Volume 3 - CH 15

Chapter 15 – I Explored The Mine

Speaking of [Creation], I was curious about the effects that it imparts and found that the mountain was endowed with《Infinite Ore EX》while the underground was endowed with《Magma Calming S+》and《Vibration Absorbing S+》respectively.

The《Infinite Ore EX》is said to revive the ore inside the mountain after a certain period.

It can be thought of as a place similar to a gathering point in an RPG.

《Magma Calming S+》subsides underground magma, preventing volcanoes from being formed.

《Vibration Absorbing S+》is a measure against earthquakes. It completely absorbs any shaking, no matter what the cause. 

With these two things in place, the safety of Fort Port would not be threatened by a situation like this again.

While thinking about this, the twilight scroll floating in the air spun itself up and returned to my hand.

As I was storing it in my [Item Box], a voice echoed in my head.

Connection with the twilight scroll terminated .

[Creation], well done.

It was the best possible outcome.

Thank you.

It’s thanks to [Full Assist]‘s support.

You’re welcome.

I’m so glad things turned out this way for everyone.

I heard I might become crippled.

How’s it going over there?

…..

Hmm?

Are you okay?

My apologies.

This system is extremely overloaded and will require some cooldown time.

May I enter into safe mode with remaining functionality left at a minimum?

Yes, that’s fine.

Have a good rest.

Thank you very much.

Well then, I will see you again.

With those words, I felt as if something was leaving me.

Reboot in safe mode.

The voice that echoed in my head had a completely different impression from the one I had just heard.

The sound was mechanical and indifferent to all intents and purposes. As for me, I’m going to miss [Full Assist], but this time [Full Assist] did a great job. First of all, let’s have them take a good rest in safe mode.

As I think about this, the inorganic voice tells me, “[Creation]‘s level has reached 25. The recipes will be increased.”

The original skill level was 17, so that’s an increase of 8 levels at once.

A new skill, [Material Substitution I], has been unlocked.

Oops.

It seems that a skill has been added.

What in the world would be the effect?

…I see.

It seems that [Material Substitution I] is a skill that “when performing [Creation] with a recipe that has been performed before, one of the required materials can be substituted at the cost of magic power.”

For example, the recipe for Flying Potion is “Flying Mushroom x 1 + Wet Mushroom x 1,” but if you have Flying Mushroom, you don’t need to prepare Wet Mushroom. It can be substituted by consuming magic power.

This is a very useful skill.

The other point of concern is the number of [Material Substitution I].

Perhaps [Material Substitution II] or [Material Substitution III] will be added in the future.

As I was thinking about this, the strength left my legs.

It must be a reaction to the [Creation] I just did.

“Oops…”

I almost fell down, and then Iris lent me her shoulder from the left.

“Kou, can you stand up?”

“…Honestly, it’s tough right now.”

“Then lean on me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

Iris replied and turned her caring gaze towards me.

“Is there anything that hurts? It seemed to be quite painful when you activated the skill, though…”

“It was definitely hard until I activated it. But now I’m just tired. Don’t worry about it.”

As I was answering like that, Lily came over to me.

Lily also looked anxious.

“Kou-san, is your right eye okay?”

“Hmm? Yeah. I can see fine.”

I answered while checking the vision of my right eye.

I remember when I summoned “Ymir’s Arrow,” it suddenly started bleeding.

Lily must have been in a state of shock since she was right up close and personal with the scene.　

…I’m kind of sorry about that.

As I was thinking about this, Lily looked at me and bowed her head.　

“Thank you very much for your help this time.”

Hmm?

What does she mean?

I can’t think of any reason why Lily would thank me.

As I tilted my head, Lily continued.

“Activating the bow and summoning the arrows should really be my work. But this time, Kou-san did it all for me. …It’s hard when someone else has to do the hard work for you.”

“──That’s why we all need to help each other, wouldn’t you agree!”

It was the fresh voice of Leticia that blew away the damp atmosphere.

If I were to use an analogy, it would be like a cool summer breeze. It was bright, cool, and comfortable.

When I looked at Leticia, she looked at me for a moment, nodded her head, and brushed her golden hair back with her right hand.

She then turned her gaze toward Mahoros Island and, with gestures that sounded like a scene from a vaudeville play, raised her voice in a high pitch.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please look over there! Don’t you think that mine, created with my meteorite, Iris’s ice and snow, Lily’s arrows, and Kou-sama’s [Creation], is a marvelous work of art? It shines like a jewel in the sunlight!”

That’s a lot of tension…!

Leticia is probably trying to change the atmosphere of the place in her own way.

I agree with her.

I appreciate the concern for my body, but right now I’d rather rejoice in the success of the [Creation].

“It was wonderful, everyone! I’m so proud of you!”

Dest’s voice came out as if he was taking advantage of Leticia’s words.

“I want to contribute to Master in ways other than just moving around!”

Dest paused as he said this, raising his arms in the air with a clang.

“I understand. I’ll keep that in mind.”

I nodded with a wry smile and turned to the others.

“This time, it worked out well because of you guys. I really thank you.”

