chapter02 · 046-ep46

Episode 46: Modifying Magic Equipment

"Next, we'll modify and reinforce those boots to address the issues you've spotted, adding new functions!"

The outrageous speed-enhancing boots Honoka had made were already performing far beyond expectations. Karin's declaration that she'd make them even stronger threw chat into confusion for the umpteenth time that day.

【What do you MEAN, add functions to magic equipment!?】

【Can you DO that!?】

【Wait, when you say modify, you just mean strengthen the existing effect, right? That's what upgrading equipment normally means...】

【Has the word 'normal' ever applied to Karin ojou-sama...?】

【Um... You don't mean adding a whole new ability besides the speed boost AFTER making the boots, do you...?】

"That's exactly what I mean!" Karin replied brightly, reading chat.

"There are limits, of course, and it depends on the item... But once you raise <Divine Artisan>'s level a little, you can 'modify' magic equipment to add new functions after making it!"

【You're kidding!?】

【Are you serious!?】

【Isn't that the sort of skill only the head of a top workshop with a maxed-out crafting skill would have!?】

【Normally the mana in the finished item and the materials you add repel each other, and you get a mess!?】

【You're saying a girl who'd never used <Divine Artisan> until a little while ago will soon be able to do THAT...? Really...?】

【If that's true, <Divine Artisan>'s seriously busted...?】

【Wait, is THAT how those insane Elegatling guns worked!?】

【Their power, rate of fire, lock-on, homing... I was wondering how she made magic weapons with so many functions AND that much output...】

【Ojou-sama, could you please sp●t EVERYTHING you know up front? My heart can't take this】

【↑ 'Spit' got caught by the blocked-word filter lmao】

"Well then, let's head somewhere else to collect suitable materials for the modifications. ...Oh, but first."

Karin took a small pouch out of her dress.

"Naturally, we may make mistakes or need to remake the boots during the modifications. We must bring these materials along."

She tossed the leftover bullet grasshopper materials into the pouch one after another. Even after making over twenty prototype pairs, they still had mountains left. All of it disappeared into the little pouch—her item box.

"...!? Huh...!? Wh-what, how is all that going into that tiny pouch...!? Huh, huh, huh, don't tell me... An item box...!?"

Honoka stared in astonishment. Until a moment ago, she'd been reeling from the revelation that <Divine Artisan> could modify equipment. Now she'd forgotten all about it.

【Honoka-sama's open-mouthed face is adorable】

【Oh right, her knowledge of Karin ojou-sama stops at the deep-layer enhanced-monster fight...】

【What a blessing to see someone's (almost) first reaction to Karin ojou-sama live】

【Nagisa-sama: 'Honoka! I sent you a video called "Karin Ojou-sama's Abnormal Specs & Abnormal Behavior in Ten Minutes"!'】

【Nagisa-sama moves fast lmao】

【That title is brutal lol】

【The fact it takes TEN MINUTES for even the shortest summary of Karin ojou-sama's abnormal behavior lmao】

【Why recommend a video to someone IN A DUNGEON!? ...Actually, better she watches it now so ojou-sama's sudden weirdness won't catch her off guard and leave her vulnerable. It's safer】

【She's got to be tired after going into the lower layers at level 30 and training <Divine Artisan>. Let her watch it on a break!】

While the comments looked out for Honoka, the two girls took a short break, then headed out to gather materials for modifying the boots.

"""GUGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?"""

Screams echoed through the dungeon. Needless to say, they were the death cries of monsters Karin was massacring.

"Yes! That's just the material we need! Honoka-sama, I'll leave the collection to you!"

Karin and Honoka were operating as a makeshift party. Karin concentrated on wiping out monsters; Honoka, newly equipped with extraordinary mobility, picked up the drops.

