Cover

Chapter 1:
Sunday

 

ALL RIGHT. It’s Sunday afternoon. It’s been about a week since the second-wavers joined the game.

I spent the morning doing homework and reading in the library, then had myself a break with an elegant cup of herb tea in the garden. I chuckled a bit when I raised my Linguistics skill just by doing homework. It probably applies to anything with letters.

Let’s see… Ah, so this is Ms. Primura’s shop? She messaged me this morning to tell me the location of the building she finally managed to purchase. It’s best to go to her—a woodworker—to purchase things like barrels, which I need for Cooking.

I enter the store and see a few customers shopping, perhaps because it’s a Sunday afternoon. I head over to the shopkeeper behind the counter, who seems to know me and calls for Ms. Primura. Until she arrives, I’ll have the shopkeeper show me around.

The walls are lined with various wares such as staffs, bows of various lengths and designs, and even musical instruments. The shop’s interior décor seems rather plain.

A bit later, Ms. Primura arrives with a small barrel in her arms. “Howdy!”

“How is the shop doing?”

“Pretty good. I love that I can hire a shopkeeper to run the store while I focus on production!”

It sounds like she’s putting most of her resources into the production side of things, rather than the storefront, which would explain why the shop’s furnishings are so simple. She’s mentioned how she made her own shelves to store her stock in quite a rush.

“I’ve got a testing environment for products in the back. It was really expensive… But if I’d cheaped out, it would cause the products to lose durability during testing.”

“So you can test out equipment in a preview mode? That’s quite nice.”

“Right? You’ll want that for staffs and such, but especially for bows.”

She sets the small barrel on the counter while she speaks. It’s the kind that’s small and light enough to carry around easily. It’s made of white oak and has a tap like a wine barrel. She tells me it was heat-treated and shows me the darkened interior.

She also sets a giant barrel and a wooden basin on the counter.

“I had no trouble making these, but I haven’t tested them yet, so I have no idea what their quality effects might be.”

We chitchat about barrels and basins for a while. However, it’s hard to decide on the type of wood type or size for anything more than the lids.

“All right, then…” I say. “I’ll take two small wooden basins, a mixing stick, and two mini barrels.”

“You’re using small barrels too?”

“There were a few varieties of grape in the third area, so yes.”

“But since it’s just a trial, you don’t know how it’s going to turn out?”

“That’s not a problem. I just want to try making some.”

“You don’t need it, but you want to try making it anyway… That’s the crafter spirit. Hmm… What should I charge?”

“Well, these usually go for 100,000, 120,000, and 150,000 gold, depending on size. Although the residents don’t sell mini ones.”

We discuss the residents’ barrel stocks, and she decides that there probably aren’t so many people in need of the product, so she chooses to price them the same as the NPCs, with the mini size costing 40,000 gold. The higher the quality, the better the product. The wooden basins will cost between 40,000 to 100,000 gold.

My purchase of two wooden basins for 60,000 each and two mini barrels for 40,000 each amounts to a total of 200,000 gold. The mini barrels hold about 4 liters, while small barrels can hold up to 250 liters. The minis are meant to be like individual beer servers. They come with special stands that stop them from rolling when stacked on their side. The basins have a hole on the top with a wooden plug made for pouring into, and a protuberance on the bottom with another wooden plug for pouring out of. She explains she specifically made them to look like beer servers. “Maybe I’ll start taking orders for these.”

“I’ll be sure to ask if I need any.” I’ll use the minis for wine and the basins for soy sauce and miso.

Now that I think of it… That’s right, I can make glass funnels with alchemy. I’ll try making one on my own, and I can order a cloth for filtering from Mr. Dentelle. I’ll send him a message with that request.

“I’ll head to the south and collect materials for glass, then drop it off at the union.”

“Sure thing. I’ll start on your order now!”

I leave Ms. Primura’s shop and use the statue in the town square to warp to Imbamunte. I then head to the coast and set up my alchemy kit on the beach. I extract limestone and quartz from the sand, then take more limestone from the shells and coral. The next step is to alchemize that quartz sand into silica and combine it with limestone to create glass.

I suppose that a funnel with a quality of C won’t result in defects, which means there’s no need to focus on the quality of the products. I alchemize glass through the funnel. I’ll make them in small, medium, and large sizes while I’m at it.

 

Alchemist has reached level 15.

You have obtained the art Stone Transformation through Alchemist.

 

STONE TRANSFORMATION

Greater and lesser magic stone materials can be converted.

 

Hmm? Greater and lesser must be referring to their sizes. Combining two magic stones makes them larger. It’ll be handy to combine my stores of smaller stones like that. Let’s give it a try.

It looks like I currently have…ten tiny stones and four small stones. So I need to fuse three to upgrade them? Three small stones equal one medium stone. I can also use lesser transformation to turn one small stone into two tiny stones. Converting them all will yield one small stone and two medium stones.

It’s nice to have a way of obtaining magic stones outside of enemy drops. The problem is that I absorb enemies for capacity, so I don’t even get many drops in the first place. Maybe I should buy them on consignment.

What I need right now are extra-large sizes for alchemy expansion cores. I have one large core, so it looks like…I need to get my hands on two more. These are the general cores created with Stone Transformation. I bet you can’t even buy these sorts of things on consignment yet.

Well, I’ve made a funnel, so I guess I’ll give it a look while I’m trading. The adventurers’ union in Imbamunte is probably less busy than the one in Starting Town. Depositing things here might make the process easier. I’ll also check what they’re selling while I’m here…

Right, it looks like they really don’t have any giant or large stones. Stone Transformation doesn’t work on orbs, so I can’t use those yet.

 

I teleport back to Starting Town and head straight for Ms. Primura’s shop.

“Please wait one moment. She will return as soon as she’s finished,” says the resident shopkeeper.

“Very well.”

I decide to browse the store’s offerings once again. Right now, I’m more interested in the magical catalysts instead of bows. I wonder if my rapier’s effects will be buffed if I take Magical Catalyst…

Several things can act as magical catalysts, from short and long staffs to books and crystals. But staffs are the only options as far as woodworking goes. A magical catalyst can boost both spell attack strength and chanting speed. It can also reduce MP consumption, scaling to its quality, but that’s not available to me right now.

The most expensive staff…is this B+ quality one? Let’s give it a try.

I let the shopkeeper know and head to the trial area, going out the door to some sort of courtyard.

This must be…a place for archery? There’s a row of targets set up in the front with lines labeling the distance to those targets—10 meters up to 200 meters. It looks as if we can test weapons from whatever distance we please. It’s like this place exists in another universe.

There also appears to be another customer. She must be an elf, judging by her ears, and I estimate that she’s about 1.7 meters tall. The delicate curves of her body are exactly what you would expect to see on an elf. Her blonde hair is tied back in a ponytail, and her green eyes, slightly sharp at the corners, are fixed on the targets. She’s dressed in a short-sleeved shirt with an archer’s leather breastplate, a pair of hotpants, and knee-high boots. At her hip is a quiver. This elf woman holds her longbow pointed at the target.

Her arrow, glowing red from an art, flies high and disappears. When I turn my eyes back to her, she already has another glowing arrow readied to fire. It looks like she’s using the art for charging an attack. The light glows even brighter and shoots forward with an unnaturally loud sound. The radiant arrow, twice as big as usual, flies forward not in an arc but in a perfectly straight line. It strikes the target at the same moment the first arrow reappears from above.

She must have calculated the times for each shot to reach their target to achieve a simultaneous attack. Very well done indeed.

 

I approach the targets too, prepared to give shooting a try. They don’t display damage numbers as they usually would, but the HP gauges on the targets provide enough information anyway.

All right. Let’s try a spell with both my rapier and a staff.

They’re pretty much the same… No, one is definitely the victor. Even if the raw magic attack stat on my rapier looks higher, the staff’s attack spell modifier triumphs. The staff’s stronger already, huh? Not by much, just a centimeters’ worth on the gauge, which you might even attribute to measurement error, but this means I need to do some upgrading if I want to avoid this turning into a headache. Considering its lack of durability and what I can do for it currently, I suppose there’s no need to change weapons so soon…

“Sorry for the delay, Princess!”

“Oh, Ms. Primura. Are you all finished?”

“I am! Oh? Howdy, Ms. Mead!”

“Hello. Sorry to intrude.”

So the elf woman testing her bow is Ms. Mead. That’s right, I remember hearing that she’s one of the top archers in the game. I think she won a prize in the martial arts tournament too.

“I’ve heard many rumors about you, Princess. Nice to meet you.”

“You’re quite famous yourself, Ms. Mead. It’s nice to meet you.”

“So you two don’t already know each other?”

“I’ve seen her around, but this is our first time speaking.”

“And I’ve heard her name during the martial arts tournament, and on the forums, of course.”

“I see, I see. By the way, Princess, you’ve been to the third area, right?”

“I’ve gone to the eastern side, in a group with Mr. Alf.”

“Were there many trees there?”

“There were forests on the northern and southern sides.”

“Hmm…”

Ms. Mead seems like a rather composed individual. In a way, she reminds me of a soldier. I learn that she is a regular at Ms. Primura’s shop. She fells trees and brings their wood here for Ms. Primura to craft with, which makes her a very valuable supplier. Ms. Mead also needs someone to craft bows and arrows for her, so it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.

“Okay, I have to serve the princess now.”

“All right. I hope we have the chance to meet again,” says Ms. Mead.

I add her to my friends list and return to the shop with Ms. Primura.

“That reminds me. ‘Mead’ is what you call honey wine, right? I’ve heard it’s quite easy to make.”

“Is that right?”

“I have honey already. I think I’ll look into it and give it a try.”

But first, we trade. I purchase the remaining mini barrels, basins, and mixing stick from my order.

 

[TOOL] STORAGE BARREL (MINI)

Rarity: NO Quality: B+ Price: 40,000

A barrel to keep anything for fermentation and ripening. How the finished product turns out depends on what one keeps in this barrel.

 

[TOOL] STORAGE BASIN (SMALL)

Rarity: NO Quality: B+ Price: 60,000

A basin to keep anything for fermentation and ripening. How the finished product turns out depends on what one keeps in this barrel.

 

[TOOL] MIXING STICK

Rarity: NO Quality: B+ Price: 1,000

A long stick for stirring.

 

[TOOL] WHITE OAK LID

Rarity: NO Quality: B+ Price: 2,000

A lid made of white oak.

 

This comes out to one basin, one mini barrel, two lids, and one mixing stick. The small wooden basin can hold up to six kilograms of stuff. The mini barrel is a dispenser for liquids, but as an item, it seems to function the same as the storage barrels.

“Thanks for your business! By the way, do you have any kinds of bird feathers, Princess?”

“I have banty feathers, if those will do.”

“Will 100 gold apiece be enough?”

“Let’s see… I can sell you 400 feathers at that price.”

“You have that many feathers?!”

“I went through a lot of them while I was leveling up Alchemist, but I plucked a whole lot more while farming chicken meat.”

“Ah, of course. All right, here’s 40,000 gold.”

“Thank you very much. I think I’m going to stop by Mr. Dentelle’s shop now.”

“Have fun over there. I need to restock some arrows now.”

I leave Ms. Primura’s shop and head for the place I discovered when ordering a cloth for straining. More precisely, the shop directly to the right of Ms. Primura’s, the one with big glass windows. A wooden mannequin in an outfit faces the storefront. This is a tailor’s shop, after all. Even if they do sell things like armor made of pelts.

“Well, look who it is.”

“Is my order ready?” I ask.

“Of course. I’ve fabricated some cloth squares for you.”

I purchase the square filtering cloths from Mr. Dentelle for 5,000 gold. I had requested them in a variety of sizes.

“What are you going to use these for?”

“Soy sauce, miso soup, and wine.”

“Wow! Are you going to sell wine?”

“I’m not sure yet. I can’t drink it, but I could use it for cooking.”

“Ah, is that right…”

“However, I will need an adult to taste test it for me, regardless.”

“Oh! Then I’m your man.”

Mr. Dentelle seems to be a fan of wine. Or maybe he just loves alcohol in general.

“That reminds me. Do you know how to make mead?”

“Yes. Simply dilute honey with water and let it sit. I believe it’s two to three parts water to honey.”

“I see. I’ll stock up on some mead as well, then.”

“What about fruit wine? It’s really simple… Ah, no, you can’t, unfortunately. There’s no white liquor.”

I’ll have to look that one up. Let’s see now… White liquor. I see. So it’s a type of alcohol.

“I was able to buy brandy from a resident,” I say, “so you might be able to find white liquor if you search.”

“Oh man…”

“But first, I’ll try crafting wine and mead, then move on to soy sauce and miso afterward.”

“Good luck with all that!”

I leave Mr. Dentelle’s shop and teleport to Barberek in the third area. I have some shopping to do.

 

I’ll start with a bit of research. Ah, this will do nicely. Mm-hmm… I’ll try making rosé wine. The problem is, the names of the grapes I saw yesterday have no correlation to the ones I’m reading about here. Are they varieties the developers came up with just for this game? I probably will have no choice but to ask the shopkeeper.

Grapes…grapes… Ah, there they are.

I see. Just looking at them doesn’t help at all.

“I’m interested in making wine. Can you tell me which of these are black grapes that can be used in the short term?”

“Short-term black grapes… Those would be these. Falcinelli, craxi, and berge grapes. The falcinelli will work for light, moderate, and strong wines.”

“I see. And which of these is the sweetest?”

“That would be falcinelli. They’re a special variety we make in this town.”

“I think I’ll go with the falcinelli then. As for quantity…since this is my first time making wine, I’ll just get enough to fill this.”

“Oh, what a cute barrel. I’ll recommend the fal, then, since it’s easy to make. Let me take a look at the volume…”

The shopkeeper ends up selling me a variety of grapes called falcinelli-berge. It runs up a total of 5,000 gold, but that’s unavoidable. I leave the shop and promptly get to crafting.

 

I set up my cooking kit in a shady spot in the town square.

All right. Cooking is also a skill that exists in real life, so I can simply follow instructions from external websites. I take a simple recipe I find off the internet and optimize it for the game. This kind of process only works because cooking exists in the real world, while my Alchemy skills generally don’t.

It seems I’m going to need a notepad. That’s an important tool. I’ll forget things if I don’t write them down in the moment. I’ll take note of how long it takes to craft each item.

I watch over the three varieties of jars—grapes, honey with water, and fairy nectar.

It appears that there are different kinds of rosé, the pink wine, but I just crush all my black grapes whole and strain them anyway. To sum up the instructions, “using black grapes in your product will introduce a faint red substance to the mixture, resulting in a pink color at the very end.” I’ll probably have to repeat this process a few times to make the pink very vivid.

I’ve put the fairy nectar in a potion bottle, and it looks like it finished pretty quickly. I carefully transfer the mixture to a separate jar, leaving some of the settled yeast in the first one.

As for the wine…I’ll start with a dry wine to use as a reference. I’ve never actually had wine before, so these concepts of dry and sweet don’t make much sense to me. But it looks like I just need the yeast to consume all the sugar, so I’ll go with a full fermentation.

When the wine stops bubbling, I note how long it took to get to this point. I pour it into a mini barrel and begin the barrel fermentation process.

The regular mead ends up taking more time to ferment than the wine. It’s ready to drink now, but I’ll let both drinks rest either way.

The temperature and humidity here is more stable since we’re in the world of a video game. It makes it easier to control the fermentation process that way. But the biggest problem is that putting something away in my inventory immediately causes time to freeze for that item, which kind of defeats the purpose. And I don’t plan to walk around carrying these vessels in my arms either. While it’s a pain, it seems like the best thing to do is leave the barrels where they are and write down the times it takes…

 

Soy sauce and miso soup…what shall I do about these foods now? I don’t have any koji, which is the biggest obstacle… I might get lucky and be able to successfully make them myself, but it’s possible the mixtures might just rot instead. Hmm, I think I’ll see if I can just find it elsewhere. Though, with all that said, I’m not sure if I’ll actually use these condiments once I’ve made them. I just want to give it a try. Perhaps that’s all that matters. It’ll be good to have more seasonings to choose from in the future.

Let’s get to it then, shall we? I’ll start with miso soup. What do I need…? A large pot, soybeans, and salt. Daily life spells are a big component of Cooking. What’s next… Unit One, please mash the soybeans. It’s great that we undead can’t be scalded! Hmph, I don’t have a mixing bowl for adding the salt. Be sure to mash them well, Unit One.

I take the mashed soybeans and season them with salt. I pack the resulting mixture into the wooden basin I bought from Ms. Primura. The next step would be to cover it with a cloth, but… Ah. I don’t have a fermenting stone. I bet I can find something that’ll work in the north, huh? I’ll pack up my cooking kit and head that way.

After taking the portal to Welshtead, I resummon Unit One in the form of a horse. All the enemies in the north are very slow, so I can ignore them if I ride on Unit One. Everything I pick up gets cleaned with Laundry before going into my inventory.

 

Space Magic has reached level 15.

You have acquired Raum Sphere through Space Magic.

 

RAUM SPHERE

Place an invisible shield around yourself that blocks long-distance attacks from all directions.

 

Ah… This is the all-directional version of Raum Escudo, the shield that blocks attacks in front of you. Putting aside the fact that it probably uses up a whole lot of MP, I think this art sounds pretty good. The bottleneck comes from all the MP I use when I have Inventory Expansion. There’s a fixed amount of MP left over when Inventory Expansion is active, and it probably reduces by ten percent every ten levels. It leaves thirty percent right now, but once it reaches level 20, it must go up to forty percent.

Since I don’t have any direct attack spells equipped, it’s best to level Inventory Expansion for now.

All right, I should get back and continue with production.

 

I dismount from Unit One in the town square and set up my cooking kit in a corner. Firstly, I set a stone on top of the lid. In order to minimize the temperature changes, I would prefer to cook while not under direct sunlight, which is actually something I can do just about anywhere. I’ll let this rest for a year…no, for ten months.

Actually, let me pack up my cooking kit and take a look at the weather forum. Hmm, it looks like the temperature is high right now…in the south? But the south will have that sea breeze… I think I’ll settle for the east. It looks like it rains a lot in the west, and I can’t have any of that. And the north is the coldest region. The east can be for miso and the north for wine.

For now, I suppose I’ll head to the east.

 

I return to Barberek and use Fast Reaction, praying that it doesn’t rot my ingredients. It looks like I don’t really need to mix anything, which is a relief.

I let thirty days’ worth of time pass before checking it. Let’s take a look… It doesn’t look rotten to me. Since this process seems to be working well, I’ll put it through another sixty days.

Despite my max MP increasing as I raise my levels and skills, Fast Reaction is pretty costly to use. I can recover MP faster by working on something else while I wait for it to regenerate. However, just waiting for time to pass is a bit boring. My HP and MP have a recovery rate of thirty percent every five seconds inside safe zones, so it’s actually quite fast. This applies to towns and other safe areas out in the world. However, the rules say that taking damage forces you into combat mode, so neither stat regenerates for some time after that.

My goal is to make miso soup…ah, but I don’t have tofu. For that, I’ll need…bittern. Just bittern? I’ll have to look this up while I wait for Fast Reaction. Hmm. Bittern appears to be the water that remains after removing the salt from seawater. I can even make it with Alchemist.

Now I have to put soybeans in a mixer…which I don’t have. Once again, I’ve run into a lack of equipment instead of a lack of ingredients. I’ll just have to search for a greater version of the cooking kit. …Wait, what? I was so focused on ingredients, I never looked at the vital cooking kits? My miso should be done soon, so I’ll look into it after that.

When I see that the clock hovering over the wooden basin has vanished, I quickly remove the rock and cloth covering the top.

 

[INGREDIENT] AGED MISO

Rarity: EP Quality: B

A processed food made from soybeans brought in by an outsider. Holds the potential for all kinds of uses.

Aged for 300 days.

 

Whoa… I did it!

A processed food made from soybeans brought in by an outsider. And it’s epic rarity too. I guess the rarity increases if the item isn’t mass-produced.

All right, now I can go searching for a cooking kit. I should head to a shop that sells storage items.

“Welcome!”

“Do you have any advanced cooking kits?”

“I think we still have a few!”

Still have a few…? I guess that’s not so strange, since there’s other items sold out too.

“But are you sure you have the money for it?”

 

[TOOL] INTERMEDIATE COOKING KIT

Rarity: RA Quality: B Price: 500,000

A portable cooking kit full of tools a chef might need.

 

Wow, an intermediate cooking kit…but the price sure is steep!

“Miss…your face has turned a different color!”

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. It just cost more than I expected. I’ll come back with the money.”

“I’ll set this aside for you, then.”

“Yes, please do.”

That price tag hurts, but going without this kit isn’t an option. I head to the adventurers’ union nearby to withdraw enough gold before returning to the store. I have 3.6 million gold remaining. I think I might want to sell some more of my cooking on consignment…

“Thanks for waiting for me.”

“And thank you for your purchase!”

“Is there a reason this kit is so much more expensive than the basic one?”

“There are a few magic tools included, which raises the quality of the overall product.”

“I see.”

“They’re expensive but handy to have.”

“All right. I’ll take it.”

“Please come again!”

I leave the shop and immediately combine my two kits. But before I give the new kit a look, I teleport to Imbamunte and fetch some seawater. I then use alchemy to distill the salt from it. With this, I’ve acquired high-quality salt and bittern. I think I’ll use this salt in all my recipes from here on out. I isolate the salt and preserve it in my inventory, then do the same for the bittern in a single empty jar.

Let’s see… It’s getting late. I should eat dinner soon.

 

After dinner, a bath, and other little tasks, I log back in.

I had been planning to make tofu, but now that I think about it, it will be unrecognizable without a box to put it in, which I need Ms. Primura to craft for me. I’ll need some cloth too. I’ll have to ask Mr. Dentelle.

Wait, I have a whisper chat from Mr. Skelly…

“Princess! Let’s go hunting before bed!”

“In Barberek?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Understood.”

I can do more crafting tomorrow, so right now I think I’ll go hunting instead. I’ll check on my newly merged production kit tomorrow too.

I place orders for a tofu box and cloth with Ms. Primura and Mr. Dentelle respectively. It sounds like the shopkeeper at Mr. Dentelle’s store will put aside some cloth for me. How convenient.

Once I teleport to Barberek, I join Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly’s party, and the three of us proceed to knock over ostriches before bed. Ostriches are delicious—speaking strictly about the XP they grant, of course. I should really plan for a solo hunt someday too.

 

Chapter 2:
Monday

 

I WAKE UP AND have a leisurely morning, eating breakfast and such, before logging in to FLFO, where I head to the library to get some homework done.

“Welcome, Miss.”

“Hello again.”

After greeting the old man, I pick up a few books and head to the garden. One of the tables becomes my place to set up camp. First, I’ll tackle my homework, and once I can’t focus anymore…I’ll just read. This should make for a nice morning of leveling up Linguistics.

What books should I read? I could learn more about this game’s world, but I think I want to get to the rest of that fairy tale today.

 

I have lunch before heading to Ms. Primura and Mr. Dentelle’s shops.

The first stop is Mr. Dentelle’s place, where I pick up the square cloths for making tofu that I’d pre-ordered from the shopkeeper.

Then I stop by Ms. Primura’s shop. She’s on summer break, so she’s sure to be around.

“Howdy!”

“Good afternoon. I’m here to buy the box.”

“One tofu box, coming right up!”

Ms. Primura produces a wooden box with holes drilled into it. It has little feet on the bottom that look like skating shoes, which raises it off the ground a bit. That’ll make it easier to drain off excess water.

I end up buying four boxes from Ms. Primura. Combined with my purchases from Mr. Dentelle, I’ve spent a total of 10,000 gold.

“If you’re making tofu, does that mean the miso worked out?”

“It did. I have some miso to work with now. I’m not sure if there’s a koji item in the game or if it occurs naturally, but I didn’t end up needing it.”

“What about the wine?”

“That’s still fermenting. I tried fermenting the mead too, and I think it might be ready, since the item name changed.”

“Wow! Sounds like it’s really working out.”

“Yup. From here, I plan to work on making tofu while posting information about the intermediate cooking kit on the forums.”

“You’ve got an intermediate kit, huh? That reminds me. I think the old man was going on about intermediate blacksmithing kits.”

He’d chosen to pour money into his own shop—his housing, in other words—to create an area for blacksmithing, postponing his investment into a blacksmithing kit that he can put into his inventory. But then it was announced that the next event is a survival mission in a special area. He’ll have to procure a production kit, since he won’t have access to the equipment in his shop.

“So there’s currently blacksmithing and cooking kits? I want to get my hands on those before the event… What are you gonna bring with you, Princess?”

“Probably my cooking kit… I’d been thinking of taking my alchemy kit, but Mr. Skelly is going to bring his instead.”

“Ah, are you guys going in your party of three?”

“That’s the plan. You’re going to party up with Mr. Ertz’s group, right?”

“Yep!”

I thought as much. I’m hoping to meet up with them early, if we can figure out where we are when we spawn in. It’s hard to survive without teamwork.

Hmm. The event starts this Saturday. I can probably level up my combat and cooking skills then, so what should I grind in the meantime? I can ponder this while I make tofu.

“I’m going to head out.”

“See ya later!”

I leave Ms. Primura’s shop. Where should I go from here? Everyone owns a shop now, so I can’t locate them by going to the street where players set up stalls. Perhaps I’ll head to the town square… Ah, but I forgot about the existence of production environments.

…Actually, that sounds like a hassle, so I’ll stick to the town square instead.

 

I pick a vacant spot to set up my cooking kit. I can already see how different it looks based on the item preview. All right, time to open it up and see what’s changed.

The charcoal stove and magic-powered stovetop are completely different now. There’s also a new magic-powered distiller by the sink. It’s not every day that you see kitchen utensils powered by sorcery. I start by filling the still with water to make distilled water. There’s a box over on the side… That must be a magic-powered refrigerator? It looks like I can put ten varieties of food inside, so I use it to store my eggs and such.

I see a pressure cooker, blender, mixer, kettle, and juicer, all powered by magic. There’s all kinds of magic tools here. Now I see why it was so expensive. This faucet… Yes. It’s a magic-powered tool that uses the Drinking Water art.

Magic-powered tools use magic stones modified by alchemy as a power source. According to information I’ve found, they break once they run out of mana, but you’re able to recharge them. So they’re just like rechargeable batteries but with magic. The intermediate cooking kit also comes with an alchemized stone (small). I bet I can change its capacity by swapping in different stones…or maybe I could even put in an orb?

…I’ve just thought of something unpleasant. I’ll keep my orbs away from this kit. I couldn’t bear it if the orbs caused the whole kit to explode. Batteries have safety standards that must be adhered to.

 

All right. I think I’ll start on the tofu now.

I can turn soybeans into soybean paste, which I put in a boiling pot of water. I stir it gently to prevent it from burning while it cooks. It looks like soybean paste turns to boiled soybean paste in the game once it’s cooked. I use the paste to produce soy milk and soy pulp.

While the soy milk is warming…I need to dissolve the bittern in hot water. The problem is figuring out the concentration of this bittern, so I have no choice but to try using different amounts of it and write down the results as I go. I watch over the mixture as I slowly add salt. Then I stir, cover it with a lid, and wait for it to harden.

I’m praying that it comes out looking right—but not to God. I doubt he would appreciate hearing prayers about bittern quantities.

I set up the box I bought from Ms. Primura with the cloth from Mr. Dentelle. I then decant the clear liquid that has formed at the top of my mixture and transfer the rest into the box, before finally sealing it with the lid and putting a weight on top. A container of water should do the trick.

All that’s left is to wait. After a while, my firm tofu will be ready.

“And what are you doing over there, Rina?”

“Eh heh! I was just watching you, since I didn’t want to get in your way.”

“Well, you certainly look suspicious. And there’s no need for the two of you to join her either.”

Rina is with Ms. Nadia and Ms. Helen. I heard them whispering clear as day while I was working. They’ve picked a good time to show up, however, since I can ask them to taste test for me. I remove the tofu from one box, halve it, and split that into four portions. I’ll put the remaining half into Tableware along with some water.

This certainly looks like real tofu. I wonder if I could make katsuobushi too? No, for that, I’ll have to search for katsuo first.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good, I think?”

“It’s pretty solid, isn’t it?”

“I felt that while I was slicing into it.”

“It definitely is solid.”

“I made the ‘bittern’ from seawater, but I didn’t know how to control the concentration…”

“I see.”

When the clear liquid on top is bitter, it means that the “bittern” is too concentrated…yes, this is indeed a bit too much. I’ll use less when I make it next.

“I like it this way.”

“Yeah, it’s really good.”

“The flavor itself seems to be sufficient. I think I’ll sell it on consignment and call it ‘Tofu attempt 1: Too much bittern’ or something.”

“That sounds good to me. I bet some people will get curious and buy it.”

I transfer the remainder to Tableware, open the tofu box, and adjust the bittern to make some more. The remaining tofu can go straight to consignment. It’s not like I can take it to the event, even if I prepare it in advance.

I soak the soybeans in water and begin to advance time with Fast Reaction… Oh, isn’t that Ms. Mead? I’ll summon her. Over here… Over here… Ah, she saw me.

“Hello.”

“Hello. Do you happen to have a moment?”

“Certainly.”

“Are you of legal drinking age, Ms. Mead?”

“Yes, I am…”

“I’d like you to be my taste tester.”

I produce the jar of golden liquid I’d kept hidden on the ground.

“Is this mead? I’d love some.”

“Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to let it ferment for long…”

“Mm, this is delicious. I sure hope you’re thinking of selling this.”

Ah. I don’t see why I would be making mead in the first place if I can’t use it for cooking. But as this thought crosses my mind, Instinct suddenly activates, and I feel an impact on my shoulder.

“Hey, Princess! And Mead’s here too!”

“Hi, Ellen.”

“Heh heh heh. I feel disrespectful, sitting on a princess’s shoulder.”

She’s dropped straight from the sky and onto my shoulder. Faeries are small creatures, after all.

“Want me to take her out?” Rina says.

“I bet you’re jealous!”

“Eeeek!”

“Ah ha ha ha!” Ms. Fairellen taunts Rina, who pulls out her halberd and jabs the handle in my direction—it feels like I’m the person who’s the most at risk.

“Please! That’s dangerous.”

“Take that!”

“Whoa!”

“Yahhh!”

“Grah!”

I pick Ms. Fairellen off my shoulder by the legs, and Rina comes in for a follow-up attack. The fairy finds herself pinned between the ground and a halberd. At least there’s no damage taken, since we’re in the town.

“By the way, are you able to drink alcohol, Ms. Fairellen?”

“Sure am. But why?”

“I used a bit of your fairy nectar to make mead.”

“I never even thought of that!”

I give portions of the fairy nectar mead to Ms. Mead and Ms. Fairellen, who once again hovers in the air. The jars don’t contain much, but I didn’t have much fairy nectar to begin with.

“Sooo good!”

“Wow, this is impressive…”

Unfortunately, we minors are unable to try it ourselves. Not that drinking the alcohol here will affect our bodies in real life, but there’s probably bigger issues at play. The developers don’t want us to get a taste of alcohol in the game and start drinking in the real world.

However, based on their reactions, this mead appears to be more delicious than the normal kind.

“Hmmm… Does this mean I need to gather more nectar?”

“Are you a honeybee now, Ellen?”

“We’re the only race who can make fairy nectar!”

“It’s very tasty. I hope you’ll work your hardest to make more.”

“Whaaat? But you can barely harvest a drop each attempt. It takes forever!”

The nectar mead is easy to make, so I don’t mind if they want more…but the problem is the core ingredient: the fairy nectar. I can’t craft things I don’t have the materials for, so it comes down to how hard Ms. Fairellen is willing to work.

“What else… Ah, is water with honey and lemon simple enough?”

“I’d love some of that!”

That was Rina. Ms. Nadia and Ms. Helen look just as eager.

Let’s see… I halve a lemon and put it in the magic-powered juicer. As I pulse mana through it, the magic stone activates, and the machine springs to life. The lemon is squeezed from both sides, causing juice to pour into the container below.

“Oooh…”

“Are these magic-powered tools, Sis?”

“Yes. This one’s a magic-powered juicer that came with the intermediate cooking kit.”

“Wow… How does it work?”

“I’m not sure. Appraisal doesn’t tell me that much.”

I continue to juice one lemon after the other. I divide the juice into cups, add honey, sugar, and distilled water, and give it a good stir.

“I have lemon water, honey lemon water, and lemonade. You can use Cooling on them if you want your drinks chilled.”

“The carbonated lemonade’s good!”

“It looks like it has some kind of hunger recovery effect too…although not as much as field rations.”

I could probably sell these as luxury items, and they’re rather easy to make too. But I’m not sure they’ll net much money.

I place the distilled water in the refrigerator. They all gulp down their lemonade and chat while I work on making more tofu. It should only take a few more attempts to learn the correct quantities required for bittern. As for the taste, well, I’ll work on that later. The flavor of tofu depends on the ratio of water and the quality of the soybeans, which is honestly impossible for me to figure out at the moment.

Hmm. Farming lets you use Selective Breeding, right? But that’s probably too broad for me to utilize.

“By the way, Ms. Fairellen. Is the south still looking impossible to clear?”

“Yeah, it is. Flying that way just gets you eaten by bird enemies.”

“So you really do need a boat…”

“A dogfight with enemies tougher than you is no fun.”

I’ve heard that the intended route is to board a cargo ship from Imbamunte. They want you to chat with the locals. But this ship supposedly only appears under certain circumstances, and it needs to be protected too. If it’s destroyed, you either die and respawn, or start again from Imbamunte.

I’m sure it’ll be necessary to take this ship to reach the other continent. A single boat can hold one party and a crew. In typical game fashion, no residents will die even if you fail the mission. Sailing from Imbamunte to the next area means you’ll encounter enemies whose levels are in the low 30s. After that, they’ll be closer to level 40, until you reach the next point where 40 is the base level. In other words, the three new areas consist of ocean. From there, we’ll need to get past the unbreakable wall to reach the next area.

“We have to travel by boat, but the enemies are in the sky and sea, and they shoot spells at you…”

“The problem is how to fight what’s in the sea, not the sky. If they’re baseline level 40, then it’s still too early for us to beat them, right?”

“Yeah, we’ve got no chance now, to be honest. We’ll have to do some grinding elsewhere first.”

