Chapter 220
Sometimes, I really don't understand the game called FBO.
If you look at the job list compiled by a certain strategy site, its peculiarity becomes obvious at a glance.
"Swordsman, Mage, Warrior, Priest, Saint, Hero"—okay, these make sense. They're classic jobs commonly seen in games. Then there are "Blacksmith, Artisan, and Cook"—production-type jobs, which are also understandable. These are standard if you're into crafting.
But "Demon King" isn't a job you see every day.
The Demon King is typically the ultimate evil, the final boss—yet in this world, it represents the pinnacle of magic users.
In reality, the only non-human beings in this world who possess the intelligence to invade it like a Demon King are the "Evil Gods." Monsters don't speak human language, attack on sight, and can only be tamed with special skills, making them difficult to ally with.
Since their leaders are all categorized as "bosses," the inhabitants of this world might not even know the term "Demon King."
"There are four prerequisites to obtaining the Demon King job. First, you must raise your magic to the highest tier, Divine Demon Magic.""Already done!""Second, you must possess at least four active magic skills, whether offensive or defensive.""I have them!""Third, the total level of all your magic-type skill classes must exceed 40.""All my skills are maxed out!""Fourth, your total MAG stat must be over 300.""It is!"
The stat requirements alone are absurdly high, and the skill conditions are no joke.
『Esmeralda Edelgard – Class 3 / Level 1Title: The SeekerBase Stats:VIT 80 | MAG 324BP 0EXBP 0Skills: 7 / Skill Slots: 9Divine Demon Magic – Class 10 / Level 100Staff Mastery – Class 10 / Level 100Lightning Rain – Class 10 / Level 100Blizzard Wave – Class 10 / Level 100Shock Bolt – Class 10 / Level 100Ice Wall – Class 10 / Level 100Magic Stock – Class 8 / Level 33』
Unless you specifically build for it, the most you'll get is "Sage." Lady Esmeralda, however, is fully committed to magic, so her skill setup is optimized for this path.
Her stats are the inverse of Nel's—pure MAG specialization. "Staff Mastery" enhances magic skills, and "Ice Wall" is a versatile defensive spell that blocks both physical and magical attacks. "Shock Bolt" is a rapid-fire lightning skill, short-ranged but deadly in close to mid-range combat.
Her title, "The Seeker," reduces MP consumption by 5%—a small but crucial advantage.
"Once you meet all four conditions and clear a dungeon above your rank, you'll unlock the Demon King job.""It doesn't have to be solo like Lady Claudia, right?""That's the interesting part—you're allowed up to four party members."
The restriction for Esmeralda's job quest is a party of five or fewer—likely a nod to the Demon King's traditional "Four Heavenly Kings."
Claudia clearing dungeons solo works in our favor, though losing our only healer is risky.
Technically, Esmeralda could solo this dungeon with her current gear and skills, but it'd require flawless magic management and quick thinking. For now, we'll use all available slots.
"So, Nel, Amina, Ingrid, and I will support you.""Thank you all for your help.""I had help too when I got my job. It's only fair.""Back then, even more people pitched in.""Needless to say, I'm in."
We've only got three uses left for this "ephemeral dungeon"—one was spent on Claudia's run, leaving two. Knowing her, she'll clear it in one attempt, so we'll use the remaining two to secure the "Elemental" title.
Mages are usually bound by elemental affinities. While non-elemental spells like "Magic Edge" exist, they lose effectiveness against high magic resistance.
But the "Elemental" title changes everything—it grants "Elemental Magic," which deals fixed damage regardless of resistances.
At first glance, "fixed damage" might seem underwhelming, but think about it: this skill ignores all resistances. Even a "Rainy Devil," which resists every element, takes full damage. The only defense left is raw MAG stat—and most mages won't lose in that department.
In short, "Elemental Magic" lets you deal consistent damage to any enemy.
And then there's the Demon King's unique spell:
『Origin Comet』
This thing is broken. It summons a comet over a wide area, dealing resistance-ignoring damage. With the right passives, it becomes an annihilation spell.
"Our targets are Cyclopes—physically specialized monsters."
Their strength is Class 5, accompanied by Class 4 "Trolls." Their stats are a ridiculous 9:1 ratio favoring physical power, but their magic defense is paper-thin. Though they resist earth, it barely matters—their MAG resistance is so low, elemental weaknesses are irrelevant.
"Nel, Ingrid, be careful. Trolls use clubs, Cyclopes use iron staves—adjust your skills accordingly."
As I weave a flower crown (larger this time, with thick-stemmed yellow blooms), Amina stares at my hands.
"...Liberta, do you like making these? You're really fast.""I like that they let me create dungeons. The speed comes from practice.""It's not a hobby.""But they're so pretty.""Better craftsmanship stabilizes the dungeon.""The balance is perfect.""Same reason.""The design's different from the last one.""I rotate through ten designs to avoid monotony."
Just because they're aesthetically pleasing doesn't mean it's a hobby.
"...It's not a hobby, okay?""Sure, sure. It's just very you.""Indeed.""As expected of Liberta-sama.""You'd probably be good at embroidery too.""I am using it for your outfits right now.""…………"
FBO's gear follows a simple rule: intricate designs have better stats.
I once made a joke outfit with insane embroidery—it took over a month. Never again.
Under the girls' impressed gazes, I finish the crown and shape the dungeon's entrance.
"Alright, enough chatter. Let's move!"
I switch to battle mode, gripping my scythe-spear. The dungeon swallows us whole, revealing a vast gorge—rivers, forests, and poor visibility.
But finding monsters is easy.
This is the Cyclops' domain.
The ground trembles as a hulking, one-eyed giant lumbers into view.