NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2
Chapter 2 “Keekyo! Keekyo!”
Yes, it’s the start, and I’m already in the middle of a forest…
“Huh? If you’re not a human, you don’t start in a town or something?”
It seems that non-humans start not in a town, but in some unknown place.
Yes, I’m currently wandering in the middle of a forest.
Hello.
Now, before the game started, I did decide on a player name. There was a section for it when creating the avatar, so I filled it in.
Without much thought, it’s Yamamoto.
Being a silver knight named Yamamoto feels quite out of place, but isn’t it embarrassing to have a fancy name in the game?
I can’t do it.
Also, this name is my pen name, so there’s a bit of a plan to use it for self-promotion in the design field as well.
So, the game has started, and I’m wandering in the forest without any explanation.
The forest is filled with the sounds of insects and birds, making my ears hurt from the cacophony. But the noise and the scent of the forest are incredibly realistic, making it feel like I’m really wandering in the forest.
“These trees… Oh, the branches break. So they’re destructible objects…”
▶ Acquired: [Wooden Branch]
Moreover, it looks like I can get items, too.
They said the freedom in this game is amazing, and it’s incredible that you don’t see a “You can’t do that” message for even the smallest actions.
In fact, the sensation of actually touching the tree makes this game stand out from previous VRMMORPGs.
However, the lack of a tutorial might be a bit unkind, probably due to the game’s realistic approach.
Just as I was thinking that, a hint mark appeared in the corner of my vision.
Uh, it says, “You can receive the tutorial in the city. First, aim for the nearest city.”
I’m not a human, though. Wouldn’t heading to a city cause some confusion? I think there could definitely be a problem with that, but I wonder how it will turn out?
Oh, maybe there are cities for monster races too? If so, that might be the place I should aim for.
For now, after digesting the hint, an arrow-like marker appeared, so I guess I should follow it.
Ah, another hint popped up.
Uh, let’s see… “Monsters may appear on the way. For those with initial stats, allocate your special points to enhance your abilities…?”
Isn’t it strange to face potential combat before the tutorial? Isn’t the point of heading to the tutorial to learn the basics of combat? The order of things seems all messed up, doesn’t it?
Anyway, I guess I’ll open the status screen to check my abilities and follow the hint.
Let’s see, it seems I can open my status screen just by thinking “Status Open”… oh, it opened.
Name: Yamamoto
Race: Dullahan (Fairy)
Gender: Female
Age: 0
Level: 1
HP: 170/170
MP: 120/120
SP: 30
Physical Attack: 22 (+12)
Magic Attack: 8
Physical Defense: 25 (+15)
Magic Defense: 25 (+13)
Stamina: 17
Agility: 5
Intuition: 4
Spirit: 12
Fate: 7
Unique Skill: [Balance]
Race Skill: [Carriage Summon]
Common Skills: None
Wow, tough and strong! And also slow!
The physical attack and defense are impressive because of the (well-designed) armor and sword I’m equipped with, so I understand the strength.
Additionally, the ability to use some magic is probably because of the fairy race.
On the other hand, with low agility and intuition, it seems I might struggle with quick movements or dodging attacks.
Yeah. I get it, a pure heavy knight.
I have a decent amount of HP and MP, so I can probably manage in battles by brute force.
But there’s something called a race skill that I’ve never seen or heard of before.
What could this be?
[Race Skill] A skill unique to the race. For dragons, it might be something like a breath attack. These are special skills possessed by that race.
I see.
So, in my case, since I’m a Dullahan, I can summon a carriage.
Wait, if I summon the carriage and use it to move around, wouldn’t that solve the problem of my slow speed?
Well, it might not be that simple.
When I wished to see the details of the [Carriage Summon] skill, the following description appeared. This feature is really convenient.
[Carriage Summon]
MP Consumption: 100
Summon a carriage and declare death on a target.
After executing the skill, you must declare death on the target within twenty-four hours.
If the target is defeated within twenty-four hours after summoning the carriage, the skill [Carriage Summon] ends, and the carriage along with the coffin (a simple save point) inside disappears.
If the target is not defeated, after twenty-four hours, you receive 100% damage to your HP.
“What a risky skill…”
Once used, I have to declare death on someone and defeat them, or I will die.
What a cumbersome skill… or so I thought.
“Come to think of it, there’s no restriction on declaring death, so I can just declare death on a field monster and defeat it, right?”
In other words, as long as I declare death and defeat the target, I effectively get a vehicle to ride around for twenty-four hours.
Wow, Dullahan is amazing! Super convenient!
Moreover, the coffin inside the carriage acts as a simple save point.
This is what it means to be fully equipped with everything!
Wait a minute.
