Table of Contents
Prologue: Lu, the Tester and the Beginner
Chapter 1: Official Opening and Unfortunate Sense
Chapter 2: Production Class and Enchantment
Chapter 3: Water曲 Tree and Miu
Chapter 4: Golem and Third Town
Chapter 5: Pursuer and Equipment
Chapter 6: Trion Ring and the Value of Information
Chapter 7: Black Maiden’s Longbow and Magic Gem
Chapter 8: Buplead Lizard and Train Man
Epilogue: Bow User and Atelier
Ooh
Afterword
Sense Composition Data
Prologue: Lu, the Tester and the Beginner
As I ventured deeper into the forest, I could hear multiple footsteps crunching the leaves beneath them, drawing closer.
“Big sister, please cover me!”
“Understood. Activate: Attack, Speed!”
Immediately sensing the danger, we enhanced our statuses in preparation for battle, waiting for the approaching enemies.
Before long, a group of three or four Masshu Apes appeared, their bodies covered in dark brown fur and grotesquely deformed arms. Their arms were slightly elongated, and their fists had hardened to a stone-like density. Their screams were devoid of any intelligence, revealing only a mad expression as they bared their sharp fangs and brandished their crude weapons, letting out wild shrieks.
As the first one lunged at us, the other two followed suit.
“I’ll take on two! Buy me some time with one!”
“Got it!”
Following the command, I aimed my bow at one of the approaching beasts from behind and released an arrow. The hardened part of its arm was from the elbow down, and the arrow struck deep into its shoulder. The arrow was—
With a painful screech, it was pulled out. I maintained my distance from the charging apes while periodically firing arrows to keep their attention.
The girl faced the remaining two apes, their long forearms swinging like cancerous limbs as they charged at her. Calmly, she readied her longsword, engaging the enemies with precise slashes and deft parries. I glanced over and saw that she was handling both of them with ease. Her positioning, always keeping them in her line of sight, was impressive as ever.
I continued to shoot arrows from behind, providing support with status enhancements.
The moment the two apes were lured into her attack range, her Arts activated. Each strike from her sword chipped away at their HP, until they ultimately vanished.
No matter how many times I witnessed her sharp swordsmanship, I found myself forgetting that I still had one remaining foe to deal with.
I dodged the hammer-like arm of the approaching ape, but its bulk made me stagger, and I fell onto my rear.
From my seated position, the ape loomed over me, appearing even larger, its hardened arms raised high, ready to come crashing down. I squeezed my eyes shut and curled up, but the anticipated impact never came.
“Alright, it’s over. Done!”
With a somewhat nonchalant voice, I cautiously opened my eyes. There stood the collapsing ape and a silver-haired girl, her sword glowing as she sheathed it.
“Thank you for the timely cover, big sister.”
“No, I was the one who forced you into that situation. It’s not like it was a big deal,” she replied, though I felt embarrassed for having exposed such a pitiful sight just to distract a single foe.
While I primarily used a bow as my main weapon, I couldn’t say it was easy to defeat the ape.
Before I could dwell on it too much, I returned to our original objective of searching the roots of the surrounding trees for items.
“That should be the last one. We’ve gathered enough materials.”
“Oh, really? That’s great! So, what are you going to make?”
“In the field of production, it’s medicine. For consumables, gathering a large quantity of materials is crucial.”
“Combat feels like a bang, slash, and all that, but it’s hard to imagine you as a producer, Yun big sister.”
“No, I don’t think you can express a production class with onomatopoeia. And Miu, don’t call me ‘big sister’.”
That’s right. While my character in the game is female, in reality, I’m a guy.
“Anyway, let’s level you up next! To the next encounter, let’s go!”
“Hey, wait! Miu!”
“That was so uncool! It’s better to raise your Sense level! Now, let’s take on a stronger MOB!”
I sighed as my sister Miu pulled me deeper into the forest. This place was home to various monsters, including the grotesque wolves we had just faced, and it felt a bit overwhelming for me right now.
I wasn’t fond of the intense gameplay that came with pushing for levels, as it was mentally exhausting. However, seeing Miu find joy in it made me follow her with a resigned sigh.
The reason I started this game was during the summer vacation.
Record
OSO: A VRMMORPG that has garnered attention for its tagline, “Equip your talent called Sense and create your unique playstyle.” Developed by Epson Corporation, it features a realistic virtual reality experience powered by autonomous AI and large server computational capabilities. The world is set in a medieval fantasy theme, blending magic and adventure with remarkable quality.
The way to master Sense varies for each player, with countless derived Senses available, including new ones added from the open beta.
My friend, Takumi, had dragged me to his house the day before the official opening, forcing me to help him with his summer homework.
“Hey, just let me see your math answers.”
Without hesitation, Takumi swiped my hard work. I could feel the veins popping on my temples as I struggled to suppress my rising anger.
“Why? Why did you bring me here to make me do your homework?”
“Come on, it’s just the annual tradition of cramming homework before summer ends.”
Takumi, my childhood friend, casually stated this, revealing that he wanted to spend the summer gaming. I was utterly exasperated.
“I need to do this without regrets. Plus, I want to play this game with you.”
“No, you just blackmailed me using my past that I don’t want revealed. Fine, getting my homework done early isn’t a bad thing, but there’s no benefit for me.”
“Don’t worry about it. You’ll get to play games with me.”
“Why do I have to play games with you? I’ve been finishing my homework since the day the range was announced. Unlike you, I have chores to do.”
In my family, both parents worked, and during the long summer break, the kids were responsible for household chores. However, I was the only one who actually did them. My eldest sister had gone off to university, and my younger sister, Miu, was hopeless at housework. Thus, I ended up doing everything.
I couldn’t afford to be held captive here for too long. Just as I was thinking this, Takumi said something unexpected.
“You’ve only talked to Shizune on the phone, right? Shizuka is playing this game too. So why not join in and have fun with your sister and Miu again?”
“Wait, does that mean Miu is playing this game too?”
“Well, it seems they met up occasionally during the second version.”
“Oh, I see. When Shizune left for university, I thought she was just being distant, but it seems that was the reason for her recent cheerfulness.”
“Now, leave all your homework behind! In exchange, I’ll free you and let you have the gaming gear.”
“Fine, I get it. I’ll play the game. But I won’t match your pace, you gaming addicts.”
With that, I accepted the paper bag Takumi offered. Inside was a brand new VR gaming setup. The latest VR gear wasn’t a head-mounted display but a hypnotic induction type.
Developed by Sony, this latest model was currently only compatible with the game OSO. In other words, it was a dedicated gaming device.
The advantage of the hypnotic induction type was that it operated through brainwaves. This eliminated the long-standing issue of the gap in operability that came from using a first-person display while manipulating a controller.
“Hey, isn’t this the latest model they showcased on TV? They’re struggling to keep up with demand. I can’t accept something this expensive.”
“Don’t worry about it. I went through a crazy number of lottery sites to get this for you. I got it for free since I’m a tester for the beta version. Just know that it takes time to set up due to the unique brainwave detection. So just go home. If you have any questions, ask Miu.”
With a cheer, I was pushed out the door by my friend. I couldn’t help but grumble about how he could have treated the gear with a bit more care as I walked down the sweltering asphalt road. I stopped by a convenience store to buy ice cream to cool off at home.
“Welcome back, big brother! You went to Takumi’s place, right?”
Miu greeted me as I returned home, sweat pouring down from the summer heat, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. I knew what she was getting at.
“I bought ice cream on the way back, so we can have some later.”
“Yay! Ice cream! Do we have my favorite Boribori-kun? …Wait, no! I mean, I like Boribori-kun, but that’s not what I meant!”
She pointed excitedly at the VR gear bag I was holding.
As a third-year middle school student, Miu had a cute face with a hint of childishness and a lively spirit, but unfortunately, she was a hardcore gamer, which made me worry about her.
I had heard that Shizune had regained her energy after playing OSO, and it piqued my interest a bit.
“I know. I want to see Shizune too, so I’ll play.”
“Thank you so much! The official launch is tomorrow, so let’s set it up now!”
“Before that, let’s have some ice cream.”
As she tried to snatch the VR gear from my hands, I swiftly dodged, leaving her to sulk as she took the convenience store bag instead.
However, she quickly cheered up as she pulled out a Boribori-kun ice cream from the bag, showing her simple-mindedness. After enjoying the three ice creams I bought, I powered up my computer to set up the VR gear under Miu’s guidance.
We installed the game, donned the VR gear, and I lay back on the bed.
“Alright, let’s start with brainwave detection. Just wear the device and relax.”
Miu’s voice faded as I succumbed to the heavy temptation of sleep, closing my eyes. The next time I opened them, it seemed the brainwave setup was complete, and Miu had taken care of the necessary account registration while I was asleep.
However, it appeared she hadn’t prepared dinner. I had to hurry and get things ready, so I postponed the finer settings for later.
At the dinner table, I asked Miu a question.
“What kind of playstyle did you have?”
“Um, I was a magic swordsman who used both sword and magic. My attributes were Light and Healing. Well, everything except my money was reset in version 8.”
“Light attributes usually have healing magic, right? It sounds like a typical RPG priest.”
“I’m not a priest! I fight with a sword and protect my allies with armor!”
“Ah, so your role is to charge into battle with that energy of yours.”
“That’s not it! I was imagining a Paladin!”
“And what about Shizune?”
I cut off Miu’s protest, forcing the topic to change.
“Well… big sister is a pure magic class, a wizard with a staff and robe. Her main attribute is water, and she also uses healing magic. She’s probably going to fight in the same style since she’s experienced.”
“Well, she’s not the type to charge in directly, personality-wise.”
I began to see the direction both Miu and Shizune were taking. After hearing a bit from Miu, I decided to avoid overlapping with them. I returned to my room and skimmed through strategy sites for information.
The basic overview of OSO is as follows:
One of the distinctive systems in OSO is the Sense.
Sense is like a talent equipment that exists separately from the usual weapon equipment.
Talent equipment can be obtained by consuming points and can be equipped in each player’s equipment slots.
Sense allows players to acquire abilities that activate constantly while equipped, or apply bonuses based on various actions taken in the game. By repeatedly performing actions, players gain experience and level up.
Players can equip up to ten Senses. Each player starts with a certain amount of Sense Points (SP), which can be freely spent to acquire Senses. Just having a Sense isn’t enough! You must equip it properly!
Acquired Senses can be held in reserve even if not equipped. Switching them out is free. Senses that have leveled up can evolve or grow stronger.
The player’s stats include HP and MP, physical attack ATK, physical defense DEF, magical attack INT, magical defense MIND, speed SPEED, skill bonuses for weapons and production DEX, and luck LUK for drops and critical hits. These are calculated based on the total stats set in the equipped Senses.
It is speculated that some stats are not visible to the player to enhance realism.
Special techniques and ultimate moves are referred to as Arts or Skills. Arts are special attacks related to weapons, while Skills pertain to magic attacks and support. Other names vary by Sense, such as Recipes or EX Skills.
Arts enhance weapon attacks, making it easier to deal damage. For those who are new to the game, I recommend spamming Arts.
Skills require chanting spells or technique names to trigger specific effects. Be careful with MP management.
Recipes are skills related to production, allowing items to be created even by hand.
To gain the MP needed for Arts and Skills, players must first acquire the Magic Power Sense early in the game. This grants MP, but magic-type players will need additional Senses.
When using magic, one must possess the Magic Release Sense and the Attribute Sense. These Senses are essential for casting spells. Additionally, the Attribute Sense encompasses six types: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Opening, and Light. These attributes are not limited to magic; they can also be conferred upon players. Beyond these six attributes, there are also specialized magic Senses focused on healing and support.
There exists a variety of Senses, including versatile Senses that encompass all attributes, as well as magic Senses tailored for specific actions. The fundamental Senses related to magic can be considered as a basic set comprising Magic Power, Magic Talent, and Attribute.
Similarly, warrior-type players have their own basic set. The Weapon Sense allows for attacks with the corresponding weapon and provides damage bonuses. The Armor Sense grants bonuses for the corresponding type of armor. While it is possible to equip armor without the Armor Sense, the Weapon Sense is crucial; without it, one cannot deal damage to enemies.
In addition to Weapon and Armor Senses, there are recommended Senses that do not include magic, skills, or special abilities but instead focus on high increases in specific status attributes.
It is advisable to acquire these Weapon, Armor, and status-increasing Senses in accordance with one’s play style.
This game allows for significant changes in play style based on how Senses are acquired and combined. By equipping Senses suited to the situation, players can enjoy their adventures. Moreover, if one is dissatisfied with their play style, they can reset their equipment and reselect their Senses without having to delete their character.
Taking a glance at a strategy site and skimming through a simple overview, it seems like this.
The occasional advice sprinkled throughout was quite helpful, and the introduction of template builds was very informative.
However, even among the Senses available at the start of the game, there are quite a few options. I find myself pondering once more what kind of Sense configuration I should choose. As a Beginner among my older siblings, I am bound to become a burden to my sister and younger sister.
So, what should I do? I should focus on support.
In that case, the Senses I should acquire are those for ranged attacks, production for adventuring, and utility-focused magic rather than attack magic.
Just then, I catch sight of a survey on the strategy site.
Ah, indeed, the top choices in the survey featured some well-known Senses. Scrolling further down the screen, I see a list of popular and unpopular Senses.
“If I’m aiming for something, it should be a niche Sense.”
It took me quite a while to select my Sense options. I compared the minimum required Senses with the template configuration and began to choose those that fell into the unpopular category. However, I had something left to do before bed, and it seemed that Miu had finished the character edit in OSO.
I had heard that character color selection could take an inordinate amount of time. During character editing, the player’s real appearance is projected into the game. Adjustments are made naturally based on the balance of the body and muscle definition. I thought it might be fine to leave the character as is without any alterations.
Thus, my preparations for adventure were complete.
A unique game was about to begin.
Chapter One: Official Opening and Unfortunate Senses
At eight in the morning, Miu was anxiously eating her breakfast toast.
“Hey, you don’t have to be so restless. It doesn’t start until eleven.”
“Yeah, so please make an early lunch. I’m going to play straight through.”
“No way. We’re eating lunch at noon, and don’t play for too long.”
Despite my admonitions, my sister grumbled in response. I thought about pointing out that she hadn’t helped with any chores during summer vacation, but I decided against it, knowing that would only make her more stubborn.
“Fine, fine. Then I’ll whip up some quick fried rice.”
“Yay! Thanks, big brother!”
Honestly, she acts like a child. After finishing the chores, I began preparing lunch while considering dinner. Given the heat, I thought somen would be fine for dinner. I could balance the nutrition with a menu that could be prepared while boiling water. Adding some bang bang chicken, fried dishes, and pickled eggplant should work. If I also prepared her favorite fried shrimp, she’d surely come down from the second floor. There’s nothing better than dipping crispy fried food into sauce. I figured I’d interrupt the game at just the right moment. Miu would be able to eat quickly, and I felt a bit indulgent toward her.
Then, at eleven o’clock, I put on my VR gear and flopped onto the bed. As the system booted up, a hypnotic induction began. Sensation-wise, it felt like my body was asleep while my mind was awake. My vision expanded, leading me into a pure white space.
“Please enter your name.”
Prompted by a mechanical female voice, I typed my name “SYUN” into the translucent keyboard that appeared before me. Not accustomed to VR, I took my time. The translucent screen switched, revealing a tutorial selection. I had gathered information from the strategy site beforehand, so I chose to skip it, knowing I could ask Shizune or Miu if necessary.
And then, the scene opened up.
Surrounded by a throng of people, it seemed many had logged in. I had just stepped into the world of VR for the first time, but something felt off. I wanted to attribute it to the peculiarities of VR, but for some reason, my hair felt longer, and my backside seemed to have a bit more curve… What was going on?
While I was lost in thought, I heard a series of sounds—“hoon, popoon”—and quickly looked around. I hurriedly followed the icons that appeared at the edge of my vision and selected one using voice input.
“Open chat.”
“Eh? Is that you, big brother?”
“What? Miu? You surprised me.”
Caught off guard by the situation, my thoughts were interrupted. However, hearing the familiar voice calmed me down considerably.
“There are so many people here, I can’t tell what’s what. Let’s meet in front of the Northern Cathedral with big sister. It’s crowded.”
“Got it, I’ll head there right away.”
