Published at 25th of April 2023 07:07:15 AM

TNG Vol. 16 Chapter 3 Part 1

Two weeks had passed since Shins party arrived in Romenun, when a sudden event occurred.

Shin was engaging in his new daily activity of practicing arts, when a shrill cry reached his ears.

Hey, Shin, that was

Yeah, looks like we have an uninvited guest.

The cry came from Baomultan. Its shrill voice sounded like it was crying for help.

Shin expanded his detection range and found 6 presences around Baomultan.

Of the 6 presences surrounding Baomultan, 3 of them were approaching it, then stepping away, all from different directions. They were probably attacking it while preventing it from focusing on a single target.

Shin had access to Romenuns functions, so he used them to send a message throughout the guild house. Schnee, Tiera, Yuzuha, and Filma, who were training with him, took out their weapons immediately.

A few minutes later, Shibaid and the others arrived too. Hydro and Oxygen were equipped not with the gear they invented, but what they received from Hecate.

We dont know the enemys goal. From the icons movements, I believe they are attacking Baomultan, but its not clear. Dont attack them out of the blue.

I know, I know, lets go already!

Tieras words reflected everyone elses feelings as they looked at Shin. Tiera was scared of Baomultan during their first encounter, but now it spontaneously approached her.

Dont go too close. If they are fighting, Baomultan might attack us too.

Shin said to Tiera as they headed towards the area. The other members had seen Baomultan attack other players, so they would probably be wary.

Will it attack us too?

I cant say anything yet, unfortunately. I do hope it doesnt.

Shin also thought he had become friends with Baomultan, so it would hurt emotionally if it attacked them. In that case, regardless of the attackers objective, Shin thought they deserved at least one good punch.

Looks like theyre really fighting.

I was sure that no normal people would ever come all the way here, but it looks like these people are pretty strong.

Once they crossed the forest-like clusters of plants, the view became clear. The members who could use Far Sight already looked at Baomultan and its surroundings.

They saw three people in full body armor, two in robes, and one wearing a cleric garb.

The armored warriors approached Baomultan from the left and right to attract its attention while the two in robes launched fire and lighting spells. The cleric-like member simply held a staff high and did nothing else.

Baomultan was struck by the magic spells and cried, probably because it was in a weakened state. It did not move much, if at all. Its tail and claw attacks struck the armored warriors. However, they protected themselves with their shields, so they were not blown away and simply retreated a few steps, then resumed the original formation. If the battle continued like that, there was a possibility that Baomultan would be killed by them.

However, there was something unusual about the attackers. They were all affected by poison and paralysis and continued healing themselves, but the recovery speed was clearly too slow.

Stop the fight!!.

Shin, Filma, and Shibaid leaped in the air and landed in front of the armored warriors. Kagerou then howled, attracting the attention of the robed spellcasters and the cleric.

Shin, Filma, and Shibaid had their defenseless backs turned towards Baomultan, but they were prepared for the possibility that it attacked them.

W-what are you people!?

One of the armored warriors drew his sword and shouted. Only his eyes were visible through the armor and his voice was muffled, but it was clear that he was a man.

We have our own reasons. Why are you people attacking BaltBaomultan, anyway? This monster doesnt harm people.

Shin pretended he wasnt about to say Baltan and questioned the man who shouted.

If they had mistakenly thought that the poison covering the area was generated by Baomultan, Shin planned to explain the situation.

People in this land of death?

What a powerful presencewe cannot win.

The other two armored warriors seemed to be shaken. One of them had apparently perceived the strength of Shins party, as he abandoned the fighting stance and raised his hands.

The spellcasters and the cleric looked left and right, trying to assess the situation.

We have no intention to fight. We wish to speak with you.

are youhuman?

The armored warrior who shouted first asked this question to Shin.

They were acting as if it was nothing, but the area they were in was a place filled with deadly poison, where normal people would fall to the ground writhing in pain after just breathing the air a little.

Someone who didnt know Shin and the others couldnt believe any human being would enter such an area without a protective mask or helmet, showing their face like that.

It wasnt strange for their humanity to be doubted.

We are. We dont need to hide our mouths like you because we have an accessory protecting us from the poison. You have some decent equipment, cant you see that we do too?

Shin noticed that they were wearing medium or possibly inferior Mythology-grade equipment.

