mansion: Normal End 791: Unknown Haunt Hunter Wow, it worked... 792: Black Bone If your house gets you into trouble, BURN IT DOWN!! 793: Unknown Haunt Hunter The undead''s crazy... 794: Maria Ah, about time. Now I can travel to Umbral as planned. 795: Unknown Haunt Hunter Those bones are crazy enough to be a genius... 796: Unknown Haunt Hunter Crazy bones... 797: Unknown Haunt Hunter Hmm? 798: Unknown Haunt Hunter ->794 This part here... 799: Unknown Haunt Hunter Ain''t that the psycho nun... 800: Unknown Haunt Hunter ...maybe I should go to Umbral as well... 801: Unknown Haunt Hunter Catfights are popular in Umbral now, huh... 802: Unknown Haunt Hunter Psycho and Princess...*nosebleed* 803: Black Bone You guys are only interested in that part!? Oh-boy... ... 2nd Official Event Special Preview Reward Thread @1 1: Management To all diligent Dungeon owners who have assisted with stopping the Vile Queen''s resurrection in the event: "Haunted Haunt Hunt". As a special reward to you all, a special piece of news regarding the future of your lairs is granted to you. This special thread is open to all you owners who have cleared the requirements and to further explain the scheduled new changes regarding Dungeon management. 2: Management 3: Dungeon Owner #3 Management, that''s too cruel!! 4: Dungeon Owner #5 Harsh... 5: Dungeon Owner #3 Hey, why''re we numbered? 6: Dungeon Owner #5 Maybe it''s to show our popularity? 7: Dungeon Owner #3 Do you think so? 8: Dungeon Owner #5 Got to be. 9: Dungeon Owner #3 ...ten hours, and no one''s replied. 10: Dungeon Owner #3 ...and now it''s just me. *Sniff*... 11: Management A late notice, but the Dungeon''s status values will now be locked behind special Dungeon Quests. You Dungeon owners will be granted 2 free weeks where players are not allowed to enter your Dungeons as you can clear these quests and build up the strength of your Dungeon again. 12: Dungeon Owner #5 NOW YOU TELL US THIS!?!? 13: Dungeon Owner #4 What plot is this!? 14: Dungeon Owner #7 Are you guys trying to flush us out in a fit of rage or something!? 15: Management Something like that. You guys are too afraid of spoiling your info to post on these threads that we were forced to release this info that was supposed to be a surprise. 16: Dungeon Owner #3 What a nasty surprise... Even if it worked. Chapter 72: Grumbling & Facilities The first day after the 2nd event and the massive update of the game right after, I, Aino, and Bloom were sharing a private cabin inside a magic train. It''s a special vehicle for fast transportation between cities/towns/villages in NFO. Aino was kind enough to pay for the tickets for me and Bloom. "Grrrrrr..." - Garami Not that it makes my bad mood any better... "That''s quite the bad mood for someone on a trip." - Aino "Please do not bother. The mistress has been like this ever since she returned to the Dungeon." - Bloom Of course, I''m gonna be grumpy after what those damn bastards in the management did!! And as if acting as an opposing force to me, Aino''s in the brightest possible mood that you can be. There are multiple reasons for this: Yes. That''s right. I finally succumbed to her offer. But it''s not my fault! That damn comment she posted in the BBS started a storm of Guild invitations from practically every one of my "fans"! The only way to silence that typhoon of request messages was to join one myself, and Aino was (probably) the safest option. So now, I''m the Guild Master of the Guild: "Darkland Walkers". The name comes from my Dungeon, plus we''re likely gonna be a Guild that only walks around the different areas in NFO in search of adventures. But the reason why I''m so down in the dumps isn''t because of that. Because, honestly, Aino''s a big help. She even keeps the Fort in one piece for me, possible since she''s "working underneath me" in the Guild. It somehow extends to allowing her to work with the Dungeon under my "orders". As for the real reason I''m as gloomy as a kid who had Christmas taken from them is...the Dojo was removed. The latest system update KILLED THE DOJO!! Specifically, all of the facilities were taken away from the Fort and a new list has been implemented. The good thing is that the Boss Room and the Treasury were allowed to stay. But now I can''t easily improve my skills anymore! After reading that news, I started to train all my skills as much as possible at the Dojo. I even ignored the rest of the event just to train! And after that, I started gathering tons of AP, 15 in total, through special hunting-type quests. The reason they''re special is that you don''t get EXP from battles during the hunt, but the AP reward is so sweet~~. I even went and cleared some quests typical for Scout-line classes and Magician-line classes to obtain the [Mana] and [Stamina] skills. Free bonus points are always a good thing. Then there''s the fact that I can evolve soo. You''d want to unlock as many rare evolution requirements as one could, right? That''s why EXP is sorta bad for me at the moment. Right now, my stats are like this: Skill List: Title List: You can''t say I''m a girl who doesn''t provide results when she cares~. As for my new class, it''s something that got unlocked after I bought the [Poison Evil Eye] skill for 3 AP. "Evil Eye Invoker" is a Magician-line class that''s solely about using Evil Eyes. Think the details about it were..., where was that info again... The Evil Eye Invoker is a Magician-line class from the "Book of Traditions". It is a class that has the sole duty of improving one''s Evil Eyes, mysterious attack-type skills that is similar to magic attacks. In addition to the improvement of Evil Eyes, this class even allows new evolution options. These new races are all Evil Eye-related races. If you like to fight like an edgelord, take this class. There it is! Wait, did the explanation include the talk about the Book of Traditions? Must be part of the update. Ah, and after that, I guess we got my new skills. [Poison Evil Eye] is something I bought, and it inflicts Poison-type damage to whatever that I''m looking at while the skill''s active. Pretty nice for my first Poison-based attack skill. The [Reinforced Evil Eye] skill is something I got from the new class. It simply improves the usage of Evil Eyes, plus it lowers their costs a little. And then there''s the reward for clearing the Alpha Swamp haunt with an A-rank. The [Slowing Evil Eye]. Heck, all the reward was Evil Eyes. What''s up with that? Even Aino got a [Burning Evil Eye]. As for mine, it slows down a target by inflicting the "Slow" status ailment on them. You could say it''s the Evil Eye-version of Bloom''s [Slow] skill. "Haaaaa..." - Garami "You are really in the dumps about that Dojo-place, are you?" - Aino "What do you think?" - Garami I want to improve the new Evil Eye. But AP is a precious resource... "There''s nothing we can do about it. Easily exploitable methods will always be nerfed. That''s the fate for any VRMMO games." - Aino Especially when one of the requirements is something as restricted as "owning a Dungeon"... "Let''s talk about something else. Like, what Trait did you take for the "special reward"?" - Aino She''s talking about that reward anyone would get if they participated in defeating at least 1 haunt during the event. You could choose between several Traits that were connected to the haunts you had partaken in its defeat during the event. "Evil Eyed." - Garami "What?! I was not given such an option!" - Aino "The description said it was for doing the last attack against the butterfly." - Garami "Ehh... W-well, it''s not like it''s as fancy as my Silk Spinner Trait. O-hohohoho..." - Aino "Edgelord?" - Garami "Not at all! Except maybe if it was a Trait related to Succubi..." - Aino "Miss Aino. Please refrain from such vulgar talk. Even if we are in a private cabin." - Bloom She wouldn''t forget that last part, Bloom. That''s how she''s able to strip you down for her dress-up show. "I do not wish for that Trait just because of some "adult" reasons. I am perfectly capable of doing that on my own." - Aino "Is that an invitation?" - Garami "Only if you accept~," replied Aino as she started to snuggle close to me. "If your plan works," I answered. I didn''t push her away. Her assets are clinging to my arm in a good fashion. And Bloom! Stop looking at me like you''re watching a creep! "There is no need to worry. The area we are headed for is famous for being filled with capable smithing NPCs, catacombs filled with undead monsters, and small, local volcanoes that release magma and ashes all day long. If we cannot find any new sub-elements or facilities to the Fort there, then it is impossible to do so anywhere~." - Aino We''re currently traveling to a place called the "Diablo Blastfields". As Aino described it, it''s a place filled with so many elements that should be in the Fire and Death countries that it feels like a joke. The new rules for Dungeon facilities are that we need to offer tons of materials related to something if we want to unlock a new facility, or even monster lines and sub-elements. The Blastfields are a perfect hunting ground for that purpose. Currently, all the facilities in the Fort have been removed. The sole exceptions were the Treasury that I obtained my current equipment from and the Boss Room that Miranda the Arachne is living in. Losing those would be painful. The Boss Room works like before, a facility that houses a boss and blocks the way to the next floor. The Treasury works like a storage room where I can stuff lots of items into and distribute them to all the treasure chests in the Fort. It also provides money to an invader if they defeat a monster on the same floor as the Treasury, but the opposite also holds. Then again, the Treasury is currently on the sixth floor, so I doubt we can make a fortune out of it. If invaders find the Treasury, they can steal the stuff stored inside it after all. As for "floors", the Fort has retained its 6 floors without problems. The DP cost for creating new floors remains as before, but to unlock those, the Dungeon has to clear specific requirements. It''s sorta like quests for the Darkland Fort itself. We''ll cross that bridge when the time comes. The Fort has 6 slots for facilities on each floor, and if we subtract the two I just mentioned, I still have 34 slots remaining. Before worrying about new floors, I gotta fashion the floors I already have- *CRASH!* That sound came from the front car, didn''t it? Please let it be just someone tripping on the floor. I opened the door of our cabin and snuck to the front car to scout. It''s a public car without cabins, and in it, I could see four unkempt men threatening the passengers with weapons, yelling at them to stay still or be killed... "Train hi-jacking?" asked Aino after I returned to report. "Big time. Stay here for a sec," I said as I summoned Nyx for some assistance. Bloom''s gone pale in her seat. No help to expect from her. I went back to the front car and fired some [Mystical Threads] at the lighting without letting the terrorists (let''s call them that) notice me. The second the car fell into darkness, I snuck behind one of them and cut their throat with Helheim while holding his mouth to prevent him from making a noise. I kept the guy standing by binding him with [Spider''s Threads] attached to the ceiling and worked my way through the other terrorists. One of them almost grabbed one of the passengers, probably to take a hostage, but Nyx, who had been crawling across the ceiling the whole time, fell at him and used her claws to end him instead. "Okay everyone, stay calm. The hero''s fashionably early," I told the passengers as I used the Glow spell from [Basic Magic Abilities] to illuminate the car. ...they are not saying anything because they''re in awe of me, right? It''s not because they''re freaked out by the living shadow and the horrifying corpse puppets, right? Oh, I''m so gonna butcher these hijackers... Chapter 73: Trains & Bones Greydra The skill [Greater Health] will have its name changed into [Extra Health] from now on. "So-so-so. Everything is alright now." - Aino The second train car was as...easy as the first one. And after the instant execution of these ruffians, Aino and Bloom had to enter the car to calm down the passengers. Again. Here I''m saving them and all I get in return is fear and tears? What sorta demon king of fear am I? "Garami, it''s fine to butcher the Ghouls, but do you have to inflict emotional damage to the passengers? There are small kids here too." - Aino "...ghouls?" - Garami "The hijackers you cut into a thousand pieces...why are you hiding behind the seats?" - Aino ".........no r-r-r-r-r-reason..." - Garami Th-th-th-th-those g-g-g-g-guys are...l-li-like th-those guys? F-f-f-f-from th-the em-emer-emergency q-quest?! "Don''t tell me..." - Aino "Mistress, are you bad with the undead?" - Bloom "N-n-n-n-n-not at all!" - Garami "She is bad with them." - Bloom I''m t-t-telling you I''m not!! "You''re right. Her voice is three octaves higher than normal." - Aino N-n-n-no it''s not!! (C octave) "Then why are you hiding over there?" - Bloom B-b-b-because I''m...why are you pointing behind me? There''s nothing...... "Hello." - Moving skeleton "-------!!!" - Garami (High C octave) Sk-ske-skeleton!? I got so scared-*Cough!*-, I got so surprised that I jumped up at the car''s ceiling and got stuck to it. For three seconds, then I fell head-first into the floor. Ouch... The only blessing is that the...the...the "G-things"1The corpses of the Ghouls. were moved away already. "Mistress~, you should not scream like that~. The hijackers will hear you~." - Bloom *Sniff*, Bloom is turning into a delinquent... Meanwhile, the skeleton was mumbling stuff like "Is my face that scary..." while having a depressed expression...maybe not. But he looks so miserable that dark clouds could appear over his head any minute. "Hey, excuse my pitiful leader who is still scared of ghost stories." - Aino Hey, foxy lady! I''ll have you pay for that later! "Okay...hold on! You''re the Demon Princess!" - Skeleton "HIIII!!" - Garami "Eh, please speak to me if you want to pass on a message." - Aino "Oh, okay. Starting from the beginning, my name''s Black Bone! An aspiring necromancer of the honorable Skeleton race, and-!" - Black Bone "Please cut down the edginess. You are scaring the customers." - Aino "So sorry about that. This game''s just too good, so..." - Black Bone ...he is a Migrant? AKA, a player? ...that helps. I''m starting to calm down. "Starting from scratch, I''m Black Bone, but just call me Bone if that''s easier. I''m a Migrant like you guys...except for this pretty little lady. Why is such a beautiful girl like you traveling with the Demon Princess?" - Black Bone Stop trying to hit on my servant, you bag of bones! And please don''t say "slave". Please don''t say "slave". Please don''t say "slave"... "I am working for mistress Garami as her maid after she saved my life." - Bloom Good going, Bloom! Phew, my reputation''s saved. "Wow! The princess'' kinder than the rumors say!" - Black Bone "Focus, Bone! Was there something you wanted to tell us?" - Aino "Oh, that''s right. I traveled to the Umbral region to see the Princess so I could warn her, but let''s do that after the train''s safe." - Black Bone Warning a princess? From the flow of the conversation...it''s me he''s talking about. MORE problems!? Come on... "As for on HOW to save the train, we got to get the idiot leading these Ghouls." - Black Bone "You know the perpetrator?" - Aino "Anyone with knowledge of the undead could guess themselves to the identity of the dork leading these Ghouls." - Black Bone They can? "...now that you mention it..." - Bloom Huh? You''re getting what he''s saying, Bloom? "If it''s Ghouls..." "It can only be "them" if they are using Ghouls..." "Not to mention there were too few of them for taking over the whole train..." And now all the other passengers are starting to agree with him too!? "There is only one possible solution to this crime! The assailant''s leader is a Vampire noble!" - Black Bone ...? "Vampires...aren''t they strong?" - Garami "I was having the same impression. Maybe it is different in this world?" - Aino "Those guys? Statistically, they''re strong, yes. However, they''re so strong that they stop using their brains." - Black Bone Wow. Vampires have a low rep in this game. "Especially the nobles that were born into their power. They look down on the living and think they''re so awesome, but their racial rank is only D, plus they have tons of weaknesses that they don''t bother to cover. I know far too well. Almost every quest to defend cities or commoners have those guys as the bad guys in one way or another." - Black Bone "...and your reason to think that it''s one of these idiots attacking this train is...?" asked Aino with a face of unbelief. I know how she feels. Even I can''t imagine there being someone that dumb out there. "Ghouls are the normal pre-evolution stage for Vampires, plus you got to be stupid not taking enough subordinates with you for a train hijack." - Black Bone That''s true. There''s only 1 more car before we reach the engine. They didn''t even have enough guys to reach our car. "You guys may not have noticed, but the train has been slowly picking up the pace. I bet that the Vampire is controlling the engine." - Black Bone "Why are they doing that?" - Aino "Don''t ask me. Trying to guess what''s going on in those idiots'' heads is impossible." - Black Bone And all the other passengers (+ Bloom) are nodding along. It seems that the possibility for vamps is high on this train... "Then what are we going to do?" - Aino "...you and Bones go through the next car. Take out the goons." - Garami "The next car is an empty cargo car. I''m not sure if there are any Ghouls left there." - Black Bone "Unless it''s not empty... Maybe there is something hidden in there that the vampire is looking for?" - Aino "Huh? What would that be?" - Black Bone "We should capture this vampire and have them tell us." - Aino "I''ll do that." - Garami "If there is something in the cargo car for real, then there''s probably too many Ghouls there to sneak around them." - Black Bone "Only if you go through the car." - Garami --- There''s the engine. And I got to climb on the roof of a running train as well. Another thing crossed out on my "Cool stuff I''ve seen in anime and wanna replicate"-list. I took a peek into the cargo car before climbing, and there was a trainload of Ghouls inside. The sight brought back some nasty memories from the emergency quest before I conquered the Darkland Fort. Forget that part, Garami! The engine''s right in front of you! Focus on that! "What do you mean "there are intruders in the cargo room"? All of you fools, get rid of them immediately!" Geh, ghouls! But they''re leaving the engine room. Looks like Aino and the skeleton''s distraction is working. And going by the snobbish tone of the guy from before... Carefully, I snuck into the engine room and found a high-class-looking fellow with pale skin and red eyes. Plus fangs. It seems the skeleton got a bingo here. This guy''s attitude and appearance just scream "vampire". "Blasted! This train is supposed to only lowly peasants! Why are the ghouls created by the great me losing to them!?" - Vampire dude Eh, because the "lowly peasants" aren''t only non-combatants? Besides, those ghouls had low stats and half-assed weapons. Is this guy so full of his "nobility" that he can''t see that? "*Sniff, sniff*, who goes there!" - Vampire dude Whoa-! The guy launched an attack on the crate I was hiding behind! Was that a blood whip? So awesome! I want a poison-variant of that. But how did he notice me? Don''t tell me vampires can sniff out blood or something... I think I''m right on the nose here. Pun not intended. "What are you!? How did you go past my honorable ghouls!?" - Vampire dude No, I didn''t go past them, I went around them. "Whatever. Just stay there as I plunge this train into that blasted terminal!" - Vampire dude The vampire lashed out with both his words and his whip against me, so I jumped away before the latter could hit me. His words, on the other hand, gave me a little shock. Does this guy plan on crashing the train into the train station? Why? I''ll take my time interrogating him later. For now, I''ll beat him black and blue! "[Blood Arrow]!" - Vampire dude "Summoning: Nala!" - Garami The vampire tried to attack me with arrows made outta his blood, but I summoned Nala to shield me from his attack. Nala got surprised by the arrows, but she shielded her face, so there was not much damage done to her. "What blasted atrocity is this!?" - Vampire dude Hey, she''s still a girl despite her appearance. The engine room was bigger than one would have expected, mostly to host the huge magic-like engines there. Even after summoning Nala, there''s still lots of space for us to move around as we please. Nala, not happy about being greeted with a bunch of arrows, aimed the trident-looking weapons in her arms at the vampire while preparing shields made of water to guard herself. I''m not the only one who has been training before the Dojo was lost. Both Nala and Nyx, the latter who''s currently helping Aino''s group, have gotten their skill levels way higher than before. Skill List: Title List: Like me, Nala''s been getting the standard Warrior-line skills, [Strength] and [Vitality], by clearing quests given by the Union. Who''d guess they allow even tamed monsters to take those? After some intense training, Nala wanted to evolve her [Vitality] skill, so I allowed that. Her defense becoming better is a wonderful thing for me. She also spent some AP to boost her Talent skills. That auto-recovery skill of hers is a godsend since none of us have healing abilities at the moment. Then there''s the new [Sea Foam] skill that can distract and blind opponents. Add in the [Cover Move] skill that lets Nala quickly go and defend an ally when she needs to, and we have an even better tank than what Nala was before. But will it be enough? While Nala was facing off against the vampire, I hid in the shadows of the huge engine. I''ll have Nala act as the front line while I''m bullying the vampire from the sidelines. I wonder how mister bloodsucker will react when he''s gotten a boatload of status ailments from my Evil Eyes...? Huh? They''re not working? The vampire''s still acting like nothing''s been done to him. Sure, Evil Eyes aren''t 100% foolproof even at Lv.10, but I expected some reaction from him... Can it be!? Since vampires technically are classified as a type of undead, are they somehow resilient to status ailments in the same manner as normal undead like Skeletons or Zombies!? I''ve heard that you can never inflict stuff like Poison or Paralyze on a zombie, but for someone that human-looking to share the same trait... This is bad. I''m confident in my webs and my Evil Eyes, but if the latter doesn''t work, then I''m in deep trouble. Nala''s starting to struggle against the vampire, who has swapped his whip for a spear of blood (maybe he transformed it), so I can''t depend on her beating the bloodsucker. In that case, back to plan A and capture the jerk! Or so I wanted to say, but Nala managed to stab the vampire with her trident before I could do anything. Good job! Except that the vampire turned into a swarm of bats instead of being hurt. Blasted! ...now I''m starting to sound like the bastard. The bat swarm went not for Nala, but for me who was still hiding behind the engine. Tch, so I can''t fool this guy''s nose(?) by staying close to this thing and the "mana exhaust" it releases after all. I jumped out of hiding and threw several Web Bombs at the swarm. The second before they "exploded", the swarm returned to his human shape and swung his blood spear, swiping away the bombs before they could hit. "Blasted peasant!" - Vampire dude The vampire tried to stab me with his spear, but I hindered him by releasing Mystical Threads. While he dodged them, I threw a bunch of Spider''s Threads toward the ceiling before using [Thread Control] to make them rain down upon him. "Such a blasted measly trick-!" - Vampire dude Is working. Because the threads got the vampire''s attention, prolly because he must be thinking they''re dangerous after having dodged the Mystical Threads right before, I could throw a Web Bomb at his feet without being noticed. "What is this!?" - Vampire dude The bomb "detonated" and webbed the vampire to the floor. The surprise made the vampire forget about the threads coming from the ceiling, so he got showered with enough webbing to make him look like a cocoon. Capture complete! ...or, that''s what I want to say, but the vampire broke himself out of the cocoon after just a few seconds'' worths of struggling. "Blasted pheasant, no, demoness! Do you think you can keep this great me entangled with such puny textile!" - Vampire dude Hey, give me points for trying. And there''s a sneaky tentacled demoness right behind you too. Nala managed to score a surprise attack on the vampire''s back, but the damage was too low. The vampire simply turned around and started to duke it out with Nala again while sending more of those blood arrows at me. Tch, how can I beat this guy? Evil Eyes doesn''t work (I''ve been using them all this time but to no luck), the webs only last for a second, and if Nala''s attack power doesn''t make him even flinch, then there''s less chance that my daggers can do the same. My daggers do have special effects added to them, yes, but one is related to status ailments, so I''m not sure if it will work. The second one prevents recovery, but how many "scratches" must I give this guy before he falls? Not to mention, will my stamina last for so long? One hit and I''m probably out. That''s the feeling I get from those heavy attacks the vampire is showering Nala with. ...fine. I admit defeat. I can''t defeat this guy. The normal way, at least. While the vampire was occupied with Nala, I ran to the pass between the engine room and the next car. From there, I prepared a long thread and threw one end at the vampire''s wrist. Through skillful use of [Thread Control], I wrapped the thread around the vampire''s wrist. Then I threw the other end, which was way stickier than the first end, at something outside the running train. "What are you doing, you blaaaaaaaaa-!!??" - Vampire dude The vampire got dragged out of the engine room thanks to my thread not breaking from the impact. That''ll keep him from bothering us anymore. Mercy for him if he ever tries to bother me again. I''ll prepare some holy water and garlic in case that happens. Glad I managed to raise its skill level that high before the Dojo was removed. But now I gotta stop this train. Chapter 74: Puny Bones & Blastfields "Maria?" - Garami "Yeah. The infamous "Broken Nun"." - Black Bones After the event with the train (good thing the vampire only knocked the drives unconscious. I had no clue how to operate the train.) and some questioning by the local authorities (they sent some troops in the hope of catching the vampire), we went to a bar on the skeleton''s tab. He had something to tell us. Or me, to be precise. "I''ve heard about her. She is an incredible Bishop with some slight...personality problems." - Aino Huh? What''s that supposed to mean? "She is... You know how nuns are described sometimes in hentai and such, right? Attacked by demons or other "unholy forces"?" - Aino "Sorta." - Garami "That girl is rumored to be wishing for such situations. To an incredible degree...." - Aino I turned over to the skeleton and saw him nodding to this utterly impossible idea. Ehh...you guys are serious? "And that sicko perverted nun''s currently looking for the Princess." - Black Bone What!? I''ve got a stalker!? "That is not so surprising. Mistress Garami is a perfect assailant for the type of situation she wishes for. When you go only by the rumors about her." - Bloom "Even when the real deal''s a bigger wimp than you''d expect." - Aino Shut up! Those creatures of the undead aren''t scaring me that much anymore! I mean, when there can be someone as stupid as that vampire in their ranks, why should I be shaking in my boots for something like moving corpses? "But why did master Bone travel to these Blastfields then? We were at the port town until recently." - Bloom "I asked the people at the Union where you were and they told me your plans about going to the Blastfields." - Black Bone "Then you ended up at that train. What a coincidence." - Aino "Yeah. Thanks for the warning. See you-" - Garami "Wait just a minute!" - Black Bone The skeleton jumped out of his seat and did a dogeza on the spot. Good thing for him that there aren''t many customers here, but the waitress is looking at you funny. Shouldn''t you stop? "Please! I beg of you! Please allow me to join your guild!" - Black Bone ...huh? "Please! A Spectermancer like me needs allies to gather materials for creating undead, but nobody wants to play with me since there will be no drop-items from me taking the whole corpse!" - Black Bone "...wait, what are you saying? So the tip about the Broken Nun was..." - Aino "Oh, that''s completely unrelated. That girl''s bad news for anyone." - Black Bone Great. That''s making me feel better... "Then why are you..." - Aino "I''m asking anyone with a steady group to play with. Please, help me here! At this rate, I won''t be able to keep playing the game!" - Black Bone "...tell us the problem." - Garami The skeleton (still kowtowing) told us his story. About how the skill of his main class, the [Necromantic Rites] skill of the Spectermancer class, required to consume a whole monster''s corpse to stock up "Necromancy Counters". By using the counters, the skeleton can create undead to command by using Spectermancer-related skills such as [Create Undead: Skeleton]. The problem was that taking the whole corpse turned into a sour situation when hunting with other players. There would be no materials for them to gain, so the total income of hunts got reduced for them. That, combined with the fact that the skeleton didn''t have the AP to improve his offensive abilities, meaning he couldn''t collect corpses that efficiently on his own, gradually made him incapable of catching up to the other players. "But the latest event gave me the windfall of a lifetime. I obtained the [Lesser Undead Talent], got the Swarming Undead trait that improves my LP problems with the undead, and even obtained enough LP to start taking the Nether Caster class!" - Black Bone "Then what''s the problem? And you don''t have a lifetime. You''re a skeleton." - Aino "...once you have been slapped with a bad reputation, it takes a long time to clear your name." - Bloom And surprisingly it''s Bloom who''s sticking up to the skeleton! But it is kinda something she would do. Bloom was controlled by those bugs and performed crimes due to them, so she was in a similar situation to the skeleton. "That''s exactly the problem. Most of the players I know are efficiency idiots. And to add to the pile of bad luck, I''m sort of famous after I got placed on some list after the first event. Most people know me in one way or another. And not in any good ways. Most players don''t want a resource-eater like me on their teams. So I thought that you girls were less strict on that part...?" - Black Bone Yeah, we''re not exactly the most game-obsessed group of girls out there. Can''t blame him for thinking that about us. Not that there''s anything to take offense from. "...what else can you do?" - Garami "Garami!?" - Aino "I can at least give him an interview." - Garami The skeleton perked up from that and started to explain his talents. While sitting in seiza. Hey, calm