I quickly moved away from the crowd. I dislike being in a throng, and more than that, I felt the eyes of others on me. In front of the cathedral, many people were waiting, and I searched for Miu among them.
“Hey, big brother. Have you arrived yet?”
“Yeah, I’m here, but… where are you?”
“Under the statue in front of the cathedral. I have white hair. Big sister has light blue hair.”
Finally, I spotted her. Indeed, she had white hair. Beside her stood someone in a light blue robe, likely a magic user. The beautiful girl with droopy eyes and a beauty mark beneath her eye was someone I recognized, despite the color difference. I approached them.
“Is that you, Miu?”
“Eh? Yes, it’s Miu, but who are you?”
“It’s me, your brother, Kaze.”
“Uh, Inner-chan? I didn’t recognize you since it’s been a while. When did you become a girl?”
“No, big sister, that’s not it! This isn’t what it seems! Why does big brother look like big sister?”
Upon being called “big sister,” I instinctively placed a hand on my chest and lightly stroked it. The contours were almost nonexistent, yet I could still feel a softness beneath my palm. Sliding my hand down, I felt a gentle response around my slim waist. Even through my clothes, I was bewildered by the softness of my chest.
“I don’t want to think about it, but when I edited my character without any adjustments after taking a photo, maybe the body correction applied was feminine.”
I didn’t want to think about it. Sure, I might have a feminine face, but!? This is terrible. It must be a system bug. Why did it turn out like this!? I screamed internally.
“Also, hasn’t your voice gotten higher? It sounds kind of cute now.”
Indeed, my voice had become slightly higher. It was closer to what one might call an anime voice. If I consciously adjusted my voice, I could produce the same sound in real life, so the discomfort was minimal. It was because of this voice that I had been forced to participate in the school festival’s costume contest. They thought that since it was a costume, cross-dressing was included, and I was made to wear the outfit of a character voiced by a famous female voice actress, ending up on stage without anyone realizing I was a guy, and I won the contest. If that black history were to be identified as mine, I’d have no choice but to hang myself. By the way, this was a joke from my friend Todoroki, who had helped me with my homework.
“Hmm, you’ve turned into quite the beauty. Big sister is happy. Yui-chan, or rather, now it’s Yuin-chan, right?”
“Because it says Yoon in the name section.”
“Eh, oh, you’re right. Yoon big sister!”
I had intended to type SYUN, but it seemed I had mistyped due to my unfamiliarity with VR controls. The first S was omitted, and my name was set as YUN.
“Hey, I’m going to delete this character!”
“Well, well, this game doesn’t allow for basic gender-bending, so I think it’s a good experience. Yoon, big sister.”
“If you delete it, I’ll expose your black history with big sister privileges.”
Whoa, Shizune. No, now it’s Seina. When Seina gets serious, it’s a big deal. She can be quite persistent. Usually mild-mannered, when she tries to assert her will, she can be quite forceful.
“Okay, okay. I won’t do any acting or anything; I’ll just go with the flow. So, have you two already acquired your Senses?”
“Yeah. When you acquire your initial Senses, you also receive your starting weapons.”
“Then I’ll get my Senses too.”
I asked the two of them to wait a moment while I acquired my Senses.
“Hey, Yoon big sister, what kind of Sense configuration do you have?”
“Hmm? My configuration is Bow, Wind’s Day, Magic Release, Magic Power, Alchemy, Enhancement, Taming, Synthesis, Alchemy, and Production Knowledge.”
Miu’s mouth fell open in shock, and Seina looked troubled.
“Hey, Yoon big sister, what are you aiming for?”
“Hmm, support, I guess? I’m following the template to ensure I have the necessary Magic Power and Magic Talent for Arts and Skills. And then I’ll focus on the corresponding types of magic for Enhancement…”
“…Yoon big sister, you’re such a fool! Why are you gathering all those useless Senses?”
I knew they were useless, but I was trying to choose them for their niche potential, so I attempted to argue back.
“A good Bow has the worst cost-performance! Keen Eye only helps you see distant objects better; it’s not a unique Sense at all! And Alchemy is just a material transformation Sense with a poor conversion rate! Taming is mediocre. The success rate for taming MOBS isn’t high, so it’s a dead Sense. The only viable Senses are magic and production types!”
“Um, to put it simply, the Bow can’t be used without arrows, which are consumables, and Keen Eye isn’t very useful since it just helps you see better. Magic Talent can grow a bit with Enhancement and Alchemy, but it’s inefficient, right?”
Seina explained it to me in detail.
In other words, I thought I was choosing support Senses to avoid being a burden, but it seemed I had completely become a burden and wasn’t even providing support. Furthermore, the final blow struck me.
“Most items you can create with Synthesis and Alchemy are sold in stores. So at the start of the game, they might not be very important.”
Great, my sense of purpose has vanished. But I couldn’t just sulk in front of everyone.
Every player starts with 1000G. I began to explore the town to equip myself.
For the Bow Sense, a set of thirty iron arrows costs 33G. I bought four sets for 132G. Then I spent 600G on the initial production kits for Synthesis and Alchemy, which cost 300G each. As a Beginner.
Thirty potions cost 150G. In total, that’s 870G. I had 130G left.
In a typical template configuration, if I sold the initial weapons received upon acquiring Senses and switched to store-bought weapons while stocking up on consumables, I would still have around 500G left.
The poor cost-performance of the bow is due to the arrows. Arrows are consumables. Once fired, they cannot be retrieved. When hunting with just arrows, it takes three to take down a body. The drop items from that can be a maximum of 3G and a minimum of 1G. That’s assuming all shots hit; if I miss, I obviously earn nothing.
Since I have the production Senses, even if I turn the drop items into something else, I won’t make much profit.
In other words, the initial poor cost-performance is the root of the problem.”
“Exactly. Plus, while magic can gain a bit of tracking ability as you level up the Sense itself, bows don’t have anything like that. The trajectory of arrows is almost a straight line. So bows heavily depend on the player’s ability.”
“…Well, there’s motion assist, so even Beginners should be able to manage at least a little. So don’t get too down, Yoon-chan.”
Miu, who had been excited about adventuring together just moments ago, was now lecturing me. Was she that displeased that I chose a support Sense? No, well, given the template configuration I had chosen, it made sense that I would get scolded.
“Let’s just go hunting. We should finish the combat tutorial quickly. I’m going out with some friends later this afternoon.”
Seina, help me, I sent a glance her way, but she only smiled wryly.
We stepped outside the walls of the starting town, known as the First Town, into the open plains. In this map, all the MOBS in the plains are aimed at beginner players, and there are paths to the east, west, north, and south.
In version 8, the eastern area was popular for exploration, while the north and south were high-level zones that had been left untouched. The western area was rich in gathering items, but the balance of scattered MOBS was said to be poor.
“First, let’s try defeating some enemies. Big sister will attack up close, and I’ll use magic.”
“Understood.” “Got it.”
For a while, we busied ourselves with hunting. My sister swung her sword, effortlessly taking down the herbivorous MOBS, while Seina shot water projectiles. I aimed my arrows, but…
“I can’t hit anything!”
Seina easily hit her targets with magic at the same range of about two meters, while I missed even at two meters. And once I missed, the arrows were gone. It was terrible. The cost-performance was abysmal.
And worst of all, when I ran out of arrows, I had to replenish them from my inventory each time.
“This is so annoying!”
I kept firing arrows without aiming, but there was no sign of hitting anything. My feet naturally moved closer to the target.
—Hey, big sister, don’t move so far forward—
“Here, I’ll hit—!”
Startled by the approaching herbivore, I tried to step back but ended up falling on my backside.
“Ah, watch out!”
As the herbivore charged toward me, a water projectile was fired, and the enemy vanished.
“Yoon-chan, you shouldn’t get too close carelessly. Are you okay?”
Seina bent down to check on me, who was sitting on the ground. At that moment, a glimpse of her white neck and smooth collarbone peeked out from her robe, causing me to avert my gaze. I couldn’t help but feel a hint of allure from Seina now that she was in college.
“Ugh, this is why you shouldn’t pick useless Senses. You’ve used up all your arrows, haven’t you? Now, let’s use the technique we’ll definitely need—Arts. My Synthesis Sense just hit level 5, so…”
She raised her voice, urging me to stand. Miu gradually approached the herbivore, and when she readied her sword, she unleashed a flowing three-hit combo. The trajectory of her swung sword shimmered with a thin silver light.
“This is Arts. I think if you level up your Bow Sense, you’ll eventually learn it too, but I recommend switching your Senses sooner.”
“By the way, you gain one SP for every level of Sense you reach. Higher-level Senses typically manifest around level 3.”
“I understand. Thank you.”
Hunting with my two siblings, the items we gathered were nowhere near enough to match the value of bows and arrows. It felt like I needed to save up money through a production job and completely overhaul my Senses.
After parting ways with Miu and my sister Sei, I returned to town while checking my status.
“My Senses look like this:
【Bow Lv3】【Eye of the Beast Lv2】【Magic Talent Lv1】【Magic Power Lv1】【Alchemy Lv1】【Enhancement Lv1】
【Training Lv1】【Synthesis Lv1】【Alchemy Lv1】【Production Knowledge Lv1】”
As a result of my efforts, they were hardly developed at all. Miu had 【Sword】 at level 5 and 【Bell】 at level 3. She occasionally used healing and magic, so her magical Senses were likely growing as well. Sei had 【Magic Talent】 at level 3, 【Magic Power】 also at level 3, and 【Unattributed】 at level 5. My overall low levels stood out starkly in comparison.
I sat in a plaza on the outskirts of town, trying various things. First, I focused on my 【Alchemy】 Sense. This Sense specialized in material transformation. However, in reality, it was often regarded as a rather unfortunate and useless Sense. I had fifty gallstones, pelts, and bones each, all gifts from my sisters.
Selecting from the menu, I found the skill 【Material Transformation】 listed under my Skills. When I chose 【Material Transformation】, it prompted me to select a target. I picked a gallstone from the list. The consumption screen displayed “Gallstone x Lu,” indicating it was an item consumed in the transformation process. Without hesitation, I executed the action.
The transformed item turned out to be a Medicine Stone. Just one. Well, gallstones became herbal medicine. I suppose I shouldn’t question it too much since this is a game.
Additionally, transforming ten pelts yielded a single large pelt. For bones, I had two options: “Consume ten for a large bone” or “Consume one for two bone powders.”
“Why did the transformation options increase with bones? Did my Sense level up?”
Thinking my level might have increased, I checked my status, but it remained at level 1.
“The number of items consumed is different, and for ten bone powders…”
I transformed a bone into bone powder and then applied 【Alchemy】 to the bone powder again. The result was a return to a bone.
My analysis of 【Alchemy】’s material transformation yielded two categories: higher and lower material transformations. To produce higher materials like Medicine Stones or large pelts, ten items were needed for one higher-level item.
Conversely, lower materials like bone powder had a transformation rate of two to one.
“If I grow my Sense, will the transformation rate change, or will new transformation options appear? However, right now, there are too few items available to level up my 【Alchemy】 Sense.”
“How am I supposed to gather items if I can’t defeat enemies? Well, I’ll think about that later.”
Putting that aside, I decided to try 【Enhancement】 next.
Speaking of 【Enhancement】, it was a classic RPG skill known for enchantments and buffs that raised stats.
I decided to test it by casting an enchantment on myself.
The method was different from 【Material Transformation】; I simply needed to focus on the target and chant the magical skill from my skill list.
It consumed almost all my MP, and the effect I gained was minimal. Moreover, the duration was only sixty seconds, making it questionable for practical use. However, a large MP consumption meant my 【Magic Power】 would also grow. I waited for my MP to recover and tried other enchantments.
I applied defensive and speed-enhancing enchantments to myself, but the effects wore off quickly. However, I noticed that sitting and resting allowed my MP to recover slightly faster than standing. If I sat still and continued to cast enchantments on myself, I eventually realized my 【Magic Talent】 had grown to level 2 and my 【Magic Power】 to level 4.
The types of enchantments were three: red for ATK, blue for DEF, and yellow for SPEED. As I raised my Sense level, I would likely see an increase in the stat-boosting effects and an extension of their duration. If I found time to enchant casually, I could probably grow to a decent level.
As for 【Training】, it was completely useless for me. I had no confidence in defeating any MOBs right now. Furthermore, both 【Synthesis】 and 【Alchemy】 required items, but I had none. I had no items. What should I do?
At that moment, I received a chat message. Anyone who knew my email address could chat with me in this game if they registered beforehand. The sender was Taku.
“Hey, are you logged in?”
“Yeah, what’s up? I am.”
“Then how about we meet up? I want to register you as a friend. By the way, my current name is Taku.”
“Got it. So, where should we meet?”
While waiting for Taku, I continued enchanting and managed to level up once.
“Hey, where are you?”
“I’m a character named Yun. I have black hair and I’m currently enchanting. I’m glowing red right now.”
I thought it was a bit surreal, but I locked eyes with a familiar boy. He looked at me and said, “Ah, Yun, is that you… Why are you a girl character?”
“I don’t know. It’s a mechanical error.”
“No, you look like a beautiful girl, at least twenty percent more beautiful than the last time I saw you. No chest, though.”
“Hmph!”
In the state of an attack enchantment, I delivered a body blow to Taku’s side. He took the hit, but his modest and sturdy physique absorbed it well. Perhaps my hand hurt more.
“Just accept it… I’m concerned about it too, you know. A hardcore gamer.”
“That’s fine. But why the name Yun? You look completely like a girl. Just look at you…”
“It was a typo.”
I knew it. My eyes were larger than usual, and anyone could see I had a feminine face. My body shape was also distinctly female.
“Imagine the moment your sister calls you ‘big sister.’ It sends chills down your spine.”
“Plus, if you deliberately choose a niche Sense, your sister might demand a change.”
“Well, it’s your fault for picking a useless Sense.”
Damn it, this is why hardcore gamers prioritize efficiency in games.
“By the way, how are your Senses looking?”
“Oh, they look like this.”
I showed Taku my Sense status, and his first reaction was, “Wow, that’s terrible.”
“I’m going to cry! Is it really that bad?”
“【Training】 is synonymous with inefficiency among combat Senses. And 【Alchemy】 is nothing but inefficient.”
“Having 【Training】 alone is just sad. You should level something up and switch it out.”
“Ugh… I can’t earn money through combat, and I currently have only 130G.”
“Are you unintentionally doing a self-imposed challenge?”
“I’m not doing anything like that. I never intended to.”
“This is bad. My sister is going to demand a change, and my friends will just laugh. I’m losing confidence.”
“I never had any confidence to begin with since I just started playing.”
“Come on, at least comfort me. I have my dignity as an older brother to uphold.”
I shifted my position and sat down. I looked up at Taku, who was just biting his nails.
“Hey, isn’t it great being a beautiful girl? You have that gentle beauty of Sei and the energetic charm of Miu. You’re like a cool beauty yourself.”
“Shut up. Besides, I don’t fit in at all.”
As I glanced around, I noticed other players grimacing at me. No, it must be a coincidence. It has to be.
“Hey, just out of curiosity, do you know any efficient ways to earn money?”
“Hmm. Are you asking in terms of levels or money?”
“Both. I don’t have any starting funds.”
Taku crossed his arms and pondered while I continued to glow blue from my enchantment. It was a rather strange combination.
“I do have a suggestion. If you’re not going to fight, you can head west to the plains and gather items in the forest. Since you have Alchemy, you could level up while processing and selling what you gather.”
“I see, thanks. I’ll give that a try. Any other advice?”
“Enemies have a low spawn rate during the day, but they increase at night. So be careful about that. What do you say? Want me to help?”
“No, just your advice is enough. Thanks. I probably couldn’t have done it alone.”
“That’s nothing special. Now, let’s register as friends. If you get bored, I’ll help you level up. After all, it was Yu who invited you to this game.”
It’s funny how he causes me so much trouble in real life but becomes reliable in games. I couldn’t help but feel a bit disgruntled.
“Well then, I’m counting on your success.”
We exchanged light banter before parting ways. With a lighter step than before, I headed west through the town’s western gate, aiming to gather some items.
Ignoring the herbivores in the plains, I pressed on. Apparently, they were non-aggressive MOBs that wouldn’t attack even if I got close.
Thus, I was able to progress through the plains without incident. Occasionally, I would emit a yellow glow from my speed enchantment. The plains were vast, allowing me to take in the scenery and the MOBs while I grew.
