ALL NOVEL Chapter 43: Loot Drops for Days
As the echoes of the battle faded away, I took a moment to catch my breath and assess the aftermath. The once-menacing tentacled monster now lay still, defeated by the combined efforts of Bonesy, my skeletal wolf companion, and the altered moss's electrifying properties.
[Level 3 acquired!]
[Increase to all stats]
[+5 Stat Points(10 Total)]
[+1 Skill Point (2 Total)]
[+3 Material Points(5 Total)]
[Skill Gain: Instant Print: Instantly finish any job your Enchanted Printer is working on. Cooldown: 7 Days (Current remaining Cooldown 14:24:18)]
I really needed to look into my stats and these points. While I didn’t want to spend them recklessly, I didn’t even know how to spend them if I even wanted to. That was something I would take care of tonight while in bed with Shelli.
I still found it hard to believe that this angel had chosen me, and that I could spend each night with her. I didn’t want to ignore my other girl too, but I wanted to wait till I got to a better place before doing it with Lyra, and I needed to get stronger to even entertain the idea of getting close to Aria.
Daryle approached with a knowing smile as I closed my system, clapping me on the shoulder. "Not bad, not bad at all! You handled that better than I expected. I've seen seasoned adventurers crumble in the face of that creature."
I grinned, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Thanks, Daryle. I am just glad to still be alive, but I feel like I could do it better if I tried again. It was more about keeping moving than anything."
"Still impressed, regardless. Tomorrow I am going to have to put more effort into our fight," he chuckled. "Now, let's see what kind of loot that monstrosity left behind."
We approached the defeated creature, and I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation. As I reached out to inspect the remains, a holographic interface appeared before me, displaying the loot drops differently than before when my system was locked.
Loot Drops:
- Tentacle Essence: Rare material with magical properties. Can be used in potion-making or crafting.
- Essence of Stealthroot Vial: A vial containing the mysterious, dark liquid from the monster. Its properties are known to increase the stealth value when used for crafting weapons or armor.
- 5x Tentacle Barb: Sharp barb from the monster's tentacle. Can be used for crafting weapons or armor.
- 3x Cursed Crystal Shard: A small crystal shard with an eerie glow. A key item used to create cursed objects.
I couldn't help but grin at the impressive earnings. It seemed like the harder the challenge, the better the rewards. Daryle raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed with the haul.
"Not bad at all, kid. That tentacle essence alone is worth a small fortune in the right markets,” Daryle explained and I pulled out one of the crystals.
“What good are these for?” I asked, looking at the dark and swirling energies within the Crystal I held.
“Cursed crystal shards? They're sought after by mages for all sorts of experiments, but their main purpose is to create cursed objects," he told me, but that made me from.
“Why would anyone make a cursed object?” I asked, even though I had some ideas.
“There are a few reasons for wanting to create such a thing. The main reason they are made is because they provide more power, but at a cost. Your grimoire’s curse is just the same, making it much stronger than normal, but if you overuse it, it will exhaust you. The power of the items is proportional to the strength of the curse,” Daryle explained, and I raised my eyebrow.
“How do you know so much about them?” I asked, but then added, “Not just curses, but you seem to know a lot about everything. Is that normal?”
Daryle gave me a look but laughed. “I don't know this stuff by choice, but it is easy to forget that you don't understand our world. My sister is a bit of a nut…”
Daryle let his voice trail off, and I frowned, but before I could ask why he paused, a voice spoke up.
“I will make you pay for that comment when you get back,” a female voice growled from Daryle’s chest.
I stepped back in shock as my mind started to make up some pretty far-fetched ideas. This world didn’t seem to have technology, so I started to wonder if there was something implanted in his chest. Maybe something with magic?
All of my strange ideas were squashed as Daryle pulled out a strange palm-sized device with a clear blue crystal in the center. Without saying anything, he tossed me the device.
“You might as well keep a hold of this,” Daryle chuckled as I heard more growling and grumbling coming from the device I had caught.
“Give me back to my precious brother! He needs to keep in contact with me so I can talk to him if I need to!” The voice demanded, and I made a gesture to give it back, but Daryle put up his hands to stop me.
He then put his hand over the device, and a strange black energy covered it. “Sorry! But this is my sister, Danielle. I will literally do anything for you if you can convince her to let you hold on to this! Anything you want, I have your back, brother!”
“You are totally pawning her off on me,” I groaned, but Daryle didn't try to hide it with his goofy smile.