In a world where even Legend-grade equipment was treated as national treasures, they were all clad in equipment even superior to that. They were definitely bizarre by this worlds standards.

They were either related to players or were players themselves. Or maybe some special corps skilled enough to be assigned such equipment. These were all plausible options.

Our equipment isdecent..? No, one look at your equipment is enough to understand. Lower your weapons, everyone. Resisting them would be pointless.

The man Shin spoke with seemed to be the leader: other than the armored man who had already put down his weapon, everyone else lowered theirs.

Thank you for putting down your weapons. I would like to start our talks immediatelybut first, let us offer a safe place to do so. You wont last long with that equipment.

The attackers HP was gradually decreasing as they talked.

Shin knew they couldnt talk like that, so he took a card out of his item box and materialized it.

What materialized in Shins hand was a blue rhombus-shaped pendant. He then threw it in a direction away from the lake.

Before hitting the ground, the pendant glowed brightly, revealing a log house after the light dissipated.

The poison wont affect us there. Follow me.

Shin went inside the log house first, followed by Schnee and Shibaid. He asked Filma and Sety to watch over Baomultan via Mind Chat.

The attackers leader hesitated a little, then shook his head and entered the log house. The other members quickly followed him, paying attention to Baomultan, Schnee, and the others.

Well be safe here. The poisons effects are gone, right?

I cant believe itthe poison is really gone.

The first one to respond to Shins words was the cleric. The equipment covered everything but the eyes, but the voice revealed that she was a woman.

Once she removed her equipment, since her body did not show any particular features, Shin thought that she was probably a Human.

Youre the healer, dont remove your equipment first!

Whats the use of being suspicious now? If this boy planned to get rid of us, he wouldnt have led us in here, one skill and we were gone. Am I right?

The cleric spoke so frankly that even her comrades were at a loss for words. In terms of possibility, something was like that was indeed possible for Shin.

We truly wish to talk with you, can I assume that you believe us?

It would be pointless to do this if you were lying, I suppose. Wed appreciate it if you listened to our circumstances too.

It would be a problem if you didnt talk, actually.

Shin answered the cleric with a wry laugh. Thanks to their exchange, the other members removed their equipment too.

Lets start from introductions. Im Shin, a Human. The Elf is Yuki, the Dragnil Shibaid. Together with the people outside, were all adventurers.

Sety wasnt registered with the guild yet, but, since it would be troublesome to explain, Shin said they were all adventurers. Incidentally, Yuki was a fake name used by Schnee.

So were in the same business. Let us introduce ourselves too, then. I am Garon, a Dwarf. Im wearing armor like this now, but my main job is blacksmith.

Garon removed his helmet and introduced himself while caressing his long beard.

He was about as tall as Tiera, with thick arms and broad shoulders, so he looked wider than he was tall. He was equipping a large round shield and a mace.

My names Mavlov. Im a bear Beast, as you can see.

Mavlov also removed his helmet before introducing himself. He wasnt as tall as Shibaid, but he was easily over 2 mel tall. He was the one who suspected the humanity of Shins party. He was equipping a tower shield over 1 mel tall and a mace.

Agarj, wolf beast.

The final armored warrior, who spoke in a slightly nervous tone, was named Agarj. He held kite shields on both hands.

Like Mavlov, he was a Beast type that looked like the base animal in human form. He was rather large, though not as much as Mavlov; standing next to Garon, they made him look like he was a child compared to them.

My name is Risha, Im a Human like you.

Risha had the air of a tough, gutsy mother. She looked like nothing would scare her easily.

Asha, Human.

Mesha, Human.

The last ones to introduce themselves were two young girls, apparently twins. They were a bit taller than Sety and holding staffs taller than themselves.

Apparently they could turn their gear into cards, which they did after removing it.

So, why were you fighting with Baomultan? As I said before, theres no need to pick such a dangerous fight, is there?

We wouldnt be doing this if we could avoid it either. At this point I care little about money or honor.

In other words, they had a reason to engage in such recklessness.

(Schnee, I cant tell for sure, aside from the twins, arent they all pretty old?)

Shin asked Schnee a question via Mind Chat.

The Human Rishas white hair and wrinkles clearly showed that she was of advanced age.

Mavlov and Agarj retained an animal-like face and Dwarves like Garon looked old no matter their age, so Shin couldnt tell their actual age.

