Chapter 42 - Episode 38: Preparations Before the Main Event
Day 14 (Saturday)
I ended up scrambling with preparations until the live stream on Saturday night.
It was mostly the busyness I’d expected, but it was also partly because I kept finding new things and trying to incorporate them as much as possible.
Wednesday.
I made small bottles and lids for the potions.
I kneaded and bisque-fired the ceramic bottles, then fired them fully. During the firing and cooling times, I processed Saloon Lizard and Bicobit hides.
The Lizard Leather was waterproof, as expected, and the rabbit leather was soft and easy to use as leather cords. I guess the bottle lids are solved for now.
Thursday.
During club activities, Club President Bell asked me to post the next video a day earlier.
It was for the people eagerly awaiting the Taming skill, and also to promote Saturday’s live stream.
That night, I mostly focused on making potions. The potion made from Hermit Bamboo Grass felt more like a Regen Potion than a Heal Potion.
I haven’t really had a proper fight, so my HP has never actually decreased…
“I think you should check your pain perception settings.”
“Got it.”
I opened the system menu and checked the pain perception settings. It was still at the default 5% (capped). I had no intention of experiencing pain unnecessarily, so I left it as is.
Friday.
Mion’s channel subscribers surpassed 100,000.
After the official PV was released, it had been growing at double the rate, but Yata-sensei predicted it would probably stabilize around this point.
Incidentally, Club President Bell reportedly took almost half a year to exceed 100,000 (though she’s now over 500,000), and she was quite exasperated by Mion’s rapid growth.
Saturday. Noon.
Club President Bell is watching the stream as I’m about to provide commentary. Mion is absent due to lessons.
It’s amazing she’s still taking lessons even in high school. Probably piano or something. It seems to suit her.
“You already announced the cancellation of Majo Bell’s Sunday live, right?”
“Yes, I told them at the end of Thursday’s stream. Sunday would have a lot of new viewers, so I asked the regular viewers to help support them.”
“Ooooh, amazing…”
While chatting, I continued to gather Hermit Bamboo Grass and Hermit Bamboo in the western forest.
Cutting down trees is tough, but I can still manage to cut down bamboo up to the thickness of my arm with a knife, and the Woodcraft skill is sufficient for processing it.
“Are you using that bamboo for traps too?”
“Yes, they’re booby traps for humanoid-type enemies.”
Even if I say humanoid, I mean goblins, but if they walk on two legs, they should trigger the traps just like humans.
“You say that so easily, but is it really okay?”
“Well, I’m just going to lure them out a few at a time and lead them into the traps I’ve already set.”
“Shou-kun, what’s your character level now?”
“It’s 7. I’ve been putting all my BP into stats, so those are pretty high. I also have plenty of SP thanks to all the special rewards.”
I opened my status window so Club President Bell could see.
Since I played extensively on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, both my character level and skill levels have increased quite a bit.
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Name: Shou Lv.7
HP: 248 MP: 248
STR: 28 DEX: 28 AGI: 20
INT: 22 VIT: 22 LUK: 10
Elemental Magic: 1 Dagger: 4 Dismantling: 5
Appraisal: 5 Throwing: 5 Woodcraft: 5
Stonemasonry: 5 Presence Detection: 5 Presence Concealment: 5
First Aid: 1 Alchemy: 3 Gathering: 5
Cooking: 3 Taming: 3 Trap Crafting: 5
Trap Setting/Disarming: 5 Trap Detection: 3
Pottery: 5 Material Processing: 3 Sewing: 1
Remaining SP: 16 Remaining BP: 0
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And just a moment ago, I acquired the Sewing skill for 1 SP.
It’ll make cutting leather easier, and it’ll be essential for crafting my own equipment in the future.
If I had realized earlier, I would’ve made leather belt pouches or something.
Retrieving items from my inventory has a slight delay, but a belt pouch would allow instant access.
“You’ve acquired so many skills and still have 16 SP left. Looking just at your stats, you might not be at the very top, but you’re definitely in the second tier.”
“Well, it’s not like I have anyone to compare myself to.”
According to Club President Bell, the top players are around character level 12.
Thunder Empress Leona-sama is at character level 15, making her the top. Next are people like Club President Bell, who are around 13.
“Alright, Lupi. Let’s head back for now.”
As I called, Lupi, holding a Forebit in her mouth, came to my feet.
“Oh, good girl, good girl.”
“Woof~”
I put the dismantled Forebit’s hide and bones into my inventory, then cut some meat as a reward for Lupi.
The bones only started appearing when my Dismantling skill reached level 5. I might be able to carve these into needles or something.
Ah, speaking of needles, I wonder if I should get the Fishing skill soon…
“You’re so clever. I can somewhat understand the feelings of people who are desperate for the Taming skill.”
There aren’t many people in the world who dislike fluffiness, after all.
If they already have dogs or cats, it might not be a big deal, but for those who can’t have pets due to family circumstances, this game offers an alternative.
“Are there no one around Club President Bell who wants to get the Taming skill?”
“Hmm, I wonder if there’s anyone who would spend 9 SP on it. To begin with, there aren’t that many top-tier players.”
“Are there really so few top-tier players?”
“At least, there aren’t many people in the same hunting grounds. Once the new player restrictions are gone, I think more main tanks and healers will appear, and things will get resolved.”
Come to think of it, Miki also said that main tanks are in high demand.
“I knew main tanks were scarce, but are healers also in short supply?”
*“The Holy Magic skill requires 4 SP to acquire. If you get the essential set of Gathering, Appraisal, and Dismantling, you only have 3 SP left, right?
Then if you also take weapon and shield skills, you end up with a super templated build with only 1 SP remaining, which makes it unpopular.
On top of that, right now there’s nothing else to do but heal, so it’s all battle clerics.”*
“I see…”
By the way, what’s a “battle cleric?”
“Oh right, the live stream starts at 8:30 PM, doesn’t it? When are you going to set up the live stream venue?”
“Ah, that part is up to Mion.”
Well, I don’t think we’re heading straight for goblin extermination as soon as the live stream starts, so it should be fine to set it up when we gather at 8 PM.
“Lupi, let’s go set the traps.”
“Woofun.”
It’s 3 PM. I plan to take about two hours to carefully set the traps.
This time, I’m setting some pretty nasty traps, not just Snare Traps, so I need to make sure Lupi remembers not to trigger them by mistake.
Well, Lupi has never stepped on a Snare Trap before, though…