Prologue: Of Boats and Bobs

The day after the Demon Lord’s invasion. As the sun rose and the morning mist lingered in the air, we set off into the wetlands. Despite how that may sound, it wasn’t all a complete slog thanks to the wooden bridges that spanned various places.

“Last night, I searched for all the quests we could accept in town,” Shouko said. “There are quests to defeat fifty Giant Purple Toads and fifty Big Brown Slugs, both of which I assume inhabit these wetlands. There is also one requiring us to defeat five unidentified large monsters said to dwell here.”

“Boss monsters, I daresay,” Yamikage surmised.

Tsumugi added, “It looks like there’s a mine here too.”

“Yeah,” I said, “there was one in the last place too. We’d better go and check if the materials we can get here are any different.”

“Hey, I like quests as much as the next guy, but blatant fetch quests don’t really do it for me,” muttered L’Arc.

“Right? I’d love to do something a little more interesting,” said Therese.

It was all rather uninteresting for quest lovers like L’Arc and Therese. That probably explained why they kept trying to stick to me—seeing as I always seemed to find the strange ones.

“We might as well hunt some other monsters while we’re at it,” I concluded.

“Oh, but there was a perfect one for you, little lady. You should go have some fun with it.”

“Did you find something interesting?”

“There was a guy saying he wanted someone to go fish up ten whitespotted char.”

“Char, huh.”

What did char look like again...? I thought over it for a moment. It wasn’t like I was actually a fisherman in real life. I knew all the common ones by heart, but sometimes I couldn’t remember which fish was which by name alone.

“I daresay,” said Yamikage, “that’s just what you wanted, milord, since you were so adamant on catching salmon.”

“Why’s that?”

“Whitespotted char are part of the Salmonidae family, I daresay.”

Oh, so in short, they’re related to the salmon I’ve been searching for!

“If I am remembering right, I daresay they put up a good fight,” she went on. “They’re apparently popular in sport fishing.”

Yamikage was surprisingly knowledgeable, even when it came to fish I knew barely anything about.

“I daresay I’ve eaten one before. Compared to salmon, it was a tad watery.”

Hmm...that’s good to know.

“So you already found your first lead on that salmon, huh?”

“It’s just in the same family, but it’s a start.”

On a sidenote, while preparing salmon as sashimi or something raw like that, it’s highly recommended to properly handle it for parasites. Fortunately, Dimension Wave didn’t seem to have parasites or anything of the sort, but if you went out of your way to take proper precautions anyway, the success rate of a dish still went up. You couldn’t just slice up any fish, plate it, and call it sashimi. There was more to it than that.

“Aight, I’ll do my best to fish up some whitespotted char. I’ll catch a whole bunch and whip up some char meunière. How’s that sound?”

“Sounds like a gourmand’s dream. I’m counting on you, Therese.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s a shame we don’t have any alcohol to go with it.”

“Okay! Now we’ve got an excuse to get bro fishing! Let’s do this!”

And so, we used the wooden bridges to make our way across the wetland.

“The footing here is worse than I thought,” said Shouko.

I nodded. “We’ll need boats to reach the deeper places.”

We were using our mount pets to move around for mobility’s sake. Perhaps it was to be expected, but it quickly became evident that Yamikage’s ride was amphibious.

How enviable.

Brave Pekkle’s mount was in a similar position—a white chick with pink-tipped feathers that glided elegantly along the water’s surface. Would it have been rude to point out that he didn’t even need it? I mean, he was a Pekkle. He could swim.

As for mine...maybe I’d have better luck if I just switched over to the small boat, I thought as I rifled through my inventory...

“Huh? My mount can equip a boat.”

Just as I was about to pull the boat out of my inventory, that shield-shaped “equip” icon on my Library Rabbit mount lit up. That had to mean it could equip it.

“It’s a pet, but it can equip a boat?”

I tried equipping the boat to it just to see what would happen. And then, the small boat appeared right in front of my Library Rabbit and it hopped aboard. Its staff...was replaced by a paddle.

“A ride riding a ride,” L’Arc chuckled. “He’s really looking the part, at least.”

“You’ve got a perfect ferryman!” said Therese.

I was struck speechless. How exactly am I supposed to react to this?

“So he holds you in one hand and rows with the other, I daresay.”

“Yeah...looks like it.”

What a surreal setup. Let’s try moving around a bit.

Controlling it was the same as on land—I just had to concentrate on where I wanted to go, and my mount would row me there with the paddle. It was nice that I didn’t have to move it myself. And strangely, I felt pretty balanced.

The speed seemed to be around the same as Yamikage’s kappa mount.

“Is this the special ability of your pet, milord?”

“Hard to say.”

Incidentally, Tsumugi’s dog mount could handle the water to some extent and was able to cross the marshes with a doggy paddle.

As for Sheryl’s otter... Well, it could swim, obviously. It seemed to move just as well on water as on land, and with the way Sheryl was sitting on its back, she probably couldn’t even feel a difference. On the other hand, Shouko’s cat, L’Arc’s horse, and Therese’s mole couldn’t enter the water at all.

“There seems to be quite a bit of variation,” I said.

“Well, maybe they can hop in a boat like yours, bro?”

“Yes, perhaps,” said Shouko. “Sheryl, would you mind helping us with that later?”

“Okay.”

Sheryl happily agreed. We’ll have to gather the materials after this.

Just as we were trying out a few things, there was a heavy rustling...something large was crawling toward us through the morning mist.

“Looks like it’s monster time.”

“I shall take the lead! Let’s start with a Drain, I daresay!”

Yamikage angled herself at whatever it was and fired off her Drain—a spell she’d been using less frequently as of late. A satisfying, meaty sound filled the air as the spell hit true.

I followed it up with a swing of my fishing rod, hurling my lure at it. The lure soon struck and caught nicely.

Though we hadn’t been able to make it out at first, the monster that emerged turned out to be a Big Brown Slug...a monster that, well, looked like a giant slug.

“You’re on!” I psyched myself up.

“Here I come!” Shouko declared as she rushed out.

“Uh-huh...” Sheryl capped it off.

Before long, everyone had rushed out to attack the monster.

Since we had crossed through a new checkpoint, this monster was a bit tougher than those in the previous region. However, everyone had pretty much gotten the hang of combat, and they were well equipped. Add their high proficiencies to that, and they were able to dispatch the Big Brown Slug without any difficulty.

The battle lasted only a few minutes.

“Just forty-nine to go,” I said.

“So it seems,” Shouko replied. “And then, we’ll have to deal with the Giant Purple Toads too—let’s take care of this quickly.”

“All right! Let’s make sure this counts toward the total.”

“I wouldn’t mind if more came at us, I daresay.”

“Let’s finish up and observe the little lady.”

“Yeah!”

“You don’t need to watch over me. And if you want to finish up here, should I trigger a Fever?”

If I used my Fever Lure, it would guarantee a feeding frenzy.

“I’m good with that,” said L’Arc.

“Me too!” Therese concurred.

“We don’t have to go that far! Don’t just go along with those two, I daresay.”

All right, all right. So that idea’s been rejected.

“As a sidenote... I guess we’re all fine with slugs and frogs, huh?”

From my experience, most girls didn’t like those sorts of creatures, but Shouko and Yamikage seemed perfectly fine. Tsumugi? She was my real sister. I already knew she could stand pretty much anything that wasn’t the bug that dealt psychic damage.

“’Twas just a big slug, I daresay. Frogs don’t bother me either.”

Ah, right, she did say she’d prefer to have one of those as a mount instead of what she got. Maybe she sees them as ninja summons.

“I don’t particularly dislike them either,” said Shouko. “Honestly, you won’t get far in battle if you are squeamish around monsters like these.”

“Point taken...”

It was a game, after all—no use fussing over it.

“There are people who can’t clean fish, but this is a game, right?” said my sister. “Oh, but...VR horror games can be pretty brutal. Those ones actually give me chills.”

“I’m fine with them,” said Therese, “but L’Arc can get squeamish around bugs.”

“You have to understand that you’re the strange one when you stomp cockroaches without a second thought! I’m fine with everything else!”

So L’Arc thinks Therese is too tough as well. Being able to stomp those psychic damage generators is pretty impressive.

Everyone here was—how to put it—a bit dauntless in their own way.

“Are you going to dismantle it, Kizuna?”

“Yeah... I need to diversify my dismantling anyway.”

Quantity was important, but more than that, I needed to take on unfamiliar dismantling tasks if I wanted to fulfill the conditions for higher-tier skills. That said, I heard you could get a few of them just by defeating the same enemies again and again, so it really was case-by-case.

There were still some parts of the system that seemed vague to me. But the general gist seemed to be that you could grow stronger by challenging the unknown. With that in mind, I got right to dismantling the slug.

Which tool is right for this... Let’s go with Cerberus Slaughter. The ice knife will do too much damage.

My Cerberus Slaughter had begun to feel a bit obsolete, but it was still usable for dismantling. I plunged the pitch-black blade into the slug.

Where have I felt this sensation before? It’s not quite like Jello. The firmness is a little different. It’s closer to slicing up a large shellfish.

I wound up with some Big Slug Meat and Big Slug Slime. Also, there was something called a Slug Crystal, which was described as a substance that formed in their slug bodies.

The crystal seemed like it could be used to craft armor. As for the meat, while it was edible, I for one wasn’t going to cook it by choice.

“That’s about it. Just to make sure to check them off my dismantling list...I’ll probably dismantle around ten of them.”

Dismantling ten Big Brown Slugs would be enough to count it as a new creature type for skill progress. It wasn’t just quantity—you needed to dismantle a wide variety of monsters. It was kinda a pain, but I knew I’d hit a wall if I didn’t do it.

Essentially, it was like expanding my catch variation in fishing. In that sense, fishing and dismantling really were a great skill combo.

“Then let’s move on to the next one.”

“Yeah!”

Like that, we continued progressing through our wetland monster subjugation quests.

The next one we encountered was a Giant Purple Toad—a frog bigger than we were. It wasn’t a boss monster and was more than manageable with our current strength.

Naturally, I dismantled it. I got its poison sack, skin, bones, and meat—a variety of useful materials.

According to the item description, the thigh meat had a nice chew and could be used as a substitute for chicken. Maybe I should sneak it into a meal to surprise everyone.

“We’re taking them down pretty steadily,” Tsumugi said after a while. “It might not take long to get to fifty.”

“That’d be great. By the way, what are we doing about that unidentified monster?”

“Yeah, that’s the problem, isn’t it? What monster do you think it’s talking about?”

“When we accepted the quest, they mentioned something about a villager who went deep into the wetlands and disappeared. The person who went to look for them came back saying they saw something terrifying...”

“Sounds like some typical flavor text to me,” said L’Arc. “It could be interesting if it’s a boss.”

“Right? We don’t even know the first thing about it,” Therese nodded.

There was some unknown monster lurking in the wetlands, and we were supposed to take it down. Sure, I got that part, but where exactly were we supposed to find it?

We headed deeper and deeper...the fog growing thicker along the way.

“It’s getting harder to see,” I grumbled.

“That it is,” said Shouko.

It felt like something could pop out at any moment—and just as I had that thought, a loud splash echoed through the fog. The shadow of something large was swimming toward us.

“Something’s there. It might just be that large monster we’re looking for.”

“You’re sure it’s not just another Giant Purple Toad?”

“No, it doesn’t move like one. And...do toads have tails?”

The silhouette clearly had something like a tail. It definitely wasn’t a Giant Purple Toad, at the very least.

“All right, let’s see what we’ve got,” L’Arc said, taking his stance. “Therese! Yamikage! You two take the first strike.”

“On it! Thunder Bolt!”

“Leave it to me, I daresay!”

At times like these, it was up to our long-range attackers to take the initiative. The rest of us readied our weapons and prepared for combat as the two of them calculated the distance and fired off a lightning spell and a Drain.

“Gwwooooaaar!”

The attack effects flashed as an enormous, mud-covered amphibian emerged from the fog... It was a lizard-like creature roughly five meters from head to tail, roaring as it charged at us.

“Here I come!” shouted Shouko. “But...this terrain makes it hard to move.”

Her mount wasn’t built for the water, so she had to dismount and take a stance with her fan, which she used to divert the monster’s first strike.

“Tsumugi, we’re up next,” said L’Arc.

“Yeah!” She nodded. “That’s one big newt!”

“Salamander...” Sheryl murmured.

“Looks like Sheryl got it right. Its name is Mist-Mud Salamander.”

It raised a splash as it pelted us with bolts of water.

Whoa there, that was close. I managed to dodge thanks to the distance and a quick order I gave to the Library Rabbit to row us out of the way, but I was inches away from getting hit.

“The water keeps tripping up my feet,” Shouko complained.

“How about we lure it toward one of the wooden bridges?”

“Sounds like a plan. Let’s do this, everyone!”

“Understood, I daresay.”

“Uh-huh.”

With everyone agreeing that our poor mobility was an issue, we quickly got to work drawing the Mist-Mud Salamander to someplace where it would be easier to fight. However...when we tried to draw it closer to the nearest bridge, the salamander didn’t give chase. It backed off and kept a distance, instead one-sidedly launching bullets of water and mud at us.

“Looks like the game isn’t going to let that happen.”

“How bothersome, I daresay.”

“That’s such a killjoy.”

“How about we ask Sheryl to handle it, bro? She’s good at fighting in water, right? And so are you.”

Huh... You’re turning to me here?

“If we’re talking mobility, Yamikage should be fine—with the kappa.”

“I daresay, you have a point, but...”

“Fighting back with long-range is doable, but it’ll take a lot of time and effort.”

No, wait...we have it. The perfect equipment for this situation: the Kappa Costume!

“Little lady, it’s written all over your face.”

“Kizuna, I already know what you’re going to try to subject us to. You don’t have to say it.”

“Then you’ll wear it?”

“I did not say that.”

“What a shame. Right, Yamikage?”

“Why single me out?! You’re in the same boat, I daresay!”

Tsk... Is dressing like a kappa really that bad?! C’mon!

“So do we stick to whittling it down from afar?”

“That might be best... But Kizuna, couldn’t you do something with your specialty weapon?”

“You’ve been using that fishing rod in battle a lot lately.”

Yeah, well...that’s one way to do it.

I swapped the line for something sturdier and changed to the Blue Shark Lure [Thief of Thieves]. Then, while directing my mount to steer the boat out of the path of the Mist-Mud Salamander’s projectiles, I cast the line!

There was a satisfying slash effect as the lure struck.

“Groaawr!”

Nice, that staggered him a bit.

“Drain, Drain I daresay!”

“I’m not going to fall behind. But lightning...doesn’t seem to be doing much.”

Not to be outdone, Yamikage and Therese unleashed a barrage of spells, drawing the monster’s attention. Meanwhile, Sheryl maneuvered behind it on her otter mount, getting the drop on the Mist-Mud Salamander and jabbing with her harpoon.

“Grwwwr!”

The salamander’s throat puffed out like a frog’s; it opened its mouth to fire a water blast at Yamikage, and—with a jerk of my rod, I whipped my lure right into its gaping maw.

“Ghh?!”

Its head snapped toward me in surprise—it clearly hadn’t expected the sudden restraints.

Perfect. Motor Reel Activate! Electric Shock!

A crackling noise burst from the rod as a jolt of electricity shot down the line and coursed through the Mist-Mud Salamander.

“Ggrr... Groowwwr!”

That did less than I thought.

Therese was right about electricity being ineffective. Maybe it was due to that “mud” part of its name, but despite being an aquatic monster, it had electricity resistance.

“But now, Pole Fishing!”

With that said, a powerful tug was all it took for me to yank its massive body toward us and cause it to topple over.

“It’s down!” cried Shouko. “This is our chance!”

“Always knew you had it in you, little lady.”

“My bro’s always been really good at support.”

Not about to let the moment slip by, Shouko and Tsumugi both raised their weapons and struck down at the writhing Mist-Mud Salamander.

“Looks like the slime coat makes it pretty bulky,” said Tsumugi. “My hits aren’t landing cleanly.”

“True, but it’s not like our weapons are completely ineffective! Here I come! Circle Dance Zero Formation: Snow Moon Flower!”

“Death Step!”

“Death Step!”

Shouko, Tsumugi, and L’Arc unleashed their familiar combo of attack skills.

“Ghh— Gwoooh?!”

They managed to get in some solid damage—the monster began to thrash around. But it wasn’t enough to finish it off. It seemed to be an area boss, after all. It wasn’t going to go down just like that.

“Go! Chris!”

“Pen!”

I gave Chris the go-ahead. Brave Pekkle was in charge of defense and couldn’t deal damage.

In accordance with my order, Chris charged at the Mist-Mud Salamander, though I doubted he’d have much of an impact since Pekkles were water-attribute creatures.

“Bomber Lancer!”

Sheryl joined in too; she leaped on top of the Mist-Mud Salamander and started tearing into it even more furiously than the others.

The vibe she gave off was completely different from her usual self. She attacked and attacked, almost like she was venting off some deep frustration.

“Sh-Sheryl?”

“I guess she built up some stress in that defensive battle.”

“That’s some intensity she’s got going there. She’s putting out even more pressure than Therese when she snaps.”

“Sheryl... She’s scaring me a bit.”

“Truly a terrifying aura, I daresay...”

There was a chnk, and then the lure was free. The Mist-Mud Salamander flipped off of its back and spun around, unleashing a shock wave all around.

Sheryl got shaken off and thrown into the water. Fortunately, her otter immediately dived in after her and brought her back to the surface.

“Kyuu!”

With silent pressure, she aimed her harpoon at the Mist-Mud Salamander. Like she’d given the order, her mount lunged forward, biting into the monster’s throat.

“Grooooooowwwr!”

And just like that, with her position secured, she was straight back to stabbing it again and again... She was kinda scary.

“A-Anyway, keep up the attack!”

“Right! Before it returns to the marsh!”

“I daresay!”

And so, with a relentless onslaught, we finally managed to take down the Mist-Mud Salamander.

“We took it down without too much trouble, but it was tougher than expected.”

“Indeed. Perhaps we need to upgrade our equipment.”

“No need.”

Sheryl rejected Shouko’s suggestion, pulled that costume out of storage, and began putting it on.

“Hey, Sheryl,” said L’Arc. “Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Umm... Sheryl?” Shouko asked. “You seem unusually motivated. Do you perhaps dislike salamanders?”

Her question had Sheryl cocking her head. That look on her face made it clear—from the bottom of her heart, she didn’t understand what Shouko was talking about.

“Come on, Shouko, and you too, L’Arc,” my sister stepped in. “Even Sheryl has her moments when she just wants to cut loose. Right? It’s not like you hate amphibians or anything, right?”

Sheryl gave a small nod.

She was evidently still frustrated over losing in the fight against the Demon Lord’s army. She wanted to get stronger and so refused to back down. I understood the feeling all too well.

Compared to my two sisters, I lacked the athleticism and sense for combat; I’d faced my fair share of frustrating defeats because of it.

“Ah, youth,” L’Arc said with a chuckle.

“It’s kinda sweet, don’t you think?” Therese added.

Those two were more experienced in life—they didn’t take their losses as hard.

“For now, since Sheryl’s all fired up, how about we keep at it? And bro, the dismantling’s all yours.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I began taking the defeated Mist-Mud Salamander apart.

There’ll probably be more of them. I should finish up quickly.

With Fast Dismantle active, I deftly got to work.

Right now, Sheryl probably doesn’t care if she looks like a joke—as long as she’s stronger, anything goes. She’s seriously wearing the Kappa Costume... Yeah, let’s just let her do what she wants for now.

I hadn’t known her for that long, but I had a sense that she’d be back to the usual Sheryl, given a few days.

And with that, we continued to hunt down our quest targets in the wetlands.

Eventually, we all—myself included—noticed something.

“It seems,” said Shouko, “that monsters don’t come here unless you actively lure them in.”

We’d arrived at a clearing with a small waterfall and with a curious lack of monsters.

“Yeah, this might be a designated rest area or something.”

“I think so too,” Tsumugi chimed in. “I’ve seen a few spots like this scattered around other hunting fields.”

“It doesn’t feel realistic,” L’Arc said, “but it’d be pretty inconvenient without one of these.”

“Hmm... Then that works out just right. I’ll fish here and see if I can haul in any whitespotted char.”

“You’re right, this seems like a good chance for you to try it out, bro. We’ve gathered a fair amount of materials already. How about this? You do some fishing here and call us if anything comes up.”

I’d already dismantled a good number of monsters... Maybe it wasn’t enough material for Romina to be able to craft something out of, but we could cross that bridge when we got to it.

“Got it. I’ll make sure to catch some of that char!”

“Allow me to accompany you.”

Shouko raised her hand. I guess she’s not all that eager to take part in the hunting this time?

Everyone looked at her face, a little surprised.

“Is something wrong?”

“What’s gotten into you, Shouko? You’re tagging along with my brother instead of fighting monsters? Are you tired?”

“That’s right, I daresay. What are you thinking?”

“Ah, is it for security? In the chance something comes up? My brother’s the Pekkle Master, right? He’s pretty good at running away. Also, L’Arc and Therese will be watching over him.”

Shut it. I admit, I plan on using the Pekkles as a shield to escape if something happens, but you don’t have to say it like that.

“The way I see it, we can get back to monster hunting after I see that little lady pull in the lord.”

“Yep, yep. Don’t mind us.”

We don’t need you on standby! You’re expecting way too much of me.

“It’s not like that,” said Shouko. “Kizuna is always going along with what we want, so I think I should accompany him this time.”

“You don’t really have to.”

“No, I cannot rely on your generosity forever. Don’t you remember teaching me on Cal Mira?”

“Well... I guess so.”

Back then, my prized lure was snatched away, and I wasn’t exactly in the mood to teach—so her fishing training had ended up being half-baked.

“That’s why this time, I will help with the whitespotted char fishing quest.”

“You’re too diligent, Shouko,” said Tsumugi. “Fine, go for it.”

“I daresay I understand the reasoning. We will continue hunting for the time being. That’s what you would prefer, right, Lady Sheryl?”

“Uh...huh...”

Sheryl nodded.

“Well, I guess that balances us out.”

“Sir L’Arc, you will be resting, then? I daresay, you don’t intend to fish with them?”

“Wanna give it a go?” I offered.

If you’re gonna be on break, you might as well try your hand at fishing.

“Nah, nah, man. Once you get old, the fatigue hits you harder than it does for the young ones.”

“Totally.”

These two...they just want to see if I reel in something weird. We haven’t done enough to tire them out yet.

“Then we’ll leave it to you, I daresay.”

“Yeah, we’ll have some char tonight!”

“I’ll have to think up some nice char recipes.”

With that, we split into two teams to tackle our quests.

After I watched Tsumugi, Yamikage, and Sheryl disappear into the distance, I pulled an old fishing rod from my inventory and rigged it for whitespotted char fishing before handing it off to Shouko.

Given that they were a target for sport fishing, I figured a sturdy line and a lure would do the trick.

Fly-fishing might work too, but...I don’t know what else you can catch here. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

“Here, Shouko. Try fishing with this.”

“Thank you. Heh heh...since I helped you retrieve the crab traps, my Fishing Mastery rose quite a bit. I can jump right into this.”

“Oh, you picked up the skill?”

“Yes. I can just recycle it when I’m not using it.”

Spirits would exhaust Energy every hour based on the skills they acquired. Managing the amount we regenerated over time was essential. Mana also regenerated hourly, and unlearning a skill only returned half of the Mana spent on it. Some of it would always be lost.

Constantly toggling skills on and off wasn’t a wise move. But...if Shouko wanted to learn the skill, then surely it was for the best.

Crab traps counted both toward Fishing Mastery and trap-related skills, so collecting catches from the traps helped to clear conditions on both fronts. Back when she helped on the crab cannery ship, processing all the countless traps I’d set, she’d gotten a massive boost which allowed her to raise her Fishing Mastery several ranks all at once.

“So, Kizuna. It seems we are using...lures this time.”

“Yeah, just watch for now—I’ll show you the basics.”

“The last time you did that, those basics immediately hooked a lord, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, I heard you panicked and screamed for Sheryl,” L’Arc chimed in.

“If I’d seen you like that,” said Therese, “I would’ve died laughing, Kizzy.”

“Then aren’t you glad you weren’t there?”

It was a bitter experience, I recalled, fishing in the pond back on Cal Mira.

Now, Shouko and I were both using equipment we’d gotten from that very same lord.

“It looks like...you can fish while riding a mount.”

My Library Rabbit, who had been holding me up with one arm, switched to supporting me with two. I feel firmer... I guess this is one of the game’s quirks. Like this, you can maintain your balance and cast even when you’re on a tiny boat.

“That’s one nifty pose,” noted L’Arc. “Are you really about to go that far to fish?”

“It looks pretty surreal. In fact, wouldn’t it be more natural to let your pet cast the line for you?” Therese suggested.

After considering it for a moment, I checked to see if I could have my mount hold the rod.

Ah...apparently, you can. It went back to its usual posture, holding me in one hand and the rod in the other. And like that, the rabbit cast.

“But that pose... It’s even more surreal now.”

“It’s like a rabbit butler fishing on behalf of the young lady of the house.”

“You look great, Kizzy!”

“On second thought, I’ll do the fishing myself!”

Quickly, I snatched my rod back and snapped my wrists to cast into the wetlands.

I turned the reel with a steady rhythm. Bit by bit, giving subtle, twitching motions to simulate prey. Once I’d reeled it in close, I cast it again.

After a few casts, I felt a tug and pulled up. The sensation in my hands told me I had a fish on the line.

“All right!”

Whenever it darted to one side, I angled my rod in the opposite direction while reeling all the while. Whatever I’d hooked this time wasn’t putting up too much of a fight.

“Fish on!”

And in one swift motion, I’d hauled it in.

I’d managed to catch...a frog. It was around forty centimeters in size. The system identified it as a Giant Purple Toad.

“Looks like you can catch these things too.”

“So it seems.” Shouko nodded.

“Frog fishing, huh?” L’Arc commented.

“L’Arc, did you ever mess around in rice paddies as a kid? You give off that vibe.”

I’d heard stories about him being a bit of a troublemaker as a kid, so I could see him picking up those rowdy sorts of games.

“Didn’t have the chance, unfortunately. I bet I probably would’ve done it if I could.”

“There was this one game where the kids were sticking firecrackers to the frogs. Awful stuff.”

“So you know about that, Therese... Yikes.”

Instead, Therese was the one with firsthand experience of the more ruthless games the kids played.

“Anyway, we’ve both fished up Bone Fish before, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. It comes with the territory. Remember, anything you reel in can be stored in your inventory.”

“Yes, I remember—like that Ice Heron, right?”

Right, the one that tried to steal my catch and got caught instead.

“Anyway...that’s the gist of it. Just keep practicing until you stop snagging the ground and start catching fish.”

“Understood. I’ll give it a try.”

Following my instructions, Shouko pulled back her rod just as I’d taught her and cast. Her lure smacked into the water.

“It wasn’t as quiet as yours, Kizuna. It fell with a ker-plunk.”

“It’s all about getting used to it. You’ve got the Mastery skill, so I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it in no time.”

A slight turn at a time, bit by bit... She mimicked my hand motions as she reeled in. A bit stiff, but she was getting used to it. And suddenly, she pulled the rod up.

“Huh... I thought I felt something nibble...”

“Maybe you pulled it in too soon? Sometimes they give it a little peck before they bite for real.”

“I mustn’t underestimate the fish... I’ll have to judge carefully and strike only when the timing is right.”

She was getting into it now.

After a few more casts, she seemed to feel a fish following the lure. Her reeling became slower, more deliberate. This time, she wasn’t going to fail.

She waited, discerning the moment as she reeled. Once she was certain she had it, she struck. The rod bent—she’d gotten a hit.

“Here I come!”

The reel clicked away as she wound, her rod whipping this way and that as she fought her fierce battle with the fish. But it didn’t put up much of a fight—honestly, the battle was pretty one-sided.

After reeling it close, she slickly lifted it out of the water.

Umm... Giant Purple Tadpole... I guess it’s the juvenile form of the toads. It’s around fifteen centimeters long.

“I got one!” Shouko cheered.

“Ah... Yeah, you did.”

“I didn’t know you could catch tadpoles.”

“Yeah...well, I guess this is your first fish from a lure.”

“Congrats,” L’Arc said.

“Congrats, Shouko!” Therese lauded her.

“Y-Yes... Though I feel a bit weird about it...”

“Eh... We don’t have to count it as a proper fish. It’s a monster, anyway.”

“You have a point. All right, let’s keep going.”

Just like that, Shouko diligently picked up the method, and we began to fish together.

I lightly cast my line again, letting the lure plop into the water. As I reeled it in...I felt a bite. The rod bent gently as I continued to reel. Likely due to the high specs of my gear, the fish broke the surface in no time at all.

“It’s a crucian carp...”

It was a carp, around thirty centimeters long. I think I remember seeing this one at the aquarium. It shares a habitat with koi. Meaning I might be able to catch koi here too.

“You did it,” said Shouko.

“Yeah. Let’s see what else we can haul in.”

“Crucian carp, eh? Do you think it’d be better grilled or stewed?”

Therese, who recognized all fish as nothing but food, immediately began considering how best to put it on the menu. Fair enough, in my book. But tonight, I really wanted some whitespotted char.

“Ah, there’s something on the line... It’s not pulling much, though.”

Shouko lifted her rod to reveal...a boot.

“...”

She stared at the soggy boot with forlorn eyes.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. I mean, just look at me? There was a time when I was pulling in nothing but empty cans.” I tried to console her.

Even now, I was still fishing up my fair share of junk. They sometimes ended up in the crab traps too. Maybe this game had its own environmental message baked in.

“It’s a rubber boot, so give it to Alto or Romina, and they’ll have it recycled into rubber material.”

“Yeah,” L’Arc chimed in. “Get a matching pair, and you can even equip ’em. They even give lightning resistance, so they’re low-key useful in the early game.”

Come to think of it, he bought rubber boots off me for cheap before...

“Is that so? All right, let’s keep at it.”

We shifted our fishing spot little by little, casting our lures wherever there was a good flow. The next time I pulled something in, it was a little different from the carp.

“A dace...maybe?”

It was labeled as Mikakage dace—a fish unique to the country. It was just a large dace, by the look of it. It was around thirty centimeters long.

Yeah, I keep pulling in thirty-centimeter ones... Where are all the whitespotted char?

“Ah, K-Kizuna! This one has a stronger pull!”

“Oh? Looks like you’ve got a big one, lassie.”

Looking over, I saw Shouko engaged in a tug-of-war with the fish as water splashed everywhere. With that said, she was winning out in strength.

“Tilt right—yep. Good, just keep reeling in like that.”

Shouko spun her reel precisely, closely heeding my advice—and then, the fish defiantly leaped out of the water.

“Stop reeling!”

If you reeled right after the fish leaped, there was a high chance the line would snap or the hook would come loose.

That said, the fish Shouko hooked was a large one. It was bigger than the dace, for sure—it had to be something else. And its pull was definitely on the stronger side. Strength like this was often associated with sea fish, but freshwater fish could pack a punch too.

“Okay, start reeling again.”

Once the fish was back in the water, I gave her the signal.

“Yes. This trembling pull in my hands...feels somewhat pleasant.”

“They say that fishing stimulates the human hunting instinct.”

It has a peculiar charm to it—that’s for sure.

That said...in real life, fishing was more of a hobby that I only humored now and then. It was only in game that I was totally hooked.

“Aight! I’ll pull it up! Don’t worry, I’ll grab it so the hook doesn’t come out.”

“Okay!”

Just like that, I hoisted up the fish that Shouko had finished reeling in.

“Well, would you look at that, Shouko? You caught the one we were looking for.”

As it turned out, the fish Shouko landed was a whitespotted char. It kinda looks like salmon... Well, I guess that’s the whole point. It’s in the salmon family. So this is a whitespotted char.

It was also pretty similar-looking to cherry trout, and if I hadn’t known better, I would’ve gotten them mixed up in my head.

“Looks like she beat you to it, little lady.”

“I did it!”

Shouko beamed with bright innocence.

All the while, I’d been wondering what to do if she said something like “It wasn’t as fun as I thought,” but...thankfully, my fears were unfounded.

“Aight! I can’t let myself fall behind!”

“Let’s compete to see how many we can catch today!”

“Heh heh heh, I’m not giving up my mentor position that easily.”

“I’m not going to lose!”

“Well, neither am I! I’ll show you what an experienced angler can do.”

“Good luck, you two,” L’Arc cheered.

“You heard him. Tonight’s dinner depends on you,” Therese added.

And how merry it was when our fishing continued. Thinking back, I hadn’t done too much fishing with other people, and this all felt refreshingly new.

It’s like...a completely different kind of fun compared to fishing alone.

After all, despite all my best efforts to get a fishing buddy, it’d never actually worked out.

“I caught something, pen!”

I’d also instructed Chris and Brave Pekkle to fish—and sure enough, they were pulling up loaches, koi, dace, and lampreys.

Not long after Shouko landed hers, I managed to catch my first whitespotted char too. Its pull on the rod wasn’t too shabby—without good gear and decent Mastery, it would have shaken off the hook like it was nothing.

“By the way, Shouko. If you absolutely don’t wanna lose a catch, try the Electric Shock... Just press that button on the reel.”

“Understood. But...is that really all right?”

“It’s a cheap trick, I admit it—but sometimes, you hook things you just can’t catch without it. It’s better to have it than not.”

“I see.”

With that little tip in her back pocket, we resumed our char fishing.

Now that we’d found a good spot, all that remained was persistence.

Both Shouko and I gradually got the hang of it.

“By the way, Shouko, aside from meunière, how else would you like to eat the char?”

“How about teriyaki, Therese?”

“Not a bad idea.”

The two of us who weren’t fishing discussed how the char would be cooked. I mean, that was fine by me. We were planning on catching plenty.

“Right, according to Yamikage, they’re somewhat watery...” said Shouko. “Is there a good recipe to make use of that?”

“Well, if you want to draw out the moisture, we could try salt curing,” Therese replied. “But I’d imagine that’ll take some setup.”

It would be like drying out fish, which usually required specialized equipment... Could I substitute a trapping skill?

“Or we could sun dry it... Some places just leave it in salt overnight.”

“There really are a lot of cooking methods, I see.”

“Yep, that’s right. Well, we’ve been eating all kinds of high-end ingredients lately, so char might feel a bit lacking. I’ll need to get creative.”

“Can we make up for it with the boost from Cooperation Skills?” I chimed in.

“You’re missing the point.”

“It seems like we’re just leaving everything to you two.”

Thanks to the Cooperation Skill that happened when I cooked with Therese, as well as Brave Pekkle’s support, we always managed to come out with incredible cuisine. That didn’t mean any of it was due to my own merit. I was aware of that. I knew I fell short of the pros. After all, my main skill was fishing, and my sub skill was dismantling... If I added cooking on top of that, I’d be spreading myself way too thin.

Even with Cooperation Skills...

“Ah?!”

Just as the thought crossed my mind, Shouko suddenly lost balance and quickly pulled back on her rod. I turned to see that the rod was bending hard.

“Oh? Shouko, don’t tell me...” L’Arc muttered.

“What a twist,” added Therese.

I could tell by the bend she’d hooked quite the catch. Definitely bigger than a whitespotted char, at the very least.

“S-Something incredibly powerful is tugging against me! Wh-What should I do?!”

“The movements are the same as normal... Just do what I taught you.”

It’s safe to say Shouko hooked a lord—and even if that’s not it, this is definitely something big.

“A-All right.”

Shouko began to fight back, turning the reel. She faithfully reproduced the fishing methodology I’d instilled in her as she challenged her big catch through splashing, churning waters.

It was my first time seeing someone else go head-to-head against a lord.

Should I stand back and see how this plays out? No...in Dimension Wave, reeling in a lord is never easy.

“Khh...how can it be this strong...?”

“Shouko, use the Electric Shock!”

“A-All right!”

In real life, electrofishing would be a disgrace to the sport, but this was a game where you could catch monsters. Sometimes, there were simply things that couldn’t be caught if you didn’t use everything at your disposal.

Crackling bolts of electricity raced down the line, surging toward the shadow beyond the water’s surface...but the lord didn’t flinch. It kept thrashing like it hadn’t felt a thing.

We still have options! We’ve done it with all the other lords!

“You want my help, right? Thunder Bolt!”

“Thanks for the assist! It’s Shouko’s first time! Chris, go!”

“Pennnn!”

Just like before, I used the Pekkles to chip away at the lord’s stamina with direct attacks.

“Maybe I should prepare a more accurate weapon to help out next time.”

L’Arc spoke up, wondering if there was anything he could do. And beside him, I pulled out my bow and aimed straight at the shadow of the lord.

“Nnngggh... Haaaaaah...”

