Chapter 332 Part 1
332
《You have received (1) message(s) from your friend(s).》
I’ve logged in.
The time is 5:50 AM.
The message was from Suzuhara.
Could it be that he’s already finished it?
『The equipment is ready. You can pick it up at Water Spirit Island until this morning. If you can’t come after tomorrow, please reply.』
Just as I thought.
I guess he really got it done this quickly, huh?
Did something happen?
Well, I’ll find out once I get there.
First of all, let’s have breakfast.
Time to summon Bunraku.
And let’s collect the Magic Stones produced by the Cintamani Stone.
What should I do with the extra time?
Let’s have a sparring session.
Fighting against monsters isn’t bad.
But fighting against humanoid opponents is a unique experience.
It feels more connected to reality.
That’s all there is to it.
The question is who to pick…
Let’s go with Goki and Kurama.
Of course, it’s going to be a 2v1 battle.
I might struggle a bit, which is good.
Even though I’m having them use wooden swords, there has to be a sense of tension, right?
After finishing the morning practice match, I think back on the battles while having a meal.
Did anything change after my Class Change?
I’m not really sure.
I’m definitely in better shape, though.
What about close combat with weapons?
No changes.
And what about barehanded fighting?
No changes either.
If anything has changed, it’s the Summoned Monsters.
The synergy between my Summoned Monsters had been naturally improving for some time.
I feel like it’s definitely gotten better as of late.
Though I don’t have anything in particular to compare it to.
We had a total of five 2v1 matches, of which I won two and lost three.
Hmm.
Is it because of the synergy between Summoned Monsters?
No, I still don’t have enough training.
To be honest?
I’m just frustrated about losing.
Now, let’s move.
Let’s go with Heather, Aotsuki, Sputter, Setsui, and Ignis.
The premise is to be able to fight large groups of monsters in the air.
Just going back and forth may take a short time, but it’s a good way to gain experience points.
I won’t be able to get any items, though.
Still, did that plan go half-wrong?
The weather is nice.
But on the other hand, there are fewer monsters.
I somehow feel like I understand the reason for that.
The reason was on the sea surface.
Several ships are sailing.
They are heading in different directions, but it looks like something is gathering at some of them.
They must be under attack by monsters.
I remember being attacked when I was on a ship before.
Well, I shouldn’t interfere.
Let’s do our best each in our own way.
All I have to do is eliminate the monsters in front of me.
Let’s go to Water Spirit Island!
《【Precise Manipulation】 Level Up! 》
The time is 8:20 AM.
This is the only thing I leveled up by the time I arrived at Water Spirit Island.
Maybe there wasn’t enough prey after all?
Oh well.
What should I do after I receive Apnea and Outerreef’s equipment?
I’ll be able to move faster underwater and on the sea with them.
This will expand my range of action.
That’s very significant.
Like when I got a horse for land movement.
Like when I got a Pegasus for air movement.
What will its true value be?
「This is how they turned out.」
「Whoa…」
Suzuhara showed me two sets of belt braces.
The heavier one is probably for Apnea.
【Equipment: Belt】 Ice Flying Dragon Belt Grade C+ Rarity 6
Weight 1+ Durability 300
A belt made using Ice Flying Dragon Hide. The hard outermost layer has been shaved off.
Flexible and durable, and with slight elasticity.
Can be used as a simple saddle.
※【Horsemanship】Skill +1, Bonus to actions while mounted [Slight]
Decreased penalties for actions while mounted [Slight]
【Equipment: Belt】 Ice Flying Dragon Belt Grade C+ Rarity 6
Weight 3+ Durability 400
A belt made using Ice Flying Dragon Hide. The hard outermost layer has been shaved off.
Flexible and durable, and with slight elasticity.
Can be used as a simple saddle.
※【Horsemanship】Skill +1, Bonus to actions while mounted [Slight]
Decreased penalties for actions while mounted [Slight]
These are simple saddles, but it doesn’t seem like there’s a clear place to sit.
All they have is a handle to grab onto.
But that should be enough.
「There is no equivalent to a horse harness’ bridle bit in these. There’s equipment corresponding to a bridle and reins.」
「Will these let them open and close their mouths freely?」
「Their structure is similar to that of a halter, but I’m sure it won’t get in the way of that.」
「Can their size be adjusted?」
「It can be done to some extent.」
I’m glad to hear that.
Some Summoned Monsters sometimes grow larger as they level up.
This growth happens gradually, so you might not notice until it has grown.
Having to renew equipment every time a Summoned Monster levels up is rough.
「And this is what I could make out of the hide’s shaven exterior.」
There is an item that was handed to me.
It’s like this.
【Armor: Clothes】 Ice Flying Dragon Coat Grade C+ Rarity 5
Def+8 Weight 1 Durability 200 Breath Resistance [Medium]
A coat made using Ice Flying Dragon Hide. Resistant to breath attacks.
※【Cold Resistance】 Skill +2
Oh!
It seems like it could also be used as winter clothing?
It feels like a raincoat when I hold it.
「Let’s put these on then.」
Apnea and Outerreef were playing around with each other in a corner of the port.
