Chapter 332: To the Future (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 332: To the Future (2)
Vol-Herchan was a super-huge monster that appeared on the seventh floor. Because it lived in groups within a designated area, as long as you had the specs, the acquisition of the essence itself was on the easier side. This was why I chose the essence of the Bayon as my reward from the palace; it was a little harder to obtain later.
But if you look at combat performance alone, this one is superior.
If Bayon's Transcendence gave you buffs, improved unpredictability, and made unconventional skill combos possible, Vol-Herchan specialized in just one thing: Physical Resistance, the stat that all tanks had to prioritize over Strength. Besides, among Vol-Herchan's active skills was one that could block an aura, so this damned essence was one that was essential to develop into a reliable Shield Barbarian.
The problem... is the color of the essence.
Depending on the color of the essence, the active skill varied. This was the biggest reason why growth became tougher the higher level you became. Not only was hunting high-ranking monsters difficult, but starting at rank three, droppable essences appeared in five or six different colors. As such, I couldn't get ahead of myself yet.
"Amelia... do you know what color the essence is?"
"Hmm, it was probably green."
What? Green?!
"Hallelujah..." The word flew from my mouth unknowingly and Amelia frowned. True, she must have been confused since this was her first time hearing it.
"Is that a word used in your homeland?" Without any religious connotations, I explained that it was simply a phrase you used when you got lucky, to which Amelia nodded and said, "I see." Then she gave me a somewhat brooding look. "And you had so much to say earlier when I said that phrase..."
Ah... right. I had been pretty stern with her when she said "evil spirit." It might have seemed hypocritical of me.
Welp, normally I would have just shouted hallelujah inwardly.
Was it because she was the only ally I had in this world who knew I was an evil spirit?
I offered her a genuine apology. "I wasn't trying to be harsh with you. I just think I might be getting too comfortable around you. I'll be careful too."
"...If you say so." Amelia coolly accepted my apology, resolving the matter there.
Picking up where we left off, I decided to ask the most important question. "But, Amelia..."
"Stop giving me that strange look and just say it."
Well, if you say so.
"Um... do you happen to know how much it sold for?" When I asked this, trying my best to stop vibrating in my seat, Amelia snickered and got up from her chair.
Click, clack.
She came all the way up to me, bent down, and whispered in my ear. As soon as I heard the amount, goosebumps rose all over my body. Why the hell was it so expensive?
I almost passed out after hearing the price, but if I wanted to get nitpicky, it wasn't that unreasonable. This was a rank-three essence, after all. And since it was released on the exchange instead of Sky Auction House, there would have been a greater number of bidders after the item. After all, there were tons of rich people who had the money but not the qualifications needed to enter Sky Auction House.
Anyway, that wasn't important. "Um... Amelia."
"Speak."
"Well..." As I trailed off, Amelia returned to her seat and sat cross-legged, her arms crossed. It was harder to ask her this when she looked like that. "Uh... it's..."
When my hesitation continued, Amelia sighed and threw me a bone. "Are you curious how much we'll get for selling all the equipment?"
"Yep."
"Probably... only 70 percent of the top bid. And that's assuming we sell it all slowly and for the proper price."
Hah, I see.
"...I guess I'll have to give up on it."
Being just 30 percent short of the price wasn't a huge problem. However, that was after I'd been collecting looted equipment for half a year and had gathered the entirety of ten people's earthly possessions. Raising the money needed to make up for the 30 percent in such a short period of time would be next to impossible.
Judging by her expression, Amelia seemed to think so too. "...Was it an essence you wanted?"
"Yeah..."
"Don't be too discouraged. We can obtain the essence on our own later."
That's true, but...
Sigh...
Even Amelia's words of comfort made me sigh. If I had known the price was so high, I would have preferred not to find out about the essence at all. It felt almost like someone had handed me a birthday gift before taking it away again. After all, even the color of the essence was perfect. In that brief moment, even I felt the tug of fate.
"Well, it's not that we're totally without the means..."
At the sound of Amelia's voice, I raised my lowered head. "Means...?"
