6-3. Strengthening
Satou's here. There are a lot of RPG where you can create things nowadays.
If you fail, the materials disappear.
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On evening of that day, the "Guest" has came relatively close by as expected, so I get up off the bed and go to the place where Mia and Tama are doing night watch.
"Change?"
"Too early~?"
"The change is still a bit later."
I ask Tama to teach me the way to do [Enemy Search].
"Nyu~?"
She folds her short arms while looking troubled looking cute. I want to poke at the wrinkle on her forehead.
"Lots of sound, different sound."
"Same view, different color."
"Nice smell, normal smell, bad smell."
"Lots of sameness, lots of differences."
"So, you understand~?"
I listen attentively to her who's trying hard to convey.
The point is to detect the finer differences from numerous information. "Don't think, feel.", like that?
"I'll go inside the forest for a bit to try it. I'll raise my voice if anything happen, if you hear it then wake Liza up for help."
I tell the two so and make my way through the forest.
I've thought they would follow but it seems they're too sleepy for it.
I'm borrowing Liza's spear since I intend to acquire heavy blow skill when I come into the contact with the enemy. I've properly ask for permission before she went to sleep.
I've said to Tama that I would only go for a bit but the place is actually 3 kilometers away. It's around several hundred meters away from the enemy's location.
Basing from experience, I turn off all sort of indications OFF from the menu.
Next, I relax my body and sharpen my sense while musing over Tama's word.
While half-closing my eyes, I extend my focus.
Moonlight shines through the sparse shades. Ivies and bushes. Silhouette of sleeping birds at branches. Glowing eyes of small animals. Catching glimpse of a black shadow from the gaps between trees far away.
I listen carefully.
Lots of sounds. The sound of trees swaying from the winds. The sound of grasses stepped by small animals. Insects' sounds. The sound of claws of something hitting the hard ground.
I imagine every inch of my body uniting with nature.
The smell of grasses. The smell of soil. The faint smell of water. A different kind of creature's smell like paint dropped on a river.
My sense becomes quietly serene--
Kasa.
Ton.
Hyun.
I move my body matching the change on the flow of atmosphere. I had avoided something that attacked from a blind spot.
After avoiding it, I turn my consciousness toward the culprit, there's a black panther that has just landed slightly further away. That guy doesn't seem to think much of the failed surprise attack and gracefully turns toward me.
I make only the log be displayed.
>[Enemy Search Skill Acquired]
>[Danger Sensing Skill Acquired]
>[Space Grasp Skill Acquired]
>[Mind's Eye Skill Acquired]
I activate the abundance of new skills.
During that time, the black panther is attacking many times but since I can see it, avoiding isn't a problem.
I know that there's another one up on the tree, maybe it's thanks to enemy search skill.
Is it aiming for when I've became tired?
It's hard to use spear for close combat inside the woods but I could figure out the right angles thanks to space grasp skill and freely move as I imagine.
I prepare the heavy blow stance I've practiced this evening, and simultaneously drive heavy blow and thrusting to one of the animal. The quiet blow goes through the black panther's head without resistance.
>[Thrusting Skill Acquired]
>[Heavy Blow Skill Acquired]
>[Penetration Skill Acquired]
Matching the timing with my attack, the panther on the tree assaults me, I evade the danger as if I could see it.
I quickly activate the three new skills, and prepare to hit the panther that has just landed.
Since Liza seems to use magic when she demonstrates heavy blow, I try to put magic power into the spear.
The spear lets out red trace of light when it's feed with magic power.
Quite beautiful.
The spear pierces through the panther while drawing red track of light.
Immediately after the red light appears, I rotate my wrist in reverse rotation converging the spear tip on the panther, the panther's upper half and the tree behind it burst into small pieces.
It was good to do this away from the camp. I had almost disturbed everyone's sleep.
>[Magic Edge Skill Acquired]
>[Spiral Spear Attack Skill Acquired]
I didn't think there would be other techniques that could make red light appear like with Liza's technique. But I've acquired useful-looking skills so it's for the best. Of course, I also activate these two skills. The names are kinda chuunibyou-ish, but let's turn a blind eye on that.
◇
Since I've accidentally come into a wide open space suitable for practice, I decide to practice magic edge. The light seems to be different depending on the amount of magic power you put into.
I try putting 1 MP. Subtle light lines appear on the spear.
I try putting 10 MP. Clear red light lines appear on the spear.
I try putting 50 MP. Strong red light line repeatedly appear on the spear. This is usable for illumination.
I try putting 200 MP. Intense red light-- this is bad, the spear is vibrating strangely.
I have a feeling that the spear will explode if this is left alone.
Liza's sorrowful face flashes in my mind.
This is bad.
That's right.
If there's too much, then I can just absorb it.
The moment after I thought that, I extract the magic power on the spear by imagining absorption-- good, the vibration has stopped.
Fuh, I was flustered.
Let's experiment with black steel spear or something next time.
Even though I've absorbed the magic, Liza's spear retain its red light or rather, it has become a pattern. Can't be helped, when the morning comes, I'll apologize to Liza by doing dogeza.
I hope that at least it doesn't get weaker...
Confirming with the AR, the spear's name has became, [Magic Spear Douma]. If I'm not mistaken it was [Black Spear of Cricket] back then. I don't remember its exact offensive power before, but it's certain that it has been strengthened. It was already a bit stronger than the black steel spear before but now it's near three times that. It still doesn't match the dragon spear in my storage, but it has become about as strong as the other magic spears.
This is what they call weapon reinforcement I guess.
Although, it was probably one step away from failure judging from that feel. If it fail, it's easy to imagine that Liza's spear would have broke.
When I look at the log, I've gained several skills.
>[Magic Manipulation Skill Acquired]
But I've been putting magic power into magic tool and Nana up to now....
I guess I have to not only insert but also absorb to meet the requirement.
>[Magic Bestowal Skill Acquired]
>[Weapon Reinforcement Skill Acquired]
In addition, I also acquired this title.
>Title [Magic Spear Blacksmith] Acquired.
Since they look useful, I activate the skills.
◇
I try putting magic into an ordinary dagger.
It's different.
In case of Liza's spear, it feels like pouring water on a shallow plate, while with this dagger, it's like pouring water into a coarse draining casket. Magic power that has been inserted immediately escapes feel.
Of course, it also isn't shining with red light.
This time I take out leg of a flying ant and try putting magic power into it.
It's better than with the dagger earlier, but it feels like a clogged up pipe with water draining out. The poured magic power feel stuck and drained, it's annoying.
Should I try to forcibly insert the magic power?
I try what I've just thought, and it burst scattering away. I guess Liza's spear was one step away from becoming this.
I test again with a new ant's leg. So it really explodes by pouring 10 MP.
Is Liza's spear special or is it because the difference in material?
I decide to try with material that looks more rugged.
I take out a dragon tooth and try it. Although I said tooth, it's 30 cm big.
When I put magic power into it, it feels like with the ant's leg. The difference is the magic endurance, it's fine even with 500 MP, but I stop there since the tooth becomes cracked.
Since I'd feel bad for Tama and Mia if I go back too late, I decide to finish for this evening. Without forgetting to set the menu, I go back.
The angelic figures of sleeping Tama and Mia greet me when I get back.
Tama wakes up when she hears the sound of me leaning Liza's spear on the wagon. Afterward, when she realizes the one who make the sound is me, she slovenly sprawls with "Gude~", but it seems that she isn't sleeping.
She sits beside me, attempts to climb up on my laps, and sleeps there while curling up.
I remember neko nabe seeing her figure, it's soothing. I decide to do the watch in place of the two until morning.