Crafter girl Shadyna is having a big problem.
Quite literally, even.
I have too much trash on me.
Because of what happened to Schennul, the first Magnus Bestia, I have decided to spent the next few days to do something about the items it left behind. In the process, I was drowned in trash.
The [Fortified home of the fireflies] is placed inside a newly built basement under Elri's house now. Being a furniture item with a medical history of getting destroyed by barbari… I mean, adventurers, I took no chance and made the whole place private to me so it will return to my inventory in case the house is destroyed.
Turned out, it was the third time I dug a basement and still did not consider the resulting trash pile being forced upon me afterward. Welp~
It wasn't the main reason for my current situation though.
The [Solidified soul fragment (Unformed)] is, contrary to my expectations, NOT a summon item. If I try to use it…
[Cannot materialize]
That happens.
So, being a rational cute little girl who does thing based on logic and evidences, I used [Creation] on the lantern and both soul fragments.
…What? I should use only one piece? Sure, I may get two pets out of such attempts, but wouldn't each individual pet be weaker than the original? And more importantly, I only have one lantern, so that would be impossible to craft twice! Not having a contract at hand is just asking for trouble.
Regardless of my reasoning, the fact that another hot pot craft being initiated is proof that I would end up with SOMETHING at least.
That's how I ended up wasting the last two days to fish materials for the hot pot. The location is secure this time, so I can afford to take time and use better materials.
Once again, I failed to take into account the amount of trash that was left after I put the expensive stuff into the hot pot… Welp. Moving with [Teleport] is fine and all, but I should do something before I am unable to clean up my inventory without going insane.
The waitress corps is on the move today, to raid a boss, I think. I was too absorbed in excavating the earth that I forgot what Hessy was saying…
I wonder who's (wo)manning the counters at the moment?
____________
In the depths of the snake-infested forest, a group of young ladies are casually walking along the narrow pathway between the trees. Back then, they would be greeted by random packs of wolf-like creatures or man-sized carnivorous birds. Now, it's snakes, lots of snakes, and even more giant snakes crawling out of every direction!
These snakes are having competition however.
_ Hessy: [Dark Bolt].
Multiple jet black projectiles home in on the Merexxa in front of the party. Its full form is actually called Larexxa, but because everyone is so used to the head-only version of the monster, they use the old name to call these things.
3k HP and 2k PDF is tough to fight even for level-capped players if they don't have buffs. Its low HP cannot be taken advantage of if over half of your attacks won't get through the defense. In a way, this forest poses a higher difficulty than the first Magnus Bestia for large armies.
Not that it matters for these people who are one-hitting most monsters here…
_ Hessy: This is it. Su, if you would.
The party has arrived at a small lake. The six waitresses who fought against BB Conglomerate back then still remember this place, for it is where they first met
_ Su: Right on~ Judging from
_ Nerin: The bonus boss has become secondary…
_ Su:
_ Fensen: Roger~
_ Poltea: I-I'll do my best!
The two young children who are not even employees due to labor law are eager for their next adventure. These two and Elri have already been part of the waitress corps all but officially for a while now.
_ Nerin: Your new victims?
Being the only sane person while Elri is smacking monsters left and right, Nerin has to do her part of looking at the lolicon with suspicious eyes. While not as famous as Hessy's cold glare, the bow user's "Are you stupid?" treatment has its own charm, or so think the no-good patrons.
_ Su: Rude~
_ Miel: Unknowingly.
_ Su: Unknowingly!
_ Nerin: You don't have a plan at all!
_ Poltea: Haaaaa… Is this going to be alright…?
____________
At the tavern counter, a lady who I have never met is fiddling with the flowerpot. It's a lava-filled pot I had placed before beginning my current project.
It was sold cheaply in the market for people who wants to decorate their house. The lava, that is. I made the pot myself with spare materials.
Economics is weird…
Well, as long as she doesn't try to rip the leaves out, I don't really mind, but…
Why the heck is a bartender working in the tavern area?
I have not met the bar or pizza team, but judging from that white shirt collar with black vest, she doesn't strike as the type who makes pizza doughs…
[Skill Leveled up:
Noticing my obvious stare, she leaves the counter even though the patrons are still ordering. Hey, you are supposed to be at work right?! And you crazy patrons, you should be angry instead of cheering her for the negligence you know?!
