I now have 3000G in my possession. Once again, I’m strapped for cash, and with no time to spare, I can’t even prepare my fields properly, which means they won’t generate any income.
In the end, I delivered a small number of potions to Magi. Since she isn’t always around, the NPC at the shop buys them from me. Thanks to the pre-set conditions, they buy at Magi’s price instead of the NPC price.
With the supply of potions starting to flow smoothly and resellers beginning to lower their prices, I’ve managed to acquire a small amount of the herb materials as well.
Still, I crave more money. I need to upgrade my weapons and armor, not to mention appraise fossils—the list goes on. There’s also the matter of turning metals into ingots, crafting accessories, and creating antidote herbs and Light Dispelling Chapters. I have so much to do, and it feels overwhelming.
I seem to have expanded my skills too broadly, and now I can’t keep track of everything. If I can’t manage my fields, I might have to hire an NPC to help me out. But that’s only if I have the money to do so.
And today, Ryo found himself in front of Gantz’s house amidst the calamity.
“Hey, Takumi! Hurry up and open the door! I’m going to roast out here!”
“Excuse me. Here, Takumi. Ice cream.”
“Thanks!”
As we sat facing each other, enjoying the ice cream I brought, I asked, “How’s the homework coming along?”
“Perfectly copied. Thanks.”
“Well, it’s the same every year, so it’s fine. So, what’s the reason for your visit today?”
“I’m here because you called me, Takumi. And when you call, it’s almost always about games. Even if it’s not, the second thing you say is about games.”
“I’ve already reached the Second Town! Just a week after the service started, and potions are being supplied steadily!”
“Really?”
“What’s with that lackluster response?”
“Honestly, I don’t care. You called me for that?”
—No, that’s not it. Players who reach the next town can use the Popo Portal to transfer between towns. So, I’m planning to head west to conquer the path to the Third Town. And for that, I want you to join our party.”
“Why me? I’m a Production Class!”
Takumi replied calmly to my invitation, “You have the Skills of Alchemy and Synthesis, so I expect you can handle recovery preparations. Plus, we learned in the last battle that Enchanting is effective. With Minuts also learning magic to contribute to attacks, and since the members are the same as last time, there’s no worry about Nika being discovered.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Is there a problem?”
“There are too many problems to count. I’m stuck with Beginner Equipment, I’m broke, and I don’t have potion materials. And then there’s the fields…”
“Why are you spending money on fields?!”
“Why are you so negative about farming?”
“Anyone who knows the history from Version 8 wouldn’t want to farm. To put it simply, Takumi’s explanation goes like this.”
“In Version 2, the southern region didn’t even exist; it was just Kamahoko Town, which was added in the last update of Version 2….”
The update added seed items that were apparently hard to obtain.
“So, no one has a farm. Even if you’re lucky enough to find seeds, there are twenty slots in the field, so you need to gather twenty seeds for efficiency.”
“Wow! Then, just buy more and become a potion tycoon! Hahaha!”
“Even in Version 2, Alchemy was underappreciated, and when seeds were added, most people didn’t even try the lower-tier transformations of herbs. Since no one tried, there’s little information about farming in the official version. Takumi, who’s fighting on the front lines, says that more than half of the players probably think farming is useless.”
“Eventually, there might be some farming adjustments in future updates. So? Will you help me?”
“Hmm. Lately, I’ve only been doing short tasks, and my combat skills haven’t leveled up. But those drops from Sandmen and Golems are tempting.”
“Got it. But is that all you want?”
“I want enemy drops. I don’t know what will be useful, and I’d like to prioritize plant-based items, at least one of each.”
“Such detailed requests. Fine, fine, I understand. I’ll let the others know. So, my request is for fifty potions and twenty-five pills.”
“Come on, that’s impossible! I don’t have enough gallstones from the herbivores!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll cover the materials. Generally, the drops from the English mobs, aside from equipment, are just inventory…”
“Fodder for the inventory.”
“Well, that’s fine. When are we going hunting?”
“Tomorrow and the day after. I’ll contact you later with the time. Tomorrow, we’ll start with Sandmen for practice, and the day after, we’ll tackle Golems. If it seems too tough level-wise, we can always try again next time.”
“Sure, sure. After all, I’m just a trash-tier player.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. I trust you.”
Takumi said this lightly, but I was half-joking when I said it too. Besides, as long as I have the items, I can produce them with the Recipe. Ah, and if I lack the materials, I can gather them in the western forest along the way.
“Alright, I’ll head home and prepare. I’ll try making some accessories. My defense is paper-thin, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Okay, then. Good luck!”
So, Takumi is going to take on the party and the Boss MOB. I’m a little excited.
Once I logged in, I began crafting accessories with the ingots I had. I tossed copper and blue steel ingots synthesized in the valley into the portable furnace, watching as they heated up. When making ingots, all I had to do was hit them with all my strength, but making accessories…
That doesn’t seem to work. I have to follow a series of steps that come to mind, and if I mess up, the quality of the accessory drops.
It’s like a rhythm game that requires instant reactions, memory, and repetition. Honestly, I ruined my first blue steel ingot.
“Hmm. Enchanting should be the same as turning it into an ingot. Then I just need to select what I want to make on the system screen…”
At that moment, the rhythm game of processing began. I hammered with a spear, returned it to the furnace. Hammer, return to the furnace. Sometimes, I’d bend it with pliers to create a ring, then back into the furnace again.
Without a single break, I continued processing in the furnace’s heat. Even the simplest accessory takes time now. I have to focus on this unfamiliar task, and it’s quite tiring.
As a result, I failed a few times, lowering the quality, but I managed to create my first accessory without any catastrophic failures.
Bronze Ring [Equipment]
DEF +1
Nice. I’ve made a minimum-level piece of equipment.
“The feeling is profound. But is this even sellable?”
It took quite a while, and I’m out of blue steel ingots. All I have left is iron. My crafting level has increased, but I don’t feel confident about making anything with iron.
“Well, I guess it’s okay to fail once in a while.”
Overthinking it is pointless, so I tossed an iron ingot into the furnace. Hammer, return, bend, connect, heat…
Even though it’s just a game, I wipe the sweat from my brow. Gradually, the heat overwhelms me, and my thinking slows down. Still, I keep hammering away. Like some kind of mindless grind, even if I fail, I immediately toss in the next ingot without resting.
As my MP recovery and enchanting balance out, my MP gradually decreases, but I focus solely on the ingot in front of me. Mindlessly, unconsciously, I continue the assembly line. My arms feel heavy. My throat is parched, but I don’t stop swinging. With the fourth and final iron ingot, I stared at the accessory for a few minutes.
“Finally done,” I exhaled a long breath.
[Ring Equipment]
DEF +2
Still, I know I have a long way to go. Moreover, there’s a world of difference between what I make and the accessories that Magi crafts with ease. My crude ring has no patterns or engravings, while Magi’s are intricately designed, with gemstones cut into beautiful shapes embedded in the base.
“Honestly, there are so many types of accessories like bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. I’m really lacking at this point.”
After rolling the two completed rings in my hand, I equipped them on my fingers. An iron ring on my left middle finger and a bronze ring on my left ring finger.
I gazed at my left hand thoughtfully. Unlike Alchemy or Synthesis, actually creating something to equip gives me a sense of accomplishment. And looking at my slender, pale fingers—feminine hands that could be described as resembling a white fish—felt oddly out of place.
“Ah, well, for a first attempt, it’s not bad. I actually have some time left.”
I don’t have time to make more ingots or go hunting, but somehow I ended up with some spare time. Just then, a chat from Takumi came in.
“What’s up?”
“Just letting you know about tomorrow. Let’s meet at noon, and then we’ll hunt Sandmen for leveling. Are you ready?”
“I made two rings. The total defense is the same as my initial gear.”
“Good for you. Double the defense. That’s practically cheating.”
“Is it cheating to have double the defense of starting equipment? By the way, do you know the general market price for accessories?”
“From cheap to expensive. Good ones, like bracelets with DEF +8, were going for over ten thousand the other day.”
“Wow, then how much for a ring with a gemstone?”
“For rings, the abilities increase with the gem’s enhancement, but they’re quite popular with women.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because they’re shiny. Some guys even give them as gifts.”
“Oh, shiny things. Now I’m craving seafood.”
“Not the food kind! You’ve got your own pace, don’t you?”
“I don’t see the point in rushing.”
“Well, whatever. Just don’t be late tomorrow.”
“Same goes for you.”
After that, I chatted with Takumi about trivial matters until I realized how much time had passed. I couldn’t help but think that this was how it always was at school, but since the break started, we’ve been doing our own things more often.
The next day, I arrived early at the meeting spot by the west gate for the Sandman hunt with Takumi and the others. I tend to feel anxious if I’m not there at least ten minutes early.
“Takumi, I’m here!”
“You’re as early as ever. You’re the third one here.”
Takumi greeted me, and at the meeting spot were him and Kei. They seemed to be engrossed in some conversation, probably about something that clicked between the two of them.
“Long time no see, Yun.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while. What were you two talking about?”
“Hmm? We were discussing the effective use of skills and their effects.”
“Sounds interesting. Takumi, hand over the materials. I’ll make potions and pills while I can.”
As I glanced at Takumi loading items onto the trade screen, I listened to their conversation.
“Sharing information is important. Yun, since you have Crafting, do you know about the color schemes for equipment?”
“This piece is made of iron, but there’s an EX Skill in the Production Class called Coloring that changes the color scheme. Most production players have that skill, but you’ll need dye items.”
“Seriously? Wait a second.”
I checked. In my Crafting skill list, I found Ring Crafting, Coloring, and Crafting.
They must have appeared because I made the ring.
This Crafting skill allows me to change the default patterns and shapes of accessories. So, my ring is just the default! It’s embarrassing for a production player to have a default item.
“Ah, I’ll have to try that next time. By the way, what kinds of combat skills are there?”
“Well, you have the Combat Skill of the Bow, but there are many others. Takumi and I have the same ones, but there are also magic classes with staves and books, and in the previous version, there were plugs, swords, daggers, shields, clubs, and even body parts like Gantz’s as weapons. Haven’t you checked them all?”
“Ah, I think I’ve seen them, but I skimmed through them and picked from the lower ranks of the strategy site’s skill rankings.”
“You’re such an idiot! But hey, I got to see something interesting, so it’s fine. There are also fun skills like Cooking and Fishing, which are called hobby skills.”
“Those sound interesting. Since it’s a game, the ingredients won’t go to waste. I might give it a try.”
“Idiot! Don’t! Those are the so-called trash skills. Takumi, don’t teach him halfway… I don’t know why, but Kei seems to be getting mad for me. Meanwhile, I’m shining with my potion crafting skills, so I must look surreal.”
“I think, considering the range and bonuses, your combat style will be stealthy… stealthy is a colloquial term.”
Kei recommended skills mainly for combat support, like Stealth, which prevents detection from skill-generated light, Discovery, which helps find hidden objects, Critical Strike, which increases critical hit rates on vital attacks, and Preemptive Strike, which gives bonus damage on first attacks.
By the way, if you incorporate these skills, combat skills like Throwing with daggers or Short Sword skills with critical skills are said to have good synergy.
“Kei, don’t recommend such advanced skills to Yun. That’s a setup focused on PVP!”
“Maybe… he might have been anxious. Sorry about that. Just forget it.”
“No, it was helpful. Well, Discovery sounds interesting.”
“Wait, what?”
“Also, I made the recovery potions.”
I forcibly handed the items to Takumi and began searching for new skills.
“Oh, Discovery! Found it! Now, let’s acquire it.”
Inventory:
[Bow Lv6] [Sense of the Eye Lv2] [Speed Increase Lv5] [Discovery Lv1] [Magic Talent Lv2]
[Magic Power Lv2] [Alchemy Lv9] [Enhancement Lv1] [Crafting Lv3] [Production Knowledge Lv1]
Wow! Now I can see gathering points that I couldn’t see before! This is a delightful discovery for an item gatherer!
“Takumi! I can see items!”
“Of course, that’s the point of that skill. I didn’t expect you to acquire it.”
“Discovery is usually held by scouts or high-level players, and even if it’s held by a previous version, it’s not very useful.”
“What are you talking about! Being able to see things is amazing! Ah, it’s wonderful to be able to pick up items I couldn’t before!”
“By the way, what’s at the top of this Discovery skill?”
“Ah, I think it becomes the combat support skill Insight. Insight allows you to sense an opponent’s pre-attack movements. There are also other methods of sensing, like Perception and its higher-level version, Sixth Sense, among others.”
“Why are there so many different types?”
“That’s the derivation of skills. The most famous ones are Attack Power Increase and Defense Power Increase, which, when leveled up to a certain point, become the Physical Increase skill. When you combine two or more skills, they become very valuable.”
So that’s why Miu took those two. It means she can free up space for equipment skills. She’s been playing since Version 2, so she’s well-versed in skill derivation.
“However, the downside is that the skills before derivation disappear and are categorized into a different skill tree.”
Skill trees and categorization? Those are unfamiliar terms. I had questions, but I couldn’t resolve them immediately.
“Hey, I’m here!”
“Long time no see, Yun-chan!”
Suddenly, I was hugged, and I let out a small scream. What the heck, what kind of voice just came out of my mouth? Minuts, finding my reaction cute, snuggled closer. I noticed that Mami was standing next to Kei. Together, they made quite the picture—an imposing warrior and a gentle sorceress.
Gantz stood alone, a pleased grin spreading across his face, but he wasn’t looking our way. Still, I couldn’t help but notice that his armor had evolved from ordinary leather to a scale mail reinforced with scales. Was this still considered leather armor? He sure had some impressive gear on.