My levels were rising rapidly. I couldn’t help but wonder what the hunting with Miu and Sei had been for, as my Senses were leveling up so quickly.
There didn’t seem to be any gathering items along the path, but as I peered into the depths of the forest with my magical eye, I spotted what looked like a gathering point a little distance away. Yes, gathering, gathering!
I felt items at the base of trees and on the ground. It was a strange sensation, as if my awareness was drawn there naturally. Was this the effect of my Sense?
The items I gathered included branches, mushrooms, herbs, stones, wild plants, and bird feathers, with about ten of each. Additionally, I found some leaf mold that could be collected from a specific spot. It was so straightforward that I had no idea what its purpose was.
I collected quite a variety of items. I couldn’t thank Taku enough for the information he provided.
I then took a break in the non-combat area of the forest, the Safety Zone. Instead of jumping straight into Alchemy, I found myself scrutinizing the menu once again.
Looking at my skill list, I noticed I still hadn’t acquired any combat Arts. However, the skill lists for Synthesis and Alchemy already had recipes available.
By the way, my Sense status was as follows:
【Bow Lv3】
【Eye of the Beast Lv5】
【Magic Talent Lv4】
【Magic Power Lv7】
【Alchemy Lv1】
【Enhancement Lv0】
【Training Lv1】
【Synthesis Lv1】
【Alchemy Lv1】
【Production Knowledge Lv1】
It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, but it was better than when I was struggling at the start. Now, I would focus on leveling up 【Alchemy】 and 【Synthesis】.
First, I took out the basic set for 【Alchemy】 and laid it out. What appeared was a mortar and pestle the size of a twig, a small iron container for heating, a tripod to support it, a mysterious heat source for heating, and a box containing paper and glass containers for wrapping medicines. The glass containers would produce new ones when taken out, and if I held one without filling it, it would vanish and be replenished in the box.
“This is definitely a game. Truly fantasy.”
Using tools that resembled a middle school chemistry kit, I began brewing and boiling the standard fantasy herbs. According to the strategy site, it was possible to do this manually, so I decided to give it a try.
- The result was a Beginner Potion. What started as a free item became one worth 5G. I could make a Beginner Potion from just one herb. The conversion rate was better than 【Alchemy】. As expected from a production skill.
“Well, I suppose 【Alchemy】 is technically a form of production too.”
Afterward, there was a change in my skill list. The recipe for the Beginner Potion was added. I selected that recipe and created a Beginner Potion. The screen selection was similar to 【Material Transformation】, and upon execution, I consumed MP and produced one Beginner Potion. I see, the reason why a Magic Power Sense is always necessary is due to this.
There was also a list of recipes that included the Medicine Stone, large pelts, bone powder, and other items I had produced so far.
The rule for production skills like 【Alchemy】 is that once you create an item, the recipe is automatically added. This means that from the next time onward, you can create items using the skill.
Since 【Synthesis】 works the same way, this might apply to all production jobs. I decided to create several Beginner Potions, slightly altering the process each time. While they all bore the same name, there were slight differences in their recovery amounts.
Moreover, the recipe content was updated, reflecting the potion with the highest recovery amount among those I had just made.
In other words, it was a choice between uniform mass production through skills or high-quality handmade items.
Those were the main advantages. After making ten Beginner Potions, my 【Alchemy】 Sense level increased. Now that I understood how to level up my Sense, it was time to tackle 【Synthesis】.
The Synthesis Sense allows you to create new materials from materials and new items from items. It seemed that this would consume MP from the start. I decided to give it a try. The Synthesis kit I pulled out had a sheet with magical symbols that designated where to place items.
First, I would combine the standard potions.
I placed the two Beginner Potions I had just made in the designated spots and activated the process.
For a moment, a white light flashed, and then the two potions vanished, replaced by a dark potion.
“What the… What is this? Is this a success?
No, it looks like a failure based on appearance. Upon checking the item, it turned out to be a poison. It inflicted continuous damage to HP as a status ailment.
Well, it might be useful for something, so I decided to stash it in my inventory.
A production failure, huh? I remember that low-level production jobs tend to fail. But I guess I still gain experience from it, so it’s not all bad?”
I reassured myself and selected two more Beginner Potions to synthesize.
This time, it produced a potion with a darker hue than the Beginner Potion. The name was simply “Potion.”
This time it was a success, and it was added to the recipe list.
I continued to synthesize potions until my Synthesis level reached 2.
I suddenly checked the remaining quantities of the potions and Beginner Potions.
“I still have the Beginner Potions I bought with Miu and Sei.
It was a good idea to buy them, but since the two of them were actively healing to level up their Senses, they remained untouched.
I wonder what would happen if I transformed those Beginner Potions through 【Alchemy】? I decided to conduct a sort of experiment.
The result of the transformation was, unfortunately, another poison. A failure in 【Alchemy】.
“…Well, it turned into poison.”
At that moment, my 【Alchemy】 Sense leveled up to 2. My other production-related Senses also increased one level each, which wasn’t too bad. However, the expenses were painful—too painful. But I couldn’t abandon my curiosity halfway through.
Undeterred, I tried 【Alchemy】 again, and this time a potion was produced. I felt a sense of lethargy wash over me.
“Ugh, I wasted that. If I had just synthesized the potions, my Synthesis Sense would have leveled up.”
However, upon checking, I found that there was a performance difference between the potions made through 【Synthesis】 and those made through 【Alchemy】. The Synthesis Potion was close to the default in the recipe, while the Alchemy Potion had a recovery amount that was ten percent higher than the default. In other words, the Alchemy-produced potion was of higher quality.
- It seemed like there was a performance aspect to the skills, similar to how Alchemy, Synthesis, and handmade potions functioned. However, in terms of efficiency, it was the opposite. Moreover, if I mastered handmade potions, I could easily surpass both.
“They really balanced it out well. But still, I ended up with some terrible Senses.”
Of course, I meant that in a bad way. Logically speaking, I was burdened by the inefficiency of 【Alchemy】, the efficiency of 【Synthesis】, and 【Alchemy】 all taking up my Sense slots. I was unbalanced. However, my current goal was to level up my Senses.
Herbs are primarily used for Alchemy Sense. Other items are utilized for both Alchemy and Synthesis. After repeatedly gathering and leveling up my Production Sense until dinner time, I discovered a few things.
First, pebbles could not be selected for Alchemy no matter what I tried. In conclusion, they are unidentified items simply referred to as “stone.” Additionally, mushrooms, herbs, and wild plants, when processed through drying or other methods, acquire the prefix “dried” before their names, and their effects are doubled, which is significant.
However, since mushrooms are food items, drying them does not yield any further changes. Lastly, when I combined wooden branches and bird feathers through Synthesis, I created wooden arrows, which are a lower-tier version of iron arrows. Surprisingly, this process produced two arrows from a single branch. Now, I have about 60 arrows in two sets, alleviating my worries about ammunition.
- Current Skills:
- Bow Lv3, Eye of the Beast Lv7, Magic Talent Lv6, Magic Power Lv9, Alchemy Lv2, Enchantment LvG
- Training Lv1, Synthesis Lv4, Alchemy Lv4, Production Knowledge Lv3
It seems my Magic Power is on the verge of leveling up. Relatively, all skills appear to be easy to level up at the beginning, which is quite helpful. First, I should hold off on Training and acquire a new skill. It seems like the right time to do so. I’ll change my safety area to my current location and prepare to log out.
In the game world, it was dusk, but in the height of summer, the sun was still high and bright. Even so, by six-thirty in the evening, a slightly cool breeze began to blow. The somen noodles felt refreshing, but another factor made the atmosphere feel chillingly cold.
At the appointed time, Miwa emerged from her room. At the dinner table, she silently slurped her somen. Her gaze was sharp, and the mood was tense.
“W-What’s wrong?”
Though she appeared lively, my little sister sometimes had her moments of sulkiness. Well, she is a third-year middle school student in the throes of adolescence, so I could understand that. However, I had a hunch about the cause of her current mood.
“It’s about my Sense configuration.”
“I-I’m sorry about that.”
“Um, it’s about the game… I’m sorry for the trouble.”
I didn’t know why, but I figured it was best to apologize; that seemed like the way to resolve the issue. Miwa took a deep breath and let out a dramatic sigh.
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Oh, so you’re calling me ‘brother’ now.”
“Don’t react to that!”
Hmm, it seems the emotional scar of being called ‘big sister’ by my little sister runs deeper than I thought.
“It’s just that there’s someone new who joined our group, and we didn’t get along well… Sorry if I made you feel bad.”
“I see. Well, I can listen to your complaints.”
“Yeah. Anyway, they’re really attention-seeking, and while we were trying to coordinate, they just kept pushing ahead.”
“Then they died and came back, and when they returned, they said our support was lacking, which was really harsh.”
“Ah, I see. That sounds rough.”
“Honestly, it was smoother exploring when that person wasn’t around. I mean, no one would think of joining a party after dying, but it was a relief.”
“By the way, what happens when you die in the game?”
“You incur a Death Penalty. The effect of the Death Penalty is a one-hour reduction in status.”
“That’s painful. But since I’m in a production role, the time I spend dead won’t be wasted if I can create items.”
Ah, so that’s the direction I’ve decided to take.
“I won’t be going ahead in combat. Right now, I’m focusing on leveling up my production skills.”
“That’s a shame. I wanted to show off my beautiful sister, Yun, by having her in my party.”
“Please don’t say that. Well, regarding combat, I’ll be hunting mobs alone to gather items, and I want to raise my Bow Sense a bit too.”
“Hmm. So Yun can progress solo.”
For the time being, I should focus on gathering and hunting mobs diligently. I can’t drag others along for such roundabout actions. To change the subject, I throw out another question.
“What’s your current Sense like, Miwa?”
“Well, it’s Sword Lv1, Iron Lv1, Attack Power Increase Lv6, Defense Power Increase Lv6, Spirit Lv4, Magic Release LvM, Magic Power LvM, Magic Recovery Lv7, Light Attribute Lv5, and Healing Magic Lv7.”
She’s grown quite a bit. She already has four SP accumulated.
“Big sister is about the same. If you also add something like Attack Power Increase, you could reduce the consumption of arrows.”
“You should do that gradually. Right now, I’m self-sufficient in the western forest.”
“Well, I want to go on adventures with you, so level up quickly to a combat-ready level!”
So, Miwa has given me an order, but I wonder which would be faster: completely swapping out my skills to reach a combat-ready level or training my current skills to that level.
Hmm. I’m supposed to act like a capable older brother, but I feel flustered when it comes to the game.
After dinner, Miwa took a bath while I cleaned up the dishes and prepared dinner for our parents, who had just returned home. I also took a leisurely bath before logging back into OSO.
I resumed in the safety area of the forest, starting from there. It was dark in the game world as well. This place had a slight illumination due to the ongoing skirmishes, but it was still mostly dark, with only the occasional flicker of what seemed to be insects taking flight.
Hmm, the night sky is beautiful. The stars resemble the Milky Way, clearly visible. As I gazed at the sky absentmindedly, I realized I could zoom in like a telescope using my Eye of the Beast Sense.
It seems my Eye of the Beast is growing, but for now, I’m enjoying the natural scenery of this game.
After about ten minutes, I checked my senses. My Eye of the Beast leveled up! I was thrilled, but it surprised me that my Magic Power didn’t level up first; instead, my Eye of the Beast reached its first level up.
Moreover, I felt like I could see further into the surroundings than before when I looked around.
I decided to quickly acquire a new Sense.
Even though they are initial senses, there are plenty to choose from. Since my direction has already leaned towards production, I thought it might be good to focus on production-related senses.
I found Blacksmithing, Number Continuation, Woodworking, and finally, I discovered Crafting. Crafting is not primarily a main skill but shares commonalities with Human Refinement, so it has many supportive benefits. Its effect is the ability to create accessories. Unlike weapons and armor for combat, which are made through Blacksmithing, Light Armor for magic users through Number Sewing, and bows and staves through Woodworking, accessories are purely supplementary. This seems to fit perfectly with my initial focus on support, so I made my decision. I felt I had chosen well.
Still, I find senses to be quite profound. I initially thought my Eye of the Beast was just a long-range sense, but it also has night vision capabilities. For every level, my field of vision expands by about one meter. If only the Bow Sense level correction is applied, the range is significantly short.
Speaking of which, since I have arrows and no enemies around, I thought I’d practice with my bow before going to bed. I took out a wooden arrow and drew the bowstring. The arrow I released vanished into the visible distance. I kept launching disposable arrows into the darkness. The Bow Sense grows by shooting the bow, and the growth rate may slightly increase when shooting at enemies.
I carefully shot each arrow. I had never practiced with a bow before, so I repeated the action to improve my accuracy.
So far, my accuracy was only two out of ten arrows, which is still quite low.
Both my Bow Sense and Eye of the Beast Sense leveled up sufficiently. Curious, I checked my Bow skill and found that I indeed had an Art. It was simply named “Long-Distance Shooting.”
I decided to try using the Art of Long-Distance Shooting. The time it took to draw the bow increased, but a much stronger sound resonated, and the arrow flew far beyond what my Eye of the Beast could see in an instant. I still didn’t know how effective it was.
“Miwa said it was unfortunate and useless, but I need to check it properly. I felt a solid response just now.”
Well, it’s getting late, so I’ll continue tomorrow and get some sleep.
I plan to focus on growing my production skills again tomorrow as I logged out.
Chapter 1: Production Class and Enchantment
The next day, I logged in during the afternoon. Why, you ask? Because I spent the morning shopping for ingredients, cleaning, doing laundry, and preparing meals.
I also wanted to have a solid block of time for gaming, so for lunch, I made summer vegetable curry. Dinner would be the same, but I wouldn’t let anyone complain.
“Big brother! My level went up, and I evolved my Sword Sense into One-Handed Sword!”
“Wow, that’s great!”
“And I made a new friend too! This one is cute and polite!”
“…I see.”
You’re lucky. You can play games because you’re bad at housework. And is it really okay for a third-year middle school student?
Just because our school has an escalator system doesn’t mean you can neglect your studies, I remind her, but
she doesn’t seem to be listening at all.
Miwa, who throws herself into her hobbies, is a bit of a fool in real life, yet she seems so capable in the game.
But well, I’m here to support her; I keep telling myself that.
Then I logged in again as Yun. I landed in the western safety area. Yesterday, I made potions and beans through Alchemy, but I was short on materials. As for the Crafting Sense I acquired yesterday, it requires a minimum setup of a polishing kit and a portable furnace. The polishing kit costs 300G, and the portable furnace is 800G. My current funds are nowhere near enough. I need to earn a substantial amount of money.
I don’t even know what to use the Leaf Mold for, and I’ll use the mushrooms and herbs I gather to level up my Alchemy and Magic through recipes. My current inventory consists of one wooden arrow, two potions, one Beginner Potion, five pebbles, and various items including Leaf Mold and mushrooms.
“Hmm. I wonder if I can sell all this for around 300G? It’s slightly more effective than usual.”
With a small sense of confidence, I made my way through the forest back to the first town. Along the way, I practiced with my bow against a few herbivorous mobs. Yesterday, I fought without any enhancements, but if I apply Attack Power Increase, I can fight just fine with wooden arrows.
No, the biggest factor in my victory is the Art of Long-Distance Attack. I can shoot arrows from up to five meters away, launching four arrows while the enemy approaches. While I might need to use over five arrows to take down an enemy with wooden arrows, they are free to make, so the cost performance is not painful. In fact, I can keep consuming and producing more.
I should level up.
With a satisfied expression, I entered the town, feeling as if I was drawing attention. Well, it could be because of my starting equipment, but more likely, it’s because archers are rare.
Feeling a bit of suspicious gazes, I quickened my pace.
“(Enchantment | Speed)”
I muttered as I hurried past the western gate. Occasionally, I noticed people glancing back at me, but I ignored those curious looks and made my way to the plaza filled with stalls.
Forgetting the earlier awkwardness, I looked around for places to sell my items. I had researched beforehand, but not everyone can set up a stall. There are specific items for stall setup, and only those who purchase them can own one. Additionally, there are stores where producers can remodel and customize their shops.
Well, the stall setup item costs 10,000G, renting a store for a month is 50,000G, and purchasing one is 1,000,000G. Do you know how much I have? 130G.