“The northwest has its own difficulties. Those status ailments are dreadful…”

Ms. Fairellen was working on the south areas, Ms. Mead was working on the northwest, and my sister and friends were working on the north. We were all tackling different parts of the map.

Currently, the easiest area in terms of difficulty is the northeast, followed by the west, east, and northwest. The northeast has slower enemies, so they’re not impossible to escape. The east has horses and other creatures that can’t be outrun, but they’re not too hard to defeat in a fight. On the other hand, the roads in the northwest are surrounded with forests on either side, filled with enemies that attack with status ailments.

“The physical ailments are poison and paralysis. The mental ones are confusion and charm. I’d honestly much prefer to run into the ones that just charge at you than those who wait in the treetops and charm you into wandering off the road…”

“Eek…”

“You either push through as a party or go with races that are invulnerable to mental ailments… Those are strats that people have mostly figured out.”

There are roads through the area, but using them leads you to a higher elevation where you’ll run into butterflies that can paralyze you.

Paralysis isn’t even the worst status effect; that award goes to the mental effects: confusion and charm. Confusion changes the inputs for your arms and legs and will force you to use a random art. The effect it has on the art is also randomized. For example, you might be able to use a spell even if you aren’t close enough to hit the target. When you’re confused, friendly fire is on too. I’ve heard that the controls are inverted for your arms and legs, and it activates as soon as you’re hit with the effect. This must mean that the VR headset takes the signals from your limbs and temporarily swaps them. The right arm becomes connected to the left arm and vice versa. Same for the legs. You can still move once you get used to it, but the arts activate without your input.

Charm causes you to stagger toward a target. You can move if you’re attacked, but you can never directly attack the enemy who charmed you. I’ve heard the only option is to use AOE attacks.

“Invulnerability to status ailments… Hmm. If you were an inhuman race with invulnerability to mental ailments, you’d probably be all right as long as you brought restoration items or Holy Magic.”

“Ah, so resistance alone isn’t enough to undo the effects? ”

“It can be.”

“Oooh… But the problem is SP…”

“Precisely. It’s impossible to take all those skills…”

I listen to Ms. Mead’s conversation with Rina while working on my tofu. Oh, this one looks great. “I ought to make silken tofu too…”

“You mean tofu strained with silk?”

“…”

“Big Sis, you’re supposed to laugh at my joke!”

“Ah, I just… I know people mean that seriously sometimes…”

“Not me! It’s a different process, right?!”

“Something would be wrong with your head if you tried to strain with silk.”

“Think of the cost…”

Okay, let’s forget about that joke and move on. To make silken tofu, the process is the same up to the point where the soybeans become a paste. Then, you boil the raw paste, but this time, you don’t add water. I’ll be careful when I try this, since I hear it’s easy to burn.

Once it’s boiling, I remove the foam that forms on the top, strain it, and chill the remaining soy milk.

When it’s properly chilled, I mix it together with bittern, make a box with Tableware, and pour the mixture in. All that’s left is to steam it, and my silken tofu will be complete.

Tableware sure is handy, isn’t it? Although I can’t make boxes with holes like my tofu box, I can craft a simple square box. I don’t particularly mind that it can only contain food items.

“Would you like some cold tofu? I don’t have any soy sauce, however.”

“I’ll have some.”

“Me toooo!”

I divide the tofu and give everyone a portion to try. Mm, the texture really is different from the first batch. I think I did very well. It tastes the same, since I didn’t change any of the ingredients.

“Ah, now that I think about it, I haven’t had tofu in forever.”

“I ate some yesterday. I feel like this one is more flavorful, though.”

“Should I have cold tofu for dinner?”

“I wish we had condiments.”

I feel like Ms. Fairellen is going to end up eating one more dish with dinner. Ms. Mead had cold tofu yesterday. We had it two days ago at our house.

Now that I’ve heard how everyone likes their tofu, our group goes our separate ways. Not before I sell some regular mead to Ms. Mead, though. I’ll stock up on some more the next time I have my cooking kit set up.

Now that I think of it, I wonder if I can add items to my combined kit’s storage and carry them around with me? That seems like quite the exploit. Perhaps I should begin to stock up on soy sauce before the event begins… Or buy some seasonings here and there and include them too?

Hmm… I should probably let the soybeans sit to see if I can make yeast. I’ll need it for soy sauce too. I do wonder if I’ll be able to culture something like koji mold with it? I shouldn’t half-ass it though—I’ll need somewhere to set up. To be honest, I’ll be forced to throw in the towel if some sort of strange fungus appears instead…

Ah, maybe it changes depending on the area you acquired it from? Ha ha ha, well…knowing this game’s management, it’s not unthinkable. Natural yeast formed in the air must be dependent on areas with different air temperatures… I’ll leave this research to the more curious players. I’m sure someone out there is interested in perfecting the quality of miso soup and soy sauce. I should consider the possibility that an ingredient’s place of origin has an effect on its processing. If I want something of high quality, I can find someone to buy it from.

For now, I’ll post information about the intermediate cooking kit on the forums, put my food and experimental goods up for sale at the adventurers’ union, and I’ll deposit some money there too.

All right. Now to leisurely prepare for the upcoming event and prioritize leveling up any skills that I’m not likely to use there.

I’m looking forward to the survival mission.

Official BBS 1

 

[Environmental Destruction] Comprehensive Production Chat Thread 50 [Necessary Sacrifices]

1. Nameless Crafter

This is a thread to discuss production.

Please talk about production here.

Also check the boards for each skill.

Previous thread: http://＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Smithing: http://＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Carpentry: http://＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Needlework: http://＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

…etc.

>> 980 Next thread’s in your hands!

 

474. Nameless Crafter

So intermediate blacksmithing and cooking kits have been found in the third area. Anyone seen anything else yet?

 

475. Nephrite

There was an intermediate handiwork kit in Fellforge!

476. Nameless Crafter

Oh, that’s great!

477. Nameless Crafter

I want to get one of those before the event. Do you guys think it’ll be possible?

478. Nameless Crafter

Probably not in the south, and I hear they’re really struggling in the northwest side too.

479. Nameless Crafter

There’s been nothing for compounding, woodworking, alchemy, dolls, glass, etc. yet.

480. Nameless Crafter

What I want is a new tool for fishing.

481. Steiner

What about new farming tools?

482. Nameless Crafter

That reminds me. What’s the status on fishing and farming equipment? Are things going to get more convenient?

483. Nameless Crafter

Like electric reels?

484. Nameless Crafter

For me, they make the sizes of the fish I catch larger.

485. Nameless Crafter

Ah, I see.

486. Nameless Crafter

>>485 But do you see these?

487. Nameless Crafter

>>486 See deez ****?

488. Nameless Crafter

>>487 They don’t let you say that?!

489. Steiner

Nuts aside, I’ve found that my tilling speed goes up, which means I can get my work done faster. It means I can manage more fields at once!

490. Nameless Crafter

>>489 Can’t you ask the old man for help?

491. Steiner

>>490 I could, but it’d be asking a lot of him, you know.

492. Nameless Crafter

>>491 Ah, all that money…

493. Steiner

>>492 All the major tools are already coming from the old man.

494. Ertz

Yo, I’ve got some good news for you guys! Information incoming!

495. Nameless Crafter

Hype!

496. Nameless Crafter

What could it be?!

497. Nameless Crafter

That’s our old man!

498. Ertz

Players can become students of resident crafters. You can gain the title “XX’s Pupil.”

I still don’t know what the conditions are for becoming a pupil.

The perks are recipes and tricks for crafting.

I don’t know of any downsides yet. It might depend on who you take as a teacher.

499. Nameless Crafter

We can get teachers!

500. Nameless Crafter

So it is possible?

501. Nameless Crafter

Recipes and tricks are really important… So we can become pupils, huh?

502. Nameless Crafter

A downside would be…that they force you to help them? But that’s more like a perk to me anyway.

503. Ertz

>>502 You get a quest where they demand you make stuff for them. To be honest, that’s a plus for me too. They’ve already got the materials for it and everything.

504. Nameless Crafter

>>503 They do? Then there’s no downsides at all.

505. Ertz

>>504 That’s what makes it part of the learning process.

506. Anastasia

So you’ve taken a teacher too, Mr. Ertz? I believe your affinity is what makes this possible. But it’s not just your affinity with the teacher. It’s your reputation around the entire town.

507. Ertz

It sounds like you have a teacher too, Princess? But really, the whole town’s opinion matters? Sounds kind of rough to me.

508. Anastasia

The teacher supposedly judges your skills and character as they watch you train, but everyone knows that people are on their best behavior around their teacher. That’s why they take the opinions of the townspeople into account too.

509. Ertz

So that explains it… I figured a high affinity level was all that mattered, and now I guess it’s especially important for those working in production. But the problem is that there’s no way to verify your own popularity.

510. Anastasia

You can’t see most of your stats in this game, so there’s no way, I’m afraid. But I figure you can make an educated guess based on how the residents treat you, since this is still a game.

511. Nameless Crafter

That reminds me…didn’t the testing team post a theory that resident children only come up and talk to some players?

512. Nameless Crafter

Ah, that’s right, they did. It must be because kids are wary of strangers. Or more accurately, they’re honest by nature.

They wouldn’t go up to someone they hate, no matter what their parents tell them.

513. Nameless Crafter

I heard the testing team’s records didn’t even have enough names for a proper list.

514. Nameless Crafter

There’s a “People Kids Go Up To” list?

515. Nameless Crafter

…Are we sure the testing team is all right in the head?

516. Nameless Crafter

Don’t make them feel bad!

517. Anastasia

Is that right? I…have a lot of children approach me.

518. Studylover

The top of the “People Kids Go Up To” leaderboard is the princess, and it’s not even close. Honestly, after observing many people, Princess appears to be the most beloved figure in Starting Town.

The next people on that list would be crafters who have shops like Ertz. As for the most attractive players…Princess tops that list by a long shot too. Watching her is an experience like no other.

519. Nameless Crafter

>>518 Wow, it’s a pervert!

520. Studylover

Care to join me in perverthood?

521. Nameless Crafter

>>520 What’s that even supposed to mean?

522. Nameless Crafter

>>520 Don’t worry! I’m already a pervert!

523. Studylover

>522 I see…

524. Nameless Crafter

>>523 That comment felt really sad. How weird… I wonder why?

525. Anastasia

Now that I think about it, I have a title that makes it easier to raise my affinity with others.

526. Studylover

What?! Who cares about that sad pervert?! Titles are actually important!

527. Nameless Crafter

>>Dropped like a hat?! Did I mean nothing to you?!

528. Studylover

>>527 Put a sock in it!

529. Anastasia.

My title is “Princess of Peace and Elegance.”

It makes others less wary and improves their impression of you.

530. Studylover

>>529 Ah…a special title for certain races…? It’s probably not something that comes when you level up.

531. Anastasia

>>530 Well…I suppose I don’t mind listing them for you.

Mild Princess

A title given to a quiet, mild-mannered princess.

Improves others’ impression of you.

Elegant Princess

A title given to an elegant, graceful princess.

Improves the impression that royalty and nobility have of you but will reflexively put commoners on guard.

Princess of Peace and Elegance

A title given to a majestic and refined princess.

Improves others’ impression of you and makes them less wary in your presence.

Mild: Do not make any sound over a certain decibel level for a span of three IRL days.

Elegant: Maintain good posture, and don’t run for three IRL days.

532. Studylover

>>531 Much appreciated! But…I’m sure they all come from your race. Hmm.

533. Nameless Crafter

Not being able to run for 72 hours in a game is hilarious.

534. Nameless Crafter

I can’t believe you managed to get those titles…

535. Anastasia

They were close to impossible, since I started at the zombie spawn point.

Anyway, I asked my teacher and learned that there are no intermediate or advanced alchemy kits.

536. Nameless Crafter

Whaaat?!

537. Nameless Crafter

Naniii?!

538. Ertz

So you’re an alchemy student, not a cooking student?

539. Anastasia

I already cook in real life. Alchemy was more important. Well, to be honest, I only use it from time to time.

Anyway, it sounds like the alchemy circle in the alchemy kit can be used at any level.

I can’t reveal who my teacher is, but anyone interested in leveling their alchemy skills should seek out an “alchemist” instead of an “alchemy teacher.” They’re the ones with 3rd-tier skills.

540. Nameless Crafter

You won’t tell us?! That must mean the teacher made you promise to keep it a secret.

541. Anastasia

My affinity will plummet, so I’ll never tell.

542. Nameless Crafter

Just tell us! Nothing bad will happen… Heh heh heh. No, that line doesn’t work. You’ll definitely lose affinity.

543. Ertz

Yeah, there’s no doubt about that.

544. Anastasia

By the way, I’m curious. Does this game have a system for circulating goods? If you put in a request with a resident trader, couldn’t they “send” away for the items?

545. Nameless Crafter

?!

546. Nameless Crafter

*deskslam*

547. Nameless Crafter

Th-that makes sense!

548. Ertz

…It might be a little more expensive, but that’s a possibility.

549. Anastasia

You may need a high affinity, or at least a level of trust with the resident… Why don’t we try it?

550. Primura

I’ll test it out with a shop I frequent!

551. Dentelle

Now I get why she wanted me to look at the BBS! I’ll try too!

552. Salute

I see! I’ll go ask!

553. Nameless Crafter

I’m going in tooooo!

554. Nameless Crafter

Chaaarge!

Chapter 3:
Wednesday

 

“IT LOOKS LIKE it’s about time. I need to get going.”

I leave the library—my destination is the southern city of Imbamunte. I’ve received news that my swimsuit is ready, so I’ve made plans to meet up with Tomo. We’re going to relax on the beach in a safe area.

I teleport to the south and head for the coast. Being in a game means there’s no need for changing rooms.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“That was fast.”

“I didn’t really have any other plans today.”

Tomo has the swimsuit with him, so I take it from him and look it over before I change. It’s a normal light blue bikini patterned with white flowers, plus a light white wrap of fabric. It’s large enough to wrap around both my waist and my chest.

 

[EQUIPMENT-ARMOR] BIKINI WITH PAREO

Rarity: NO Quality: B+ Durability: 140

Clothes meant for outsiders to wear in and around water.

It allows for swimming and dries quickly.

Crafter: Dentelle

Appraisal Lv 10

DEF: △ MDEF: △

Applicable skills: Swimming

Appraisal Lv 20

Viscosity resistance reduction: Small

Water spell boost: Small

Water spell resistance: Small

Status ailment resistance: Small

Appraisal Lv 30

Potential skill buffs: Needlework Alchemy

Buffed materials: Aquatic materials

 

It appears that Appraisal level 30 mentions equipment buffs as well. It’s kind of all over the place, however.

The ability changes are small this time instead of minor. The staff I tested out at Ms. Primura’s shop was the same. My own equipment has excellent effects…but I should probably assume the numbers are on the low side. The bathing suit takes up an upper and lower torso slot like my dress, and the pareo…I see. It goes in the cloak slot.

“That’s what you get with a top player. It’s really powerful.”

“Not that we’ve found an area where swimsuits are helpful. At the beach, it’s just something to wear…”

“Aren’t there rivers and lakes?”

“All I’ve heard is they’re in the west.”

The west is mostly useful for replenishing one’s herb and water supply, and not much else. Although I’m currently only in the south to make glass and usually do most of my hunting and crafting in the east—where one hunts depends on their build.

Anyway, I should change into my bathing suit from the menu. I’ll wear the pareo around my chest.

“Yes, this is nice,” I say. “I have no complaints.”

“Uh-huh, your body looks as nice as ever!”

“Right? Well, it’s just an avatar.”

“Don’t say that…”

Tomo is just wearing shorts—or trunks, more accurately.

“I feel like getting a straw hat now.”

“Ah, that sounds good. But wouldn’t that be a production skill? You could probably make one with Needleworking skills…”

Now that I think of it, more parts of me are exposed to light now, so the sun does a lot more damage. This might be a good way to level up my skills.

The sun radiates brilliant light. An ocean breeze swirls around us. The sand on the beach sparkles brightly against the clear seawater. Seaweed sways in the waves next to marvelous schools of fish.

“This world certainly is beautiful.”

“Sure is… It’s fun to run around hunting and stuff, but relaxing like this is nice sometimes too.”

Well, when I glance outside the safe areas, what I see is still a brutal world. But that’s the last thing to be focusing on right now.

“All right, why not go for a swim?”

The water’s temperature is perfect. Tomo, of course, splashes me with water, so I silently deliver a hearty counterattack with my leg.

“You’re so mean!”

“Did you not think women from a family like mine would do something like that?”

“Not at all.”

I can just be myself around Tomo. Now, let’s enjoy the ocean, since we don’t feel like going to the beach in the real world.

We swim and play with the sand. Once Tomo’s hunger meter depletes, it’s time for a break. We can relax on the beach since I prepared food for us in advance.

Swimming unlocked the skill Swimming for me, but I don’t think I’ll need it.

“Looks like I was right. No one came to bother us here… Mm, this is good.”

“Rina seems to be busy hunting right now.”

“She knows how to read the room. I meant the other players, those bastards.”

“I see.”

We continue to gossip as we eat. Suddenly, I hear the twanging of strings behind me.

“Ah, the beauty of youth…”

“Why are you here, Mr. Norbert? You’re the last person I expected to show up.”

“I just happened to find you here. I thought it would be polite to throw cold water on the mood.”

“How could that possibly be polite?”

“I’ve seen something lovely, so now I’ll leave before I get in the way. Ah, what a sight for sore eyes.”

He walked away with another strum of his mandolin. I guess he really did just want to stop by…

“Speaking of sights for sore eyes, Mr. Dentelle begged me for screenshots.”

“I would like to take some pictures.”

“Hm… The sun’s gonna set soon. We can go after some dinner or just wait for the moon to come out.”

“Why don’t we do both? The moon will show up either way.”

“Sure thing.”

We finish eating and play in the ocean some more. Eventually, the sun begins to set. The sky is dyed red, and the reflections on the water’s surface bring a different vibe to the setting. Now’s the right time for a photoshoot.

“What do you think?”

“It’s not quite right. Let’s try taking another one over there.”

“Say cheese!”

It’s natural to have preferences for your own selfies, and the same goes for having pictures taken of you. I have Tomo take shot after shot while I change my location, angle, and pose until I get it right.

“It’s almost nighttime…”

“Yeah… Well, I like this one.”

“I see. Let’s go with that, then.”

I delete the ones I dislike after flipping through them. It’s dark by the time I save the photos that remain.

 

The rippling surface of the ocean now reflects the moonlight, making our view look like a prestige piece of fantasy art. The warmth of the sunlit beach has turned to tranquility with the rise of the moon. Residents typically sleep through the night, so all we experience is the sound of the waves and the water’s surface glittering under the moonbeams.

“You never notice the scenery when you’re so busy hunting…”

“Maybe we should take more screenshots when we’re out and about…”

I can’t let such sights go to waste. In this dreamy area, my normal dress will probably look better in a picture than my swimsuit… Actually, I’ll take pictures with both. Tomo said he didn’t have any other plans today, so I’m going to make the most of his time.

“Man, I could practically use these as my phone background. I think I’ll go with the swimsuit one. Simple is best.”

In the picture with the dress, I wear a somber expression, my left hand on my chest, my right hand outstretched toward the moon. For the swimsuit picture, I simply sit on a rock and stare up at the moon.

“If I had to name one complaint, I wish my dress were a different color…”

“Don’t you think this one makes it better? I wanna post these on the forums.”

“That reminds me. There was a thread dedicated to me, wasn’t there?”

“So you found that? It’s a thread for watching over the princess…”

“I felt like it wasn’t my place to open the thread, so I didn’t actually read any posts.”

“Yeah, it’s not something the actual princess needs to see… It’s starting to read like a bunch of idol groupies posting. I don’t know if I should compare them to bodyguards or a fan club…”

“I’m sure it’s fine, so long as they’re not bothering the other players. I can’t complain, so long as no one gets hurt.”

“You’re as forgiving as ever.”

“Everyone’s free to do as they please. Anyway, don’t show the swimsuit photo to anyone other than your acquaintances. The dress picture…can probably safely go on the forums.”

“If I’m gonna post it anywhere, your personal fan club thread is probably the place to leave it. The random talk thread won’t be able to do much with it.”

“Send it to Rina, Mr. Dentelle, and me.”

“Got it.”

I have no doubt Rina will sulk if no one sends it to her. As for my personal thread…I’ll leave them be, so long as they don’t become a nuisance. Tomo said they’re behaving themselves, so right now, I see nothing to worry about. How nice.

Actually, should I go to the thread and say something? I can post my screenshot too.

“‘If you’re just having fun and not bothering anyone, then I won’t criticize you. But if you start causing problems and I feel the need to act, just know that you’ll be destroyed.’ …In other words, they have your official permission now.”

“It’s better to make these decisions early on. I’m sure that Management would delete the thread if I reported it myself. My own reputation will be harmed if they start hurting others. That’s when fan clubs fall apart.”

“That’s true, I guess. Celebrities sure have it rough.”

“I think it’s less of a hassle to find out about it like this, instead of having it come out of nowhere and send you into a panic.”

The problem is that, if something came up, people would call me irresponsible if I just ignored the group. Even though it wasn’t my idea to make the thread in the first place. Unfair, isn’t it?

“Whoa… They’re in a frenzy over getting a post from the actual princess, and one with a screenshot too.”

“Hmm…? Aren’t these posts from Eli and Abby?” Well…that’s fine. I won’t think about it too much.

Oh?

“Good day to you, Sir Tomo. It is I, Musasabi.”

“Ah, good day to you, Sir Musasabi. It’s me, Tomo.”

“I shall claim your head! Hiyaaah!”

“Aaaargh!!”

It looks like Tomo and Mr. Musasabi have initiated a game of tag. It’s a safe area, so there’s nothing to worry about…although it does look more like a serious battle.

“What is it that spurs him on like this?”

“How sinful…”

Twaaang…

Look at that. Mr. Norbert is back. He’s really just like Snufkin.

“I saw Mr. Musasabi running and thought this might be interesting to watch.”

“I see…”

“This is the only beach open right now,” Norbert says. “Ignoring when the picture was taken, I thought that maybe this would be a good time… But now I’m here, and you’re in a swimsuit?”

“A thousand deaths aren’t enough for he who wishes to monopolize the view of Her Highness’ swimsuit! Do the honorable thing and submit!” Musasabi shouts.

“Hey, aren’t you friends in the game?! You can get the swimsuit screenshot too!!”

“For real, my liege?”

“Well, that wrapped up quickly.”

“Yeah, of course it did.”

Mr. Musasabi has calmed down, so we all decide to relax and gaze at the moon. The moon would make for a perfect backdrop against a field of flowers, but the ocean works too.

“A mere three days from now, and the event shall begin!”

“Yeah, I’m already ready to go.”

“I’m excited to experience surviving on a deserted island.”

“The first steps will probably be to acquire food and shelter. Even though we’ll only really need the shelter.”

“We have no cooks in our party, my liege.”

“Us neither.”

“We don’t have a cook either…”

“I assume there will be trees with fruit,” I say. “That may be your only option to snack on.”

“They’re definitely gonna be poisonous,” say Tomo, Musasabi, and Norbert in unison.

Sure, there’s likely to be poisonous fruit put there as a trap… If not, it wouldn’t be any fun. But won’t Appraisal give it away?

“Appraisal can be very useful, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it…”

“There are some items that wouldn’t fall under the umbrella of common knowledge, since few know about them… For those kinds of medicinal herbs, you need Compounding skills to get any information about them at all.”

“You wouldn’t know that monster meat is edible either, so it doesn’t drop without Cooking.”

“I see. So they sort of divide the roles that way…”

“Skill levels also likely have an effect, my liege.”

We all relax on the dark evening beach. Oh, someone’s fishing. Seafood, huh? Salt-broiled fish is delicious, but sashimi is wonderful as well. Or how about meunière? And there’s shellfish too, of course.

 

After hanging with us for a while, Mr. Musasabi and Mr. Norbert return to town.

“What’s your party looking like, Tomo?” I ask.

“We’re working on the northwest, but it’s not going too well.”

“The northwest, you say? Ms. Mead told me that the status ailments the enemies hit you with are pretty tough.”

“My party’s split up to work on it separately, but we share information about what we find.”

“I see. I hear the eastern road itself isn’t too much trouble, but the enemies’ stats are higher.”

“They say you can’t run past them with a horse or a bird either. The east is no fun if you’re not very strong.”

The forest to the east of Starting Town has always been occupied by tough animal enemies. Bugs and animals are totally different, even at the same level, which means players hunt in different areas depending on their build.

“The north is easy until you reach the third area, where the enemies start hitting you with fire and earth spells. So pushing forward too much could get you killed.”

“Turtles, right?”

“Yeah. They have high defense, but the slow ones attack you with spells. I was told it’s easiest to fight them up close.”

The BBS aggressively shares information about areas with towns, but the users have a thing about not spoiling the wild areas. The fun of an adventure is about going outside of towns into uncharted land. Investigations have shown that there are very few safe areas outside the routes with towns. Although I’m sure that’s because they’re currently unexplored. They don’t want us to think that safety is guaranteed wherever we go.

In a way, the survival event is like a tutorial for what it’s like to leave the trodden paths. I’ve heard there won’t be any safe areas in the event space. Will we be forced to set up a base and take turns on lookout duty? That seems risky for smaller parties.

“Okay, should we get going?”

“Wow, how did it get so late? We spent a lot of time here.”

“It’s been five hours, yeah!”

I feel like taking those screenshots ate up a lot of time, but it’s all the same to me. I change into my usual equipment and head to town. Shall I return to my reading? I believe I’m on the verge of a 2nd-tier skill.

“Thanks for coming today!”

“Yeah, you too.”

We part ways at Imbamunte’s teleportation spot. I travel to Starting Town to head back to the library.

 

Linguistics has reached level 30. You have earned 2 skill points.

Linguistics has reached the maximum level. You have unlocked Magic Linguistics.

 

MAGIC LINGUISTICS

A language of sorcery used in magic circles, which is still being researched by humanity.

Many are excited by the potential for interpreting and utilizing this language once it becomes decipherable.

 

Six SP, huh? I’ll be taking it, of course.

 

You have acquired Magic Linguistics. Magic Customization is now unlocked.

 

Hmm… Help menu…help menu…

 

MAGIC CUSTOMIZATION

With Magic Customization, you can adjust the focus of spells to your liking.

By selecting a type of focus in advance, the spell you fight with will change in accordance with your preferences, based on your thoughts and fighting style during combat.

Using it to the point where spells are visibly different from those of other players will surely leave bystanders impressed.

You can alter this setting at any time outside of combat.

This system allows you to optimize your magic the more you test it out during battle.

 

Hmm… How much the spells change must depend on Magic Linguistics. If there are any stat changes, it must be in intelligence.

As for the types of spell focus…there are four options: “single shot,” “burst shot,” “economy shot,” and “unique shot,” which prioritize attack strength, cooldown time, MP consumption, and elemental effectiveness respectively. Defensive spells have different categorizations, but the way they work is the same.

In other words, this is skill art customization, but for spells. I was right to prioritize Linguistics, since I knew I wouldn’t be able to level it up during the survival mode. Thanks again, Lord Puppy.

Okay. I want to get this focus thing set up right away.

 

Single shot: Increases offensive ability and main effects.

Heal, Enchant, Lance, Resist, Explosion.

 

Burst shot: Reduces cooldown time. Reduces time between next use.

Arrow, Burst.

 

Economy shot: Reduces MP consumption.

Shot.

 

Unique shot: Increases secondary effects.

Ball, Night Vision, Magic Missile.

 

This looks satisfactory, no?

Although, I’m still curious about unique shot. It prioritizes elemental effects of offensive attacks. When you use a spell for defense, it prioritizes the secondary effects. I would imagine this means the flinch effect added to Ball spells is strengthened. Night Vision might last for a longer period, and Magic Missile might get a boost to the tracking feature…or so I hoped, as I added them to unique shot.

What’s left…? What focus for Necromantic Magic and Space Magic?

 

Single shot: Increases offensive ability and main effects.

Life Assignment, Gravitas

 

Burst shot: Reduces cooldown time. Reduces time between next use.

Force To Convert

 

Economy shot: Reduces MP consumption.

Inventory Expansion, Raum Escudo, Raum Sphere

 

Unique shot: Increases secondary effects.

Necromancy, Poison Prod, Medusa Skin

 

That about does it. I won’t mess with Dark Ritual or Corpse Calling, and I don’t need any help for Magic Assist either.

Medusa Skin is the art I got once Necromantic Magic reached level 25. It’s an assist spell; when you select an ally, enemies have a chance to be turned to stone if they hit that ally with a melee attack for a set period of time. I hope that “unique shot” means that the effect procs more often, on top of lasting longer…

Space Magic is just what it is. Aside from Gravitas, I put everything under “economy shot.” Those spells are just too costly to use…

Unlike the customization of arts, these don’t seem to be usable right away, so I certainly hope that I can tell how they’ve changed.

All right then. I think it’s about time for dinner.

 

After dinner and other random chores, I prepare to head for my teacher’s shop…but I think I’ll stop by the union first.

Let’s see… Hmm, if I’m going to buy anything, now would be the time. I purchase four medium-sized enemy magic stones. After leaving the union, I use Stone Processing and Stone Transformation to fuse them into an enormous magic stone. I then go to pay my teacher a visit.

“Good afternoon,” I say.

“Ah, it’s you.”

“I’ve brought an enormous magic stone.”

“Uh-huh… Want me to do some crafting?”

“Yes, please.”

“Then wait there.”

I hand her the stone I just made.

Since she runs a general store, there are plenty of items around. I see everything from cold medicine to potions, rope, pickaxes, shovels, ribbons, and more.

“This is my last expansion core.”

“Thank you so much.”

“I’m surprised you made it so quickly, but having an excellent student isn’t so bad.”

“I greatly appreciate you sharing all those basic recipes and information about mana control with me.”

“When you study under someone, you usually spend years living with them. But outsiders develop in the blink of an eye, don’t they?”

“That reminds me. Is there such a thing as an intermediate alchemy kit?”

“No. An alchemy circle already has it all. The rest is down to knowledge and skills.”

That makes me think that the cost of investing in an alchemy kit is quite low. But I suppose it’s balanced out with how hard it is to obtain alchemy expansion cores. That said, since expansion cores remove item quality restrictions, simply crafting items may not be a problem…

“Ah, that’s right. You can make cold medicine, can’t you?”

“Of course. You’re the one who taught me,” I remind her.

“It’ll be in high demand soon. Lend me a hand, won’t you?”

 

Quest added: “A Bit of Restocking” is now available.

 

“A BIT OF RESTOCKING”

It’s hard to call something a household medicine when there’s not enough of it to go around. You’ll have to keep preparing medicine.

Craft and deliver flavored medicine. Delivering more medicine will yield more rewards.

Quest giver: Meghan

Reward: Increase in affinity with residents of Starting Town.

 

“When do you need this by?”

“Any time within 28 days. It’s not that dire.”

A deadline gets added to the quest window. Ms. Meghan tells me that I’ll be paid a fixed amount for materials upon delivery, so I don’t need to worry about that. Some important townsperson must be paying to keep the town stock up.

Should I take this to mean they see me as trustworthy enough to be put in charge of stockpiling? It’s not so strange that this sort of quest only becomes available once you’re popular enough.

Ms. Meghan also hands me some kind of certificate. I’m supposed to show this to the person I end up buying materials from. This must be some way of preventing fraud.

I think I’ll head to Brayerich in the west and craft until bedtime.

“I’ll be sure to bring the medicine once I’ve made it.”

“Make sure they’re all C-quality at least.”

“Very well.”

I leave my teacher’s shop, head to the town square, teleport to the west via the Stellura statue, and go to a medicinal herb shop.

“Welcome!”

“I would like to buy some elderflower, turmeric, basil, cinnamon, jasmine, and dandelion.”

“Are you a doctor?”

“No, I’m an alchemist. Ms. Meghan has asked me to help her stock up on medicine.”

“Oh my… I see. So you’re going to replenish her stock? I have the ingredients prepared, so please wait a moment.”

Normal cold medicine is made with olives, which means coming to the south is… No, I’m sure it’s fine.

“Thank you for waiting! Good luck with your mission.”

“Thanks. Until next time.”

“We appreciate your business!”

While I’m here in the west, I may as well refill my water from the well. I’m sure I will find uses for it.

Now I’ll get to work crafting medicine, and once it gets late, I’ll go to bed.

Official BBS 2

 

[Conquering…] Comprehensive Thread 53 [What’s that supposed to be?]

1. Passing Conqueror

This is a thread for comprehensive strategies.

Fill it with anything that has to do with conquering new grounds.

Past threads: http://＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

>> 980 Take care of the next thread.

 

253. Passing Conqueror

Ignoring the wild men who left the official route, journeyed off to sea on small boats, and died, do we think we’ll be able to clear the next event?

254. Passing Conqueror

No progress here.

255. Passing Conqueror

It’s impossible at our current levels.

256. Passing Conqueror

Agreed…

257. Passing Conqueror

I’d recommend trying in the late thirties, maybe?

258. Passing Conqueror

That’s definitely what you’ll want, given how hard the fights are…

259. Passing Conqueror

Some parties get enemies in the 40s…

260. Passing Conqueror

This is painful for meatheads.

261. Passing Conqueror

This.

262. Mead

Is there a party currently trying to conquer the northwest?

263. Passing Conqueror

There sure is.

264. Passing Conqueror

Me!

265. Passing Conqueror

Not me.

266. Passing Conqueror

I’m here, Big Sister Mead.

267. Mead

I went to see if I could find answers to some questions I had. I think we can beat this.

268. Passing Conqueror

For real?

269. Passing Conqueror

What did you say?

270. Mead

I thought there must be traders who take these routes. So I asked them for tips.

271. Passing Conqueror

Ah… I feel like I still have a lot to learn in this game…

272. Passing Conqueror

I see. If there’re people living somewhere, the residents must have established methods of transportation…

273. Mead

That’s the idea. The devs must want us to rely on them

To avoid the charm effect, keep your eyes away from enemies. Don’t look aside, just keep your eyes fixed on the road and go directly forward. They can’t get you like that.

Poison, paralysis, and confusion won’t hit you if you blow their scales away with Gentle Breeze.

What I learned is that traders travel by carriage and make their horses carry magic tools that use Gentle Breeze.

