Good morning. It’s raining. It has gotten very windy. The rain is almost falling sideways. It’s the kind of weather I would not want to go out in, on the real side.
Well, the analysis is… not finished yet. I’ll open the UI to help with the analysis, while checking what information was obtained while I was asleep.
It has been discovered that the shadow seen in the eastern forest was a Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
A section related to the summoning has been discovered.
Detailed analysis may reveal how to resist and how long the ritual will take.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The ritual of Shub-Niggurath is now understood.
It is unlikely the remnants will be enough for the summoning ritual. What are they going to do?
It may be better to hurry with the analysis.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The fanatics are aiming to summon the servant race from the world of the Outer Ones, to have them perform the summoning.
Certainly, it would be easier than summoning Shub-Niggurath directly.
Even so, it is unlikely that the remnants will be enough.
Why Shub-Niggurath… is not a question that is likely to receive an answer.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The summoning ritual can be performed by one person, but it will increase in speed as the number of participants increases.
All the remnants will be present at the ritual. If you strike then, you can ensure none escape.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
Information on the servant race the fanatics are attempting to summon has been discovered.
As a result, the spell [Summon / Subordinate Black Goat] was found.
Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath! The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!
Nourish yourself on the feast we provide!
Lord of the woods! Send us one to fulfil your will! Ia, Ia, Shub-Niggurath!
Come forth to us! Goat! Goat of the forest! Accept my sacrifice!
That’s about it.
Quite a bit of information has come out, and apparently I learned the [Summon / Subordinate Black Goat] in my sleep… I think I can summon it like Byakhee, but is it locked during this event? I also can’t call Byakhee.
Now, the main subject.
Rather than Shub-Niggurath, the fanatics are trying to summon a Black Goat. So if we have to fight, it will be against the Black Goat. Or maybe against the ‘shadow’ that was spotted, the Blessed.
And the fourth piece of information. It’s not good for us if too many fanatics participate in the ritual. But we need to hit them after the ritual begins, so as not to miss any of them. In other words, we need to strike during the ritual and make sure to catch them all before it is completed.
It seems to be a battle with a gimmick. I expect there will be guards for the ritual, so we’ll have to fight them while reducing the number of fanatics. It would be funny if all the fanatics were so absorbed in the ritual that they did not resist.
Now, time to get up.
“Good morning.”
『’Mornin’』
『Princess! You’re awake!』
“Did something happen?”
『No, not at all.』
No news on the cat or pumpkins after all. …Well, it’s unusual to get all the information. It fits the horror setting when a mystery remains a mystery, even at the end…
Now, after stretching, I leave the room and borrow the church garden for practicing forms. It’s raining, but it’s okay. [Washing] is great.
…This will have to do.
I can’t go to the Nether, so I can’t use the facility to practice reflecting and parrying, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Restrictions during an official event can’t be helped.
“[Washing]”
<Specific requirements were fulfilled, «Super-Class Magic Ability»’s Extra Arts have been added.>
[Chantless Life Magic]
[Ember] [Drinking Water]
[Heating] [Cooling] [Breeze]
[Washing] [First Aid]
The condition is to have «Super-Class Magic Ability» and use life magic a certain number of times.
I guess it means… that if you have the third tier, you can cast life magic without chanting.
The problem is that discarding chants or no chants varies a lot from game to game. I’m pretty sure ‘chanting’ in this game is….?
…Ah, as I thought. The activation key is still needed. So it’s the chanting gauge that disappears. In other words, if you want to use it and say [Washing], it will be activated.
The modest casting time has completely disappeared… It’s nice to have the casting time for life magic removed… it feels great. I use it often when crafting, so I wonder if it will reduce my stress.
You could say that chantless casting is something this kind of setting promises. If this is the result of chantless casting, I wonder if there’s a version that makes the activation key unnecessary.
Anyway, let’s go to the chapel… No, let’s go to the lord’s mansion. We don’t have that much time before the climax. I’ll proceed with the analysis while at the lord’s mansion.
So… into subspace I go. I’ll use [Washing] and [Waterproof Barrier] inside subspace, before I leave it.
“Ah, Nemeseia-sama!”
“Good morning. May I come through?”
“Please do!”
Having a face pass makes things nice and easy. Thank you for working hard, even in this rain.
I’m sorry for showing up without any notice though. The nobility especially tend to be quite particular about that…
We players can’t go that far.
“I’m sure the lord’s wife will come, even if I say there’s no need, but please tell her there’s no need to hurry at least.”
I’m the one who arrived suddenly, so there’s no need for her to dress up extravagantly. There isn’t a particular need for it, so it’s fine…
For the time being, while proceeding with the analysis, I’ll relax in the room I have been guided to.
The other party members, who have gotten up, have joined me as I chat with the lord’s wife, who also arrived.
“How is the progress of the search for the missing people?”
“It is not good. …No, you could say it is as expected.”
Apparently there is no record of anyone that goes missing being found. Moreover, to avoid the people investigating from also going missing, it’s necessary to avoid long searches. Knowing this, the inhabitants of this town stay in their houses.
“How many people has it been?”
“Seven were reported. That’s about three times more than the previous record…”
“So it has been no more than two people in the past.”
Well, it’s easy to think there were a lot of stupid people, but… there are the fanatics.
“What about the possibility that they were kidnapped by the fanatics instead of becoming lost in another world?”
“You mean the gift that was mentioned in the documents?”
“The problem is, there have already been sightings…”
“Right… No, wait. Is it possible for them to give ‘gifts’ that often?”
“Hmm? Certainly. They went missing yesterday, or the day before.”
Alf-san has a valid point.
They are not taken to be killed or sacrificed, but to ‘remake’ the gift. So it doesn’t end with killing. It’s not possible… because they are transformed through the blessing of Shub-Niggurath.
“There must be a gate or some kind of ritual connecting to Niggurath.”
“If there’s a gate to Niggurath, it’s no different from summoning…”
“It seems that the incarnation of Niggurath has the ability to remake them.”
“”Is there an incarnation?””
“”No way.””
The twins respond to the information from Ske-san, who is looking at the BBS, and Alf-san and I deny it.
If there was an incarnation of Shub-Niggurath, the fanatics would have already taken some action. The Outer Ones are monstrous enough even as incarnations, but they should also be able to invite the main body, like I can. That’s a bit, well, too eventful.
“So it’s a kidnapping for some other purpose…”
“Or they are just getting lost in another world like usual.”
“We’ll find out if it’s a kidnapping or not by analysing the documents, but we’re almost at 60%.”
As Alf-san says, the analysis rate is about 60% now. I hope we can analyse the remaining 40% in time…
Well, the analysis can be done by sitting down and opening the UI. If the missing people have become lost in another world there is nothing we can do, so we should assume they were kidnapped by the fanatics.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
Also known as Gof’nn Hupadgh Shub-Niggurath.
They are former human sacrifices and followers, born again after being consumed by the incarnation of Shub-Niggurath.
They are a low ranking servant race, often accompanying the high ranking servant race, the Black Goats.
In most cases, their body has been changed from what it was when they were human, yet they retain the abilities they used to have. In rare cases, there may be individuals who have undergone major transformations.
In other words, the method of attack may differ from individual to individual, so caution is required.
At the very least, they know the spells [Invite / Dismiss Shub-Niggurath], [Summon / Subordinate Black Goat] and [Crimson Ring].
We got more information on the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
“Madam Margret. Are all the missing people young?”
“Yes…that’s right. I believe none of them were adults.”