Their tone, gestures, and atmosphere, however, made Shin wonder if they werent all pretty old.

(All the men are, yes. I believe they are more than 70 years old. For short-living species, they are quite advanced in age.)

Schnee could apparently tell, but refrained to comment on the female member for some reason.

According to Schnee, even if in that world skills and magic potions existed, short-living species could not expect to live very long lives.

The twins werent supposed to come this time.

Yes?

Mavlov talked while looking at the girls.

The request we received is a very important one: the existence of a country depends on this. If someone has to die, it would be best for someone old relics like us.

The eyes of the adults of the group focused on the girls.

In case of emergency, they probably planned for the two of them to escape safely.

Ersorry but it doesnt look like we can do anything about that. Could you get to the point?

Mavlovs words seemed to upset the twins, so before the topic derailed further Shin brought it back to the original one.

My apologies. Let me explain now. Our goal is Baomultans materials: we need them to craft equipment in order to defeat a certain monster. Thats the request we took.

And that certain monster is?

A name flashed in Shins mind.

A monster called Durgin. If you know Baomultan, youve probably heard about it as well, yes?

Shins prediction turned out to be true. A Durgin other than the one sunk into the lake was apparently up to something.

Well, more or less. Just to be sure, the extermination request didnt come just because a Durgin was spotted, right?

If that was the case, we wouldnt have accepted it

Garon added that in Durgins case, extermination requests would not be posted if it was only spotted and caused no damage.

Durgin is threatening our country as we speak. Thats why the extermination request was created.

Durgin is threatening your country? You mean that its going to attack it?

As far as Shin knew, Durgin only attacked players if they entered within a certain radius.

Shin initially thought that someone had probably provoked it.

Exactly. At first it was just flying over the country, but 2 weeks ago it descended, spreading poison in the surroundings. There arent any casualties yet, but a growing number of people have been rendered unable to move.

Is there a possibility that someone attacked Durgin?

I cannot say there isnt. In that case, however, it would come to attack directly, wouldnt it?

Apparently, Durgin had been flying back and forth over the country for one month.

As Garon said, if it wanted to retaliate after being attacked, it wouldnt do something like that.

Have you noticed anything else?

Nothing that could prove useful. We only came to find Baomultan because we happened to find records about it.

Is it a well-known fact that Baomultan is here?

I dont know how well-known it is, but most people know about it in our country. Its a popular tale. Deep within the mists of death lives a dragon that feeds on poison. If you dont behave Im going to leave you in the dragons denparents commonly say this to children to keep them quiet.

It was a variation of the common if you dont behave, ___ will come to get you! spiel parents would use with unruly kids.

It was used as a fairytale, but the mists of death really existed and the countrys top brass, as well as the guilds executives knew about the dragons existence. Thus Garons party was sent to retrieve its parts.

Since fighting Durgin without poison resistant equipment would be difficult, I suppose?

Even if we try fighting it, the most we can do is resist the poison without dying.

In the game, poison would gradually decrease HP, but in reality it wouldnt be so simple.

Weak poison would be one thing, but powerful poison like the one Durgin used would prevent anyone affected from even moving properly.

Durgin scattered the most powerful type of poison: High Poison.

For Shin it was a rather common status ailment, but apparently it was being buffed by something, as it took a very long time to heal.

Anyone affected needed to be healed too, so, even if they focused on defense and healing, they could barely keep alive, said Garon.

How high is Durgins level? Im sure it usually varies a lot.

672. If it wasnt for the poison, Im sure we could take it down, even if it meant sacrificing our lives

The level was not too high.

Garons party was equipped with Mythology-grade equipment, and, judging from how they fought, they had good control of their weapons and it didnt look like they were suffering from penalties because of lacking stats. If all of them were like that, they were quite powerful by this worlds standards. Even in the game era, with the right strategy they could surely win. The problem was, just like Garon said, countering the poison.

The level is the same as the Durgin I know. But it sounds like its poison was boosted by something. Could it be that it was instigated to attack your country?

Ours is a small country with little to no strength, though? I cant think of anything that could be earned by attacking us.

The country, Passner, was a small kingdom located to the north of Baomultans area. When many new countries were founded after the Dusk of Majesty, Passner was built in a relatively dangerous area to reduce the appeal of outside forces coming to take it over.