There are all sorts of people at the stalls. Some sell potions, others sell weapons. Those who currently own stalls or stores are likely the ones who carried over their funds from the previous version.
“Oh, that girl. Why don’t you take a look? Look, weapons and accessories!”
A woman with reddish hair and slightly tanned skin called out to me. She was probably trying to attract customers. She seemed approachable, and I thought maybe I could get her to buy a potion.
“Are you talking about me?”
“Wow, a rare sight! A boyish girl!”
Now that I think about it, I’m currently using a female avatar. Oh no, I had forgotten that since I had been away from people.
“No, I’m a guy in real life.”
“Come on, this game doesn’t care about gender.”
“Ah, well, it’s probably a machine error. So, um, in real life…”
“Wow, you’re so girl-like that even the machine makes mistakes. That’s cool!”
“Ugh, this conversation isn’t going anywhere. I should just give up.”
“Well then, welcome to Maki’s stall! We have all sorts of weapons and accessories. I’m Maki, the shopkeeper.”
“Hehe, having a stall means you’re a Tester, right?”
“That’s right. And you are…?”
“Yuyun.”
“Then, Yuyun-kun, right?”
“No, I was invited by friends and my sister in the official version.”
“Haha, I get it now. So you’re a newbie, huh? But there aren’t any bows here. Accessories mainly boost defense.”
“No, I’m also a production class.”
“Ah, I see! A combat-capable producer. That’s nice! I wanted to be a fighting blacksmith too, but my production skills slowed down when I fought, so I decided to focus solely on blacksmithing in the official version. Of course, I still fight occasionally.”
“I see. My Sense configuration is struggling financially because I’m using a bow…”
“Ah, I get it. You want me to buy the items you made, right? I’ll buy them!”
“Is that okay? Thank you!”
Surprised but smiling, I said that, and Maki blushed slightly, wearing a vague smile. She muttered something about it being “crazy” for same-gender interactions, but I wondered who she was referring to.
Putting that aside, this was a fortunate opportunity. I opened the trade screen with Maki and began listing the items I could sell. It seemed Maki had recovered from her earlier embarrassment and started evaluating the items. I had potions to sell. Since I had a Beginner Potion for recovery, that was sufficient for now.
“Hehe, self-made potions. Since the recovery amount is a bit higher, I’ll color them and sell them for 3G each, right? NPCs would buy them for 2G.”
“Um, that’s 750G for twenty-five of them.”
“Well, since it’s a bulk order, that’s reasonable. The front-line players have graduated from Beginner Potions and can buy potions from NPCs, but the daily supply of NPCs is limited in the game. So, some players buy in bulk and sell them at stalls. There are also players who focus on recovery magic, so they seem to form parties with those types of players. Well then, Yuyun-kun, if you need anything else, just let me know.”
With that, my inventory balance increased, reaching 880G.
“Ah, but I still can’t afford the portable furnace set.”
“By the way, Maki, you mentioned making accessories. Does the performance of accessories change depending on the type of furnace?”
“No, it doesn’t change. It just affects the types of metals you can process. A portable furnace can only handle iron. I’ve only seen up to bronze. So, Yuyun-kun, your senses must be Alchemy or Synthesis.”
“That’s right. And Crafting as well.”
Ah, Maki seems to be quite a high-level player. To deduce the types of senses from just this conversation is impressive.
“Well, there are three types.”
“You have quite the troublesome sense, don’t you? Well, the game is all about having fun. And here’s a piece of advice from your older sister: There’s a skill called ‘Polishing’ in ‘Crafting,’ right? If you have tools and a ‘Crafting’ sense, you can sometimes turn a mere pebble into a gemstone or ore. This is commonly referred to as ‘Appraisal.’ So if you can appraise by yourself, you can gather materials for accessories.”
“Yeah, thank you very much! I’ll give it a try right away.”
“Great! Then could you register me as a friend? You seem interesting, Yuyun-kun.”
With that, I became acquainted with a senior producer named Magi in town and purchased a polishing set. My slots were still sparse, but I had 580G. Once I could create potions, I would be able to buy a portable furnace.
With a beaming face, I hunted just like before and returned to the safety area. Upon returning, I diligently polished the stones I had collected. After appraising the stones I had picked up, I found that half were just ordinary stones, but the other half turned out to be valuable. Among the stones I had gathered, there were twenty pieces of iron ore, but I couldn’t turn them into ingots without a furnace.
So for now, I was polishing gemstone roughs to level up my ‘Crafting’ skill.
The sound of grinding echoed through the quiet forest: grrrr, grrrr, grrrr… As I chipped away, I could see beautiful gemstones emerging from the surface.
As I continued to grind, the massive stone was reduced to a rough stone about three centimeters in size. It was named 【Peridot Gemstone (Medium)】.
It seemed that only peridot could be harvested in this area. No matter which stone I polished, it was always peridot. If I searched other regions, I might find different gemstones. Or perhaps I should look for someone in town who sells stones and buy from them? But then again, is there even anyone selling stones? Probably not. Besides, I’m broke, so that’s out of the question. It’s tough when you need money to make money.
“So, I guess I have no choice but to steadily move forward.”
Well, if I used the ‘Polishing’ skill from my ‘Crafting’ sense, I could process them instantly, but they would turn into 【Peridot Gemstone (Tiny)】. Normally, the smaller they get, the less valuable they become. And if I relied solely on the skill, the chances of failure and breaking the stone would increase, especially with a low sense level.
So, I carefully polished each of the dozen rough stones. Even so, some would still break. In those cases, the item would disappear, and it would be considered a production failure.
After three hours of polishing, I finished with all the stones. I ended up with three medium-sized and seven small gemstones. The rest had all perished.
To polish any further, I would need to buy a higher-grade polishing set. However, thanks to the polishing, my ‘Crafting’ sense had risen to level 5, and my ‘Production Knowledge’ had also reached level 5. All my senses were still at a low level, but I planned to progress at my own pace, so I wasn’t worried at all.
Next, I wanted to test something with 【Synthesis】 and 【Alchemy】. I had iron ore on hand. I might be able to turn it into ingots without using a furnace. I could utilize the higher material transformation through 【Alchemy】 to convert iron ore into ingots.
Since I didn’t have a furnace, having ingots was meaningless, but the possibility of being able to create them couldn’t be ignored. If I needed more, I could just pick up more stones. So, I decided to transform all the iron ore I had through 【Alchemy】.
“Transform iron ore x using 【Human Alchemy】 1.”
After a brief flash of white light, what emerged was unexpected: high-quality iron ore. As the name suggests, it was iron ore of superior quality. I had two pieces. Why did it turn out to be high-quality? It seemed that turning it into ingots was a specialty reserved for those who handled metals, like blacksmiths or crafters.
I should show this high-quality iron ore to Magi and consult her. The next experiment involved the ordinary pebbles I had. Could I use these for synthesis? If I could combine them with usable items, it would eliminate waste from gathering.
Though it was just an image in my mind, I might be able to upgrade the grade of arrows from wooden arrows to stone arrows.
I would try with one arrow and one stone. A burst of light enveloped the items, and what emerged was indeed an arrow with a stone tip. If this theory was correct, transforming stones into iron or silver would allow me to raise the grade of the arrows. It might be costly to use disposable items, but for stone arrows, I could probably compromise on cost versus attack power.
“Alright, time for mass production!”
Feeling good about my progress, I attempted to create stone arrows from the 【Recipe】, but I found I couldn’t even synthesize them. The recipe required a wooden branch, a bird’s feather, and a stone. However, it seemed that I couldn’t use that recipe at the moment.
“Why can’t I use it? Oh, the beginner kit only allows for synthesis of up to two items.”
I recalled that there were two slots for item placement on the sheet. In other words, I couldn’t synthesize from the 【Recipe】 unless I purchased a higher-grade kit.
“More expenses! Ugh, it’s a hassle, but at least I learned that I can create items through wooden arrows. Let’s get synthesizing!”
Half-heartedly, I raised my voice and transformed wooden arrows into stone arrows. I had also increased my stock of wooden arrows, so I secured two sets of wooden arrows and one set of stone arrows. That was a sufficient quantity.
“But really, it’s such a waste that arrows are disposable. It doesn’t seem right for a bow user to throw away arrows made of mithril. The durability just isn’t enough. Should I use wooden branches instead of wood for synthesis? But wood is expensive. I need to make a staff or something.”
I grumbled to myself, unable to come to terms with it.
“Maybe, like that high-quality iron ore, the materials could remain the same while the arrows become high-quality.”
It was worth a try, so I decided to transmute a whole set of wooden arrows. The bundle of arrows was enveloped in light.
What I ended up with was three arrows. My set of thirty arrows had been reduced to just three, and I felt like screaming in frustration, but I held back and checked the items.
Wooden Arrow +0【New】
“What does this notation mean? If the attack power has increased, I’d be happy even if they’re disposable, but there doesn’t seem to be any change aside from the notation.”
I decided to test it by shooting an arrow. Focusing on the basic motion, I drew the bowstring and released the arrow just like always. I confirmed that it struck the wooden target. It didn’t seem like the attack power had increased.
As I approached to examine it closely, the arrow disappeared.
“Sigh… Another disposable item. Bows are really inconvenient.”
While I lamented, I noticed that only one arrow remained in my quiver. Huh? The arrow that was supposed to have disappeared was now back in the quiver, and its notation had changed to [+9].
Could it be? I picked it up and shot it again. The arrow that had vanished returned.
“Bow user, here I come! This is a major discovery. Consumables return by consuming numbers! The cost-effectiveness of bow users is terrible! And it reduces the hassle of reloading! Whoa, this is a game-changer!” I thought, but then I considered the conversion to iron arrows. To prepare one set of iron arrows +0, I would need three hundred arrows. In terms of G, that would be 300G. That’s tough for beginners, and you can’t use it without 【Alchemy】 sense! Even if it could be made with another sense, very few people would bother to enhance disposable arrows. Even if there were, the supply would likely be minimal.
In other words—
“Once again, bow users are at a disadvantage. Without support from surrounding production jobs, they can’t fight properly.”
Well, I could make my own, so that was fine, and it would help me level up my own senses. Plus, I discovered a hidden ability of the 【Bow】 sense: the ability to retrieve arrows. I wouldn’t have to go out of my way to collect them, and I think this falls under the category of magical tracking effects or motion assistance for swordsmen. Just having this is a blessing.
This is truly fantasy. Yeah. Now that I understand this, I won’t have to worry about reloading during long battles. It might be interesting to master being a bow user.
“It might be a bit white, though.”
In the forest, alone, I smiled to myself and checked my status before logging out.
Inventory
SP1
【Bow Lv7】
【Hawk Eye Lv3】
【Magic Talent Lv9】
【Magic Power Lv0】
【Alchemy Lv4】
【Enhancement Lv8】
【Synthesis Lv6】
【Alchemy Lv6】
【Crafting Lv5】
【Production Knowledge Lv5】
Reserve
[Training Lv1]
After logging out of the game, Miwa and I were having a light curry meal while exchanging information with each other. Though most of it was information from Miwa, I was just nodding along.
“Hey, listen. Big brother.”
“What is it? More complaints?”
“Yeah, well, kind of? The resellers are buying up potions and selling them at stalls. A beginner potion that starts at 1G is now three times that at 150G. It’s so scarce that it can even sell for 500G.”
“What’s that about?”
“I know, right? The NPC’s potion restock amount is fixed.”
“Yeah, I knew that.”
“I heard. Besides, since I’m a production class myself, I think I’ll just sell potions for money for a while.”
“Are you really that broke?”
“I switched out 【Training】 for 【Crafting】, but I need to buy polishing and furnace tools to get anywhere.”
“Why do you keep going in a direction that costs so much money?”
She complained, but what could I say? The moment I realized what kind of gemstone the polished rough stones were made all the effort worthwhile.
“Still, it’s impressive how you have so many production-related senses like 【Alchemy】【Synthesis】【Crafting】. Normally, they would be divided by the type of materials handled, but this way, leveling up is all over the place and inefficient, isn’t it?”
“No, not at all. I made beginner potions by combining herbs I gathered in the west, and with 【Synthesis】, I made potions. If I appraise stones with my 【Crafting】 sense, I can tell if they’re gemstone roughs or iron ore. I’m slowly growing by converting leftover materials with 【Alchemy】.”
“Wow, you’re already using them well, but that’s too bad. I have leftover iron ore that I’m using for alchemy materials, and I still don’t know what to do with leaf mold, bones, and gallstones.”
“By the way, Miwa, you’re a version player too, right? Should I ask you?”
“Hey, what can you use leaf mold or bones for in the game?”
“Isn’t there farming?”
“Yeah. There’s land leasing in the southern area of town, and players can grow plant-type items there, but you generally need seeds to cultivate anything. So it’s mostly for a select group of players.”
“Hmm, then what about gallstones and medicine stones?”
“Big brother, didn’t you try them with your 【Alchemy】 sense? Pills are materials for items that have recovery amounts higher than beginner potions but lower than potions.”
“That means bone powder is a lower-tier version of bones? And pills are a higher-tier version of potions, or should I consider them a different category of item? And then, do I use medicine stones for higher-tier pills?”
“Fumofumomu. That’s helpful. I was thinking of going hunting, but now I have something I want to try with 【Alchemy】.”
“It’s great that you’re getting into the game, but as your sister, I still want to lament your inefficiency.”
“You said games are meant to be fun. I don’t want to be rushed around like that.”
Ignoring my sister’s complaints, I explored various possibilities during my chores. I thought about how to obtain seeds. There was one method I hadn’t tried yet.
Once I logged in, I opened the alchemy screen first. On the alchemy screen, there were options for 【Alchemy】 material transformation, including 【Higher Transformation】 and 【Lower Transformation】. It felt like there were series for each material being transformed.
Despite the name, alchemy only turned iron into iron. It just became a higher-grade version. In other words, it was a name scam. And like arrows, the 【Higher Transformation】 increased the durability of the same material. The name itself didn’t change, but the durability and usage count did.
Lastly, even plants might not become a different species through higher transformation. I decided to apply 【Alchemy】 to ten herbs. As expected, what emerged was high-quality herbs. This was how it worked. And if this was a higher transformation, then a lower transformation could be considered. That would be the transformation back to the original seeds of the plant.
Should I transform high-quality herbs, or should I transform regular herbs? I tried transforming from the regular herbs. The transformation rate was doubled. What was born from 【Alchemy】 was herb seeds.
This was designated for cultivation, so I felt a sense of relief. If this also turned out to be a synthesis material, I would have to do a massive number of syntheses. Then I transformed the high-quality herbs. The result was two regular herbs. This meant that plants also had grades.
The lowest tier was seeds, and as you went up, the effects of the same type increased. However, this was just a matter of herbs. Gathering a large number of herbs to create one high-quality synthesis potion from twenty herbs wouldn’t be worth it.
“Even so, creating plant seeds through 【Alchemy】 feels very fantasy-like. No, the fact that I can’t ignore the types of metals already feels like a reality check.”
Phew, now I just needed to find a use for the massive amount of gallstones. It turned out that mixing them with herbs created beginner pills. If the same rule applied, two could be synthesized for a higher-tier version. Additionally, gallstones, which were a higher-tier version of medicine stones, could be used with higher-tier herbs or high-quality herbs to create a higher-tier pill. In this case, the former would have a higher effect due to the time spent cultivating, while the latter could be created from the 【Recipe】.
“Now that I understand the general rules, I should be able to handle items by type with 【Alchemy】. I got seeds, so maybe I’ll check out the fields tomorrow. But first, a night hunt.”
I took my bow and arrows, enchanting myself as I moved through the forest. Actively gathering items while searching for enemies. It was hard to believe that so many mobs had spawned in the forest where I had been moving around all day.
The small goblins and wild dogs leaped through the icy darkness, but with my 【Hawk Eye】’s night vision ability, they were clearly visible. Furthermore, with my enhanced vision, I could see them from a distance and take them down before they got close.
The goblins and wild dogs were weak. In terms of comparison, they were easy prey that posed no threat to me. If I had a light magic spell, I could illuminate the area and fight, but no one would willingly come to such a place.
It seemed that the balance of mobs was skewed, which meant that battles in this environment were tough for beginners. Most people would likely prefer to stay in dungeons with consistent brightness, regardless of night or day, if they were hunting at night.
From the goblins, I obtained poisonous blood and skin.
