Published at 15th of July 2022 8:24 am

Chapter 168: Dragon Skin

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“Then Roxanne is next, I guess. Since I will be taking on the monsters from the front, I will give you two livers.” “Okay.”

We continue to hunt dragons. I hand Roxanne the livers and have her lead the way. The reason as to why I handed her two is if she fails. If I take on the monsters from the front, it will be hard for me to get them from my Item Box.

Because Roxanne will now be throwing the liver, someone will have have to take care of the monsters from the front in her stead. I can always excuse myself from having to face the monsters in the name of the duty of using the Item Box for the livers; however, I will feel bad if I avoid fighting, I think. I believe it is better to fight at least once. I will have the chance to fight Lv1 Drive Dragon, after all.

Cyclops is quite scary. The power of its blow may not lose to even Rtoll Troll. However, I am really afraid of the dragon. That gigantic body, those huge talons growing on its limbs, those large fangs baring through its mouth; quite intense. Rather than facing it for the first time on higher floors, I should experience it here.

If we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by multiple Drive Dragons on higher floors, it would most likely cause panic. In order to recover my MP, I bring out Durandal and go to the front to fight the monsters. I should warm up by fighting a Lv1 monster.

I run and close in on the Naive Olive as soon as it appears. I outrun Roxanne and confront the monster. I should not have to be afraid of a mere Naive Olive Lv1. However, I should not have to be proud either.

While I was watching the monster’s movement without being careless, Roxanne throws a liver from the side. The Naive Olive turns into smoke and the smoke shapeshifts into a dragon’s silhouette. Looks like a success.

I can perhaps switch with Roxanne in the front while it is in the midst of transformation but let’s not do that. Everyone surrounds it. If we could go into our usual battle formation, the victory pattern would follow. If I wasn’t the one in the front.

The smoke turns into a Dive Dragon. Before it started to move, I attack it. Even though I swang Durandal first, the dragon counters with a charge.

I stagger to the left with a loud thud and somehow manage to evade. Just barely. The dragon recovers the upper half of its body. While holding Durandal, I regain my stance and confront the dragon.

There is no gap. There is no gap for me to launch a second attack. I will receive the counter if I attack carelessly.

While keeping an eye on the dragon, I weigh the timing of my attack. In any case, it will not start unless I attack. I have no choice but to attack. While I was starting to attack with Durandal, my eyes meet with the Drive Dragon’s.

It is glaring at me. Its glare seals my movement. If it went on, I would be done in by the counter. I would not be been able to dive far.

Cold sweat runs down my back. The time is passing excruciatingly slowly. The dragon open its mouth and bares its fangs. Is this the other side’s time to attack?

Come. I gather power in my legs so I can move any time. Left? Right?

Or so I thought but it doesn’t attack. Huh? Paralyzed! Miria seems to have inflicted it with paralysis.

We have got this if it can’t move. I strike it with Durandal. While it was paralyzed, I exterminate the dragon with continuous strikes. If the dragon can’t move, it is like a training dummy.

However, I will seemingly have a hard time recovering MP with Durandal in this manner on the higher

I have not acquired any job by picking up the dragon skin. Is there really no job that can be acquired by picking up dragon skin? Roxanne have not acquired any new job either.

“Pass the remaining liver to Sherry. Sherry, you will be next.” “Okay.”

This time, I hand a liver to sherry and have her transform a monster into a Drive Dragon. Roxanne is taking on the dragon from the front. I am able to easily attack the dragon from the side.

While avoiding the dragon’s attacks, Roxanne is occasionally thrusting her Rapier into it. Does successfully attacking it makes it pull back? It is impossible for me.

As expected, Sherry has not acquired any job. Is there really no job related to dragons? If there is, should it not be for a dragonkin like Vesta? If that were the case, it would be a job specific to the dragonkin. It could be different, though.

“Everyone will get to try it. will be Miria. And I will have you use this, Vesta.” “Okay, desu.” “Okay.”

