CH 117

Chapter 117 – Official Event Announcement

Mumu… it’s getting pretty tight. Maybe it’s time for some new underwear. I’ll ask Abby later, but first let’s get ready for school.

“Onee-chan, I’m going with those two today.”

“Mhm, okay.”

The two she’s talking about are Yanase-san and Matsutake-san. I’ll go with Ellie and Abbie.

I see my sister off, relax for a little longer, then leave the house too. Ellie and Abbie come by car, so I just need to wait until then. Once they arrive I can just get in and chat with them on the way to school.

It’s nice and easy!

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.”

“Good morning!”

Of course I also exchange greetings with the driver, and Letty-san and Dorie-san, who are there too, then sit down beside Abbie, with Ellie on her other side.

“By the way, Abbie, I’d like some new underwear.”

“You want some with a different design?”

“It has gotten too small this time.”

“…Are you still growing?”

“I think it’s about time for me to change too.”

It seems like Ellie also needs to go up in size. Abbie’s face is hard to describe, but that’s just how she is. She switches quickly.

She lifts Ellie’s left breast and my right while in a good mood.

“Fufufu…I have a melon in each hand.”

“Hey, don’t be so vulgar, okay?”

“Well, it’s Abbie.”

“…That’s true.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Well, I’ll show you.”

“”‘Morning.””

Time passed quickly as we chatted and I exchanged greetings with my classmates as we arrived at scool.

Now then, it’s time for class.

“Oh, we finally got some information on the next event.”

Tomohiro says, looking at the connect board while we’re gathered in the cafeteria for lunch.

It sounds like there is information on the official event this month. Let’s take a look.

Notice of the 5th official event.

『 Find it! I left this year’s presents in the treasury! 』

The impregnable treasury of Sloktansar Castle holds a vast amount of presents.

Work together to conquer the fortress and get lots of presents!

…In other words, it’s a large-scale castle siege event!

In order to have various people play an active role this time, we’ll start by having you create a base.

Combatants will attack the castle, the crafting team will build a base and don’t forget you’ll need to eat.

For the gathering group, there will be gathering points both inside and outside the castle.

The event will begin at 13:00 on the third Saturday of November.

Time will be accelerated for the event.

We will prepare several identical servers and distribute players among them, so please do not forget to form your party beforehand on the day of the event.

Aside from a supplies common to each server, it will not be possible to bring items in with you.

See below for details on the items that can be brought in.

※ When moving to the event server, you will select from the items in your inventory.

“Sloktansar Castle… That’s Santa Claus, isn’t it!”

Suguru seems convinced it fits, but it sounds like all he’s done is mangle the word to fit.

But a castle siege, is it. It’s going to be quite a large scale if we’re starting from building a base, isn’t it?

“If it’s a base for sieging a castle…would it be a tent?”

“Won’t we need siege weapons? ‘Do your best to make them!’ is what they mean!?”

Tomohiro and my sister are being loud, but what they said seems like it might be right?

“When it comes to siege weapons…would it be battering rams and trebuchets? Oh, and ballistae?”

“There are races that can fly independently, so won’t it be fundamentally different?”

“There are mages too!”

Certainly.

A giant or golem simply throwing rocks seems like it would be quite powerful.

If we could make the depth charges used in the defense of Inbamunt and throw them with a catapult…well, I think even just dropping them from above would put on enough pressure.

“It should be standard for a castle to have a barrier.”

“Physical and magical teleportation interference!”

As Yanase-san and Matsutake-san, that seems to be a classic setting. Barriers to prevent the castle from being blown up by a long-range attack or assassination attempts by people teleporting into the castle. It’s a must.

“We can’t really decide on anything at the moment.”

“In the end, all we can do is raise our levels and skills!”

Well, that’s true.

The items you can take along are basically the equipment you are wearing. Aside from that, production kits and 10 each of HP and MP potions.

“At any rate, I can bring the best potions I can use and my normal equipment, right?”

“Right. Apparently they’re selectable when moving to the server, so you don’t want to be short of the 10 you can take on the day.”

“Probably best to set some aside for the event before it’s too late…”

“It’s going to be tough on the day of the event, or even the night before, so I think that would be more reliable.”

It looks like our class rep, Ruri-san, is completely into it too.

Should I update my accessories before the event? I can take the gems I mined in my garden to Nephrite-san’s shop.

I expect I’ll level up during the event, so afterwards could be fine too, but I feel like I’ve neglected them for too long. My main equipment is ‘Go’ rank, and is strengthened on its own, so I tend to forget about the accessories.

“Hm? The year-end event… 『 Human vs Inhuman 』…is it..?

“Eh, what’s that?”

Partial info on the 6th official event, to be held at the end of the year.

『 Human vs Inhuman 』

We are planning a festive PvP event with the races classified as human (human, beastman, elf, dwarf, giant, machinery) vs. the other races.

Entries can be made on this page or in-game after the 5th official event.

It is expected that it will change significantly based on the number of participants, but this is the content of the event at this time.

There are extreme differences in the population of Inhuman races, with some races having low numbers and others having very high. As such, we will allocate players after reviewing the numbers that have entered.

Our current hope is to divide the human race players into multiple raids or unions for a boss rush against the waiting Inhuman players.

The event management team predicts there will be human vs angel, human vs devil, human vs fairy and human vs mixed.

If we were to go ahead with the Inhuman races maintaining their clear weaknesses it would end quickly, so there are plans to increase the stats of Inhumans and grant event-exclusive skills. Please make good use of them.