down already... To give a quick summarization, the skeleton has both the Lesser Water Talent and the Lesser Undead Talent. The latter was obtained from the event as he mentioned before, but his starter element caught me off-guard. To think there''s an undead named "Black Bone" that didn''t go for Death or Darkness as their starting element... Other than the Spectermancer class he described, he also has Nether Caster. It''s a "Book of Tradition" class that uses magic that originates from the Netherworld. From hell. Scary. But Nether Caster is his second Sub Class. The first one is a class named "Angler". As one can guess, it''s a class for catching fish. It''s what you could call a "hobby class". Those are being looked down upon by the hard-core gamers. No wonder he couldn''t find any decent playmates. Though, I''m not that against it. Bloom''s Crime Caster class could be seen as a "role-playing class", making it have the same value as the hobby classes at the first look. But Crime Caster allows us to participate in special quests, so maybe Angler and the other hobby classes can do the same...? "Okay, you''re hired." - Garami "Really!" - Black Bone "But on a trial period." - Garami "Eh? I mean, yes, ma''am!" - Black Bone "...oh. We are having him help with clearing the Dungeon quests." - Aino "Mhm." - Garami "...excuse me, ma''am. But I''m not confident I could defeat a Dungeon," said the skeleton while turning pale...er. The avatar developers in this game are awesome. They''re capable of making a skeleton turn pale from fear. "Not other Dungeons, but my own," I told the skeleton while showing him my new Portable Dungeon Terminal. I got it for free as part of the latest update. "So this is how a Dungeon master does things! ...question marks?" - Black Bone "That is the problem~. The Dungeon''s status values are in an uncertain situation." - Aino "The latest update removed something called "facility points". One used them to place facilities inside the Dungeon or to upgrade those status values. Now the Dungeon grows by clearing specific conditions instead. "Now the Dungeon''s stats only grows when it clears some special Dungeon-related quests. But after the update, the already-created Dungeons were given a free period of 3 weeks. Intruders can''t enter during that time, plus it''s easier to raise the Dungeon''s status values during that time. "That is why we went to this region. The Blastfields contain many different and rare items. Feeding the Dungeon these items are among the special guests that are only available during this free period. We want to harvest as many materials during this time to make the Dungeon ready for when the free period is over." - Garami Phew, I talked a lot. Can I get something to drink? "...having a Dungeon is more work than I imagined." - Black Bone "And we expect hard work if you want to join." - Aino "Yes, ma''am! However...my Necromancy Counters...?" - Black Bone "We''ll rotate on who gets the materials of the killed monsters. Harvested materials will go to the Fort if nothing else comes up." - Garami "That is a fine plan." - Aino "Phew. Finally someone with a big heart." - Black Bone Even when my Karma''s supposed to be the lowest of the low. "Anyway, there are three areas I wanna look at," I told them as I opened a map of the area on the table. It''s something I bought before we left the port town, as I''ve planned this excursion ever since we defeated that butterfly monster during the event and I got to know about the Dungeon update. "This volcano here. Mount Blastuvious." - Garami "What a bombastic name." - Aino "That does sound like a place with explosively good materials." - Bloom "And demons. Probably some heavy-hitting ones." - Garami "Now that you mention that, the little black one on the train was one of your tamed creatures." - Black Bone "On the same subject, punish Nyx for going AWOL on us back then." - Aino Sorry, Nyx. I''ll properly explain to them that you were unsummoned because I needed to bring out Nala... "We''re saving this for the third week. I have two other areas I wanna explore." - Garami "Why the third week?" - Black Bone "That is part of Garami''s plan. We will challenge a stronger area each week so that we can gradually adapt to the Blastfields'' harsh environment." - Aino "Mhm. And here''s the place we''re raiding and destroying in the second week." - Garami "So aggressive...? Hmm? Is the map damaged? It''s all black here." - Black Bone The section of the map I''m pointing at is almost scorched-black in color. There are also several crossbones and skulls marked there, plus drawings of houses. "It''s a former urban area that the inhabitants had to let go of. Because of constant attacks from the undead." - Garami "......" - Bloom & Aino "D-don''t look at me!" - Black Bone As for why the undead could populate that area is because there''s no sunlight due to the ashes in the sky. The undead can walk around even during the day. "Why do you wish to look for materials in that place? Did you not have a phobia for the undead?" - Aino "It''s not that bad... As for why this area, it''s for revenge." - Garami "That vampire noble got you that worked up. Now I get it. Those guys are masters of pissing people off." - Black Bone "Poor Bones who have to suffer from mistress Garami''s venting." - Bloom "Yes, yes...hey!" - Black Bone They''re not completely wrong. I do want to vent, plus it''s prolly not just me who''s scared of the undead. I sure hope so, ''cause it would be extremely unpleasant if I was the only one... In any case, the undead and their "terror strategy" would be a good addition to the Dungeon. As guards against proper invaders, not those fanboys. One of the new things added to the Dungeon is the possibility of adding a new line of monsters, or even a new sub-attribute, to the Dungeon if you offer enough items related to either one. Though, I''m planning on more than just "venting"... "But starting from tomorrow, I''ve got plans for this place," I said as I pointed at a huge lake painted on the map. And not any normal lake either. "...the "Lava Lake"? We are going there?" - Aino "Yup. Just decided it." - Garami "It wasn''t your first choice?" - Black Bone "Nope. But I changed my mind. Because I overheard that you can fish there." - Garami "......huh?" - Aino, Black Bone, & Bloom I wonder what lava fishies taste like. Prolly like charcoal. Chapter 75: Fishing & Themes "I got one! I got a big one!!" - Aino "Don''t let it go! Pull, PULL!!" - Black Bone "What are those two doing...?" - Garami The loud shouts of Aino and Black Bone made me look up from my System Window and found them hauling a huge, swordfish-like monster from the lava lake. ...swordfish? In a lake? It''s the third day of our "attack" on the Lava Lake area...if you can call it that. I mean, we''re only going fishing here. One of the Blastfield outposts, village-like areas for the people trying to conquer the Blastfields, had been selling "Magma Fishing Rods", a special item that lets you fish for Magma element monsters living in areas like this place. So we splurged on some high-quality rods and started to haul those suckers up from the lake. Honestly, fishing wasn''t on my timetable before we reached the outpost three days ago, but Bones'' presence and that they advertised the lake back at the station made me change my gears. Originally, I wanted us to hunt in the normal fields so we got used to the highly volatile area, but the lake monsters are all of that kind, so this plan works too. Things are going better than I expected. The lake monsters give lots of delish materials for the Dungeon. Especially for the Monster-stat and the Strength-stat. We''re already reached rank E for both! At the end of this week, they should have gone to D. Maybe even C if we''re lucky. Aino, Bones, and a bunch of dwarves who were also fishing at the lake started to work together to dismantle as many materials from the fish corpse after it was killed by a collective slam from the dwarves'' hammers and Aino and Bones'' magic. There are some unwritten rules here about that you should assist in defeating any monsters that are fished up, and that the materials are the properties of the person who hauled up the fish. Speaking of the dwarves, it seems they''re completely immigrated to the Blastfields from wherever the dwarves'' home country was. The Blastfields do have lots of mining-related materials, as long as you''re careful about any natural landmines. Then there is stuff like the scales to the lava fish that can work as half-decent materials for forges and other smithing-related items. I mean, they used to be part of a fish swimming in lava... "Lass, we got Slimes from the east! Two of them!" Oh, they appeared from outside my detection range. Sneaky slimes. I wasn''t fishing. I lost interest in it after failing to catch ANYTHING on the first day. So I volunteered to join the "lake guards", a group of warrior dwarves who guard the fishermen, from the monsters who try to prey on the non-combatants. A quick run allowed me to get close enough to join the battle against the two slimes from a distance. ...tch. Just simple E-rank slimes. Not giving the Blast Slime, a slime that looks like a red ball of goop that was glowing yellow-ish at its core, the time of the day, I threw my Helheim dagger at it and let the cold of the underworld do its thing on the flammable slime. As for the Volcanic Slime that had lots of volcanic rocks on its body like a shell, I chanted the magic spell for the Darkness Lance spell and pierced the rocks with the spear of darkness produced by the eponymous spell. "Thanks, lass!" shouted the warriors before they finished the cooled-down slime and the slime whose defenses were broken. It''s not like the dwarves couldn''t have beaten the slimes on their own, but the Blast Slime would retaliate any damage with a heat-based explosion if I hadn''t cooled it down. The Volcanic Slime''s defense is tough, but a well-placed Darkness spell is enough to give the mighty dwarves an opening to squash the hot ball of goop and rocks. So yeah, I''m on support duty. Kinda forced to. My most "offensive" skills are the web-related ones, useless in this burning hellscape. Then there''s the fact that the dwarves are already experienced at fighting the monsters here even without help, so, me butting in without any proper plan is just gonna be a disturbance. Finally, I got the two daggers I can throw as a form of long-range support, and there''s also my Evil Eyes. [Slowing Evil Eye], even at its low level, reduces the speed of the monsters, [Weaknening Evil Eye] lowers their stats overall, and [Poison Evil Eye] is pretty good on slow targets and when I have a proper vanguard. Proper vanguard... I looked at the duo busy dismantling the lava fish over at the lakefront. A Fox-type Beastkin and a mage-type Skeleton... Impossible. We need a more decent vanguard. Our party is too magic-heavy. Even if we include Bloom, who''s staying home because of the dangers here. Theoretically, we do have Nyx and Nala, both being what you could call "tank-types" in terms of their status builds, but Nala doesn''t fare well in these environments, and Nyx is more of an attacker... "Lass, you forgot to pick up this." One of the dwarves, a regular of the defense force, came up to me and handed over the Helheim dagger I threw earlier. "Thanks." - Garami "Thanks to ye, lass. We haven''t had our backs blasted by those wretched slimes ever since ye joined the guard." - Dwarf "It''s no prob. And it''s only as a part-time." - Garami Dwarves appear to be bad with perception-type skills of the kind to detect monsters. The whole concept of "searching" seems to be as unpopular as ever even among the player base. Most monsters come at you even without searching. Having a high defense build or someone who can act as a tank (or bait) makes sneak attacks practically useless... Until you reach the more advanced areas and the few sneaky monsters'' attacks become so harsh you have to rely on more than just defense, that is. Due to this recently-discovered fact, there''s been a boom of Scout-line class takers. As one of the few Scouts from the game''s beginning, this news is warming my heart. "Ah, that''s too bad. And ye are sure ye don''t want to stay for longer?" - Dwarf "The pay''s good, but I''m a busy woman. I''ll stay for a while though." - Garami 0.5 AP per day plus extra rewards depending on the slain monsters is a good thing, but the construction of the Dungeon comes first. And I could prolly get more AP if I went serious and went on a quest-clearing spree from what the Union provides. "Great! And lass, if ye ever need a check-up on ye tools-of-trade, try to find me. I know the best smiths in this region, so I could introduce ye to them." - Dwarf "Really?" - Garami "Consider it a thank ye from us in the guard. The price for the burn medicines has risen lately." - Dwarf Meaning the guard must be regular customers of the apothecary. Makes sense. Seeing as there were no other monsters within the detection range of the area I was designated to, I went back to looking over the System Window I had opened up before. It shows a list of "Dungeon themes". Before the update, the theme of the Dungeon was only a cosmetic change. Now it''s affecting what types of facilities you are allowed to set up, among other stuff. These themes had to be separated from the normal Player Room themes, but the Dungeon themes can be used as Player Room themes. Just not the other way around. Normally, an aspiring Dungeon Ruler is forced to obtain one of these Dungeon-specific by purchasing it from the Dungeon Shop, another new feature added with the update, or through some other methods. We "Senior Dungeon Rulers" (a nickname conned on the Dungeon Ruler-restricted BBS), however, are allowed to obtain a Dungeon theme for free~. And thank god for that. The more expensive themes easily reach the 7-digits! My skills automatically warn me if monsters are getting too close to this area, so I have the chance to look at the various themes. And there are a LOT of them! I''ve had lots of time to kill while I was busy acting as a part-time guard, so I managed to find some good candidates: There are lots of other themes, but these caught my eye for now. There are also other variations of the themes, like the Ritual-theme could be used for the other primary elements. As for the monsters they are talking about...it''s not related to the monster lines, but the Dungeon''s "common line". It can be considered the 13th, or maybe the 0th, monster line you can use when creating your floors. These monsters are less rare compared to the others, but they are not restricted to specific monster lines or elements. They are, however, limited to what kinda Dungeon you have. What I don''t get is why the simple descriptions are written as if they are for the invaders'' sake, yet the more detailed information is written with the Dungeon Rulers in mind. How strange... "Garami! We got a huge one over here!" shouted Bones from the lakeside, returning me to the present. "Go help ye friends. It''s almost ye break anyway," said the dwarf while giving me a wink. Taking him up on that offer, I made a small jog over to where Bones were busy pulling his fishing rod for his dear life...along with a bunch of macho dwarves. Something is going on... Then, all of a sudden, a lengthy...tentacle-thingy emerged from the lava lake and snapped at Bones and the dwarves. Then several more of them popped out of the lake and started to attack the people who were calmly fishing just seconds ago. And...ten of them are headed toward me. Why!? Go for Aino, you stupid tentacles! You''re not making an R-18 show outta me! Chapter 76: Theft & Revenge The tentacles emerging from the lava pool snapped at me like whips, forcing me to jump backward away from the lake. Some of them still followed me, so I drew Helheim and Pandemonium and gave the tentacles some scratches. That''s all that I could manage. Those things are fast! But it seems that Pandemonium''s infection-like abilities are working. The wounds on the tentacles are gradually turning green...!? While I was busy fighting the other tentacles, one unharmed tentacle snapped at the infected ones and cut them off. Seriously? And they proceeded to cut off the tentacles that I''d harmed with Helheim. AKA, the tentacles with the non-healable wounds. Guess I''ll... OH, COME ON! The tentacles grew back! And without the wounds that I oh so diligently inflicted on them. How rude! The idea of "regenerating tentacles" wasn''t too far-fetched, so I didn''t pause at that sight and continued to fight the tentacles as I steadily increased my distance from the lava lake. But then something else caught my attention. Damn my broad line of sight... "S-stoooop!!" - Macho dwarf "Kuh! K-kill me!" - Macho dwarf knight "NOOOOO!!" - Black Bone ...the tentacles are attacking the dwarves...and even Bones. I''m gonna be sick...UGH?! Damn, those blasted tentacles. They attacked me while I was about to throw up from that nasty...sight... Why aren''t they attacking? The tentacles, I mean. They started to retreat to the lava lake after getting that lucky blow...hey! Drop those! Those are my daggers! Before I could even stand up, the tentacles had already retreated into the lava lake. I could also see other tentacles doing the same, they all carrying fancy-looking equipment such as Bones'' magic staff made out of some fancy metal... Don''t tell me that was their goal? Stealing the items? Wow, that''s a whole new level of nastiness, even for tentacles. But too bad for you~. Both Helheim and Pandemonium come with a "return to the user"-function according to the items'' descriptions. I''ve already tested it, so no problems there. Hehehehe...he... Why aren''t they returning? Helheim? Pandemonium? Your sweet mistress is calling for you...... No reaction. Not good... "Who-hoooo!" "It''s the lord of the lake!" "Everyone, get the knights! Today''s gonna be a festival!" Unlike me, the dwarves around us are making a ruckus. I caught one of them and demanded..., asked him some questions. "It''s the lord of the lava lake! They appear randomly to feed on equipment from the surface after they''ve exhausted the ore-veins at the bottom of the lake and evolve into the new lord after the last one died." Meaning, it''s something like an "event monster"? Haven''t heard about something like that before, but that seems like the case here. I then proceeded to ask the dwarf about the items that the "lord" stole, but... "Ex-rarity items!? You''re not joking here, lass?" "No...hey!" - Garami The dwarf then dragged me into some office-like building near the lake that was protected by some barrier-like items from monsters. Tons of other people had already gathered. I could see even Aino and Bones in the crowd. The dwarf, however, ignored the crowd and dragged me to the building''s second floor and into a... quite a messy office. Both documents and weaponry were scattered all over the floor, making it difficult to move without stepping on something. The owner of the room, a dwarf with a pure-white beard, was busy looking through some sorta old document...ish sheep skin. It''s big enough to cover his notably large desk. "Boss, this lass here had some Ex-rarity items stolen by the lord!" said the dwarf who dragged me here to the elder dwarf. "By Odin''s beard!" the elder dwarf exclaimed... Is he real in this game world? I gotta check that out. "Lass, is this true?" - Elder Dwarf "Yes," I started, expecting that this may be some sorta verification so that they could confirm I''m the owner of the daggers and return them after the (presumed) extermination of this "lord of the lake". That wasn''t the case. "Excellent work, lass! Ye can expect a big share of the alloy metal!" - Elder Dwarf "...alloy?" - Garami "What, ye didn''t know? Take a look, lass," said the elder dwarf as he showed me the extra-large document. It showed a huge, frog-like monster with several tongues coming out of its mouth. These tongues were carrying stuff like shields, swords, and other metal objects... "Is this the lord of the lake?" I asked the elder dwarf, who smiled and nodded at my question. "Yeah, my lass. This beast, the "Giant Over-Furnace Toad" is a beast unlike no other. He eats and melts any ores, weapons or not, inside his belly. Killing him will give us that smelted ore, which has been refined into the most precious alloy of metal you could ever imagine!" - Elder "...my daggers are Ex-items..." - Garami "That''s what makes this beast worthy of being crowned a "lord", lassy. The heat of his guts is strong enough to even melt those kinds of precious-" - Elder Dwarf *BANG!* My palm hit the desk with enough force to break its bones, cutting the elder dwarf''s words short. What did he say? Did he say that f*cking frog is melting my precious daggers as we speak? "Wh-wh-wait a sec, lass!" said the elder dwarf while trying to calm me down (it''s not effective). "This isn''t as bad as it looks like!" "......explain. Now." - Garami "Y-yes, ma''am!" shouted the elder dwarf. He went from "lass" to "ma''am"... "*Cough*, the alloy created by the lord of the lake won''t have its purity diluted by eating too many low-quality ores. Rather, it only takes the best part of what the lord eats and equally disturbs those positive traits to the rest of the alloy." - Elder Dwarf "...if that f*cking frog ate a mountain of worthless trash, but also a single holy sword, then he''d produce a mountain of alloy to make holy swords?" I asked the elder dwarf while trying to keep my rage in check. "Y-yes..., that is exactly like that. As your daggers are likely to contribute the most to the alloy, we will grant you a larger amount of alloy metal, along with a healthy reward of Sol. Or would you like these "skill-up potions" that you Migrants always seem to be after?" - Elder Dwarf The dwarf pointed at a huge crate filled with some recognizable blue bottles. Skill-up potions. Depending on their ranks, it may be acceptable as part of the fine... "I need weapons." - Garami "O-of course. Our lads are among the best blacksmiths in Umbral. As part of the recompense, we''ll prepare-" - Elder Dwarf "No, I need weapons now." - Garami "Now...?" asked the elder dwarf with a look on his face that would work well with some question marks flying above his head. --- "So, you only want to take revenge on that giant toad?" asked Aino as we waited with the other members of the subjugation squad. "It''s not just her!!" shouted Bones as he held up his borrowed magic staff into the air. And it''s not only him. Several other players and dwarves who had been fishing when the "indecent incident" took place rose their weapons and voices in complete harmony with Bones. "Any complaints?" I asked Aino, who just shrugged with an exasperated look on her face. "Not really. I''m just trying to earn your grudges." - Aino Hey, you''re saying that to my face? Whatever. "Everyone, stay still and be quiet," said the dwarven knight who acted as the commander of our "unit". Seems it''s time for a resume of our battle plan. "Our goal today is to hunt down the lord of the lake, also known as the Giant Over-Furnace Toad, and obtain the alloy he has developed by consuming the various mineral sources of the lake, everyone''s equipment included. "The first part of our operation is to lure the Toad out of the lava lake. To do that, we of the Lava Lake Fishing Organization have provided a mountain of unusable weapons. Their qualities may be a little low, but the quantity should be enough to lure out the Toad. "The second part is simply to jam in the harpoon cannons we have acquired just for this day. This will leads us to part 3: attacking the Toad with everything we have! "On a related note, we will try to wait for the Toad to finish eating enough of the trash weapons so that it can develop more ore, but its defeat is our #1 priority. Do not forget that!" Dwarven Knight Everyone made a (silent, so that they wouldn''t warn the toad) shout of arrangement to the dwarf''s plan. Most of the items from the office building, including the stuff from the elderly dwarf''s office, had been hauled to an empty plot of land that had been cleaned free from other monsters. Everyone else is hiding behind crags and rocks, natural or formed from skills. The toad wouldn''t know better, is the reply from the officials of that whatever-fishing organization. I grabbed the borrowed daggers with an intent to kill, waiting impatiently for the bait-placers to do their jobs and lure the toad out of the lake. Come on, come on. Let me kill that fat bastard already... *SPLASH!* After what felt like an eternity (around 3 minutes), a huge splash came from the lava lake. ...hey, that''s too big! The Toad, it''s big enough to eat cars for lunch! Still not as big as the mantis that appeared in the 1st official event, but still big enough. The Toad lazily looked around as it used its many tongues to pick up the trinkets from the ground and eat them before it saw the gigantic mountain of scrap metal the dwarves had prepared for the "event". With heavy steps, it moved over to it and proceeded to greedily eat it all. "FIRE!" After around half of the mountain had entered the belly of the beast (literally), the dwarven commanders ordered the cannoneers to fire at the Toad. Huge harpoons penetrated the bloated monster''s flesh and fat, with heavy chains preventing it from moving. "Now! Go, go, GO!" Everybody started to launch magic and ranged attacks on the Toad the moment they got the clear sign for it. Bones did some impressive magic that created a shark made outta tons of bones he''d asked the whatever-the-name organization for and had it chomp at the Toad. In response to the attacks, the Toad started to hurl clads of molten metal and fire at the attackers, but a wall of fire blocked most of them. Those are Aino''s flames, aren''t they? As for me, I went to the closest of the harpoon cannons and jumped onto the chain connected to the Toad, which now doubles as a free path to the stinking piece of filth. Nyx, who I''d summoned to be my aid, joined me as we ran toward the Toad''s unguarded back. As we got closer to it, I could feel the heat emitting from the Toad''s body. No wonder they call it a "furnace". But I bit my teeth and forced myself to slash at the Toad''s back. Huge slashes emerged on the toad''s back thanks to my borrowed daggers. Do these have higher attack power than Helheim and Pandemonium? The promised replacement weapon the elder dwarf promised me is starting to look more promising than ever. The Toad''s tongues started to flock towards me and Nyx who was scraping up the flesh of the Toad''s back, so we jumped down and allowed the other players to bombard the beast. That attracted the tongues'' attention, but some other players mimicked me and attacked the Toad by walking across the harpoon chains. Instead of going for another round of slashing again right away, I decided to wait until the Toad was getting distracted again. I have my Evil Eyes anyway, so it doesn''t hurt me to take a break and glare at the Toad. Plus poor Nyx''s claws seem to have been burned from the heat. The poor thing is blowing on her hands. Just for satisfying my curiosity, I tried Identifying the toad''s stats... It had 10.000 HP originally. Now it''s been reduced to 8.000. A small relief is that its other stats are way lower, but...this is gonna take a while. Chapter 77: Clean-Up & Smithy Greydra Forgot to update Garami''s level in chapter 72. Fixed now. "*Cro-croaaaaack*..." - Giant toad Finally...after an hour of in-game time, the toad finally collapsed. Cheers and sighs of exhaustion filled the Blastfields as dwarves armed with huge butchering knives came out of the shadows and started to carve up the corpse before it could decompose into black dust. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Your level has increased by 5. You have reached Lv.47. You have obtained 3.0 Aether Points. You have defeated the Zone Boss: Giant Over-Furnace Toad. You have obtained 5.0 Aether Points. Level 47...just three more levels before I can evolve. I sorta wish I could improve my skills and classes before that. They probably will affect my evolution path. Nyx looked proud for some reason. She must probably also have obtained those extra APs. I should have brought Nala and Bloom with me even if they would have been no help... Anyway, guess I could take a look at Nyx''s stats. Skill list: Title list: Hey, she''s been growing. Good girl~. "YA-HOOO!!" - Black Bone "Stop shouting," replied Aino while she held her hands over her fox ears. Bones suddenly shouted in joy after he got his reward from the dwarves. And soon, other players joined him. Are the rewards that good? I got several L-sized "Memoria Alloy" ores...memoria? As in "memory"? As for the other reward, it was split between the Skill-Up Potions or a bunch of yellow-like rocks called "Grade-Up Gems". The dwarves gave me these, saying "mere Potions isn''t enough to pay ye back, lass!" or something among those lines. "These rocks, they let you evolve skills!" - Black Bone "Huh? ...he''s right. How handy, even if it''s random." - Aino That is something. If the Potions leveled up a random skill, which would normally take 3 AP for the tier-1 skills, then these rocks can compensate for 6 AP, the price of evolving skills of the same tier. And since these rocks only affect skills that can evolve, AKA those that have reached Lv.10 (or so I''ve concluded from overhearing players who didn''t get any reactions from their rocks), you can manipulate what skill the rocks can affect to certain degrees. Yup. Now I get why the dwarves thought these were more valuables. All the players who only got potions are glaring at us who were rewarded with them now. Hey, your fault for not contributing more to the "raid". So without further adieu, I crushed three of the rocks I''d gotten and saved the last three for Nyx, Nala, and Bloom. