Chapter 23
Now then, another month has passed since we opened that rainbow-colored treasure chest, and the world is gradually getting hotter, signaling the start of summer.
"Huh? Did time suddenly skip too much?"
Well, it can't be helped.
What happened after that was really just a series of monotonous events.
"Libertaaa, I'm bored!"
"Liberta, even I'm getting tired of this."
We've been repeating the same things over and over to the point where the two girls are starting to complain.
The Golden Loop entered an incredible streak mode, and on that day, Nel's insane luck allowed us to run through the Golden Dungeon non-stop for an entire week.
"Hmm, thanks to Nel, my skills have grown quite a bit. I think it's about time to move on to the next stage."
"Really!?"
"Yay!! I don't want to see any more mochi for a while!! Look at this, even though it's a stable, it's filled with cushions everywhere!!"
Thanks to those days, we were able to move up our schedule much earlier than expected.
"Just to confirm, can you show me your status?"
"Sure!"
"Okay."
Right now, we're taking a break during our mochi dungeon runs.
I feel a bit guilty seeing the two of them lounging on the cushions like they're burnt out, but I tell myself that this is the only way until we can guarantee a safe return after death.
**Nel** Class 0 / Level 0 Basic Stats: HP 0 / MP 0 BP 0 Skill 1 / Skill Slot 1 Spearmanship: Class 10 / Level 98
**Amina** Class 0 / Level 0 Basic Stats: HP 0 / MP 0 BP 0 Skill 1 / Skill Slot 1 Staffmanship: Class 10 / Level 97
Nel and Amina are almost there. If this keeps up, we should be able to move to the next stage by the end of the week. In that case, I should start preparing for the next step.
After spending so much time, we've grown this much.
**Liberta** Class 0 / Level 0 Basic Stats: HP 0 / MP 0 BP 0 Skill 1 / Skill Slot 2 Spearmanship: Class 10 / Level 100
As for me, my spearmanship has already overflowed with experience. At this point, fighting only wastes experience.
"Nel and Amina, you're almost there. Once you both max out your skills, you can move on to the next stage."
"Ehh!?"
"No more mochi, I can't take it anymore!"
Fortunately, thanks to Nel's real-life luck, two more rainbow treasure chests appeared during the Golden Loop, giving us a total of three orbs for advancement.
We can upgrade one skill each to the next stage.
"But we can't just move on to the next skill without getting the Master Bonus, right?"
"That's true."
"But I don't want to do mochi anymore!"
Amina is throwing a tantrum like a child who doesn't want to eat leftover New Year's mochi, but that's not going to fly. Each skill has a Master Bonus, and for passive skills like spearmanship, there are two bonuses.
The first is that when you advance to the next skill, the effects of the mastered skill are carried over. For example, if I use the advancement orb to evolve my spearmanship into advanced spearmanship while it's mastered, then:
**Spearmanship** Class 10 / Level 100 Effect when equipped with a spear: ・10% increase in spear attack power ・10% increase in spear skill attack power ・10% increase in spear attack accuracy
This state is carried over to:
**Advanced Spearmanship** Class 1 / Level 1 Effect when equipped with a spear: ・10.03% increase in spear attack power ・10.03% increase in spear skill attack power ・10.03% increase in spear attack accuracy
Yeah, FBO is really brutal. Passive skills like advanced spearmanship, holy spearmanship, and even ultimate spearmanship or divine spearmanship, which can only be obtained from certain boss monsters, are all available.
At first glance, it might seem like you can just learn the higher-tier skills to get stronger.
But if you don't level them up in order, you won't get these bonus adjustments. For weapon skills: ・Basic skill: 10% ・Advanced skill: 30% ・Holy skill: 50% ・Ultimate skill: 90% ・Divine skill: 120%
In total, that's a 300% adjustment to your weapon's power. For hardcore players, skipping this is out of the question.
Simply put, your weapon's base attack power quadruples. And when it comes to skill attacks, it increases even more. You can't ignore that.
From my perspective, if someone brags about having only the advanced skill, I'd laugh at them for wasting 10% of their potential.
"Alright, just a little more effort and your next skill slot will unlock, so hang in there."
"Okay!"
The other bonus is the unlocking of skill slots. This is a Master Bonus exclusive to passive skills. Mastering one passive skill unlocks one skill slot per class.
And with that, we say goodbye to Class 0.
Even Nel and Amina, who've been grinding this hard, might find some enjoyment in this... or maybe they'll just find leveling up annoying and start complaining?
"By the way, if you work hard, I'll give you a reward. What do you want?"
Over the past two months, even though it's the mochi dungeon, we've managed to sell a lot of dropped items like magic stones.
We split the earnings three ways and even spent some on leisure, but compared to when we first arrived, our wallets are much thicker.
We've even saved enough to move out of the stable and live in an inn, but we haven't done that because, well, life here has become quite comfortable.
The cushions dropped by the mochi make the beds soft. We bought new blankets, so it's warm.
We also bought shelves and new clothes. There's no bath, but we built a stove next to the stable to boil water, so we can wash ourselves now.
Yeah, we're paying rent, so there's no need to leave.
And since we're still saving money, I don't mind spending a bit on the girls.
"Okay, go ahead, Amina."