The management will inform the Inhuman players a few days before the event about the players they will fight together with, the stats and limited skills they will be given, what kind of field they will play in and the intended direction of the performance. Please refrain from revealing any information to anyone other than the players concerned.

We will, to some extent, listen to the requests of the involved players in regards to production of the setting. We will welcome the participation of roleplayers, but please understand that it may not be possible to incorporate them depending on the scale of the production.

Basically, AI will decide who to grant event related skills to based on managements vision of the event. Please contact the management if you believe there is a discrepancy.

As there are a large number of people playing as human races, it will be impossible to coordinate with them ahead of time, so please enjoy the day of the event.

※ This event is scheduled to take place at 13:00 on ○○.

The deadline for entries is △△.

This event is a festival. No rewards are planned. We hope you enjoy the event without worrying about winning or losing.

We look forward to your entries.

“Uwooh! I’ll definitely do it!”

“”A boss rush against Inhuman players..””

“Tasha is the only Inhuman here!”

“”I know she’s the last boss anyway.””

“Honestly, I feel the same way.”

A boss character surrounded by other Immortals? It’s natural from the standpoint of the character. I guess I would be the ruling class, with my leadership abilities.

I’d have no choice but to laugh if it’s my main body against everyone else.

We can enter after the 5th event, so let’s look forward to it.

While thinking about the next event after the afternoon classes…I arrive back home.

And after a little rest, time to log in!

After the usual exchange with Elianora, I mine the large ore vein behind the house and practice the kata for «Kokon Musou». That’s my daily routine. Sometimes I’ll do some crafting too, but not today.

Now then…I wonder what gemstone-based accessories are available at level 55. I could search the housing warehouse, but I think checking the verification team’s wiki would be faster.

Right now I have 3 celestite and 3 hematite, with 2 each of those for dexterity, intellect and spirit. This ring is…oh, it was a boss drop that increases dexterity. That was quite a good ring, wasn’t it. But it’s time to change it.

I have 7 fixed slots, which is half of them, so I need to update the remaining 7. If I take into consideration the light and dark enhancements, the gems I need are selenite and morion.

I also need to decide on the stats, but spirit and intelligence are essential, so maybe just those. No, I think 1 agility for parrying with 3 each in spirit and intelligence is fine. Or even 3 spirit and 2 each in intelligence and agility.

Strength, dexterity and vitality don’t need to be strengthened, so I can prioritise intelligence, spirit and agility. Those directly relate to my firepower, sustained combat and survivability.

However, Nephrite-san is not online yet…so what should I do.

Right, I should go to the library once in a while. There might be something that has unlocked after fulfilling conditions.

Then I’ll go visit the Celaeno Library. Since I’m going there, I should bring a pen and paper for notes, just in case.

It’s a direct transfer with the key!

…There’s something conical there. Well, it’s just the Celaeno Library Management Organism. I greet it and proceed on. Hopefully there’s something here.

Basically, only a few of the books have data and the rest are just for decoration, with their contents blank. It’s most realistic to search for the ones with data with a skill, but there’s also the option of searching around at random. …Though I know that sounds insane.

Broadly speaking, there are books that describe the world setting and skill-related books. Picture books are for both the world setting and for training the «Linguistics» skills.

By the way, the background music here really makes me feel uneasy…

The Nether, the Abyss and the Medium all have similar background music. Well, it’s the afterworld, the realm of Stellura-sama. They all have music that has a gothic, dark fantasy vibe.

The town in the Nether is a little brighter and the castle has slow tempo piano music. The Abyss is a bit fast-paced, more like a battle song. The Medium’s is with a flute and rather magical, while the castle is solemn. But this Celaeno Library…frequently goes off-tempo. It’s very unsettling.

Come to think of it, there was no background music in Stellura-sama’s place. There were only various sound effects from here and there… Is it because of the space-time?

Ah, I found a book that reacts!

Now, let’s see what’s inside.

<Started deciphering ‘Origin and Alchemy’ with the language skill «Ancient Divine Linguistics» >

…What?

It has alchemy in the title, so it’s probably about alchemy, but I wonder what it is.

I’ll just have to wait until the decryption completes…

<Housing items have been added because certain conditions have been met. >

<You have obtained the grimoire: Alchemy Handbook. Please see the help section for more information. >

Hou…sing…?

Even though I just upgraded it recently. I have a bad feeling about this.

Don’t be crafting facilities, don’t be crafting facilities, don’t be crafting facilities.

[Furniture] Alchemy Kiln　Rarity: Ep　Quality: C　Price: 6 million.

The crystallisation of wisdom accumulated since ancient times, for the use of alchemy.

Because it is a large-scale facility and very expensive, it has replaced the alchemy formation.

However, it is possible to perform superior transmutation compared to the previous transmuation circle.

[Furniture] Large Alchemy Kiln　Rarity: Ep　Quality: C　Price: 8 million

A very large alchemy kiln, with multiple connection ports.

It can handle different techniques with different materials at the same time, but requires familiarity, knowledge and skill.

The probability of impurities entering is low, so the resulting product quality can be extremely high.

[Furniture] Small Alchemy Kiln　Rarity: Ep　Quality: C　Price: 4 million

A relatively small alchemy kiln that can be connected to other equipment using pipes.

It is designed to be connected to other equipment, so it cannot be used alone.