“Totally, but my sister has an unhealthy obsession with me that borders a brother complex! It's not only not healthy for her, but no women want anything to do with me! I only keep trying to court the princess because she is the only one who can put my sister in place!” Daryle explained and I laughed and shook my head.
“Fine, but you owe me!” I sighed, and Daryle laughed, clapping his free hand on my shoulder.
“Good man! In return, I will teach you levitation magic tonight, and we can go visit some of the other islands tomorrow! I will also help you gather whatever you need to use your printer! Whatever you need my brother, I will help you if I can!”
Before I could reply, Daryle vanished.
“Hello?! DARY!”
I winced as I looked down at the device. Looks like I had been left alone with Daryle's sister, Danielle. I hesitated for a moment before bringing the device closer to my face.
"Uh, hey there. I'm not Daryle, but he said I could hold onto this for a bit. My name's Leon, but I guess you probably know me as the hero brought here by Garland," I explained, there was silence, so I made my way back to the cave where my printer was.
Zizzek waved to me as I entered, and I waved back but then motioned for him to leave. The little demon nodded, seeming to understand me without words, and headed back toward the entrance.
After he was gone, I pulled out the communication device. "Are you still where?"
"What is that sound in the background now?" Danielle asked.
"It's my 3d printer. I can create things here. Daryle mentioned you're his sister, right? Nice to meet you, Danielle."
There was a pause, and then Danielle's voice came through with a mix of annoyance and curiosity. "So, what's your deal, hero? Why are you hanging out with my brother? Are you planning to steal him away from me too?"
I chuckled nervously, not entirely sure how to navigate this conversation. "No, I am pretty sure that you are the one that sent him to come see me, right?" I asked.
"Yeah, but you weren't supposed to get so close to him! What makes you special anyway? From what I have heard so far, you are so weak that everyone has to treat you like a child. My brother is just being nice to you because I told him to!" Danielle snapped, and I winced.
This was not going as planned... I mean, I could just put the item in my inventory, but I feel like that would only cause more problems. I needed to figure out a way to make her interested in me, or something to distract her from Daryle.
I could see why he wanted to get away from her now, but at least she wasn't making any lewd comments. There was still a chance for redemption from a doomed destiny that all sibling complexes are destined to be. Isekai Rule number 4! The hero always gets his harem!
Now, with that in mind, something popped into my head, and I held the communicator up to my face. "Hey, does this thing only send voice? What about video?" I asked, and there was a pause.
"What is a video?" Danielle asked, sounding a bit curious.
"You know, like a moving picture of my face so that you can see and hear me?" I asked, and there was another pause, but long this time.
Finally, Danielle spoke up. "Can you actually do that?"
"I think so, but I am not making any promises. I wish I could show you what I am creating right now. From what I hear, you like to invent things yourself, right?"
I barely got finished speaking before Danielle spoke up. "What if I just come to you?"
I nearly dropped the device we were talking on but spoke up right away. "While that might be good soon, I really want to get to my own island first, and get a home set up before inviting people over!" I tried to explain, but Danielle seemed ready to dance around my every excuse.
"Firstly, I can help you with the study of the island, and I might have some ideas about where you can find mages to teach you about the island's crystal control array. Next, I can bring my servants to help construct logging to hold all the Demons you have captured. I am sure you don't want to have them all sleeping outside while you take your sweet time building them a home, right?"
I couldn't argue with Danielle's points. Having her assistance with island exploration, magical knowledge, and construction would undoubtedly be beneficial. However, I still wanted to maintain some level of control and independence.
"I appreciate the offer, Danielle, but I'd like to take things one step at a time. Let's focus on island study and magical knowledge first. Once I have a better grasp of everything, and we have decided we are going to move, we can discuss the construction and housing for the demons. Does that sound fair?" I suggested, hoping to find a compromise.
There was a moment of silence, and then Danielle huffed. "Fine, but don't take too long. I don't like being kept waiting, and my brother can be too soft-hearted sometimes. I need to make sure you're not taking advantage of that."
"I understand, Danielle. I'll do my best to prove that I'm serious about this," I replied, feeling a mix of relief and anticipation. Dealing with Daryle's sister seemed like a challenge in itself, but perhaps with time, we could find common ground.
As I ended the conversation with Danielle, I turned my attention back to the loot drops and the altered moss. There was still much to explore on this island, and who knew what other challenges and surprises awaited me. But one thing was certain – with printer humming, Bonesy by my side, a growing list of skills, and newfound allies like Daryle and Danielle, I was ready to face whatever the isekai world had in store for me.