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Skill: [Lesser Darkness Talent Lv.10] has evolved into skill: [Darkness Talent Lv.1] Skills: [Create Traps Lv.10] + [Disarm Trap Lv.10] + [Detect Trap Lv.10] has merge-evolved into skill: [Trap Expertise Lv.1] Skills: [Mystical Thread Lv.10] + [Spider''s Thread Lv.10] has merge-evolved into skill: [Demon Spider''s Web Lv.1] Tch. Two of the rocks hit web-related skills, even when I can''t use them most of the time here in the Blastfields! Though, I had no clue that skills could be merged when they evolved. Glad that only the "selected skill" was random and not "what the skill evolves into". When used, the rocks showed me a list of the potential skill evolutions I had access to. That was damn close, now that I think about it... Testing the new skills will have to wait for a later date. First... "Hey," I asked one of the dwarves I caught. "Can''t ye see I''m...oh! Lass!" - Elder Dwarf Whaddaya know. It''s the boss dwarf from before. "About these alloys-" - Garami "Yeah, no worries there, lass. I''ve already prepared the letters of introduction right here," said the old dwarf as he handed me three letters, one for each of us, along with a map of the settlement near the train station. "The blacksmith lives here," said the dwarf and pointed at a big X on the map, "but at this time, he must have closed his shop for the day." "Then we''ll meet again tomorrow?" asked Aino after the dwarf left. "Good for me. I need to go to bed soon." - Black Bone Oh, that''s right. Unlike me, these two have proper lifestyles. So we agreed on a time to meet and then I saw the two log off before returning to the Fort to give Bloom and Nala their "presents" before going to bed myself. --- The next day, the four of us (Bloom accompanied me) met up in front of the smithy of the famous smith. "[Grus'' Smithy]...quite simple." - Garami "That could mean he does not need a fancy name for people to remember him." - Aino If our resident crafter is saying so, I guess the blacksmith''s as good as his rep is. I had Bloom look him up before coming here, and he "seems" to be quite popular with the locals. As in being bad-talked by the other smiths. Let''s hope that''s due to jealousy and not incompetence... We entered the smithy. The place is...not filled, but it has many weapons on display. Some of them look...familiar... "Welcome," said a voice from the back. A sturdy dwarf dressed in a letter apron and a bandana came out from the back room and greeted us. "Are we talking to the owner of this establishment?" asked Aino, acting as our representative. "If you''re looking for Grus, that''s me," said the dwarf, Grus. "Now, what can I help you with?" "We were given these letters of introduction by Gammalgorn Broder." - Aino Gros accepted the letters from Aino, Bones, and me, and glanced at them. "Good ol'' Broder! It''s the first gtime he''s introduced someone of the undead though. Then you four got your gears eaten by one of those toads? No, that girlie over there''s a servant, so..." - Grus "These two had their weapons eaten," said Aino. "We heard that this alloy would allow one to make items with power equal to the strongest piece of equipment it ate." "Ah, yes. That ol'' folklore." - Grus "I-i-it''s fake!?" shouted Black Bone, the other guy in our group who lost something to the toad. I''m keeping calm...for now. "Calling it a complete hoax wouldn''t be fair. Feeding it higher-quality items will greatly improve the durability of weaponry created with the alloy, but that''s that. But yeah, it''s mostly some PR stunt to attract more tourists." - Grus "Aw, come on! All that mess for some fancy armor and shields? And nobody in our group needs that stuff!" - Black Bone "You sure you shouldn''t have some guys like that?" - Grus That question silenced Bones. Yeah, we''re in serious lack of a proper vanguard. "So you guys lost some fancy stuff then?" - Grus "My weapons. Twin daggers. Ex-rarity." - Garami "Ouch. My condolence there, lass. Seriously. But, you''ve come to the right dwarf. I should be capable of salvaging your weapons." - Grus Grus then led us to the rooms in the back. A huge forge took up most of the room, and the walls were covered with smithing tools. "Another property of the Memoria Alloy is that, for the original owners only, make the rumors about it inheriting the former equipment''s traits come true." - Grus "So you''re saying...?" - Black Bone "You can reforge the weapons back to normal?" - Aino "V." - Grus Old dwarves shouldn''t throw out peace signs... "If you have some other rare materials, I can even add that to the pile, turning the weapon better than ever. For free, even." - Grus But you''re forgiven today! "You guys! Go and..., they''re already gone." - Garami Only Bloom and two dust clouds were remaining. "It was like watching a Spectral Grasper fleeing with the help of a Missile Tortoise." - Grus "A what with who? ...no, don''t explain that. Also, can you use this somehow?" - Garami I took out my lucky stick from my Storage. The same guy who I found in the Swamps right before encountering Miranda, the current spider-boss of the Darkland Fort (one of many, considering the new Boss rules). "This is...!? Lass, where did you get this?" - Grus "From a Haunt. I stumbled across it by coincidence. ...is it something bad?" - Garami "No, not at all. If you were the one who found it, things should go okay." - Grus I''m not sure I like the way he''s phrasing things, but the dwarf completely refused to talk anymore about it. "But lass, what weapon do you want?" asked the dwarf in an attempt to change the topic. Hmm, but he has a point. "They used to be a set of two daggers," I told him as I pointed at the alloy. "Daggers, ey? That''s going to be a problem. I can only create one piece of equipment if you want to include this branch." - Grus Geh!? Come on...not that it''s too unreasonable. In most games, you''d need to gather several dozens of copies of materials after all. I should consider myself lucky that I don''t need 100 lucky sticks. "And what type of weapon do you want? Daggers are not good as wooden equipment." - Grus "Ugh!" - Garami "You never gave it any thought?" - Bloom "But ii''s my lucky stick..." - Garami "How about making a different kind of weapon?" - Grus "But I only have [Dagger Proficiency]..." - Garami "Bah! Only amateurs walk around with just one kind of weapon. Lass, you see that door over there?" - Grus The dwarf pointed at a different door than the one leading to his forge. That''s strange. I never noticed it. Looking at Bloom''s face, I could see that she was as surprised as me. "It''s my storage room. You can find a copy of any weapon type I''ve created inside there. Try finding a weapon you like from among the samples. I''ll try to base the weapon on whatever you find to your liking." - Grus "Why not just make a pair of daggers?" asked Bloom who was sporting a bored-looking...hey! You''re getting punished for that disinterest in your master''s future partner! "It''s against my pride as an artisan to do a half-assed job. And knowing what the client wants is half the job." - Grus He''s got a point there. So I accepted his deal, and shut up Bloom by asking Grus to make a new cauldron for her with some of the special alloy (just a little of it). After I touched the doorknob, a message suddenly appeared. Grus'' storage is filled with weapons. Find the one that appeals to your soul, and show it to him. ...huh? Is it a quest just to look at the weapons? Weird. Well, time to do some window shopping. Chapter 78: The Programmers & [Erebus Scythe] Terra Sol AS Office: "Boss, how about this?" One of the programmers gave the head of development, Edenweith Ereris, a document on his tablet that showed various statistics regarding a future event planned for Nightmare Fantasy Online. "A Dungeon Battle event... Are there enough players that double as Dungeon Rulers?" - Edenweith "That is-" Then, before the programmer could reply, a mechanical voice came from the speakers mounted on the walls. [A Migrant has obtained an item crafted with a Sin Relic] All the other workers froze when they heard the announcement. It lasted for 0.6 seconds. "Who did that!? Fantasia, who is that player!" The programmers started to demand answers from Fantasia, the support AI that assisted the programmers with developing and maintaining "Nightmare Fantasy Online". [Player name: Garami. A demon-type Dungeon Ruler] "Now that''s what I call "speaking of the devil"!" shouted Edenweith while laughing out loud. "And what type of Sin Relic did she use?" - Edenweith [The Relic used is: "Branch of Soul-Eating Gluttony"] "Wow! That''s one of the rarer ones!" "So, it''s been made into a magician''s staff?" "That would make it easier to incorporate other Sin Relics. Who''s the crafter?" "...it''s Grus from the Blastfields located in the Umbral region!" "Wow...a rare item and a rare NPC in the same sitting..." Edenweith ignored the other programmers and started looking into the player who had managed to be the first to "progress with the game''s main story". (...that is the... the mademoiselle!) - Edenweith Edenweith remembered back when he first met the "mademoiselle" and had a heart attack. Literally. The similarities between her and the CEO were enough to make Edenweith remember the countless pains the CEO had made him endure. Despite that, Edenweith had a revelation. That this girl could bring a storm to the world of Nightmare Fantasy Online if she was allowed to participate. Or maybe it was his developed survival instincts telling him that the girl was dangerous due to the similarities between her and the CEO. "...guys! Jack up the difficulty of the 4th official event to "Hellish Hard"!" - Edenweith "Oh! We''re bringing in the White Order?" "Now we''re talking! Mr. Ereris, how about a field boss as well?" "I''ll allow it! Bring the worst that can be brought out! And make the Dungeon Rulers pick up the pace!" - Edenweith Without knowing it, the ruler of the Darkland Fort had increased the difficulties she would be facing in the future. --- Garami''s PoV: *Slash!!* And the slime''s done for~~. "Wow! That was awesome!" - Black Bone "It seems that master Grus is indeed in a league of his own." - Aino It''s the last day we''d put to gathering materials from the Lava Lake, but we decided to reschedule a little. That is because we wanted to test out my sparkling new weapon! "Garami, there''s another one at 3 o''clock!" - Black Bone That''s a "hell dog", I think. It''s a huge, red dog with flames emerging from its fur. Now, who''s a bad doggy? You are, yes you are! The dog came charging at me after I caught its aggro with my Evil Eyes, so I went into a stance with my new weapon: a huge, jet-black scythe with a blade that seemed like it was made out of dark energy. A scythe of terror, created from the metal of hell and the wood of the demon lords. Created by Grus Durkrock (Inhabitant) A scythe whose strength increases when in the presence of fear and diseases. Can transform into a billhook and a spear-dagger if needed. The scythe''s blade is made from the Darkness element. The stronger the user is with the element, the stronger the blade becomes. The scythe can harmonize with the Evil Eyes of the user. Attacks inflicted with the scythe are difficult to heal, yet the user of the scythe will recover based on the damage. The naming sense is horrible though. I needed to invest 6 AP in [Identification] to get this more precise description of its abilities. What do you mean it''s not possible to get exact numerical values unless the skill''s at Lv.8? I got other stuff to use my AP on! Ah, the doggie''s coming at me. But its legs got caught by a beartrap right before it could bite me, so I slashed the stationary wolf into pieces. "An insta-kill!?" - Black Bone "Most of it must come from that the dog was pretty weak, but I agree. Garami has efficiently graduated to becoming a front-line fighter." - Aino "I''m not gonna job-change into a warrior just because my weapon''s new. It''s only my attack power that''s gone up." - Garami "And there goes the hope of having a tank to our party!" - Black Bone It''s unreasonable for you guys to think that a Scout-based player like me can do that job in the first place. "What was that beartrap about then? That could be a possible method to hold the defensive lines." - Aino "That''s due to the skill called [Trap Expertise]. It evolved to this thanks to the stones we got after defeating the toad. I''ll refrain from saying more, but the skill uses a lot of MP." - Garami When I first got it, I believed this skill wasn''t anything too impressive, but then I got to see it in action. This skill has more than just lots of uses. The beartrap from before was something I made using the volcanic rocks on the ground. If I push it, I bet I could use this to destroy rolling boulders or even walls by "using them as materials for traps". I''ve already tested it. It doesn''t work in places like a Dungeon, tested that too, but it''s no joke saying that this may be one of my strongest skills at the moment. "So we do not have anything to defend us in the rearguard. Not that I find it that troublesome. My main occupation is being an artisan." - Aino "But I need corpses!" - Black Bone While I was watching the two''s bickering, I used the scythe''s ability to detach into two new blades, a heavy-looking knife that''s better known as a billhook and a dagger with a sharp tip like a spear, and sheathed them. This is way easier than having to drag around the scythe in its normal state~. The first dagger is what the scythe''s blade turned into after I divided the weapon, and the spear-dagger is the bottom half of the shaft, which ended in a spear-like blade. The staff was somehow retracted into the handle when the scythe goes into its "dagger mode". Got no clue how, but Grus is amazing for being able to make such a thing. It did take some days for him to make it, despite it taking less than an hour for all the other items, but I''m not complaining. Especially since all the transformations can be done in the blink of an eye. "Aww, I want something cool like that." - Black Bone "You have said that so many times now that I''ve lost count." - Garami "And I''ll continue to!" - Black Bone What a pain... "Shall we move on with the conversation? I cannot log in for three days starting tomorrow, so what shall we do?" - Aino Seems like Aino''s not a NEET like me...crap. I''m repeating my inner monologue from yesterday when she first mentioned it. "That''s simple. Garami and I''ll annihilate the vampires on our own!" - Black Bone "Don''t get cocky. Let''s use those days to scout their territory, then strike when Aino and her Fire magic are available again." - Garami "Tch. When am I ever going to get the spotlight?" - Black Bone I don''t think it''s healthy for a Skeleton to be in any kind of light. The Undead takes passive damage from that. "And how are we supposed to "scout" those vampires?" - Black Bone "That would be..." - Garami Crap. I just realized that we don''t know which vampire to go after. Their area''s a ghost town covered with volcanic ashes. Ghouls and various other vampiric monsters live there in addition to the humanoid vampires. The problem is that ALL the vampires live there. As in all the different vampire families. I only want to get back at the jerks who messed things up on the train. I''m not planning to start a full war against the whole vampire race (limited to this region). Another idea could be to challenge weakling vampires for materials and a chance to get new monster lines/elements, but nothing of that kind appeared from the materials we got from the lava lake. It seems that your everyday drops aren''t enough to satisfy a Dungeon. We need to aim higher. "Sounds troublesome." - Aino "Really? Can''t we just ask the guards about the identity of the vampire that attacked? Or of any other vamps that are fine to hunt? They are practically criminals." - Black Bone You can ask about that!? --- "Yes, we have managed to uncover the identity of the perpetrator of the train-jack incident." That''s the answer the official from the guards'' HQ gave us after we returned to the city. Huh? Was it that easy? "Cool, bro! Can you tell us about them? We were on the train when that jerk attacked, so as prideful adventurers, we want to dish out some payback." - Black Bone "Very well. But please be cautious that some of the vampire families do not wish for conflict, so try to stay clear of their areas when you are hunting for materials." The official''s words made a sweatdrop appear on Bones'' skull. He saw right through you, buddy. Regardless of that, the official showed us a map of the ghost town section of the Blastfields, the area where the vampires live. It''s divided into five different color groups that represent the area underneath a vampire family''s rule. The green section belongs to the Fortum family. They''re a bunch of vamps who train themselves in the art of espionage. Maybe due to that, their level of arrogance is way lower than compared to ordinary vampires. They even provide inside info about the other families to the town guards. The yellow section of the map shows the Indago group. They''re originally not vampires, but a bunch of different races who through research evolved into vampires. According to the rumors, some are even aiming to become liches. They have the lowest amount of area, but they''ll leave you alone if you do the same. The blue section belongs to the Sanguis vampire family which acts more like monsters than any of the others. They kidnap and drain people of their blood just to satisfy the vampires'' literal bloodlust. They are so obsessed with tasting blood that they don''t care about pride or glory, and act more like rabid wild dogs. And finally, the red section. It belongs to the aristocratic Nobilis family. "Let me guess, they were involved with the train jack?" - Aino "Correct. They are the only ones who both have the brains to perform such an operation while also being too dumb to know it''s a bad idea." Ouch. The official''s words are so thorny that they can be used as wooden stakes. "And these black spots?" - Aino "Those are untaken areas that are infested with Ghouls and their likes. You can hunt there, but if the wild populace there gets too thinned, one of the four families may take the area and disrupt the power balance, so please refrain from that. We can look through the fingers if it''s either the Nobilis family or the Sanguis family who are thinned out." So said the officer while trying his best to look innocent about the last part. And all the other guards seem to be with him on that, seeing how they''re trying to whistle oh so innocently when I looked at them. Eh, whatever. Nobilis seems like a good place to start our vampire hunt anyway. "Excuse me for asking, but is it a trend among you Migrants to hunt vampires now?" said the officer. "Why do you ask?" - Black Bone "There was someone else asking about them yesterday. She was wearing a nun outfit, but she looked a little...strange. Is she a friend of yours?" The officer suddenly asked us that, but of all things, a nun outfit? That''s a new one. Aino looked like she''d swallowed a bitter bug, while Bones went pale despite being only a skeleton. ...meh. If I can''t remember it, it couldn''t be something that terrible. "More importantly, where do they sell garlic and stakes," I asked the officer, ignoring the two behind me. My Dungeon is hungry for vampire blood~! Chapter 79: Rooftops & Persuasions Log in...or not? That''s weird. I tried to log into NFO, but instead of arriving at my Player Room, I''m in some fancy throne room...oh. This is the place where I created my character. So this means... "It pleases me to see you again, esteemed Miss Garami." - D1-696 A black fog that takes the shape of a human man, sans the goat-like head, wearing a tuxedo. It''s the support AI, D1...whatever. "What do you want?" - Garami "It is my humble wish to congratulate you, Miss Garami, for finally having made use of the Sin Relic of Gluttony." - D1-696 "Sin...relic?" - Garami "Your "lucky branch", as you referred to it. Again, congratulations, even if you had no inkling of its true identity." - D1-696 "...then you''re gonna tell me what it is?" - Garami "Of course not. That would not be interesting." - D1-696 What a nice character this AI has... "However, I will give you a gift and some hints. First, I suggest that you look for the other 6 remaining Sin Relics." - D1-696 "And what if someone else has them?" - Garami If it''s named "Sin" and is related to "gluttony", then you don''t need to be a genius to get that we''re talking about the seven deadly sins. "That is of no worries. The Relics are not limited to just one unit per sin. Taking a Relic from someone else will not make it follow your command." - D1-696 Then it means I won''t have to worry about others attacking me. And are these "relics" equipped with AIs or something? "And now, for your gift," said the less-pleasant AI as he handed over something that fits in my palm... --- "An Extra Medal!?" - Black Bone "Yup." - Garami I showed Bones my gift and got quite the amusing reaction from him. "And here we strived for so long looking for those things..." - Black Bone "You know about them?" - Garami "Yeah. Our party failed to discover even 1 during the 2nd event but failed splendidly..." - Black Bone "That''s too bad." - Garami "...hey, what category does yours belong to?" - Black Bone "Evil." - Garami "Whoa... That''s nasty..." - Black Bone To translate: the gift I got from the support AI is something called an "Extra Medal". Collecting 10 of these things lets you obtain a super special "Extra Skill" for free~. But the problem is that the medals are separated into different categories, and you can''t mix the medals. So even if I got a "Justice"-type medal, I couldn''t use it with my "Evil"-type. Not to forget that the "Extra Skill" obtained is of the same category as the medals~. So my skill-set will become even more vicious and Evil~~. ...seriously, my rep is going straight to hell. Literally. "And I think we''ve arrived." - Garami Huge, old, and half-destroyed buildings were starting to come into our line of view, and a huge pipeline was located close to it. It leads to the sewer system of the vampire-infested ghost town. "Okay, then we''ll split up here. Be careful that nobody notices you." - Black Bone "They wouldn''t recognize me," I told him and gave my new, full-face mask a few knocks. "I''m talking about the Ghouls who can make zombie tokens out of us if they kill you! But the new gear is cool, I have to agree." - Black Bone "Nothing is more important than fashion. Now, get going." - Garami "Yes, ma''am!" - Black Bone And with that, the Skeleton went into the sewers where he..., okay, NOTHING should belong down there! The place stinks! I wish my avatar lacked the sense of smell like Bones''. [Can you hear me?] - Black Bone "Loud and clear." - Garami Yesterday, Bones and I prepared ourselves with the greatest weapon of them all: our wallets. We bought tons of leadership-ability accessories. Enough so that I can be a Party leader with both Bones and Aino under my command, AND summoning both Nyx and Nala if they''re needed. Bones got some necro-related ones for his bone fishes. In addition to that, I got myself this cool black mask that not only hides my identity, it also makes my stealth moves a tiny bit better. And finally, we got these nice communicator-like earpieces that let us contact each other from long distances. Not even the ground can block out the signal! "Let''s go over the plan one more time." - Garami [Roger!] - Black Bone "Today''s goal is to "get used to this territory" without taking too many losses. You are going to travel through the sewers and see if there are any secret passages or treasures down there protected by that killer smell." - Garami [And at the same time, ma''am''s looking with a bird''s eye''s view from the rooftops to look for the hideout of the vampires.] - Black Bone "While doing both these objectives, we''re also making sure to clear quests from the Union to earn more cash and AP so we''re prepared for when Aino returns." - Garami [Roger! Over and out!] - Black Bone He cut me off. I wanted to do that... Storing the growing irk to crush some skulls, I released a hand-shaped bunch of black webbing at the roofs and dragged myself up to the roof. This is thanks to the evolved skill: [Demon Spider''s Thread]. To summarize its effects, it can be used by consuming either SP, MP, or both. Both functions of the [Mystical Thread] and [Spider''s Thread] skills. In addition, it is now possible to customize the thread to inflict status ailments or Element skill-based damage to creatures trapped in the web. For an extra cost, of course. The damage from the skill seems to be affected by my Karma Value, but I''m locked at the lowest level, so its power is constantly at MAX on that front. Back to the spy job, there seem to be no monsters up here. Lots of ghouls in the streets. We''d need more than just Aino if we were gonna brute-force ourselves through that. As I jumped from one rooftop to another, I noticed a few human, non-ghouls down at the plane level. They are...vampires. No doubt about it. They got the same tacky clothing as the guy on the train, so it''s almost for certain that they''re his allies. So he was part of the Nobilis. I''m gonna enjoy putting those guys in their place... [Garami? You there?] - Black Bone "I hear ya," I replied as I hid from the vampires'' view. [There are lots of entrances to the surface from down here. Even if you ignore the places like the wells, there are tons of shafts that lead to the buildings above-ground.] - Black Bone "Tons of them?" - Garami [You heard right. Maybe they''re expecting a raid?] - Black Bone "...and did you find anything else?" - Garami [You bet! I''ve found tons of stuff we can sell at the Union or the market-!] - Black Bone "Then the possibility of those shafts being escape routes is low." - Garami [Eh? Why?] - Black Bone "Is it a good idea to have your final escape option be overpopulated with adventures looking for a quick buck?" - Garami [Oh...oooooh. Now I get it. Plus there were lots of Sewer Alligators down here too. And they''re WAY hostile to the undead. I even fought alongside some of the ghouls to beat those nasty reptiles!] - Black Bone Ah, because monster players aren''t seen as enemies by monsters of the same type unless you attack them, Bones could join forces with the ghouls to fight the non-undead alligators. It''s mostly due to this trait that we decided that he should look through the sewers, despite its undead populace. "Maybe they''re supposed for attracting instead of escaping?" - Garami [So they''re like bait? ...for people like us!?] - Black Bone "It''s just a hypothesis, but maybe." - Garami [Damn. So the underground way is busted. How''re things above ground?] - Black Bone "Bleak. Vampire bleak. I see places the vampires frequently enter and exit, but nothing is telling me which one is good to strike." - Garami [Guess we need to stake out for more than a few days... Rather, aren''t there any maps you can steal from the vampires?] - Black Bone "And where would that be?" - Garami [Don''t ask me~~.] - Black Bone What a waste of calcium... [Oh, now I got it! Are there any big bats nearby? With some huge jaws?] - Black Bone "...I did see something like that..." - Garami [Those are demons! You can tame them!] - Black Bone "No, that doesn''t mean I should-" - Garami [They''re part of a race called Nachzerers, a type of vampiric demons! Or is it demonic vampires? Anyway, if you can tame one, maybe it can show us where the vampires are hiding their stuff~.] - Black Bone "You think it will be that easy?" - Garami [Probably not, but the boards I looked at yesterday night in preparation for today had only high praises for those demons. And even if it doesn''t know what the vampires are up to, it couldn''t hurt having a flying demon as our ally.] - Black Bone ...that is true. And a demon with a vampire''s ability does sound strong... "Okay, I''ll give it a go while looking for potential clues." - Garami [It''s just the first day, so take it easy~. Bones, over and out!] - Black Bone ...that bastard... He did it again. After that, I started to look for clues by breaking into buildings with weak security, but there was nothing there that could tell me about the vampires. Not surprising. Those guys aren''t complete idiots...maybe. But it''s getting late. Bones should be heading back to town by now. ...maybe taming one of those vampire demons isn''t such a bad idea? I looked into the air and saw a herd of them flying above me. They look like dark-grey bats the size of eagles, but their face looks like a cross between that of a normal bat''s face and a crocodile''s. Forget sucking blood, these guys are gonna crush your bones! ...my motivation went up by 30% now. Okay, which one looks like a good catch...you! I threw demonic webbing into the air and stuck it to one of the larger specimens. Then I used [Trap Expertise] to wrap the web like a cocoon on the unknowing bat and dragged him down to the ground (or the roof) while making as little noise as possible. "----!!?" - Nachzerers-type demon "Hey," I told the bat while stabbing my Erebus...Dagger, into the roof in front of its big (and gagged) mouth. "You got two choices now, lucky punk. Join my team, or be my new leather coat. Which one?" The bat started to nod with a fanatic look on its face. Let''s give it a try~. Wow, the taming skill worked in one shot~. It''s a miracle~. But man, the new and evolved skills are damn useful. Even [Lurk]''s effect has been boosted thanks to the Element skill''s evolution. Maybe I should start looking for high-rank demons now? But first, vampire hunting. With my new "friend". Chapter 80: Sin Urban & Echo "OOOHH!! So this is the Darkland Fort!" - Black Bone "Right, this is the first time you have come here." - Garami "And I''ve been waiting for an invitation all this time, boss!" - Black Bone Yeah, guess I should feel sorry for that...but this is Bones we''re talking about. I bet some abandonment play is right up his ally. It''s the second day of operation: "Butcher those vampires!!!", but I decided to have Bones meet me on the first floor of the Darkland Fort. The reasons for doing so are two: one is because the demon vampire bat I tamed yesterday, now named Echo, loves to fly around the Dungeon, so we have to collect her here. The second reason is that I wanted to have a look at the Dungeon theme I''d chosen. "...excuse me for asking, but why is there a city inside the fort?" - Black Bone "It''s because the Dungeon''s theme is "Sin Urban"." - Garami The first floor looks like a...how should I call it... A city that''s both alive and dead? It''s made out of modern buildings, but they have fallen apart to the point that only the steel beams are showing. The exceptions are a few buildings that the invaders can ransack (like the thieves they are!!) in hope of treasures, or the buildings that are used for the Facilities on this floor. The buildings and streetlights are made out of some black metal that I don''t know the name of, and the ground is made out of silver rocks. As mentioned before, their design is similar to modern buildings, but they have a gothic, or maybe "demonic", touch to them. The "sky" is dark as the night, with bloody-red stars shining down on us. There is no moon. "...sin, you said? I do get that feeling..." said Bones as he shrank away from the dark alleys that were covered in bloody handprints. "No worries. There are only the doggies and us on this floor right now." - Garami "That''s a relief...huh? Doggies!?" - Black Bone I whistled and got the attention of some of them. Huge doggies with dark-grey fur appeared from the shadows of the buildings. "Doggies," I said while cuddling one of the dogs'' fur. "Those are freaking Direwolves!" - Black Bone "Duh, I know that." - Garami "...wait, hold on just a sec. Didn''t you say this place was a Demon Dungeon?" - Black Bone "Something like that." - Garami "Then why do you have something that obviously should be in some sorta beast-type Dungeon!? And keep those things away from me! I''m scared of the looks they are giving me!" - Black Bone Tch. Sorry, doggies. You won''t be getting any bones today. Bye-bye. "It''s the "Common monster-line"." - Garami "The what-line?" - Black Bone "Common monster-line. Shorten to the Common-line. Every floor of the Dungeon has one Monster-line that uses a specific type of monster and one of the Dungeon''s elements and spawns 4 types of monsters that fit both criteria. 