[Furniture] Alchemy Kiln Pipe　Rarity: Ep　Quality: C　Price: 50,000

Used to connect a large alchemy kiln and a small alchemy kiln, or a small alchemy kiln and a small alchemy kiln.

When connecting kilns, you don’t need to worry about the distance and can set how the pipes are laid.

Can be removed repeatedly, but has a durability value and will need to be repaired or replaced.

Aaaand it was no good!

I suppose an alchemy kiln was all but promised. The alchemy kiln has been a true example of “It won’t happen!” and “It will happen!” at the same time. It has been the alchemy formation until now, after all…

But this price. Are they insane? I’d really have to scrape together money to buy it.

To be fair, the alchemy formation is just a cloth with the magic circle drawn on it. In comparison, the kiln is probably made of metal, so I understand that it would be more expensive, but…it’s way too expensive.

What I’m most curious about is the large and small kiln’s and the piping for them. How could I not be interested in that.

Even the basic kiln costs 6m, but this is actually 12m, isn’t it? The 50k for the pipe is nothing in comparison.

And there was also the alchemy handbook grimoire. That isn’t a piece of equipment or anything, just a recipe book. It’s integrated as part of the UI.

There was already a function to display recipes, but there are more tabs now. Alongside the existing tabs for various alchemy formations there are now three large tabs for ‘Alchemy Formation’, ‘Alchemy Kiln’ and ‘Multi-stage Alchemy Kiln’. Those are then further dividied into smaller tabs.

So you can do everything in one alchemy kiln. It’s a wonder kiln that can do [Synthesis], [Decomposition], and even [Humidification and Drying].

Up until now, I would prepare the medicinal herbs and distilled water and use [Synthesis] to make beginner-level potions. For the higher quality potions I would need to use [Change State] on the herbs, then [Synthesis] to mix them with the distilled water.

However, with the increase in scale, there is a lot more I could do. It uses the same herbs and water. If you use [Extraction Selection] with a small kiln containing herbs you can select a medicinal effect, which is then transferred along the pipes to a large kiln. If you use [Extraction Selection] with a small kiln containing water, it will also be transferred along the pipes to the large kiln. The medicinal effect and water are then combined in the large kiln with [Synthesis] to produce higher quality potions.

Looking at the crafting recipes I already have, it seems like I can do the first stage of the process in one small kiln, then forward to a second small kiln.

Rather than starting with [Extraction Selection] it might still be better to first liquefy the herbs with [Change State] and then use [Extraction Selection]. Or maybe go further and change them to a gaseous state, like with the distilled water?

…Still, for just creating the higher quality of those basic potions, I would need to spend 8m on a large kiln, another 8m for two small ones and 100k for pipes! 16.1 million. That’s ridiculous.

I’ll switch my daily crafting routine for a while, from raising skills to making money. It should become easier to raise my skill levels after buying this new equipment. The sale price will also go up along with the quality.

But I wonder what I should do with the current alchemy equipment. To be honest, I have enough rooms, so it is possible to prepare both a room for the formation and one for the kilns.

I think I will end up using the kiln most though, in which case I would prefer to move the formations and have the kilns nearby. The closer it is, the easier it is to use.

Well, this is something I can think about once I have the funds.

Now I’m done with that, I’ll copy the contents of this book to paper….oh?

<Grimoires and other books written in certain languages may not work properly due to translation or may not be available in languages other than which they are written. This may cause adverse reactions, depending on the content. >

<Please select a language you are proficient with to copy the contents of the book in. >

…I see, it’s nice to see that it automatically transcribes it.

I wonder if the verification team have any information. On their wiki it is..hmm… language skills, or maybe the library. Let’s check the library wiki.

Yep, as I would expect of the verification team. They’re doing a good job. So you can try, but if you don’t have the appropriate language skill, or you’ve not fully mastered it, the transcript can end up full of errors or skipped content.

It doesn’t look like they have had the chance to test it with a grimoire, so maybe I’m the only one with «Ancient Divine Linguistics» at the moment? Errors and skipped content are probably common phenomena though. I can make a rough guess what kind of thing would happen if you tried it with a grimoire, even without needing to try it. That said, I can’t test it anyway, because I already mastered the language.

This is a technical book on alchemy kilns, so I should be able to write it out in the common language and bring it over to Master. It might even generate a chronicle…no, it should be the same as the improved formations becoming widespread. They were released in a complete state, so it will probably be the same.

After saying goodbye to the Celaeno Library Management Organism I take my newly transcribed book and leave.

And assault Master’s shop.

“Master~.”

“You, is it.”

“I’ve come to deliver this.”

“…Oh? This is interesting. Do you want to spread the word?”

“That’s right. But I wonder how many people will use it.”

“Probably not many. It’s hard to afford all this.”

The alchemy kilns are indeed expensive, being that they’re made of metal, and above all, the quality that the Resident shops will handle is limited to the standard C…

The main reason is probably that it’s a game. If you can buy high quality goods normally, you don’t need crafters. Therefore, the high quality goods made by the residents are delivered to the knighthood and so on, so they are not available in the shops.

Apparently Salute-san sometimes has Resident adventurers visiting her shop to buy things. Ertz-san’s smithy and Primula-san’s workshop also get Residents coming in as customers.

My house is a bit too special to be that kind of shop. I would need a holiday home in this world. Not that I have any plans to get one.

“Well, I’ll spread the word. Wait a bit.”

“Yes, please.”

