Chapter 50: [Arc 2] Chapter 9: The General of Fire and Nightmare Once More

Yeah, so, when I saw that boss-class spider, I ran away. Unreal, right? I've seen guys worse than him before, so why did I freak out like that?

The mystery of the boss-spider aside, it's turning into a pain in the butt for me already.

You see, I don't know why I did it, but I decided to save the boss-spider's status page with the Kigal-Note's Bestiary function. Then, to complete the Quest, the sewer workers called in the noble knights of the country even. They're practically this world's (or at least this city's) variant of the army! Th guard's just simple police officers.

Even an idiot could see where this was going. So, I decided to skedaddle right after I wrote down every single detail regarding the boss-spider. I mean, fighting something like that gives nothing in return when you take a look at the risks. 

Unfortunately, the knight captain had different plans. I got assaulted with a nasty feeling that turned out to be the knight captain had used [Identification] on me.

Do people get assaulted by that feeling just from that old skill? Gust didn't do that, but he was my Tamed monster back then, so maybe that didn't count? Then, most of the monsters I Identified before could have left me alone if I didn't do so? Even the snake that ended up as my first kill? Oops.

Since other people haven't said anything when I Identify them, nor showing any discomfort, I think some of my skills, probably one of the stealth-related ones that I keep in a semi-active state, must have prevented them from feeling that I did so. The skill the body of Glavras had must have been an improved version of this natural ability of people.

The point is, the knight captain figured out my skills. Those that the Ring of John Due allowed them to see, sure, but unfortunately, [Identification] and [Auto-Mapping] were among those skills.

Why are these two so bad? Because [Auto-Mapping] had reached Lv.20 by the time I discovered the boss-spider! That unlocked the whole Marking function, which shows the position of any creature I Identify while I'm on the same map!

The knight captain would definitely want me on the subjugation team as a boss-spider-radar. You don't get any wishes if you use me to get seven of those, you know?

And right when I was mustering the courage to excuse myself from the battle, the fallen angel stepped in and said something in the line of "Do not worry! We, the member of the Belial Private Army will make sure to keep this wonderful city safe!". 

I compressed her speech a little there, but the main point was something like that. She kept on throwing praises on praises and glorified not only the organization but also the city of Velantas while doing so, making it so long I find it stupid to recreate it piece for piece. 

PR-work, huh? I can accept that. But not when it involves me having to fight crazy monsters like that thing!

In the end, I couldn't escape the unprofitable battle against the boss-spider. Sure, EXP and proficiency are tasty and all, but I wanna get them without having to risk my life.

I spent the rest of the day at the inn I stayed at, making the most outta the big menu at their taverns. So what if I'm stress eating? It just improves my skills, I'm paying for the food, plus it tastes good, so no one's got the right to deny me that! 

Ice-guy? He's at the Union. I'm having him delay the expedition to expedite the boss-spider. Long enough for Armveil getting some super-insecticide for spider use!

The fallen angel? PUNISHMENT TIME! Seiza with arms and legs bound with threads stronger than steel! And to top it off, a block of stone on her legs! Along with a note saying "Idiot angel's punishment time" to inform the passerby. And of course, [Pain Resistance] is not allowed~.

Hmm, in hindsight, this method could be a good way to train that skill... 

Speaking of training!

The idea of the boss-spider having improved its resistances by eating its prey while it stayed contaminated by its ailment skills got me to think if I couldn't do the same? Kinda like some ninja training, where I improved my resistance to poison by eating poison.

Didn't expect to get the title though. From what [Identification] tells me, the title requires eating a certain amount of bad food. I should have gotten that while I was in the Dungeon... or maybe not? I did focus on getting rid of the most contaminated parts of the monsters I killed, or I killed them without using poisoning as much as possible... 

Whatever! I got it now! A damn, good resistance skill for an undead-user, and some extra proficiency for [Overeating]! And the title even improves my stomach to handle dangerous substances, so ha!

I'm not only eat-training though. Taking advantage of the sun being gone for today, I've created 2 Skeleton Water Mages to practice on their Water Magic, or rather, allowing the inn to use them as water dispensers. Not to mention the 2 Skeleton Wind Mages that are used as air-con... B-b-but the Skeleton Swordsmen outside's doing great in their training with [Swordsmanship]!

This is a much better idea than having to use extra Materials to create undeads with boosted stats and skills. After all, even if the skills are boosted, it's not like the skill levels saved in [Necromantic Rite] will improve. Meaning, I can have the undeads have high-leveled skills without the extra Material costs, as long as the skills are already trained to a high level!