3 elements can use the same Monster-line, and one can have at most 12 elements." - Garami "So that means...you can have at most 12 floors with different "populace", is it?" - Black Bone "Almost. Because all Dungeons also have their Common-line. The criteria here are not an assigned element or Mon-line, but the Dungeon''s type and theme." - Garami "Oh, as in "Sin Urban Fort" for this place!" - Black Bone "Correct. The Direwolves were obtained because they''re part of the evolution line to a certain C-rank monster that can live in this environment." - Garami "C-rank?" - Black Bone "All the spawned monsters need to be chosen from the C-rank, then one monster from all the lower ranks of the same evolution line will be added to the poll." - Garami "There can be C-rank monsters wandering around here!?" - Black Bone "Don''t joke. The spawned monsters are limited by the Dungeon''s stats and how deep into the Dungeon they are. Right now, even spawning D-rank monsters is a herculean task." - Garami "Damn...and what monsters are those haunting hounds gonna turn into when they grow up?" - Black Bone "Cerberus." - Garami "How''s that freaking "common"!!?" - Black Bone I think the Cerberus is pretty common in Dungeons... As for the other monsters of this line, I''ve yet to decide on them. I know I want some goblins, dark elves (demonic-ish elves), and some giant bats. The problem is that they have so many evolution paths, so I''m stuck choosing which. Oh, but the two Demon-lines, Darkness and Crystal, are using the same demons as before. I could change them, but I like the current setup. "So, can we leave now? I think I''m hearing dogs breathing in the corners..." - Black Bone "Tch, fiiiiine. ECHO!!" - Garami "I don''t think you can make an echo here in the city." - Black Bone Not that... Wonder if there''s an echo Facility. I was about to check the list of the possible Facilities when Echo the bat came flying to us. Time to go. --- Later, we jumped across the rooftops of vampire town. *Land* *CRASH!* "...can''t you land a little louder?" - Garami "Then don''t drag me with this freaking web!" said Bones with a voice lower than you''d expect from an angry skull. Hey, it''s your fault for not being able to jump from roof to roof. Be glad that my evolved webs can carry you across. "And is it safe following the bat around?" - Black Bone "More than you''d guess." - Garami For real. After I got a look at Echo''s status page, I couldn''t believe how great of a find she was. Skill List: Title List: Trait List: Demon: Demi-Vampire: This girl''s a searching/healing genius! The only downside is that Echo becomes as good as useless under the sun because of her Traits, but she should handle night missions just fine, or in places like the Darklands or this ghost town where the sun''s blocked out. The Ability skills were obtained by a crash course of class quests with Echo yesterday before I logged out. Regarding Echo''s skills which I haven''t seen before, they can simply be described in this fashion: Yeah, Echo''s not able to do the same job as Nyx and Nala. But a scout that maybe can use shadow clones in the future is nothing to sneeze at. ...just need to find a way to make her something like a "daywalker"... "Echo, start looking for a safe path into one of the fancy buildings." - Garami Echo saluted with her wing. Feeding her cotton candy from the Sweets Stand Facility on the 1st floor seems to have captured her heart. Following my request, Echo started to look over all the nearby buildings before pausing on one of them. I dragged the (silently, impressively enough) screaming skeleton with me to that building and was about to use the newly bought lockpicking tools on the window before I noticed that someone had trapped it. Clever, but I''m an expert on this subject~. It took some time, enough to let Bones recover from the jump, but I managed to crack the trap and the lock. When we got inside, we found ourselves in some sorta storeroom. What do we have... Bingo. "This is the first time I''ve ever seen a real iron maiden," said Bones as he looked at the blood-soaked, rusty old chamber of death. "If this doesn''t belong to a malevolent vampire, then I don''t wanna know the true owner." - Garami "I don''t want to know who owns it either way! And I''m all bones!" - Black Bone "Shh. Be quiet and start looking for some clues." - Garami Our search went silently and steadily, but it got cut short when we heard footprints outside. Two of them, I''d guess from the sounds of the steps. Bones held his breath (as good as he could) and hid behind some furniture while I hid behind the door, ready to cut down whoever came into the room. Luckily for us, they passed by without entering. Due to my position so close to the door, I overheard them talking about something. "The ritual...soon..." "Worthless...our rightful..." "The town...blood..." "The god...exterminate..." "The sacrifice...tonight..." "All hail...dess..." It''s fragmented, but I can piece the broken sentences together. Ritual, sacrifice, and god. Words that are obviously not good to have in the same sentence. Or discussion. Just as the footsteps had disappeared, something new popped up. Something damn foreboding. Horrifying rumors are going on about the Nobilis Vampires trying to reach powers beyond their understanding and control. Find out what the vampires of arrogance are trying to do. Greydra Votes for the remaining monsters for the Darkland Fort are being done on the Discord server. Please leave a vote if you like. Chapter 81: The Plans & the Sacrifices "Hey, what is this about?" asked Bones as he looked into the air. He must be staring at the same quest notification I got. "The vampires trying to get closer to things like me?" - Garami "Huh? ...oh, you''re a demon. Almost forgot that." - Black Bone "Just don''t forget to post this on the BBS. We''re way too outclassed here." - Garami I''m not sure, but it feels like we have stumbled over some crazy high-leveled quest while skipping past some preliminary stuff. Seeing how this is a World Quest, not to mention one related to the worst vampires possible, it''s smarter to give up on monopolizing the quest and rather ask for assistance to prevent some disaster. "...no good. The BBS and message system are temporarily turned off. Part of the event, or so it says." - Black Bone I tried it myself, but Bones is right. I''m just getting an error message every time I try. "...no harm continuing." - Garami It feels more dangerous not doing anything. We just have to evade the vamps and get to their main office. Not that different from what we had first planned. Bones agreed with me on that, but before we left...we ransacked the place. I''ve even increased [Small Inventory]''s skill level by 3, having it reach Lv.10, by using 9 AP. But after I spent 3 AP on [Identification], I ended up broke. I have to start farming points after this. "...hmm?" - Garami But something strange happened when I tried to move the iron maiden in the room. A system message that said "New Trap Recipies are added to [Trap Expertise]" when I touched it... Oooh, I think I get it. Crafters learn new recipes they can create with quests and research, but they can also learn them from special events or interacting with new items. The iron maiden must have been one for traps. And the newly unlocked traps are...nasty. Plain nasty. "Let''s look for a torture room." - Garami "HUH!? Where did that come from!?" - Black Bone It''s no good? I wanted to at least try to see what a guillotine would give me. After cleaning the storage clean, we walked into the corridors of the mansion...dark! The building''s damn dark! And demons are supposed to have Nightvision as a racial trait! It''s not impossible to see anything, but compared to how everything feels as bright as it was in the middle of the day all the time, this dark environment came as a shock to me. I turned around to Bones, but he looked as confused as I am. So it''s not only demons who have sight problems in this place, but the undead as well. So it''s the darkness who''s Nightvision-protected and not that demons have an unfair disadvantage. After walking through the corridor a while, Echo, who was riding on my back ever since we entered the building, tapped on my shoulder. A source of light was coming towards us from the other end of the corridor. Along with footsteps. Due to the lack of open doors in our current position, I dragged Bones behind one of the furniture in the unnatural wide corridor, and afterward, I hid underneath a table and held my breath. Two robbed figures holding old-fashioned lanterns walked past us. They seemed to not have noticed the skeleton behind the closet (instead of in it) or me. "What were those?" asked Bones after I signalized to him that it was safe. "Vampires...I guess." - Garami Bones looked at me with a sullen face but cut me some slack. Those things had an...aura...way different from the few vampires I''ve met before. "How are we going to proceed?" - Black Bone "...we could follow the patrols. They could lead to some important room." - Garami "Won''t we be discovered?" - Black Bone "There is that risk... Then how about just looking through all the rooms?" - Garami "That''ll take forever. We only have around 4.5 hours left on the clock." - Black Bone "...then how about looking at suspicious rooms as we stalk the patrols? Echo may find a hidden room on the way." - Garami Both the two now and the vampires(?) I overheard before were walking in the same direction, so we may escape running into other vamps if we follow their order. Bones agreed to this idea, and so we went onward alongside our trusty watch-bat. --- 2 hours into the quest: "Bwa-hahaha! We''re rich! Rich, I tell you!!" - Black Bone "Keep your voice down!" - Garami "You''re no better!" - Black Bone Who can blame me? We''ve hit the jackpot here! An office filled with treasure chests! As we stalked the patrols while taking breaks to unlock any suspicious rooms on the way, we finally stumbled over this place as we saw some vampire-like vampire (I know it sounds strange, but the patrols are too weird to be normal vampires) walk out of there, protected by the guards. But man, this room''s door was trapped to the breaking point. Pitfalls, arrow traps, and even jack-in-the-box-ish boxing gloves. How is the owner of this room able to enter this room without accidentally triggering the traps? It took me a good 10 minutes to get past them all. As for the room itself, it was shabby. Nothing of apparent interest. Not until Echo jumped off my back and started hitting one of the walls. It turned out to lead to a secret room. Or maybe you could call it a secret vault? Anyway, this place is our motherload! The secret room only had boring old wooden crates in it, but the contents of the crates sure lived up to our hype. Some of them contained lots of archetypical items used for demon summoning. Animal bones, suspicious-looking red bottles, pieces of strange chalk, and other stuff that seems at home at an occult goods bargain sale. Other containers contained lots of books related to summoning, necromancy, and various evil gods. They are probably related to the vampires'' "ritual", but they cover too many genres to pinpoint exactly what the bats are planning. Bones gladly took the necromancy-related books. In return, I got the main item of the next crate: the Keystone item for the Moon element. Hmm...guess Nyx could get this one. She''s the only demon without a second element. Plus Moon fits her, who has a name related to "night". Hope I can find something for Bloom soon. Other than that, there were various accessories and weapons. All of them seem to be demonic-related, and over half of them seem to have negative effects. Stuff like stopping the usage of skills, preventing HP recovery, and... "*Squeak*!" - Echo What''s wrong, girl? Did you find something...cosplay? One of the wooden crates had some fancy...or rather, some risque clothes in it. A nurse outfit, a kunoichi, a female police officer, a nun outfit... "What''s that? Presents for Aino?" - Black Bone "No, I found them laying around... That''s strange. I can''t interact with them." - Garami "Maybe the vampires have some players captured?" - Black bone "Captured? Can the inhabitants do that?" - Garami "Sure. Some players were caught by bandits and could send a message for help." - Black Bone Oh, like you can roleplay captured victims and ask for help. That''s a new twist. "Wait, then I''ll check the quest page for someone''s SOS. Maybe they know something about the vampires'' plans." - Black Bone "Do that." - Garami Bones started to fiddle with his menu while I packed away all the stuff in the secret room. As in, literally anything. It would be a waste to leave something for the vamps. FYI, the stolen outfits were stored as a "Crate of Confiscated Items (CAN NOT BE USED)". "Hmm, that''s weird...there''s only one SOS quest in the area." - Black Bone Just one? But the number of items is clearly above that of a single party. "What does that one quest say then?" - Garami "Let''s see.........? "Help, I''m about to become stew"...?" - Black Bone ......okay, where are the dungeons! We gotta save that guy! --- Bingo! There are the cells. Thank god that important-looking vampire had a map stashed in his drawer. The building spots some serious cells down in the basement. The entrance to the "cell block" is through a concealed door located in a corridor that leads to the building''s wine cellar. Finding it is no problem. Getting past the two deformed monster guards that are waiting in the middle of the corridor? A little worse. "Excuse me for asking, but...why are you so keen on responding to the SOS?" asked Bones while we were hiding in the shadows from the guards outside the cells in the building''s basement. "Even I have enough conscience to feel bad for someone who''s gonna end up on the dinner table." - Garami "Ah, you were aware that you didn''t have much guilt in you." - Black Bone Of course, I knew. Why else would I agree on playing as a demon? "You can stay back. I''m enough for this." - Garami "Didn''t you have trouble with the vampire on the train? Are you sure you can handle those two on your own?" - Black Bone "Yup. Because I''m not alone." - Garami I left Bones and tiptoed closer to the two guards. They are equipped with the same lanterns as the patrols, probably some sorta item to counteract the strange darkness in this building. Gotta remember to look at those afterward. If we''re going by a gamer''s logic, the area lightened by the lanterns is the monster guard''s line of sight. Staying away from that light is common sense, but...the jail entrance is 100% covered by the guards'' lanterns. It''s impossible to get past them undetected. For normal people, that is. "...YOu! ...oH, CaRRY oN." - Guard A A new deformed guard entered the two''s line of sight and passed by, moving to the wine cellar. A few moments later, a loud sound could be heard from the passage. "WHAT Is gOInG o-*muffled noise*-!?" - Guard A "YOu! WhA-!? ...zzz" - Guard B Just a second after the guards turned around to see what the third one was doing, a bunch of tentacles came out of nowhere and wrapped around one of them, preventing them from making a noise as the tentacles broke their neck. The other guard was about to raise the alarm, but I snuck up behind him and used the good old, yet almost forgotten, [Sleep Demon''s Touch] to send him to dreamland. Mhm, getting the info on these "demon-possessed Ghouls" made things much easier. From what I could gather from the documents that were hidden in the important-looking vampire''s room, these guys seem to be lab rats for previous demon-summoning experiments. The possessing type. Their power is greatly enhanced, but they''ve lost some of their old abilities. Such as an increased weakness to certain status ailments like Sleep or Paralyze. Then again, it''s prolly part of the quest. Knocking these guys unconscious, then proceeding past them. All part of a typical stealth mission. And for how long am I gonna hold on to this rotten corpse!? "Nala, this one too!" - Garami I strongly whispered an order to the tentacles, Nala, and had her pierce the core of this Ghoul as well after she finished with her own. "Wow. That was...damn scary," said Bones after everything was over. Make that "impressive". What do you mean by "scary"? "Nyx, you can return now," I told the "guard" back at the end of the corridor. As they emerged from the shadows, their figure started to change until they had returned to the old, darkness-made demon we know and (maybe) love. "This girl can change her appearance now?" asked Bones while marveling over Nyx''s evolved skill, [Demon''s Shapechange] (sans Crude). "Pretty much." - Garami "Can she turn into a beautiful zombie girl as well?!" - Black Bone "Stay 100 meters away from my demon." - Garami Honestly, evolved skills are too good. Even Nala''s [Assassin Tentacle] (merged-evolved from [Power Tentacle] and [Sneak Tentacle]) showed gold star-level performance right now. Not that un-evolved skills are far behind. Echo''s already discovered the secret entrance for us while Bones was making a pervert out of himself. Seems like even unpopular skills have their uses. Gotta upgrade it as soon as possible. "Now, are we ready to save today''s dinner?" - Garami "Yes, ma''am!" - Black Bone Another 2-and-a-half hours before the quest. More than enough time for any potential difficulties, and recruiting some allies for this quest. Not that they''re gonna be any decent folks. You need to be a little weird if you''re charging in at a bunch of aristocratic, arrogant, and dangerous vampires... Okay, the first person who says that to my face is gonna get their teeth knocked in. If they''re a girl, I''m gonna make them pay back with their body. --- Meanwhile, at the Nobilis'' secret ritual altar: "Damn, damn, DAMN! Those blasted Migrants...!" The old head of the Nobilis clan shouted curses while (literally) kicking a fuss. Luckily for him, the location was empty except for him...and his "servant". "Lord Nobilis, regarding the sacrifices-" "Be quiet and do as you''re told! Bring the goddess of corruption to this realm so I can avenge my clan! That is the only thing a corpse such as you are good for!" "......as you wish, your highness." The corpse...the lich, dressed in simple, onyx-black robes, simply bowed as he retreated to the shadows. All while keeping his contempt for his so-called "master" hidden within his empty chest. Chapter 82: Jail & Infamous Goddess Bones and I entered the cells while keeping an eye for possible new guards, but it seemed to be safe. There are more than just a few cells here; most of them are stained with blood. I am so glad this is just a game...but I''m still freaked out on the inside. Almost all cells are empty, except for a pair located deep in the dungeon. Two females are kept there. One of them, a blond woman with a body that could only exist in an adult book, is a player, but not the one who handed out the SOS. She has an amused expression on her face. Like a kid performing a prank. Yet there was more than just that. She also had the eyes of a hunter. Someone looking for prey. They were also the eyes of a bandit. The same kind as the criminal inhabitants who I got a swift look at when I was on a mission from the Blackmarket to rob their vaults for valuables. And finally...she has the same kinda eyes as the people who only watch me from the distance. Because of my body. Those should have been the kinda eyes I hate the most...but after all these years, I''ve gotten tired of being bothered by them. No, it''s more like I''ve grown too lazy to be bothered anymore. There is so much else that I can do instead after all. What''s bothering me is that this woman has an even more outrageous body than me. Why does she have the eye of the "predator" when she''s more likely to be the "prey"? Or maybe she''s a "prey" that preys on the "predator"? ......now I''ve made myself confused. "Tch, it''s Maria. Hey, Echo. Let''s go back." - Black Bone Bones made a U-turn while referring to me as "Echo". So this is the woman Bones warned me about when we first met. It''s not like I forgot about that. Not at all! Seriously, I didn''t forget!! ...okay, I forgot. Sue me! "How cold of you, Mister...hmm...who are you?" - Maria "I''m-" - Black Bone "You know what? Don''t tell me. I have no interest in people who cannot entertain me." - Maria "I didn''t want to entertain a pervy nun like you in the first place!!" - Black Bone "Hmm, I wish you did not call me using such a name." - Maria True. Nobody could be that- "It feels too much like a virgin''s name. I would rather wish to be called "an incarnation of lust and debauchery". That is a start, at least." - Maria Huh? "Are you the demon king of lust!?" - Black Bone "That''s better, but it is still missing a heavy punch of erotic." - Maria Hey, is she joking? "Damn, this is hurting me the most. Rather, why are you here? I can''t imagine that you wrote the SOS quest..." - Black Bone "Why would I do something that stupid~? The vampires and ghouls have not laid a hand on me after they throw me in here. Even when I asked them a few innocent questions. I am starting to wonder if they are only into BL...but the girls gave me even more disgusted looks after I talked with them for the first time. What a mystery." - Maria ...I feel that I don''t wish to be acquainted with this girl. I better buy something nice for Bones. "Then if you didn''t do it-" - Black Bone "I know," said a voice from the opposite cell of the perverted (heavily underrated) girl''s. "What was what?" - Black Bone "I know who may have sent out that...SOS request?" said the girl in the other cell. The girl had dark-brown hair that was tied together into a ponytail that reached her waist, she had blood-red eyes..., and sharp fangs. A vampire? She looked worse for wear compared to the nun, but it wasn''t due to physical abuse. She simply looked tired. And disgusted. ...oh, right. I forgot about her cellmate. "You got proof to back up that statement, vampire?" - Black Bone How surprising. Bones is being capable for once...is stretching the truth a little. It''s just that his personality is annoying now and then. Like, 95% of the time. "Not really. I am just desperate to make some distance between that." - Vampire(?) Oh...that pink-headed mess... "Alright girl, you got a deal. But before that, we need some proof that what you''re saying is true. Who is the SOS sender? Is there something special about them?" - Black Bone "...I am not sure if you would call it "special", but the person taken away before was a Migrant like you. Also, they were of one of the rabbit species-" - Vampire(?) "That''s enough! Echo, get her out!" - Black bone You just wanted an excuse to save the undead girl from the nun. Not that I''m against it. --- "All that stuff was just for cosplay...?" - Garami After saving the vampire girl and fleeing the cell area, we found an empty room to hide in and take a break. Before that, the nun Maria asked that we left her confiscated items after she overheard Bones saying we had already discovered them to the vampire girl. We couldn''t use them anyway, so I left them in a corner of the jail area. Whether she''s able to acquire them or not isn''t my problem. What shocked me the most today was that all those clothes items were part of her cosplay kit. Seriously...? She may be worse than Aino, and she has the Weaver class! "Hey, Earth to Garami? Are you there?" - Black Bone "Yeah, sorry..." - Garami I better stop thinking about it. Speaking of clothes, the vampire girl''s outfit was also among the confiscated items. Now she''s dressed in what looks like an Eastern assassin''s outfit. Complete with throwing needles. Those look nasty... "? Excuse me, but was not this esteemed person''s name not "Echo", or was that my mistake?" asked the vampire girl. "That was something we came up with so that Maria, that human from before, wouldn''t catch on to Garami here. Then again, I sort off bragged to...virtually everyone that I managed to join her party lately, so who knows how effective that performance was." - Black Bone Don''t throw away critical info for swine. Seeing how the possibility for that pervert in the jail to have heard about it may be true, that expression may be on the mark here. "Forget about the pervert for now. Time for introductions. I''m called Black Bone, but just call me Bones. This masked girl over here is Garami. You can think of her as my leader. And the bat on Garami''s back is the real Echo." - Black Bone Bones proceeded to move the conversation forward. Maybe he felt my irritation over his loose lips (even if he has no lips). And regarding Nyx and Nala, I de-summoned them for now. "Mhm. My name is Siel Fortum, one of the Fortum clan." - Siel "Huh!? Isn''t that the family of vampires that act like ninjas!? One of the good guys!?" - Black Bone "I am not sure what you are referring to as "good guys", but we indeed practice the art of ninjutsu." - Siel "No way... Please give me your signature!" - Black Bone The vampire girl, aka Siel, took a few steps from Bones'' "enthusiastic" and sudden request. Stay boy, stay. Bones'' description of her seems to fit with what [Identification] tells me, but if she is part of some ninja clan, she may have abilities to fake her status page. Better not trust her entirely, but acting all cynical won''t get us anywhere. Let''s hear what she has to say first. "Why are you here?" I asked Siel after she''d finished writing the autograph to Bones. "The Nobilis clan is performing a taboo. That is why I, along with others from my tribe, were sent to scout the main location of Nobilis." - Siel "You have allies with you? I didn''t see anyone like that." - Black Bone "That is correct. My clan members were creating a distraction for me so I could sneak into this building alone undetected. It feels wrong to say so myself, but I am one of the greatest in my class when it comes to infiltration." - Siel So you say, but your face is still as deadpan as before. Is this also a ninja power? Also, girl. You got caught in the end. That''s a fail in my book. "And what is this Nobilis clan planning on doing?" - Black Bone "...they wish to summon the Goddess of Corruption. The patron of the Vile Queens, Nifilmere." - Siel *Ding!* SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the quest: [Ritual of Nifilmere | Part 1]. You (and your servants/tamed monsters) have obtained 1.0 Aether Points. A new World Quest has been unlocked. New Divine-related Epic(s) has been unlocked. It seems that was enough to finish the quest. How anti-climatic...hmm? It''s more than just the continuation of the current quest. Why...? "Hey, that goddess sounds like bad news. Shouldn''t we stay clear of the whole ritual thing? I don''t want to be there if our intrusion causes the whole thing to fall apart and bring out who knows what." - Black Bone "There is a risk for that happening anyway. Lord Nobilis has yet to acquire a sacrifice, and they may try to force the ritual to succeed anyway." - Siel "Now that doesn''t sound pleasant. What is the "sacrifice" then?" - Black Bone "I think it''s the life of someone with a connection to the goddess." - Siel Hmm? "Maybe someone who has encountered lots of Vile Queens?" - Black Bone H-hey, hey. Even if she''s the patron of those harpies... "If that is true, I would not be surprised for those persons to have gained a title for their endeavor." - Siel I don''t have anything like that! Not at all! Zero! Zilch! Nada! "Heck, they may even have met the goddess herself! Those unlucky punks!" - Black Bone Okay! I admit it! I am that unlucky punk! But Bones, you''re having too much fun over someone else''s misfortune! Crap, this isn''t good. Should I try not to get more involved with this place? "Here. This is where the rabbit Migrant was taken away. I overheard the guards talking about it when they came for them." - Siel "What did they say?" - Black Bone "They said: "Rabbit stew. Yummy.", to be precise." - Siel Oh, so that''s why Siel pointed at the kitchen...this is bad! The poor player''s gonna end up as an ingredient! "I must leave now and warn my elders, but if you are planning on continuing invading this building, be aware. Something is working for the Nobilis clan. Something bad." - Siel "Something?" - Black Bone "Yes. I don''t know who or what, but that one was the reason why I was discovered. It is strong. Be careful not to encounter it. See ya." - Siel And with that swift farewell, Siel disappeared from the room. What was that? So cool! I can''t blame Bones for wanting her autograph. Still, this is troublesome. I already have enough problems with this place, and now there''s a potential boss character lurking around here? Though, I can decide what to do after taking a better look at those mysterious quests. None of them seems to be the kind that must be done ASAP. Besides, we have a rabbit to save (and to blackmail reward money from). Chapter 83: Kitchen & the Rabbit Knight "There''s the kitchen!" - Black Bone "Good. Time to brawl!" - Garami Since there were no guards nearby, I kicked the door open and dramatically entered the kitchen. With no guards nearby or any quests to bother us anymore, we can hit the big drums regarding this rescue mission! The kitchen is...a bloody hellhole. Literally. Is this place a torture chamber or a kitchen? Feels like a mix of both. That makes sense. This is a vampire''s mansion after all. Two ghouls wearing chefs'' hats, aprons, and gloves were busy preparing a huge cauldron filled with red-colored soup. And above it... "NOOOO!! I DON''T WANT TO BE EATEN!!" - Rabbit Above the pot of bubbling red liquid is a metal cage containing a rabbit wearing what appears to be a typical fantasy swordsman''s outfit (rabbit-sized). The ghouls turned around only to be greeted by the business end of my scythe. I slashed off their heads, but as expected of the undead. They are still "alive". "Water Lance!" - Black Bone A spear of water struck the undead to the right with enough force to launch it toward the wall at the end of the room. Meanwhile, I threw a [Web Bomb] at the remaining headless ghoul''s feet to stick him to the floor before slashing at him again with the Erebus Scythe. "Hey, they''re not dying!" - Garami "Of course, they aren''t! They are the undead! [Create Skeleton]: Sharpbone Fish!" - Black Bone Bones gave a sharp reply to my complaints and created several skeletons of fishes that were swimming in the air. Like their name suggested, their rib-bones looked extremely sharp, to the point of looking like rapiers'' blades. The killer fish swam in the air toward the ghoul that was lodged into the wall, ripping off pieces of rotten flesh as they swam through it. Around that time, the heads of the ghouls started to move. Freaky! I grabbed them with my demonic webbing and threw them at the ghoul-body that I''d been filleting. Then I added even more webbing to the pile and grabbed a bottle of cooking oil I''d noticed standing on one of the desks and threw it at the ghoul. "Ignite!" - Garami The Lv.1 Fire-type magic from [Basic Magic Ability] hit the ghoul and turned the mess of rotten flesh, oil, and burnable webbing into a human touch. "Hey, be careful, you pyromaniac!" - Black Bone What can I say? It''s easy for accidents to occur in the kitchen. The torch ghoul should die on its own at this rate, so I assisted the fishes with killing the remaining ghoul-body with my Evil Eyes. Oh, and Echo? She was working with Nyx to seal off all the other entrances to the kitchen as a measure against reinforcements for the ghoul side. I''ve got all the bases covered~~. --- "Wow, that was close. Thank you again for saving me. And please be kind to forget what happened here today. For the sake of my pride, please forget it. Very please?" - Rabbit After finishing the ghouls (and extinguishing the out-of-control human torch), we were greeted by the unusual sight of a rabbit doing a dogeza. And on a completely unrelated note, good kids should NOT play with fire!! "That''s fine, but it will cost you extra." - Garami "Cost me...? Oh, that is right. The SOS quest. Of course... By the way, I have not introduced myself yet, have I?" - Rabbit "You were kind of busy screaming for help." - Garami "Garami! Don''t kick a guy when he''s down! Also, my name''s Black Bone, but just call me Bones. This jerk is Garami." - Black Bone Who''s a jerk? "My pleasure. I am called Palug, a knight of