So from what I just learned from the lord’s wife, it seems that none of them were fighting for a living. Considering they were kidnapped, well… it’s not surprising.
So even if they are changed, none of them should have abilities that would pose a threat.
“”It says ‘incarnation’?””
“That’s what it says…”
“That it does…”
“Is there an incarnation?”
Not here… I think. But then, the Blessed that has been sighted is a mystery.
We don’t have enough information, do we?
“Have you received any new information from the captives?”
“I have not heard anything.”
For that, we might need to hear from the lord.
We know that the climax is to stop Shub-Niggurath’s summoning… but that’s all. As for the background, we’ll have to ask them in person.
“How do they know about Niggurath in the first place? Is it a famous Outer One?”
“It’s unlikely that Niggurath would come for condemnations, so I doubt there is much exposure. Would it be from a book?”
“The one we’re analysing. But, you know… with all the mistranslations in that document, is the summoning part perfect?”
“But there being enough of a mistake to cause a failure… I don’t think that’s likely, do you?”
“…Could there have been a Black Goat or Blessed here from the beginning, that they came into contact with?”
If we follow Alf-san’s train of thought… not this time, but some time in the past, a Black Goat or Blessed arrived here due to the weakened boundary. A suspicious person came into contact with it and became a fanatic?
Then, did they ask it to teach the summoning method? It’s true that the servant races know the basic [Invite / Dismiss] spell.
“It’s not enough, but it works as a connection. I just don’t know why they’re cooperating with the summoning.”
“It’s common for people to have different agendas.”
“You think the Outer One and the fanatics have different goals?”
“Isn’t that more natural?”
“The aim of the fanatics is a bit too obvious.”
While waiting for the analysis, we continue chatting.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The Black Goat. Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath.
A huge, entirely black, writhing mass. The size is about 3.6 to 6 meters. If one were to see the silhouette… it might appear to be a tree.
The upper part has numerous tentacles similar to earthworms, among which four tentacles are thicker.
In the middle are a number of large, wrinkled mouths, dripping with green drool.
The tips of the two thicker tentacles at the bottom are hoofed, serving as legs.
It attacks by slapping or cleaving with the tentacles, trampling, or making use of its giant body in a charge. If caught by a tentacle and carried to its horrible mouth, the victim can only struggle and scream in vain.
They at least know the spell [Invite / Dismiss Shub-Niggurath].
Detailed information the Black Goats.
“Now we know how the two servant races attack.”
“Blessed are basically the same as humans. But we need to be mindful of any extra parts that could be used for attacking…”
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a battle, unlike the sports day hunting event, does it?”
No, it doesn’t. Basically, unless we start a fight, it shouldn’t become a battle…
“We don’t know enough to make a decision… Rather than just the documents, we need current information.”
“It would be nice if we could scout the east, but can we?”
“Let’s ask the union…”
Basically, I’m free while waiting on the analysis.
So let’s ask each of the party leaders in the union.
『There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual in the forest.』
『Apparently the shadow disappears after you’ve seen it. Nobody has discovered it a second time.』
『We’re close to the mountain… but we’re heading back home, because there was a nasty surprise…』
“A surprise attack? Is it from the fanatics?”
『I don’t know, but I’m leaving because I’ll die!』
『Oh? Let’s go and see.』
It looks like reconnaissance is going to be tough, but is it the type where you can only get there just in time? I’ll share it with the others, for the time being.
“So there were people heading there. But they got hit by a surprise attack…”
“And they don’t know what they’re being attacked by.”
“So I’d guess it’s not fanatics, but an Outer One?”
I don’t think we can grasp the backbone of the situation at this point, so it might be a waste to think about it too deeply.
<<Information has been shared.>>
There is a story of a Resident adventurer seeing something huge and black in the depths of the eastern forest, about a year and three months ago. However, the other adventurers and Residents didn’t seem to believe him.
“…A Black Goat?”
“Blessed are pretty much human-sized, so it’s likely.”
“About a year and three months ago… Hmm…?”
Then it’s safe to assume it arrived here due to a previous weakening of the boundary.
“If there was a Black Goat here from the beginning, then there could also have been a Blessed that would have been accompanying it… in which case? If it was a kidnapping, there’s a chance they’re still safe.”
“Are they a tribute in that case?”
As Ske-san says, it would be a gift to Shub-Niggurath. In that case, they might still be saved. Well, there’s still the possibility they ended up in some other world.
“I don’t know why it’s helping with the summoning, but it could be the other way around. It was intending to perform a summoning, and asked the person it met to cooperate. And that person is planning to use it… or something along those lines.”
It would be no surprise that they know the exact summoning method, in that case. It’s very likely that they learned it directly from the Black Goat.
“Fanatics behave in a way that can’t be understood… They know that the Outer Ones are a threat, but still try to use them.”
“Being taken advantage of by an unsympathetic partner would make anyone angry.”
“Well, I guess that’s what makes them a ‘fanatic’.”
“If they’re just going to destroy themselves, I’d say do as you like, but most of the time it brings people around them into it.”
“”That’s right!””
If you want to die, then don’t involve other people. Well, I don’t care, because I don’t want to understand the thoughts of a fanatic. They’re event NPCs anyway.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
[Crimson Ring]
Space is torn apart by spell and blood, and the crimson gate is opened.
It is possible to come and go, and to summon.
To activate [Crimson Ring], gather in a circle and begin chanting. When a representative makes a blood sacrifice, the crimson ring appears. This is the gate.
The size and duration of the gate is determined by the number of Blessed of Shub-Niggurath who are gathered together.
A certain amount of blood is required, but it can come from one large body or multiple small ones. In an emergency, a Blessed of Shub-Niggurath may be used as a sacrifice.
This is… information on the spell that the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath have.
“Oh?”
“Could it be for this?”
A sacrifice… or, more accurately, a gate type spell that requires blood as a catalyst… The Silver Key really is an artifact with unbeatable performance.
So they are not a gift to be remade, and not a sacrifice to Shub-Niggurath, but a material for casting the spell. If it can be done with large or small animals, then it can be done with humans. …Normally, you wouldn’t choose your own kind, but I guess it’s hard to expect normal from a fanatic. I suppose that’s how it is for people who easily cross a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
“At this rate, the analysis will be ready in time. It’s time to organise the information and start coming up with a plan…”
“Yeah. We can adjust it as we get the rest of the information.”
“What’s the worst possible situation right now?”
Let’s summarise in the direction of answering Alf-san’s question.
“The current worst case scenario is that the summoning of Shub-Niggurath will be interfered with in some bad way by the fanatics. …Madam. Which gate leads from this town to the royal capital?”
“The royal capital is past the west gate.”
“According to a note found in the base of the fanatics, their goal is to make the Outer One king. With an attack on the royal capital as a condition… I would hope the town could get away with being only half destroyed”
The summoning point is in the east, and the royal capital is in the west. In other words, the direct path would be through the town, so any part that Shub-Niggurath passed through would be destroyed.
If we couldn’t reduce its HP with an all-out magic attack from everyone, we would have to say goodbye, due to the counterattack.
However, Shub-Niggurath seems to be someone who listens to people, so if we can prevent the intervention of the fanatics… there might be no problem. It seems to be relatively friendly in this world.
“What is the best outcome?”
“Talking to the Outer Ones and getting them on our side. But, it doesn’t seem like my race will have any influence on this…”
So far, the only benefit from it has been the Clock of Time. And the clock is completely a bonus. If the Book of Elder Records gave out information about Shub-Niggurath and Our Ladies of Sorrow, it would have broken the scenario, so it was disabled. I don’t have a problem with that, though, because I enjoy it more.