Passner was not easily accessible and did not have any particularly interesting specialties. It was so small that there was little distance between the royal family, the nobles, and the common folk and it was ruled in a generally peaceful way. Being close to Baomultans area, there were very few powerful monsters in the surroundings, so it was perfect to spend ones old years, or so Garon explained.

We were relatively famous adventurers once, but now were just a bunch of old geezers. Were supposed to be Chosen Ones, but we cant move like we did anymore. This time its different, though: we have to do something about Durgin. What do you plan to do with us?

Garons whole body projected intimidation.

His party intended to defeat Baomultan, while Shins wanted to protect it. Shin could clearly feel that Garons party would fight if Shin and the others stood in their way, even if they knew that they were no match for Shins party.

We have our own reasons for not letting you defeat Baomultan.

Shin understood their circumstances, but had no intention of letting them have their way.

Is that so. Unfortunately

There is one more thing I would like to confirm, though. Do you mind?

what?

Garons words were interrupted by Shins question and the Dwarf found himself in an awkward posture. He was probably going to draw his weapon.

Basically, all you need is a way to counter Durgins poison, right? If you had that, you wouldnt need Baomultans materials anymore.

Thats right. We took this risky route just because we had no other options.

Shin asked for further confirmation and Garon nodded with conviction in response. Risha probably understood what Shin was going to say and looked at him with a serious expression.

So if I can provide that poison resistant equipment all our problems will be solved, am I right?

What are youno, after all you all were here in this area of deadly poison as if it doesnt affect you

Garon recalled that Shins party wasnt constantly healing themselves, nor equipped with any masks or other protection: they were walking in the poison mists as if they were taking a stroll through town.

I dont know if its okay for us to ask, butwhat exactly are you people?

Risha, who had been quiet during the conversation, finally joined in. Shin turned towards her, thinking that she probably didnt like the fact that he offered to give them equipment all of a sudden.

Were suspicious, is that what you mean to say?

More than suspicious, youre incomprehensible. Your equipment is so full of magic power that its giving me the chills just by looking at it. But youre wearing it as if it was completely normal. Are you sure you arent monsters?

Risha, the partys cleric, seemed especially sensitive in regards to magic power. She could probably tell what grade Shin and the others equipment was too.

Risha! Why do you address them with such disrespect?

Dont stop me, Mavlov. We dont have time to waste chatting like this. We cant stay here leisurely reading each others intentions, can we?

Mavlov tried to appease Risha, but she wouldnt listen.

Durgin could be attacking the country as they spoke. If they returned to find the kingdom in ruins it would all be pointless.

Youre right. Let us reveal our identities then. We are Schnee Raizars party members. Im the blacksmith of the group.

While talking with Garon, Shin and the others had discussed this plan via Mind Chat, and finally put it into action. When in trouble, go with Schnee Raizar.

SchneeRaizar?

Havent you heard the name before?

Of course we have. I did wonder if it was really her, but since you spoke first

Apparently, they had seen Schnee once, but many years ago.

Since she was introduced not as Schnee, but Yuki, and Shin spoke for the party, they thought she just resembled Schnee.

Schnee was not using her camouflage this time.

Female Elves, however, all had beautiful features and usually had long hair. Silver hair and blue eyes was a common combination, so there were many similar-looking Elves.

Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Schnee Raizar. Let me talk from now on.

Y-yes.

Wait just a moment. What proof do you have that youre the real one?

Garon was intimated by Schnees smile, so Risha stepped forward in his stead.

Youre being disrespectful again

The fate of the country is at stake! Dont go all gaga just because shes pretty!

Garon tried to stop Risha again, but she retorted sharply. Her eyes were serious, clearly expressing that she didnt tolerate lying.

Proofwell, if you can use Appraisal you could try removing my camouflage, if you think I am using one.

Youre stronger than us, though. Even if you showed camouflaged fake stats, we wouldnt see through them.

It was an effective method if the users stats were superior to the target, but if the user was inferior the result would be like Risha said.

Mmghwhat about her guild card?

Its just issued as a placeholder, so I wouldnt call it proof.

Sohow about we materialize Tsuki no Hokora?

Tsuki no Hokora was classified as Whereabouts: Unknown officially. In this world, Tsuki no Hokora was known as Schnee Raizars shop, so they thought it could work as proof.

