Ch.9 Beta Tester Side Takeharu Part 3

I ran and ran and ran, and it seems I finally got away from them.

I looked back to check again, but the two slimes that had been chasing me were nowhere to be seen.

"Haa haa... Phew... Aren't slimes monsters supposed to be for beginners..."

Since I don't know how much the difference in level between my opponent and me, if my attacks aren't working, it's better to run away.

I'm not sure if the idea that only low-level monsters appear in the first area is actually true in this game.

"What kind of level-up system is this anyway?"

Yes, there are many things I don't understand. Will my level increase just by walking?

It's not impossible. There have been games like that in the past, fighting games.

"I've come in a different direction than I was heading."

Well, I don't know where the first base is anyway.

I'll try this path next time.

I made my way through the grass that was just below waist height, rustling along the ground.

They make their own paths in places where there are no animal trails.

Yes, this is exactly it.

"Eeeeexploooreeeerrr!!!"

Just as I was talking to myself, I made eye contact with someone who, for some reason, had crouched and was hiding in the grass.

There's a player name displayed above his head, so he must be a fellow beta tester.

"...Good evening."

"G-Good evening..."

After greeting me, the other person looked away awkwardly.

How embarrassing. I wonder if he heard me talking. He was nearby, so I'm sure he could hear me...

Ah, our eyes met again. Sorry for staring at you.

"Um... I haven't heard anything."

"...Is that so?"

No, isn't that definitely something someone who is listening would say?

But thank you for pretending not to know. Let's leave it at that. It would just add to my dark history.

"Hmm, uh, nice to meet you, I'm Formalin."

What a scary name... Oh, a handshake, thank you.

"...Nice to meet you, I'm Takemaru."

Formalin-san is a little taller than me.

But even though it's an avatar, those muscles are amazing.

Their leather armor suits his sturdy build well. He looks like he could be a guard at the gates of a city.

We're supposed to be wearing the same gear, but it looks a little different on them. Maybe it's because my avatar is thinner.

"So, what are you doing here, Formalin-san?"

Wanting to do something about this awkward situation, I asked them about something that was bothering me.

I feel like it's a bit strange to say goodbye right after introducing yourself.

"Oh, I was just taking a look. I wonder how well the environment has been reproduced."

As he said this, he pointed to the ground, where there was a hole and ants were coming in and out.

"Huh? Even such small details have been reproduced?"

"It's amazing, isn't it? I even saw them carrying the prey he had hunted back to their nest. It's like another Earth? A planet? Something like that"

"Indeed," I replied, continuing to look at the ants.

The prey they're carrying is also some kind of insect.

Surely these insects don't belong in the monster category.

Even if it was included, I don't think it would be possible to process it because the material is too small.

Or do they drop large items when defeated?

"Have you tried defeating it? Did it drop anything?"

"No, nothing in particular came out. I think these are just a normal bug."

As expected. Does that mean they can be processed into something like insect food?

"I thought I'd bury the body in the ground, but after a few minutes it just vanished."

"I see, so we don't have to deal with dead body. Oh, that's right, Formalin-san. Is there a base around here where the players are based?"

That's right, I met a player. I don't know if he's a senior or not, but I have to ask them.

When I asked him about this, Formalin-san nodded and pointed.

"You can't see it from here, but there's a base in that direction. It's what they call the starting town. If you haven't been there yet, would you like me to show you around?"

"Oh, is that really okay? Don't you have some business here?"

"No, I was just observing some ants I came across after I finished my errands, so it's fine. Besides... I was planning to go back to town too."

"I see. Well then, I look forward to working with you."

I never thought he would volunteer to show me around, so I'm grateful.

Let's follow Formalin-san, who is confirmed to be my guide, to the base, or town.

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We walk through the grass towards our destination.

Meanwhile, the conversation continues uninterrupted. It's no longer an awkward relationship. We've been talking so much.

Yes, let's forget about that incident.

"Oh, so if you want to keep that slime as a pet, you can. I thought it was a complete enemy."

"They have a red marker on them, so they're enemies. But if you become friends with them, it turns blue. I guess it depends on how you do it."

"Um, where was that marker? It wasn't on the slime I encountered."

"Oh, I see... that's the problem. Once you learn the magic of appraisal, you'll be able to see things like stats... and item's flavor text."

Ah, so it's that kind of thing after all. I can't see it unless I learn appraisal magic.

Isn't that a required spell for all players?

If possible, I would have liked it as initial equipment from the beginning.

I heard that you can learn appraisal magic at the Mage's Guild. It's up to the player to decide whether to pay money to learn it from someone, or buy a spellbook and learn it themselves.

Also, by joining the guild, you can apparently get a discount when purchasing spell books or items from the shop attached to the guild. However, it seems you can't join the guild unless you've learned some magic, so you'll have to pay the regular price for the first spell.

Also, it seems that your occupation will change when you join.

I got some good information.

"Thank you! I didn't know how to check the status, so I'm grateful."

"No, no. Well, you could have gotten some hints from the woman who was there when you created your avatar, so I think you would have been able to find the answer right away without me telling you."

"Huh? Does that person teach you that kind of thing?"

When I asked Formalin-san again, he laughed and looked puzzled.

"You know, after you finished creating your avatar, she taught you the basic controls to play, right? It was explained in there, you know?"

"...Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, didn't you take any beginner's course?"

Now here's the problem: she skipped that tutorial because of her hysterical antics.

Is this revenge for the dice? You bastard.

Even though that wasn't intentional, this is too much.

"I didn't receive it. I was there, so I should've gotten it by now."

"Huh? You haven't received it?"

"That's right, I didn't receive it. I was suddenly transferred. It's not good, right? I guess she was slacking off."

"Slacking off... is that even a thing? Ah, that means you don't know much about stuff, so if you don't mind, I'll tell you."

Oh, how grateful I am! he's a far cry from that hysterical woman. Thank you.

"Please!"

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〘Occupation System〙

If you set a certain occupation, certain stats will be adjusted accordingly.

[Example] About cooking.

Anyone can freely make food even if they are not in a related profession, but the rarity will not change from the minimum value no matter how hard you try or how high-quality ingredients you use, and eating it will not grant you any buffs.

It only restores the hunger gauge, and the effect is quite small.

On the other hand, if you have a cooking profession, the rarity of the food you make will increase depending on your proficiency, and buff effects will be added to the food you make depending on that rarity.

The amount of hunger gauge recovered also varies depending on the rarity of the food eaten.

〘Guild System〙

By meeting certain conditions, you can join a guild, and once you join, your job will automatically change to one that matches that guild.

After that, you will be able to change it as much as you like using the status screen. (You can only change to jobs you've acquired.)

The conditions for joining vary for each guild.

〘Mage's Guild〙

A guild where magic users gather.

You can pay money to learn magic from people or buy spell books.

If you join a guild, you can buy products at the attached shop at a slightly cheaper price.

Conditions for joining: Have learned at least one magic.

〘Book Item: Spellbook〙

A book about magic.

It explains how to use a certain magic.

Just because you get it, open it, and read every page doesn't mean you'll suddenly be able to use the magic.

You can only learn to use it by practicing what is written.

A thick spellbook can sometimes be used as a weapon.

〘Flavor Text〙

It is an introductory text that gives a detailed description of an item.

Everything written is true, and if the truth of the thing changes, the introductory text will increase or decrease, and the content will change.

Sometimes, without realizing it, a player's or NPC's name may appear in the introductory text.

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