“Well, that’s about it.”
“”What’s the most likely scenario?””
“Blocking the activation of [Crimson Ring]. So our goal is to rescue the missing people…I think?”
“Will there be a battle with the Outer Ones?”
“Even though there are 10,000 Outsiders, I think it will be hard. Mainly in terms of defence. So I’d like to think it won’t be a normal battle.”
I don’t think it’s impossible to beat a single Black Goat, but it won’t be much of a battle, as any attack from it will destroy us. Not to mention the Blessed, which is probably untankable.
『Impossible!』
『It’s impossible if you’re not an expert scout. Getting by unseen is way too difficult.』
『You need to stealthily find them before they do you…』
『Seems like an attack from a Blessed… They must have been very good at hiding, so it’s pretty painful.』
『Can you get there by taking a roundabout route through the sky?』
『If you’re spotted in the sky, you’re immediately out, right?』
『You can’t hide…hmm.』
The union leaders are exchanging information too. Sounds like they’re trying to invade the east.
“Ah.”
“”””Ah?””””
“I’ll go check out the east for a bit.”
I have the strongest reconnaissance skill. So, subspace travel.
There was nothing about subspace ability written in the description of the Black Goat or Blessed, so I think it’s okay, but I’ll go from the sky for the time being. From where I can only just see the ground.
Forest ….Mountain….Oh.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The east has been successfully scouted.
At the foot of the eastern mountain, a Black Goat, a suspicious group in black robes, suspected to be the remnants, and 6 people reported missing from the town, have been spotted. The wood stolen from the village has also been found.
The Blessed of Shub-Niggurath cannot be seen, but it is likely what is blocking passage through the forest.
Withdraw and make preparations until the time is right. If a fight is necessary, it will surely be a tough battle.
There are several people in black robes, most likely the fanatics, and six ordinary children, lying on the ground. The children are trying to pull away from the Black Goat, but they are tied up, with their mouths blocked, so it is quiet.
As for the Black Goat… assuming the robed people are male, it looks to be around the upper end of 5 metres. It is quite a large individual, according to the information.
It…doesn’t look like anyone is talking. Let’s go back to the mansion. It’s hard to notice something in the sky if you’re not conscious of it, but I’ll be in full view if I get spotted. I shouldn’t stay too long.
The location of the ritual has been marked on the map, so we won’t get lost.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome back. The information showed up.”
“Yes… but, the Madam told me there were seven people missing.”
“Yes, the number I heard is seven.”
“Six of them have been captured by the fanatics, so we plan to rescue them later. However, one of them is likely to have fallen into another world…”
“”What about joining the fanatics?””
“”…I see. It’s not impossible.””
“…Well, whether becoming lost in another world, or joining the fanatics, it’s impossible to get them back.”
It’s true that if they joined up and were wearing a robe, it would be impossible to tell. But it doesn’t matter which it is, because there is no going back either way.
“By the way, we heard they are children. Shouldn’t they have aimed for adult men, if it’s blood they need?”
“There would be too much resistance, and they want a high success rate. But then it could have been an adult woman. …No, in this world they are less likely to be alone because they are more cautious?”
“Yes, they will never go out alone after dusk. Especially at this time of year.”
Alf-san’s question was answered by the lord’s wife, who was listening.
In a world where there are bandits and thieves, it is common sense for the inhabitants to be cautious. In the case of the madam, she is a noble, so she can’t move alone anyway.
“There might be other fanatics hunting in the forest.”
“That’s true too”
There is still time before the ritual, so there’s no guarantee that all the remnants are gathered in the place I saw. People who are easy to catch, but have little blood, or a monster that is strong, but has a lot more. In the case of humans, they will unite and fight back, so it might make more sense to hunt monsters.
“”We wait now?””
“I feel like we’ve done everything we can.”
“All that’s left is… to craft while waiting.”
“But it’s still analysing, so there’s not too much we can do.”
It’s either sitting with the UI open, or standing with the UI open. There’s no problem if you can craft while sitting, but the materials might be an issue.
Oh, right, I haven’t distributed the resurrection potions I’ve been mass-producing. We’ll meet up later.
While talking with the madam and my party members, let’s proceed with the analysis.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
Shub-Niggurath. The Black Goddess of Fertility.
This fertility goddess is said to be a huge, bubbling, cloud-like mass
Some of the cloud sometimes fuses together to form parts of her body. She has black tentacles, mouths that drip with slime, and short legs with black hoofed tips.
She is very large, with an average width of 10 to 20 metres. If you are less than half her size, you will be trampled down without mercy as she proceeds forward.
Her milk is said to have some notable qualities, but no further information is available here.
Shub-Niggurath’s incarnations are said to be “The one who walks behind the ridges” and “The great god of bread”, but as there is no information about them here, they seem to be irrelevant in this case.
She at least knows all the spells of the Outer Ones.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been completely analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The [Invite / Dismiss Shub-Niggurath] spell is now understood.
In the worst case, resist with this.
※When Shub-Niggurath is summoned, the event will proceed to the ‘Dismissal’ phase.
<The special spell [Invite / Dismiss Shub-Niggurath] has been learned.>
Did we manage to finish the analysis before the climax started? The spells… have increased…
“…If we didn’t get to the end, would we have had to go toe-to-toe with Niggurath?”
“Spells are the safest and most perfect way to solve it. If not that, you just have to do your best.”
“It’s best not to get to that phase in the first place.”
I’d like to clear with an S rank. I think the requirement is to rescue all six civilians and secure all the remnants of the fanatics. I expect that as the ritual progresses, the number of captives will decrease, but… I wonder what will happen.
“…It’s time. Let’s go.”
“”The eastern plains?””
“We’re all meeting up there, for the time being.”
The wind is okay. I cast [Waterproof Barrier], say goodbye to the count family, then head outside.
The rain is still coming down, and the thunder is crying out… The bonfire in the central square is burning with a pale green flame, defying the thunderstorm.
We walk through the main street, past the blazing bonfire, and exit through the east gate. Armed Outsiders are gathering on the plain before the forest, performing final checks.
“Princess! It’s good weather today too!”
“Yes, it’s a lovely day when the earth is very moist.”
From the perspective of Clementia-san, who is a plant, is a thunderstorm good weather? Maybe rain is the best weather. It’s quite rare, though.
“Muu… What should I do about my cloak? Aside from getting wet, it also gets heavier and sticks to you… It also makes you vulnerable to the ice related conditions…”
“Well, it’s better to have it than not, but it’s better to use magic to deal with it in the first place.”
I’ll answer my sister’s pondering. My cloak is pretty good, but I have [Waterproof Barrier] from «Spatial Magic», so the rain will not get through while the magic is effective.
If you want to prioritise the RP atmosphere, as an adventurer, you should use a cloak. However, for RP as a mage, magical countermeasures are more suitable. In the end, I can only say people should do whatever they want.
“Welcome!”
“Bones are a bit…”
“It’s true that bones are not bothered much by the rain…”
Ske-san is wearing a robe over bones, Alf-san has full plate armour, and the twins don’t seem to care.
“I think I’m the only one in my party who cares about rain…”
“…Should I consider Onee-chan a heretic in this case?”
“I don’t think I’d mind either, if I was in my sphere form. But I wouldn’t be able to do things like parrying in that case…”
It’s an inhuman party, so if the standard is inhuman, then it’s true that I am a bit of a heretic.
It’s impossible to wield a rapier as a sphere of flesh. It would be quicker to just reach out with a tentacle and slap things away, but of course I would take damage, so it’s pointless.
