Chapter 418
Stormy Forest, Blizzard Mountain, and next came the Scorching Desert.
"With no night cycle, I seriously thought, are they trying to kill me?"
The divine trial's murderous intent was high.Even in FBO, such a streak of bad luck was rare. Overcoming one challenging area after another, I managed to crawl into a safe zone by the end of the first day.
"Well, I'll manage somehow."
Munching on the meat of the Bullshorn, a giant cow-like monster obtained on the seventh floor's Savanna area. On the cruel fourth floor, where I had to cross from one isolated island to another in a vast ocean, I pulled an Inaba White Rabbit-style trick against the Hound Orcas—killer whale-type monsters, not sharks—to clear it.
While I was at it, I made salt from seawater to secure sodium. Now, on the sixth floor's Volcanic area, I secured a heat source using volcanic stones. Inside the earthenware pot I made on the spot, there are plenty of volcanic stones still radiating heat. I placed a flat stone on top of the pot containing the hot stones to use as a frying pan.
On it, meat sizzled, emitting a delicious aroma.
"Mmm, even with just salt, this umami. As expected of a Class 4 monster. Hearty and filling. Though, considering nutritional balance, I'd like some fruit or vegetables. Or maybe some potatoes and carrots as a side."
Sprinkling salt with an intuitive pinch or two, using that peculiar hand gesture that was popular ages ago, I took a big bite.
Living a survival life, of course, food is procured locally.While I have the bare minimum of water and rations, relying solely on them to clear this trial would be fundamentally impossible. Without food, I wouldn't have the strength.
So, while collecting items necessary for the clear, I also made sure to secure provisions.
Thanks to that, my meals have become so lavish it makes me question the very concept of a 'survival life.'
"Mmm, since the Bullshorn fur cloak dropped, sleeping isn't an issue. I got a ton of volcanic stones, so making fire isn't a problem either. If I could just secure a water source, I wouldn't struggle to live for the time being."
Consecutively clearing tough areas, even I feel the fatigue.But I've steadily upgraded my gear; it's incomparably better than my starting equipment.
Even with high murderous intent, these are areas I've cleared countless times.I understand the winning strategies, and efficiently clearing while maintaining a safety margin is second nature.
"Nell and the others should be fine. The question is Shalia's situation."
We encountered unexpected trouble right after arriving in Areiya, but that has nothing to do with us.We can just steer clear of it. But the problem is the person trying to get involved.
"I still think Shalia's the most suitable for Project Gurgle Makeover."
What Gurgle possesses is a certain type of moss that grows in a specific location.At first glance, it seems unremarkable, but without that moss, the foundation for an Elixir production line cannot be established—it's a critical material.
It's not the moss itself that becomes the ingredient, but the soil nurtured by the moss that's important.What Gurgle sells are premium medicinal herbs cultivated in that soil, capable of producing mid-class potions.Thanks to that, Gurgle's family is wealthy.
To acquire that moss alive, you need to get on good terms with Gurgle.But to win over Gurgle, a male character won't do.
"Even though he's distrustful of women, he also hates men. It subtly raises the difficulty of winning him over. At this point, you'd want to call it misanthropy."
Murmuring to myself alone while cleaning up after eating.In the safe zone within the dungeon, there's no worry about monster attacks, so I can relax. But staying silent the whole time is also tiring. So, I vocalize what I'm thinking. To an onlooker, I'd probably look crazy.
But people often mutter to themselves while doing dishes, right?
In FBO, Gurgle was famous as a troublesome NPC.In terms of performance, he's below average—no talent for combat and no talent as a merchant either.While you could make him theoretically strongest through stats and skills, he was a character whose personality and mindset prevented him from reaching that peak.
So, his evaluation settled as a 'material exchange ticket.' There were even gag videos like "I tried defeating an evil god with Gurgle."
When trying to win over such a Gurgle, it's said to be nearly impossible with a male character.The reason is simple: other men are more popular with women than he is.You could dismiss it as mere envy, but his meager male pride won't allow it.With full-blown lust towards women and hostility towards men—a very troublesome character.
However, to prepare an environment for producing Elixir, getting along with Gurgle is the only way.
There might be other methods: plunder, theft, throwing money at him...If I only needed to acquire it, those could work. But to acquire the moss *alive*, that's not possible.
This moss, called Shine Moss, is incredibly delicate.At night, it faintly glows—a moss that could even be used for illumination to create a fantastical scene.
And what's amazing about this moss is that, as a material, it's a rare case of having composite attributes.It possesses the effects of three attributes: Light, Water, and Earth—an incredible material.
When I first checked it with Appraisal skill, I thought, "This moss?!" But after learning it's a specialist that enhances the ground environment, it ranked high on the list of essential partners for FBO alchemists.