I could hear the clicking, the grating, jarring sound as Shouko wound the reel. While she worked on that, the rest of us attacked to wear it down.

Dangit... Is it because Shouko’s the one who hooked it? It’s refusing to surface.

“Looks like it’s got a serious pull. It’ll be harsh for anyone who isn’t on your level, little lady.”

“Don’t give up!”

This fishing spot was pretty much the farthest anyone had gotten in the game. And even if Shouko had a high Fishing Mastery Rank, it was hard to think she’d acquired any of the other fishing skills.

She was fighting a lord while still inexperienced. Perhaps it was only natural that things weren’t going her way.

“Ah! Shouko!” cried Therese. “The lord is trying to snag your line on that driftwood! That’s so mean!”

“He’s playing dirty!”

“Don’t let it snag, no matter what! You don’t need to match its movements for now! Just don’t let the line snap!”

“Y-Yes! I see, so I need to be aware of the terrain too!”

Noticing that the lord was trying to circle around some driftwood to tangle the line, I quickly warned Shouko. Carefully, she maneuvered the rod and used her extraordinary athleticism to leap and reposition herself on the other side.

Oooh... Her moves are so smooth that—no, I need to stay focused.

Left for left and right for right. With each passing moment, she was wearing down the lord and its ceaseless resistance.

“Eat this, pen!”

Chris created a whirlpool and launched it at the lord.

“Nice moves! Water might not hurt it too much, but it’s good for tying it down. Then how about this? Aqua Tornado!” Therese joined in, summoning another watery vortex to wear down the fish.

The lord was closer to the surface than it had ever been.

“Urrrrrgh...”

The reel groaned in pain, the rod bent to its limit.

This is the thrill of fishing! Okay! You’re going to show us that pretty face soon!

And with a splash, the lord burst from the water, finally revealing itself.

At just a glance, it looked strikingly similar to the whitespotted char.

“Oh? Is the lord a char?”

“A big one!”

But something about it was different. We’d have to reel it in before we knew for sure.

“Ah!”

As if certain of its victory, the lord twisted in midair and snapped its body toward the line.

“Whoa! It’s got some tricks!”

“Aaah! So close!”

Then, it snapped! The line broke cleanly, throwing Shouko off-balance.

“Like hell you’re getting away!”

Almost instinctively, I dropped the bow and switched to my fishing rod. I cast the lure straight at the face of a lord so smug in triumph...the mouth of the same lord that Shouko had hooked.

I felt the sudden pull as my rod bent and the line stretched taut.

“K-Kizuna?!”

“Holy crap! Little lady! You snagged it right as it broke free!”

“That’s honestly amazing! Seriously, crazy stuff!”

Whoa! That went better than expected.

In a way, maybe this was another sort of Fishing Combo. Who’d’ve thought another angler could snatch up a catch just as a lord was about to get away?

“Leave the rest to me!”

“Y-Yes!”

“Grrrrrnnnggghhh...”

I kicked the motorized reel into overdrive, ignoring the motor’s complaints.

Urgh...this lord was definitely holding back with Shouko, I thought. The moment I took over, it dropped all pretenses and started thrashing around like crazy.

“It’s going crazy,” said L’Arc. “Not even close to how it was with Shouko.”

“So it was just going easy on her? How cruel. I’m going to smack that smug fish for playing with poor Shouko’s feelings!”

It burst from the water again and again, swatting at the line with its tail and trying to snag it on driftwood at every opportunity.

This thing is even more ornery than the catfish!

I jumped onto my mount and flanked it with the boat.

Eat this! Electric Shock!

Yet again, the crackling sound filled the air as sparks spread across the water’s surface.

“Take this, pen!”

Chris continued attacking, sticking close, while Therese trapped it in another water vortex.

“I want to be like Kizuna... Hah!”

Next, Shouko joined in by fastening a new lure and...entwining her line around the lord’s body.

“That’s the spirit, Shouko! You need to make him pay! A punk fish that underestimates humans doesn’t deserve your forgiveness! Hraaah! Don’t get cocky!”

Umm...is it just me, or did we flip a strange switch for Therese? This is reminding me of when L’Arc snapped at Shouko’s old party members.

“S-Settle down, Therese! You’re getting too worked up.”

“I know! But I hate how that guy operates. You do something too, L’Arc!”

“My scythe swings too wide—I’ll just get in the way. And I don’t wanna risk it with a weapon I’m not used to.”

“Then use the traps you learned while helping Kizzy.”

“Ah, I see. That one slipped my mind.”

Using the Trapping Arts he’d learned while helping me with the crab traps, L’Arc placed a net in the lord’s path to slow it down.

Man, everyone’s so versatile.

“All right, Shouko! We’re doubling up on the Electric Shock!”

“Okay!”

“Ready, set...”

A synchronized Electric Shock lit up the water. And yet, the lord...was still resisting.

“Haaaaah! Pole Fishing!”

I gave it a hard, upward yank, but even that wasn’t enough.

It was at that point that the Library Rabbit holding me pulled what looked like a paper amulet from its pocket and tossed it at the fish.

All of a sudden, it was ever so slightly slower. A debuff? That’s a handy little auto-attack it has.

“Looks like you’re confident in your stamina, but how about this?!”

I snapped the rod up and down, sending shock waves through the lure. After a bit of persistence, I managed to inflict it with a bleed effect.

As it turned out, lures with combat capabilities could also exhibit their effects like this.

“One more time!”

The motorized reel screamed as it spun as fast as it could, eating up the line.

With the Electric Shocks zapping it, Chris charging, and Shouko’s entanglement still in place—the stage was set.

“Get him, Kizzy!”

“Pole Fishing!”

Therese shouted out as the lord finally lost to our combined assault and was sent flying toward the bank. Even dragged onto dry land, it continued to flop about in one last show of resistance.

“Serves you right!”

Shouko and I hauled it further inland to keep it from sliding back into the marshes, and finally, the lord went still.

“Great! That’s a successful catch.”

I pulled out the lure Shouko almost lost and removed my own lure too.

“There was a moment when I thought we’d lose it, but it all worked out!”

“Yeah...somehow.”

“Hooray! Awesome fight, Shouko, Kizzy!”

Our eyes all turned to the prize.

The lord was...a massive fish, over three and a half meters long. It turned out to be a huge stringfish—the Stringfish Lord.

“So this is what it’s like to catch a lord... I think I can understand why you’re so enthusiastic about this, Kizuna.”

“You do?”

“Yes. Up until now, I was just watching and thinking, ‘That’s quite impressive.’ But now that I’ve hooked one myself and experienced the back-and-forth, I get it. For a fighter like myself, it wasn’t just fishing anymore...it was like fighting a boss monster.”

“I mean...isn’t that kinda obvious?”

As someone who basically did nothing but fish, that wasn’t really a huge revelation.

“What was obvious from the start to you was something that I’ve only just realized for the first time... Only now have I felt it myself—that even after watching for so long, I never understood a thing.”

Shouko stared at her hands.

“Kizuna, thanks to you, the lord didn’t escape...but the truth is, that was my loss. I can’t afford to lose next time. This is...quite fun.”

I was just glad I’d gotten Shouko to understand the joy of fishing.

“Aight, let’s take a rubbing.”

Well, rather than taking a print in the traditional sense, I mimed holding a camera in my hand and took a screenshot.

Oh? My mount is reacting to screenshot mode and holding up the lord for us.

“Pennnn!”

Chris...and Brave Pekkle too. They both jumped into the shot.

An AI that reacts to cameras, huh... Well, sure. Why not?

“Cheese!”

“Peace!”

Even L’Arc and Therese joined in, grinning like kids as they crowded the frame.

Hey, it’s no skin off my nose.

“We gotta show this to Tsumugi and the others. Tell ’em Shouko hooked her first lord.”

“Kizuna was the one who reeled it in.”

“You’re the one who hooked it, Shouko. I just helped out. I’m your fishing master, after all—stepping in so my student doesn’t have any regrets is part of the job.”

“Exactly. If we let that nasty fish get away, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

“I see... That’s one way to look at it... Heh heh, what a kind mentor I have. And thank you, too, Therese, for being so considerate of my feelings.”

Say what you will.

“Aight, we’ll leave this lord out for everyone to see. Now let’s get back to fishing up some char.”

“How about we eat the lord too? But...at this size, it might be a bit bland.”

Therese really saw all fish—even the lord—as just food.

“So we are going to push through without a break?”

“We could if you want to, Shouko, but wouldn’t it be better if we finished up quick and rested until everyone else got back? You can take a break if you want to.”

“Oh no, in that case, I’ll continue too. I just wanted to savor the feeling of catching a lord for just a little longer.”

“Of course. We can enjoy it all we want, once the job’s done.”

We just had to bask in the afterglow and grin until the others returned. Fishing while riding the highs of victory was its own kind of fun.

“Well, now that those two have hauled in a lord, we’ve had our fill of excitement. How about we do some hunting, Therese?”

“Right. It’s about time we joined up with Tsumugi’s team. Of course, we won’t tell them what you caught.”

“Yeah, wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.”

“You got that right.”

We waved Therese and L’Arc off. As for us, we focused on completing the quest and catching enough whitespotted char for dinner.

Chapter 1: Assist Combo

“You got yourself another one, huh, bro?”

“You’re pulling them in quite often, I daresay.”

“Lucky.”

The hunting party returned after taking down the required number of monsters with L’Arc and Therese.

“I catch a lot—I won’t deny it. But this time’s different!”

“Right, this time’s a little different.”

“How so?”

Tsumugi and Yamikage eyed me doubtfully. By the looks on their faces, I knew they were expecting a tiny, minuscule difference. Practically inconsequential.

“Shouko’s the one who hooked it.”

“Huh? Shouko caught it?!”

“What a surprise, I daresay!”

“Uh-huh.”

They turned to Shouko with surprise written all over their faces.

Shouko waved her hands emphatically, insisting that wasn’t the case.

“No, no, it’s not quite like that. I indeed hooked it at first, but I failed to hold firm, and it snapped the line. But Kizuna immediately managed to hook it again, and Therese and L’Arc helped out too.”

“You can do that?”

“Sounds like a godlike feat, I daresay.”

“It was a great show. Just watching that move made the whole thing worthwhile.”

“I just reflexively cast my lure and managed to snag it, is all.”

“Come to think of it, milord... Didn’t you hook the Heavenly King of Water by the mouth too?”

Yamikage sighed, as if everything was finally making sense to her.

“My brother’s got focus if nothing else. He gets so obsessed with the nitty-gritty that he starts pulling off strange tricks like it’s nothing.”

“You can actually control the lure pretty well, you know. Isn’t it because this is a game?”

There were plenty of things that just worked out once you tried them. This was probably one of those.

“That’s true.” Shouko nodded. “I’ve also been surprised by how precisely I can cast the lure... Maybe that is one of the benefits of Fishing Mastery.”

“I daresay, I can’t argue with that.”

“Still, you wouldn’t usually think to do something like that.”

“Uh-huh...but it’s good that you can.”

Sheryl offered a bit of support.

She had a point. It was always frustrating to lose a big catch. If handing off the catch could prevent a miss, then of course, it was worth an attempt.

“But if someone misuses that feature, can’t another angler swoop in and steal your catch the moment they see you’ve hooked a big one?”

“I don’t know about that. I’ll need to do some experimenting.”

Right, it’d suck to have it stolen the moment I got the big one.

“When you really get down to it, reeling would be a nightmare if two people were pulling in the same fish at the same time... But there’s a chance that this sort of setup might become necessary at higher difficulties. How about we test it out sometime, Shouko?”

“Oh, yes... We probably should.”

We did indeed test it out later. When two hooks were hooked into the same fish, the second one would pop out immediately. It was a similar case for reeling.

What’s more, if you weren’t in the same party, your hook wouldn’t even register.

This was an assist combo only possible within a party.

Even then, it wasn’t the sort of thing that could be pulled off intentionally. The timing was ridiculously precise.

“Tsumugi, I understand it now that I’ve experienced fishing for a lord—this is just like a boss battle. It is the true thrill of fishing.”

“Well, I figured as much from watching my bro, but it looks like you’re enjoying it too, Shouko.”

“Yes, it was a very worthwhile experience. I’d like to continue for a little while longer.”

I was just glad that Shouko had some interest in fishing.

“Lady Shouko has been reeled in, I daresay!”

Hey now, Yamikage. You’re making it sound like that’s a bad thing.

“Heh heh heh, and you’re next, Yamikage. Or it could be Tsumugi? How about learning how to fish?”

“I don’t want to! Even though my experience on the crab cannery ship satisfied most of the conditions for fishing skills, I daresay I refuse!”

“Me neither. I’d rather fight.”

Yamikage’s totally against it... As for my sister, she just seems uninterested... Still, I’d like to get those two into fishing eventually.

“Then, how about crab traps for you? I mean, they’re traps. Totally ninja-like.”

“Ninjas don’t go crab trapping, I daresay! If I want traps, I’ll use traps!”

“You have it rough, Yammy.”

“Why are you making this sound like it’s none of your business?! That’s your brother, I daresay!”

“Yeah, he is. That’s why I know how to deal with him. If he’s being annoying and persistent, just brush him off.”

Don’t act like you know me inside and out, oh sister of mine... Even if that’s always how it’s worked out between us...

“Ha ha, your group is fun to watch, little lady.”

“Right?”

“Hey, I know the trick to dodging my sister’s invitations too.”

And that’s precisely why I need to pick the right moment to get her into fishing... I know she’ll do it if there’s something dramatic going on. Convincing her that fishing rods are strong weapons isn’t enough; she’s too self-absorbed for that. In that hunting game, she’s always roping me into gathering weapon upgrade materials for her.

“I can see that you two have a deep understanding of one another,” said Shouko.

“Yeah, pretty much. He can be pretty useful once you accept how he is. Tell him to grind, and he’ll stay in the same spot, grinding forever.”

Yeah. It happens.

Sometimes, I’d watch Kanade and Tsumugi play games from behind, and when they got tired of grinding, I’d step in to help. If I did it in my free time, they’d be able to advance the story more easily and reach new places too.

Gathering rare drops? That was something I actually enjoyed doing.

“Isn’t that a bit much, I daresay?”

“You better do it in moderation, or you’re gonna get burned.”

“I don’t think that’s the sort of thing you should be shoving onto Kizuna... I can’t see how you can complain about the crab ship now.”

“Well, yeah. That’s probably why I’m not too mad about it.”

You can’t be family if you can’t learn to live with each other’s quirks.

“My brother’s just like this. So, Yammy, if he tries to rope you into something, just brush it off. The same goes for you, Shouko—you don’t need to go along with everything he says.”

“Thank you for the advice. I simply have my curiosity piqued—that’s all. You don’t have to worry about me.”

How understanding of you, Shouko. In contrast, Yamikage and Tsumugi just don’t know how to compromise. Sheryl... Well, she’s already a diver who fights with a harpoon. She’s pursuing the same ideal, just in a different direction, so there’s no real need for me to drag her in. If anything, the one I should be teaching is Alto. With that information dealer schtick he’s got going on, he’ll probably fit the part even better if he can just blend in, casually fishing at the docks.

Just as that thought crossed my mind, a chat came in from Alto.

“Hmm? Alto? What’s up?”

“Well, you see, I suddenly felt a weird chill, and your face flashed through my mind. I thought I’d check in while I was at it.”

Considering he’d only just seen us off yesterday, there wasn’t much to report... Still, he had crazy good intuition.

“What’s it like past the checkpoint?” Alto asked.

“There’s a wetland and another relay town. Oh, and we got another lord!” I reported.

“Romina will be happy to hear that. So the next area is a marsh... In any case, I appreciate your continued investigation. Your party is the furthest along in Mikakage right now.”

“If you’re that interested, you should come over.”

“I have a lot of work to do with managing Cal Mira and all that. Romina might come by to play, though.”

“I see... I’ll keep an eye out for places she might enjoy.”

There was a mining site near the last relay town, so perhaps there was one around here too.

“Alto.”

“What is it, Shouko?”

“Could you put together a list of all the monsters that have appeared in the fields so far? I’d like to eventually go around and check them out.”

“I can. Right, considering what’s to come, it’d be a good idea for you to make the rounds.”

Immediately picking up on her intentions, Alto took on the job.

He’s pretty quick on the uptake... Well, even if they’re familiar fishing spots to me, there are still fish out there I haven’t caught yet!

We wrapped up the chat on that note.

“Now then, we’ve done our share of bragging. It’s time to take apart this lord.”

It was time for the fun dismantling work. Finally, time to carve up the Stringfish Lord, but... This is a hard one.

Not only was it hard to simply get the blade in, but it was hard to make clean cuts too. It was very likely I would fail with my current dismantling rank.

I’d already botched some of the scale removal—the scales scattering on the ground without turning into items.

“You okay, bro? Something feels off.”

“Yeah, I made a little mistake.”

“You? Failing dismantling? I daresay, it must be quite difficult.”

“Right. If the little lady’s failing...it’s not just the enemy strength that’s ramping up. We’re in for some hard times.”

“Exactly. I think it’s about time we did some serious level grinding.”

“Well, it’s only a little tougher than the Blue Shark... That’s the feeling I’m getting, at least.”

Thanks to the ice knife, I managed to dismantle everything apart from the scales fairly well, but it still felt like a bit of a waste. Anyways, despite a few hiccups, I’d managed to successfully clean the Stringfish Lord.

I ended up getting quite a lot out of it: Demon Stringfish Scales, Demon Stringfish Jaw, Demon Stringfish Heart, Demon Stringfish Bone, Highest-Grade Demon Stringfish Meat and Eggs—the whole Demon Stringfish series. I also got some Mid-Tier King’s Scales.

“And we’re done... I need to start raising my dismantling, or I’ll end up wasting all the lords after going through so much trouble to catch them.”

“Training is a constant pursuit.”

“I can’t wait to see what we can make with these.”

I still had some materials from the other lords too; it was probably time to have Romina start making gear out of them. And if I can upgrade my fishing gear, I’ll definitely want to do that. Since I just got some new lures, maybe a rod next?

“Okay... I think we’ve done all the quests. What do we do now?”

We’d secured enough whitespotted char for dinner. Meanwhile, the hunting team had apparently completed all the hunting quests.

“Let’s explore the field a bit more,” said my sister. “I think there are still a few places we haven’t been.”

“Yeah, that’s a safe bet. We should check every bit of the area we’ve unlocked.”

“Do you think we’ll run into another field boss soon?”

“Can you beat them on your first try? The enemies are getting stronger...”

“I don’t think we’ll lose with this group,” L’Arc weighed in, “but it’ll be pretty draining.”

Field bosses that were designed to be taken on by large parties were tough, even when we had Tsumugi, Yamikage, and Shouko on our side.

“Well,” explained Tsumugi, “even if it’s a huge setback for you, the rest of us can power through it.”

Due to their nature, if a Spirit was carelessly taken out, it was a huge pain for them to get back on their feet. That’s why becoming incapacitated—in other words, dying in game—was something to be avoided at all costs.

With that said...I’d gotten pretty used to the game system already, so even if I lost everything, I had a rough idea of how to catch back up. If I just maxed out my Energy recovery rate, I could bounce back without falling too far behind. It wasn’t like my proficiencies would be reset, and I’d be able to reequip my gear once I fulfilled the conditions.

Things had changed a fair bit since back when I first met Shouko.

Even so...compared to Tsumugi and the other non-spirits, it would take us a lot longer. That much was true.

“Anyways, let’s get exploring! It’s a lot easier now that we have our mounts!”

“Well...point taken.”

I mean, I was the one being carried in one hand by a giant rabbit... It wasn’t something I got to experience often.

“Indeed. Let’s enjoy it to the fullest!”

And with that, fresh off completing our quests, we headed out to explore the field. We continued along a path through the wetlands...and, just as expected, the place was incredibly vast. There were plenty of forks along the way, and covering the whole area was going to take some time.

But, it looked like the wetlands had some exits here and there, each leading to forests and grasslands that connected back to the relay town.

“All of a sudden, it seems like we’ve gone from a wetland to a mountain.”

In a small grassy area on the far edge of the accessible area—one that we could reach from the relay town without passing through the wetlands—something caught our eye. We decided to stop by.

What we found was what looked like a Shinto shrine with a torii gate.

“Is this a rest area?”

“No...it feels a bit different.”

Where a shrine would usually have its box for offerings, there was instead a swirling, circular hole in space. And standing beside the hole was an NPC.

“What’s this?” Tsumugi asked as she approached the NPC by the hole.

“A shrine... It’s a good place for me, I daresay.”

“It suits Shouko too.”

A ninja and a kimono girl looked right at home at a shrine.

“Perhaps we should say a prayer while we’re here.”

“Well...something good might happen if we pray to the gods.”

“So, Tsumugi, did the NPC say what kind of place this is?”

“Well, you see, it looks like this is an instance dungeon.”

“There’s one out here?”

“People will be flocking to this place in no time, then,” said L’Arc. “It might be worth remembering it.”

“Yup. Apparently, it’s called the Mikakage Endless Labyrinth. When you enter, you get an escape item called a Modified Plant Candle, and you’re supposed to use it to explore. You can’t leave if you use it, so you have to be careful...is what she said. But I doubt they’ll even let you throw it away. Also, you need to pay for an entrance ticket.”

So it’s a dungeon... I guess there won’t be any shrine-visiting events for New Year’s or anything like that.

“Anyway, according to the NPC, it’s an endless, bottomless labyrinth, and she explained it in lots and lots of detail—though I started tuning her out halfway through.”

“Hmm... You wanna go in right now?”

“What do you think, Shouko?”

“I suggest we make a note of this place for now and check if there’s anything else around. We haven’t finished exploring the area yet.”

So, we finish the investigation before diving into the new dungeon...makes sense.

“Yeah, I see what you mean. The monsters on the surface are still putting up a good fight. I guess the dungeon can wait until tomorrow.”

Exploration was our first priority... It was definitely the most efficient approach in a new area. It was better to know about everything an area offered before deciding on a plan.

“All right, I’ve marked down the location. Let’s move on.”

“Sure thing. Where do you want to check next?”

“The mountains suddenly turn too steep, and the forest is unnaturally overgrown, so we can’t access those areas. Let’s continue along the edge of them. This way.”

Tsumugi pointed at a path that led to a foresty area.

We encountered some monsters called Humming Eagles along the way, but they were easily taken down thanks to Tsumugi, Shouko, and Yamikage.

At the end of the path, we arrived at a cave-like area.

Ah, there are a few NPCs, and some of them have pickaxes... I recognize this setup.

“It’s a mining site. Yippee! What gems can we get here?”

“Don’t go too wild with the mining, Therese,” L’Arc said.

“Aww, what’s the harm?”

“Lady Romina will be pleased, I daresay.”

“We should tell her about it later.”

“Come to think of it, I remember there being some mine-related quests in town. Yeah, there was something about one of the mine shafts being infested with monsters.”

“So they want us to go in and hunt them down?”

Defeat the monsters to make the mine usable—it was a common setup.

“Right. But I also heard something about machinery recipes dropping here.”

“Mm.”

Sheryl raised her hand.

Ah...right. She’s got machinery skills. Figures she’d be interested.

“So recipes drop here?”

“That’s what I heard. Maybe we should explore this area for Sheryl’s sake. It might be a good chance to get some nice drops.”

“I daresay, I look forward to seeing what we can find.”

“This place might be more important to us than that instance dungeon.”

“True, true. We need to check out the local monster and boss drops too. There’s a lot of stuff to look forward to.”

With high hopes for drops and enemies we’d yet to encounter, we decided to walk past the mine for now and fill in more of the map. From what we could tell, the only prominent areas were the wetlands, the shrine, the mining site, and the next checkpoint. Everything else seemed to be standard, monster-inhabited plains.

If we really dug around, we’d probably run into a boss or two. But this felt like a good first sweep of the area.

I did go ahead and dismantle the small-fry monsters, just in case.

Back-calculating from the Energy I got from them, they had a better yield than the monsters on the lowest floor of Cal Mira’s instance dungeon.

As we wandered around the map, the sun began its way down toward the horizon.

“Looks like that just about wraps up our exploration. We’ve got a pretty good grasp of the terrain.”

“I’d say so.”

Thanks to our mounts, we’d managed to cover a fairly large area.

“For now, let’s return to town and turn in our quests.”

“Let’s eat something too!”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll cook up the char we caught today.”

“I can’t wait! I can’t wait! What are you going to make, bro?”

“Meunière, probably. We can make other things too, but they’ll take more time to prepare.”

Most of the dishes needed setup; we couldn’t just instantly get a finished dish out of them. Whether we tried drying, curing, or whatever it took to enhance the watery flavor, it would take some time. Even if we just dried them overnight, they wouldn’t be ready until tomorrow morning.

“Meunière, huh? Sounds good!”

“Maybe namerou would work too.”

Chopped-up raw fish mixed with all sorts of seasonings. Using strong ingredients like miso, ginger, and onion would enhance the smell and flavor. When it came to river fish, it was even simpler to make than sashimi.

“Namerou! That would go perfect with rice! We’re always eating nothing but fish, though!”

“That’ll be the main course. If you want something other than fish... I’ll make you some karaage.”

“Yaaay!”

My gluttonous sister jumped for joy.

“We always eat so lavishly, I daresay. But I’m also looking forward to tonight’s meal.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Heh heh... We caught the fish ourselves.” Shouko smiled. “Please look forward to it.”

We managed to catch quite a few things, after all. With my Culinary Art skill raised, I could cook a decent variety of dishes.

Fish cuisine isn’t just about sashimi, you know. There’s boiling, frying, and so much more.

Chapter 2: Frog Karaage

We returned to the relay town, checked in at an inn, rented the kitchen, and promptly got to cooking. First—and this went without saying—was the whitespotted char meunière.

Seeing as I didn’t really know what I was doing, I focused on the recipe that popped up when I started processing the char. The initial step was to butcher the fish into fillets; that part was a lot easier than the cooking.

I coated the fillets in flour, salt, and pepper, then butter-fried them in a skillet. Flipping them at just the right moment, I kept a close eye on the browning to ensure they cooked evenly. Once I’d gotten them a nice golden brown, I was pretty much done.

I made enough for everyone and used the leftover fish to whip up some namerou. It was a dish that couldn’t be made without miso, ginger, and onions. But of course, I was always prepared.

I always make sure Alto keeps my ingredients well stocked. Even if we’re stranded, I won’t run out of seasonings.

“Kizzy! The loach hot pot’s done!”

“Got it. The namerou’s done too.”

Specializing in cooking is no joke... I’m barely scraping by with the skills I have. If I put too much effort into it, I’ll end up being a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. I should do it in moderation. Next up...

“Heh heh heh, you’re quite adventurous in the kitchen, Kizzy.”

“I don’t wanna hear it, Therese. You don’t get to make comments when you’re the one that added to the chaos.”

“Aww, what’s the harm? All right, let’s go call everyone.”

“Yeah, and...done!”

“Already?”

And just like that, we gathered everyone up to serve the finished meal. With rice, of course.

“There’s a hot pot as well, I see,” noted Shouko.

“Yeah, it’s made with the loaches the Pekkles fished up.”

“Char meunière, and char namerou too! Ah, and just like bro said, karaage too! First one’s mine!”

“Ah, Lady Tsumugi! That karaage is—!”

Before Yamikage could warn her, Tsumugi had already stuffed a karaage into her mouth.

“Hmm?” she asked. “What’s wrong? It’s pretty tasty.”

“I-Is it... I daresay, you don’t feel anything off?”

“N-No... Should I...?”

Then, a beat later, Tsumugi suddenly realized she had never checked to see what exactly she’d put into her mouth.

“Hey, bro? Therese?!”

“It’s your fault for snatching it.”

“It must’ve looked so good that she couldn’t resist!”

“Tsumugi’s lack of courtesy is certainly an issue,” said Shouko. “But I do question your actions sometimes, Kizuna.”

“I heard it was similar to chicken, and we had all of the meat from when I was dismantling. I just went ahead and used it.”

You just had to check the system window to know exactly what the karaage was. Its name was listed as Giant Purple Toad Karaage.

I’d put a lot of effort into the appearance, removing the bones and chunking it up into inconspicuous pieces.

“You would’ve known if you’d just checked. You went in without hesitation.”

“I seriously didn’t notice!”

Sheryl timidly reached out and took a bite. What followed was a few moments of silent chewing, and then...

“If you don’t think about it...it’s edible.”

“I wouldn’t eat it by choice, I daresay...”

“It gives a damage boost against aquatic monsters,” I explained. “Not a bad meal to have before a fight.”

L’Arc sighed. “Why do all the weird ingredients give great effects? That’s what irritates me.”

“Exactly, I daresay.”

On that note, sautéed whitespotted char gave a temporary increase to max HP—and for Spirits, that changed into a Mana generation bonus.

Simple food was fine and all, but proper meals had their benefits. There were even minor hidden achievement-like things linked to it, like a permanent +1 to attack after you’d eaten a certain number of dishes.

Cooking was deeper than it seemed. Perhaps it really was better to have a specialist chef in charge of it.

When I wasn’t cooking for myself—like I was on Cal Mira—I’d usually just pay a restaurant to cook with the ingredients I brought in.

“It’s not like eating it will give you a stomachache,” said Shouko. “Tsumugi proved that, so let’s dig in.”

“In fact, I’ll be upset if I’m the only one who has to eat it!” Tsumugi cried.

“The people who made it ought to be the ones eating more of it, I daresay.”

“It’s delish!”

“Therese, show a little shame, would you?”

“The girl who snatched the food is acting like a victim...good grief.”

“Well, let’s eat.”

“Let’s eat!”

And with that, we all gathered around the food and started into the meal.

I grabbed myself a plate of the main dish—the whitespotted char sauté—broke it apart with my chopsticks, and plopped a mouthful into my mouth.

Hmm...I see. Yamikage’s right. I was thinking about it when I was cooking it, but it is pretty similar to salmon. Granted, it is a little watery...but thanks to the sautéing, it’s not too noticeable.

Since we made it using a cooperation skill, the quality turned out pretty high too.

“I daresay,” started Yamikage, “this tastes better than the char dishes I’ve tasted. It’s hard to tell this isn’t salmon.”

“I’ve eaten plenty of salmon, but...I can’t tell either,” Shouko confirmed.

“Salmon...maybe.”

Sheryl cocked her head quizzically as she ate. Maybe the high quality was doing something to the flavor. It might have come out more noticeable if we hadn’t tried as hard.

“The eel and crab were great, but this is good in its own way, bro!”

“We got the quality so high it pretty much turned into salmon. It’s like it lost its uniqueness.”

“How about we make it without Cooperation next time?”

We continued to analyze it as we ate.

“You really are a perfectionist, milord. I truly can’t tell it apart from salmon.”

“True, true. Hey, bro, why don’t you switch to cooking instead of fishing?”

“Not a chance.” I shot her down immediately.

Cooking was just a means to process my catches and to fill our stomachs; in this game, I’d decided to put fishing over all else. If I tried my hand at everything, I’d end up sucking at everything.

“After experiencing true fishing today, I can somewhat understand how Kizuna feels,” Shouko said. “You get it too, don’t you, Sheryl?”

“Mm.”

Sheryl nodded. It seemed she’d shaken off her frustration from the defensive battle.

Next up was the fried food taste test.

I stuffed a large chunk of frog karaage into my mouth. As stated before, the food effect was a damage bonus against aquatic monsters. It would make for a perfect packed lunch whenever we were going to fight monsters in the wetlands.

The first thing to hit me was...the distinct flavor of fried food. Then, as I bit down, I noted the texture of the meat... It was supposed to resemble chicken, and that was pretty accurate. No, maybe it had a bit more bounce. The toad was a monster, after all. All that regular movement probably made the meat firmer and chewier. As a piece of karaage, it was pretty solid.

You shouldn’t underestimate the weird ingredients.

“Not half bad,” I concluded.

“You’re not wrong, but it’s more of a mental thing. You know?”

“Oh, it really is delicious. I didn’t know you could use monster meat in cooking.”

Even Shouko gave it a good review.

“Wanna try a whole monster meal sometime?” I suggested.

“There are already a lot of people doing that,” Therese informed me.

“At least stick to the normal fish you catch, I daresay,” Yamikage groaned.

“Right? If we’re not careful and we end up somewhere with no fishing hole nearby, my brother might start leaving his lure in random spots to catch rats to feed us.”

“What do you take me for?”

Are you trying to say I’d serve everyone rat meat? Don’t treat me like some sort of deviant.

“It’s not entirely out of the question, I daresay.”

Yamikage’s reaction was cold, as was Sheryl’s pointed silence.

“I can see you doing it,” said L’Arc.

“Right?” Therese concurred.

I am not a deviant!

“Now, now. We haven’t gotten to the point where we’re making soup out of weeds. Let’s not be too picky.”

“But Shouko,” my sister protested. “We technically own a whole territory, and we’re still eating monster meat. Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”

“Even if it is just a game, I think it’s important to respect life and not let it go to waste. I’ve heard tales of lords in the past who used to distribute the game they hunted to the people.”

“You’re a bit off the mark there, Shouko.”

“I daresay, that’s the core of gibier cuisine... It’s not entirely wrong. It wouldn’t be surprising if there were some truly delicious monster meats out there.”

“Besides, we already ate the kappa hot pot. It’s a little late to complain about frog karaage.”

“That time, it felt like eating soft-shelled turtle meat, so it didn’t bother me!”

Tsumugi seemed oddly sensitive about the frog meat.

“Hah...” she sighed. “Whatever. I just won’t think about it.”

And with that, she was back to eating with gusto.

“It’s good not to be picky,” Shouko said, sending her a warm look. Then, for some reason, she turned to me. “But...I would prefer not to eat rat meat.”

“I know, I know. I doubt it’ll even come out edible.”

Like...I can see it turning into one of those failed dishes. Ones that cause status effects when you eat them. I haven’t fished up any puffer fish yet, but if you don’t prep those things right, they’ll probably kill you from poison.

“Man, this game is full of discoveries!”

At the start, I spent ages in the First City, made some money, and bought a small boat from Sheryl for sea fishing... Then, I started toward the Second City in hopes of finding new fishing spots and met Shouko along the way. Everything that had happened since stemmed from that encounter.

If I hadn’t run into Shouko and had just gone straight to the Second City...I would’ve spent all my time fishing and checking different fishing spots, living a completely different life from the one I had now.

“It’s thanks to everyone being so considerate that we can enjoy our meals and our adventures like this.”

“Yeah, I’ll admit it. There’s no getting bored in this game if you hang around my brother,” Tsumugi said.

“There’s just too much going on, I daresay,” Yamikage grumbled.

“Uh-huh... But it’s fun,” Sheryl said.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

We went back and forth about this and that, our dinnertime quietly coming to a close.

After finishing our meal, we each went our separate ways for some free time. Shouko and Tsumugi said they would report the day’s exploration results to Romina and Alto, while L’Arc and Therese set off to search for quests. As for me, I slipped out quietly so as not to worry Shouko and returned to the wetlands to do some fishing—only in an area I could handle on my own.

Yeah, you can never miss out on night fishing. You can’t truly get your fill if you’re trying to live a healthy, regulated life.

With a lantern in one hand, I scoped out a good spot and cast my line.

This time, it was just around the entrance to the wetlands, close to where I’d left my crab traps. I went for a simple hook-and-line setup; lure fishing seemed to narrow down the encounter pool to a handful of larger fish, and this time I was aiming for the small ones.

As you might expect, the first things I reeled in were an empty can, an old tire, and a boot...as well as that generic “trash” item.

“Oh?”

A Bone Fish took the bait.

Still...I came here to enjoy some solo fishing time...

My eyes wandered.

“Busy fishing, pen.”

The presence of my mount and the nearby Pekkles tragically dulled the feeling of solitude I was going for. That was a bit of a shame.

I’d already dismissed Brave Pekkle. If I kept him out for too long, his stress gauge would fill up and cause him to go dormant.

Now then... I placed my lantern on the ground to serve as a light source, but when I glanced up at my Library Rabbit mount, the way he was lit up from below made him look straight out of a mascot horror game.

I’d probably be spooked if I bumped into him at night. I kept him out because he makes movement a lot easier, but...come to think of it, I wonder if each area only has a single lord?

Fearing what I might find out, I decided I would have to check out Cal Mira’s aquarium at some point to see if any new information had been added.

“Fish on!”

A bite—I pulled up on the line.

First up was a dace, then a bitterling. Just switching up the setup really did change the catch. I even managed to snag a freshwater prawn.

Shouko had mentioned going back to check out old hunting grounds—and revisiting old fishing spots sounded like a good idea too. It’s not like I was pulling in those lords left and right. The eel and the stringfish were just a spot of luck.