“By the way, can slimes and foxes be humanised?”
“It’s expected, but there’s no report so far.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait until higher levels. It might be a requirement.”
I don’t think it’s something they would learn from living a normal life, so perhaps a rare skill with certain requirements. I feel like it’s classified as rare arts, or magic. It might be Ex, but it’s unclear for now.
In my case, the incarnation is somewhat special. Since it is an incarnation for coming into contact with people, I create an incarnation that has a human form. The Abyss Monk is a ‘priest’, so needs to be a human. If you were to ask me if I’d consider King Woofwoof a priest, I think it’s a NO. If I had to, I would say he is a worshipper. The clergy are generally associated with humans.
Now, let’s gather the leaders of the union and distribute the resurrection potions. I think we’ll definitely need them, if it comes down to a battle…
While distributing potions, the leaders gather for a strategy meeting… but to be honest, we can’t make many decisions, as we don’t know how things will go until we start.
“Cherish your life”
“They’re looking at you for help.”
“Show no mercy!”
“It reminds me of how they do useless things.”
“Ah, I completely get that.”
“In fact, let me give you an order.”
“『That’s it!』”
Well, that’s true, unless you’re going back and forth to level up. Why did you make that attack on a dying enemy! That always happens. And wasting resources by casting buffs and debuffs, even though the enemy is just one hit from death. I guess you could say it’s common for games.
…Let’s just ignore the group playing Revolution. It’s funny that they’re doing a performance, with different poses for different songs.
“We’ve got about an hour left… Should we start moving?”
“It’s time, so I hope there’s no interference.”
“The impatient ones are on their way, but is it still there?”
According to Ruzebarm-sam, it is still there. We’ll just have to push on with numbers. …Considering the [Crimson Ring] mentioned in the analysis, I think it will disappear after a while.
I expect the quest description to change for the climax…For now, all we can do is wait for this last hour.
『Capture the remnants of the fanatics.』
The ritual to summon the Black Goddess of Fertility, Shub-Niggurath, is about to begin.
Defeat the shallow ambitions of the fanatics, so you don’t get caught up in it.
“The quest has changed!”
“The climax!”
“It’s changed. Let’s go.
“『Let’s go!』”
In the thunderstorm, which has eased somewhat, we head to the mountain. It doesn’t look like the rain is going to cause problems with visibility.
…Who is the person playing Nyaruko-san?
“SAN value in trouble!”
“And now, instead of a pinch, we’re promised a direct burial.”
“Blessed and a Black Goat confirmed. And in the worst case, coming face to face with mama Niggurath.”
“Yeah! Your mother, Shub-Niggurath!”
“She might be your sister.”
“My sister…”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
There is a male version of Shub-Niggurath, though. Saying that, Nyar-sama also has a female version, so yeah. They don’t care about gender. I wonder what they are like in this world. It’s only my guess that they are former humans, but after not being part of the human race so long, they are incredibly detached from it.
“Fuumu… no response from the impatient group?”
“People who are loyal to their desires. I don’t think it’s the best thing to do, during an official event.”
As far as I can tell from the conversation between Ruzebarm-san and Cecil-san, there’s no reaction from the group that went ahead? …If they find something good, they’ll brag about it.
“Why hurry? There’s no need to get caught up in whatever they ran into.”
“Hmm… maybe there’s no need to rush…”
“I don’t think there’s any need for that either.”
Well, my guess is that the leading group isn’t far ahead or is already stuck. This event is a horror story, after all. There’s no need to put any thought towards people who act independently during a horror situation.
The management is quite merciless, you know.
“The quest was switched with one hour left after the full analysis. The ritual was prepared during the analysis stage, to be performed after all the remnants have gathered. And there is only one place suitable for the summoning. Taking all this into account, if you hurry ahead of the countdown, you’ll miss some of them and the evaluation will drop.”
“Well, it was at least a little better once it started.”
“”Don’t you think they’ll run away after being found out?””
“Considering it’s an event, I don’t think it’s a problem if a few parties are ahead of us.”
I’m sure the management is aware that there will be people who try to monopolise or are impatient. It really would be an impossible game, if it ended with just one party going ahead. That said, there should be no need to hurry.
“But there’s no reaction at all from them. I’d think they’d make a fuss after dying.”
“Well, I can guess what it is….”
“What’s that?”
“The [Crimson Ring], Kotatsu-san.”
“Ah…”
The material for the [Crimson Ring] arrived all on its own. It’s obvious what will happen. They’re probably rolling around on the ground until the time comes.
“If it’s only about getting the blood, isn’t aiming for an Outsider fine?”
“They come back even when you kill them…. it might be a good source.”
There is a bleeding abnormal condition, so blood will come out of Outsiders too…
We continue to walk through the forest in the pouring rain, talking to each other. Unlike the camping event, there don’t seem to be any lightning strikes.
“Onee-chan, your bones is very atmospheric…”
“Right? Ideally, I’d like it to be twice as big as me.”
It’s a bit difficult to move through the forest with the lump of meat, so I’m being carried by #1, wearing the robe I had made earlier. Now that I’ve made it, I want to use it occasionally.
We arrive at the ritual site with some time to spare.
It seems likely to start when a large number of people rush in, so it’s time for some reconnaissance while waiting at a distance.
“Enemy submarine sighted!”
“『It’s hopeless!』”
“Many Japanese soldiers in the grass.”
“Hey, hey, hey, they’re dead.”
“I think they’re actually going to die.”
“Well, it’s only those who tried to rush ahead, so it’s fine to leave them.”
“…Is it a painful start, with the number of materials increased unnecessarily?”
“『Unnecessary!』”
The impatient ones have been caught and tied up. They were only able to kidnap six people from the town, but since a small number of Outsiders came, they were probably happy to catch them.
Anyway, the lord’s wife said it was seven people missing, but it seems there are only six after all. None of the people wearing black robes are child-sized, so it must have been a fun and exciting solo trip to another world. …With a one-way ticket.
“Is that over 5 metres? It’s huge.”
“A great shape, that goat. Very disgusting, but better than Shoggoth.”
“Shoggoths are too bad.”
“Should I wear Shogo-tan?”
“Stop it. Rather, you really bought that…”
“I might use it one day.”
“Those are the words and actions of someone who can’t organise their storage.”
Where the forest opens up ahead of us, there are the Black Goat and Blessed of Shub-Niggurath. And some fanatics in black robes. And the Residents and impatients lying around by their feet.
<<The ritual is about to begin.>>
The sky is flashing and it’s pouring, yet Clementia-san says it’s nice weather. …That’s only from the perspective of a plant type.
“Mm, it’s the right atmosphere for this.”
“Uh huh.”
“Well, we’re about to fight each other now, degozarukedo.”
“Running around shouting.”
“We’re a fighting people. We shout and we hit.”
“What a dangerous bunch.”
The fanatics have returned from the forest with their prey. It’s almost time, so they have gathered.
“Well, it’s time to clean up.”
“Now it’s time to get the whole story!”
“Please go home if you’re not gonna take it seriously.”
We begin moving while chatting. Let’s surround them as much as possible. A semicircle… or more specifically, a protractor shape. It’s impossible to do any more, because the direction we don’t need to enclose is a mountain.
The other side has also started to move. The Black Goat is a little further away, with the Blessed and fanatics handling the ritual.
<<Setting the difficulty level of the ritual–>>
<<The ritual has begun–>>
Good morning. It’s raining. It has gotten very windy. The rain is almost falling sideways. It’s the kind of weather I would not want to go out in, on the real side.
