Translator: Eisen Editor: Weasalopes
We resumed our hunting once we returned to the forest where the Orcs had appeared.
I recalled Rig and summoned Bunraku.
Bunraku"s level is still low.
Leveling him up should be easy enough, then.
What are we doing in the forest?
Of course, we"re practicing rear naked chokes. 1
This time, it was just Lambda and me fighting groups of Orcs.
Lambda is capable of making quick work of a group of ten Orcs completely by himself.
I tried to do that too, and I had no problem at all.
As long as the opponent is a monster, it"s okay.
As I see it, bladed weapons are so straightforward that they"re quite easy to use.
There is a limit to improving Player Skills.
There is definitely not enough time to do so.
Well, there doesn"t seem to be much I can do about it.
The last of the Orcs was brought down with a rear naked choke.
At any rate, they"re just numbers.
Let"s make quick work of these numbers and earn experience.
「All right. Next, let"s try alternating between shutting down their throats and choking their carotid arteries.」
「Yes!」
The last of the Orcs was severely beaten.
Oh, you poor thing.
After prolonging your pain, you"ll just be killed.
I"m so sorry.
「Now, this lock is done by lying down and holding the opponent"s torso with your legs.」
「Yes!」
「Let me show you first.」
I decided to take on the next group of Orcs.
Senki"s battle style doesn"t seem to have changed much.
Certainly, he"s also flinging orcs away, but it"s punches and kicks most of the time.
He would occasionally strangle them, too.
Though the way he does it can"t be called "technique"
He"s only squeezing and twisting with his strength alone.
Well, he does it like that because he has that much power.
I faced the last of those Orcs by myself.
I made sure to cling to its back before performing a rear naked choke.
I put my legs around the Orc"s back and performed a lock by crossing my ankles together.
The truth is that there is a reversal technique for this posture, but the Orc doesn"t need to know that.
I slowly bring it down.
I also can"t forget about decreasing the Orc"s MP Bar by using Dark Heal.
For the finishing blow, I will use Force Bullet.
Casting spells from this position is easy.
I also don"t fumble.
And shooting the spell at point-blank range is usually very effective.
Let"s try it out!
「Do you need to go that far?」
「Yeah.」
Do you think it"s not that difficult?
The opponent is an Orc, after all.
So, in Lambda"s case.
After killing the Orcs one after the other, he performs a rear naked choke on the last one.
Then he wraps his legs around the Orc"s torso and performs a lock by crossing his ankles.
Then he rolls on the ground.
It"s going smoothly so far.
「Just keep your arms fixed. Don"t put so much strength into it. Performing the lock is a matter of using your dorsal muscles.」
「O… Okay!」
The moment he used his dorsal muscles for the lock, the Orc died.
Whoa.
What a pitiful way to die, Orc.
No, there seems to be a problem with Lambda.
I"m sure he"s physically stronger than me, but it seems to be difficult for him to control his strength.
As a result, it"s an instant kill. But what we"re looking for here is how to prolong the process.
This won"t do.
「That"s a fail.」
「I put too much effort into it, didn"t I?」
「When it comes to the lock, you don"t need to rush it. You should do this step by step.」
「Step by step, right.」
Lambda"s face became serious.
But can you manage to control your strength?
I want you to develop your Player Skills to that level.
If you"re able to remember it intuitively, you should be able to manage somehow.
The training continues.
I"ve also performed several rear naked chokes for the sake of setting an example.
From various angles, Lambda was observing how I used my dorsal muscles to perform the lock.
I also had him touch my arm as I was performing a choke so he could see how much strength I was using.
Well, there"s a lot of trial and error in this way of teaching, too.
Some messages appeared when I used Force Bullet to defeat the last Orc.
《[Kick] Level Up!》
《[Wind Magic] Level Up!》
《You have acquired the【Wind Magic】spell【Wind Shield】!》
《You have acquired the【Wind Magic】spell【Storm Wave】!》
《Summon Monster 『Bunraku』 Level Up!》
《Please add 1 point to a desired stat.》
As I planned, Bunraku leveled up.