Oh, right...I haven’t been using the Fever Lure. What should I do... If I catch something strange like that kappa, I’ll be in for a world of hurt. I’d better not push my luck.

Still, shrimp... I sometimes catch them in my crab traps.

I knew Tsumugi and Yamikage would be thrilled if I made some fried shrimp. Thinking back, I’d caught quite the variety of fish. Maybe sushi was the natural next step. River fish weren’t exactly ideal, but once I started sea fishing again, it was definitely next on the list.

“Fish on.”

I caught a Giant Purple Toad.

So you can catch them here too... I checked a crab trap and found a small Big Brown Slug caught in it.

Back to fishing... I can feel something on the line.

“Fish on!”

I yanked the rod up and identified it as a Bone Fish from the silhouette. But just then, a bluish-white shadow slammed into the Bone Fish, causing the rod to bend sharply under its might.

“Whoa! A Fishing Combo?!”

Another big one?! Anyway, I just have to do it! I tightened my grip, activating Electric Shock as I spun the reel. Surprisingly, the fish came up a lot easier than I expected.

Just because I got a combo, that didn’t mean it was always going to be a lord or a big catch...

As for what I got: a Ghost Fish. It was a literal ghost of a fish.

It made some sense... The Soul Eater was also a fish.

My fingers sank in as I grabbed it... It felt like I was holding a slime. No, it was even more watery than that. I hardly felt any resistance at all. It was barely even on the hook, almost like it had no physical presence.

There was no point in dismantling Bone Fish—they were all bone. But it seemed that this Ghost Fish was another story. Sure, I felt bad for a fish that was set to be butchered even in death, but hey, everything was an experience.

I fished my way to the dead of the night, then dismantled my haul one by one. You could also call it prep work. Scales, bones, meat...I’d gotten quite used to it.

Ah right, I’ve already set out some whitespotted char for drying. That might make a good breakfast tomorrow.

“I guess I’ll leave it at that...”

Seeing as I’d probably be doing something with Shouko and the others tomorrow, I wrapped things up early. And with that, I returned to the inn.

Since it was free time for all of us, I assumed Shouko and Tsumugi were already asleep. Yamikage always tucked in early, so I didn’t even need to wonder where she was. How curious it was that the one who loved the darkness slept earlier than anyone else.

With that thought in mind, I strolled down the hallway and...spotted Sheryl walking toward me.

“Ah, Kizuna... Night fishing?”

“Yeah. You’re still up, huh?”

“Mm...”

Insomnia wasn’t a mechanic in game, so there had to be a reason she was still awake at this hour.

“You’re going to worry everyone, so don’t go out fighting monsters at night, all right?”

In my case, it’s practically a daily routine. I imagine they’ve all pretty much given up on trying to stop me.

Sheryl shook her head.

“Skill grinding,” she said, holding up a wrench.

“Ah, you’re practicing Machinery?”

“Uh-huh. And carpentry.”

She was, after all, a diver and a shipwright. The reason she wanted to learn Machinery in the first place was because it would help outfit her ships.

“Think you’ll be able to make something good?” I asked.

“Yes.” She nodded. “Romina’s coming tomorrow. She wants to do some mining.”

“So our plans are set. No one told me.”

“Your sister said that you were probably off fishing somewhere, and that it would be annoying to message you at the wrong time. She told Shouko not to bother.”

Well...if a message came in while I was focused, I’d probably ignore it.

“She also said you can take tomorrow off if you get tired from fishing too late into the night.”

“Nah, I’ll come. If Romina’s coming over, I want to help out.”

I’d managed to sate my itch to fish. And Shouko even joined me for the day fishing, so skipping out would feel unfair to her. Besides, doing all sorts of activities was more fun in the long run.

“So, I’m guessing you made something to raise your skills—anything interesting?”

“Uh-huh.”

Sheryl nodded and pulled out a chainsaw.

“Useful for logging. Still basic.”

“Ah...I see.”

Was this her first entry into making mechanical weapons? I wasn’t sure if Machinery was even able to craft weapons like that by itself, or if Romina was going to have to come around to complete it. Still, it definitely seemed like it was difficult to make.

“Forest... It looked like it had good lumber, so I’m trying to make something with good specs. That’s why I need to grind.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Uh-huh. I’ll do a little more, then sleep.”

“All right... Don’t overdo it.”

“I’ll work hard—like you.”

“Like me?”

“Uh-huh.”

She nodded before going off on her way.

What did she mean by “like me”?

I wondered, cocking my head as I returned to my room, organized my tackle, and slept.

Chapter 3: Fossils

The next day, I served everyone the char that had been dried overnight. The flavor had deepened, and the dish got high marks all around. When I processed it through a Cooperation Skill with Therese, they all said they couldn’t tell it apart from salmon, so I made it again solo for taste comparison.

Just as Sheryl had said, Romina joined us after that. We went to pick her up before returning to the wetlands.

Thus, we all found ourselves gathered in front of the mines.

Romina stood with a pickaxe slung over one shoulder, clearly ready to step into her role as a miner.

“You really didn’t have to tag along with me. Are you sure about this?”

“It’s fine,” said Tsumugi. “We want to gather materials and have you turn them into great gear.”

“Indeed, I daresay.”

“You’re always helping us out. It’s the least we can do,” I assured her.

“Uh-huh...”

Everyone was surprisingly cooperative.

“That said, Shouko, Yammy, L’Arc, and me—we’re planning on investigating the part of the mine where the monsters appear,” Tsumugi went on.

Naturally, I passed on the combat role and joined the mining team.

I pulled out my hand drill and whirred it to life.

“Drill!”

“Drill!”

Tsumugi shouted out right beside me with a drill of her own.

“You never miss out on the gag, I daresay.”

“Indeed,” said Shouko. “If we find any good spots in the monster area, we will excavate them and bring them back.”

“I’m on team pickaxe!” Therese announced. “I like how it makes you really feel the dig.”

“Ain’t drills more efficient?” asked L’Arc.

“If it was all about efficiency, we’d be using nothing but dynamite.”

Therese clearly had her fixations, and she shot back at L’Arc’s comment quickly and harshly.

“We could really use a big haul of materials right now. Please gather everything you can. There should be some stuff here we can use to upgrade the island’s facilities.”

“So you can’t get everything you need on Cal Mira?”

“So it seems. That’s what Alto said, and I made sure to double-check it myself.”

It’s good that she isn’t just taking that Merchant of Death at his word.

“Need some...for ships too.”

Sheryl was an expert in her field, so there was no doubt about that.

“And I use them for Craftwork, so I’ll help out too!”

“All right, looks like it’s all hands on deck. You don’t mind if I summon the Pekkles, do you?”

“Go right ahead. I already cleared it with Alto.”

Then it all checks out.

“Romina, you got anything that can get my brother hooked on mining? If he gets to it, I think he’ll keep at it forever. I bet if he’d gotten into mining instead of fishing at the start, he’d be doing it all the way to the endgame.”

“You little—”

What kind of suggestion is that?

“I understand that Kizuna’s persistence is above average. Let’s hope he finds something he likes about it.”

“Although it might be an issue if he gets too into it...”

“I don’t know whether or not we should take milord’s drive as something to strive for, I daresay...”

“Uh-huh...”

“Wait, are you praising me or complaining about me?”

“Both, bro.”

How rude... I can be a team player too, you know.

“Do you think this mine has an underground lake or something?” I asked.

“And what if it does? I daresay, do you plan on camping out and fishing again?”

“Well, I don’t think there’ll be any time manipulation like there was on Cal Mira... I wouldn’t go that far.”

I do have some self-control, thank you very much.

“If we find one, I’ll let you know—but please don’t overdo it.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

As we entered the mine and split into two teams, I called up the Pekkles and put them to work. I just had to point my drill at the mining points and let it whiiiiiiiiiirrrrr away until the job was done.

What is this feeling? For some reason, I want to put on a nice, somber expression—like I’m doing some gritty hard labor.

Picking up the lumps of ore that came out and stowing them away, I continued to mine. Magic Iron and uncut gemstones. There were also Firestones and other materials used to give gear elemental properties.

Of course, some were of higher quality than others, but I wasn’t about to waste time discerning which ones to take and which ones to leave behind. They were all coming home with me.

“Drill!”

“Sometimes...you just...gotta do...this kinda...work!” Romina swung her pickaxe, smashing through mining point after mining point with a sharp crack.

Drills took less effort on my part, but apparently, pickaxes could still hold their own.

“Go to hell!”

From Therese’s general direction came a battle cry at odds with her image. I glanced over to Romina, who shrugged as if to say, Just ignore it.

“Just dig as deep as you’d like, Kizuna,” she said.

“I’ll go as far as my Shield Energy will let me.”

I monitored my regen and paced myself accordingly, making sure I didn’t start eating into my main Energy pool.

As I dug deeper...something unfamiliar rolled out. A lump of ore I’d never seen before.

“Hm?”

“A geode?”

A geode—a rock with crystals inside—was a type of item that needed to be appraised before you could do anything with it. Being a blacksmith, Romina could appraise geodes, and sometimes, they’d contain the material she was looking for.

But what I’d found wasn’t a geode; it was some other kind of rocky lump.

“What is this?”

It was labeled as “Some Kind of Fossil (?).”

“Ah, that’s a fossil lump,” Romina explained. “I guess they turn up here too.”

“There are fossils?”

I didn’t know that.

“Apparently. By the way, there are other things categorized as ‘Excavated Articles’ that show up too. Look—right on time.”

With that, Romina casually tossed over what looked like a small golden airplane.

Golden Space Shuttle.

That was the name...but what even was it? Some sort of item?

The flavor text said it was an elaborate golden ornament modeled after a flying machine, believed to have been excavated from some ancient ruins.

“What’s this?”

“You find them in mines now and then. Excavated Articles. You know, Alto’s eyes lit up the first time he found one—he went around shouting, ‘It’s an OOPArt!’ and even gave me this huge lecture about it. I think he said the first ones were found in...Colombia, maybe?”

“This looks like it could be worth a fortune.”

“Unfortunately...they’re actually pretty common. They only really serve as collectables. Keep digging and you’ll start finding stuff like Crystal Skulls and Clay Figures too.”

“This is all new to me... I didn’t see anything last time I went mining.”

“I’ll bet it was just a coincidence you didn’t. It’s the same with Crystal Skulls—they may be purely decorative, but they’re made of good material, so they’re not completely useless. Melt down that space shuttle, for instance, and you can turn it into gold. That said, our poor Alto looks heartbroken whenever you do.”

Alto... So you’re into skulls, huh? Even though you were scared out of your mind on the ghost ship.

No, maybe he was just disappointed to find that OOPArts—things he considered priceless—were seen as nothing but collectables in this game.

“So... What about this fossil?”

“Get enough of them, and I can turn them into equipment. It’s called Fossil Equipment, simply enough. It’s considered an upgraded version of the Bone Equipment you can make from all those bones you get from dismantling. I think you can expect some decent performance.”

I...kinda understood how Alto felt.

The game had all these items that spurred the imagination...and the way they were used only for practical purposes did wonders to kill the vibe.

Not that it was Romina’s fault or anything. She was a blacksmith. Of course, she’d be thinking about what kind of gear she could make.

“But it’s a fossil, right? Isn’t there...some way to dig it out and see what kind of fossil it is? Cut it apart or something?”

“That might be possible too. If you trim away the excess and figure out what kind of fossil it actually is, I might be able to make even stronger Fossil Equipment.”

I was hoping you’d move away from the whole equipment angle... I thought. But I wasn’t going to press the issue.

Still, I was interested in the idea of trimming away the excess and essentially cleaning the fossil up. With that in mind, I took another look at the fossil and... Ah, I can see the dismantling lines.

“My Dismantling is reacting to it.”

“Hmm... I thought it would be the Excavation skill, but I guess not.”

“That’s probably part of it. This feels more like a synergy effect than anything. Still... This looks like it’s gonna be pretty difficult.”

The feeling was kind of like the ability to tell the hard and soft spots in a chunk of ore. Even if my Dismantling was giving a bonus effect, that didn’t mean it was going to be too effective.

I’d been messing around with drills for the fun of it, and I’d already invested a bit into Excavation to make mining more efficient today. That was probably what was letting me even attempt the fossil cleaning. The skills I’d picked up on Cal Mira were finally coming in handy.

Aight, let’s see what I need to do this cleaning.

The drill seemed like it’d get me partway there, but...I needed a smaller one too.

“What? Did you find something?”

Therese—the woman who’d let out that menacing shout—approached.

“Kizuna’s interested in fossil cleaning.”

“I see. It’ll be pretty hard without the right tools, you know.”

“Sheryl, do you have a smaller drill?”

Without a word, Sheryl handed over something smaller than a hand drill—the sort of small drill you might find at a dentist’s office.

“Thanks.”

I took it and began the cleaning.

First, I used the large drill to grind away the bulkier parts.

Bit by bit, the rock crumbled away, carving along the dismantling lines I was aiming for. I would have loved it if I could scan the insides...but I just had to fake it with the intuition I got from all the dismantling.

“He’s in the zone,” I heard Romina say. “We should get on with our own work.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Kizzy. You’re pretty good with your hands. If you get stuck, just ask me.”

Romina and the others kindly left me alone and went back to their own excavations as I delved deeper into the fossil work.

I brushed away the loose soil, tapping with the bottom of my ice knife’s hilt to chip away the fine bits... There was still some stubborn rock clinging to it like a tough hide. I used the small drill to outline the fossil and clear up the edges... Ah! Overdrilled! But it’s just barely not a failure! I can keep going!

“Okay, done!”

Eventually, the fossil took on a slight sparkle. I was finally done with it.

What did I end up revealing? It was the clear shape of a fish skeleton.

My slipup had caused the loss of the tail fin, but it was obviously a fish. The item once labeled “Some Kind of Fossil (?)” had turned into...“Fish Fossil!”

“You done?” asked Romina.

“Yeah! It turned into a Fish Fossil!”

“Hmm... So the name changes once you reveal the shape, huh? Looks like you could display it as a furniture piece.”

“It could make for a nice interior decoration,” Therese chimed in.

It really could be a good fit for my room at the castle... I had to agree with her on that one.

I mean, what could be more fitting for me, a fisherman, than a Fish Fossil?

What’s more, the cleaning was actually pretty fun.

“So what kind of fish is it, anyway?”

“Bone Fish?”

“I know we see them a lot, but that’s not it, Sheryl. This is a Lycoptera.”

“You can tell?”

“I’m a fisherman, remember.”

Thanks to having high Fishing Mastery, I’d gotten pretty good at identifying fish on sight. This seemed to apply even to fossilized fish, to some extent. It seemed to be a Lycoptera—a prehistoric relative of the arowana.

Before my eyes, the words “Fish Fossil” changed to “Lycoptera Fossil.” So, apparently, I’d managed to identify it. Alto couldn’t identify it without a magnifying glass, but it seemed you could also do it if you had high enough mastery in a relevant field.

“Hmm? Well, I guess there’s no way you wouldn’t know a fish.”

“Obviously.”

“Uh-huh...”

“That’s actually pretty impressive.”

“Can I have a look?”

“Go ahead.”

I handed the Lycoptera Fossil over to Romina.

“Let’s see... Oh? I can use this to turn your Low-Grade Ancient Dress into a normal Ancient Dress. I’ll need around ten of them, though.”

My equipment can be upgraded?

The Ancient Dress was gear made from the ancient Coelacanth I fished up. Romina had just barely managed to craft it thanks to its high difficulty level. Technically, it came out looking like the finished product, but the quality was low...which was why it got the “Low-Grade” label tacked onto it. So we can finally turn it into the real thing?

“Huh... It might actually be worth collecting more fossils.”

It was quite a high-performing piece of equipment. I was still wearing it mostly for looks, but...the only thing we had that outperformed it in raw stats was the Kappa Costume.

“Can you make an Ancient Dress just with these?”

“Yeah, looks like it’s a high-tier piece of Fossil Equipment I can make with another fifty of these. In fact, this is probably how it was supposed to be made.”

So this is the proper crafting path for the Ancient Dress. What we took was a shortcut. That’s...pretty specific.

“Would this count as...a new discovery, then? When did fossils start showing up, anyway?”

“After the end of the last wave.”

“And unfortunately, I hear they only show up in mining zones at or beyond Cal Mira.”

I see...so the conditions aren’t wrong.

With that said, you needed to have Excavation skills, you needed to specialize in drills or hammers rather than pickaxes, and you needed to appraise the completed fossil... That was a lot of annoying hoops to jump through.

Just like with Dismantling, this was the sort of intel that would take a while to spread.

“Anyway, if you’re okay with it, Kizuna, I’ll gladly upgrade your dress if you can get the materials.”

“Looks like this is going to be fun.”

Even if it had no direct connection to fishing, just the fact that I could dig up fish fossils made mining feel a bit more exciting to me. I’d started this to help Romina as thanks for everything she did for the party, but now, I’d begun to feel an entirely different kind of motivation.

“All right! Let’s keep digging out those fossils!”

“I’m glad to see you so motivated, Kizuna. But with you, it’s clear that the fossils have become the main focus, and the mining’s become an afterthought.”

“Uh-huh.”

“For me, I’m after the gemstones, and the fossils are a bonus. So if I dig any up, I’ll give them to you, okay, Kizzy?”

“You’ve gotta have something to keep the work fun.”

“Yeah!”

And just like that, I kept drilling more and more in search of precious fossils. When it started looking like my Energy regen wasn’t going to cut it, I’d recycle some useless items with Elemental Conversion to keep on digging.

By the end of it, we’d managed to unearth a respectable number of assorted fossils—alongside a massive amount of ore, of course.

†

“Kizuna!”

Eventually, Shouko and the others returned, having finished dealing with the monsters in the mine.

“Have you made progress?” Shouko asked me.

“We’ve been digging nonstop, so yeah. We managed to nab a good amount of ore in just a day.”

“It’s not enough,” Sheryl muttered, looking down at an ore she had in her hand.

“True.” Romina nodded. “Even with this much, it’ll be gone in no time once I start crafting. We also need some to strengthen the facilities.”

“Making good accessories takes a lot of material too. It’s tough, but fun,” said Therese.

“So there is still a lot of work ahead.”

“You have it rough, I daresay.”

“How about you, bro? You haven’t started fishing for rats and moles in your downtime, right?”

Tsumugi...am I really that untrustworthy in your eyes?

“Hmph! I wasn’t doing anything that insignificant. In fact, get an eyeful of this!”

With a dramatic flourish, I held up a cleaned fossil for everyone to see.

“I daresay, a fossil?”

“That’s right! I cleaned and appraised a fossil that popped out!”

“Hmm,” my sister grunted. “Didn’t know there were fossils in the game.”

“So it seems. A fish fossil, is it...? Very fitting of you, Kizuna.”

“You got that right! Fossils are actually pretty darn fun.”

“Looks like you made a new discovery, but just a general one. Not the sorta thing that only happens around the little lady.”

“It’s a bit of a shame, but that’s fine too.”

Well, I’m sorry I didn’t meet your expectations, L’Arc, Therese. It’s not like something exciting’s bound to happen every single time.

“It seems like digging for ore sparked your interest in fossils instead,” Shouko expounded. “And now, the ores are just a bonus?”

They all caught on so fast... Sure enough, of all the fossils I could have come across, the first one just happened to be a fish fossil—and that was what had gotten me so hyped. By the way, other than the first one, I hadn’t cleaned any of the other “Some Kind of Fossils (?)” I’d amassed.

“Ultimately, yeah.”

“Are you gonna get totally obsessed with fossil digging now, bro?”

“I’m still gonna fish, obviously! Fossil digging’s just another hobby to add to the list.”

“Now, now, it’s not a bad deal—once he gathers up enough of those fossils, I’ll be able to craft from that ancient series he’s wearing.”

“Fossil... Ancient...” muttered Sheryl.

“Oh?” my sister gasped. “Then maybe we should start digging too! We just need to gather fossils, right?”

“We’ll be mining here for a while, so we might be able to get what we need. I’ll need around fifty per piece,” Romina explained.

“That’s quite a lot. Can we really find that many?”

“Well...we got around fourteen in today’s dig.”

“That sounds exhausting.”

Shouko had a troubled look on her face as she chose her words with care.

“In some games, that’d be a totally normal drop rate.”

“Indeed. I daresay, it’s far from impossible.”

Tsumugi and Yamikage—both experienced in the ways of gaming addicts—chimed in, making it sound as though it were nothing.

“But that’s only fourteen in an entire day, right? If you consider weapons, equipment, and everything else, it still seems like a massive undertaking...”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. And we need a lot of dismantling-exclusive materials too, but it’s nothing to stress over.”

Romina was used to seeing how many materials got consumed through her daily blacksmith work, and she didn’t seem too bothered about it.

“The real issue is seeing how many of those fossils can actually become something useful,” she added.

“My word... That is rough indeed.”

“If I mess this up, it’ll all be for nothing. I need to raise my skills to the level where I can guarantee success by the time we have everything.”

The pressure on Romina was intense.

I mean, if she failed to craft after we went through all the work, there was definitely going to be trouble. This is exactly why I never want to become a blacksmith.

“To start off, I’d like to gather ten so I can reinforce Kizuna’s Ancient Dress,” Romina said.

“That much sounds doable. Do you need any assistance, Kizuna?” Shouko offered.

“Nah, just leave it to me. I’ll keep cleaning until I get bored,” I said.

“You mean, you’re gonna keep doing it forever, huh, bro?” Tsumugi surmised.

“Yes, I don’t think the concept of boredom applies to you, Kizuna.”

“Without a doubt, I daresay.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’ve got some real endurance.”

“I can respect that part of you.”

Why is everyone so quick to agree on that part? Is it something I said?

“Ha ha, everyone really gets you, Kizuna,” Romina said.

“My brother, you see... Mom said that he took all the patience when he was born and didn’t leave any for me.”

Tsumugi, you say it with so much pride, but honestly, that’s just sad. Please stop.

“Actually, if Tsumugi had just a fraction of Kizuna’s patience, it would probably balance out perfectly...”

“Parents can be so insensitive, I daresay.”

Yamikage spoke with a hint of spite. Maybe she didn’t get along with her parents? Then again, there were plenty of folks who just didn’t understand games. In my case, my family was pretty accepting...though maybe that just had to do with my two sisters being complete gaming fanatics.

They even got mad when I tried to sell my spot in this game to fund a family trip.

“In any case, Romina, it looks like my brother found something he’s hooked on. Lucky for you, right?”

“Ha ha, I’m curious to see how far he’ll take it.”

“Is that a good thing? Well, I’ll just keep at it for now.”

It was important to try out new things, and this contributed to the skills I already had, so it wasn’t a wasted effort. Once I collected enough, Romina could craft gear from the Ancient series, and the fossils I cleaned up especially nicely could look cool on display in my room on Cal Mira.

“So, how were things on your end, Shouko? Did you hunt your share of monsters?” I asked.

“Hmm...to be quite honest, it’s becoming hard to keep up. It might be more efficient to have Romina craft us some new gear.”

“The battles took a lot longer than usual.”

“They were formidable, I daresay.”

“It was a good challenge, but it’s getting kinda hard.”

“Romina, mind if I borrow my bro to help gather some materials for gear?” Tsumugi asked.

Materials from strong monsters naturally resulted in strong gear—that was just how it went in these games. Dragging me along for my dismantling was the logical choice.

Now that word had gotten out, dismantlers like me were in high demand.

“Sure. We’ve made a good start thanks to Kizuna and his Pekkles, and I know what I’m looking for now. So Kizuna, could you go help them gather some materials? I’ll set aside any fossils that turn up.”

“Yeah, yeah. I guess I’m helping out, then.”

And so, I joined Shouko in the monster-hunting team and spent a while dismantling. We were mainly up against monsters called Iron Lizards, or something like that—essentially, giant lizards with metallic hide. Their skin was literally iron, and when I handed it over to Romina later, she said it could be smelted into iron ingots.

Of course, that was the wrong way to use it. When kept as hide, it remained flexible and could be tanned like leather to make even better equipment.

We kept hunting for a while, and as it got late, we decided to wrap up and leave the mines together. The sun had already begun to set as we emerged from the dig site.

“Oooh.”

I faced the sunset, scrolling through the day’s haul. I’d gotten a ton of ore, a fair number of uncleaned fossils, and plenty of monster materials.

“Today was tiring,” said Shouko.

“I daresay, we were fighting the whole day,” added Yamikage.

“It was a packed day,” I agreed. “If we can get the same amount tomorrow, we should have enough to cover our needs.”

“And if we can expand Romina’s forge, we can make our gear even stronger,” Tsumugi explained.

“Uh-huh.”

“I daresay, it’s about time I updated my equipment.”

“Aww, will that mean we won’t be seeing Yammy in her ‘other armor’ again?”

“That’s a good thing, I daresay!”

We’re still dragging that on, huh?

With that said, we’d gathered quite a few materials, and it was about time to start making things with them.

“Hey, Kizuna. Thanks for holding on to all those Crystal Skulls.”

We’d found quite a few Crystal Skulls during the excavation, and I’d ended up holding on to all of them just so we wouldn’t all have to dig through our inventories to find them later.

“We’ve dug up a lot of stuff, so I appreciate how everyone’s willing to carry some.”

“Of course. We’ll stash them in the storehouse once we reach Cal Mira.”

And with that, we headed back to town for a well-deserved rest.

Chapter 4: Fossil Cleaning

“Phew...”

As I cooled off in my room at the inn after taking a soak in the bath, I heard a knocking at the door.

“Kizuna? Are you there?”

Hm? Sounds like Shouko.

“Yeah, I’m here.” I opened the door and greeted her. “Something up?”

“No, it’s not like there’s anything in particular. I was just wondering whether or not I’d find you here.”

“Did you think I’d be out fishing or something?”

“Correct. I assumed you’d already left. Are you going to fish after this?”

“Nah, I already checked the crab traps and did some fishing before my bath, so I’m good. I’m not going out again tonight.”

“Really? I was certain you would.”

Is it one of those things? Is she reaching out because she wants to go night fishing with me?

“I’m planning to process my fossils until I go to bed.”

“Oh, I see.”

“According to Sheryl and Romina, it’s better to do this stuff in a proper workshop with the right tools, but my skills aren’t high enough to make it a full-blown thing. I’m just practicing.”

I had to do some trial and error to really get a feel for it before I started taking it more seriously. As for tools, I had a drill, so it wasn’t an issue. As of yet, I hadn’t run into any fossils that were too hard for the drill head or that required a stronger motor.

I needed to fulfill some conditions for skill progression anyway—and everything starts with a challenge.

“Would you mind if I watched you for a bit?”

“Go right ahead, but I don’t think it’s all that interesting to watch.”

“Well, since you’ve gotten into it recently, I just wanted to see what it was like. Only for a little while.”

So this is Shouko’s way of showing curiosity?

“Sure. Watch me all you want.”

I placed a few fossils on the floor of the room and started cleaning. With a loud tap and a louder snap, I chipped and cracked away.

“That’s quite a loud sound.”

“Yeah, I feel like I’m gonna get complaints from the room next door... I might get an earful from Yamikage after this.”

She really tucks in early, that girl.

Unless we had specific plans to stay up late, Yamikage was always the first to sleep. To be more precise, she’d take naps during the day if we had any plans to fight at night. It was like a fixation for her.

In Dimension Wave, you could immediately drift off just by lying in a bed and focusing on sleeping. But, depending on certain factors, you could get woken up before your intended wake-up time.

I’d been woken up by Pekkles before, and getting woken up by loud noises was definitely possible.

“But I’m just gonna pretend it didn’t happen and at least finish up one of them.”

“Kizuna...”

I gave the fossil a few more firm taps to reveal what was hidden inside.

Oh? Looks like it’s an ammonite this time. At least, that’s the vibe I’m getting from the shape of the shell.

Going off the description, it was also usable to make Ancient equipment. That gear seemed pretty lenient on the materials that could be used to craft it.

“All right, that’s one down.”

“So this is fossil cleaning?”

“Yep. See? The item name changed to something else.”

I had Shouko inspect the fossil so she could see the difference from when it had first been excavated.

“It really has changed into a different item. So, Kizuna... I suspect you are mainly after fish fossils. Am I correct?”

She was. I was interested in fish fossils.

But still...

“I think it’d be pretty cool if I found something like a dinosaur fossil too.”

“I’m sure you’ll find one eventually.”

“Probably, yeah... But I wonder how that’d work out if I found one in one of these ‘Some Kind of Fossils (?)’.”

The fossils I was working with were chunks of rock around forty centimeters across...

“I’d be extremely underwhelmed if it turned out to be just one rib bone or something tiny like that.”

“Well...maybe they come in scattered pieces, but you can find all the right pieces in one dig site?”

“It’ll be fun to figure that out. Maybe it just looks small before cleaning, but once you carve it out—boom! You’re suddenly holding a massive bone.”

That was what it felt like reeling in the Blue Shark...rather, catching a shark that big at a port was weird in and of itself.

“I’m excited to see what comes out...though it would be amazing if everything came out all at once. Dinosaurs are massive.”

“Yeah, I bet it’s divided into larger parts. Like the head, torso, legs, etc.”

If it suddenly filled the whole room the moment I appraised it, I wouldn’t know what to do.

“The sound of your drill was carrying quite loudly... I hope it didn’t wake up Yamikage.”

Perhaps concerned, Shouko stepped out to check.

Aight, let’s take on fossil number two.

And as I was grinding away on the second one, Shouko returned.

“Kizuna. You’re already working on the second one?”

“Yeah. I thought I’d get it done before Yamikage stormed in. Is she mad?”

“No... I didn’t hear anything in the hallway. I didn’t even notice you were working on it.”

“Then I guess private rooms are soundproofed. But there have to be some conditions. I’ve definitely heard sounds from rooms before.”

Thinking back, Romina was always hammering away at her forge when we were developing Cal Mira Island, but it never bothered us. The game had seemingly taken measures against harassing other players with loud noises.

On the flip side, that meant some things could go unnoticed.

“Umm...come to think of it, back when you were asleep on the ship, we were all making quite the ruckus, but it didn’t wake you up.”

Ah, that takes me back. That was quite a while ago.

Thanks to some less-than-favorable interactions with Shouko’s old comrades, Tsumugi almost got forced to walk the plank of death.

“I mean, there’s a chance I’m just really thick-skinned, or a deep sleeper.”

“Maybe you can still hear things if it’s not loud enough to consider a ruckus?”

When Yamikage found Alto, we were still able to hear it from the ship’s cabin, so...the conditions were still a mystery.

“I had planned on going night fishing if I had woken Yamikage up, but it looks like I can keep going until I’m satisfied.”

“Understood. I wouldn’t want to bother you, so I’ll be on my way.”

“All right.”

And then, she was gone. Once I’d wrapped up my eighth fossil, I relaxed my focus and retired for the night—I needed to sleep well for my morning fishing.

“Figures...there really are dinosaur fossils.”

I didn’t know which dinosaur it belonged to, but I’d managed to dig up a skull fossil that included a neck. The sharp teeth told me it was probably carnivorous, but not one of the huge ones based on its size.

I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d seen something just like it in another game. Although I lacked the knowledge to appraise it, it was probably something like a Deinonychus.

I’ll probably have to collect a few pieces to complete the whole thing. Or maybe Romina can turn it into some sort of equipment? That kinda feels like a waste... I’m also curious how much NPCs will be willing to pay for it.

Later, I gave it a try and asked an NPC how much it’d go for. Apparently, a dinosaur fossil would net me 3,000 Serin. It seemed kinda high, but also kinda low... It was hard to gauge money these days with the sheer sums of money I was handling as the island lord.

I should check with Alto later, I concluded. Since fossils could be used as crafting materials, I suspected they’d fetch a better price selling them to players.

Other than that, I got a leaf fossil, an ammonite fossil, and two Lycoptera fossils. All in all, it was a decently fun side hobby.

“Now then, time to get some sleep.”

After getting everything in order, I put the fossils and tools in my inventory, got into bed, and drifted off. The next morning, I went fishing nice and early.

†

The next two or three days followed a similar routine—mining, fishing, helping procure materials, collecting fossils, and cleaning them. Once we had enough materials, we decided to return to Cal Mira.

From what I’d been told, Tsumugi and Yamikage were picking up all sorts of quests and doing different things every day.

I even got roped into some monster hunting by Shouko.

“I daresay, we’re finally back on the island,” Yamikage said.

“We’ve got all the materials we need! I wanna upgrade my gear ASAP!” Tsumugi cheered.

“Ah, sorry. I’ve got something to take care of. You guys go on ahead.”

It seemed that L’Arc was going to go off on his own for a bit.

“I’ll be in the workshop making accessories!”

And Therese was going to focus on leveling her accessory crafting in Romina’s workshop.

The moment we’d collected enough resources, we’d immediately sent them over, and so, by the time we arrived, the workshop’s facilities had already been expanded.

“Yeah... We’ve got access to more refinable materials now. I’m certain I can make even stronger gear and items.”

“Uh-huh.”

Romina and Sheryl were both checking through the lists of items they could craft at the upgraded workshop.

“Thanks to the materials you guys brought back...there are so many new options that it’s making me feel dizzy. What do you guys want first?”

“A new scythe!”

“A new magic tool, I daresay!”

“Need ingots...please handle the forging.”

Tsumugi, Yamikage, and Sheryl each called out their requests.

“Yes, yes, I hear you. Tsumugi and Yamikage, I’ll pick out the best options from what I can make. Sheryl, it sounds like you want to craft something using my ingots.”

“Uh-huh... I have something in mind.”

Romina then turned to me and Shouko.

“And what about you two? Especially you, Kizuna—you brought back some lord materials. You’ve got an eel and a stringfish...and a few other strange ones too. I’ll try to accommodate whatever you want.”

“How about we start with your rematch against the Ancient Dress?”

“That’s more like a repair job; don’t worry about it.”

Hmm...then what do I want her to make...?

“If we’re talking weapons, can you make something stronger than the Blue Shark’s Ice Knife?”

“I could make a variety of blades to help with your dismantling. It’s good to have options. Either way, I’ve taken everyone’s requests. Just give me a bit.”

“Aight. What should we do in the meantime? I could check my crab traps, and I should go and see if there are any lord quests that need my attention...”

“You’re really devoted to those traps, I daresay...”

“Yeah, pretty much. With that said, I’ve pretty much handed off all the processing work to some hires Alto’s been raising.”

It all started with the crab potions, then we had crab cuisine and crab gear... It was a whole industry made possible by crab traps.

“It’s out of my hands at this point.”

I could check the storehouse or consult with Alto if I wanted to know how that was going. But thanks to our last fishing trip, we still had plenty of fish to spare.

“Once the weapons are done,” Shouko began, “we should go around the First and Second Cities to clear the conditions to break the next Energy cap.”

“Right, and let’s not forget to check the fishing spots too. And I should probably drop by the aquarium while I’m thinking about it.”

Shouko had already brought it up, and I was curious about all the fishing spots I’d missed.

“The aquarium, is it? I have heard about it, but I’ve never been there myself. Do you want to go together?”

“I daresay, is that where they display your catches?”

“Not just mine—though I admit, I donated a lot of them.”

“So players can donate? Sure, let’s go check it out.”

We left Romina and Sheryl to their work, opting to stop by the aquarium before we regrouped with Alto.

Chapter 5: Donations

One of the perks of being the island lord was that I never had to pay to enter the aquarium. We all walked right in and started looking around.

Oh right, I did consider visiting the aquarium with Shouko sometime.

“There’s so many fish! Are all of them donated by players?”

“Yeah, for what it’s worth.”

“That’s impressive. Now, I feel an urge to catch something new to get my name in here too.”

Shouko gazed at the fish swimming in the tank as she spoke.

“Since it’s all based on the first person to catch and donate the fish...you should have a chance with freshwater fish.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. You can donate to the Pekkle at the entrance—and technically from the throne room too. So, Shouko, go donate a whitespotted char. You’ll get your name in here.”

That was probably the first place where whitespotted char could be caught. If she donated now, she’d be listed as the first donor.

“I see... But is that really okay, Kizuna?”

Shouko looked apologetic as she held up the whitespotted char I’d given her.

“I don’t really care about having my name attached. If you want to do it, it’s yours.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll donate it to commemorate the moment.”

“Ah, that’s no fair, bro! Why only Shouko?!”

That was when my little sister chimed in with a protest.

Oh shut it! You’ve been doing nothing but hunt, hunt, hunt. You never even touched a fishing rod.

“Lady Tsumugi, we haven’t done any fishing, I daresay. Please understand.”

“You can donate some crabs if you want. You won’t get any name recognition, though.”

“Ngggh!”

“Umm...”

Shouko glanced awkwardly between me and Tsumugi.

“Don’t worry about us. Go—better sooner than later.”

“All right.”