Well, the analysis is… not finished yet. I’ll open the UI to help with the analysis, while checking what information was obtained while I was asleep.
It has been discovered that the shadow seen in the eastern forest was a Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
A section related to the summoning has been discovered.
Detailed analysis may reveal how to resist and how long the ritual will take.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The ritual of Shub-Niggurath is now understood.
It is unlikely the remnants will be enough for the summoning ritual. What are they going to do?
It may be better to hurry with the analysis.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The fanatics are aiming to summon the servant race from the world of the Outer Ones, to have them perform the summoning.
Certainly, it would be easier than summoning Shub-Niggurath directly.
Even so, it is unlikely that the remnants will be enough.
Why Shub-Niggurath… is not a question that is likely to receive an answer.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The summoning ritual can be performed by one person, but it will increase in speed as the number of participants increases.
All the remnants will be present at the ritual. If you strike then, you can ensure none escape.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
Information on the servant race the fanatics are attempting to summon has been discovered.
As a result, the spell [Summon / Subordinate Black Goat] was found.
Ia! Ia! Shub-Niggurath! The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!
Nourish yourself on the feast we provide!
Lord of the woods! Send us one to fulfil your will! Ia, Ia, Shub-Niggurath!
Come forth to us! Goat! Goat of the forest! Accept my sacrifice!
That’s about it.
Quite a bit of information has come out, and apparently I learned the [Summon / Subordinate Black Goat] in my sleep… I think I can summon it like Byakhee, but is it locked during this event? I also can’t call Byakhee.
Now, the main subject.
Rather than Shub-Niggurath, the fanatics are trying to summon a Black Goat. So if we have to fight, it will be against the Black Goat. Or maybe against the ‘shadow’ that was spotted, the Blessed.
And the fourth piece of information. It’s not good for us if too many fanatics participate in the ritual. But we need to hit them after the ritual begins, so as not to miss any of them. In other words, we need to strike during the ritual and make sure to catch them all before it is completed.
It seems to be a battle with a gimmick. I expect there will be guards for the ritual, so we’ll have to fight them while reducing the number of fanatics. It would be funny if all the fanatics were so absorbed in the ritual that they did not resist.
Now, time to get up.
“Good morning.”
『’Mornin’』
『Princess! You’re awake!』
“Did something happen?”
『No, not at all.』
No news on the cat or pumpkins after all. …Well, it’s unusual to get all the information. It fits the horror setting when a mystery remains a mystery, even at the end…
Now, after stretching, I leave the room and borrow the church garden for practicing forms. It’s raining, but it’s okay. [Washing] is great.
…This will have to do.
I can’t go to the Nether, so I can’t use the facility to practice reflecting and parrying, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Restrictions during an official event can’t be helped.
“[Washing]”
<Specific requirements were fulfilled, «Super-Class Magic Ability»’s Extra Arts have been added.>
[Chantless Life Magic]
[Ember] [Drinking Water]
[Heating] [Cooling] [Breeze]
[Washing] [First Aid]
The condition is to have «Super-Class Magic Ability» and use life magic a certain number of times.
I guess it means… that if you have the third tier, you can cast life magic without chanting.
The problem is that discarding chants or no chants varies a lot from game to game. I’m pretty sure ‘chanting’ in this game is….?
…Ah, as I thought. The activation key is still needed. So it’s the chanting gauge that disappears. In other words, if you want to use it and say [Washing], it will be activated.
The modest casting time has completely disappeared… It’s nice to have the casting time for life magic removed… it feels great. I use it often when crafting, so I wonder if it will reduce my stress.
You could say that chantless casting is something this kind of setting promises. If this is the result of chantless casting, I wonder if there’s a version that makes the activation key unnecessary.
Anyway, let’s go to the chapel… No, let’s go to the lord’s mansion. We don’t have that much time before the climax. I’ll proceed with the analysis while at the lord’s mansion.
So… into subspace I go. I’ll use [Washing] and [Waterproof Barrier] inside subspace, before I leave it.
“Ah, Nemeseia-sama!”
“Good morning. May I come through?”
“Please do!”
Having a face pass makes things nice and easy. Thank you for working hard, even in this rain.
I’m sorry for showing up without any notice though. The nobility especially tend to be quite particular about that…
We players can’t go that far.
“I’m sure the lord’s wife will come, even if I say there’s no need, but please tell her there’s no need to hurry at least.”
I’m the one who arrived suddenly, so there’s no need for her to dress up extravagantly. There isn’t a particular need for it, so it’s fine…
For the time being, while proceeding with the analysis, I’ll relax in the room I have been guided to.
The other party members, who have gotten up, have joined me as I chat with the lord’s wife, who also arrived.
“How is the progress of the search for the missing people?”
“It is not good. …No, you could say it is as expected.”
Apparently there is no record of anyone that goes missing being found. Moreover, to avoid the people investigating from also going missing, it’s necessary to avoid long searches. Knowing this, the inhabitants of this town stay in their houses.
“How many people has it been?”
“Seven were reported. That’s about three times more than the previous record…”
“So it has been no more than two people in the past.”
Well, it’s easy to think there were a lot of stupid people, but… there are the fanatics.
“What about the possibility that they were kidnapped by the fanatics instead of becoming lost in another world?”
“You mean the gift that was mentioned in the documents?”
“The problem is, there have already been sightings…”
“Right… No, wait. Is it possible for them to give ‘gifts’ that often?”
“Hmm? Certainly. They went missing yesterday, or the day before.”
Alf-san has a valid point.
They are not taken to be killed or sacrificed, but to ‘remake’ the gift. So it doesn’t end with killing. It’s not possible… because they are transformed through the blessing of Shub-Niggurath.
“There must be a gate or some kind of ritual connecting to Niggurath.”
“If there’s a gate to Niggurath, it’s no different from summoning…”
“It seems that the incarnation of Niggurath has the ability to remake them.”
“”Is there an incarnation?””
“”No way.””
The twins respond to the information from Ske-san, who is looking at the BBS, and Alf-san and I deny it.
If there was an incarnation of Shub-Niggurath, the fanatics would have already taken some action. The Outer Ones are monstrous enough even as incarnations, but they should also be able to invite the main body, like I can. That’s a bit, well, too eventful.
“So it’s a kidnapping for some other purpose…”
“Or they are just getting lost in another world like usual.”
“We’ll find out if it’s a kidnapping or not by analysing the documents, but we’re almost at 60%.”
As Alf-san says, the analysis rate is about 60% now. I hope we can analyse the remaining 40% in time…
Well, the analysis can be done by sitting down and opening the UI. If the missing people have become lost in another world there is nothing we can do, so we should assume they were kidnapped by the fanatics.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
Also known as Gof’nn Hupadgh Shub-Niggurath.
They are former human sacrifices and followers, born again after being consumed by the incarnation of Shub-Niggurath.
They are a low ranking servant race, often accompanying the high ranking servant race, the Black Goats.
In most cases, their body has been changed from what it was when they were human, yet they retain the abilities they used to have. In rare cases, there may be individuals who have undergone major transformations.
In other words, the method of attack may differ from individual to individual, so caution is required.
At the very least, they know the spells [Invite / Dismiss Shub-Niggurath], [Summon / Subordinate Black Goat] and [Crimson Ring].
We got more information on the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath.
“Madam Margret. Are all the missing people young?”
“Yes…that’s right. I believe none of them were adults.”
So from what I just learned from the lord’s wife, it seems that none of them were fighting for a living. Considering they were kidnapped, well… it’s not surprising.