274. Passing Conqueror

Seriously…? So the scales are what carries it?

275. Passing Conqueror

I assumed each player was targeted to be hit with a spell, but I didn’t know you could avoid it like that!

276. Passing Conqueror

So the monsters give their scales damaging effects with magic, then they shoot them at players…and that’s why Gentle Breeze lets you dodge them?

277. Passing Conqueror

Now that I think of it, don’t coatls shoot poison with a projectile attack too?

278. Passing Conqueror.

Now I get it. You won’t get poisoned unless a projectile hits you, and this is the same, just with scales instead of spit.

279. Passing Conqueror

It’s not like a character’s just gonna suddenly get poisoned out of nowhere…

280. Mead

That’s the gist of it. So let’s get to testing out Gentle Breeze.

281. Passing Conqueror

Roger that!

282. Passing Conqueror

As you wish!

283. Passing Conqueror

Hyah hah! I get to be first, suckers!

284. Passing Conqueror

>>283 Share your favorite things.

285. Passing Conqueror

Violence! Money! Chicks! Grah ha ha ha!

286. Passing Conqueror

It’s the end of the world.

287. Passing Conqueror

>>285 You must be Mohawk?

288. Mohawk

>>287 You bet your ass I am, brother! Heh heh heh!

289. Passing Conqueror

>>288 The hair’s bad enough. Did you really need to make it your player name too?! I can’t help but laugh.

290. Passing Conqueror

That reminds me…I did see an intense guy who seemed to be playing a different game…

291. Passing Conqueror

Ah… The guy with the mohawk, a belt across his upper body, and shoulder pads?

292. Passing Conqueror

He really goes all out. Made me want to take a screenshot.

293. Mohawk

>>292 Just say the word, and I’ll pose for ya! Hee hee hee, I’m tinglin’!

294. Passing Conqueror

>>293 What’s tingling?!

295. Mohawk

>>294. You know what!

296. Passing Conqueror

*sluuurp*

297. Passing Conqueror

>>296 Knock it off! Do you want to get your posts deleted?!

298. Passing Conqueror

>>297 You’re safe if it lets the post go through!

299. Management

…We’ll allow it.

300. Passing Conqueror

LOL

301. Passing Conqueror

Permission granted.

302. Passing Conqueror

I laughed when I saw that guy. Didn’t know how far you could go in this game.

303. Mohawk

>>302 My thanks to the old man and Dentelle!

304. Passing Conqueror

>>303 So they’re who’s behind his look?

305. Passing Conqueror

>>304 Well, it’s armor, after all… That’s what you can do with leather and metal.

 

435. Mead

I’ve arrived in the northwest third area, Bellafont.

436. Passing Conqueror

Oh! You made it?!

437. Mohawk

Hee hee hee! What a thrill! This place rocks!

438. Passing Conqueror

You went with her?

439. Passing Conqueror

Those of us who were there formed a party and went together.

440. Mohawk

Who can say no when a pretty girl asks you to go with her? Gyah ha ha!

441. Passing Conqueror

Big Sis! How could you invite that man?!

442. Mead

He just happened to be there at the time. He knows what he’s doing too.

443. Passing Conqueror

Yep, he actually knew how to play with a party. I had no complaints.

444. Mohawk

Hee hee hee! Of course I’m gonna team up with you, brother! That place would have us bent over if we went solo!

445. Passing Conqueror

I hate this mohawk guy. He dresses weird and sounds gross even when speaking common sense.

446. Passing Conqueror

Lmao.

447. Mead

He was a loud but nice man. Anyway, the way to clear the area is to charge through with Gentle Breeze.

448. Passing Conqueror

Great work!

449. Passing Conqueror

Now we have a real way of getting there!

450. Passing Conqueror

For now, the south will have to wait.

451. Passing Conqueror

Should we wait for the event now?

452. Passing Conqueror

Sounds good to me.

Chapter 4:
Second Official Event—The Beginning

 

THERE’S ABOUT 20 MINUTES left before the start of the event, so I head to the meeting place.

“Good day, Mr. Alf.”

“Hey, Princess.”

“Is Mr. Skelly here?”

“Not yet. But he logged in, so he should be here soon.”

“There’s still a bit of time before the event starts. By the way, Mr. Alf, did you change your weapons?”

“I sure did. I had a rare skill unlocked, so I brought it. How to do so is a secret… Okay, I actually don’t know what did it either. But equipping a two-handed weapon now only takes up one equipment slot, so I can hold a two-handed sword and a large shield at the same time!”

So some unlock conditions for rare skills aren’t even told to the people who unlocked them? I suppose we’re meant to go searching by ourselves. Although, I would imagine that the strength stat or something similar is connected…

“That’s fantastic. How does the skill work?”

“If your dexterity stat is more than twice that of the weapon’s requirements, it registers as both a one-handed and two-handed weapon, and you can even use both kinds of arts, as I understand it.”

“That means tanks with large shields can also use Two-Handed Sword arts? The problem is…”

“Yep. You don’t know what stats the weapons require. It seems like such a neat skill, but in this game, swinging a two-handed sword with one hand is really hard, both in terms of length and balance.”

“And that’s why you have a bastard sword?”

“Uh-huh. I thought about it and ended up asking Ertz to make this for me. It’s not so bad when I think about it like a one-handed sword that’s a little bigger than usual. I took the Two-Handed Sword skills, so if I see any opportunities, I’ll go in swinging.”

Since it’ll widen the scope of his combat skills, it sounds like a good choice.

“Sooo sorry! Were you waiting for me?”

“Shut it. No one wants to hear those lines from a skeleton.”

I can’t comment on the slight swaying of Mr. Skelly’s body. He’s made of bones, so it’s rather creepy to watch. I pretend I see nothing and invite them both to a party.

“Let’s have fun!”

“Yes, I’m sure it’ll be a great time.”

Everyone seems to be excited. The town is crowded with people, and they’re all rather noisy.

“I don’t see much beginners’ equipment when I scan the crowd.”

“It’s definitely less common now.”

“It’s not as if it looks great. I’m sure they wanna get out of it as soon as possible.”

“Is the first goal just to shed their beginner’s equipment?”

“Ha ha! And here I am, still completely naked.”

“That’s the fate of all inhuman races.”

While it’s true that I’m able to equip my servants with armor, Mr. Skelly is still naked as the day he was born…or died? Hard to say. He says the game currently won’t let him equip more than weapons and accessories… Once the event starts, I’ll have to confirm using Unit One.

“Ah! It’s Tasha!”

“Oh my, you’re right. Good day, Tasha.”

“Good day, Tasha!”

“Good day, Eli, Abby.”

Ms. Letty and Ms. Dory are stationed behind them. As always, they simply gaze on without a word. It looks like Abby and Ms. Dory have successfully evolved into angels, judging by the wings on their back. Their wings are larger than those of Management’s…or rather, Management must be wearing special tiny wings to appear more cartoonish.

“Tasha! I need more magic clay!”

“Ah, I know that stuff. Since it uses magic stones, it’s pretty expensive.”

“Magic stones… I haven’t seen any yet…”

“That’s because you’ve only been to one place outside of the second area…”

Magic stones are also consumable goods, so Abby would probably have a lot of trouble collecting them as she is. But if she gave me some, I would only need water, dirt, and slime gel to make the clay for her…

“How is Doll Magic going?”

“It’s so fun! I can control three whole dolls right now!”

“We plan to form a party of four and fill the other slots with dolls.”

“I see. So you’re able to summon three dolls at once.”

With Mr. Skelly and I each bringing a single servant, our group will become a party of five. It sounds like once you level up skills relating to dolls, you can call and dismiss them like a summoner, which means they don’t count as bringing items to the event.

If you don’t level up those skills, well…I can’t imagine how difficult it must be.

 

We chat leisurely until T-minus ten minutes to the event starting. An icon in the corner of my vision starts to flicker. It’s telling me that once all my party members are ready, we’ll be transported to the event field.

“Let’s go!”

“Hopefully we’ll be lucky enough to see you there.”

“Yes, that’ll be lucky indeed.”

We say goodbye to the other four and ready ourselves on the UI. From there, we spend some time in the darkness, and once our physical sense of time has been adjusted, we regain our vision to find…

“Whoa…” we say in unison.

“A luxury cruise ship?”

“Did the devs forget this is a fantasy game?”

“Well… This is an event after all…”

“It’s surreal seeing people in armor on a luxury cruise.”

More and more players appear on the ship.

“Ah, there’s other ships out there too,” points out Mr. Alf.

I follow his gaze and spot other ships with different designs out on the water. It makes sense—we clearly can’t all board the same ship, so we’ve been split up. I believe we’re on the verge of being set adrift. Maybe each boat will start the event at different locations.

The races with flying abilities try traveling to the other boats, only to be stopped by an invisible wall. Well, sure. I can’t say I didn’t expect that.

Some people have put on swimsuits to make use of the ship’s pool. I spot a few wielding harpoons too, which makes sense—we’ll likely end up near a body of water. They must be after seafood.

With five minutes remaining, the weather begins to grow worse, and the icon starts blinking again. I check it and find a simple summary of the event’s mechanics.

 

We’re told to confirm the items we’re entering the event with, as anything not brought in will be unavailable until it ends.

The event will be a survival mission lasting eight days due to altered time-sense. We can get knocked out once per fight; if it happens twice, we’re expelled. The fourth defeat means we’re expelled, even if we log out and back in.

Part of the event requires us to sleep, and if we don’t, we’ll be penalized for sleep deprivation. Even races that don’t need sleep, such as the undead, must sleep to account for the players’ real-life bodily requirements, but they won’t be penalized if they don’t.

There are no safe areas, and some parts even allow for player killing.

You can only bring in one variety of each item you apply for. During the event, your gold is set to zero.

The state of equipment and consumables brought into the event is preserved; once the event is over, these items will be automatically repaired or restored, so we can use them without worry.

Items discovered during the event will be recorded in the “special event item list,” and once the event is over, they’ll appear on the reward exchange list. This is a list shared by all players, comprising items discovered by at least one person. Also, items processed into complete items during this event cannot be taken with you, meaning we can’t stockpile, so we might as well use them to survive.

Acquiring skills during the event will lower your personal score, with the exact amount depending on the skill. This ranking of player scores will be released officially once the event ends. Plus, we can exchange our points for some handy rewards afterward.

“Oh, there’s even a prize list. What should I get?”

“A combat consumables box? Production materials box? It’s like a weekly quest!”

“Ah, this is what I want. An infinite canteen.”

“Whoa… You can register a type of liquid to the canteen and then you just put in mana to fill it with that liquid. Magic medicine and some other liquids aren’t applicable… I see.”

“I want to fill mine with high-quality water for cooking. Going out and collecting water is a bit of a process.”

“Oh, they’ve got accessories that give you stat buffs too! Not that they sound super great.”

“I’m sure, since it’s an event prize.”

An event prize surely wouldn’t surpass the kind of item a player can make. That’s why nothing listed appears overpowered. Oh, look, there’s housing items. I could exchange my points for these.

The list of special event items is nothing but “???” at the moment. I suppose that makes sense, as items can’t be discovered before the event actually begins.

“Fwah ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! It’s me! Hi, I’m Yatsuzuka.”

“It’s been quite a while since I saw most of you. I’m Mitake.”

I haven’t seen these two since the martial arts tournament. Players who have seen them recently must have had some reason to go to the GMs for help…

“The second official event, Good Ol’ Summertime Camping, is about to begin!”

“‘What would you bring to a deserted island?’ That’s the theme of this event.”

“Did you check all that info? Be sure to memorize the event rules.”

“You can exchange points for somewhat useful rewards, but the main purpose of this event is to focus on leveling up, so the rewards aren’t as extravagant.”

Fights would surely break out if the rewards were too desirable. But since this event is based on working together as a team, solo raids might not be practical, huh?

“Double-checked all your items? Anything not in your inventory won’t be with you when you’re shipped out! Also, don’t panic when you see you have zero gold!”

“After all, there’s no need for gold when you’re fighting to survive.”

This must be to prevent taking equipment from first-wavers and using it once the event is over.

On the other hand, we might be able to use equipment that Mr. Ertz’s party made during the event. The top crafters will be busy over this period. Though anything not used by the end of the event will disappear anyway…

“Eight days of game time. Your body will experience quite a bit over a week. Have fun out there! Why is it eight days long? That’s because a week in the game is four days!”

“There won’t be many outsiders out in the world for the next two weeks.”

That would normally be two days in real-time—one day in real life equals four days in this world. But with the time adjustment, it’s eight days of deserted island survival experience that takes place in a matter of hours.

“Second-wavers can head to the second and third areas. First-wavers, your goal is the fourth area!”

“Your groups usually don’t interact much, but we hope this event will inspire first and second-wave players to work together.”

“There will be monsters too, which makes it just a little bit dangerous, so enjoy fighting to survive!”

I certainly hope it’s just a little dangerous…

“Ah, that’s right. The message boards say if you don’t meet up with people on the island, you’ll be stuck with whoever’s on your boat.”

“Better aim to find the others then.”

I see… Well, I’m sure we’ll run into each other if we travel along the coast. We’re all getting set adrift together, after all.

The world around us starts to grow darker. The waves are higher, and it’s started raining. Does seasickness exist in this world? I feel like it must…

“Look at that! A storm approaches!”

“Ah, you won’t be able to escape to the skies.”

“We’ll be the ones to smack you back down!”

What an unexpected application of physics. It’s turning into a real thunderstorm. However, I can’t imagine a luxury cruise ship like this could be destroyed so easily…

“H-hurry up please…or I’m gonna barf…”

Well, I guess seasickness is a thing here. But it’s finally time to go. Good for them.

“Nah, you wouldn’t call this the high seas, would you?”

“How tall are the waves?”

“Probably about ten meters? A crash seems like it would be quite dangerous.”

“This is the sea that’s supposed to swallow us?”

“That’s quite the image…”

“Ah, we don’t have to wait. We can jump right into the ocean, and it will teleport us!”

“C-couldn’t you have said that earlier?! Bleeegh!”

The waves sure are fast. They swallow me up with a deafening roar, causing my vision to go pitch black.

Chapter 5:
Good Ol’ Summertime Camping—Day 1

 

IT’S PITCH BLACK, and I can’t move. It looks like we’ve already reached the shore, but there’s a countdown for me to awaken, so I’ll just have to wait.

“Oh, found you, Princess. Can I wake you up?”

Mr. Alf is already awake, I see. I still have some time left.

“Hmm, just calling out doesn’t do anything? I’ll try shaking you.”

When he shakes me from side to side, the counter immediately disappears, and I’m able to sit up.

“Morning.”

“Good morning. Your voice didn’t affect the countdown at all.”

“So you’ve gotta shake them? Anyway, you’re a sight for sore eyes, but remember to use Laundry.”

Ah, my clothes are wet and sticking to me. I’m covered in sand too, so I use Laundry to get myself clean again.

“Hm… Does waking up quickly depend on stats?” Mr. Alf theorizes. “Maybe strength, because of the equipment…no, perhaps stamina? In this situation…we should probably wake up the women first. Let’s do that.”

I see… It’s true that those with heavy armor are waking up first. If how fast you wake up is dependent on stats, it must be based on stamina. I was about four seconds away from waking up if Mr. Alf hadn’t done it for me first. My strength stat is horrible, but I do have high stamina.

Anyway, should I start by waking the women? No, I need to prioritize using Laundry. I’ll wake up a few people first and have them help out.

“Ah, there’s Mr. Skelly.”

A metal skeleton has washed up on the white sands. It’s like a sight from a horror movie. At least his bones aren’t white.

“No answer… He’s like a corpse…”

“Especially considering he’s nothing but bones…”

He must be stuck in this state if he’s not responding. It’s happened to everyone else here, so I’m sure it’s fine.

All right, enough of this lazing around. Time to rise and shine.

“Good morning.”

“Morning! Why was my countdown so long?”

“We think it’s related to your stamina. But that means you’re still ahead of the rest, Mr. Skelly.”

“I guess my stamina is low for an undead but higher than everyone else!”

More people have woken up on their own or were woken up by someone else, so I’m sure it won’t be long until the rest join them.

Oh? Look who’s here… I shake her from side to side to wake her up.

“We must have been on the same ship, Ms. Mead.”

“Ah, Princess. Thank you for waking me.”

“Elves do have low stamina… Were you with anyone else you know?”

“Ellen was around…”

“I haven’t seen her yet. …It might be hard to locate the fairy races.”

“That’s true. She would most likely have low stamina too.”

“Excuse me, everyone,” I call out. “A fairy named Ms. Fairellen should be somewhere nearby. Could you please search for her?”

I pray she hasn’t been trampled as I join the search party.

“Seen her yet?”

“Not over here.”

“Oh? It’s just a salamander.”

“Ah! Found her!”

“Wa ha ha ha! You really saved me! Thirty minutes is way too long, Management! Even if you were expecting someone else to wake me up!”

It took us a while to find such a small member of the fairy race. In the meantime, more people have awakened.

“Since we’re all up, we should be free to move as we please.”

“They’re all gonna do their own thing. What about us?”

“It looks like the mini-map only shows where you’ve already been.”

“Can I fly around and unlock it all?” asks Ms. Fairellen.

Hmm… It would be nice to have her fly around for us, but that seems a bit risky. We’ll want to avoid that death limit as much as possible. Since there’s a shared map function…

“Please fly around the shore to make a BBS post, Ms. Fairellen,” I ask. “Mr. Skelly and I will use our servants for the rest of the map.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

“Okay! I’ll be off then.”

We watch Ms. Fairellen fly away, and then I check on Secret Art of Necromancy. Something with a low cost…and high flying speeds…would have to be a hawk servant, wouldn’t it? I’ll set up his skills to specialize in high-altitude surveying and save it as a template while I’m at it. This means strengthening his sight with things like Perception, Detect, and Eagle Eye.

“Unit One, you’re on inspection duty. I want a general report about this island, so please fly around and come back.”

CLACK

“Ah, also, is there a penalty when I equip you with armor in skeleton form?”

CLACK

“Did I calculate wrong?”

CLICK CLICK

“I’ll remove them, I guess…”

It lets you add equipment but penalizes you for doing so? Such a sneaky trap, Management… I’ll remove Unit One’s armor and have him go inspect the island.

“Very well then, Unit One. Please flee if you encounter enemies you don’t think you can defeat.”

CLACK CLACK CLACK

He goes flying away with Mr. Skelly’s servant.

I check the map and see it changing. The fog of war begins to dim. Unit One’s progress shows up brightly just like normal.

“Mm-hmm. This mini-map works the same way as dungeons do.”

“Is that right?”

“The dungeon they made for the second-wavers is just like this.”

“Oh, that one?”

“It only seems faint because you’re far away. The brighter stuff is places you’ve been before. There are no real dungeons in the game yet, so no one knows what the actual difference would be.”

“So you can look ahead and see what’s there, but not if there’s anything specific like traps… Is that roughly the idea?”

“That’s what people are guessing anyway. They also think there might be scouting skills to help with that sort of thing.”

“Huh… Anyway, all we need to know right now is the general terrain, so having our maps dimmed isn’t so bad.”

“I think that’s fine. All we’ve gotta do is go to a place to get the details!”

“Exactly. Ms. Mead, what are your plans?”

“Let’s see… Since we have second-wavers here, I don’t think the outer perimeter will be too difficult. I prefer to see what’s in the forest.”

“In that case, I’ll share my current map with you.”

“I appreciate it.”

I watch Ms. Mead as she heads into the vast forest before us.

Ah, that reminds me. I should use this time to check over my items.

“I have with me…just my cooking kit, and its storage…is completely empty. I suspected as much.”

“So the loophole didn’t work in the end, huh?”

There’s other types of storage, so of course this method wouldn’t have escaped the developer’s attention.

“What about you, Mr. Skelly?” I ask.

“Hmm… How about the forest? Although, there’s a mountain up north.”

“I would like to try the forest too. I see some shockingly huge trees…”

“Oh, crap! My servant got killed!” cries Mr. Skelly.

“Are you serious?”

“Maybe we shouldn’t let them go to the north.”

“They did say that.”

“True.”

I’ve only given orders with my voice up until this point, but I do think we’ll be able to communicate telepathically at some point…

Oh? That’s my Unit One. Based on his movements, it looks like he’s running away? He hasn’t covered much of the northern side yet, but I’ve got enough of the general layout, so I think that’s enough scouting for now.

The map resembles a triangle with rounded edges, making it look like onigiri. We’re in the bottom left section, apparently having washed up on the southwestern coast.

Mr. Skelly’s servant flew from the west to the north, while Unit One went the same way starting from the east. He appears to have turned back on his way to the north corner and returned to me via the west side.

“Well done, Unit One.”

CLACK CLACK CLACK

“Were there flying enemies in the north?”

CLICK

“Did enemies shoot at you from the ground?”

CLACK CLACK

So the north has flying enemies but nothing that would target you from the ground. A river runs from the north down to the east and west. I also see a lake in the west. I’m wondering why the forests on the eastern and western sides don’t seem to connect, leaving the center of the map barren…but that’s something to deal with later.

The forests on both sides of the island each have a great tree at their centers. However, the eastern forest’s tree is clearly much larger. Surrounding the forests are the ocean and beaches. I can’t see the northern end, but extrapolating based on what’s available on the map, I would say it must be cliffsides. It doesn’t look like it has sandy beaches.

That’s about all we know right now. I share my map with the other two.

“Hmm… I see…”

“Well… Why don’t we head north through the western forest and do some exploring?”

“Let’s be safe, though. What about our servants?”

“Horses won’t be of much use in the forest. What’s your capacity, Princess?”

“Right now… 6300.”

“I’ve got more…but it doesn’t matter much in this situation. I think I’ll summon a bear and an ogre.”

“What should I pick? Do we need an aerial servant?”

“Scouting’s gonna be hard in a forest… I think it might be nice to have an offensive servant to keep enemies in check.”

“Feel free to summon three. I’ll bring two with a three-times multiplier, which is 6,000 in capacity.”

That must be due to the size of a bear and an ogre. Hmm… Skeleton, wolf, owl. I summon them with a three-times multiplier. I give the skeleton and owl custom jobs and two customized points on the wolf’s body for a total cost of 6,000 capacity.

Unit One is a soldier with a two-handed sword. Unit Two has a one-handed sword and small shield. Unit Three is an owl, so he has no equipment—only a role of thief. I give them all skills that focus solely on combat.

All right. Let’s head north through the forest. Ms. Mead’s party has already gone that way. I wonder how they’re doing? I certainly hope Ms. Fairellen hasn’t been devoured by flying types in the north. If anything swallows her, it’ll be certain death. That said, I find her crazy strategy of flying directly into an enemy’s mouth and launching a burst spell to be quite amusing. She says that the inside of an enemy’s mouth is generally considered a weak spot in the game. Supposedly, the spell causes them to flinch, which lets you escape their mouth.

“Hmm… These enemies sure seem weak. Guess we’ve gotta go deeper.”

“I’ll check the BBS too. I’ll bet everyone’s probably grouped up by now.”

Mr. Alf and the servants guard the perimeter and deal with enemies. Mr. Skelly is looking at the forums. I take the time to search our surroundings for items. I find medicinal herbs, poisonous plants, zoomishrooms, psilocybe argentipes, etc.… I recognize quite a lot of these things. I suppose they’re essential, since they’re potion materials.

“Oh, look at this fruit.”

“You think it’s food?”

 

[MATERIAL] BURSTING FRUIT

Rarity: NO Quality : C

Just bursting with flavor…

Chef

…that flavor being a disgusting stench that bursts from the fruit when it sustains impact.

Alchemist

You can probably drive beasts away by throwing this fruit at them directly or using it like a potion.

 

“How awful… What a ridiculous trap.”

“Ah… Does our party share Appraisal? I saw that too…”

“Maybe they’re testing us to see who notices it’s labeled ‘material’?”

“That’s true. If it were food, it would be an ‘ingredient.’”

 

[INGREDIENT] FRAGARIA

Rarity: NO Quality : C

Sweet and delicious.

Chef

You may eat these on their own, but they’re sure to be delicious when crushed and added to cold milk.

 

“Oh, look at that. They have normal food too. Unit Three, can you harvest these?”

They seem to be based on strawberries. I’ll ignore the fact that they’re clearly hanging from tree branches. This is a video game, after all. In fact, this detail adds to the otherworldly atmosphere and was therefore, in my opinion, a good choice.

“You can grow strawberries like they’re apples?”

“They sure are big. We won’t be able to eat them all.”

“I’ll pick some to exchange later.”

“Okay!” “Okay!”

We’re supposed to work cooperatively, yet we have no money. In other words, it comes down to exchanging goods. I’ll pick some Fragaria to barter with. As we press forward, I’ll gather other items, like medicinal herbs, along the way.

“Hm? Ah, it’s you, Ms. Mead. How are things?”

“Not so bad. The enemies are very weak. Were you able to use Appraisal on those, Princess?”

“The bursting fruit? Yes, they turned out to be a trap.”

“I saw that they were labeled as materials, so it looks like I was right to be wary of them. What about the Fragaria?”

“Those are edible.”

“I see. Thanks for the information.”

Mr. Skelly has been reading the BBS while the two of us chat, and now he interjects to confirm something with Ms. Mead.

“What level were the enemies at?”

“At this point the highest level I’ve seen is 23.”

“This area might be for second-wavers to play in. The east and north have enemies in the thirties. But I’m seeing that the ones around the northern mountain are really tough.”

It appears we’ve washed up on a safer part of the island.

“Really? Levels in the thirties?” I ask.

“Cecil, Lucebarm, and Tomo say they’re struggling,” confirms Mr. Skelly.

“That’s a top party. What kind of enemies are they facing?”

“They’re actually running into wyverns! I think that’s what killed my servant.”

I see. Wyverns are lesser dragons. This falls to the unique traits of each race. The undead and animal races have high stamina, so they’ve got a better chance at handling dragons.

“I’m curious about the enemies we’ll face…but for now, I’m going to focus on food and shelter. If this forest is the easiest point, then this should be our base.”

Ms. Mead is an elf, so she does need to eat and sleep. She prioritizes that over hunting.

“Princess, I’m gonna post our map on the BBS.”

“Sure, I don’t mind…but shouldn’t we combine our map with Ms. Mead’s first?”

“That’s fine by me.”

“Ah, hang on. In that case…I’ll get Cecil’s map too… There we go.”

“Good. Now I can post it on the BBS… Done.”

It looks like the others plan to come to the western forest where we are. Level 30 enemies will get second-wavers killed, so the first-wavers will protect them as they travel here.

The north has larger enemies like wyverns and golems. The east is occupied by plant enemies, and the west has been reported to be full of animals, insects, and birds.

Ms. Mead tells us her destination is the great tree in the center of the western forest, so we part ways for now.

“Shall we aim for the lake?” I ask.

“The one in the northwest?”

“How about the great tree or the lake? I sure hope we find something…”

“All right, let’s do it.”

“I like it, since there’s no info about those spots right now!”

Mr. Alf and our servants prepare to return to guard duty. Mr. Skelly engages with the BBS. I divvy up materials and designate jobs as we head for the northern lake.

“Oh, is that an appl—?”

 

[INGREDIENT] APPLENGE

Rarity: NO Quality : C

A fruit that tastes like a mix of apple and orange.

Chef

Squeeze them and throw away the fibers. Eating them whole results in confusion.

 

“All right. I’m wondering if the Fragaria is more valuable purely because you can eat it on its own.”

“Well, it’s not as much fun if everything’s meant to be eaten normally.”

“When you put it like that, it makes sense.”

I try picking one. It looks like a mandarin orange, but its color is that of an apple.

“Prepare for battle!”

“A flock of raptors? They must be here to hunt.”

“Oh? They turned back.”

“They clearly believe we won’t make for a tasty meal…”

“We’re a living armor, six skeletons, and a zombie. Why would they fight any of us for a meal…”

“That’s true… Hmm. I was just kidding, but if that’s actually what happened, it means this event area has unique AI.”

“Ah, you’re right about that.”

“You’ve been fighting them all this time, haven’t you, Alf?”

“There’s a chance they don’t see us as a meal but as a threat to their territory.”

“I see…” Mr. Skelly and Mr. Alf say in unison.

“That’s all speculation for now. In any case, this area does have quite a lot of enemies…”

“Hunting in packs is actually kinda smart. Anyway, let’s keep heading forward.”

One player alone doesn’t count as a party, but we’re currently a party of eight. The raptors were a group of five at level 28, which is appropriately leveled for us.

Usually, it’s a good thing to be able to make progress without fighting…but now we know the enemies run away, which will make the process of acquiring meat rather difficult. We don’t need to eat, but things are probably going to be rough for the players working on stockpiling food. Only a select few can be hunters. The gatherers will most likely have to move in full parties, although it’s too early to know for sure.

“This is getting to be quite fun.”

“Agreed!”

“I’m actually getting sad that we’re races that don’t have to eat…”

“Yes, since the most important part of the survival event is irrelevant to us…”

Sustenance is a simple part of regular gameplay, but I keenly feel its absence here in the event, and it’s a little sad. Everyone else must be frantically exploring the area for food. Although that might not be possible in the north and east.

For now, our destination is the lake.

Since we’ve started to walk, I realize the island isn’t actually that big. Although, it’s a bit troubling that getting from one place to another takes multiple days, given that the event is just eight days long.

 

[INGREDIENT] INDICA

Rarity: NO Quality : C

Looks delicious!

Chef

Contains a deadly neurotoxin. Even a small amount is fatal.

You can remove the poison by submerging it in running water for five minutes.

Cannot be purified by submerging in still water, hot or cold.

Alchemist

Contains a deadly neurotoxin.

By submerging it in water, you can extract the poison, which may have offensive uses.

 

These items are a mess. You basically can’t use any of them without Appraisal, and their effects are horrifying. This fruit has a red and yellow gradation. Based on its appearance, it must be a combination of an apple and a mango.

We continue along the river until we reach the lake… But what’s this?

“Hmm… I don’t get what I’m seeing.”

“A predator and prey, right? Like a snake watching a frog.”

The enemies are glaring at each other. I truly get the sense that the AI in this event area is different. There’s a single wild boar surrounded by raptors. This looks like a scene from a documentary. How sad. I was hoping it would be a special event.

“If you consider that this map has a food chain, this is perfectly normal and not part of the event.”

“Does this mean the lake was the wrong choice? There’s a whole lot of enemies here.”

“I think so. Perhaps it’s a lost cause. It must be a watering hole.”

“So the carnivores are after the herbivores who come here to drink… Danger Sense is going off like crazy.”

“There’s lots of animals lurking in the forest around here.”

We’re hiding in the thicket and whispering to each other too, so it’s not like we’re any different.

As we’re surrounded by the ocean, the only spots for drinking water on the island are lakes and rivers. There’s a large river that runs from the north and splits to the east and west. I feel like that would be where you’d find plenty of enemy encounters. I’ll make a mental note that I need to be on guard around water.

“I don’t see the point in going in there…”

“We could end up in a series of fights. I would like to avoid dying during this event.”

“It’s really starting to feel like ‘survival’ now. Even the enemies have to survive out here.”

“They act like real wildlife, that’s for sure…”

I would imagine that wyverns are the apex predators in this ecosystem. They seem like they could eat these raptors.

Ah, farewell, wild boar.

“What do we do now?”

“That’s certainly the question.”

“Dunno about that…”

The second-tier Perception skill, Danger Sense, shows the location of enemies, but neither skill shows what kind of enemy you’re dealing with. It’s nothing more than “Ah, there’s something over there…” Although, it is handy to have the upper-tier skill that shows their locations on the map.

“Which creatures are the ones hiding? That’s the issue.”

“Hopefully they’re not eager for a fight.”

The raptors devoured the boar, drank some water, and headed off north. I’m sure they enjoyed their meal. After some time, the animals in hiding emerged and began to drink from the lake.

“Mice- and rabbit-like creatures?”

“They drink and then go right back into hiding.”

“They don’t appear to stay around for very long.”

“I don’t think those raptors are the only predators around. We probably can’t set up a base here…”

“That’s unfortunate, but I can provide water with spells, so I’m sure we’ll make do.”

Water, laundry, and bathing. I can cover these parts of daily life with spells from Magic Assist. In that sense, things are even easier than in real life. Aside from the sharp increase in predators, of course.

The problem is the total lack of safe areas in the event. It makes management of our HP and MP very difficult.

“Oh, it’s Moonflower grass.”

“You can use that for MP potions, right?”

“Yep! I’m gonna pick some.”

I’m sure Mr. Skelly wants to give this Moonflower grass to Ms. Salute…

“By the way, Princess. What are your thoughts on harvesting plants?”

“My thoughts? Ah, you mean if they’re finite or not?”

“I’ve always found that to be determined by the individual player.”

“So there’s been no change.”

“I think that’s how the game deals with it. Indeed…even if they make it as realistic as possible…plants should regrow within a day?”

“Hm. Will the whole forest be emptied within eight days?”

“Even if not everyone is participating, there should be somewhere around 60,000 players here. They won’t be able to play unless the plants respawn…”

“With the ability to kill players, it would turn into a battle royale.”

Mr. Skelly posts about the lake on the BBS and shares what we learned.

“I think the old man’s group is in the east. No one’s in the north from the look of it.”

“So the whole map hasn’t been filled in yet?”

“We’ve still got the east to go.”

“If I made Unit Three go over to the area, do you think that would do it?”

“I’m not sure how it works with summoned beings…”

Well, at least just seeing new terrain doesn’t appear to count. Unit One surely glimpsed the missing area when he was surveying the terrain. Maybe I need to dispatch Unit Three? But he won’t understand what I need him to do. Instead of looking at the markers, he’ll wind up attacked and killed. Yeah, bad idea.

“Oh? That patch of land has different leaves.”

“You’re right. Is it some sort of material?”

The lake quieted down after the raptors devoured the wild boar, so we get closer to check out the surroundings. Mr. Skelly spots the Moonflower grass a bit further away, at a second spot that seems to have different leaves. I’m eager to investigate.

“Ah, they’re carrots.”

“Oh! Harvesting time!”

Mr. Alf stands guard while Mr. Skelly and I harvest the carrots. One after the other, we yank them out of the dirt.

“Great… Huh? What’s thi—”

“Goraaah!”

“Oof!”

“Princess?!”

Some sort of carrot with a sour face just kicked me in the cheek… How disrespectful.

