Day 12: Bug Catching
Log-in Day 12
Just like always, while I was enjoying conversations with customers, Cielshanta-san came by again today.
So far, she’s visited by far the most. I think she’s only missed maybe two or three days.
But today, she seemed a bit different. She looked around the shop and, her eyes widening, exclaimed, “Oh my!”
“My, this shop has become quite presentable, hasn’t it?”
Uhh… you say that, but you were here yesterday, you know. And the shop’s lineup hasn’t particularly changed since yesterday…
Well, I guess it’d be tactless to point that out to an NPC.
“Hmph, it seems my faith in you was well-placed. Very well, as a reward for your hard work, I’ll give you this.”
Seriously?
I’d received Items here and there from other customer characters before, but from Ciel-san, no matter how many times she visited, I hadn’t received a thing.
What I received was an Item called 【Star Crystal】. I’ve never seen it before, but if it’s a present from her, I’m happy with anything.
Afterwards, Ciel-san once again pestered me for a fashion check, but after I gave a vague answer, she showed another strange reaction here.
Today, I chose the option “I like today’s fashion,” but she looked somewhat sulky, with a difficult expression. Even if I give the same answer, she usually just leaves without any reaction.
“Hey, have you perhaps noticed?”
“Eh?”
I asked back without thinking. What in the world is going on?
However, she didn’t answer my question, just said, “Oh, well,” and left. Eeeh, this is so frustrating.
I thought her affection level might have gone up because I got a present, but in the end, she seemed to be in a bad mood. She’s a hard one to figure out.
Pulling myself together, I think I’ll head to the 【Hill of Silence】 for material gathering again today. I poured most of my money into this captain costume, so I need to steadily earn some pocket money again.
So, as I was walking through town towards the gate… um… I kind of feel like I’m drawing a lot of stares.
Am I just being self-conscious? I’m proud of making good clothes, so maybe I’m just getting a big head about it.
It’s embarrassing to be so presumptuous. Nobody cares about me. They don’t.
As if to convince myself, I nervously raised my gaze and—my eyes met perfectly with a purely human-looking guy. He was staring at me with a dumbfounded expression.
I hurriedly averted my gaze. Uwaah~~, I really was being watched.
Does that mean the feeling of being noticed wasn’t entirely wrong? Well, just looking at the color scheme, it’s a pretty flashy outfit.
But surely, that’s a good thing, right? It must mean I did that good of a job, right?
Then, alright, I’ll walk with my chest out. …But I’ll try not to make eye contact with others.
Now then, there was something specific I wanted to do during this gathering trip. Upon arriving at the Hill of Silence, I took out the 【Bug-Catching Net】.
That’s right, today I definitely want to try catching Mirage Bugs. Mirage Bugs sell for good money, and they can also be used to make special cloth.
I’d tried bug catching a few times before, but, well, it was no good for me. I was just plain too bad at it.
I saw in a strategy guide that each type has set movement patterns, so you can do it if you get used to it, but no way—the movements of Ladybugs or firefly-like bugs, I seriously can’t read them, you know?
And it seems I’m not the only one who feels that way; the comment section of the strategy article was filled with cries like “Impossible game,” and “The Mirage Bugs where I am have an AI learning device.”
When I read that, I just gave up pretty easily.
I’ve always been terrible at action games and shooting games, so if other people can’t do it, there’s no way I can. I’ll just buy the bugs, I thought.
Incidentally, there’s also a relief measure prepared for such unskilled players. There’s a tool called the 【Nectarstone Staff】, which is an upgraded Item to the Bug-Catching Net; just by carrying it around, Mirage Bugs will land on the stone at its tip.
However, its price is five times that of the Bug-Catching Net, and its durability is half that of the Bug-Catching Net, making it, as usual, something difficult for poor players to afford.
Howeeever, just as I was about to give up like that, a miraculous idea struck me. Namely, the 【Sure Hit】 skill.
This learnable skill that came with the Captain’s Hat can be used while wearing the hat even if it’s unlearned—or rather, it seems you can’t learn it unless you use it.
I figured that if I used this skill, even my difficult Mirage Bug gathering would become a piece of cake.
Oops, right away, there’s a firefly-like creature floating around. It’s currently just after sunset—Kima-Kura time. In this world, day and night rotate on a 10-hour cycle—so this bug is very easy to spot, which is great.
I execute the command for the Sure Hit skill I had registered—that is, I point at the target with my left hand. Then, with a pip sound, a reticle aligns with the firefly’s light.
When I muttered “Go!” to confirm the command, my body moved on its own. And when I came to, the firefly was in the Bug-Catching Net.
After a dialog box saying “Caught a 【Freyafly】!” appeared, the Mirage Bug turned into light and was stored in my Item Box.
I have this vague, unsettling feeling.
Before, when the world event started, my vision was forcibly moved, which surprised me quite a bit, but this is the first time my body has been properly controlled by the computer. No, to be precise, it’s not that my body is being controlled, but rather that my senses are being appealed to in a way that makes me perceive it as such, I guess.
It’s similar to that feeling when your stomach drops while going down in an elevator, or getting goosebumps from the sound of metal.
