Translator: Cryus
《You have received 2 notices from the GMs. Do you wish to read them?》
It"s morning. There"s some information from the GMs awaiting me when I login.
And there"s 2 of them.
These are the subject headers.
《RE: Battle Tournament: The application deadline is today!》
《RE: Experimental Use: In accordance to the Battle Tournament, you are now able to install the Battle Log function!》
Yup.
I guess I don"t really need to read the details.
I store the messages into the folder and prepare to leave.
The Battle Tournament is only 3 days away.
I feel like going on a holiday or something.
I"ve been working nonstop for the past two days, and I"m supposed to continue working today.
Working, in a game?
Technically, I am.
I summon Zangetsu, Helix, and Obsidian before heading to Remut.
I"m going on the usual highway.
There are even more players today.
What the h.e.l.l? It"s getting too crowded.
I"m not seriously trying to hunt here, and this isn"t the best place for Zangetsu and Helix anyway.
We"ll get fat if we don"t exercise once in a while.
Well, it probably won"t happen though.
We"ve arrived in Remut.
I head to the stalls to get some food before going to the archery range, which is now being used as a provisional workshop.
I leave my monster summons at the stand and enter the workshop. There are a few guild members here who seem to have worked overnight.
They"re carrying large shelves in pairs while calling out to me.
They look like they"re going at a great pace.
That"s right.
I used to work part time at a moving company a long time ago.
After that, I also helped people when they were moving.
In recent days, people are using high-attenuation earthquake resistant materials in sheets to prevent scratches when moving.
Times are changing.
In the old days, we used newspapers and cardboard.
「Yo, good morning.」
「Good morning.」
「I"ve mostly recovered from the night shift last night. Let"s work together today.」
Nils looks refreshed.
It doesn"t look like he worked overnight after all.
Well, it would be bad if he were.
I really don"t want to see any work-related injury or death.
Now, the main problem for today.
We"ll be polishing the surface of the components using polishing powder.
Then we"ll treat the components with varnish.
This is the pre-a.s.sembly stage.
But we"re working at a s.p.a.ce diagonally opposite the a.s.sembly location.
We"re dissolving amber in oil in order to produce varnish. Once the oil is volatilized, we"ll cure the surface with resin.
In other words, it"s going to be a serious issue if the polishing powder sticks to the surface while the oil is volatilizing.
It"s inefficient in terms of workflow, but we probably don"t have a choice.
And the oil is giving off a strong smell when it"s volatilizing.
I feel like I"m going to get a headache or something.
Being in a well-ventilated environment isn"t good either, since there"s a lot of dust.
But we can"t work in an enclosed s.p.a.ce.
And no, we"re not using any addictive solvents.
This should be normal turpentine oil.
In terms of difficulty for this job, I"d say it"s about the same as beveling.
I don"t need to raise the quality of the wood using spells or use any Making techniques either.
Since we"re supposed to make Grade C components, I"m just following the instructions.
It"s simple.
Well, the job itself is simple, but it"s proving more difficult when I"m chatting with Nils at the same time.
I can tell that my speed is decreasing, but Nils is still working at the same pace.
He"s working at almost double my speed.
Even then, he"s still pumping out Grade C woodwork.
It"s supposed to be simple.
I"m not frustrated or anything!
The game clock shows that it"s just past 10 am.
Besides the connecting parts, all of the components have been fully processed and are lined up on the workbench.
「We did quite a job.」
「That we did.」
「Let"s take a break before going to the next stage.」
We leave the workshop for some fresh air.
All the NPC guards are doing drills in the new parade square.
So they"re already using it.
From here, I can see the top of the stone fort, the gate guards, and the lookout tower bordering on the plains and the Western Forest.
When I pay close attention to the training of the NPC guards, I feel a difference in skill.
With one look, I can tell that there are some NPCs here that I can"t fathom to win against in a fight.
Oops. It"s about time for the end of our break.
「Now for the next step. Let"s form a group.」
「Okay.」
We"re using the components that the NPCs made yesterday.
The surface coating has completely dried up.
All of the components are Grade C. I"m impressed with the consistency.
We"re using a wooden mallet for the a.s.sembly, but it looks like we"re also using resin and adhesive materials on the mortice.
The mixture results in rosin, otherwise known as turpentine.
I thought it was a simple matter of combining the components, but using a wooden mallet to strike and crimp the components together is more difficult than I thought.
Sometimes I end up making the resin jut out, while at other times I simply can"t crimp the components well.
Especially when it comes to the difficult part of trying to hit the connecting parts with a mallet.
The first one I made turned out to be a D+.
It"s useless.
I dismantle the components, wipe the a.s.sembly parts, and redo the work process.
I"ll raise my stats this time.
I cast Physical Enchant: Aqua to raise my DEX.
Now I"m using the Making technique for Woodworking.
Let"s look at the results.
Having done all that, I"ve finally made it Grade C.
It"s slightly dented.
This is really difficult.
But at least it"s Grade C.
The Physical Enchant spells last for only 15 minutes.
I still have a lot of MP to spare.
I"ll set it to autocast so that I can renew the effects once the spell expires.