His INT has increased automatically upon leveling up.
I selected SPI as its second stat increase.
Summoned Monster Bunraku Wood Puppet Lv2→Lv3（↑1）
DEX 25
AGI 8
INT 19（↑1）
STR 12
VIT 12
SPI 8（↑1）
Skills
Bow Cooking Magical Resistance [Slight] Self-Repair [Slight]
And I found two Iolites in the monster"s corpse.
At last, I got some gemstones!
Securing items is quite difficult now.
《[Disa.s.sembly] Level Up!》
Well, well.
It might be a problem if Disa.s.sembly keeps leveling up.
I have no choice but to pretend this is just my bad luck.
I also gained two Wind Magic spells.
Wind Shield acts as a protective barrier of wind.
I"ve seen it in the tournament, it deflects attacks back at the user.
It"s a defensive spell that has many uses.
And Storm Wave is an AOE spell.
Hmm.
That Tiger"s special attack was also widespread.
I wonder if this spell will be similar to that one?
I seems quite useful.
It"s already 5 PM.
Lambda managed to pull off a perfect rear naked choke, however, it was against a training doll that looked like an Orc.
Next, he should be polishing his skills through actual fighting.
I think it will take quite some time to reach a satisfactory level.
Let"s return to the Fire Spirit Rock for the time being.
On the way back, we took down two Fire-Eater Parakeets.
I"m getting Vivid Feathers at a steady rate.
That much is appreciated.
By the time we arrived at the Fire Spirit Rock, it was early, but we still decided to have dinner.
I can make do with the food I bought this morning.
Lambda is still eating Portable Food.
Aren"t you tired of that insipid stuff?
「What do you usually do at this time?」
「I"m normally chasing down PKs. The area around Legias is a common target.」
「Oh?」
The forest around Legias is a convenient terrain for PKs.
There are many places to hide, so it"s only natural.
That alone seems to be what makes it so popular among PK teams.
That terrain is particularly suitable for targetting players because it has many dark places, such as the forest, a cave, and a maze.
Therefore the PKKs target this area as well.
Huh?
So being here is not convenient?
There are no players here.
In other words, there is no prey for the PKs.
So the PKKs have no PKs to target.
「So, what are you going to do now?」
「I"m going to log out for a moment, and then I"ll try to level up.」
「But it"s going to be night-time.」
Right.
I don"t know what will happen at night in the outskirts of this Fire Spirit Rock.
I can"t confirm that there are Orcs in the forest at night.
Hmm.
I should think this through.
「What if you log out first?」
「I will do that. I"ll be back in thirty minutes.」
Lambda finished his meal and logged out after setting up his tent.
I also finished my meal.
Thirty minutes, huh?
Should I continue making the ice axe?
I take out the Kaya branch and the Enraged Crane Beak.
I also took out the Snow Leopard Claw that had been disa.s.sembled.
I build one more ice axe similar to the one I had made at noon.
With this, I now have two ice axes.
However, I"m still unhappy with the results.
Their weight.
To be more precise, their center of gravity is unbalanced.
I try shaking one of them while holding it in my hand, but it feels somewhat light.
I want it to have weights on both ends.
Well then.
Is there anything I can process?
While sorting my inventory, I confirmed that there was something I may be able to use.
Rather, I had a hunch that I would be able to use those.
Obsidian Stones.
They can certainly work as a weight.
What"s the best way to attach them to the ice axe?
There are no Stonemasons around for processing this.
Should I go and get one?
No, there are other ways.
After checking the list of useful spells, I selected a spell that I haven"t used before.
It"s Shape.
It"s a Lava Magic Spell.
Just to make sure, I checked its brief description. It looks like it can soften an object.
Then its shape can be changed while it"s softened.
The effect"s duration is five minutes.
After the effect expires, the object will return to its original hardness.