“Wh… What’s with this horrible thing?!” I cry.

“A mandrake! Part of the sexy radish branch…”

“It’s just a throwaway character they put in as a joke!”

“Hee hee hee… That’s the very first time I’ve ever been kicked by a carrot…”

“Of course it is…” Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly say in unison.

“For that, you’ve earned the death penalty.”

I cut through the mock carrot.

“Enough of your jokes!”

“Go…rah…!”

“Huh?” react Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly, once again in concert.

“What’s this? Don’t tell me. It uses a special skill when it dies?”

As it cried out, a burst effect emitted from the creature and rippled out in a circle. I’m sure that means something…but we don’t experience any noticeable effects.

Since the mandrake is likely a joke mob, I bet it either delivers an instant death or a status ailment. Probably not instant death, considering the rules of the event. Which only leaves a status ailment—a status ailment that doesn’t affect us.

“It looks like Appraisal makes it possible to tell which plant is which,” I point out.

“Not for me. The key must be Cooking skills.”

“Most likely. Hey, it didn’t drop anything!”

“So it was just here to harass us? Yeah, sounds like Management all right…”

We continue to harvest the real carrots. Mr. Skelly joins me at the same plot of land, but it appears that each player sees a different layout.

“Goraaah!”

“Oof!”

It sends him flying with a kick. I keep one eye on Mr. Skelly and his series of getting kicked without pausing my carrot harvest.

“Damn it!”

The knockback of those kicks sure is powerful. Mr. Skelly gets sent flying every time he yanks up one of the creatures.

“It looks like we’ve exhausted the area?”

“…”

He’d tried to avoid the kicks at first, but no matter how he struggled, he would always get kicked as soon as he pulled one up. At this point, he’s just wordlessly browsing the BBS as he allows himself to get kicked. He’s probably decided to stop thinking about it, since he’s no match for the mandrakes.

“The animals are staring at us. I think they want us to leave…”

“We should probably head for the great tree.”

“We have to wander that way. I hear there’s all sorts of stuff there.”

“Perhaps it’d be best to walk around and take notes on what we find…”

“Let’s start by exploring.”

For now, we’ll wander the island and jot down the location of every discovery.

 

We harvest plants on our way. Mr. Skelly makes notes on the map for us. He says it will be easier to share this map information with others too…

“Hm…?”

“Mm…?”

Instinct just activated, so I clutch the hilt of my rapier and look in the direction my skill was pointing to.

“What is it?”

“Instinct just triggered…”

“But I don’t see anything.”

“That so? There are things that can even evade your Instinct?”

“I don’t see anything with Magia Trace either.”

“It probably wasn’t our imagination. Maybe it’s something moving really fast?”

It wasn’t a mistake, as both of us spotted it at the same time. The only explanation is that it must have moved before we could see what it was.

If Magia Trace doesn’t pick it up, then whatever it was probably wasn’t using optical camouflage. All living creatures have mana, so I should be able to detect that even if I can’t see the beast itself. I learned that information from Granny Meghan, my teacher. Although skills like Magia Conceal and Magia Quarantine means I can’t get complacent either.

 

As we continue to explore, Instinct keeps activating every now and then. I’m so curious about what’s causing it, but it remains a mystery for now. I don’t know if it’s interested in who we are or if it’s just keeping an eye on us… Given how we showed up on this island with no warning, it could be either one. We wouldn’t make for good prey, so I doubt that’s why it’s watching us.

That’s assuming that it’s an intelligent being. We also don’t know that it’s been just one creature this whole time.

In other words, we simply don’t have enough information.

“I see. So this area is a grassy field.”

“Looks like it. But…what’s that?”

“The aftermath of a battle?”

“I think so… I thought this might be a good place to set up camp, but now…”

The open spaces on this island are the beach, the northwestern lake, and the central area. Camping in a tent on the sand seems difficult, and the lake is a watering hole for all sorts of beasts. That only leaves the central area, but now…

“I suppose we ought to wait and see how it goes…”

“I’m not sure about this place, but there’s nowhere else to build a base, huh?”

“Oh, isn’t that wheat over there?”

“We’ll have to decide where to set up as a party, so this could be one proposal. But I suppose one person can’t decide for all of us.”

I leave Mr. Skelly in charge of posting online, and I go to harvest wheat. It’s a single field of the same crop. The carpet of wheat rustles in the breeze.

“Ah, I don’t have a sickle… Maybe my rapier will do.”

“You don’t need the stalks anyway. I think it’s fine.”

“Unit One, hold the tops for me.”

CLACK

Unit One holds the wheat at the top while I cut through the bottoms. “Hmmm hm hm…”

“By the way, how do you turn it into wheat flour?”

“Huh…? What?”

Now that I think about it, I didn’t bring any tools for turning wheat into flour. Given the time period…I would probably need a hand mill? Although I figure there’s a good chance that magic-powered windmills exist.

“Oh, can’t I ask Ms. Primura to use Pulverize?” I ask.

“Yeah, isn’t that in Woodworking and Compounding?”

“I get why a chef wouldn’t have that.”

“True,” the two of them say at the same time.

I’ll just continue to harvest the wheat anyway. I’m sure someone will have a use for it.

“Phew… That should be enough. I’ll give this to someone who can process it.”

“Oh, there they are, there they are! Heeey!”

What’s this? A group of six people, all wearing straw hats and overalls, approach us. They’re holding hoes, sickles, and pitchforks. These sure are farmers, all right. In fact, the word “farmer” floats over their heads. That must mean they have special titles derived from acquiring farming skills.

“Hoh hoh! Shall we harvest that wheat and make some flour?”

“Ah, if you’re able to process this wheat, then please do,” I say.

“Of course! This sort will become bread flour.”

“This one’s for cake flour!”

“Then start harvesting on that side!”

“You betcha!”

“We’ll get on it right away, Princess.”

“Yes, please do.”

“Bread flour alone is not enough to make bread, after all.”

The six farmers quickly split into two groups of three. They switch to their sickles and begin to harvest from both ends. Judging from their comments, it sounds like the type of wheat differs at some point in the field. Not that I can tell the difference.

“They’re a party of top farming players.”

“Steiner’s their leader. The others are Bio, Biody, Logical, Dynamic, and Biodynamie. Apparently, all their names come from the laws of biodynamic agriculture.”

“I-I see… That’s sort of supposed to be the ultimate farming method, right?”

“Yep. It’s a way to farm using only natural materials, removing external forces and stuff like that. I think it sounds like a good method for this game.”

“This game has things like ghosts, after all. Not that I’ve seen one yet. I doubt they have chemical fertilizers or anything of the sort in the first place.”

In real life, people say these farming methods result in low output and generally avoid them due to the high costs. But they’re choosing to try it in a game. Not that I expect them to be farmers in their real lives.

The sun is high in the sky when I look up. It must be some time in the afternoon. It’s about time for lunch…but will they even have any lunch to eat? Ha ha ha ha. As one of the undead, I get to look on as a spectator.

“Princess!”

“What is it?”

“We’re gonna make the flour. Can you make enough bread for everyone?”

“Ah, you don’t mind?”

“Not a lick!”

“It’s all good!”

“All right, then I’ll make some.”

“Many thanks!”

Now that the field has been harvested, I may want to send Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly out on horses to look around. After all, I don’t think they have anything to do right now.

“Ah…!”

“How’d it go?”

“I failed…” I admit. “I need more things…”

“Yeah, it’s a survival event, after all. What things?”

“A pot for yeast, fruit, sugar, and salt. I’m sure I can get a container and some salt if I go to the coast…but what about sugar?”

“Ah… Biody!”

“What’s up?”

“The fruit you have on you! Do you think any of it can be used for yeast?!”

Mr. Biody approaches me and holds out an Applenge.

“Applenges won’t work…”

“Oh? How did you…I see. This one’s no good. Hmm… How about strawberries?”

“I think Fragaria might work. And if the base fruit is sweet, then there’s no need for sugar…”

I re-summon Unit One as a horse with no custom role. With my three-times-multiplier, it costs the same as before, as the cost goes from double to quadruple based on the creature’s size. I also call Mr. Skelly back and borrow his alchemy kit. This will be absolutely vital from here on out.

“I’m going to go to the coast for a bit.”

“A skeleton horse? Will you be safe in the forest?”

“I might lose some speed, but it’s sure to be faster than walking on my own.”

“I see… Right, you’re a zombie. Thanks for the help.”

For now, I say goodbye to my party and Mr. Steiner’s group. I ride Unit One toward the south with a wolf version of Unit Two by our side and an owl Unit Three overhead.

I hope to get Secret Art of Necromancy past level 30 during this event. It’s at 27 right now, so it seems possible. Once I hit level 30, I should be able to swap out my servants’ skills for 2nd-tier skills as well, and I’ll even be able to summon level 30 necromantic spirits. They’ll probably level up before they reach a base of 30. Although Mr. Skelly also told me you can’t summon level 30 servants until both your base and skill level are over 30. That must mean Mr. Skelly’s Secret Art of Necromancy is already high enough.

I weave between trees until I arrive at a beach. My skeleton servants are light enough that the sand isn’t much of an obstacle. I can see quite a few people enjoying their day sea fishing. Picking fruit wasn’t as rewarding as I hoped it would be, and I wonder if catching seafood might be any more successful.

As I watch the players fish, I turn Unit One back to a normal skeleton and make him collect sand so I can mass-produce glass. I’ll need small bottles for potions and large jars for smoked foods and yeast…probably salt preservation too. It’s always safe to have a large stock of bottles.

“Oh? The Princess just appeared. And this one’s the real deal.”

The real deal? Does that mean I have an impostor walking around? This is the first I’m hearing of it.

“Good day. Fish biting?” I ask one of the players fishing.

“I guess…you could say that.”

“Same here,” says another player. “We can get a lot of fish, it’s just…”

“Ah…they’re inedible?”

“That’s it. I’ve got Cooking, so I can scan the fish with Appraisal…but I only brought fishing equipment and not a cooking kit.”

“There’s people freediving over there too.”

When I look in the direction the man points to, I see a head emerging from the water for air. I recall the people I saw earlier with harpoons.

I thought the diver had gone underwater again, but I realize he’s swimming to shore as fast as he can.

“Aaaaaaah! Look oooouuuut!”

“A shark?!” “A shark?!”

That’s…definitely a shark, isn’t it? A goblin shark at that, and like a goblin, it appears to eat anything it can find. Even the face looks goblin-like. There’s six of them, and they’ve chased the diver onto the sand and are now trying to crawl back to the water like idiots. I suppose they have the brains of goblins too. The fishermen go for the attack, and it’s lights out for the goblin sharks.

“I’m going back for more. This is the most fun I’ve ever had fishing!”

The diver pulls out his harpoon and heads to the water…before turning back around.

“All that swimming has really drained my hunger meter. What are we actually gonna eat while we’re here?”

“I’ll go grab some branches or something. I’m sure we can cook.”

“Definitely. I don’t have a cooking kit, though.”

“I’ll cut some trees down. I just need to process them to make firewood, right?”

“Does no one have Woodworking? I wish we had skewers. We could cook fish that way. We caught those ones that looked like sweetfish, right?”

“And broil them with salt? That sounds so good… Wait, do we have salt?”

“What if we let it soak in the ocean?”

“Nah, there’s no way that works.”

“You’re gettin’ too dynamic.”

“I will be happy to provide you all with salt.” I finally speak up. “Unit One, bring me seawater.”

CLACK

“We appreciate it. Do you have a cooking kit, Princess?”

“I do. I also have this alchemy kit I borrowed from Mr. Skelly.”

“Then we’ll do an exchange for the fish we can’t eat, or more specifically, the ones we can’t skewer.”

“I see. That sounds wonderful.”

I extract salt from the seawater Unit One brings me. Then I preserve one bottle’s worth of bittern in case I need it and throw everything else away. I’ll get Unit Two to help too.

Over and over again, I extract more salt from the water. When I have enough for my own party and enough to give away, I exchange some for the fishermen’s haul. Then I return to the central area.

 

When I arrive, I can see the farmers’ party still hard at work. It’s a very peaceful scene. Even if we were just shipwrecked.

“Oh, you’re back. We’ve processed a good amount already.”

“I brought back some fish from the fishermen by the ocean.”

“Oh, that’s great. We’re trying to see if we can expand the field.”

“Do you think it can be cultivated?”

“Yeah, but…it’s a matter of how long it takes to grow.”

We have no choice but to wait and see how long it takes until we can harvest the wheat again.

Anyway, let’s see if we can make yeast. Ah, this will really take a lot of MP with Fast Reaction, won’t it? Otherwise it takes about a week for yeast to form…

“Oh…? That was certainly fast. Did they change it for the event?”

I take the bread and cake flours, add salt and yeast, and make some starters. Then I let the clock tick away for these too. They’ve expanded nicely, which means it’s time to begin making bread.

“Shall I toast some bread for dinner?”

“That’d be great! Farming takes a toll on the body, and our hunger meter drops real fast.”

The person freediving said the same thing.

For now, I’ll make as much bread as I have the ingredients for. I would guess that a lot of people skipped lunch. I fill the jars I mass-produced earlier with Mr. Biody’s Fragaria to produce yeast. My stone oven is working in overdrive.

 

Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly return after some time. They even came with souvenirs.

“From what we saw, the east has herbs and other good stuff!”

“Look at this drop we got too.”

 

[TOOL] MAGIC SEASONING SET 2

Rarity: RA Quality: C

Once you find one of each number, you’ll be able to use the sets.

Contents: Not telling!

 

I see… The icon seems to tell me that there are sets #1-6 to be found. I don’t yet know what seasonings they’ll contain, but if I can just find the remaining five sets…

“By the way, Princess. Did you see the quest page?”

“Quests? Well, look at that. The special event quests are up now.”

“We just spotted it earlier too.”

 

DESERTED ISLAND LIFE: DAY 1

You’ve washed ashore on a deserted island. Your goal is to survive with your fellow players. Rescue will arrive (in the form of GMs) after eight days.

1. Link up with your fellow players.

2. Get a feel for the island terrain.

3. Acquire food supplies.

4. Create a base where you can sleep tonight.

 

It looks like we’ve already checked off quest number two. Well done, us. Quest number one isn’t completed yet. Is that because not everyone has connected to the BBS? As for quests three and four…well, they don’t have a fixed criteria for completion, do they? They’re more like goals worth working for, shared by everyone instead of personalized. Plus, from the perspective of us undead, quest number three is irrelevant.

 

The sun has started to set…which makes it dinnertime, and more players have started to reach the center. Everyone I know who has Cooking runs up to me.

“Big Sis! Dinner!”

“Oh, gimme dinner, Tasha!”

“Tasha! I would like dinner!”

“Princess! Dinner please!”

“Us too!”

“Pretty please!”

“Please, my liege!”

Well, of course they’re going to come to me. There they are: Rina, Tomo, Abby, Ms. Primura, Ms. Kotatsu, Mr. Lucebarm, and Mr. Musasabi.

“Oh, there she is. Have you been cooking, Princess?”

“Your party’s here too, Mr. Cecil?”

“I can share some wyvern meat.”

“I hear dragon meat is delicious. How do dragon steaks sound?”

“Perfect, of course.”

“Here, I’ll give you this.”

“And I have this for you!”

“Here, take this!”

 

[TOOL] CONFECTIONERY CRAFTING SET

Rarity: RA Quality: C

A set of tools necessary if you want to make sweets.

Can be combined with cooking kits.

 

[TOOL] BARBECUE SET

Rarity: RA Quality: C

A set of tools necessary if you want to have a barbecue.

Can be combined with cooking kits.

 

[TOOL] NOODLE MAKING SET

Rarity: RA Quality: C

This set of equipment will allow you to make all types of noodles.

Can be combined with cooking kits.

 

Rina and Tomo gifted me the confectionery and barbecue sets.

The barbecue set is a large grill that lets you cook directly on the flame, sear on iron plates, or roast meat. It also contains skewers, tongs, small plates, and both sweet and spicy barbecue sauces. Oh, there’s also aluminum foil. I can cook meat wrapped in foil if I want to. The grill even maintains the Cooking skills of its owner, meaning other people can cook on it too. Considering how many people are around, a barbecue feels like a good idea.

The confectionery set has lots of molds for things like cookies, baking powder, pancake mix, maple syrup, whipped cream, and other ingredients of the sort.

Abby was the one to gift me the noodle making set. It has mixing equipment, with machinery that can produce various noodles or macaroni. It’s also rather small. You would definitely need housing if you wanted to make a substantial amount of noodles with this. The set comes with a noodle soup base and yakisoba sauce as well. I’m sure I can use that soup base for all sorts of things.

Ms. Kotatsu, Mr. Lucebarm, and Mr. Musasabi also provide me with food to use. Well, if they’re willing to prepare ingredients for me, then all I need to do is to lend them the barbecue set.

Mr. Ertz’s party, shockingly, had beds for us. To be more precise, the beds were made by Ms. Primura and Mr. Dentelle.

“Ah, that’s right. Ms. Salute.”

“What is it?”

“These are potion bottles and medicinal herbs.”

“Oho! This is just what I need. Bottles are the one thing I haven’t been able to get…”

That’s because you need Alchemy and Glassworking skills.

I’ll give my potions to Ms. Salute too, as she’ll certainly get more out of them. Mr. Skelly doesn’t have any alchemy expansion cores, so considering the number of materials needed to use them, it’s best if they go to her. The one problem would be production speeds.

Ah, I’ll leave some water in my cooking kit’s still. I’m sure Ms. Salute will have some use for it.

Oh, it looks like the last of the ships has washed ashore. The first quest on the list is now checked off. This probably means that all players have joined the BBS at last. I’m sure some people aren’t reading it, but that’s their own choice to make.

It’s just about time for me to tackle dinner… For now, I’ll slice up everything I have and let people assemble their own skewers. It was a good idea to allow parties who provided food to use the barbecue.

Once I’ve prepped enough ingredients, I start to grill steak for Mr. Cecil’s party.

“I feel alive again!”

“Oh, you’re all here.”

“Heh heh heh! We’re a real party of big shots.”

Ms. Fairellen and Ms. Mead are here. Also…a very intense person just showed up…

“Eee hee hee! We’ve never met, have we, Princess? Hi, I’m Mohawk. I’m nothing special, but I hope the two of us can get along.”

“W-wow. That was kind of proper…”

“I generally don’t have problems with anyone I speak with, so indeed, let’s get along.”

“Gya ha ha ha! Yeah, this has gotta be the princess. Look at the size of those things.”

“You’ve only just met!! And what ‘things’?!”

Hmm? Mohawk… Ah, he must be the man from the conqueror’s board who “dresses weird and sounds gross even when speaking common sense.”

Mr. Mohawk is a true RPer. Despite his words, his eyes stay away from my chest. He doesn’t appear to prefer the smaller sizes, at least. Mr. Mohawk’s appearance really makes him look troublesome, which might be why he chooses to roleplay a character to match. I wonder what the appeal of that is. Perhaps he’s a very serious person in real life and acts this way as a result. I sort of wish I could see what he’s like offline…

“May I have some food too?”

“It’s no problem as long as you provide something that can be barbecued.”

“I’m sure meat will do?”

“That’ll do just fine. That’s what everyone else seems to be eating.”

“I still wanna ask for some homemade cooking!”

“Just please go right ahead.”

Mohawk paused for a moment when I handed him a clean skewer. “Self-service, gotcha! Hyah ha! Time to grill!”

He seemed to have realized that he doesn’t need Cooking skills to use the barbecue. He eagerly races right off to go grill… I see. Despite his manner of speech and his appearance, he’s a good person on the inside. The rest doesn’t particularly bother me, so I imagine we’ll continue to interact in the future. I don’t get the sense that he’s disagreeable or stubborn. If anything, he seems like an example of a proper roleplayer as far as his mental fortitude goes.

“I don’t have any ingredients…”

“You flew here to link up with us, right, Ms. Fairellen?”

“Yeah, and it was a rough ride. Especially in the north!”

“Wyverns, right? Why don’t you just take what you want?”

“Free meals are always delicious.”

Well, she did just risk her life flying around so that the game would register that we’ve met up with the others.

As we chat, I hand out wyvern steaks to Mr. Cecil’s party.

“Which should I take…?”

“Delicious!”

“Delicious!”

“Yeah, this is really good!”

“This is better than rump steak, isn’t it? Is it because the meat is different?”

“Good stuff. Should we keep going for this?”

“Definitely, if the chance comes up again.”

You were delicious, wyvern. I bet I could use them to grind.

All right, what’s next? Ah, that’s right.

“How was the great tree, Ms. Mead?”

“Nothing interesting whatsoever.”

“I wonder if it’s always like that… I bet something will trigger there at some point in the event…”

“Well, I won’t bother with it for now.”

As I talk to Ms. Mead, I notice Rina putting a big hunk of meat on the grill on the “roast” setting, meaning I probably won’t need to worry about our supply of red meat for a while.

I also place some shellfish that don’t need extra preparation on the grill. I’m sure someone will eat them. While I’m at it, I gut and clean the fish whose organs can’t be eaten and cook them with some vegetables in aluminum foil.

“Princess! We finished!”

“Yes, this is outstanding work.”

Ms. Primura and Mr. Dentelle have been working at top speeds in their respective fields. Together, they made a bed.

“What an incredible canopy bed…”

“What other bed is fit for a princess?”

“Its wooden frame should prevent bugs from getting in too.”

“I feel like it’s a bit of a waste to leave it here on a deserted island… But I’d be delighted to use it, thank you.”

“You deserve a pleasant sleep, even on a deserted island,” they say in unison.

The two of them hand over the bed to me and head off to join the barbecue.

“Oh my, what an adorable bed. I want one too.”

“Let’s sleep with Tasha!”

“Hm, that may be fine as well.”

“It’s very large, after all. The three of us haven’t shared a bed in so long. Shall we do it again?”

“Oh, yay!”

We continue to feast on food and drink as night falls. I’m surprised we had that much food in the first place.

While I’m here, I may as well prepare tomorrow’s breakfast for the group while there are still ingredients left. I’ll need enough for Rina, Tomo, Eli, Mr. Ertz, Mr. Cecil, Ms. Kotatsu, Mr. Lucebarm, Mr. Musasabi, Mr. Steiner’s party, Ms. Mead, Mr. Mohawk, and finally, Ms. Fairellen. I could do this tomorrow morning after I wake up, but I want to hand breakfast to everyone while they’re still awake.

Looking at the group like this, I can see just how many people I’ve met through the game.

A simple breakfast will be plenty. I place meat and vegetables between two slices of bread and decide to top it off with a bit of barbecue sauce.

“Sorry for the trouble, but thanks for this.”

“You’re welcome. I’m looking forward to seeing more Cooking-related souvenirs.”

That’s right. I’m not just doing this out of the kindness of my heart. I know I can count on them to bring me the items I’m after, so this is just an upfront investment. Hee hee hee!

However, these players would probably bring me the items I need even if I didn’t give them free meals. I just don’t want to be the only one to be on the receiving end. The least I can do is prepare meals for them. It’s basic give and take. Win-win situations are the secret to success, especially when it comes to video games. Everyone has material desires, after all.

 

The sun has fully set now. The area around us is lit by the Light art, with the moon hanging overhead, set in a vast starry sky. It’s a picturesque sight experienced in VR on a deserted island.

“You look sleepy, Princess.”

“This is when I go to bed.”

“What should we do? How about we go for a little night hunt?”

“We’ll have higher stats, and there might be different enemies out and about too. Let’s check it out, then head to bed.”

“Yeah, this was only the first day too. Let’s do it.”

Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly state that they’re going to survey the enemies before going to sleep. I may typically be a creature of the night, but I need to go to bed. I’m nothing if not a healthy zombie!

“My liege, I fear we may need lookouts to prevent monster or player attacks.”

“Couldn’t we just take turns sleeping? We’re all top combat players.”

“I suppose that is conceivable.”

“There seems to be no point to killing players, except harassment.”

“That’s exactly why players kill players. They like to harass people. I’m fine with sleeping later.”

“Most true. I, too, shall sleep later.”

“Yeah? Then I’ll sleep first. I’m sure we can leave Princess’s group in charge of the morning.”

“I believe I’ll wake up between 5 and 6.”

“Got it. I’m guessing that there’ll be some people who are too excited to sleep anyway…”

I leave the coordinating to Mr. Cecil.

This open area outside the forest now has beds, sleeping bags, and tents strewn around. The amount of fun you have surviving on a deserted island seems to be based on how many people you know.

I’ll go right to sleep in my canopy bed. I call for Eli and Abby, while Rina chooses to slide in too. Ms. Letty and Ms. Dory tell us they’re going to patrol the area for a while.

Goodnight, then.

“Four beautiful girls sleeping…but we can’t see their faces! Who the hell thought to cover them with a canopy?!”

“Hmm? So I succeeded as a worker but failed as a man?” responds Dentelle to one of the onlookers. “Well, it’s still outstanding work I did. So just give up on that dream.”

Official BBS 3

 

[What would you bring] Good Ol’ Summertime Camping: Day 1 [To a deserted island?]

1. Management

This is a thread to discuss how to survive the second official event.

Please use it as a comprehensive thread for anything that relates to the event.

 

734. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Finally! Our survival mission is here!

735. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You alive, everyone?!

736. Shipwrecked Adventurer

How would we reply if we were dead?

737. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Oh, that’s true.

738. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The big waves were scary.

739. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Agreed.

740. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Hey, I can’t wake up… Do I have to wait for this countdown to finish?

741. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Probably… I’ve got four minutes left.

742. Shipwrecked Adventurer

One minute for me.

743. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Why’s it so fast for you guys? I’ve still got eight minutes on the clock…

744. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Oooh? Two minutes for me.

745. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What the hell? Mine says fourteen minutes left!

746. Shipwrecked Adventurer

If everyone gets a different timer…maybe it has to do with your stats?

747. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It can’t be…luck, right?

748. Shipwrecked Adventurer

We can’t say for sure…

749. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m up!

750. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That was fast. What’s it like?

751. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So many corpses!

752. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They’re not dead!

753. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I guess I’ll wake others near me.

754. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Please do.

755. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I knew I felt gross. Turns out I’m soaking wet.

756. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I thought so. It feels like swimming in your clothes.

757. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Oh, it’s Mr. Alf. Then Princess must be here too. They were on the same boat?

758. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You mean there’s an undead party? I also saw Big Sister Mead.

759. Shipwrecked Adventurer

E-eureka! I’ve got it!

760. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I bet it’s something stupid.

761. Shipwrecked Adventurer

We can see through Princess’s clothes if she’s soaking wet!

762. Shipwrecked Adventurer

…No comment.

763. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You might just be a genius!

764. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Someone wake me up!!!

765. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Then it’s not just the Princess?!

766. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Right? Feel free to praise me more if you want.

767. Management

Tell me, which of you is being naughty?

768. Shipwrecked Adventurer

……

769. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I knew it.

770. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Obviously Management’s not gonna ignore this thread…

771. Shipwrecked Adventurer

By the way, Mr. Alf already woke Princess, and she cleaned herself with Laundry.

772. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Mr. Alf and Princess have started waking up all the women. I guess I’ll do that too…

773. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Let the women be!!!

774. Management

>>773 Hmmmmmmm?

775. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Okay, that’s scary, lmao.

776. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Princess is being mean to Mr. Skelly. I loled.

777. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What happened?

778. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Princess: “No answer. He just looks like a corpse.”

779. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That’s hilarious.

780. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Mr. Skelly’s nothing but bones, after all…

781. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It looks like Princess is going around using Laundry on everyone. Thanks, Princess.

782. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That sounds like her!

783. Management

I’m with management. I’m watching all of you closely.

784. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>778 Thank you for the information.

785. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It looks like how long it takes to wake up depends on your stamina.

786. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That’s my guess too.

787. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Agreed. The tanks parties were up pretty fast.

788. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Princess has a request for us! She wants us to look out for a fairy party!

789. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Fairy races? I bet their stamina’s as low as it gets, yeah.

790. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Salamanders, pixies, sprites, nightmares, and all those guys really stand out.

791. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Sorry, I found a nixie by stepping on it.

792. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s not dead, so it’s fine. No harm done without a death.

793. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Fairies and nixies are really hard to spot…

794. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They found Ms. Fairellen.

795. Shipwrecked Adventurer

…Is everyone awake now?

796. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They should be?

797. Shipwrecked Adventurer

If you’re not awake yet, speak up.

798. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They won’t be able to!

799. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You’re right!

800. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You can speak up on the BBS!

 

980. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn it! Yuuuuuck! Bleeeeegh.

981. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Did you eat the fruit? You have to look closely and see if it’s not listed as an ‘ingredient’… Oh lord have mercy!

982. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Someone who ate the fruit started using his arts all of a sudden, lmao. It’s dangerous.

983. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yeah, there’s a fruit that gives you confusion.

984. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Paralysis AND poison?! Are they insane?!

985. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The mangoes are killer.

986. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Hang on, Management. You really want us dead, don’t you?

987. Shipwrecked Adventurer

This.

988. Management

Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to put strange fruits in your mouth?

989. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn it… They’re trying to piss us off…

990. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn it…

991. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Ah, this mushroom is so good.

992. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Oh?

993. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Ah, wait… Ugh… Now I feel siiiiick! Bluuuuurgh!

994. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Wait a minute. Who eats mushrooms without using Appraisal first?

995. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Even the fruits have hidden effects, idiot…

996. Shipwrecked Adventurer

We have a brave hero in our midst…

997. Shipwrecked Adventurer

No, he’s just a moron…

998. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I thought it might be fine!

999. Shipwrecked Adventurer

RIP.

1000. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yep, he died, all right. Wait. Did he eat them raw?

1001. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Raw rules!

1002. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Shut up.

1003. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You have to be brave to eat raw mushrooms without appraising them…

1004. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Is there a doctor on this island?!

1005. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Play doctor with me, Mister.

1006. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>1005 Shut it. Stay out of this.

1007. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>1005 Crazy person alert.

1008. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>1005 This guy right here, Management.

1009. Management

>>1005 Hello, this is Management. We were summoned.

1010. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>1009 Quiet down, quiet down. This isn’t the time to cause a stir.

1011. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Ah! Sir! Please don’t do that! Ah! Sir! *insert ASCII art here*

1012. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>1011 Don’t make me laugh.

1013. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Searching for food without Cooking is hopeless!

1014. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s too life-or-death for me to even laugh about. This is really bad!

1015. Management

I’m sure you’ve already noticed that the names of items here are hard to interpret, so please do your best to muddy the waters here on the forums.

1016. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You’re acting like demons.

1017. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Reports on the food?

1018. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The strawberries are delicious. No problems there. But the other one’s no good.

1019. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I know what you mean. That one fruit reeks.

1020. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The white umbrella mushroom with red jelly makes you really sick if you eat it raw.

1021. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Huh? The white umbrella mushroom with red jelly…?

1022. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Those? I see. Don’t worry, you’ll know them when you see them… Wait. You ate those raw?

1023. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You actually ate those horrifying-looking mushrooms raw?!

1024. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Someone’s eating them raw. You’ve shocked this old man to his core…

1025. Shipwrecked Adventurer

He must mean the one that looks like Hydnellum peckii… I get it…

1026. Shipwrecked Adventurer

There’s a hero among us. I’d lose my appetite just looking at those things…

1027. Shipwrecked Adventurer

But aren’t the real peckiis harmless?

1028. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I don’t think Hydnellum peckii is poisonous. Well, they probably just used them as a visual reference, and the game mushroom is different.

1029. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I guess that could be it.

1030. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They’re probably trying to trick us by making it look just like a real-life safe mushroom.

1031. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The mangos are out for blood.

1032. Shipwrecked Adventurer

This. You get fully paralyzed and then your HP is eaten away by poison. If an enemy shows up, it’s game over.

 

1462. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The shared map gives us a general outline of the island…but it’s actually smaller than I first thought.

1463. Shipwrecked Adventurer

True. Not that I’d call it “small” if someone asked me to describe it.

1464. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Judging by the ships we first saw, there’s gotta be a lot of people playing this event.

1465. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Getting down to business, what are the enemies like?

1466. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The ones in the north, east, and west sound tough. The enemies in the ocean are roughly the same level as in the west, but the problem is the hunting grounds.

1467. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You can go shake hands with a shark goblin in the ocean!

1468. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m good, thanks.

1469. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Can I have your autograph?! Sign it with squid ink, please!

1470. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I want mine signed with blood!

1471. Shipwrecked Adventurer

(Goblin) Blood, right?

1472. Shipwrecked Adventurer

No, (your) blood.

1473. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So I’ve already been eaten?

1474. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Goblin fans aside, second-wavers should stick to the west. The north and east are tough, since the enemies are level 30 and up.

1475. Shipwrecked Adventurer

TBH, they’re tough for first-wavers too. It might be better to go with more than one party.

1476. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Who cares? Let’s go swimming in the ocean.

1477. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The ocean’s beautiful! Except for the occasional shark goblin.

1478. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Can we play Sharknado?

1479. Shipwrecked Adventurer

But there’s no chainsaws, or even two- or three-headed sharks.

1480. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m gonna head to the forest instead.

1481. Shipwrecked Adventurer

How sad.

1482. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You really love shark movies that much?!

1483. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I looove them!

1484. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Why the hell are they so popular?

1485. Shipwrecked Adventurer

No clue.

 

2105. Honehone

We made it to the northwestern lake, but it turned out to be some kind of watering hole, so be cautious of waterside areas.

2106. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Huh? What’s that mean?

2107. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s gotta be special AI, right?

2108. Honehone

Once we reached the lake, we saw raptors eat a boar, drink from the lake, and then head north.

2109. Studylover

How fascinating. I should go research this ecosystem…

2110. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So we should be careful because there’s lots of enemies there?

2111. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Now I get it.

2112. Shipwrecked Adventurer

…There are still enemies spawning, right?

2113. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Don’t worry. I saw some spawn.

2114. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That’s a relief then.

 

2645. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I went to the northwest lake thanks to Mr. Skelly’s info, started to pick carrots, and ran into something indescribable. Are they trying to kill us?

2646. Honehone

Seriously?! What are those things?

2647. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Everyone in the area suffered Fainting (5) lmao. I lost MP too.

2648. Honehone

Is it a mental status ailment? Those things didn’t have any effect on us…

2649. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s true that there’s lots of enemies around water. So if your whole party faints, doesn’t that mean instant death?