I hand Durandal to Vesta. Miria throws the liver and Vesta slays the dragon. Neither Miria nor Vesta have acquired a new job, so I can conclude that there is no job related to dragons.

Still, I have Vesta throw a liver regardless. Best to have everyone try it since we are already here. Vesta throws a liver and the Naive Olive transforms to a Drive Dragon.

All the members have managed to turn a monster into a dragon at first attempt. Transforming a Naive Olive Lv1 to a Drive Dragon seems to be easy. It will be 100% success if it is Kabold Lv1, it seems. If it were not this much, it would be difficult to weaken a high ranked monster by transforming it to a Drive Dragon.

“Did it, desu.”

Miria petrifies the Drive Dragon which Vesta transformed. Now that I think about it, is it possible that Abnormal Status Rate Up of Miria’s Assassin is effective in transforming a monster to a dragon? Provided that transforming a monster to a dragon is considered abnormal status. Or is it not like this, after all?

“Since there is a chance, would you like to try killing it?” “Yes.”

I pass Durandal to Roxanne and let her kill the petrified Drive Dragon. There doesn’t seem to be any job related to dragons but we try one last time just to be sure. Nobody has acquired any new job. As conjectured, there is no job related to dragons.

After receiving just the dragon skins, we move back to 26th floor. Thereafter, we start exploring 26th floor. I take out Cape Carps and Gumi Slimes with Fire magic. Fire resistance of Cyclops and Scissor Lizard is troublesome. Since it is 26th floor, one or two will surely appear. However, Miria will be able to neutralize them if the battle prolongs.

There is nothing to be concerned about in case of a group of two Cape Carps, though. Against a barrage of 2 [Burn Storm]s and 1 [Fire Storm」, they are not much of an enemy.

“Here it comes.”

While I was casting the barrage of three spells for a second time, Roxanne issues warning. One of the Cape Carps has a red magic formation under it. While the sparks of my Fire magic were dancing, it adds more fire. In an instant, my body heats up, causing a tightening shock.

It is an area of effect Fire magic! This is the first time I have received a Cape Carp’s Fire magic attack. It felt hot for a moment but didn’t seem to contain much power. There would be more damage if it were Earth, Wind or Water magic, I think.

Was it offset by my Fire magic? However, if they did offset each other and I received damage, it would mean that my barrage of three spells was negated. So it shouldn’t have been the case, right?

The two Cape Carps collapse after receiving usual number of spells. So they did not offset, after all, huh?

“Didn’t the Cape Carp’s Fire magic inflict less damage than its Water magic?”

I try to hear everyone’s opinion.

“I think so. It might have been less.” “I don’t think it was much different from Water magic.”

Ah. Both Roxanne and Sherry have equipment with Water Resistance. However, since Roxanne’s has Fire Resistance as well, she can probably compare the two. I wonder if it can be relied on, though.

“Really?” “There is no record stating that Cape Carp possesses weak Fire magic. However, it doesn’t seem to use it much. It is very difficult to accurately determine; that may be the reason why there is no record.”

Since there is no other way to confirm whether its Fire magic is weak or not than by getting hit, they could not confirm it. If Sherry could not find any related information in the books, it cannot be helped.

Although Cape Carp possesses a lot of magic skills, it mostly uses Water magic. This was the first time it used Fire magic, so it seems to be quite rare. It will be hard to determine if it is not frequent. However, if its power really were less, I’d rather it used it more often.

“Weak, desu.” “I think neither Water nor Fire magic were that strong.”

Only Miria’s opinion should be reliable, no? According to Vesta-kun, not just Fire, Water magic was weak, too. However, if Miria feels the power was less, then it really is less powerful than the other attributes.

Then does that mean the attribute which Cape Carp is poor at will do less damage? Water magic, which it has command on, is not strong to begin with, so Fire magic, which it is poor at, seems to be useless. Its weakness is Fire magic, after all, so it may be true.