As I sulked in my thoughts, I suddenly noticed Mami-san quietly staring at my hand.
“Hey, hey, Yun-san. That hand of yours, hehehe.”
“W-What is it, Mami-san? What’s up?”
Mami-san had mentioned my “hand.” It was just a hand, but as I glanced at it, a loud voice rang out, echoing in my head.
“Yun-chan! Where did you get that ring?!”
That shout was painfully loud!
“I-I’m sorry! But, hehehe, you’re quite the girl, aren’t you? Who gave it to you?”
“Look, there’s a ring on your engagement finger. Who is it from? Come on, tell me!”
“What the heck? What’s going on?” I glanced at Taku and Kei. Taku was stifling laughter, while Kei wore a knowing expression. Hey, if you know so much, why don’t you explain it?
“W-Why are you looking at Taku-kun?!”
“Looks like Yun-chan has a boy suspicion!”
Gantz suddenly shouted. No, I’m a guy! I mean, I am, but that’s not what I meant! What am I even trying to say? Meanwhile, Mami-san quietly showed her left hand, revealing a delicate ring on her finger.
“…No, no, that’s not it! Just listen to me!”
“Just tell the nice lady already!”
Desperately trying to clear up the misunderstanding only made me seem more embarrassed, and I felt myself sinking deeper into the hole.
If Taku hadn’t stepped in after a good while, who knows what would have happened? Seriously, he should have helped me sooner.
“—I told you it’s not like that!”
“I’m sorry. I jumped to conclusions.”
“Goodness, how unfortunate. If such a cute girl had a boyfriend, I might have snapped her neck like this, crack!”
I made Taku and Minits sit in seiza in front of me at the busy west gate, crossing my arms and standing tall. To avoid further misunderstandings, I quickly equipped the ring on my right hand.
“Seriously. I told you before, I’m in the Production Class. This is a ring I made myself.”
“—I apologize for the misunderstanding.”
“Oh dear, what a shame.”
Minits bowed deeply, while Mami-san placed her hands together, looking amused.
“Hey, hey, time is ticking away! First, let’s check the potion specialist book and confirm our positions.”
Taku distributed the potions I had just made to everyone, giving more to the front line. This time, the battle against the Sandman wasn’t as fierce as the Big Boar, but it was still something we couldn’t afford to be careless about. The Sandman was characterized by its slow speed and lower attack power compared to the Big Boar. However, it had high physical defense. If we charged in without a plan, we would definitely end up in a war of attrition. My bow wouldn’t deal much damage, so it seemed I wouldn’t be the one to draw its attention this time.
“So, the plan is simple. The men will hold it down while the women shoot magic. E-Yun, can you cast attack enchantments on us?”
“Isn’t defense more important?”
“Keeping HP around fifty percent is the safe zone. As long as we don’t break formation like with the Big Boar, the backline won’t be attacked. This time, we’re going for a short, powerful attack.”
If Taku said so, then I guess that was the plan. But still, not being able to enhance our magical attack power felt like a significant drawback.
“Well, we’ll just have to give it a shot.”
“Exactly, let’s keep it relaxed.”
“Minits, don’t let your guard down. You’ve been focused on healing, so your magic hasn’t grown much, right?”
“Still, I have a light level of 0, so it’s not a problem.”
What were Kei and Minits talking about? Meanwhile, I was busy casting speed enchantments and running around. The forest was filled with items—gemstones, iron ore, and plenty of herbs and branches. I also gathered leaf mold since it was necessary for farming. I didn’t need any more arrows since I had already upgraded to iron, but I picked them up just in case.
We ventured deeper into the western woods, reaching an open area that resembled a quarry. There were plenty of stones that looked just right for sitting.
But these were also MOBs: Stone Armadillos and Rock Crabs. They had high defense and slow movement, making them less favored by warrior classes but a tasty target for magic users. Minits and Mami-san unleashed magic spells as we advanced, while the front-line men held their ground. I cast attack enchantments on the three of them.
From what I could see, physical attacks, especially slashing ones, didn’t seem very effective against the Sandman. However, when Gantz bent one of its sandy fingers in the opposite direction, it clearly showed a pained expression.
Even though it was made of sand, bending its joints… With the attack enchantments, I didn’t see much of an increase in damage, so we were left relying on luck.
Minits and Mami-san bombarded it with magic, but they occasionally ran out of MP, revealing the challenges we faced.
“MP running out is a real issue. While we’re geared for short battles against the Big Boar and Blade Lizard, this one is more suited for a long fight. If the magic users aren’t attacking, then the magic power needs to be at least…”
“Looks like we’ll have to prepare for a long battle and switch Minits back to healer.”
“That seems like a good idea. We can level up gradually. If it seems impossible, we can always try again.”
“Hey, Taku? Don’t we have any helpers? I think we could take on more people.”
“Ah, about that…” Taku’s voice trailed off, and the warm gazes from everyone around me felt strange. Why?
“The party limit is six people. If we hunt a single MOB with more than that, we’ll incur penalties.”
He explained that, unlike the death penalty, which was called the Death Penalty, this was referred to as the combat penalty. The penalties included a decrease in sense level growth, lower item drop rates, reduced stats, increased enemy MOB stats, and random negative status effects, all in that order. It was a ridiculous system.
If someone gathered a bunch of MOBs and pushed them onto others, the person who initiated it would receive the penalty, but the ones caught up in it wouldn’t. The recent AI was impressive.
“There’s no benefit to calling for help. So let’s take our time and move forward.”
“What the heck? You always do this! You only reveal important things later. I only heard about OSO when I went to your house, and even then, you just handed me the VR gear without explanation… Are you even listening, Taku?!”
“Fine! Just don’t get so close with that face.”
“You don’t get it!”
I thought he should be more responsible in situations like this. I felt the gazes on my back.
“Until we hunt down the Sandman! I can’t attack, so I’ll just keep enchanting!”
Seeing me fired up, Minits and Gantz seemed to get even more excited, but they were players. Once the battle started, they switched into focus mode.
I contributed to the battle by cleverly using my enchantments.
Thanks to everyone leveling up and the efficient Sandman hunting combined with my enchantments, we managed to grow strong enough to defeat them before running out of MP.
We stopped at a good point, preparing for tomorrow’s Golem battle. Defeating the Boss MOB would open the path to the third town. Well, for me, it was just the second town.
And so, the day of the Boss MOB Golem hunt arrived.
As I headed out with Taku and the others to take down the Golem, I felt a bit uneasy about our stock of healing items.
When I told Maki-san that I couldn’t deliver the potions, she replied,
“That’s fine, that’s fine. Yun-kun has started hunting too, huh? Just bring them when you can. Right now, the potions are stable.”
Her words were reassuring. After the hunt, I put my all into preparing potions, but I felt like I had prepared too many—fifty seemed excessive. Well, they wouldn’t go to waste.
Then came the long-awaited alchemy. I decided to boil the Blue Jelly I had obtained from the slime in a metal container. The blue goo separated into liquid and solid, and when I evaporated the moisture from the solid, it turned into a blue powder. The name was simply “Blue Powder.”
When I added water again, it became Blue Jelly. What even is this?
Next, I mixed the Blue Jelly with herbs. The result was a Blue Potion. Was its effect comparable to a Synthesis Potion? Don’t you think so? But it was different.
The potion’s effect was on a different level. By turning it into blue powder, mixing it with the explosive herb, and extracting it like coffee, its potency increased.
Using high-quality herbs further enhanced its effects. I was thrilled about the increased recovery amount.
Now, for the extraction. The production quantity was small, but I decided to experiment with “Synthesis” as well.
Why did it turn out like this? In synthesis, I ended up with Blue Gelatin. Moreover, the description indicated it was a food item.
“Is this really acceptable?!”
Turning materials into recovery potions only to end up with a food item at the end? What a ridiculous joke!
I took a deep breath to steady myself.
Alright, I was fine now. I’d store this in my inventory.
I packed away the Blue Gelatin and took out the Blue Jelly again.
I powdered it, mixed it, and extracted it. Mixing required surprisingly much strength, so I used my stability enchantment. Lately, I felt like I couldn’t survive in this game without enchantments.
I spent the morning preparing potions, and in the afternoon, I headed west, just like yesterday.
I avoided battles as much as possible, making my way toward the Golem.
At first, everyone was joking around, but gradually, their chatter dwindled. It seemed that fighting a Boss MOB made everyone tense.
And then, the moment arrived.
“Everyone, are you ready?!”
With Taku’s shout, we all lined up. Before us stood the Golem—a massive rock giant over three meters tall. Its movements were slow, but the power behind those giant fists was intimidating.
“Alright, let’s start with (added) Attack!”
I cast enchantments on the three front-liners, and then Taku and Kei received defense enchantments, while Gantz got…
A speed enchantment, along with a double enchantment. This was the most efficient way to hunt the Sandman. Taku and Kei held the line, while Gantz executed joint locks, stopping the Golem in its tracks, allowing the backline’s magic to unleash its fury. It was the same strategy as yesterday.
“Come on, over here!”
“We’ll take you on!”
Taku with one-handed weapons and Kei with two-handed weapons shouted loudly as they faced the Golem head-on. They blocked and deflected its attacks, and when the Golem lost its balance, Gantz seized its arm and threw it down like a master of Aikido. It was a fluid and impressive motion. Oh, the Golem looked like it was in pain—was this wrestling?!
As a martial artist, Gantz was a walking weapon. I had never seen someone throw such a massive creature so effortlessly; it was something only a game could portray. Oh, the Golem was completely down.
“Magic team! Now!”
At Taku’s command, magic spells were unleashed in rapid succession, striking the Golem. Gantz returned to the backline, where he could see everything clearly.
“Yun-chan, please heal me!”
“Sure, I’ll also reapply the enchantments!”
The combat style of the martial artist-type players was close combat. The characteristic of close combat was that they used their bodies as weapons, which meant they took slight damage when attacking. They seemed to be considering various protective gear like gloves and gauntlets for their hands and boots or sandals for their feet, but they still took damage. I continued to play my role as the healer.
I thought to myself that he was quite the character as I watched his back.
Gantz dashed, leaving trails of red and yellow light from his attack and speed enchantments.
The Golem, having risen again, targeted the darting Gantz, but Taku and Kei blocked it, forcing it to change targets.
And when it lost its balance, magic struck it down.
With each magic hit, the Golem’s HP visibly dropped.
Could we actually do this? I thought, but it was a Boss after all. It wouldn’t be that easy.
“We’re out of MP! Frontliners, hold on!”
The magic users in the backline ran out of MP when the Golem’s HP was still around forty percent.
The consecutive attacks from the two magic users drained their MP faster than my double enchantments.
From here on out, it was up to us men to hold the line until the magic users could recover their MP.
That said, my own MP was running low. I focused on maintaining the minimum.
I switched the front-liners’ enchantments to defense. Unlike the previous heavy attack, this was aimed at maintaining our front line.
With this, even if they took a critical hit, the front-liners would still have a sliver of HP left.
Additionally, I tried to maintain our position with a large supply of potions.
“Come on! Trip again!”
“Stop it, Gantz. This isn’t the same as before!”
Kei’s voice echoed as Gantz boldly leaped in front of the Golem.
I seized his arm, twisted it, and locked his joint. I aimed to take him down, but this time I failed.
I was barely maintaining the enchantment, and if I had the speed enchantment active, I could have disengaged immediately. But now, I only had the defensive enchantment. My evasion speed was insufficient.
The Golem’s arm slammed into Gantz’s abdomen, sending him flying in an arc as he was thrust upward and swung around. It seemed he had avoided a critical hit, as he still had a bit of leeway in his HP. However—
“Dodge!”
Minuts’s voice rang out from a vantage point where she could see the entire battlefield. The Golem, having risen to its feet, dug into Gantz’s legs as he attempted to roll away, bringing its arm down vertically. Gantz was slammed into the hard ground, his HP plunging into the red zone.
Otaku and Kei hurriedly shouted out, switching their targets.
“Get to the back and heal!”
“Hey, move! What’s with the timing?”
Gantz remained motionless. His HP stayed in the red zone.
He was in a dangerous situation, yet he couldn’t move—no, he couldn’t. The bad status effect “Stun” was the cause.
“Stun” is a status ailment that can occur at a low probability when HP is reduced by a certain percentage all at once. I never expected it to happen at such a critical moment.
The two at the front couldn’t provide support for Gantz, and the two magic users couldn’t even step forward.
They shouldn’t step forward. The one who can move now is me.
The healer, a Human, pulled out a Blue Potion, the one with the highest healing capacity, and dashed forward.
With the speed enchantment boosting my pace, I leaped closer in a single bound.
I splashed the potion over Gantz, smacking him to literally wake him up.
“That hurts!”
“Get up already! Here, another one!”
I broke another Blue Potion and poured it over him. With two potions, he would be fully healed.
“What the hell is this healing amount?”
“Just get to the back! You’re in the way of the two magic users!”
I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him along.
“My MP has recovered! I can cast again!”
“Then just cast already! No more waiting for the right moment!”
As we were shouting, a spell of light and wind zipped past us.
The grinding sound of rock being carved and a thunderous explosion echoed. The intense light made it hard to keep my eyes open.
The magic paused during the cooldown, and the Golem emerged from the swirling dust.
“Is it done yet? Damn it!”
—No, it’s already over.
As I cursed, Takumi danced around, signaling that the Golem was beginning to crumble, letting out a heavy groan.
The Golem collapsed in a rumbling cascade, reminiscent of the gatekeeper of the Third Town, evoking a sense of sorrow for its failure to protect.