Hey, isn’t this basically telling me to make poison with this? I thought, and then I saw it in the 【Recipe】.
Poison could be made from poisonous blood and herbs. It seemed that normally, you wouldn’t create poison from failed potion synthesis.
And there was also an antidote potion. It could be made from poisonous blood and potions. In other words, could I use poison to counter poison? Well, it’s just a system thing.
The wild dogs dropped dog fur and fangs. I wasn’t sure what their uses were.
This was probably an item for other production classes. It seemed like it could be used for leather armor or maybe for weapon decoration.
The mobs spawned as I defeated them. And since I was hunting solo, the drop rates were excellent.
I could take them down without much trouble, but I imagined it would be tough for those who weren’t used to it.
During the hunt, I realized that the light from my enchantment glowed even in the icy darkness.
This could potentially reveal my position to enemies. Since mobs are AI-controlled, that’s fine, but for players…
They might find me right away.
Huh? I felt like I was progressing down an assassin style as a bow user, blending into the darkness.
Since I’m a producer, if I can’t win in a direct fight, maybe a surprise attack strategy would work.
As night deepened, I decided to call it a day and left for the night.
The next morning, I came to the southern area of the first town to rent land, but first, I needed to prepare some funds.
Today, I prepared 33 Potions, 5 Pills, and just for a test, 5 Antidote Potions.
Well, if I can sell just the Potions, I’d consider it a success.
I can feel the gazes of those around me again today, but I quickly use an enchantment to speed away and head towards the spot where Magi was yesterday.
I find Magi setting up her stall in the same place and call out to her.
“Magi, good afternoon!”
“Yun-kun! Thank you for selling me those Potions yesterday!”
She expresses her gratitude by waving her arms up and down excitedly. It’s a bit surprising to have a woman hold my hand, and at the same time, it’s a little embarrassing.
After a moment of shaking hands, she finally lets go, but what’s gotten into her?
“The Potions you sold me. When I sold them at a fair price, people from the front lines came by and bought my weapons and accessories too.
I thought it wouldn’t work out yesterday…”
Ah, so that’s what happened. Then, will you buy from me again today? I’ve prepared them.
Yes, yes. Even though she’s running a weapons and accessories shop, she wants to sell everything together at her stall for that sense of versatility.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
I display the Potions, Pills, and Antidote Potions on the trade screen, and Magi shows a delighted and surprised expression.
“Wow! Thank you for such a large batch of items. And the Pills are the best recovery items available in this town right now. They also have a slightly higher recovery amount. As for the Antidote Potions, I heard that there were people with ‘Alchemy’ and ‘Synthesis’ Sense who could make the level 2 versions, but according to rumors, no one is pursuing that route in the official version, so there’s a shortage of status recovery potions.”
“I see. So that’s lucky for me.”
“Yep! So, the Potions are worth G, the Pills are worth G, and the Antidote Potions are worth G, totaling 2450G.”
“Wait, wait. The price of the Potions has gone up since yesterday. It was G before.”
“Two days ago, I was buying at 60% of the price, but today I’m buying at 70%. You see, if I can sell these, it’ll help my shop’s reputation, and I think it’s a fair price. Plus, I need the money, you know?”
Magi grins like a Cheshire pig. I feel like arguing, but the truth is, I don’t have the funds. I need to check out the farm, look at the portable furnace, and see the higher-grade synthesis kits. It’s clear that this won’t be enough.
“Well, if you insist, I’ll go with the 60% price…”
“Please! I’ll take that price!”
Yes, yes, her straightforward reaction is quite charming. Plus, it was amusing to see her flustered.
No, I’m a man. Am I really being seen as a girl? But was she holding my hand just to see me embarrassed? No, that can’t be it.
All doubts vanish when I see Magi smiling cheerfully.
“Alright, let’s proceed with the trade.”
“Sure! Here’s the money. I’ll buy any items you make with your Sense upgrades.”
“I’ll be counting on you then. Oh, by the way, I almost forgot. Can you take a look at this item?”
I place the High-Quality Iron Ore and gemstone I made yesterday on the trade screen. Magi’s expression turns serious as she whispers.
“Yun-kun, where did you get this?”
“Where? Just from the usual western forest.”
“No, the gemstone. If polished carefully, it can reach this size. It’s good to have one. If you raise your Sense more, the breakage rate will decrease, and you can succeed with medium-sized ones too.”
Oh, that’s good to know. So, I’ll be able to process gemstones with my Skill soon.
“The problem is with this Iron Ore. If you’re mining High-Quality Iron Ore in the west, you need to go deeper. You have to reach the mine near the Third Town, also known as the Lock Mountain Town. And that mining is a rare drop from the Sandman, the enemy at the nearby quarry, or a normal drop from the higher-tier MOB, the Golem. Don’t tell me you defeated them alone.”
“Uh, I don’t know about the Big Boar.”
“No, no, it’s from ‘Alchemy’ through ‘Higher Transformation.’”
“…I see. If it’s made through Alchemy, then I understand.”
“Oh, so you accept that.”
“—So, what will you do? If you’re not going to use it, I’ll buy it from you. High-Quality Iron Ore and regular Iron Ore are completely different items, and with just two, you can’t turn them into ingots.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah, it takes five to make one ingot, and for weapons, it’s three for a short sword and five for a great sword or two-handed sword.”
—So, in my case, I’d need to consume ten stones through Alchemy to get one High-Quality Ore, which means fifty Iron Ores.
So, I finally get an ingot. What a hassle. But is High-Quality Iron Ore really that valuable?
“No, not at all. It’s just that, for the same iron weapons, the High-Quality ones have a slight boost in stats. There’s no value in hoarding Iron Ore to make them, and doing so would lead to a huge loss. Besides, even if I have ingots, I can only use them for accessories. Also, for rings, you need one ingot, and for bracelets, you need two.”
“I see. Then please buy it. I’ll bring more when I make them.”
“Yeah, I’d like that until they circulate in the market. I’ll be rolling in riches with High-Quality gear.”
– I check the trade screen and select the High-Quality Iron Ore. The amount of money being traded is 400G. Wait, what?
“Magi, are you serious?”
“Yeah, one Iron Ore is 100G. Since this is a higher tier, it’s 200G. If you sell it to an NPC, it’s half that, but since it’s not circulating much right now, I think this is a fair price. Plus, it includes a contract fee until it hits the market.”
“Got it. Magi, you seem to have quite a bit of money.”
“Hmm. I made a killing with 2, so I might be able to buy a shop soon.”
“I’m not jealous, not jealous at all,” I mutter.
“Well, well. You made a profit, so it’s all good.”
“Yes.”
It’s not particularly exciting, but it’s nice to have more money. I currently have 3430G. However, I underestimated the minimum price for the farm.
“Are you buying a field? The cheapest one is 3000G.”
“Wait, really?”
A man wearing a straw hat says this. He’s clearly an NPC, likely the one who explains about the fields and how to cultivate them.
“Right now, there are hardly any buyers, but the land prices will rise eventually. It’s better to buy now.”
“Even if you say something so realistic in a game, it’s troubling. However, the southern district has about three baseball fields, but there are hardly any people.”
“Understood. I’ll take the cheapest one.”
3000G disappears from my inventory. Ah, my precious funds.
“Here’s the deed to the land. The location written there is your field. Also, you’ll need tools like a shovel or sickle to cultivate it. That’ll be an additional 300G.”
“W-What the hell?!”
I’m barely left with any money! But without tools, I can’t plant herb seeds.
Grinding my teeth in frustration, I finally give in.
“Thanks for your business.”
In the end, I bought it. I’ll consider it a forward investment. Yes, a forward investment. If I can make potions, I’ll easily recover the 2000G I spent. I had to think that way to keep my sanity.
I hurried to the newly purchased field, but what is this heavy labor?
I had to dig up the hard-packed soil with a shovel and till it.
This is quite a labor-intensive task in the game. Damn it.
“Haah, haah. What the hell is this?”
Using an enchantment to increase my speed, I found that my digging speed with the shovel increased. Although it’s a small plot, it was disheartening to think about how long it would take to make it ready for planting seeds.
And above all, just planting seeds won’t make the items high-quality.
According to the NPC, I need to mix various things into the soil. In other words, things like leaf mold, wild herbs, bones, and powdered materials.
So, they want me to mix fertilizer, huh?
I started mixing the fluffy leaf mold I gathered and stuffing wild herbs like medicine.
Preparing to mix bones and bone powder into the soil took quite a bit of time.
And then, I noticed my Sense status growing.
Current SP: 3
[Bow User Lv9] [Hawk Eye Lv6] [Magic Talent Lv6] [Magic Power Lv4] [Alchemy Lv5]
[Enhancement Lv4]
[Synthesis Lv8] [Alchemy Lv8] [Crafting Lv5] [Production Knowledge Lv6]
Backup
[Training Lv1]
Before leaving the field, I checked my level once, but I didn’t recall doing anything related to Alchemy.
Yet it’s rising, which must be due to this farming work.
I guess I can interpret it as mixing bones and leaf mold into the soil for fertilizer. If that’s the case, growth is to be expected.
And the recipe for fertilizer was added. In other words, it’s treated as a handmade item.
Hmm, it’s quite interesting that I can do this without a production kit.
But well, that’s fine.
All that’s left is to sow the seeds and finish up. The land I acquired for 3000G can accommodate up to twenty planting spots.
It seems herbs can be harvested every day. How fantastical.
Hmm. It’s done. Oh, a message.
With a magical chime, the name of the friend I registered appears: Taku.
“What’s up?”
“Hey, are you free? If you are, let’s go hunting. In a party.”
“Sure, but where?”
“I’m heading to hunt the Big Boar in the east. Yun, feel free to join for leveling up.”
“Wait, you’re assuming I’ll come?”
“Why not? Honestly, I’m out of potions and stuck.”
“Got it. Let’s meet in front of the gate.”
“Understood.”
Hmm, hunting the Big Boar, huh? That means it’s at the level of the Sandman in the western mining area. I’m a bit curious. I quickly check my gear. I have about three hundred arrows with enhanced strength, so I shouldn’t run out during combat. However, relying only on stone and wooden arrows feels a bit risky. I should buy iron arrows next time and enhance them with Alchemy. But I’m out of money right now.
When I arrive at the eastern gate, I look for Taku. His gear seems to have improved since the first day. It’s a bit frustrating since I’m still in my starting gear.
“Hey, Yun.”
“Yeah. Are you sure it’s okay for someone like me to join?”
Honestly, I’m filled with anxiety. Well, the gender ratio of the other members is two to two. Since we’re both guys, it feels a bit skewed, but it should be fine.
I casually chat with Taku’s party members.
“An ‘ore girl’ has arrived! Aaaah!”
“Wow, she’s beautiful!”
“But she’s not holding a bow. Is she going to be okay? Plus, she’s in starting gear.”
“Who cares? It’s a game; just have fun!”
“Ah, yeah. I’m worried too, you know? An ‘ore girl’ in starting gear. And I’m a guy.”
“Taku said he’d bring his real-life friends, but their appearance levels are high. Plus, she’s the feisty type, a classic kuudere. This is going to be great!”
“She’s a beauty.”
“Please don’t talk about her looks anymore! I’m begging you.”
A lightly armored man and a blonde-haired mage in a white robe with a staff chime in.
“Um, this is Yun. As you can see, he’s a bow user in starting gear, but he should be somewhat useful. Even if he’s not, he can serve as a reference for changing Sense during this battle.”
“Hey, don’t decide he’s useless from the start. I’m a production class. We’re just in different fields.”
Everyone around looks surprised. Yeah, I get it. I’m a bow user in starting gear. It’s ridiculous, but the truth is I’m broke and can’t do anything.
“In that case, he might be useful. By the way, what are you making?”
The guy who looks like a rugged warrior reacts to the mention of bows and starting gear. He looks cool in his gray armor, like a seasoned warrior. It’s impressive but also annoying.
[Just some potions.]
I pull out one of the potions I made from my inventory to show them. Upon seeing it, he starts asking questions.
“Is that a Beginner Potion?”
“No, it’s a regular one, one level up. It can serve as a recovery item.”
“Ah, I sold all my potions because I was broke. Everything except this one…”
Taku bursts out laughing. He’s been holding back laughter since I was mistaken for a girl. I’ll get him back for this later.
“Are you an idiot? Why would you sell all your potions?”
“Because I can manage with Beginner Potions and Pills.”
“Are you stupid? Once your total SP exceeds zero, the effects of Beginner Potions decrease!”
“Really? So that means all my Sense levels are over zero or close to it. I’m still fine.”
The gray warrior seems to be holding his head in frustration. His words carry no malice; they’re likely from a place of kindness, but coming from someone so rugged, it feels intimidating. The green-hatted mage with round glasses next to him looks like a witch. It makes sense that front-line players need potions for that reason.
“Let me explain. The fighter is Gantz, the healer next to him is Minutes. The armored guy is Kei, and the witch girl is Mami. And I’m the swordsman, Taku.”
After Taku introduces everyone, they all greet me warmly, and I return the sentiment, introducing myself.
“I’m Yun. As you can see, I’m a broke bow user in starting gear.”
I wonder if that’s a good way to introduce myself, but it’s the truth. I think it’s better than lying or boasting. After that, we move through the plains to the location of the Big Boar. As a bow user, I need to avoid wasting arrows in close combat. So, I’m not allowed to participate in the fighting, but instead, I take the opportunity to gather items and enchant when no one is watching.
I manage to gather basic items like Detox Grass and Detox Herbs, and I can update the recipe for the Detox Potion. The new method involves combining Detox Grass with a Potion.
In other words, there are multiple ways to create items. It seems there are various methods to make them step by step. Most players don’t gather items because they can buy them from NPCs. Also, it seems that stones can be combined with Iron Ore to create bronze ingots. I should consult Magi about that.
Additionally, it seems that wooden branches can be gathered anywhere there are trees. Also, feathers can be easily obtained from bird-type MOBs. It seems that these can be used with the Sense of [Number Continuation] to create feathers for beds or sleeping bags, which increase recovery during rest. They sell for about 2300G, but I find them useful for my arrows.
Along the way, I’m grinning from gathering items. However, I can feel Gantz and Minutes’ gazes on me.
“W-What’s up, Gantz and Minutes?”
“Are you really Taku’s acquaintance? Because a cute girl like you wouldn’t be friends with a loser like Taku.”
“Plus, you have a sister, right? So, you’re the responsible younger sister who’s come along with the hopeless Taku. What kind of rom-com is this?”
No, I don’t know. I’m a guy!
“If it were me, I’d be head over heels for you, Yun-chan.”
“Guys, no thanks.”
“I like cute girls too.”
“I don’t like that kind of attention!”
Minutes puts her hand on my shoulder from behind. This kind of attention is unwelcome for a guy.
I look around, seeking help with my eyes, and Kei, the armored guy, gives a bitter expression and turns to Mami. “Hey, Taku. You’re the leader, so get it together,” he says, shooting a glance at him, but Taku just smiles awkwardly.
“Hey, hey. What’s your relationship with Taku-kun? What’s the real deal?”
“Minute. It’s bad manners to ask about real-life stuff in a game, you know?”
The leaden warrior, Kei, stepped in as a stopper in place of Taku. Taku shrugged his shoulders lightly and finally moved.
“Well then, let’s set up an ambush around here. We’ve been playing around too much, so Gantz, the fast one, will lure the Big Boar over.”
“No way, that’s impossible. The Big Boar is fast, right? Let’s just rely on magic and hit it hard from a distance.”
Seemingly satisfied, Gantz and Minute drifted apart after that exchange.
“Fine, but I’m paper-thin. If I get hit in the wrong spot, I could die instantly. Plus, magic can’t be used continuously, so if I get caught in the blast…”
Mami voiced her concerns, looking a bit anxious.
“Ah, what should we do?” Wait, you hadn’t thought this through?
“Hey, to lure it in, we just need to land a hit, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. We just need to hit it directly…”
“If we can hit it from this position, then I’ll do it.”
Taku looked confused, as if he didn’t understand what was going on. It seemed like I could surprise him after a long time.
/ Enchant
“Just watch. (Enhance) | | Attack | – Enchant for the player.”
Once the level of the [Enhance] surpassed the ordinary, the effects and duration of the skill improved, and the wait time until the next chant decreased.
After boosting my attack power, I pulled back the bowstring. The distance was roughly estimated in meters.
