As expected, currently in the game there are a lot of players checking out the Fairies and new Skills.
New Skill names keep popping up one after another on the info-site, and the city is filled with players walking with their Fairies.
Some other new Skills are … (besides the 4 that I've already looked at)
[Throw] …. a Skill to throw something at a target. If the opponent's physique is too different, it is possible that you will not be able to destroy its structure by throwing.
[Duel Wield: Axe-Fang Pair] …. a Skill that allows you to wield a one-handed sword and a one-handed axe together.
This is very difficult to handle well.
[Elemental Martial Arts] …. a Skill that allows you to clad your weapon with an element.
In exchange for special Arts, the original Skills disappear and you will be unable to continue training them.
However, you will be unable to take Elemental Martial Arts if your Weapon Skill and Magic Skill are too high.
(For example: [Sword] and [Fire Magic] will become [Fire Sword], combining both weapon and magic Skills into one Skill and erasing the Skills [Sword] and [Fire Magic]. You will never be able take the next tier of either [Sword] or [Fire Magic].
The higher level Skill, weapon or magic, will be added to.
The higher level Skill's Skill Name will change, and the new Arts will be added to it.
And so on.
The amount of Skills has increased quite a bit, so that's still not all of them.
Personally I'm interested in the Elemental Martial Arts, but I'm not able to take it.
Basically I haven't done enough training.
Anyway, right now my main focus is raising [Whip] and [Thief].
Using the cheapest quality whip I could buy from an NPC vender, I struck *smack whack* at a Horned Rabbit.
The whips in this world are completely different from our reality; with just the cheapest quality whip I've completely tortured such a cute thing.
Of the other whips the NPC was selling, of course there was a whip that had what looked like rose thorns for piercing.
There's another one with a noose-like shape with blades attached specifically for ensnaring;
That is, three blades are connected in a way that can tighten into a triangular shape, and they cinch inwards when you succeed in catching something.
What happens next is easy to imagine; there are lots of nasty whips.
I thought that it'd be great to have a weapon that would be able to constrain and restrict so I took [Whip], but looks like there's going to be a variety of terrible things I can learn.
I'm really excite- … *ahem*.
Now then, on the [Thief] Skill side, I've specifically begun training thief step by moving through the field.
It's quite the struggle to master; even if the opponents' perception is weak, if you don't walk carefully it will be immediately released.
Despite the Skill Level being low there's definitely an effect; I wonder when I can master it
Like that, the Skill steadily rises.
["Oi~, Earth, Zwei here. You free?"]
A Whisper Chat with Zwei flew in.
["There's no problem if we're talking about time. What's up?"]
I replied; now is it a new Skill or something Fairy related?
["Aaa, we'd like you to come over. The place is …"]
He set the location; it's close so looks like I won't have to make them wait.
["Roger, then I'll be there soon. It's close so you won't have to wait long."]
Saying that I end the Whisper Chat session; alright then, time to get a move on.
It's not good to make people wait too long after all.
The designated place is a Guild Field where no one can enter but the guild members and those who are invited by them.
It's a type of Instance Area so people without permission can't enter at all.
(Of course Game Masters are exceptions.)
Zwei and his guild members are waiting there.
"Yo, Earth, got any new dishes coming out?"
Was Zwei's greeting.
"The Bear Meat Stew needs a little more … something; can't get to Quality 8."
Like I said to him, it's tough going. Bear Meat is pretty troublesome to prepare for stewing.
"Finish it fast and put it up for sale right away!" – that request came from Nora.
"Hm, well, I'd like to look at those Fairies over there."
Looking at Zwei and the others, at each of their sides are what I assume to be Fairies flying or sitting around.
Since I got permission to look at them … their respective Fairies are,
Zwei has a wolf clad in flames.
Milly has a gnome clad in armor made of earth.
Nora has a flying fish made of water. Let's not comment on how it can float.
Reiji has a mole poking its face up out of the ground.
Kazemine has a songbird clad in wind.
And the girl that I'm meeting for the first time has, with a light that's a little blinding … an eagle.
"Aah, this is my first time seeing a spirit of light."
My voice leaks out.
"Ah, mine huh? It's true that it stands out in the city, ne."
Was her response.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Earth, Zwei's friend."
I'm introducing myself in advance; if it's one of Zwei's guild members I'll probably be seeing her a lot.
"I'm Rona, a martial arts styled Fighter. Ah, I'm a voluntary member, the first person who wasn't forced to join by Zwei."