It seems that the same happens if you cancel the spell.
I immediately try it on the Obsidian Stone.
I set its hardness to the level of clay.
When I pressed my finger against it, it got deformed accordingly.
Oh!
This is interesting.
However, just one Obsidian Stone is not enough to act as a weight.
A total of four pieces were attached around the place where Enraged Crane Beak had been attached.
Then I pressed them together into a single lump.
Is it fixed properly?
I cancelled the effect of the spell.
This time, it felt pretty good to swing around.
I also covered part of the wooden section of the ice axe with two pieces of Obsidian Stone.
This was easy to process, too.
After I completed the ice axe, I used【Appraise】on it and got this impression.
【Weapon: Hammer】Enraged Pickaxe + Grade C Rarity 4
AP+8 M・AP+2 Power 3 Weight 2 Durability 60
A weapon that can be used for either striking or casting spells.
A small sized pickaxe created from an Enraged Crane Beak. It has various uses.
It has just the right size to break walls and floors and the ground with one hand.
[Custom] A Snow Leopard Claw has been attached to its handle.
Has a chance of lowering the target"s AGI stat upon a successful attack.
Huh?
Pickaxes are treated as hammers?
It looks quite destructive.。
What a shame.
I was hoping for it to count as rod.
Well, I made it in place of the ice axe, so I won"t complain.
There"s another problem, too.
I have seven pieces of Obsidian Stone on hand.
They will be enough for another pickaxe, but I will run out of spare Obsidian Stone.
I"ll try checking the Obsidian Arrows that Bunraku has on him.
It seems that several arrows cannot be recovered if they miss their targets.
I used the remaining single Obsidian Stone to make an Obsidian Arrowhead, and then an Obsidian Arrow from that.
With that, I"ve run out of stock.
Do I have any other choice but using Dowsing to pick them up steadily?
It seems Lambda is back.
Looking sideways as he was folding his tent, a message from the GMs came.
《You have received some information from the GMs. Do you wish to read it?》
What is this about?
I tried looking at its t.i.tle.
Huh? What"s this?
《Notification of Area Event Implementation.》
I can"t understand what this is just by reading the t.i.tle.
Let"s check out its contents.
《We will begin implementing additional small events starting tomorrow noon in-game time! Please refer to the help for details.》
What"s this all about?
Well, I suppose I"ll understand tomorrow.
Lambda also seems to be standing still without moving an inch.
He might be reading the message too.
「Did you see the message from the GMs?」
「I did. What about it?」
「Depending on what the event is, it"s very likely that there is a large movement of players. That"s a problem.」
What seems to be troubling Lambda is what the PKs might do.
If the players, who are like prey to the PKs, move to a different location due to an event, the PK teams will surely move to follow them.
And so the PKKs too will have to be on the move.
「I can be logged in until 10 PM today. What will you do after that?」
「Hmm.」
Let"s think about it for a while.
Lambda is hunting PKs on a daily basis.
I have no plans to interrupt his schedule.
「Do you think that there will be more of those PK team guys around the outskirts of Legias?」
「At this time? Certainly.」
「Then don"t worry. Go ahead and hunt those PKs down.」
「Now?」
Why are you hesitating?
Oh, I see.
He might be thinking about the time it will take him to go there.
Are you worried about having me use Return Home?
No, he may have not noticed that I know s.p.a.cetime Magic.
I use the s.p.a.cetime Spell, Gravity Bullet, right in front of his eyes.
「Don"t worry about getting to the outskirts of Legias. I"ll be done soon.
「Huh?」
「You"ll understand if we form a party.」
I sent a party invitation to Lambda.
As we crossed the edge of the Area Portal, I selected a spell and cast it.
「Return Home!」
The scenery before my eyes changed instantly.
Just like that, we were in front of Master"s house.
「Amazing! We"ve come to the outskirts of Legias in an instant!」
Well.
That"s just the kind of spell it is.