It should be added as a housing option for other players soon enough, with this.

Judging from the flavour text of the kiln and Master’s reaction, it would probably be quite difficult to unlock the kilns through proper channels. But that doesn’t matter, because I just did it!

Now then, I’ll go and do some crafting to make money until Nephrite-san arrives. I’ll send a message. She’ll see it after logging in.

I’m all done here, so I leave Master’s shop and return to my home.

Various potions, including resurrections, jerky and buff foods…I guess. I have a lot of rivals when it comes to cooking and potions, but I’m ahead of the pack when it comes to resurrection potions. The S class requirements for it are too strict. They disappear the moment I make them available.

Then there are intermediate materials made with alchemy. Those sell quite well too. Well, I think they are being bought mostly by the same people. There are only a limited number of people who want high quality intermediate materials.

The ores and gems I mine out back are turned into elemental metals and sent over to Ertz-san. The nectar from the bees goes on the consignment shop, leaving a little for my own use. Herbs from the garden are turned into potions, with anything above a certain stock going on consignment.

Even if I don’t use all that much, it’s good to keep a stock between 50 and 100….no? Well, I often forget to put them up for sale or something, and the amount gradually increases to the nearest whole number.

Anyway, if I’m looking to make money, resurrection potions and jerky are best.

But cooking and alchemy are done in different rooms, so I can’t work on them at the same time. Calculating the hourly wage is a hassle, so let’s go with revival medicine, which is in demand. Making just jerky is a bit boring, but while I’m doing alchemy I can make the intermediate materials too.

I’m playing the song for the afterworld festival that the Chancellor mentioned alternately in original and karaoke mode, so maybe I should learn «Song»? Singing while crafting to make money is not a bad idea. If I take the skill, the skill level will just go up on its own.

I wonder what stats are increased by «Song».

‘Your stamina, breathing gauge, volume, and voice quality will improve. And a slight increase in dexterity?’

Don’t…need it…

It’s not a complete waste if it increases dexterity, but it seems to be such a tiny increase that the verification team went as far as to write it that way.

As for stamina and the breathing gauge, I’m a race that is already dead…

But in terms of RP, an improvement to voice wouldn’t hurt. It’s important for royalty to speak well. I do have a surplus of skill points at the moment, so I could spend some for the sake of RP. Speaking of which, there should be a dance skill separate from footwork. I’ll get that one too.

Umm….«Song» and «Dance». There.

There are three similar skills: «Dance», «Butō» and «Buyō», with «Dance» being the skill for various types of dances. «Buyō» is a skill that integrates «Footwork» and «Centre of Gravity Control». The skill I already had was «Dazzling Butō», which is the tertiary stage of «Butō», which in turn came from «Footwork», «Centre of Gravity Control» and my race.

«Butō» and «Buyō» are almost the same, but «Dance» is a different skill. The first two are categorised as strengthening and auxiliary skills, while «Dance» falls under ‘other’. They are all similar enough that it is quite confusing.

At any rate, I have taken both at 3 points each, so back to crafting.

Fumu…I’ve made quite a lot.

«Song» seem to go up quite easily. Sing along while crafting and it goes up on its own.

So, its key arts…

«Song»

[Expanded Voice] [Guideline] [Speaker]

The distance your voice can reach increases with your skill level.

A gauge is displayed for voice pitch (vertical), duration (horizontal) and strength (density).

Karaoke mode can be made audible to others.

Looking at the «Song» skill’s arts, it appears to be specialised for one-person karaoke.

It is possible to take the «Dirge» route, which is a derivative of «Song» with magical effects, making it effective in combat, but the pure «Song» route is simply a hobby skill.

I can’t learn «Wind Magic», which is needed for the derivation, so it’s the hobby route for me…But this looks more interesting than I expected, so I’ll show it to Ellie and Abbie next time. They skipped it before, but will probably end up taking it if I show them.

It seems like the secondary skill, «Singing», allows you to exchange recorded data, so you could share that and use it for singing duets and the like.

In other words, it is very good as a hobby skill. As for dancing, well, I’ll give that a try when I feel like it.

Putting that aside, I ended up with an item that I made on the spur of the moment, because I had all the materials, but I feel rather uneasy after appraising it.

[Poison] Monster Lure　Rarity: No　Quality: C

A potion made from the secretions of Mesmer Gusano, which attracts monsters.

Production, sale, transport, and use must be reported to the Merchant Union.

Subject to the International Magical Potion Control Law.

Inflicts abnormal status (throwing): Monster attraction Lv 3.

Mesmer Gusano was the caterpillar found in the forest dungeon. They have quite a dangerous ecology, seeing as they would allow themselves to be swallowed, then parasitise from the inside.

Only the secretion is a particularly troublesome drop to acquire, so you could say it’s relatively easy to make.

Well, as you can see, the problem is the International Magical Potion Control Law.

According to the verification team’s wiki, are they something like hazardous material handlers? That would be a qualification that would allow you to work at a laboratory or petrol station.

The International Magical Potion Control Law seems to regulate magic potions that induce abnormal states and those that can wreak havoc if not handled properly.

As for my own secretions, the 『Catastrophic Life』, the control law doesn’t apply. That’s probably because it is not circulating in the first place. In other words, it’s legal!

…I think I’ll go and ask Master to take this potion for me. I made it because I had the materials, but I don’t have any use for it.

