kscans

Chapter 680 - Total Result

—And so, after a battle that was perhaps not intense enough to be called a fierce struggle, but satisfying enough in the progress it showed in our cooperative連携, the colossal body before us collapsed.

Losing its strength, it fell through the water, its body slowly dissolving into light… and after a perfectly dramatic pause for effect, it hit the bottom. The great spirit dissipated, and a brilliant phosphorescence filled the chamber.

And then, a small window of light appeared in my vision.

◇ You have defeated Rapharn, the Great Water Spirit ◇

◇ Skills Acquired ◇
・[Maelstrom]
・[Laevateinn, Ten Thousand Calamities]

◇ You have defeated all individuals of Rapharn, the Great Water Spirit ◇

◇ Titles Acquired ◇
・'One Charmed by the Water Spirit'
・'Pilgrimage to the Four Seals'

◇ Skill Acquired ◇
・[Water Spirit's Blessing]

…And so, there you have it.

"Whoa…! That was a real sense of accomplishment…!!!"

I was completely used to the feeling of being in water that wasn't water.

Looking at the result screen, a mix of things I'd been waiting for, I sheathed my rabbit dagger, which had done its job, and threw myself back, floating in the water.

"Ahaha… Good work, everyone."

Beside me, the Clan Master laughed as if a weight had been lifted. The other four of us replied in kind, though only my master's voice showed no trace of fatigue.

—Four days have passed since we began our conquest with the first one.

In total, our five-day pilgrimage to defeat the water spirits has now come to a safe conclusion. As expected, we encountered no real struggles and progressed at a smooth pace.

So why were we—well, Sora, who hasn't quite reached the level of an exceptional player in terms of stamina and endurance in this virtual world, gets a pass—but why were the three guys relatively exhausted? The reason is simply—

"Man, consecutive long expeditions are tiring…"

"Haha… The sheer size of the fields is the greatest enemy in conquering Arcadia, isn't it?"

Just as Tetra and Kanata said.

Simply put, the 'domains' where the second and subsequent water spirits existed were far from any town, so even on the Sapphire Express, the ultra-long-distance travel, which took hours, had worn us out.

Well, anyway.

"Alright—once again, thank you for your cooperation."

My white hair, which had been tied back in a compact braid because it was even more of a nuisance in the water, swayed as I spoke. As the one who had benefited the most from this expedition, I made sure to express my gratitude.

I straightened my posture and gave an underwater bow, and they all replied again.

"You got it. How'd it go?"

"This is beyond perfect."

Answering Tetra's question, I gave a thumbs-up with my right hand and quickly summoned my status window with my left.

—
◇Status / Trance◇
Title: Acrobat
Name: Haru
Lv: 110
STR: 0 (+100)
AGI: 0 (+250)
DEX: 0
VIT: 0 (+100)
MID: 1250 (+250)
LUC: 0

◇Skill◇
・[Naraka Gandharva]
《[Mistlurade]》
《[Lumina Raygust]》
《[Frezon Revolver]》
《[Exchange Implode]》
《Basket of Greed》

・Water Magic Aptitude
《Aqua》
《Flood》
《Current Haken》
《[Maelstrom]》 New!
《[Laevateinn, Ten Thousand Calamities]》 New!
《[Water Enchant]》

・Active
《[Reflect Explode]》
《[Flash Traveler]》
《Shadow Leaf》
《[Eyes Oculus]》

・Passive
《White Dragon's Blessing》
《[Rega-Lielta]》
《[Attentive Limit]》
《[Gigant Figure]》
《[Goma Soten]》
《[Talaria Record]》
《[Floating Star]》
《[Trickster of Zenith]》
《Dangerous Light, Fast Recovery》
《Unfaltering Retribution》
《[Luna Nobody]》
《[Master of Magic]》

《Reject Sentence》
《Shadow-Surpassing Slayer》
《[Water Spirit's Blessing]》 New!
《[Four-Sided Blessing]》

◇Arts◇
【Kesshiki Ittoryu】
《[Hisui (Flying Water)]》
《[Striking Iron]》
《[Amayuki (Heavenly Snow)]》
《[Karehomura (Withered Flame)]》
《[Ekou (Overlapping Light)]》
《[Nanahoshi (Seven Stars)]》
《[Hourai (Blade Thunder)]》
　Oral Tradition: 《[Yuikaze (Bound Wind)]》

【Shifuu Ittoryu】
《[Hayate (Gale)]》
《[Shizuku (Droplet)]》
—

Not only did I get the blessing skill from the great spirit, which was my main objective, but also two new magic spells, including one I had wanted after studying up as a Water Magic Aptitude user.

As I said, it was a perfect result, even beyond my expectations.

By the way, this other one, the one I didn't want. I don't recall the name, but if a magic skill has a kanji name with a phonetic reading…

"Finally, a proper 'grand magic' for me…!"

Judging by the naming conventions for magic in Arcadia, it was a sure thing.

"Eh, really? …I mean, what do you mean finally? You've only had water magic for about three months, senpai."

"Even for a pure mage, it usually takes at least half a year to acquire one from scratch…"

"W-What's it like?"

Amusement, admiration, curiosity. While feeling a warmth from the younger members (?) who were all peering at my screen with different colors in their eyes, I turned on the window's visibility.

By the way, my [Sword Saint] master was watching with an extremely calm, smiling expression. But as her disciple, I didn't miss the fleeting moment her feet fidgeted—

"Laevateinn…?"

"Not Laevatein?"

"Hmm… has anyone heard of it?"

While I was fending off the Sword Saint's smile that seemed to say 'What is it?', the three curious onlookers were happily exchanging knowledge. With my transformed body, our heights are reversed, so all I can see are the back of their gold, black, and brown heads.

Hahaha, calm down, everyone. There's no need to rack your brains.

"Alright, alright. Since we're here, let's do a test fire as a celebratory cannon shot."

"""Ooh!"""

This is a vast, open space filled with post-battle peace. It's the perfect environment for a test shot without causing any trouble or commotion.

Normally, water magic has the unexpected restriction of being difficult to control in fully submerged conditions, but that rule doesn't apply here, as we've already established.

There might be a visibility issue with firing water in water, but after spending days in this environment and getting my eyes used to it, I should be fine.

"Well then… ahem."

With that, I took a step out of the circle, ready to sing out with gusto.

"—'It is not a sword forged by gods.'"

Let's see what this new power, born from another great achievement and dwelling within my virtual body, can do…!!!

And so, one minute later.

"…………Haru, you must never use that casually or on a whim, okay?"

"Is there even a use for it? In your case, senpai, wouldn't it be better to just do it manually without the risk?"

"U-Um, it was definitely like a grand magic! It's just that… you'll need to be very careful with safety checks and all that…!"

"Why are all the skills that come my way like this…!!!!!"

Looking back calmly, it was the expected outcome, the usual. The dream of a proper, straightforward, easy-to-use, reliable grand magic shattered, and while the disciple was dejected on the watery floor,

"What magnificent sharpness…"

Through four challenges, the Aquia 'pillars' that never fulfilled their role as a gimmick—now lay as countless divided remnants, floating with their smooth, shining cross-sections exposed for all to see. While gazing at them peacefully,

The master's deeply impressed murmur echoed and swayed in the tranquil water.