As everything fell apart and nothing moved, I finally let out a breath.
“Haah… It’s finally over. That was seriously nerve-wracking.”
“Thanks for the help. Yun, I appreciate it.”
“I’m fine, I’m good as new,” Gantz said, lightly jumping to demonstrate.
“Seriously, if the magic users could attack right away, I wouldn’t have had to help you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Even if I die during a boss fight, it wouldn’t count as a successful defeat for me. That would be lonely.”
“And if you hadn’t pulled Gantz away, I would have ended up hitting him with my magic.”
“Kaede!”
“Ah, right, sacrificing the small for the big, huh? Minuts, you’ve got the right idea. But yeah, we don’t have any resurrection items right now, so if we fall, it’s back to the start.”
“Just kidding. Gantz did well.”
“Everyone, good job. Looks like we can head to the Third Town now. Yun, you did great too.”
“Yeah, good work. So, shall we go?”
“Before that, the usual drop check. Someone might have a rare drop.”
Ah, I see. Well, rare drops aside, I’m pretty sure I got some High-Quality Iron Ore. If I can transmute the Iron Ore I have, I should be able to gather a decent amount of High-Quality Iron Ore for crafting ingots to level up.
As I opened my inventory, however, there was no High-Quality Iron Ore, but another item instead.
“Hey, I got a [Earth Spirit Stone].”
I muttered casually.
“Rare drop, it’s here!”
The loud exclamation made me jump. That sudden shout scared me.
“Sorry, sorry. Boss drops come in two types: normal and rare, but to get a rare one right away? Yun, you might be lucky.”
“The Earth Spirit Stone is a rare item used in crafting gear to grant additional effects. Gantz’s armor was enhanced with the Blade Lizard’s scale stone, which gives it a reflective damage effect when hit.”
Hmm. How does this work?
Earth Spirit Stone [Material]
A stone imbued with the power of the Earth Spirit.
Is that all the description says? I have no idea what additional effects it has, but oh well.
Hmm. I don’t really see its value. Maybe I’ll ask someone about it next time.
“Don’t. The OSO rule is to keep your crafting composition to yourself and not hint at rare item possession. The former is a countermeasure for PVP, and the latter makes you a target for trades.”
Oh, I see. So that’s how it is. But I trust Miu and Magi, so I could probably ask them. But my armor is still basic, and I don’t have much money, so I probably won’t have any use for it yet.
“Well, for now, it’s just inventory clutter.”
“Such a waste. But that’s just how Yun is. You’ve recovered quite a bit, so let’s head to town.”
We all set off together toward the town. We arrived at the mining town.
The buildings were wooden two-stories, with a somewhat sparse green feel. The NPCs had tanned skin and wore slightly dirty clothes, looking every bit like miners.
“You’ve come to another town, huh?”
As an old man trembled with emotion, everyone else said,
“Good job. We’ll see you again.”
“This time, Yun-chan helped us out, so thanks.”
“See you. Next time, let’s look for enemies we can level up our [Long Bow] against.”
—So long then.”
“See you, Yun. Until next time.”
One by one, they touched the pale blue spheres and vanished. I was left standing alone.
Everyone is surprisingly indifferent. Seriously, don’t leave me behind like this.
Chapter 5: The Pursuer and Equipment
It seemed that few players had reached the Third Town, giving it a somewhat deserted feel. While taking a stroll, I was talking to the town NPCs and searching for item shops.
“Welcome! What can I show you?”
The man looked utterly unmotivated. His pale skin didn’t quite match the town’s atmosphere, but I decided not to dwell on it.
I scanned the NPC’s sales list. My goal was material items. Scanning down the list, I found some new items.
- Medicine Spirit Grass | Clearly a superior version of herbs.
- Magic Sphere Grass | Some kind of herb related to mana. Perhaps I could finally make that coveted MP Potion. But it’s expensive.
Both were priced at 500G each. That’s a total of 1000G. My earnings over the past few days were about 2800G, but I could buy one and then multiply it as long as I had time, so I decided to purchase them.
After that, I asked the NPC if there was anything else, and I was recommended a certain place.
It was the tavern in the town center. I thought it would be safe since it was in the town, but there were quite a few ruffians hanging around. There were also some muscular guys, making it feel out of place.
“Hey there, girl. This ain’t a place for kids.”
“Don’t call me ‘girl.’ I’m a guy.”
I looked up at the short-haired man in a sleeveless shirt, glancing at his muscular arms. He was probably an event NPC. I decided to play along.
“Hmm? What’s that ring on your finger?”
“It’s a ring.”
Suddenly, the drunken crowd fell silent, which felt eerie. The man’s expression turned serious.
“Did you make that ring?”
“Yeah, I crafted it.”
“Don’t think you can handle metal with those skinny arms.”
I was yelled at.
“Of course I can! Look!”
“Pleased with such scrap metal and trinkets? Your standards are low.”
Clang! This guy was really getting on my nerves. Even knowing he was an NPC, it was infuriating. I wanted to make more intricate accessories, but I just didn’t have the time.
What’s this? You want to fight? Then come at me. If you can make me move even a step, I’ll acknowledge you.
“A man’s word is his bond.”
“Of course.”
I crouched down, gathering my strength, and aimed a powerful strike at his abdomen. But the man didn’t budge. His abs were as hard as iron. My hand hurt from the impact, as if I had struck Takumi’s armor.
“Hey, you’re kidding, right?”
“Such is the fate of a girl’s skinny arms. Come back when you’re ready.”
“Wait a minute!”
I tried to call out to the man, but a dapper-looking older gentleman, presumably the tavern owner, tossed me out of the establishment. As soon as I stepped outside, I could hear the tavern patrons whispering among themselves. It felt like I had ruined the atmosphere, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. Ugh, I should just go back and vent to Magi.
The sun was still high. Instead of using the portal (the blue-white sphere-shaped travel object), I decided to gather resources while running. The mining area was slow.
With that decided, I activated the “Speed Increase” enchantment and dashed forward. Ignoring the inactive Golems and Sandmen, I gathered items and returned to the First Town. My haul from the quarry had significantly increased my stock of Iron Ore.
“Oh, Yun! You took down the boss today, right? Did you fail?”
When I arrived at Magi’s shop, I spoke to her over the counter.
I pulled out a nearby chair and began to vent my frustrations.
“We successfully defeated the Golem and made it to the Third Town.”
“Ah, that place. We’re planning to go there soon since we need high-level metals for our group.”
“Magi, you’re a production class, right? Can you fight?”
“No way. That’s why we’re going in a six-party group. A total of 36 people. But half of us are production classes. Our goal is to reach the town, so the co-op penalty doesn’t apply to us. Besides, we’re in different leveling fields.”
“Ah, I see. The difference between combat and production.”
“It’s about overwhelming them with numbers. But enough about the Golem hunt, right?”
With that, I finally got to the main topic.
“Earlier, I went to the tavern in the Third Town, and an NPC picked a fight with me, but I couldn’t handle it.”
I summarized it too simply, but Magi seemed to understand.
“Hmm. That tavern near the center, huh? It’s nostalgic.”
“What’s so special about it?”
“It’s a rite of passage for production classes who handle metal. What’s your crafting level, Yun?”
“Uh, I haven’t leveled it up…”
“Then it’s impossible. You need to at least have a conversation to progress that event.”
“What do you mean?”
“Us blacksmiths and crafters don’t just handle metal.”
“Well, that’s true. Right now, I can only use metal and gems.”
“Exactly. So, if you don’t have a high enough level, you’ll be thrown into a situation where you have to handle more than just metal.”
“What’s the point of that event? Are they trying to anger players?”
“Well, you can gain a special skill from it. Generally referred to as an EX Skill, it’s an event-acquired skill.”
“Oh, really? What kind?”
“It changes the appearance of items based on the materials used.”
“So, the performance changes?”
“Not really. There’s no significant difference. However, some designs can become popular among certain players.”
For example, using animal fur to create accessories like dog ears, cat ears, or tails. Apparently, they were traded among a niche market.
“Well, I was the first to start that trend.”
“Magi, you were?”
“Now, I’m making solid metal weapons and armor, but if there’s an order, I can make those too. By the way, I made a fortune doing that in version 8.”
“You’re doing some interesting things. But I imagine there are requests to create character-themed items.”
“Oh, definitely. My friend, a woodworker, once asked for a design that looked like a necromancer, so I made some grotesque bone decorations for him. And for a tailor, they wanted a vampire cape, so I stripped the surface of the fabric. There’s a lot of freedom in it. Those two worked with fabric and wood, but there’s a corresponding event in the Second Town. They’re probably forming a group to go there now.”
I see. That’s an interesting story. So, creating decorations based on character images allows for a lot of freedom.
“Well, that’s about it. Also, if you have any extra potions, could you sell them to me?”
“Oh, sure. Is it okay if I sell you the new ones I made?”
“Sure, let’s check them out.”
I had a stash of Blue Potions and some leftover potions. I had made way too many—fifty for the Golem fight.
I barely used half of them.
“Ah, Blue Potions. And they have a high healing amount. This is comparable to a high potion.”
“Are they that effective?”
“Yeah, yeah. Ten Blue Potions and twenty-two regular potions. The Blue Potions are cheap when sold to NPCs, but their healing amount is on par with high potions, and since they’re fifty percent of the high potion’s price… that’s about 5770G total?”
“Oh wow, Blue Jelly is a cheap material that has become valuable.”
“I don’t know how to make it, but it’s nice to have something effective. I’ll be counting on you for future supplies.”
I was able to vent my frustrations, and the Blue Potions turned out to be a nice source of income.
The value of Blue Jelly soared in the market. Later, I bought some from KPC’s shop, but I ended up spending 700G on a hundred of them, which was a bit reckless.
With about 6000G left, I found myself short on cash again after expanding my farm instead of upgrading my equipment.
During dinner that evening, we had a lively conversation, updating each other on our recent activities.
“Oh! Big brother, you went to the Third Town!”
“I was invited by Takumi, acting as a pseudo-healer.”
“Yeah, well, Takumi seems to be thinking ahead. Production class people tend to want to get to the Third Town early.”
Miu seemed to understand. In reality, Takumi might have had that thought in mind as well. Thinking about it…
I didn’t feel like I was being deceived anymore.
“By the way, big brother. Today, I acquired the ‘Defense Increase’ skill and also got the new ‘Physical Increase’ sense. I also added the ‘Action Restriction Release’ sense to my empty slot.”
“Speaking of ‘Physical Increase,’ I’ve heard about the sense tree. What’s that about?”
“The sense tree is like a family tree for senses. It branches out from ‘Sword’ to ‘One-Handed Sword’ and ‘Two-Handed Sword.’ But it can also change into branches of different types.”
“Is there anything to that?”
“For example, if you train senses A and B, you might acquire sense C from a different tree. And once you acquire C, senses A and B become unacquired.”
“So, you have to start over again?”
“Yeah, but starting from level 1 can be tough, so only extreme power fighters might do that. Some people choose not to switch trees and instead focus on leveling up within the same system.”
“Huh. So what’s ‘Action Restriction Release’ then? I didn’t see it on the list of obtainable senses.”
“Come on, big brother, you should know a bit more. It’s efficient, but you should also enjoy the process of sipping tea on the green side.”
“When your total acquired SP exceeds a certain amount, the number of obtainable senses increases. When it was 2, it increased for humans, so I think it might increase again. So, when you reach that point…”
You can completely swap out your senses to match your image.
“So, the senses that appeared in version 2 are stronger?”
“Yeah. Not really. Performance-wise, there’s not much difference. However, there are noticeable senses that exploit enemy weaknesses or grant resistance to status ailments. Also, there are senses that seem to evolve as you level up.”
“Even the Eye of the Province stands out.”
“For example, the Eye of the Serpent has a certain flair, but it inflicts paralysis on the target when activated. You can acquire it starting from level 2. It’s much more suited for combat than the Eye of Loyalty.”
“People have been saying some harsh things. Sorry, Eye of Conflict. But I won’t abandon you.”
“Even the Eye of the Throat can become the strongest if nurtured.”
“Indeed, no one knows the growth or evolution of the Eye of Sound. However, it seems that those who have taken it could recognize it with just a sword.”
“Alright, let’s try to nurture all the senses. But thinking about it, there might be many who take multiple senses just to gain more SP.”
“In fact, there were those who took everything and ended up at level 0, only to acquire new senses afterward. But doing that without thought can be tough. To acquire higher senses, the SP cost is between 2 and 5. If you keep doing that, you’ll have to level up just to get the higher senses. It’s quite a challenge to raise them evenly.”
“As expected of an advanced player. You can discern the shortest route.”
“I still have some time before I reach that level, huh? What are you doing, big brother?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing?”
“I mean exactly that. How are you leveling up?”
“Ah, I’m making potions and accessories. I want to turn material items into money. It’s a good way to level up, even if it’s just production.”
“Still struggling with money, huh?”
Miu giggles with a voice like rolling bells. It’s fine, really. Even at my current level, I’m quite useful in combat. I swear.
“Well, I’ll keep an eye on you, big brother.”
“Yeah, keep watching.”
“Yes, yes. It’s my duty to ensure that no bad bugs get to my big brother.”
“Could you please stop teasing me with that? Sometimes I want to forget about it altogether.”
“Got it. Then I’ll go wash up with Shizuka-oneechan.”
“Alright, say hi to Shizuka for me.”
“Are you not going to wash up with us, big brother?”
“Not today. I’ve done a lot already, and the boss MOB was nerve-wracking. The VR experience is incredibly immersive, but the tension during combat was intense. I didn’t expect it to drain my nerves like that. I might end up fighting a dragon soon.”
