Chapter 7: Freinir’s Past – Part 05
Upon returning to the Adventurers’ Guild and laying out the Magic Stones and materials from the Rare Boss—an impressive pair of gleaming black horns—Mariane, the guild receptionist, sparkled with excitement.
“Did you encounter another Rare Boss, Soushi-san?” she asked, her eyes shining brightly.
“Yes, indeed. Moreover, two regular bosses appeared simultaneously,” I replied, presenting the materials from the regular bosses as well—this time, a set of brown horns. Mariane’s eyes gleamed even more.
“I would like to hear the details in the back,” she said, indicating that I was to be questioned again. It seemed this was indeed a first for them.
“You might possess some special Skill, Soushi-san,” Mariane suggested as she closed the record book after I finished my report.
“Are you suggesting that I have a Skill that increases the encounter rate with Rare Monsters?” I inquired.
“Yes, otherwise it would be difficult to explain the abnormality of your hunting records. Typically, a diligent party might encounter only two to three Rare Monsters over the course of a year. This has been statistically confirmed by the guild.”
“I see. When viewed from that perspective, my encounter rate does seem extraordinarily high.”
“However, such a Skill has not been confirmed until now. While there are Skills that increase the encounter rate with monsters or their appearance frequency in dungeons, none have been documented that specifically enhance Rare Monster encounters.”
Mariane glanced briefly at Larni. It appeared that the existence of the “God of Plague” Skill was already known.
“Where can I confirm the existence of such a Skill?” I asked.
“You can verify it at the Archulum Temple in the royal capital. However, a donation of ten million Rom is required for that,” she replied.
“Wait, what? That’s outrageous!” Larni exclaimed, echoing my own thoughts. Freinir sighed softly, her eyes downcast, perhaps feeling embarrassed by the church’s greed as a former candidate for Saint.
“Why is it so expensive?” I pressed.
“The church claims it is due to the use of a very rare magical tool. They also require a significant amount of Magic Stones to operate it,” Mariane explained.
“Is that why the guide lacks detailed information about Skills?” I speculated.
“Exactly. The reality is that detailed information about Skills is only available from a few higher-ups who have shared their knowledge and from the experiences of adventurers.”
I understood now why adventurers had only a rudimentary understanding of Skills. It made sense that the method of training specific Skills through visualization had not spread widely.
“I see. I have a feeling that I might possess such a Skill myself. For now, I will continue my activities as usual,” I concluded.
“Yes, the guild would appreciate that. I have never known a party as diligent as yours, Soushi-san. I look forward to your continued efforts,” Mariane said, standing up and bowing.
I was surprised to learn that we were held in such high regard, but it was gratifying to be recognized at this age.
The following day, instead of diving into a new dungeon, I decided to reassess our equipment and test the new Skills we had acquired.
First, I replaced my shattered shield. Given my surplus of strength, I purchased a thick, large shield suitable for a B-Rank tank. It was made of multiple layers of iron plates, something that an ordinary person could never hope to carry. I believed it would easily withstand the axe of that armored Minotaur.
Next, I finally decided to order a custom-made mace. When I approached the dwarf shopkeeper who had helped me before, he looked at me incredulously and asked, “Are you saying that mace is no longer enough for you?” I was told it would be ready in a week.
As for Freinir, there was no need to replace her staff or armor, so I purchased several additional outfits for her. With the acquisition of the “Item Box” Skill, having a bit of extra baggage was no longer a problem.
Larni decided to stick with her wide sword, which she found comfortable, while upgrading her armor to something lighter and more durable. Naturally, she also bought a few new outfits.
Overall, we were equipped quite well for a D-Rank party. With an old man and two beautiful girls, we certainly stood out, but given the life-or-death nature of our equipment, it was unavoidable.
In the afternoon, we ventured into the same D-Class Grassland Dungeon for Skill testing.
First, I activated my “Item Box” Skill. As expected, a black hole opened in front of me, allowing me to store and retrieve items.
However, I was surprised to find that it didn’t allow for unlimited storage; rather, the weight—or mass—of the items I stored correspondingly drained my stamina.
Of course, the amount of stamina consumed was significantly less than carrying items normally, and the benefit of not being encumbered made it an exceptionally useful Skill.
I confirmed that when I stored three Dark Metal Rods, my stamina consumption spiked, but conversely, it seemed like it could serve as training for my “Stamina” Skill. In any case, it was a perfect match for someone like me who had an abundance of strength and stamina.
Next was “Shockwave.” As anticipated, swinging my mace unleashed an invisible shockwave in the intended direction. At a low Skill level, it didn’t seem very powerful; even with a full swing, I could only send two or three orcs flying about five meters away, resulting in broken bones. Still, that was quite a significant amount of power. As my level increased, it would likely make hunting weaker monsters much easier.
Freinir’s “Barrier Magic,” as the name suggested, created an invisible barrier, essentially a wall. It appeared to form a dome-like wall centered around herself.
Currently, its strength was such that I could dispel it with a single strike, but it would likely become sturdier as her level increased. From a gaming perspective, it seemed effective against future monsters’ “breath attacks.”
Interestingly, once activated, the barrier would remain until it was destroyed or consciously dispelled, which might prove useful during camping. Unfortunately, the barrier was effective in both directions, meaning that while it was active, attacks could not be made from within.
“Dual Magic,” as the name implies, allowed for the simultaneous casting of two spells. For instance, if I cast “Ray of Holy Light” simultaneously, two beams of light would be unleashed. The time for mental concentration remained unchanged, so it simply doubled the spell’s effects, but the stamina consumption was more than doubled, making it unlikely that I could cast “Divine Halo” simultaneously just yet.
In any case, the ability to unleash double “Holy Light” as a preemptive strike was incredibly useful. If this became known, a competition for Freinir would likely ensue, making it impractical to use it openly in public.
Larni’s “Slash” was a Skill that enhanced the cutting power of her weapon, a coveted Skill for sword users. Originally, she had a style that could slice through vital points in one strike, but now she could cleave through orcs and Assault Tigers with ease, making her significantly stronger.
Her other Skill, “Space Kick,” was as she had demonstrated when she acquired it; it would likely allow for three-dimensional combat as she progressed. Combined with “Jump,” it could potentially allow her to leap to impressive heights, making it a formidable Skill in certain situations.
As we continued to test our Skills in the D-Class Dungeon, we collected a vast amount of materials and swiftly dispatched the regular Minotaur boss with a double “Holy Light.” It became painfully clear that our capabilities were decidedly abnormal.
It was indeed the influence of “Bad Luck” that allowed us to acquire these Rare Skills. I would soon need to consider how to utilize this power moving forward.
Given that Mariane had pointed it out, the Adventurers’ Guild would likely start paying us some attention.