It seemed that the range also depended on my attack power, and the growth of the enchantment directly correlated with the increase in range.
The calculation for the shooting distance was complex, but with a grown bow, [Arts], and enchantments, I could reach a sufficient distance.
Aiming with [Surrounding Eye], I heard the taut sound of the bowstring being pulled and released.
The arrow sliced through the wind. Before I could confirm the hit with [Surrounding Eye], I nocked the next arrow. By the time I released the second shot, I had confirmed that the first arrow had struck.
“Hit! It’s coming!”
I released the second shot, but this time I missed.
Having used [Double Shot], my MP was running low. Until I returned to the normal shooting range, I could only use one enchantment.
“(Enhance) | | Defense |”
I cast a defensive enchantment on Taku to prepare for the counterattack.
The firepower of magic users was overwhelming, and the coordination of two fighters and one tactician was tight.
Kei stood firm right in front of the charging Big Boar, not taking a step back. Taku and Gantz engaged in hit-and-run tactics. Sometimes, they drew the Big Boar’s attention to create opportunities for healing, forcing a change of target with reckless attacks. The three of them could create the next coordinated move just by calling each other’s names or saying simple words.
Even so, the Big Boar’s attacks could take away a third of Taku’s HP in a single hit. However, Taku managed to hold on to two-thirds. Ah, right. Taku was wearing armor. And the enchantment increased based on his personal stats. In other words, the higher the stats, the more effective the enchantment.
Yeah, that was a good discovery.
I also needed to shoot arrows, and once my MP recovered, I would cast a defensive enchantment. Just as Minute and Mami were about to run out of MP, we finally took down the Big Boar. It took quite a while, and it was tough. Was the Sandman this strong too?
After the battle, we all checked our levels. They seemed a bit happy. My bow and magic talent had increased, along with my enchantment. Fighting strong enemies really did give a boost to experience points.
“I didn’t expect we’d take down the Big Boar so easily. Maybe buying items beforehand was a waste.”
“Easily? You were sweating bullets just watching from the back!”
“Yun, you’ve never faced a strong enemy in a party, have you?”
I had only taken down weak enemies solo during the initial tutorial with my little sister.
“Normally, if a party including players with low SP fights a Big Boar, it’s tough without potions or MP potions.”
Even so, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
“Hey, was it Yun? Can I ask you something?”
“What is it, Kei?”
“Why did you take the [Enhance] Sense? They said it was useless, right?”
“Hmm, just a hunch. I aimed to create a versatile support character based on my initial character concept, but it ended up being treated like garbage, so I just switched to a production job. I only have [Enhance] because it was a whim. I was planning to replace it at first.”
“I see. One more thing. Why did you cast a defensive enchantment on us front-liners? An attack enchantment would have been better.”
“Hmm? This time the goal was leveling up, right? [Armor] Sense and Gantz’s [Leather Armor] need to take damage to level up. That’s why.”
“I see. So… you were helped by [Enhance]. Thanks for that. I felt a shiver down my spine. It’s strange for a guy to feel shy.”
“But it’s true. If it weren’t for the defensive enchantment reducing damage and you drawing the Big Boar’s attention from a distance with your bow, we would have run out of MP and been in danger.”
“If you say that, it helps. It’s a bit embarrassing to be praised by the girls. But right after, Minute flashed a grin.”
“But why was Taku the first one you cast [Enhance] on?”
“Huh? Why are you asking that?”
“Fufu, when you like a boy, you want to support him.”
“That’s not it! It just caught my eye naturally…”
“So the one who caught your eye was Taku?”
“See? That’s not it! Taku is just my childhood friend from way back… Besides, he’s a guy…” I was about to say that, but Minute teased me lightly, brushing off my reaction.
Her serious demeanor seemed to excite her, and I felt my face heat up a bit. Minute turned her teasing toward Taku, who was handling it well. I looked at her back with envy, while the other members secretly smiled at the scene. It felt like I was the one being jealous of Taku. Ah, I should stop thinking about this and shake my head lightly to reset my feelings.
“Alright, let’s take a break and have a reflection meeting while checking our inventories. After that, let’s hunt a few more Big Boars and head back.”
Following Taku’s lead, I checked the items I had obtained in my inventory. Yeah, we had hunted a lot, so the items were few, but what’s this Big Boar Meat? How do I use it? I put the usage on hold and then obtained items like Big Boar Fur and Big Boar Core.
As a result of hunting with Taku and the others, my level increased significantly. The experience points from strong enemies were indeed fruitful. So, I thought, high risk, high return. Well, I’m not part of the raid group, so I’m fine taking it easy.
My senses are half combat and half production, so I can’t level up evenly just by fighting. What Mami said about balancing combat and production being difficult was true.
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong, Yun-chan?”
Minute hugged me from behind. Whoa, women are soft. Wait, that’s not it; I’m a guy. I wish she would stop calling me “chan.”
“Don’t cling to me.”
“I won’t! I’m too cute for that…”
She didn’t seem like she would let go anytime soon, but I couldn’t just struggle against a girl. Besides, it wasn’t that close of a contact, so I could endure it a bit longer. The sensation sent a shiver down my spine.
(Yun-chan. I’m sorry for teasing you earlier.)
(Minute)
(I’m not trying to take Taku-kun away.)
No, I felt like there was a huge misunderstanding mixed in, but when I turned my head, I saw Minute smiling at me up close.
“That’s why I’m a guy. So please stop thinking like that.”
“Eh? You’re too cute for a boy! I mean, a boy dressed as a girl… Hmm, you should make your outfit sharper.”
“Then Taku! You prove it!”
“Don’t be shy. Yun is pretty much the same in real life, right?”
“Wha—! Real-life ‘I’m a girl’ statement!”
“Taku, you bastard!”
Seeing me unable to escape from her embrace, Taku laughed heartily. Damn it.
“But they say bow users are weak or unfortunate, but I don’t feel that way at all. Plus, [Enhance] is considered an unfortunate sense, but being able to make potions means you have [Alchemy] and [Synthesis], right? I don’t think it’s treated that badly.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I wonder why they said that.”
The women tilted their heads. I didn’t know either, but it seemed interesting, so it was fine, right? The men, however, wore somewhat ambiguous expressions.
“Yeah, that’s because of the town raid event back in version 8.”
Kei began to explain.
“In the defense event, a mixed unit of long-range magic users and bow users was supposed to reduce numbers, while the front-liners would clean up the remaining forces. However, the bow users had to restock arrows in town, which led to the town’s arrow supply running out. As a result, they couldn’t gather enough arrows for the defense, and the bow users were forced into battle without arrows, turning them into sitting ducks.”
The event ended in a disastrous defeat, and the bow users ended up garnering resentment from many players.
“Man, that was really nerve-wracking. We front-liners had to jump back into the fray even with status downgrades from dying.”
“Yeah, during that time, the heroes who stood out were called ‘Silver Holy Knight’ and ‘The Witch of Still Waters,’ right, Gantz?”
For some reason, he gazed off into the distance. Don’t give me that dead fish look.
“Also, what’s strange is [Enhance]. How can it be used like that?”
“Eh, here?”
Well, enchantments can normally be cast on allies, right? Now that I think about it, this might be the first time I’ve cast it on someone. Why are the women surprised too?
“Could it be that you couldn’t cast it on allies?”
“No, the drawback of the [Enhance] Sense is its range. Roughly 2 meters. According to someone who raised it, it didn’t change even after leveling up, and they gave up early on and switched.”
“So, it’s the short range? 2 meters is about the initial range of a bow. If it’s that close, you can’t enchant the front-liners, and if you step forward to cast it, you’ll get caught in the attack. Enchantments were designed with magic users in mind, so their defense is cardboard-level.”
“That’s why it’s strange. Being able to safely cast enchantments in battle like that. Do you have any idea why?”
“No, I just look at who to cast it on and…”
At those words, only Taku, who knew all my initial senses, reacted.
“Yun. Are you still leveling [Hawk’s Eye]?”
—Huh? That’s convenient. It includes both long-range vision and night vision. Perfect for nighttime hunting, and I’ve been leveling it up constantly at night.
“Try casting an enchantment on me while looking at me.”
Taku said from about 5 meters away.
“I don’t really get it, but (Enhance) | Defense.”
Taku was enveloped in a lost blue light. After about a minute, the enchantment effect faded.
“Next, turn to the right and cast it on me. Don’t let me enter your line of sight.”
“Got it, got it. (Enhance) | Defense: …Wait, what?”
I couldn’t cast the enchantment. Seeing that, Taku sighed as if to say, “I knew it.”
The others around us noticed. I was the only one who didn’t understand the situation, confirming that I could use the enchantment on myself and others just fine.
“We had a big misunderstanding. The essence of [Surrounding Eye] isn’t long-range or night vision. It’s targeting ability.”
I tilted my head at the unfamiliar term.
“In other words, it’s the ability to select a target based on what you can see. If you level it up, it could become an incredible ability.”
“Ahahaha, I hope it grows into an official cheat.”
“Eh, what do you mean?”
I was completely lost and wanted a proper explanation.
“In other words, Yun can cast magic on whatever he sees. So if you learn the staff and magic attribute senses, you could become a long-range powerhouse.”
I still didn’t quite understand, but the idea of being a powerhouse sounded cool.
“What will you do, Yun? Will you change to a magic class?”
“No, I don’t want to be like everyone else. I’ll stick to my current style as a production job and bow user.”
“Also, should we post this information on the strategy site? If we do, the combo of [Powder Eye] and [Enhance] will elevate both senses from being unfortunate.”
“Hmm. What if someone copies my style? I’d rather not. I want to keep my unique style without anyone else doing it.”
“Understood. Everyone else, do you have any objections to keeping quiet?”
Everyone agreed. They were surprisingly nice, and I thought I’d like to go hunting again if something came up.
I suddenly gained four friends. I could almost hear the words “I might make friends” echoing in my mind.
[Enhance] and [Surrounding Eye] might not be useful on their own, but together they seemed to be quite effective. If I continued to develop them, I could support Taku and his friends even more than today. That thought made me a little happy.
Chapter Three: The Crystal Tree and Miu
Having learned the joy of party hunting with Taku and the others, I found myself not getting acquainted with any other parties.
Sadly, I didn’t seem to have the courage to invite anyone.
According to Taku and Miu, “The beginning of connections with people often starts with calculation.” I’m surprised that my older brother has a sister who says such things.
Without forming a party with others, I was now diligently gathering resources, which had become almost a life’s work for me.
As for the other players, many were dissatisfied with the potion shortage, while some saw it as a business opportunity.
The specific money-making strategy involved pairing up to acquire [Alchemy] and [Synthesis] skills, dividing the work to produce potions.
I thought that division of labor was necessary for mass production when I heard that.
After a night of calm reflection, I realized that if I bought herbs from the NPC stock and turned them into potions, one herb would yield 2G, and two would yield 4G. If I then generated potions, Mami’s buying price would be 10G.
In other words, it was easy money. Even though I was broke with only 130G, it wasn’t that easy to earn money just from herbs.
Then I could buy them. With that thought, I hurried out on a midsummer afternoon.
I should have gone in the morning. No, that’s impossible. I’m the one supporting the household chores, like buying groceries. The weather seemed bad, so I dried things indoors today. Plus, since there was a worry about summer evening showers, I took time to link the local weather information to the [OSO] settings, so alarms would ring in-game. I realized I was somewhat of a tech novice.
Running toward the town from the western safety area, which was almost like a base, I thought about how I had SP, so I should acquire the speed-up sense and run. My current senses had grown quite a bit from yesterday’s Big Boar hunt.
Current SP: 5
[Bow Lv3] [Hawk’s Eye Lv8] [Speed Up Lv1] [Magic Talent Lv6] [Magic Power Lv8]
[Alchemy Lv5] [Enhance Lv6] [Synthesis Lv1] [Alchemy Lv1] [Production Knowledge Lv1]
[Training Lv1] [Crafting Lv5]
I was fast. Miu and Sei-nee also had stat-up senses. Experiencing it, I felt it was indeed convenient, as if I were constantly under enchantment.
As I pondered these thoughts, I found myself in the central square. There should be an NPC shopkeeper here.
“Excuse me, do you have any herbs?”
“I’m sorry, but we’re out of herbs. Apparently, everyone has been buying them up to make potions.”
The lowly man bowed his head apologetically. Wow, modern games have made NPCs so realistic! Wait, that’s not the point!
“—That’s what I’m saying!”
“Since a while ago, people have been buying up herbs to make potions. By the way, the Beginner Potion is also out of stock.”
What?! So, the resellers have already bought everything up, anticipating the two-person potion crafting event from yesterday? Moreover, I could hear the word “herb” being tossed around at various stalls on the opposite side of the square. Distancing myself from the NPC shopkeeper, I headed toward those stalls.
“Herbs are 15G each! Beginner Potions are 2G!”
What?! That’s just a material item! It’s the same price as the original Beginner Potion, and crafting one costs 8G! The only ones making a profit from this are the stall owners, who are practically robbing people.
Yet, there were people happily buying herbs and Beginner Potions. Why are they so willing to pay these ridiculous prices? It felt so unreasonable. Such scenes were scattered all around.
I couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed. I should hurry to deliver the items to Miu. With that thought, I left the scene, ready to vent my frustrations.
I confirmed that I had messaged Miu beforehand and made my way to our usual meeting spot.
“Miu, you won’t believe what happened.”
“I know, I know. It’s about the herbs, right? Wow, even I was surprised by that.”
Miu welcomed me casually, her voice tinged with sympathy. “That’s just highway robbery! It feels like a declaration of war against someone like me who’s always broke.”
“Don’t be so angry! You’ll ruin your cute face!”
I was quite dissatisfied, but to Miu, I probably looked like an adorable girl throwing a tantrum, which made her smile.
While I was busy grumbling, the delivery was completed.
The items I handed over to Miu were worth 2100G, consisting of potions and pills sold at a 70% price.
Hmm, I still need a bit more to buy a production kit.
I really want money.
“How about selling those potions yourself? You could sell them for three times the price right now!”
That’s true. If I did that, I’d make about 6000G. The self-made potions, after the drying process, have slightly better effects. I’m confident they’d sell well, but…
“I’ll pass. If I do that, I’ll just be like those resellers. Instead, could you take a look at the items I’ve gathered so far? There might be something worth selling among them.”
“You’re really not greedy, are you? Alright, let’s see what materials you have.”
Miu chuckled as I loaded the trade screen with items I didn’t need.
I had plenty of unused materials: skins from drops, fur from wild dogs, fangs, and even large furs made through alchemy. I had quite a surplus of unused materials.
“Well, they’re all pretty average. I’d say they’re worth about two to three copper coins each. But can I ask you something?”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Where did you get that large fur?”
Miu grinned as she looked at the large fur.
“Uh, well, I’d prefer to keep that a secret.”
“That’s fine! So, can you use that to make more items like this? If you do, I’ll buy them from you with a color enhancement.”
“But why just this one…?”
“Ah, can I share a little insider info? Furs and skins are used to craft leather armor and coats. Well, for the early game, the mobs around here don’t drop large furs in sufficient sizes. There’s a skill to combine five pieces of fur into one, but even with that skill, the seams are set in a way that… I don’t know why, but depending on the material, the durability ends up being slightly lower.”
So, the skills of crafting and sewing are used to connect the furs and skins together.
“Because of that, our in-house tailor has been synthesizing their own materials, but they still want to create high-quality items, right? So, I’d be really grateful if you could sell them to me.”
“Alright, I’ll make some with the other surplus materials.”
There were people all around, and everyone was busy crafting potions with their shiny skills. Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be a problem if alchemy was mixed in there, and in fact, you can perform alchemy without taking items out.
—Alright, here I go.
“Okay, I’ll leave it to you.”
With a flash, the process was complete. I dislike this blandness, so I always take the items out and transform them right in front of me. The items I had in my inventory were transformed into…
Three large skins, three large dog furs, seven large fangs, and three large herbs.
[Completed!]
“Wow, you really did it! Now, show me what you’ve got!”
I opened the trade screen again and loaded the alchemized items.
“Thanks a lot! So, how much do you want for them?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. Please just give me a fair price.”
“Even if you say that, NPCs sell them for 70% of the price, which is already cheap. Plus, keeping it a secret means the value won’t drop. What do you think? Should I try to squeeze some extra out of you?”