Is that so. Weell it doesn't seem like Zwei's fallen to the loli-crowd.
Rona is … her height is pretty short but for some reason there are a lot of parts that are … stimulating.2
"Zwei…was there anyone you forced to join like she talked about?"
I ask because I want to hear the answer.
"N-nooo, of course not. There wasn't. Yeah."
He's being too excessive. So there's a previous offense? Well, whatever. Commenting here would be too boorish.
For now I'll just give him a cold look.
… I ignored the "Even though it'd be a reward if it was from a girl" that I heard.
I'll just ask Nora to stab him later.
If I hand over delicious food as the reward I'm sure she'll do it with glee.
"N, anyway, Earth, what about your Fairy? Looks like I can't see its form."
It was Reiji who brought it up.
So he noticed … there's no helping it so I take out the wreckages of the Fairy Contract Crystal after it had shattered from my Fail and show it to everyone.
The Guild Field went quiet.
Well of course, they called me here to see my Fairy and instead I pull out the evidence of a Fail.
"A-h, well, it's like this …"
My cheeks twitch while I say that; it's a bit of a tough subject so silence would be too heavy in various ways.
"No, well, I understood that the success wasn't 100%, but I didn't think that someone I knew would pull it …"
The one who somehow managed to say something was Kazamine.
At a time like this I'm grateful for anyone to say anything.
"Yeah, at first I was really upset, but I'm over it now. There's that hint too."
Hint?
I tell them all what I noticed.
"First, they officially said that this is the [First Half], so there's go to be a [Second Half]."
"Are you following me so far?"
I got confirmations, as well as some nods.
"The next point is that [failing didn't consume the item], and [you can't throw it away before the event ends]; they completely erased the possibility of getting rid of it.
Even though you failed once, why would they go so far and take such lengths to make sure it's left behind?
Milly raised an, "Ah!"
"In other words … you'll need it for something in the second half, right~"
It's like that. If it wasn't, if it really was a one-shot-or-fail-forever no matter what you do, it wouldn't give either the players or the management any sort of merit.
There's also no benefit for the event to proactively hand out just a participation souvenir.
There's no way you can leave a Fail like this; the chances that the management doesn't get that is … 0, none.
There's no way it can be like that … probably.
"It's like that; the people who've failed like this will probably have something special to do in the second half. Even if that something special isn't much, not handing it out and proceeding with the event's second half would be hateful … well, my own personal desires are mixed in with this prediction."
Around me the others went, "I see, that's quite possible na~"
"Your prediction is probably right on the money, Earth. … … but now we've got a new mystery."
Is what Zwei said.
"What do you mean? Saying [a new mystery]."
I said that while petting the fire wolf on the head. It's a fire spirit but its body heat made stroking it feel good, and the wolf's eyes have pleasantly narrowed so it must feel good for him too.
"Why did all the Fairies get so attached to you!?"
Right now I have: Rona's eagle perched on my head, Nora's flying fish is cuddling my right shoulder and Kazamine's songbird is perched on my left shoulder.
On top of that, at my feet are Milly's earth-armored gnome and Reiji's mole, and Zwei's wolf is nestled in under my arms to be stroked.
The eagle appears to have only its outer appearance formed since the talons aren't digging in.
Even so it's not going to fall; it's truly a fairy-like fantasy compensation.
"Iya, I thought it's because animals like me?"
I thought that they'd come closer because I was in the middle of my story.
"Fairy seduction?"
"Seduction, ne?"
"Ah, there's no doubt about it."
"How unexpected … could this also be a "player" skill?"
"But for it to be to that degree…"
Zwei's guild members + Milly began a discussion in low voices … I'm a little scared.
I play with the Fairies to escape reality; aa, how calming.
In the end, they didn't tell me what they'd said in their secret discussion with their backs towards me.
I could sense it though, that it's something like stepping on a land mine if I asked.
It was the first time I could sense something like an aura…
SKILLS
[Hunting Bow]Lv18 [Kick]Lv46 [Farsight]Lv31 [Wind Magic]Lv32
[Craftsmanship]Lv38
[Cooking]Lv39 [Stealth]Lv27 [Physical Ability Boost]Lv49
[Thief]Lv4 [Whip]Lv6
Reserved Skill(s)
[Blacksmithing]Lv20 [Woodworking]Lv19 [Alchemy]Lv32
EXP 3
By the way that Zwei guy, when he asked Nora to try using "Boku", she unleashed a wonderful slap; it's a set up that all the guild members know about.
There's a lot that goes on that Earth doesn't know about.