the proud rabbit knight order! Not that I have gathered allies to join my cause yet..." - Palug "Palug?" - Black Bone "Arthur and the other names were already taken..." - Palug That doesn''t mean you should settle for the monster! And that''s the cat, not the rabbit! Name yourself "vorpal" or something! "But how did you almost end up as the ghouls'' lunch?" - Black Bone "I am grateful that you should mention that! Fighting as an aspiring knight is not easy, so I obtained the Courier class to obtain some easy Sol." - Palug "Courier?" - Garami "It is a class that expands your inventory and unlocks special delivery quests." - Palug I see. That does sound useful. And as a rabbit, this guy may have it easy running around with stuff. "But to my misfortune, my latest assignment was a trap. The vampires of this mansion wished for a Corruption Keystone, but the seller tried to trick them with something else. They then vented their anger, and hunger, on me." - Palug "...my condolence." - Garami "Thank you. But there was the question about the payment for the rescue, no? Let me see, what do I have... I guess this should cover for it." - Palug Palug pulled something out from his rabbit-sized backpack...HEY!! "Ain''t this a Keystone!?" - Black Bone "Yup. This is the item that the seller tried to lure the vampires with. Its element is Shadow, so it is unfit for a knight such as me." - Palug Now, this is some lavish reward. I grabbed the black sphere and threw it into the storage...tch. It''s filled to the brim. Let''s throw out some of the trash I picked up before. Can see how a class like Courier is worth something. Bones and I had to upgrade our Storage skills with special item boxes that let us store specific types of items into the boxes, which again are stored in the Storage. But even then, there is a limit to how much you can put in there. And if you find items you don''t have an item box for... "I-isn''t that a little too much for a rescue-*geh*-!?" - Black Bone I gave the loose-lipped skeleton a blow to the stomach, even when he''s missing both of them. Be quiet, you idiot! We''re getting a huge profit here! "If you feel that this is too much, then you can do me a small favor at a later date." - Palug "Y-yes, of course..." - Garami I stomped the idiot skeleton''s toes a few times without letting the rabbit notice. That fool... "Th-then how about we work together for the raid quest later?" - Black Bone "Raid?" - Palug "Yeah. We sort of kicked it off earlier by clearing a quest here. It could be a good opportunity to give the vampires a little payback." - Black Bone Bones then showed us the quest details for the "raid" he talked about... It has been confirmed that a dangerous ritual is being prepared by the Nobilis vampire clan in the Blastfields region. Gather at the Adventurers'' Union in the Blastfield Frontier to participate in the subjugation Raid against the Nobilis. Oh, right. That raid. But... "Before that, there is something else..." - Garami "What''s up?" - Black Bone "I sorta got these...quests(?) along with the raid participation notice, but... They are really strange." - Garami I opened one of the "quests" that had appeared and tried to show it to Bones, but... "What is this? I can''t read it." - Black Bone "Huh?" - Garami "I agree. It feels like a low-res photo that has been pixelated." - Palug Huh!? Even the rabbit!? They seem to be saying the truth because they wouldn''t be able to keep their faces or voices that calm if they could read the content of this thing. It''s too broken on so many levels. The biggest thing must be the whole "you may turn into the next Goddess of Corruption" if I fail. I told the two about some of the contents of the quest, and then... "WHAAAAT!?" - Black Bone "Miss Garami, that is a quest you should NOT take!" - Palug "Rather, you are one of the potential sacrifices for the ritual?! Stop that! Get out of here! If this goes wrong, we''ll have something worse than a demon princess or a Corruption Goddess to handle!" - Black Bone Yes. It would be a Corruption Demon Goddess~~. ...jokes aside, I had 0 plans of doing this quest. It''s too risky. That''s why I even bothered to tell these two about it in the first place. And I have a bad past with these black/red quest notes. "Hold on. Miss, did you say that this "quest" is called an "epic"?" - Palug "Mhm. And call me Garami." - Garami "Alright, Garami. I still advise you to ignore this trial, but the concept called "Epics" is something you should not take lightly." - Palug "Huh? Rabbit, you know something?" - Black Bone "The name is Palug. About Epics...I don''t know much. My fellow roleplayers discovered them while looking through the tomes in a certain library, but all they discovered was that the Epics seem to be given by the gods of this world. The contents of the Epics are always different from each other, but the common point is that they are about fulfilling the wishes of the specific god who created the Epic." - Palug "The gods? That sounds crazy." - Black Bone "I have to agree with you there. Another thing I know is that the Epics are divided into several parts. Like a real epic." - Palug That part...sounds interesting. You can turn into a real legendary figure... Or should I say "epic figure"? "But again, I would not try to complete this Goddess of Corruption''s Epic, Garami. It is too risky." - Palug "No worries. And I got a backup plan." - Garami It wasn''t only the Corruption Goddess'' Epic that was unlocked earlier. I also got this one on my quest page (which is now officially renamed "Quest/Epic Page" on my system menu): "The Goddess of...Ruin?" - Black Bone The men tilted their heads after I gave a quick rundown of the second Epic. I didn''t tell them much, only who the Epic giver is and that its contents are the opposite of the Corruption Goddess''. If you ask me, I wanna start this Epic. This Goddess sounds like a cool one, and she''s got an eye for Evil Eyes! I didn''t tell Bones or Palug that, since this is more confidential info. You got to keep your best cards close to your chest when playing an MMORPG. But I did mention that this Epic also gave rewards to my allies. When I did... "10 AP!? Let''s do this! Everything for our Lady Ruin!" - Black Bone "Hmph. There is nothing I can do about it. Think of it as if our debt has never existed. I am your loyal knight, oh Lady of Ruin!" - Palug ...is everyone tight on AP these days? Anyway, the barricaded doors have been banging for a while now, so we''ll do our escape through the air vents. Hurrah for old-fashioned yet modern buildings! Echo, go and find that ritual whatchamacallit! We''re gonna piss off a dangerous goddess! Chapter 84: Underground Arena & the Lich "You sure this is the place?" - Black Bone "Positive. My Evil Hunter has never failed me." - Palug "It didn''t help you escape..." - Garami It''s been half an hour crawling through air vents, fighting off vampire-fied spider monsters that patrolled the vents, while being led by a rabbit we''ve just met today. Yeah, just what anyone wishes to do before dinner. In the end, Palug brought us to what looked like a fighting arena. Or maybe a theater? No, those bloodstains look too real to be props. It''s an underground colosseum alright. One that''s so fancy that it looks like a theater. ...but... "This isn''t the place they''re summoning the goddess!" - Garami While I was keeping my voice low, I made sure that its tone was sharp enough to hit the rabbit with my anger. "P-please do not take it out on me." - Palug "While it is refreshing not being the guy placed in the boss'' line of wrath, look at those sculptures." - Black Bone Sculptures? What...now I see them. And yes, they are suspicious. Anything that looks like a purple-red mass of rocks shaped into tentacles enveloping humans and monsters, with a huge, red-black gem, in the middle, is like the personification of the word "suspicious"! Adding to the grim and dark package, the sculptures, numbering five in total, are placed in a pentagram shape throughout the arena/scene, with strange lines going from each statue to form a real pentagram. Said lines look like they''re made from blood that seeps out from the bottom of the statue... And in the middle is something like an altar, decorated with an even crazier-looking statue, but this one doesn''t have a gem for some reason. "It is those malefic rocks. They are the source of the ritual." - Palug "Are you sure about it?" - Black Bone "Maybe!" - Palug "Hey!" - Black Bone "Be quiet." - Garami "Sorry..." - Black Bone & Palug "Palug has a point though. For now, let''s try to destroy those "ritual statues"." - Garami "Destroy them, she says... Garami, you see those scary-looking old dudes down there? This is just my wild guess, but I bet they are not going to let that happen." - Black Bone Yeah. In the middle of the arena stood two older men...rather, they''re both walking corpses! Somewhat! One is a vampire. And quite the old one at that. I can see his wrinkles even from here. And he''s bald. Even a child can see that the long, silver hair is a wig. "I recognize that elder. He is Lord Nobilis, the head of the Nobilis clan." - Palug "Friend of yours?" - Black Bone "Hardly! His short fuse is the reason why you two found me in that predicament earlier." - Palug So what? He was just trying to turn you into dinner. ...okay, I see your point. As for the other member of the undead, he''s a skeleton-face like Bones. Except the guy downstairs is radiating a literal aura of death. He looks way more frightening than our puny Skeleton Mage. "Th-th-that''s a Lich! A real Lich!" - Black Bone "Keep it quiet." - Garami "Don''t you think I know that!?" silently shouted Bones. He''s a bag of calcium with many talents. "I do not like the sound of that. A vampire, even an old one as the Lord down below, is a D-rank monster. I am not sure what strengths a Lich has, but it cannot be good for us." - Palug "...he''s a C-rank...the Lich..." - Black Bone Ouch. That sounds rough. Better them than me. "Good luck," I told Bones as I pushed him out of the shadows. "Huh? Whaaa!?" - Black Bone Bones tumbled like a ball of bones down the "audience seats". "Distraction," I silently told Palug before walking around using the shadows as my cover. "Roger!" silently replied Palug while saluting with his ear. It''s so nice to have comrades that get the plan in a split second. But Echo''s only gonna get hurt if she stays here, so I returned her to the Player Room. Meanwhile, Bones finally landed on the arena/stage part of the room. And he''s greeted by the two elderly undead. "An intruder?! Lich, destroy him!" - Lord Nobilis "Yes, yes..." - Lich The Lich pointed at Bones, and instantly, a magic circle appeared and formed a dark sphere that was shot toward Bones. ...hmm!? Shouldn''t you need some sorta chant if you want to use magic? It''s because of those chants that I''ve stopped using my magic skills lately. Bones had already started to run before the Lich started his attack, so he managed to dodge the sphere. Which created a massive explosion in the wall it hit. Damn, that''s some firepower. I bet it easily exceeds the firepower of the current top-level players. "You idiot! Watch where you fire that thing! Are you planning on ruining my plan completely!?" - Lord Nobilis "Sorry-my-master. It-will-not-happen-again." - Lich Wh-what a monotonous answer. "Relax, Lord Bones! I am coming to your rescue!" - Palug "Another...the rabbit!? Lich, destroy him too!" - Lord Nobilis "As you wish." - Lich "...do NOT destroy the equipment! That''s an order!" - Lord Nobilis "Tch." - Lich The Lich doesn''t seem to be on a good foot with Lord Nobilis, to put it lightly. Let''s hope he''s pulling his punches. (Okay, stay here. Wait for my signal.) - Garami (*Silently salutes*) - Nala I summoned and left Nala behind close to one of the Key Pillars and went for the next one. Please don''t get spotted now. "[Rabbit Leap]!" - Palug "Ghost''s Grab." - Lich Palug used some sort of jumping skill to attack the Lich with his sword horn, but the Lich simply used another insta-cast spell to create ghostly hands from the ground and had them grab Palug. The poor rabbit''s leap got turned into a head-first dive into the ground. "[Create Skeleton]: Sharpbone Fish!" - Black Bone "[Necromancy]: Skeleton Warlord." - Lich Bones tried to assist Palug with his razor-sharp fish skeletons, but the Lich used some higher-tier-sounding skill and brought out an Ashura of a skeleton warrior! Four arms, armed to the teeth! Looks kinda cool. I should look into some similar demons when I have the time. Ah, and the fish skeletons got turned into undead sashimi. That skeleton Ashura is handy with those sabers. (Be ready.) - Garami (*Gives a thumb up*) - Nyx "[Smoke Bomb]!" - Palug Palug created a smokescreen with what sounds like a..."Smoke" element skill. That''s a new one. "Fool. Do you think that the undead''s sight can be disturbed by some smoke?" - Lich "[Gust Slash]!" - Palug Several "flying sword slashes", if I should call them that (I can''t come up with a better word for it), came flying out of the smoke..., no, they dragged the smoke with them and landed a direct hit on the Lich. The dead guy didn''t bother to dodge. It''s not like it''s doing any damage... "*COUGH*, *COUGH*, *COUGH*!!?" - Lich It''s doing super damage!? And how''s that bone-face #2 even coughing!? "...Palug!? You''re including powdered silver in that smoke!?" - Black Bone "Good god! Rabbit, are you crazy?! There are lines you should never cross!" - Lord Nobilis Eh? ...oh, right. Silver is normally super-effective against the undead in some stories. Palug did say he has a larger Storage due to his class, so he could have that stored. A secret weapon? Rather, are you trying to play as a certain cat-shaped robot from the future!? You''re a rabbit! Stick to your theme! Though, all the commotion bought me enough time to position myself behind the third Key Pillar. Thanks to Palug joining the party, I don''t have enough LP to keep 3 demons summoned at the same time. Echo didn''t have the raw power for this job anyway, but it still means I can only prepare for 3 Pillars. Now or never. While the silver smoke was causing fear and confusion among the undead at the playing field (friend or enemy alike), I jumped out of the shadows with my scythe at ready and slashed the Pillar in front of me to pieces. Following my lead, Nyx and Nala attacked their Pillars at the same time. "There are more of... NOOOOO!! Not the Key Pillars!! Woman! Have you any idea what you have done!?" - Lord Nobilis "...not bad." - Lich The vampire raged, while the Lich simply chuckled as he disappeared in a dark-grey light. Did this magic circle double as the Lich''s contract-something? ...oh, now I get why the Lich was working with the vampire lord, despite their obvious bad relationship. He must have been forced into servitude. Guess the "bust the ritual, then return by dying" plan isn''t needed then. Also, I''m never gonna treat my demons the way the Lich- "DIIIIIEEE!!" - Lord Nobilis The noble bloodsucker jumped at me with a fancy sable in his hands while I was busy thinking for myself, but I managed to guard myself with my scythe. I''m a talented girl-whoa!? I managed to parry one of the blows, but the lord went into his next attack with such speed that I couldn''t get an attack in myself. Nasty geezer. In that case, I''ll throw in a little surprise... My scythe started to emit a dark aura as I fended off Lord Nobilis'' attacks. The royal mosquito didn''t seem to be bothered by it. Come on, cut me some slack. Things are starting to look serious here... "I''m out of here!" - Black Bone "Lady Garami, the magic circle seems ready to explode!" - Palug It''s true. After the three Key Pillars were destroyed, the pentagram-like magic circle has been starting to glow in a pulsating fashion. Almost like a bomb. Noooot good. "I know. Just get those slow bones out of here. I''m right behind ya." - Garami Bones has the lowest SPD of us all, so he should escape first. Not to mention... "Like I would allow that!" - Lord Nobilis I called it~. The overgrown mosquito continued attacking, but his rage makes his attacks so monotone that they become way easier to parry even with the extra force behind each slash. And every time I parried an attack, I also invoked [Dark Drain] again to recover a little. The scythe has an ability of its own to recover me based on the damage I inflict through attacks, and [Dark Drain] drains just by touching the guy. The action of "draining" it still counts as an attack if it works, which kicks in the scythe''s ability. I''m getting doubled recovery every time I fend off an attack! I''m so loving this scythe right now. But the old geezer is not showing any exhaustion. Stupid vampires and their limitless stamina. The sole good thing here is that he''s not using any fancy vampire skills. He''s strong with his sword, but that''s it. Basically, he''s a musclehead. Which makes me wonder why he went all this way with this secret plan of his. "What''s your motive?" I asked him after fending off the nth attack. "Huh!? As if you Migrants wouldn''t know that!" - Lord Nobilis "We Migrants"? What''s he going about? "All the time, invading our territories like we are in some public garden! Attacking our Ghouls just to earn EXP! Pestering us despite not having any strength! Not having an iota of respect for the Vampire race! Thinking we are some sort of tourist attraction! Why can''t you creeps just stay dead!?" - Lord Nobilis Ah...ahh...I''m starting to pity this guy. I''ve had similar experiences. Mostly due to my appearance. Be it my rare hair- and skin color, or my grown-up body. People just can''t respect the whole "personal space" idea. It''s a bother. Though, none of this is enough to make me stop at this point. As I continued to fend off the vampire lord''s attacks, I got closer and closer to the wall. Rather, the Lord is leading me there. He''s not gone completely berserk then. But it seems that there''s too much blood rising to the elderly vampire''s head anyway. After all, it was only Bones and Palug that left the area before. *CRASH!* A large attack hit Lord Nobilis in the back while his focus was preoccupied with me. The source of the attack was Nala, who had yet to be dismissed after I summoned her. Nyx then jumped at the Vampire Lord with her vile claws at ready. Meanwhile, I turned to the wall I was about to be led into and used [Trap Expertise] to prepare the finishing blow against the vampire aristocrat. Once it was ready, I gave a signal to Nyx and Nala while I threw lots of demonic webbing at the vampire, binding his arms together. The vampire almost forced himself free before Nyx and Nala gave him a good punch in the gut. At the same time, I used [Thread Control] to throw the vampire into the wall, using the force of the two''s attacks as help. The vampire elder crashed into the wall, which opened up like a door, and greeted the vampire lord. Then they slammed and closed themselves the second I could hear a stabbing-like sound from there. "New trap: Wall Maiden, is a success," I said out loud as I plastered the Iron Maiden-inspired wall trap with demonic webbing. "This much should keep him stuck there for a while," I said after I was satisfied with the webbed-up result. I dismissed Nyx and Nala and started to get outta this place. On my way, my attention got caught by the two remaining Key Pillars. I thought about destroying them...but no. The part of the magic circle around those two is the least unstable compared to the other mess. Crushing the pillars could make this place go sky-high before I can escape. So I left those two, and the vampire stuck in the wall, behind, hoping that the explosion would send them all to kingdom come. ...without knowing that those two Pillars would turn into a real headache for me at a later date. Chapter 85: Aftermath & Guild Chat "Daaaaamn, I don''t wanna do anything..." - Stella It''s been some hours after I escaped the vampire mansion and logged out. For some reason, there were few vampires and ghouls to block my path. There were signs of battles, so someone may have killed them. Probably Bones and Palug. Let''s ask them later. Though, I''m exhausted. I haven''t even decided what evolution I should take. The vampire lord must have died at some point. I got a notification that my level had reached Lv.50 before I logged out, and it''s not like I had anything else trapped in a highly explosive location. But today''s ordeal''s worn me out. Guess I''ll take a break tomorrow. The raid against the remaining Nobilis faction''s still ongoing, and I don''t want to attract too much attention, so it''s better to lay low for a day. For now, let''s see if the others are in the Guild Chat. Funny thing is, only Bones knew of its existence before he told the rest of us. That guy''s communication powers are too crazy. ...hmm? What about Aino then? She looked like a winner in life...maybe she''s surprisingly an otaku? Meh, not that I have the right to pry in their daily lives. Back to the Guild Chat. It allows certain members of the Guild to send messages, trade items, and other stuff even when you''re not logged into NFO. It''s a kinda simple system, but it''s nice to have when people can''t log in. Okay, how does this thing work...there. There''s already a chat group started? "Vampire beatdown result report"...? --- Guild Chat: Darkland Walkers. [Vampire Beatdown Result Report] - Thread 1 1: Black Bone Time to round up the results, ladies and gentlemen! Speak up when you arrive. Lurkers are not welcomed!! 2: Aino What is this? Also, Garami told me one of her skills is called [Lurk]. 3: Black Bone Holy sh*t!! 4: Aino Stop freaking out and tell me what happened when I was gone! Don''t tell me you have already finished the vampire area? 5: Black Bone We did! With style! I got 11 AP for it all! 6: Aino I told you to wait for me! I also want AP! 7: Palug Alas. Reality is not that kind. Even if it''s a virtual one. 8: Aino And who are you!? 9: Black Bone Ah, that''s Palug. We saved him from becoming dinner for ghouls, and I invited him after that. 10: Palug Pleased to meet you. --- I never agreed on that. Not that I have anything against it. Palug is a strong player, not to mention someone good at cooperating. Plus he didn''t make any jokes about my somewhat chuuni appearance with a full assassin-clothes build and a black mask on top of that... But even then, there''s still the question of a leader''s dignity! The chat continued for a bit of a while with Palug making friends with Aino and Aino roasting Bones for not waiting for her. It seems I''ll take some of the heat as well. Tch, what a pain... --- 41: Garami Hello, how are things doing? And Bones, you''re dead. 42: Aino Aloha, Garami~. 43: Black Bone Geh!? The boss!! 44: Palug Hello, guild master. Please excuse Bones if he did anything wrong. 45: Black Bone Palug, my hero!! 46: Garami ->44 No worries. It''s just a habit by now. 47: Aino ->45 I think a hero wouldn''t fit in our group. 48: Garami Anyway, how do you guys want to share the loot? 49: Black Bone NOW WE''RE TALKING! 50: Aino Am I getting anything? 51: Palug The invitation to the guild is enough for me. Rabbits are looked down upon, and I only participated halfway in the quest. 52: Garami ->50 Those who don''t work don''t get to eat. 53: Aino TCH! 54: Black Bone But what''s the loot? Didn''t we agree on the summoning stuff to me, those Keystones for the boss, and everything else to the Dungeon? 55: Aino Keystones!? 56: Garami Shadow and Moon. I''ve already given Moon to Nyx. 57: Palug ->55 One is from me. 58: Aino ->56 Tch. Shadow is too gloomy for me. 59: Black Bone ->56 Hey, that''s a dream fit! 60: Garami The Epic quest also gave some items. They look like "special requirement bonus rewards". Give me a sec... 61: Aino There were even bonuses!? 62: Palug Now, this is getting interesting. 63: Black Bone Exciting, exciting~~ 64: Garami The first achievement is called the "Lich''s Acknowledgement", and worked on releasing the lich from his contract. From this, we got an item called a "Soul Jar" and a piece of equipment called "Faded Lich''s Mantle". The second achievement is "No Damage Taken". The rewards here are a bunch of vampire-inspired items. Mostly materials, plus they''re low in rarity. The third achievement is "Divine Retribution", and we got a sword out of this. Think it''s the saber the vampire lord used. Achievement number four is "Saved Ally". It''s related to the vampire girl Siel we busted out from the prison. The reward was a "Blood Bag". It''s rather kinky, but on the other hand, it can store lots of items. 65: Black Bone ME WAAAAAANT!!!! LICH ITEEEEEEMS!!!! 66: Palug It is quite impressive what you two did there before we met. 67: Aino ->65 Someone, keep the rabid skeleton in check. 68: Garami ->65 I''ll give them to you, but I need some compensation. Items and materials. Big time. 69: Black Bone Damnit, you handsome cheapskate! JUST TAKE THEM!! 70: Aino She''s really handing them over... 71: Palug The guild master is quite a generous person. 72: Garami ->70 They''re restricted to the undead races. 73: Aino Oh, I see. 74: Palug ->64 The bag seems amusing, but I would rather wish for the saber. Is it possible to trade it? 75: Garami Sure. 76: Black Bone ...crap. This is bad... 77: Palug ->75 Much thankful. 78: Aino ->76 What is it now? 79: Black Bone ..."Lesser Lich" was unlocked as an evolution option just now. 80: Garami -!? 81: Aino WHAT!? 82: Palug Oh, my-! 83: Garami It was the "Soul Jar" item, right? 84: Black Bone Yeah. After the trade, an announcement popped up on my screen, saying that "a new evolution option has been unlocked". 85: Aino Just like that? What about your level? 86: Black Bone It got capped today. 87: Aino Again, WHAT?! 88: Black Bone Too much happened today, so I wanted a break before deciding what to evolve into. 89: Palug A good idea. I am in the same situation. 90: Garami Oh? Me three. 91: Aino All of you!? Am I the only one stuck at the E-rank!? 92: Palug Don''t mind it. 93: Garami Bones, what are your other options? 94: Black Bone Why do you ask? 95: Garami I just fed the Fort all the materials I got from you and Palug. That unlocked the Undead-line. 96: Black Bone SERIOUSLY?! 97: Garami Deadly serious. 98: Aino You can do stuff with the Dungeon without being logged in? 99: Garami DP recovers over time, so things would be difficult if you had to log in every time you wanna spend them. 100: Palug ->98 It must be similar to how one can change equipment and evolve one''s character without logging in. 101: Garami ->100 Like that, yes. 102: Black Bone ->97 Okay, I''ll send a list of what I know about the undead later. 103: Garami ->102 Sweet. 104: Aino But what about the element? 105: Garami Whoops... 106: Black Bone Completely forgot about it... 107: Palug Element? 108: Black Bone Yup. A Monster-Line needs an element if you want that line to be used on a floor. 109: Garami And all the available elements my Dungeon has are taken at this point... 110: Palug I see. Then how about using a Keystone? 111: Black Bone Huh? 112: Palug Keystones unlock Element skills, do they not? Isn''t that enough to believe that they would work on Dungeons as well? 113: Black Bone Ahahaha. Good joke. 114: Black Bone .........hey, guild master? Why the long pause? 115: Aino ...the suspense is lethal... 116: Garami It worked. I tested the theory with the Swamp Keystone, and it worked. The Dungeon can now obtain the Swamp element. 117: Black Bone NO WAY!! 118: Aino To think the answer was right in front of our noses all this time... 119: Palug I am not sure I am following, but good for you. 120: Garami It''ll take more than a day to fully upgrade the Dungeon, so shall we meet again around this time on the day after tomorrow? 121: Aino I can log in around that time, so sure. 122: Black Bone Works for me. 123: Palug There is no problem for me either. 124: Garami Good. In that case, over and out. --- I logged off the chat after that and started to do some number-crunching. Adding a new element or a new Monster-Line takes a lot of DP. Not to mention that the costs seem to vary depending on the rarity, or maybe the capability, of the added item. I''ve already purchased the Arachnid-Line, so I just need to wait until I have enough DP for the Undead-Line. Then I can purchase the two elements from the sacrificed Keystones, and voila~. One horror-Dungeon, ready for take-out. Not that it''ll ever be taken out. Holy, both Shadow and Swamp are quite fitting for my Darkland Fort~. Perfect for scaring away intruders~. But I shouldn''t forget about the main event for tonight. The evolution~~. I manipulated the screen and got my character''s status sheet. Skill List: Title List: Nice~. Things are looking nice for me now. The new title only gave me a "proceed with the quest to obtain more info"-answer, so no clue there. The title related to the Corruption Goddess has disappeared. Good thing there. Now I don''t have to fear being sacrificed for some other ritual. And now for this time''s evolution options... Holy. There are a whole 5 of them this time. I know about the rumors that the demon races have a lot of options, but this is ridiculous. Are the options increasing by 2 for each rank or something? Yeah, this is much. Glad I decided to take tomorrow free from the game. This is a big decision... Let''s go over them one at a time. The Abyss Udug seems like a direct upgrade of the Dark Udug. I bet that a Poison-variant would have unlocked if I had evolved the [Lesser Poison Element]. It''s the safest option, and it lets me save some AP as well. The fact that it seems like a more item-based race, seeing their high DEX and INT, is a letdown, but not something too bad. Next is the "Teneras Gazer". It seems like a Gazer in humanoid form, but with no specific element that it focuses on. That again means it can prolly use a lot of different Evil Eyes. That it can''t use normal magician classes is a downside, but Evil Eye Invoker isn''t counted there, and I bet that Demon Caller''s the same. I wouldn''t have gotten the option if that was the case, I bet. And I don''t have plans on taking any other magic-related classes, so the demerit''s not that big for me. Then there''s the "Satyrophet". Why did this pop-up? It is alluring to just have Nyx and the others do all the hard work for me, but this demon seems like a tanking specialist. My stats are far from that, so I''m not sure it''s all that good. Not that I can completely dismiss it either. If it''s a goat-type demon, I can guess it''s prolly connected to the "Baphomet" in one way or another. The "Kikurarachne" seems like the evolution with the most options. Its stat-build is similar to what I have, it seems to be focused on "demonic abilities" like shapeshifting and Evil Eyes, and I''ve gotten a spider-build of my own despite my race not being related to spiders...yet. The downside is that it costs the most AP of all the evolutions, along with the last option. Which is the "Ruin Servant". It has to be connected to my Epic Quest. I''ve studied "Servant Demons" after I tamed Nyx, so I know that, despite their name, I''m not forced to serve this "ruin goddess" just like that. The abilities are focused on "ruin", so it''s easy to imagine this option will boost my attack power. Hmm...yeah, can''t decide! Let''s do that tomorrow. I need to relax my brain for now. Though, I have an inkling of what I''m gonna choose. But it''s better to take good time deciding this. And no matter what I choose, it''s gonna be awesome! Hehehe... Chapter 86: Official Bulletin Board 8 "Diablo Blastlands" Exploration Thread @28 1: Blasted adventurer This is a thread for the poor suckers who are exploring the Diablo Blastlands. Stay polite and try to post useful information so that the number of explosion victims decreases. Nr.950, please post the next explosive thread. ... 