It might be possible to increase hunting efficiency by applying it to your equipment and attracting monsters, but…it would be a bit useless unless you could fine-tune how effective it is.

Well, there’s a reason why it’s subject to the control law. Let’s go see Master.

…And it’s raining! Oh dear! And it’s pouring down. Instantly drenched.

The more you get used to the game, the more it feels like a trap when you teleport and end up soaked. …Well, it’s my own fault for now paying attention to the weather icon on the transfer map, so it’s not like it’s actually a trap or anything.

“Oh, it’s a soaking wet Princess. Got you, did it?”

“Fufu, I just felt like getting caught in the rain.”

“Well, it’s not just you.”

The first and second batch who are used to the game get caught the most.

Well, thanks to the big cloak, my shoulders and back are safe, but the front is no good. I should try and get in the habit of using [Waterproof Barrier] from «Super-Class Magic Ability» when I’m teleporting.

For now, I’ll use [Waterproof Barrier] and [Washing].

“…It’s especially easy to get caught because I use the key.”

“So you can go anywhere in town, huh.”

“That’s right. I can feel free to teleport and get wet.”

“Those of us using the statue get wet too, so it’s fine!”

The other players transfer from the statue of Stellura-sama in the centre of town. They’re better off than me though, since I use the Silver Key to teleport.

It’s the thought input that makes it worse. You can touch the town you want to move to, but you can also move with the name of the town, so even if there’s a rain icon in your vision, it’s easy to move while thinking ‘Oh’ and end up drenched.

Now, I’ll say goodbye to the people I bumped into here and head to Master’s shop.

“Master~, I’ll give you this.”

“…Ah, you made it. I should have taught you at the beginning, but you’re a being of the afterworld to begin with…”

“Do I not need to mind it?”

“I’ll give you a letter of introduction. Take it over to the merchant union.”

Apparently there is an exam for Residents, but not for Outsiders. Players are indicated by the system. It’s enough to have the flavour there. There is no need to study for exams in the game.

After a short chat with Master I head on over to the merchant union reception.

“I’d like to apply for the International Magical Potion Control Law qualification procedure, please.

“Yes, I can handle that. Please wait a moment.”

I can easily kill the short waiting time by checking the consignments. I’ll put the new items up for sale while I’m at it.

Ah, looks like it’s done.

“Thank you for waiting. Your credentials have been added to your union card. By presenting your credentials to a union member at the sales counter, you can sell the corresponding products. However, the qualification makes any excuses unacceptable.”

“…Excuses?”

“Yes. As soon as a violation is discovered, you will be arrested without questions. Please handle it with the utmost care.”

“I understand.”

“We look forward to seeing you again.”

<You have fulfilled specific requirements and acquire 『Title: International Magic Potions Handler 』.>

[International Magic Potions Handler]

A title awarded to those qualified to deal with difficult to handle magic potions.

You know the effects of potions, how to use them safely and how to deal with them.

You can purchase items subject to the International Magical Potion Control Law from the merchant unions, apothecaries and alchemists.

…The woman at the reception was quite a professional. I wandered in here on a whim and she didn’t react at all.

Well, let’s check out the items covered by the International Magical Potion Control Law. It’s busy here, so through the UI.

Ohh…the shop lineup has increased.

[Poison] Monster Lure　Rarity: No　Quality: C

A potion made from the secretions of Mesmer Gusano, which attracts monsters.

Production, sale, transport, and use must be reported to the Merchant Union.

Subject to the International Magical Potion Control Law.

Inflicts abnormal status (throwing): Monster attraction Lv 3.

[International Magic Potions Handler]

Dilute before use.

Applying a diluted version to a fence or a trap will attract nearby monsters.

Using undiluted can destroy the surrounding ecosystem and may result in capital punishment.

For disposal, flush with large quantities of water, burn or bury.

This is serious stuff. I almost became a space cat.

I can understand the traps, but…maybe applying it to fences will lure monsters that come to scavenge crops away from them. It buys you time to deal with them, but too strong an effect would be counterproductive.

And the ecosystem. A mass migration of monsters… a so-called stampede. It can be triggered intentionally and would indeed change the ecosystem. In game terms, it would cause a mass MPK, or ‘Monster Player Kill’, so capital punishment makes sense. It’s far worse than training a few monsters onto someone.

There are paralysis potions available for sale too, which could be for hunters. Sleep potions are sold without needing the qualification…no, there are those that do too. Maybe there’s a difference in effect.

I don’t need to use these kinds of things though. I can do it myself.

Let’s finish up with shopping for now.

Well, I’ll give Nephrite-san a call and then go for dinner and such.

I log in for a bit before heading to bed.

I’ll go and have a consultation about accessories. I need to decide whether to buy new ones, or just get some repairs done and wait until after the event for new ones. Stats are also an issue. For now, I’ll visit the shop.

And so, into the shop of handicrafter Nephrite-san. It’s a shop that handles jewellery and metallic accessories, so the Residents consider it to be a high-end shop.

“Welcome.”

“Good day, Nephrite-san.”

“New accessories?”

“Yes. I’m thinking of upgrading them soon, but I need to see what happens at the next event too.”

Hmm….well if you have the money, it’s fine to get some both now and after the event. There’s evolution to consider too, but…the next one should be at 60, so maybe the gems will change?”

Yep, I knew that. The problem I’ve hit is not having enough money.

I had money while I was at school and just after logging in, while I was considering new accessories. Right, I had money. Until I went to the library and discovered some expensive new housing equipment.