After a year as a porter, she knew how to do that job. Thanks to her newfound speed, she somehow managed to gather every material dropping from Karin's absurdly rapid kills. At the same time, though—

"The same unique skill as me... An item box...? Zero casualties in a dungeon collapse...? Magic-bullet Gatling guns...? She punched a deep-layer boss to death...? Three hundred million yen in superchats and five million subscribers...? I-I knew she'd killed a deep-layer enhanced variant, but... Am I learning from someone even more unbelievable than I thought...!?"

The shock of the Karin highlight video hadn't worn off. Honoka muttered to herself as she picked up drops, her face pale.

【Now you realize...】

【The moment she tried to make a level 30 craft magic equipment in a lower-layer monster house should've tipped you off...】

【But who, even with the eyes of Rihaku, could have foreseen an item-box-owning ojou-sama who beat a deep-layer boss to death...?】

【Honoka-sama gives us the best reactions~】

【Lower-layer monster slaughter AND Honoka-sama's reactions: two treats in one stream!】

【Roasting Black Shell AND watching this incredible stream at once... Such is the burden of an ojou-sama fan (Karin Party)!】

After gathering materials in abundance, Karin nodded in satisfaction.

"Good, good. We have most of what we need, and plenty of it. Now then, Honoka-sama, let's use what we've collected to modify your boots!"

"C-can I really do that...?" Honoka asked weakly, snapping out of her daze.

"From what I can see, your <Divine Artisan> has just about reached the level needed for modifications! If it hasn't, keep making prototypes and the level will rise. Don't worry—just experiment! That's what I did when I was starting out!"

"R-right..."

That wasn't what Honoka meant. She wondered if modification was really possible at all, or whether only the utterly exceptional Karin ojou-sama could manage it. But Karin had done so much for her. Honoka activated <Divine Artisan> again in the lower layers and gave it a try.

She used bullet grasshopper materials alongside <Bloody Mantis Scythe> and <Spring Snake Tail>, which Karin said were compatible with them. The new materials should add slashing and recoil-reduction effects to the boots, respectively.

Still half doubtful, Honoka trusted the person who'd saved her and began working her mana. Then—

(...!? H-huh...? I can sort of see... the steps...)

Naturally, Karin had taught her how to prepare the materials. But somehow, Honoka could also faintly grasp what came next: adding other materials to the boots to give them multiple magical functions. She could tell it was possible.

Following the intuition flowing in through her unique skill, and occasionally taking advice from Karin, Honoka worked with her tools. After several failures—

"...! I-I did it...!"

A new pair of boots lay before her, materials joined without their mana repelling each other. They were an excellent piece of equipment: they reduced recoil and had sharp blades at the toes.

【Wait, she actually DID it!?】

【Already!?】

【Honoka-sama's obviously getting better at using <Divine Artisan> itself, not just raising its skill level lmao】

【Well, if practice materials worth who knows how many hundreds of millions of yen keep pouring in...】

【Even so, that's abnormal!?】

【D-did she really add multiple functions!?】

【At least they LOOK way stronger now!?】

【W-well, normal crafting skills can change how equipment looks or strengthen an existing function...】

【Sure, she made something boot-shaped, but surely she didn't master the ultra-advanced technique of adding multiple effects so quickly... Right?】

"Good. I'd like to test how they perform, but... first, let's change locations."

"Huh?"

Karin led Honoka to the deepest part of the middle layers. They'd gathered materials close to the middle-layer boundary, so the trip was quick. Karin turned to Honoka.

"Put on the boots, Honoka-sama. Let's try fighting that monster!"

"...!? Huh!?"

Honoka froze. Karin was pointing at a dungeon boar, one of the strongest monsters in the middle layers.

Karin had once casually thrown one like a cannonball, which made them look less impressive than they were. But a level 30 couldn't possibly stand against one. Depending on skills and equipment, you'd want to be over level 100 to hunt them reliably solo.

【Wait, you're testing the boots in a real fight RIGHT AWAY!?】

【Ojou-sama!? Just a reminder, Honoka-sama is HUMAN!?】

【Unlike Karin ojou-sama, humans are fragile creatures!?】

【The way these comments all assume Karin ojou-sama isn't human lmao】

【Karin ojou-sama's species is 'ojou-sama,' so...】

"A-are we really fighting it immediately...?"