Just thinking about it sends a shiver down my spine. Ah, I should stop thinking about it.
“Then, big brother, make sure you don’t get overtaken while you’re at it.”
With that, she enters the room. Reflecting on her words and today’s party hunt with Taku, I realized that it would be wise to enhance my weapons and armor.
For the next few days, I focused on improving my equipment, doing farm work, crafting accessories, and polishing my skills to raise my Crafting level while saving up 40,000 G with potions. With the money saved, I wore a satisfied smile. I hoped there would be someone willing to sell me a bow as I walked through the town.
“Am I being stalked?!”
No, wait. This must be a mistake. A tall, model-like man in his early twenties and a loli-shota boy were following me. Seriously, why stalking instead of just flirting?
I quickened my pace to escape the town, but they kept chasing me. They must be pretty high-level players.
When I glanced back, I could see the tall man’s head and the edge of his coat far behind me, making it obvious. Yet, even though they must have realized I noticed them, they didn’t stop following me.
“Should I send out an SOS? But… no, if it’s PK, it’s faster to run than to call for help.”
I’m confident in my speed. They probably won’t be able to keep up until the Third Town. With that in mind, I decided to run west with all my might.
“(Enhance | Speed)”
I cast an enchantment and dashed forward. I knew the geography of the forest where I had been gathering materials like the back of my hand. I took the shortest route straight to the quarry. However, the two behind me remained close on my tail.
They’re definitely stronger! But why are they targeting someone like me?
I could think of a few reasons: the Earth Spirit Stone or my amount of money. Perhaps they noticed I was carrying enhancement materials. If I were PK’d, half of my hard-earned 40,000 G would go to them.
The advantage of the PK system is that you gain the victim’s money. There’s no way I could handle two players with just my beginner equipment!
Being a guy and being stalked by other guys—what a dire situation. Even though it’s just a game.
I need to reach the Third Town, use the portal, and ask someone for help.
At the quarry, I avoided the Armadillo Club and completely ignored the Sandman and Golem. The two behind me got caught up with the Sandman. Yes! This is my chance to retreat, and I took a deep breath at the town entrance.
“Haah, haah, I finally made it. What were those guys about? Ugh, that was scary.”
I turned around to check if they were still coming. Thankfully, they seemed to have disappeared, but I needed to return to the First Town and find someone willing to sell me a bow. And armor. Fabric armor. Ah, speaking of which, that tall man’s outfit looked pretty cool. I wondered where it was sold as I activated the portal.
“Finally, I’ve found you! You bastard!”
For some reason, the people from earlier were at the portal. How did they catch up from that distance?
“I didn’t think I could make it to the Third Town with beginner equipment. We just respawned.”
Respawned. I still had little reason to go back to that town, and if I was going to use the portal to return, I could just keep an eye on this place.
“Wait, let’s talk! Hey, wait!”
I ran again, this time to a place where those guys wouldn’t follow. No, I should hide somewhere until I can call for help. Magi’s shop would be a good place. With that thought, I started running.
A quick glance back revealed that the two were sprinting after me, but they were slower than before. Oh, I see, it’s the Death Penalty’s status reduction.
Now’s my chance to rush into Magi’s shop.
“Magi… can I talk to you for a moment?”
The two men had arrived. I could hear their footsteps approaching. My heart raced, and even though I couldn’t see them, I kept glancing around to confirm their location. Even if PK isn’t possible in town, I didn’t want to be around those kinds of guys.
“What? What’s wrong? How’s the speed bonus accessory from last time?”
Magi spoke in a rather casual tone. The two seemed to be regulars at Magi’s shop, Open Sesame.
“My speed is quite impressive. With five pieces of equipment enhancing it, I could match speed-type players.”
“You were fast. If you could acquire speed-related senses with the leftover SP, you could aim for the fastest.”
The two spoke calmly about the dead chase we had.
“Just knowing that enhancing your equipment can bridge the performance gap is enough for me.”
Magi, you’re quite insightful.
I looked up at Magi from behind the counter. Seeing her shake her head, she smiled and gave me an OK sign with her finger.
“What are you talking about? Recently, various blacksmiths have been coming to me for advice, but our rule is to sell at a fair price.”
“The fair price isn’t the issue. I already know most of your sense composition.”
“What we want to know is about the ‘mysterious Blue Potion seller.’ We’ve heard about the effects of the one Magi is selling on consignment.”
Blue Potion? Is that referring to my Blue Potion? Why would anyone care about something so easily made?
“Ah, I see. So you’re trying to forcibly extract the recipe for high-effect potions from that Blue Potion seller and teach it to those with Alchemy or Synthesis skills? Claude.”
Magi’s tone dropped a notch. I could see Claude, the man she mentioned, flinch at her words.
“Th-that’s not it, Magi! Claude is just curious. Besides, I’m interested in the beginner players you’ve been mentoring lately. Claude has also been wanting to know the source of large furs and skins.”
“Listen, Lily. I don’t know what you two have done, but the fact that that girl came to me for help is enough for me. And how would it be to forcibly extract techniques? That would undermine her efforts and advantages.”
This time, the loli-shota fell silent. Thank you, Magi. You’re reliable.
“So, what did you do?”
“I wanted to hear the story…”
“And?”
Magi looked down at me, her face close enough to reach. She was smiling while cornering her opponent.
“At first, I thought about approaching her… but I was waiting for the right moment, and then… she ran away.”
I finally managed to speak up when I saw her escape from the portal, but did she already slip out the back door? Is this person just a coward?
When I was called a bastard, I thought she was really angry, but…
“Seriously, what kind of foolishness are the top blacksmiths engaging in? And you, Lily, are complicit in this. Think about how a girl feels when chased by two men. Even if it’s a game, emotions are conveyed realistically. Just because it’s a game doesn’t mean ordinary ethics don’t apply, and it’s not surprising if she feels threatened.”
—Magi, you said everything I wanted to say. But I’m a guy. A different kind of ethics. In other words, being a man isn’t a crime.
“Claude has a scary frown. Of course, she’d run away.”
She delivered the final blow.
“I-I get it! I’m sorry! How about we make amends? I’ll prepare some items too!”
“Please, from me too. Magi.”
Magi let out a grand sigh.
“So, what will you do? Will you forgive them, Yun-kun?”
I was addressed from behind the counter. Based on what I heard earlier, they didn’t seem like they wanted to do anything to me, so I figured it would be fine to show my face. Claude, the man, had a somewhat intimidating presence.
He was tall, after all.
“Thank you, Magi.”
“…You were here?”
Claude looked uncomfortable.
“So, Yun-kun, will you forgive them?”
“Whether I forgive them or not is fine since Magi said everything she wanted to say.”
“I see, I see. Yun-kun, you’re a kind person. I’m happy, sister.”
“Stop calling me sister! I’m a guy!”
“There’s no way such a cute boy is a guy!”
Claude suddenly raised his voice.
Ah, I think I understand Claude a bit better now. He’s like Gantz in that regard.
Claude cleared his throat in response to my cold glare, while Lily smiled awkwardly.
“So, can you introduce us?”
“Um, you’re looking for the mysterious Blue Potion seller, right?”
“I’m Yun.”
“Then, Yun-kun it is. Nice to meet you. I’m Lily. I’m a woodworker, so come to me for bow crafting. I mostly get requests for staves, so I’m getting bored.”
“I’m Claude. I mainly work with leather and fabric as a seamstress.”
Ah, both of them are in the production class. No wonder I didn’t see any weapons. I was surprised since I thought they might be magic users.
“So, what is this mysterious Blue Potion?”
Hmm. Everyone wore subtle expressions. I could sense an atmosphere that suggested only the involved parties were unaware of something.
“The mysterious Blue Potion.”
It’s a potion sold on consignment at Open Sesame, a metal weapon and armor specialty shop.
The Blue Potion is equivalent to a potion when crafted and was valued for being inexpensive to make in the 2D version. However, the crafting difficulty requires a Crafting level of 5 or higher, making it a high hurdle for players starting the official version. This led to a shortage of people making Blue Potions in the early stages, causing prices to skyrocket.
Currently, potion prices have stabilized, but concerns are rising that High Potions will become expensive next, and the Blue Potion, which offers a high recovery amount, has emerged.
While it may not be as effective as a High Potion, its affordability and usability have made it highly sought after by players pushing forward on the front lines. Thus, the story of the mysterious potion maker, or rather, the mysterious Blue Potion seller, has surfaced.
“We were looking for that… and I’m sorry for scaring you.”
“No, it’s fine. So, I’m that Blue Potion seller…”
It’s surprising. I only mixed Blue Jelly and dried herbs to extract it.
“That’s right, it’s Yun-kun. The moment I noticed you was when a player who didn’t deal in metal armor or weapons entered the shop, which was out of place.”
Indeed, I was using a bow and fabric armor, neither of which Magi’s shop dealt with.
[Well, being a broke production class player, I’m just selling potions like this.]
“But I don’t like it. Are you even aware of your appearance?”
—”Um…”
Claude frowned deeply. Honestly, it was a bit scary, and Magi looked like she was having fun. Lily was nervously glancing back and forth.
“Why do you think we production class players care about our equipment?”
“Uh, maybe for the status boost?”
- When I tilted my head slightly, Claude’s eyes widened.
“Wrong! It’s because there’s romance in it!”
“Yes!”
“Indeed, enhancing your status is necessary in a game! But if that’s the case, then the system…”
The generic equipment created by the system is sufficient. We production class players seek what the system or game doesn’t provide. For example, if someone requests revealing clothing, I would make it. However, simply creating a vulgar outfit that exposes too much would be tasteless. Additionally, it’s important to create something beautiful and attractive. That’s where the romance lies! Just like the cat ear equipment Magi made! Or the equipment Lily creates! Or my own romantic outfits!”
I’m listening in Japanese. However, I can’t comprehend what this man in front of me is saying.
“I’ll say this: you have great materials, yet you’re still wearing beginner gear. What a waste!”
“Are you a pervert?”
“Well, Claude is strange, but I can empathize with him. Thinking about how to make something easy to use, how to tailor it to someone, and imagining how they would use it while crafting is enjoyable.”
Magi expressed her thoughts. Somehow, I felt like I understood the meaning smoothly.
“I don’t think about such things when making potions. I just try to figure out how to sell them for a higher price.”
“I feel the same way. I create what I want to create. Everyone is different, so that’s fine.”
Lily directed a carefree smile toward me. Even within the production class, there are various types of people.
“So, here’s a proposal. No, it’s not a proposal. If you pay, I can make you the best armor as a measure of quality.”
“Claude, you’re quite condescending.”
“Yeah, um… please let me make your armor.”
“Claude, you’re quite humble.”
“Huh? Who was it that chased after me together? Lily?”
“Uh, me too.”
“Of course, both of you should apologize. Use your skills to make amends. By the way, make it for 40,000.”
“Wait, the Magi who just lectured me about what it means to be in the production class suddenly changed her tone.”
“…That’s too cheap! Fabric armor costs at least 40,000 for one piece. For six pieces, it should be around 100,000 at the current market!”
“Who said it was just for Claude? It’s 40,000 for both of you.”
“Yikes! Magi, that’s ridiculous!”
“Magi, you’re going too far!”
“Yun-kun, you’re too kind. If you didn’t entrust your potions to me, your money would circulate much faster.”
“No, I’m not worried about the money. But if I dig too deep, my sister will complain more, and I’m not in a hurry. Magi, you said you’d sell at a fair price. That’s what I mean.”
But I thought I could trust this person.
“You’re saying nice things. I can’t help it, boys.”
“Y-yes!”
Magi’s voice resonated with a lower tone.
“You’ve put your life on the line. You should thank Yun-kun. However, Claude, as the main culprit, you must at least make armor for Yun-kun.”
“Of course!”
“Hmm. 40,000 for a part of the body, huh?”
“By the way, what are the six body parts like?”
“Mainly, the head, chest, skin, waist, inner clothing, and outer clothing. Just so you know, the Beginner Equipment only covers the waist and outer clothing.”
“Oh wow. Then, I’ll just order the outer clothing for now.”
“What about additional effects? For Production Classes, it’s better to have a high DEX.”
“Is that considered a Production Class? Right. I heard I could use this for enhancement, is that okay?”
I pulled out an item from the corner of my inventory.
“I see, since you were able to pass by the Golem, you must have defeated it.”
“Oh! The Earth Spirit Stone. Another rare material request has come to Claude. I’m so envious.”
I held up the Earth Spirit Stone. I initially thought I would be PK’d for having this, but…
It might be better to use it up quickly.
“If you have a rare material, put all your current money on the table. I won’t settle for anything less than the best quality.”
—Is that really okay? The minimum price is 40,000, right?
“That kind of price is just due to poor performance or lack of materials. Hehehe, with this, my level will go up too, so it’s mutually beneficial.”
That dark smile is a bit scary. Well, he’s going to make it for me, so I’ll ask him to do it.
I placed all my money and the Earth Spirit Stone on the counter and left the shop.
A few days later, I was told that Magi would contact me.
I anxiously waited for the completion of my armor. In the meantime, I quietly made potions and practiced enchanting.
I seemed to be running low on pills, so I gathered herbs and gallstones from the surrounding area.
My fields were stable, yielding a good amount of Magic Sphere Grass and Earth Spirit Grass, and I completely transitioned to buying herbs from NPCs.
My stats had also increased significantly.
