Chapter 348 - Special Circumstances, Special Build
Shou-kun and I decided to consult with Sensei first.
I see. So that's how it went.
He arrived at the Virtual Club Room a bit early, at 7:30.
Bell-buchou and Seth (Miki) had a live stream today, so they had already left for IRO.
Shou poker-facedly watched the two, who were buzzing about how Scarlet Dragon Vermilion had supposedly captured a demon…
Then, Shou logged into IRO, and in the studio, Mion was consulting with Yata-sensei about the image character matter.
Will it cause problems at school?
I don't think that will be a problem. We investigated various things when Bell-san was involved, and there have been past cases where entertainment activities were recognized as part-time work.
"Oh, really?"
Shou chimed in on their conversation while preparing dinner.
Tonight's meal was a simple Parpigeon breast steak. For bird steak, the skin had to be crispy and fragrant.
Lupi, Leda, and Roy were already waiting, tails wagging…
What about you, Shou-kun?
"What about me…? Hmm…"
He thought it was fine if Mion wanted to try it, and he didn't want to say anything that would restrict her.
However, there was one thing that concerned him.
"I'd be troubled if it became difficult for Mion to play IRO in the future…"
If you become famous, it will also be difficult to visit Shou-kun's island.
"There's that, but also, if she's playing the image character of the Jade Goddess, I wonder if it would be allowed for her to come to my island and play…"
Mion probably wants to enjoy playing with Lupi and Sweee more than the game itself, and if she couldn't do that, it would be counterproductive.
Should we decline after all?
"Ah, no, if something like that is allowed, then it's perfectly fine, and Mion can decide that as she wishes."
That's right. It's better to convey your hopes regarding the conditions clearly to the other party. You two don't need to force yourselves to do things you don't enjoy yet.
"Then, let's hash out those details with Tsubaki-san."
Okay!
Yata-sensei's line seemed to be that it's bad if it becomes "work" instead of a "club activity"? Shou also agreed with that, or rather, it would likely make playing IRO with Mion no longer fun.
He had no intention of opposing Mion's final decision, so he had something he wanted to finish before going there himself.
As he took the Mithril kitchen knife to carve the roasted Parpigeon steak,
[Dagger skill level cap has been broken!]
[Advanced Dagger skills are now acquirable!]
"Alright." He put off the advanced skill for later and carved the meat.
"Here you go. Be careful, it's hot~"
"Woof."
""Bow.""
Lupi and the others' portions had less salt and pepper. He'd add more to his own later.
By the way, aren't you streaming from the club room today?
Ah, um…
"I'm going to the Necropolis now. If you could keep it a secret from Bell-buchou and the others."
He had already consulted Yata-sensei about picking up Mion, so there was no need to hide it from him.
Mion briefly explained what had happened during the day, and Shou quickly ate his meal and cleaned up.
I see. Things are getting interesting.
Shou-kun, you were a big success!
"Well, that was also thanks to Vermilion-san and Geira-san and the others…"
It was good that the Backstab didn't land perfectly, as it led to the capture, but if Vermilion-san hadn't been there, he would have escaped.
Earlier, your Dagger skill broke its cap, right? Which advanced skill will you take?
"Um, wait a moment. First, I'll allocate the character level-up points to my stats."
He felt he was a bit lacking in speed during the battle with Demon Gielo, and considering all future Crafting skills, he allocated 6 to AGI and 4 to DEX. He kept 10 BP unspent, just in case.
"So, um, the advanced Dagger skills are [Dagger Mastery], [Twin Blade Mastery], and [Special Sword Mastery], huh. Which one does the Ken-nata fall under?"
Looking at the explanations for each, they all said, "A skill for dagger experts to handle ○○ more specializedly," which made him ponder.
It's a tricky point, but choosing one doesn't prevent you from taking others, right?
"It shouldn't, but…"
But doesn't a rare skill cost 9 SP to acquire?
"That's right…"
The options were either the safe [Dagger Mastery] or the quirky-sounding [Special Sword Mastery].
He skipped Twin Blade, as it was basically discarding Shield skill. Besides, Leona-sama had already acquired it and obtained the pioneer reward.
"I think I'll go with Special Sword."
Your current Ken-nata seems special.
That's right. Well, there are even more special swords.
Yata-sensei started explaining strange swords like main-gauche, jamadhar, and swordbreaker to Mion, but Shou decided to ignore it.
He wasn't sure what category his Ken-nata fell into, but if it was different, he could always make one of the swords Yata-sensei mentioned.
So, he spent 9 SP to acquire [Special Sword Mastery].
The general rule is to get pioneer rewards if you can, so I won't hold back anymore. But will I get one? For now, I'll try some practice swings.
"Lupi, it's a bit dangerous, so stay back."
"Woofn."
He drew his Ken-nata and took a stance, visualizing. His opponent was the demon he fought during the day.
He'd strike the fleeing demon's medulla oblongata!
[Pioneer of Special Sword Mastery: Received 10 SP]
"Alright!"
You did it!
I thought someone might have taken it already, but it seems I was safe.
It's probably still difficult to prepare large quantities of Mithril.
"Next, I need to check the Stealth-related Arts."
There were various ones, but they're compound skills with other skills, right?
"That's right. I need to check all the ones that increased at once…"
Starting with Presence Detection & Taming Arts
[Shared Presence Detection]
*Shares your Presence Detection with your companion. However, your companion must be within your Presence Detection range.
MP Cost: 4 per second per companion. Cooldown: None.*
Whoa, I feel like this dramatically expands the range, am I mistaken?
No, 4 per second consumes quite a bit of MP… but my recovery is fast, right?
[Chant Concealment]
*Passive Art. While concealed, vocal chanting is no longer required.
MP Cost: None. Cooldown: None.*
Elemental Magic chanting isn't particularly long, but being able to remain concealed is a big advantage.
Next was something that seemed a bit dangerous.
[Poisoning]
*Attacks specific points to inflict poison effects reliably and more effectively. However, it has no effect on targets with Poison Immunity.
MP Cost: 60. Cooldown: 1 minute.*
I see. It's like a Vitals Attack for poison.
Paralytic Venom worked on the demon, but this might have been even more effective…
Finally,
[Lurking]
*Your companion also enters a concealed state. However, your companion must be within arm's reach.
MP Cost: 10 per second per companion. Cooldown: None.*
"Oh! This might be the most welcome!"
This works not only for Lupi but for Leda and Roy too, right?
Well, the MP consumption is intense, so I'll save it for critical moments…