Chapter 107 - Cal Mira Island End

I defeat a boss called Karma Penguin and check the drops.

…penguin plushy?

What the hell is this?

I take it out of inventory.

Naofumi: “W-what is this?”

Rafatalia: “It looks like a stuffed animal.”

Naofumi: “It’s wearing sleeping clothes”

It’s a Penguin Plushy in a Santa Suit. It seems familiar for some reason.

For argument’s sake, I check its status.

–

Penguin Plushy

Defense Up, Impact Resistance (Small),

Water Resistance (Large),

Dark Resistance (Small),

HP Restoration (Weak),

Magic Amplify (Medium)

Autonomous Repair,

Increased Swim Time,

Size Correction,

Skill Correction (Small),

Race Change – Monster (When Equiped)

–

…It has quite a few useful abilities. It’s basic stats don’t even lose to my Barbarian Armor +1.

Increased Swim Time… but I don’t plan on swimming any time soon.

Naofumi: “It seems to be some sort of Legendary equipment. Rafatalia, please wear-”

Rafatalia: “NO! There’s no way I can fight while wearing that.”

As I thought.

I also refuse to wear this.

Firo: “Then Firo, wants to wear it”

Naofumi: “How are you going to wear it. Don’t you hate clothes?”

Firo: “It seems fun!”

And the second Firo grasped the doll, it increased in size.

Is that what they meant by size correction? How useful.

Firo: “Firo will wear it.”

Firo says as she equips the penguin.

Firo now completely looks like a penguin. A Santa bag also appeared for some reason.

Naofumi: “Wha… Don’t those clothes look a little stiff?”

Rafatalia: “D-do they?”

Firo: “Ah, I can’t put any power behind my attacks.”

Naofumi: “Then take it off.”

Was that the effect of Race Change? As her race changed to something besides Filo Rial, she no longer received any bonuses from my Filo Rial shield series.

It doesn’t seem we can use this…

Firo: “Um, Firo wants to wear it to sleep”

Naofumi: “Well, I guess that works.”

It does look like something you would sleep in.

Rafatalia: “…Or Naofumi-sama could let me wear his armor, and then wear this. The stats won’t be wasted.”

Naofumi: “Rafatalia…You want me to fight in this?”

Well, if you just look at stats, this is most efficient. It is better equipment than my Barbarian Armor.

…

Because of my shield, my equipment isn’t taking any damage, but Rafatalia’s equipment needs to be repaired.

Naofumi: “…fine.”

Rafatalia: “Then we’ll decide by lottery who wears it. According to Firo, it is hard to move in.”

Naofumi: “I-I understand.”

For some reason, it seems we both just don’t want to wear it due to appearance.

The Result…

Firo: “Master looks so cute!”

Naofumi: “Damn! I’m taking it off when we get to the inn!”

I can’t let the other adventurers see me like this! Just as Firo’s shape had changed, I now look like a penguin.

I look like a stuffed animal.

But as I say that, Rafatalia’s defense greatly increased upon donning my Barbarian Armor, and we had no problems hunting the other Karma Penguin Familia and Karma Penguin.

I can’t let the other Heroes see me wearing this.

But my face has also changed so as long as I hide my shield no one should find out.

Rafatalia: “By the way, did you dismantle the monsters?”

Naofumi: “Oh, right.”

I was so focused on drops that I forgot to dismantle and absorb the monsters.

For now, I dismantle and absorb the Karma Penguin we just defeated.

Now then what should we do about the others?

Firo begins running around eating the fallen penguins raw. It’s not a sight for children.

Naofumi: “Don’t eat too many.”

Starting a fire is a pain. When we get to the inn, food will be ready, so I don’t feel like cooking.

Firo: “Yes~”

For the love of…

Now then, I turn my back to the desolated field of penguin carcasses.

Karma Penguin: “Pe~”

Paku!

Naofumi: “? Did you just hear a strange sound?”

Rafatalia: “Yes, I wonder what it was”

Firo: “Firo didn’t notice”

Om nom nom, Firo answers while engrossed in eating penguin meat.

I thought it had come from Firo’s direction but…

Naofumi: “Was it my imagination?”

Maybe a nearby Karma Penguin Familiar had cried out.

It did sound like that.

Firo: “Gefu~”

Naofumi: “Firo, please eat in moderation.”

Firo: “Yes!”

That day, we were able to level without a problem. Twas a bit anti-climactic.

Maybe because of the things we have been experiencing until now.

But for Level Grinding to be this easy, I can see why the others still see this as a game.

It was a day like that.

Oh yeah, it seems that I unlocked Karma Penguin Familia Shield and Karma Penguin Shield some time along the way.