《【Water Magic】Level Up!》
《【Identify】Level Up!》
I"ve used the spell quite a few times, but it"s helped me level up the skill.
Compared to the growth rate of Summon Magic, it"s rather slow though.
I think I"ll level up Earth Magic next.
It feels like it"s been a long time since I hit level 3 for Earth Magic.
My Identify skill has also leveled up.
That"s because I"ve used it on almost every finished product.
「Is it okay if I leave the rest to you?」
Nils asked after we finished cleaning up after our heavy lunch.
Of course I"ll take up the challenge.
Right now, I"m taking more than an hour to finish making a single chair.
I wonder how many chairs I can make with the number of components right in front of me.
Even if I can"t finish it all today, I"ll make more than I usually can.
Now then, let"s do it.
「Let"s stop for today, You may go home, Keith.」
「Huh?」
That was about 2 pm when Nils told me to go home.
It"s too early to call it the end of a work day.
Obviously, I haven"t finished my work either.
「Did something happen?」
「They"ll be using this place for construction of the a.s.sembly hall for the parade square. I think we"ll put the chairs on hold.」
「I still have time. Is there anything else I can help with?」
「No, you can stop here, Keith.」
「Huh?」
「I"ve heard that you"re partic.i.p.ating in the tournament. You should take some time to prepare for it.」
Ah.
Is he looking out for me?
「It"s fine. You can stop early for today. You"ll get the same pay anyway.」
「Huh.」
What should I do?
In terms of killing time, the only thing I can do is hunt.
Maybe I should be appreciative and stop early.
「Understood. I"ll take you up on your offer.」
「Yup. Let"s continue tomorrow.」
「Sure.」
I leave the workshop immediately.
I haven"t had much of an opportunity to hunt with Zangetsu and Helix recently.
Maybe I"ll go hunting along the highway in the Western Forest.
I leave Remut and head towards Legias.
I"m looking out for Wild Pheasants along the highway.
If I"m lucky, I"ll run into a Wild Horse or two.
《You have received 2 notices from the GMs. Do you wish to read them?》
The message came while I was riding Zangetsu.
2 more notices?
I"ll look at the subject header.
《The application for the Battle Tournament has closed! We have reached the limit for applicants!》
《Notice to partic.i.p.ants of the Battle Tournament》
I guess I"ll look over the first notice.
《We have reached the limit for the applicants of the Battle Tournament! Partic.i.p.ants will be notified about their schedules individually at a later date.》
Is that all?
I"ll read the next one too.
《To Keith: Your first round is scheduled to start at 9:30 am on the first day of the preliminaries, in area G of the new parade square.》
There"s a map of the parade square attached in the notice.
I already know about it.
I was there just a minute ago.
I close the message screen and continue on the highway.
It"s as if the monsters aren"t coming to us at all.
It"s because there are players all around us hunting the monsters.
The plains really has become unsuitable for hunting.
I"m finally able to hunt after entering the forest area.
I"m keeping up the hunt while going back and forth between Legias and the lookout tower in the forest.
While hunting only WIld Pheasants (F), we"ve encountered a welcome enemy.
Or should I say, I forced it to appear.
It"s a Lost Horse.
I called it here using Call Monster.
It"s the monster that"s most worth fighting in this area.
Well, it"s also the toughest of the monsters here.
It"s attacking us right away.
I"m already casting my spell.
「Physical Enchant: Aqua!」
Since I"m fighting on horseback, I need to raise my DEX.
I"m casting my next spell.
Zangetsu manages to avoid the monster"s charge.
As usual, this monster is fast.
I guess it"s natural for a horse.
I unleash the spell while going after the monster.
「Wind Cutter!」
I hit its hind legs directly, causing it to stop for a moment.
Helix and Obsidian are diverting its attention bty attacking from mid air.
Zangetsu rams straight into the Lost Horse, causing it to topple on its side.
The horse is tumbling away from the highway into the forest. It b.u.mps into the roots of a tree.
Helix and Obsidian are a.s.saulting the Lost Horse as it"s trying to get up.
I get off Zangetsu and join the a.s.sault.
I switch out the drumstick in my left hand for the push daggers.
I"m sitting right on top of the neck of the Lost Horse. With the push daggers in my grip, I drive a punch straight into the horse.
There"s a huge rip where I stabbed it.
A weapon like that is pretty straightforward to use.
I stop it from lifting its head up by pinning it with my right hand, and stab it again with the push daggers.
And again.
Meanwhile, the Lost Horse is getting dull in its movements.
Its HP has been reduced by 20%.
I guess such weapons won"t do too much damage.
But it"s great for afflicting abnormal statuses.
I put my right knee on the Lost Horse"s neck.
I wrap my left arm around its mouth and apply my body weight.
I"m going to twist its head with all my might.
「Yah!」
I shout to increase my strength.
I bend my body forward like a pivot.
I roll forward and snap its neck.
I heard a nice cracking sound.
The Lost Horse"s HP instantly drops to zero.
Yup.
It"s easy to finish off monsters like the Lost Horse like that.
We barely received any damage.
