CH 291

The Effects of the Ring

The next day after my shopping trips around all of Edestor to prepare for the [Cave of Bahamut].

All our preparations were finished perfectly, and now all that was left was to head to the Barbadd mountains.

By the way, the ring I obtained yesterday did in fact work with the [Effect Spread] Skill.

Not only was it a huge revelation that the effects of magic items also affected by [Effect Spread], more than that, I learned that it was extremely powerful to be able to cast debuffs on enemies like this.

And furthermore, the effect didn’t completely erase your sense of hearing and only, made it hard to hear things, which mean that by using [Hearing enhancement], I could return my senses to basically a normal level.

Since the effect was permanently activated as long as you were wearing it, I can’t keep it on my finger all the time but, I am already practicing using [Sticky String Manipulation] to wear and take off items as well.

“Oi Chris! We’re all done here. How about you?”

“My prep is complete as well. We can leave whenever.”

“Then let us be on our way. There’s nothing wrong with leaving a bit early after all.”

Looks like these two were all ready as well so we decided to leave for the Barbadd mountains a bit before time..

.

The huge mountains stood towering right in front of us.

Since half of the mountains were covered in miasma, it was hard to get a full clear look but, this place too had a peculiar atmosphere unique to itself kind of similar but different to the great forest of Roza.

Apparently, these 2 and Snow did come here for requests while I was down with the sickness after eating the fruits of skill but, I haven’t been back here since coming here with Bors-san.

Back then the monsters we faced hardly caused us any problems, but now we had gotten so much stronger since then that we didn’t even need to be on guard to deal with the monsters that appeared at the foot of the mountain.

“Chris-san, allow me to give some light explanations as we proceed. The special characteristic of the Barbadd mountains, there are three times where the miasma in these mountains grow much thicker…….that thing you can see near the mountaintop is said miasma.”

“I do recall Bors-san telling me about it last time I came here. And this miasma is very dangerous I presume.”

“Yes, that is the case. During these specific periods, the miasma in the middle and the top sections of the mountain grow thicker and the lower sections that are normally clean, also get enveloped in miasma.”

“So what actually does the miasma do? How harmful is it to the body?”

“The miasma itself is not harmful actually. However monsters frequently start being birthed in the places where the miasma becomes thicker………..do you remember Ralf talking about how monster appear in the Dungeons?”

If I recall, there was huge clump of mana in the depths of the dungeon, and that mana was creating monsters out of it.

Which means………..the miasma that envelops Barbadd mountains was also similar to the clump of mana then?

“I do remember. The mana clump that gives birth to the monsters inside the dunegon right?”

“Yes! Barbadd mountain is also very similar to that, and it is assumed that there is another similar clump of mana somewhere in these mountains as well that is producing this miasma and birthing these monsters.”

“Oh, so these mountains are quite similar to the Dungeon in a sense then?”

“The biggest difference would be that these mountains do not want the mana of the people and this miasma is instead being used to keep people away instead. And so there are no treasure boxes like in the dungeon either.”

“I see. So the ‘Vendettatein in the Cave of Bahamut is the only treasure of these mountains………..high risk, high return eh? I’m getting all fired up now.”

This place doesn’t absorb the mana of the people that die here so how can it continue to create monsters?——–I had various questions popping up inside my head but I don’t think anyone would have the answer to that.

The important thing that we do know is that the miasma will get thick 3 times a day, and those periods are the most dangerous times while we’re on these mountains.

Let’s follow the instructions of Esta who had done heavy research on this area beforehand, and proceed with caution.

“For the time being, there’s another 4 hours before the next miasma spread. I have already marked a place for us to reach in that time, so let’s head there and then prepare to survive through the miasma.”

“Then lead the way. Me and Snow will focus on detecting enemies. Ralf, you deal with any monsters that attack us. Esta, you’re the guide.”

“Got it! I’ll beat the crap out of anything that gets in our way so leave it to me!”

“Leave the guiding to me. I have the entire path memorized already.”

While hearing these 2 dependable answers, we were about to head out towards our first destination but……….

There was one thing I was still curious about.

“……………hey, Ralf, so did you get any good result from your little trip? I was shopping, Esta was info gathering. And didn’t you go to the [Moonlight Fangs] to get some advice?”

The moment I asked that, Ralf jumped up with a start.

I had heard a lot from Esta but, I had yet to get a proper report from Ralf so I figured I should ask but………

Looks like he got a zero.

“So? Did you not get any good advice?”

“N-No, that’s n-not true at all? I learnt a lot from Vincent-san! But that’s still a secret!!”

“You don’t need to hide it if you didn’t get anything good you know? I mean I was on bed rest for a whole 2 weeks, and missed out on a lot as well.”

“I’m not hiding it! It really is a secret for now!!”

Ralf really does let his unnecessary pride get in his way sometimes doesn’t he?

Both me and Esta chuckled seeing Ralf like this, and then began on our way to the spot that Esta had picked for us as we marched through these unfamiliar paths.