Amelia avoided my gaze. At first, I thought maybe the look in my eyes was making her uncomfortable, but it didn't seem like she was just staring off into space. It felt more like her eyes were fixed on something.
What is she staring daggers at?
I followed her line of sight and then jumped to my feet—and rightfully so. There, leaning against the wall, was Kraul's Demon Grinder in all its glory.
"N-Not that!"
"Why? It's not something that we can take back to our original time, anyway."
"I'm going to bury it and hide it!"
"That still has an element of risk to it. It may be more logical to dispose of it and exchange it for an essence."
Amelia wasn't wrong. No matter how well I hid it, there was no guarantee that it would still be there twenty years later. An essence, on the other hand, could come back with me no matter what. But...
"Are you seriously nuts?! Telling a warrior to sell his weapon!"
"You sound very barbarian right now."
"Ah, it's a habit..."
"I figured that was the case."
But why did our conversation suddenly go off the rails? I returned to the matter at hand, resolute. "Anyway, I'm never going to sell this, so don't ever talk about selling it again! I would rather give up on that essence!"
I wasn't merely being stubborn. Even a rank-three essence couldn't compare to a double-digit Numbered Item in terms of rarity. Double digits were so rare that they didn't even appear at Sky Auction House. Depending on the demand, the difference in price between the two might not be very big, and the essence could even sell for more at times, but when you looked at their acquisition difficulty alone, Kraul's Demon Grinder was dozens of times harder to get your hands on. Put simply, if I sold this thing now, I had no way of knowing when I'd be able to get it again.
When my hesitation continued, Amelia sighed and threw me a bone. "Are you curious how much we'll get for selling all the equipment?"
"Yep."
"Probably... only 70 percent of the top bid. And that's assuming we sell it all slowly and for the proper price."
Hah, I see.
"...I guess I'll have to give up on it."
Being just 30 percent short of the price wasn't a huge problem. However, that was after I'd been collecting looted equipment for half a year and had gathered the entirety of ten people's earthly possessions. Raising the money needed to make up for the 30 percent in such a short period of time would be next to impossible.
Judging by her expression, Amelia seemed to think so too. "...Was it an essence you wanted?"
"Yeah..."
"Don't be too discouraged. We can obtain the essence on our own later."
That's true, but...
Sigh...
Even Amelia's words of comfort made me sigh. If I had known the price was so high, I would have preferred not to find out about the essence at all. It felt almost like someone had handed me a birthday gift before taking it away again. After all, even the color of the essence was perfect. In that brief moment, even I felt the tug of fate.
"Well, it's not that we're totally without the means..."
At the sound of Amelia's voice, I raised my lowered head. "Means...?"
Amelia avoided my gaze. At first, I thought maybe the look in my eyes was making her uncomfortable, but it didn't seem like she was just staring off into space. It felt more like her eyes were fixed on something.
What is she staring daggers at?
I followed her line of sight and then jumped to my feet—and rightfully so. There, leaning against the wall, was Kraul's Demon Grinder in all its glory.
"N-Not that!"
"Why? It's not something that we can take back to our original time, anyway."
"I'm going to bury it and hide it!"
"That still has an element of risk to it. It may be more logical to dispose of it and exchange it for an essence."
Amelia wasn't wrong. No matter how well I hid it, there was no guarantee that it would still be there twenty years later. An essence, on the other hand, could come back with me no matter what. But...
"Are you seriously nuts?! Telling a warrior to sell his weapon!"
"You sound very barbarian right now."
"Ah, it's a habit..."
"I figured that was the case."
But why did our conversation suddenly go off the rails? I returned to the matter at hand, resolute. "Anyway, I'm never going to sell this, so don't ever talk about selling it again! I would rather give up on that essence!"
I wasn't merely being stubborn. Even a rank-three essence couldn't compare to a double-digit Numbered Item in terms of rarity. Double digits were so rare that they didn't even appear at Sky Auction House. Depending on the demand, the difference in price between the two might not be very big, and the essence could even sell for more at times, but when you looked at their acquisition difficulty alone, Kraul's Demon Grinder was dozens of times harder to get your hands on. Put simply, if I sold this thing now, I had no way of knowing when I'd be able to get it again.