《Skill Link established! You may now obtain the following Magic Skill(s):【Ice Magic】》
Huh?
I didn"t level up any skills in this fight.
And yet, I can now learn a new magic skill.
Ice Magic?
I hurry up and check it out on the skills selection menu.
【Ice Magic】is now listed here.
I need 3 Bonus Points to learn this skill.
What should I do?
What the h.e.l.l should I do?
Isn"t it obvious? I should hurry up and learn it.
I do so and activate it right away.
I"m looking at the list of spells.
Freezing Touch (Ice Magic)
Melt Ice (Ice Magic)
Delay (Ice Magic)
There are 3 types of spells.
There are no enchant spells.
Freezing Touch can only be used when an enemy is within physical reach, but it allows me to freeze the enemy.
It looks like I can do some damage with it. Maybe it"s even better than Pyrokinesis.
Melt Ice looks like a spell that melts ice.
It doesn"t look like a combat spell.
It"s more like a situational spell like the Earth spell Dowsing.
Delay looks like it could be effective against distant targets.
It decreases their AGI.
Maybe it has an effect similar to my push daggers.
Since it"s a spell, it"ll take some time to cast, but it"s really helpful against distant opponents.
It"s a counterpart to the Physical Enchant spells.
Oops.
I need to loot the items from the Lost Horse.
There"s a Wild Horse Skin and Horse Meat.
I put the items into my《Item Box》.
Yup.
I should organize my items for a while.
It"s going to get confusing.
I think【Dual Wield】became available when I leveled up some of my skills.
If I remember correctly, the skills were【Staff】and【Precise Manipulation】.
In the case of【Ice Magic】, the conditions were completely different from【Dual Wield】.
What the h.e.l.l is going on?
I can"t tell if there"s a hint or not.
It"s a mystery.
But I can"t keep mulling over something I don"t understand.
I should continue hunting.
There"s barely enough Wild Pheasants (F), so I"m continuing the hunt using Call Monster.
Obviously I"m trying to hunt more Lost Horses, but there are just too little of them.
When I need a challenge, I"ll just fight some Wild Pheasants (M).
I move to a different spot and use Call Monster. There are a few Lost Horses I can call now.
Once you get used to them, they can be rather appealing to fight.
They have good item drops too.
After defeating the 4th one, there"s a flood of system info which I"ve been looking forward to.
《【Staff】Level Up!》
《【Joint Lock】Level Up!》
《You have learned the【Joint Lock】Weapon Arte: Neck Lock!》
《【Summon Magic】Level Up!》
《【Cooperation】Level Up!》
《【Horsemanship】Level Up!》
The one I"m most excited about is Summon Magic.
It"s only natural since I can get a new Monster Summon.
What should my next one be?
I"m going to think hard on this one for a while.
It"s almost 6 pm now.
After getting the info, I"m not running into any more Lost Horses. I continue hunting Wild Pheasants (M).
I"m getting quite a few Colorful Pheasant Wings.
I can"t say this enough, but Call Monster really is convenient.
Looking for monsters this way isn"t really a waste of MP. In fact, it"s extremely effective for gaining EXP like I have today.
Leaving that aside…
I should start selling some items I have multiples of.
I"m heading straight to Legias.
If I"m lucky, I can make a huge sale at Fiona"s stall.
And I can get dinner too.
After that, I"ll continue hunting at night as usual.
Since I"m going to switch out Zangetsu and Helix, it"s a good chance to decide on my new monster summon.
I should also consult them about Ice Magic.
I feel just a little more relaxed.
Protagonist Keith
Race Human Male Racial Lv7
Job Summoner Lv6
Bonus Points Remaining 8
Skill Sets
Staff Lv6（↑1）Punch Lv3 Kick Lv3 Joint Lock Lv4（↑1）Throw Lv3
Evade Lv3 Block Lv3 Summon Magic Lv7（↑1）
Light Magic Lv3 Wind Magic Lv4 Earth Magic Lv3 Water Magic Lv4（↑1）
Fire Magic Lv3 Dark Magic Lv3 Ice Magic Lv1（New!）
Alchemy Lv4 Pharmacy Lv3 Gla.s.smaking Lv3 Woodworking Lv2
Cooperation Lv6（↑1）Appraise Lv5 Identify Lv6（↑1）Discern Lv1 Cold Resistance Lv3
Grab Lv5 Horsemanship Lv5（↑1）Precise Manipulation Lv5 Jump Lv1
Heat Resistance Lv3 Climb Lv3 Dual Wield Lv2 Mental Fort.i.tude Lv1
Equipment Kaya Wood Drumsticks ×2 Snow Leopard Push Daggers ×3 Wild Rabbit Breastplate+ Series
Snow Ape Armguard Wild Horse Boots+ Snow Ape Leather Cap Rucksack
Item Box ×2
Items Survival Knife
t.i.tles Old Summoner"s Pupil, Guardian of the Forest, Man of the Middle Path
Monster Summons
Volff Wolf Lv5 Resting
Zangetsu Horse Lv3
Helix Hawk Lv3
Obsidian Owl Lv4
Jean Bat Lv4 Resting
Jericho Wood Golem Lv3 Resting