NOVEL WEB Chapter 191
Chapter 191. Spoils Of War
I followed Hijiri the Saint to another drab concrete building. These people really don’t care about interior design. What’s fun about being at the top?
The fan worked hard, blowing warm air into the room. We need an air conditioner in this summer heat. The sofa and table looked expensive.
Though I’m a major, for some reason, I sat in the middle of the sofa, facing Hijiri. Fuuka sat beside me. No one else sat with us, since this was an informal meeting. Colonel Marume and a catgirl with a fox plushie on her head stood guard by the wall. Two more guards stood on Hijiri’s side. I’m impressed they’re not sweating in this heat.
“It’s hot-nya.”
The cat doesn’t count as a person. I can hear you even if you whisper.
“The confusion in our city was caused by the recent dungeon outbreak. Thank you for conquering the dungeon. If we had retreated, this city would have been destroyed. It’s thanks to the Order of Fools.”
I looked at Fuuka with a calm expression to thank her again.
“The credit goes to Minamoto Fuuka-sama. Please thank her.”
After some thought, I decided to give the Minamoto family the credit. I want to keep them indebted. Trade with the inner city will remain important.
Despite the sudden praise without prior discussion, Fuuka nodded and spoke.
“Narashino City is part of Japan. Supporting each other is natural.”
“Thank you. Your cooperation has been very helpful.”
They smiled at each other, but sparks flew between them. I knew it was about the Special Zone.
They didn’t need support, so being told they received support was inconvenient. Accepting support implied Japan’s protection, complicating the Special Zone issue. It was an unreasonable request, so I thought Fuuka couldn’t handle it, but she didn’t miss this chance.
Hijiri insisted it was a cooperation, not support.
But without support, they’d be in trouble since their weapons were destroyed.
What’s the plan? The answer is obvious.
“We’ll thank you for your cooperation later. Rikyuu, Narashino City is in chaos. We’re barely repelling the monsters thanks to the Sacred Beast. Can we keep borrowing it?”
Hijiri shifted her gaze from Fuuka to me, giving me a graceful smile.
She must have realized dealing with Fuuka was pointless. Her cleavage was distracting with sweat droplets.
[You resisted the [Charm] Skill. Death is now available. Would you like to use Death to kill Hijiri? Say Yes or Yes.]
[Could you sound more like the log, Shizuku?]
[Those with Charm Skills get killed. So do those who steal lovers. That’s obvious from the end of the Lover-Stealing Hero.]
[I don’t see how that’s obvious, but I know stealing lovers is dangerous.]
Shizuku spoke emotionlessly, but her eyes burned with jealousy. Stealing lovers isn’t good. In this rough world, you might get killed for it.
Fuuka, smiling, interjected, saying Niwa Nagahide was a soldier of the inner city and she should be consulted. Hijiri, touching her cheek, said she wanted to speak with me, not Niwa Nagahide.
Oddly, she knows my name, but if there’s already a fox who is connected with the Yuuki family, it’s possible. The foxgirl’s moves are faster than expected, showing her competence.
Amidst the sparks, I asked Shizuku something I was curious about.
[Shizuku, what kind of fairy is a Nymph?]
[…Nymphs are tree fairy devices. My knowledge suggests they were early models made during the experimental phase. Their purpose was to support humans.]
[Support is a gentle way of putting it. Did they help research the World Tree?]
I asked casually, but it was a statement. Even a fool could see the connection.
[Indeed, they were made to cultivate the World Tree. The dungeonification was unexpected.]
[Right. I created spring flowers, so they must have used them as fertilizer, leading to this outcome.]
I agreed with serious Shizuku, but I had some concerns.
[But how did Nymphs replace humans in the Yuuki family? They’re fairy devices, right?]
Come to think of it, Serika was also like that. She existed as a human in this world. It’s strange, whether they came from another world or the future.
[…It’s unclear if Nymphs are monsters or humans. I believe they’re human, but… Nymphs have Mimic Skills.]
[They can’t mimic with memories, right? If they’re human, how did they take over bodies?]
I narrowed my eyes, asking a bit harshly. Fuuka and Hijiri were arguing, neither willing to yield.
[That’s classified information.]
Shizuku smiled, placing a finger on her lips. She wouldn’t tell me. If they took over bodies, it’s dangerous. There must be some conditions.
Even with admin privileges, the info is hidden. I should give up for now. If they’re monsters, it’ll be troublesome…
“Kou-sama is our guardian. It’s already revered as a Sacred Beast. It must stay in this city for a while.”
“The Sacred Beast title is spreading because of a certain saint. We need to discuss Kou’s deployment within the inner town, so this discussion ends here.”