So when I asked for their wishes, surprisingly, Amina was the first to raise her hand.
"I want to go outside!!"
"That's a good idea! Last time my father stopped me, but now we have enough money to hire guards!"
I thought the girls would ask for sweets or pretty clothes, but I didn't expect this kind of request.
"Hmm, sure."
For me, it's also necessary to go outside, so having guards to ensure safe hunting is a big help.
"Yay!!"
"Then we need to level up quickly!! Let's go, Amina!"
"Okay!"
Seeing their excitement after I granted their wish, their motivation shot up, and they energetically charged into the mochi dungeon.
"Take care."
As I watched them go, the space became quiet, and I felt a bit lonely. But I had my own preparations to make.
"If only that place is there."
My destination is the northern district, which I've avoided until now.
It's on the opposite side of the castle from where we usually operate, so getting there requires going around in a big circle, which is a hassle.
If I were taller and had a longer stride, moving around would be easier.
"Today, I'll take the shared carriage."
If you have money to spare, even a child can ride the shared carriage. Being able to earn money is wonderful.
The difference from a bus is that you can get on and off at stops relatively freely. Just say where you want to go, and they'll drop you off.
The fare is a flat rate of 10 zeni when you board.
It's like the Yamanote Line, with carriages going around a fixed route.
Even in the game, I often used it when moving around was a hassle.
After getting my own mount, I never used it again, but it was still helpful.
"It's huge."
From the open road, the castle looks a bit older than the one in my memories, but that's because the game had graphics, and this is real life.
In terms of beauty, the game version wins.
But the age of this one gives it a historical atmosphere, and personally, I prefer this one.
"Ah, I'm getting off!!"
While admiring the scenery, I arrived at my destination faster than I expected.
The northern district.
In the game, this area had an adventurer vibe.
If you started in the southern continent, heading north was the natural progression in FBO, so all the necessary items for players were gathered here.
There are adventurer guilds in all four directions, but the northern one had the most difficult quests.
"There are more weapon and item shops here."
That's why the northern district has a rowdy atmosphere with all sorts of dangerous items on display.
The area we're in feels more like a residential district, with fewer armed individuals and not many soldiers around. But here, there are patrols and stationed soldiers everywhere.
In terms of safety, this place seems worse. With all the rough and crude-looking people around, it's no wonder there are constant conflicts.
As I walk through the streets, I occasionally stop to check my path.
The place I'm looking for is at the border between the residential district and the noble district, near the city walls.
This city, Rendel, is circular, with the castle at the center. The first wall surrounds the castle, and beyond that is the noble district. The second wall separates the noble district from the residential district, and the third wall is the outer wall that surrounds the entire city.
To go beyond the noble district, you need a special item or permit. If you enter without permission, you'll be punished. But in the game, there was a spot in the northern district's walls where you could enter the noble district.
And for some reason, the nobles and soldiers avoided that area.
If the quest information is accurate, it should still exist at this time.
That's why I left Nel and Amina behind and came here to scout.
"But going further ahead is... not a good idea."
I've been relying on my memory to get here, but going any further would clearly be a bad idea.
The area ahead has a shady atmosphere, with signs showing a bed and a wine glass. In front of the shops are provocatively dressed women.
This is the entertainment district, a place for adult socializing.
"This place wasn't in the game."
FBO wasn't an 18+ game, so having a place like this would have been inappropriate, but I didn't expect the story to deviate this much.
"Hey, kid. Fancy meeting you here."
"Ah, Dent."
Just as I was wondering what to do, a familiar face appeared, as if sent by the heavens. He had a drink in one hand and a smirk on his face.
With his beard, I really didn't want to meet him in a place like this.
Today, he's here for work, and it's obvious why.
And seeing me standing here, he's clearly misunderstanding.
"What's wrong, not satisfied with the girls? Coming here to buy a woman? You're quite the precocious one."
As expected, he misunderstood why I'm here.
"Do I look like I came here to buy something with this weapon on my back?"
"This area is dangerous, so even I carry a weapon. See?"
To prove him wrong, I showed him the bamboo spear on my back, but that backfired, making him think I came here for self-defense.
He showed me the dagger on his waist.
"Anyway, you must be having trouble deciding which shop to go to, right? Don't worry, I'll introduce you to a good one."
"No, that's not—"
"I also learned about women at your age. It's not a bad thing."
Then, with a "don't be shy" attitude, Dent's breath smelled slightly of alcohol. This guy's drunk.
Getting tangled up with a drunk is troublesome. If this keeps up, I'll be dragged into a shop for some "fun" with women.
If the beastkin girls, especially Nel, find out, it'll be over.
If they learn that I was playing around in such a place while they were working hard to level up, they'll definitely give me the cold shoulder.
I have to avoid that at all costs.
"So, it's decided."
"Um, do you know any shortcuts around here? I want to go to the 'Haunted Mansion'!!"
"Huh?"
So, without caring about appearances, I blurted out my real purpose.
If I keep making excuses here, I'll really be dragged away. I have no choice but to be blunt.
But the moment I mentioned my destination, the drunk atmosphere vanished.
"Hey, kid. I'm telling you this for your own good—don't go near that place. It's not somewhere you should go for fun."
There, standing before me, was a seasoned adventurer giving me a stern warning.