“Actually, I found some new alchemy facilities for the housing…”

“Oh, so it’s not just the alchemy formations?”

“According to the flavour text, they became obsolete because they cost too much to install.”

“Ah, so the alchemy formations took over.”

“Yes, right. Except for the cost, they seem to be very good.”

“So, how much?”

“This is it.”

“An alchemy kiln! What’s this price…”

“I gave the info to my master, so it should become available for all players soon.”

“And there’s the piping too. Though that doesn’t cost that much.”

“Right. I’ve played with industrial mods and Fac○rio, so I’m used to that anyway.”

“Those can get quite serious. I’ve tried them too.”

We’ll definitely go off on a tangent like this, so let’s get back on track.

I’ll leave new accessories until after the next evolution, so the question for now then is what to do about the stats.

“I’m thinking about using accessories to raise my agility…”

“Oh, you want more agility?”

“It’s better to have it when considering parrying.”

“Ah…right. But as far as agility, aren’t you in something of a special position now?”

“It’s due to the equipment set effect at the moment.”

“Hmm….I think the next evolution, at 60, should strengthen it considerably. Level 60 can be considered the start of the advanced levels.”

“I see. It’s true that there hasn’t been much change recently, except for appearance.”

In the case of monsters, 1 to 29 are categorised as low class, 30 to 59 as intermediate, 60 to 79 as advanced and 80 and above as top class. There are also other cases where low – intermediate – advanced – top is used.

Once I reach level 60 and join the advanced ranks, I should be able to enhance my equipment and unlock new racial skills, so it’s better to think about it more after that.

“Enemies above 60 seem to be quite different, so I think the Inhuman group will change as well.”

“Then, just repair them for me for now, please.”

“Ah, so you were still using this. A level 30 belt.”

It’s equipment I bought when I was around 35. I did want to change it, but it looks like I’ll have to hang on until 60.

“By the way, does that set effect increase with your base agility stat?”

“It seems like it. I can feel a difference whenever I level up or the race cap unlocks.”

“They won’t lose durability in town or housing, so I can lend you 3 agility accessories if you want to test it.”

“That would help. Then I’ll go try it out in the Nether for a while.”

” ‘Later~”

The repairs have been completed fairly quickly, so I’ll take back the accessories that had gotten fairly worn down.

Along with 3 level 50 agility accessories.

Let’s go try it out in the battle simulator at the castle training grounds.

First of all, turn on recording, then do it once with the usual equipment and settings.

Next, equip one of the agility accessories I borrowed and go again with the same settings.

I repeat this until I have tested with all 3 agility accessories equipped, then return to Nephrite-san’s shop.

“I’m back. I’ll return your accessories.”

“Ohh, you were quick. How was it?”

“I couldn’t say. I recorded it, so I’ll check it now.

Together with Nephrite-san, I compare the performance in each of the recorded tests.

“Looks like it changed quite a bit, doesn’t it?”

“It’s not bad, but it was more of a subtle feeling when actually using it…”

“So it feels like it’s missing something.”

“It’s effective, but I think the formula is unusual.”

“Indeed. The set effect is large, but it doesn’t seem to be calculated in a straightforward manner.”

A game is a program. It calculates things such as stats. In other words, where equipment or skills fall in the formula is very important. Whether it is addition or subtraction, multiplication or division is usually easily understood, but in what order is it calculated?

For example, when it comes to a defence skill which ‘reduces damage according to the skill level’, the important point would be whether it is subtraction, division or a fixed value.

Fixed value reduction skills tend to be rather rubbish, or relatively strong in the early game, when the enemy is weak, but later on, when the enemy becomes stronger, they do so little they are meaningless. Though if they also reduce damage from DoT’s and environmental effects, they can be useful to have.

So, ‘what is for the formula for my equipment set effect?’, is the current mystery.

“It’s the fate of special equipment.”

“As strong as it might be, it doesn’t give you much freedom. There’s little room for improvement.”

“The direction it’s going in won’t change…probably, so I guess agility should be removed from consideration.”

“If you can’t compromise with it, maybe you should just develop your strengths.”

“…May I borrow some dexterity accessories?”

“That’s fine.”

Now, let’s test in the same way I did agility.

Basically, it’s going to be a decision between raising spirit or intelligence. They’re my main stats. In my case, I’m a spirit-based mage, so my main focus is on spirit.

The magic dependant on spirit was originally just recovery magic, but in my case it is the magic used with special keywords and my attack magic also changed to using it. That’s why the activation is slow.

It doesn’t feel as significant as agility, but I record the tests and return to the shop.

“How was it?”

“I feel like I should just be mature and go with 4 spirit and 3 intelligence.”

“I doubt it will ever get to the level you’re hoping for.”

In action games, the focus is often on useability rather than attack power. Even if you need enough firepower to defeat enemies, the effect of being able to move without excess stress is huge. There’s no point in attack power if you can’t land a hit.

The difficulty is finding a balance between attack power and useability. It is something that depends on the user, and the only way to find out is to actually try it out. What you want is different for everyone and will change based on your playstyle.

In my case, I didn’t find any appeal to increasing either agility or dexterity. I’ll be mature and raise my intelligence and spirit, for increased magic damage and max MP.

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been thinking about.”

“What’s that?”

“There’s a language of stones, right? I was wondering what your point of view is on adapting it to be used somehow.”