“It was pretty close, but I’m glad we got it done in time…”

Iris breathes a sigh of relief.

“But I didn’t expect ice and snow to be used as material for [Creation].”

“That’s the same for me.”

Leticia nodded her head.

“I was really surprised because I thought that the [Falling Star] was a power for destruction. Kou-sama is totally out of the ordinary, or rather, out of the norm in every way.”

“Really, it’s an amazing power…”

Lily muttered with a sincere look on her face.　

“Now we don’t have to worry about eruptions, and Fort Port will be fine, right…?”

“Yes. It should be.”

I nodded at Lily’s words.

When looking up at the sky, the clouds around the island have disappeared.

Perhaps they were involved in [Creation] and consumed as material.

…That’s a hell of a lot of power.

Although it was my own doing, I still can’t help but be surprised.

With the sun shining in from the south, brightly illuminating the area around the ship, we congratulate each other on our good luck and decide to head back to the island.

* * *

The Exceed Cruiser passed through a cave under the cliff and through a gate at the back into a dock inside the ruins.

There we found Surara and Tidal.

When I explained how I had stopped the volcano, they rolled their eyes in amazement.

“Master-san, you are becoming more and more like a god…!”

“Kou-dono is truly out of the ordinary… I don’t think I could win against you even if I gave it my all.”

Tidal sighed in admiration, then quickly tightened his expression and announced.　

“I am truly grateful to you. Without you, the volcano would have erupted, and Fort Port would have been destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami. I will never forget this debt of gratitude I owe you for protecting my hometown. If there is anything I can do for you, please feel free to talk to me.”

He held out his right hand to me.

I responded with my right hand.

At that moment.

An inorganic voice echoed in my head.

The contract with “Faraway Lazy Dragon” has been concluded.

From now on, it will be possible to summon it using the [Calamity Summoning].

What did it say?

When I was puzzled by the unexpected announcement, Tidal shouted, “Hohoho!”

“It seems you can now summon me with the [Calamity Summoning].

“Do you know about it?”

“I sort of do.”

Tidal replied with a wry smile.

“If the next time the Gluttonous Dragon appears, call me with [Calamity Summoning]. By using this skill, I will be able to borrow some of Kou-dono’s magic power, but I can still fight with all my might for three minutes or so. Besides, my unique ability is like a natural enemy to that dragon.”

That’s a good thing.

We will have the possibility to fight the Gluttonous Dragon again, and when we do, I will rely on Tidal to help me out.

As I nodded to myself, Leticia muttered right beside me.　

“It’s strange…”

“What’s wrong?”

“The [Summoning Calamity] is a skill that allows you to follow a defeated calamity, but it should not have a function that requires you to make a contract with it. Do I remember wrong…?”

“No, no, your memory is correct, Leticia-dono. Perhaps the skill changed to match the way Kou-dono wanted it to be.”

Tidal then turned his gaze toward me.　

“I wonder if you have learned anything about this, too, Kou-dono. In your travels so far, there must have been several occasions when your skills have evolved.”

“…I see.”.

I nod.

For example, in the case of [Creation], originally, only the items in my [Item Box] could be used as materials. However, through the level up, objects that touch the hand can also be used as materials. In addition, I just acquired a supplementary skill called [Material Substitution I].

[Full Assist] also became more talkative and made spontaneous suggestions compared to when I first arrived in this other world.

I guess you could say this is evolution, too.

As I agreed with him, Tidal continued.

“Changing, evolving, or growing things that are related to you. That may be your unique ability.”

“This inherent ability sounds like a calamity.”

When I shrugged my shoulders, Tidal said in a joking tone.

“The [Transmigrator] and the calamity are both beings called in from outside the world. In that sense, they are similar. Kakakaka!”

* * *

After that, we decided to head to the newly created mine in the mountains.

The ruins still had a magic circle for teleportation, allowing us to move anywhere on the island.

We used it to warp to the front of the mine.

The entrance to the mine is a long rectangle, about 10 meters high and 20 meters wide.

“It’s big…”

“It looks easy to get in and out.”

“It would also be easy to pull the trolley tracks through.”

We entered the mine with such conversation.

Inside the mine, a cool breeze was blowing, and it was quite comfortable.

Looking at the ceiling, I saw that there were orange ores buried between the rock walls, which served as a source of light and illuminated the interior of the mine.

After walking for about a minute, I found a place that looked like a large hall.

It was a space of 50 meters square, from which a number of wider corridors extended.

Each passageway contained various deposits of ore in abundant quantities.

Gold, silver, copper, lead, tin, iron, chrome, coal, and even orichalcum ore.

Every kind of mineral that exists in the world is here.

“It’s like a museum in the shape of a mine…”

Tidal sighed in admiration.

“No other mountain in the world has so many minerals to be found. [Creation] is truly a tremendous force…”

“Master-san, this is amazing!”

Surara shouted cheerfully and jumped up and down on the spot.

Before I knew it, he was wearing a yellow safety helmet on his head and holding a pickaxe in his right hand.　

“I’m a lots of minerals slime! I dig, dig, and dig for minerals! Do you have anything you want?”