Just ignore the less-than-honorable use of the Mages, please?

I'm already stressing over what to do if I'm forced against the boss-spider. Its high RES's gonna hinder my magic, Aura, almost everything! Not to mention my threads are probably not gonna be of much help. That guy's [Thread Manipulation] is so much better than mine, I'm starting to lose confidence here...

"Garami, I'm back." - Alf

Ice-guy! Nice timing! Sit down, sit down.

"I have some good news, bad news, and questionably good news. Which one do you want to hear first?" - Alf

"? Then, in that order." - Garami

I seriously wanna know what "questionably good news" is, but let's ignore it for now. 

"Then, the good news. The subjugation is dated to the morning the day after tomorrow, so we have some time to prepare." - Alf

Phew. Good thing. That Ratman attack was damn taxing, so getting a chance to rest is good news indeed.

"Also, I was able to get the information about that title you were curious about." - Alf

Ice-guy, good job! 

"Don't be too happy about it, since this is the bad news as well." - Alf

Huh? I read the note that Ice-guy gave me. Let's see... "Curse-Poison Technique User is a special title only available to be obtained through special methods when one has the Curse Technique User title and the Poison Technique User title, along with the Element Skills of those attributes at normal-tier or higher."...

Damn, if I had known that, I would have used more Light skills in the sewers. From their names, I guess that Black-Light Technique User and this Curse-Poison one shares some kinda connection, like their requirements. It still bugs me that it's called Black-Light and not Dark-Light...

I kept on reading the note, which told me that there were several other such combo-technique user titles, but you could still not take more than three of the regular variant titles. Also, every combo-technique has the combined effect of both its previous titles, plus another special ability. Curse-Poison's was to improve the likelihood to inflict status ailments...

So that's why! The [Bloodlust] skill got past my [Fear Resistance] with this! Wait, won't that also apply to all the other ailment skills the boss-spider has? Not good...

"Moving on, the promised reinforcement for getting rid of the Avido-problem has arrived." - Alf

The reinforcements are already here? That's good news, right? Why the "questionable" part?

"And the identity of that reinforcement is...... Regina" - Alf

Who?

"Why her!? That is worse than the monster spider!" said Noire, while managing to keep her voice on a level so that the other patronages didn't hear.

...Seriously, who?

---

We entered Armveil's shop, where the rumored General's supposed to be waiting... there's no one here. Not even Shula who should be behind the counter. What gives?

"Yeah, I was expecting this much." - Alf

"Poor crafters..." - Noire

"No, I think they managed to evacuate before she arrived." - Alf

"As if that will make thing any better for us..." - Noire

The two kept on the gloomy conversation while searching the next room. I'm starting to hope we're not finding anyone...

And we found them. Armveil, and another woman. She's, what should I say, a flaming beauty? Long, fluffy red hair, tall body, nice proportions, or rather, dynamite-like ones. For some reason, she's got red flame tattoos all over her body, a pair of blood-red horns, and a blue gem located on her forehead.

However, her appearance of draining a whole barrel filled with rum or vodka, by the smell of it, is destroying the whole explosive-beauty image. You can only see her as a drunkard. Who is she? Keeping the stealth effects semi-active, and...

!?!?!?! What the-!?

"Garami. Good that you came. This is my colleague, Regina. Just ignore her love for alcohol and blood, and she's a somewhat nice woman." - Armveil

"Hey, Arm? What's with that introduction? Are you trying to make me sound like some dangerous person?" - Regina

"I don't try. You ARE one." - Armveil

The firewoman froze in apparent shock, but comedy acts aside, what's up with those stats?! Every single one of them is above 500, with some even going above 1,000! 

Ehm, "Inferno Brawler" is a Master-tier class that combines art-less hand-to-hand combat with fire manipulation of the highest grade, "Drunken Warrior" is Advance-tier and focuses on strange movements to fight, as if you're drunk, "Expert Brewer" being the Advance-tier of the Brewer Artisan class, and Shaman being the magician-line class that asks spirits for help to reproduce magic-like effects...

Crap!? I escaped reality there for a moment!

Or rather, this woman's supposed to be of help? Feels more like she's gonna make the whole place explode! Don't mix alcohol and fire!! Alcohol? *Sniff, sniff*

"!? G-G-Garami!? We're still on duty, you know?!" - Noire

"Huh? AH!? Y-y-yeah, just what she said!" - Alf

What are they going about? I'm not gonna drink something that smells that bitter.

