Metro Labyrinth - Chapter 37

Chapter 37




A/N: 12/27 – Corrections are made along with the publication [A Squirrel’s Explanation on Fungal Class and Fungal Skills and The List of Fungal Skills of Each Profession].

3/13 – [Healing] Red Cross → Green Cross, [Holy Healing] Green Cross → Red Cross.

6/11 – Added a note on the trend of the status (physical ability) of each Fungal Class.

There are too many things to do to make a base in Sugamo City for the time being.

First of all, we have to earn living expenses. Without money, we can’t even buy Tamiko’s snacks.

With that said, it’s finally time for the various items collected at Otsuka Metro to catch fire. I will leave the items that I can part with to Obuchi and have them assessed.

“The fangs and claws of the Orthrus… the petrified wing membrane of a Gargoyle… the Pearl Peas… they are all precious items that are hard to find. The Outsuka Metro is said to be an unpopular Metro, but even so, there are still a good number of items lying in the depths of the Metro. Making a rough estimate of everything, the total value of all of these items is over 700,000 yen, that’s if they’re not very well kept. Else, it may reach one million yen.” (Obuchi)

“Is that a lot of money?” (Shuu)

If it were my time as a salaryman, it would be equivalent to several months of bonuses. It makes my nose bleed thinking about it.

“You can rent an apartment in Sugamo, furnish it, and pay rent and living expenses for six months, I guess?” (Obuchi)

“Abeshuu, nosebleed, squeak.” (Tamiko)

By the way, the horns that Oldman Uni gave me are not going to be appraised because they are a memento of his friendship and memories with Oldman Uni. I think it’s going to be the most valuable, but it will be used only for emergencies.

Noa said that she would like to make a new cloak out of the Catoblepas’ fur.

“It’s the fur of a mature beast, but I think it could be used to make some kind of special equipment.” (Noa)

“What do you mean by special effect?” (Shuu)

“The materials from Mycelial Plants and Metro Beasts can make items with special effects similar to Fungal Skills. They can become cloaks that repel fire and bracelets that accelerate the healing of wounds.” (Noa)

“I see! That’s hot! I want one!” (Shuu) [T/N: Are you quoting a certain heiress?]

It is exactly the kind of equipment found in game worlds. I would be willing to spend a fortune for accessories that would increase my “Luck” and “Strength”.

“Obuchi-san, can you make cloaks for me and Shuu-san with this?” (Noa)

“Me too! Me too!” (Tamiko)

“Oh, I’m sorry, Older sister. Please give some part to Sister Tamiko. Please do your best on Sister Tamiko’s.” (Noa)

“Sister? Ah, yes, I understand. It will take some time because there are few skilled tailors I know, but I know they can make good products. Let’s go meet them face-to-face later so you can gauge them.” (Obuchi)

A custom-made cloak. I am finally starting to look like a hunter.

“Abeshuu, your cloak will get torn when using hypha arms, squeak.” (Tamiko)

“Oh, not just the cloak, but also the jersey.” (Shuu)

Until now, it was okay to tear through my clothes, but it’s going to be more troublesome to tear the jerseys and cloaks I just bought. At this rate, I can only wear a tank top with a Y-shaped back. My future is to only look like a gymnast or never use it.

I’ll have to ask them to put sleeve holes for hypha arms on the back. It may be less warm, but I’d rather be able to use it without worrying about it in case of an emergency.

“Well, think about that when I have it made, squeak. Do you know the official name of that Fungal Skill, Noa, squeak?” (Tamiko)

“It is [Asura] if I’m not mistaken. It’s the super-rare skill under Physical Manipulation that I explained to you yesterday.” (Noa)

“Physical Manipulation? Even though it is an arm made of mycelium?” (Shuu)

Speaking of yesterday’s discussion, I feel that the skill Soft Hypha is more suitable than Physical Manipulation.

“To be precise, it seems to be a combined skill of Soft Hypha and Physical Manipulation, and it seems that it can be learned by the Fungal Class within the [Fighter] line, so I think that is the basis of the classification. It seems that the main skill is not the ability to create arms made of mycelium, but rather the ability to move the hypha arms as if they were part of one’s own body.” (Noa)

The answer came back immediately. This is a big help.

So, I decided to take this opportunity to answer the questions about the official name of my Fungal Skills. If I am going to be an official hunter, I can’t just call them “burning ball” or a “hypha hammer” or whatever.

Since there is no way to show the real thing such as a burning ball in the city, we decided to go out of the gate and enter the forest at a random place where there is no one around.

