kscans

Chapter 359 - Weakness

Total combat time: one hour and twenty-something minutes.

Fueled by stubbornness and greed, the most pathetic and drawn-out battle in my virtual life finally came to an end after countless trials and errors led me to the 'solution'.

I devised a technique for ripping out the feathers of its great wing—feathers that were, no exaggeration, bigger than my entire body. I call it the 'Forceful Grab-and-Rocket-Purge', and it worked like a charm, allowing me to successfully secure my target material.

The procedure is extremely simple. First, I use the brute strength of my [An-Ru Galta (Hypothesis: Armor Singing of the King's Road)] to get a full-force grip on a feather at its base. Then, I activate [Rocket] at maximum output and launch myself away from its body.

If I had to point out one flaw in this plan...

"I managed to yank it out safely, but I couldn't control my posture afterward, and what little HP I had left after the self-damage got picked off by the minions."

"That doesn't sound safe at all. Are you an idiot???"

Her utterly merciless look of exasperation and her words hit their mark, but having accomplished my initial goal, my mental state was invincible.

Special delivery for you!—is what I'd basically shouted as I stormed into the atelier just a few minutes ago. When I shamelessly recounted my tale of same-day delivery and fresh-from-the-field adventure, Nia just stared at me, blinking in stunned silence.

"Hold on, just be quiet for a second. Seriously, you're giving me a headache..."

Eventually, she started holding her head, but I was, unapologetically, in a great mood. I brandished Epel's feather—the [Woven Feather of the Ice Guardian]—which, despite being ridiculously huge, felt weightless. I swung it around wildly in a victory dance.

I only managed to bring back two of them. However, she'd already assured me that with this size, it would be more than enough material for a single piece of clothing.

Bottom line, as far as I'm concerned, this attack was a massive success.

"You Istians... How are you so energetic right after a game over? Seriously..."

"Have you forgotten my build? This is pretty much a daily occurrence. You get used to it or you don't survive."

"I get it, but... you should be aware of that, you know? To someone who gave up on combat to become a production-class player, the very idea of casually accepting a death experience, even in a game, is just... something else."

I know that. I'm used to it now, so the fear is overshadowed by excitement, but back in the day, I used to be pretty scared, whether I was facing monsters or other players.

In a world that feels just as real as our own, you're trading virtual lives. Of course it's scary for anyone with a normal sensibility, even if they know it's just a game.

"By the way, are you in the 'gave up' camp?"

"I've been a pure crafter from the very start, thank you very much."

Apparently, my personal artisan and tailor was a born crafter. How she could call herself 'pure' while juggling two different professions was beyond me.

"Alright, whatever. Let me see it. Big sis will inspect the goods for you."

"Who are you calling big sis?"

"I'm older than you, aren't I?"

"Only by one year!"

With an aura that practically screamed, 'My, my, what am I to do with you,' the 'big sis' beckoned me over. I slapped Epel's feather into her hand.

With that, the playful mood was over.

With her usual quick shift in demeanor, [Milmarinus], her face now that of an artisan, narrowed her trademark aquamarine eyes and began her inspection.

"Is this the first time you've seen one, too?"

"Yeah. Like I said, it's practically a phantom. The number of successful kills reported is super low. It's far from any town, so normally it's an expedition that takes several days. And since the difficulty of the field, including the boss, is what it is, normally it's assumed you'll tackle it with multiple parties..."

"I get it, so could you stop emphasizing 'normally'? I failed precisely because of that, which is why I came back after getting my butt kicked."

"'Came back?' I didn't think you'd go alone in the first place."

"Sorry, maybe 'kicked' is more accurate."

I'm properly reflecting on it, too. Even though I hate spoilers, going in solo with zero research was way too arrogant.

When I obediently bowed my head, Nia let out her umpteenth sigh of the day.

"Well, whatever... Because of all that, the hurdle just to go hunt it is really high. And as for this material you thought 'looked interesting,' it's only something that might suit you. For the general public, it's kind of meh."

"So, not much demand for it, huh?"

"The fact that it's not being hunted suggests that. I mean, there are thousands of bosses out there. Obviously, people are going to hunt the ones that drop useful loot."

"This game is as insane as ever."

Seriously, you could probably play this forever. How awesome is that?

"So? Now that you've seen it, what do you think of its so-called 'suitability' for me?"

As we chatted, I posed the question to the artisan, whose eyes remained fixed on the pale blue feather. A few more seconds passed as Nia continued her silent staring contest.

"........................—Yeah, I think I can make something good."

When she looked up at me, her eyes were filled with the joy unique to a crafter who has found a quality material.

Seeing that, the tension finally left my shoulders in the truest sense.

Mission complete, without a single hitch... or so I thought.

—Ah, crap! I completely forgot about my kouhai's order! I was just thinking, 'I'll just stop by on my way back after I beat it!'

There's no 'on the way back' when you die and respawn!

"S-so, sorry, but I'll leave this feather with you. I just remembered I have an errand to run, so I'm heading out of town again—"

"Stop."

Panicked by the sudden memory of my 'other request,' I glanced at the system clock and tried to leave the atelier, but Nia stopped me.

Look, I'm sorry for the rush, but I'll be back later, so please let me go—

"Take it off."

—The words that hit me as I tried to explain weren't meant to hold me back. It was an unexpected demand that made it my turn to blink in surprise.

"...Come again?"

"You can go. Just hurry up and take off those clothes."

"Why!?"

Not content with just words, Nia stood up and marched towards me, grabbing my clothes. What is this—hey, stop it! Don't try to undress me!

"Whoa, whoa, hold on, calm down, I'll give them to you! I'll change myself, just wait a sec, hey...!"

With a face that said, 'I have no ulterior motives whatsoever,' which, for once, was probably true, I managed to calm Nia down and used [Construction].

I switched from my [El-Gran Series] to another one of her creations, the Lounge Series, and presented my white and blue battle attire to the rampaging artisan.

"Thanks. See you later!"

"You're invincible in artisan mode, aren't you... What are you going to do with that?"

As soon as she had her own creation in hand, she gave me a cool wave and started to retreat into her workshop. I threw the question at her back.

Without breaking her stride, Nia glanced back over her shoulder, offering a gentle smile that, for a moment, seemed truly befitting of someone older.

"You like it, right? Big sis is going to give it a cool remake, so you'd better look forward to it!"

And with a wink that was surprisingly... well, surprisingly fitting, she disappeared into her workshop, leaving me to watch her go...

"........................Hmm."

Overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, I put on a poker face, even though no one was watching, and left the atelier.

As for this newfound self-awareness...

"Am I seriously weak to older women... ?"

Since that's a problem completely unrelated to the game, I think I'll take it home and mull it over.