Current SP: 2
【Level】
【Hawk Eye Level】
【Magic Talent Level 8】
【Magic Power Level】
【Alchemy Level】
1] 【Addition Level 1】
【Alchemy Level 2】 【Synthesis Level 1】 【Crafting Level 1】 【Production Knowledge Level 1】
【Taming Level 1】 【Speed Increase Level 7】 【Discovery Level 5】
_「Poetry Level 1」 – Equipment Level 1 – Military Level 7 – Inquiry Level 5
From the Herb Spirit, I was able to create High Potions, and from the Magic Sphere Grass, I could make MP Potions. However,
like the herbs, the recovery amount increased after going through the drying process. But perhaps due to my low 【Alchemy】 level, I initially failed more than half the time. Now, I was at about a 70% success rate.
I also refined the quality, and since the lower conversion in Alchemy increased the quantity, I could perform a lot of alchemy, but I couldn’t secure enough to sell. For now, they were exclusively for my use, but they provided excessive recovery from my low HP.
On the other hand, my recent concern was the growth of my 【Synthesis】 Sense. I no longer needed to create synthesis potions, and I felt no need to raise it. Recently, I had been buying arrows from the shop.
“My Synthesis has returned to being useless.”
At this rate, the necessity for 【Synthesis】 would disappear. I needed to do something about it, so I started looking through my inventory for unused items.
Hmm. I haven’t done any three-type synthesis lately, and even combining synthesis potions only slightly increased the recovery amount. As for High Potions and MP Potions, they failed due to insufficient levels. The only items left were… stones?
I had picked up a large number of stones. I probably had around two hundred by now. I had tried using them in 【Synthesis】 and 【Alchemy】 before, but somehow I felt like I could succeed with my current level.
“They say it’s easier to give birth than to worry, so let’s try 【Synthesis】!”
Using a kit that could create three types, I combined three stones and ended up with a rock. It was a perfectly round, beautiful rock, just right for sitting on.
“Oh, it’s heavy. Can it fit in my inventory… Oh, it fits!”
It was cumbersome, so I continued converting stones into rocks for leveling up. Along the way, I tried using 【Alchemy】 as well, but it failed. I wondered if there was some kind of rule. Rocks aren’t a higher material than stones. What could they be used for?
They were just the right size. I thought placing them around the fields would improve the scenery, so I set down several rocks.
Gray stones, yellowish soil, and herbs, along with the purple from the broken grave and the yellow from the paralysis area, transformed the area into something resembling a flowerbed.
“Wow, it looks beautiful. I know it’s a bit self-serving to say, but it might be nice to take a screenshot and show it to Miu.”
Everyone mocks farming, but if it’s just about appearance, it looks nice. I heard that if I had a picture frame as a furniture item, I could display the screenshots I had.
I want to have my own shop one day and decorate it.
A short sound echoed in my mind. It was a message from Magi.
“Yes, this is Yun.”
“Ah, the armor is ready. Claude dropped it off just now along with a note.”
“Ah, then I’ll pick it up while delivering the potions.”
“Got it. I’ll be waiting.”
Well, Blue Potions can be made quickly using the recipe. However, since it goes through multiple processes, the MP consumption is much higher than just following the recipe. But that also means my magic power grows faster. Both have their pros and cons.
“Alright, it’s done, so let’s go.”
I switched to 【Speed Increase】 and applied some enchantments, rushing through the town. Leaving behind a yellow afterimage, I arrived at 【Open Sesame】 near the town center in just a few minutes.
“Magi! Hello!”
“Hi there! Welcome. Here’s your armor. And there’s a little something extra.”
Nervously, I accepted the armor from Magi’s trade screen. It even came with an inner layer.
DEF +6K6 Additional Effect: DEX Bonus Auto Repair
“Wow, this armor is worlds apart from my current one!”
“Yeah, but the most amazing part is the additional effect from the Earth Spirit Stone.”
Rare materials that grant additional effects to equipment are called enhancement materials and provide special effects.
“The effect of the Earth Spirit Stone is auto-repair. It seems that when the durability decreases, it absorbs the wearer’s MP to recover. According to the note, it can fully recover even if it breaks, as long as there’s time and MP.”
“That’s convenient. If this breaks, I’ll have to pay properly to buy a new one.”
“Also, if you want to enhance the armor, come to me, and I’ll upgrade it.”
“Ah, that’s great! Then I’ll try equipping it right away.”
When I took it out, it looked like a coat in black and yellow-brown. It was cut sharply at the shoulders, exposing the skin on my shoulders and arms, prioritizing ease of movement. It had leather and golden metal decorations in various places, showcasing Claude’s good taste.
The simple black inner layer had high durability and felt good against the skin. If I wore the leather coat over it, the inner layer would come off.
Though it’s called a leather coat, the hem isn’t very long. It barely covers my backside. Tightening the belt around my knees allows for a snug fit.
“It’s cool! I like it. But what’s with the name CS?”
“Oh, that. Production Classes can freely change the names of the items they create, but for Claude, he numbers his masterpieces like that. Apparently, it’s an abbreviation for the Claude Series.”
“That’s a bit embarrassing. It feels like a limited edition or something. But it’s fine.”
“When we meet next time, I’ll have him change it to something normal.”
“That still feels embarrassing. Also, he wrote that if I model for him next time, I’ll get a discount.”
“Ugh, I have a bad feeling about what he means by model. Knowing him, I might end up in some weird outfit.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Right. Is there anything else…?”
“Not that I can see. Well then, I’ll deliver the potions.”
I placed the Blue Potions on the trade screen.
“Ten Blue Potions at 500G each comes to 25,000G. I’ve gathered quite a bit in three days. It’s a bit of a burden.”
“If I keep this up, I might be able to open my own shop.”
“That’s right. I want to have one someday, but well, in due time.”
“I see. If that happens, you’ll be selling your own stuff. The older sister will get lonely.”
“If that happens, I’ll occasionally compete with you. Talking with Magi is fun.”
“Oh my, are you trying to make me fall for you?”
“What kind of joke is that? It’s the truth. Besides, it’s nice to have conversations between Production Classes.”
As Yun smiled, Magi widened her eyes in surprise and quickly returned the smile.
“Conversations between Production Classes. That sounds appealing. Well, if that happens, I’d be happy if you still delivered potions occasionally.”
“Then, I’ll bring something as a souvenir when I visit your shop.”
We happily chatted about things that seemed far off in the future.
“Well then, I’ll go test out the armor’s performance.”
“Huh? Are you going to do more production? Since your DEX has gone up, you might succeed with things you previously failed.”
“Before that, I need to fight. I don’t know what will affect my stats.”
“Hmm. If you find out anything from that kind of verification, let me know.”
“Understood.”
I heard that and left town, heading east.
Between the regions where Big Bopoa, Goblins, and Slimes appeared, two types of MOBs, Milbirds and Gray Rats, emerged. In terms of level, they were comparable to the Stone Armadillos and Rock Clubs in the quarry, but these were faster and had lower defense.
The Milbirds circling in the air would screech and charge at me when I got within a certain distance. Miu had been timing her attacks to drop them. Even though they charged, they made loud noises beforehand, making them easy to detect.
Gray Rats were huge mice. They weren’t cute at all. They were about the size of a small dog, and they wouldn’t attack unless I got close. They had a short link distance.
Today’s target was the birds.
I aimed at the Milbirds in the sky with a long-range shot. My attack power wasn’t particularly high, but the HP of the target wasn’t high either. After landing a hit, they noticed me, and while they approached, I fired three arrows, bringing one down to the ground.
My bow didn’t seem to have as low a hit rate as others claimed, but with my current sense, the accuracy felt even better. I could aim with ease. Yes, I could shoot specific parts.
In fact, I aimed for the feathers of the flying birds, disrupting their flight and causing them to fall. I realized just how much of a difference simply changing my armor made. I also learned that the damage varied depending on the specific part of the bird I hit.
Especially if I hit their small heads, it was almost guaranteed to be a critical hit. If I hit both wings, it would disrupt their flight.
I see, so this is the relationship between the bow and dexterity.
With the DEX bonus from my armor, my hit rate increased. In other words, for Bow Users, DEX provides a hit rate correction.
Many Bow Users had given up due to this. Range, hit rate, and cost-effectiveness.
Range tends to depend on ATK, while hit rate tends to depend on DEX.
Cost-effectiveness relates to the player’s financial situation.
Indeed, while this game requires individual player skill, it doesn’t mean there’s no assistance. Magic users have magic tracking, and swordsmen have Arts motion assistance, for example.
In other words, it’s only natural that bows have assistance as well, but perhaps they were too focused on range and didn’t sufficiently meet the hit rate correction.
—In other words, they were being led astray. And here I am, with a high DEX due to my Production Sense. What an irony. Even with a useless sense, if I unravel the stats, it turns out like this.
In the beginning, all my levels were low and didn’t grow, but as I trained everything, my DEX increased, and corrections were applied to my hit rate, which is my hypothesis.
In other words, if I intentionally lowered my DEX, the hit rate of my arrows would drop, indicating that DEX was providing the correction.
I returned my armor to the initial equipment and removed any senses that affected DEX. I didn’t think I could shoot down the birds in the sky without my “Inner Eye.” For now, I would trust in the level of my bow and shoot.
The arrow flew for a dozen meters. It didn’t even reach half of what my sense-enhanced equipment could do. It fell in a parabolic arc, hitting a mouse that was scurrying on the ground.
With an arrow embedded in its back, it charged at me in a fit of rage.
I hurriedly nocked another arrow, but I couldn’t hit it at all. I struggled to adjust my senses and armor, and even if I tried to run away, it would catch up to me. I had removed 【Speed Increase】 and 【Addition】, so even if I tried to escape, it would catch up.
I was drawn into close combat and was overwhelmed by a single rat, resulting in my death and return.
“Ouch… Dying is surprisingly painful. It’s been a while since I took damage.”
It had been since the first day of the game. Until now, I had managed to get by with production and long-range shooting, but perhaps I had overdone it in a practical sense.
I was returned to the central square of the first town.
“It might have been proven. The speed of the herb fields is fast for the initial stage, so if the DEX of the bow and arrow is low, it might be that enemies can evade.”
I stood up and adjusted my equipment.
I was at a loss with the Death Penalty. This is bad. I had too much time left.
Should I log out for shopping? Maybe I’ll have Chinese food for lunch today.
Today, I gave up on production activities and spent the day quietly.
—
No Terashin Oosushin Nan to Shin
Chapter 6: Trion Ring and the Value of Information
And the next day. Taking the previous day’s reflections into account, I decided not to go outside the town today. No, it’s not that I’m being reclusive; this time, I’m going to make money to buy bows and arrows.
I have a steady income from Blue Potions, but I have nothing else, so I thought about selling the accessories I currently have. Honestly, I just hope they sell.
Since I’ve become more stable in processing gems due to the DEX bonus from my armor, I thought I’d move on to the next stage. That is, processing High-Quality Iron Ore.
[I want to test the limits of my mobile device. And I want to create a one-off piece of equipment just for me.] Inspired by what Magi and Lily had said before, I felt a surge of desire to design my own equipment, leading me to this point. I placed the High-Quality Iron Ore I prepared through Alchemy into the furnace to turn it into ingots.
I wanted to enchant it and swing my spear with gusto. And the first one was completed. If my DEX is high, the success rate of production increases. I can clearly see this through comparison. It’s easy.
Even that iron, I can now produce while humming a tune. And I keep churning out High-Quality Iron Ingots.
The effort I put into this is, of course, for leveling up. After all, the path of the strong is the path of the warrior. For low-rank production, a single production skill is fine, but for high-rank, it seems better to do it myself for better experience points. Plus, the success rate is higher.
And I crafted a ring just for myself. I changed its design and name, matching the color to my black outfit, creating a black metal feel with three interlocking rings, embedding a peridot in the central pedestal. The gem’s material effect increases defense. It’s minimal at 1, small at 2, and medium at 3.
The completed ring turned out to be far superior to any ring I had made before.
Itorion Ring (Equipment)
– DEF +9
Since the upper limit for High-Quality Iron Ore is 6, this is certainly a high-level accessory. As I admired it, I noticed that my 【Addition】 level had surpassed 3.
【Sense [Addition] Lv 3 or higher required | SP Cost 3 【Addition Technique】】
This was a sense I had never seen before. The total number of SP I had acquired hadn’t exceeded the previous amount, so this must be the growth of my sense.
The explanation for 【Addition Technique】 mentioned increasing the types of additions and unlocking attribute prerequisites, etc.
The former means that the types will increase to three. If I have INT enchantments, I can enhance the rear guard, increasing my significance. The latter, however, is unclear. It only states prerequisites without revealing other conditions.
And the explanation continues.
| Adding to items.
| … Seriously? If I can enhance beforehand, combat will become easier. Can I do it to items other than equipment?
Excited, I acquired it and immediately checked my skill list.
The Skill Addition section has… Oh! It’s increased dramatically. The boosts to magical attack power from Intelligence and magical defense from Mind have multiplied. Additionally, there’s a new effect that lowers the target’s stats (Curse).
There are also two newly added types: Skill Addition and Material Addition. The Skill Addition states, “Imbues the skills held by the player onto an item.” What a boon for me! This just means I can attach someone else’s skills to my equipment!
The other one, however, does provide a clear benefit for me.
Material Addition grants the player’s enchantments to an item. If I can apply this and sell it, I’m golden! Material Addition | Enchant Attack.
Without hesitation, I apply Material Addition to a random accessory.
Ring [Equipment]
DEF +5 Additional Effect: ATK Addition
I got a bit carried away and tried to apply a second enchantment, only for it to break.
“Ah… right. If I could enchant items without limits, I could stack double or triple enchantments without any risk.”
I took out some accessories I planned to sell and items I wouldn’t use, repeating my experiments.