I thought she was a pretty normal person giving off an older sister aura, then as she moved I saw something poking out behind the counter.
Wings. Bat wings, even.
I have not explored all the race combinations in character creation due to the sheer amount of them, but I do know at least two ways to get those wings: Vampire and Beastman - Bat races.
Her hair is neatly tied up into a short ponytail that barely passes her neck, nothing fancy as far as I can tell. Chestnut brown hair with gentle black eyes don't exactly make a vampire-like image, but because you can modify a lot of stuff for your avatar, there's no guarantee.
I, for example, am half treant, but my silky smooth skin is free of bark-like texture, including places where no one is allowed to look at~
_ Older sister (?): Hello, little bird~ What brings you here?
A womanizer? Is this person a womanizer?! She's speaking like a playboy picking up the next cute innocent girl to add to the victim list!
Yes doctor, that person is a heart disease hazard, especially for naïve young ladies!
Despite the deceiving personality, she is, undoubtedly, a (former) respected lady of BB Conglomerate, just like my good friend Elri.
As in, that bust. Is. Enormous!
That black vest has a neckline so low, it might as well not exist! The only buttoned part is the lower torso, as the upper part barely covers her side. It was a (not so) valiant attempt to contain a big fat monstrosity that obviously failed, since the white garment underneath is in full view along with the mountains of hopes and dreams.
The shirt with frilly buttoned placket looks like it would rip at any moment, and her tucking it in is adding even more emphasis on the shape, as well as stress to the fabrics. Players getting blasted off into space is one thing, but isn't this pushing the limit of physics a little too much?!
In order to remove non-existent impurities from my head, I quantify the [Size] stats of the anomaly in front by biological visual sensors, AKA eyes. Turns out, she should have (roughly) the same cup as Elri.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The impression is of a different level because of the clothing though… Amazing…
If I am to meet the pervert who designed this outfit, I will thank them then blast them to smithereens with extreme prejudice! Better dig yourself a grave in advance,
_ Older sister (?): I think the owner broke…
_ ???: Terrified of those two bombs strapped on you, I bet.
_ Older sister (?): Eh~? But they bring joy to everyone!
_ ???: You misspoke "degenerates".
_ Degenerate (?) patron: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE!
More weirdoes have joined in while I was distracted by worldly desires!
Who's being the sane man from behind me anyway?
_ ???: Hello~ Anybody home?
_ Shadyna: No one's home, sorry~
_ ???: Looks like the rumor of the owner lady being a scatterbrain is a massive understatement. *Sighs*
I agree with that second statement. And who the heck has been spreading falsehood about me?!
The person with the foul mouth is a girl who seems to be in her rebellious phase. Look at that pink-tinted wavy hair! She's definitely an otome game's protagonist!
…On the other hand, there's this t-shirt and shorts with the cloth cap outfit of her… A commoner who has to do part-time job because she's too poor? Do fantasy worlds have part-time jobs in the first place…?
Anyway, that pizza box in her hand pretty much told me her profession. She's one of the pizza chefs, but with that uniform I think they run deliveries more than watching doughs being baked. Why they didn't just call themselves delivery girls is beyond me.
_ Shadyna: So you are the main heroine, while she's the main romance option?
The fateful encounter between a poor independent girl and a rich playful womanizer that will change their lives forever! Our cute pizza girl with her kindness to all living beings will move the cold heart of our unfaithful bartender and show her who's the alpha of the harem!
…I think I got some parts wrong, but that should be the gist of it.
_ Pizza girl: WHY?!
_ Lecherous older sister: How did you know~?
_ Pizza girl: You be quiet, damn lecherous skirt chaser!
…Bullseye?
Maybe it was the "kindness to all living beings" part that was off. Un.
____________
_ Elri (Party):
The mistress has just gotten back to the shore after a dive into the lake, and an emergency is already underway.
The four people who dived found a whole egg-filled chamber at the other end of the hole in the lake. Unable to initiate a craft using [Creation] and having snake monsters spawning from said eggs forced them to collapse the entire place using
Considering what they have done, it would be strange if there was no counterattack from the Magnus Bestia.