“Well then, can I ask you to gather up some orichalcum ores for me?”

“Yes! Leave it to me!”

Surara headed for the ore deposit of orichalcum ore full of enthusiasm.

The reason why I asked him to collect the orichalcum ore was because I had a new recipe in my mind after my [Creation] was leveled up.

Currently, an ancient giant battleship─the Orichalcum Rox─is docked at the port of Fort Port.

Unfortunately, the Orichalcum Rox is not in perfect condition.

The reason lies with Leticia and me. When we fought the pirates, we went on a rampage without restraint.

All of the magic laser turrets on the deck had been reduced to scrap, and the internal structure was damaged here and there. It would be extremely dangerous to let the ship sail long distances in this condition.

However, it was noted that if I collect orichalcum ore and use [Creation] together with Orichalcum Rox, it was possible to rebuild it as a large luxury cruise ship.

This would be very convenient, as we would no longer need to wait for a ship bound for the royal capital.

Do your best, Surara. Our journey depends on your pick axe-wielding skills.

Thump thump thump!

Clang-clang!

“That sounds great…!”

Lily gulped.

There was a tremendous, violent metallic sound coming from the passageway where Surara had headed.

We then spent the next 30 minutes exploring the mine and returned to the hall (or something like it).

Then, a huge shadow appeared from one of the corridors.

“Master-san, I’m back! I mined a lot!”

It was a blue, round, and plump creature.

Surara.

However, his size had swelled to about five or even ten times his original size.

He was enormous…

“Surara, you’ve grown so much in the little time I’ve been away from you…”

“It’s too rapid for a growth spurt…”

Iris and Leticia muttered such things with expressions of surprise on their faces.

“What in the world is going on, Surara?”

“Well, let’s see! I brought you the orichalcum ore! I’ll get it out now!”

Surara opened his mouth wide as he said this.

Then, a golden rock popped out of it with great force.

According to the results of the [Appraisal], all of them were orichalcum ore.

I put them all into my [Item Box].

The amount of the ore collected was more than 10 tons, which was already enough for [Creation].

“Phew! That’s all!”

Surara, who had spat out all of the rough orichalcum, smiled a dazzling smile.

Iris, who had been watching the scene, rolled her eyes and asked.

“Surara-chan, didn’t you exhaust all of the rough orichalcum in this mine?”

“No! There was still more! Don’t worry!”

At Surara’s remark, Tidal let out a groan of “What…!”

“The orichalcum ore is a very rare metal. It was mined out in ancient civilizations, and there is little left now. …If anyone else knew about this mine, it would turn the world upside down.”

Moreover, in this mine, all minerals are replenished at regular intervals.

After all,《Infinite Ore EX》is granted to this mine.

When I explained this to Tidal, he was so astonished that he lost his words.

Leticia spoke up instead.

“You should be very careful when handling the mine. It could trigger big trouble.”

“…Seems like a lot of trouble for a private individual to own.”

I mean, is this island the territory of some noble family?

I can’t seem to get enough information.

As I was thinking about this, Iris called out to me.

“Hey, Kou, in the meantime, why don’t you talk to the Adventurers’ Guild… or better yet, talk to Milia. I’m sure she won’t do anything that would be detrimental to you.”

“…Indeed.”

I have a feeling that she would be rather proactive and take our side.

If the Adventurers Guild’s response is not good enough, then I can take the matter to Count Maillard.

If that doesn’t work, I’ll talk to the God of War religion through Lily.

Since I am a [Transmigrator] and a wielder of a divine weapon, I should not be treated so carelessly.

It’s reassuring to know that there are second and third options.

After the discussion about the future of the mine, we decided to return to the city of Fort Port.

Tidal was staying on the island, apparently.

“I’ll keep an eye on things until a decision is made on how the mine is going to be handled. If I see any suspicious people approaching, I will contact you through the [Calamity Summoning]. …Like this.”

Tidal lightly closed his eyes after saying that.

Then, the back of my left hand became warm, and a crest that looked like a frontal image of a dragon’s face floated in the air.

The dragon’s expression was out of breath, and it looked very sleepy.

When I summoned the Black Dragon, the crest had sharpened eyes.

The design might be different depending on the corresponding dragon.

“I understand. Let me know if you need anything at any time.”

“Yes. I am not very strong. I would appreciate it if you could come as soon as possible. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you soon.”

“Grandpa Tidal, take care!”

“Well, excuse us. Please take care of yourself.”

We boarded the Exceed Cruiser with Tidal seeing us off.

When the boat left the island, Lily muttered something to herself.

“…I’m starving.”

Come to think of it; we hadn’t had lunch yet.

I checked the wall clock in the cabin and found that it was around 2:00 p.m. No wonder she was hungry.

Well, that must make you hungry, right?

Iris nodded in agreement and said.

“Hey, Kou. We have two hours to get to Fort Port, so why don’t we go out for dinner and launch the ship?”

I agree.

We have a lot of food in my [Item Box], and we can have a small party.

It’s been a hard day’s work this time.

We need to spend some time working on each other.