If the coffin is a simple save point, does that mean the inside of the carriage is a safe area?
“Let’s try it out. [Carriage Summon]!”
As I shouted, a huge carriage, reminiscent of a Dendrobium, appeared.
Yeah, it’s clearly not designed to run through the forest.
But it’s fine! I wanted it to have a big and cool design!
The carriage, appearing while crushing the forest trees, had a surprisingly minimalist interior.
Yes, the motif is inspired by the interior of a futuristic spaceship, featuring a blend of smooth curves and metal throughout.
Also, there’s something like a console screen that no carriage should have.
By the way, this console screen originally belonged to the headless horse that came with the carriage.
I thoroughly modified its shape and appearance, transforming it into a console screen and redesigning the carriage to be self-propelled. This is its current form.
In fact, I spent more time on the carriage overhaul than on the armor design. But because of that, operating the carriage is easy.
▶ You have entered a safe area.
“Oh, just as expected, the inside of the carriage is a safe area.”
A safe area is a place where, as long as you’re inside, all attacks are nullified. Monsters won’t attack you there, and player killing (PK) isn’t possible. It’s essentially an invincible zone.
“Here, I won’t suddenly get into a battle, so I might as well allocate my special points now.”
Special points, or SP as shown on the status screen, can be used to increase stats or learn new skills.
So, I’ll consider how to use my special points right away.
“The question is whether to specialize or balance.”
My current stats are tough and strong, but I’m slow, which is a disadvantage.
Probably, with these stats, I won’t be able to hit fast opponents and will get beaten up one-sidedly.
For such opponents, forming a party to cover my weaknesses would be good, but honestly, since I’m not good at socializing, forming a party is a high hurdle for me.
“If my build assumes being in a party, going full tank is an option… But I don’t think I can form a party…”
So, should I go for a balanced build?
But with stats this heavily skewed toward being a tank, making a balanced build seems like such a waste.
“Hmm, instead of allocating points to my stats, maybe I should think about which common skills to get?”
Common skills are those that anyone can acquire and are packed with skills useful for adventuring.
Of course, not all of them can be obtained unconditionally. Some require meeting certain conditions or spending a fair amount of points. However, the main selling point is that you can acquire specialized skills with relatively few points.
That said, special points aren’t unlimited.
Typically, you earn them when you level up, discover something new, obtain titles, or change to an advanced class. So, they’re quite valuable, and I can’t just use them without thinking.
“Even when it comes to acquiring skills, whether to focus on combat, support, or production makes a big difference.”
You might think that choosing a non-human race means focusing solely on combat, but that’s a shallow assumption.
The notion that non-human equals combat leads many non-human players to lean toward combat skills.
Therefore, when playing solo, opting for support skills that are in demand could be a good strategy. This way, even if my communication skills are lacking, I’ll still be sought after.
Well, there’s the basic question of whether non-humans can even form parties together.
Additionally, for similar reasons, choosing a production role is also viable.
If you ask whether non-human players need weapons or items, some might not. However, non-humans like Lizardmen, Goblins, and Orcs do use weapons to fight, so there’s definitely a demand.
Additionally, this game has a feature called the World Market, which only players can access to buy and sell items.
This means I can sell items to human players too, so my crafted items probably won’t go to waste.
Given that, my passion for my craft is stirring, and I’m feeling like becoming a producer. Yes, my stats are overwhelmingly tank-oriented.
“Alright, let’s get some production skills! But which ones should I choose?”
There are many production skills to choose from.
For instance, there’s [Alchemy], which allows you to create potions from herbs, [Alchemy], which involves transforming materials to create new substances or items, and [Smithing], which is for making weapons and armor.
These are well-known as the three major production skills.
I could dabble in all three, but the one I want to focus on the most is [Smithing].
It feels directly connected to design!
But to make good items, you need good materials, so I’ll also get [Alchemy] just in case.
I decide to choose the common skills [Smithing] and [Alchemy], and press the acquisition button that appears in the air.
I use about 4 special points for these two skills.
Well, it’s a necessary expense, a necessary expense.
▶ Acquired [Smithing] skill Lv1.
▶ Acquired [Alchemy] skill Lv1.
Great, now I can start making things.
▶ [Balance] has been activated.
Adjusting skill balance.
▶ Acquired [Mixing] skill Lv1.
…Huh?
“Wait, why did I suddenly acquire the [Mixing] skill!?”
I hurriedly opened the status screen and saw my SP at 26. Phew, it seems I was mistaken. I thought 2 SP had been used to acquire [Mixing] without my permission.
As I was about to close the status screen, my gaze stopped on the list of common skills.
It’s there…
The [Mixing] skill has been added to my common skills…
What? How did this happen!?