“We can’t afford that. Many citizens rely on the guardian figure.”
Neither side would yield. Hmm… did I show off Kou’s power too much?
The discussion won’t end, and Shizuku won’t reveal anything. I should check the results secretly.
Using my mind, I opened the status board to check the results of ‘Adversity Growth’. By defeating many Treants and the termite queen, I gained 800 status points. It seemed I also got points for defeating the Ant King.
[Alright, I’m close to maxing out B-rank.]
[Indeed. Adversity Growth is a cheat skill.]
Nodding to Shizuku, who was pleased, I allocated my status points and sent a mental message to inform Yukihana and the others.
Amano Sakimori
Mana 1000
Health 150 → 300
Strength 150 → 300
Dexterity 200 → 400
Magic 1200 → 1500
Amano Shizuku
Mana 400
Health 500 → 600
Strength 500 → 600
Dexterity 1100 → 1500
Magic 200 → 400
Amano Yukihana
Mana 300 → 500
Health 700 → 800
Strength 700 → 800
Dexterity 700 → 900
Magic 300 → 500
This time, I increased everyone’s stats evenly. Celica’s thoughts were secretive, but she likely increased her Mana, Dexterity, and Magic. Kou and the others also seemed to have raised their stats evenly.
It would be nice if skill levels also increased, but it doesn’t seem that easy. I don’t feel my body heating up. Reality is harsh; things don’t conveniently fall into place.
Next, I’ll check the contaminated Element Cores secretly gathered by the shadow cats. There’s likely chaos over the missing Element Cores from the warehouse, but they’ll probably blame the fleeing battleship for stealing them.
Ignoring the endless discussion, I checked the Element Cores already stored and being purified.
[Purifying Contaminated Element Core D…]
[Purifying Contaminated Element Core D…]
[Purifying Contaminated Element Core D…]
[Purification Complete. Acquired 2463 Element Core E.]
Oh, I was slightly surprised. That’s quite a lot, though they’re E-rank. I converted them to spirit stones and checked usable ones, but the display was the same as the last spirit stones. The effects must differ. Terrain modification… hmm.
Now, let’s proceed with the main event the Rare Monster Core B from the Ant King, the Rare Monster Core A from the Ancient Treant, and the Dungeon Core A. Finally, I can exchange high-level cores.
[I’m so excited, Mr. Sakimori.]
[Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Any recommendations?]
[Leave it to me. I’ll check the list.]
I asked Shizuku, who happily displayed her skill as she quickly scrolled through the extensive list, so fast it made me doubt she was checking properly.
After scrutinizing the list, she narrowed her eyes and thoughtfully selected the skills to show me.
[Here they are.]
[Concealment Detection Rare Monster Core B]
[Lesser Blessing for Subordinates Rare Monster Core A]
[Lesser Status Ailment Resistance Dungeon Core A]
I was a bit surprised by the unexpected skills. Aren’t these general skills? Using high-level cores for general skills?
[You find it surprising, right? So did I. But these are essential for the future. I didn’t expect these skills to be in the high-level category…]
[Are they worth exchanging for high-level cores?]
It’s rare for Shizuku to be surprised. These skills are convenient, aren’t they?
[There are high-rank enemies that Mana detection can’t sense, making Concealment Detection essential. Unlike general detection skills, it’s limited to concealment, reducing drawbacks. The only disadvantage is the enemy knowing they’ve been detected.]
[I see, it’s necessary.]
[Lesser Status Ailment Resistance has a minimal drawback in lowering other resistances. With your Mana control, you can nullify or even boost resistances. The key is having the Lesser Status Ailment Resistance as a trigger for boosting resistance via Mana control.]
[So, it’s a switch for adjusting resistances?]
I caught on to Shizuku’s explanation. Being able to alter resistances through Mana control… excellent. A-rank Dungeon Core makes sense. It’s a clever use of general skills.
[Lesser Blessing for Subordinates shares a few percent of your resistances and status boost skills with your subordinates. The drawback is a slight reduction in your resistances.]
All resistances… I see, subordinates gain resistance skills. Using Mana control, resistances can be enhanced.
[As expected of you, Shizuku. Perfect skill selection. These skills will protect against poison, disease, and mental attacks, and boost physical and magical resistances. I’ll learn these skills once I’m alone after the discussion.]
[My skill selection is flawless. With this, you can counter a Nymph’s full power.]
Watching the delighted Shizuku, I smirked slightly.
[Alright. If it’s not human, I’ll kill it. If it is, I’ll modify admin privileges.]
Visiting at night might be improper, but the saint will have to endure it. I suspect she might be the real boss.
For now, I’ll return to my room and learn the skills.