2650. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So evil… Do Cooking skills let you see which is which?

2651. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Fainting should be a physical attack. If it didn’t affect the undead, then the loss of MP must be a mental effect?

2652. Shipwrecked Adventurer

How many seconds is Fainting (5)?

2653. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>2652 It lasted 25 seconds. It must mean a status ailment at 5× strength.

2654. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>2653 Damn, that’s long!

2655. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>2653 They’re devils.

2656. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You wake right up if you get kicked, so it’s best to pick a sacrifice from your group.

2657. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Sounds the same as falling asleep.

2658. Shipwrecked Adventurer

All right then… I’m going back to my process of frantically harvesting carrots, passing out, and getting kicked awake again.

2659. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You’re just like a slave. Thank you for all the work you’re doing.

2660. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I hate harvesting carrots! I wanna be a beautiful girl’s slave!

2661. Shipwrecked Adventurer

And don’t call what happened to you “getting kicked by a carrot.”

2662. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>2660 Back to the carrot cycle for you.

2663. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>2661 NOOOOO!

2664. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Is it really that bad?

2665. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Defining “carrot cycle.”

You harvest carrots while also battling off the monsters that occasionally come up to attack you, but every now and then, you pull out something that screams “Mandrake!” As soon as it’s out of the ground, it kicks you, and when you kill it, you pass out. Then your observer comes to kick you awake, and back to work you return.

These “Mandrake!”s aren’t actually strong. But since their kicks are swift and accurate, no matter what you do to protect yourself, it’s still annoying as hell. Then you pass out when you kill it.

By the way, those monsters who occasionally come to attack you? They’re bears and raptors.

2666. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lmao, it’s worse than I expected.

2667. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They don’t even drop anything.

2668. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That makes it even more evil.

 

3742. Honehone

We’ve made it to the center. It’s a grassy field with wheat that can be harvested, but we can’t process it. Hurry up, farmers.

3743. Steiner

Really? We’re on our way.

3744. Cecil

There’s just a wheat field in the center? Do you think it can be a base?

3745. Honehone

Probably, but I’m a little worried about what looks to be remnants of a battle.

3746. Cecil

Remains of a battle…? That’s curious, but I’ll still head over. I’m sure everyone will do as they please once they make it out of the danger zones.

3747. Honehone

You’re very welcome.

3748. Cecil

I’m gonna have Princess cook this meat for me…

 

4563. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Chefs! There’s spices and herbs in the eastern forest!

4564. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Oh, for real?

4565. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Speaking of spices, I got some kind of “Magic Seasoning Set 6” as a drop. What is it?

4566. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s a magic seasoning set, duh.

4567. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I know! But that’s not what I mean!

4568. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I got that too. The icon implies there’s six parts in total?

4569. Shipwrecked Adventurer

But it doesn’t even say what it contains.

4570. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What’s with that “Not telling!”?! At least they didn’t add a bunch of heart emojis.

4571. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Not♥telling♥!

4572. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Go home, old man!

4573. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Fine! I’m leavin’!

4574. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Didn’t expect that…

4575. Shipwrecked Adventurer

See ya, 4572. Take care now.

4576. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I-Impossible…

4577. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Now that we’ve sacrificed one soul to the gods, do you think we’ll have enough food?

4578. Shipwrecked Adventurer

We should be able to get by with the actual food…but do we have enough chefs?

4579. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That’s a bigger problem than securing food.

4580. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I think I got a rare drop! It’s a barbecue set!

4581. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Deets?

4582. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It looks like you can grill things based on the cooking skills of the person who sets it up. This is a way to solve the lack of chefs. It comes with both barbecue and yakiniku sauces!

4583. Shipwrecked Adventurer

For real? That’s amazing. I’ve gotta hunt… What dropped the set?

4584. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Mine was a rabbit.

4585. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Mine was from a bear. It must be based on where you are.

4586. Shipwrecked Adventurer

For the whole island or just one section? Looks like you get them in the west.

4587. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It sounds like there’s also a confectionery set and noodle-making set. Although those two are for chefs to use.

4588. Shipwrecked Adventurer

For real? I definitely want those. Will someone trade with me for a day’s worth of meals?

4589. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Sure thing.

4590. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Sure thing.

4591. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’ll bet you get a lot of replies. They get to give away something they don’t need in exchange for a whole day of avoiding starvation.

4592. Shipwrecked Adventurer

But I only need one of each…

 

9572. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Looks like the last of the ships has washed up.

9573. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Where’s everyone at?

9574. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It sounds like everyone’s in the field at the center of the island. I’m on the southern shore.

9575. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m exploring the western forest.

9576. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m currently being chased by a wyvern. He won’t leave me alone, lmao. Would someone be so kind as to rescue me?

9577. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Pray a first-waver will help you with your wyvern.

9578. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The famous first-wavers are enjoying a lovely barbecue at the moment. Good luck.

9579. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Tell me where. Tell me.

9580. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The northwest!

9581. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Ah. That’s far. Good luck.

9582. Shipwrecked Adventurer

DAMN IIIIITTTT!

9583. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Am I imagining it or does Instinct activate in the west?

9584. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I thought so too. I think it’s real.

9585. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Then is whatever’s activating Danger Sense in the east also real?

9586. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I think so. What’s up with that?

9587. Shipwrecked Adventurer

There’s no info about it at all, so I’ve got no clue. I guess we’ll find out in due time.

 

14029. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Princess is sleeping in a canopy bed.

14030. Shipwrecked Adventurer

A canopy?! Hey, she always goes to bed so early.

14031. Shipwrecked Adventurer

She’s a real princess with a canopy bed and everything. Did Ms. Primura make it?

14032. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I heard Primura and Dentelle made it together.

14033. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Ah, the fabrics too?

14034. Shipwrecked Adventurer

And the canopy’s set up so well that you can’t even watch her sleep.

14035. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Dentelle! How could you?!

14036. Dentelle

I was just excited to make it, and that’s how it turned out. It’s not my fault!

 

18052. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The first day’s just about to end.

18053. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yep.

18054. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Good work everyone. Let’s keep at it again tomorrow.

18055. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Cheers.

18056. Management

Day One is now over. This thread will be converted to read-only.

Please go here to discuss Day Two.

Chapter 6:
Good Ol’ Summertime Camping—Day 2

 

MM… Ah, that’s right. I’m in the middle of an event.

Eli, Abby, Rina, and I are all lying next to each other…but everyone has their weapons at their sides. This isn’t a safe area, after all. I also wish that Mr. Dentelle could have made us pajamas, but being outside of a safe area, we really do have to sleep in our full equipment.

Anyway, I try my best to slip out of bed without waking them…and see Ms. Letty and Ms. Dory in a double bed. When did they get that?

Some people are already starting to wake… The discarded armor and the clean white bones of a corpse were merely a figment of my imagination, of course.

Oh, that person has a green fairy behind them, which means they’re livestreaming. I guess the event doesn’t give streamers a break. I saw a few players streaming yesterday as well.

“Unit One, nothing happened overnight, right?”

CLACK

I left my servants summoned, but it seems like the night was uneventful… Although, I’m uncertain how reliable they are in guard duty at their current AI level.

Let’s see if the quests have changed now that it’s the second day.

 

DESERTED ISLAND LIFE: DAY 2

You’ve managed to survive Day 1. Divide the work and gather the things you’ll need from here on out.

1. Survey the island.

2. It’s more efficient to decide on a leader and act as a group.

3. Replenish your food supplies.

4. Replenish your base.

5. Whatever you do, you’ll need tools.

6. You’ll need weapons to defend yourself. Search for anything that can be used as a material.

7. Prepare for the unexpected by making magic medicines.

 

Hm… The quests are like lists of things to do—support from Management. What should I start with…?

I’ll go by the process of elimination. First off, I can’t complete the quests for replenishing the base, magic medicine, or crafting weapons. I’ll leave those to players with specialized skills for them. That eliminates numbers 4, 6, and 7.

What I can do is survey the island while I gather materials. Or I can replenish my food ingredients—or more specifically, my meals. What else…? I need to make tools with Alchemist. I can clear quests 1, 3, and 5.

I’m not sure about number 2. They must want us doing raids or unions. Since there aren’t any world quests activated, I doubt we can form forces…so I’ll ignore it for now. There’s no point in strategizing on my own.

For parties, focusing on number 1 seems like the best choice. Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly aren’t crafters, so I’m sure they want to see combat. I could also have them go off on their own adventures like yesterday…but I want to level up my combat skills too. I’m coming up to a base level of 30 and am looking forward to the next evolution.

“Ah, good morning, Princess!”

“Good morning, Ms. Clementia. You sure are looking as sexy as always.”

“Right?”

Ms. Clementia is a sexy mandrake. She tells me that she started off in the north of the island.

“What were the enemies like?”

“Really strong! There are wyverns, lizardines, and even giant tortoises!”

“Um…like a crocodile? Ah, here’s a screenshot.”

“Ignoring the size, that sure does look like a crocodile.”

“But they live on the land. Maybe it’s a mix of a lizard and a crocodile? That’s what the top players think, anyway.”

“Perhaps something with the form of a crocodile and the ecological niche of a lizard?”

“That’s the prevailing idea.”

Wyverns are types of dragons that appear in a wide variety of games. These have wings attached to their front legs. The turtles are giant shield tortoises. They’re roughly a meter tall and have a shell on their back that protects them from heat, hence the name. Right now, these seem like the only three enemies confirmed to be in the north.

“The north has ore mines too.”

“So there’re ores in the north, food is mostly in the west, and herbs are in the east.”

“Yep! What are your plans today, Princess?”

“Not sure yet. My party is still asleep.”

“I see, I see. I know we’re unique in the meals we eat, but it sounds like things are really rough for the rest of the races.”

“From my perspective, this event is nothing more than a special map.”

“Same. Those who play as horse-like races have found a source of food in the grassy fields, and the wolf-like races are hunting in the western forest.”

“The players are omnivores, aren’t they?”

“Yeah, but I think it comes down to whether or not you can prepare food on your own. The rest is about being consistent, and that’s supposed to be the best way to recover your stats.”

I didn’t know about that hidden mechanic. Now I’m glad I didn’t fall into the fruits’ trap. It sounds like quite a few people have already fallen victim to them.

“I’ve got Plant Knowledge as part of my race skills and Photosynthesis to handle my hunger,” says Clementia.

“I don’t experience status ailments even if I do eat strange fruit, and I can tell which are the traps with Cooking.”

“We have the skills that everyone else is in desperate need of. Ha ha ha ha!”

“Is confusion worse than poison?”

“Uh-huh. That and the bursting fruit.”

“Ah… You mean the stench?”

“It’s a rotten smell, like how Fragaria gets if you let it ripen for too long.”

She explains that when they grow for too long, Fragaria fruit falls off the branches on their own and explodes on impact, whereupon it becomes its own fertilizer. It doesn’t seem to be a problem that it smells rotten to a fellow plant.

Well, rotten smells don’t affect me due to my race, since the game actually converts them into a different scent for me. Therefore, this area isn’t nearly as difficult to traverse as it is for others.

 

After chatting with Ms. Clementia for a while, others in the group start to wake up. I want to cook, but I would have to go out and gather ingredients.

“You’ve got distilled water, right, Princess? Could I have some to cook with?”

“Sure. I’ll let you have one bottle.”

“You’re a lifesaver!”

“Well, it is water, after all.”

I hand her a bottle and pour some more distilled water over her. Photosynthesis makes light sparkle off her body.

“So distilled water works for that?”

“Indeed it does. It’s like the water tastes better when it’s been treated somehow. But clear natural water works better than distilled water. For me, the game treats it like food, so they fill my hunger meter differently.”

“I see. So natural water is best, followed by distilled water, then Drinking Water?”

“Right. I try to absorb as much good water as I can. It seems like it’ll affect my evolution somehow.”

“That logic makes sense for a plant race.”

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

We both jump at the sudden crowing and glance in the direction where it came from—off to the east.

“What a creepy sound…”

“That voice was so raspy.”

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

It’s turned into a chorus now. The players who were still sleeping all jump up too. “What’s all this racket?!” they cry.

“It’s not exactly an unusual sound to hear in the morning.”

“But it sure is annoying to experience it for real.”

“Alas, if only they sang with more beautiful voices.”

“Uh-huh…”

They sure sound strained and hoarse… If they were human, I’d send them to get their throats checked.

“Cuh-kaw!”

“Cuh-kaw!”

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

“Shut up!”

The chickens are swarming us in a crazed dash.

“Enemy attack! They’re coming!”

“Taaanks! Taaanks!”

“If you’ve got a shield, get to the front!”

“Long-range attackers, prepare for battle!”

“If any bastard is still lucky enough to still be asleep, smack ’em awake!”

It had been such a quiet, peaceful morning—now it’s suddenly a battlefield. But I do remember the aftermath of a battle we spotted here yesterday, so I sort of predicted that things might take this turn.

 

8. Seedsters are charging at you. Drive them away.

 

Look at that. Another quest has popped up. It looks like some quests are secret, or perhaps they change depending on the situation.

So these enemies are called Seedsters. Hmm… Should I resummon my servants as flying types? Let’s see… I’ll make them owls that can cast spells. They can join players in bombing the enemies from above.

Of course, not every player is gathered in the center of the island, but we still comprise a pretty significant number. At a glance, it looks like we’re mostly first-wavers. This is a convenient location for traveling to the rest of the island, given how it’s the center of a forest. And there’s little need to worry about enemies that are too tough for you—not with this many people around.

Perhaps that’s why the players with large shields scurried right to the front, with attacker parties wielding two-handed swords and bows stationed behind them. Beyond that, the sorcerer parties take their post. Those with spears thrust them beyond the large shields and stand their ground.

“They look like chickens… We’re probably safe, right? I’ll seriously shed some tears if they break my main weapon.”

“Yeah, go cry to the old man.”

“Maybe it’s safer to just use your spear for arts.”

“Hmm… You have a point. Guess I’ll try it.”

“If it still breaks, then it’s a bad choice.”

“I doubt it will. I use my spear all the time.”

Spears will probably be lost in attempts to stop the charge, so if I’m also going to use my own main weapon, using it for arts does indeed sound like a good idea.

“Can you be our leader, Princess? Let’s form a union,” suggests Cecil.

“Will there be enough time? I don’t mind, though.”

“We just need a leader for now, so don’t worry about it.”

“Very well. I’ll make a room.”

“Thanks a bunch.”

I open the party menu and set up a union recruiting state, so that we can combine more than four parties. The name will be… Aww…only six words? All right, this should be good enough.

“I love the union name.”

“Same. Thinking of it that way makes me more motivated.”

“What does?”

“Princess is recruiting for a union called ‘Holy smokes! Breakfast is hunting US?!’”

“Chicken meat!”

“Woo-hoo!”

I accept all the applications as they come in. I spot Rina, Tomo, and Eli’s names come up. Ms. Mead appears to be teamed up with Ms. Fairellen, Ms. Clementia, Mr. Mohawk, and a wolf man.

It feels like everyone I know has already joined…so I’ll change the setting to auto-accept. Otherwise, it’s too much work. This isn’t a world quest or anything, so as soon as they join the union, the other players seem to be receiving buffs from me.

The Seedsters are nearly level 40, which is pretty high. It’s comparable to what I saw in the area around the ancient, unused temple.

The attacks begin with shots from players with longbows, then the short bows. Next are AOE spells like Explosion, cast by the sorcerers.

“All right, sorcerers. Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah!”

“One, two, three!”

“Nox Wall!”

“Lumen Wall!”

“Flame Wall!”

“Mare Wall!”

The wall spells manifest in front of the tanks. One by one, the enemies run into these barricades. The Seedsters continue to lunge at us with their HP drained, only to be swiftly finished off by those on the front lines.

“Cuh-kaw!”

“I wondered what ‘Seedster’ meant, but now I see they’ve got some kind of plants on their heads and necks.”

“Huh? Yeah, you’re right. Maybe males have the head plants and females have neck plants?”

“Dunno. But their corpses are getting in the way!”

Since this isn’t a world quest, the bodies remain on the ground so long as someone has Dismantle or something similar set. It would probably be smarter to remove those skills in defensive wars like this, wouldn’t it?

Still, something feels strange about all of this. I need to consult with the others.

“Mr. Cecil, Ms. Mead, and…Rina? No, not you. Um… Mr. Musasabi. Could you all come over here?”

“What’s up?”

“I’m on my way.”

“Yes, my liege?”

They quickly gather around me. Rina isn’t physically here, but I can still feel her presence. It would be peculiar if I ever couldn’t.

“Can you think of any reason why these Seedsters feel so ‘off’?”

“Off, you say?”

“Yeah, I got the same feeling. Maybe I wasn’t imagining things after all.”

“I’m not sure if this helps, but despite their level, they’re surprisingly easy to defeat.”

“Most easy indeed. Might that be due to how they charge and attempt no other strategy?”

I look over at the Seedsters again. Like Mr. Musasabi said, the Seedsters indeed just charge at us head-on. Then they kick any tank that’s in front of them. This is happening all over the battlefield.

“It’s true that they only move in straight lines.”

“Dullards, the flock of them.”

“Ah, I see. So that’s why something feels wrong.”

“They’re too dumb?”

“That’s right! The enemies in event grounds seem to have special AI. Are these acting like this because they’re birds?”

“Perhaps they’re meant to represent the setbacks in life, my liege?”

“There are joke enemies in this event, so it’s hard to say… Maybe they charge with some sort of objective in mind?”

“Seeds?” Mr. Cecil and Ms. Mead reached that conclusion simultaneously. “Seedster”…so “seed” is the important part of that. Someone noted how they have plants on their head and neck… Ah, I just had an unpleasant thought.

“Unit One! Bring me a body with a plant on its neck!”

Unit One hauls over the dead bodies, and I quickly sever the heads. Unpleasant nagging feelings have a bad habit of proving true.

“Ah… Most intriguing. I understand now.”

“This one only drops new leaves.”

“Let’s check with someone who knows about this stuff. Ms. Mead, Ms. Clementia, please take these.”

I call their party over, hoping that Plant Knowledge will be of use, but if this is some sort of key event mechanic, it probably won’t do any good. It’s only day 2—too early to make any major discoveries.

Instinct…!

It’s not just me—the other four players glance in the same direction. The trigger came from behind us. That’s the western forest.

“This is still bugging me…”

“It is most difficult to enjoy survival camping with that.”

“It’s probably so we don’t focus on combat all the time.”

“This is exciting.”

“We need to deal with these things first. All they’re doing is charging forward. Why don’t we surround them?”

“At this rate, our materials shall be fully depleted…”

“The Dismantle issue is starting to get in the way… Let’s surround them.”

We end the strategy meeting and dispatch the news to the troops, asking them to regroup.

“Ms. Clementia, do these plants need any special treatment?”

“Hmm… It looks like the plants are considered dead once the host dies.”

“That’s good news. It would be a real headache if we had to cut the heads off and burn them.”

“Right? I’m glad we don’t have to defeat both the plant and the animal.”

“Agreed. Let’s return to the battle. These are high-level enemies, which means they give great rewards.”

My servants are doing well, attacking the birds. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of XP from this. Although I don’t want their skills to be the only ones that level up. I need to improve Radiant Magic and Darkness Magic.

“What’s with these birdbrains? They’re crazy as all hell! Gyah hah hah!”

“It means we get a ton of XP!”

“I’m tinglin’ all over! Right, Brother?!”

“Don’t ask me that! You’re the only one with that problem!”

“Let’s tear ’em some new holes! Hyah ha ha!”

I’m just glad that Mr. Mohawk is enjoying himself.

These dangerous chickens continue to charge forward heroically and never look back, even if someone hits them from behind. They’re easy targets for everyone aside from tanks. Now it’s the bonus stage, and I’ll have my servants farm them with close-range attacks too.

Mr. Alf appears to have joined the tanks, and Mr. Skelly is frantically firing off spells, including Bind spells—I know he’s eager for that XP. I’ll use some Space Magic as well.

 

Your Race Level has increased.

Your Servant Level has increased.

Rapier has reached level 20. You have gained 1 skill point.

You have acquired the Rapier art Pommel Felire.

Radiant Magic has reached level 20. You have gained 1 skill point.

You have acquired the Radiant Magic art Lumen Pillar.

Darkness Magic has reached level 20. You have gained 1 skill point.

You have acquired the Darkness Magic art Nox Pillar.

Space Magic has reached level 20. You have gained 1 skill point.

You have acquired the Space Magic art Gravitas Area.

Necromantic Magic has reached level 30. You have gained 2 skill points.

You have acquired the Necromantic Magic arts Change Arms and Quick Change.

New points of customization are now available for Necromantic Magic.

 

“We won! Now I’m ready for a bath.”

“Don’t say that until we actually win! I’m sure you just wanna wash the blood away.”

“And you’d have to build a whole bath first, considering our current state.”

Mmm…such delicious rewards.

I probably need to dismantle the bodies and look over my new arts… It’s so helpful how my MP replenishes after leveling up. Using Space Magic in the end really drained it.

But now it’s dismantling time.

 

“It’s over!”

That ended up taking quite a bit of time…

“I’ll hand out the rewards! Do you all have inventory space? No, I’m sure you do.”

“Woo-hoo!”

“That was a silly question.”

I head to the drop list that forms when you join a raid or union. It remains for one week, unless the leader presses the “distribute” button or someone tries to leave the group.

When I press the button, the system independently decides which items to send to the respective players’ inventories. It’s very convenient how I can select items I want to save as batch items, which changes how the system distributes them. Players with full inventories have to make space within a certain amount of time or else all their items will be lost.

Right. We’ve received a lot of chicken meat and feathers. To be honest, I question if it’s safe to eat chicken that was a host for parasitic plants…but the game doesn’t seem to indicate any issues, so I’d be happy to consume it.

The feathers can go to Ms. Primura. I’m sure she’ll turn them into arrows.

“I think…I’ll leave the union active. Something might come up again.”

“Sounds good to me. Why don’t we join up for the quests too? They did say to do that. Here, have some meat!”

Rina and the other members of our union give me some chicken meat, but I don’t have much else. I suppose that’s only natural—I have been exchanging my drops for meat, after all. I can probably cook this with yakiniku sauce, but perhaps something a little more primitive might work, like meat cooked with no seasonings other than salt.

But for now, I think I’ll return to my bed and check over those new arts I unlocked.

What’s this? I see the glow of character evolution. I check my party list and see that Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly both reached level 30 in this morning’s battle.

“Fwah ha ha ha! Finally, I’m a Lich! I’m High Undead!” Mr. Skelly cried out.

Sorry to interrupt you when you’re so excited, but from the outside, you only look like you’ve aged…

“You look like you’ve withered away to me.”

“Huh?! What?!”

I summon Unit One as a starter skeleton and have him stand next to Mr. Skelly, who is staring at his new body. This makes it easier to see the differences.

“Your bones look kind of black…darker, I guess?”

“I see. Would ‘gray’ be the right word? No, it’s just dark…like you’re breaking down light.”

“Now that I look closer, you two look more different than I thought.”

“Ah, good thing I didn’t evolve at level 30!” says Alf.

“You evolved early! What about you, Princess?”

“I’m still at 27. I hope to reach level 30 during the event.”

At the same time, I’ve noticed the presence of two ghost-like players. Who could they be?

“Oh, is that their evolution?”

“I heard they’re second-wavers. They evolved into those ghosts at level 20. I just met them earlier.”

“They’re at 20 already? That sure is quick.”

“Second-wave students started playing during summer break, plus it’s easier to level up in the beginning.”

“Woooooooo…” say the ghosts.

They look to be children younger than Ms. Primura. They’re human-shaped but translucent enough to make colors only faintly visible. One of the kids has light purple eyes and hair. The other has yellow eyes and hair. Both have bob haircuts. They really do look exactly alike. I don’t know how I would tell them apart, aside from their coloration… Ah, the yellow one looks to be a girl. The light purple one…is a boy, I think.

“Woooo!”

Even their voices sound alike… They certainly seem like twins. They were flying around for a bit before they came my way.

“Princess! She’s real!” they say in unison.

“It sure sounds like I have an impostor out there somewhere.”

“Ame is Ame.”

“Trine is Trine.”

“Nice to meet you!” they again say together.

What? Oh…! They’re referring to themselves in third person. That’s a bit strange when you’re introducing yourself, however.

“I’m Anastasia. It’s nice to meet you too. I don’t mind if you want to call me Princess.”

“Okay!” they both say.

“You two are younger than Ms. Primura, aren’t you?”

“We’re twins, in eighth grade, but our school is a secret!” says one of them.

“We’re twins, in eighth grade, but our school is a secret!” says the other.

“Of course. If someone asks you for personal information, it’s always best not to answer them.”

I press my index finger to my lips and the twins, chuckling, respond with “Shhh!” Their synchronization really is impressive.

I think I recall that Ms. Primura is in eighth grade. These two sure are small.

“Mr. Ame must be the boy, and Ms. Trine must be the girl. Am I correct?”

“Wow, that’s right!” they say.

Seventh-grade boys still have a while to go before they hit their growth spurt.

“Fwah ha ha ha! The equipment in my inventory that was just taking up space is finally usable!”

“You think so?”

“Oh, we forgot about the equipment!” the twins say.

But they do have equipment to use? It’s always good to be prepared.

“Ta-daaah!”

“Could it be that the two of you are part of an extra race?”

“Yep, we are!”

I thought so. Their equipment clearly isn’t normal. But that means…

“Wow, so you evolved with a key item?”

“With this!”

They each hold out a lantern. It looks like a normal black lantern, but the color of the flame inside is unusual. Mr. Ame’s is blue, and Ms. Trine’s is green.

Mr. Ame also holds a large scythe while Ms. Trine grips an extremely long wooden pole. Under their slightly grubby black robes, they appear to have armor on. Mysteriously, the items they have equipped seem semi-transparent, just like their bodies.

“The scythe is like a grim reaper’s…but what is the pole for?”

“Yeah, I wonder.”

“Ame is a Soul Harvester!”

“Trine is a Soul Router!”

“Hmm… Sure, now I get your roles.”

“May I ask what the pole is for, Trine?”

“It’s a ferryman’s rod.”

“Hmm… Ah, I understand. Now I see why it’s so long. It’s one of those…”

“Is your weapon a grim reaper’s scythe, Mr. Ame?”

“It’s a grim reaper’s great scythe!”

“So these twins are a grim reaper and a ferryman…”

Mr. Skelly seems to carry an air of greater nobility than before…perhaps the doing of his priest’s robes and cloak? He also has his usual staff in his right hand, but in his left hand is a brand-new book. I can’t read what’s written on the spine…but frankly, I think I know what it is.

“Is that what I think it is, Mr. Skelly?”

“Yeah, this was my key item.”

“Ah, I knew it… Is it the Necronomicon?”

“Ha ha ha ha! This thing amplifies spells. It’s basically a boost to all my magic attacks!”

“That’s wonderful. My key item disappeared…”

It looks like he’s checking over his skills now that he’s evolved. I need to review my new arts too.

 

POMMEL FELIRE

Use the pommel of your rapier for blunt attacks. A quick move which stuns your opponent.

LUMEN PILLAR, NOX PILLAR

Produces a magic column that extends to the heavens, damaging all enemies within its range.

GRAVITAS AREA

Increase the gravity of a specified area. Gravity depends on your skill level.

CHANGE ARMS

Instantly swap out a servant’s equipment with a different template.

QUICK CHANGE

Instantly swap out servants for a different template.

 

I see… I assume Pommel Felire must rely on my strength stat. I doubt it’s very powerful, but so long as I think of it as a quick stun art, it doesn’t sound so bad.

The “pillars” mentioned must be columns of magical energy you set up to hit enemies several times. They work the opposite of how wall spells do. Pillars are for enemies who don’t move, and walls are for those who do.

Gravitas Area seems to change the single-target setting of Gravitas into something you put down with a set of coordinates. I can already picture how much MP this one must use.

Change Arms and Quick Change are spells that make Secret Art of Necromancy more convenient. Of these two, I’m happier to see Change Arms. So far, I’ve not had a situation where I need to instantly change my servants’ forms, so I don’t have a particular opinion on Quick Change yet.

“Hmm… Princess?” asked Mr. Skelly.

“What’s the matter?”

“Servant skills work for the whole party, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I see… So I really am different.”

“Is it something unique to Lichs?”

“It looks like all servants I summon get a stat buff.”

“Ah, fortified summoning…it must be like a creation bonus.”

“So I should be the one to summon servants in our party, Princess. They’ll be really strong that way.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

Oh, look at that. I’ve been brought a new cooking ingredient. I guess I’ll make something with it. It is getting close to lunch. I’m sure everyone will go out exploring this afternoon, so I have until then to finish lunch.

“Hmm… The race skill I unlocked at level 30… I want this…”

Mr. Alf seems to be struggling with something.

Once Secret Art of Necromancy reaches level 30, I should be able to summon armored skeletons. Now that I think of it, I remember seeing some already wearing armor of a sort. Will I be able to equip my servants with armor in the future as well?

Since I can’t yet summon servants with their levels in the thirties, I’ll focus on their skill setups instead, since that’s within my grasp. My current servants have six basic skill slots and six race skill slots, with an added three that come from Royal Privilege. So fifteen in total right now. Once I reach level 30, I’ll unlock their 2nd-tier skills…

Hmm…? I see… In some instances, it’ll be better to apply skills directly to the servants instead of sharing them through Royal Privilege, due to how the skills work. The servants inherit skill levels from me through my Secret Art of Necromancy. For example, the Super HP Regen I imparted to them through Royal Privilege was at level 26. But at level 30, they can get it on their own. My own Super HP Regen is actually less effective for them.

I’ll have to see what will happen when I swap them all out. But that’s not possible while I’m cooking. I’ll finish up lunch first.

“Thanks, Mama Tasha!”

“Sure thing. Please be careful.”

“Eh heh…”

Abby wraps her arms around me when I hand her food, so I stroke her head and address Eli.

“I’m up for anything today. We’ll be back later,” says Eli.

“Please be very careful. You’ll be kicked out if you die twice,” I remind her.

“Yes, I know that.”

“We’ll see you later!” calls out Abby.

I see off Eli’s party of four. Abby has her three dolls with her, so the seven figures head toward the western forest together.

“Okay, Sis! I’ll be back later!”

Rina’s party heads for the eastern forest.

“Wanna go hunting for some tasty meat in the north, Tomo?” asks Cecil.

“Yeah, let’s go. You don’t mind, right?”

“Nope!” responds Sugu.

“It’s still hard to do anything efficiently in the north with just one party… I wanna mine some ores too,” says Cecil.

Tomo and Sugu’s party appear to be going with Mr. Cecil to hunt in the north. I hear those wyverns are particularly tough. Mr. Cecil told us that you need some kind of antiair defenses in the north and, if possible, blunt weapons and multiple parties to travel with.

Tomo is a sorcerer and Sugu wields a two-handed hammer. Their other members include a tank, a support sorcerer—basically, like a Shinto priest—and a longbow archer. They’re well suited for the enemies of the north. If anything, Mr. Cecil, with his dual blades, seems like he’ll struggle the most in the north.

Well, good luck, everyone.

“What should we do?” I ask my party.

“I want to level up. Why don’t we do some hunting and gathering?”

“Do you two wanna join us?”

“Really?” asks Ame and Trine in unison.

“Yeah, why not? I’m sure it’s hard for you two to team up with other players.”

Like the rest of us, they would die if hit by Holy Magic. As long as they go with an undead party, they won’t run into any such unfortunate accidents.

“I’ll invite you to our party.”

“Yay!” they both shout.

“Oh, look at these skills. There’s no reason not to share these with my servants right now…”

I recall Unit Two and Unit Three, invite Mr. Ame and Ms. Trine to the party, and our group heads to the western forest. I want to investigate this Instinct trigger, as well as see how the evolved members of our party function. I also need to think about what skills to give my own servants, so the east and north will have to wait for another time.

“I should give them Physical Resistance, but their Super HP Regen is more powerful… Special Automatic Regen’s upgraded skill is Special Regen, right? Hmm…”

“Do you want to summon anything, Princess?”

“Your two servants are sufficient, Mr. Skelly. Can you summon them at a base level of 30?”

“It looks like…yes, I can.”

“Let’s go with that then, since you have a summoning bonus.”

“Okay!”

Mr. Skelly summons one medium servant and one small servant.

As for me… Hmm. So this is my new customization feature?

 

WORKER

A summoner’s support role for servants, allowing them to share production and harvesting skills with their summoner.

However, Workers have no combat abilities, and they can only reproduce items from crafting recipes.

They have no restrictions on harvesting but cannot relocate more than their skills allow.

Enemies may occasionally target them, so don’t let your guard down.

 

Yes, I’ll go with this one. It’s perfect, since I wanted to do some harvesting anyway. I summon a Worker-exclusive mini skeleton…and see that the size cost has gone from a double multiplier back down to its base cost. Okay, I’ll summon this mini skeleton at a triple multiplier with four customized points.

“Oh, is that a Worker?”

“It is. I’ll equip him with the harvesting knife Mr. Ertz gave me and my own dismantling knife too.”

It looks like he can’t take any combat skills. I’m sure I could harvest more if I summon extra Workers, but these are specialized types who can do nothing but flee in the face of danger.

“All right, Unit One. Harvest everything you see and run away if an enemy approaches.”

CLACK

That should be good.

Mr. Ame hangs his lantern off the handle of his scythe, and Ms. Trine does the same with her pole. The two float in the air. They say that ghosts can float without using any MP, but they struggle with walking on the ground.

“There we go! Huh…”

“It looks like they pass right through enemies.”

“Maybe they would do more damage if they really focus on their blades before swinging?”

“Their equipment’s super unique. Mine’s so simple!”

My own equipment is rather unique as well. My rapier may appear to be a sword, but it’s actually a magical catalyst and a shield. I’m the one who chose it, though.

When Mr. Skelly starts his incantations, the book in his left hand begins to move and glow with a threatening light. It’s certainly cool, I’ll give him that. It looks nice having the pages of a book flip rapidly as you chant a spell.

The second-wavers don’t have much firepower yet, but it’s nice to have more attackers anyway. These attackers also happen to float about and shoot as they please.

Mr. Ame also buffs those in his surroundings with a resistance to both light and dark spells. Meanwhile, being around Ms. Trine buffs the damage dealt when we attack with light and dark spells. Both effects come from their lanterns.