"What? You don't wanna taste my self-made brew? Ah, it's empty." - Regina

"Phewwww..." - Noire & Alf

"What's wrong with you two today?" - Armveil

You do get curious about that, yes.

"Wait, Armveil, you got my report, right?" - Alf

"Sure I did. Resent it straight to Blot without looking at it." - Armveil

For some reason, the two goons collapsed on the spot. Are they getting enough sleep?

"Whatever! Shula, the next barrel!" - Regina

"Y-yes..." - Shula

Ah, she was here. I didn't notice. Where did she learn to hide like that? And is she looking a little pale herself? What's up with the grunts tonight?

*Slip* *Crash!*

Ouch!? 

"Oh, crap!!" - Alf & Noire

The bottle came right outta nowhere... fwuhe?

"Hey, watch it! That's... not the wine I made." - Regina

"Thank the Ultimate Gods..." - Noire

"It's the Sage Sake I'm trying to reproduce." - Regina

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Shage Shake...? What a riot! Ah-hah-hah-hah!

"HIII!" - Noire

"Ehm, is it normal for people to laugh because of that Sake?" - Armveil

"Strange. It's supposed to reproduce the effect of a Drunken Sage, halving the necessary stamina and magic power to perform any actions, but that prototype knocked all the test subjects out cold before I could check if it worked or not." - Regina

Eh, ish that sho?

"A-an antidote! Hurry, someone, get the anti-*CRASH!!!*-doooo..." - Alf

Wha-ha-ha-ha! Ishe-guy's shtuck in the wall!

"...Did that report you were mentioning..." - Armveil

"Forbid alcohol to that thing? Yes." - Noire

"Ehhh? Noire's referring to me ash that?" - Garami

"HIII!! N-n-n-no n-n-n-n-never!!" - Noire

"She's even using her real name..." - Armveil

"A-ha-ha! This girl's a blast! There's no better time than the present. Armveil, where did you say that Avocado group was?" - Regina

"It's 'Avido'. And here's the map." - Armveil

Eh? They already knew where thoshe mafiash were?

"And it's not certain that it's them. We only followed after someone that's a possible candidate for drugging that Kodokumo spider to the point of evolving." - Armveil

"Forced level-ups? Yikes. Then it's for the sake of the world to get rid of those guys anyway." - Regina

"So you say, but what's your real motive?" - Armveil

"Of course, crushing some bastards~." - Regina

Wha-ha-ha-ha! Regina'sh got a shcary face~. Why are Noire and Shula shaking?

"This is why Humanoid Genociders... Ah, whatever. Just make sure to keep the newbie safe, and take back anything of value." - Armveil

"Yes~," - Regina

"Yesh~." - Garami

"And Noire, you go to." - Armveil

"EEEEEHHH?!" - Noire

"Someone with a sober mind needs to keep a watch over those two." - Armveil

"Are you trying to execute me!? The worst General along with the worst drunk..." - Noire

Wha-ha-ha-ha! Noire fainted mid-schentense! Her eyes are completely white!

Now, time to schmasch... oh! Good idea!

Trial~, trial~, trial for the bossch-schpider~. Letsch go!!

---

Noire's PoVThe nightmare side:

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was hell.

I was in the middle of a large room made into a bar with two floors, but it was far from a festive one. Pieces of bodies flew through the air, the walls were painted in blood, people dressed like thugs were screaming and running away, and in the middle of it all...

"Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha! What color is your EXP!?" - Garami

A demon was running around with a crescent moon-like smile on her face. 

She ran around all the thugs that decided to oppose her without running away, slashing their throats, legs, arms, wherever she could reach.

Some tried to guard with their weapons or strike back, but the strange dagger that Garami used got wrapped in something... shadowy (?) and slashed right through whatever the thugs used to guard themselves with, or simply dodged the attacks with minimal distance before gutting them alive.

When the thugs were in a distance too far away, Garami threw whatever she could get her hands on, like broken glass, rocks, weapons, or corpses... even corpses!? She's also using them as shields against magic attacks... wait, that guy is not a corpse yet!! He is now though...

The corpses kept on getting stacked on the floor, but Garami used that black magic circle of hers to remove them when she could not use them as... ammo...

EEEHH!? Two archers armed with crossbows tried to snipe at Garami from the second floor, but she caught the arrows with her fingers?! And threw them back at the assaulters?! Wait, she's the one assaulting...