So even if they are changed, none of them should have abilities that would pose a threat.
“”It says ‘incarnation’?””
“That’s what it says…”
“That it does…”
“Is there an incarnation?”
Not here… I think. But then, the Blessed that has been sighted is a mystery.
We don’t have enough information, do we?
“Have you received any new information from the captives?”
“I have not heard anything.”
For that, we might need to hear from the lord.
We know that the climax is to stop Shub-Niggurath’s summoning… but that’s all. As for the background, we’ll have to ask them in person.
“How do they know about Niggurath in the first place? Is it a famous Outer One?”
“It’s unlikely that Niggurath would come for condemnations, so I doubt there is much exposure. Would it be from a book?”
“The one we’re analysing. But, you know… with all the mistranslations in that document, is the summoning part perfect?”
“But there being enough of a mistake to cause a failure… I don’t think that’s likely, do you?”
“…Could there have been a Black Goat or Blessed here from the beginning, that they came into contact with?”
If we follow Alf-san’s train of thought… not this time, but some time in the past, a Black Goat or Blessed arrived here due to the weakened boundary. A suspicious person came into contact with it and became a fanatic?
Then, did they ask it to teach the summoning method? It’s true that the servant races know the basic [Invite / Dismiss] spell.
“It’s not enough, but it works as a connection. I just don’t know why they’re cooperating with the summoning.”
“It’s common for people to have different agendas.”
“You think the Outer One and the fanatics have different goals?”
“Isn’t that more natural?”
“The aim of the fanatics is a bit too obvious.”
While waiting for the analysis, we continue chatting.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The Black Goat. Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath.
A huge, entirely black, writhing mass. The size is about 3.6 to 6 meters. If one were to see the silhouette… it might appear to be a tree.
The upper part has numerous tentacles similar to earthworms, among which four tentacles are thicker.
In the middle are a number of large, wrinkled mouths, dripping with green drool.
The tips of the two thicker tentacles at the bottom are hoofed, serving as legs.
It attacks by slapping or cleaving with the tentacles, trampling, or making use of its giant body in a charge. If caught by a tentacle and carried to its horrible mouth, the victim can only struggle and scream in vain.
They at least know the spell [Invite / Dismiss Shub-Niggurath].
Detailed information the Black Goats.
“Now we know how the two servant races attack.”
“Blessed are basically the same as humans. But we need to be mindful of any extra parts that could be used for attacking…”
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a battle, unlike the sports day hunting event, does it?”
No, it doesn’t. Basically, unless we start a fight, it shouldn’t become a battle…
“We don’t know enough to make a decision… Rather than just the documents, we need current information.”
“It would be nice if we could scout the east, but can we?”
“Let’s ask the union…”
Basically, I’m free while waiting on the analysis.
So let’s ask each of the party leaders in the union.
『There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual in the forest.』
『Apparently the shadow disappears after you’ve seen it. Nobody has discovered it a second time.』
『We’re close to the mountain… but we’re heading back home, because there was a nasty surprise…』
“A surprise attack? Is it from the fanatics?”
『I don’t know, but I’m leaving because I’ll die!』
『Oh? Let’s go and see.』
It looks like reconnaissance is going to be tough, but is it the type where you can only get there just in time? I’ll share it with the others, for the time being.
“So there were people heading there. But they got hit by a surprise attack…”
“And they don’t know what they’re being attacked by.”
“So I’d guess it’s not fanatics, but an Outer One?”
I don’t think we can grasp the backbone of the situation at this point, so it might be a waste to think about it too deeply.
<<Information has been shared.>>
There is a story of a Resident adventurer seeing something huge and black in the depths of the eastern forest, about a year and three months ago. However, the other adventurers and Residents didn’t seem to believe him.
“…A Black Goat?”
“Blessed are pretty much human-sized, so it’s likely.”
“About a year and three months ago… Hmm…?”
Then it’s safe to assume it arrived here due to a previous weakening of the boundary.
“If there was a Black Goat here from the beginning, then there could also have been a Blessed that would have been accompanying it… in which case? If it was a kidnapping, there’s a chance they’re still safe.”
“Are they a tribute in that case?”
As Ske-san says, it would be a gift to Shub-Niggurath. In that case, they might still be saved. Well, there’s still the possibility they ended up in some other world.
“I don’t know why it’s helping with the summoning, but it could be the other way around. It was intending to perform a summoning, and asked the person it met to cooperate. And that person is planning to use it… or something along those lines.”
It would be no surprise that they know the exact summoning method, in that case. It’s very likely that they learned it directly from the Black Goat.
“Fanatics behave in a way that can’t be understood… They know that the Outer Ones are a threat, but still try to use them.”
“Being taken advantage of by an unsympathetic partner would make anyone angry.”
“Well, I guess that’s what makes them a ‘fanatic’.”
“If they’re just going to destroy themselves, I’d say do as you like, but most of the time it brings people around them into it.”
“”That’s right!””
If you want to die, then don’t involve other people. Well, I don’t care, because I don’t want to understand the thoughts of a fanatic. They’re event NPCs anyway.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
[Crimson Ring]
Space is torn apart by spell and blood, and the crimson gate is opened.
It is possible to come and go, and to summon.
To activate [Crimson Ring], gather in a circle and begin chanting. When a representative makes a blood sacrifice, the crimson ring appears. This is the gate.
The size and duration of the gate is determined by the number of Blessed of Shub-Niggurath who are gathered together.
A certain amount of blood is required, but it can come from one large body or multiple small ones. In an emergency, a Blessed of Shub-Niggurath may be used as a sacrifice.
This is… information on the spell that the Blessed of Shub-Niggurath have.
“Oh?”
“Could it be for this?”
A sacrifice… or, more accurately, a gate type spell that requires blood as a catalyst… The Silver Key really is an artifact with unbeatable performance.
So they are not a gift to be remade, and not a sacrifice to Shub-Niggurath, but a material for casting the spell. If it can be done with large or small animals, then it can be done with humans. …Normally, you wouldn’t choose your own kind, but I guess it’s hard to expect normal from a fanatic. I suppose that’s how it is for people who easily cross a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
“At this rate, the analysis will be ready in time. It’s time to organise the information and start coming up with a plan…”
“Yeah. We can adjust it as we get the rest of the information.”
“What’s the worst possible situation right now?”
Let’s summarise in the direction of answering Alf-san’s question.
“The current worst case scenario is that the summoning of Shub-Niggurath will be interfered with in some bad way by the fanatics. …Madam. Which gate leads from this town to the royal capital?”
“The royal capital is past the west gate.”
“According to a note found in the base of the fanatics, their goal is to make the Outer One king. With an attack on the royal capital as a condition… I would hope the town could get away with being only half destroyed”
The summoning point is in the east, and the royal capital is in the west. In other words, the direct path would be through the town, so any part that Shub-Niggurath passed through would be destroyed.
If we couldn’t reduce its HP with an all-out magic attack from everyone, we would have to say goodbye, due to the counterattack.
However, Shub-Niggurath seems to be someone who listens to people, so if we can prevent the intervention of the fanatics… there might be no problem. It seems to be relatively friendly in this world.
“What is the best outcome?”
“Talking to the Outer Ones and getting them on our side. But, it doesn’t seem like my race will have any influence on this…”
So far, the only benefit from it has been the Clock of Time. And the clock is completely a bonus. If the Book of Elder Records gave out information about Shub-Niggurath and Our Ladies of Sorrow, it would have broken the scenario, so it was disabled. I don’t have a problem with that, though, because I enjoy it more.