Once we defeat an enemy, a light flutters into Mr. Ame’s lantern…and is absorbed into the flame. Then I notice it fluttering out of his lantern and into Ms. Trine’s lantern this time, before ascending out of it.

“They’re summoning those, right?”

“Ame’s is for gathering!”

“Trine’s is for sending off!”

“Together, we get a little more XP!” they say together.

“Wow… I hope to have your support in the future too…”

“Leave it to us!”

“A slight increase in XP gained, huh? That’s a rare skill.”

“It definitely is. You’d think it would be common, but I haven’t heard of anyone else with this skill.”

We continue to talk as we hunt. I take the materials Unit One has harvested for me and place them in my inventory. I think I’ll need a special storage bag just for my Workers. Since I know pouches exist, I’m sure I can make a bag too. But that’s not available to me right now, so I have to take everything from Unit One as he harvests.

“By the way, are you two good at luring enemies?”

“Nope, not at all!” they harmonize yet again.

“You don’t have enough experience? Although the enemies here are so weak, you won’t be able to get any practice in.”

“Maybe the north is better? If they fail, they can just float up into the sky…”

“But the sky’s where they’d run into the wyverns, so that won’t work.”

“Hmm… Well, considering our levels, you probably can’t aggro.”

When playing in a party, it’s important to pay attention to who the enemies are focused on. Missteps can result in a total wipeout, so I hope to get some practice in on non-boss enemies. However, as Mr. Alf said, our current levels should have things going smoothly.

As for our strategy…it seems fine for now. Three members of this party are magic DPS. One will be overhead with their own field of view, and Mr. Alf and Mr. Ame probably will have different vantage points as well. Having the two twins in the air should keep them safe.

As long as the enemies have no way to defend against aerial attacks, it would be best for Ms. Trine to be the one to lure them. All she has to do is shoot spells from above, after all. Mr. Alf can then use Two-Handed Sword to attack. Having more people in a party really widens the scope of things…

Oh, there goes Instinct again.

Huh…? It’s my party chat.

“Mr. Alf, this isn’t a regular enemy, is it?”

“Ah, yeah. I think it might be a PK.”

“Uh-huh? You two, get in the air.”

“Okay!”

“I’ll use Quick Change to turn Unit One into a metal skeleton dog to fight against players…”

I see, so this is a situation where Quick Change comes in handy. There’s a long cooldown, but there’s nothing I can do about that. I use Ensol to weaken light spells.

“I hope no one uses light AOE attacks.”

“They probably will, if they’re trying to kill us.”

“Will I be able to survive this?”

“I don’t see anyone other than second-wavers trying to take us out. Oh well, we should probably assume they’ll use light magic against us, since that’s our type weakness.”

“That’s true. Mr. Skelly, stick with Mr. Alf.”

“Sure thing. We can’t protect the princess, huh?”

“That’s because our princess is a parry tank.”

I glance at Unit One, who’s gone further out to harvest and decide it’s worth leveling up his AI level for situations like this. He’s a top companion to have, now that I’ve told him to be prepared for player killers.

Unit One holds a two-handed sword and crouches low to the ground, surveying the area with Track. He’s also engulfed in Dark Aura because of the skills I adjusted. The sudden party chat was unusual, so we need to camouflage ourselves.

“By the way, are there rare enemies that can spawn here?”

“I heard some people say they think they saw some.”

“They think?”

“It’s hard to tell if an enemy is a rare spawn or if they just appear in small numbers.”

“I see.”

“Those are in the eastern forest, by the way.”

Danger Sense…but targeting me, not my surroundings? I have to—no, I can’t dodge it.

I deflect the Light Lance with Royal Anti-Magic. I knew it was Light Magic the moment I saw that the attack effect was white.

“What was that?!” my assailant calls out.

“Lance spells aren’t particularly fast, you see…”

“Purify.”

“You think a little purifying is going to purge a High Undead?”

“Damn it! Graaaah! When did she…?!”

“Unit One, please finish them off.”

I deflect the arrow that flew my way. I’ve seen two sorcerers and one archer…but who else? The enemy using Holy Magic will be easy work for Unit One. That was the wrong kind of magic to open with. The correct strat would have been starting off with Lumen Explosion.

“Judging by the material of your armor, you must be second-wavers, right? Well, thanks for the attempt.”

“Damn it… Light A—”

“Take thaaaat!”

Mr. Ame’s surprise attack on the sorcerer misfires. Ah, I see there are two archers in their party. Ms. Trine says to open with a spell attack before trying to do anything else. There are also two assassin players lurking nearby.

“Did you spot them, Mr. Alf?”

“Yep. No problems there.”

“Then I’ll leave them to you two.”

These arrows are very annoying. I’ll focus on them now.

“Nox Magic Missile.”

“Wha…?!”

“Thought you were hiding, huh?”

“Damn you! Aaaaah!!”

Mr. Skelly reveals the presence of one assassin with an attack spell, causing his servants to swarm the enemy. Mr. Skelly doesn’t even have to do anything else. A mere two servants are too much for the enemy to handle.

The other assassin pops out of hiding, only to be stopped by Mr. Alf.

“First of all, you’re never gonna land a critical hit on us undead.”

“Shut your mouth!”

“Guess you can’t reason with player killers. All you can do is take them out.”

Everyone is fighting one-on-one, but it’s chaos wherever I look. What were these people even trying to do? Well, I can just keep deflecting arrows and walk over that way. The enemies are using short bows. The first art available for those is Arrow Rain, which is barely of any benefit in a forest like this. I doubt they’ll try to use it.

“Damn it! Are you even human?!” one of the archers shouts.

“How rude. I’m merely parrying.”

“I’m not gonna let you just swat away all our arrows!”

“Excuse me?”

“St-stay back!”

“Please don’t speak of me like a monster. I’m a person.”

“Gruh!”

“Ah, Unit One. I see you took care of one. Can you handle this person too?”

CLACK CLACK CLACK

“You jerk!”

Oh? It looks like Mr. Ame and Ms. Trine have finished their fights. Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly are…toying with the enemies? Ah, nope, they killed them.

Our party suffered no damage. Judging by the spells this party used, they may have been some of the more advanced second-wavers, but our group comprises top first-wavers. We also have a whole lot of buffs to work with.

 

Eloquent Princess-style Protection has reached level 20. You have gained 1 skill point.

You have gained the Eloquent Princess-style Protection art Royal Stance.

 

“Looks like that’s all cleared up. By the way, Mr. Skelly. When did you start recording?”

“Huh? As soon as the first spell came our way.”

“So from the very beginning then.”

“It’s no fun if you don’t film the whole thing. Ha ha ha ha! I’m posting this on the BBS.”

I suppose I don’t mind if he does as he pleases.

“Why didn’t they start with an AOE attack? Did they just focus on Holy Magic and skip everything Radiant Magic?”

“Purify comes at level 10, right? That’s pretty high, but maybe they only did level up Holy Magic.”

“Perhaps they were simply determined to kill me? I’m sure they knew that my buffs affected the rest of you.”

“But then wouldn’t they know you were High Undead and could parry?”

“I’ll bet they never thought you were strong enough to deflect every last one of their arrows. Honestly, it’s a shock to see.”

“Are you sure you’re a real person playing this character, Princess? Or are you an AI?”

“How rude!”

“Purify doesn’t work on High Undead?!” asks the twins in unison.

Mr. Skelly, Mr. Alf, and I are struck speechless. Have I not talked about purification resistance?

“I feel like I’ve mentioned this before. Ah…I think I told Rina…”

“I…didn’t say anything either.”

“I wasn’t High Undead until just now.”

“What if it’s the same for Mr. Ame and Ms. Trine? I’m sure they’re either mid- or high undead.”

“Um… Mid!” they both say.

“Then you’ve got slight resistance like me.”

“Oh! Purification resistance: Slight!”

Purify is the very first purification spell a player can get, so it must have either a minor or small effect. I doubt it works on Mid Undead at all. As High Undead, I would just laugh off a beginner’s Purify attack… It’s only natural that it wouldn’t hurt me.

Now, as for my new art…

 

ROYAL STANCE

Modifies defensive skills in exchange for a reduction in attack skills. A combined art with Guard Parry Stance.

 

Hmm…that doesn’t seem so bad, but as a magic attacker, I don’t think I want my attack skills weakened. Perhaps I could fortify them again with Royal Stolz while I have Royal Stance active? That seems like it would be a good solution, but I’m guessing that this art calculates based on numbers. I don’t know if it would be allowed or not.

“Oh well… We still have some time, so why not explore a bit more?”

“Yeah!” the twins chime.

I turn Unit One back into a Worker, pick up the scattered materials of the PK party, and return to the hunt.

I sure hope we find something worthwhile.

Official BBS 4

 

[What would you bring] Good Ol’ Summertime Camping: Day 2 [To a deserted island?]

1. Management

This is a thread to discuss how to survive the second official event.

Please use it as a comprehensive thread for anything that relates to the event.

Day 1 here.

 

911. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Good. Is most of our food shared now?

912. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I think so. Dunno about anyone who hasn’t checked the thread.

913. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s a pain to handle all that.

 

3531. Shipwrecked Adventurer

SHUT UUUUP!

3532. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn it! Who’s singin’ at this hour?!

3533. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What a loud, peaceful morning!!

3534. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What’s your definition of peaceful?

3535. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The weather is nice, at least. So sunny.

3536. Shipwrecked Adventurer

But I hear some sort of awful, gravelly crowing from these roosters.

3537. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Did something happen?

3538. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Probably a special event. Birds charging the center.

3539. Shipwrecked Adventurer

A huge flock of very kindhearted chickens came to wake us up. Their voices are very hoarse.

3540. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Here’s the union name Princess is recruiting for.

“Holy smokes! Breakfast is hunting US?!”

3541. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lmao, she’s already eager to eat them.

3542. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Run away, chickens!

3543. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. I sincerely vow to share the meat!

3544. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Please look up the word “sincerity.”

3545. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Sincerity: A lack of selfishness in approaching something honestly and truly. Devotion.

3546. Shipwrecked Adventurer

…I don’t know about that.

3547. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I sincerely vow to share the meat!

3548. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Looks like he refuses to waver.

3549. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I feel like it’s inherently selfish to try to turn them into your breakfast, but I guess he’s diligent.

3550. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Salted chicken skins! Thighs with sauce!

3551. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Nah, this is pure selfishness.

3552. Shipwrecked Adventurer

He’s ready to fire up the grill.

 

6836. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The skins are so good.

6837. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Look at him, already eating it.

6838. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Wish I had some alcohol…

6839. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You guys wanna get drunk and party on a deserted island?

6840. Shipwrecked Adventurer

As long as you’ve got booze and snacks, the setting doesn’t matter.

6841. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Beer is made from hops.

Hops are plants.

Therefore, salade de bière. Bon appétit!

You’re welcome!

6842. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What?

6843. Shipwrecked Adventurer

LOL.

6844. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Translation?

6845. Shipwrecked Adventurer

We’re “welcome” to call it beer salad!

6846. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lmao.

6847. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I see! Then we don’t have to worry when we drink!

6848. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m gonna tell that to my wife.

6849. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You’re gonna get smacked.

 

11053. Honehone

Be careful. There are player killers afoot!

http://＊＊＊＊＊＊/honehone/watch＊＊＊＊＊＊

11054. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Oof. So they are out there.

11055. Shipwrecked Adventurer

If they attacked Mr. Skelly, that means they attacked Princess!

11056. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lock ’em up.

11057. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Those are second-wavers, right??

11058. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They look like it. I wonder if the fight’s already over?

11059. Shipwrecked Adventurer

How’d it start?

11060. Honehone

They shot Light Lance at Princess. She blocked it, as always. That’s when the video starts.

11061. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I see. If you’re trying to take out the princess, wouldn’t you want to focus on AOE attacks? What else could you do…?

11062. Shipwrecked Adventurer

To begin with, fighting an undead party is all risk, no reward…

11063. Shipwrecked Adventurer

This. Even if you kill them, there’s a really low chance of them dropping equipment. Actually, aren’t the drop tables for the event different?

11064. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I think so, and if they did drop anything, it would only be Mr. Alf’s sword and armor or Mr. Skelly’s staff, right?

11065. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They have crazy skills too. Wait, they’re with two players I’ve never seen before.

11066. Honehone

We picked up a pair of second-wave ghost race twins.

11067. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Oh! One of them looks like a grim reaper with that scythe…but what’s the other one supposed to be?

11068. Honehone

They said they’re a Soul Harvester and Soul Router.

11069. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Maybe Grim Reaper is a higher evolution?

11070. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Why’s the Router got a long pole?

11071. Honehone

I think they’re a grim reaper and ferryman pair.

11072. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Ferryman? Like a boat captain?

11073. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Probably a ferryman for the Nether in this game…

11074. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Like the one who helps you cross the Sanzu River.

11075. Shipwrecked Adventurer

There are items scattered on the ground. Doesn’t that mean they were kicked out of the event area?

11076. Honehone

Ah, is that what it means?

11077. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They’re saying that once you die twice, all your items drop, and you’re kicked out.

11078. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Tsk!

11079. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Hmmmm…

11080. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lmao, Princess’s bodyguards are really scary.

11081. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s a high-risk fight in more than one way…

11082. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Take care now…

11083. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You’re not nude anymore, Mr. Skelly?

11084. Honehone

Fwah ha ha ha! I can use equipment now that I evolved! But only a priest’s robe.

11085. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Nothing but a single robe? You’re a psycho…

11086. Shipwrecked Adventurer

If anything, that only makes you more of a pervert.

11087. Honehone

Check out this pelvis! Isn’t it a beauty?

11088. Shipwrecked Adventurer

LOL

11089. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Kyaaaah! A flasher! No, I think “gyaaah!” would be the more accurate cry.

11090. Shipwrecked Adventurer

And it’s just bones underneath the coat. Talk about horrifying.

11091. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Well, you could tell as much by looking at his skull.

11092. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Don’t correct me.

Chapter 7:
Good Ol’ Summertime Camping—Day 3

 

DESERTED ISLAND LIFE: DAY 3

Things are starting to come together. You might pull through just yet. However, some mysteries remain.

1. Isn’t there something strange about this forest?

2. Some people who enter the forest are reporting the occasional presence of something unknown.

 

Hmm. I would like to get somewhere outside of the western forest—particularly the north. I sure would love to collect wyvern materials, since you can’t get them in the normal hunting grounds. It might be a struggle for Mr. Ame and Ms. Trine, but it’s not like they’ll be totally incapable of holding their own.

All right. I think I’ll get started on breakfast.

 

Oh? I wondered who was coming, but it’s none other than Ms. Clementia. She’s evolved and everything.

“Morning!”

“Good morning. You went to bed quite early yesterday. Did you evolve first thing this morning?”

“Yep. I was pretty close to leveling up.”

“Are you an Alraune? Or a Dryad?”

“I’m an Alraune! That means I’m an extra race! Hee hee…”

“Ah, so it’s an extra race. You didn’t use an item, right?”

“It’s probably the kind where you evolve based on certain conditions. I think you need to drink clean water, interact with people, do a certain amount of Tree Magic, and exert precise control over the vines on your head.”

Her body is humanoid, although her skin looks a bit green. Ms. Clementia’s pigtails are the color of fresh leaves, and her eyes are amber. She even has a flower accessory in her hair. Vines and branches coil around her clothes, giving her a natural look, and she’s of similar height to me…well, she probably would be if she was standing on the ground.

“Wow… By the way, what are you riding, exactly?”

“Who knows? If I had to say, I would guess…it’s a mature bud that’s going to bloom?”

Ms. Clementia’s mount could either be referred to as a strange creature or a strange plant.

“I think it’s a plant! I get around slower, but when I ride it, all my stats get a buff.”

“It’s kind of cute.”

“Right? I like how it moves a bit frantically.”

The plant moves while Ms. Clementia is sitting…but I just can’t tell what it is. It sort of moves like Goma-chan. I assume it’s modeled after some sort of flower bud. The area where its petals would be is wide enough for Ms. Clementia to sit on. The problem is below that… It’s called the receptacle, I believe. It’s puffed out, and the sepals look like whips. There’s no pedicle, and it simply sits on the ground.

In other words, it’s like a receptacle connected to the dirt, and on the front is a silly-looking face. Four stubby legs resembling a turtle’s tail come out of the receptacle. Watching it struggle to walk…is pretty adorable.

“The vines from my head became these four legs. Also, I can use this bud for attacks if I need to… It’s even elastic.”

“Now it just seems more like a plant monster.”

“Right? I took the Rope skill.”

“Does that become Whip?”

“Yep. I want XP, not points.”

All the players who focus on combat are steadily reaching level 30… I tend to spend time on production, which is why I’m a little slower. Besides, my XP gauge has taken a while to fill up since I became my current race. It seemed faster back in the beginning when I was a zombie.

 

All that aside, my research seems to indicate that being expelled from the event area causes you to drop your items in the spot where you died. That means the PK party who attacked us yesterday must have had one death before this, and now they’re gone for good.

“Morning, Princess!” calls out Ms. Primura.

“Good morning. You seem tired.”

“I’ll wake up eventually… Here, this is what you asked for.”

“Thank you. This will bring us our breakfasts.”

“You’re welcome. Good luck with that.”

“Of course. I appreciate it.”

Ms. Primura hands me a bow and some arrows. If we end up going north, I want to be sure Unit One has an archery loadout. If I like how they feel, I’ll order more after the event. This is just the trial run.

After some time, Mr. Alf and Mr. Skelly both wake up.

“What’re your plans for today, Princess?”

“I would like to go to the north.”

“For enemy materials?”

“Exactly. You want those too, right, Mr. Skelly?”

“Ha ha! Of course I do. But I bet the summoning cost is going to be a nightmare.”

“It must be large. What’s the multiplier? Six?”

Let’s see…that was for something with their level in the 30s. So 30×10×6 comes out to 1800… A triple multiplier is 5400. A single servant will completely consume your capacity…

“I’m fine with that, since I already wanted to try going in a different direction.”

“Will we be able to make it up there?” asks the twins in unison.

“Scales aren’t going to stop that scythe of yours, and Ms. Trine can use spells, so I think we’ll be fine. But please be careful not to fly too high.”

“Okay!”

“If we’re heading north, I wanna team up with another party if we can.”

He was right about that. Management suggested that we head that way with at least two parties, so I want to invite another team as well. I want a party who doesn’t mind joining up with us, so someone on my friends list would be best. Let’s see… Ms. Mead’s group seems to have gathered.

“Ms. Mead, have you decided on a place to go yet?”

“No, we were just working on that now.”

“We’re actually thinking of going to the north to claim wyvern materials.”

“Oh, the north is feasible if we go with your party. What do you think?”

Ms. Mead’s party is the same as yesterday, but with…more people? There’s Ms. Fairellen, Ms. Clementia, Mr. Mohawk, a wolfman…and Ms. Cupid.

Ms. Fairellen isn’t a fairy anymore, is she? She notices my gaze and gives me a satisfied grin. Meanwhile, the wolfman comes over and starts to sniff at me.

“No smell…” he grunts.

“Bah ha ha! It’s rude to sniff a woman!” laughs Ms. Fairellen.

“Don’t make it sound like that! It’s not public indecency!”

“I don’t wanna hear that from a nudist with his balls out!”

“Stop saying scandalous things! I’m a wolf! And I don’t have any balls, obviously!”

I don’t really want to think about the specific body parts attached to a wolf.

The other party members introduced the wolfman to me as “Sad Puppy” and nothing else. So…I guess I’ll call him Mr. Sad Puppy. His black fur made him seem like he might be a dark magic user, and it turns out that assumption was correct. He’s a dark magic wolfman. He slumps on the ground and places his front paws on his head.

“Yeah, you’re still a sad guy on the inside, so that pose isn’t cute at all. Why not just give up?”

“I’m sure Princess will like it!”

Ms. Fairellen is glancing my way, trying to drag me into the conversation, so I ignore her and instead strike up a conversation with Ms. Cupid.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“Yeah, long time no see,” Ms. Cupid replies. “Not since the church, right?”

Mr. Sad Puppy sobs.

“That’s right. I see Ms. Mead let you join her party.”

“The timing just happened to work out. Although…this party isn’t balanced at all.”

I look over the party and see what she means. A longbow user, a short bow user, a pure sorcerer, an Alraune, a wolf, and a dagger user.

“So I would guess Ms. Clementia is your tank?”

“I guess she would be, if we needed one.”

“What did you do before this?”

“We Bind ’em and beat ’em up!”

“Frons and…Shadow?”

“Yes. Sometimes we think about having Ellen pull aggro while she’s in the air, but since we have enough firepower, Bind works fine for now.”

Well, to be honest, this party’s filled with DPS players. Ms. Clementia is a bit of a weak spot…but I’m sure she’ll be reliable when it comes to a journey to the north.

“So what did you become, Ms. Fairellen?”

“A lightning fairy! I’m an Eclesith!”

“So that’s why you’re flickering?”

“I fly faster than when I did when I was a normal fairy, but it’s harder to control… But now I know that even the combined kinds transform, so that’s great info!”

“Considering the special traits of the transformation and the combination requirements…you’ve got to reach at least level 30?”

“Hmm… Fairies are probably pure sorcerers, so they might be able to get it at 20. First-wavers were slow to discover High Magic Assist after all…”

Now that we know the requirements and such, one could aim to do it at level 20 if they wanted to… Now that I think of it, I wasn’t even at level 20 when I went to the second area.

Ms. Fairellen tells me she has the three attributes of wind, water, and earth. That means she now has the combined attributes of storms, trees, and lightning. Although I don’t know if she’s equipped them all.

For now, all eleven of us head north. Despite having eleven players, there are only two human-category races between us: Ms. Mead, the elf, and Mr. Mohawk, the human. Everyone else is inhuman: a zombie, skeleton, living armor, wraith, fay, sexy radish, wolf, and angel. It’s almost funny how eclectic we are. Based on the race tree, there are three wraiths in the party.

“Ah, by the way, Ms. Cupid, we don’t need any restoration.”

“Oh, got it, got it.”

“I think that’s the only thing to look out for.”

“That’s probably the only potential fatal flaw?”

“As for combat…I doubt we’ll have two people in the same position, so I think we’ll be all right.”

“I wonder if that’s true with so many people in the party.”

“We may encounter the same kinds of attackers, but all our races are different…”

We have four players in the air: one of whom can attack and retreat as they please; one archer; and two sorcerers. The rest are on the ground and consist of one tank, two random attackers, one archer, and three sorcerers. The battlefield itself will be big, so we probably won’t get in each other’s way.

Ah, a wild raptor! Aaaand it fled. That must’ve been triggered by our large party number.

“It’s funny how they act just like real life. That gets annoying when you’re hunting, though…”

“The mission’s goal is survival, so they probably want hunting to require a lot of work too.”

“I’m enjoying it. It’s the perfect hunting life.” Ms. Mead has always favored this playstyle, so the event probably suits her more than anything else has.

“But wolves usually hunt in packs! Where’s my mate? Anyone? Hello?” Meanwhile, Mr. Sad Puppy is just playing tag with himself now. As for a mate…well, do your best, please.

“Hah ha ha ha! You’re all alone.”

 

The north turns out to be not a forest but a rocky mountain.

The creatures we see scattered on the rocks must be lizardines. Wyverns live closer to the mountain. My current goal is to absorb lizardine and wyvern parts, then move on to normal hunting. They say the north is the best place to fight if you want to grind XP.

“Oh… They’re big, just like I expected. That’s how they eat raptors.”

“If the raptors are our size… I see. So they’re 4 meters tall. That’s huge!”

“Wait…do they count as gigantic creatures?”

“Maybe a six-times multiplier won’t be enough to summon servant versions of them.”

“I suppose we won’t know until we absorb them. Shall we get to killing?”

Tomo hunts with Mr. Cecil for a while and returns with a good chunk of information, even if most of it came from their post-hunt banter. Lizadines don’t appear to have many attack patterns, but there are some things to watch out for. Their main attack is a bite that causes quite a bit of damage. You have to find a way to prevent those bites when you’re fighting them. They also slam their tails into you to knock you down. I hear that even though the windup for that attack is really easy to read, their tail has so much reach that you’ll end up knocked back regardless—unless you have a large shield, of course.

On top of that, when you cut a wyvern’s HP bar down to half, they use their Breath attack against you.

“Mr. Alf, they’re going to use Pillar against us, so please be sure to get out of the area of effect.”

“Roger that.”

“They’ll see you if you’re in the air too, so for those flying, please don’t go rushing in.”

“Got it!” call out the twins.

“What else…? I’ve heard they use Mine, so don’t rush into that either.”

“Pillar and Mine…does that mean they’ll hit us with Magic Missile too?”

“Most likely. I recommend calmly blocking or deflecting it.”

“Ugh.” Ms. Fairellen has a sour look on her face, but Magic Missile is extremely precise. Instead of trying to escape it, it’s best to either block or deflect the projectile and counterattack. As long as you’re not a salamander or something, you probably won’t die instantly…or so I’ve heard.

However, if things go wrong and you get hit by the Pillar or attacked with Mine, you really could die. They’re highly visible and therefore highly effective spells. No player can survive a direct hit by a pillar, and the game’s creatures certainly can’t either.

The enemies supposedly freeze you and follow up with Explosion, so the devs have clearly chosen their spells very well.

“I’ll be the bait.”

“Very well.”

I peel away from Ms. Mead as Mr. Alf goes on standby. He stays in the middle while everyone else spreads out. Technically, we could just have him stand a couple steps ahead of us in a triangular formation to draw aggro, but with this enemy, it’s best to put some more distance between us.

Ms. Mead fires Meteor Shot into the air, swiftly readies Magnum Shot, and launches the arrow with a deafening sound that hardly sounds like it comes from a bow. One arrow descends, glowing red like a meteor, while the other flies straight forward, gravity be damned. They strike at the exact same time. I wouldn’t expect anything less from Ms. Mead.

“It’s easier when they’re so large. Whoa…”

A lizardine that Ms. Mead awakened charges at us, shooting three Aqua Lance spells at her. At this distance, it’s easy for her to dodge.

The enemy starts to target Mr. Alf as soon as it moves in range of Appeal. He places his shield on the ground, steps backward with his left foot, puts his right foot on top of the shield, and prepares to stop the lizardine’s charge. It’s time to battle.

“Wooow! It’s big!” the twins cry out.

“Please attack it from behind and try not to let it target you.”

“Yes, sir!” they respond.

“Women aren’t sirs, they’re madams, so you say ‘ma’am’ or ‘yes, ma’am.’”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Well done.”

Even while playing video games, they still find opportunities like this to learn new words. I join them and begin to attack with spells too. There are some spells I want to level up, but with the long cooldowns, I can only alternate light and dark attributes.

“This thing is what we get with two parties?!”

“Hyah ha ha ha! Sure is tough!”

“Take this! Tonitrus Pillar!”

“I see. I should probably use Pillars too.”

A sparkling pillar of light engulfs part of the lizardine’s body and delivers a good chunk of damage. Now that I think of it, I’m not sure what the damage modifiers are like when using multiple spell attributes. How would one research that? I’ll ask Ms. Fairellen once the battle’s over.

“Song Rave…! Oho!”

“Look at that damage! Frons Lance…! Oho! This is…!”

Ms. Clementia and Ms. Fairellen seem more excited than the rest. It looks like Tree Magic is really hammering the enemy with damage.

“Urgh!”

A blue magic circle appears at Mr. Alf’s feet, and a column of water shoots up. That must be Mare Pillar from Current Magic. It emerges with a solid blow.

“That hurts!”

“Dark Heal.”

“Thank you!”

The column manifests one second after the magic circle appears, and damage is registered. That means you can be hit six times in seven seconds. Considering the MP efficiency, three hits is about enough. Although I’m not sure enemies run out of MP at all.

The lizardine takes a well-telegraphed step backward just as Mr. Sad Puppy charges in for an attack.

“He’s going to swing his tail.”

“Hey!”

“Gyah ha ha ha! Don’t call out when you’re dodging it!”

“Aaah!”

The lizardine launches its whole body in a massive tail swipe, but it hits Mr. Alf’s great shield that he put up to block. The clang echoes through the area.

Mr. Sad Puppy…was unable to dodge the impact and turned into a projectile. Home run! He tried to jump but couldn’t quite make it, so the tail ended up smacking him in the head. It’s a very thick tail for sure, but I wonder why Sad Puppy decided to attack it instead of another part of the lizardine’s body…

“High Heal.”

“Thanks! Oof… I would’ve died from fall damage if you didn’t heal me…”

“What a sad puppy indeed… Why did you attack the thickest part of the lizard…?”

“Uh, well. I don’t know, I just thought I should leap that way.”

“Hyah ha ha ha! Be more careful! You really picked up a lot of speed.”

“Yeah. My bad, my bad.”

Being a wolf is what gives him that speed…but I can tell he must also have Lightning Speed. It doesn’t raise his maximum speed, but it does let him accelerate to it in just two seconds, much like a cheetah. It’s a skill only available to wolf and horse players at the moment. The downside is that it’s hard to change directions…like how cars can’t stop on a dime. Considering the weights of both parties, a small truck crashing into a dump truck would increase its damage multiplier.

Ms. Cupid is healing us with her Holy Magic, so I’ll leave it to her and continue attacking.

“We’re almost halfway through!”

“Triples will become hexas, so please be careful.”

“How much is a hexa?” asks the twins.

“Hexa means six.”

“Six?”

Randomly, six Mare Mine spells appear on the ground and in the air. They look like normal blue spheres. I understand that they explode upon impact.

“Hyah ha ha, whoa! That was damn close. I almost charged in!”

“Look out!”

“Whoa!”

Mr. Mohawk, Ms. Fairellen, Mr. Sad Puppy, and the random attackers had been on the verge of charging in. Mr. Ame is clearly much weaker than the enemy, so he’s being extremely careful.

Oh, I see that mana is pooling in its mouth.

“Mr. Alf, I think it might be about to use Breath.”

“For real?”

“It’s got mana in its mouth, huh? Magia Trace of the High Undead is so handy!”

“High Shield, Water.”

An elemental 2nd-tier spell? Ms. Cupid’s spell causes ephemeral blue strings to wrap around Mr. Alf. His armor glows a faint blue and he displays a blue shield icon, plus his defense stat turns blue too.

The mana pooling in the lizardine’s mouth transforms and produces a watery effect. Yes, this is definitely Breath.

“I’m going to borrow your MP, Mr. Alf.”

“Go for it!”

“Force to Convert.”

Force to Convert from Secret Art of Necromancy isn’t just for servants, you see. I’ll use Mr. Alf’s remaining MP and convert it to HP.

“Alf! Watch out!”

“Ah, right, got it.”

The lizardine has fixed its legs to the ground, preparing to fire, so Mr. Alf takes a defensive stance. Mr. Skelly and I start to chant Dark Heal for him.

A fan of water surges forward toward Mr. Alf. This is precisely why we can’t use a regular formation. This fan-shaped attack would hit us all.

I use Dark Heal on Mr. Alf, but it looks like he survived the hit regardless, probably thanks to the elemental High Shield and Force to Convert.

“Where to next?”

“Feel free to go where you want, Mr. Alf, and we’ll follow.”

“Sure thing.”

The Breath attack has left the ground wet and torn up. Mr. Alf relocates to get a more stable footing, and we follow him. The terrain in this event area is altered when struck by attacks. Explosion, a spell you use by designating specific coordinates, takes out a lot of the ground when it hits. The ground automatically respawns after a while, but that only occurs after a battle, so you have to watch out for the holes while you fight. The main game area doesn’t work like that, so it must be a special mechanic for this event. However, you don’t notice it much unless you blow the ground up yourself, or you’re fighting enemies like this one.

“Keep attacking even if Breath comes your way, Mr. Skelly.”

“Okay!”

Breath appears to have a long cooldown period, so we can handle a single enemy that has that attack. We’d be overwhelmed if it was able to spam it. The lizardine uses Breath two more times after that, but we manage to defeat it in the end.

“Phew… He was so strong.”

“Yeah, I wonder if his stamina was really high.”

“These things must have huge race modifiers that affect stamina. It was huge, after all.”

“What we heard was right, though. The XP gain really is delicious. Shall we hunt wyverns today too?”

“Yes, I would love to.”

“Go ahead and absorb this one first, Mr. Skelly.”

“Woo-hoo!”

He gains 12 capacity by absorbing the lizardine and tells me the base cost is calculated thus: 30×10×8. That makes 2400…and a triple multiplier would be 7200. It’s much too high a cost for me.

“Oh? These are special!”

“What’s different about them?”

“You can go up to a multiplier of seven, but you can only summon one of them at a time.”

“I don’t even have enough capacity for a triple multiplier… Wouldn’t that require 16,000 capacity?”

“It’s actually 16,800… I don’t have enough!”

It sounds like there’s a set number of servants available to summon at this size. I wonder what it would be like to fill our party with five of them at their biggest…but I don’t know what the requirements would be, so I’ll have to wait until I absorb a giant enemy.

“Here it comes!”

“It’s big!” shout the twins.

“I think that’s because individual servants are sized differently. I hear there’s a range.”

“They’re different even when they’re the same race!”

“Uwah ha ha ha! That’s my boy! Although it might just be my passive summoning buffs!”

“Ah, I see. It’s a Lich passive?”

“Wait, it used up so much MP at once! Is that because I can only summon one of them?”

We continue north, defeating any lizardines in our way. I use the opportunity to absorb them, of course. My Rotting Corpse is said to be removed once I reach level 30, so I add a zombie version of the lizardine Mr. Skelly summoned as subtank. This limits the mobility of our enemies, so our work becomes much easier.

Now that I’ve absorbed them, I see that summoning conditions for dragons and lesser dragons are actually different. Dragons may receive any multiplier up to nine, have two consumable slots, and are limited to one. Giant servants can receive a multiplier up to seven and are limited to one at a time as well. This includes lesser dragons. Large servants can receive a multiplier up to five and are limited to three at a time. Everything else can be summoned at a triple multiplier, as I’ve experienced up to this point, and the only limit is space in your own party.