"Hmm, if you say so." When I explained the reason in depth, Amelia accepted my logic without objection, and that was the end of that conversation. Amelia went out to check on her sister again, and I drank at the inn by myself to soothe my queasy stomach.
"Ugh, the alcohol... is sweeter today..."
How long would it take to obtain this essence? I couldn't be sure, but it would take years at least. To start, I'd need to return to my original time, reassemble the clan, painstakingly upgrade our ship, and get through the sixth and then the seventh floor to encounter a Vol-Herchan. Then, after all that, the laborious grind required to get the right color of essence would begin.
"Ugh... Vol-Herchannn..."
I was drinking alone crying woe is me when the door opened with a creak. "Have you been drinking this whole time?" It was Amelia, who had devotedly stayed by her sister's side all day and only returned after sunset.
"Haha, you're here? Amelia..."
"I told you to keep the door locked."
"...Sorry."
"...You're apologizing?"
"I'll be better about locking the door from now on. After all, it's not like I have that essence. If an assassin with an aura comes after me, I'll have no choice but to squeal and die..."
Was it because it had been a while since I'd been drunk? I was suddenly so overcome with emotion that I couldn't speak.
At the sight, Amelia let out a deep sigh. "You reek of alcohol." That was my bad as a roommate so I accepted the criticism as it came, my head hanging morosely. There was a pause before Amelia cautiously opened her mouth. "But Yandel. That essence... do you really want it that bad?"
"Huh...?" At that moment, I instantly sobered up. She sounded like a mother about to give into her son who was throwing a tantrum in the toy aisle. "Do you have a way...?"
At the sliver of hope in my voice, Amelia huffed out a sigh that almost sounded like a laugh. "Don't get your hopes up too much."
"Y-You mean...!" I was moved to near tears.
"I told you not to get your hopes up too much. All I'm saying is that there's something we can try."
So this was how it felt to have someone older and dependable on your side. I had never felt this way before.
***
Since that day, Amelia went out every morning and returned at dusk, looking tired, but she didn't answer any of my questions asking what she was up to. She said she'd tell me when the time came since she didn't know how things would play out.
"If things go well, I think I can solve our money problem. So until auction day, be proactive. Don't just stay at home all day."
"Amelia...!"
There was no way I could go against Amelia's orders so I started wandering outside after that. I had just one goal in mind: finding a place where Kraul's Demon Grinder could be safely stashed for twenty years.
Hm, I think the forest in the holy land would be perfect, but it might be disturbed during a funeral ceremony...
Finding the perfect spot was a lot trickier than I thought. Even if it seemed like I found a good place, whenever I examined it objectively, it was never 100 percent ideal.
The sewers can't be trusted because vagrants gather there... And I can't enter the holy lands of the other races, so that's a bust...
If Amelia failed to gather the money needed for the essence, I would have to choose a more secure place that could hide our large sum of equipment-related money as well. Well, that wasn't my only concern, though.
What happens if she really finds the money?
My current level was six. I could consume a total of six essences, and all six slots were currently full. In order to take the essence of Vol-Herchan, I'd either have to level up or erase one of the essences I had. But to reach level seven, I'd have to clear more than half the sixth floor, so it was a no-brainer.
What would be the best one to erase?
Orc Hero, Ogre, and Bayon were my core essences so I didn't intend to remove them, and Storm Gush was a rank-three essence so it would be a waste to erase it. Just the base stats alone made it worth keeping. So, I had two options: Manticore, my sole transportation skill and a rank-five essence I already planned to erase someday, and Corpse Golem, the rank-seven essence I had been forced to absorb to survive. Although it had the lowest rank of all my essences, that didn't mean it was an easy decision.
I feel like I'll be empty without this...
There was no need to explain how vital this essence had been in words. I'd received immense help from its Pain Resistance stat. Plus, Flesh Burst and Acid Fluid—which I had once considered trash skills—actually played a useful role in battle.
It's about time to graduate, though. I never intended to use it this long in the first place.