Shouko presented the whitespotted char to the Pekkle at the entrance. Once it was registered, we went over to the freshwater fish corner to have a look.

Sure enough, the char was swimming strong, and Shouko’s name was listed as the donor.

“This is...quite a wonderful feeling.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Now go forth, my protégé; discover new fishing spots I’ve never heard of, and register new catches. You have my seal of approval.”

As much as I wanted a fishing buddy, I was also seeking a rival. Shouko had learned fishing to join me, so I wanted us to improve together.

“Next time...right. I think I’ll try to catch and register a new lord.” Shouko let out a half-joking chuckle.

“Bring it on. I’m not gonna lose.”

“Very well.”

“Incidentally, I’m only noticing it now...but milord, I daresay, there are things registered here that aren’t fish.”

I thought back to the sections we’d passed along the way. Right, I think I saw an otter-like monster.

“When you’re fishing, you have a surprisingly high chance of catching a monster. They probably got it in a fishing combo, stowed it away, and brought it here.”

“So basically, anything you can catch is A-okay, I daresay.”

“Hey bro, do you think I could register a kappa?”

“I’m pretty sure I spotted one in here last time I stopped by the island. It was already registered under my name.”

As we continued through the freshwater area, I pointed out the Wicked Kappa swimming around the tank.

“An aquarium with a kappa, I daresay... How surreal...”

“Since fishing them up automatically initiates a battle, it’s not possible to store them. That must be why it registered automatically.”

“I’ll bet there are other types of kappa too.”

“Yeah, maybe I should try looking for them next time.”

I hadn’t done much fishing in that mountain stream, but I’d already registered all the new species I’d caught there. Honestly, a good number of the donor names listed in the aquarium were mine.

I’ll need to check where you can catch salmon too.

Since the frontliners had already passed by Mikakage’s mountain stream, it wouldn’t have been surprising to see some new species registered by someone with fishing skills, but...there were none.

I guess most frontliners don’t bother with fishing. And that stream...well, it’s not exactly an easy fishing spot either. The monster spawn rate is too high.

And yet again, I went to check the lord section.

Eel Lord

A lord-class eel that resides in the river running alongside a lodging town in Mikakage. A pitiful soul who was on the verge of attaining enlightenment and becoming a monk—only to be caught by a dastardly fisherman.

Habitat: Mikakage, Lodging Town River

Umm...how exactly am I supposed to respond to that?

“Kizuna. Are we, perhaps...doing something we shouldn’t be?”

“I don’t think so. I just caught it, that’s all.”

“This lord is a take on the Iwana Bozu story, I daresay.”

“What’s that?”

“There are countless variations, I daresay,” explained Yamikage. “But to sum it up, a reckless fisherman is either overfishing or attempting to get his haul by poisoning the waters of a river, only for a monk to appear and admonish him. The fisherman treats him to a meal, hoping the monk will leave. But afterward, he finds the very food he offered inside the stomach of a large fish he catches.”

I’m not really sure how to put it, but Yamikage’s pretty knowledgeable about folklore, huh. She knew about the white whale and about shirayaki... Pretty impressive, actually. And yet, because of how she acts, she can’t quite be the brains of the party. She doesn’t want to take a leadership role. And, as she said herself, she has a hard time talking to people she doesn’t know.

“Since it’s called Iwana Bozu, the original must have been an iwana fish—a Japanese char.”

“The famous version features a char, but there are some variations that use eels, I daresay. It varies from region to region.”

“The short of it is that this Eel Lord was about to become a monk...an Eel Monk...but I fished him up and ruined everything.”

This is leaving a bad taste in my mouth! Why is it sounding like this is all my fault?

“We’ve done something terrible, haven’t we...” Shouko fretfully muttered.

“You set so many traps under that bridge you were practically destroying the local ecosystem, I daresay. It’s no wonder that the Iwana Bozu...the Eel Monk came to scold you.”

“So it fits you to a T!”

Shut up!

“Unfortunately, the monk didn’t scold me, and I didn’t treat him to a meal, so it never happened!”

“Yes, you fished him up before it could happen... I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing...”

“Well, look at it this way. That means that this lord’s materials are ideal for magic—especially healing-focused stuff.”

“Tsumugi...”

My oblivious little sister threw out a totally rational deduction.

Yeah, I mean, it says he was almost a monk. Isn’t that a hint that his materials are good for gearing a priest?

“So this is the dark side of the gamer mindset... But to be fair, if milord hadn’t caught it, I daresay, there’s a chance it would have turned into a monster we’d have to fight.”

“But would it be a bad monster?” asked Shouko. “Is a priest not a holy role?”

Yamikage fell silent at Shouko’s innocent question.

“Shouko,” I spoke up. “You shouldn’t think too deeply about it. Someone would’ve caught it eventually. This text would’ve shown up in the aquarium regardless of anything we did.”

“You’re...right.”

“But still... Iwana Bozu, huh? I wouldn’t be surprised if there was another stream with an Iwana Lord that had the same text.”

“It could happen, I daresay. With all the variants, it could also be a cherry trout, or a cod in coastal areas.”

So if there’s a Cherry Trout Lord or a Cod Lord, it might be related to the eel. I should take note of that.

“Should we check with Romina? To ask her whether or not that thing’s materials are actually good for healing gear, I mean.”

“We could, but the bigger issue is that none of us are healers. Yamikage’s a backup healer, so we could change her weapon order if we have to.”

I glanced at Yamikage, who shook her head.

“My main spell is Drain, I daresay. I won’t heal unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“Yammy’s heal spells aren’t high-tier either. She’s only healing well because she’s so strong it’s inflating the numbers,” Tsumugi explained.

Yamikage was our party’s spellcaster. Now that I think about it, not having a proper healer might be quite a big deal.

“Aight, let’s start training Alto to heal.”

“You mustn’t force someone into a role they don’t want to fill.”

“I don’t want a stingy, calculating healer, I daresay!”

“I bet he’d charge for every heal.”

Yeah...that’s not out of the question with him.

But then again, I’d heard stories about old-school MMOs where healers would make side money doing just that. Priests had teleportation spells that could send people to far-off towns and hunting grounds, and they’d charge a teleportation fee to get them there.

“In a sense, Alto might actually be the perfect fit.”

“Milord. If I daresay, do you even want to give any lord equipment to Alto?”

“Not happening... That guy would sell it the moment he realized its value. Handing him good gear is just asking for it to disappear.”

He had more unsanctioned sales than I could care to count; that man was under the impression that giving us the money afterward made it all okay.

I did trust him with money, but giving Alto rare equipment was something only a fool would do.

“Alto’s lack of trust is a little sad,” said Shouko. “Though in a way, perhaps you do trust him...just not with certain things.”

“Well, we don’t need to find a healer if we don’t want to. We’re just having fun, so for now, Yamikage will do.”

“I don’t want you relying on me too much, I daresay.”

“Yamikage is already contributing plenty with her magic.”

“As for the Eel Lord equipment, let’s not worry about it too much. How about we check out the Stringfish Lord next?”

So, we went to take a look at the next lord.

Stringfish Lord

A fragment and avatar of the Stringfish Lord that dwells in the wetlands of Mikakage. Its true body is a monstrous beast capable of swallowing deer and humans whole. It lurks deep within the marshes.

Habitat: Mikakage Wetlands

“What’s with this... A fragment? That’s kinda ominous. And it still counts as a lord?”

“Does that mean there are others?”

Maybe that’s why Shouko managed to hook it so easily?

“Could be... I’d like to see its true body one of these days.”

“It might be a monster, though.”

“That’s very possible, I daresay. But...if it does appear, I can already see it ending up as another one of milord’s victims.”

“My brother shows no mercy to fish. He even fished up the white whale.”

“Well, thanks for the compliment. That said, Shouko was the one who hooked this guy, so you can’t pin this one on me.”

“If I get another chance, I would like to try catching one all on my own.”

Oh good, she sounds motivated.

“Let’s keep sharpening our skills until then.”

“Yes.”

Despite the ominous description, the conversation ended a lot more quickly than it did with the eel. The stringfish had been a lot harder to reel in and dismantle, if that meant anything. Surely its materials would perform better too—even if they were both mid-tier kings.

“Aight then... I’m gonna check where the next fishing spots are. Everyone, feel free to look around.”

“Hey, hey, oh brother of mine! Do they have a dolphin show here?”

“Ask Alto. They might set up events.”

Do they even have dolphins?

“They might have a Pekkle show,” I suggested.

“I already see enough Pekkles every day,” she groaned. “But I kinda want to see it just once.”

Would they have them do hoop tricks, or balance balls on their heads?

“Even if this is a game, I daresay, would the devs really take it that far?”

“You’re talking about the same devs that let a single player manage a whole island. Can you really deny it one hundred percent?”

Having management in a home console game was one thing, but they’d really gone and done it in a VRMMO. Anything was possible at this point.

“Sure enough, I daresay. However...the facility map does not contain any areas for a show.”

“None? If there’s room for expansion, maybe we can set one up later. I heard some of the library books got moved over, so there should be a small reading corner.”

“It might be in the rest area, I daresay. It wouldn’t hurt to check it out.”

“Aight, everyone, enjoy yourselves. Let’s meet up later at Romina’s place.”

†

I started off checking the exhibits closest to the entrance—presumably for the fishing spots around the First and Second Cities.

“Come to think of it...”

In the midst of my fishing spot inspection, I went back to the lord area to see if any new ones had been registered.

Then...

“Erk...”

I couldn’t help but grunt in frustration at a certain entry.

Black Sea Bream Lord

A great black sea bream that has resided for many years in the Lurolona-side port of Mikakage. In youth, it mated with countless females to produce offspring, yet after aging, it underwent a sex change to mother children with countless males, reigning as both the patriarch and matriarch of the port’s seabream.

Habitat: Mikakage Port

It was quite the off-putting description, and I had to wonder if that applied to real sea breams too. Anyway... I probably would have had the chance to catch it, but I got too carried away after catching the Blue Shark.

Right, it made sense. The Blue Shark was a rare, roaming lord, and it only made sense that there was a lord fixed to the actual location. I would have loved to have fished it up myself...but someone else got the drop on me. There wasn’t much I could do.

I’m not trying to hundred percent this game, but once I figure out your respawn cycle, you’re mine.

My heart ablaze with newfound resolution... Wait, that’s right. I remember now: Black sea bream do change sex.

“Ah, isn’t that Kizzy over there?”

“She’s looking at something in the lord exhibit.”

“The black sea bream entry by the look of things. Maybe she sees herself in it?”

“That’s kinda hot.”

Hey, peanut gallery! I remember you saying gross stuff about me at that last event! Are you stalking me?! And don’t get excited! I screamed in my head. But I knew nothing good would come of getting involved with them in any way, shape, or form.

I checked to make sure there were no other new lords at the exhibit and quickly made my escape.

Chapter 6: Fishing Guild

Not long after I left the aquarium, as I was lounging around, gathering information...

“Yeah, sorry about that. I’ve been hanging around some decent folks lately...”

Hearing an oddly familiar voice, I turned my head and witnessed quite a rare sight—L’Arc was bowing his head again and again, apologetically. Curious, I walked over...and noticed he was talking to a man with light brown hair who had an alchemistesque look going on. He was probably somewhere in his late twenties or early thirties. Unlike L’Arc with his somewhat wild vibe, this man had the polished air of a young entrepreneur.

“Ah, little lady.”

As he noticed me, L’Arc had the look of a man caught red-handed. The man he was speaking to sent me a warm smile and a wave.

“You must be...the lord of Cal Mira, Kizuna. I heard about you from L’Arc.”

“Y-Yeah.”

“My character name is Aultcray. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Well that’s an unusually polite introduction. Does he want something from me? I wondered, glancing at L’Arc. Did L’Arc split off to meet with him?

“You don’t need to be so wary. L’Arc is...well, he’s something of a subordinate of mine in real life. We were just having a quick chat.”

“Huh...”

Really?

My eyes turned back to L’Arc, who nodded.

“It would be such a hassle if workplace relations carried over into a game, right? I feel the same way, so I let everyone play freely. It’s nothing too important.”

“And yet L’Arc still seems pretty uncomfortable around you.”

“I’m aware that my presence makes him nervous. I’m sorry about that, L’Arc.”

“N-No... It ain’t an issue, sir.”

The way he was making L’Arc—the dependable older brother type—act like this...maybe he really was a scary guy.

“We really were just exchanging a bit of information. Oh, right, I have heard plenty about you, Kizuna.”

As Aultcray said that, his eyes turned toward the Santa hat I had equipped on my head.

I mean, yeah, I get it. I wear it all the time; I know it’s weird. But it’s got good effects, so what am I supposed to do about it?

“From what I hear, that hat is a rare piece equipped by the very first Pekkle.”

“Oh... Yeah, it’s got great bonuses, so I’m pretty much forced to wear it all the time.”

The hat boosted the stats of all Pekkles under my control—which was pretty much all of the Pekkles on the island. Since there would be issues if I took it off, I’d basically been stuck with it.

And hey, I used a lot of Pekkles in my daily life too.

With that said, it did feel like I was captured by the Christmas spirit year-round. Maybe it was time to lean into it and have Romina’s artisan friends dye my Ancient Dress red for a full Santa cosplay.

“Actually, I came across something during my research. Why don’t you take it, as thanks for treating L’Arc so well?”

With that, Aultcray handed me a ribbon.

Ribbon (Overlay)

Uses the power of magic to create the illusion of a ribbon, disguising the appearance of the equipment actually being worn.

“Overlay...”

“It apparently lets you change the appearance of your actual gear, perfect for players who care about having a coordinated look.”

Oh yeah, I’ve heard people say that appearance matters a lot.

“Hmm... I didn’t know that sort of thing was in the game.”

Seriously. If we had something like this, Alto or Romina could have just told me.

He urged me to try it on, so I dragged it onto the equipment menu. All of a sudden, the sensation of the Santa hat disappeared, and a ribbon had wrapped itself around my hair.

I checked my reflection in the nearby water and found my appearance to be almost identical to how I looked before I ever put on any headgear.

“How does it feel?”

“Not half bad.”

It was honestly a relief, finally ridding myself of that year-round Christmas look.

“Granted, players who have the ‘Ignore Overlay’ setting turned on will still see the Santa hat. It’s important to know a player’s actual gear loadout, after all.”

“Thank you. Are you sure it’s okay for me to have it?”

“Of course. It’s just a small token of thanks for being good to L’Arc.”

Looks like I’m finally free from Christmas. Granted, it’s only cosmetic, so nothing’s really changed underneath...but still, if this is a thank-you for spending time with L’Arc, I’ll gladly take it.

With that said, I was starting to feel a little guilty. Was it really okay to just accept it like that? I did make quite a decent income as the island lord, so shouldn’t I have been the one paying out?

“I’ll pay for it—with in-game currency, of course.”

“Ha ha, don’t worry—I’m not hurting for money. But...yes. In return, there’s something I’d like to ask you, Kizuna. Just a small favor.”

“What is it?”

“Well, actually—”

Just as he began to speak, Alto suddenly appeared and stepped in between us.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Aultcray. What business could the head of the Cray Group possibly have with our dear Kizuna in a place like this?”

Aultcray, looking mildly surprised, sent Alto a gentle smile.

“Oh dear. Am I intruding? Don’t worry—I have no intention of stealing your precious Kizuna away.”

“I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re implying.”

“It seems I’ve put you on guard. That really wasn’t my intention...but I suppose what’s done is done. I’ll take my leave for now. L’Arc, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

And with that brief exchange, Aultcray walked off.

“Phew.”

L’Arc wiped the sweat from his brow, looking a tad relieved.

Honestly, after he gave me such a convenient ribbon, I felt like I could’ve at least heard him out. Maybe it was an item type that the rest of the player base had yet to discover? Was he really a dangerous person after all?

“Kizuna!” scolded Alto. “You’re the lord of this island. You need to be careful who you talk to—especially when it’s someone like Aultcray!”

“Is he that shady?”

“He is! He’s the head of the group that rivals the one I run in this game.”

Ah, so in short, he’s Alto’s competitor. He stepped in because a rival merchant was about to talk to me—his golden goose.

“And to think that L’Arc was working under him...”

“I ain’t involved in any of that. He basically lets me do what I want; no need to freak out.”

“So you say... Looks like we have quite the little spy in our midst.”

Alto was clearly ramping up his suspicion of L’Arc.

I pointed in the direction Aultcray had taken off in and asked L’Arc, “Is he running an honest business here? Should I give the hat back?”

I was honestly curious.

“Honest as can be. He wasn’t coercing me or anything—he was just asking for a bit of help is all. You can keep the ribbon.”

“Help?”

“Help looking for someone. Don’t worry, little lady. It’s got nothing to do with you.”

“Hmm...”

“He asked me to do it a while back, but I’ve been hanging out with you guys lately, so I haven’t done too much looking on my end.”

“I see.”

“And that’s about it. I know Alto’s gonna keep yapping if I stay on the topic, so let’s move on. The boss just heard I’ve been hanging around with you, Kizuna, and asked me to pass on a message.”

“And what kind of message might that be?” Alto butted in again. “I might have some choice words depending on what it is. Also, what’s with that ribbon, anyway?”

“Overlay equipment to hide the Santa hat. How do I look?”

“This is the first I’ve... Well, it’s common in other games, but I didn’t know they were in Dimension Wave. It must be their new product,” Alto said with a sigh. “So we’re in his debt now. That’s just great...” he grumbled under his breath.

He was being way too paranoid. Honestly, between the two of them, Aultcray was coming off more like a mature adult businessman.

“As for what he wanted to ask,” said L’Arc, “you probably already heard about it, Alto. It’s about Kanade.”

“Ah, that. I’ve been gathering information myself. But, if he thinks giving away an overlay is enough to buy my favor, he’s sorely mistaken.”

“Hah... You’re gonna have a hard time running a company if you don’t learn to chill out, Alto.”

“My sister?”

I could have sworn my sister’s name came up and got glossed over.

“Anyways, Kizuna, shouldn’t you be headed back to where Shouko and the others are waiting for you?”

“Oh, right. I’ll be off.”

†

When we got back to Romina’s workshop, the others were already there.

“Kizuna and L’Arc... Did something happen?” Shouko asked, seemingly picking up on something from the feeling Alto was giving off.

“Well, it kinda did, kinda didn’t... More like Alto is out for blood...”

“Huh? Kizuna, did you take off your hat?”

“Nah, it’s still on. Turns out there’s this gear that can change your appearance.”

“My word...”

“Ooh! An overlay?! So this game has them too!”

“Very nice, I daresay. If there is an overlay that lets me be a ninja, I daresay I’ll wear it twenty-four seven.”

“Right...you can put it over the Kappa Costume.”

Yamikage’s grudge against the kappas ran deep, but maybe she’d actually use it if she could just change the appearance.

“Wrong, I daresay! Let’s move away from the kappas already!”

No, as it turned out, she still didn’t want to touch it even if we did something about the looks.

“Let’s keep the small talk at that. From what I’ve heard, you’re planning to go back to the First and Second Cities, correct?”

Alto suddenly changed the topic as though nothing had happened.

That was a bit forced, don’t you think?

After an awkward pause, I replied, “Yeah...we figured it’d be good to work on some skills. It shouldn’t take too long with our equipment.”

“I’m guessing you’re going to go down the list, taking down enough of each monster to register them. There are rumors going around that the next wave is coming soon, so either doing a final check on the front line at Mikakage or visiting places you’ve skipped over seems like your best bet.”

Yeah, those are the two options. In my case, I’ve hardly been anywhere. There are way too many places I haven’t visited.

“And you make some new discoveries if you revisit fishing spots you’ve already been to.”

“Yeah... There might even be some undiscovered fish, like the Black Sea Bream Lord.”

“Oh, you must’ve seen the Kizzy Bream, then.”

The hell?! The me bream?! What’s that supposed to mean?! When did I become a black sea bream?! Quit drawing strange ties just because I’m crossplaying!

But...maybe it’s wrong...to dwell on it. Yeah, they’re doing their own thing. I’m doing mine.

I decided to let it go.

“Those blasted pervs getting excited over me!”

At least I tried.

“I won’t deny that they’re perverts. But they’re your fans, you know.”

Ugh...hearing it from Alto makes it even worse. Those freaks are getting off to me!

“Umm, are they nuisance players?” asked Shouko.

“They’re not going that far,” Alto explained. “When they spot Kizuna, they admire him from afar, and that’s the extent of it.”

“I...see.”

Shouko cocked her head, looking wholly unconvinced.

“Well, sis and I did put a lot of effort into that avatar!”

“Sure, looks are part of it, but people seem to have a favorable impression of Kizuna’s character too. Like how he spent all that time fishing at the port of the First City, or how he contributed in the first wave, or how he caught the White Whale. That sort of thing.”

“I understand that Kizuna is well-liked, but...” Shouko trailed off. “Are you upset or frustrated at those people?”

“Nah, that ain’t it,” I said.

Not that I loved the idea of anyone getting excited over me. But...

“Then why?”

“Well, I just saw that someone else had reeled in a lord I’d never caught at Mikakage’s port. That got me thinking, ‘Dang, they beat me to it,’ is all.”

“You’re really upset after you landed an even rarer Blue Shark Lord?” asked Alto. “I’ll bet the materials you got from it are about on par with the Eel Lord you caught in the relay town.”

“I’m not in it for the materials. I was just a little frustrated.”

Thinking back, it wasn’t like lord fish could just be caught by anyone. It was all about skill and luck—the angler who cast their line was the one who had a chance, just like when Shouko hooked the Stringfish Lord.

“It all depends on the respawn timer, but I’d like a shot at catching one too,” I said.

“Yes, about that...it took a bit of digging, but fortunately, I did manage to find some info,” Alto said.

“Oh? You did?”

“I did. According to players who’ve caught the same lord, they say the lords respawn after around a week. Of course, there is some variation. Luck plays a big role, so it’s not a guarantee—but this data is based on a lord that’s regularly visible, so it should be accurate.”

“A visible one... So it’s like the Catfish Lord, then.”

Some lords didn’t show themselves until they were on the hook, but there were others that could actually be seen in the water, where they hovered around like fixed spawns. That meant that regardless of luck, players would be able to tell if it was there or not.

“That’s longer than I thought,” mused my sister. “Even field bosses are only on a six-hour cycle.”

“Well,” I said, “fishing’s different from monster hunting. I’m impressed you managed to get that info at all.”

“One thing led to another, and I ended up talking to some folks from a fishing guild.”

“Fishing guild...sounds nice. I’d love to join one, even if I’ve got to juggle it with my position here.”

For a moment, Alto furrowed his brow like he wasn’t sure how to respond.

What? Is it hard to talk about?

I was suddenly worried that the Merchant of Death had done something sinister to the fine fishing folks.

“I could introduce you...but I don’t think you’ll be too thrilled, Kizuna.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, they recently rebranded, and they’re calling themselves the ‘Kizzy and Lady Akvol Fan Club’ now.”

“Hey! Who said they could use my name?!”

Forget about image rights and all that nonsense, I never approved of this! And wait, they actually managed to follow up on that dumb joke from the Demon Lord Invasion event chat!

“Hold up, Alto. So the players who did all that research into respawn times...”

“Bingo. They’re members of that guild.”

Wow... Yeah, I definitely don’t want to get involved.

“Name aside, they’re actually a pretty serious fishing guild. Their first big guild event was a meetup at the First City’s port—they called it ‘the Place Where Kizzy Began’—where they all tried to catch the Herring Lord together. The members spend their time testing out various fishing spots.”

The goal seemed to be exchanging info while fishing... It actually sounded pretty interesting. No, wait, the place where I began? The First City was the first spawn point for everyone, not just me.

“Can’t they at least do something about the name?”

“It’s not harassment, at least as far as the game system is concerned.”

“Kizuna...” Shouko looked at me with sad eyes. “You have it hard.”

“You’re like a bona fide net idol, bro!”

“They know I’m a guy. Why are they going that far...”

I mean, yeah, internet trends tend to run on pure hype and momentum...

I had people calling themselves my fans, and honestly, it was creeping me out... I definitely didn’t want to trade any info with them.

“Milord... I daresay, we are kindred spirits.”

“Wait, is there a Yamikage fan club too?”

“No,” said Alto, “but Yamikage is pretty popular in a few circles. Strong players do tend to be admired. If she put up a party recruitment flyer, I’m sure she would be flooded with applicants.”

Well, she was always in the top ranks—if not the very top—when it came to Dimension Wave’s big events. No doubt about that. From the first wave to the second to the third, she was always somewhere up there.

And during the Demon Lord Invasion event, she was top-tier too... There was no way she wouldn’t get a fan base.

“How am I supposed to deal with that, I daresay?! I’m a socially inept loser!”

“It sounds like a protest is in order,” Shouko concluded.

“Go right ahead,” Alto waved her off. “But those guys are just chasing after their idols. Kizuna didn’t even know they existed until now, and they don’t introduce themselves as members. It might be best to just let it be.”

“If you clamp down too hard, they’ll go underground...” Sheryl muttered, sending me a sympathetic look.

Yeah, that’s how it works. Try to suppress people, and they’ll become even more of a pain.

“I mean, it’s not like I’m out onstage singing and dancing... Just let them do what they want, and they’ll probably rename or disband on their own eventually.”

“They have a policy of not approaching Kizuna directly.”

“And what a great job they’re doing. I heard them chatting about how excited they were, right in earshot.”

“If you could hear them, they’ve failed their creed. But now that they know they’ve been overheard, I’m sure they’ll start purging one another. Don’t worry.”

Purging, huh? That’s surprisingly harsh. What kind of game do they think they’re playing?

“Apparently, from their perspective, it’s precisely because you’re a guy inside that they can feel at ease adoring you—you’re a pillar of emotional support even when you aren’t around.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, let’s say they hypothetically implement marriage or something like that in the game somewhere down the line. If you had to pick a character, it’d probably be a female character, right? They hate the idea of you marrying a man.”

Well, yeah, same here. But wait, they’re basing this all on a system that may or may not even exist, on top of assuming that I won’t marry a guy because I’m a guy on the inside—and turning me into some object of devotion because of that? What do they take me for?

It was true that I didn’t interact much with characters playing male avatars these days. I mean, there was Alto, for what it’s worth. L’Arc was a guy too.

Still, they were both a huge no for me. Marrying a Merchant of Death? That was a hard pass. And L’Arc had Therese. Even if it was just in game, I still didn’t want to. We were just friends.

“As of right now, the most popular pairing is you and Shouko. The sacred Kizu x Sho.”

“Umm...”

Having suddenly been dragged into this mess of a conversation, Shouko was at a loss.

“Yamikage is a close second.”

“I daresay, what a terrible guild!”

So it’s split between me and Shouko, and me and Yamikage.

“That’s where most of the fishing experts have gathered for now. The craftsman who made that lure for you through Romina is apparently a member too. If you’re not comfortable with talking to them, Romina and I can act as intermediaries.”

“Appreciate it...”

It’s probably best if I don’t think too hard about it. Alto can do the intel gathering on my behalf.

I thought I could get some fishing buddies out of it...but if I joined them, I would definitely end up becoming like a princess for them. They’d hoist me up like royalty.

I’d seen how enthusiastic they were to go along with the bit—I’d seen it firsthand on the battlefield. Even knowing I was a guy, I could totally see them having a field day putting me on a pedestal and having fun with it.

If this were a normal MMO, I’d probably end up as some kind of deified shrine, with players gathering to pray around my character while I was AFK. Good thing this was a VRMMO I couldn’t log out of.

We already had Yamikage to be the butt of all jokes. I’m going to stay the lone angler—not anyone’s princess!

“Grr... It’s fine. I’ve got Shouko to fish with me.”

“Bro, what you just said...those people would totally call it ‘moe,’ right?”

“Shut it. This is your fault.”

“Hmm... Even if you had gone for that rugged appearance you had wanted, I think the gap would still get people saying ‘gap moe,’ you know?”

Then what am I even supposed to do?

“That side of you is honestly kinda fun, little lady.”

“It’s better to ignore them, I daresay. Don’t get too involved.”

“Yeah, you’re right...”

“You lot sure sound like you’re having fun when I’m working here.”

It was at that point that Romina emerged from her shop, looking rather weary.

“Ah, well, it turns out I’ve got some weird fan club now.”

“My condolences. I’ll help mediate stuff between you guys, so if you don’t want to have anything to do with them, just steer clear.”

“Thanks. So, Alto, I know I’m changing the subject, but what was that story L’Arc was trying to tell me?”

Aultcray had been trying to offer some information, but Alto had shut him down, not wanting to be in his debt.

“Well...it’s not confirmed or anything. It could just be a rumor...”

“What’s going on?” Romina asked, noticing Alto’s troubled expression.

“L’Arc was talking to this guy named Aultcray, and apparently my sister’s somehow involved.”

“Aultcray? I see. No wonder Alto’s panicking.”

“Is he that big of a deal?”

“Our boy Alto dominates most of the in-game market with the wealth from Cal Mira Island, but the Cray Group, which Aultcray belongs to, is a gathering of merchants that puts trust above everything else. I’d say they’re credible enough.”

“Oh?”

With Romina vouching for him, he probably wasn’t some shady, moneygrubbing merchant. I didn’t know if they were second in the rankings or whatnot, but if he owned a reputable group big enough to rival Alto’s, then yeah—he was doing pretty good for himself.

If such a trustworthy merchant had come to sell his name to me, maybe it was time to consider switching management. After all, Alto had his past cases of underhanded, Merchant of Death-level moneymaking schemes... Sure, he’d repented, but I still couldn’t trust him completely.

If he was trying to mastermind something, I had every right to dig into it.

“I was hoping to keep an eye on things myself, but...the cat’s out of the bag. This could affect my credibility. Everyone, come with me.”

Alto signaled for us to follow.

Chapter 7: The Public Square

We decided to postpone picking up our finished gear from Romina to instead follow Alto through the island’s commercial district. The place we arrived at was a road with a view of the all-you-can-eat crab buffet.

“What’s this? What’s this? Is something interesting going on?” Therese asked, having tagged along without any understanding of the situation.

“Hey, Alto, you’re trying to make me out as a spy or whatever,” said L’Arc. “But are you sure you ain’t involved in this one?”

“I am managing various ventures using Kizuna’s assets, but I can at least say for certain that I’m not directly involved in this case. That would be a matter of trust, you see.”

Well, if he’s that confident, I guess I’ll trust him, I concluded. Still, the fact that he could only say he wasn’t directly involved was a little concerning...

“It’s rare to hear you taking such a firm stance about something, Alto.”

“As I said earlier, I was planning to tell you about it once I had solid evidence...”

He held up a hand to stop us in our tracks and pointed to the buffet’s storefront. It was still a bit far off, or at least, it felt that way in the dark of the night.

“Take care not to be spotted. I’m sure you know your sister’s personality better than anyone.”

“Seriously, what?” I grumbled as I followed Alto’s finger with my eyes—and spotted a certain someone.

That person...had to be my sister, Kanade.

From what I can gather, she’s been caught up in something strange... Is she okay?

“Mmm,” my sister grunted, rubbing her stomach as she walked. She’d clearly stuffed herself well.

Yeah, I don’t know what to say about that. I’d seen my sister slacking off enough in real life, but...admittedly, all-you-can-eat crab was pretty tempting.

“We’re following,” Alto instructed.

“That’s Kanade, right? Did something happen to her?”

We’d talked a bit before the battle with the Demon Lord’s forces.

Kanade was the sort of person who didn’t like it when her brother meddled with her friend group, so even though she was my sister, I tried not to be overly friendly with her allies.

Of course, if someone asked for help, I’d be more than happy to pitch in.

But everyone had their own way of enjoying the game—take Tsumugi, for instance. She’d originally been part of Rose’s party, but she’d joined us because she thought it would be more fun that way.

“She’s your sister, right, Kizuna?” asked Shouko.

“That’s what I’ve heard, I daresay,” said Yamikage.

“Kana, right?” Therese chimed in. “I wonder what she’s doing.”

“Yes, well, you see...”

With those words, Alto took the lead.

Naturally, he kept his distance to ensure she didn’t notice us.

Cal Mira was a lively place at night. Combat players who weren’t working their way through Mikakage’s quest lines were laughing and chatting away with the merchants.

We walked through that bustling townscape until we arrived at a campsite along the coast. This was where countless players had pitched their tents; some were seated in chairs, checking their weapons and stats, others sending messages back and forth.

But the atmosphere felt tense...like there was a strange pressure lingering in the air.

“What is this place?”

“Cal Mira’s public square...or at least, one of them. If you ask them, they’d personally call it the frontline hub.”

A temporary hub—in early online games this was where players of similar levels would gather to team up for quests and evenly split experience and gold. Nowadays, it had mostly been replaced by automatching and “teaming with randos” or whatever, but it was still a way to get to know people.

After all, most people wanted to experience party play, even if they usually played alone.

That’s what online games were for—enjoying the experience with other people.

It made perfect sense that places like these would form.

“I haven’t used one of these in a while,” said L’Arc. “Your place is too comfy.”

“Right,” Therese added. “You let us play pretty freely.”

Well, the two of them knew how to talk to people, so I figured they’d be comfortable around these sorts of gatherings.

“Before, the squares in the Second City saw more use. But now, thanks to the ease of access, Cal Mira has become the main hub.”

“Hmm...”

“Though if I’m being blunt, these ones here are the poor frontliners. They come here to gather supplies and eat, avoiding lodging costs during the cooldown periods of their Mikakage visas.”

“Skipping the inn and camping out, huh...”

None of the inns were that expensive. You could afford a cheap one just by beating a single monster.

“If you’ve got the money for an inn, it’s better to spend it on healing items and equipment—as they put it. They’re pure combat types, and as far as I’m concerned, they don’t quite understand the nature of this game. Plus, they’ve had bad luck, like not getting any rare drops. Basically, they’re players who’re struggling to succeed.”

“Well, you’ll always find players like that in an MMO. They’re probably playing the way they would in other games.”

“It’s a sort of lifestyle that’d wreck your health if you tried it in real life...”

No matter what happened, Yamikage and Shouko would make sure to stay in inns... But I was hardly one to talk, given that time I hunkered down by the underground lake.

If we got down to the nitty-gritty of it, gamers had always led pretty unhealthy lifestyles since the very start of online gaming. It wasn’t rare for professional gamers to retire due to long-term health issues caused by long years of unhealthy gaming habits.

“Still, everyone’s wearing similar gear. And it’s all crab gear for the most part.”

“It’s versatile with great defense, and cheap to boot,” Alto explained. “And since you can get plenty of dupes, everyone overenhances them, ignoring the risk of breaking them in the process.”

“Bro, that’s definitely your fault. And Alto’s.”

“You could say that our efforts are supporting everyone,” said Shouko.

Everyone was outfitted in gear that was cheap, versatile, and easy to enhance to ridiculous levels... It was a classic trend in most MMOs. Sure, maybe they were a little lacking in individuality, but it was only natural when the crab armor was so strong and affordable.

The only real drawback of crab gear was its weakness to lightning attacks, but you just had to focus on non-lightning enemies and it was perfect.

“If I’m being honest, grinding for hours to scrape together some meager EXP isn’t the best way to grow stronger in this game. You’d be better off putting that effort into other things. Well—for now, at least.”

That last part was a necessary precaution. All it took was a single patch to completely shake up an MMO’s game balance. While we were on top for now, there was no telling what lay in store. That was the scary part of games that received continuous updates.

“That may be true...but I really am glad I met you, Kizuna. Growing stronger while having fun—I think that’s more important than anything,” said Shouko.

Shouko was always serious—serious about having fun when we were together. And of course, I didn’t plan to skimp out on having fun with her either.

Her main focus was combat, and she wanted to be locked in battle with monsters in new and exciting places. That was what Shouko wanted from the game. With that said, the materials we got from fishing up lords made for shockingly good gear. Even for someone so focused on fighting, fishing had its perks.

In the game’s current iteration, taking down monsters we’d yet to beat and clearing quests to meet upgrade requirements was the best way to prepare for the next wave.

In that sense, our best bet would be to find another hidden map like Cal Mira before it opened to the whole playerbase, but...it wasn’t like those things popped up that often.

“Come to think of it, you did say you wanted to catch a lord, Shouko,” said Tsumugi.

“Oh?” Alto piped up. “So it’s not just Kizuna. Our little Shouko’s getting into fishing too?”

“I won’t deny it. It was quite enjoyable. However... I don’t think I will ever compare to Kizuna.”

“I dunno. I think your fishing luck’s actually pretty good.”

In terms of hooking lords, Shouko wasn’t far behind. Especially given her lack of experience—after all, she managed to encounter the Stringfish Lord before I did. Skill-wise, it wasn’t really a matter of who was a better fisherman either—fundamentally, my build was just more specialized for fishing.