“Thank you, Professor Noa.” (Shuu)

“You’re welcome, Shuu-kun.” (Noa)

Secretly, I was slightly excited to be addressed by an 18-year-old girl with the nickname “Kun”.

Noa did not have many opportunities to see other people’s Fungal Skills, so she mostly relied on her great-grandfather’s notebook and the “Fungal Skill Encyclopedia” published by the Hunters’ Guild. I showed them my Fungal Skills one by one, and we compared them to the official names.

My first Fungal Skill, regenerative mycelium, is actually, [Immortality].

The description is as I heard yesterday. A cheat self-regeneration ability is only available to [Itokuri-shi]. Semi-immortality, and almost immortal. Although it does not fit into the usual classification, it seems to fall into the category of physical manipulation.

The second Fungal Skill, the hypha sword, also known as the [Katana].

This is a hypha weapon skill that is synonymous with [Knight]. Incidentally, it is said that there is also a larger version [Odachi] and a double-edged version [Knight’s Sword].

The third Fungal Skill, burning ball or [Fireball].

This is a spell synonymous with the offensive magic of [Illusionist]. It is a basic skill that is often learned at lower levels, but its power improves as one’s level increases.

The fourth Fungal Skill, hypha round shield. or [Round Shield].

It is a Hard Hypha Armor skill. Some young people fashionably call it “Peltas”.

The fifth Fungal Skill, the healing ball. It is also called [Holy Healing].

It is a rare skill under [Healer] and is a higher-level version of [Healing]. Incidentally, it is said that [Holy Healing] is a red cross on a white ball, while [Healing] is a green cross on a white ball.

The sixth Fungal Skill, the hypha hammer, also known as the [War Hammer].

This is a brawny weapon popular among hunters who are proud of their strength. It is also characterized by the fact that the handle can change its length (it is said to have a Soft Hypha-like property there).

Incidentally, it is said that the status of each Fungal Class tends to differ not only in the main systems of Fungal Skills that can be learned but also in their physical abilities (of course, it depends on the level of their mycelium and inherent individual differences).

For example, a [Knight] has high physical toughness, a [Fighter] has muscular strength and stamina, and a [Sniper] has good focus and accuracy.

“[Craftsman] have high dexterity and skill, but they are not as suited to hand-to-hand combat like [Knights] and [Fighters], they are not suitable for melee combat, and it feels more like supporters.” (Noa)

Noa seems to be unsatisfied with her Fungal Class, as she can chatter away.

And as for [Itokuri-shi]–at the very least they’re not listed in any encyclopedia, and Noa doesn’t know about them either. Since Noa herself has never compared it to anyone else, I will have to wait and see how I would compare.

Focusing my mind, my seventh Fungal Skill, electric ball. Again it is called [Thunderball].

This is the lightning attribute version of [Fireball]. There are also [Iceball] and [Windball] so in essence, it’s like magic with different attributes.

[Illusionist] and [Healer] have the image of magic users, their athletic ability is not so high. Instead, they have high endurance or stamina to use Fungal Skills, and they seem to use Fungal Skills more aggressively than go into hand-to-hand combat. and it seems that it seems to fight using explosive Fungal Skills rather than a gunfight.

The eighth Fungal Skill, the hypha great shield, is also known as [Great Shield].

The name is very close, which is either coincidental or inevitable. It seems that it is a little rarer than [Round Shield].

The ninth Fungal Skill, enhanced leaping ability, is also called [Leaping].

This is also a popular Physical Manipulation skill, although it is named as it is. The bandit boss also used it, and Noa says that it is “an ability that I want so badly I would vomit blood”.

Tenth Fungal Skills, sensory spores. Revised—no applicable name found.

“…Hmm? What do you mean?” (Shuu)

“I’m sure it’s a Dust Skill, but there is no mention of this ability in the Fungal Skill encyclopedia or in my great-grandfather’s notebook. I’ve never heard of it before either. I mean, I don’t really understand what kind of ability it is.…” (Noa)

I was also having difficulty explaining it logically. To put it plainly, it is the ability to grasp the relative position and three-dimensional structure of anything with a certain number of spores attached to it.

Is it visual, or is it seeing with some other eye, or is it projected directly with the brain? It is difficult for a human being to imagine the world that an insect perceives with its compound eyes.

“Maybe it’s a unique skill only for Shuu-san, or something other [Itokuri-shi] hasn’t learned yet.” (Noa)

“Oh, man, I’m excited hearing you say that.” (Shuu)

The first thing to do is to find a name for it, and since it doesn’t have an official name, we’ll just call it [Sensory Spores] for convenience.

“Well… you still have seven more. How unfair, Shuu-san.” (Noa)

Her face with puffed-up cheeks as she sulked like that was powerful. But I forgive her.