“Well, that’s about it.”
“”What’s the most likely scenario?””
“Blocking the activation of [Crimson Ring]. So our goal is to rescue the missing people…I think?”
“Will there be a battle with the Outer Ones?”
“Even though there are 10,000 Outsiders, I think it will be hard. Mainly in terms of defence. So I’d like to think it won’t be a normal battle.”
I don’t think it’s impossible to beat a single Black Goat, but it won’t be much of a battle, as any attack from it will destroy us. Not to mention the Blessed, which is probably untankable.
『Impossible!』
『It’s impossible if you’re not an expert scout. Getting by unseen is way too difficult.』
『You need to stealthily find them before they do you…』
『Seems like an attack from a Blessed… They must have been very good at hiding, so it’s pretty painful.』
『Can you get there by taking a roundabout route through the sky?』
『If you’re spotted in the sky, you’re immediately out, right?』
『You can’t hide…hmm.』
The union leaders are exchanging information too. Sounds like they’re trying to invade the east.
“Ah.”
“”””Ah?””””
“I’ll go check out the east for a bit.”
I have the strongest reconnaissance skill. So, subspace travel.
There was nothing about subspace ability written in the description of the Black Goat or Blessed, so I think it’s okay, but I’ll go from the sky for the time being. From where I can only just see the ground.
Forest ….Mountain….Oh.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The east has been successfully scouted.
At the foot of the eastern mountain, a Black Goat, a suspicious group in black robes, suspected to be the remnants, and 6 people reported missing from the town, have been spotted. The wood stolen from the village has also been found.
The Blessed of Shub-Niggurath cannot be seen, but it is likely what is blocking passage through the forest.
Withdraw and make preparations until the time is right. If a fight is necessary, it will surely be a tough battle.
There are several people in black robes, most likely the fanatics, and six ordinary children, lying on the ground. The children are trying to pull away from the Black Goat, but they are tied up, with their mouths blocked, so it is quiet.
As for the Black Goat… assuming the robed people are male, it looks to be around the upper end of 5 metres. It is quite a large individual, according to the information.
It…doesn’t look like anyone is talking. Let’s go back to the mansion. It’s hard to notice something in the sky if you’re not conscious of it, but I’ll be in full view if I get spotted. I shouldn’t stay too long.
The location of the ritual has been marked on the map, so we won’t get lost.
“I’m back.”
“Welcome back. The information showed up.”
“Yes… but, the Madam told me there were seven people missing.”
“Yes, the number I heard is seven.”
“Six of them have been captured by the fanatics, so we plan to rescue them later. However, one of them is likely to have fallen into another world…”
“”What about joining the fanatics?””
“”…I see. It’s not impossible.””
“…Well, whether becoming lost in another world, or joining the fanatics, it’s impossible to get them back.”
It’s true that if they joined up and were wearing a robe, it would be impossible to tell. But it doesn’t matter which it is, because there is no going back either way.
“By the way, we heard they are children. Shouldn’t they have aimed for adult men, if it’s blood they need?”
“There would be too much resistance, and they want a high success rate. But then it could have been an adult woman. …No, in this world they are less likely to be alone because they are more cautious?”
“Yes, they will never go out alone after dusk. Especially at this time of year.”
Alf-san’s question was answered by the lord’s wife, who was listening.
In a world where there are bandits and thieves, it is common sense for the inhabitants to be cautious. In the case of the madam, she is a noble, so she can’t move alone anyway.
“There might be other fanatics hunting in the forest.”
“That’s true too”
There is still time before the ritual, so there’s no guarantee that all the remnants are gathered in the place I saw. People who are easy to catch, but have little blood, or a monster that is strong, but has a lot more. In the case of humans, they will unite and fight back, so it might make more sense to hunt monsters.
“”We wait now?””
“I feel like we’ve done everything we can.”
“All that’s left is… to craft while waiting.”
“But it’s still analysing, so there’s not too much we can do.”
It’s either sitting with the UI open, or standing with the UI open. There’s no problem if you can craft while sitting, but the materials might be an issue.
Oh, right, I haven’t distributed the resurrection potions I’ve been mass-producing. We’ll meet up later.
While talking with the madam and my party members, let’s proceed with the analysis.
<<Information has been shared.>>
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been partially analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
Shub-Niggurath. The Black Goddess of Fertility.
This fertility goddess is said to be a huge, bubbling, cloud-like mass
Some of the cloud sometimes fuses together to form parts of her body. She has black tentacles, mouths that drip with slime, and short legs with black hoofed tips.
She is very large, with an average width of 10 to 20 metres. If you are less than half her size, you will be trampled down without mercy as she proceeds forward.
Her milk is said to have some notable qualities, but no further information is available here.
Shub-Niggurath’s incarnations are said to be “The one who walks behind the ridges” and “The great god of bread”, but as there is no information about them here, they seem to be irrelevant in this case.
She at least knows all the spells of the Outer Ones.
The documents belonging to the fanatics have been completely analysed. (Shub-Niggurath)
The [Invite / Dismiss Shub-Niggurath] spell is now understood.
In the worst case, resist with this.
※When Shub-Niggurath is summoned, the event will proceed to the ‘Dismissal’ phase.
<The special spell [Invite / Dismiss Shub-Niggurath] has been learned.>
Did we manage to finish the analysis before the climax started? The spells… have increased…
“…If we didn’t get to the end, would we have had to go toe-to-toe with Niggurath?”
“Spells are the safest and most perfect way to solve it. If not that, you just have to do your best.”
“It’s best not to get to that phase in the first place.”
I’d like to clear with an S rank. I think the requirement is to rescue all six civilians and secure all the remnants of the fanatics. I expect that as the ritual progresses, the number of captives will decrease, but… I wonder what will happen.
“…It’s time. Let’s go.”
“”The eastern plains?””
“We’re all meeting up there, for the time being.”
The wind is okay. I cast [Waterproof Barrier], say goodbye to the count family, then head outside.
The rain is still coming down, and the thunder is crying out… The bonfire in the central square is burning with a pale green flame, defying the thunderstorm.
We walk through the main street, past the blazing bonfire, and exit through the east gate. Armed Outsiders are gathering on the plain before the forest, performing final checks.
“Princess! It’s good weather today too!”
“Yes, it’s a lovely day when the earth is very moist.”
From the perspective of Clementia-san, who is a plant, is a thunderstorm good weather? Maybe rain is the best weather. It’s quite rare, though.
“Muu… What should I do about my cloak? Aside from getting wet, it also gets heavier and sticks to you… It also makes you vulnerable to the ice related conditions…”
“Well, it’s better to have it than not, but it’s better to use magic to deal with it in the first place.”
I’ll answer my sister’s pondering. My cloak is pretty good, but I have [Waterproof Barrier] from «Spatial Magic», so the rain will not get through while the magic is effective.
If you want to prioritise the RP atmosphere, as an adventurer, you should use a cloak. However, for RP as a mage, magical countermeasures are more suitable. In the end, I can only say people should do whatever they want.
“Welcome!”
“Bones are a bit…”
“It’s true that bones are not bothered much by the rain…”
Ske-san is wearing a robe over bones, Alf-san has full plate armour, and the twins don’t seem to care.
“I think I’m the only one in my party who cares about rain…”
“…Should I consider Onee-chan a heretic in this case?”
“I don’t think I’d mind either, if I was in my sphere form. But I wouldn’t be able to do things like parrying in that case…”
It’s an inhuman party, so if the standard is inhuman, then it’s true that I am a bit of a heretic.
