Data.74 – Old Bowman, The Power of a Master Craftsman

“So, what’s this about my equipment evolving..!”

Once we were back at the workshop, I asked him about it before he could become evasive.

It was the same with the Turtle Dragon. He would not offer more information if you just sat back and waited.

If I wanted to know something, I would have to keep asking..!

“Don’t worry, I will talk to you seriously when it’s about work. Equipment evolution..is what it sounds like!”

“..”

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m just joking. Basically, you use specific materials in order to remake equipment into something more powerful.”

“You mean..it turns into something else entirely?”

“It depends. Most of the time it will mean superior performance and more skills within a weapon, but there are also times when the way that it’s used is changed dramatically. So to be honest, it all depends on the equipment.”

“And so how will it be for my Windcloud Bow and Windcloud Haori? If they were to evolve by using this Cloudsea Turtle Dragon Shell..”

In spite of it being a shell the size of an island, the actual item was small and easy to carry around.

Not as small as those pet turtles you keep in tanks, but still smaller than a tortoise.

“No, only the Windcloud Haori can evolve with that. A different material is used for the Windcloud Bow.”

“A different material?”

“Yes, it’s the Dark Wolf Fang!”

That was..the rewards for beating the Lupus trial from the hidden labyrinth.

I remember that the large black fang evoked the idea of a wolf being struck down by lightning after infuriating Zeus.

But I didn’t see how it was related to the Windcloud Bow..

“As for your other equipment, you don’t have the right materials! And so I will merely repair them, as you initially requested. As for the evolution, you are the owner and have the right to decide. So, what will you do?”

“..Would it be possible for me to first see their capabilities after evolving?”

“Of course! With my ability, I can make it appear very easily!”

And then two windows appeared in front of me.

They both contained information about the Windcloud Bow and Windcloud Haori after evolving.

“Th-this is..!”

After seeing this, I immediately made my decision.

◆　◆　◆

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Satomi.”

“No, if anything, that was very fast.”

Satomi was waiting outside of the workshop.

I personally didn’t care too much if he learned about my new evolved equipment, but I wasn’t going to force him to see it if he said that he wouldn’t.

“He says that everything will be finished in 4 days.”

“It takes that long..?”

“As it’s rare, he needs that much time to repair and evolve it. And in my case, there are 4 items that need to be repaired and 2 that will evolve, so it will take time to finish everything. He also took away a lot of materials. He only sent me off to get the Cloud Strands because he didn’t have enough, but there was also plenty of stuff he needed that I already had. Still, he didn’t take anything too rare.”

“That’s the cost of repairing something that will get damaged anyway.. It really makes you want to avoid getting hit. Of course, my style involves taking 0 damage to begin with, but I feel bad for people who fight as an advance guard.”

“Indeed. But everything in this game, from equipment, skills, experience, materials and money is acquired through fighting monsters. In order to get all of that, you have no choice but to repair your equipment.”

“Well, it’s true that everything that doesn’t have a clear use starts to pile up anyway. And they wouldn’t want to make the game so that players have too much materials and money stocked up. It’s because you don’t have enough of something that you go out adventuring.”

“Yes, yes. And if the cost of repairing equipment is higher, then there will be more tension when fighting. It reinforces my idea that it’s best to attack from a distance where the enemy can’t launch a counter attack.”

“I see.. But what I find truly surprising is that once you’ve dropped off your Windcloud set here, you’ve practically returned to the beginner Mister Kyuji.”

“Ahaha..really?”

I scratched my head awkwardly.

I was currently wearing my beginner equipment, which felt very nostalgic now.

Of course, I had gone on many adventures up until now, and had picked up decent equipment that monsters dropped.

But they weren’t a complete set.

If you only cared about stats when equipping them, the overall look would be pretty lame.

In that case, while plain, I thought that I would rather wear the beginner set for now.

Besides, I had some fond memories attached to it.

“Still, this Spider Shooter is a good bow, even now.”

“If that’s what you say, Mister Kyuji, then I won’t argue with you. In any case, I have to talk to Mister Yu about my repairs as well..”

Satomi was holding back laughter as he entered the workshop.

But I really did think that it looked good on me..this beginner set.

However, I could also admit that it wasn’t very good in terms of stats.

And so until the Windcloud set returned, I would concentrate on the trials that didn’t involve combat.

“Um..do you have a minute?”

It was one of the heavenly maidens from the workshop.

They took on the jobs that ordinary craftsmen could do, and so she asked me if there was anything she could repair or evolve that wasn’t rare.

I looked at the window that appeared and searched for something.

But the Windcloud set was more than enough for me, and doing something to my other equipment would require materials.

I didn’t want to upgrade something mediocre and run out of materials that I might need later on..

“Ah, could you evolve this one?”

“Yes, certainly!”

And like that, she ran back into the workshop.

I heard ‘finally, some decent work’ being muttered from within. But I pretended not to hear it.

Now, I wonder how long it would take to evolve ordinary equipment.

“It’s finished!”

“It is!?”

Apparently, it was just rare equipment that took so long.

I accepted the Spider Shooter: Cloud and checked it.

◆Spider Shooter: Cloud

Type: Two-handed Weapon(Bow)

Attack: 40

Range: 50

Weapon Skill: Web Cloud Arrow

Web Cloud Arrow

Unleashes an arrow that creates a sticky cloud net.

Can be activated 9 times a day without using any MP.

Compared to the Windcloud Bow, it was certainly a downgrade, but the Spider Shooter was a good weapon that I still used occasionally because of the weapon skill ‘Web Arrow’ that allowed me to slow down enemies.

And now, through the use of Cloud Spider Legs, which were a by-product of the previous hunt, I have been able to evolve it.

The bow used to have black hairs on it like a spider, but now they were white and fluffy.

It was still gross-looking at a glance, but it was actually quite soft and comfortable to hold. And so I preferred it like this.

As for the stats, both Attack and Range had been raised by 20 points.

Of course, the biggest difference was the skill, ‘Web Cloud Arrow.’

And so I decided to test the effect in the testing ground they had right next to the workshop.

It was kind of like a small park where you could test weapons and skills.

“Web Cloud Arrow!”

The head of the unleashed arrow was round like a sphere.

The original Web Arrow was the same, and the sphere would explode when it reached the enemy, and a net would spring out.

The difference here was the size of the net.

Previously, when using it on a monster that was human-size, you would have to target the knees or the rest of the net would not reach the ground, but now it would be able to cover someone completely.

That meant it could be effective against larger monsters as well..!

Not only that, but the number of uses had increased from 8 to 9, and that was without using MP.

I had thought that the limit was 8 to make it the same as the number of legs a spider had.

8 was a lot already, but 9..

“Mister Kyuji. I’m finished.”

“..Huh? Oh, that’s great!”

“It’s also going to take a little time to repair everything. Though, not as long as yours.. What are you going to do now? I’m going to explore the mountains a little more. Even without my armor, I should be able to get by as long as Gochu is with me.”

“I’m thinking about continuing with the non-combat trials. Oh, but I’m not actually sure which ones those are..”

“I can tell you of one that I know of if you want?”

..Hmm. What should I do?

I suppose if he could do it without spoiling everything.

“Alright. Could you just tell me the name and not what you have to do?”

“The name of the labyrinth is..Pisces. It’s the Pisces trial.”

Pisces. And no combat..

I had an idea of what that might mean. And perhaps it wouldn’t be bad as my first trial for returning to the event.

Very well. The next trial will be the Pisces labyrinth!