“So anyway, those guys are combat specialists grinding levels in crab gear, huh?”

As for the ones who fought on the back line, they were mainly equipped with gear crafted from the ores of Cal Mira Island. Honestly, with how uniform the gear was throughout the whole campsite, it was like I was looking at a proper military encampment.

“Don’t be too hard on them. They’re working hard—grinding levels and rare drops, chasing the dream of hitting it big. It’s because of players like them that we can make so much money,” Alto explained.

So...you’re saying they’re good consumers.

There were plenty of basic materials and normal drops that we needed in massive quantities. I mean, even if they were camping out here instead of paying for inns or buying player housing...

I dunno...it’s starting to feel more like a hangout for drifters. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to look at pickup party hubs the same way again.

Then again...it was just as removed from normal life as any other play style, and maybe that was its own kind of fun. They had tents and all; there was a high chance they were enjoying the camping aspect.

“I could never approach such a settlement, I daresay. Too social.”

Yeah, I get it. Yamikage’s right out.

She didn’t like talking to strangers. This definitely wasn’t a place for her.

“Was there not a chance to meet new people during the Demon Lord Invasion event...?” asked Shouko.

“Here, it may start as a onetime thing—but, some people form fixed parties or even guilds.”

With the game’s intention being to give players a second life, there was also a housing system. Our party was a special case, but I’d heard of plenty of other players owning their own homes already.

It wasn’t just on Cal Mira either. Some had houses in the First or Second Cities, and there was apparently also some limited room to place houses in certain rest maps.

“But still, when it comes to Cal Mira’s housing situation...is it really bad enough that they have to rough it out at a campsite like this?”

“Well...there are people who look for party members at the taverns and the crab buffet too,” Alto explained. “Each area attracts a different kind of player—they probably wouldn’t mix too well with the crowd here.”

There were production-focused players too. Everyone had their own play style. There were all sorts of gathering spots—all sorts of public squares. I guess you could say that was very VR-like, in a way.

“By the way, I also help direct people to party recruitment spots that fit their personalities,” Alto went on. “To be honest, this place...well, these people are here by choice.”

I wasn’t sure how to react to that.

“Even when they’re recruiting, it’s not like they’ll just take anyone. They’ve got a checklist—minimum gear requirements and whatnot. You’ll be kicked if you don’t at least have crab gear.”

By “kicked,” he meant rejected.

It made sense. If you had to play with strangers—not friends—minimum level, gear, and skill composition was just a standard expectation. It was common enough that it was practically just common courtesy in games like these.

“So if someone like me tried prancing in with fishing gear, they’d laugh me right out of the camp?”

“Pretty much. I’m sure they’d say something like ‘Screw off! Go fish or something.’”

“Kizuna’s gear is...actually quite powerful, you know.”

“Like they care. They’re not flexible or welcoming enough for that to register.”

“Right, they’re stuck in a template-only mindset,” Therese grumbled. “No sense of adventure.”

“For them, even secondary effects and enchants need to be combat-oriented to be accepted. Of course, you’re a well-known player, Kizuna, so they might still invite you based on your reputation.”

“Instead of looking at what works, they’re just copying how they played other games. I’m sure of it.”

Wow, my sister’s saying some harsh things...though I can’t really deny it. But at the very least, the easiest way to get stronger in most games was to copy what the good players were doing.

In Dimension Wave we couldn’t check external websites, which complicated things, but in most games you just had to look up a guide and follow an efficient plan step-by-step to reach the top tiers. Anyone could do it with enough time and effort.

Still, with the amount of information that had been spreading around lately...failing without even trying it out was kinda questionable to me from a gamer’s perspective.

Ah...so that’s what Alto means about people being drawn here.

There were always players like that, even in normal games—those who didn’t know things they could’ve figured out with a bit of research, or who didn’t even try something after it was explained to them.

It wasn’t my place to complain about someone else’s play style, but if they were trying to play with other people, it was good to have at least a little self-awareness. Otherwise, they’d easily get dragged into some really troublesome situations.

“If you want money right now, there are plenty of odd jobs around the island,” said Alto. “You can make quite a bit without even fighting.”

“Hmm, well the game’s jam-packed with slow-life elements.”

Alto began explaining some in-game trivia—well, more like the current trends: “One of the main examples is anything fishing-related. Fishing Mastery is quite easy to level up to a certain point...and I’m sure you’re already aware of that.”

Everyone suddenly averted their eyes at that statement.

Hey. Why won’t anyone look at me?

“Certainly...” Shouko trailed off. “It did not take many days for me to hit Rank X in Fishing Mastery.”

“I can actually unlock it too, I daresay. I just don’t want to.”

“Same,” Tsumugi added.

“Naturally, I have it trained up as well,” said Alto.

“Just doing it naturally gets it pretty high,” L’Arc nodded.

“And despite that,” I grumbled, “Shouko is the only one who actually fishes with me.”

“I daresay, that’s because you simply forced it upon us, milord.”

The point being, collecting from the crab traps made for good experience grinding. You could get a little from setting the traps too.

That was why everyone had already fulfilled the conditions for unlocking Fishing Mastery, and at a decent level too. Call it basic fishing knowledge.

“I can learn trapping skills for the same reason.”

“Those were useful against the Four Heavenly Kings, I daresay. You never know what might come in handy someday.”

“You’re really loved by this game, oh brother of mine. It’s only a matter of time before they start calling you the Dev’s Favorite.”

“I’d have to object to that one—considering how long they stranded me on the island.”

Just how long do you think I was forced to live out here?

“And even in that Four Heavenly Kings battle, I might’ve contributed, but I didn’t come out as the top performer.”

I mean... I did come in second, granted.

“You were first in terms of support, I daresay. That beatdown was legendary.”

It wasn’t so long ago, so it was still fresh in everyone’s memory.

During the Demon Lord Invasion event, I hooked the boss monster Akvol right in the mouth with my lure and slammed her around with it... That got me pretty high up there, contribution-wise.

“Man, I wish I was there to see it!” L’Arc exclaimed. “I heard Akvol got totally wrecked!”

Somehow, whenever they describe that move, they make it sound like I got into a catfight with Akvol or something.

They say there’s no smoke without fire. But was that really enough of a spark for all this?

“Don’t worry about it. I’m not nearly as athletic as Shouko, Tsumugi, or Yamikage.”

“But you are Tsumugi’s brother, so I think you do have the potential... You have shown flashes of brilliance during our training, and you reacted very well when I nearly let that lord escape the other day.”

Was Shouko giving her expert take? Or did she just have a higher opinion of me from all the time we spent together? It was hard to say.

“Your movements might be lacking because you tend to overthink in battle,” said Shouko. “But that overthinking is what also leads to unique ideas. A mental approach suits your play style well.”

“Milord, you need only be more assertive with your offense. Use your dismantling weapons for close combat and your lures at a range—you will outperform me in no time.”

“I’ll be dead tired in a few seconds. I’m not that nimble, you know.”

Just imagining all that running around was enough to make me feel exhausted.

Then came an unexpected comment from Shouko...

“Huh? Isn’t that what you’re doing already?”

“I think you’re already pulling it off, bro. Just do it more often, and you’re golden.”

“Hmm...”

Pulling something off once or twice was one thing. Being able to keep it up consistently took a completely different skill set. A sad reality often overlooked by people with way too high player skill.

“I mean, it’s a game, right? You can do all sorts of things you can’t do in real life, so try to move a bit more flexibly,” my sister assured me.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll practice, but don’t expect too much. I can already see myself screwing up hard. Anyway, Alto—we were talking about moneymaking, right? What else is there?”

“Cooking. If you just want to pick up the basic skills, just help out at the buffet’s kitchen. You’ll have them raised up in no time.”

If you cooked your way through the mountains of crabs that were delivered every day, the sheer volume would brute-force your skill levels to new heights. And, once the quantity was taken care of, you’d hit a wall that had to be cleared through variety. It was the same as any other skill.

The same could be said for the fishing and trapping skills leveled with the crab traps.

It seemed like the type and number of fish caught affected some hidden parameters.

“All of these involve Kizuna in some way,” Shouko pointed out.

“Yeah, pretty much. There are a few other tricks, but most of them are a bigger grind.”

“I daresay, were we not the only ones crab fishing?”

“We have it set up so that they can work by borrowing sections of what Kizuna originally put in place.”

Looks like Alto’s got a hand in a wide range of operations.

In any case, working part-time in the crab industry was a quick way to get top-notch fishing and trapping skills. There were no downsides to having more options, and players could earn money along the way.

“I’d say it’s better than fighting day in and day out,” said Alto. “We’re even offering jobs that are usually taken care of by the Pekkles.”

“Hauling them aboard to work a crab cannery ship is basically slavery, I daresay.”

“Ha ha ha, it’s only slavery if you don’t pay a fair wage. Just have a look at Kizuna; there are players like him who actually enjoy that sort of thing. And haven’t you ever heard of tuna fishing ships?”

“I daresay, it feels like you’re going to end up doing just that eventually!”

I’m not gonna deny it... If it gets easier to catch tuna, I can see it happening.

Anyway, the point was that these people just hadn’t figured out a good balance between making money, gaining experience, and leveling up skills. In some games, you had to fight to earn everything, so it wasn’t always fair to compare...but at the very least, grinding alone wouldn’t cut it in Dimension Wave.

“There are some parts of cooking that go beyond skill level, admittedly.”

“Thanks to you and Therese, we get to enjoy delicious food every day.”

“I’ve gotten a little tired of fish dishes lately, though. Therese just seems happy to just use whatever ingredients my bro gives her.”

“Tee hee.”

Therese playfully stuck out her tongue... Though she tried to play it off as a joke, everyone except me was looking at her frustratedly.

“That’s the one downside, I daresay. Milord, can’t we have some meat dishes sometimes?”

“It’s not that I can’t cook them...”

“My brother is able to cook, but that doesn’t mean he’s good at it. If you want a good cook, you should turn to big sis. Should I go ask her?”

Oh, right. That’s why we’re here in this weirdly tense place. We’re tailing Kanade. Didn’t...didn’t she mention something about having a fixed party?

“So, we know our sis is around here...”

Tsumugi started making her way through the tents, brushing aside a few along the way—until finally, she arrived at a particularly tattered one.

That tent had clearly seen a lot of use and lost a lot of durability.

Of course, it was possible to patch tents up and keep them going for a while, but eventually, their quality would degrade and they’d look worse and worse for wear. They would no longer offer a good sleep, and even when you did get some rest, you wouldn’t feel very refreshed afterward.

And, with how shoddy this tent had become, the soundproofing must have taken a hit too... We could hear the clinking of coins being counted and the grinding of what sounded like someone sharpening a sword from within.

“All right... Just a little more, and I can try again. Just a little more. I can still keep going! Yeah!”

What? Is she saving up to buy something?

A moment later, Kanade stepped out of the tent, a towel in hand—her eyes locking onto me and Tsumugi.

Snap. We’ve been spotted.

That aside...she was dressed in what looked like worn-out clothes with their durability completely shot. Were they her loungewear or pajamas, perhaps? I mean, this was a safe zone, so it wasn’t like bad gear was that much of a big deal.

“Ah...”

Even among the boisterous and brutal sounds of the camp, the silence was deafening.

“Ah ha ha ha ha hah! What are you doing, sis?!”

Tsumugi chose that moment to break into laughter.

“Uggghhh...”

Ah, Kanade’s biting her lip. Her face is turning red...

Rein it in! She’s gonna be scary once this game is over! But what is this... What’s this complicated thing I’m feeling? It’s like I just ran into my sister living on the streets...

In the first place, the island was technically my own territory... If she’d just talked to me, I could’ve at least let her stay at the castle. Why was she going out of her way to sleep in a raggedy old tent?

But hey, I got to see a rare side of my sister... I’ll go ahead and point and laugh before I help her out. This is payback. Yep. If I just think of it as punishment for forcing me into this little girl avatar, the laughter feels one hundred percent justified.

“LOL! LMAO, even. What are you doing out here, sis? Don’t tell me you’re stuffing yourself at the crab buffet, skimping out on inn fees, and crashing here?”

“That’s...exactly what I’m doing! So what?! What’s wrong with that, huh?!”

Ah, not good. She’s giving off steam.

Kanade’s face twisted in fury as she charged at us. Fortunately—well, unfortunately for her—there was no PvP in this game, so all she could do was yell. And to us? Right now? Her shouting was about as threatening as the chirping of a bird.

“You’re all very cruel,” noted Shouko.

“I daresay, are we allowed to laugh at this?” Yamikage added.

“Is this the intel that Alto gathered?” Shouko asked. “The one that L’Arc’s acquaintance reported on as well?”

“Yes, that’s right,” said Alto. “There was a tip that Kanade, sister of the island lord, was living in extreme poverty.”

“I heard something like that too. Sounds like she’s living rough,” L’Arc confirmed.

“Looks like everyone in the Exceed family is cut from the same cloth. Kana has quite a wild side,” Therese concluded.

My comrades offered some cold and detached commentary.

Okay, that’s enough teasing for now.

“All right, enough rubbing salt into sis’s emotional wounds...”

I spun around dramatically, arms spread wide.

“He just confidently said it.”

“That upfront attitude is really Kizunaesque.”

“In a sense, milord’s brazenness is quite refreshing, I daresay.”

“Maybe it’s because they’re so close. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to speak that frankly with Kizuna.”

“I believe you’re already at that point, I daresay. Wasn’t that what it was like when you were invited to the island?”

“Now that you mention it, he summoned everyone apart from me, knowing it would be a nuisance.”

“And sometimes, I daresay not being invited is a bigger nuisance...”

“You’re a hard one to please, shadow girl.”

“I mean, we tried to stick up for her, but it was shocking how many people wanted to pick on her.”

Yamikage still holds a grudge, huh. Didn’t I apologize already? Fine. Next time something like that comes up, I’ll make sure to call her first.

“So, sis. If you’re gonna go as far as to sleep in a tent with no padding, just come over to the castle.”

Jokes aside, I should get the full story.

Just thinking about what mom and dad would do if they found out my sister was roughing it outside while the rest of us were living in luxury... That was a mess just waiting to happen.

“B-But... A big sister shouldn’t be relying on her little sisters...”

“Little brother, thank you very much.”

Even if I’d been forced into a little girl avatar in game, that didn’t mean I’d given up on being a guy. Don’t include me as one of those little sisters of yours.

“Wait, sis. Don’t tell me this is one of those pride things where you couldn’t get yourself to ask us for help?” Tsumugi asked, barely holding back her laughter.

Enough laughing already. Keep it up, and we’ll both be in hot water after this.

“Erk...”

“Alto, details. If you don’t spill it, I’ll consider switching agents.”

“You’re even worse than me when you have the upper hand... According to reports, she treats herself to the crab buffet once every few days.”

“I see... Splurging every few days. Then I’m guessing you’ve been skimping out on your daily meals. Are you eating properly?”

“Urgh...”

Kanade flinched. I’d hit the nail on the head.

She was cutting corners, perhaps saving up for a piece of gear. She’d done something similar in real life before—hoarding her wealth for a high-spec PC and the latest console that was set to release in six months.

Those were rough times...even disregarding the parts where she dragged me into it.

So she’s a regular at the crab buffet that our guild...well, mainly Alto hosts...

I felt a bit conflicted, imagining a family member unknowingly stuffing their face at a place run by me...

“Anyway, you can put on airs all you want, but it’s an issue if it makes us look bad by association. Come with us. Got it?”

“Got it...”

“We’re taking you in, sis!”

And with that, we headed straight to the castle.

Chapter 8: Fixed Notions

I had my older sister sit in one of the chairs of the castle’s grand hall—after making sure she took a bath first. She seemed a lot more refreshed than she’d been when we found her.

With that said...looking at her equipment...isn’t it worse than the last time I saw it? How is it lower quality than what she had during the Demon Lord’s invasion...?

“Hmm... So you were Kizuna’s older sister,” mused Romina. We’d regrouped with her after returning to the castle.

“Ah, err, hello...”

Romina was a well-known player who did a lot of crafting for the front lines; it made sense that she was already acquainted with my sister.

“I was wondering why you hadn’t been showing up at the shop lately.”

“Umm, well...”

My sister averted her eyes, unsure of what to say. She was clearly guilty about something—what exactly, I couldn’t say.

“Is it one of those things?” asked Romina. “You didn’t want to receive preferential treatment for being related to Kizuna, so you switched to another blacksmith? It doesn’t really bother me.”

“Romina, my sister’s not the sort to be that reserved, although she’s not as brazen as Tsumugi, and she does care about appearances.”

If she’d been the kind of earnest person to act out of obligation, she wouldn’t have been put in this situation to begin with.

“More likely she stopped going because your shop’s too expensive or hard to book, or something dumb like that. Plus, considering the life of poverty she’s been leading, maybe she was scared that you’d tip us off.”

“Erk...”

Bull’s-eye. It was probably a combination of a few of those reasons.

“She didn’t want you guys to find out, huh?”

“She’s always trying to save face, see. That’s why we had to catch her in the act and drag her in. So, sis, why were you living like that? You used to...you know? Weren’t you hanging out with a lot of in-game friends? What happened?”

In Dimension Wave’s current iteration, there were guilds and player housing. Most players spent their time adventuring with friends, defeating monsters, and having fun. Just like Tsumugi, my older sister had people she played with regularly—right?

The moment I brought it up, Kanade clenched her fist and began shaking.

“Argh...fine. I’ll tell you. They stopped inviting me out to hunt because they said I wasn’t contributing enough DPS. Just because I fell a bit behind on my gear upgrades!”

“So they were the competitive types, huh?”

“The guild leader used to manage everything really well, and I could just do what I wanted. But then, we completed a quest, and she disappeared without a trace. We couldn’t get in contact, and a new person took over, and then everything started going downhill.”

“That sounds...familiar.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to me.

Yeah, yeah. So it’s just like the Cal Mira Development quest, where the party leader vanishes and cuts off all contact... Meaning that person might be stuck in a special situation right now.

“Oh, her.”

“So your group started falling apart once that girl with the funny name went missing.”

Therese and L’Arc both seemed to know exactly who she was talking about. Those two really did know everyone.

“Her successor is just one huge lump of ambition and doesn’t pay attention to anyone. The pressure ended up falling on me and a handful of other players, and when we couldn’t keep up, we got left behind.”

Even with all their freedom, MMOs tended to be tougher on solo players. They usually placed an emphasis on party play.

That was mainly what the hubs like the one we found her in were meant to combat. But even there, players were expected to meet a minimum strength requirement.

“They said my attack power was pathetic and kept bragging about their own gear. So I figured, if I could just get some gear as good as theirs, I could join a different guild and show them...”

“So what did you do?”

“I-I tried...enhancing...”

Ah, that vagueness—that’s her classic way of trying to dodge the question.

Romina seemed to pick up on it immediately.

“I see. You tried overenhancing and went bankrupt.”

“Th-That’s right! What’s wrong with that?! You can’t make money if your gear’s weak. If you want to make money, you need to spend money.”

“So your gear’s weak, which means you can’t earn money. And since you can’t earn money, you can’t upgrade your gear. You can’t go to the tougher areas, so your level is falling behind... Does that about sum it up?”

“A common dilemma, I daresay.”

“But fighting isn’t everything, y’know?” Alto chimed in. “If you want money, there are plenty of part-time jobs now.”

Well, yeah. She was hearing it from a merchant who didn’t intend to fight a single battle in his entire playthrough. The man still managed to reach the top of the merchant scene and was never strapped for cash.

Romina, despite being a top-tier blacksmith, could still hold her own in a fight.

Equipment definitely made a huge difference at our point in the game.

It was just as Alto explained; it wasn’t that complicated.

“Is it really worth clinging to overenhancement with the way things are right now?”

With Romina—the one in charge of all of our enhancements—saying that, my sister no longer had a leg to stand on.

“For someone to sell that kind of nonsense to Kizuna’s sister...deplorable,” said Alto.

“It might not be the blacksmith’s fault,” I suggested. “Those fixed notions of those players who mocked her could have spread.”

“What weapon did you have your eyes on anyway, sis?” Tsumugi asked her.

She turned her face away and mumbled something quietly.

“Huh? The Habenburg Cutlass?”

Without a word, Romina slapped a hand to her forehead... Wait, is that a vein bulging on her temple?

“Let me show you what I just finished crafting,” she said, taking out a weapon and showing it to my sister.

“Wait, what the heck is this?! Are you bragging or something?! Of course you people have stuff on that level.”

“Kanade, you’re under a massive misunderstanding. Kizuna’s equipment is certainly made of rare materials, but it has no excessive enhancements. Tsumugi’s gear isn’t that elaborate either.”

Sure enough, Tsumugi wasn’t wearing anything too fancy. In fact, I was the one using one-off, custom-made gear, and almost all of it had been crafted by Romina. It was barely enhanced at all.

“This was made purely through materials gathered with dismantling, not boss drops. The cutlass you’re after is more special—a derivation of the Pirate Captain’s Saber. At most, it requires a few lord materials...but it only takes a few boss runs to get it.”

“Sis,” said Tsumugi, “to be blunt, that cutlass is going to be outdated by the next update. You’ll just have to do it all again. It’s not the be-all and end-all strongest weapon in the game.”

“It besmirches my pride as a craftsman when people treat something like that as an ultimate goal.”

Romina got quite fussy when it came to weapons.

“You’re better off maintaining your lifestyle and saving up while waiting for something decent in the next update.”

Yet again, it was a common theme of MMOs. What was once top-tier could end up obsolete only a week later. Sometimes, it wasn’t just gear, but characters too.

“But everyone says that one’s amazing! They’re saying it’ll be the new benchmark for everything to come! They say crab gear’s already reached its limit!”

“Who’s spreading that nonsense... Some shady merchant?”

So said the shadiest merchant I knew.

“The cutlass isn’t the be-all and end-all, Kanade. You should treasure the gear that’s brought you here...or else, your equipment will cry.”

It seemed my sister hadn’t been blessed with the right party. Not that I was in any position to talk, but her access to information seemed incredibly limited. She needed to broaden her perspective. Presumably, that former guild leader of hers had been especially good at taking the helm.

“You sounded like a real craftsman just now, Romina.”

“I didn’t say anything wrong, did I? Enhancing the gear that’s stuck with you for a long time gives better bonuses.”

Romina then handed the Blue Shark dagger she’d made as a test piece over to my sister.

“Besides, with some of the materials Kizuna brought in from the new area, I’ve already been able to make this.”

“Th-This is... It might not beat the cutlass, but...”

She seemed to recognize just how powerful it was at a glance.

The materials were a bit of a pain to gather, but compared to boss drops, it was a little easier to put together.

“As a craftsman, let me make this clear: The cutlass isn’t everything. We’re already at a point where we can make weapons that match it. You should broaden your horizons, don’t you think?”

“Anyway, enough of this nonsense about trying to get back at them or whatever. You’re sticking with us for the time being. And no more using that field hub. It’s off-limits.”

My sister had a weird stubborn streak going for her. If I didn’t step in, I could see her living like a homeless person until the server shut down.

Games were meant to be enjoyed. If you stuck around with people who said things like “We’re not playing around here!” you’d just get burned.

First and foremost, the whole idea of showing them up was fundamentally flawed. People like that would never praise her even if she did prove them wrong—they’d refuse to acknowledge it and look down on her anyway. It was a waste to give them the time of day.

“I’ll pick out some equipment for you,” said Romina. “The castle warehouse is full of things I’ve crafted.”

“No, I could never... Taking from Kizuna and Tsumugi is one thing, but...”

She’s still holding back? Now? And why are me and Tsumugi okay?

“Very well, then I’ll hire you with the gear as your payment. You need only follow my instructions for a while. Don’t worry—I won’t ask you to fight monsters. You’ll see a huge boost to your trapping skills, and your fishing skills as well—though you won’t be anywhere near Kizuna’s level. As for your wages...”

Alto began negotiating with my sister.

What was he going to make her do? That was hardly a question—everyone here already had a very good idea of the job he was talking about.

“Th-That much? I’ll have to neglect level grinding, but...if it’s just for a little bit...”

“Kanade! You mustn’t fall for his temptations!”

“Don’t take handouts, sis. You need to work and earn your gear properly!”

Shouko and Tsumugi chimed in with their objections. Shouko was speaking from her sincere conscience, while Tsumugi just wanted someone to share in her misery. What a terrible little sister.

“Sir Alto’s work is incredible, I daresay. Thanks to him, I performed wonderfully in the last event. You will gain valuable experience you won’t ever get from a public square party, I daresay.”

Even Yamikage—with clouded eyes—was taking Tsumugi’s side.

Et tu, Yamikage? You really want to drag her down that badly?

“I know it’s not a lie, Yamikage, but you shouldn’t be encouraging this!” Shouko pleaded. “Kanade’s already been through a lot!”

“Ha ha, how fun. I wanna watch more of this.”

“This guild is packed with entertainment. If only we could join in.”

L’Arc and Therese watched from the sidelines, treating it completely as someone else’s business.

Huh? Come to think of it, where’s Sheryl? She’s not here... Is she in the workshop or something?

“Well, my sister has this annoying pride that keeps her from relying on others, so maybe it’d be easier to just have her work for our Merchant of Death?”

It was starting to feel like a pain, and Kanade seemed satisfied with the arrangement anyway. Maybe a bit of physical labor would do her well. She was the type who preferred hands-on testing and validation anyway.

“I-I don’t really get it, but fine! I’ll do whatever kind of job it is!”

“Just so we’re clear, it’s not anything pervy, okay? If it wasn’t completely wholesome, Kizuna would fire me on the spot.”

The way he says it...makes it sound like he handles less-than-wholesome jobs too. This Merchant of Death...he really has cast a wide net in this game.

“Well, if she’s okay with it, I’m not going to stop her. But either way, distance yourself from that so-called craftsman who’s trying to use you to make a cutlass,” Romina warned her one more time.

Well, yeah—she’d better stay away from someone who used her as a guinea pig to practice overenhancing.

Romina was expensive, but skilled. Since we were welcoming Kanade in as a family member, Romina would be more than happy to craft for her. Problem solved.

“Kanade, your equipment is a simple sword, correct?”

“Yes, I use it with a shield.”

Kanade showed her equipment: what barely qualified as crab gear. It was the sort of cheap, generic equipment you could find on any budget list.

Even the sword was a dime-a-dozen item going for throwaway prices. And, when Romina looked at her shield, she murmured, “Hmm...the shield seems to be the only piece that’s seen any attachment. That might be worth enhancing. We’ll have an easier time fighting if she can fill the role of a proper tank.”

“A proper tank?” muttered Shouko.

What’s wrong?

“The Brave Pekkle that Kizuna employs is a different story, but your style has a lot of quirks, Shouko. It works fine in smaller groups but becomes a liability in larger battles, right?”

For as long as we’d partied together, Shouko would run around, quite literally smacking aside enemy attacks to nullify them and protect us. She had to rely on mobility, without any skills to actually draw enemy attention. When times got tough, she, Yamikage, and I would use our Spirit natures to brute-force our way through fights by eating up the damage.

More recently, we’d gotten Brave Pekkle to endure attacks for us, but he couldn’t be maintained in prolonged battles.

“I do have a skill to draw aggro. And to block too.”

In that sense, my sister was definitely a proper tank. No acrobatic dodging—just a reliable shield on the front lines. It wasn’t a role that stood out, but it was certainly dependable.

Now then... I better confirm it with her, just in case.

“Sis, did you level up any noncombat skills? Like crafting or anything like that?” I asked.

“Hmm... I’d say my gathering and cooking are pretty high level.”

“Gathering...?”

“Yes, it rose when I was picking my own herbs to save on healing potions. Cooking too—I was making my own meals to cut down on expenses. I’ve always been good at it, right?”

Although Tsumugi was the only person in our household who couldn’t cook, the task usually went to Kanade. It made sense that she’d carry that hobby into the game.

“If I may dare ask, can you cook anything that isn’t fish?”

Yamikage’s eyes lit up.

Well sorry for all the fish.

“I can, but... Kizuna...? What exactly have you been feeding these girls every day?”

“What do you mean? I just cooked up and served the fish I caught.”

“It ain’t too bad, sis. There’s a decent variety, so it’s not boring. Plus, we have Therese to help out.”

“But it has been nearly all fish dishes...”

Even Shouko was beginning to sound discontent. I failed to see the issue.

“We’re kinda at the point where you just want something that’s not fish.”

“Hah... Fine. I’ll cook tomorrow. Show me what ingredients you have later. Also, Kizuna, if you can cook, then you’re helping me. We can activate Cooperation Skills if we cook together.”

“Ah, you know about those? I do it a lot with Therese.”

“More or less. From what I’ve heard, partying with the same people for a long time increases your success rate with Cooperation Skills. In battle, it’s mostly combinations of skills and magic.”

“Hmm. I didn’t know about the combat side of it.”

I knew the system existed, but I never really understood how to trigger it.

“For combat Cooperation Skills, the requirements are pretty steep, and the options are limited. Let’s see...with your weapon types...”

“Fans.”

“Dismantling tools, fishing, and bows.”

“Magic, I daresay.”

“You know I use a scythe.”

“It’s a scythe for me too, and Therese uses magic.”

Sheryl wasn’t there to answer, but hers was a harpoon.

“With Yamikage and Sheryl in your party...how are you not pulling off any Cooperation Skills in combat?”

“Why do you ask, I daresay?”

“Just don’t invoke the spell as soon as you finish chanting—try to sync it with the moment your allies use a skill. Make sure you’re targeting the same area too. It only works for the big techniques, so it’s tricky to pull off on the fly.”

That explained why no one seemed to be using them during the fight against the Demon Lord’s Four Heavenly Kings. We were using randomized parties, and the battlefield was so full of traps that it was hard to do anything coordinated. We all just did our own thing and made it out somehow or other.

Big techniques...so basic skills like Cleaver don’t count, I guess.

“Wait, can Fever Lure combo with Yamikage’s or Therese’s magic?!”

“Milord, why that skill, of all things?!”

“You have my curiosity.”

What would happen to Fever Lure if Yamikage cast Drain alongside it? Would it turn into...a draining Fever Lure?

“Is it an eligible skill?”

“Hmm...”

I couldn’t say. I just wanted it to work.

“Most of the ones that work are charge skills. Otherwise, it’s hard to get the timing right.”

“So in my case, it would be Blood Flower. And for Shouko...”

“If we are talking about major techniques instead of basic ones, then it would probably be my Circle Dance Zero Formation: Snow Moon Flower,” Shouko said.

“And Death Step for me and L’Arc,” added Tsumugi.

I see, I’m starting to get the picture.

“No, forget about that. Kizuna, what do you mean fishing is a weapon? How does that work?”

“I make it work.”

“The lure always seems to hit the mark, sis.”

“He often gets it in the monster’s mouth and reels them in, I daresay.”

“Kizuna...you really haven’t changed. You’re taking things at your own pace, huh.”

Well, yeah, that’s how my soul life works.

“Anyway, tomorrow, we’re doing a cooking Cooperation Skill. And no fish dishes.”

“Aww...”

The plan was set; I’d be cooking for everyone with my sister. I guess there’s no real problem with having overlapping skill sets in a party. But I’m the one with more experience when it comes to fish dishes!

“Aight, I’ll be counting on everyone to look after Kanade from now on,” I said.

“Understood. Kanade, your brother has been very good to us. It is a pleasure to work with you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I don’t know how long we’ll be working together, but let’s do our best.”

And so, my sister officially ended up joining our guild.

“Now then, Kizuna—everyone—take a look at what I crafted.”

“Sure thing. No slipups this time?”

“I remodeled the workshop and raised my skills. I don’t plan on repeating the same mistake. Here, Kizuna, let’s start with your Ancient Dress.”

With that, Romina handed over the repaired Ancient Dress.

Ancient Dress +3 (5)

A curious dress crafted from materials of a bygone era. Empowered by mysterious forces passed down from antiquity, it boasts surprising durability and enhances the wearer’s magic power.

Fishing Power +4, Balance Assist +2, Swimming +2, Protection of the Ancients

It required the same amount of Energy to equip as the low-grade version, but its defenses were quite a bit higher. It had even been properly enhanced now, and I would be taking significantly less damage than before.

What’s more, even if the amount wasn’t super high, it provided elemental resistances across the board, alongside some resistances to status ailments too.

Though it boosted magic power as well, I didn’t use any magic skills, so aside from boosting my magic defense, that bonus didn’t do too much. Still, it was great all-purpose equipment.

It was a huge boon for someone like me, seeing as my poor reflexes had me on the receiving end of attacks far more than I would have liked.

“Bro, your armor...doesn’t look too different from before,” Tsumugi said, a bit disappointed.

But Shouko stuck up for me. “The color scheme is different. The design looks prettier too.”

The Low-Grade Ancient Dress...well, its decorative parts looked subdued, or rather, a little too plain. Now that the “low-grade” part had been removed, its colors had gotten a lot more vibrant.

Even though a lot of it had been reused, I hardly noticed it.

That said...the skirt still bothered me. I tried my best not to think about it, but it’s not like I didn’t notice it. It seemed airier, more floaty than before... I could see some people going wild about it if they were into that sort of thing. I was not.

“You’re really pulling out top-tier gear, just like that.”

“It’s not that hard to get now. You want one, sis?”

“Once I’ve saved up some money, I’ll consider it.”

For how envious she looked, she was still as principled as ever.

“We’re still short on materials if you want to turn it into a Mid-Grade Ancient Dress. I’ll start working on it once we know what we need.”

“Sure, but I tend to swap gear depending on who we’re fighting.”

“That goes without saying. But as a general-purpose option, I think it’s just right for you.”

“Well, it does have what I need for fishing. I’m not gonna complain.”

It even helped with swimming, so just by putting it on, I could swim decently well. Not as well as I could in the Pekkle Costume, but still, it was nice to have the option without making a fool of myself. Its defense values were higher than the Kappa Costume, too, and it felt far more like a proper piece of equipment.

“You look good in it.”

“Ah, thanks...”

Even if you compliment me, Shouko...you know.

If I was using a female avatar in a normal game, maybe I’d be glad to hear it...but now? Like this? I’m not sure if I should be happy or not.

“You do get hit a lot, bro. Good armor is always a plus.”

“Pretty much.”

Yeah, can’t argue with that. In fact, you shouldn’t expect everyone to be doing acrobatics like you and Shouko.

“Next up, I’ve got a Hakugei no Tachi and a Magic Iron Hot Chef’s Knife.”

Now decked out in my Ancient Dress, I took the two weapons off her hands.

The Magic Iron Hot Chef’s Knife was a pretty normal chef’s knife you could find in any kitchen...though if I gripped it hard enough, the blade would light on fire.

It had a higher attack stat than my Iron Butcher’s Knife while fulfilling a similar role. All in all, it would probably make quick work of ingredients I’d had a hard time cutting before.

But, the real prize was the Hakugei no Tachi...a massive dismantling blade just like the Isana no Tachi before it. Its weight felt familiar in my hands.

Hakugei no Tachi [Moby Dick] +2 (5)

A large blade fashioned to dismantle whales, further enhanced by infusing it with the blood of the White Whale. Infused with the White Whale’s power, this fearsome blade can cleave through flesh and bone with incredible force.

Unique Skills: Boss Damage +30%, Power of Vengeance, Large Monster Attack 3

Incidentally, its attack was several times higher than the Isana no Tachi and slightly more than the Blue Shark’s Ice Knife [Sinner of Thieves].

It wasn’t nearly as maneuverable, however—it was clearly meant to focus on sparse but heavy strikes. So, in terms of DPS—damage per second—the ice knife probably had the edge. But that was assuming I could stick to an enemy long enough while attacking nonstop.

With that said, the Hakugei no Tachi had add-on effects like a boss damage boost and a bonus against large monsters, so it was sure to deal more damage in boss fights. If I could land a big hit while Shouko or Tsumugi drew the boss’s attention, it would definitely pack a punch.

Switching weapons to fit the situation was only natural.

Also, since it was originally the Isana no Tachi, it was still basically a whale knife... It made sense that it was good against large monsters.

It would probably be my go-to for dismantling large boss monsters.

“It’s huge and flashy. You could call that thing a greatsword,” said Tsumugi.

“If you lengthen the hilt, it could become a polearm or naginata,” Shouko added.

“Hey, that thing easily surpasses the cutlass,” lamented Kanade. “I’m jealous. I hear you’ve got other weapons too.”

They each gave their own impression. And sure...it was definitely the biggest dismantling weapon I owned.

“It’s hard to believe this is still considered a dismantling weapon.”

“Weapons come in all sorts of sizes, even within the same category,” Shouko explained.

“Right,” said Tsumugi. “Like, I prefer scythes, but I especially like the big ones. Some people like using smaller sickles or even chain sickles. The smaller ones can be thrown, from what I’ve heard.”