“I see. The real language of flowers has no basis at all, it just spread and became established, but the language of flowers and stones in this world seems to be beneficial.”

“Right? At the moment, the stat that is enhanced is decided by colour of the gemstone…and that’s about it. It’s something that would probably need researching in the library, but I am curious.”

“It seems like it might increase the effectiveness somewhat and have some influence on the Residents.”

“Well, to be honest, I don’t know if it can be verified!”

Only the management would be able to tell if it were to have any effect on the decisions of the Residents… We might be able to figure it out with the cooperation of thousands, or tens of thousands, of players, but that’s about it.

“Well, still, it’s better to do it than not. Placebo placebo.”

I feel like when you say placebo, you’re already assuming it’s not going to change anything.

“But it’s the language of stones. I don’t have any related skills, so I doubt I can find anything about it in the library.”

“Would it depend on the library, asking around and relying on flavour text shown with «Appraisal»? Or maybe some lore. Like something that is worn as part of a folk costume?”

“It might be helpful to see what the long-established shops are saying in their sales pitches.”

“The credibility is questionable, but it’s a good starting point. Come to think of it, I was curious about the gemstone on Princess’s hair ornament.”

She must mean the jewels connected together at the bottom of my crystal lotus hair ornament. The ones that look like pieces of konpeito.

Well, let’s get them appraised. I don’t have any jewellery related skills, so it won’t give me any information about them.

“Now, appraisal! …Asteroid? Merkaba star? Sounds familiar, but also not.”

“A crystal with a three-dimensional star shape cut…was it?

Searching by name brings up results that look like that.

“Ah yeah, small star-shaped dodecahedrons. I think the ones you see most often are crystal.”

“It seems like ‘merkaba’ is an archaic word, and star is the usual meaning.”

“Was it that merkaba stars are hexagrams, and both hexagrams and pentagrams are asteroids?”

“…The meanings seem to match well enough.”

“I remember both asteroids and merkaba stars represented stability and harmony.”

“From what I’m reading on several sites, it seems to be something like that. Merkaba is the connection between the body and mind, and the asteroid is about higher dimensional cosmic energies. I don’t know if it’s the same here, but it seems to fit.”

“I’m going to do some serious research on the language of stones and their relationship with power stones in this world… something like higher dimensional cosmic energy is going to be better than a placebo.”

“Well, moonlight actually does affect my stats, and you could say space and subspace are governed by gods.”

“That’s true.”

Focusing on that aspect of handicrafting might allow her to reach a whole new level. Not being able to wear your favourite type of gemstone is easily solved by using the avatar function.

My hair ornament is decorated with a large asteroid in the center and two small merkaba stars on each side, for a total of three jewels.

“Are you going with light and dark enhancements, with 3 intelligence and 4 spirit?”

“Yes. It doesn’t matter which of the light and darkness enhancements is 4. Though physical defence might have been good too…”

“Are you weak to physical attacks? But I think in your case, you should aim for firepower.”

“Is it not practical?”

“No, I feel like it’s more for tanks using multiple.”

Apparently, equipping more than one with the same effect increases the effect. It seems like there’s a bonus for equipping multiple with the same effect. Just one is not good enough to be worth using then.

That’s not so surprising though. Defence stats can be hard to balance.

I’m a magic attacker, so I’ll play it safe and stick with firepower.

“Ah, would «Holy Magic» be strengthened with more light types?”

“That one’s a derivative. It’s effective, but it’s not 100%.”

“Is that how it is with lightning and the like?”

“Yeah. Compound types aren’t fully understood yet. Whether it’s a different type of gem, or it follows different rules…”

So accessories for enhancing composite magic types, derived from multiple attributes, haven’t been created yet. That would include lightning, magma, wood and so on.

Magma is a combination of fire and earth, but although both fire and earth attributes will strengthen it, apparently it is only to around 50% the efficiency of a primary attribute.

“You can’t just use one fire type ruby and one heart type heliodor. Rather, it would give even less of an effect.”

“I wonder if it’s something like an attribute interference.”

“I’ve been trying out different things, such as using attribute metals for the base.”

“I’ve been trying out different metals for the base metal, such as metal attributes, but…”

“«Handicraft» lets you engrave accessories…right?”

“Sure. If you have a design you like, I can put it in. The price goes up though, of course.”

“Maybe you could try engraving a crest or circle with a magical effect…”

“Well, that’s certainly a classic. Like the pillars in the chapels…or something!”

“Then it’s technology that would already be available for accessories…”

“Gonna die.”

But of course, it’s an area that has already been researched and verified…or maybe it’s more accurate to say that the Residents have already tried such things.

As it turns out, it’s no good. ‘Even if you could, what about practicality?’, seems to be the situation.

“Considering surface area, shields and armour would be possible, but you don’t have to think too hard about that one.”

“Since it’s the area that gets attacked most, huh?”

“If it’s damaged and stops working, it’s still fine, but not if it malfunctions. You’ll die.”

“When it comes to practicality… maybe a bracelet or something.”

“I haven’t found anything you can wear that has an effective enough size yet.”

The currently known engravings with magical effects are too large-scale to be relevant to players, such as the ones used on the pillars of the chapels. Since there is no writing used in them, it looks like my «Ancient Divine Linguisticts» won’t have a turn either.

“As I expected…it’s too much to ask for an engraving to ‘connect’ each attribute stone.”

“It’s possible that rather than an engraving, it could be another gemstone that acts as a catalyst. Something like a core.”