I read in a book that dragons can be pureblood, mixed-blood, or a lesser dragon…but I probably shouldn’t take that book at face value. Maybe purebloods are dragons, and the rest are lesser dragons…or pure- and mixed-bloods are considered dragons, with lesser dragons the only ones to receive buffs. I doubt you can even prepare a sample of dragon blood in the first place, so separating them by genetics seems like a strange choice. I can’t just rely on Secret Art of Necromancy to make the distinction…but I can probably interpret the books as the classifications that people use in-world.

If I have enough capacity for it, I can now have a full party that includes a dragon, a giant servant, and three large ones. As for how much that would cost? Well…the base cost for a level 100 summon is 36,000. A dragon costs 10,000 capacity at a formula of (100×10)×10. Fully customizing a single dragon would bring that cost into the millions.

Well, that’s something to think about in the distant future, since I can’t summon one yet.

“By the way, Ms. Fairellen.”

“Yes?”

“When you combine attributes, how does the game decide which element is the weakness?”

“Hmm… I haven’t looked into it enough, but I think…it only calculates the added element.”

“So the weakness alone is prioritized?”

“Yeah. Also, status ailments give you the combined form of freezing and paralysis.”

I see… In other words, a water lizardine would be weak against earth or ground spells. Alternatively, we could combine elements and use magma, tree, or lightning spells. We’re going to fight against wyverns with a fire attribute soon, so we’ll want something with water, ice, storm, or maybe wood? Anything water-like should be trouble for fire types.

“But I hardly see any elemental enemies at all, so it’s impossible to research.”

“Even in the main game field…it’s just water and dark types, right?”

“Yep!”

It’s true that it’s unusual to run into elemental enemies. I can only think of the ocean in the south, the area with the abandoned temple, and the starting point for undead races.

“All right, everyone. I hear you really need to knock wyverns out of the sky before you can do anything.”

“The four of us can fly…but it’s probably going to be too much for the twins.”

“No air battles for us!” “No air battles for us!”

“Yeah, I figured.”

They’re not at our level yet, and ghost types don’t fly that fast either, so I doubt they’re suited for a dogfight.

“They will have fire Breath attacks this time, so try not to get burned, Ms. Clementia.”

“Uh-huh!”

“We need to take out their wings, right?”

“Yes. That will be tough, but I hear that once they’re on the ground, they won’t be as hard to kill as the lizardines.”

“A dragon who can’t fly isn’t so scary…”

“We might also get targeted by lizardines while we fight the wyverns, so please don’t forget to keep an eye on the ground too.”

“We’ll do just that!” chime the twins.

“That’s good.”

Wyverns will usually shoot fire spells from above. However, their most powerful attack is referred to as the “Wheeee!” move. That consists of the wyvern grabbing you and dropping you out of the sky. Gravity is their greatest weapon.

“Hyah ha! Time to hunt some flying lizards!” yells Mohawk.

“Hyah ha!” the twins parrot.

“This is bad. I’m gonna influence these kids. Should I tone it down? Or maybe I…”

Heh heh! Mr. Mohawk is battling with his own conscience…

“I’ll just pray they copy Princess instead. Yeah. Hyah ha ha ha!”

“Farewell, conscience…”

Where can we find a wyvern? Ah, there’s one. I heard their range of detection is small, but…no. Here it comes.

“Unit One, aim for the wings as much as possible while it’s flying.”

CLACK

We dodge the Fire Lance spells it shoots at us. It’s time for battle. Mr. Alf baits it with Appeal while everyone with long-range attacks aims for the wings.

“Aero Flack.”

“Aero Flack.”

“Ventus Lance.”

“Nox Magic Missile.”

“Gravitas… No, that’s probably not enough to bring it down.”

“It’s moving a bit unsteadily now, don’t you think? Maybe the effect’s different depending on how it flies? I think we can safely say that wyverns use magic to fly.”

“I see. You might be on to something.”

They’re unlike birds, who need to be as light as possible to fly. Dragons fly with nothing but magic while birds would fall out of the sky if their weight was to change. But right now…I can’t use Space Magic much due to the cost.

The three archers shoot glowing green arrows at the wyvern, which each explode close to its wings, delivering a solid amount of damage. Unit One occasionally shoots arrows in the wrong direction, but it’s his first time with this weapon, so that’s to be expected. I’m sure he’ll get better with it over time.

Ms. Fairellen, with her quick flight, is shooting spells at the wyvern’s wings from right behind it. “If your spells aren’t hitting, just get closer and closer until they do! Ha ha ha ha!”

“Take that!”

“It’s hard to get the drift right!”

Mr. Ame and Ms. Trine are fighting their hardest too…

“Frons Lance… Huh? It’s not quite working? Mare Magic Missile.”

Based on the attributes, Ms. Clementia should be using Tree Magic for maximum damage, but it doesn’t appear to be doing much. Magic Missile hits the wyvern for more damage than Frons Lance.

“Hmm… There’s gotta be more plant elements than just water and dirt. Maybe I’ll stick with water.”

Magic Missile usually doesn’t hit that hard, but there must be a reason it’s registering more damage than the powerful Lance spells. Ms. Clementia switches from Tree Magic to Water Magic while Ms. Fairellen goes with Storm Magic, and we use dark spells.

“Hyah ha ha ha! We’ve got nothing to do down here until you knock it out of the sky!”

“What spells do you use, Mohawk?” asks Sad Puppy.

“I sterilize filth!”

“So, fire? Anything else?”

“Wind! Wind doesn’t work on fire! It’s tough that way! Gyah ha ha ha!”

“Ah, that’s Scorching Magic…”

“Hee hee hee! Get down here already…”

“Hey! Don’t lick your dagger like that! It’s disgusting!”

“Oh look, it’s coming down! Hee hee hee, fresh meat!”

“This guy’s such an extreme roleplayer—he’s crazy, LOL.”

Mr. Mohawk and Mr. Sad Puppy seem like they’re enjoying themselves.

We surround the fallen wyvern so that it has nowhere to go. We’ll make sure to break its wings so thoroughly that it can never fly again. I’ve heard that when it can still fly but has no stamina, it will shoot Breath at you from the air, which is a real pain, but our party handled it without any trouble.

On the ground, the wyvern tries to swing its tail at us, but Mr. Alf blocks it with his shield.

“Be careful. It will use burst attacks if we corner it.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

Wyverns are even stronger than lizardines. That means they use more spells too. A red beam of light—Flame Ray—pierces both Mr. Alf and his shield, then disappears.

“Wow! So that’s a Ray!”

“Dark Heal.”

“Dark Heal.”

“Next is Mine, huh? I guess it uses more land spells now that it’s down on the ground.”

“We should probably use elemental spells. High Shield, Fire.”

“But to be blunt, Princess has the best magic defense of anyone.”

Wyverns have another unique feature. They attack people other than their main target with spells. I’m not sure if it’s random or not, but they seem to be attacking their second and third targets too. This happens when they have less than half their stamina left, so it comes at the same time as their Breath spells.

“Hey, it’s Breath time! Don’t stay in the rear, Sad Puppy!”

“Don’t call me out!”

Well, Mr. Sad Puppy does tend to run all over; he would make a likely target for the wyvern.

The wyvern’s attack patterns also change when it gets below half its stamina. Three of its six Flame Magic Missiles target Mr. Alf, while two head for Ms. Mead, and one goes to Ms. Fairellen.

“Whaaa?! No, I can’t take fire! Wait, maybe I can? The added element in combined attacks is what gets prioritized, but…it’s too risky to investigate. Mare Wall.”

Mr. Alf tries fruitlessly to dodge and fails. Ms. Mead shoots down the missiles with her bow, and Ms. Fairellen flies low enough to build a wall behind her to block it. I focus on healing Mr. Alf.

Ms. Mead’s bow seems to indicate that the enemy’s aggro does change targets. Right now, the people fighting are Ms. Mead, Ms. Fariellen, Ms. Clementia, and myself. At close range, Mr. Sad Puppy and Mr. Mohawk struggle with the volume of attacks. If they get too close, they’ll be hit with Fire Burst. And there’s little that Mr. Ame and Ms. Trine can do at their current level.

Mr. Skelly and Ms. Cupid seem to be adapting their plans. Probably because it’s too much work to have to avoid being attacked.

“Oops… Royal Anti-Magic.”

“I see you can deflect two hits…”

“With this timing, I can handle it in the time it takes to cast one art.”

My customization removes the Assist my skills give me, increases effect duration, and reduces cooldown time. Assist isn’t very helpful when deflecting attacks, and it’s pretty much useless against homing attacks. I have my equipment for added buffs, so this customization works well for me.

“Hmph, my Shield’s about to break.”

“Understood. High Shield, Fire.”

“Ah, here comes Breath.”

Mana pools in the enemy’s mouth. After a moment, flames shoot toward Mr. Alf.

“Dark Heal.”

“Dark Heal.”

“You would probably lose sixty percent of your health if the attributes weren’t correctly matched.”

“It’s still a dragon’s Breath, even if it’s rotten. Ha ha ha ha!”

“I know that, but it’s still hard to watch you engulfed in flames…”

“You can do it, tank!” cheer the twins.

“Ha ha! Leave it to me! Hmph!” Mr. Alf is looking very proud of himself.

He’s bringing down his bastard sword whenever there’s an opening. With a dull clang, it strikes the wyvern directly in the head and causes it to flinch. Mr. Sad Puppy, Mr. Mohawk, and Mr. Ame jump at this window of opportunity. Spells and arrows strike every free area on its body.

I deflect the wyvern’s retaliatory Lance attack.

“Whoa… Looks like it uses spells more rapidly than lizardines.”

“I guess it’s weak to physical attacks. Its stats must lean toward magic.”

“That seems likely.”

The wyvern made no more annoying attacks after that point. We managed to slay it successfully.

 

Superior Magic Assist has reached level 25.

The Superior Magic Assist art Quad Spell has been improved.

 

Looks like it’s turned into Penta Spell. The new feature allows me to activate five of the same spell at once. That’s one less than what the wyverns use. I assume I will be able to cast six spells at once when I hit level 30.

I learn that it costs the same to summon a wyvern as it does a lizardine. Mr. Skelly has just received a powerful helper in aerial battles. I look forward to seeing it perform excellent work.

For now, it’s time to continue hunting.

 

We head back when the sun is about to set.

“I think I’ll turn the meat we picked up into steaks.”

“Yay, steaks! Let’s hurry!”

“Gyah ha ha ha! Calm down, Sad Puppy. We’re still within lizardine range.”

On the way home, we defeat anything in our path and ignore everything else. I’d assumed I would just wrap up Day 3 with cooking, but it looks like I’m about to have other plans.

“Captain! Captain! Send orders to recall the union members!”

“What’s going on?”

“Enemies have descended on the center of the island! Check your quests!”

 

DESERTED ISLAND LIFE: DAY 3

Things are starting to come together. You might pull through just yet. However, some mysteries remain.

1. Isn’t there something strange about this forest?

2. Some people who enter the forest are reporting the occasional presence of something unknown.

3. There’s trouble at the base. Repel the plant monsters trying to cross the island from the east to the west.

 

Are you serious?

“Captain’s report to squad leaders. Please check your quests. Our base is in trouble. Return as fast as you can. We must exterminate the enemy to ensure a peaceful morning. Are you prepared, citizens? It’s our duty to get seven hours of sleep tonight.”

“Roger, Ultraviolet!”

“Wow, more people got that reference than I thought. I should have referenced Troubleshooter too… Well, let’s get back.”

“Let’s get goin’.”

We ignore the lizardines to head straight to the center of the island and find ourselves in a warzone.

“Oh, they’re here!”

“Sorry to make you wait.”

“The enemies are like carnivorous plants. Man-eating trees, sort of.”

“They turn things into minced meat… Are we sure they’re plants? That’s terrifying.”

“Well, we know they’re weak to fire. Water and earth probably won’t work.”

I meet up with Mr. Ertz’s production party to get intel. Rina and Tomo are already at the front lines.

“We’ll head there too.”

“Understood.”

“Hyah ha! Time to disinfect the filth!”

Ms. Mead’s party charges right to the front. We’ll follow them.

 

The dry, leafless trees sway in an unsettling way, attacking with whips. Their numbers aren’t large, but each one is sizably thick. Mr. Skelly has summoned a lizardine servant, so I’ll spec Unit One and Unit Two as owls with Blaze Magic. Once these trees are ablaze, the rest should be easy.

“Oh my. You’re finally here, Tasha.”

“How does it look, Eli?”

“Blunt attacks have a decent effect, so it’s not so bad.”

“I don’t have blunt weapons, so I’ll just focus on spells… See you later.”

“Until next time.”

Ms. Dory’s really going to town on those trees. Well, martial arts are a form of blunt attack, so I suppose it’s perfect… I see Abby a little behind her, focused on controlling her dolls.

It’s time for me to rack up some XP.

 

And now it’s over. The enemies appeared so suddenly that everyone flew into a panic, but they didn’t pose much of a threat in the end. The Light art overhead illuminates the world.

With nothing left to do, I think it’s time to start cooking. It’s steak for dinner tonight.

 

Chef has reached level 20. You have gained 1 skill point.

You have acquired Connoisseur through Chef.

 

CONNOISSEUR

A passive art that causes the quality of food ingredients to be raised by one grade. Stacks with Discern.

 

Wow… This is good stuff.

Ah, oh no! My steaks burned a little. Wyvern and lizardine meat are advanced stuff, so it’s pretty difficult to work with…

“Big Sis! I brought meat!”

“You’re done for the day?”

“Yep, all finished.”

“Were those enemies being controlled by anything?”

“They’re still investigating, but I don’t think so?”

“I see…”

I’ll have to eat the parts I burned…

Ms. Clementia shows up next, so I hand her a meal as she tells me what she knows.

“There weren’t parasites on them or anything like that!”

“Hmm… So they’re just normal plant monsters?”

“That’s what I think.”

“There must be some reason why they were going from east to west. As always, my Instinct was triggering in the direction of the west…”

“What could it be? I still want to go to the north because it’s so easy to level up there, but maybe we need to investigate the forest too.”

“Indeed… Let’s think about it tomorrow morning.”

Tomorrow will mark the halfway point for this event. I feel like something has to be on the verge of happening. I’ll think about it when I look over tomorrow’s quests.

“Primura! Ever heard of an atlatl?”

“No, what’s that?”

“It’s a tool for spear throwin’. How about you make me one?”

“Um, I’ll look it up!”

“Hee hee hee. Please do.”

Mr. Mohawk did say that he had Projectile. An atlatl…? I believe that’s some sort of pole that you can use to throw spears. It would be a useful thing to have, considering the wyvern battle we just finished.

Today’s harvest included Magical Seasoning Set 4, and the sixth set as a gift from someone else. Now I just need sets one, three, and five. I get the feeling that each variation only appears in certain areas.

“That’s right. Big Sis!”

“Yes?”

“I heard there’s a famous let’s-player in this game that people call ‘Her Highness.’”

“A different princess?”

“She’s supposedly pretty famous among second-wavers. But she’s not roleplaying as a princess either, so it’s just a nickname. It’s like…you’re ‘Princess,’ and she’s ‘Her Highness.’”

“Does the distinction matter that much? I guess you wouldn’t get it if you didn’t know the people being referred to. Someone might think it’s just different terms for the same person.”

“Since your race and position are royalty, Sis, you definitely should get the full title of ‘Princess.’ Well, I’m not sure if it really matters.”

“But it’s usually female players who get swarmed by men wanting to help them level up and give them gifts that are called ‘princesses’ in MMOs. Maybe they got the wrong idea and thought you were that kind of princess?”

“Ha ha ha ha! Our princess is a real brawler.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Do I look like the newbie PK party who didn’t do their research?”

I hand out food to those in Ms. Mead’s party who joined us today, and the rest goes to anyone else who wants it. I chat for a bit, exchanging information, and then head to bed.

I won’t think about tomorrow until it gets here. For now, good night.

Official BBS 5

 

[What would you bring] Good Ol’ Summertime Camping: Day 3 [To a deserted island?]

1. Management

This is a thread to discuss how to survive the second official event.

Please use it as a comprehensive thread for anything that relates to the event.

Day 1 here.

Day 2 here.

 

4210. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What a peaceful morning. It’s very moving.

4211. Shipwrecked Adventurer

And yet it means nothing.

4212. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Why would you saaay thaaat?!

4213. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Wait, you weren’t pretending?

4214. Shipwrecked Adventurer

No, I just got my hopes up a bit.

4215. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That’s good.

4216. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You two sure are friendly.

4217. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The first-wave inhumans are all evolving, huh?

4218. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yeah, for sure. Mr. Alf didn’t seem to have an evolution though.

4219. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What about Princess?

4220. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I heard she’s not there yet.

4221. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I see. Ms. Fairellen was different when I saw her.

4222. Shipwrecked Adventurer

She’s a lightning Eclesith apparently. I think it’s a combination of the words Eclair and Cat-sith.

4223. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I see. Speaking of fairies, I met a Knocker.

4224. Shipwrecked Adventurer

A Knocker…you mean those miner things?

4225. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They supposedly have the highest Mining skills of all.

4226. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Makes sense.

4227. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It was pretty cute too.

4228. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yeah? Those are the nice fairies that tell you the location of ore veins and fallen rocks, right?

4229. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They leave if you catch a glimpse of them… Maybe the devs took that to mean they’re shy, so they made them cuter?

4230. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Well, nothing’s more important than cuteness. Cute fairies with Mining sounds like a wild combination, though…

4231. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Maybe they just look cute to lure you in.

4232. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Actually, I saw a leannán sídhe too!

4233. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Uh…aren’t they vampires?

4234. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yeah, that’s them. They gift you with a talent for poetry and a beautiful singing voice but steal your life force in exchange, right?

4235. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They’re fairies that look like beautiful women. If you accept love from a leannán sídhe, they’ll give you poetry and songs, but you’ll die an early death.

4236. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What? I’m jealous. Who cares about an early death if they’ll love me and give me all those talents?

4237. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s also said they won’t even look at another human once they take a liking to a man.

4238. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So what attributes do these have?

4239. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They must have some kind of modifier, because you can increase Traveling Bard.

4240. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So they do affect songs and music.

4241. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The one I saw was a female player. I’m not sure what the guys would turn into.

4242. Shipwrecked Adventurer

There was a horse player who became a Centaurus.

4243. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Ah, that’s true. And a spider player who became an Arachne.

4244. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So humanoid creatures unlock at level 30?

4245. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Seems like it. Although I’m not sure “humanoid” is the right word for Centaurus and Arachne.

4246. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Also, Ms. Clementia became an Alraune.

4247. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Must be fun to be an inhuman race (as far as we can tell from the outside)!

4248. Shipwrecked Adventurer

But those brackets…

4249. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They have too many little rules…

4250. Shipwrecked Adventurer

All right, it’s been a peaceful three days so far. I think I’ll go searching for things to stumble upon while I grind levels.

4251. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The quests aren’t hiding the fact that they want us to investigate the island.

4252. Shipwrecked Adventurer

There’s still the eastern forest, but it’s too hard, right?

4253. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I know what you mean. Why’re there so many enemies?

4254. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Exactly. They spawn too fast. It’s impossible.

4255. Shipwrecked Adventurer

We learned that fact yesterday, so I’m gonna join a few other parties to investigate today.

4256. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Sure. Just don’t be reckless and hit your death cap.

4257. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I won’t. I’m gonna bring a first-wave party with me.

 

8634. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m back from the east. It’s impossible, lol.

8635. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Not even the top three parties can push through. Can’t help but laugh.

8636. Shipwrecked Adventurer

For real? Is it connected to some sort of event?

8637. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I think so. We probably need some kind of key.

8638. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Then I guess it’s the north or west for us.

8639. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Or maybe the ocean… Nah, probably not.

8640. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So few of us have access to it, so I sure hope that’s not the answer. The ocean’s huge too.

8641. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s a deserted island, so the whole place is surrounded by the ocean.

8642. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Based on the quests, I’m guessing forests are the key, so probably the west. The north is good for leveling up, but it doesn’t offer a whole lot else…

8643. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What about the top of the mountain?

8644. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The players who can fly had a look and said there was nothing there. If they really want us to search the place, we probably need all hands on deck. Not like we can search with those wyverns flying about.

8645. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn those wyverns…

 

11205. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Hm…? Enemy attack! Hurry up and come back, people in the central area!

11206. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Somebody, please tell their squad leader, or Princess!

11207. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Focus on defense until we get more people! Don’t you dare die! And don’t let them through either! That’s all, soldier!

11208. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’ll cry if my bed gets destroyed!

11209. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Orders from Ultraviolet are in.

11210. Shipwrecked Adventurer

This game has Ultraviolet?

11211. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>Are you dissatisfied, Citizen?

11212. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>11211 O-o-o-of course not!

11213. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The next 11210 will do better.

11214. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>11213 You make it sound like there’s clones of 11210.

11215. Shipwrecked Adventurer

>>11214 Lmao, did they really die instantly?

11216. Shipwrecked Adventurer

By the way, Princess’s color is purple.

11217. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Makes sense.

11218. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Are you guys still not here yet? We’re dying out here!

11219. Shipwrecked Adventurer

On my way now. Just hold out a little longer.

11220. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Takashi! You’re going the wrong way!

11221. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Haven’t seen Takashi in a while.

11222. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Takashi… How could you die before your parents?

11223. Shipwrecked Adventurer

He died?!

11224. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Don’t count me out just yet, Mom!

11225. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Takashi! You made it out safely!

11226. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Having a dead character come back is a tried-and-true story twist.

11227. Shipwrecked Adventurer

This.

11228. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They’re starting to make it back. I think we can do this.

11229. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Looks like blunt attacks and fire work on them. Don’t use water or earth spells.

11230. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Got it.

11231. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Princess is here, and so is Mr. Cecil now.

11232. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Wha! Mr. Skelly is controlling a lizardine zombie!

11233. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That’s a tank main, all right. Give ’em hell!

11234. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Woo-hoooo!

 

13520. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Phew… We managed to make it through.

13521. Honehone

They turned out to be big but really not so tough. Was it harder at first with fewer people on the field?

13522. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yeah, true. Their moves weren’t particularly annoying.

13523. Shipwrecked Adventurer

As long as we’re safe now, then it’s all fine. Time to eat! My hunger meter’s almost empty!

13524. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Same. I’m gonna eat, then go to bed.

Chapter 8:
Good Ol’ Summertime Camping—Day 4

 

DESERTED ISLAND LIFE: DAY 4

Something isn’t right about this island. What could it be?

1. Track down the source of this strange presence.

 

Well, that’s simple for sure…

So our suspicions have been confirmed, but we don’t know what this strange presence is yet… The quest offers no hints either. What are we supposed to investigate, and where?

Maybe I’m approaching this the wrong way. What haven’t we investigated yet? Anyway…hmm. I’ll suggest a plan to everyone once they’re awake.

 

We have breakfast accompanied by my sister’s eastern forest tea at Ms. Primura’s round table. In attendance are my sister, Eli, Abby, and myself, while Ms. Letty and Ms. Dory make the tea.

“I brought this back with me since I stumbled upon it, but I wish its quality were a little higher.”

“Is that Assam tea? I want milk with mine!”

“Yes, I need to think of a blend that will suit my own tea.”

“There’s not enough time during this event…”

“This one is Darjeeling.”

“It’s nothing like the kind you would usually drink.”

“It comes from someplace different, so there’s no changing that. The taste likely depends on what region’s Darjeeling tea they recreated.”

“I’m not particularly motivated to cultivate it…”

“Couldn’t you pay a resident to cultivate it?”

“That’s it!”

“That may be one option. If the game allows it, that is.”

“I do wonder if we can exchange our points for tea leaves at the end of the event? Oh, it looks like we can.”

It’s a luxury item, and I don’t have many points. I’ll only exchange for some if I end up with extra points. I also want to consider the blend. In any case, I’m sure Eli and Abby will go for tea.

“Is it just me, or is it a different vibe…no, a whole different world over there?”

“They want to buy not just the field but the owner too…”

“They must mean business when it comes to black tea…”

Despite things having generally calmed down now that it’s the fourth day, Mr. Steiner’s farming party spends each day harvesting crops, which are then processed and shipped off to those with Cooking.

“Wait up! Here’s a delivery, fresh from the farm and harvested using our sanity!”

“That’s an interesting way of putting it…”

I prepare the vegetables with meat from yesterday’s offerings and distribute the meals. This is the time of day that people start to wake up. I look around and see that most players are eating breakfast. This is a great opportunity to propose my plan.

“I have an idea. Could you come over and hear me out? I don’t mind if it’s just union members.”

“What’s up?”

“Did you read today’s quest?”

“Of course!”

“I was thinking…since we have no information to go off of, I suggest we start to share our map data.”

“I see… Let me compile everything. If there are places none of us here have been to, they probably haven’t been checked…”

“From what I’ve seen, the majority of us are first-wavers, so I believe it’s important to determine if a place is actually inaccessible or simply somewhere we haven’t been.”

“That’s true. Well, the most suspicious-looking place is the eastern forest… Once we get a certain distance in, there are too many enemies to keep going. I’ll bet there’s something there!”

“Yep, yep.”

“Then let’s share our maps. Squad leaders, please go to the union menu and send them to me. I’ll consolidate them and send them back to the squad leaders.”

“Yes, Princess!”

Rina volunteers as a representative, so as I continue to incorporate the event map data that comes my way, I start to make out the uncharted locations.

Once the data stops coming in, I look at the map again…and indeed, the answer has become clear.

“Look at this… I’ll send it to all of you now.”

“We haven’t even seen half of the east yet!”

“Let’s see… If you’re a squad leader who has been to the east, can you please raise your hands?”

“Right here!”

“What do you think, Mr. Cecil?”

“I don’t think we should head there yet, given who’s here.”

“I hope there’s stuff outside the east that we can find.”

“The fact that Instinct activates in the west is what I’m curious about…”

“Oh yeah, I was getting Danger Sense in the east.”

“Me too.”

So it’s Instinct in the west and Danger Sense in the east? There’s definitely something going on in the east…but I feel like we’ve missed some sort of key to the event, so we probably can’t clear the eastern side yet.

If we leave the east for later, our only option right now is to go to the west where Instinct activates. The north ended up being a bust, containing only strong enemies and the delicious XP they offer. We probably need to ignore those enticing rewards and survey the west, despite its lack of grinding potential…

“Actually, Princess, there’s something that’s been bugging me.”

Mr. Studylover, a member of the testing team, begins to speak.

“This island has unique AI, right?”

“That’s true. I feel like enemies act differently here.”

“So when you look at it as an island, doesn’t it seem really weird?”

“What do you mean by ‘look at it as an island’?”

“Maybe this will make sense. There’s an ecosystem…a food chain. A network of predator and prey.”

It’s true that this island has a food chain. I’ve seen raptors eating a boar and lizardines eating raptors.

“Don’t you think it’s weird? I’ve hardly ever seen it before.”

“Huh…”

It might be strange for a game, but it’s not unprecedented. Some games do have systems like these, even if it’s only for the main enemies of the game.

But wait…is that even true? Let’s forget how the system is supposed to work, since that’s not what he means… Let’s see, the list of enemies who have appeared…

“Oh, did you figure it out, Princess?”

“The east is the only area with a strange ecosystem?”

“Yep, yep. Don’t you think?”

“Ah? Ah! That’s true!”

“I’ve spent the past few days exploring as I checked the forums. I was about to bring this up anyway, so the timing is perfect. Can you distribute this to everyone, Princess?”

Surprisingly, what Mr. Studylover sends me is a diagram of a food chain. Leaving out things like microbes and the like, he’s summarized everything considered to be prey.

In the western forest, rabbits are eaten by spiders, rats and spiders are eaten by owls, and boars are eaten by bears. Rabbits are herbivores, rats are herbivores and scavengers, and boars are herbivores too.

In the north, raptors eat boars and spiders and are in turn eaten by tortoises and lizardines, and wyverns eat owls and bears. Lizardines and tortoises are omnivores, so they also eat seaweed.

This is how the food chain functions in the north and west. In the east, however, we’ve only found plant enemies. Mr. Studylover also notes that northern enemies like raptors, wyverns, and lizardines don’t approach the east. Western forest enemies also don’t leave the western forest.

Which, as an aside, means that second-wavers should leave the western forest if they end up targeted. They could also run to the east, but the enemies in that forest are tough too, so it doesn’t make a huge difference. Perhaps it’s a better option than dealing with the flying wyverns?

The north has no food and is full of enemies that are carnivores, so I understand why it’s bad to go near them…but does that mean they won’t chase you if you flee to the east?

“Looking at this tells me that wyverns and lizardines are the apex predators of the ecosystem here.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve got so far.”

“As for why they won’t follow you to the east…don’t tell me… Seedsters?”

“I’m ready to spend every day burning the forest down.”

“I understand exactly how you feel.”

“Explain!”

The eastern forest must be something most terrible indeed.

“Just think about it for a second! It’s not that hard!”

“I don’t wanna!”

“Aah! But of course. Perhaps setting fire to the eastern forest truly is the best solution, my liege. Hm? Is whatever’s activating Danger Sense in that area something super scary?”

“Super scary” is right. Maybe we’re supposed to get the Seedsters on our side?

I understand why creatures in the western forest refuse to leave that area. Most of them would end up as prey, so it would be a great risk.

The problem is why the apex predators—wyverns and lizardines—are skipping out on meals by avoiding the eastern woods. Lizardines are willing to eat plants too, even if they only usually eat seaweed.

The eastern forest was home to Seedsters, who are crazy creatures in their own right, controlled by parasites. But what if wyverns and lizardines understood that fact? They might not be able to speak, but that doesn’t mean they’re not intelligent…

“I see.”

“Maybe we should assume that they won’t approach the east because they don’t want to become controlled too? No one wants a parasite ruling them, after all.”

“Hee hee hee! Right, those Seedsters were out of their minds!”

“They looked totally dead inside.”

“But the mystery of Instinct in the west remains.”

“That’s true. We haven’t figured that out yet. The eastern forest will probably be our final battle. The worst-case scenario would be going in without enough information and losing our lives, so I want to investigate why Instinct is activating. Shall we ask those with Spot Hidden and Listen for help?”

“This isn’t that kind of game!”

“Can we not add a horror element while we’re at it?”

“Well, I’m sure it’ll be all right, since the people who went to the east are still alive…”

“Body Check!”

“Do I have anything weird on me?!”

Everyone’s having a good time. But I hope they inspect themselves thoroughly. Otherwise we might suddenly find ourselves doing PvP.

“Hey… Is it just me, or does the sky in the south look a little alarming?”

“Huh?”

“Hang on! Look at the quests!”

 

DESERTED ISLAND LIFE: DAY 4

Something isn’t right about this island. What could it be?

1. Track down the source of this strange presence.

2. The southern sky looks strange. Maybe a storm is approaching.

 

“So that’s what they’re doing? I didn’t expect this…”

“How’re we supposed to fight nature?”

“Let me tell everyone on the BBS… Those on the coast and near the rivers will need to flee…”

“How big is the storm? That really changes how we should prepare for it.”

“You think a special event storm is really gonna be a piddling drizzle?”

“Yeah, definitely not. This sucks.”

“So since there’s no shelter here…we’ll have no choice but to flee to the western forest, right…?”

Everyone rushes to dismantle the base. However, the Construction party will be forced to leave their stable-like shelters up…

All I need to do is return my bed and the rest of my things to my inventory. The others pack up their tents too.

“I’m seeing a ton of lightning, and look at all this rain, LOL.”

“The wind and noise are already super intense, LOL.”

“We have to play Revolution!” the twins call out.

“I won’t tell you not to do that, since this is a game, but be sure not to do it in real life,” I say.

“Okaaay!” they respond in unison.

“Is she their Mom?”

“Maybe their big sister?”

“Or a kindergarten teacher?”

Please just refer to me as a big sister.

“Sis! Let’s use this time to build a lightning rod!”

“I see. That’s a good idea, Rina. The rod will divert the lightning for us.”

“Yeah, the lightning loves to eat those things.”

“Wow! Amazing!” say the twins.

“Pfft!”

Mr. Ame, Ms. Trine. Please don’t look at her with such sparkling eyes. Even Rina doesn’t know where to look. I’m glad everyone found it funny, but this won’t do. She’s just spouting pseudoscience. Eli and the others didn’t even pick up on it.

“Don’t joke about that, Rina. We don’t want the children to learn the wrong things.”

“R-right. I didn’t think they would take it so seriously…”

“It’s time to learn something, you two.”

I explain that lightning doesn’t actually want to eat the lightning rod, as well as how it actually functions.

“The ground won’t blow up?” they ask.

“I’ve heard that you need sheet copper and other things in the ground too, but I’m not exactly sure how it works. There’s more than one kind of lightning rod, in fact.”

“I see!” the twins respond.

“I see!”

“Hey, which of you morons just learned that for the first time?!”

“Explaining a joke is like a trial from hell! Well, it’s better than having the kids get their science wrong.”

I didn’t want to do this either, but I had no other choice.

“No more Revolution!”

“But you two are ghosts right now. I would think you take much less lightning damage, if you even take any at all.”

“Oh… True!”

In fact, does the rain and wind affect them either? Oh well. That’s enough lightning rod talk for now.

Honestly, when it comes to this storm, there’s really nothing much we can do. Everyone has to fend for themselves.

“What do you say, Mr. Alf? Care to hold up your bastard sword in a heroic pose?”

“You want me to be the lightning rod?!”

“Since Alf’s all armor, so he’s perfect for it! Although I’m not sure if that will actually work.”

“Yeah, I don’t know what the armor’s made of. I’m undead, so I’m probably going to be fine…but I worry about my sword’s durability.”

“Indeed, I could see it cracking. Ms. Fairellen might be a better choice than you, Mr. Alf.”

“Now that I think of it, lightning’s the problem, huh?”

“Hey, isn’t the storm getting here really quickly?!”

“Is that bad? It means it’ll leave quickly too.”

“I guess so?”

It does look like it’s approaching fast. It will be here before lunch at this rate… Wait. We’re running out of time.

Let’s see… How do you protect yourself from a thunderstorm in an empty field?

 

Lightning strikes higher elevations…that’s what they say.

Being inside a house doesn’t mean you’re safe…but we have no houses anyway.

It’s dangerous in the woods…so we can’t go there.

Get inside a car…which we don’t have.

Be wary of oceans and mountains…I thought so.