It’s impossible to wield a rapier as a sphere of flesh. It would be quicker to just reach out with a tentacle and slap things away, but of course I would take damage, so it’s pointless.
“By the way, can slimes and foxes be humanised?”
“It’s expected, but there’s no report so far.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait until higher levels. It might be a requirement.”
I don’t think it’s something they would learn from living a normal life, so perhaps a rare skill with certain requirements. I feel like it’s classified as rare arts, or magic. It might be Ex, but it’s unclear for now.
In my case, the incarnation is somewhat special. Since it is an incarnation for coming into contact with people, I create an incarnation that has a human form. The Abyss Monk is a ‘priest’, so needs to be a human. If you were to ask me if I’d consider King Woofwoof a priest, I think it’s a NO. If I had to, I would say he is a worshipper. The clergy are generally associated with humans.
Now, let’s gather the leaders of the union and distribute the resurrection potions. I think we’ll definitely need them, if it comes down to a battle…
While distributing potions, the leaders gather for a strategy meeting… but to be honest, we can’t make many decisions, as we don’t know how things will go until we start.
“Cherish your life”
“They’re looking at you for help.”
“Show no mercy!”
“It reminds me of how they do useless things.”
“Ah, I completely get that.”
“In fact, let me give you an order.”
“『That’s it!』”
Well, that’s true, unless you’re going back and forth to level up. Why did you make that attack on a dying enemy! That always happens. And wasting resources by casting buffs and debuffs, even though the enemy is just one hit from death. I guess you could say it’s common for games.
…Let’s just ignore the group playing Revolution. It’s funny that they’re doing a performance, with different poses for different songs.
“We’ve got about an hour left… Should we start moving?”
“It’s time, so I hope there’s no interference.”
“The impatient ones are on their way, but is it still there?”
According to Ruzebarm-sam, it is still there. We’ll just have to push on with numbers. …Considering the [Crimson Ring] mentioned in the analysis, I think it will disappear after a while.
I expect the quest description to change for the climax…For now, all we can do is wait for this last hour.
『Capture the remnants of the fanatics.』
The ritual to summon the Black Goddess of Fertility, Shub-Niggurath, is about to begin.
Defeat the shallow ambitions of the fanatics, so you don’t get caught up in it.
“The quest has changed!”
“The climax!”
“It’s changed. Let’s go.
“『Let’s go!』”
In the thunderstorm, which has eased somewhat, we head to the mountain. It doesn’t look like the rain is going to cause problems with visibility.
…Who is the person playing Nyaruko-san?
“SAN value in trouble!”
“And now, instead of a pinch, we’re promised a direct burial.”
“Blessed and a Black Goat confirmed. And in the worst case, coming face to face with mama Niggurath.”
“Yeah! Your mother, Shub-Niggurath!”
“She might be your sister.”
“My sister…”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
There is a male version of Shub-Niggurath, though. Saying that, Nyar-sama also has a female version, so yeah. They don’t care about gender. I wonder what they are like in this world. It’s only my guess that they are former humans, but after not being part of the human race so long, they are incredibly detached from it.
“Fuumu… no response from the impatient group?”
“People who are loyal to their desires. I don’t think it’s the best thing to do, during an official event.”
As far as I can tell from the conversation between Ruzebarm-san and Cecil-san, there’s no reaction from the group that went ahead? …If they find something good, they’ll brag about it.
“Why hurry? There’s no need to get caught up in whatever they ran into.”
“Hmm… maybe there’s no need to rush…”
“I don’t think there’s any need for that either.”
Well, my guess is that the leading group isn’t far ahead or is already stuck. This event is a horror story, after all. There’s no need to put any thought towards people who act independently during a horror situation.
The management is quite merciless, you know.
“The quest was switched with one hour left after the full analysis. The ritual was prepared during the analysis stage, to be performed after all the remnants have gathered. And there is only one place suitable for the summoning. Taking all this into account, if you hurry ahead of the countdown, you’ll miss some of them and the evaluation will drop.”
“Well, it was at least a little better once it started.”
“”Don’t you think they’ll run away after being found out?””
“Considering it’s an event, I don’t think it’s a problem if a few parties are ahead of us.”
I’m sure the management is aware that there will be people who try to monopolise or are impatient. It really would be an impossible game, if it ended with just one party going ahead. That said, there should be no need to hurry.
“But there’s no reaction at all from them. I’d think they’d make a fuss after dying.”
“Well, I can guess what it is….”
“What’s that?”
“The [Crimson Ring], Kotatsu-san.”
“Ah…”
The material for the [Crimson Ring] arrived all on its own. It’s obvious what will happen. They’re probably rolling around on the ground until the time comes.
“If it’s only about getting the blood, isn’t aiming for an Outsider fine?”
“They come back even when you kill them…. it might be a good source.”
There is a bleeding abnormal condition, so blood will come out of Outsiders too…
We continue to walk through the forest in the pouring rain, talking to each other. Unlike the camping event, there don’t seem to be any lightning strikes.
“Onee-chan, your bones is very atmospheric…”
“Right? Ideally, I’d like it to be twice as big as me.”
It’s a bit difficult to move through the forest with the lump of meat, so I’m being carried by #1, wearing the robe I had made earlier. Now that I’ve made it, I want to use it occasionally.
We arrive at the ritual site with some time to spare.
It seems likely to start when a large number of people rush in, so it’s time for some reconnaissance while waiting at a distance.
“Enemy submarine sighted!”
“『It’s hopeless!』”
“Many Japanese soldiers in the grass.”
“Hey, hey, hey, they’re dead.”
“I think they’re actually going to die.”
“Well, it’s only those who tried to rush ahead, so it’s fine to leave them.”
“…Is it a painful start, with the number of materials increased unnecessarily?”
“『Unnecessary!』”
The impatient ones have been caught and tied up. They were only able to kidnap six people from the town, but since a small number of Outsiders came, they were probably happy to catch them.
Anyway, the lord’s wife said it was seven people missing, but it seems there are only six after all. None of the people wearing black robes are child-sized, so it must have been a fun and exciting solo trip to another world. …With a one-way ticket.
“Is that over 5 metres? It’s huge.”
“A great shape, that goat. Very disgusting, but better than Shoggoth.”
“Shoggoths are too bad.”
“Should I wear Shogo-tan?”
“Stop it. Rather, you really bought that…”
“I might use it one day.”
“Those are the words and actions of someone who can’t organise their storage.”
Where the forest opens up ahead of us, there are the Black Goat and Blessed of Shub-Niggurath. And some fanatics in black robes. And the Residents and impatients lying around by their feet.
<<The ritual is about to begin.>>
The sky is flashing and it’s pouring, yet Clementia-san says it’s nice weather. …That’s only from the perspective of a plant type.
“Mm, it’s the right atmosphere for this.”
“Uh huh.”
“Well, we’re about to fight each other now, degozarukedo.”
“Running around shouting.”
“We’re a fighting people. We shout and we hit.”
“What a dangerous bunch.”
The fanatics have returned from the forest with their prey. It’s almost time, so they have gathered.
“Well, it’s time to clean up.”
“Now it’s time to get the whole story!”
“Please go home if you’re not gonna take it seriously.”
We begin moving while chatting. Let’s surround them as much as possible. A semicircle… or more specifically, a protractor shape. It’s impossible to do any more, because the direction we don’t need to enclose is a mountain.
The other side has also started to move. The Black Goat is a little further away, with the Blessed and fanatics handling the ritual.
<<Setting the difficulty level of the ritual–>>
<<The ritual has begun–>>