–

Karma Penguin Shield (Awakened) 0/25 C

Ability Bonus

…

Equipment Bonus:

Diving Level 2,

Water Resistance (Small),

Fishing Level 3,

Speckle Status Correction (Medium)

Special Effect : Diving Time Up

Weapon Proficiency 0

–

Karma Penguin Familia Shield (Awakened) 0/10 C

Ability Bonus

…

Equipment Bonus:

Diving Level 1

Fishing Level 2

Speckle Status Correction (Small)

Weapon Proficiency 0

–

It seems like it comes with various abilities and status corrections as a bonus.

However shields like the Chimera Viper just came with high stats. I don’t understand the system.

And what is Speckle supposed to mean? It doesn’t give any explanation.

It is then that the Penguin Plushy comes to mind.

Wearing that item did give a lot of miscellaneous bonuses.

Naofumi: “Rafatalia…”

Rafatalia: “W-why are you looking at me with those eyes? I’m definitely not wearing it.”

I pull Rafatalia’s name out of the cup we used for the lottery.

Naofumi: “Today is your turn.”

Firo is… Well, I’m happy she was born as a Filo Rial.

By the way, this is something that we learned later, but if you wear this costume you can dive in the ocean for long periods of time. But that doesn’t really matter right now.

Later… Firo has learned to move in penguin form without issue.

It seems that she enjoys playing around in that form.

Once again, a normal day of level grinding has passed. It is now the dusk of the last day.

The EXP bonuses slowly subsided, and eventually disappeared altogether along with the red light.

Naofumi: “These days were quite useful.”

Rafatalia: “You’re…correct”

Rafatalia answers with a troubled face.

Well, it’s not like I don’t understand.

We’re about to get on the boat set to return to the main land.

Though I had the initial advantage in levels, the result was

Me: Level 73

Rafatalia: Level 75

Firo: Level 74

We reached around the limit that the Island could help us. I was told the bonus was not particularly helpful past level 80, and getting through the 70’s was difficult.

Motoyasu calls down to me from the boat.

Motoyasu: “It seems you’ve gotten stronger. Isn’t that nice?”

Firo: “Yeah!”

Firo is currently floating next to the boat. It is still docked.

Naofumi: “Firo, he wasn’t talking to you”

Firo: “eh?”

Motoyasu: “Returning to subject, I am now 30 levels higher than when I got here.”

Itsuki: “Me too… but I expected a little bit more.”

Ren: “There’s nothing we can do about it.”

Motoyasu: “The monsters were just too weak.”

Itsuki: “Ah… well that is true.”

By the time we had reached level 70, the Karma Series bosses were nothing but small fries.

Firo and Rafatalia’s statuses have sky rocketed.

I have tested new methods and found different ways to increase my stats.

By the way, I still have many shields that are still sealed.

We may have been able to increase our levels, but that does not necessarily mean we have gotten strong. I think Rafatalia and Firo realize this too.

It seems that Level is a sort of magical property of an individual, and things like skill and intelligence are separate.

I don’t think I have the reaction speed or mentality to take on stronger opponents yet.

This is an unfortunate side-effect of grinding.

In the net games I used to play, there were mountains of players who thought they were strong simply by leveling up in special events.

They didn’t realize that level and skill level are separate items.

We should train to prevent that.

Swindler: “Oya? Is it not the hero of the Shield?”

Naofumi: “…You.”

The swindling merchant calls out from a boat that is docked next to the one we are about to board.

It seems to be some sort of Cargo ship. Many boxes are stacked on it.

Naofumi: “Well, the Awakening is now over, have you ended business?”

Swindler: “Ended business? Surely you jest. I am merely switching to another enterprise.”

Naofumi: “I see…”

What does he plan on doing? I have a bad feeling about this.

Swindler: “It’s a secret. I’ve been bound to secrecy.”

The swindler cuts off explanations.

It seems that the rumors of the EXP raising accessories he sold at Cal Mira have spread quite far.

However, rumors being rumors, some information is lost over time. Though the accessory was supposed to only work on the islands, people are now saying that they work everywhere, and testimonies are already popping up.

Naofumi: “I think you should get out of the accessory industry.”

Swindler: “What are you saying? Miracle Gem Accessories are still flying off the shelves.”

By the way, they supposedly have a property that makes them break easily. Once they have lost their effects, they shatter and the customer must purchase another.

It seems I have started quite a dubious industry. I have some doubts.

Swindler: “I’ll work hard! See you Again, Hero of the Shield!”

It seems that his inventory has finished loading. His boat departs first.

Naofumi: “Well… There’s nothing I can do about it now.”

All I did was give him some advice. The rest is up to him.

Naofumi: “Well, we should board our boat too.”

Rafatalia: “You’re right.”

Firo: “Board~!”

And so, we boarded the boat and waited for it to depart.