“Why do you always have to say such unnecessarily lewd things? Just 70% is fine.”
“I’ve said it before, but you really aren’t greedy, are you? Well, to be honest, I don’t know the price either, so I’ll ask around, but for now, this should be fine.”
The amount displayed on the trade screen was 2500G! That’s more than I’d make from potions.
“Every time I trade with you, I’m amazed.”
Mostly in terms of money. From the quality iron ingots yesterday to the items I transformed today.
“I’m just as surprised. You have such an interesting skill setup.”
That’s mostly in terms of items, I get that.
“But still, despite having such unfortunate skills, why is it so interesting?”
“Well, I’m a character suited for the crafting industry.”
“Haha, you really play in a way that weaves through the gaps in human thought. Please don’t tease me.”
Even as I said that, I couldn’t help but smile. With this, I’d made a profit of 4600G. I could finally buy a portable furnace. Normally, those with skills in blacksmithing or crafting buy a furnace for 800G, gather iron ore in the western forest, and start crafting. I’ve been around quite a bit.
It feels like it’s been a long journey to get here since I started the game.
“Alright, trade complete. Is there anything else?”
“Actually, yes. Yesterday, I picked up some steel ore and iron ore. Can I synthesize these into bronze ingots?”
“Oh, that? I did that with a friend back in version 8.”
“What was it like?”
“Bronze gear doesn’t have very good performance. It’s just inferior, and the defense isn’t high. But it’s good practice for crafting skills, better than copper.”
Ah, so it’s better than copper but worse than iron. And my crafting skill is still low.
[By the way, you can also buy it from NPCs. Once you’ve made a bronze ingot, it’s available.]
So, once I make it, I can just buy it. That’s a bit disheartening. I was so excited to pick it up.
“Well, I guess I’ll just have to practice.”
It seems like the road ahead for my crafting skills is going to be quite challenging. Leaving Miu’s stall, I headed to the NPC shops in town to gather the necessary items.
I had enough money. Even after buying the portable furnace, I still had some left over. | 800G
I had enough money. I could even buy a higher-grade polishing kit and still have some left over. | 1500G
I had enough money. I could even buy a higher-grade synthesis kit and still have some left over. | 1500G
I had enough money. So, I bought ten iron arrows. | 300G
As a result, my remaining balance was | 630G.
What I gained from that was priceless. Wait, that’s not right! I overspent! I’m broke again. So, I’ll have to engage in production activities once more.
I moved to my field.
Ah, I’m out of money. If I could sell potions consistently every day, I could make 2000G.
And I have a portable furnace! I can make accessories with this! I can properly cut gemstones from raw stones! I can even make iron arrows +0!
But I’m still out of money. What a letdown.
Well, first, I’ll check the field. From one spot, I harvested one seed and some quality herbs. So, as long as I have seeds, I won’t run out. And since I added fertilizer, the herbs have become high quality. I have twenty of them. Hmm, even if I convert them into lower-grade items through alchemy, that’s still forty. To make potions, I need twenty, which isn’t enough to deliver to Miu, and I can’t gather enough herbs to make pills or antidote potions.
It seems I still need to focus on hunting and gathering.
Well, leaving potions to sit for a day yields twenty, which is significant. That’s a simple calculation of 700G a day. To cover the cost of the field, it would only take five days. Well, that’s only for those who have seeds.
And I began to dry the herbs I had enhanced through alchemy to make Beginner Potions. I used a shortcut recipe instead of doing it by hand. While it’s less effective, I’m confident that the products I create will be better than the other potions made through synthesis. Even so, they’re still low-grade potions, so it’s a matter of degrees.
Hmm, this allows me to raise my skills in alchemy, synthesis, and production knowledge simultaneously. Until now, leveling up alchemy has been difficult, but it’s gradually improving.
While higher-grade transformations consume items quickly, if I can easily obtain higher-grade materials, I can increase my items through lower-grade transformations. Wow, my unfortunate skills are blooming more and more. But the conversion rate remains unchanged. Perhaps it won’t change in the future either. If that’s the case, what will change?
Well, time is pressing. Next, I need to make ingots at the portable furnace.
“Miu said that iron ore is a low-level ore, so I guess I’ll start with copper.”
I’ll turn three copper ores into ingots. I placed them in the portable furnace and began to hammer the glowing metal with my tools, creating a pleasant sound.
“My arms… what is this…”
—The hammer is seriously heavy. If I don’t swing it down with a certain speed and strength, the glowing copper will cool and crack. If the ingot breaks, it’s a production failure, and the item disappears.
The first one didn’t even turn into an ingot. I continued trying two, three more times, but I couldn’t succeed at all. I must have discarded about thirty copper ores, and I was already below half.
Speaking of which, those with blacksmithing or crafting skills also have attack power enhancement skills, right? That means I’m lacking in attack power and ATK. I just acquired the speed enhancement skill, so if I get stuck, I should consider acquiring more skills.
If I carelessly acquire skills, I might regret it later. However, if it’s absolutely necessary, I should acquire them when possible. In other words, if I can enchant myself while crafting, then…
Let’s give it a try and cast an attack enchantment on myself.
“Oh, it’s light! It’s so light!”
The hammer that was so heavy before is now easy to swing. Plus, I’m not getting tired as quickly. The sound of metal striking resonates rhythmically. So, the attack enchantment might be raising my strength, similar to how it works in other games. Well, in the case of weapons, it’s not just strength… no, I shouldn’t think too deeply about it. Anyway, I can substitute the attack power enhancement with this enchantment.
Hmm? Yesterday, I had a speed enchantment while working in the field. So, the speed of my actions, like moving, is handled by the speed enchantment.
I succeeded in making an ingot on my fourth try. However, I didn’t feel any excitement; I was more focused on verifying my doubts.
“If I double enchant while working, wouldn’t that improve efficiency?”
I customized my skill setup to include speed enhancement, magic talent, magic power, addition, crafting, and production knowledge.
First, I cast the attack enchantment. Next, the speed enchantment. Red and yellow lights occasionally mixed and clashed, enveloping my body. It seems I can stack multiple enchantments. I lightly swung my arm to the side. With the speed enhancement, it felt like my arm was swinging faster.
Then, I proceeded to make my fifth ingot.
Once the enchantment wore off, I reapplied it and swung the hammer again. It was fast, really fast. The ingots were being produced quickly. The glowing copper clashed against the forceful hammer, occasionally sparking.
It was going smoothly up to a point. However, making ingots takes time. I was so focused that I kept using the enchantment, and eventually, my MP ran out. I failed just one hit away from success.
“Hmm. If I strengthen my magic power more, I could probably do it, but for ingots above iron, this method won’t work. Should I really take the attack power enhancement skill?”
While waiting for my MP to recover, I crossed my arms and pondered. Then I remembered. Crafting jobs can use shortcuts for items they’ve made before.
In other words, I can make copper ingots. Ah, I wasted five copper ores earlier. I’ll use my MP to execute the crafting skill for iron ingots. It was surprisingly easy to do.
Strangely, it only consumed about 20% of my MP. I realized just how easy the skills for alchemy and synthesis are. My current magic power is at a level, yet it still consumes that much. So, when it comes to higher-grade metals, the consumption is proportionate.
Making ingots, like polishing, also has a chance of failure. Since my crafting skill is still low, I might not be able to use the branches effectively, among other issues.
I decided it was pointless to think too much about it and focused on leveling up my crafting and magic power skills. That way, I could enhance the capabilities of higher-grade enchantments while working by hand. Even though it’s a game, my arms felt heavy, and the heat leaking from the portable furnace was making my face flush. Ignoring that, I continued to swing my hammer with a clear mind.
I repeated the cycle of breaking, creating, and breaking again, and managed to produce several ingots.
I spent quite a bit of time on this, but I managed to get a decent number of ingots.
I ended up with two iron ingots. The rest were failures. I got two copper ingots and four dog ingots.
My magic talent reached level 7, and my magic power skill grew as well. Thanks to the triple enchantment, I think my growth is on par with a regular mage.
Looking back, the initial MP consumption wasn’t very convenient, but since my magic power has grown, it’s not as inconvenient as it used to be. Combined with the “Daylight” effect, I could compensate for the short range of the effect.
Even now, I’m properly assisting with the ingot production. Thanks to that, my crafting level has risen to six.
“I was asked to exchange with Miu, but I’m actually quite fond of my current skill setup.”
I muttered to myself. Ah, I’m satisfied. This is quite fun. Next, I’ll finally get to make accessories, and with that thought in mind, I logged out.
What awaited me was Miu, who was sulking with an empty stomach. Leaning against the sofa, she stared at me with a pitiful gaze, prompting me to hurriedly prepare dinner.
“Big Brother, even if you were engrossed in your game, forgetting dinner is a bit much, don’t you think?”
“My apologies, I truly am sorry.”
After dinner, Miu and I sat across from each other, sipping tea. It was true that I had been so absorbed in the game that I had forgotten to prepare dinner, and I felt guilty about it. However, she could be late sometimes too.
“If you’re not around, dinner doesn’t get made.”
“Well, you could occasionally consider making dinner for your brother.”
“Is that okay? What if I give you food poisoning?”
“No, before worrying about food poisoning, how about you learn to cook?”
“I don’t want to hear about that! How did it come to this?”
“How did it come to this, you ask? I received a bit of money and got a little carried away.”
As I slurped my tea, Miu’s gaze sharpened, silently demanding more details.
“Well, I met someone in the production profession who taught me a lot, and they bought some items I made. With that money, I gathered tools and focused on things I couldn’t do before, and before I knew it, it was this late.”
“Hmm. So, was that person in the production profession a man or a woman?”
At that moment, Miu’s gaze turned even colder. Her eyes narrowed, making me feel uncomfortable under her direct stare. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was losing my edge as her older brother.
“So, how much did you earn today?”
“I sold potions and materials for 4600G.”
This was a point of pride for me. I puffed out my chest, feeling like I had made some progress as a producer. I thought it was a chance to regain my former stature as an older brother.
However, Miu’s reaction was different.
“Is that all you earned? Top-level producers can earn ten times that in a single day.”
“Big Brother, I’m about to break down here. I originally had a combat power of 5, after all. I’m a producer, but I’m not at the top level. How much do I have to sell to earn that much?”
“By the way, my current funds are at 10,000G, and I believe Sister has 20,000G.”
“You’re a bourgeois! What is that, combat power? In that case, my 630G is worthless.”
“Are people in your circle throwing money around? I’ve seen some terrible disparities.”
“About today’s dinner, if you spend the whole day with me tomorrow, I’ll forgive you.”
“Am I your pack mule again? Do I have to walk through this concrete jungle in the sweltering summer?”
“No! I want to do a quest in the game! The limit is two women, so I thought of teaming up with you!”
—Wait, I’m a guy.
“The character in the game is female, right? Besides, many players are hesitant about this quest, so other female players won’t take it on.”
So please, she said, putting her hands together in a cute gesture. Sure, my character was female, but I wasn’t doing it because I wanted to. Moreover, I didn’t want to take on a quest that was so avoided…
“So, please join me tomorrow! Otherwise, I won’t forgive you!”
“Is that a threat after a request? Fine. But are you sure you can manage with just your starting equipment?”
“Eh? You’re still in your starting gear?”
“I’m planning to buy something cheap. If I save a bit of money, I can afford NPC-made weapons and armor.”
“You should avoid NPC-made gear. NPC bows have low durability. However, beginner weapons and armor have no durability set, so they won’t break.”
“Really? Then I’ll just keep using them.”
“However, the design is intentionally ugly.”
I knew that already. I had noticed that while there were still beginners around, the armor and clothes of Miu and Taku had similar designs, and I felt a bit envious.
“The bow is fine, but you have to buy some clothes. After we finish the quest, can we go shopping? There’s a producer who sells cute clothes at a low price. Though, the performance is low.”
“I won’t buy any. I mean, I’m technically a guy, so why do I have to wear cute clothes?”
“I think it would suit you better.”
Sighing, I refused. Right now, enhancing my equipment and gear took precedence over appearances.
“Fine. Do I have anything I need to gather?”
“Nothing. It’s just for the numbers.”
Of course, being told so bluntly was a bit shocking. My sister was pulling away from me. Miu finished her tea in one go and dashed up the stairs, her earlier sulkiness replaced by a lighthearted skip. What was going on with her?
That day passed without incident, and the next morning, Miu woke me up with a bang.
It was five in the morning! That was way too early! I was annoyed, but I reluctantly made breakfast and got caught up in chores. However, waking up at five in the morning wasn’t all bad. The early hours were quite pleasant to spend.
It wasn’t the piercing sunlight I usually faced while hanging laundry, but rather a refreshing, translucent sunlight…
No, that didn’t matter. I planned to take on a quest with Miu in the afternoon, and we would each go our separate ways in the morning.
Today, I was heading to Magi’s place to sell items. Since I hadn’t gone hunting yesterday, the only items I had to sell were potions. A total of forty, bringing in 1400G.
There were both good and bad pieces of news. The leather and hide materials I brought yesterday apparently had a higher value, so the next buyback would be at a better price.
That was good to hear. However, the bad news made my face sour.
“Ah, it seems there might be an oversupply of potions. Prices are starting to drop everywhere.”
“Does that include my potions?”
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. They won’t drop below the fair price, and Yoon-kun’s potions have high effectiveness, so they have become a hidden gem known only to a few.”
“That’s a relief.”
—Oh, and by the way, I’m about to open my own shop. I’ve finally saved up enough money.
“Congratulations!” I said, genuinely happy for her.
“Well, it’s at least the store price, but it’s not just the minimum. If I’m going to buy a store, I want to get the biggest one in town. Plus, I need initial equipment, so I’ve been saving up to 10,000G. I also need materials, so I currently have about 1 million G.”
“Oh, really? You’re rich! 1 million, meaning you’re in the mega or million range. That’s more than Miu or Sei-nee. As expected of a producer. You’re practically a top player!”
“So, bring your potions directly to my shop. I’ll buy them from you properly.”
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to stop by.”
I bowed my head. Initially, it had been a calculated meeting, wondering if I could sell potions, but now I felt we had built a good relationship.
While chatting with Magi, she occasionally responded to customers and promoted her new shop. I glanced at the prices of the weapons she was selling, and they were surprisingly high for their performance. The cheapest one was 20,000G.
“M-Magi? What about this weapon?”
“Oh, that’s a one-handed sword? I made it in my spare time. Yeah, I didn’t have much sense with it.”
“No, I mean the performance!”
Wild Blade【One-Handed Sword】
ATK+ Material Additional Effect: Critical Increase (Minimal)
My bow has ATK+2, and iron arrows have ATK+3. In total, that’s 5. Generally, the initial weapons are about the same. NPC weapons max out at 6. Given that the game has just started, this is quite a high-level weapon. But that’s not the issue. I’ve never seen an additional effect like this.
“Oh, that? The additional effect? Anyone can add that if they reach a higher level of the 【Blacksmith】 sense.”
“Ah, so leveling up 【Blacksmith】 leads to the advanced sense of 【Forging】. Once you reach that, weapons can have additional effects. Isn’t that amazing? By the way, 【Crafting】 can also level up to the sense of 【Enlargement】, so keep at it!”
“Is it okay to ask you about this?”
“Of course! This is something that would be on strategy sites anyway. What’s more important is the characteristics and combinations of each sense. It’s a game that requires talent, so you can’t just follow templates. Unexpected methods are things you should keep to yourself.”
I felt like I could relate to that. 【Insight】 and 【Addition】. Others probably wouldn’t think of those.
Ugh.
【Addition】 seems to be a magic for frontline fighters, while 【Insight】 is a long-range sense. Front and back. They seem contradictory, yet when combined, they expand the range.
“That’s true. But I’m glad to hear that 【Crafting】 can branch off at level 3. I’ll try my best to reach that level.”
“Yeah, yeah. I like seeing you work hard like that, sister.”
I thought Magi was young too. She seemed to be around college age.
“It’s almost lunchtime, so I’m going to log out for a bit and have lunch.”
“Ah, I need to log out too and make lunch. Otherwise, my sister will scold me.”
“Oh, a young girl’s home-cooked meal? I’d like to try that too.”
There was a hint of something in her tone, but I logged out in a place where I wouldn’t be interrupted.