“Ah…like that? Mm… it’s difficult without a clue though. It’s possible that it just hasn’t been found, or wasn’t noticed.”

“Sophie-san or the Chancellor might be a possibility…”

“There’s certainly a chance. The jewels are too expensive to try each one.”

“Is it a lot of work too?”

“When it comes to verifying, the quality needs to match too.”

Is the Chancellor’s information outdated? There’s also the possibility that there’s no such thing. Or it’s technology from after his time. In the first place, the Chancellor also uses the dark attribute.

If anything, the immortal witch, Sophie, is more likely to know. Magic seems to be her main weapon in battle, so it wouldn’t be surprising for her to have that kind of equipment.

“For the time being, I’ll save up some money for accessories at level 60…”

“3 each of light and dark, or maybe space or holy?”

“That could be good too. Well, I think holy is definitely safer than space.”

“Right.”

“The best thing about space would be reduced MP costs, but even if it’s reduced a little it’s still expensive to use.”

“If you evolve at level 60, won’t it be reduced even more?”

“True. To be honest, when it comes to anything spatial related, it’s best to expect adjustments based on my race.”

«Spatial Magic» and it’s higher form «Space-Time Magic» can’t be called user friendly. And it still doesn’t have any offensive magic. It’s defensive, auxiliary and useful magic, but it costs so much MP to use that it’s dubious how useful it is…

A level of 60 in «Spatial Magic» was needed to recognise subspace, but it was only recognition. If I were asked whether it would be possible to navigate it, I would have to say no, and in the first place, it’s generally not possible to interfere with subspace. I’m able to do so because of my race and certain skills.

To be blunt, it’s a complete waste to use equipment slots on such magic. Yeah, I don’t recommend it.

“I’ll go and ask Sophie-san, alright?”

“Thank you!”

I’m going back to the palace. I can just teleport there.

“Welcome back.”

“Do you know where Sophie-san is?”

“I will guide you.”

My personal maid appears from nowhere. It’s nice and easy.

I’m shown to a room where she looks to be relaxing. Since I’m here, I’ll have a drink too.

“Sophie-san, do you know how to make accessories that enhance compound magic?”

“Mm, a little…”

As expected of a sorciere. An intellectual.

“However, I don’t know the details… You place a reasonably valuable universal attribute gemstone between each attribute gemstone…is how it should be…”

“Universal attribute…?”

“Diamonds are the most known…”

Gemstones you can’t determine the attribute of by colour…is it? She said they need to be reasonably valuable, so it’s probably impossible to use quartz.

Quartz….may or may not be a gemstone anyway.

“There is moon-netherlite here, so it’s not uncommon…”

“So that one is universal attribute. Then we could put it between selenite and morion?”

“Right… But you need something from the «Handicraft» line, if you want it to be equipment instead of just an ornament…”

Accessories without stats are simply for decoration, while those that have them are equipment.

Accessories worn by royalty and nobility often don’t need to be equipment.

Well, Nephrite-san will take care of this side of things.

“It feels like if you can collect it here it should be darkness or death attribute, but it’s quite versatile.”

“That’s right…if you look up, you’ll see…”

Up?

What Sophie-san is pointing at is the moon, that is always in the sky here.

“Moonlight is a universal attribute… That’s why it invigorates all monsters…”

“I see… Now that you mention it, neither the lotus or punica are darkness attributed either.”

“Mm…it’s a good environment… work is progressing… I want to anchor the moon, too…”

“Is it not possible to create a pseudo moon?”

“Theoretically possible… But impossible…”

Universal attribute means having all six basic attributes equally.

Although it is possible to use magic stones of each attribute to make a universal attribute, it is impossible to maintain it.

Reproducing it with magic is even more difficult. Magic with all attributes doesn’t exist at the moment.

<Additional information regarding attributes in this world has been obtained. Your status and identification will be updated accordingly. Do you wish to share this information? >

I haven’t seen you in a while.

Of course.

<<Player ‘Anastasia’ has acquired and shared additional information about the attributes of this world. Your status and identification will be updated accordingly. Please see the help section for more information. >>

I’m talking to Sophie-san, so I’ll check it later.

“The only possibility is «Space-Time Magic»…”

“Spatial magic, huh.”

“Nemeseia’s Silver Key… Just connect it to the moon…”

“I see. So twisting space to pull in the moonlight directly.”

“If you just connect it to space we’ll probably die…”

“That’s true. It’s different from the subspace I use, so if you make the connection, air would escape and you would be thrown into space. You would have to take precautions for breathing, infrared radiation and temperature changes.”

“It would be troublesome to need golden mead every time…the solution is space-time, not space…”

“…You mean to stop time except for the moonlight?”

“Mm… partially stop time… That’s why it’s theoretically possible, but not feasible…”

“Because of the magic power consumption.”

“That much magic control is probably impossible for the living… I don’t want to die for it either… This space itself is God’s work…”

As expected of Stellura-sama, is what that means.

“I got to have a decent talk with a lich, so it was a good experience…”

“You’re ready to go home?”

“Mm…I’ll go back…Lucianna’s place is fine”

“Okay.”

And so I deliver Sophie-san back to the church in the Starting Town.

After returning to the palace I look over the attribute help section. In addition to the basic attributes, there were more descriptions on derivatives such as ice and dragon attributes and universal attributes.

Let’s send the information I got from Sophie-san over to Nephrite-san, then go and sleep.

Good night.