_ Poltea: I knew it would be angry…
_ Fensen: It couldn't be helped~ The snakes weren't friendly like Mister Elk!
_ Su: Innocent destructive lolis are scary! I love them.
_ Hessy: Do you lolicons have a daily player report quota to fulfill or what?!
It can be said that the diver team has more important matters to gossip rather than paying attention to the death beams aiming at the poor cavalry girl, or the boss up there firing the death beams in question.
When it first appeared, it was a grotesque dark purple-ish mass resembling a typical moss ball, at the size of a mall. Schennul was big, sure, but this one is the biggest monster in the game to date. It is also the most peaceful one, ironically, since it just floats there menacingly and depends on its snake minions to do the damage.
Now that some pesky adventurers had ruined the snakes' nest, they stopped spawning. In exchange, numerous tendrils grew out of the moss ball's upper hemisphere, while roughly the same number of creepy eyes are opening on the rest of the surface area.
In short, it looks like a dimensional abomination. The only question for the observers is why this is considered a Magnus Bestia instead of a Nox Terminus. Both the dark color scheme and the quantity-over-quality strategy are Nox bosses' modus operandi so far after all.
If this were an apocalyptic horror game, that thing is probably the last boss. In fact, because it's already an optional bonus boss, becoming a last boss may actually be a downgrade.
A bonus boss that acts like a disco ball of death with its lasers and upbeat BGM. Such is the impression felt by everyone here.
_ Su: That looks like Hessy's pet.
_ Hessy: I do not have summon, let alone something that nasty!
_ Elri: WHO CARES ABOUT THAT!? JUST HELP ME ALREADY!!!
For this raid, Elri chose the new stingray pet instead of the usual salamander (permanent designation) as mount. Because aquatic creatures don't usually run well on dry land, they all have a special skill to allow movement in unfavorable terrains.
[Water Bubble]. It creates a physic-defying water bubble around the creature to keep it floating a small distance above ground.
The bubble moves with the caster in the horizontal plane, but not vertical. Its size is enough to maneuver up and down a bit, allowing Elri to evade like an underwater aircraft. There are so many things wrong with the scene unfolding in front of the party, but they decided to be polite and not mention it.
_ Miel: It took a liking to you.
Not just the diver team, the rest of the party are all having the "Well, at least it's not me" attitude towards the poor elf taking the brunt of the attacks.
_ Elri: How in the world did you come to that conclusion?!
_ Mera: Well~ Elf, female, warrior, big bust, against…
_ Elri: I'm sorry I asked! Please shut up!
_ Hessy: It's not descending, unfortunately.
They had hoped that by evolving, Yierus Lair would land so they could get in range and blast it to oblivion using
Totally not going to be a questionable plot there.
_ Miel: I know of a way to get up there.
_ Elri: Then say it sooner!
_ Miel: I thought of it just now.
Looking at Elri as if to find something,
_ Miel: Should have brought swimsuit.
_ Elri: Want one? I still have the one that pervert
_ Miel: Sorry, I can't take someone else's used underwe…
_ Elri: I AM TALKING ABOUT SWIMSUITS!!!
_ Hessy: Cut it out,
_ Miel: Aw… Let me test it first.
Without explaining, she throws the stingray into the air!
_ Fensen: It can fly~!
_ Poltea: No it cannot!
The poor creature does not have the ability to fly, so after a short time it stopped gaining altitude, and started dropping, which is no surprise to anyone. What wasn't expected, however, is a blob of water manifesting into existence around the stingray. As if not minding the rough treatment one bit, it slowly descends (swims) to ground level, creating new bubbles as soon as it leaves the one it's in.
_ Poltea: It really can fly?!
_ Hessy: No, it cannot… That's just floating.
_ Miel: Good.
Catching the beast again,
_ Mera: My heart is not ready for this~
_ Miel: Everyone, please hold onto one. I will send you to the boss.
_ Hessy: You can't possibly be thinking about throwing both the stingray and us, right?
Even if it can keep floating in the air,
Everyone still swims around Elri to acquire their own "floatation device" though. They trust each other at least that much.
_ Miel: Of course not, leader.