[Can I apply a Cursed effect in addition to enchantments? Well, time for some experimentation. (Material Addition)]
“Cursed Defense.”
With a dark glow, the ring’s status changed to DEF Curse.
“Whoa, this is a child’s item. Thinking about it that way. (Material Addition) _Cursed Attack.”
And it broke again. This time, I applied the effects in the order of Addition, Curse, Addition.
“My crafted Trion Ring. Seriously, this performance is unbelievable.”
Trion Ring
DEF +9 Additional Effects: ATK Addition, SPEED Addition, MIND Curse
“If a magic user had this, they could sacrifice attack power to boost their magical attack and defense.
The reason items break with double enchantments or curses is that each material has a limit.
In other words, for the current materials of the item, you can only have one additional effect, either positive or negative. To add more,
you’d need to upgrade the material grade or apply a negative curse. Furthermore, if you apply the same type of enchantment and curse, they cancel each other out. This means I can freely change equipment under this rule.
By the way, consumables and food items can’t handle this. They break and disappear in one go.
When I applied an attack addition to the ingots and stones I had, I wondered how to use it. If combined with a Trion Ring, would it increase attack power? The possibilities are expanding. Well, for now, this is the extent of my verification. Also, the fact that it doesn’t break under the known conditions means this falls under magic, not production.”
“By the way, am I the only one who has developed the Addition Sense to this extent?
To pose that question, I sent a chat to Magi.
“Magi, are you free right now?”
“What is it, Yun-kun? Are you coming to deliver potions again?”
“Yes, I am. Also, I have a few things I want to discuss.”
“Got it. I’ll be waiting.”
I ran towards her. I equipped an accessory with a speed enchantment and ran, but it seems that item enchantments and regular enchantments are treated differently. There was a slight difference in speed. I almost bumped into a few people, so I switched to a brisk walk. The advantage of item enchantments is that they don’t produce any visual effects.
“Magi, hello!”
“Oh, you made it! Shall I go ahead and deliver the potions?”
“Let’s do that.”
As usual, I sold Blue Potions for money. Thanks to the DEX bonus, my potion-making failures have decreased, so I’m considering expanding the fields and adding Detox Potions and Paralysis Cure Potions to my production.
“How’s the salt tree, Yun-kun?”
“Well, it’s coming along. Also, I found out that the hit rate for bows is related to DEX.”
“Oh, you finally figured that out. Good job, my disciple.”
“Hey, we’re not in a master-disciple relationship, and it sounds like you already knew about the hit rate.”
“Did you know?”
“Who do you think I am? I’m Magi, the blacksmith. Back in version 2, I was researching various Sense characteristics with Claude and Lily to find the best adjustments for combat classes.”
“If you knew, you should have told me!”
She chuckled at my complaints. When I shot her a sidelong glance, she quickly made a gesture of apology with one hand, saying, “Sorry.”
“I’m not trying to be mean. Think about it. How would it be if I taught you everything from A to Z? It would be no different from reading a strategy guide.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Besides, I dislike being coddled. I believe that finding things on your own is a point of pride. I’ll give advice to those who come to me and negotiate too. I welcome interesting people like you. What I dislike are the faceless masses. If you want to be taught, go find the I’m OP types or browse strategy sites. If you want to break the concept of the game, feel free to do so.”
“That’s quite harsh.”
“Well, I think information exchange is important. I buy information about items and MOBs to provide them with the best weapons and armor.”
“That’s some valuable advice coming from a top-tier production class. I really need to carve my own path.”
“I feel like I might be charged tuition for that lofty speech.”
“Haha, I’m not that much of a demon. If you continue to be my ally in this production battle, that’s good enough for me.”
“Then, as a token of my growth, I’ll gift you this ring. Today…”
“I finally made it from high-quality iron ore.”
“Oh! You’ve finally reached that point. I’m currently working with steel. Next, I’ll be moving on to silver products.”
“I still have a long way to go. Here, take this. I’ll keep working hard too.”
I took off the Trion Ring from my finger and handed it over. I still can’t be confident in my production skills.
“Well then, I’ll be looking for more ways to make money.”
“Alright. Take care. I’ll cherish this gift.”
As I dashed out of the shop, Magi suddenly rushed out after me. However, I didn’t notice her as I was already on my way.
“Seriously, what kind of accessory did you leave behind? I’ve never seen anything like this!”
Magi muttered under her breath, unheard by anyone.
I used the money I had to expand my fields for my money-making endeavors. The price for fields after the fifth one skyrocketed tenfold, and buying adjacent ones incurred additional fees.
As a result, I expanded to six fields, allowing for a total of 120 items. I also purchased other necessary items for Alchemy from the shop, leaving me with less than 10,000 G.
“I made a big show in front of Magi, but now I’m broke again.”
Purchasing weapons, renewing armor, and buying my own store—there’s still a long way to go. Before that, I need to buy a higher-tier furnace to craft accessories.
A furnace capable of processing steel costs 80,000. An even higher one costs several hundred thousand.
“Is there anything I can do with the remaining money?”
I scanned my inventory. Items that failed the skill verification had disappeared. The rest were randomly enchanted accessories occupying a corner of my inventory.
“Are there any other useful items? Meat, poisonous shells… Oh, I’ve left a fossil lying around.”
The fossil I had almost forgotten about was tucked away in a corner of my inventory. I found it during my adventure with Miu and had left it untouched until now.
“The appraisal fee is 5,000 G. If I take potions to Magi, I can make a decent amount of money, or I could have it turned into an item. Now, where can I get it restored?”
I recalled that I needed to show it to an NPC called a geologist. If I didn’t know where to find them, I could ask the town NPCs while I searched, so I began wandering around the town.
When I first asked an NPC in the central square, they told me it was in the northern district. I got the exact location and headed there, but for some reason, it led me to an antique shop.
“Hey, hey, is this a shop selling fossils or a shop selling relics of civilization?”
“Welcome! Do you need something from our store?”
A scruffy man wearing a tattered vest and with messy hair appeared.
“Do you appraise fossils here?”
“Yeah, we handle antiques too. Sometimes we have hidden treasures.”
Looking around the shop, it seemed more focused on furniture and decorations rather than combat items, and some items even had “broken” in front of their names.
“Today, I just need an appraisal. Please take a look at this.”
I took out the money from my inventory and placed it next to the fossil.
“Alright, I’ll take it. Let’s see what we have here.”
He pulled out a monocle from his vest pocket and examined the fossil through it. Watching him, I couldn’t help but think it might make a good subject for my next accessory.
“I’ve appraised it. This is a seed.”
“A seed? Like a cucumber for the fields? That’s just what I need.”
“What? You’re a farmer? This is a seed from the Vitality Tree. It’s not particularly rare.”
“Oh, I thought it might be something special.”
“It’s a tree that grows in a slightly remote area, easily harvested in volcanic regions. Where did you find this fossil?”
“In a nearby excavation site.”
“Maybe it was growing around here too. If you want to sell it, I’ll buy it for 100 G.”
“No, I’ll take it home. I want to cultivate it.”
It may not be a rare tree, but once it takes root, it will yield fruit every day. In the long run, that might be more beneficial.
Thus, I received the seed from the Vitality Tree. I hurried back to my fields, eager to plant it, but unfortunately, I hadn’t prepared the ground yet. With three new fields, I swung my hoe with determination.
Under the blue sky, I worked the fields, reflecting on the red and yellow lights, receiving the accessory bonuses, and showing off my human plow-like efficiency. It was easier than before, but it still took a considerable amount of time. I hadn’t prepared enough to sell accessories or gather funds. However, I had managed to stabilize the production of High Potions, MP Potions, Detox Potions, and Paralysis Cure Potions.
Today, I logged in during the afternoon. The fields I had diligently worked on over the past couple of days were half-covered in plants, while the other half lay fallow due to a lack of seeds. I was utterly dismayed by my lack of planning, but since this was a game, I decided not to think too deeply about it.
Suddenly, a familiar sound echoed shortly after logging in. It was Magi. It was unusual for her to contact me so soon after yesterday, but I connected the friend communication.
“Hello! What’s up?”
“Hey, Yun-kun. Actually, Claude and the others want to talk to you. Could you come to Claude’s shop for a bit?”
“Seriously? Uh, well…”
This is going to be awkward. The stalking incident is behind me, but I still find him difficult to deal with. His attitude and words are just off.
“Are you still uncomfortable with Claude? I felt the same way, like, what is he even saying?”
“Yeah, well…”
I didn’t say that out loud.
“Can I make some potions first? I’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”
“Got it. When you’re ready, just say the magic words, ‘Open Sesame,’ and I’ll guide you to Claude’s shop.”
After cutting off communication with Magi, I collected the items for my field. The Vitality Tree had only grown a little and wasn’t ready for harvest yet. Still, the items I planted had increased.
However, with the increase in fields, the time for harvesting also grew, leaving me with no time to make potions.
“Ah, I’m running out of time. I’ll just deliver the High Potions and MP Potions I have on hand. I can make more when I get back.”
I confirmed the items in my inventory and left the fields.
I took the familiar path, easily avoiding NPCs. As I passed by two players, I accidentally startled one of them. Sorry about that!
I dashed through and soon arrived at Magi’s shop.
“I’m here!”
“Oh, right on time! Let’s go.”
After saying something to the NPC shopkeeper, Magi led me out of Open Sesame.
As we walked together, people passing by glanced at us. Since I usually sprint through town, it’s rare to be noticed, but it seems that Bow Users are quite a sight. I felt uncomfortable being watched and wanted to get to a place with fewer people quickly.
“Magi, um, where’s Claude’s shop?”
“It’s on the main street in the eastern district. Look, there’s the Comnest Tea café coming into view.”
Pointing ahead, I saw a shop with an open terrace. It looked just like a café.
“By the way, on the opposite side is Lily’s shop, Liwaari’s Woodworking Shop.”
Looking across, I saw a chic shop with a wooden sign. The foot traffic wasn’t too heavy, but there seemed to be a decent turnover.
“One side is basically reliable, while the other side… well, it’s quite the café.”
“Right? Claude said he’s going to host a cosplay café there.”
I had a bad feeling about this. I didn’t want to go in, but I had to.
“Shall we enter?”
“It seems to be closed, though…”
“His Cooking Sense is lacking, so he’s not operating as a café. Let’s go in.”
Magi entered nonchalantly, and I followed her inside, only to be met with a sudden attack.
“Ah, you made it! Now, change into this!”
For some reason, Claude was waiting for us with a pink maid outfit and a traditional Japanese maid outfit in hand. Without missing a beat, Magi delivered a punch to his gut as we entered. What a way to make an entrance.
“Ugh, that hurt… Your punches are heavier than before. I thought my insides were going to flip.”
“Come on, Claude, you always tease people like this. That’s not nice.”
“Ugh, I can feel the difference in strength. This ring is something else.”
The three of us were saying different things. I stood at the entrance, dumbfounded by the scene, while Magi checked her fist, and Lily, who had already taken a seat at the counter, was poking Claude, who was on the floor.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, no problem. It just knocked the wind out of me; no pain or HP damage.”
“Then why do you have to say something that ruins the atmosphere right off the bat?”
Magi shot Claude a glare, and he chuckled lightly.
“Why? Because it’s time. I wanted to see what you’d look like in these outfits. The unique sheen and practicality are just too tempting.”
The pink maid outfit exuded a cute charm, while the traditional outfit had a calm color scheme and a nostalgic, Taisho-era beauty that gave off a slightly mature vibe! I just wanted to see them! That was all!
“Alright, alright. I get it, but please stop in front of Yun, who doesn’t know you that well.”
Listening to their banter, I took a step back.
“Well, enough of the jokes. Yun, I have a question for you. Is that alright?”
“W-What is it?”
After the lengthy speech, I braced myself for whatever was coming.
“You haven’t given any accessories to anyone besides Magi, have you?”
“The Trion Ring? Ah, yeah. I don’t have enough to sell yet.”
Most of them had become practice dummies for enchantments, and the only ones left were the copper rings that couldn’t withstand enchantments. Only accessories made from bronze or higher materials could be enchanted.
“I see. Then follow me.”
I looked around the shop. The area we were led to behind the counter had the atmosphere of a workshop, decorated with fabrics, leather, and tapestries, and there was a simple stone fitting room.
We gathered around a large wooden table in the center of the workshop.
“Now, I have a few questions for you.”
“Y-Yeah.”
Just to clarify, if there’s something you don’t want to say, you don’t have to. If you think it’ll put you at a disadvantage in the game or if there’s something you want to keep hidden, you don’t have to share.
Claude had an air about him that felt like an interrogator, which only heightened my discomfort. When I glanced at Magi, she gave me a reassuring look.
“Then, let me ask you this: can the Trion Ring that Magi is wearing be crafted freely?”
“Yeah, if I have the time.”
At this point, I thought about mentioning my Sense of Addition Technique, but I hesitated since Magi and the others had previously said that it was unnecessary to pry into crafting methods.
“Do you fully understand the crafting method?”
“Not yet. I don’t think I even grasp half of it.”
“This is the last question. If you were to sell the Trion Ring, how much would you sell it for?”
That was an unexpected question to end on.
“Hmm. I’d be happy if I could sell it for 15,000 G.”
“Haah~”
Everyone present sighed in unison. Was it too high? Well, then…
“Is it too high…? Then, let’s try again.”
“No, no, Yun, it’s the opposite. It’s too low.”
“Huh? Since I’ve been buying items until now, I guess you don’t know the market price, huh?”
“To put it simply, yours would sell for at least 5,000 G. If the combinations are flexible, a magic team would probably pay over 100,000 G.”