114: Blasted adventurer IT''S WAR!! 115: Blasted adventurer Kill the vamps!! 116: Blasted adventurer A raid quest out of the blue! This game just keeps on giving! 117: Blasted adventurer And the mobs are damn easy! 118: Blasted adventurer ->117 Think it''s because they don''t have any commanders while we have. 119: Blasted adventurer Hand over the vampire treasures!! 120: Blasted adventurer ->118 Oh, that''s true. I thought there was something strange here... 121: Blasted adventurer ->118 There are some! They looked sorta ninja-ish! 122: Blasted adventurer ->118 Huh? Explain. 123: Blasted adventurer ->121 Those are allies! Don''t attack! 124: Blasted adventurer ->121 Stop this idiot from attacking the vampire kunoichis!! 125: Blasted adventurer ->122 Raid-type quests normally include commander-class mobs. They command and enhance the troops, making them stronger physically and using better tactics. Just having 1 commander-class mob on the battlefield can be enough to decide the victor in these kinds of battles. 126: Blasted adventurer ->123 Allies!? The vampires? 127: Blasted adventurer ->125 We have a war veteran here! 128: Blasted adventurer ->123 Explain, right now. ->124 Especially the part about "kunoichis"! 129: Blasted adventurer To all raid quest practitioners: the target of the raids are the vampires of the Nobilis faction. The vampire ninjas of the Fortum faction are our allies. Don''t attack them!! 130: Blasted adventurer ->128 Pervert... 131: Blasted adventurer ->128 Pervert... 132: Blasted adventurer ->129 Thanks for the warning! We were just saved by some buff old man in ninja gear. Don''t wanna fight him. 133: Blasted adventurer ->128 Pervert... 134: Blasted adventurer ->129 You were lucky. That must have been Lord Fortum himself. He''s basically the strongest individual vampire in this region. 135: Blasted adventurer ->128 Pervert... 136: Blasted adventurer ->134 Holy! 137: Blasted adventurer ->128 Pervert... 138: Blasted adventurer ...aren''t there too many anti-perverts here today? Yikes... ... 222: Blasted adventurer We won!! 223: Blasted adventurer Victory! 224: Blasted adventurer Viva la Fortum!! 225: Blasted adventurer ->224 Viva la Fortum''s princess! She''s a beauty... 226: Blasted adventurer Uh-oh. The anti-pervert brigade''s gonna return! 227: Blasted adventurer ->226 I am a girl. 228: Blasted adventurer No problems then! 229: Blasted adventurer But that last boss was freaky... Or rather, HELLISH! 230: Blasted adventurer I hear ya! The difficulty, appearance, skills, and especially the SMELL!! 231: Blasted adventurer ->230 You had to emphasize the last one. Not that I disagree. 232: Blasted adventurer If I ever see anything with the words "curse creature" in its name again, I''ll run. Or log out right there. And bring back an army. 233: Blasted adventurer Make it a holy army. Call the White Order! 234: Blasted adventurer It''s a crusade!!! 235: Blasted adventurer NEWS! It seems that the boss mob was what used to be Lord Nobilis. No other info is available at the moment. 236: Blasted adventurer What is this? A B-movie!? Growing gigantic for the final battle''s not funny! At least not for us who''re stuck as ants! 237: Blasted adventurer Hey, did someone else notice the strange statues in the area where the boss emerged from? 238: Blasted adventurer Ah, I know what you''re talking about. Those weird, Lovecraft-ish ones. 239: Blasted adventurer ->237 What about them? 240: Blasted adventurer You see, it felt like there should have been some extra parts on those statues. There were strange fragments around three of them, which were utterly destroyed, But there were a pair of them that looked whole, except that they didn''t have anything resembling said fragments. 241: Blasted adventurer Did someone steal from the statues? 242: Blasted adventurer You guys are overthinking. 243: Blasted adventurer The fragments were added later. 244: Blasted adventurer WHY WASN''T THE PRINCESS THERE!? 245: Blasted adventurer Don''t think there was anyone who could enter that area while the battle was going on. It must have been the people who had been there right before the raid kicked off. 246: Blasted adventurer ->244 A DAMN GOOD QUESTION!! 247: Blasted adventurer The star of the show refused to show up. 248: Blasted adventurer No demon princess... 249: Blasted adventurer She''s more of a "nightmare princess" lately. Have you seen her party members? 250: Blasted adventurer Named after the game itself even when she''s not active in front of the player base! That''s a skill on its own... 251: Blasted adventurer One of the future events is bound to change that. 252: Blasted adventurer Who knows. 253: Blasted adventurer Maybe she''s after the Diablo Blastfield Volcano? It''s a natural labyrinth according to the rumors. 254: Blasted adventurer I''ve heard that you can even gain stuff like Extra Skills there. 255: Blasted adventurer For real!? 256: Blasted adventurer It''s just a bunch of rumors. Nobody''s gotten into the volcano where the stuff''s supposed to be. 257: Blasted adventurer No one?! Not even the top-rankers? 258: Blasted adventurer There are lots of entrances to the "depths of the volcano" though. The problem is that they''re all sealed by stuff that you''d need a specific item or class if you want to enter. 259: Blasted adventurer I''ve heard that there''s a Cerberus down there! 260: Blasted adventurer For real!? 261: Blasted adventurer ->260 Huh? I heard it was an evil dragon. 262: Blasted adventurer For real? 263: Blasted adventurer ->261 You both are wrong! It''s the ghost of a falsely accused pope! 264: Blasted adventurer ...for real? 265: Blasted adventurer ->263 ALL of you are dead wrong! It''s the biggest berserker who''s sealed inside the volcano! 266: Blasted adventurer ...I don''t believe in anything anymore. 267: Blasted adventurer Crap! The princess is going to kick that poor dog/dragon/ghost/berserker''s butt! 268: Blasted adventurer Now THAT is something I can believe in! 269: Blasted adventurer ->268 On that point!? ...you''re not wrong, but still... ... Homura Reclamation Thread @7 1: Unknown adventurer Welcome to the Homura Reclamation thread, created to take back the Fire country Homura from the Vile Queen. Stay polite so the thread doesn''t get taken down. We need all the info we can get. Nr.950, please post the next thread. ... 333: Unknown adventurer Got the triple 3~. 334: Unknown adventurer IT''S TOO DAMN COLD!! 335: Unknown adventurer ->333 Yeah, yeah. 336: Unknown adventurer ->334 Don''t state the obvious. 337: Unknown adventurer Excuse me, I''m new to this thread. What''s going on? 338: Unknown adventurer ->336 BUT IT IS!! 339: Unknown adventurer ->337 Welcome! To keep it simple, it''s to solve global freezing. 340: Unknown adventurer ->337 Hi-ya! We''re talking about Miss Ice Queen. 341: Unknown adventurer ->337 Glad to have you here. We need people to crush this ice. 342: Unknown adventurer ??? Ice? In the Fire country? 343: Unknown adventurer ->337 Welcome to the frozen hell! During the 2nd official event, we failed to keep the Vile Queen from taking over the country. Now everything is frozen solid. 344: Unknown adventurer ->343 Oh! I see...HUH!? 345: Unknown adventurer ->344 Everyone''s reaction. 346: Unknown adventurer ->344 Stop thinking. You''ll just get brain freeze. 347: Unknown adventurer ->344 Because of the stupid-solid wall of ice, we cannot enter deeper into the region anymore. We can only spawn at the outer rim of the region, and there are no clues about what happened to the inhabitants. We''re walking in the dark here. 348: Unknown adventurer This game''s impossible... 349: Unknown adventurer ->344 Some rumors say that the ice is currently constructing something, so some people suspect that the place is inaccessible until the ice''s done with its work. 350: Unknown adventurer Ah, that theory... 351: Unknown adventurer Other guys think they need some key items to melt the ice, so they left for the Homura/Umbral border. Tons of fiery areas there. 352: Unknown adventurer The "floral ice queen" went there, I think. To some explosive place... 353: Unknown adventurer Another beauty left the Japanese-inspired realm...*SAD*. ... Class Encyclopedia Thread @3 1: Verification adventurer Welcome to the Verification Guild''s class encyclopedia. Here we gather all the info we discover about classes and post them here. Stay polite so the thread doesn''t get taken down. But we will answer your questions as fast as possible. Nr.950 has the honor of starting the next thread. ... 177: Unknown adventurer These threads are damn slow. 178: Unknown adventurer Most people don''t want to reveal their hands after all. 179: Unknown adventurer A PVP event may happen at any given time. 180: Ria-chan The news about that event will arrive in a few days. 181: Unknown adventurer !!!???? 182: Unknown adventurer !!!!???? 183: Verification adventurer WHAT THE-!? 184: Unknown adventurer ->180 The CEO has landed!! 185: Unknown adventurer ->180 Tell us more!! 186: Verification adventurer ->185 No good. She''s already left the thread. 187: Unknown adventurer DAMN IT!! 188: Unknown adventurer Time to post classes!! 189: Unknown adventurer ->186 That little-!! 190: Unknown adventurer ->188 HUH!? Why would we give up our advantage? 191: Unknown adventurer ->188 Yeah! Are you stupid or something? 192: Unknown adventurer If we know more about the classes out there, isn''t that gonna help when we are evolving the classes? 193: Unknown adventurer That still doesn''t give us a reason to help our future rivals!! 194: Verification adventurer ->193 Classes will evolve into different "advance-tier classes" depending on what skills or special conditions you clear. Even if you have the same class or even the same skills, you can still end up with different classes. 195: Unknown adventurer Crap! I forgot about that! 196: Unknown adventurer And since we don''t want any TOO strange classes, let''s share the info. 197: Unknown adventurer In that case, the "element boosters"! Those are VICs! 198: Unknown adventurer ->196 But they''re going to be strange anyway then... 199: Unknown adventurer ->197 "VIC"? 200: Verification adventurer ->197 Ah, the "element boosters". 12 classes focused on the primary elements. The skill obtained from those classes will lower any AP costs of the skills of the corresponding element, and any composition elements that include said primary element. 201: Unknown adventurer ->199 "Very Important Classes". 202: Unknown adventurer ->200 HOLY!! 203: Unknown adventurer ->200 A discount class!? I''m getting it!! 204: Unknown adventurer ->203 There''s a slight problem. Those classes have a secondary theme, and not all of them are good. For example, you wanna see a buff Sailor with the "Aqua Idol" class? 205: Unknown adventurer ->204 Please no! 206: Unknown adventurer ->204 Please no! 207: Verification adventurer ->204 Please no!! 208: Unknown adventurer ->204 For everything good on this planet, please spare us!! 209: Unknown adventurer ->204 There''s also the problem that it takes up a class slot... 210: Verification adventurer ->209 No worries there. All of the "element boosters" require to be merged with a different class if one wishes to evolve them into an Advance-tier class. 211: Unknown adventurer Ooooh! 212: Unknown adventurer Nice! 213: Unknown adventurer I''m still not taking that "idol" class! Doesn''t even have Water... 214: Unknown adventurer ANOTHER CLASS! "Splatter Warrior"! 215: Unknown adventurer ->213 Then don''t even consider it! You can only have 1 of these classes anyway. 216: Unknown adventurer ->214 I''ve heard about that one. Your stats go up if you get dirty, was it? 217: Unknown adventurer Blood splatter!? Scary! 218: Unknown adventurer Speaking of unusual classes, there''s the "Seer" class that gives up normal sight for some spiritual stuff. 219: Unknown adventurer ->218 I''ve heard people with hunter-type classes take up that stuff! Weird... 220: Unknown adventurer The "Avenger" class! I read about it in a book! 221: Unknown adventurer ->220 What does it do? 222: Unknown adventurer ->220 Chuuni... 223: Verification adventurer "Avenger" is a counter-type class. What and how they counter variates in how you evolve the class and the corresponding skill. 224: Unknown adventurer Crap, there is more stuff to learn than I expected... 225: Unknown adventurer ->220 Hold on! You can learn about classes from the library!? 226: Unknown adventurer EVERYONE! Take the [Linguistics] skill NOW! 227: Verification adventurer They didn''t know about it until now...*sigh*. Chapter 87: 3rd Evolution Result & Apostle of Ruin” Log in! Wow, it feels like ages have gone by since the last time... Despite having evolved into a D-rank, I didn''t meet another goddess or that AI again. That fits me well, but it''s my 3rd evolution now. Shouldn''t I get some sorta congratulation? Then I noticed that I''d gotten an in-game mail. I opened it and found a gift from the game system. Nice~. I''ll be getting an...EXTRA MEDAL!? Oh, it''s a non-tradeable one. Tch. And according to this...it cannot be used along with 9 others to earn a free Extra Skill. TCH! But it can be used to access a "Trial Ground"...? That''s weird. I knew about the first option, but what is this place of trial about? Seems like Bones didn''t know everything about these trinkets. Well, I can figure that out later. Right now, I have to choose between a Demon medal, Darkness medal, Arachnid... Let''s just make it easy for myself and choose the Demon medal. Simple is best. Okay, time to evaluate my new body. The biggest difference is...I''m a spider. Yay. One that''s pale white, almost like a corpse, bigger than my bed, and has dark-purple marks all over it, especially at the tip of its legs. The four frontmost legs are also shaped like scythes. Yikes. Having eight eyes and limbs is a little strange, but I can handle it. It''s not that different from when I was a Grey Demon- *Trip* *CRASH!!* Ouch...guess I need some training after all. And now, on to what the System Message has to say. SYSTEM MESSAGE: Evolution is complete. Due to your evolution, the following abilities are granted: Your natural status values have increased. All classes below Advance-tier have gained bonus levels. Natural Aether Point gain has increased from 0.6 to 0.8. You have obtained the following skills: [Dark Spider''s Metamorphosis]; [Evil Eye Carvings]; [Darkness Briars]. Acquired trait: [Arachnid]. Due to the evolution and shifting faith from " --- (Neutral)" to "*** (Ruin)", the Fragmented Ego equipment series has been upgraded and optimized. Class: [Demonic Rogue] has reached Lv.50. Class Evolution is now possible. For reaching Lv.50 with class: [Demonic Rogue], you have obtained 3.0 Aether Points. Class: [Arachnid Assailant] has reached Lv.50. Class Evolution is now possible. For reaching Lv.50 with class: [Arachnid Assailant], you have obtained 3.0 Aether Points. Holy! This easily exceeds what I expected. Free class levels? Then I should have obtained my 4th Sub Class before evolving!! ...meh. It''s prolly a specific number of levels that are evenly distributed to the different classes. Having more classes wouldn''t equal a bigger bonus. Probably! WOW!! I''ve obtained almost all the points I spent on evolving! If I''m right, my classes have increased by...around 40 levels in total. I think so, at least. As for my stats...hmm. No big changes on STR...but all the other looks awesome! For some reason, my LUC and MP are in leagues of their own. And the new trait the System Message told about is...geh!? Arachnid: As if I don''t have enough weaknesses due to my other traits! They''re no different than before, so I''m skipping them. But this "Arachnid" is more pain than any possible gain! Especially since we''re planning on going inside a volcano! Alright, calm down. I still need to check the three new skills. Please let them be something awesome... Skill List: One of them seems to be an enhancement skill to whip-like objects. Normal ropes seem to also work, so maybe I could use threads for it? The second one is something to extend the methods of using Evil Eyes. I''ll test it when I meet the others. But this skill here totally catches my attention. THIS! This is what I was looking for! The description of the species specifically mentioned this kind of ability, which I''m seriously in need of now! I don''t wanna trip over my spider legs again! Without further ado, I activated this new skill. For a slight second, it felt like my body didn''t exist as it turned into some black smoke before reappearing as a human...body. Huh? What''s going on? I can''t see anything!! ...oh, I''m wearing a blindfold. That was embarrassing. Wait, why am I wearing this thing? I took off the blindfold and looked into the mirror I''d placed in my Player Room for occasions like this. ...what is this? A priestess outfit? It''s a sleeveless, shoulder-baring dress that wouldn''t feel wrong in an ancient temple, worn by the head priestess or someone of a similar status. It is made out of black cloth, with golden edges, and a few purple crystals. Not sure if they''re supposed to be amethysts or some fantasy gems, but I like ''em. Some parts of the golden embroidery seem to use spiders and spider webs as a motif, but it retains the typical style of what one would see in clergymen''s outfits. The dress is tight on the top, which leaves less to one''s imagination than I''d appreciated. The lower half of the dress-like attire reaches my ankles, with an apron-type at the front which is separated to show my legs. There''s also a mini-skirt included, which results in showing my thighs. Maybe so that I can keep a knife sheathed there? There''s also a pair of detached sleeves from the upper arms. The kind you''d only see in anime. They''re of the same color and design as the sleeveless dress, and the cuffs are quite wide. For some reason, the wide cuffs don''t feel constraining, so I think they''ll be in the way of swinging my scythe or my knives. I got ankle-high black boots that are decorated with gold, just like the dress. Plus a pair of knee-high, grey socks, which creates an "absolute territory" (or whatever it was called) with the mini-skirt. Isn''t this clergy outfit a little too tempting!? As for accessories, the belt seems to be an official part of the outfit now, while the earring and necklace have been removed. In return, I''ve obtained golden anklets that are worn on the back of the shoes instead of on my ankles. The bangles are still here, now hidden underneath the large sleeves. They are made of gold, just like the anklets. The ring is still here too, but now it''s turned into something fancy made outta gold and black metal intervened with each other, and a small amethyst added to it. Finally, the cloak has been redesigned to something more fitting for a priestess. It covers my bare shoulders and reaches the ground, with a fancy embroidery in gold on the back. It has a hood that has a pattern that, when worn on one''s head, looks like the face of a spider, weaved with golden threads. The black blindfold from before also has some golden decorations on it. Not sure how it stays on. It doesn''t reach the back of my head, only it disappears in the middle. Weird. So, to conclude my report...THIS IS DAMN COOL!! Thank you, oh Goddess of ruin who tuned up my gear!! ......hold on. There''s something in the item description... AW, COME ON!!! The items act as a set! I need the damn blindfold equipped if I want the rest of the cool gadgets to work! And the blindfold''s a piece of cursed equipment! I can''t take it off after I first "activate" the whole thing from my system menu!! I can swap the other pieces of equipment, but the blindfold is there to stay no matter what after I push "yes"!! Damn it! Glad that they bothered to write this warning down on the equipment page. But what now? A blindfold is the worst thing I could be stuck with. My best skills and general build center around Evil EYES. Sealing them is the worst! Ah, but the outfit''s so cool...plus I bet it''s something the Goddess of ruin wants me to do. ...I should consult with the others. Maybe they have a plan. Let''s shove away the dark clouds regarding my equipment for later. I still need to see how this human form works. Hmm...not that different from before. The horns and the tail are the same, and that goes for my albino hair and skin. My eyes are a little more "amethyst" in color now, and with the same cross-shaped pupils. Ah, the "inner" part of my hair seems to be black instead of white. It''s thin enough for the white parts to be seen if you look at me from behind. Weird... Other than that, I''d say I''ve gotten a small growth spurt. Did the evolution give me bonus points for sexiness? Well, when you think of spiders, then "Black Widows" are likely to appear in your mind. The newest features are that my hands and feet have turned black. Like, tar-black. It''s as if I''m wearing gloves and socks, but it''s my skin. There''s also an eye-like purple mark between my collarbones. But other than that, not much of a change. Or not! Gotta remember, my "real" form now is that of a giant spider... Okay, enough of wasting my time in front of the mirror. "Bloom!" I shouted as I left the bedroom part of my Player Room. In the "main hall" I found Bloom lazying around on the couch while reading something that looks like a manga. Probably taken from the book row I''ve added to the Player Room recently. "Y-yes! ...Master!?" - Bloom "Forget the cliche reaction and get moving. We''re meeting the others." - Garami "A-as you wish!" - Bloom Bloom started to dress in the witch-looking gear I''d prepared for her. Hmm? Why not have her dressed as a maid? Hahaha. We need Bloom if we want to attack the Blastfield volcano. Specifically, her abilities as a Crime Caster. Let''s hope I can fight well enough even with my gear "not activated"... Chapter 88: Liches, Rabbits, & Demons "WOW!! So cool! Pretty! Beautiful!! Let me take a snap!" - Aino "NEVER." - Garami Ignoring my protests, Aino started orbiting around me while releasing *click*-sounds. Does the System Menu come with a photo function, or is it some dedicated skill? "Alas, I never expected that our Guild Master would do such a drastic image change during these few days. I must say I am blessed to have been allowed to join." - Palug Since I created a Moses effect on the crowd of players and inhabitants alike when I walked to our meeting place, one that created the same clicking sounds as Aino gives off even now, I cannot refute him, dammit! However! "I ain''t the only culprit here. You''re also attracting stares." - Garami Palug had evolved from a simple rabbit with a blade sticking out from his head like some sorta horn to a proper human rabbit. Not the kind that''s a human with rabbit ears on top of their head, but a proper rabbit who''s walking on two legs like a human. Even the size is the same as before he evolved! He''s dressed like some musketeer-like character, with the outfit using colors like dark green and blue, and he even has a sword strapped on his waist. It looks suspiciously similar to the horn he had before evolving. "And then there''s...him." - Garami "Yes...him." - Palug Alas, there may be one guy who''s one-upping both Palug and me when it comes to gathering attention. And not in a good way... "MWA-HAHAHAHAHA!! LIVING BEINGS, FEAR MY POWER!!" - Bones As a consequence of meeting outside the city, monsters may appear, which they did (just as planned). Since I was late, Bones had some random adventurer kite over several mobs to this location, and he''s already started demonstrating his newfound Lich powers on those poor suckers! With extra edgelord added to them! It''s hell... That may not be far from the truth. Bones is summoning undead creatures left and right. Where did the LP restrictions go to!? It seems he''s obtained a skill related to that, seeing how he and the undead he spawns are covered by some sorta aura, but 1 skill alone can''t explain these numbers... "He said that he had earned more AP due to a bonus to class levels thanks to his evolution, so he evolved his class." - Palug Thank you for the much-needed extra info. Bones said he used the "Spectermancer" class, the starting class for all types of necromancy, was it? So if thinking about it logically, he should have something like "Necromancer" now. No wonder... Ah! One of the fiery doggos dodged the undead, razor-sharp fishies and came at Bones! That guy is a dog''s wet dream. He is made outta delicious bones after all. It''s even his name. ...hmm? The doggo fell on the spot after Bones grabbed its face. Hmm??? "BWA-HAHAHAHA!! NO MORTAL CAN STAND A GHOST OF A CHANCE AGAINST MY WICKED [DEAD MAN''S TOUCH]!!" - Black Bone "Dead man''s touch"? What''s that, a skill? I Identified the stiff doggo as it was shredded to pieces by the fishies, and saw that its MP was unnaturally low, plus it had both Poison and Paralyze status ailments. "He has no intention of keeping his cards a secret, does he?" - Palug "That''s going to bite back at him if he ever enters a PVP tournament." - Aino "I''m not, so yay for me." - Garami Bones seems to have the monster swarm under control, but I want to test out my new stuff too. First up is this "Briar" skill. An exceptionally bouncy slime that emitted flames from its red body jumped above the killer fish swarm and headed toward me. To repel it, I produced some webbing in the shape of a whip and lashed at the slime. The thread-whip turned black upon me activating the skill and produced some vicious-looking thorns all over it. After getting hit by these thorns, the slime stopped its approach to writhe around on the ground in pain. In addition, I could Identify that the slime had several stacks of status ailments on it. This skill is more evil-ish than I first believed, and that''s saying something. Yeah, this is prolly something for plant-type monsters who uses vines as whips. To think this race of mine is using the same strategy with their webbing... Another pair of monsters, a tortoise with fire coming out from behind like some kinda trusters and a clam that rolls like a wheel over the surface, was charging at me. Are they trying to avenge the slime? Stupid mobs. With some cracks of my "whip", I activated the second skill I''ve yet to test out, [Evil Eye Carvings]. Strange symbols were created where the whip had struck, and once the tortoise and clam stepped on it...their speed visibly dropped. Yes! A success! I tossed away the improvised whip in exchange for my scythe and slashed at the side of the wheel-like clam when it passed me. Then I created a black spider arm from my back and stabbed the tortoise''s head with it. The extra limb dealt Darkness damage...but of course, a tortoise monster is loaded with HP and defense. No way I can OHKO1One-Hit Knock Out it. Not to mention that this is the limit of what extra limbs I can create with the [Dark Spider''s Metamorphosis] skill. Well, the extra limbs are just a bonus. The real boon is that I get to have a humanoid body when my real identity is a demonic spider. I wonder if I could go full Arachne if I develop the skill. Anyway, since I lacked the raw power to defeat it, I climbed over the slow-mode tortoise and handed over the task of finishing him off to Palug. As I turned around, I saw that the clam from before was already taken care of. Yikes. I quickly finished off the slime from before with another Briar attack and turned my attention to Palug and the tortoise. Hey, isn''t this the most epic rematch of the century? It''s a fight and not a race though. Before the slow-down effect of my Carving expired, Palug proceeded to stab the poor tortoise''s fleshy parts that were barely hidden by the shell with incredible speed and precision. The sword is so fast it feels like watching bullets hit the monster, not sword slashes! ...sword slashes? Sword-stabs? ...you get the deal! To finish the combo, Palug jumped HIGH into the air before making a heavy stamp onto the tortoise''s back. What a rabbit jump! The impact was strong enough to make cracks in the ground! Sorry that you had to face that, tortoise... "Phew. That was some exercise." - Palug "That''s just exercise for you? You killer rabbit." - Garami "It was not that bad. It''s simply my new skills and evolved class at work. I will refrain from saying what they are called though. I still wish to participate in potential future PVP events." - Palug "You can be our representative then. I don''t see any joy in those kinda battles." - Garami "Oho. In that case, mind if I ask why that clam and that tortoise suddenly decelerated?" - Palug I got up close to Palug and whispered into his rabbit ears so that the peanut gallery wouldn''t overhear us. "That''s due to a double dose of [Slowing Evil Eye]." - Garami "Double?" - Palug "Yeah. I glared at them with the original skill, plus giving them another dose through that mark on the ground." - Garami It''s a two-pronged attack of both the Evil Eye itself and the brand-new [Evil Eye Carvings] skill. Man, my traps are gonna be BRUTAL from now on. "It''s not all rainbows and sunshine though..." - Garami "You don''t say. I will help Bones clean up, so ask the girls to get ready." - Palug He''s got some good leadership instincts, that rabbit. Then it''s time to make a proper Party... "Crap. My LP..." - Garami Since the three of us evolved, Bones, Palug, and I have 20 LP as our original value. And that means I need to spend 40 LP to recruit those two to my Party. And when you include Aino and Bloom, our key to the inside of the volcano, that goes up to 70 LP when discounts aren''t included. "Garami~. I have a gift for you~." - Aino ...for some reason, that friendly smile on Aino''s is giving me shivers. --- "A blindfold!? Damn, why is only Garami getting so cool equipment!?" - Black Bone "It is due to her status as an apostle. However, to make an Evil Eye-user give up her sight is...quite the unique request." - Palug "Fine! I''ll agree that''s a downside when you think about its practical use. But it''s not only that fancy cult-leader outfit that''s awesome!" - Black Bone "You can change with me if you want to..." - Garami "NEVER!! Boss can take care of the fanservice in the Guild!" - Black Bone That bastard... Aino had prepared a full female officer outfit that boosts LP (and only LP). Thanks to that, I got enough of those points to recruit everyone to my Party. However, I have a nasty suspicion that Aino shares Bones'' opinion of "fanservice over usage". Thank god it''s not the revealing kind, but it still feels like it just needs one more step to enter the dominatrix realm. "Aww, but you look so...general-ish." - Aino "Is that even a word?" - Garami "No clue~. But the ability to see even with your eyes sealed... I think I have heard about something like that before." - Aino "Really!?" - Garami "Hmm... What was it... Sorry! I can''t remember!" - Aino "Think harder!" - Garami Seriously! I''m even saving my AP for any potential solution! I''m even putting the evolution of my classes on hold because of that! "Master! Miss Aino! I cannot concentrate when you are making such a ruckus!" - Bloom "Sorry..." - Garami/Aino We got scolded by Bloom who was busy writing some stuff using various materials such as wax, liquid metal, and...is that blood? Holy crap! Or, the opposite! She''s making a freaking magic circle! Legit stuff! The "black magic"-kind! Everyone else is just looking at Bloom working at the entrance of the volcano. A wall made outta a strange, glowing material is blocking the passage, so we''re having Bloom unlock the whole shebang. ...why am I, the demon in the Party, so freaked out about my cute Bloom using stuff like entrails, hearts, and blood to create a demonic magic circle, all with a smile on her face? Even Palug... I trusted you to be the normal one!! Did Bloom take up something weird after I gave her the assignment to upgrade her skill repertoire? Skill list: Title list: Nope. Nothing bad here. I did make her take the "Harvester" class so she could help dismantle the monster corpses when I was on a quest fever to earn more AP...! Is that the reason? She''s so used to dealing with corpses now that her common sense''s gone out the window?! ...meh, can''t be. Anyway, it''s just a matter of time before the door cracks. There are supposedly more methods to enter this molten magma mountain, such as a boss rush of uber-strong volcanic beasts... Impossible. Not for our group, at least. A single one of those beasts is supposed to be at a raid-tier difficulty, and there are multiple of them... There are also rumors about hidden tunnels underneath magma rivers, being able to hitchhike on giant wyverns for a ride into the caverns if you manage to accomplish that without being detected, getting some sort of recommendation from a yet-to-be-discovered group, or finding a hidden/forgotten key somewhere in the Blastfields. My point is, that there are lots of different paths into this mountain. The difference is how they work, as they are all highly difficult to enter, or simply require strange methods to do so. *Click* While I was busy thinking about the other paths into the volcano, Bloom managed to unlock our way of entry...? "Unlocked"? I thought this was some kinda barrier or wall, not a door. ...actually, why is there a barrier here? NFO isn''t the kinda game that places obstacles without a proper backstory to them. "Garami? You coming?" - Black Bone ...well, time to enter the belly of the beast and find out the story. Or, the belly of the volcano. Chapter 89: Hellfire Prison & Crime Colosseum ...okay, what the heck is this? I expected the inside of a volcano! Some parts of the place are volcano-ish, I agree, but this place is a freaking prison!! After Bloom busted the defensive barrier-entrance-thingy that blocked us from the depths of the Blastfield''s volcano area, we kept on walking almost without getting interrupted. But the monster of the week that decided to appear in front of us wasn''t a monster...strictly speaking. They were a demon-looking fellow dressed in a striped prisoner uniform and with chains on their limbs. And they attacked us while howling like a madman. The fright got me to whip out the Briar-whip and Evil Eyes before the others bombarded him with undead fishies, sword stabs, and fireballs. Rest in peace, poor, crazy demon. Nobody wanted to dismantle this guy, so Bones got to add some more Necro Counters to his collection. The strange thing is that the chains the guy was wearing were left behind. They''re some sorta Key Item according to Aino, the member of our team with the highest-leveled [Identification] skill, but no further explanation was given. It''s no cursed item through, so I got the "honor" of carrying them with us. Yay... After that, we started to find more and more of these lunatic demons. There were some low-ranked vampire species mixed with them, and even some humans and other humanoid species! Just as we were asking ourselves what was going on with this place, we reached an open area. If I had to describe it, it''s a huge, volcanic cave. There are even small rivers of lava running through the place. But that''s all the common points between what we expected and reality. Large walls and heavy chains are spread all across the cave. Solid doors with lock pads the size of my body and security camera-looking items on the walls makes me connect the dots with the current scenery and the mobs we fought before. "It''s an Alcatraz, volcano-version," - Garami "Did we just break into prison?!" - Black Bone Yup, we did. Bones must be a genius at voicing the situation. "Are we allowed to be in this place?" - Palug "What will I do if they try to arrest me for having criminal-good style!?" - Aino Yeah, I doubt that''s gonna happen. Frankly, stop saying stuff like that. Bloom, the "real" criminal in our group, is getting paler for each stupid comment from you. "You five! What are you doing here?!" A person...