 

When there’s nowhere else to flee, you’re supposed to get down, hug your knees, plug your ears to protect your eardrums from thunder, and keep still…that’s about it? It says that you shouldn’t sprawl out on the ground, as some people have died from the creeping discharge from nearby lightning strikes.

I think our best option right now is to go to the edge of the forest and sit under the protection of a tree. I’m sure an umbrella is useless at this point, but maybe with Ensol, I could…

“Wait, isn’t this dress made with metal?”

“Welcome to the club.”

“I guess that just leaves me?”

Don’t happily hold your arms out to welcome me, Mr. Alf. I’m not dying with you. Wait for me in the Nether, please.

“Will it even have an effect on those of us without blood flow or a beating heart?”

“Who knows? I’m sure we’ll take some damage, but I doubt we’ll die.”

“No fair, Sis!”

“Wanna reincarnate as a zombie?”

“Ew, no!”

“You make your big sister sad.”

“Wouldn’t it be funny if I ran near all the people taking shelter with my sword held up?” Mr. Alf jokes.

“D-dooon’t!”

Getting struck by lightning while hitting everyone else with the electrical discharge? Talk about a nuisance. I can just picture him cackling as he does it. Mr. Alf should expect a dose of Light Magic to the noggin if he even tries that.

I make my way toward the western side of the island. The wind is really picking up now.

 

It grows stronger as I relocate, and I’m sure the rain will soon follow.

“Oh…? Does anyone else hear something else in between the sounds of thunder?”

“Ah, I thought so too.”

“Isn’t it just some other nature sound?”

It’s like a voice…or maybe a roar… There’s definitely something mixed with the rumble of thunder. I have no idea what it might be.

The group continues west, and I use Ensol to protect myself from the wind and rain. The other female players are struggling to keep their skirts in place, but mine isn’t causing me any trouble at all. I haven’t had any use for Ensol in a while, but I sure am glad to have it now.

“It looks like the BBS is saying that enemies are in hiding right now.”

“Yeah, I sure don’t see any.”

“This must mean that the storm is today’s main event.”

“I sure as hell hope this doesn’t take up the whole day!”

“We’ll probably have to clean up after the storm too.”

“Ah, I get it. That could definitely kill a day.”

“So we should expect a storm violent enough for that?”

“Farewell, stables.”

“They got those built pretty fast, though.”

Well, I’m not going to worry about that, since we don’t know how much damage there will be until we see it for ourselves. Perhaps we can use spells to hollow out the ground here to take shelter from natural disasters? That would explain why they added mechanics to clean up buildings and terrain. All you have to do is activate automatic regeneration. If you don’t turn the setting on, it stays like that forever…meaning the players need to do their own repair work.

I do feel like the developers are using this as some sort of test…but physics calculation bugs are always funny, so I don’t particularly mind. Although, everything is getting blown away…

 

It’s much darker outside now. I notice a drizzle of rain, and almost immediately it turns into a downpour. It’s like standing in a waterfall. We’re also getting hit sideways by intense gusts of wind. I discuss with Mr. Skelly, and we decide to recall our servants. They just won’t be able to do anything out here.

“Gyaaah!”

“A-are…are…are these people idiots?!”

“You’ve gone too far, Management!”

“Damn it, you’ll get blown away if you don’t grab hold of something!”

“I can’t breathe when I turn around!”

“It showed up all at once!”

Everyone seems to be struggling. Thankfully, Ensol does its job perfectly. I can see people getting pelted by the rain in the shadows. The wind has become a bit stronger too, but there’s no problem so long as it doesn’t mess up my hair. Since my equipment apparently belongs to Stellura, Space Magic must be doing something to that effect.

“Hyah ha ha ha! It’s rainin’, it’s pourin’!”

“Rainin’! Pourin’!”

“Rainin’! Pourin’!”

I’ll pretend I didn’t see Mr. Mohawk playing in the rain with Mr. Ame and Ms. Trine.

“The thunder’s so loud!”

“The rain’s loud too!”

“Even the wind’s loud!”

“It’s all so loud!”

Hmph… It looks like wind and rain penetrate through Ensol at its current level. My hair is getting all wet and tousled. I just hope it doesn’t get any worse.

“That’s right. Can’t we do something with Material Barrier?!”

“Good call!”

That’s a physical barrier you can build in front of yourself, right? I believe it’s an art from Magic Catalyst. …Hang on, that won’t work, will it?

“Wait, don’t do that, idiot!”

“AAAARGH!”

“I told you!”

I thought as much. The problem is the wind, not the rain. As soon as the intensity increased, it blew him away immediately. I’m sure that player lost all his MP too. Wait, will he die when he hits the ground? Oh, he’s nearly dead, but he did survive. Well, as long as he’s alive, I suppose.

“Ah…”

“Eeeek…”

Just when I thought he’d gotten lucky, lightning struck him the moment he stood up and sent him straight to the afterlife. It doesn’t look like he’s dropped his equipment and stuff, so it must be his first death. There was no escaping that.

Everyone turns their backs against the wind and crouches. It’s quite the surreal sight, even if we’re truly putting our lives on the line.

“Our base is probably already destroyed, huh?”

“The stables are definitely gone, at least.”

“The fields are probably paddies now. Hey, Steiner! Great paddies out there! What’re you gonna make with them?”

“Don’t even say that… The old man will cry…”

“I won’t, but I doubt even paddies will survive at this rate.”

“Ah… True…”

As I watch the lightning, my back continues to be struck by strong winds and rain. I can’t help but feel that it’s cowardly to make a natural disaster the greatest enemy in a survival mission.

“Oh, Princess, it’s a quest.”

“Was it updated?”

 

DESERTED ISLAND LIFE: DAY 4

Something isn’t right about this island. What could it be?

1. Track down the source of this strange presence.

2. The southern sky looks strange. Maybe a storm is approaching.

3. A storm dragon approaches! Survive the storm!

 

“A storm dragon… Well, that explains the storm.”

“I’d guess so.”

“I can’t believe this is all the fault of a dragon.”

“I’ll bet it’s the kind of thing where the dragon’s at the very center… That’s why the storm got here quickly…”

“I see. That makes sense.”

“I’m sure no one will mind if we kill it, right?”

“Yeah, and let’s kill it fast too.”

“I don’t have enough MP for this. Lucky dragon!”

“But I can’t even see it in the first place…”

I’m sure the storm will get even worse with the arrival of the dragon. We won’t be able to hang on if the wind gets any more intense. The thinner tree branches are already starting to snap.

Ah, the thunder and lightning are becoming more frequent now…

Since the source of all of this is a dragon, I’m not sure we can call it “natural,” but it’s certainly a disaster. I keep my scabbard out as an umbrella and dig my rapier into the ground. I can safely grip it as hard as I need, since it won’t break.

Even Mr. Mohawk has stopped goofing around, but I suppose it would be stranger if he didn’t. A storm of this level is no time for playing. Although the twins are still enjoying themselves all the same. Those ghost bodies must be nice…

All we can do is wait for the storm to pass. Even in a game, we’re powerless in the face of nature’s might…

 

It’s almost lunchtime. However, this is the last place we could sit down to have a meal. This island is in a horrific state—blasted by winds, muddied with rain, and struck with lightning. I don’t remember a river being here before!

“Look, everyone! There’s a river! We can have grilled fish for lunch!”

“That’s not a river, even though it looks like one now!” replies Mr. Skelly.

“It’s all right. I’m sure the fish wouldn’t have tasted very good, being all muddy like that…”

“You’re not struggling at all, are you?!”

“Ha ha ha ha! I was just kidding. Could you please stop that, Mr. Skelly?”

“But I’m so liiight!!”

“Please enjoy the skies by yourself.”

“Don’t be so cold!”

“Why grab hold of me in the first place? Mr. Alf is heavier.”

“You’re having the least trouble of anyone!”

“That’s true, but I’m not strong enough to support two people!”

“Grrrrr! Ah! Waaaaaah!”

Mr. Skelly had been grabbing onto my arms, but he quickly started rolling backward.

“Hmph! I refuse to give up!!”

“Hey! Don’t slither up to me, please. You need to properly rest in peace.”

“Why?!”

“This is like watching something straight out of a horror movie.”

He’s a muddy stack of bones crawling toward me in the middle of a great thunderstorm. I need to record this. I ought to submit it to a summer horror contest.

“Why’re you filming me?!”

“I’ll show you later. It’s a lot scarier looking than expected.”

“Aaaargh… Unforgivable… I’ll never forgive youuu…”

“You’re getting into it too!”

“But I’m actually struggling down here!”

“That’s what makes it so much like a horror movie. Anyone who sees this scene will imagine a completely different story.”

“Foolish humans… I’ll make you regret this day… Hyah hyah hyah hyah!”

“It doesn’t sound like you’re struggling that much.”

“I can talk, but that’s it!”

He squirms next to me, then further on to where Mr. Alf is holding on. They safely managed to link up, so I’ll stop recording for now.

It looks like lightning affects races slightly differently. Humans lose half of their current HP with every strike, but the twins, Mr. Ame and Ms. Trine, only lose about a tenth of their HP when they get hit. Us undead have it pretty easy. We did see people die early on, which means the lightning won’t just reduce you down to 1 HP.

The wind also seems to be changing directions—that must be due to the dragon in the center of the storm moving. It seems to be hitting the precise center of the island. I just hope it will leave soon…wait, why is it coming down here?

 

ÉCLAIR TEMPESTA DRAGON LV 62

Attribute: ?

Weakness: ?

Resistance: ?

Genus: Dragon

Species: Wind dragon

Status: Normal

 

That doesn’t tell us anything. Maybe my base level is too low, or perhaps it’s my intelligence stat…

Well, there’s definitely a big size difference here, but it’s still a flying dragon like a wyvern, right? Its body is all white and slim, with wings attached to its front legs. That’s a true dragon, all right! It looks pretty cool, actually. However, the lightning strikes take things a step too far.

“Hey, please stop that. It’s too much lightning!”

“Gyaaah! Zzzt!”

Lightning rains down from the descended dragon like a typhoon…

I cast Force to Convert on Mr. Alf and use him as a shield. When the others see that, they also create some distance away from Mr. Alf and crouch low to the ground.

“He’s an honest-to-God lightning rod.”

“Thanks for the help!”

“Y-yeah… I don’t mind…”

As for the most important individual in the area, the storm dragon…it looks like it’s enjoying a meal. It’s busy catching and eating wyverns and lizardines. So that’s why it came here?

The wyverns try to flee, but the storm dragon is faster, while lizardines physically cannot stand up to it. It looks like their attributes are weak against the dragon too, as it devours them with no trouble at all. The dragon doesn’t even spare a glance for anything else, like us, or the turtles. I would guess that means it can’t eat us…

 

It’s a total disaster up north, according to those who are there. BBS posters state that the rivers are flooded, and they can’t go near them. The coastline is apparently too rough to approach as well. In the north, the storm dragon is turning the place into a warzone. Good luck to you. Please survive.

The forest is safer in comparison, but lightning striking the trees still damages nearby players.

“There’s nowhere to go…”

“Makes sense, since this is a deserted island.”

“Time to level up Holy Magic!”

“Gimme MP potions! I’m gonna run out of MP!”

I’m sure all the other players are finding themselves in similar states…

It sounds like the safest place is the great tree in the west? They say that something is protecting it from lightning, and the wind and rain are also not as strong. But we can’t reach it because the river is now flooded. We missed our window of opportunity.

“We probably would’ve figured it out if we attacked the great tree!”

“But that’s too stupid to try!”

“Management sucks for making a big tree the safe spot during a thunderstorm!”

“This is a fantasy world! Don’t try to apply common sense!”

“I won’t complain! This is fun in its own way!”

“It’s not so bad, since we can use it to level up our defensive skills, huh? Magic Resistance is climbing the ranks.”

“Oh, I would like to level that up too…”

“There’s the problem of HP and MP drain, so why don’t we take turns doing it?”

“Let’s give that a try.”

Once my meters are restored, I trade places with Mr. Alf to become the next lightning rod. This is my first real chance to level up Magic Resistance. I’ll also use Instinct and Danger Sense while I’m at it to see if I can deflect any lightning.

Ms. Fairellen and Ms. Clementia seem to be having a relatively easy time. The only problem must be that Ms. Clementia’s automatic restoration function isn’t working with the sun hidden away behind clouds.

This state of things must be really rough on salamander players… Inhuman races can be so diverse, so this storm could be a minor inconvenience or major peril depending. Undead seem to have it pretty good in that regard. Even though we usually burn in the sun, leveling up Automatic HP Regen makes that easy to ignore.

If I have to pick a downside to being undead, it would be the physical appearance. We look downright awful. Ms. Meghan said that only high undead have a human appearance, so it’s probably a long journey to reach that point for most.

“I see… It’s not so hard to deflect lightning once you get the hang of it.”

“Sis is totally turning into a Jedi…”

“The hard part is deflecting them, so they go straight back up. Shall I deflect some over to the side too?”

“Nooo!”

“I thought so.”

That would of course result in the people around me being hit.

Mr. Alf and I switch places a few times until the storm dragon finally starts to fly away. The winds die down as a result, and the sky clears into an almost unbelievable blue.

 

Your Race Level has increased.

 

“I appear to have leveled up, but it was a real nuisance getting here this time… Now, time for Laundry.”

“We cleared the ‘Survive!’ quest, so it seems like we gained XP from that.”

“Anyway, shall we go check on the state of our base?”

The route back is a total mess. I only hope we make it in time, but…I doubt we will. For now, what’s important is checking up on it.

 

Ah…what a lovely swamp. Now what shall we do with a place like this? There are neither stables nor fields to be seen. All that remains are the faint traces that tell us we’re in the place where our base once stood.

“Oh…shit! Or so I want to say, but it’s hard to be shocked when it looks exactly how you expected.”

“Our fields!!”

“Hey, Steiner! Nice swamps! How about you grow some lotus root?”

“Take THIS!”

“Ooof…”

“You’re an idiot…”

It’s an out-of-character joke for Mr. Skelly. But how terrible to receive a punch like that, even if it was deserved.

We’ll probably spend the rest of the day repairing our base…although I would like to survey the island too. What should I do?

“Mr. Skelly, would you mind getting on a wyvern and taking a look at the state of the island?”

“Ah, that’s a good idea. I doubt horses can get around like this. I’m going up!”

I read in books that the Dinait Empire has some kind of wyvern knight squadron, so I figure they should be safe to ride.

“I feel like there will be fewer enemies spawning in the north now.”

“Yeah, they all got eaten…”

“Maybe they want us to focus on making progress in the event instead of grinding?”

“So that we can make it there without hesitation?”

“Exactly. I guess I am grateful that they would do that…”

“We don’t need to worry about training if we start in the south, go to the west, then the north, and then head back to the center through the east. Let’s do that.”

I’ll leave the survey to Mr. Skelly. He can also search for a place to relocate our base to. For now, what do we do about our current base? We’ll have to use Heating instead of Burn, I assume. If that successfully eliminates the moisture, we can continue to use this location… And Explosion will also scatter the things on the terrain and turn the ground lumpy. Yeah, Heating has to be the way to go. I’ll give it a try.

“Heating.”

“Do you think that’s gonna work, Sis?”

“It uses a fair amount of MP, but I wouldn’t say…it’s going to fail completely.”

“I want to relocate, to be honest, but I guess we don’t have a good spot for it.”

“I asked Mr. Skelly to scout for a place, but I’m sure the storm had the same effect everywhere…”

“Yeah, agreed…”

I receive word from Mr. Skelly after a while.

“The area around the great tree in the west looks usable, but the rivers are still flooded.”

“We can’t relocate if the paths are blocked… I’m sure all the traveling is draining your resources, so I think all we can do at this point is clean up the central area.”

“I think it took the least damage, in one way or another. I’m gonna go scout the north!”

Our plans depend on the north now. But I’ll continue to use Heating to dry the ground. There’s not a whole lot of time left to finish this task. I prepared lunch this morning, so our priorities now should be to rebuild the fields and secure some beds.

“We can’t get to the west because of the river, and the east isn’t a viable option. The north is probably a bust too, since the storm dragon was mostly up there. I’m sure it’s not all destroyed…but none of these areas are on the table anymore.”

“Mr. Steiner, please prioritize restoring the fields. I’ll help you as much as I’m able to. For everyone else who’s all right with plain meat for dinner, please secure space for sleeping.”

“Yeah!”

“Muscleheads who can’t use spells, please flatten the areas of ground that have dried.”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s begin after lunch. Races who don’t need to eat should get to working now.”

My first task is to secure a place for my own bed.

 

The players begin to work once they finish their lunches. They quietly make progress on their respective tasks, with the occasional break to drink MP potions and rest.

Mr. Skelly returns from his patrol and gathers the first-wavers for his report.

“I’m back!”

“How did it look?”

“The island’s not entirely destroyed, but it’s barely hanging on. I don’t think we’ll be able to work anywhere else either. The north had landslides and fallen rocks that would make it impossible to walk around.”

“So it’s no good for hunting, but it might be a better place to mine now?”

“Ah, that’s a good idea. We can leave the hunting to the top smaller parties, probably.”

“It was so good for grinding, but it’s probably a waste to try there now. Making progress in the actual event will likely give us lots more XP.”

“I like the sound of cleaning up this area for our base. The wind and rain really messed up the terrain.”

“It looks as if the rest of the day will be spent restoring the base. I highly doubt we can survey the west before the river retreats, so we’ll have to get back to business tomorrow… Anyway, let’s return to work.”

“Right!”

Management sure are demons, wrecking the island even more than on the first day. But since this happened on the fourth day, perhaps we should take this to mean that we can start on the east tomorrow and still have enough time. Wait, doesn’t that mean that the next four days are going to be the main event…?

I guess I don’t hate that I’m leveling up Superior Magic Assist here…but this skill automatically levels up anyway. What’s great is the levels I’m getting for things like Super MP Regen by using this much MP.

For now, my entire afternoon looks like it’s going to be spent purely on restoration work.

Official BBS 6

 

[What would you bring] Good Ol’ Summertime Camping: Day 4 [To a deserted island?]

1. Management

This is a thread to discuss how to survive the second official event.

Please use it as a comprehensive thread for anything that relates to the event.

Day 1 here.

Day 2 here.

Day 3 here.

 

3521. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The Princess’s group is having a tea party. She’s an actual princess.

3522. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Now that you mention it, I heard there’s tea leaves in the east.

3523. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They say the leaves are already processed when you harvest them.

3524. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Sounds like a real video game.

3525. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yeah. Because it’s a video game.

3526. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Okay, while we’re watching the tea party, we need to think about what to do next.

3527. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Is spectating the tea party necessary? Really?

3528. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Do you need a reason to stare at pretty girls having a tea party?

3529. Shipwrecked Adventurer

No, you don’t.

3530. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Princess said there’s assists now, right? The little sister is the same as always, and she’s so soothing to watch. They’re getting more excessive…

3531. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Are the other two maids or something? They don’t look like amateurs.

3532. Shipwrecked Adventurer

No, you’re not supposed to think about that. This is an event. Plan what we’re going to do today.

3533. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Huh? Aren’t the pretty girls more important?

3534. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They’re both important! So stare at them and think about the event at the same time!

3535. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s not a choice I’m making. Cuteness is so powerful, it always steals all my other thoughts away.

3536. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You can do it. Resist!

3537. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I can’t!

3538. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Loser!

 

5312. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Hmm… We really can’t go east at all…

5313. Shipwrecked Adventurer

There has to be some kind of key, right?

5314. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Agreed.

5315. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So we’ve gotta go west?

5316. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Of course the testing team is researching the islands’ ecosystems. They’re freaks!

5317. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Were they seriously working on that? So predictable, lmao.

5318. Studylover

Would it really hurt to appreciate us a little more?

5319. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You’re all freaks!

5320. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You’re doing good work, freak.

5321. Studylover

You’re welcome!

5322. Shipwrecked Adventurer

He just takes it.

5323. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Heart of steel.

 

7563. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Is it just me, or do the southern skies look scary?

7564. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yeah, it’s like a storm…

7565. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Knock on wood.

7566. Shipwrecked Adventurer

No, look at the quests. It’s coming.

7567. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Gimme a damn break!!

7568. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn it all!!

7569. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Wait, jokes aside, what are we actually supposed to do?

7570. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Giving us a natural disaster when we’re trying to survive? Unfair?

7571. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yeah, that’s management for you. It’s the work of demons.

7572. Management

Please forward your complaints to those in charge of the event and the person on top, Mr. Yamamoto.

7573. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yamamotoooooo!

7574. Shipwrecked Adventure

Yamamotooo!

7575. Higher-up

Ha ha! Enjoy yourselves. This is something too dangerous to ever experience in real life, right?

7576. Shipwrecked Adventurer

He actually showed up, lmao.

7577. Shipwrecked Adventurer

He’s fast, I’ll give him that.

5778. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Anyway, we need to come up with defenses, and fast.

5779. Shipwrecked Adventurer

If you’re by the shore, hurry up and take shelter! Or you’re guaranteed to die.

5780. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yeah, and I bet the mountains are gonna be terrible too.

5781. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Gotta put those tents away.

5782. Shipwrecked Adventurer

But the problem is where to take shelter…

5783. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Nature has to take its course!

5784. Shipwrecked Adventurer

True! There’s nothing to shelter with anyway!

 

13682. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lmao, Management are such demons.

13683. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I can’t see what’s in front of me…

13684. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The wind is crazy, the rain is crazy, and the thunder is crazy too.

13685. Shipwrecked Adventurer

So everything’s crazy, basically.

13686. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The sound design is pretty good… It all sounds like the real deal.

13687. Shipwrecked Adventurer

This is dangerous!

13688. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Hang on, you take an insane amount of damage from lightning strikes.

13689. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It stole half my HP!!

13690. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Don’t worry, the next one will only steal half of that.

13691. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lightning doesn’t strike twice!

13692. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It must be a special mechanic that decides it.

13693. Shipwrecked Adventurer

But it’s different depending on your character’s race.

13694. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn these little details!

13695. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Medic! Medic! I’m hit!

13696. Shipwrecked Adventurer

“I’m hit!” I loled.

13697. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Reporting it yourself like that. You must be with Black Squadron.

13698. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Should we dig underground?!

13699. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s no use! It fills up with water right away!

13700. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn this rain!

13701. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What about the forest?!

13702. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It doesn’t help! It barely keeps out the wind and rain at all!

13703. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Go to the outskirts of the forest! To the outskirts!

13704. Shipwrecked Adventurer

What good will that do?!

13705. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Stand about four meters away from the trees and crouch! That’s what the players in the center are doing!

13706. Shipwrecked Adventurer

How far is four meters?!

13707. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Four meters is four meters!

13708. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I can’t measure that with my eyes! How many steps?!

13709. Shipwrecked Adventurer

How should I know?! Just make your best guess!

13710. Shipwrecked Adventurer

And risk my life on a guess?!

13711. Shipwrecked Adventurer

This whole game’s just about luck! How do you think some people are getting struck by lightning?!

13712. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn it!!

13713. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m gonna go see what’s happening at the river!

13714. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Don’t feel like you need to answer this, but: Are you an idiot?!

13715. Steiner

Please check on what the fields in the center look like.

13716. Passing Adventurer

He sounds pretty serious.

 

15721. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m almost out of MP potions!

15722. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Getting hit when you’re in the red kills you! Save your restoration for when you’re in the orange!

15723. Shipwrecked Adventurer

For real? Understood!

15724. Shipwrecked Adventurer

If you’ve got undead nearby, use ’em as shields! They can heal people around them with Dark Heal!

15725. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’d be great if we had any of the Eclesith thunder fairies, but we’ve got a lot more undead! The next best thing is plant players, but there’s no one other than Ms. Clementia to ask!

15726. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Use Earth Wall or Vent Wal! You can keep out anything that comes in from the side! Anything from above, you’ll just have to grin and bear it!

15727. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lmao, Management are such demons.

15728. Shipwrecked Adventurer

The river’s flooding! Don’t go near it!

15729. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Obviously!

15730. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lol, the ocean and waves are going nuts.

15731. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I can picture it easily.

15732. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lightning keeps hitting the ocean and sending up pillars of water.

 

16392. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s a dragon!

16393. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Everything’s getting worse! Gimme a break!

16394. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Is this your fault, you damn dragon?!

16395. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Yahoooo!

16396. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s biting!

16397. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Level 62? No way we can kill it…

16398. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Medic!

16399. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Shut your mouth and heal yourself!

16400. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Abandoning your post, are you?!

16401. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I’m out of MP!

16402. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Hey! Use this!

16403. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Hyah ha ha ha! New medicine! This will help me pull through!

16404. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Something’s wrong with this guy.

16405. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Why didn’t you do anything before now?!

16406. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Wh-what else could I do?! I had to be sure we all survived together!

16407. Shipwrecked Adventurer

And that makes it okay to overmedicate?! Are you even human?!

16408. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Then you do something about it!

16409. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Ah, no thank you. Wishing you the best!

16410. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Love a good backtrack.

16411. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I don’t have Holy Magic!

16412. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Then there’s nothing that can be done.

16413. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Bring me more medicine! You’ve got more, don’t you, damn it?! Holy Magic gives an excellent amount of XP.

16414. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Why’d you suddenly calm down in the middle of your post?

16415. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s amazing that Mr. Mohawk can stay in character.

16416. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It’s something you only appreciate once you try it. Graaah!

16417. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Looks like he got hit with lightning…

16418. Shipwrecked Adventurer

He’s got the least luck of any of us. Graaah!

16419. Shipwrecked Adventurer

You too? Ah, that was close! Phew, I’m one of the lucky o—graaah!

16420. Shipwrecked Adventurer

This is a total mess…

 

18231. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Sorry to bother you during your lunch! But how about ending this storm already?

18232. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn this lizard! Aaargh!

18233. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Shouldn’t have called it a lizard! Oof…

18234. Shipwrecked Adventurer

It doesn’t matter anymore.

18235. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Can we talk about how the princess is parrying the lightning?

18236. Shipwrecked Adventurer

She’s actually inhuman.

18237. Shipwrecked Adventurer

But I think she sees the routes with Danger Sense!

18238. Shipwrecked Adventurer

She’s too fast!

18239. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I can’t even stand up in all this wind and rain!

18240. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I can’t see anything!

18241. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Can we talk about how high her rate of success is?!

18242. Shipwrecked Adventurer

That’s our Princess.

18243. Shipwrecked Adventurer

GOAT

18244. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Medic!

18245. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Here, drink this!

18246 Shipwrecked Adventurer

I received a potion.

18247. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Hurry up and finish eating already!

 

21091. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Talk about a problematic meal for everyone…

21092. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Peace has returned to the island…

21093. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Okay, now on to repairing the island…

21094. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Damn it!

 

21210. Shipwrecked Adventurer

[Tragic news] The fields have become a swamp.

[Tragic news] The temporary housing stables are destroyed.

21211. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Lmao, maximum damage.

21212. Shipwrecked Adventurer

First things first, we need to make fields and places to sleep! Aside from the central area, is everything else standing?

21213. Shipwrecked Adventurer

They are, somehow. Although, to be blunt, the terrain has changed…

21214. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Transforming terrain? It’s freaky how dynamic this game is…

21215. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I don’t think we’ll be able to use the river for a while. Definitely not today.

21216. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Good luck with gathering up food and beds…

21217. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I wonder if there’s fish?

21218. Shipwrecked Adventurer

I bet we’ll find some fruit that’s fallen out of trees…

21219. Shipwrecked Adventurer

Management are genuine demons.

Bonus Story:
A Day in the Life of the Young Ladies

 

OH, IT LOOKS LIKE Eli and Abby are over there. Are they having a tea party in the town square? They really stick out in a crowd.

“Good day.”

“Oh, Tasha, funny seeing you here. Want some tea?”

“Good day, Tasha!”

“Sure, I may as well join you now that I’m here.”

They were sitting opposite each other at a round table, so by joining them, I turn the layout of seats into a triangle.

“Are these herbs from Brayerich?”

“That’s right. We were just saying that we want to unlock the east and west.”

“That would be Nearence and Chrichston, right? Chrichston in the west has black tea, and the east has ingredients for tea, yes?”

“Both are necessary to enjoy a tea party to the fullest.”

It’s important that food and drink be delicious. If they’re not, it spoils the entire mood of the gathering. Well, aside from the issue of personal preferences, I’ve never actually been served something so unpalatable it spoils my mood.

“Did you ever try field rations, Tasha?”

“I haven’t, no. My race doesn’t come with a hunger meter, and I took Cooking early on in the game.”

“Ah, that’s right… Well, they were dreadful.”

Dreadful, huh? Well, I do remember seeing the post telling people to think of them like Calorie Mates. Although, I’m certain that was the point of the items.

“Cooking sells for excellent money in this game. Especially jerky. What is it that makes jerky so constantly expensive?”

“It’s all about the nature of gamers. They want to be able to eat while they hunt or travel. But not even they like the field rations, or so I’ve heard. It’s not like medicine where you can simply gulp it down as quickly as possible.”

“Meals are meant to be eaten at a table at one’s own pace!”

“That’s true. I never go to places where you have to stand to eat, much less food carts.”

“I’ve never been to those either…nor do I think I will in the future…”

Jerky is a complicated thing… You usually only need to eat two or three pieces to reduce your hunger, but two pieces cost the same as a cheap meal. However, those who particularly love jerky can earn lots of money through hunting, so the cost isn’t a problem for them. It takes a bit of time to make jerky, but each batch produces a large amount, and each piece brings in a nice bit of money. Although, now that buffed cooking exists, selling jerky doesn’t earn that much anymore, relatively. But that’s because buffed cooking goes for sky-high prices due to its long-lasting effects. Jerky buffs are pretty insignificant, but they’re better than nothing.

Field rations taste bad and offer the player no buffs, so the income they generate with sales is their only benefit. They don’t even restore very much hunger, meaning you have to eat several of them. It’s probably a way for Cooking skills to come in handy, even if it’s a sorry use for them.

“There’s no information about silk yet, right?”

“Not yet, no.”

“Do you know if this world even has silkworms?”

“They haven’t been found in the wild, at least.”

It’s hard to imagine that silk doesn’t exist in this world as a material for clothing. But if it does exist, then royalty and nobles most likely use it for their dresses and garments. On the other hand, the fact that it’s only used by elites means that the town grannies don’t know anything about it.

“Since nobles exist in this world, there must be some kind of silk, even if it’s not the exact same variety.”

“Actually, they do have spider silk around…”

“Would those be from the natural spiders in this world?”

“Since they’re probably the monster version of spiders, I imagine you’ll have to put your life on the line to harvest their thread…”

“But every single outfit requires tons of thread!”

“Are spiders not cannibals? Spider husbandry certainly wouldn’t be realistic.”

“Adventurers would have to be the ones to harvest thread. The harder something is to obtain, the more it’s worth as a status symbol.”

“I suppose that’s true. Tell me, are there any spider players out there?”

“Yes, I’m sure they could earn a pretty penny if they could produce thread and sell it. If that is a possibility…it probably depends on their race skills.”

Ignoring resources like meat and hides, races who can produce materials like thread and mucus must be capable of starting nice side businesses. I’ve heard how horse players sometimes get quests to help out traders. Ms. Fairellen also mentioned how the fairy nectar she can harvest goes for a whole lot of money when she sells it.

“I don’t actually know any spider players, myself…”

“How unfortunate!”

“If it’s not a big topic of discussion on the needleworking forums, we should probably assume that it’s impossible…”

There would be a big fuss on the forums if a new material was discovered—especially something like silk, which is synonymous with high quality.

“Ah, if you make use of a monster servant… No, it’s probably still difficult to harvest enough materials worth selling. Spider monsters will try to eat people, so it must be hard to gather drops from them.”

“I suppose it’s out of our hands.”

“That’s the true charm of video games!”

“That’s true as well.”

Oh, look at the time. We’ve been chatting for a while now. It’s Eli and Abby’s bedtime, so the three of us all log out. I think I too will head to bed for the night.

Afterword

 

GOOD DAY! I’m Akisuzu Nenohi. Thank you very much for purchasing Volume 4 of this book.

I can’t believe this is the fourth book already. This one has a swimsuit arc for the main character and the camping event for everyone. This time…the event didn’t end within just one book. It actually came to a total of 140,000 characters, believe it or not. As a rule, most books are about 120,000 characters. If I were able to include everything, with the swimsuit episodes included, the total would be just under 170,000 characters. Personally, I was hoping to wrap this all up in one book, but that’s not possible when I’m already 50,000 characters over the limit. It’s not something that I can just do a bit of rewriting to correct either. I had no choice but to tearfully split the arc into two books.

 

Now, let’s talk about Volume 4.

In this book…or in every book in the series, rather, I introduce a few new characters. It’s a series about an online game, after all, so I always end up adding new characters no matter how hard I try to resist.

To be perfectly honest, I usually think up character names on the spot or use a name generator for them. It’s quite a sloppy process. As a rule, the names don’t really have deep meaning to them. Alfred, for example, just came from a generator. Sad Puppy was just called Sad Puppy at first, then given the name of Vincent after the fact. I pretty much always want names to sound cool…which is why I left it up to the generator.

I went with a rare pattern in naming the twins. Just as I wrote in the character introductions, their names come from ametrine, which is literally called “purple-yellow crystal” in Japanese. It’s a combination of amethyst and citrine. Considering things like gem language, I thought it seemed perfect for the twins, so that’s what I went with.

Mead is a handsome, reliable young woman who looks exactly like what you would expect of an elf. She speaks politely, a little like the heroine, but she’s modeled more after a soldier or a huntress. She may be like an elf older sister, but she’s not the cute kind of big sister.

Mohawk is likely the most intense character of Volume 4. Yes, I have no doubt about that. But there’s no denying he’s a good person too. By the way, the main character looks at him and simply thinks “That’s an intense character.” The Princess is very open-minded…

 

Mr. Skelly, Fairellen, and Clementia all evolved in this book. The heroine has been a bit more focused on production, so her levels come at a slower pace compared to them.

Mr. Skelly has branched off into a special race now. Fairellen evolved into a special race with the highest-level magic attribute and became a storm race. Clementia evolved into something very common for a plant race, even if it visually doesn’t look very common.

 

As for little jokes and behind-the-scenes stories… I think that’s all I’ll say. I don’t want to include any spoilers for the next book.

The next volume will contain the rest of the event and the main character’s evolution…or so I hope.

 

Let’s meet again in Volume 5!

 

April, 2020

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