“What? Selling a single iron ingot for 50,000 G? That’s practically robbery! That’s impossible!”
In reality, an iron ingot would sell for around 500 G at best.
“Our bonus effects for Addition Techniques are currently limited to one type. However, yours has three. While the curse effect is a negative, if you think about it differently, it could be a non-issue for players who don’t rely on physical attacks.”
Well, I understand that if you add INT and MIND and reduce ATK, it could sell well to magic classes. It could also be tailored for purely physical builds. Customization is possible according to individual play styles.
And my Sense is still at Crafting. If I level it up to 3 and grow it to Quick Crafting, I might be able to add bonuses more freely.
“So, it has that much value?”
“Yeah, it enriches the equipment available to players. Speaking of which, I have a request. I’d like you to teach me your crafting method. Of course, I’ll pay for the information.”
“Whoa!”
Caught off guard by the sudden request, my mind momentarily froze.
I’m not sure how Claude interpreted that, but he began explaining with a serious expression.
“We’re not suggesting RMT. We intend to pay in in-game currency.”
—Wait, hold on. Why is this conversation going in that direction? You want me to sell you the crafting method? What’s the point of that?
Even if you ask me about the meaning, there’s no point in learning the crafting method. Once information is out on the internet, it can be obtained for free. But if I had to say, it’s about our trio’s fundamental philosophy.”
I still didn’t understand. Perhaps my expression conveyed my confusion, as Magi picked up where Claude left off.
“One of our trio’s fundamental philosophies is ‘selling at a fair price.’ It can’t be too low or too high. By coincidence, we were the top production class in the second version. The equipment we create generally sells for whatever price we set. In other words, we want to establish fair prices for items and information.”
So, they aim to create price indicators to keep the in-game market bustling?
“For example, if you, Yun, were to create a new crafting method for accessories, it wouldn’t matter if it was priced low or high. If you set an inappropriate price, what do you think would happen?”
“…If sold cheaply, it would be resold at a high price. If priced high, one person would monopolize the profits.”
“Exactly. Furthermore, if it becomes difficult to obtain and gains a premium, it could become a breeding ground for RMT. We don’t want that kind of situation.”
“So, by knowing methods or crafting techniques that someone might attempt, when such a situation arises, we can create the same item and set a fair price. Ideally, we can laugh it off as an act to maintain game balance. We would negotiate similarly if another player discovers a new crafting method, not just you. In-game currency is just imaginary money. We wouldn’t mind paying for information.”
So, that means they’re making enough to be generous with their money. And at fair prices, no less.
“Then, I just won’t sell it. But that’s not the case, is it? If someone else were to come up with it, that’s a different story.”
“Yeah. We don’t intend to hinder your play, and you’re free to play as you like. You can also decline this offer.”
Lily said that, but I think it would be good to cooperate. My first impressions of Claude and Lily weren’t great, but this outer armor they made was well-crafted, and I trust Magi quite a bit.
“Understood. I’ll teach you. But it’s not anything special.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.”
What I explained was about my Sense, Nika Technique.
The two newly added effects, Skill Addition and Material Addition. The past effects of the Trion Ring utilized Material Addition.
“And the reason I’m incorporating a curse is that without it, the item would break.”
“If it doesn’t comply with the crafting laws, the item will disappear. I added three bonus effects to the materials, but depending on the type and rank of the materials used, the number of enchantable bonus effects may vary. It’s impossible for consumables and food items, but it is possible for material items. That’s what I understand so far.”
“Wow, Yun, you’ve really done your research. I get the Material Addition part, but what about Skill Addition?”
“Skill Addition is… well, I haven’t fully tested it yet, so I don’t completely understand it, but I think it’s a skill that attaches your existing skills to an item.”
“So, you only understand half of it, then. It’s good to know in advance.”
Claude cleared his throat. “Well, I don’t think this is particularly useful.”
“Yun, you’ve learned quite an incredible skill. The ability to freely attach your skills to items is a game-changer.”
“I still don’t feel like it’s useful at all.”
“Um, the Arts of ‘Active’ and ‘Rapid Fire’ and the higher and lower transformations of the Sense ‘Kill Gold,’ as well as ‘Alchemy’ and ‘Synthesis’ recipes, and the skills of the Crafting Sense can be targets for Skill Addition.”
(Skill Addition cannot attach automatic abilities that come with the Sense. For example, the long-range vision or night vision abilities of ‘Eye of the Hawk’ or targeting abilities. Also, the appraisal ability of ‘Crafting’ cannot be attached.)
In other words, active skills are the ones that can be added. Therefore, it’s impossible to attach the speed increase effect of my ‘Speed Increase’ or the long-range vision ability of ‘Just Eye’ to an item.
“To discuss a few possibilities, how about the items that have been added? Can they be added to materials or not? What happens to the used items? If a magic skill is added, where does the MP come from? These three factors can significantly change the outcome.”
“Testing is necessary. So, Yun, try adding it to this staff.”
Lily took out a piece of wood that began to glow, transforming into a crude staff. It was likely crafted using her Woodworking Sense skill.
“Is that okay? But I don’t have a magic sense.”
“Addition Techniques also fall under the category of magic senses. You can just use ‘Addition’ for it.”
“Got it. Ah… it seems I need to register some keywords or something.”
It seems I need a phrase to activate the added skill. Hmm, is this a measure to avoid overlapping with the creator’s skills? Alright, then I’ll go with ‘Active.’
“Setting it. Now, (Skill Addition) ‘Add Attack.'”
It drained my MP, and the staff in my hand emitted a red light, altering its status.
Staff [Weapon]
ATK +2 INT +8
Bonus Effect: ATK Addition
“Okay, I’ll give it a try, but is that alright?”
Lily took hold of the staff.
“The keyword is ‘Active.'”
“Got it, here I go. ‘Active!'”
With Lily’s voice, the staff glowed red and enveloped her. Then, the staff broke.
“I see. That’s the overwhelming cost of Skill Addition. The skills added through Skill Addition can only be used once and are disposable. So, Lily, how’s your MP?”
“None at all. I was able to enchant without consuming any MP.”
“Oh, so it can be used even without a Sense, and it doesn’t drain MP. But it’s disposable, huh?”
I couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful about the weapon breaking.
“This is bad; it definitely has some drawbacks. The fact that it’s usable not just by you, Yun, but by anyone is huge. If it could be used on just materials instead of equipment, it would become a low-cost magical item.”
After that, we experimented with several items, but there were restrictions on Skill Addition. Only one skill could be added. However, it could coexist separately from Material Addition. Additionally, the added skill could only be activated by the keyword set by the creator beforehand. Using the skill would inevitably break it. Having weapons or armor break during combat would be catastrophic.
Some skills were also impossible to add. The two that couldn’t be added were Skill Addition and Material Addition. It was only natural that those wouldn’t work.
Lastly, the fact that it could be added to material items was significant. Moreover, items with Skill Addition could be freely named.
“Hmm. I see. So, for now, it’s a unique patent belonging to Yun alone.”
“That’s right. Well, I don’t think these are all the limitations. Just like with Material Addition, if it breaks with accessory crafting, it might mean that high-rank skills require appropriate materials. I’ll contact you again once I understand more.”
Magi and the others expressed their gratitude. However, since I had them help with the testing, I was the one who should be thankful.
“Thank you for today. If you ever sell an item crafted with Addition Techniques, I’d appreciate it if you could consult me about the price first.”
“Sure. I’d be more than happy to ask you.”
“Now then, Yun. This is the information fee.”
A trade screen was requested, connecting me to Claude. When I saw the amount sent, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
3,000,000 CG. In other words, 3M.
It was such a large sum that it didn’t feel real. Suddenly acquiring 3M made me feel utterly bewildered.
“No way, this amount of money is ridiculous! Wait, wait, hold on!”
At my outburst, Claude tilted his head, while Magi and Lily chuckled.
“If you do the work, you get paid. That’s only natural. And that amount was agreed upon beforehand by the three of us. There’s no foul play here.”
“Three people means each of you contributed 1M? No, no, I feel way too guilty about this.”
“I can’t accept this much…”
“Don’t worry. You’ll spend that money quickly in this game. In fact, it’s about double what you’d need to set up a shop. Plus, it’s necessary for equipment expansion. So, keep it. Or do you want to return it?”
At Claude’s last words, I pondered. A large sum of money is tempting. However, having it makes me quite anxious. First, with my current gear, I’d lose to a PK. And I certainly don’t want to be robbed of such a large sum. Personally, I’d prefer to trade it for items. Yes, I should convert it to goods as soon as possible.
Hmm. Well then… Claude and Lily. Please equip me with items for 1M.
“Sure. Yun, your weapon is a bow, but what type do you want? A longbow? Or a shortbow? Which bonus would you prefer, ATK or DEX? I’ll take care of it for 10,000 G.”
“Then, I’ll handle the inner clothing and waist armor for 10,000 G. The enhancement materials can be upgraded later. The bonus will be the same DEX as last time, and I’ll take care of the design.”
“Um, Lily. For the bow, I’ll go with a longbow with an ATK bonus. And Claude, keep the same bonus for the armor. Also, no skirts in the design, absolutely.”
It was surprisingly easy for them to accept my equipment requests. And when I told Claude no skirts, he made a face as if he was pained.
“You’re one of the ideal models I’ve found! I want to dress you in a sailor uniform, a shrine maiden outfit, a battle goddess outfit, a kimono, a Chinese dress, a swimsuit, and more! I’m holding back for now, but at least let me have a skirt!”
I was at a loss for words with how passionately he argued. Why was he so insistent on skirts?
“Let me dress you up once and take screenshots from various angles! If you do that, I’ll give you a discount, and I’ll be satisfied!”
“No way! I’m a guy!”
What… a guy? Then how about a boy scout outfit, a military uniform, or a naval costume? No, let’s go with a swordsman style in a flowing robe. No, no, how about a cute animal pajama series? Something about that felt unsettling.
Magi adjusted her Trion Ring and checked her fist grip. Claude began to sweat as he watched.
“Please, just no embarrassing skirts.”
“Understood. It’s a craftsman’s duty to fulfill the client’s requests. But I’ll make you wear my cosplay outfit someday.”
That’s a bit scary. It completely ruins the cool atmosphere.
Well, whatever. I paid both of them 1M as an advance.
“I really have no idea how to use the remaining 2M.”
“Yun, you’ve been using starter gear until now, so you probably don’t know, but repairing equipment surprisingly takes time and money.”
“By the way, the higher the rank of the equipment, the more expensive the repairs. For weapons, it’s about 20% of the purchase price. For armor, you can calculate it as about 10%.”
So, for the weapon I just ordered, it would be 80,000 G, and for armor, it would be 30,000 G for two pieces. A total of 140,000 G.
“Well, the price can vary depending on the condition, but it’s an amount you’ll use quickly, so plan accordingly.”
After receiving Magi’s kind advice, I logged out after delivering the potions.
Chapter Seven: The Black Maiden’s Longbow and the Magic Gem
“I no longer need to worry about money. More like, I don’t want to carry around 200 tons of 50,000 G.”
Having suddenly come into a large sum of money, I’m still a small-town citizen at heart. I don’t want to carry around a fortune. It’s genuinely scary, especially with PKs around. This might be the psychology of someone who has won a large lottery.
“At times like this, I should consult a reliable veteran.”
I selected Taku from my friends list and connected for a chat.
“Hey, are you there? Taku?”
“What’s up? If it’s about hunting, I can’t do it right now. I’m currently hunting around the second town.”
“I need to consult you about something. I won’t take much of your time.”
“Got it. Everyone, take a break for a bit! I’ll talk to Yun.”
“Sorry for interrupting your hunting.”
“So? It’s rare for you to consult me, Yun.”
“Well, I’ve saved up quite a bit of money, but I’m scared to carry it around. Is there anywhere I can store it?”
“Isn’t there a bank in the game?”
“Ah, I’ve never seen one. But the guild and home have item and money storage functions.”
“I don’t have a home.”
“Well, you haven’t set up a guild yet either. Some people are thinking about starting one, but…”
I see, a guild. Well, that doesn’t concern me as a solo hunter.
“So, how much have you saved up?”
“No way, I’m not telling you because I’m scared. Plus, I want to store it to avoid spending it all at once.”
“Right, like on fields.”
“Haha! You know, after the fifth one, the price goes up tenfold. They also charge handling fees.”
“Don’t tell me you bought another one.”
“…I bought up to six. I’ve spent nearly 10,000 G on fields so far.”
Surprisingly, I’ve invested quite a bit in total, but for some reason, it seems to vanish somewhere. Into materials and tools, perhaps? It’s strange.
“You’re planning to set up a shop there?”
“Wait, can I do that?”
“I don’t know, but… maybe you can?”
“I’ll ask an NPC.”
“Oh, then I’ll go with you.”
After that conversation, we parted ways. No way, a farm in the southern district? If that happens…
Everyone would buy up the surrounding farms. That’s not going to happen, right, NPC?
“Are you looking to set up a shop? You’ll need to buy a certain amount of land to become a landlord.”
“Wait, can I really do that?”
“By the way, how much land do I need?”
“You need ten plots to be recognized as a landlord. However, land for shops is separate. Additionally, building a shop is also separate.”
“So, I need about four adjacent plots. That’s 100,000 G. Can one person manage the land? If necessary, you might want to hire a farmer’s daughter.”
The NPC is even worried about me. Well, I guess they think I can’t manage it.
Worried, I received the land deed.
“You’ve decided on a store location, huh? There are plenty of vacant lots available now, so you can choose.”