(?) shouted to us. He''s dressed more like a jailor, or at least a guard, than a prisoner, so I''m unsure if he''s gonna attack us. What makes me hesitate is that he''s a slime...ish humanoid. He''s 100% lava. Lava that''s shaped like a human and moves like one as well. His face consists of three holes, two for his eyes and one for his mouth...I think. How is he wearing that uniform without making it catch fire? "Err...we are a group of Migrants wishing to explore these mountain caves. We got curious when we saw there were no quests related to it in the Union, so..." - Black Bone Bones gave a reasonable excuse to the "magma jailor", who then started to look at us with a dubious face (I think. Difficult to read that poker face). "I don''t remember what they call this place outside, but its real name is the Volcanic Hellfire Prison: Alkazrai-Dahaka. All kinds of scoundrels are sent here for their crimes. Too bad for them, we don''t have cells for everyone, so most of them are kicked out to fend themselves against the vicious monsters living in the magma." - Magma jailor "And the magma itself?" - Black Bone "Bingo. Say, you didn''t happen to stumble over them, did ya?" - Magma jailor "It was self-defense!!" - Black Bone Oh boy. Now I fear we''re getting into trouble because of that bag of bones. I gave Palug a nudge to signal that I wanted him as Bones'' backup. "Bones is correct. Those villains attacked us out of nowhere. Here, these are the chains they were wearing," said Palug as he pulled out the chains and shackles that had dropped from the potential criminals. "Yeah, these are ours. Thanks for getting rid of them. Those jaywalkers always find a way to break out." - Magma jailor "Isn''t that sort of bad for a prison?" asked Aino as she entered the conversation. "Not really. Our real job is preventing a big something down below from escaping. Those guys are just thrown in here by the outsiders. They think just cause we''re keeping one guy locked up, it''s fine for them to throw every other lawbreaker in here as well!" - Magma jailor ...now I get it. This isn''t a "prison", but a "prison cell". The only duty this guy has is regarding the "big something down below", not the other guys that we defeated. "Say, if you guys are willing to help us cull down the escapees, I could ask the boss to hire you. That''d let you access some of the prison''s facilities." - Magma jailor Oho~? Tell me more~. --- The next day: "IT IS SO GOOD TO BE FREE!!" - Bloom "Yeah, yeah." - Garami After meeting the "boss" yesterday, a gigantic lava golem (maybe he acts as a boss through a different quest?), we were officially employed by the prison. We''re now allowed to boss around the prisoners. More correctly, we''re given quests to keep the prison in one piece while hunting down the "escapees" or dangerous monsters that may threaten the facilities. They can be seen on the System Menu, on its special tab that was added after we were hired. Bones calls them the "prison quests". And as an unexpected, but welcomed, bonus, the boss golem, when he noticed Bloom''s status and after hearing her story, she gave her a pardon! Her [Criminal]-title has been lifted! Yahoo! But her [Slave] status has only been changed into becoming my servant. The difference is that she''s my employee instead of my "possession". Not that I mind. This way is much better. Also because I now know that I can hire more inhabitants if needed. Though, Bloom has been working non-stop here in the prison to pay the boss golem back. We must clear enough prison quests for the lava golem before Bloom can regain her freedom. It''s the same as paying a pardon for getting out of jail. So, even despite her cheerful comment just now, she''s still busy sweeping the street. "You missed a spot." - Garami "Oops! ...and Master! Can''t you give me a hand?" - Bloom "First time I''ve heard a servant asking their master for a hand." - Garami But I still summoned Nala to give Bloom eight extra hands to help her. Not long after that, the corridor was swept clean, and the quest log updated itself, saying the prison quest was cleared. We even got some Sols for the trouble. "Maybe aiming for the high-difficulty quests that award AP..." - Garami "Master, I will DIE." - Bloom "Can''t you become immortal?" - Garami "Master, that is IMPOSSIBLE." - Bloom "You''re just filled with negativity." - Garami "Master, I am in JAIL." - Bloom "...fair enough." - Garami Though, I''ve never seen a jail like this place, even if I''ve only watched them on a screen. The Alkazrai-Dahaka prison looks like a prison, but it is designed to be similar to a city, or, that is the feeling I get from it. Or maybe a gigantic fortress inside the volcano? In any case, the place is so big that the jailors can keep shops open inside it, so there is no difference between here and the frontier city at the edge of the Blastfields. When I asked one of those magma jailors about why they were keeping these places open, they said it was to bait some of the more idiotic escapees. Well, we did beat some just earlier, so the bait is working, at the very least. And as one could expect from shops inside a prison, which is inside a volcano, the selection of items one can buy is outright strange. Broken chains, punishment whips, lava rocks, portable heating devices, sulfur bombs, and even stuff like super-spicy spices. They got all sorts of bizarre articles here. The heating devices seem handy, not to mention cheap, so I bought some. They could be useful if we ever need to travel to colder countries. Besides, winter is just a few months away. I bet they''re gonna have a Christmas event, extra cold damage included, knowing my luck and my weakness to extreme temperatures. Which reminds me, I need some anti-heat accessories sooner than later... Other than our window-shopping, there were no more quests for us to clear in this part of the prison, so we went on a walk. That''s when we overheard a loud cheer coming from one of the larger buildings. What is this place... "AND contestant Black Bones has defeated the Terrible Triplings in a no-damage, perfect win! That''s got to be three times the pain!" - Commentator IT''S A COLOSSEUM. More specifically, the "Crime Colosseum". It was written on the entrance sign that I overlooked before entering. Whoops. And Bones is breaking some bones down there! Many jailors and prisoners are respectively cheering/booing on Bones, each group separated into proper seats or bared cages. Bloom and I found some free seats where there weren''t so many jailors around (and therefore not so hot and sweaty) and watched as Bones crushed the next challengers. A pair of gigantic beasts, named the "Bastard Hounds of Baskeblast" by the announcer, charged at Bones, but a swarm of skeleton fishies rushed at them. The hounds seem to be the slow and powerful type of monsters, so the undead fishies boosted by Bones'' Lich-related abilities could easily dodge them. And while the dogs were busy chasing fish bones, Bones...that was confusing... The Lesser Lich blasted the dogs with a HUGE water ball. The doggos fell out of the arena and down the moat. First, we could hear a splash, then loud crunching sounds could be heard from below the stage, along with the sound of bubbling...something. "What''s downstairs?" - Garami "Boiling tar." - Magma jailor A Okay, that''s too much! Make it lava instead. That way, the pain is instant! Bones bowed to the audience before he started to do some weird movements with his hands. He must be controlling a menu of some sort. Then, a loud gong was heard, and the words "Trial Quest" appeared in glowing letters in the middle of the fighting stage. Along with a countdown. A break time, from the looks of it. "As expected of someone with a 20-streaks victory." - Magma jailor A "Hey, bone-head! You better not lose now! I''ve bet my whole pay on you!" - Magma jailor B "Excuse me, do you know what is happening now?" - Bloom "More importantly, what is this about bets?" - Garami A small explanation later, and Bones is now officially having the fate of my 1.000 Sol in his bony hands. "Now, what is this trial-thingy all about?" - Garami "Err, the thingy you need to use an Extra Medal for?" - Magma jailor A "...details." - Garami "Sure. The Crime Colosseum''s one of the many places jailors can work out. But with tougher criminals getting sent here all the time, some people petitioned to the boss about upgrading these gym replacements." - Magma jailor A "The result was the Trial Grounds that allows one to take challenges in the hope of getting Extra Skills, or similarly strong skills or items." - Magma jailor B "But the boss is such a Scrooge! He fixed it so that we can only challenge the Trials if we ace each facility!" - Magma jailor A "Then again, Trial Grounds are supposed to be like that...or so the rumors go." - Magma jailor B "Interesting..." - Garami We arrived at this volcano in the hope of gathering items for the Fort, but some personal upgrades couldn''t hurt either. *Ding!* It seems that the break time is over. Bones entered the stage again, once more getting cheered by the jailors while the trapped prisoners booed him. Can''t we throw those guys into the tar? From the other gate, the opponent...did not appear? Why? Then we heard a sloppy sound from the pit below the stage. It''s like the sound of something huge and mucky climbing up...EWW!! What''s that smell!? Bones, what did you summon!? The culprit to the nasty sounds and the EVEN MORE NASTY SMELL was...a giant tar monster!? One that has the rotten bodies of various monsters attached to it? And it''s as big as the frog that melted my weapons before. In response to the new challenger, the reigning champion Bones...is just standing there with his mouth open. Careful, or else you''ll lose your jaw, Boney. "I''m gonna miss those Sols." - Garami "Me too." - Magma jailer B "G-good luck, Bones!" - Bloom He''ll need it... Chapter 90: Ghost Tar & Fire Fae "HEEEELP!!" - Black Bone Bones ran around like a headless chicken as he dodged fireballs, acid spit, balls of curses, and arrows made outta black tar released by the amalgam of dead monsters/prisoners. "At this rate, he should change occupation from a necromancer to a clown." - Garami "It looks ridiculous, but it works." - Jailer A "Keep at it, bonehead!" - Jailer B While running, Bones has been producing skeleton fishes and sent them to attack the tar monster in between when the monster''s attacks paused. The fish, armed with explosive items that Bones provided them with, charged at the tar monster as suicide bombers...fishes. It took a while before Bones started this strategy, and even then, it''s been an hour since he started this boss battle. The tar monster''s HP is slowly being reduced to nothing while Bones did some funny dance moves to dodge the new attack patterns of the tar monster... Or so I''ve been told by the jailors who''s been here since the beginning. I left after the first five minutes. I only returned now since we were done with Bloom''s quests for the day. The criminal girl in question has already returned to my Player Room. And it is about to be...done. A fanfare was heard as the final fish exploded as it hit the slime-like beast''s body and the whole thing came apart. Its HP reached 0. Seeing this, Bones raised his arms in victory, before fainting on the spot. "Hey, you alive?" I asked him after coming down from the audience seats. "I''m an undead...and exhausted..." - Black Bone So true. Playing for so long is challenging even when playing from behind the screen, and the VR environment doesn''t help. "But you got something for it. ...You did, didn''t you?" - Garami "...skill...[Ghost''s Tar]...tier 3 skill...and it''s not an Extra!!" - Black Bone Ouch. That''s too harsh. Maybe you need to beat that tar creature faster, or win through some special method? "I used up all my necromancy stock in that battle...plus the expenses for the special undead-related MP recovery items...not to mention all those bombs I saved for an emergency..." - Black Bone "Good luck." - Garami "BOSS!! PLEASE HELP! HELP MY WALLET!!" - Black Bone "Turn self-efficient already." - Garami "Never!!" - Black Bone This little... "And you guys left in the middle of the fight! That''s too cruel! At least cheer me on until the end!" - Black Bone "It allowed Bloom to escape the bad rep of being a criminal, so I say it was a fair trade." - Garami "Why you...? Little Bloom''s no longer a criminal!?" - Black Bone "In one word: yup." - Garami "How did that happen!?" - Black Bone "Well..." - Garami --- Half an hour earlier: "Mister Bones has it rough." - Bloom "It''s a trial of his own doing. There''s no need to show him pity for that." - Garami It was right after we left the Dungeon that we heard a muted explosion from somewhere. It was so sudden that we wouldn''t have heard it if we hadn''t taken a moment of silence for Bones. I didn''t die!! - Bones But your wallet did. Now shut up and let me continue. - Garami After hearing the explosion, we decided to see what was going on before telling the guards. One reason was that whatever had created the noise could have disappeared if we took our time dragging along the jailors, and another was that we should first confirm it was something of importance. And important it was. It was a jailbreak! And the people(?) breaking out were a bunch of small humanoids with wings of fire. They were fire fairies! "Boss! Someone saw us!" - Fairy Jailbreaker A "Tch! Get ''em! They''re just some weak demons!" - Fairy Jailbreaker B And while hurling insults at us, the fairies flew towards us like a swarm of locusts. The one who stopped them was...Bloom "Death Wall!" - Bloom A black wall, one of the generic spells of the [Death Magic] skill, emerged in front of us, and the fairies were stupid enough to fly right into it. Either that or they couldn''t stop in time. Whatever the case, the fairies got a load of death energy (or whatever you call it) into their faces, which made them drop on the floor like...flies. "Boss! That girl knows how to cast magic!" - Fairy Jailbreaker C "Grr...she must be the leader! Everyone, focus your attacks on the servant-looking girl!" - Fairy Jailbreaker B Servant-looking? You!? - Bones They must have been panicking. Now, where was I... - Garami The fairies started to chant out loud something about fires and harming their enemy (me), definite proof of them planning to attack me with magic. Without certain skills or having the knack for speechless chanting, magic is impossible to use. Which meant the fairies in front of us were amateurs compared to Bloom who had that ability knocked into her since before I met her. There was no need for me to be hit by their spells, so I initiated [Trap Expertise], using my [Demon Spider''s Thread] as materials, and created a fireproof carpet of demonic webbing in front of me that tanked all the fire spells for me. After the fairies stopped releasing their magic projectiles, I threw the carpet (actually many trap nets layered on top of each other) high into the air through [Thread Control]. The fairies'' attention followed the carpet, which meant they couldn''t react in time before I had crossed the distance between us and slashed some of them down with my scythe. "B-boss! This demon''s too fast!" - Fairy Jailbreaker (Corpse Candidate) D "S-stop her! Burn her!" - Fairy Jailbreaker (Corpse Candidate) B The fairies enveloped themselves in flames before coming at me like burning torpedoes. Since they were so eye-catching, it hurt a little when I gazed upon them with [Slowing Evil Eye] to lower their speed, before I created spider-like arms with human hands to catch the burning Fae. Since the arms weren''t real, they didn''t burn that easily, nor did I feel that much pain, so I could keep on holding the blazing loudmouths for quite a while. I sucked out the captured fairies'' MP with [Dark Drain] to the point of fainting before I grabbed the next group. Meanwhile, I dodged their slow attacks thanks to me lowering their speed, and through Bloom having enhanced my speed thanks to her [Haste Alteration Magic]. The fairies, with all their possible ways to oppose us blocked somehow, could only fall prey to the cooperation of me, Bloom, and Nala who I summoned to extinguish the fires released by the fairies... --- "And then the jailors arrived after hearing the sounds of the battle and captured the remaining fairies, gave us some rewards, which included Bloom a free pass to escape her life of crime, and then they shooed us away so they could repair the wall." - Garami I took a sip of the drink I ordered from the cafe-like shop while retelling my story to Bones. The skeleton looks envious of the fancy drink, but I''m not giving you. It would go right through you. Literally. As for Bloom, she''s currently resting in my Player Room. The experience was a trial for her, even if not as much as Bones'' tar battle earlier. "Grr...why am I the only guy who had to go broke with my fights?" - Black Bone "You used your Medal right away." - Garami "Ugh...yeah, but still..." - Black Bone "You should have waited until you were on C-level." - Garami "UGH!?" - Black Bone "You were too overconfident in your abilities." - Garami "Please stop...my HP is already at 0..." - Black Bone "And what are your plans now, mister broke Bones?" - Garami "Don''t call me that! What if it sticks?!" - Black Bone "Well, excuse me. And, about my question?" - Garami "...I think I''ll have to settle with farming materials and cash in lower-difficulty areas for a while. Sorry..." - Black Bone "No biggie. The Darkland Fort is pretty much as good as it can be by now. Any other material we harvest for it is bonus points at this stage." - Garami "It''s been so hectic these days that it''s easy to forget that we''re doing all this to jack up that castle into the final-area Dungeon~." - Black Bone "Stop it~. I''ll consider the idea for real if you don''t." - Garami I parted with Bones after that, the undead now in a better mood for some reason. The idea of being the game''s last boss (or at least owning the last boss Dungeon) seems to have fired him up. ...honestly, I''m agreeing with his excitement. People do call me the "Demon Princess", so why not upgrade it to "Demon Overlord"? Yeah, that would be awesome! ...except, I''m feeling someone''s gaze behind me. "Who''s there?" - Garami "To think I would be noticed..." - ??? The person came out of the shadows...hey! It''s the vampire kunoichi from when we attacked the vampire mansion! She''s dressed in the same ninja outfit from before, but it has some blue accessories attached to it now. Ice-related accessories to fight off the heat? I''d like some of those. "Hello again, Miss Garami." - ??? "Oh, hi.........Siel Fortum!" - Garami "You forgot my name." - Siel "No way~." - Garami "If you say so." - Siel Good. She didn''t notice that I Identified her to check her name. "Anyway, why''re you here?" - Garami "An errand for the clan head. The prison has its special garden where they grow fruits unique to this volcanic environment. They are the clan head''s favorite snack." - Siel Hmm, that sounds like a nice piece of knowledge to have if I ever encounter that guy. There''s just one thing bugging me. "Can''t he order the fruits and have them delivered? Why come and pick them up?" - Garami "The truth is, a pack of bear-like creatures has started to destroy the planting facilities." - Siel "Bears?" - Garami "Big bears. There is even a hidden commander-type somewhere, but nobody knows where it is or how to smoke it out. All we know is that it is enhancing the already-strong bears to unbearable levels." - Siel "Was that a bear pun?" - Garami "No, not at all." - Siel "Really?" - Garami "Really. By the way, Miss Garami? Are you occupied in the near future?" - Siel "If it''s a date, then be prepared to end it in the adult district." - Garami "That would be problematic. Our clan always ends our partner''s life along with the date in those areas." - Siel Scary!? The Fortum clan is terrifying! And I was only joking about the date! "And that is not what I wished to ask about. I wished to request you to assist in defeating the bears who are destroying this prison''s produce." - Siel "You mean kicking the fruit thieves'' asses? That''s simple...but not without costs." - Garami "Fine. If it is only my body-" - Siel "Hold on! Stop that! What if someone overhears us!? I just want you to investigate a few things for me." - Garami "Is that all? How boring." - Siel This looks bad. Don''t tell me this vampire''s mind got poisoned by that horny nun (Maria, or whatever her name was) when they were in the vampire mansion''s prison cells together? "Focus! I wanna know about what happens to classes that require the [Criminal] title after said title has been removed." - Garami It was thanks to "Crime Caster" that we managed to enter this area, so I wanna be aware of whether it will continue to be useful for us later now that Bloom''s title is gone. It''s been the biggest problem on my mind lately, but I didn''t wanna take away Bloom''s chance to return to society. "I will need some time to look into that. I should have your answer ready by tomorrow." - Siel "Okay. Then, for my final question: are there any ways to keep using eye-related skills, even if one is forced to wear a blindfold?" - Garami This is the most important problem I gotta solve these days. I wanna use that awesome-looking gear of mine! "Hmm? Can you not obtain the Seer class?" - Siel "Seer?" - Garami Seer...Seer..., now I see... What is that? Chapter 91: [Seer] & Bear Hunt "It works! Nice going, Aino!" - Garami "I''m more surprised that you already knew about the class when I texted you on the chat last night." - Aino "Just a stroke of luck. And it works! Though, I gotta sink all my AP into this from now on." - Garami I took off the testing blindfold and gave it back to Aino, happy that the APs I used were well spent. For some context, it''s been two days since I got the info from Siel, and I finally decided to obtain the "Seer" class. Yup, I''m taking a Sub Class just to become able to see even with a blindfold on. Aino is with me, as we''re testing out the effect of the class in one of the safe areas in the prison. She had managed to obtain the same info as Siel gave me, and both sources said the class would be perfect to solve my problem, so despite the "big costs", I took the class. Though, this "Seer" class is more impressive than you''d think. The class info was something like this... The "Seer" is a Scout-line class of the "Teachings of Searching". Unlike other classes of its category, "Seer" is more of a class that trades one of the five senses for the ability to "search" rather than improving already-existing abilities in that direction. This class grants skills related to obtaining supernatural perception abilities in exchange for blinding oneself. If you are a real edgelord, then this class will help you on your way. Yes, I am an edgelord~~... NOT! ...Okay, just a tiny bit... And it is nice to know that my troubles as an unstable Djinn, back when I was an F-rank, are finally coming to good use. Ignoring the ridiculous class description, the new class skill is pretty sweet. When I was wearing the test blindfold, one of those 3D maps the skill mentions appeared in front of me so to replace my lost sight. The range of the map is pretty short, but that''s only due to the skill being at Lv.1 at the moment. To be honest, it''s an incredible skill. I can see anything of 360 degrees around me without moving my neck, plus the details are pretty good. I bet I could notice any sneak attacks now~. Of course, after the map''s range is expanded. And I get the hang of this VERY enlarged line of view. Without wasting a second, I poured all my current AP into the skill. I had been earning some extra AP when I was helping out Bloom with the quests in this place, plus I also did some on my own after she was released from her status as a criminal. Not to mention that I''d obtained some levels on our way to the prison. I''m currently at Lv.3. D-ranks sure have it difficult in earning levels... Anyway, [Paranormal Sight] has reached Lv.6 thanks to my wholehearted charity of AP to it. The range of the 3D map has become way bigger compared to before...but not enough. This is far from enough. I shouldn''t start using my "main equipment" just yet. Let''s wait until the skill reaches Lv.10. After that, I should try to evolve my classes. FINALLY! But for that, I need more AP. WAY MORE! And after THAT AGAIN, I should start considering taking some more Poison element skills. It''s a shame that I have the element, but aren''t using it at all. Only for that one Evil Eye. We need a downpour of poison in the future... In any case, the goal from now is AP, AP, and more AP! Nyx and the others have gathered so much that it''s about time for them to take new classes, or evolve the skills they have maxed out for now. Speaking of which, is it possible to increase the level of [Paranormal Sight] by training? ...Probably not. It''s "paranormal" after all. "Time for grinding." - Garami "You are not going to use the blindfold?" - Aino "Not yet. I wanna max out the skill first." - Garami "Hmm, that sounds reasonable. Let me help." - Aino "You sure?" - Garami "I want AP as well~." - Aino "Fair enough. I don''t think there''s anything else we could add to the Darkland Fort at this point, so this last week can be used for free time." - Garami We added 2 new elements to the Fort and a whole new line of monsters in the form of the Undead-line. I''d say that''s pretty impressive. The stats are also looking good now, so it''s fine to take a break from that farming and start on something else. The downside is that it seems that even if adding materials to the Fort may increase the values for one of the stats, there''s a big risk for a different value to decrease. The only Dungeon stat that seems unaffected by this "decrease" seems to be the Monsters stat. It is always increased and has reached rank C now, making it the highest stat of the Dungeon. The materials I''ve fed the Dungeon seem to favor the Knowledge and Stealth categories better than the others. Or, maybe the Dungeon is taking after me? Wait, wouldn''t that mean I need to take some warrior classes if I want a balanced slew of monsters in the Fort? ...Nah. They''ll reach higher ranks sooner or later. I''ll stick to playing as I like. "Is a cosplay party part of the free time?" - Aino "No. Bear hunting is." - Garami "Oh, okay. ...What kind of bear?" - Aino "Magma Bears." - Garami "Oh, boy." - Aino --- "Get moving already." - Garami "NO WAY! Bears eat foxes!" - Aino "No, they don''t! ...I think?" - Garami It took some dragging, screaming, and kicking, but I reached the vegetable garden with Aino in my tracks. Literally. "Why do I have to fight some big bad bears? I''m a Weaver! Give me cute girls to dress up instead!" - Aino "Sure, your loss. It is only 5+ AP in reward for kicking those teddy bears back to the toy store." - Garami "Why didn''t you say so in the first place? Tonight, there''s bear stew on the menu!" - Aino That sounds like it would taste too gamey even for a gamer, so no thanks. "Aino, Garami. You are just in time." - Palug "Heya. Bones couldn''t make it?" - Garami "He said something about a ''herd of bloodred bulls that have a date with his necromancy'' or something." - Palug It seems the old bones will be busy. But bloody bulls, those things sound wild. Hope he doesn''t get any broken bones from that adventure. After getting together, we started being on the lookout for the thieving bears. Palug was jumping around with an incredible speed. Sometimes it looked like he outright jumped on the wind. Man, that element has all the cool moves. I NEED to get as much AP as possible from this quest... "*ROAAAAR*!!" - Magma Bear "AP! GIVE ME!" - Garami *Slash!