The balance of light and shadow is exquisite. Plus, it only grows in pristine streams and withers immediately if removed from that environment.Reading Gurgle's storyline reveals the origin of this moss. It's apparently a mutation, discovered by the founder of Gurgle's family—a man's wife, a Scale Person (frog-like) who married from the east.
This wife, knowledgeable in pharmacology, persuaded her husband to start cultivation, which sold well and elevated them to the rank of great merchants. The frog-like face is apparently genetic from that wife.
It's no exaggeration to say that its successful cultivation was barely possible thanks to that woman from a pharmacological family. The cultivation method was strictly passed down, and according to FBO's Gurgle, you can't even become head of the family until you've mastered it perfectly. Gurgle's family has preserved this troublesome moss for over ten generations.
No wonder it's an exclusive deal.
"All that's left is for Shalia to somehow get along with Gurgle, guide him on grooming, and then a matchmaking event will trigger... hopefully."
To make contact with such a Gurgle, the common methods were to negotiate with a female character unit, or to use Shalia, a unit whose beauty transcended the barrier of gender.
The important point here: if you use a female unit, Gurgle becomes fixated on that female.
Once he gets along with her and raises her favorability, Gurgle, thinking there's no woman better than her, will launch a passionate romantic attack.You can refuse him then, but that completely breaks the Gurgle flag. You can no longer interact with him, and you can't get the moss either.
And if you accept the relationship, Gurgle will always be by that female unit's side.Furthermore, because he loves her with all his heart, a system was in place where that female unit's favorability from the protagonist would no longer increase.
After getting along with a woman and entering a relationship, Gurgle calms down, gains peace of mind, and begins to show some aptitude as a merchant.So, if only his desires can be channeled, things work out.
The problem here is simple: player sentiment, and the demerit that the female unit becomes completely unusable as a combat unit once she starts dating Gurgle.
However, that's only from FBO's perspective.
In this world, romantic feelings—the most unstable emotion—should be considered based on reality.Forcibly marrying someone would undoubtedly lead to discord.
So, I can't use the 'offer as tribute' strategy like in the game.Disgust is a physiological instinct in humans and hard to erase.
Therefore, the surefire method is to boost Gurgle's appeal as a man so he can secure a partner on his own.That's Project Gurgle Makeover by Shalia.
Originally, in FBO, Shalia was recognized as a unit highly knowledgeable about beauty.And it was theorized that due to her appearance, she might be able to make contact with Gurgle.That theory hit the mark perfectly. With her feminine appearance, she didn't incur hostility and could easily interact with him. Furthermore, using her beauty knowledge, she could also guide him on improving himself as a man.
When this was discovered, it caused an innovation among FBO players at the time. Shalia, already popular, became recognized as a "Gurgle攻略 specialist," further boosting her stock.
"I think I gave Shalia all the beauty knowledge I had that might be useful, so she should be fine."
The basic development path is for Shalia to get along with Gurgle through business talk.If they can discuss business—getting him to sell the moss—and obtain it that way, that would also be fine.
However, since he uses it as his business seed, I don't expect to acquire it easily. And if we're going to produce Elixir, Gurgle, as the moss's administrator, fits into the ideal formation.
"The ideal scenario is for Shalia to get hit on by Gurgle."
Honestly, I'd like to recruit him if possible.But winning over Gurgle requires a long-term investment; he won't join until you help him find a wife.
The time-saving method within that is for Shalia to get hit on, leading to the makeover course.
The probability of Shalia getting hit on is low.According to verification team testing, about 5%.With adjustments for Shalia's clothing, it can be raised to a maximum of 11%.Since you can attempt it multiple times, you could call it high, but for time-saving purposes, it's more of a 'bonus if it happens' mentality.
"Getting hit on, interaction, then gender reveal, mind-breaking, makeover, marriage—that was the mainstream approach in FBO... but realistically, it won't go that smoothly."
I conveyed the ideal sequence, but as my current trial difficulty suggests, my luck is bad.So, Gurgle's situation probably isn't going that well either.Worst case, they might not have even met.
"Well, I should worry about myself more than others."
Time to sleep and prepare for tomorrow.From tomorrow, it's back to clearing the trial.
Outside the safe zone lies thick fog, and this area is a jungle overrun with carnivorous plant monsters.Attempting an area full of trap monsters while sleep-deprived would be foolish.
It's a bit chilly, but the volcanic stones keep me warm.Wrapped in fur, I lie down and close my eyes.
Swearing to myself that I'll definitely clear this, I fall asleep today.
But at this time, I didn't know—
—that while I was struggling here, Shalia was winning over Gurgle with maximum efficiency, and that the difficulty from here on would become a trial where fumble upon fumble piled up.