“Then, I’ll take the spot adjacent to the fields and the main street…”
“Once again, you’re picking a prime location. Just one piece of land costs a million G.”
“Wait, Toto, earlier you said four fields would cost a million, and now you’re saying just one million for a single lot?!”
“Well, one lot is small, so it’s better to buy three or four and make it spacious.”
“How big is one lot again?”
“It’s the same size as a field.”
“I see. That would be spacious for four lots, but three might be just right.”
“Alright, I’ll take three, then.”
“That’ll be three million G.”
“Hold on! You just said one million earlier!”
“That was the minimum price. For three adjacent lots at that condition, three million G is quite cheap. I’m already making a significant concession here,” the NPC said with a matter-of-fact tone. Grrr…
“Fine, that works. I’ll take it.”
“Here you go, the land deed and the landlord certification.”
I never expected my two million G would drop to one million in such a short time. However, with ten fields producing two hundred items, this is quite a boon. I might even consider hiring an NPC to manage it, I thought as the land deed and landlord certification settled into my inventory as important items.
“Now, just take this.”
“What’s this?”
The NPC handed me several sheets of paper and a pen. They looked important, even though they were blank.
“With this, you can sketch the layout of your store and show it to the NPC named [Master Builder] in the second town. They’ll give you a rough estimate. After that, just pay me the money, and I’ll help you build the store.”
So, this is a quest item. In this town, you can only rent or purchase a store; you can’t build one. This might be a special quest for construction.
Indeed, the system’s quest log displayed a new entry: [Store Construction]. But…
“Wait, do I have to go to the second town?”
“Yeah, once you go there, you can use the portal to travel.”
“But first, I have to fight a boss, right?”
The NPC squinted and crossed his arms. Even if he agreed, isn’t there something else? Come on.
“Oh, right! I almost forgot.”
What new conversation is this? Is it something beneficial for me?
“If you want to hire a farm girl, it’s a million G for a month.”
Now you’re bringing that up.
“What will you do?”
“I’ll go for a three-month contract.”
Well, I did hire her. Ah, she can plow the fields, carry fertilizer, and if I specify a plot and give her seeds, she’ll take care of it all.
And when the crops are ripe, she’ll harvest them too. Thank you, NPC, for your hard work. Apparently, she’ll keep working even while I’m logged out.
With that, the farming issue was resolved. Starting tomorrow, I need to begin my quest to the second town.
To my dream store! I need to meet the NPC [Master Builder] in the second town to get an estimate for my store, but first, I have to face the boss MOB, the Blade Lizard.
Honestly, it’s a hassle. However, I have someone in mind who might be willing to help with the quest.
“…Miu. Actually, I want to go to the second town. Would you help me with the quest?”
At the dinner table, I brought it up. Tonight’s dinner is meat spaghetti, Miu’s favorite, to butter her up. Well, it’s also easy to make, but that’s a secret.
“Big brother, you’re actually interested in going on a quest! Of course, I’d love to help! Let’s have a summer adventure!”
—That’s not quite it. Does Miu even understand what adventure means?
- Adventure, in French, means a venture. You’re not wrong, but it can also imply risky escapades.
“I really need to go to the second town for a quest.”
“It’s rare for you to take on a quest, big brother. For the second town, there are quests like [Fairy Glow Gathering], [Mildandy Road Investigation], and the guild establishment-related quest [Mastil Oden’s Subjugation Request], right?”
“No, it’s a quest called [Store Construction].”
“I’ve never heard of that quest. What did you do to unlock it?”
“Ah, well, you see…”
Should I say it? Honestly, it’s a business secret, and I want to keep quietly buying up fields.
I want to keep it a secret, but… alright, I’ll just say it vaguely. As long as I don’t get too specific, it should be fine.
“I became a landlord.”
“How does one become a landlord?”
Well, that didn’t go as planned. My adorable little sister tilted her head cutely. A natural beauty like her could charm anyone in an instant, but this girl is a hardcore gamer, and right now, she’s probably thinking about the possibilities of becoming a landlord. She’s the type to research various flags to become one.
“Um… I bought some land.”
“Land? Where? I haven’t heard of it.”
“Well, I think you might know. It was from your conversation.”
From me…? I put down my fork and thought for a moment. Meanwhile, Miu watched calmly.
“Could it be… ohhhh!”
“You figured it out?”
“The fields in the southern district! You bought them without any seeds! I haven’t even found them yet!”
“No, I bought them because I had seeds.”
“Wait… big brother, you have seeds? Where did you get them?!”
“Just like this, I went ‘ta-da’…”
Yes, they shine when you use the skill.
Well, if she figured that out, it would be impressive.
“You found the skill to create seeds?”
She seems to understand. What is this, some kind of telepathy between siblings?
“Don’t go spreading this around or posting it on the bulletin board.”
“I won’t, I won’t!”
—Then, I’ll tell her.
“Thanks, big brother.”
What a straightforward little sister I have. Seriously.
“I create them using the Alchemy Sense skill.”
“Wait, does leveling up Alchemy Sense give you that skill?”
“No, it’s a lower-tier material transformation. For plant-based items, seeds are at the bottom, and the plants stack above them.”
So, I made them from herbs. That means…
“I’ll buy the materials for HP and MP Potions, then use Alchemy Sense to increase the seeds and cultivate them in the fields. The items produced will be turned into potions using my Crafting Sense and sold.”
“Big brother! You can make HP and MP Potions?!”
“What’s with the surprise?”
“Of course, I’m surprised! Player-made items have better effects, obviously. When you think about hunting efficiency, you need potions that are more effective than NPC-made ones!”
I’m solo, so I either have to defeat enemies before they can hit me or get too close and die. I haven’t experienced the typical guidance that others have.
“Right now, I’m growing the materials for HP and MP Potions. In the meantime, I’m selling Blue Potions to make some money.”
If I can make Blue Potions, my Crafting level must have increased quite a bit. Recently, high-quality Blue Potions have been circulating, which are perfect for the low-HP backline.
High-quality Blue Potions? After the mysterious Blue Potion seller, now we have high-quality ones. I don’t know about high-quality Blue Potions, but since the materials are cheap, I’m sourcing them and selling them on consignment. Now that I have the fields, I plan to switch to HP Potions.
“Big brother! I’ll set up the best team! Tomorrow, I’ll talk to everyone, and the day after tomorrow, we’ll go hunt the Buplead Lizard!”
“Uh, sure. I’ll also prepare my gear and everything, so it would help if you could do that.”
It seems she’s willing to help. That’s good, but I’m a bit worried about how overly enthusiastic Miu is.
“Tomorrow, I’ll prepare everything, so the day after tomorrow it is. I’m available at any time, so just let me know what works for you.”
“Leave it to me! We’ll ensure a safe and secure journey!”
Since I want to level up my Bow skill, I asked Miu to let me help, and she looked thoughtful.
“Hmm. Alright!”
Now I’m really getting anxious. I feel like I might cause a lot of trouble for the party members. Should I prepare some items as an apology or a treat for the party members? I could give them as a reward for the boss MOB hunt and also promote my store.
After dinner, even though the preparations for the day after tomorrow only involve buying potion materials and crafting them, the enemies we’ll face are the Blade Lizards, which are on par with Golems.
When I faced the Golem, I hardly used any Blue Potions. From what Miu said, the current healing potions being used are the effective Blue Potions and High Potions.
Given Miu and the others’ levels, they probably won’t need High Potions against Blade Lizards, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely safe. Even if having them doesn’t drastically increase our success rate, I want to eliminate as many uncertainties as possible. To be honest, I feel like something bad tends to happen whenever Miu is overly enthusiastic.
So, knowing it might be excessive, I decided to make about a hundred Blue Potions. With this much prepared, I should feel more at ease, and Miu and her yet-to-be-seen party members can use them on other occasions as well.
Since time is of the essence this time, I won’t be crafting by hand but using my skills. Crafting and synthesis skills yield a high success rate when activated for a single item, and I also gain experience.
Conversely, if I make a large batch at once, some may fail, but the experience gained is substantial. Recently, I’ve become accustomed to making Blue Potions, so I can easily produce them in bulk with my skills. Since I no longer have failures, the loss of materials is minimal.
Hmm. Just handing over Blue Potions seems a bit lackluster and uninteresting. If possible, I’d like to give something more intriguing, perhaps an item that promotes my store. I searched my inventory for something suitable. Considering practicality, a set of HP and MP Potions would make a strong impact. It would be like a gift basket.
Wait, that sounds a bit too domestic. I can’t just hand over enchanted rings either. I can’t just give away something like that so easily.
Speaking of which, I can also apply (Skill Addition) to materials. If I don’t have an item to give, making one could be an interesting idea. Let’s experiment a bit.
So, the keyword for this is “Pepe Enchant.” (Skill Addition) Enchant – Attack.
I decided to apply an attack boost enchantment to a regular stone. The material, bathed in the red light of the enchantment, remained intact and safely settled into my hand. I’ll call it an Enchant Stone, perhaps? The activation key is (Enchant).
The Enchant Stone in my hand sensed my thoughts and the keyword, releasing the contained skill, and it turned to sand, fulfilling its purpose.
“So, it’s not enough to just cough it up; I need to have the will to activate it. There’s a lot to verify.”
I thought about the difference between the completed Enchant Stone and a regular stone.
“If it stays like this, it’ll be indistinguishable from a normal stone, and it’s quite large to hold.”
It was a hefty, rough stone. Some stones are even difficult to hold.
“Just handing it over like this feels a bit too crude. Oh, I have a skill perfect for processing materials.”
I selected the [Polish] skill from my skill list and activated it on the newly acquired stone.
The rough stone transformed into a smooth, easy-to-hold size.
“This is it, this is it. This size is much easier to grip. But the color remains the same, which is a bit of a letdown. Enchantments have colors corresponding to their types, so I should dye it accordingly.”
For attack boosts, red; for defense, blue; for speed increases, yellow. For magical attacks, orange, and for magical defense, green. I polished the stone and dyed it according to the types, applying the corresponding enchantments.
“There are items like this in games, right? Items that temporarily boost stats.”
Well, in this game, the higher-tier potions made from monster meat and potion ingredients are similar to what Taku mentioned before.
“Plus, my [Skill Addition] level has been rising… Does that mean attack magic levels up just by casting it? Wouldn’t it be amazing to embed attack magic into items, like spellbooks that can cast magic once?”
There should be items like that. Activating spells without consuming MP or lengthy incantations. Launching a hundred spells like a Gatling gun. Now that’s romantic.
Once I started thinking about it, I couldn’t help but want to try it out.
My available SP is…
- [Eagle Eye Lv1]
- [Magic Talent Lv8]
- [Magic Power Lv8]
- [Alchemy Lv8]
- [Skill Addition Lv3]
- [Crafting Lv2]
- [Synthesis Lv2]
- [Crafting Lv2]
- [Production Knowledge Lv1]
- [Earth Attribute Talent Lv1]
- [Bow Lv8]
- [Taming Lv1]
- [Speed Increase Lv1]
- [Discovery Lv8]
Since it’s non-combat time, I removed [Bow] to acquire the attribute talent. The reason I chose [Earth Attribute] is that, due to its unpopularity, I didn’t know anyone with this attribute. It’s not that it’s unpopular; it’s just that other attributes are prioritized for their appearance and such.
Just because I took magic doesn’t mean I’ll become a magic class. If I consider leveling up [Magic] or [Spellbooks], I’ll focus on producing earth magic items from the start.
—The earth magic. Initially, there’s only this one.
The earth magic [Skill] has only (Bomb) as its type. I tried casting it, and it emitted a yellow-brown glow and exploded. Honestly, while it’s an explosion, fire or light is definitely more vibrant.
It’s plain, but it’s not like there’s anything wrong with the six magical attributes. Can I enchant stones?
I took out a stone to try, but it broke. Even after three attempts, it shattered.
This means the stone lacks the necessary rank as a material. I tried applying it to an iron ingot, but that didn’t work either. Even iron ingots failed. That leaves gems as the only viable option.
I started with small-sized gems, but they didn’t work. The medium-sized synthetic gems crumbled due to insufficient strength. That leaves only the medium-sized peridot.
The small-sized gems were definitely too much. If the next size fails, I’ll have to give up for today and sleep. I set the keyword to [Bomb]. (Skill Addition || Bomb)
The peridot gem, glowing with a yellow-brown light, remained intact in my hand.
Hmm. It seems that attribute magic requires a high-rank material. At the very least, a medium-sized gem is necessary…
It’s still uncertain, but sealing the highest-tier magic might be difficult or even impossible.
Considering game balance, being able to activate powerful magic that consumes a lot of time and MP just by preparing it in advance would be considered cheating. To prevent that, the rank of materials that can embed attack magic might be set high.
“Haha… Seriously? I think that’s reasonable.”
And then there’s my MP gauge. Just embedding the magic consumes about thirty percent. Normally, casting it wouldn’t even use ten percent…
- The reason I don’t mind the MP consumption when creating Enchant Stones is likely due to the low rank of the enchantment magic or because it’s derived from [Skill Addition], which consumes less.
And if I want to embed higher-tier attack magic, how much MP would I need? If I assume that not having enough would mean failure, then embedding higher-tier magic would be quite challenging.
“Materials must also have their own MP capacity. Plus, I need to be able to cast magic myself, right?”
If I were to name it similarly to the Enchant Stone, I’d call it a Magic Gem.
“I can’t gather a lot of Magic Gems. Well, I can think of them as a last resort.”
As I sat down to speed up my MP recovery, I began embedding the Bomb magic into the crystal gem. By the time I made about twenty of them, my [Earth Attribute] level had increased by two.