If I had to choose between the two, it was better to keep the Manticore. The reason was simple: even if I got to keep 20 percent of its stats thanks to Heredity, that would still mean my current +200 Mana Resistance would be reduced to +40. If I erased it now, I would have to consume another essence that could boost my Mana Resistance to balance things out until I obtained the essence of Bellarios.
Well, this is all pointless to worry about if Amelia can't find the money.
At the reminder that my hiding spot would become even more important in the case of failure, I diligently explored various parts of the city, and time flew by.
Only three days left now.
With about three days left until auction day, I set a clock on the table and lay in bed.
I wonder what will happen this time.
It was midnight on the 15th.
***
"Oh, I'm here this time."
Waking up in a familiar room, I first put on the mask hanging on the wall. Then I hurried outside. Only silence filled the empty hallway, but if my hypothesis was correct, the GM who inherited this space would be around here somewhere.
Should I take a look around first?
I wandered the hallways and carefully inspected the mansion. I didn't see any of the existing members of the community, like the head of Orcules or Fallen Scholar.
Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to them...
It was when those questions slowly began to arise that I spotted a white guy standing blankly in the first floor's main hall. Even at a glance, I could tell he wasn't an evil spirit from the same realm as Auril. He was wearing sportswear with a logo that was familiar to me.
Is that the GM?
In order to get a closer look, I took a step forward. But did he sense my presence too?
The man looked around and flinched when he made eye contact with me. "A-A person!?"
I studied the man in the silence that followed, and he did the same.
That's unexpected.
His facial features were somewhat dopey, with eyes full of confusion. It almost looked like he was afraid of me, as well.
"Um... w-who are you? I heard the original members were all banned..."
The existing members were all kicked, huh?
Seeing as he was revealing information I didn't even ask for despite the fact that he was clearly on guard, I thought I caught the heady scent of a newbie, which was impossible to hide even if you tried.
Yes, even the GM wouldn't have been here more than a year at this point. He would be inexperienced.
How should I prepare this meal? My mouth was already watering. Maybe that was why.
"A-Are you... sir! Is that you?"
At that question, asked with such an innocent look on his face, I almost licked my lips without realizing it.
"Hmm, if you say so." When I explained the reason in depth, Amelia accepted my logic without objection, and that was the end of that conversation. Amelia went out to check on her sister again, and I drank at the inn by myself to soothe my queasy stomach.
"Ugh, the alcohol... is sweeter today..."
How long would it take to obtain this essence? I couldn't be sure, but it would take years at least. To start, I'd need to return to my original time, reassemble the clan, painstakingly upgrade our ship, and get through the sixth and then the seventh floor to encounter a Vol-Herchan. Then, after all that, the laborious grind required to get the right color of essence would begin.
"Ugh... Vol-Herchannn..."
I was drinking alone crying woe is me when the door opened with a creak. "Have you been drinking this whole time?" It was Amelia, who had devotedly stayed by her sister's side all day and only returned after sunset.
"Haha, you're here? Amelia..."
"I told you to keep the door locked."
"...Sorry."
"...You're apologizing?"
"I'll be better about locking the door from now on. After all, it's not like I have that essence. If an assassin with an aura comes after me, I'll have no choice but to squeal and die..."
Was it because it had been a while since I'd been drunk? I was suddenly so overcome with emotion that I couldn't speak.
At the sight, Amelia let out a deep sigh. "You reek of alcohol." That was my bad as a roommate so I accepted the criticism as it came, my head hanging morosely. There was a pause before Amelia cautiously opened her mouth. "But Yandel. That essence... do you really want it that bad?"
"Huh...?" At that moment, I instantly sobered up. She sounded like a mother about to give into her son who was throwing a tantrum in the toy aisle. "Do you have a way...?"
At the sliver of hope in my voice, Amelia huffed out a sigh that almost sounded like a laugh. "Don't get your hopes up too much."
"Y-You mean...!" I was moved to near tears.
"I told you not to get your hopes up too much. All I'm saying is that there's something we can try."
So this was how it felt to have someone older and dependable on your side. I had never felt this way before.
***
Since that day, Amelia went out every morning and returned at dusk, looking tired, but she didn't answer any of my questions asking what she was up to. She said she'd tell me when the time came since she didn't know how things would play out.