"Oh, you're awake. Don't faint on people like that." - Regina

"Yes... not! What is going on here?!" - Noire

"...? Isn't that obvious? Extermination and recruitment." - Regina

Huh? I get that first part, even if I do not want to, but recruitment? 

General Regina only pointed to outside, where there were several of the thugs hanging in the air... they're hanging in the air!? Or... it's a spider web! A web made of threads too thin to be noticed in the dark. Even I had trouble seeing it.

"The girl's got style. After cutting down the first four guys, she shouted that all the bastards who escaped the building was going to be spared." - Regina

Ah, so they fled with the fear of their lives and got stuck into the web...

"Are you going to spare them?" - Noire

"Why not? The Assault division is lacking in manpower lately, so this is a good opportunity~." - Regina

Ah, they're getting shanghaied. Poor thugs. And for the worst division that makes warlords out of mice, and vice versa. Amen.

"Heeeey~, Regina~. This is the last one~." - Garami

And here she returns!!! And she's dragging someone with her. And will he not get balled if you keep on dragging him by his hair, Garami?

"Good work. Now, glasses, where is your boss, Avido?" - Regina

Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Sorry, glasses.

"I-I-I don't know!! Av-Av-Avido has a hideout in all six tower-towns! There has never been a reason for him to visit this place himself!" - Glasses

"So, he had others visit in his place, hmm?" - Regina

"Hiii! J-just once! A guy came with tons of cages containing spider monsters and some grey sludge! We were ordered to release the spiders into the sewers and throw the sludge in there as well!" - Glasses

...Bingo, I guess? And that 'sludge', don't tell me...

"I see. Good lad. Garami, spare this guy." - Regina

"Ehh~? But he didn't run~." - Garami

"It wasn't that he didn't run. He couldn't. Look at these thin arms and legs. He's a bonafide bookworm." - Regina

"So he is~! A pure whimp~." - Garami

Hold out, glasses. Be strong, glasses! Keep the shame closed in, glasses! You will turn out okay if you stay quiet. Maybe. Perhaps... Possibly...

"Well, if the boss' out, then there is only one more thing to do before we end this joint." - Regina

"What's that~?" - Garami

"Do you even need to ask? LOOTING! Now, go and grab whatever that's not bolted in place!" - Regina

"Yes, ma'am~!" - Garami

Why is she having such a happy face when hearing that? Garami ran into the deeper parts of the building, with some instances of the sound of battle. She didn't forget to tie up glasses before he left. Poor guy.

But that is what you get for getting involved with the mafia. They are a ragtag group of untalented people that cannot advance as adventurers after all, so they are forced to rely on numbers to prey on citizens rather than monsters. In other words, once they are the minority, they are no threat at all.

General Regina started to force the survivors stuck in the web to either surrender and join her department, or have a round two against Garami. No need to ask what they answered. I can say that there were no further casualties... today. Not sure what will happen to them from now on. Maybe they made the wrong choice today even?

No, considering General Regina, they did make the wrong choice. Amen.

Once the rest of the Assault department that had arrived in the city along with General Regina had arrived to take away the "newcomers", we entered the building again and found Garami in an empty room, sleeping like a log.

Guess the liquor finally did its job on her. Wait, was she not supposed to gather all the valuables in the building? There is nothing here... or so I thought, but glasses who was dragged around by General Regina asked what had happened to the room. Apparently, the place should be the storehouse of the headquarters, filled to the brim with rare items and weapons, hills on top of hills with the stuff...

No way... even the bolted stuff? And the lights? And crates and hills?! 

...Garami? Can you please keep your shenanigans on a certain level? Or else, General Regina is going to be too interested in you.

Description:

[Martial Arts] is the evolved variant of the [Close Quarters Combat] skill, but unlike its previous stage, [Martial Arts] is not limited to simple hand-to-hand combat techniques, and can also help with other arts of battle. This makes the skill well received for many Warrior classes.

[Martial Arts] does not only improve the skill user's ability to fight barehanded or with weapons, but it also improves their mental ability during the heat of the battle, improving their decision-making skills. This extends to any type of movement, including dodging or guarding against attacks.

In the end, this skill is golden for any front-line warriors or any warriors at all. Since its abilities are so flexible, even some non-Warrior Classes can gain this skill, but it is mostly limited to classes that focus solely on combat.

Noire's comment: Ah, that explains the arrow-catch...

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