「Well, just hunt like you usually do from here on.」
「Huh?」
「Isn"t that what you usually do? Don"t stop now.」
Lambda looked as if he was thinking for a moment.
He resolved to wear a new disguise.
Just like that, he looked like a completely different person.
He was also wearing a wig this time around.
He seemed to have completed his preparations by removing his leather armor.
「Is it really okay to take off your armor?」
「It"s just to move a little quicker. A leather helmet also disrupts my hearing, so I won"t use that either.」
「Huh?」
Is he really that severe?
Certainly, many PKs we"ve found so far have been wearing light armor.
Is it some sort of secret feud?
I"m interested, but it would be bad if I get in Lambda"s way.
「It"s a good idea to try that rear naked choke I taught you today. But depending on the situation, it might be better not to use it.」
「Okay.」
「If you misread your own judgment, things will just go badly.」
「Understood.」
「What are you doing tomorrow?」
「I"ll be waiting outside of Legias.」
After leaving those words, he bowed deeply
He then silently disappeared into the darkness.
Is he an avenger or something?
What kind of battle results is he really trying to increase?
Though it has been no more than a day, I wonder how will he make the best use of what I"ve taught him.
However, it would definitely be better to gain experience through actual battles.
What"s worrying is that the PKs are definitely stronger than Orcs.
What should I do tomorrow?
Practicing against Orcs might be too easy, I think.
Are there any humanoid monsters around here?
Naturally, they would need to be stronger than Orcs.
Of course, those guys.
Snow Apes.
The difference in power might be quite abrupt, but considering Lambda"s stats, they may suit him just right.
What should I do from now on?
Should I hunt in the forest?
For the time being, I went into Master"s house and descended into the underground workshop.
First, I will restock some potions.
《[Pharmacy] Level Up!》
《[Precise Manipulation] Level Up!》
Pharmacy leveled up while I worked.
At the same time, so did Precise Manipulation.
Just to be on the safe side, I filled all of my empty bottles with Potions I had created, and I also made two Recovery Pills.
Well then.
That"s it for our usual work.
Should I have Bunraku help me as well?
So, when I had him try to make Potions, he suddenly made Grade C ones, even though he doesn"t have the Pharmacy Skill.
Should I really be surprised?
It might be better to see it as if his high DEX has contributed to his results.
I"ll definitely have him help me with many Production activities in the future.
Next.
Let"s make a push knife.
The materials I"ll be using are wood sc.r.a.ps and a Gale Tiger Claw.
I"ve got one Snow Leopard Push Knife left, which is one too few, so let"s make another one.
Or should I say that when disa.s.sembling the other Snow Leopard Push Knife, I got wood sc.r.a.ps from its remains?
It was completed with minimal processing.
Compared to a Snow Leopard Claw, Gale Tiger Claws are a little longer and thicker.
I carefully removed the excess from it.
This is really fun.
What kind of item will come out of this?
【Weapon: Knuckles】Gale Tiger Push Knife Grade C+ Rarity 4
AP+3 Power1 Weight 0+ Durability 60
Increased critical hit rate Wind Attribute
A small a.s.sa.s.sination weapon, rendered ineffective by any kind of armor.
Has a slight chance of inflicting a critical hit.
Ohh.
Its AP and Power are higher than the Snow Leopard Push Knife?
Though it doesn"t seem to inflict any status conditions, it seems easy to inflict critical hits with this one.
I"ll try holding the Snow Leopard one with my right hand, and the Gale Tiger one with my left hand.
The tip of the blades that come out from the s.p.a.ce between my fingers are shining in a dull way.
Also, the blade on my left hand appears to be longer than the one on my right hand.
Hmm.
Looks like I can use these.
I"ll store both of these knives on my belt so I can use them anytime.
I"ve still got plenty of time.
Should I continue to experiment with potions, or just kill time for now?
It"s fun to continue to do experiments in various ways.
At the same time, I feel as if I"ve reached a stalemate.
I can"t see how to proceed.
No, I don"t know how to, but I have a certain feeling.