"If things go well, I think I can solve our money problem. So until auction day, be proactive. Don't just stay at home all day."
"Amelia...!"
There was no way I could go against Amelia's orders so I started wandering outside after that. I had just one goal in mind: finding a place where Kraul's Demon Grinder could be safely stashed for twenty years.
Hm, I think the forest in the holy land would be perfect, but it might be disturbed during a funeral ceremony...
Finding the perfect spot was a lot trickier than I thought. Even if it seemed like I found a good place, whenever I examined it objectively, it was never 100 percent ideal.
The sewers can't be trusted because vagrants gather there... And I can't enter the holy lands of the other races, so that's a bust...
If Amelia failed to gather the money needed for the essence, I would have to choose a more secure place that could hide our large sum of equipment-related money as well. Well, that wasn't my only concern, though.
What happens if she really finds the money?
My current level was six. I could consume a total of six essences, and all six slots were currently full. In order to take the essence of Vol-Herchan, I'd either have to level up or erase one of the essences I had. But to reach level seven, I'd have to clear more than half the sixth floor, so it was a no-brainer.
What would be the best one to erase?
Orc Hero, Ogre, and Bayon were my core essences so I didn't intend to remove them, and Storm Gush was a rank-three essence so it would be a waste to erase it. Just the base stats alone made it worth keeping. So, I had two options: Manticore, my sole transportation skill and a rank-five essence I already planned to erase someday, and Corpse Golem, the rank-seven essence I had been forced to absorb to survive. Although it had the lowest rank of all my essences, that didn't mean it was an easy decision.
I feel like I'll be empty without this...
There was no need to explain how vital this essence had been in words. I'd received immense help from its Pain Resistance stat. Plus, Flesh Burst and Acid Fluid—which I had once considered trash skills—actually played a useful role in battle.
It's about time to graduate, though. I never intended to use it this long in the first place.
If I had to choose between the two, it was better to keep the Manticore. The reason was simple: even if I got to keep 20 percent of its stats thanks to Heredity, that would still mean my current +200 Mana Resistance would be reduced to +40. If I erased it now, I would have to consume another essence that could boost my Mana Resistance to balance things out until I obtained the essence of Bellarios.
Well, this is all pointless to worry about if Amelia can't find the money.
At the reminder that my hiding spot would become even more important in the case of failure, I diligently explored various parts of the city, and time flew by.
Only three days left now.
With about three days left until auction day, I set a clock on the table and lay in bed.
I wonder what will happen this time.
It was midnight on the 15th.
***
"Oh, I'm here this time."
Waking up in a familiar room, I first put on the mask hanging on the wall. Then I hurried outside. Only silence filled the empty hallway, but if my hypothesis was correct, the GM who inherited this space would be around here somewhere.
Should I take a look around first?
I wandered the hallways and carefully inspected the mansion. I didn't see any of the existing members of the community, like the head of Orcules or Fallen Scholar.
Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to them...
It was when those questions slowly began to arise that I spotted a white guy standing blankly in the first floor's main hall. Even at a glance, I could tell he wasn't an evil spirit from the same realm as Auril. He was wearing sportswear with a logo that was familiar to me.
Is that the GM?
In order to get a closer look, I took a step forward. But did he sense my presence too?
The man looked around and flinched when he made eye contact with me. "A-A person!?"
I studied the man in the silence that followed, and he did the same.
That's unexpected.
His facial features were somewhat dopey, with eyes full of confusion. It almost looked like he was afraid of me, as well.
"Um... w-who are you? I heard the original members were all banned..."
The existing members were all kicked, huh?
Seeing as he was revealing information I didn't even ask for despite the fact that he was clearly on guard, I thought I caught the heady scent of a newbie, which was impossible to hide even if you tried.
Yes, even the GM wouldn't have been here more than a year at this point. He would be inexperienced.
How should I prepare this meal? My mouth was already watering. Maybe that was why.
"A-Are you... sir! Is that you?"
At that question, asked with such an innocent look on his face, I almost licked my lips without realizing it.