* And the bear goes...not down? Yikes! My scythe''s on fire! "Garami, stop attacking the flaming beast without a thought and focus on weakening it instead." - Palug Ugh, my greed got the best of me. The monsters look not that different from small, black-furred bears, but now that I got a chance to see them up close, I noticed that they have some glowing, red marks all over their bodies. As if they were made from hardened magma, yet there''s some active stuff underneath the outer layer. The bear I slashed tried to bear-punch me in retaliation, even when its wound wasn''t that bad visually. I threw some demonic webbing at it as a distraction before backtracking to where the others were waiting. There, I could get a clear view of the battlefield...now that my mind had cleared as well. There are four Magma Bears, but the one I slashed at seems to be a young specimen. The other three are as big as cars! The three huge bears came running at us while the mini-bear tried to rip off the webbing with brute force. Glad he''s not trying to use that magma again but isn''t close combat extremely bad for us? Punching = potentially dipping your hand into magma. Which means that calling on Nyx is NG. I gotta settle for Nala. With Nala''s water shields to hide behind, I started glaring at the three charging bears with my Evil Eyes. Poison and Weakness, to be exact. One of the bears got annoyed, probably got a big chunk of ailments, so it tried to force its way through, but a torpedo of wind blasted him backward... Huh? A torpedo? Wait, it was Palug! The damn rabbit had wrapped himself around a freaking tornado and jumped at the bear with a lounging stab. The impact alone was enough to KO the big beast! Though, it''s not dead yet, only unconscious. And there are three more to go. The two remaining big bears tried to attack Nala. One of the bears had its claws covered in flames, while the other guy stood up on his back feet and went into a boxing position. The claws left behind a trail of fire as they slashed toward Nala, while the boxing bear''s straight red glowed and bubbled like molten lava. However, her water shields blocked their attacks. I could see a red light effect cover the shields, and in the back, there was Aino throwing spells at the squid demon. Support spells? Heat-resisting magic? Well, seeing as these guys may be made literally out of magma, that''s the best a fire magician could do in this situation. While Nala endured the attacks, I slashed at the claw bear with my scythe covered in darkness, while also preparing a snare at the bear''s feet through [Trap Expertise]. The scythe caught fire again, and the bear got extremely angry at my interruption, which made it try to reach for me. That forced the bear to trip due to my snare, which gave Nala the chance to stab the bear with her many spears. The bear was holding out, but I stabbed my scythe straight into its brain before it had a chance to get up. Critical damage of the highest degree! And my scythe is getting hot. Too hot! Scorching, in fact! Ouch!! Meanwhile, Palug had been taking on the boxing bear. While the bear was standing on its back legs, Palug had unleashed a flurry of stabs with his rapier. If the bear tried to return on all four, Palug gave it a good rabbit kick on the nose, which forced the bear to stand on two feet again while holding its snout. That rabbit is nasty. Will he turn vorpal at some point? And the first big bear is up on his feet...not! He''s crouched into a ball form and is spinning on the spot to gain speed! Is this guy a roller type!? They have every kind of bear in this quest! The bear came charging toward Palug, probably because all the bear''s aggro is aimed at him due to the torpedo attack from before...but he slipped on some fluid on the floor and changed course...straight at the boxing bear. *CRASH!!* Oooohh...that gotta hurt... "Yes! It worked!" - Aino The fox seems to be the culprit in this horrible traffic accident. No way that was fire, so...Ink-type skills? Wow. They even have that kinda stuff. The two accident bears are taken care of by Palug, so let''s turn our attention to the first bear...hey. Why are you having so many scary-looking magic circles around you? Bad bear! Stop that! No magma spells! I punished the bear with a whip slash from [Demon Spider''s Thread]. The strike hit the circles and destabilized them due to the high amount of mana in the demonic webbing efficiently casting the huge (and slow) spell the mini-bear ("magic bear" from now on) had tried to cast on us while we were busy with the fighter bears. But the webbing burned up in a split second after that. Hot! Everything about these blasted bears is too damn hot! And I can see that there are more bears coming at us from the distance. Give me a break! This quest better hand over a boatload of AP for all this trouble!! Charge!! Chapter 92: Bear Aftermath & Outfit of the Ruinous Demon "*ROAAAAR*!" - Magma bear I cut down one almost-dead bear with my scythe only to hear another one right behind me! I closed my eyes in a hurry to bring out the 3D map from [Paranormal Sight] and "located" the bear without having to turn around. And at the same time, the bear got the full brunt of the Evil Eyes I had been keeping on after the first kill. The bear stumbled after getting hit by all those status ailment effects, which gave me time to turn around and hack at its neck with my Erebus Scythe. Victory! ...Or not! The broken bear''s vitality is too great! Cheater! In that case, allow me to cheat a little as well. [Darkness Drain] through the scythe to suck up some of that lifeforce, and...HEAVE AND HO!! *Slash!* SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: [Volcanic Hellfire Prison: Veggie Defense]. You have obtained a total of 7.0 Aether Points. You have obtained 3 [Skill-Up Crystals (Decent)] due to having cleared the "No Produce Loss" condition. You have acquired the title: [Bear Slayer]. YES!! Take that, you lousy bear! What a great way (not) to end a quest! But I should start thinking about getting some better offensive moves sooner or later. The final, burning giant of bear fur and muscles collapsed to the ground as its HP reached 0. Phew. That was rough. It feels good just having to defeat the enemies instead of having to hunt them down, but the fact that we''re not getting any EXP because it''s part of a quest is infuriating!! Eh, whatever. I got lots more AP than I expected, plus some bonuses. Glad I summoned Nala and had her defend the veggies with her water shields. According to the BBS, these "Skill-Up Crystals" are supposed to be an upgraded version of the Skill-Up Potion. The crystals work easily even on T-2 skills, but if they''re used on a T-1 skill... SYSTEM MESSAGE: Skill: [Paranormal Sight Lv.6] has turned into [Paranormal Sight Lv.8]. Success! 2 levels for 1 pebble! And it was luckily one of the types that don''t randomly level-up stuff either. If it was, there would be no guarantee whether it would hit a T-1 skill or a T-2 skill. Too bad general-type skills such as [Identification] don''t count as T-1 skills when it comes to these rocks. It is still possible to use the crystals on them, but only for a single level. Cheapskates... Yeah, luck is with me today. So it''s better to not be too cocky. I used the 2nd crystal on [Paranormal Sight] again to elevate it to Lv.10 before giving the last one to Nala. She''s earned it. Even if I wanted to use that rock on my [Charisma] or my [Leadership] skill... Unlike me, Palug seems to be hungry for more bear stew. Because he''s initiated a second quest chained to the one we just cleared. Yup, that''s right. He used his Extra Medal. A new bear, bigger and worse than the first bunch came out of the caverns and walked toward the veggie garden. Palug jumped up to greet the bear with his blade, but he was brilliantly parried by a giant saber that the bear was carrying. A saber bear? That''s new. A red forcefield surrounded the two beast swordsmen, preventing the rest of us from assisting. "Engarde, foul knave!" - Palug Welp, someone is having the time of his life. Let''s move along. Nothing to see here. It was Palug who managed to defeat the commander-type bear after we lured it out by killing enough bears, so he must have been the only one who got the chance to initiate the Trial Quest because I got nothing like that. Meh, I''ll save him the humiliation of being defeated in front of everyone. Tata~. "Are you leaving already?" - Siel "That is the bonus match. Nothing that I need to worry about..., and when did you arrive?" - Garami It''s the vampire kunoichi again. "Around the time when the fox-lady finished drinking the first barrel of MP recovery potion." - Siel Speaking of which, Aino has been the secret MVP in this quest. Without her anti-heat protection spells, the bears would have enjoyed a nasty barbeque by now. The fox was the first one to leave the fields when the quest was over though. I think she said something about wanting to take a bath IRL. "And what are you here for anyway?" - Garami "I wished to buy today''s produce from the farm." - Siel Ah, right. It''s the favorite snack for her leader. "Don''t let me hinder you." - Garami "Far from it. I should rather thank you for making it possible to have any at all." - Siel The vampire looked at the battlefield, scorched black from the bears'' Magma-type attacks. True, it was a difficult battle. I NEVER want to do it ever again!! At least let me use my webs...*sniff*. "Also, the clan head wished to give you this." - Siel Hmm? A letter? Let''s see...hmm...okay...huh? ...For real? ......Oho~? "Tell him I''ll have to think about it." - Garami "As you wish. Then, have a good day." - Siel ...!? Siel just disappeared right in front of me! No smoke bombs or whatever! Is this what a ninja can do? ...I need to consider giving Nyx a crash course on that subject. Let''s see...7 AP. Is that enough? ...Tch, it''s not enough. I need some more before I can move on to phase 2. Advance-tier classes! *Ring!* Oh, that''s my alarm. Guess it''s time to sleep. Wow, time sure flies when you''re having fun butchering bears... Okay, it wasn''t as "fun" as it was "fatally scary", but you know the drill. Good night. --- The next day: Log in! What to do today? Bones is still busy grinding those Necro Points, despite this being his last day before he has to take a break from the game, Aino texted me via the Guild chat that she was going to visit a friend in-game, so she''s not available either. As for Palug, he said there was something he wanted to confirm, so he was playing in less dangerous areas. ...I''m all alone. Just having a bunch of demons and a maid at my side. No time like now to start farming AP then. There are still 4 days before the bonus period for the Darkland Fort runs out, but it''s no haste adding more to it right now. Honestly, I want to see the Dungeon in action to confirm its strengths and weaknesses. Plus there''s the thing that the vampire leader asked me about... But for now, it is FINALLY the time to debut my new "''Ruin XXX" items. First, gotta wear everything, checking that [Paranormal Sight] still works with this strange blindfold on...okay. Then accepting the STRICT item restrictions for this awesome-looking demonic cleric outfit...GO! ...Nothing special happened. To test, I tried to remove the blindfold...it won''t come off. Just as planned. Now, let''s see if the description for the other items was true... A dress granted to the faithful of Ruin. It is missing the true blessings of the divinities of Ruin, but it will still protect the follower of the goddess. The dress is designed after a female nun, yet it is devilishly tempting, and it contains traits after the spider, a creature known to trap others for its gain. It is said to have belonged to a poor, cursed girl who prayed to the divinities of Ruin to end her life. Wearing it shows the faithful follower''s dedication to the divinities of Ruin. It appears very thin, yet the threads weaved to form this dress is more durable than metal, and it provides strong defense. The divine powers behind the creation of this item will soothe the wearer''s body and soul. Through the demonic temptation that is characteristic of the goddesses leaning toward evil and destruction, the female wearer of this dress can easily manipulate the minds of others. ...Why do I feel that these items more than cover the loss of my eyesight already with only this item? As for the next item of interest..., it has to be this one. What can the main culprit of my recent stress do? A blindfold granted to the faithful of Ruin. It is missing the true blessings of the divinities of Ruin, but it will still protect the follower of the goddess. The item is made out of a simple black cloth with golden decorations in honor of the goddess of Ruin. It is said to have been created by a bug that hated its kin so much it wished for power from the divinities of Ruin themselves. Wearing it shows the faithful follower''s dedication to the divinities of Ruin. It seals off the wearer''s sight, but increases their other senses, whether they are physical or mystical. Grants the item''s owner the ability to recover from status ailments if they possess abilities that can inflict the same ailment(s). Not much, from the look of it! But it''s still cool. Maybe the blindfold is improving my 3D map from [Paranormal Sight] somehow? And a self-recovery effect based on what ailment effects one has? Pretty nice touch there. A set of detached sleeves granted to the faithful of Ruin. It is missing the true blessings of the divinities of Ruin, but it will still protect the follower of the goddess. Wearing them shows the faithful follower''s dedication to the divinities of Ruin. The sleeves grant protection to one''s arms, preventing one from dropping held items. Assistance from the divinities of Ruin makes it easier to pry open locks, aim thrown items, and much more. Grants more mobility and power to one''s arms. Hmm, the sleeves seem to have replaced the gloves in both name and function. I''m not 100% sure, but it feels like it gives a boost to STR as well, based on the description''s last line. Though, it''s probably limited to the arms only. A pair of knee-high boots granted to the faithful of Ruin. It is missing the true blessings of the divinities of Ruin, but it will still protect the follower of the goddess. Wearing them shows the faithful follower''s dedication to the divinities of Ruin. The blessings of Ruin kill the sound of the wearer''s steps while also preventing them from tripping. The boots don''t seem that different from before. A priestly cloak granted to the faithful of Ruin. It is missing the true blessings of the divinities of Ruin, but it will still protect the follower of the goddess. Wearing them shows the faithful follower''s dedication to the divinities of Ruin. Concealed by the cloak, one is less likely to be noticed by hostile forces. Diseases and ailments will find it difficult to affect the wielder, yet others will find the owner to be a true source of Ruin. Blessed by Ruin, the cloak also protects its owner from the threats of nature. This one here feels like a power-up. I vaguely remember that the old cloak boosted Drain-type moves. So much for that. A belt pouch granted to the faithful of Ruin. It is missing the true blessings of the divinities of Ruin, but it will still protect the follower of the goddess. A black pouch on the belt of the Clergy Dress of Ruin. It is said to have been the pouch of a cursed maiden who wished for companionship, but only the divinities of Ruin answered her. Wearing it shows the faithful follower''s dedication to the divinities of Ruin. It grants a vast amount of storage space for the user, but as of now, the material-type items stored inside will rot and have their values lowered. Increases the amount of damage one can withstand. TCH! The pouch that was already attached to the belt of the dress is an item bag, but with a strict limitation. I guess it could be used to store throwing weapons, and the description explicitly mentioned "as of now", so there may be an upgrade in the future. And that last line, what''s it about? Is it a defense-type effect or something? It''s too unclear... But man, I didn''t notice that the pouch was a replacement for the belt-type item I had before. I gotta take more notice of this kinda stuff. A pair of anklets granted to the faithful of Ruin. It is missing the true blessings of the divinities of Ruin, but it will still protect the follower of the goddess. A pair of golden chain rings attached to the back of the Boots of Ruin. It is said to have belonged to a famous dancer who sold her soul to the divinities of Ruin so she could walk again after a terrible accident in her youth. Wearing it shows the faithful follower''s dedication to the divinities of Ruin. Movement abilities are drastically enhanced, and one can even step on certain non-solid surfaces. Great decrease in mana costs for travel-based abilities. Enhances the pain inflicted by kick-type attacks. Oho~? This one seems nice. I wonder what surfaces I can use now. Unfortunately, there is no list of those in the current info, maybe due to [Identification] being too low-leveled. The cost-down effect seems nice. Maybe I should consider looking at such "travel-based" skills at a later date. But that last line feels unnecessary. Unless I plan on acting like a queen. Not the royal kind of queen, but the R-18 type. A pair of bangles granted to the faithful of Ruin. It is missing the true blessings of the divinities of Ruin, but it will still protect the follower of the goddess. A pair of intervened golden rings, hidden underneath both of the Detached Sleeves of Ruin. It is said to have belonged to a monstrous creature that asked the divinities of Ruin for the ability to turn into a human so it could prey on the innocent. Wearing it shows the faithful follower''s dedication to the divinities of Ruin. Increases the chance for physical restriction-type effects to take hold on targets, as well as increasing their duration and power. Makes it easier to inflict critical damage. Eases the usage of transformation-type skills. Okay, this one is nasty. Binding-time UP, critical hit UP, and transformation UP? This is too good to be true! It''s almost kinda scary... A ring that is gifted to the faithful of Ruin. Its true powers are kept in check for now, but further blessings from the divinities of Ruin may change that. A golden-dark ring with a purple gem of mysterious origin embedded into it. The ring is said to have belonged to an infamous devil trickster who shock the world with plans that could even bring the deadly Mooneater down to earth. Wearing it shows the faithful follower''s dedication to the divinities of Ruin. Vastly increases one''s performance to trick and deceive others. Vastly improves traps and tricks created from skills and magic. Grants enhanced abilities to process data (such as magic). Can be linked with other data-processing items and/or terminals. Forget what I said before. THIS IS THE REAL MASTERPIECE!! Strangely, some of the items are referred to as "Ruinous" while the rest is simply "Ruin"... Could it be that the nun outfit and all the Ruin items are considered a package deal or something? Looking into the ring''s description of its potential effects, maybe I should start looking into more magic. As a side gig, at most. But there''s already so much I need to take care of... Okay, I''ll just focus on my classes for now. And test out how this new set of items works in the field. Time to party! Chapter 93: Lost-and-Found & Prison Bat Okay, I know it was me who asked those magma-people wardens if there were any simple subjugation quests around here, but this is more than I bargained for! Right now, I''m inside a place that one can easily refer to as the mother of all lost-and-found rooms ever. The place is filled with old items behind locks and chains! This is where they store all the items the criminals arrive with, as long as it''s nothing too dangerous. And boy, they can''t have cleaned up here for at least a decade. Where do I even start? "You just have to go through the place and check whether any of the chests have been stolen. Write down the numbers on the hills on this terminal in case you find anything stolen. And we have a small monster infestation going on, but no need to take care of them if you can''t. They might not even bother you." - Warden It is easy for a quest, but come on! It will take me the whole day to look through this place! And the monster attacks, which I am gunning for, aren''t even guaranteed! Just my luck... But anyway, I started to look through all the items...oh? There''s something behind that tower of old weapons (read: scrap metal). One [Darkness Briar] whip, coming up! *Snap!* "*Grr*!" - Monster Hey, it worked! This could be the effect of the blindfold. It''s supposed to boost my other "senses" in exchange for losing my eyesight. Nice~. The discovered monster, some sort of bat/cat hybrid, jumped at me, but I gave it a slash with the Erebus Scythe...and that''s it. Holy hellhole, that was easy! There were no bonus effects for damage, so I doubt it was the new threads that caused the case of the bisected bat/cat. Maybe it''s just plain weak defensively? Hmm, thinking of how it was geared toward ambushing me just now, I doubt it''s a monster that''s focused on head-on fights, so it must be that. After trying to dismantle the strange creature for some materials (it didn''t give any, stupid quest rules), I marched on into the junkyard of forgotten items. While I was walking through the room, more of those strange creatures jumped at me from the shadows, so I created some webby traps to keep them stuck in the air before finishing them off. They could take more hits than the first one, so I must have only gotten lucky with those. Seeing as more and more of these cat-bats are appearing now, I summoned Nyx and Echo for a search-and-destroy team to cover my back... Not that I needed to. Despite the difficulty of depending on the 3D map as opposed to my eyes, I''ve gotten quite the hang of it by now. Any sneaky cat-bats that may try to take my back are getting a solid dose of Evil Eye-effects before they can touch me. "Hmm...you girls, stop!" - Garami I tried to make Nyx and Echo stop...but the former tripped the trap wire and got sent flying into the air by a springboard that could have been taken out from an old cartoon. Then, while distracted by Nyx getting sent sky-high, Echo flew into a wire stationed in the air, which caused an old fan to pop out and blow the poor bat right out the window. "...If you want to get around some traps right, you gotta do it yourself." - Garami After the notification that said that the two had been sent back to my Player Room due to their HP reaching 0, I started to step over the trap sensors and the pressure panels on the floor. Wow, whoever designed this place sure loved their traps. After a while, I reached an area with fewer red danger zones on my 3D map. In return, there are more monsters here now. Did I reach the 3rd area of this quest that combines elements from the first two? Unfortunately, there''s a twist here. First, the traps are upgraded to modern levels. Laser sensors, or maybe mana sensors? And I bet they''re way worse than those comedy reliefs from before. And the monsters? They''re WAY bigger now. And instead of bat-cat hybrids, they are now replaced with crocodile-bat hybrids! Who even thinks up such strange creatures? They should take therapy. And BEFORE they super-size the monsters to levels where I doubt I can beat them! A single one of these guys rivals that giant toad that melted my daggers! And there are LOTS of them. Time to go sneaky-sneaky. .........Isn''t this a little too easy? The traps are easy to go around, and there are no sudden noise makers like a left-over horn. Huh, guess this will be easier than..., forget it. There''s a huge door in the way. And no keys in sight...greaaaaat. So, either I gotta look around this place stuffed with monsters that can tear me apart into tiny, tiny pieces...or I could try to pick this lock. I do have some practice from a thief game I played before... Of course, that was done using a controller, but you never know. First up, I''ll create some solid-ish demonic webbing and use [Thread Control] to shape them into something that at least looks like lockpicks. Then, we carefully insert them into the key, fickle with them a little, then soon... --- Later, nowhere near "soon": I almost...got it...come on...just a little more...don''t make any sounds...the monster''s breathing is freaking me out... *Click* YES! "*Snore*-!" - Giant croccodile-bat I mean, NO! Stay quiet, lock! Don''t wake...one of them is waking up! Sleep, SLEEP, you stupid freak of nature! Where''s a lullaby when you need one!? "......*Loud snoring*." - Giant crocodile-bat Phew, that''s a relief. Silently sneaking past the now-opened doors, I entered what one could call the 4th area of this lost-and-found center of doom. It''s...a ropewalk. What is this place? A circus!? Despite my growing desire to just cut this quest out, I''ve come too far to just give up on the rewards now. First, I can try to use webs and web wings to cross this gap...or not. The abyss not covered by the ropes is redder than any tomato festival I know of. I bet that something like sensors is placed there. If you don''t try to follow the described rode, BANG! Trap-food. Man, I always sucked when it came to balancing training at school. Kinda part of the reason why I turned into the semi-shut-in I am today. Those bullies were ruthless... Aw, now I''m in a bad mood. I just want some chumps to slash down...why am I holding my scythe again? And why is it...vibrating...uh-oh. I''m starting to get deja vu from when I first got my "lucky branch"...WHOA-!? Suddenly, the scythe dragged me across the room and over the ropes. In my hurry, I stepped on an old, empty, broken treasure chest, and got my feet stuck in it. Which resulted in me scythe-skiing using the chest as my skis. Greaaaaaat. ...STOP! Don''t go for the ropes, you stupid scythe! Don''t......we''re already on the ropes. Other people only need to look for herbs or defeating slimes to clear their quests, but I have to slide across a ropeway using a scythe and a chest as my tools. Why can''t I have a normal day of gaming like everyone else? Balancing on this tight ropeway while holding on to my scythe that cost me blood, sweat, tears, money, materials, and luck, which are also the reasons why I didn''t let go, I saw several traps being sprung. They must have been rigged to activate so to make it more difficult to cross. But this strange transportation method I''m using is so fast that the traps can''t activate in time! Am I playing in easy mode here? A very strange easy mode, but I''ll take what I can-*CRASH!!* ...Ouch. Stupid wall. I''ve already arrived at the other end of the room. Scythe taxi sure is up to speed. I should consider buying some-*Swish!*-...stocks in them... Hold on, what''s this now?! A sword? One of the items from the shelves on the wall I crashed into fell and landed right in front of me. Those lazy guards. Can''t they keep sharp items locked in place in this place? ...Speaking of which, why didn''t they keep this thing here under locks and chains like the other stuff? And there are no numbers on these hills at all. Can I take it with me? "If it''s not alright that I''m poaching this stupid sword as a fee for almost cutting me in half, shout out loud!" - Garami .........That''s five seconds, and nobody''s answering. It should be fine. Now, how valuable is this thing... No results from [Identification]. That deja vu feeling from before is growing STRONGER. I gotta have old man Grus take a look at this later. Now, onward to the 5th area! Please let it be easier than this hellhole! Hmm...nothing here. No monsters, no traps...just more old chests. And no path further in. What is it this time? There''s nothing here except...a few chests. Emphasizing the "few"-part here, because there are obvious signs that someone has ransacked this place for...stuff. I started listing down the numbers. So dusty...oops. That was close. An illusion has been cast on this hill to make it look like it''s been robbed, but the stuff is still here. And here''s another one, but with a false chest to conceal that something has been stolen. Gotta note that down... Hold on. Why did I suddenly gain the ability to see through this smoke and mirror scheme... Is it the ring? It''s supposedly related to "tricks". Are illusions part of that? Whatever the case, let''s just report the stolen items and be done with it. I want to go outside this lame prison and hunt down some monsters to see for real what my new gear can do. SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have cleared the Quest: [Volcanic Hellfire Prison: Lost-and-Found of Doom]. You have obtained a total of 3.0 Aether Points. Your tamed creatures and allies have obtained a total of 2.0 Aether points. "Solo Clear": You have obtained the "Abyss Prison Castle" Player Room theme. "All Sections: No Damage Clear": You have obtained the "Abyss Prison Decorative Shield" Player Room item. "Section 1: Annihilation Clear": You have obtained the [Poison Ball] Skill Scroll. "Section 3 Stealth-Run Clear": You have obtained the "Abyss Prison Alarm Bell" Player Room item. "Section 4: Speedrun Clear": You have obtained the [Poison Slide] Skill Scroll. "Section 4: Sin Relic Discovery": You have obtained the "Broken Blade of Unforgiving Wrath". "Section 5: All Items Reported": You have obtained the "Abyss Prison Treasure Chest" Player Room item. "First Time, No Fail-Clear": You have obtained the right to start an Extra Trial. Do you wish to start the Extra Trial? Y/N Wow, that''s a lot of bonus stuff. And hold on! Why all the poison? Not that I complain! I wanted something more from that element line! I''ll use them later after researching the skills a little more first. And it seems I don''t need to worry about hunting for monsters to fight. So even this place can be the arena for an Extra Trial? Okay, sign me up! What Medal to use? Evil, or Demon? ...Seeing as we''re in prison, I think Demon. I may get EXTREMELY lucky and find 9 more of the Evil Medals and trade all 10 for an Extra Skill. The Demon Medal I got after evolving can''t do that, lousy cheap medal... SYSTEM MESSAGE: Starting Extra Trial: [Volcanic Hellfire Prison - Locked Chamber (Demon)]. Come on and get some! What do I have to do? An escape game Trial? A locked door mystery? Having to sort some chests? I doubt anything this place can throw... They are throwing a giant bat/scorpion hybrid at me. "*Screech*!!" - Giant Bat-Scorpion The thing is crawling out from a secret door that had opened when the Trial was starting. It looks like a jet-black scorpion, bigger than a truck, and with 1, 2, 3..., 10 tails!? That''s too much! And how do those small bat wings on its back keep that big body flying!? Oh, I hate game logic... Well, time to test out my fighting skills. If Bones could do it, it would be the greatest humiliation ever if I failed one of these things.