Ive heard about Tsuki no Hokora, but Ive never seen it with my own eyes. If you had a good fake, Im not sure I could tell.

Even if you say that

Since Risha had never seen the real Tsuki no Hokora, she couldnt be sure that whatever Shin materialized was real or fake.

Thinking about it, proving ones identity in a situation like this was rather difficult. The guild card too, even if it couldnt be used you could present someone elses card to fake your identity.

Showing proof of identity was more complicated than expected.

I have a proposal, can I speak?

Shins party was wondering what else they could do, when Agarj, who had kept quiet the whole time after introducing himself, raised a hand.

Please. Any method would be welcome.

Let me tell you one thing first, dont misunderstand. Could you let me smell her?

Smell?

Agarj was a wolf-type Beast, so his sense of smell was probably very sharp. Shin didnt see how it could be useful in this instance, though.

Let me explain. Before I joined Garons party, I used to be in Falnido. It was just a short while, but I stood on the frontlines with the First King, Girard. I dont know if you remember, but it was when Lord Girard and Lady Raizar fought together.

Agarjs sense of smell was apparently unusually keen even among other wolf-type Beasts: he said that he remembered Schnees smell and could use it to verify her identity.

I just need to smell her weapon. I remember well the smell of Lord Girards Swift Fang. Its still in my memory, though, so I dont know if it can count as proof.

No, that is enough. Your nose can be trusted. I have no doubts.

Agarj said the last words apologetically, but Mavlov, standing next to him, spoke with confidence. They were bear and wolf, but both being Beasts, Mavlov too knew that such senses could be trusted.

Yes, his nose has saved us plenty of times already. If he says you are the real one, I will believe it.

After Mavlov, Garon nodded too. At the same time, Asha and Mesha were nodding too.

Well, I do know that Im asking for a lot. Im not going to doubt the words of a comrade.

Everyone looked at Risha, who raised both hands in surrender.

How close should I come?

1 mel will be enough.

Agarj then walked up to 1 mel from Schnee and smelled the air. He didnt need to put his nose next to the weapon, apparently.

Schnees current main weapon wasBlue Moon, but she didnt use it at the time, so she took out the weapon she had used then from the item box.

Theres no mistake, shes the real one.

Agarj confidently stated that it was the same smell he felt when he was fighting behind Girard.

You have a really good memory, though.

People like Lord Girard and Lady Raizar have particular smells.

It wasnt about being strong or weak, but it felt like a majestic and powerful aura, together with the smell, passed through ones whole body. Various people perceived it differently, but Agarj said that was the impression he got.

Schnee added that the Beasts sharp sense of smell allowed them to tell how strong someone was by their smell, which could have influenced it as well.

Now that we have verified that I am the real one, can we proceed?

Yes, of course. You said you could offer us poison resistant equipment?

Yes. If you are experienced adventurers, you surely know about Chosen Ones. He is an advanced Chosen One and a skilled blacksmith capable of forging even Mythology-grade gear. He can craft equipment with higher poison resistance than what you could make with Baomultans parts.

I suppose as much.

Schnees explanation of the difference between them shocked the group, with the exception of Garon. Maybe because most Dwarves were well versed in smithing, he had already figured out that Shin was a blacksmith.

You are a blacksmith too?

Yes, I crafted most of their equipment too. I cant even compare with your skills, though. You crafted the gear you are all wearing, yes?

Garon spoke with confidence while looking at Shin. He could tell that Shin made their equipment.

Shin wondered for a second if he was being tricked in admitting it, but Garons eyes were completely serious. He was apparently sure to be right.

If you can craft something like that, its no wonder that you could create gear superior to what I could do with Baomultans materials.

Are we settled, then?

theres something I want to ask.

This time, the spellcaster twins raised their hands.

Why do you help us? I dont think you need to go so far.

It would be easy for you to chase us away. That would be enough to protect Baomultan.

The two girls were encouraged to speak, and did so in a very frank tone.

Well, you see. Looking at your fight, I could tell right away that you were putting your lives at stake. Then I heard about your reasons. I thought we could help. Thats pretty much why we offered to help. Well, Im also curious about Durgins behavior, to be honest. To put it simply, were sticking our nose in your business.