Extracting with water.
That"s where I feel I"ve reached my limit.
No, it"s just that it"s funny that you can get it by thinking scientifically about it.
Besides, if there were any solvents around, I could try to make a simple comparison.
I could dissolve many organic compounds with dichloromethane.
Then I could use thin layer chromatography to separate the components.
There is no way that things could be that convenient for me, right?
Could there be any solvents here other than water?
Can I refine ethanol from alcohol?
If I had ethanol and vinegar, could I also make ethyl acetate?
But in any case, I would need distillation equipment.
Laboratory-level equipment would be also nice, so I would want to have an evaporator.
No, I"m going to need a lot of other equipment.
I might also need means of ventilation, and I even figuring out the experiment room would also be essential.
That won"t do.
This place would become an organic synthesis laboratory.
Should I really go that far?
Let"s just leave it as something that can"t be done right now.
For now, let"s continue with the experiments I"m already doing for a little while longer.
I"ll just resume my experiments until it"s a good moment to take a break.
The results are not perfect, but they are also not bad.
It"s also important to crush the ingredients one by one.
After I finished experimenting and cleaning up, I recalled my Summoned Monsters.
I went to the bed at the second floor and logged out.
So much has happened today, huh?
I think I may be mostly mentally tired, but it is a pleasant kind of tired.
===
Protagonist Keith
Race Human Male Racial Lv10
Job Summoner Lv10
Bonus Points Remaining 8
Skill Sets
Staff Lv8 Punch Lv5 Kick Lv6（↑1） Joint Lock Lv5 Throw Lv5 Evade Lv6 Block Lv5 Summon Magic Lv10 s.p.a.cetime Magic Lv3
Light Magic Lv5 Wind Magic Lv6（↑1） Earth Magic Lv5 Water Magic Lv5
Fire Magic Lv5 Dark Magic Lv5 Ice Magic Lv3 Lightning Magic Lv3
Tree Magic Lv3 Dust Magic Lv3 Lava Magic Lv3 Steam Magic Lv3
Alchemy Lv5 Pharmacy Lv5（↑1） Gla.s.smaking Lv3 Woodworking Lv4
Synergy Lv8 Appraise Lv6 Identify Lv7 Discern Lv3 Cold Resistance Lv3
Grab Lv6 Horsemanship Lv6 Precise Manipulation Lv8（↑1） Jump Lv3
Heat Resistant Lv4 Climb Lv3 Dual Wield Lv5 Disa.s.sembly Lv3（↑1）
Physical Reinforcement Lv3 Mental Reinforcement Lv4 Speedcasting Lv5
Equipment Kaya Wood Rod x 1 Kaya Wood Tonfa x 2 Enraged Pickaxe + x 2 Silver Necklace + Snow Leopard Push Dagger x 1 Gale Tiger Push Dagger x 2
Wild Horse Leather Armor + Snow Ape Armguard Wild Horse Boots +
Snow Ape Leather Helmet Rampage Belt + Rucksack Item Box x 2
Items:
Survival Knife, Woodworking Tools
t.i.tles:
Old Summoner"s Temporary Pupil
Guardian of the Forest
Man of the Middle Path
Spell Archive
Monster Summons:
Volff Grey Wolf Lv1
Zangetsu Horse Lv5
Helix Hawk Lv5
Obsidian Owl Lv5
Jean Bat Lv5
Jericho Wood Golem Lv4
Goki Demon Lv4
Senki Beast Ape Lv5
Rig Slime Lv4
Bunraku Wood Puppet Lv2→Lv3（↑1）
DEX 25
AGI 8
INT 19（↑1）
STR 12
VIT 12
SPI 8（↑1）
Skills
Bow Cooking Magical Resistance [Slight] Self-Repair [Slight]
Companions:
Lambda (Real name: Omega)
TL Note: A fighting technique where the attacker"s arm encircles the opponent"s neck from behind and then grabs his own biceps on the other arm ↩