Chapter 6
When recommending the game FBO, it's important to note that as the game progresses, dungeons tend to become longer and more drawn out in the later stages.
As this happens, the durability of equipment becomes a significant issue.
Weapons lose durability with each attack, and armor naturally wears down as it takes hits.
When the durability of equipment drops to zero, it becomes broken and can no longer be equipped.
This results in a decrease in both attack and defense power.
However, it's not practical to prepare multiple sets of high-quality equipment.
So, what can be done? By using rare materials and the "Enchant" skill, which can be used by high-level blacksmiths to grant skills to equipment, this problem can be solved.
**'Indestructible'**
This is a skill that can only be applied to equipment and cannot be acquired by characters. Equipment with this skill will not lose durability and will never break.
Although there is a limit to the number of skills that can be assigned to each weapon, many players choose to sacrifice one slot to include this skill.
I, too, am one of those who have benefited from this skill.
However, the materials needed to apply the Indestructible skill without any drawbacks are only found in high-difficulty dungeons.
As a weak child, it's impossible for me to afford such materials from high-difficulty dungeons.
"To begin with, even if they appear on the market, they're snapped up immediately."
In online mode, these materials were circulated as high-priced items, but they were always in short supply, and there were even complaints to the management to improve the drop rates.
This just goes to show how useful the Indestructible skill is.
"Well, there is a way around it, though."
As I swing a rusty hatchet to chop bamboo, muttering to myself, I must look like a creepy kid.
But this quest, which involves collecting high-quality bamboo, is incredibly boring unless you find something to distract yourself.
The important part of this quest is that you must carefully select bamboo labeled as high-quality. Otherwise, Ganji won't be satisfied.
Ordinary bamboo just won't do.
So, how do you tell the difference between regular bamboo and high-quality bamboo?
"Alright, that makes ten."
You can tell at a glance by the color of the bamboo.
In this world, there are two types of bamboo: yellowish bamboo and deep green bamboo. Cutting the green bamboo usually yields high-quality bamboo.
While the yellowish bamboo is more common, the green bamboo isn't nonexistent.
The monotonous task of searching, chopping, trimming the excess leaves, cutting them to the right length, and loading them onto a cart repeats over and over.
This kind of grueling work is something you never experience in the game.
In the game, you could chop it cleanly in one swing, and the leaves would be trimmed automatically.
It's a lot of work.
"It's almost noon."
For a child's body, this is quite the heavy labor.
Working from morning without food or drink, it's no wonder I'm feeling hungry.
"Thank you, ma'am."
Let's take a lunch break at this nice round number of ten.
I thank the lady who prepared a lunch for me, a lodger, and clasp my hands together.
"Let's eat."
Unwrapping the package reveals a simple sandwich-like meal.
Even with a child's jaw, I can barely chew it, so I soften it with water from the canteen as I eat.
"If this keeps up, my jaw is going to get really strong."
The food in this world really works your jaw.
It's so hard that I'm worried my face might become square.
But maybe it's eco-friendly in a way, since chewing more stimulates the satiety center.
"Thank you for the meal."
Though it takes a long time to eat, which isn't very eco.
Wasting food is out of the question, so I thank the lady who made it and resolve to continue cutting bamboo.
"...This isn't a child's workload."
Pumping myself up is one thing, but by the time I finish, it's almost dusk. Pulling a cart loaded with bamboo after a day of cutting is more exhausting than I thought.
In the game, as long as you managed your stamina well, the protagonist could effortlessly complete transport quests without getting tired.
But this isn't a game; it's reality.
While it might sound good to say my legs and back are getting stronger, this world is a level-based society.
Even that strength training will be quickly overshadowed once I level up.
"If there's a god who reincarnated me into this world, I'd like to complain about how unreasonable this is."
I wish I had been reincarnated into a healthier body.
Grumbling like this, I pass through the east gate, and then...
"I've brought it!!!"
Here I am, shouting desperately towards the shop.
"Shut up!!! Don't make noise in front of the store!!!"
And out comes Ganji, with the giant lady following behind.
"Oh, you finished in one day? Well done, kid.""Hmph, even a kid can do a job like fetching bamboo.""Someone charged a thousand zeni for such a job, didn't they?""Don't know him."
Looking at the bamboo on the cart, the lady is surprised, while Ganji approaches with a disinterested expression and starts inspecting it.
"Tch, no problems here.""Then at least give a proper response. Poor kid."
All the bamboo is high-quality and the right length. With that, Ganji reluctantly acknowledges it.
Now, the main point is coming up.
"Alright, it's time to keep your promise. Quickly make a 'special' bamboo spear for this kid!"
Here it comes!!
In this quest, besides the normal completion, there are certain conditions: delivering all at once and completing it in one day. If you meet these, the strict lady will instruct Ganji to make something special.
If you deliver in parts and take multiple days, you just get a regular bamboo spear and that's it.
This is the extra bonus.
"Huh!? Special, why!?""He prepared this much good bamboo in just one day. Do you think a single bamboo spear made in your spare time is enough? After all, he finished a job that costs a thousand zeni just to fetch bamboo!"
Though, was the dialogue this sarcastic in the game?
Ganji didn't react like this either.
Well, it's different from the game since this is reality.
For me, as long as I get at least a bamboo spear, it's fine.
From now on, if I bring bamboo, he should make a spear for me.