The eleventh Fungal Skill, the antidote ball. I’ll now call it [Detoxification].

A green sphere with a white cross pattern. It is said to have the effect of purifying any kind of poison that enters the body. It may not be effective against bacteria or viruses, given the explanation that it does not cure illnesses. It is the signature skill of [Healer] as well as the [Healing].

The twelfth Fungal Skill, is smoke screen ball. also known as [Smoke Ball].

It is a similar Hypha Ball as [Detoxification], but it is said to be closer to a [Illusionist] skill. It is useful for multiple purposes, from disturbance to escape, and has saved my life many times. The combo with [Sensory Spore] may be at cheat level.

The thirteenth Fungal Skill, beast repellent spores, also known as Beast Repellant.

It is a regular skill in the “Top 10 Most Useful Abilities” of the Dust Skill System or something. The greater the difference in level, or the more potent against a stronger beast, or the other beasts can smell it, in short, the more effective it will be.

“Well, this doesn’t work on Tamiko at all, does it?” (Noa)

“Huh? What are you saying, squeak?” (Tamiko)

“You were asleep.” (Shuu)

“I don’t feel anything too and it seems to not work for humans. Maybe Magic Beasts are the same.” (Noa)

“Well, I’ve seen some that work and some that don’t, so maybe that’s just the way it is.” (Shuu)

“Once you’re done, wake me up, squeak.” (Tamiko)

“Well don’t sleep in the first place.” (Shuu)

And then there is the ability that has never been used at all.

The fourteenth Fungal Skill is the mysterious white acorn-like hypha.

It has a slightly shiny whitish metallic surface, similar in shape to an acorn. It is too hard to eat (it is barely hard enough to be scratched by my hypha sword). But maybe it could be used as a weapon if released with his strength.

“This is… I’ve been thinking about it since I heard about the Fungal Skill, but maybe this is a [Sniper] Hypha Bullet? Mycelial Bullets?” (Shuu)

Noa is holding her head. She looks like she’s in shock.

“…the answer is clear. [White Bullet], it’s a Fungal Skill of [Sniper].” (Noa)

“Wow! Here it is at last, [Sniper]! It sure looks like a bullet… but how do you use it? Do you put it in a gun?” (Shuu)

“You have to flick the butt of the bullet with your thumb. Putting all your strength into it.” (Noa)

I has Noa and Tamiko move back, aimed at the tree in front of us, and flicked it with my thumb as hard as I could.

Bang! A strong response is felt in the fingers, and a white acorn is flicked at high speed. The white acorn, with a straight white trajectory, pierces the trunk of the tree with a solid thud. The white acorn is stuck in the trunk of the tree.

“Woah…” (Shuu)

“Squeak…” (Noa)

“If you heat it with enough force or heat the butt, it will explode and fly.” (Noa)

So, this is how it was used? It certainly felt like it flew away with more force than the force I applied. I had no idea it was such a dangerous thing.

Come to think of it, Tamiko had once tried to bite the white part, but if it had been the butt, she might have exploded.

“As I mentioned before, a [Sniper] is a rather special fungal Class. …[White Bullet], [Exploding Bullet], and other Mycelial Bullet skills are valuable skills that only a [Sniper] can acquire.” (Noa)

“What do you mean?” (Shuu)

“For example, there are usually [Fighters] who can use [Katana], but there are no other Fungal Class who can learn the Mycelial Bullet system. If it includes Mycelial Bullets, the person is a [Sniper].” (Noa)

“I see, so a [Knight] or a [Fighter] cannot learn Mycelial Bullets. (Shuu)”

“That’s right. But Shuu-san can… unfair, so unfair.” (Noa)

“I’m sorry.” (Shuu)

I observed the bullets that have been embedded. Is it about three-quarters of the total length of the bullet? Perhaps it was due to the frictional force but the area around the hole is slightly charred.

Looking at the power of the bullet, it may not be a decisive blow against an Ogre or an Orthrus. Rather, [Fireball] and [Thunderball] would have a higher killing power. However, in terms of projectile speed and rapid-fire, this is far superior to [Fireball].

I am not confident that I can hit a moving opponent, but depending on training, it may be useful for scattering enemies and controlling them at close to medium range. It is a little frustrating to think of all the uses I could have found for it if I had realized it at Metro.

Now, there are only three skills left. Let’s see if I can get Noa, who is feeling a little depressed, to stay with me just a little longer. There’s Tamiko, don’t go to sleep, don’t lie down and scratch your butt. You’re getting a little fat these days, your silhouette is that of a complete ball of fur.