Hmm...so there are different fighting styles, even within the same weapon group. Come to think of it, Sheryl uses her harpoon mainly for throwing and stabbing. And Shouko uses folding fans over the larger ones.

“What’s this ‘Power of Vengeance’ thing about?”

“Oh, that boosts your attack power for a while if you take damage,” Alto explained.

Every now and then Alto’s knowledge came in handy. Maybe he could see extra details with his high appraisal level?

“Then it’s definitely made for you, bro.”

“So I’m supposed to facetank hits and keep swinging? I’m not a musclehead, you know...”

Even with all these bonuses stacking on top of one another, I wasn’t confident that I could out-damage Tsumugi, Shouko, or Yamikage.

“Plus, this is specifically boss-focused... It’s a tricky one...”

The weapon Sheryl got from the White Whale had a lightning attribute, while mine was all about bossing... Even from the same materials, they ended up completely different.

“You’ll be able to play a bigger part now, Kizuna.”

“Yeah, dunno about that... The attack power of dismantling weapons is low across the board, but I’ll try to live up to your expectations.”

For what it’s worth, it was a custom weapon made from the rare materials I gathered myself.

“Or how about this? You wanna use it, sis?”

I still had the ice knife, so I could at least lend it to my sister.

“I haven’t fallen that far yet. You keep it.”

Really? Well, if she doesn’t want it, I’ll save it for the next boss fight.

“Thinking back, Kizuna’s always been bringing me unusual materials. I’m sure someone will have run into a weapon on par with it already, but as far as these specific bonuses go? I’d reckon you’re the first.”

The world of the MMO was vast—it wouldn’t be surprising if something equivalent dropped somewhere. Still, this Hakugei no Tachi that Romina had crafted was surely the first and perhaps the last of its kind.

I need to learn how to wield it properly. Isana no Tachi...it’s your time to shine again.

I tightened my grip on the evolved Hakugei no Tachi—the same blade I’d used when I first met Shouko, and the same one I’d set aside when its damage started to fall short.

In Dimension Wave, the more use a weapon saw, the higher enhancement value it would grant when turned into something new. I would have to start racking up the mileage again if I wanted to bring it to the next stage... It was essential if I wanted to take apart larger game.

“Next is a Munagi Bone Rod and some other fishing gear.”

I took the rod Romina handed me and gave it a once-over.

Compared to the Giant Catfish Rod...this one was certainly more supple, but...I wouldn’t call it soft either. It had a different design philosophy, but I’d be able to use it just fine.

“And here’s some line. I had it made by the same friend who crafted your lure.”

I took the line and examined it.

Demon Stringfish Fishing Line

Equipment Type: Fishing Gear/Accessory

Equip Conditions: Fishing Mastery IX+

Cut Resistance (Weak), Strength Up (Medium), Flex Up (Medium)

A sturdy fishing line imbued with the power of the Stringfish Lord. Despite its pliability, it is stronger than piano wire.

Now that’s some reassuring flavor text... Stronger than piano wire? That’s insane.

Something as convenient as this didn’t exist in real life. But this was a game, no exaggeration needed.

“Aight, I’ll make good use of it with Shouko.”

“We’ll be matching.”

“I guess we will.”

I still had the Epic Cal Mira Fishing Line, but still, I was happy. On a sidenote, the game let you repair fishing line, which replenished any length of it that’d been lost. That was something only possible in a virtual world. Essentially, all fishing gear besides bait was infinitely reusable.

I got a new hook while I was at it too.

You were actually able to swap out new hooks with the ones built into the lures, so you weren’t restricted to what they came with. But...all that really did was slightly boost the lure’s attack power. And even then it was only a marginal increase.

Fishing gear was usually thrown together from odds and ends, so we didn’t usually end up with anything too game-breaking.

Regardless, with that, I’d renewed all of my gear.

Everyone else received their orders from Romina too.

Yamikage had changed out of her Miraka Ore-made outfit into a new Demon Stringfish Ninja Garb. The most striking feature was probably the horns on its hood that gave it a bit of an oni-ish vibe.

She looked like a character out of some Eastern-themed exploration game...or maybe, not quite. There were also scales decorating the tops of her greaves and gauntlets. Those were purely decorative, if I had to wager a guess.

The whole outfit was like a hybrid between fish scales and traditional ninja wear.

“How do I look? I think the scales make for a fine accent if I daresay myself.”

“Unfortunately, I could only make one of each piece; there aren’t any bonuses tailored specifically for you.”

If equipment was made with high enough quality, it would occasionally come with random additional bonus effects. When we were making her Miraka gear, we had enough excess material to continuously forge and reforge it until we had a set with an extreme focus on magic damage output.

The new output wasn’t crafted with the bonuses in mind, so its performance was, quite honestly, only a slight improvement from what she already had. It was a bit sad, really.

“This is fine, I daresay! I just didn’t want to be the only one left behind, stuck in old gear!”

“For Yammy, some carefully selected crab gear would probably be better,” Therese insisted. “You can totally swap.”

“You want to?” Alto asked with a mischievous grin.

“It’s all up to you, Yamikage,” I said, echoing his grin.

After all, Yamikage was one of the game’s strongest attackers. If she could have something made from easily obtainable materials—so easily obtained we could keep at it until we got the right bonuses—that would give her the best results.

“There’s no need to go that far! I daresay, I’d rather wear what I want rather than being left behind again, waiting for the next set of optimized gear!”

“Efficient gear is great and all, but using strange and unique stuff is fun too,” Tsumugi said.

“Yeah? Then go put on the Kappa Costume, Tsumugi,” I suggested.

“Rude! Well, I don’t mind using it for a gag, but we’ve got overlays now, right? If you really insist, I’ll go looking for one.”

You’re really okay with that? Though I guess with overlays, it doesn’t matter anymore. But Yamikage still put up a fight, you know.

“Hey... That costume series has some decent upgrade paths, all things considered. Don’t knock it ’til you try it. For instance, the Pekkle Costume has a few more paths it can go down—I’d be happy to try it if we have any takers.” Romina chose her words with care.

“By my estimate, it isn’t top-tier gear anymore, but it’s got good stats for what’s essentially joke gear. Going all in on that route isn’t necessarily a bad idea,” Alto backed her up.

“I just checked again, and I’m not sure if it fits your style, but there’s something called a Shinobi Kappa Costume. It’s presumably a job-oriented piece of kappa gear.”

“What sort of gear is it?”

“A mascot-style kappa suit dressed like a ninja. As for materials... Well, you’ll need to go hunt down a few more kappas. But it’s not just for that—I’m sure there are other kappa drops we can use for crafting.”

“And its specs?”

“Mainly evasion-focused. I know you like the ninja style, Yamikage, but since you’re more of a spellcaster, it doesn’t quite line up.”

The Demon Stringfish Ninja Garb that Yamikage was now wearing didn’t boost magic either—most of the pieces raised agility.

“Maybe I should borrow Yammy’s old gear and go full ninja myself—nin-nin,” Therese said.

“Sounds efficient.”

“I’ll be wearing gear still infused with all of Yammy’s warmth. Mmmm...”

Therese suddenly slipped into full-on creepy otaku mode. We all knew it was a joke, but Yamikage was clearly creeped out.

“Hey, don’t take it seriously, Yammy. If you don’t like it, I won’t.”

“You took it a little too far, Therese. Sorry, Yamikage.”

“Seriously!”

“F-Fine, I daresay...”

“Getting back on track—if we’re focusing on performance, then ninja gear isn’t really the right direction for you, Yammy.”

“That’s fine, I daresay! Performance is important to me, but I am not giving up this style, I daresay!”

“There’s not much we can do when your gauntlets and scroll are the only magic-oriented parts of your loadout. So, what do you want to do?”

“Anything but kappas, I daresay!”

Yamikage has it rough.

“By the way, if we were to factor in Kizuna’s Christmas Pekkle Hat alongside these enhanced Pekkle Costumes... You know what I’m getting at, right?”

In his pursuit of performance, Alto brought up the unspeakable.

“Yes, I can make a powered-up version of the now-outdated Pekkle Costume. Like the Kappa Costume, we even have job-based variations.”

“Like a Warrior Pekkle Costume, you mean?” I asked, and Romina nodded.

“It requires a top-tier shield as a material—and it needs to have seen heavy use, no less—but there’s even a Brave Pekkle Costume. It severely cuts attack power, but in terms of defense...it’s in a league of its own. If you combine that with the hat, your crew could become pretty much untouchable.”

“You heard her, bro. Let’s put in the order.”

Urgh... Tsumugi, are you not content with having Yamikage as our joke character? Is she not enough?! Try to imagine how it feels, being forced to wear a Santa Hat any time we’re not in battle!

“If we’re talking about party formation, we could also just have my brother as our tank,” said Tsumugi. “He can’t keep Brave Pekkle up forever, and he can’t parry everything like Shouko, but he can still learn how to block.”

“C’mon... I’m not built for combat... You can’t expect me to stack up to the frontliners.”

“Everyone already sees you guys as frontliners.”

Alto spouted some nonsense, but we were all just doing whatever we wanted. The only members of our party who were seriously optimizing their combat equipment were Shouko and Tsumugi.

I was just there for the fun of it.

“Now that I think about it, I guess we really are on the front lines, I daresay.”

“It doesn’t feel like that at all,” said Shouko.

“We’re kinda winging it,” Therese sighed. “And the enemies have been getting tougher lately. I’m aware we’re brute-forcing our way through most of it.”

That was just how tough the wetlands of Mikakage were.

Thinking about everyone in the party... We had Shouko, a tank-attacker hybrid who used her fan to parry attacks and draw aggro. Then there was Tsumugi, who spun her giant scythe around and dodged with pure reflex—a hyperaggressive close combat attacker. Yamikage was our magic-heal-support attacker who lived and died by the Drain while sometimes firing off other effective spells. Sheryl was our mid-range attacker who whittled foes down from a slightly safer distance. Just like Tsumugi, L’Arc was an experienced frontline attacker swinging around a massive scythe. And similar to me, Therese was a cook who recently got into crafting. She was also a magic-based attacker.

We’re...all attackers, huh.

Me? I was the one who gathered materials by dismantling monsters after everyone else defeated them. I fished to procure food and cooked... So my position was something like supporter-backpacker.

“That’s the kind of formation that would make serious coordinated parties point at you and yell.”

“Offense is the best defense!”

“We’re all crazy about firepower.”

“You’re really saying that, bro? Aren’t you the Pekkle Master, capable of summoning countless Pekkles so that you can operate as a one-man party?”

Ouch... It feels like there’s this big disconnect between how I see myself and how others see me. But I’m not gonna dwell on it.

Sure, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was covering for all our missing roles with Pekkles, but commanding Pekkles in battle was actually a lot of work.

“I mean, those Pekkles are just there for some support. Fighting in our current zone’s pretty tough for them, you know.”

The game wasn’t easy enough that you could win battles with support characters alone. Pekkles were pretty weak, especially compared to players.

Sure, Brave Pekkle could just barely fill the role of a tank, but even then, Chris’s damage output was way lower than Tsumugi’s. And that was with the Santa Hat buff taken into consideration too.

“I daresay, milord. Are you going to wear the costume?”

“Rejected. I don’t mind joke gear, but I don’t like it when it’s forced on me. I’ll equip it if I really have to.”

“Fair enough.”

“I just wanted you all to know it’s an option.”

“The fact we need a heavily used shield is already a roadblock.”

“If...it’s that good, maybe I could let you use my shield.”

And suddenly a bombshell was dropped, the mood completely destroyed. And it had come from my older sister, who’d stayed strangely quiet for so long. She was probably holding back because she was a newcomer.

“Weren’t you just thirsting for a cutlass?! Where’d this come from?!”

“I was just thinking about the best solution for the party. From what I can see, you’re nothing but DPS. Instead of turning me into another DPS, wouldn’t it be better to let Shouko focus on attacking?”

“Hmmm...”

“More importantly, think about the balance, Kizuna. What this party needs are a healer and a tank. If you want your attackers to deal damage more efficiently, you need to focus on support and healing.”

The only people we had who could step into healer roles were Yamikage and Therese, and even then, healing was just a small part of their damage-focused toolkits. No one else could even attempt it.

“But sis, don’t forget that bro, Shouko, and Yammy are all Spirits. If they just keep attacking, they’ll recover on their own.”

“You mean when their Intermediary Stones are taking a hit, right? But that’s not enough to turn a profit. That’s why I’ll be the tank instead. Romina, could you tell me what kind of specs this new equipment will have?”

“Umm, sure...”

Romina gave her a rough outline of the Brave Pekkle Costume’s effects.

“Good, the costume has Heal as one of its unique skills. That works out nicely. Romina, would you mind making one for me?”

Wait... It does? Come to think of it, Wrath Pengu was constantly healing up the Dark Filolial, so I can see it.

“But sis, didn’t you want to be an attacker?”

“If that’s what you think, Kizuna, then you should raise your shield skills and wear it.”

Gah! I dug my own grave! Sis’s retort is as brutal as ever.

“Our relaxed party was suddenly pulled tight the moment a new girl arrived.”

“Should we be concerned?”

Sending L’Arc and Therese a sidelong glance at their offhand comments, Kanade let out a weary sigh.

“At least, that’s what I’d like to say, but Kizuna, you won’t cut it. The headgear you have gives buffs that would make even top players drool when paired with the costume. But that said, you’re better fit to be an attacker. Not to mention, I’m the only one with the right skills to equip it.”

That kind of clarity was what I’d come to expect from her.

“Don’t worry. If I wear a good spiked shield with a reflection effect, I can still deal some decent damage while pulling aggro.”

So that’s the plan... She wants to be an attacker after all.

“I’m the newcomer here. I don’t have any gear I’m too attached to, so I’ll leave it up to you guys.”

“I daresay, you’re very decisive, Lady Kanade.”

She seemed to have something in mind.

And so, we had Romina make a set of equipment for my older sister too.

“By the way, where’s Sheryl?”

“She’s been holed up in the workshop doing something for a long while now. From what I could decipher, she plans to stay here and work while you’re off in the First and Second Cities.”

“Meaning there’s something here she wants to do.”

I guess she’s not too interested in the places she’s already visited. Rather than wasting time on that, she’d rather focus on what she’s neglected.

She was originally a shipwright who picked up some machinery skills—a crafting diver who could do some combat on the side. She had a lot on her plate.

As for me, I’d focused on Cal Mira’s quests, crab traps, and fishing before going off to hunt in Mikakage, so I hadn’t fallen behind on any skills. At most, I was a little slow with grinding out dismantling.

Well that wasn’t entirely true. I was still dismantling new fish at every turn, and I was taking apart the monsters the rest of the party defeated too.

In any case, the night passed with my sister as a new member of the party.

Chapter 9: Gibier Burgers

On the night it was decided that my older sister would be staying with us, I did some fossil cleaning in my room before going to bed. And, as morning came and as soon as I woke up, Kanade called me into the kitchen to cook with her.

Therese was already there and had started doing prep work.

“They weren’t joking... It’s nothing but seafood. What’s with this mountain of crab?”

“Well, you know...”

“No wonder everyone’s sick of it. I had more than enough crab yesterday, so I’m with them on that one. Today, I’m in the mood for something meaty.”

“Wouldn’t that be a bit heavy, first thing in the morning?”

“This is a game. Why would I care about stuff like that?”

Yeah, but it’s more of a vibe thing, right?

“Let’s see what you’re hiding in the castle pantry, and... Well, what do you know? You do have meat.”

“Yeah, the Pekkles hunt a little every day. Then there’s the stuff I get from dismantling monsters...”

“Okay, let’s stick with something nice and basic,” Therese chimed in. “A simple steak would work, but you’re aiming for a Cooperation Skill with Kizuna, right? Do you want me to join for a bit of practice?”

“A cooking Cooperation, huh? It just kinda kicks in automatically when I’m cooking with Therese.”

“It depends on skill level for the most part; with cooking, you obviously need someone with a high Culinary Art skill. It’ll be you, me, and Therese this time around.”

“I think the others have a little.”

They probably gained some cooking-related proficiency from processing all the crab.

“This group should be more than enough to activate it.”

“Brave Pekkle has high cooking skills too, for what it’s worth. There’s also a Pekkle in a chef’s hat that’s pretty good.”

“The quality usually drops whenever you have a Pekkle fill in for a role, but you’ve got that gear that boosts Pekkle abilities, so it might not be an issue.”

With a thud, Kanade slammed a slab of meat onto the cutting board and confidently pulled out a kitchen knife.

“I’ll start cooking. Kizuna, Therese...try to match my timing in the minigame.”

With that, Kanade activated her Culinary Art skill and entered minigame mode in front of the meat. I quickly followed suit with the word “Cooperation!” flashing across my field of view. I was automatically assigned a role in whatever my sister was trying to make.

She sliced up the large meat chunk with expert precision, then passed a portion to me... Looks like I’m supposed to mince it.

“Kizuna, don’t you dare cut corners and bring out a grinder. Do it properly with a knife.”

“I know, I know.”

The Magic Iron Hot Chef’s Knife seemed best suited to the task out of all the knives I had on hand. I took it out and focused on finely dicing the meat.

“Leave the onions to me,” Therese proclaimed. She began chopping them up finely before throwing them into a sauté pan.

Meanwhile, my sister cut the rest of the meat into other shapes and started giving instructions to Brave Pekkle and Chef-Hat Pekkle.

“All done.”

“Good. Keep it up.”

As I steadily worked away at the meat, Kanade took the finished mince, tossed it into a mixing bowl, cracked in some eggs, added salt and pepper, and began kneading the mixture. Brave Pekkle and Chef-Hat Pekkle stewed the meat she’d chopped up alongside some diced vegetables... There was no way meat chunks of that size could have cooked that fast in real life.

“I’ve got some premade roux here, so we can skip a few steps. Nice and game-like, wouldn’t you say, Kizuna?”

“Well, yeah...”

Kanade dropped what looked like instant roux into the pot that Brave Pekkle was tending to. With soy sauce and all the other seasonings you could buy in the game, it wasn’t too surprising that they had that sort of thing.

Judging by the smell, it’s not curry. But it’s still a deep brown... Maybe beef stew?

Once she’d finished kneading, she shaped her mix into oval patties, placed them in a heated frying pan, and flambéed them before covering to let them cook through. The pot of what looked like beef stew was divided into two, one of them just a base sauce without any of the solids.

“Kana’s really used to this. I’m surprised to see her customizing the recipe to this extent.”

“Well, yeah.”

She’s definitely modified it a lot. Her cooking skill must be...pretty high.

“If you’ve leveled your skill enough to cook like this, why were you stuffing yourself at the crab buffet?”

“Shut it! It was easier than cooking for myself, and I got to feel like I was living in luxury! Now you, just focus on the stew! Don’t take your eyes off of it. Try to sneak in anything weird, and I’ll kill you.”

Even as she yelled back at my complaint, her hands never stopped moving.

Erk... How did she know I was trying to throw fish into the pot?

“She saw right through you, Kizzy. You two are more in sync than we’ve ever been. You really are sisters.”

“Brother! I’m her brother!”

At least call us siblings! I know that “siblings” could include “sisters” too, but at least it’s accurate!

“Something smells good.”

“A good smell that’s not fish for once! My stomach’s already growling.”

“The previous meals weren’t bad, I daresay. But this difference in smell... I daresay, there’s a thrill to be had in not knowing what you’re going to be served.”

Drawn in by a non-fishy aroma, Shouko, Tsumugi, and Yamikage wandered into the castle’s dining hall. I took a quick peek and saw that Romina, Alto, and L’Arc were already there, waiting.

As for Sheryl...I guess she’s still holed up in the workshop. I’ll bring her a portion later.

“And we’re done. Kizuna, go bring it out.”

The dish was thumped down in front of me, its description popping up in my field of view.

High-Grade Demi-Glace Gibier Hamburg Steak +9

A masterfully crafted dish forged from wild meat by many skilled hands. The demi-glace sauce draws out the natural flavors of the ingredients and invigorates all who eat it.

60% HP Restored (Cooldown: 6 hours), Strength +120, Stamina +1000

With more cooks in the kitchen, we’d wound up with some decent meal effects.

“I also made some beef stew, so feel free to have some if you want. There’s both rice and bread; just take your pick.”

Chef-Hat Pekkle brought over trays of rice and bread, setting them out in front of everyone.

“I daresay, Lady Kanade, is your Culinary Art skill several times higher than your brother’s? Maybe ’twas the nonstop seafood, but I can hardly hold myself back from devouring it this instant.”

“Even I’m no match for the professionals. You should thank Kizuna, Therese, and the Pekkles who helped out.”

Personally, I felt more like an assistant than a cook when I was helping her out.

“Someone on Romina’s level could probably pull it off solo, but with Cooperation Skills, this level of quality is nothing. Now then—how about we dig in?”

“Yay!”

“Let’s dig in!”

“Amen.”

We all took our first bites of the finished dish.

Just as I suspected, it was far richer and far deeper than anything I could make on my own. The hamburg steak was overflowing with meat juices, and the demi-glace carried an endless depth of flavor. It was the kind of taste that could carry you through endless bowls of rice.

“Delish! I could eat this my whole life!” cried Tsumugi.

“It tastes quite nice,” Shouko conceded.

Everyone savored the food in their own way.

This is about on par with the dishes Brave Pekkle sometimes cooks up on a whim. Even the recovery amount and the buffs are top-notch.

But while everyone else seemed to be eating in a trance, Alto was silently, methodically working through his portion.

“You seem used to this, Alto.”

“It’s delicious. Not bad at all, if I’m being honest. I’ve been fed meals prepared by professional chefs before, and sometimes I pay to eat good food too.”

So he’s a gourmet now? When did that happen...? Is he going out on recon, maybe? Well, he’s putting a few chefs to work at the crab buffets, and maybe he’s scouting for new talent too. That sounds like the sort of thing an information broker would have to do.

“Most people can’t reach this level,” Alto conceded, “but it seems you and your team managed it, Kizuna.”

“We’ve got the numbers to pull it off.”

I did have confidence in my cooking, at least when it came to fish dishes.

“Well then, I suppose it’s time I start my work under Alto,” Kanade announced as the meal came to a close.

Hmm... As long as she’s made up her mind.

“Let’s see her off, shall we?”

“From here on, we are going to visit the hunting grounds around the First and Second Cities, I daresay.”

Just as Romina suggested seeing Kanade off, Yamikage chimed in with a firm reminder. You don’t want to get roped into crab processing that badly, huh?

“I know, I know.”

“Ah, sorry little lady. You mind if I split off and do my own thing for a bit?” L’Arc apologetically said.

What’s this? Wasn’t he going to tag along and watch my fishing just in case something interesting happened?

“Fine by me, but...does it have to do with yesterday’s thing?”

“Bingo. I’ll go off after we hit the First City. Therese, you can stick with Romina if you want to grind out your Craftwork.”

“Got it. Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

“Nah, I’m good. I’ll be back by the next Dimension Wave.”

It seemed L’Arc had some stuff to do at Aultcray’s behest.

“Ah, right, little lady, there’s a place you might want to check out. Something weird might happen if you do. You need to tell me all about it later.”

“Sure...”

“It’s in the Second City, the—”

L’Arc went on to describe a location in the Second City he wanted me to investigate. If he was that curious about it, we could have just waited until he got back to check it out, but...maybe he wanted it done sooner rather than later.

“I’ll be off, then.”

As L’Arc finished up his explanation, Kanade stood up.

“I’ll walk you to the port. Sheryl never showed up, huh?”

“She’s still making something in the workshop,” said Romina. “But, she’s at least eating the food we bring her.”

“Is she all right...?”

There was something off about the vibe Sheryl had been giving off lately. It made me worry about her health.

“Shipbuilding is her main profession, after all. She’s been slacking a bit lately, so I’d reckon she’s pushing herself to make up for it,” Romina reassured me.

There was only so much a single person could do...especially in an MMO. The fact she had Romina supporting her was really a lifesaver.

“I will fill Lady Sheryl in on the details, I daresay,” said Yamikage.

“You talk to her now and then, huh, Yammy?” Therese asked.

Of course, I had to remind her, “So do I...”

“That lady’s put a kind of restriction on herself,” said L’Arc. “Yamikage and me? We’re outside of that restriction, so we can still talk.”

So she’s got some self-imposed limitation? Is she really okay?

“Lady Sheryl said that she finds it very comforting to talk to you, milord. That even when you grow curious, you care enough to be considerate without overstepping.”

Did Yamikage and Sheryl always get along that well? Well, Yamikage did turn to her for help back when she was the Reaper, so it makes sense.

Thinking about it, Sheryl did speak some very fluent English sometimes... I had a vague idea of what her real-world situation was like. But it would be rude of me to dig into that.

The same went for me, Kanade, and Tsumugi—no one was asking us for our real names.

We chatted as we made our way to the harbor.

“Okay, Kizuna,” my sister gave me one final message as she stepped aboard the ship, “try searching for some more Cooperation Skills only you can pull off. I’m sure there’s something out there.”

“A Cooperation Skill for me, huh...”

It went without saying, but my specialty was fishing. Was there a fishing Cooperation Skill, perhaps?

Kanade had already shown me the gist of it, but it was impossible to activate a Cooperation Skill unless the icon popped up. It didn’t trigger when I was casting my rod with Shouko at a fishing spot.

It had to be different from the Fishing Combo we’d pulled off together—even if that was a kind of cooperation, in a sense.

Fishing...something we can all do together...crab traps.

Then, it hit me.

“Shouko, Yamikage, Ysumugi, L’Arc, and Therese...no, their skills are a bit lacking...”

Since Shouko enjoyed fishing with me, she had a higher skill level, while Yamikage and Tsumugi had raised theirs out of inevitability. Throwing in anyone with lower skill could mess it up, so I’d have to keep it down to those members. Add to that the Pekkles, who also had high fishing skills, and...if my hunch was right, it would surely work out.

“What is it?”

“I have a very bad feeling about this, I daresay.”

“My bro’s giving off some bad vibes again.”

“Oh? You thinking of something interesting?”

“I can’t wait to see what pops up.”

“I just thought of a way to trigger a Cooperation Skill. Help me test it out,” I proclaimed, getting on the ship after my big sister.

“Now this I’ve got to see.”

“I wonder what kind of skill they’re thinking of.”

Kanade and Alto responded like we were some sort of sideshow that had nothing to do with them. That left quite the impression on me.

Well, just watch. I’ve got a feeling this is going to work.

†

“Heave-ho! Heave-ho! Pull as hard as you can!”

We pulled in rhythm on two ropes stretched across the island shore.

One rope had me, Shouko, and some Pekkles. The other, Yamikage, Tsumugi, and again, some more Pekkles.

“Keep your breathing in sync!”

“Th-This is teamwork, I daresay... But I don’t want it!”

“Shut up and pull! This is the most efficient Cooperation we can pull off based on all our efforts so far.”

“I don’t want this kind of Cooperation Skill! I want something that actually helps out in combat!”

Yamikage and Tsumugi kept whining and protesting, but the way the word “Cooperation!” flashed across the screen confirmed it. This was correct.

“Ha ha ha! I knew you had it in you, little lady!”

“Yep! Just what I was hoping for!”

L’Arc and Therese watched us with hearty laughs.

“Looks like the Fishing Master is up to something again.”

“Kizzy and his friends being adorable again, I daresay.”

Someone who definitely wasn’t Yamikage was clearly feeling his heart warmed by this. Do you people find everything I do cute, no matter what it is?

“Rope pulling on the beach?”

“I think I’ve seen something like this on TV and in videos. What was it called again?”

The players on the island whispered as they watched us work, not that it mattered. Finishing this tug was our top priority.

“So this is what it feels like to work as one...” Shouko mused. “It feels different than when we were building the ship together.”

“Pretty much.”

“Also, isn’t this more of a trap Cooperation Skill than a fishing one?”

“Could be...”

You could call it fishing with traps.

Now, as for the kind of Cooperation Skill we were performing, it was a traditional coastal fishing method called seine fishing. Also known as jibaki-ami.

“Pennn! Pennn!” the Pekkles shouted as they pulled in the ropes.

This minigame played out as a test of timing. We had to pull in at just the right moment, doing whatever we could to keep in sync. In a way, it felt like a rhythm game.

When the timing lined up, we’d pull with all our might, and the net would gradually inch closer to shore.

“What are we even doing, I daresay? I hate how the system recognizes this as an actual activity more than the crab fishing.”

“There’s such a thing as too much depth,” Tsumugi grumbled. “This game is nuts!”

“Just shut up and help!”

Thanks to all the proficiency we got from the crab traps, this was the most efficient Cooperation Skill we could do.

Finally, and despite all of Yamikage and Tsumugi’s lament, we managed to complete this game of tug-of-war against the ocean. A “Minigame Complete!” message popped up as a sparkling visual effect played over the waves. The net breached the surface, revealing a massive catch.

Nice! The Cooperation Skill was a complete success! Time to see what we got.

With a plink sound, a flood of fish spilled out, some of which were beyond what I could catch with just a fishing line. The area was scattered with several that I didn’t recognize.

Sleep Flounder? Bomber Fish... Needle Flathead... Silver Grouper.

Quite the variety.

There were also items that looked like they could be sold for cash. There were gold and silver doubloons straight out of a sunken treasure trove, pipes...and empty cans too.

Oh, there were also a few Low-Tier King Scales, which usually came from dismantling lords. Maybe this Cooperation Skill was something like a pity mechanic for the players who couldn’t land the lords.

I’d need to do some more testing, but these were some crazy results.

“Looks like this nets you stuff you can’t get just from casting a net from a ship. There’s even some lord materials.”

Personally, I wanted to catch more weird fish.

“It’s one new find after the next.”

“So this is where you find that fish. I remember seeing a quest for them.”

Apparently, L’Arc and Therese had stumbled upon a quest-related find. They could take whatever they needed. They’d probably get more use out of them than I would.

“Man... I had my suspicions that you’d be able to come up with a strange one, Kizuna,” said Alto, “but this one’s beyond me.”

“Beyond all of us, I daresay. The fact we were all dragged into this is sad, I daresay.”

“Preach it!”

“Now, now. We did get quite the haul.”

“Yeah. I’m not saying it’s bad, but it’s a bit of a shame that it takes some of the charm out of fishing.”

I wanted to fish for the sake of fishing—I wasn’t trying to become a commercial fisherman. My goal was to reel in powerful, rare fish that I’d never seen before.

“But it’s convenient! No doubt about that! Everyone, let’s keep this up! We need to do a little more testing.”

But just as I tried to trigger it again, a cooldown timer popped into my field of view.

Six hours...

“Seems like we need to wait six hours before we can do it again.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard some noncombat Cooperation Skills have cooldown times.”

“Cooking Cooperation Skills have a way shorter timer. Why would they make this fishing one take six hours?” I complained.

“A balance thing, I guess. I mean, look at how much you get from just one attempt.”

“It’s a bit late for that, I daresay. They’re really talking about balancing after all those traps milord’s been stacking all over the place?”

“Preach it!”

Yamikage and Tsumugi were openly calling for some balance adjustment on my crab trap setup.

Don’t worry about it. That method only catches certain types of fish anyway. Plus, I get a lot of trash too.

“So that kind of Cooperation Skill exists. It’s...a fishing skill, right? Maybe we should get everyone together to try it next time.”

“Sounds fun. I don’t think it’ll trigger off Fishing Mastery alone. Maybe it has to do with handling ships?”

A few other players analyzed our actions from a distance.

To be specific, the main triggers were Fishing Mastery and Trapping Arts, but Helmsman Skill was also required.

Accomplishing something through a group effort like this really added a nice layer of depth.

“If we want to continue our experimentation, we should check what you can get in different locations.”

“Yeah. There’s a beach along the coast of the First City’s port, and one on the Mikakage-side coast too. You could probably do it on some of the smaller islands as well.”

Yamikage and Tsumugi were putting their hands over their ears, pretending not to hear me. But we’re still doing it if we have time.

After all, if we found any good materials, there was a high chance Romina would be able to make some fine gear out of them.

“Kizuna,” Shouko called out, “this Needle Flathead can be used as a throwing weapon. It has an attack value.”

“We managed to force a squid into a ballista once, but this one’s actually categorized as a weapon, huh?”

“I daresay, I could throw it like a kunai, then? I’ll admit it is sharp, but it feels ridiculous.”

“Seriously, sticking around my bro means we’re never short on joke weapons. I bet he’ll fish up a fish stuck frozen so hard we can use it as a blunt weapon. Mark my words.”

Tsumugi’s muttering caused a wry smile to spread across Shouko’s face. The fact that I could see it totally happening really spoke volumes about the game.

The kappa equipment was proof enough.

“Well then, Mr. Alto. Shall we go?”

Kanade, with one last side glance at our silliness, urged Alto to set off.

“Right. Then we’ll head out. Kizuna, you’re still planning to tour the old hunting grounds, right?”

“Yeah, to all the coastal ones for some more seine fishing.”

“Wrong, I daresay!”

Wow, that was one fast retort.

“Just kidding. It’s almost time for the next wave to hit, so we’re gonna prepare properly.”

Judging by the timing, it wouldn’t have been strange for it to come at any moment. Just as Shouko suggested a while back, we wanted to focus on powering ourselves up.

“Good to know. All right then, until we meet again.”

“See you, Kizuna. Don’t just fish all day. Make sure you do what you ought to.”

And with that, Kanade set off with Alto by ship.

“We have a new comrade, I daresay.”

“Yeah. Sis is going to be one of us.”

“You people...”

As Shouko let out a weary sigh at our party members’ schemes, we set off for the First City.

Chapter 10: Hunting Ground Go-Around

“It feels like it’s been a long while since we came to the First City.”

“Indeed. It feels like it was all ages ago.”

“That just shows how much has happened, I daresay. This place has calmed down quite a bit compared to when the game started.”

“It’s not a bad spot for a base. But yeah, a lot of people moved over to Cal Mira and Mikakage. Still, there are still a decent number of players around.”

Though it was easy to forget, Dimension Wave was part of the Second Life Project, where the main goal was to give players a chance to enjoy a second life. Exterminating monsters and growing stronger to clear the waves wasn’t the only goal.

You could also buy a house and live a comfortable life in town... In that sense, the First City of Lurolona—being the starting city for everyone—was a convenient place with all the facilities a player might need. There were probably a good number of players who continued to use it.

“Hey, bro. Didn’t you fish around here all the time?”

“I mean, fishing was the whole reason I started, after all.”

“I daresay, you were just fishing here from the moment the game started?”

“Well...for at least two weeks, yeah.”

“Talk about consistency. At first, I thought he was an NPC.”

L’Arc added a few more words than necessary. Right, that was around the time I first met him.

“So milord has been like that from the beginning.”

Ah, my good old fishing spot. The best place to catch herring. I wonder if the lord’s respawned.

“Your fan club used to fish here too.”

Urgh...well, thanks, Tsumugi. I definitely needed that reminder.

“What is your personal assessment of this fishing spot?” Shouko asked me.

“It’s the starting town, so it’s perfect for beginners. You’ll catch herring more often than not. And at night, you can reel in a lot of empty cans. Sure, you can catch those in a lot of other places too, but they’re more common here.”

“I have mixed feelings now that I know all that iron equipment everyone paid a fortune for was made from bro’s empty cans.”

“I did hear about that.”

From what I heard, Tsumugi and Kanade had both used empty can equipment for quite a while.

“How about you, Shouko? Yamikage? Did you ever use that iron equipment?”

“I did use an iron fan for a bit, but I quickly switched out of it.”

“As for me, I daresay I used a wooden staff.”

Well, Yamikage was a Drain ninja, so metal equipment probably wasn’t a priority for her.

“So, bro, do you feel like returning to your roots? Are you going to fish here again?”

“Umm... I’d prefer if we could visit the hunting grounds first,” Shouko proposed at Tsumugi’s suggestion.

“I’ve already fished up the lord here, and while there’s a chance I might hook another big one, my agreement with Shouko comes first.”

Did everyone think of me as a fool who went fishing regardless of time or place?

“And don’t forget I have my crab traps! I could even set them up right here!”

With a thud, a thud, and another thud, I stationed my replenished stock of crab traps along the port.

“That should cover a good chunk of the catchable fish here. I can check on the rest of the spawn table later.”

Back then, I didn’t have any good fishing gear. I couldn’t discard the possibility that I could reel in something even bigger than the Herring Lord now.

“By the way, I’ve been wondering, but is there any way to actually see what fish are in an area by diving?” asked Shouko.

“Well, free diving is a thing. It’s not impossible...”

Sheryl was our designated diver. Since I met the proficiency requirements, I could dive too to some extent. And, if I wore that Pekkle Costume, I’d probably have an easier time.