Chasing after the erratically drifting Mirage Bug, it clearly felt like my body was twisted in a strange direction. Of course, there was no pain or any other abnormality, but it was a little scary.
I wonder if I’ll get used to this.
But, anyway, I’m glad I found out the Sure Hit skill is also useful for insect collecting. I’m a bit daunted by this weird motion correction… but I’ll do my best.
【Freyafly】
A firefly-type Mirage Bug possessing a large amount of fire-attribute phantasmal essence. Nocturnal and short-lived. Flies while wreathed in flame.
Widely usable as a phantasmal material.
Typical use: Blacksmithing
【Kima-Kura Utopia. Talk Room (Unofficial) (Locked) – Clan [Taketori Monogatari Inc.] Room】
[Retima]
(Video)
Rosius-kun the Alpaca King, who nudges you insistently when you stop petting him.
[Pure White]
Cute
[ayumi♪]
Senpai, please stop uploading cute phantom beast videos every chance you get~~ (｡´Д⊂)
I’m going to regret not becoming a Beast Tamer~~
[Retima]
(Image)
Felt-kun, the naughty crow who, despite having his own nest, deliberately crawls into Norn-chan’s nest to sleep with her.
[Pure White]
Cute
[ayumi♪]
Still images are just as bad~~ (｡´Д⊂)
[Retima]
The Boots Kitties playing with Alm-tan the Fullmoon Rabbit as if it’s a ball.
[ayumi♪]
What’s that, I want to see the video~~ (｡´Д⊂)
[Retima]
(Video)
[Pure White]
Cute
[ayumi♪]
Aahh~~ no matter what, it’s a living hell~~ (｡´Д⊂)
[Fansu]
Looks like you’re having fun, aren’t ya?
While I’ve just finally been freed from overtime.
[Pure White]
Huh?
I’m right in the middle of ongoing overtime, you know.
This is my precious break time where I get healing from Nonaka-san’s phantom beast videos.
[Fansu]
O-oh.
My bad about that.
[Pure White]
Damn it, I really shouldn’t have become a manager at this time of year.
I should have pushed Oda with all my might to avoid it.
Or rather, I should have escaped to Fukuoka too.
[Fansu]
O-oh.
(Oops, looks like I stepped on a landmine.)
[Retima]
Good work.
(Just when I was managing to calm down the angry Shiro-sama, that damn Oda…)
[ayumi♪]
Good work (*･ω･)
(Reading the very delicate and subtle atmosphere, Ayumi is keeping quiet.)
[Takenaka]
Heyyyy~~~
There’s something I wanna ask~~~~
[Fansu]
Oh, Take-san, who’s thoroughly enjoying his day off, you’ve come at a good time.
[Takenaka]
When you’re talking to a girl who seems to be of the opposite sex and you don’t know her at all,
how do you do it without seeming suspicious?
[Pure White]
I’m going to report you.
[Takenaka]
No, no, that’s not it.
In Kima-Kura, okay? We’re talking about in Kima-Kura, okay?
[Pure White]
I’m going to report you.
[Retima]
Take… I know you don’t have many encounters in real life, but using Kima-Kura for picking up girls is a bit…
[Fansu]
“Don’t know her at all” means you haven’t checked her status, right?
And she had a cute-looking avatar, right?
The person inside is probably an old guy.
Anyone an old guy thinks is cute is bound to be an old guy. The one who understands an old guy best is another old guy.
[Takenaka]
I told you, that’s not it! Stop making me out to be some desperate guy looking for dates!
I’m asking you guys for advice precisely so I don’t get misunderstood like that!
And Oda, don’t you dare diss me so openly!
[ayumi♪]
Speaking from experience, people like that don’t just suddenly approach you in-game. First, they’ll send supportive comments or follow you on social media.
Then, they’ll feign a chance encounter and contact you in-game.
The fact that it happens quite often probably means it’s an effective method, don’t you think?
[Takenaka]
Hasegawa-cha~~n!
That’s not it~~
[Takenaka]
Today, there was this girl who incorporated the button Item I made into her outfit with amazing sense~
I don’t know if she made it herself, but anyway, I really want to try and get in touch with the creator.
And if things go well, I’d like her to make some clothes for me.
[Pure White]
And if things go really well?
[Takenaka]
There’s no “and” to it!
[Retima]
To be serious, I think someone who’s suspicious will be suspicious no matter how you approach them.
Knowing that, isn’t it best to just be direct and tell them what you’re thinking, Take?
[Takenaka]
Yeah, you’re probably right.
But that person is semi-active…
[Fance]
Doesn’t that basically mean you’re being told not to approach them from the get-go? lol
[ayumi♪]
How about wearing clothes with the same button to get their attention?
[Pure White]
Listening to you, it sounds like someone you just happened to see, right?
You don’t even know when you’ll see them next, do you?
[Takenaka]
……Mhm.
But if they were wearing the same outfit, I think I’d notice them even if they were at the edge of my vision.
Because it’s eye-catching.
[Retima]
What is this… it’s like listening to a high school boy talk about a girl he fell in love with at first sight on the train. That kind of cringey, fruitless feeling.
[ayumi♪]
What did she look like?
I’m curious!