_ Mera: Un?
The very person proposing the plan does not have a stingray in her hands, which is suspicious.
_ Miel: I can't. Besides, what are you thinking, trying to put a young maiden into melee range of a monster like that?
_ Mera: Oh~
_ Hessy: Some of us are also melee though?!
_ Miel: Please don't mind the little details.
Brandishing her hammer,
_ Elri: Eh, what are you…
The moment she is in range, the waitress swings her weapon like a golf club. The ball this time is a car-sized stingray with an unfortunate elf on top however.
_ Miel: Good luck. [Divine Impact]!!!
*WHAM*
Both got blasted into the sky like a rocket. One can only hope they don't explode on contact.
Because the attacker and the summoner are in the same party, the minion stingrays won't attack
_ Elri: GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
_ Miel: Next.
_ Hessy: Wait! I am not rea…
_ Miel: No time. [Divine Impact]!
*WHAM*
The harsh mistress has become the next victim. She remembers the good old days of NORMAL boss raids as she soars into the sky, trying her best to not let go of the fish in her hands.
I don't want to get used to this! Thinks her.
____________
This is mind-bogglingly tedious…
Thanks to the skirt-chasing bartender
[Skill Leveled up:
Now my only job is to keep using [Refinery] to fish, and put the trash I have into the wagons around me. My two scary attendants will do the rest.
As expected, sitting in one place for hours is tedious. Reminds me of the time when I…
_ Thelia: Metal goes here, food goes there…
_ Shadyna:
She does not even stop when I talk to her. What a professional…
_ Thelia: I have been delivering food to
_ Shadyna: What kind of black company were you working for?!
_ Thelia: Our team's SPD and MSP are very high because of that. It's a good way to grind skill as any.
The whole delivery team are all jet fighters with magical gatling guns?!
_ Thelia: Owner, that's rude.
I haven't said anything!
_ Helen (Party): I just heard something really interesting.
_ Thelia (Party): What? The walking anomaly is still fishing here.
_ Shadyna (Party): Why am I being treated like a trouble magnet?!
_ Helen (Party): Some people saw the waitress corps in the forest. Apparently our friends were wrestling for air superiority underwater against the Magnus Bestia.
…What.
Seriously, what the hell is with that description?!
_ Thelia (Party): Nice weather, isn't it?
_ Shadyna (Party): Please do not escape reality! At least use a topic I can follow up with!!!
Just like that, I mindlessly go around various zones to fish all kind of materials until the day before patch.
--- Topic: Price gouging ---
## OP alchemist
Everything is too expensive! Why is rat meat more expensive than potions made from rat meat?! (>_<)
And the cafeteria menu is all fish! Why?!
##
## StoneHoarder
That's just how it is. The hoarders had bought everything in high demand even before raid concluded. They deliberately did this with the intention to make profits from our misery.
As for the… fishy menu, I have no idea.
EDIT: Despite my username, I did not participate in this activity!
##
## Manly Warrior
Badum tss! (^o^)/
Guess we did not create emergency stockpiles even though we had known this problem since Operation Zero Glory AAR. (~_~;)
Hoarders, hoarders never change.
##
## Silver Merchant
But it WAS an emergency! Do we need to have emergency-emergency stockpiles now?
##
## GoldBar9999
Sorry about that. BB Conglomerate will prepare countermeasures to prevent these kinds of market crash in the future.
In the meantime, our guild just setup a small part in the marketplace to sell materials at pre-raid market price. We got a really big bulk seller for low and medium grade materials, right when we need them most.
Now we are oversupplying the market instead. orz
##
## Mage of Sin
How?! Σ(゜д゜;)
And RIP the hoarders, you deserve it. (*´▽`*)
##
## PeaceDestroyer
Will someone think of the economy?! What's with supply demand jumping all over the place?!
##
## Silver Merchant
…Because they just got the supplier? It's only 2 days since the crisis.
@GoldBar9999: Are we rebuilding the siege site?
##
## GoldBar9999
No, the Yierus Lair was defeated already. (;_;)
The stream is in the Magnus Bestia 2 thread. It's wild.
##
## Manly Warrior
RIP, that was quick. These two events… are not related, right?
##
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