"Yes. There's no better way to test magic equipment than in combat against a monster. Of course, I'll step in if it becomes dangerous. Besides—"

Karin paused.

"By my reckoning, an opponent of that caliber should be easy for you to defeat in those boots, Honoka-sama."

"...!?"

【N-no, surely not...】

【Isn't that reckoning a bit TOO 'Elegant'!?】

【We don't even know whether modifying the boots WORKED!?】

【Even if it DID, she was a level-30 crafter stuck doing chores until a little while ago!?】

【W-well, ojou-sama was just being a perfect shadow, so she'd definitely stop anything dangerous in time...】

"Ah, but of course, if you feel uneasy, I won't force—"

"I-I'll try...!" Honoka answered before Karin could finish.

Chat filled with cries of 【Seriously!?】, but Honoka didn't waver.

"I-if Karin ojou-sama believes in me that much...!"

Karin's demand was absurd by any normal standard. But unlike Black Shell's demands, it came from trust, not malice. Honoka wanted to live up to it.

She faced the dungeon boar alone—

"BUOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

"E-eaaaaaaaaah!?"

—and clearly lost her nerve.

Of course she did. Even with her mobility greatly enhanced by the boots, Honoka herself was a novice-level crafter. Stared down one-on-one by an opponent so far above her, she could barely stand straight. Then the boar charged her at tremendous speed.

【Hey, is this really okay!?】

【Ojou-sama's gone too Spartan!?】

【Black Shell: 'Wait, are WE the normal clan?'】

【↑ Hurry up and get arrested for attempted murder】

"You can do it, Honoka-sama! Calm down and look closely!"

"...!"

At Karin's encouragement—tap!

Honoka dodged the boar's charge with the mobility her boots gave her.

【She dodged it!?】

【Those crazy boots could probably help her dodge ONE attack...】

【What happens NOW!?】

【Level-30 reflexes can't keep up with combat at that speed!?】

【Picking up drops is totally different from fighting at high speed!】

【Please just test the modification and stop!?】

【Even if the modification worked, USING the equipment properly is another matter!?】

As chat feared, no matter how powerful the boots were, Honoka was still level 30. Moving quickly was one thing; adapting to high-speed combat on the spot should have been impossible. Even if the modification had given the boots offensive power, their wearer wouldn't be able to keep up well enough to fight.

Or so everyone thought.

(...! My eyes can't keep up at all... But somehow, I can tell what it's going to do...!? What I should do next...!)

A skill: <Mana-Motion Detection>.

Like her tolerance for fear, Honoka had developed this ability during over a year of abusive work at Black Shell. Always watching her surroundings to avoid displeasing her seniors had awakened a power to read ahead. A weak person's self-defense.

With Honoka's bottom-tier physical abilities, she'd never been able to use it in combat. It was a weak, useless skill. But now she had a weapon: custom-made magic equipment that gave her the physical ability to put her foresight to use.

Tap-tap-tap!

Reading her opponent, Honoka dodged another attack, landed at the boar's side, and launched a sharp kick augmented by her leg-strength skills.

In an instant—ZAN!

"GAH...!?"

A dungeon boar was a monster that even a combat specialist over level 100 would struggle to hunt reliably alone. One blow from a level-30 crafter had sliced its body clean in two.

【HUH!?】

【What】

【Whaaa!?】

"...!?"

Everyone, Honoka included, stared speechlessly. Everyone except Karin.

"Hmm, yes. The magical effect has greatly reduced the recoil from that kick, and the new blades are plenty sharp. The materials aren't repelling each other, either. I'd say the boots are finished for now! Well done, Honoka-sama! All that's left is to finish training YOU!"

She smiled in satisfaction, as though she'd known all along how this would end.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

Karin ojou-sama: "Abnormal behavior...????"

*Incidentally, her ability to read movements is definitely a skill, but her tolerance for fear is just something she's gotten used to.