“But the available fish might change if you meet certain conditions.”

At the very least, we would have immediately known that Blue Shark was at the port if it had been there from the start. Something had to have triggered its spawn.

“I have no idea what’ll happen if I trigger a Fishing Combo either.”

“How very deep. So you’re assuming there are fish you cannot catch with crab traps?”

“Exactly. Well, we can check on that later.”

“You’re a man of your word, bro.”

“Then let’s head for the hunting grounds, I daresay.”

“Aight, I’ll be off.”

“Yeah, later, L’Arc.”

We parted ways with L’Arc just outside of the First City.

†

“We should focus on monsters we’ve never fought before, but where should we start?” Shouko brought up the question as soon as we entered the field.

“When you put it that way... Our mission’s pretty vague.”

“The field is a big place, I daresay.”

“Shouko, we have my brother, right? There’s something I should ask, just in case.”

What? What’s that supposed to mean? Something you have to ask because I’m here?

“Is there a problem? If I remember right, Kizuna said he had not left the First City except to visit the nearby coastal areas before we met...”

“Meaning...bro. Did you fight anything before you met Shouko?”

“I hunted some Common Wolves on the Raphania Plains, and since that worked out for me, I just kept going.”

“You showed up when I was fighting an Assault Goblin.”

Man, that takes me back.

“Hold on, I daresay. Milord... Don’t tell me you don’t know about Seebies?”

“Seebies? I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before, but... I don’t really know.”

“So that’s where we need to start, huh... I’m guessing you don’t know about Crawlers either.”

Tsumugi and Yamikage brought up the names of monsters I didn’t know.

“I daresay, we’ve fought Treants together before.”

“We met in the Forest of Everlasting Darkness.”

“So in short...yeah. It looks like my brother really doesn’t know any of the monsters around the First and Second Cities. Shouko, Yammy, we should start with Seebies.”

Is it just me, or am I the one who has to catch up? We’re just farming to break the Energy cap...

“Point taken, I daresay. That said, with our current mounts, we should be able to defeat the necessary numbers in no time.”

We now had the quick transportation option known as rideable pets. Searching for our target monsters was going to be a piece of cake. Surely.

“Hmm... Going to the Seeby Plains might be best. If you’re lucky, you can run into a boss spawn like a Lovely Seeby or an Angel Seeby.”

“What kind of strange name is that... I refuse to believe that field exists.”

“It’s a nickname, bro. The players are the ones who made it up.”

Ah... Yeah, online games often have those player-named areas.

“By the way, Crawlers can drop thread,” Yamikage explained. “You can use them to craft cloth, I daresay. Back then, no one knew what they were doing, so we all hunted Crawlers down endlessly.”

“And now?”

“On Cal Mira, we have shifted to plant-based cloth made through agriculture, I daresay. Crawler thread isn’t that good, performance-wise.”

This is all sounding pretty complicated.

“If you’re looking for thread, you can get some better stuff from Giant Spiders,” Tsumugi said. “Since we have my bro, we could aim to get a lot out of dismantling.”

Urp...dismantling spiders... I wonder if it’s like dismantling crabs. But I dunno, it feels kinda wrong to tear apart spiders for their threads.

“I got all of my gear from the drops in Spider Mountain. Kimono suit me best, after all,” Shouko added.

“Ah, right, the initial kimono drops were from that place. The kimono you lent him was from a mid-boss there, right?”

“Correct.”

Hmm...hearing about Shouko’s journey is pretty interesting. So the Powdersnow Haori she lent me came from there.

“Anyway, starting with the Seeby Plains is a safe bet. Let’s take down everything we can.”

With that, Tsumugi took the lead, mounting her dog and dashing off. We quickly followed behind, arriving at the plains soon after her.

“Everything from here on is the Seeby Plains, where you’ll find Seebies. Be sure to check everything carefully,” said Tsumugi.

“Check? Well, I see...something.”

I could see some boxlike creatures hopping around. Each box had “Seeby” written on it... Actually, they just looked like cardboard boxes.

“Seeby. C...B... Are they called Seebies because they’re cardboard?”

“It’s probably something like that,” Tsumugi haphazardly waved it off.

“How lazy...”

“They’re pretty much some of the weakest monsters in the game, down there with Common Wolves and Crawlers. They pretty much exist for beginner players to fight.”

“I-I see.”

I kept staring at the hopping Seebies.

Are they like the game’s mascot monster? If you ask me, the Pekkles look better...

“I’ve heard some players are crazy about Seebies, I daresay.”

“Yeah, I heard about that.” My sister nodded. “Some people collected the cardboard they dropped and made cardboard gear early on.”

“I daresay, they looked like the sort of thing a grade-schooler would throw together,” Yamikage mused nostalgically.

Shouko smiled, probably remembering the sight.

The moment I heard that, the image of a mysterious foreigner wearing cardboard boxes labeled with the name of a robot crossed my mind.

“I never saw anything like that,” I said.

“You won’t see any by the seaside, so maybe they’re limited to these inland areas? Anyway, you can meet most types of Seebies here. Now get out there and kill them—kill all of them.”

“G-Got it. Wait, just me? Will I be okay?”

“Bro...there’s absolutely no way you’re losing to a Seeby with your current gear. You could kill them just by touching them with a weapon. In your case, I think one hit with a lure will instantly strike them dead,” Tsumugi explained. The way she said it made it sound like even giving that explanation was a huge, unnecessary pain.

“It is so... Honestly, I daresay, you could defeat them just by running them over with your mount.”

“They’re that weak?”

I double-checked it with Shouko, who nodded.

“I am not a fan of meaningless slaughter, but since this is for your growth, Kizuna...please clear them out. It seems like there are almost no other players here, so it should be fine.”

“Did this place used to be lively?”

“You should have seen it. Back when I met you...it was one of the more popular places to be.”

“It’s all because of that Purple Seeby,” Tsumugi chimed in. “They were a nice, efficient hunt and had a super rare chance of dropping iron ore. Everyone was hunting them before you started selling ingots made from empty cans.”

A hunting ground with some history...it’s kind of bittersweet.

“Then let us split up and hunt to raise Kizuna’s kill count. Kizuna, once you’ve met the quota for all the Seebies here, please let me know.”

“Sure thing.”

Somehow, it felt like I was being carried. It was like everyone was here just to power-level me.

“Well... I think thirty minutes should be enough.”

We ran all over the so-called Seeby Plains.

My mount sprinted like the wind, holding me up with one hand as it...sent every Seeby in its path flying. Their little eyes turned into X’s as they were kicked, toppled, and shattered.

According to my party members, Seebies simply weren’t worth dismantling.

“Pen.”

Ah, I forgot I brought Brave Pekkle.

There were Seebies skillfully sinking their teeth into his head, arms, and back, but he seemed completely unfazed.

“Pennn!”

Brave Pekkle proceeded to toss two of the attacking Seebies into one another, causing them to take each other out.

That’s a weird gimmick he’s got there... For the time being, I put Brave Pekkle on standby since I didn’t really need him for now.

With that out of the way, I lightly dismantled one of each type of Seeby just to see what would happen, and I got some Seeby Shards and Seeby Skins. To be blunt, they all just looked like scraps of cardboard, and I could only imagine them being used to patch together other pieces of cardboard.

Romina later told me they could be used to make furniture like “Mikan Box Tables” and “Storage Boxes.” They were somewhat water-resistant, unlike real cardboard...but the durability left a lot to be desired.

I wandered around the Seeby Plains until...I spotted a massive heart-patterned Seeby. What’s more, it was surrounded by countless smaller ones... Like a boss and its add-ons.

Its name was...Lovely Seeby.

She said I could beat it easily...but can I really?

Just in case, I pulled out my Hakugei no Tachi and charged!

“Whoa!”

My mount leaped at the Lovely Seeby like the rabbit he was, and I took a great swing.

Swoosh! I’d taken out all its boxy minions, and with my second swing, I’d struck the Lovely Seeby.

Wham! The Hakugei no Tachi sank deep into its cardboard flesh.

“Cleaver!”

I could feel my foe was going to make a move, so I activated a Dismantling skill to land another hard blow.

Bang! The impact caused the Lovely Seeby to burst.

Did I hit it too hard? It looked like a boss, but it was pretty weak, I thought as its body—or rather, its face—slumped to the ground. I picked up the strawberry and the crystal that dropped nearby.

Items called a Short Strawberry and a Lovely Seeby’s Soul Crystal. They seemed to be boss drops. Just to be sure, I checked if I could dismantle what was left of the Lovely Seeby’s body.

Lovely Seeby Skin... It felt like a waste not to take it back with me.

Like that, I continued to hunt Seebies across the plains and eventually fulfilled the conditions for my next Energy cap limit break.

After thirty minutes, I returned to the meeting point.

“How was it, bro?”

Tsumugi had a feather-shaped ornament in her hair.

“Hmm? This? It’s a common drop from a Seeby boss. It was pretty popular early on because of the nice design.”

Evidently, she’d found a boss and promptly taken it down.

“You were right. I just had to run around to clear my quotas.”

“That should cover almost all of the Seeby variants. We defeated the mid-bosses too... Bro, you took down the Lovely Seeby, right?”

“Yeah, it was easy.”

“It was kinda strong at the start, but compared to us now, it’s nothing.”

“I got a Short Strawberry and a Lovely Seeby’s Soul Crystal.”

“They’re both decently rare. I think the Short Strawberry is a dessert ingredient? The Soul Crystals started dropping after the first update; apparently, they’re materials you can use to make Intermediary Stones for Spirits.”

“So it’s good for us, then.”

“Well, the stone you get here is pretty much just a collectible. Not that I know the details.”

Yeah...should’ve seen it coming.

Romina later told me the resultant Intermediary Stone was designed to lift up low-level players. The lower your Energy, the greater the buff it gave you. However, the buff capped out pretty low, making it mostly a joke item.

“Did you used to fight here too, Shouko?”

“I fought a little bit here, but it was too easy, so I quickly moved to the next location. Oh, but I did use a fan that dropped here for a while. It was from the Lovely Seeby.”

Shouko had a good sense for combat, after all. She didn’t stay long, but she used the fan for some time.

“What kind of fan?”

Shouko proceeded to pull out a folding fan with the word “LOVE” and heart marks spread out across the paper.

Lovely Royal Guard Fan... It was definitely a joke item. It could also be crafted from the Lovely Seeby Skin I got from dismantling.

It apparently inflicted a slight stun upon critical hit. That was definitely a bonus effect that a technical fighter like Shouko could make good use of.

“I wish I could’ve seen you back when you were using it.”

“Please stop. It’s quite embarrassing to think back on it.”

“Yeah, I get that. Hey, bro, do you think the fan could sell if we resold it to your fan club? A fan for the fans, looted by Kizzy himself! Or something like that.”

“Don’t drag me into this. I’m not Alto.”

Later on, I found out that the fan and haori made from the Lovely Seeby skin I took with me were indeed resold to the fan club.

That Merchant of Death will sell anything that sells! This isn’t an idol concert!

“Now that we’re done with the Seebies, let’s go after Crawlers. We’ll cover everything we can today!”

“You don’t have to be that hardcore.”

In fact, I was more curious about the fishing spots we’d skipped over...

“Yeah, yeah, just come along; our real goal is to boost up Shouko and Yamikage, right?”

Are you telling me not to drag them down? You’re the one dragging along the casual fisherman for this kind of hardcore routine.

But still, raising our Energy and our Mana would mean we could go to more places down the line. It was a good thing. The conditions to break through my current limits on Dismantling skills also required me to work through a larger variety of monsters as well.

Well...let’s just go along with it, I thought with a sigh as we literally raced our way across the beginner hunting grounds.

Since we were meeting the monster quotas as a party, I think we were moving pretty efficiently.

Chapter 11: Dark Salmon

After a bit of this and a little of that, we stopped by the Second City for a well-deserved break.

“Let’s see... This should be the place L’Arc told us about...”

We arrived in what looked like an old, run-down temple tucked away in a corner with barely any NPCs. There, we began searching for the curiosity L’Arc had told us about: Apparently, there were some strange symbols written on the temple wall that an NPC could read out to you.

“I did not know there was a place like this, I daresay,” noted Yamikage.

“Yeah,” said Tsumugi, “I stayed in the Second City for a while, but I had no idea this was here.”

“L’Arc and Therese do enjoy searching for various quests, so I’m sure they combed through every nook and cranny of the city,” said Shouko.

“It’s honestly impressive, that sort of— Oh, there it is.”

An old man NPC was propping himself up with a cane in front of some text scrawled across a wall.

“Umm...” I called out to the NPC.

Incidentally, one way to distinguish NPCs from players was that they’d always respond the same way no matter how you tried speaking to them. The Pekkles reacted to specific keywords, but generally speaking, a conversation with a Pekkle would always be incoherent.

“Oho... Interested in the inscription, are you? Long, long ago, before the Second City even existed, a missionary from Sen erected this temple, you see...”

“I-Is that so?”

“Supposedly, it was even before the waves of long ago... You can truly feel the weight of history, standing here.”

With that, the old man turned to face the letters and the mural behind them.

“Sen?”

“It seems to be the name of a place, I daresay.”

Then, the old man turned back. “Oh? You... You seem to know of the ancient heroes. Perhaps...you may be able to receive their message.”

“Sounds like we triggered something.”

“If you can defeat the souls of those who once served them...they may just lend you their power.”

As the old man muttered those words, the writing on the wall let off a faint light, and behind them...an image of what looked like a lizard surfaced for a brief moment before fading away.

“Umm...what?”

“Oho... Interested in the inscription, are you? Long, long ago, before the Second City even existed, a missionary from Sen erected this temple, you see...”

“No, we already heard that.”

Is this really where the dialogue loops?

“Judging by the dialogue, I daresay this might be related to Brave Pekkle.”

“Agreed,” I sighed. “But...it’s not like a quest popped up.”

“This kind of aimless quest hunting can be such a pain sometimes,” my sister groaned.

“I think it’s enough that L’Arc found a hint for us,” Shouko added.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “Better than nothing. I see—the dialogue must have changed a bit because we were the ones initiating it. I’ll report it to L’Arc later.”

“Indeed,” said Shouko. “So... We were given a hint, but...”

“It looked like a lizard, I daresay. No, perhaps a lizardman?”

“Did something happen between Brave Pekkle and a lizardman in the past?”

“Sounds like it. Which means we’ll need to find some sort of quest or trigger or something... Where can we find lizardmen again?”

“When it comes to lizardmen, there’s only that place, right?”

“Indeed.”

Shouko nodded at Tsumugi’s statement. I had a pretty good idea of where to find them too.

“How about we head out after nightfall?”

“Sure. We were planning to go there anyway, so it works out nicely.”

“Let’s go!”

And so, we once again found ourselves at the Forest of Everlasting Darkness, a place only accessible after dark.

“The Forest of Everlasting Darkness... This is where I met you and Lady Shouko, milord. Oh, the memories, I daresay.”

Right, this is where we first met her. A solo ninja with a Drain-focused build... I honestly admired the dedication.

“So we’re looking for something that might trigger a quest, right?”

“Tsumugi. You’re forgetting something important.”

“What’s up, bro?”

“There’s also a fishing spot here.”

My sister’s shoulders dropped in disappointment.

“Well, it was expected that Kizuna would want to fish here.”

“Yeah, it’s on brand. You’re being on brand, bro.”

“It’s night already, so after we give the place a good once-over, you can all head back to the inn if you want. I’ll be doing my own thing.”

With my current strength, even the monsters here are no match for me. Even if I have to brute-force it, I can still win.

“Do you think we’ll run into another Dark Knight Lizardman?”

“This place isn’t really a popular hunting ground anymore. Unless someone’s here for some specific drops or dismantlings, I doubt anyone’s camping it.”

“I daresay, is the equipment that good?”

“It used to be worth hunting for, but now there’s better stuff available, so...who knows?”

“So the chances of running into a boss are high.”

“I want to beat it fair and square this time.”

“We cheesed it pretty hard, I daresay.”

“You did?”

Shouko and Yamikage told Tsumugi about how we’d fought the Dark Knight Lizardman last time—how we’d gotten it stuck in the entrance of a cave and picked it off from a distance.

“Wow... How should I put this... You really exploited the system, huh? The boss was pretty strong at that point. I’m surprised you managed to trap it like that.”

“Well...yeah.”

“I’d reckon we could beat it pretty easily now. Still, we shouldn’t let our guard down.”

“I think Shouko already told me a long time ago, but how did people properly take it down back when this place was popular?”

“There were some fights over kill rights, but pure numbers usually did the trick. It was one of those bosses where managing aggro wasn’t too hard.”

So Tsumugi has the same impression as Shouko.

“With the gear from back then, anyone could narrowly survive two or three hits, so we’d just heal someone as soon as they were hit. Of course, having a tank would change things.”

“And, by the time we arrived, it had already fallen out of favor...”

“Indeed.”

“To be honest, it’s become one of the easier bosses. The drops aren’t that enticing either.”

We’d technically already defeated the boss and registered it. But we’d won using a pretty underhanded method, so I wanted to do it properly. It was a matter of respect.

“Then let’s be off.”

“Yeah, we’re going in from the front.”

“That sounds good.”

If memory served, the Dark Knight Lizardman was a gargantuan boss that we’d managed to get stuck on the entrance of a cave. Given the monster’s massive size, my best weapon would be the Hakugei no Tachi...the best blade for boss fights in general.

Our memories led us deeper and deeper into the forest as we cut down monsters in our path in our search for the Dark Knight Lizardman.

“Ah, there it is,” Shouko said after some time.

The boom of its steps filled the air. The ground shook under the weight of the same Dark Knight Lizardman that we’d encountered when Yamikage had been fleeing for her life. Now it prowled without a care, knowing it owned the place.

“Let’s beat it down,” I declared. “Tsumugi, you can sit this one out. We’re here to settle the score.”

“Huh?!”

“Tsumugi. Please, oblige just this once. I completely understand how Kizuna feels.”

“As do I. I daresay, this is something we must see through.”

“You people get serious about the weirdest things,” Tsumugi said.

Yeah, yeah.

We closed in on the Dark Knight Lizardman and got into formation. At the front, of course, was Shouko; her role was to keep the boss’s attention while parrying its strikes.

“Drain, I daresay!”

Yamikage’s Drain hit head-on, leeching away a good chunk of its HP.

But even though it was a relic of the game’s early days, it was still a field boss with a massive HP pool. Despite taking a solid hit from Yamikage, it didn’t even flinch. If our ninja took too much aggro, the boss would start targeting her, so we had to be careful.

“Hah! Circle Dance Zero Formation: Snow Moon Flower!”

Shouko unleashed her signature Snow Moon Flower, racking up some aggro and drawing attention back to her. With a flurry of rapid strikes, she struck and struck at the monster’s tough hide... That alone surely took out a solid chunk of HP.

“It took, what, thirty minutes to take it down last time?”

“I daresay, there wasn’t much we could do with just the three of us.”

“You guys were really pushing yourselves, huh?”

“You could say that.”

And I began charging up my Blood Flower.

I wanted to make each strike hit as hard as physically possible...to unleash everything I had and to prove how far I’d come since then. While Shouko and Yamikage kept up a steady offense and whittled it down, I heard the tink of my charge maxing out. Holding the Hakugei no Tachi aloft, I unleashed the move.

“Here I come! Blood Flower!”

There was a meaty, satisfying sound and sensation. And in the next moment, I was standing behind the Dark Knight Lizardman. This was accompanied by a flashy burst of blood—purely for dramatic visual effect—as though the boss had been sliced apart.

“Whoa!”

Thud! The Dark Knight Lizardman collapsed, scattering dismantling materials all across the ground. It seemed my Blood Flower had been the finishing blow.

“It’s hard to believe we struggled so much back then,” remarked Shouko. “This proves how far we’ve come.”

“Right... I wonder if it dropped anything good.”

Most of what I can see are the same dismantling drops we got last time. Still, maybe something rare is mixed in? Darkness Fragment, Dark Lance Shard...yeah, we got those before.

“There are...spear materials or something, right? They’re probably outdated by now.”

“They still have some use, for what it’s worth,” Tsumugi said. “They just stopped farming here because there are other monsters that drop them more efficiently.”

Huh... So they’re not completely useless.

“Wait... The Dark Knight Lizardman materials are...reacting to something...?”

When I shoved them into my inventory, I noticed the icons behaving strangely, giving off a faint response. What’s going on here?

When I checked, they seemed to be reacting to Brave Pekkle.

“C’mon Brave Pekkle.”

“Pennn!”

So I went and called him up.

“What’s going on?” asked Shouko.

“The materials seem to be pointing toward Brave Pekkle, so I wanted to see if this did something.”

“Is it something unique to you, bro?”

“Who knows? Umm... Let’s just try handing them over for now...”

I selected a few items from my inventory to give as a gift to Brave Pekkle.

Brave Pekkle has learned Lizard Axe!

“Come forth, pen!”

With that message, Brave Pekkle raised his shield high and let out a cry.

Spinning round and round in the air, a brightly colored, miniature axe-toting version of the Dark Knight Lizardman manifested before slamming into the ground and dispersing into mist.

“Did Brave Pekkle just learn a new attack?”

“Looks like it. It’s something he does on his own, so I can’t use it directly, but it looks like he can summon a helper in battle. He used to be purely defensive, and now he can do some damage.”

It reminded me of when Wrath Pengu summoned that Dark Filolial monster to aid it in battle.

“You unlocked quite an unexpected skill.”

“Yeah. Or...is this the answer to the hint we saw at the temple?”

“It’s possible, I daresay.”

“Could there be other ones?”

“There’s apparently a record of Brave Pekkle in Cal Mira’s library. We might find some more clues there.”

At least, Alto had mentioned something about that, and I had no reason to doubt him there. There’s that red-haired doll to consider too. I should really go take a look.

“You still have more Dark Knight Lizardman materials, right? Maybe we can use one of them to craft another Brave Pekkle accessory.”

So far, he’d always walked around with the Raph Plush accessory, but who’s to say there weren’t any alternative upgrades he could get?

“I daresay, I wouldn’t be surprised if that plush is the only one, though.”

“It’s definitely top-tier, to say the least.”

“What an unexpected discovery.”

“In a sense, it’s the kind of discovery you can only get with my brother!”

“It’s the perks of being the island lord! Now then, let’s go track down the forest spring!”

I already know there are Dark Bass here. Time to fish one up!

“Say, do any of you remember where the water source is around here?”

“I believe it is this way, I daresay.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“This way, bro. I guess taking down a boss and guiding you to a fishing spot is enough for one night.”

“I should remind everyone that the forest is only accessible at night, though.”

I didn’t need to be reminded of that. The last time I came here, I ended up bonding with Yamikage and heading back to an inn in the Second City right after. This time, I came with a different purpose.

And so, we arrived at a spring deep within the Forest of Everlasting Darkness.

If you weren’t actively looking for it, you’d never guess there’d be a spring in a place like this.

“Well then, Kizuna. Are you going to start fishing right away?”

“Course I am! Now that I know the spot, and now that I’m strong enough to handle any monsters that might show up, I’ll get right to it. You guys can keep going without me.”

“Rather than keep going... I’m going to return to the Second City inn to sleep, I daresay.”

“Yeah, same. We just stopped here for a quick look, and it’s a good time to sleep. We already went through a lot of hunting spots today.”

“Shall I keep you company?”

Oh? She’s joining me again? That’s kinda nice.

“If I don’t stay, you’ll end up fishing all night. Won’t you, Kizuna? You’re after the Dark Bass Lord, correct? And you’ll be here until it bites.”

You know me too well. Once I decide I’m catching something, I’m a man who’ll see it through.

“We have done a lot today. There’s still tomorrow, so let’s keep it in moderation. We can always come back when we have the time,” Shouko suggested.

“A time-gated event, huh...”

“Please think of it that way.”

“In that way, I might as well turn up my focus and use my Fever Lure to make the most of it.”

Shouko nodded at the suggestion.

“That sounds like a good approach.”

“Got it.”

“We’ll be heading back, then!” Tsumugi said. “Yammy, what are you doing after this?”

“I shall dine at that nostalgic tavern, I daresay.”

“Ah, the one you took us to when bro was missing? I remember it.”

Yamikage and Tsumugi chatted back and forth as they disappeared into the woods.

“Time is short, but let’s make it count.”

“On it.”

I began preparing my Fever Lure as Shouko took out her rod.

“Kizuna, what kind of setup would you recommend for this spring? Should we go with the same setup we used in the pond at Cal Mira?”

“Hmm...”

“Oh, and Kizuna. Are you not going to set any crab traps here?”

“Now that you mention it...”

I couldn’t believe that—after setting crab traps at every single fishing spot we’d stopped by—I’d almost forgotten to set them here.

I pulled out a crab trap and tossed it into the water with a satisfying plunk. Watching it sink into the still waters, I suddenly remembered a certain fairy tale.

“You know, if a lady suddenly popped out and asked, ‘Was the crab trap you dropped a gold one or a silver one?’ I’d probably just panic.”

I’d have to tell her, “I was just setting your average everyday traps,” but the mental image of it all was just too surreal.

“That is the usual story when it comes to springs, but wasn’t there another legend? One where that sacred sword was gifted by the fairy of the spring?”

“Oh, yep...but honestly, I’d hate to find some legendary holy sword in a spring surrounded by all these dark monsters.”

I mean, the lord I’m fishing for is literally called Dark Bass. I know I won’t be the first one to find it, but I just want to fish it, plain and simple.

“Sure enough... I could see us fishing up a cursed sword, then.”

“Don’t jinx it.”

I just felt a chill... Don’t say that in a game chock-full of weird events. Like, what if some kind of dark fairy shows up and puts some cursed equipment on me that I can’t take off? No thanks.

“No, wait. Someone’s already caught the lord here; any events here have probably been triggered already.”

“I don’t think anyone has reached your level of fishing technique yet, Kizuna. And more pressingly, many strange events have to do with you being the island lord.”

I...can’t deny that!

I was a self-proclaimed and widely recognized fishing maniac, and maybe that was what was drawing all these strange events to me.

“Honestly...it might be best if we just returned without fishing. But if I want to grow, I need to get some results.”

To rank up my fishing skills, I needed variety, not quantity. I needed to reel in some new species.

“Shouko, I get wanting to joke about it, but let’s seriously think about our tackle setup.”

“Point taken. So, what would you recommend, Kizuna?”

“The fish we’re after is called a Dark Bass, but it’s probably better to think of it like a dark-attribute carp. Instead of lures, let’s go with a hook and bait—something like dough or bread should work.”

I’d done some research at the aquarium’s reference room and from prepping for carp fishing before I’d even entered the game.

“I’ll handle the rigging for now. Just do what you always do—drop your line.”

“Understood. I’ll leave it to you.”

“You got it.”

But really, it was as simple as putting some dough bait on a hook.

“That’s quite a straightforward setup compared to using lures.”

“Yeah, it’s basically the same as normal carp fishing. With carp, the tricky part is actually hooking them; they’re surprisingly good at nibbling without biting, so the timing is important.”

“Understood.”

“At our skill level, we should still be able to snag any fish that isn’t especially cautious.”

“Then let’s give it a try.”

With that, we both cast our lines into the spring and waited for something to bite.

“So the goal is the Dark Bass, but...just from the name, doesn’t it sound like a black bass?”

“Yes, you have a point. You checked to see what kind of fish it was beforehand, didn’t you?”

“At the aquarium, yeah. Well, just the lord, not the common one, but... Judging by appearances, it was more of a black carp. The mouth was way smaller than a black bass, so it’s got to be a different species.”

It was basically a black carp fish...although those did already exist in real life. This one just took it further and gave it a dark attribute.

“Ah, I got a bite,” Shouko called out as her rod gave a sharp bend.

A hit before I even used Fever Lure? Is this place just that generous?

“It is putting up a fight. Hah!”

With a splash, Shouko easily pulled up her catch—a jet-black carp cloaked in shadowy energy. It wasn’t just the color; the thing quite literally radiated darkness.

This screams “Do not eat me...”

“Was it on the easier side?”

“It seems that way.”

“It might fill the same role as the First City’s herrings, then.”

“Are you going to dismantle it?”

“Sure am. Let’s see what else we can pull up first, though.”

I activated my Fever Lure, cast it into the spring, and—instant hit!

It was super convenient not needing to think about my bait or setup, and because of that, I didn’t want to overuse it. Just like that, I managed to reel in a Dark Bass of my own.

“Let’s keep reeling them in! You never know what kind of fish could bite next.”

Shouko and I cast our lines again. After a while, we’d hauled in another three Dark Bass.

“I caught my first one right away, but it doesn’t seem like the bite rate is that exceptionally high here.”

Compared to me using the Fever Lure, Shouko’s bites were clearly slower.

“Yeah, I’d imagine this place is more for catching unusual ones rather than getting massive hauls.”

Halfway through that sentence, I pulled in a Bone Fish.

This thing shows up everywhere. It’s like it doesn’t even have a set region...maybe because it’s just fish bones?

There was nothing to eat and nothing to dismantle. The fish was essentially a dud.

“Ah, I got one—a Bone Fish.”

Shouko sounded a little disappointed.

“I guess that’s just how it is, being so close to the First City.”

“I would imagine so.”

But the next thing that struck was a fish unfamiliar to me. I managed to pull in a Shadow Dace.

Dace? Aren’t those river fish?

“Oh, it looks like you can catch regular koi and dace here too.”

I casually reeled in a few more. The fish just kept on biting.

There’s a wider variety than I expected.

And of course, there was a fair bit of trash mixed in—stuff I hadn’t seen in a while like empty cans and whatnot.

“I got an empty can! Ah... I haven’t seen this design before.”

“So even empty cans come in different varieties?”

“Yeah, have a look at this... It’s sweet red bean soup.”

Shouko stared at the can, clearly unimpressed.

“They put a lot of attention into the little details.”

“That’s the fun of it. Oh? Got a catfish. I guess they can live in springs.”

Even though it was called a spring, it probably fell under the game’s pond category.

“And...got some moss too. This one’s called Jet-Black Moss.”

“It’s just as dark as the Dark Bass. I wonder if there’s anything we can use them for?”

“Maybe compounding, enchantments, or dyes? I could see it.”

“I see. Like condensing down the power of darkness.”

“Something like that. Yamikage would love it.”

“She would. We should ask Romina if any of it could be used for her gear. Maybe it can work if we process it right.”

“Sounds like a plan. Best case, we can refine it into some higher-tier materials.”

That kind of system was pretty common in games. Even low-tier starting materials could become components for high-tier tools or elemental equipment when properly processed.

“Alto mentioned he’d memorized a bunch of compounding recipes. We should bring these to him.”

“That sounds nice. It’s good that Alto knows a lot more than just how to count money.”

“Eh, I’m not so sure... I can still picture him bargaining day in and day out. He’s good at appraising things, though. I remember him throwing a Molotov once.”

Now that I’m thinking about it...do any of us actually know what Alto’s full skill set is like? Well, whatever. We should ask him if there’s any way to use the stuff we fish up here.

As I fished more and more, I was reminded of all the hunting we’d done earlier in the day. There was hardly any resistance, and I probably had my high Energy and upgraded gear to blame.

Had it all become a bore, or was this a good time to rejoice at my own growth? In any case, I’d need to search for a fishing spot that would prove to be more of a challenge.

I kept fishing until I’d successfully met the quota to register the Dark Bass and all the other catches in my log. But I wasn’t about to waste the rest of my Fever Lure. I kept casting.

“C’mon, lord! I know you’re out there!”

Silently, I prayed that the respawn cooldown for the Dark Bass Lord had expired.

“I wonder what kind of fish we’ll catch here if we trigger a Fishing Combo...”

Right as Shouko said that, a Dark Bass jumped out of the water, and—following right behind it, a Darkness Lizardman burst from beneath the surface and snapped at it.

“Speak of the devil...”

I activated my Electric Shock to electrocute the lizardman and pull it closer.

“A lizardman...is it treated like a gator here?”

“You might be onto something.”

Fishing Combos were a newer addition, and maybe that was why that one was actually putting up a good fight.

“Pole Fishing!”

With a splash, I managed to yank the Darkness Lizardman straight out of the water. It flopped on the bank, still fighting back in whatever way it could in a desperate bid to stay alive. But it was all for show. The fish was already caught.

“This looks rather messed up.”

“You’re not wrong. Just imagine if we chained another combo... Would a Dark Knight Lizardman chomp it next?”

“If Yamikage were here, she’d be crying out about how surreal this is.”

“And thank god Tsumugi, L’Arc, and Therese aren’t here either. They’d be laughing their heads off.”

It was quite a laughable situation, after all.

“It’s very curious that we’re catching Darkness Lizardmen like this.”

“If the game says they count as fish, we shouldn’t question it. Just think of it as reeling in alligators.”

When I dismantled the Darkness Lizardman I caught, I ended up with a material labeled Darkness Lizardman’s Soul.

“I got a soul material. What’s up with this?”

“It’s another way to enhance Spirits. Aside from raising the Energy cap, you can also grow stronger by absorbing souls into your Intermediary Stone to enhance it. I’m assuming you got it as an item since you didn’t technically defeat it in battle.”

“Hmm... I guess I’ve just been ignoring that system.”

I checked my Intermediary Stone and... Ah, it has a bunch of souls from the monsters I’ve defeated stored up.

I’d been putting it off without properly checking it so far, but it really was a whole mechanic I’d just been overlooking this whole time.

“Honestly, have you been playing for this long without realizing?”

“Well, fishing is my main— Wait, lord souls get registered too?”

Apparently, all the lords I fished up after the update had been added to the long list of souls. I’d never even noticed. I was able to manually select whichever soul I wanted to equip to determine the bonus effects I’d get.

“You never know what kind of obvious features you’re overlooking,” I said.

“We’ve been brute-forcing our way through everything, after all. You didn’t truly need to know.”

While we were chatting, I felt a sudden jolt. My rod snapped down with a force greater than anything I’d experienced at the spring.

“Aight! We’ve got a big one! This has to be the Dark Bass Lord! Let’s go!”

Water was spraying all over the place, a far cry from the spring’s usual calm.

I put to work all my fishing experience and the strength of my gear, tilting the rod to match my foe’s every move...all while spinning the reel.

“Take this!”

And of course, I activated the Electric Shock on the rod, sending a charge through the line, and suddenly it burst from the water. But...the black silhouette clearly didn’t belong to the Dark Bass Lord.

“What was that, just now?”

“Umm, it looked like a fish to me, Kizuna. Is something wrong?”

“Yeah. That wasn’t the lord I saw at the aquarium. We hooked something completely different.”

“A new discovery, then. My heart is racing already.”

“Same.”

Excitedly, I continued my back-and-forth with the fish.

The shock did some damage, but it wasn’t enough to finish the job.

This one’s a tough nut to crack... I challenged it thinking it was the lord, but...this requires full concentration.

It was way more difficult than I expected...

“Judging from that dark shadow, it’s definitely dark-attribute... Now, how can I fish this thing?”

Do I have any other options... Wait, Trapping Arts!

“Eat this!”

Using a trapping skill, I generated a net and set it in the spring—right in the direction the lord seemed likely to flee. Then came the thrashing. It was tangled, its movements visibly slower than before.

Nice! That worked! Cutting off its escape routes was the right move. Now, we just need to attack and weaken it.

“Shouko, help me whittle it down.”

“Very well, let’s do this.”

She set her aim and began attacking the struggling lord. It continued thrashing and splashing at the surface, putting up a fierce resistance... Boy, was it tough. From the feeling in my hands, this was no ordinary fish. If my fishing skills or my gear had been lacking, I would have lost it in an instant.

Eventually, after wearing it down a long while, I gave the rod one final, strong pull.

“Pole Fishing!”

I yanked it out with a splash, leaving it flopping on land.

“Just as I thought, it’s not the Dark Bass Lord. Heck...it’s not even a lord.”

I couldn’t help but be shocked by just how hard it was to fish up. I couldn’t help but stare in a daze at the fish I’d caught: the Dark Salmon.

“A...salmon?”

“I think so. It’s my first salmon, but...”

What was this feeling? It was one of the fish I wanted to reel in eventually, sure—but rather than this quirky fish unique to the game, part of me just wanted to land a real, good, and honest salmon.

Actually, I couldn’t even come to terms with the fact I’d caught it in a spring like this. I should just treat this as something completely different. After all, salmon come in all sorts of varieties, like how Japanese salmon and king salmon are different.

“Let’s not count this as the salmon I wanted.”

“So...what kind of fish is it? Is it edible?”

“Seems like it, for what it’s worth, but the darkness is strong with this one. If we made a hot pot with this, it’d turn into a literal dark hot pot.”

I hadn’t dismantled it yet. Instead, I decided to stuff it into my inventory to show it off to the others first.