Thereafter, we finish exploration for the day without receiving any further Fire magic. For the dinner, Roxanne prepares pot-au-feu of the dragon skin. I look forward to tasting the ingredient I have never tasted before.

“This- how do I put it? It is-” “What is it?”

It is chicken skin. However, it really is delicious. The dragon skin tastes almost like chicken skin.

A nonpareil chicken skin, it can be said. I have never had a nonpareil chicken skin before. It is tender and soft. When I bite it, the mellow fat spreads on my tongue. It is not as sweet as honey but it does taste sweet.

“It tastes as a dragon should, doesn’t it?” “Yes, it is delicious.”

If it is good, I will say it is good. Also, I cannot bad mouth something which Roxanne made. So I will praise it in any case.

“The soup is thick and rich.” “It feels so.”

I wonder if it left stock in the soup. Although it is merely boiled, it is more delicious than any pot-au-feu I have ever had.

“It really was true that it improves the soup.” “Tomorrow, desu.” “I think it is delicious.”

Miria’s interest seems to have shifted toward the whole fish and the dragon skin we will be having tomorrow. It will be a stock with dragon skin removed, and chicken skin and bones added. Speaking of chicken bones, it is regrettable to discard them but there is nothing to gain from keeping them either. Speaking of which, Yang Xiu, Cao Cao’s advisor, arranged for evacuation from the battlefield because there was nothing to gain from it. Later on, he was executed. It’s quite famous. For this reason, no one discards dragon skin.

However, I am unable to verify the skin beautifying effect of the dragon skin. I fondle them in the moist bath in order to examine. After the bath, I even lick them clean before groping them in the bed. Everyone’s skin is as smooth, tender and soft as always.

Even without the skin beautifying effect, the skin of the four girls is beautiful. Glossy, so supple, so very tender; the best.

In the first place, it may take a few days for the effect on the skin to be apparent. From now on, I must continue examining everyday. To be specific, I need to fondle them and lick them clean. I will have to examine them thoroughly. Since it is for science, it can’t be helped.

The next morning. We grab the map and enter Quratar’s labyrinth.

“The Black Frog boss is called Fluke Frog. The attributes it is resistant to and weak against are the same as Black Frog. It is not that strong despite being a boss; however, it occasionally deals heavy blow. Many people have died because they underestimated it; therefore, please be very careful.”

Sherry urges us to be careful. It seems to be a monster that relies on fluke. I brace myself and proceed to the boss battle.

If there is no fluke, it does not seem to be a strong monster. We take it out with ease. Mainly thanks to Miria.

Miria petrified the Tur Turtle in a blink of an eye and then made the Fluke Frog out of order with the first strike. It was paralysis, though, not petrifaction. However, she managed to inflict petrifaction before it could start moving again. Even though I helped with Abnormal Status Resistance Down, it was great nonetheless.

Inflicting abnormal status is Miria’s ability. It was not merely a chance (fluke).

“It was easy to defeat it thanks to Miria. Great as always.” “Go up, desu.”

The monster on Quratar’s 26th floor is the same as Haruba’s; Cape Carp, that is. Is that why she is excited? It does not seem to be because of working hard at inflicting petrifaction.

If it is about Cape Carp, it appears in Haruba, too. Nah, is she telling me to go back to Haruba as soon as possible? As per Miria’s demand, we will go back to Haruba after fighting on 26th floor once. Quratar’s 26th floor mainly has Cape Carps and Black Frogs, that are weak against Fire, so there should not be any problem.

Moreover, there was no particular change in the four’s skin that night, too. There was no change even in Miria’s case who had a lot of whole fish and dragon skin soup for herself. As smooth and beautiful as always. I am pretty sure for I examined her while playing with her cat-ears.

It was same for the other three as well. There was no change on the following day either. To begin with, I can’t imagine their skin getting any more beautiful than it already is. The skin beautifying effect of dragon skin is really dubious.

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