Without caring much about that, Suzuhara puts the equipment on both of them as he swims.
He’s very skilled.
「Have you obtained any items on your way here?」
「More or less, yeah.」
I chat with Kaya while watching Suzuhara taking care of the equipment process.
I casually mention that there is an Area Portal in the E4 Map.
For a moment, he looked surprised.
However, it seemed like his face quickly turned into a bitter smile.
「Well, I wish you would have come to this side sooner.」
「To the east?」
「Compared to the west, conquering the Maps on this side doesn’t seem to have progressed at all.」
Sorry.
I’ve been blown quite far to the east.
There’s only one Map that seems profitable, though.
「All done!」
Suzuhara was calling out from the sea.
It seems like he’s finished.
How does it look?
The belt has a slightly dark brown color, and it looks really good on Apnea.
It’s not as noticeable on Outerreef, though.
「So when you ride these, it’s like this, huh?」
「Oh.」
Suzuhara rode Apnea and Outerreef as if to check the equipment’s performance.
It’s certainly different from riding Aotsuki.
It’s more like holding onto them than riding them.
It seems like you need to steady your body firmly with at least one hand.
「Kyu-kyu?」
「Kyu-ke!」
The two of them squeal strangely.
Yeah.
They don’t seem particularly uncomfortable.
I guess they’re fine?
I want to try them out right away.
But not here, let’s go back to the E4 Map.
I’m looking forward to it.
Really looking forward to it.
After settling the bill with Kaya, it’s time to move.
I rearrange my lineup and head for E2.
I want to try these out.
I want to try these out quickly.
The bird monsters are a nuisance, but I don’t mind them.
I don’t mind the Flying Hands either.
My anticipation is just that high.
《Summoned Monster『Setsui』 Level Up!》
《Please add 1 point to a desired stat.》
I was attacked by monsters several times on the way back to the E4 Map.
Both the frequency and the size of the groups were high.
I wonder why?
Could it be because there are fewer ships traveling on the sea at this time?
Well, I turned all of them into experience points without missing any.
Setsui’s SPI increased automatically upon leveling up.
Let’s choose AGI as her second stat increase.
Setsui Succubus Lv4 → Lv5 (↑1)
DEX 7
AGI 26 (↑1)
INT 25
STR 7
VIT 7
SPI 27 (↑1)
Skills
Flight Levitation Echolocation Magical Resistance [Medium] MP Recovery [Medium]
Shapeshift Spacetime Attribute Light Attribute Dark Attribute Fire Attribute Earth Attribute
Setsui has caught up with Kotohogi!
She has been quite active up to this point.
I wonder if it’s because her fighting style is all about going full throttle without worrying about her MP bar?
Well, I don’t think she’ll be making too many appearances until Kotohogi levels up.
I’ll be arriving at the island with the giant rock soon.
Now, the real fun begins.
After descending to the island, I changed my lineup in the shallows.
I’m going with Rig, Nias, Strand, Apnea, and Outerreef.
It seems like we’ll be moving around more efficiently like this.
So, which one should I ride?
I’ll start with Apnea.
Let’s try riding him.
Apnea doesn’t have a dorsal fin.
First, as a safety measure, let’s try clinging on with both hands.
Hook both of my feet where the stirrups would be.
Oh.
Is this forward-leaning posture good?
Well, I’ll find out once we get into the sea.
This is a problem.
It’s so much fun!
I forget about fishing and just want to let him swim as far as possible.
That’s what it feels like.
It feels fresh even though it’s supposed to be the same seascape.
It’s nice to be able to glide over the sea surface.
And going underwater is even better.
Of course, Apnea’s swimming speed will slow down with me on his back.
But he doesn’t seem to mind that.
I’m still in the shallows, but I’m starting to look forward to going out to sea.
And I seem to have made a new discovery.
When swimming near the sea surface, Boxing Mantis Shrimps and Greater Karkinos will no longer come to attack me.
They’re all Passive.
Well, it’s only natural.
But it really took me by surprise.
Alright, next…
It’s Outerreef’s turn.
What about my riding posture?
It seems to be fine.
However, there’s another issue.
When Outerreef swims near the sea surface, he tends to jump.
Maybe he’s just having fun?
Probably.
But he does so with an overwhelming amount of force.
It seems like I might get thrown off if I’m not careful.
Suruga, and Nonomura…
To think that you were riding one of these!
Well, I guess I’ll just have to get used to it.
Fighting while riding seems to be a little… no, quite difficult.
That’s right.
I want to try mounted combat underwater.
But there are choices to be made.
Riding Apnea seems to be relatively easy.
However, his body is quite large, and the Lion Sage’s Lance is too short.
How about using the Snow Wyvern’s Lance underwater?
If I prioritize range, the Snow Wyvern’s Lance might be good.
I have no idea what’s best!
Outerreef is faster than Apnea.
He has a very dynamic maneuverability.
But I’m worried about whether I can handle it.
Really worried.
In this situation, I have no choice but to try various things.
How about trying underwater maneuvering battles against Greater Karkinos or something like that?
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
Summoner is Going
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 Hours
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