“It feels like Yamikage will end up as the butt of the joke again.”

Sure enough...from her perspective, perhaps even this looked like a delicacy.

“This place really slaps that dark theme on everything, huh? We even met Yamikage here.”

“Indeed. That said, I can’t afford to get distracted and fall behind,” Shouko said.

“Now, we know that this weird fish was added, but...we don’t know if a new lord was added too, so let’s keep at it.”

“New content is added with every Dimension Wave Event. Even if it isn’t here now, there is a chance there will be one eventually.”

“True. Or maybe...there’s another dark-themed fishing spot somewhere out there.”

“I can see it.”

We chuckled at the thought and kept casting our lines. The plan was to keep at it until my Fever Lure wore off.

“By the way, Shouko. If salmon’s not farm-raised, you can get food poisoning from eating it raw. Did you know that?”

“Really? I didn’t. How does that work in this game?”

“In general, if you don’t properly prepare river fish, you get afflicted with poison.”

“So they replicated that part of it.”

“Yeah...but seriously, I can’t seem to catch a second Dark Salmon.”

“The encounter rate for Dark Salmon seems quite low.”

Even with my Fever Lure causing a feeding frenzy with nonstop bites, I was mostly getting Dark Bass, Shadow Dace, and Bone Fish.

“Ah.”

And suddenly, Shouko’s rod dipped.

“A big one?”

“Looks like it. I’ll give it my best.”

I could hear the grating whirring of her reel as she entered combat just as I’d taught her.

Yeah. She’s got it down. Her movements are precise, and her skill’s gone up for sure—not just in-game skill, but actual player technique too.

The fish tugged and thrashed, but the resistance itself didn’t seem all that strong.

“I’ll pitch in!”

I set another net to restrict it and called out Chris to attack.

What about attacking with a lure? No can do. With Fever Lure active, I’ll hook something the moment my rigging hits the water, so it’ll be useless.

“Here I come! Haaaah!”

The fish launched out of the water, landing on the nearby shore.

“Bingo. Looks like you beat me, Shouko...”

I checked its name just to be sure—and sure enough, Shouko had landed the Dark Bass Lord.

“I did it! I know I had your assistance, Kizuna, but that was easier than I thought.”

“That’s how luck works sometimes. Even if I’ve got a lure that makes everything bite, there’s no guaranteeing it. With that in mind, I’d say you’ve got some stellar fishing luck, Shouko.”

You couldn’t force lord encounters. The RNG was the devil to some, but others saw it as the real heart of the experience. And the fact that my comrade realized the joy of fishing and landed a lord right before my eyes? That was something worth celebrating.

Competition wasn’t all about kicking each other down.

“After my last defeat, I thought this one would be a lot harder.”

“You’ve got experience and better gear, and to be honest, this is still an early-game fishing spot. Even after the updates, this lord eventually wound up as one of the easier ones.”

“I see. So that’s what makes it worth traveling from place to place.”

“That’s right. Anyway...this calls for a photo. Shouko, hold up that Dark Bass Lord and give me a victory peace sign!”

“Do I have to?”

“Of course you do.”

“It’s a little embarrassing, but...understood. Just promise me that you will do the same pose the next time you take down a boss in combat.”

Somehow, Shouko set a strange new rule in place.

Unfortunately for her, she and the others were the ones doing all the heavy lifting in boss battles, so I rarely got the chance to shine. You won’t be able to get back at me for this one, bwa ha ha ha! Behold my complete incompetence!

And just like that, I snapped my commemorative picture of Shouko with her Dark Bass Lord.

“Should we take it back and show it off to everyone?” I offered.

“No... I’d prefer it if you dismantled it here. It’s a little embarrassing to make a big deal out of it.”

“You sure? Even though you’re the one who caught it?”

“It’s fine.”

Hmm... Is something bothering her?

Anyway, I went ahead and dismantled the Dark Bass Lord, only to find that the materials weren’t too different from the Herring Lord... They were mainly “Low-Tier King” stuff. Only two items set it apart: Shadow Carp Liver and Shadow Carp Mud.

Romina might be able to make something out of them if I hand them to her.

“Even if they can’t be used to make a weapon, I’ll ask her to turn it into fishing gear or something. It’ll be a nice keepsake.”

“That sounds nice. It’s a special memory, after all. This place...truly is full of all sorts of memories.”

“Give it some time. Maybe if we come back later, we’ll find something new waiting for us.”

“I’m sure we will.”

And so, with the lord officially caught and gone, Shouko and I continued fishing until the fever time ran out.

Chapter 12: Ancient Dark Lord Lizardman

“Aight... It’s about time we headed back,” I said.

With Fever Lure’s effect having worn off, I packed up my fishing gear and began preparing to leave.

“Yes, it was quite an enjoyable time,” Shouko replied.

“That it was. Having you here made it a lot more fun than fishing alone.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

I was once again reminded that fishing with someone had a different sort of charm to it than my usual lonesome fishing ventures.

“Kizuna, will you be fishing again once we return to the Second City?”

“Well... I could stay at the inn to clean some fossils, or I could go and catch some sweetfish and cherry trout for breakfast. Decisions, decisions... Well, don’t worry too much about it and get some rest, Shouko.”

“I think I’ll do just that.”

I wasn’t brazen enough to ask her to join me for even more fishing after we made our way back.

With that settled, we started walking through the Forest of Everlasting Darkness, setting course for the Second City when...

“Hm?”

“That’s... What is that?”

We were still deep in the woods when we came face-to-face with a faintly glowing purple sphere floating smack-dab in the middle of the path.

“Was there a monster like that?”

“Not that I can recall...”

What could it be? I wondered. Curious, both Shouko and I cautiously approached the sphere, at which point it suddenly let off a flash of light and deployed what seemed to be a barrier behind us.

“It cut off our escape?!”

A notification popped up in my field of view.

Secret Quest Activated!

Quest: Ancient Dark Lord Lizardman

The sphere burst, transforming into a rift in space connecting to somewhere else entirely.

“Pennnnn!”

Brave Pekkle suddenly appeared even when I hadn’t called for him.

“A secret quest, huh? Did we trigger a flag somewhere, or is it because I’m the island lord...?”

“Perhaps the Dark Knight Lizardman’s materials unlocking a new skill wasn’t actually what the hint was pointing to.”

“Or it could have been pointing to both secrets. Just look at how Brave Pekkle showed up on his own.”

“The quest is called Ancient Dark Lord Lizardman, but...”

“Remember in the temple where the guy said we’d have to prove our strength or something? That means there definitely has to be a fight.”

“To think we’d run into it after Yamikage and Tsumugi already left...”

“You think they’ll make it if we ring them up now?”

“I’ll try to get in touch... No good. I cannot send them a chat request.”

Just like Shouko, I tried to message Yamikage and Tsumugi, but what popped up was a phone error message: “Error. You are currently in an area without reception.”

“So that means it’s up to us... And Brave Pekkle seems like a fixed party member, but...maybe I can summon other Pekkles?”

I gave it a try with C’mon Pekkle to see if anyone would respond.

“Pennnnn!”

Ah, looks like Pekkles are A-okay. Then we should be able to fill the roles we’re missing to some degree.

I summoned Chris, Warrior Pekkle, Mage Pekkle, and Cleric Pekkle.

“This isn’t the most reliable party, but...seeing as we can’t run, let’s do what we can.”

“Yeah. I never thought I’d be dragged into a quest like this.”

“The ghost ship also came out of nowhere, so it’s not unheard of... We let our guard down.”

“Guess so. We just gotta give it everything we’ve got.”

“Indeed.”

With that, we both drew our weapons and stepped through the rift in space. We soon found ourselves...inside of some stone structure. As we moved forward, the candles stationed at regular intervals would flare to life one by one, casting a faint purple glow.

“What an atmosphere.”

“It certainly feels like something could pop out at any moment, but...we have yet to run into any monsters.”

“Yeah. But something’s definitely waiting for us. Judging by these developments, there’s no way we don’t fight a boss by the end of this.”

“Then we’ll just have to do our best.”

Honestly, not having Tsumugi or Yamikage was more unsettling than I’d expected. It was good that I had Shouko with me, but...combat wasn’t my forte.

I need to make sure I don’t drag her down.

We pressed deeper and...just as I’d predicted, the corridor opened up into a chamber. Within, multiple Dark Knight Lizardmen knelt silently in formation. And at the very back, seated on a throne...was a hulking figure that gave off the aura of a seasoned warrior. A monster that went by Dark Lord Lizardman.

“Do you think we have to fight all of them?”

“C’mon now, how’re we supposed to do that? Then again, they might’ve balanced their strength for this event map.”

“Either way, we can’t run. We just have to do it.”

“Yeah. Now to think of a plan.”

“I will take the front line with Brave Pekkle and handle the incoming attacks. You will provide support from the rear with the other Pekkles. How does that sound?”

“That’s probably our safest bet... I’ve got a weapon built for bossing now, so I’ll rush in if I see an opening.”

“Take care not to attack too much, or you’ll draw too much aggro.”

After a quick strategy meeting, we began our advance on the Dark Lord Lizardman.

Man...if we could fight him a few times to get his attack patterns down, I wouldn’t be this nervous. But this is our first face-off. I wish we had someone like Tsumugi who could fight off pure instinct.

“Hmm... To think an intruder would dare set foot in our domain... Whether you act out of courage or folly, I shall be the judge. I am Dark Lord Lizardman! Guardian of this domain!”

The Dark Lord Lizardman’s voice boomed through the chamber as he rose from his throne, a massive battleaxe materializing by his side. He gripped it and took his stance.

The Dark Knight Lizardmen, who had been kneeling quietly, parted and took up their positions by the walls. Thankfully, it seemed they’d only be onlookers for this battle.

We were only set to fight the Dark Lord Lizardman himself.

“It’s on, pen!”

Brave Pekkle rushed out automatically, confronting the Dark Lord head-on.

“Hrraaaaahhh!”

Then, a powerful swoosh! filled the air. With his massive axe in a stranglehold, the Dark Lord Lizardman swung it down in a mighty arc at Brave Pekkle.

“Pennnn!”

Clang! Brave Pekkle deflected the blow and withstood the impact.

Whoa... I’m sure he’s getting buffed for this event, but he’s looking pretty reliable right now.

“We can’t be outdone!”

“Yeah! Get him, Pekkles!”

“Pennnnnn!”

At my command, the other Pekkles rushed in and began executing the orders that had been set for them. Chris closed the distance with weapon in flipper and launched an endless flurry of swings, with Warrior Pekkle following his lead.

Mage Pekkle fired off ranged water magic from afar, while Cleric Pekkle stood back, carefully observing the situation.

“Here I go! Wild Dance First Formation: Rapid Strike!”

Shouko moved in as well; she unfurled her fan and unleashed a skill at the Dark Lord Lizardman. A rapid series of graceful slashes.

That flowing dance of hers is almost enough to put you in a trance. That’s Shouko for you. She always makes for a pretty picture.

“Hmph!”

“Khh...”

The Dark Lord Lizardman countered with a wide sweep of his axe. Shouko braced herself and leaped back to avoid taking the brunt of it.

“I’ve only taken a single blow, but...he is quite strong. The weight behind that swing felt like something from Mikakage’s front line.”

“That’s rough. This won’t be easy for just the two of us.”

“Is that all you’ve got?! Haaahhh!”

“Pennnn!”

As the Dark Lord Lizardman tried to chase after Shouko, Brave Pekkle stepped in to knock him back.

“He seems very mobile too. If Brave Pekkle hadn’t been there, I would have taken another hit.”

“I’m not done yet!”

Suddenly, an area in front of Dark Lord Lizardman was outlined in red as if to warn us.

Three, two, one—boom! A powerful shock wave erupted from the spot, carving deep cracks into the ground as a temporary visual effect.

Whoa...that looks painful. And wait, it covers a huge area, and we barely have any time to dodge it.

“This is... I believe this fight was designed under the assumption that we would be using mounts.”

“I see. We need to ride to make up for the speed, huh.”

Shouko and I quickly summoned our mounts and jumped aboard. I rode my Library Rabbit while Shouko mounted her massive white cat.

“I’m not fully used to fighting like this, but here I come!”

Shouko’s cat let out an intimidating hiss as it darted circles around the Dark Lord Lizardman before pouncing.

“Circle Dance Second Formation: Blizzard!”

Wielding dual fans, Shouko unleashed a flurry of flower petals in a swirling attack, striking in tandem with her mount.

Whoa... What a fierce attack. It’s like she’s become one with the cat.

“Go, pen! Pennnnnnn!”

With Brave Pekkle’s rallying cry, a shadowy lizardman summon charged and took a downward swing. This kicked off what seemed to be a Cooperation skill with Chris and Mage Pekkle, causing a violent watery vortex to swallow the Dark Lord whole.

“Haaaah!”

“Pen?! It hurts, pen...”

But as Chris zipped around, slicing and dicing in the vortex, he took a clean hit from the Dark Lord Lizardman’s bare fist, sending him slamming into the wall. His HP took a plunge. Even though Cleric Pekkle quickly rushed in for the heal, the amount restored was minimal. It was going to take a while to get him back to full.

When it came to stats, Chris stood near the top of all Pekkles, and even he lost that much HP from a single blow. That meant I was in for a world of hurt if I took a hit myself.

I’ll have to put my faith in the Ancient Dress.

Still, I couldn’t just stand around and do nothing.

I could whittle him down with ranged attacks, but I want to see how effective this is.

“Let’s do this!”

Picking up on my intent, Library Rabbit pulled out a talisman and tossed it at Shouko, who dodged just in time to let it strike and slow the Dark Lord Lizardman, unaware of its approach.

Great!

“Cleaver! Cleaver! Cleaver!”

Gripping the Hakugei no Tachi, I unleashed Cleaver, a dismantling skill.

“Haaahhh!”

“Oh snap!”

Wham! I’d been too focused on attacking; I’d failed to dodge in time. I took a hit head-on and was blasted back. But Library Rabbit caught me in his arms, cushioning the fall with a smooth landing.

If I’d been alone...I would’ve been tumbling across the ground. That hit was ridiculously heavy.

“Kizuna! Are you all right?!”

“I’m fine... Well, not really, but I’m still kicking. I’m a Spirit, after all.”

The Shield Energy of my Intermediary Stone had been completely blown away, and I’d taken a hit to my base Energy. Just how powerful was that thing?

“Pen!”

Cleric Pekkle, whose AI prioritized allies with the lowest HP, rushed to me and began casting healing magic. With Spirits, only our Shield Energy could be restored like that—so technically, the AI was treating me like I was at 0 HP. Gradually, my shield was being restored.

“Kizuna, do you want to fall back?”

“No, I just got too reckless. I’m fine.”

Charging in like a madman wasn’t going to cut it. I needed to fight like Shouko—properly using my mobility to avoid hits.

“Pennn!”

Brave Pekkle was working hard to deflect all incoming attacks. I couldn’t let his efforts go to waste. Looking at it logically, I was supposed to find openings while he soaked up the brunt of it.

Even though this was our first encounter, I was starting to piece together the Dark Lord Lizardman’s attack patterns.

His attacks had an immense area of effect; at mid-range, they were nearly unavoidable without a mount. They couldn’t be crouched under either, as the shock wave had a hitbox too. It couldn’t get more annoying.

Taking a direct hit would hurt like hell, and the shock waves weren’t anything to shrug at either, and...yeah, I learned it the hard way after getting hit a second time. If I hadn’t been wearing an enhanced Ancient Dress, I’d have taken so much damage that it would have forced me to hang back and chip away from afar while I left the fight to Shouko.

“Haaaah!”

“Take this!”

He was moving around so much that using skills was often just a waste of Energy, and it became far more efficient to use faster regular attacks instead. If I even attempted a charge skill, it would’ve left me an easy mark.

Should I just leave it to Shouko, Brave Pekkle, and the other Pekkles...? I could provide support with my lures or my bow. It’s irritating how hard it is to bring down his HP. It would be nice if I could hook his mouth...

“I’ll try!”

With that, Shouko pulled out her own fishing rod and cast it from behind the Dark Lord Lizardman, hooking the line around him to restrain his movement as her cat mount pounced with its claws.

Whoa... I didn’t know it could attack like that—or so I thought. But the line broke almost instantly, and she found herself on the receiving end of a powerful charge.

“Erk... My skills were insufficient.”

“I think the idea was there.”

“Thank you...but the enemy is quite formidable. Not only are its attacks heavy, it’s fast and leaves few openings.”

“Yeah. Without Tsumugi or Yamikage, we’re in for a rough time.”

“Agreed.”

Shouko was still managing to hold her own, but I was on the fast track to becoming deadweight.

“Kizuna. Please, don’t worry about it. You’re the one giving directions to the Pekkles. It’s only thanks to you that I can fight. I would have been exhausted without you.”

“Thanks. I still wish I could do more.”

“Even just hearing that is enough. I’m going in again!”

“Mreeoowwwrr!”

Heeding her will, the cat mount took a large leap, using even the ceiling as a foothold to launch itself at the Dark Lord Lizardman.

I’m not going to drag her down.

Keeping my distance with my fishing rod in my left hand, I cast my Blue Shark’s Lure, triggering a slash and bleed on contact.

“Pennn!”

“Nice!”

The moment Brave Pekkle absorbed an attack, I switched out with him and slammed a Cleaver into the Dark Lord Lizardman, then immediately ordered my mount to leap back and retreat to safety.

Yep. This is going decently well. If we just keep at it, slow and steady, we can do this.

“Grah... Heh heh, you’re not half bad! Now try this on for size!”

Thud! Just when we’d managed to chip him down to near half health, the Dark Lord Lizardman drove his battleaxe into the ground and clenched his fists.

Immediately, a “Danger!” icon popped up in my field of vision.

Ah, is he about to unleash a powerful AoE?

“Pen! Fall back, pen!”

As if on cue, Brave Pekkle rushed to the front and raised his shield. The other Pekkles gathered behind it as well.

The AI behavior is essentially spelling out what we have to do.

“Shouko! Get behind Brave Pekkle!”

“Right!”

Anticipating the incoming attack, Shouko and I both slipped behind Brave Pekkle.

“Also, Shouko!”

“What is it?”

“There’s one more thing we should be doing at times like these.”

I gripped my Hakugei no Tachi with both hands, preparing myself.

“Understood. I’ll follow your lead, Kizuna.”

Good, she caught on.

“Take this! Energy Blast! Haaahhh!”

The Dark Lord Lizardman opened up his clenched fists, unleashing a hefty wave of energy that completely swallowed up our field of vision. The air was on fire, with sizzling sounds coming from all around us as we hid and staved the storm.

And eventually, once our foe’s ultimate blast had finally dissipated—!

“Now!”

A silence had fallen over the area with thick clouds of smoke rising from every surface.

“How did you like that?!” the boss said.

“Unfortunately for you—”

“Brave Pekkle took it for us!”

“Pen...”

Brave Pekkle slumped down, unable to fight due to all the damage, but this was undoubtedly a gimmick for the fight. By my read, we’d need to heal him before the next Energy Blast. As I issued a recovery order to Cleric Pekkle, Shouko and I set our sights on a now wide-open Dark Lord Lizardman as we both let off our strongest skills.

“Circle Dance Zero Formation: Snow Moon Flower!”

Countless flower petals burst into existence at point-blank around the Dark Lord Lizardman, each individual petal registering as a hit...and that barrage led into—

“Blood Flower!”

I had the Hakugei no Tachi—specialized for boss battles—equipped, and I’d taken just a sliver of damage by taking a quick and slight step ahead of Brave Pekkle before the Energy Blast ended. That activated the tachi’s Power of Vengeance buff, and with my charge complete...I unleashed Blood Flower.

Kshk! Slash effect layered over slash effect as I tore through the Dark Lord Lizardman’s HP bar.

“Gwaaaaah?!”

Yeah, you’ve got to charge up those flashy skills when they give you a chance.

Cut the flesh, shatter the bone. The Dark Lord’s HP bar was being rapidly shaved down.

“Go! More! Keep going!”

“Aaaaah!”

And finally, we managed to completely deplete it.

That was close... If I hadn’t activated Power of Vengeance, there’s no way that would’ve finished him off. That said, I can’t just write off the Energy loss.

“Guh...”

The Dark Lord Lizardman dropped to one knee.

I landed the final blow with Blood Flower, but he didn’t get dismantled.

“I see... I’ve witnessed your true strength firsthand. As expected of the ones who stand beside the great hero of old, your power is commendable.”

For some reason, he slowly rose to his feet, showering us with words of praise.

Umm, does that mean we cleared the quest?

“In honor of your strength, I shall bestow a reward.”

As the Dark Lord Lizardman extended a hand, a notification appeared in my field of view.

Fever Lure has been upgraded! It has become Fever Lure II!

Fever Lure II

A support skill for fishing rods.

Imbues your lure with a light that attracts fish.

Now enhanced, it emits an even stronger light, increasing the variety of fish that can be caught.

1,000 Energy consumed upon use.

Upgrade condition: ???

Wow... I mean, I’m happy, but getting this kind of reward here is a bit of a letdown.

“It looks like we also received ‘Dark Lord Lizardman’s Soul’ as a reward,” said Shouko.

“Huh?”

I checked and, sure enough, “Dark Lord Lizardman” had been added to the list of souls in my Intermediary Stone. I didn’t really know how to set it, but it certainly seemed like it’d have a powerful effect once I figured that out.

Recipe Collection: Hidden Treasures of the Lizardmen

That was also a thing. Should I hand it off to Romina?

Also... Brave Pekkle received a significant stat boost across the board.

“As the Great Hero commands,” the Dark Lord Lizardman said with a salute before the space around us warped and twisted and we were transported back to the Forest of Everlasting Darkness.

“We did it,” said Shouko.

“Yeah... I’m glad we won, but that was harsh.”

“But it was pretty fun too. Let’s head back and report it to everyone.”

“Yeah, let’s.”

And so, though we were both pretty beat-up, we made our way to the inn.

Chapter 13: Race Quest

We were back in the Second City.

“This place hasn’t changed much since the first time we came here.”

“You could say that, although there seem to be fewer people than before.”

With the Third City of Cal Mira and with Mikakage now available, it was only natural that fewer players were using this place as their base of operations.

Still, it wasn’t completely desolate. A fair few had stayed behind.

“Let’s see... Tsumugi and Yamikage are staying at that same inn we used before, right?”

Glancing at the Second City’s nightscape and river, I retraced my memory to search out the inn we’d stayed at last time.

“If you want to fish, you should do it after we’ve reunited.”

“I know, I know. I’m too tired for that anyway.”

We hadn’t gotten to do that much fishing in the Forest of Everlasting Darkness, so doing a bit more in a safe spot wasn’t the worst idea. I wasn’t going to forget about setting crab traps either.

“You can catch sweetfish and cherry trout here. Since I’ve got a decent cooking rank, I can grill up some salt-roasted sweetfish for us.”

“That brings back memories. Yes, I might have you fish some up later.”

“Leave it to me. Honestly, I don’t feel inclined to eat any of what we’ve been pulling in lately.”

With all those dark-attribute fish, I was starting to really appreciate normal fish again.

As we chatted about this and that and walked into the inn, Tsumugi spotted us.

“Ah, welcome back, bro. You were out late.”

“We ran into a secret quest on the way back.”

“Huh?! Without me?”

“Yeah, somehow or other.”

I began telling her about our battle with the Dark Lord Lizardman.

“And even in the fishing department, Shouko pulled it off!”

I gave a proud thumbs-up as I reported on Shouko landing a lord.

Heh heh heh... My disciple grows stronger with each passing moment.

“I don’t really get why you’re the one puffing out your chest on that one, but congrats, Shouko!”

“Also, I caught something that was probably added in the last update. It’s called a Dark Salmon.”

I slickly pulled it out of my inventory to show it off.

“Whoa, it’s pitch-black. Is it tasty?”

“Couldn’t tell you. The meat’s black too, so even if it’s edible, it’s definitely not appetizing.”

It looked like a fish that had gone bad... It was undoubtedly the kind of ingredient that took courage to eat.

“It seems to be quite a rare fish,” Shouko chimed in.

“I see, I see. So even if he didn’t catch the lord, his haul was good enough to make some compromises. Must be nice, finding a hidden quest.”

“The damage wasn’t nice. Anyway, my Fever Lure got upgraded, so there are a few things I want to test out. Is Yamikage asleep already?”

“Nah, Yammy went for a walk.”

“Hmm...”

An early sleeper at some times, and a late sleeper at others. She was quite the whimsical lass. Granted, it wasn’t that late yet, so maybe she was just taking a pre-bedtime walk.

“Ah, right, bro. I’m going to be clearing this race quest I heard about from a friend.”

“Ah... I remember something about that.”

It was mentioned in the update notes after we cleared the third wave.

Tsumugi’s race was Demihuman; once she completed a specific quest, she’d gain the ability to transform into a beast.

“Need any help?”

“It’s not a super hard quest, apparently. Also, you can’t participate unless you’re a Demihuman.”

So it’s literally a race-locked quest.

“Sounds like a hassle. Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

“It’s fine. My friend already told me all about it, and Alto prepared all the items I’ll need. I’ll be done in no time.”

That’s good to know.

“A race quest, is it...” Shouko paused. “I wonder if there’s a quest for Spirits.”

“They left it pretty vague, right?” said Tsumugi. “They just said you could grow stronger by collecting the souls of defeated monsters, and you could just read that as clearing the conditions to raise the Energy cap... Maybe you have to do something to upgrade your souls?”

“I haven’t heard anything about a Spirit quest, so I’m not sure.”

“It’s annoying, knowing it exists but that no one knows about it.”

Thinking back, during the Demon Lord’s Invasion Event, I hadn’t seen any Spirits apart from us doing anything particularly noteworthy.

“From what I know, Humans, Jewels, and Elves don’t really know either. Only lycanthropes—Demihumans—found their quests.”

Was this clear favoritism, or was it just that we hadn’t found our key quests yet? It was hard to say. Regardless, this was necessary for Tsumugi to grow stronger.

“So, what happens after you clear the Demihuman quest?”

“You unlock this skill called Beastification. Right now, it’s just a self-buff, but the Demihumans I’ve talked to say they think it’ll get stronger in future updates.”

A newly implemented skill that’s not too powerful yet. Sounds like it’s going to be a slow-scaling one.

“Whatever it is, it’s better to pick it up early. Go for it, Tsumugi.”

“Okay! I’ll be back soon, so wait for me!”

And with that, Tsumugi was off on her own to complete her race quest.

“I have returned, I daresay. Oh? Did something happen, milord?”

“Ah, Yamikage. On the way back, see...”

I went on to tell her about what had happened in the Forest of Everlasting Darkness.

Naturally, she was frustrated that she hadn’t been there to take part.

Two days went by.

Tsumugi finished her quest without any trouble and rejoined us. According to her, it turned out to be shockingly easy.

As I sat, cleaning fossils at the inn, I got a chat request from Alto. And, since Shouko was lounging around in the room with me, we ended up talking to him together.

Lately, Shouko had been practicing to get her lure to go exactly where she wanted it to. She wasn’t quite at my level, but she’d gotten to the point where she could cast with impressive accuracy.

I also reported to L’Arc and Therese about the hidden quest at the Forest of Everlasting Darkness. They both grumbled over chat about how they shouldn’t have taken their eyes off of me.

And I was starting to admit they weren’t far off the mark.

I heard that Kanade had been busy pulling in crabs and processing them. Alto actually sounded pretty impressed when he told me how she was doing.

As Shouko and I chatted with Alto at the inn, he brought it up again.

“Man... I have to say, there’s no longer any doubt in my mind that Kanade is your sister.”

“Should I ask what convinced you? Do I want to hear it?”

“Do you mean that she shows the same kind of intense concentration as Kizuna?”

“Hmm...not quite the same. I had her help out with the crab processing work for a while. And then, she came to me saying the layout of the onboard work process—the entire line setup—was inefficient and proposed a complete overhaul.”

I see. I know where this is going.

“Knowing my sister, there’s a chance she was just trying to come up with some excuse to get out of work. But judging by your reaction, that’s not what happened.”

“Not at all. She even brought a new layout diagram showing how to cut down on wasted movement and improve efficiency. I was honestly blown away. She was spot-on—I could immediately see just how much we’d improve if I followed her word to the letter. Her plan was so polished it had me wondering what we’d been doing for so long.”

Boiling and cleaning crabs was repetitive work, but for her to suggest improvements to the line’s efficiency...that was definitely my sister. If a strategy site existed, she was the kind of person who could come up with a build that became the gold standard.

She’d made my time in a few other games a lot easier, and I could understand exactly what Alto meant.

“That extreme dedication to efficiency...it reminded me that she was both a frontliner and your sister.”

“My sister, see...she’s the sort who starts to shine when hunting grounds and common practices become established. She’s the opposite of Tsumugi... She doesn’t make new discoveries, but she thrives on optimizing all the simple and repetitive tasks she’s aware of.”

“Then what sets her apart from Kizuna is that Kizuna will silently and endlessly persist even if it is inefficient?”

“Well, yeah. I try to enjoy the process itself. My older sister, on the other hand, is all about the results, and Tsumugi’s off experimenting and training her player skills however she can.”

That’s why Tsumugi was always the fastest out of the gate. And, once the endgame became the focus, that was where Kanade started to shine.

What about me? I rarely ever stood out.

“They may share similar core traits, but they’re clearly very different as sisters. Incidentally, you might think you’re the normal one, but you’re actually a monster when it comes to persistence. Let me guess: Even after those two quit a game, you’re the one who keeps grinding it out until you’ve hundred percented it.”

“You did spend fifteen days diving in the underground lake.”

“Well, if I’ve already started a game, I might as well see it through to the end—as long as it’s not complete garbage...”

Still, did these people understand what they were saying? Did they realize how unpleasant it was when they easily accepted that I shared the same blood as a stern older sister who lived like a hobo and a stupid little sister who chased whatever was fun in the moment?

I doubt I’m that extreme.

“Then is Kanade getting used to crab fishing?”

“I saw her smiling as she watched her trap skills improve day by day. She even boasted about how her Shipboard Combat skill is going up too.”

Oh my... That does sound like my sister.

She would stumble when thrown into a new environment, but once she threw aside her pride, she’d steadily hone herself until she started to show results. In the end, Tsumugi’s and Yamikage’s schemes to make a comrade out of her didn’t amount to much.

“It’s like she’s completed her rite of passage into the guild. She can join up with you guys once we hit a good stopping point. Of course, I’m calling her back if we’re ever short on hands.”

“Go ahead; honestly, the only reason she’s not here already is because she’s too stubborn to lean on us. Once she feels like she’s earned her keep, we’ll get her back on the battlefield. Shouko, I think you’ve spent enough time carrying me. I want everyone to focus on grinding for the next wave.”

“If I may be frank, I want you to be there as well, Kizuna.”

I’d been scratching that itch with some fishing here and there, but my original goal in the game was to fish in as many spots as possible. Spending a whole day fishing didn’t sound bad at all.

It was just as important to me as leveling and making money.

“Of course, I still have to collect the crab traps I set up in Mikakage, so I’ll go with you. We could challenge some sea monster we haven’t fought yet too.”

“Yes, it’s one final push before the wave. Let’s give it our best.”

“By the way, Kizuna. I don’t think it has to do with you guys, but... Do you know anything about the drastic decline of our warehouse and treasury funds?”

“First I’m hearing of it. You sure you didn’t just forget using them?”

“I don’t think so... Whoever the culprit is, I’ll have to find them and give them a serious talking-to.”

After Alto’s report on my sister’s situation, we tucked in for the night.

Then, just as dawn was about to break... Snap! A sharp sound echoed through the morning mist. The wave’s location, as we all expected, was Mikakage—or not. It actually broke out in a mountain range near La Ilfi, the Second City.

Epilogue: A Missing Merchant

It was morning. After waking up, I stepped out in front of the inn to stretch, planning to take a stroll and maybe do a bit of fishing by the river, when I noticed the sky not far off had taken on that ominous look. Those were the shatter patterns of a wave.

“I daresay, I never expected a wave to hit so close to the Second City again.”

“Right?” said Tsumugi. “I totally thought it would happen around Mikakage.”

“Yes. For it to happen so close...”

Yeah, everyone really thought it was Mikakage’s turn. I did too.

“But in hindsight,” I said, “it’s not hard to see why it wouldn’t happen there.”

“Why would you say it wouldn’t happen in Mikakage, milord?”

“First off, there’s that entry system. You can’t even pass through the checkpoints if you haven’t ranked up your visa, right? That sort of thing puts a serious restriction on players who just want to take their time playing freely. The waves are technically supposed to be open to all players, so holding it there would just be unfair.”

“I daresay, ’tis a bit late for that.”

“Yeah, you and Shouko didn’t get to join the second wave, after all.”

“We got exempted from it. And that’s because we were in the middle of unlocking the Third City, Cal Mira. But if Mikakage’s quests became a requirement for wave participation, a ton of players would be locked out.”

Sure, we’d missed the game’s main, titular event, but that was only because we were in the middle of a large-scale quest that was arguably just as important. But telling players in a Second Life Project game that they couldn’t join the wave just because they hadn’t finished Mikakage’s quests? That was something else entirely.

“Secondly, the Mikakage thing just happened recently, right?”

“You mean the Demon Lord’s Invasion Event, I daresay.”

“Bingo. Having major events in the same location back-to-back would get stale, don’t you think?”

“Sure enough, it makes sense why they’d want it somewhere else.”

“Even so, isn’t it weird for it to happen near the Second City again? I daresay, both the first and second waves happened around here. They’d be more justified holding it in the middle of the ocean again.”

I couldn’t deny that. The first and second waves both happened between the first and second cities. With so many new areas made accessible, it didn’t make sense to have another wave near the second city.

“Where did the second wave take place, exactly? Shouko and I were off on Cal Mira, so we never got the details.”

“The second wave happened in a field called the Riyute Highway, I daresay. It’s a trail not far from the Second City.”

“It’s not a popular place, so maybe that’s why it didn’t leave much of an impression.”

“I see. Well, I’m not the one who made the game, so I can’t say for sure what the reasoning is behind wave locations. But at least from a logical standpoint, Mikakage isn’t a suitable place right now.”

As I’d already stated, Mikakage simply wasn’t a player-friendly zone in its current state.

With Cal Mira, the dungeon system made it easy to set up a good environment for the battle. Even Shipboard Combat wasn’t a huge problem—as long as you’d been on a ship before the wave hit, you could maneuver well enough to avoid being useless.

“Well, if they treated it like an emergency wave response, I think they could just shut down the checkpoint system and let everyone travel to the area,” I conceded.

“I daresay, you could take advantage of that to sneak past the visa system.”

“In that case, the players who worked hard to level up their visas just to make progress might feel like it’s unfair,” Shouko pointed out.

I myself wasn’t going to complain about something like that, but it wasn’t out of the question.

“Mikakage’s got a unique thing going for it compared to the rest of the game... Either way, it looks like the area’s been skipped over for this wave. Or maybe, the location selection has some degree of randomness.”

The Second Life Project had a rule that once a player finished a session, they couldn’t participate in the next run of the same game. Even if they spread knowledge from their previous playthrough, the devs made sure to tweak everything a bit to keep it from being useful.

That was part of why there was all that talk before the game started about Spirits being a weak race.

“They say you can rationalize anything if you try hard enough. I daresay, perhaps we don’t need to overthink it.”

“That’s just how it is. What we need to focus on right now is preparing as much as we can.”

“With that said, we’ve already made a lot of progress in our preparations.”

Shouko was right. We’d fully equipped ourselves one way or another. Since she, Yamikage, and I were all Spirits and raising our Energy cap involved fighting a wide variety of monsters...we’d made a point of visiting the hunting grounds we’d previously ignored.

By now, we’d made a full loop through all the relatively accessible areas.

“Maybe we should wrap it up and do our final preparations in Mikakage?”

“I’ve been exchanging intel with my friends,” said Tsumugi, “and it looks like our levels are a bit behind. I guess we can’t catch up to people who’ve been grinding it out seriously.”

“But you don’t plan on losing to them, do you?”

“Of course not. This isn’t like the place our sis came from. This game doesn’t need that sort of extreme play.”

Sure enough...level wasn’t everything.

People around us seemed to see us as top players with wealth to spare, but honestly, we’d just been going at our own pace... We were having fun without pushing ourselves too hard.

“Let’s regroup with sis and start planning for the wave!”

“Yes! I’ve finally got a sense for Cooperation Skills.”

“I daresay, we should report to Lady Sheryl as well.”

Come to think of it, I haven’t really talked to Sheryl in a while... She’s been holed up for a long time, after all.

And so, we decided to return to Cal Mira to meet back up with everyone.

But that was when we ran into...a bit of an incident.

Alto had vanished without a trace.