- For a quick lunch, I made stir-fried vegetables, miso soup, and white rice. Yes, a bit health-conscious with plenty of vegetables. As a bit of revenge for waking me up this morning, I added some shimeji mushrooms, which Miu disliked…
While eating, I noticed Miu’s eyes were a bit teary, but I enjoyed my meal. After finishing, she said,
“Big Brother, I’ll be waiting at the East Gate.”
With that, she retreated to her room. I wished she would at least finish washing the dishes first. Well, it wasn’t a big deal, so I let it slide.
I soon followed her lead and logged in.
At the East Gate, a crowd had gathered around the upper black mountain, and at the center was my sister.
“Let’s go hunting together. I want to break through Boss MOB 6 soon.”
“Hey, let’s go with us…”
“Would you like to join us? Well, regardless of gender, people are calling out to her. She might be my sister, but she’s a beautiful girl, so of course, she’d get some attention.”
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“You’re late! Let’s go!”
Next was Miu. Hey, her sword and shield had changed, just like Taku’s. They looked heavy and had a sturdy design, fitting her character image as a holy knight.
“Hey.”
“Just hurry up.”
Miu pulled my hand, eager to escape the crowd behind us. I could still hear voices calling out, but I decided it was best to ignore them and followed Miu.
Once we were a good distance away, I asked, “So, what happened back there?”
“Well, I’m somewhat of a well-known player, but I get a lot of unwanted attention.”
“Is that okay?”
—Also, this equipment and armor were custom-made by a friend I met in version 2.
“People keep asking me to introduce them or to give them my gear, and I’m just tired of it.”
“Be careful. Don’t follow any strange guys.”
“What? Are you worried about me, Yoon-nee?”
She teased me, grinning as she peeked at my face, making me turn away, flustered.
“Thanks for worrying about me, Yoon-nee.”
“Hey, even if my character is female, can you just call me brother?”
“Impossible! Besides, it’s your fault for being late!”
“If you helped out, it wouldn’t be so bad. You could dry the dishes or something.”
“That’s impossible! The game is calling me! Don’t bring emotions into this!” She sighed, clearly done with the topic.
“So, what quest are we taking on?”
“It’s a female-only quest! Plus, it’s a duo quest called 【Chris Warm’s Internal Investigation】.”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“To put it simply, it’s an investigation of a cave in the forest. There’s a male-only counterpart quest called 【Hymne Pond’s Environmental Survey】.”
“Heh, so it’s an NPC request, right?”
“Exactly! The hunting ground is just right for me. I had a good time in version 8, but everyone avoids it. After all, the MOBs in the game aren’t real.”
“Uh, I sense some ominous vibes in this conversation…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of the centipedes.”
“Ugh, I want to go home! I don’t want to go to a place with centipedes!”
“You promised yesterday! Breaking promises is bad!”
“Well, it’s your fault for not explaining things properly!”
“Ugh, I thought I could finally have a proper adventure with my sister.”
“What? Why are you looking like that? Fine, I’ll do it.”
“Okay, but I’ll just be enchanting from the back.”
“Yeah! Watch my brave figure!”
She had been teary-eyed, but now she was all smiles. VgR games really do have expressive characters, I thought, as an unrelated thought crossed my mind.
“Just let me gather materials along the way. There are copper and iron ores around here, perfect for leveling up my 【Crafting】 sense.”
“Did you hear that from that production profession girl?”
“Well, sort of.”
“Let’s go! And let’s hunt some weak MOBs too. You haven’t been here before, right?”
Miu’s tone had a hint of something, but I decided to ignore it.
I had been here before, but I hadn’t been allowed to fight along the way. Unlike the herbivores in the plains, these monsters were more like typical game monsters. Goblins, slimes? Small humanoids and jelly-like creatures were the staples of games. Miu swung her one-handed sword, taking them down in one strike, while I picked off goblins from a distance with my bow.
For me, bow attacks were point-based, and if I didn’t hit the slime at the right spot, I barely dealt any damage. So I left the slimes to Miu and focused on the goblins. With six enchanted iron arrows, I managed to take one down.
Even with the “Long-Distance Shooting” Arts, there were moments when I felt the pressure as they closed in on me. In battles against the Big Boar, my role was more about support and drawing aggro, so I realized that if I was going to venture into more dangerous hunting grounds, I needed to enhance my gear.
While I was risking my life to take down one, Miu was dispatching them with a single swing. I really felt like a burden.
I wondered what she would say once the fighting was over as I waited for Miu to return.
“—Finally done.”
“That was a good warm-up, huh, sister?”
“Was that a warm-up? I thought it was seriously dangerous.”
“That was easy-peasy. But I was surprised. You’ve gotten better at handling the bow.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“By the way, what are your current senses like?”
“Oh, they’re like this.”
【Bow Lv6】
【Hawk’s Eye Lv5】
【Speed Increase Lv4】
【Magic Talent Lv9】
【Magic Power Lv22】
【Alchemy Lv7】
【Addition Lv9】
【Synthesis Lv1】
【Crafting Lv0】
【Production Knowledge Lv5】
【Training Lv1】
【Potion Making Lv3】
I had leveled up from the earlier battle. I prioritized leveling up my crafting sense over alchemy since I needed it to appraise the stones I gathered.
“Wow, you took the speed increase. Plus, your Hawk’s Eye and Addition, and your magic power are all pretty high. How did you manage to get those up?”
“Well, I haven’t enchanted anything while moving, but I have been using enchantments.”
“Ah, so combat classes are hard to grow because you only use them in critical moments. But while moving…”
“This is really useful once you try it out. It can substitute for attack power increase senses. What about yours?”
“Umm, mine are like this.”
【One-Handed Sword Lv7】
Armor Level 8
Attack Power Increase Level
Defense Power Increase Level
Focus Level
Magic Talent Level A
Magic Power Level 8
Magic Recovery Level 3
Light Attribute Level 2
Healing Magic Level 5
“Wow, your levels are so high!”
“That’s normal. It’s just a repetition of what I’ve done before, so I can do it efficiently. Plus, once you surpass a certain point, it’s hard for your Sense to increase, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
Miu, who managed to raise her Sense for the Sword to One-Handed Sword Mastery in such a short time, is just too talented.
“Actually, my growth is better than when I was in the earlier version. It’s definitely the difference in equipment and money.”
She hums a tune as she walks ahead. Ah, I secretly vow to gather money quickly so I can catch up.
“Yun, big sister, we’ve arrived! This is the Chris Cave. Are you ready?”
Miu spins around, her silver hair swirling as she beams with a bright smile. The sight of her in silver armor radiates the aura of a paladin, or rather, a battle maiden.
Behind her, the cave gapes open with a mouth of crimson. Ah, I wonder if we’ll make it back safely?
“Alright, let’s go! (Light)!”
With Miu’s command, the dark cave is enveloped in a brilliant white light. Is this also a Light Magic Skill?
However, I possess Inner Eye, allowing me to see clearly deep into the cave, even where the light does not reach.
But that clarity is a double-edged sword. Yes, I can see everything too clearly.
Scritch-scratch-scratch
A sound echoes in the damp air, reminiscent of something scraping. I no longer need night vision. I want to avert my gaze from the grotesque sight before me. A centipede, about the width of a train station, crawls forward in droves.
Its round, red eyes gleam in the darkness as it approaches.
A chill runs down my spine. I forgot about enchantments and was transfixed by the sight.
“Alright, big sister. I’m going in!”
With a parting shout, Miu dashes forward, positioning herself before the sluggish centipede. She grips her sword with both hands and thrusts it down with a thunk.
She drives the blade between the segments of the creature, twisting it to forcefully tear it apart.
The severed centipede lets out a high-pitched death scream. Its headless body continues to writhe independently for about ten seconds. Just this sight alone makes me want to cry.
I understand the feeling of a fleeing woman. It could easily become a trauma. Yet, how can she be so eager to dive into that?
“Come on, let’s keep going!”
“I can’t take this anymore! I don’t want to keep seeing this!”
“Before you start whining, let’s divide our roles! You’re the one with paper-thin armor and weak stats, so focus on defense! Plus, you’re here to gather items, right?”
Feeling the weight of responsibility, Miu thrusts her sword, twisting and severing the centipedes. I suppress any further complaints and avert my gaze from the centipedes.
Ah, since we’re in a cave, there are plenty of stones around. I spot a cluster of three and, upon appraisal, find they are iron ore. It’s more efficient than running around the western woods, but it’s terrible for my mental health.
The centipede’s death scream echoes with a screech, accompanied by the unsettling sound of skittering, creating a disturbing backdrop for my gathering. While Miu methodically hunts down the centipedes that appear in groups of three, I continue my collection, and after about thirty minutes, I see the end in sight.
“Big sister, this is the boss room. Further in is the room with the quest item.”
“Should I join the fight?”
“Hmm, I know you’re bored too. How about you draw the enemies in and cast enchantments beforehand?”
“Got it.”
For the first time since entering the cave, I pull back my bow. An arrow is loosed toward the massive centipede that looms in the room.
“Hey, what if it gets deflected?”
“Ah, it might be that your attack power is too low to even register damage. Next, use Arts to boost your attack power.”
So, my attack power is too low. I want to change my equipment quickly. I think this as I ready my bow once more.
“Rapid Fire Bow, Type Two!”
The second Arts of my Bow Sense. This quick-charging Arts allows me to fire two arrows in one breath. One of the arrows finds a narrow gap between the segments of the centipede, grazing it slightly.
Finally, it reacts, lifting its heavy body.
“Looks like I’ve drawn its attention, so be careful not to get caught up in it.”
“Understood. Also, Enhance Attack, Defense, and Speed.”
The enchantments are chanted in rapid succession. It’s my first time attempting a triple enchantment, and it succeeds. However, the MP consumption increases exponentially with each layer. I realize now that while RPGs typically have fixed costs, the Enhance Sense has its own difficulties.
“Alright, I’m going in!”
With a cheerful shout, Miu charges toward the enemy behind her. A centipede three times larger than the last raises its flat head, opening its maw to unleash a stream of toxic gas that hisses and sizzles against the floor.
- Its name is Acid Dozer. By the way, the previous centipede was Poison Dozer.
“Yahhh!”
With a loud shout, Miu lunges at the Acid Dozer while I walk along the perimeter of the spacious room. Thanks to my night vision, I can search for ore even in areas where the magical light does not reach. I hear a deeper, more guttural scream behind me as I continue my search.
I find a single peculiar stone. A fossil, perhaps? I can’t tell what kind it is, but it certainly looks like a fossil.
I examine it from all angles, but I can’t make heads or tails of it. It looks like a fist-sized rock, so it could be a fossilized shell or a small fish. Meanwhile, the commotion behind me fades into the distance.
“Big sister, I’m done over here!”
“Ah, good job!”
“What happened? Did something occur?”
“I found a fossil.”
“Oh, that’s amazing!”
“Is it really? I have no idea what kind of fossil it is.”
“Don’t worry! There’s an NPC who can appraise fossils. Just have it appraised when we return to town.”
It seems that fossils are remnants of ancient items in this setting. When appraised by a specialized NPC, they can be transformed into items under the pretense of restoration. From what I’ve heard, various weapons, armor materials, and even useless items like dragon dung can be found, making it largely a matter of luck.
“I wonder what it’ll turn into?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. I won’t get my hopes up too high.”
“But fossils are like a lottery, so they could turn out to be rare weapon materials or equipment, or even something useless like dragon dung.”
“That means there’s a good chance something rare could come out of it.”
“Is that so? So, how much does the appraisal cost?”
“Hmm, it’s a flat rate of 5000G per appraisal.”
“I only have 2030G.”
“D-Don’t worry! The quest reward is 3000G, plus the quest item!”
That still leaves me with 5030G. My equipment enhancement plans are slipping further away.
“Cheer up! The quest will be over soon!”
With Miu pulling my hand, we venture deeper into the cave. Light streams in from the cave’s depths, backlighting my Flower Eye night vision and obscuring my view.
“The final part of the quest is a flower field of the Crystal Tree at the deepest part of Chris Cave.”
Wow, it’s beautiful.
The fragrant scent of flowers wafts through the air, and the cave ceiling is nearly open, allowing light to pour down. Flowers of various colors bloom vibrantly, reaching toward the light. From the center, water bubbles forth, and a massive crystal stands tall.
“This Crystal Tree is the symbol of this quest. The scenery here is beautiful, and I really like it.”
“Yeah, it’s a nice place.”
“At first, I thought about showing you a screenshot, but since you became a girl, I wanted you to see it in person. But since your combat Sense wasn’t growing quickly, I waited until I could safely bring you here alone.”
“Wait, does that mean you were turned down by friends, or was it about leveling up?”
“Friends are a lie, but leveling up is true! But thanks to you casting enchantments, our long battle with the giant centipede ended quickly! You’ve been a big help!”
I can’t help but ruffle her hair, feeling a mix of affection and amusement.
“Thanks for showing me such a great place.”
“Uh-huh.”
Miu smiles shyly, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen that expression. She’s usually so energetic, but it’s nice to see her softer side sometimes.
“I want this scenery too. How do you take a screenshot?”
“Oh, right. Let me show you how.”
After a bit of awkwardness, Miu teaches me how to take a screenshot. The image of the beautiful Crystal Tree turns out stunning.
We sit down in the flower field and chat a bit, and the awkwardness fades as we both relax. Lately, we’ve been so absorbed in the game that we haven’t had a chance to talk like this. Well, being a teenage girl, I guess I was also holding back a bit.
“Yeah, this was a nice change of pace.”
“Are we going home already?”
“We need to finish the quest quickly. It’ll be evening soon. But first…”
Ignoring the water, Miu approaches the Crystal Tree.
“Here goes!”
Snap!
“Yep, this branch from the Crystal Tree is the quest item. Here you go, big brother.”
I receive the sparkling branch from the Crystal Tree.
Crystal Tree Branch [Important Item]
A tree resembling crystal. It only grows about one centimeter per year, so a tree that exceeds a person’s height is likely over 150 years old. It is said that there are Crystal Trees that are over 10,000 years old in this world. That’s the description, but…
No, no, this is only about the length of my pinky. “Is it okay to break it?”
“Don’t worry! The part that broke can regrow from here.”
“Truly, game quality. It’s fantasy. Also, Miu, you’ve been calling me big brother since earlier.”
“Hehe, you noticed, huh?”
As the sky turns red, Miu wraps her arms around me affectionately. Damn it, even if she’s family, she’s so cute. Seeing her in such a sweet state makes me feel a bit flustered.
The journey here was terrible, but she prepared such a wonderful surprise.
On the way back, no enemies appear in the cave, and we gather items as we return to the plains.
As we head back, I talk to Miu.
“I’m sorry for dragging you along today.”
“No, it was fun! I had no idea a place like that existed.”
Seeing me poke her nose with my finger, Miu chuckles softly, but then her expression turns serious.
“One more thing, I’m sorry. I got frustrated seeing you happily talk about other people while you didn’t want to go on adventures with me. So I forced you to come.”
“Don’t worry about it. I had fun.”
Miu nods.
I gently place my hand on her head to comfort her. She responds softly, showing no resistance.
Afterward, we receive our reward from the NPC geologist who commissioned the quest.
I’m tired today, and I think it’s best to continue tomorrow, so I log out. I plan to treat Miu to a slightly more extravagant dinner as an apology for yesterday.
With plans for money-making, equipment upgrades, leveling up, and fossil appraisals, my list of things to do has grown. But aside from that, I feel like I’ve seen another side of this OSO today.
Chapter 4: Golem and the Third Town
For the past three days, I’ve only logged into OSO for an hour each night at ten. I have other things to do and places to go, so I can’t just indulge in the game all the time.
My parents both work, making summer extremely busy. Plus, during breaks, Miu is home all day, so I have to prepare three meals and handle chores like cleaning and laundry.
The responsibilities aren’t just at home; at our integrated middle and high school, high school students have designated school days. It’s a tedious day where high school students gather to clean the school that hasn’t been maintained over the summer, and I can’t skip out on it… Furthermore, to make matters worse, I get spotted by a teacher who says, “You’re diligent, so I can count on you for this task,” and I end up being stuck at school longer than others. The only compensation is a single bottle of juice, which feels like a rather realistic labor reward.
In that regard, Miu and Takumi have a knack for avoiding such troublesome situations. They manage to evade those scenarios, leaving me to deal with the extra burden since I couldn’t escape.
Returning home, drenched in sweat from school, I was greeted by Miu in a cool room, holding an ice cream cone.