"Ugh."
It seems Ganji is choking on his own words and can't retort.
"W-what do you want me to do?""Couldn't you at least offer an enchant or synthesis as a service?""Huh!? A skill-equipped weapon is too early for a kid like this!! Doing that would just put me at a huge loss with the materials!!""That's strange, a low-level enchant should only cost about thirty zeni, right?""Grrrr, fine, you brat! I'll make the bamboo spear!! And I'll even enchant it, damn it!! But you have to provide the materials for the enchant!!""You!!""Shut up!!! Your request was only for the enchant!! I didn't say anything about providing the materials!! If you don't like it, I don't need this bamboo!!"
Ganji, in a fit of desperation, throws an unreasonable demand at me.
Calmly thinking, there's no way a child like me could gather materials for an enchant.
So, this is his way of making me give up and just take the bamboo spear.
"Then, please use this to enchant the bamboo spear."
But, surprise!
I know this flow all too well, so I came prepared.
"Huh?""Are you sure about this, kid?"
What I handed over was a single "Mark of the Weak" from the basket.
The effect of the Mark of the Weak is to lower the equipped character's level by one, limit level-ups to one at a time, and impose a 24-hour equipment binding effect. Moreover, the Mark of the Weak cannot be destroyed.
Frankly, it's nothing but a harmful item.
Knowing this, Ganji looks at it in disbelief, while the lady looks on with concern.
"Yes, please use this."
But for me, this is a necessary step, so I firmly and clearly make my request.
"...Are you really sure?""Yes.""Alright."
Ganji is low-handed, selfish, greedy, and has many problematic traits, but he sticks to his word.
So he takes the Mark of the Weak from me, pulls a bamboo from the cart, and...
"Hey, put the rest of the bamboo in the back. You, kid, wait here for thirty minutes."
He tells the lady to store the cart and instructs me to wait, then heads back into the shop.
"Phew, sorry about that. Once he gets going, he'll do a proper job. Just look around the shop and kill some time until it's done.""Okay."
The blunt way he speaks makes the giant lady sigh as she pulls the bamboo-loaded cart to the back with one hand.
I do as told and look around the shop at the weapons, but without money or levels, I can't equip any of them.
Besides, considering what I'm about to get, they're all unnecessary.
So, I enjoy the realistic weight and feel, different from the game, as if I'm in an art museum, when...
"Hey, kid, it's done.""Ah, thank you."
Ganji emerges from the back and tosses the bamboo spear at me.
"As ordered, I mixed in the Mark of the Weak. And I added a strap so you can carry it on your back."
The tip is sharp, and the handle is wrapped with a strap for better grip.
As Ganji said, there's also a strap to carry it on my back.
"If only you worked this seriously all the time."
From the looks of it, it's well-made.
Seeing this, the lady sighs in exasperation.
"Shut up! Hey kid, what are you waiting for? I want to drink. Get out of here."
This is also a conversation I don't remember.
"Thank you for your help. I'll be back.""Come anytime.""Don't come back!!"
Hearing the genuine voices of the people living in this world makes me a little happy. I sling the bamboo spear diagonally across my back and leave the shop.
It's dusk.
In about an hour, the sun will set.
If I walk back, I should reach the stable around the time Nel's mother brought food yesterday.
"On my second day in this world, I got a weapon."
But I'm feeling a bit excited, so my pace quickens.
My steps are almost breaking into a jog, excited by the weapon on my back.
In the game, you could check a weapon's stats by equipping an item called the Appraisal Glasses.
If I had those now and appraised the weapon on my back...
**'Bamboo Spear of the Weak'**- Class: 1- Attack: 3- Durability: Indestructible- Skills: Level Reduction (1), Level Up Limit (1), Equipment Binding (24 hours)
This is the kind of status that would appear.
Knowing this, a smile gradually spreads across my face.
This is the strongest early-game weapon known to dedicated players.
An indestructible weapon obtainable early on.
A must-have piece of equipment for character development is now in my hands.
"This is going to be fun."
Having this opens up many possibilities.
The range of what I can do expands, and the excitement of being able to do what I want is something I haven't felt in a long time.
I might even skip ahead with this momentum.
Feeling cheerful, I walk down the familiar path, pass by the recognizable shop, and turn into the alley behind it.
"You're late!"
Nel, in a completely bad mood, is standing like a guardian statue in front of the stable, waiting for me.
Beside her is her mother, smiling wryly.
In one hand is the same basket as yesterday.
She must have brought today's dinner.
That's nice, but why is Nel so upset?
"This girl really enjoyed talking with Liberta yesterday. But when she woke up, you were gone and came back late, didn't you?"
When I look at her questioningly, she explains with a wry smile.
"You said 'see you later'!!"
And then Nel herself delivers the decisive words.
Apparently, to Nel, "see you later" meant a promise to talk again the next day.
In other words, I unknowingly broke a promise.
Pouting with her cheeks puffed up and her tail bristling, Nel is cute, but...
"I'm sorry."
Honesty is the best policy here.
Even if I didn't intend to make a promise, the flow of the conversation could be interpreted that way.
"Hmph.""See, Liberta apologized.""Okay. Then, tomorrow for sure.""Got it."
Thanks to my honest actions, I make a promise to spend time with Nel tomorrow and get to enjoy dinner.