To help or not help others. Shin did not have a clear basis to choose between these two options. In the end, it mostly depended on what he felt and what he thought. He didnt think he wanted to help anyone he saw in need.

Can you accept my reasons?

Shins words might sound too casual for the party that would receive his help. The twins expression, in fact, was still clouded.

Thats reason enough to help others.

The first one to nod to Shins words was Mavlov.

We have done similar things in the past. This time were going to be helped instead of being the ones helping. Thats all there is to it.

Thats right. Haha, now that you put it that way, youve really hit the nail on the head.

The details were different, but they too did similar things in the past. Garon agreed to Mavlovs words and laughed heartily. Agarj too nodded silently, while Risha emitted a small sigh.

No one has any objections, yes? Please, tell us more.

Garon and the others were finally convinced and asked to go on with the conversation.

Im the partys blacksmith, so let me talk now. Well, its just as I said before, though. We can offer you poison resistant equipment. But in exchange, let Baomultan go. I would also like to observe that Durgin, so I ask you to let us come with you to your country.

Equipment with resistance to multiple status ailments was incredibly rare in this world.

Equipment with a single resistance, like what was necessary in this case, was not so uncommon.

It was relatively rare nevertheless, but after seeing the resolve of Garons party, Shin wouldnt hold anything back.

He did add the second request off the top of his head, but he was naturally serious about it.

Shin was sure Durgin wouldnt attack human dwellings without reason, and since he was involved with Baomultan right as an incident involving Durgin happened, he felt that he would end up having to deal with it even if he chose to do nothing this time.

We have nothing to lose in this offer. Are you really sure, though? This is more than just doing us a favor.

Well, Im not doing it completely out of the good in my heart anyway. Durgin and Baomultan share a connection, after all. If something had happened, gathering information about it will be valuable for us too.

Shin replied that it was reason enough for them.

Garons party probably did not know about the Durgins remains in the lake.

Was there a connection with the Durgin threatening their country? Thats all Shin wanted to know. He hoped there wasnt.

Information, I see. That could be valuable indeed. I apologize for derailing the topic. So, when could you give us the poison resistant gear? It pains me to push you like this, but we want to return to our country as soon as possible.

I have the gear ready. You just need to equip it, if there are any adjustments to be done Ill take care of them.

Shin then pulled out from his pocket -actually from the item box- a series of cards.

When facing an enemy that inflicted specific status ailments, it was essential to be prepared to prevent them. Shins item box was filled with various such gear, from prototypes to complete items.

Garons party, however, was at a loss for words.

Equipment in card form, I seeit wouldnt surprise me if you had an item box, but to see you pull them out so casually

Considering the place we are, I prepared all sorts of things, you see. Rather than that, try them on and let me know if anything feels strange. Youre in a hurry, arent you?

Thats right, this is no time to fret over the details.

The other members nodded to Garons words too.

The men changed on the spot, while the women used another room.

incredible. Ive used equipment that adjusted itself to your size before, but it never fit so perfectly.

Indeed, this isnt inferior to our current equipment.

Agarj and Mavlov talked while lightly moving their bodies.

Garon changed too, but his expression looked sour.

Is there anything wrong?

No, nothingnothing at all. Its simply perfect, I dont know what to say.

Shin asked the Dwarf if he had any concerns, but his reply was in line with Agarj and Mavlov.

After a while, the partys ladies returned, wearing Shins equipment. They did not have any problems either.

Lets head to Passner immediately then. We made you spend time talking, after all.

Durgin could attack Passner at any time, so they decided to leave right away. Shin thought that, being Schnee Raizars party, they had some leeway to do things out of the norm, so he materialized their modified carriage.

There was no guarantee that Durgin wouldnt attack places other than Passner, and since Baomultan was weak, he asked Shibaid, Tiera, and Kagerou to stay back.

Baomultan understood that they had stopped the attackers, so it didnt do anything when they came out again. Shin looked at it lying on the ground, stroked by Tiera, and breathed a sigh of relief.

If anything happens, let us know immediately.

Understood.

The carriage would be pulled by Yuzuha. After making sure all members of Garons party were on, they left quickly.

Is this carriage floating?

It doesnt vibrate at all, does it. Is this a smithing technique too?

Agarj and the others were surprised by the utter lack of vibration as the carriage moved.