"Even if I was born under a lucky star, I'm not really the protagonist. I feel more like a shopkeeper, to be honest. By the way, while I was offline, I hope there wasn't a food shortage or a boss attack that caused the barrier to break and ruin the Number Quest... that wouldn't happen, right?"
"I don't think so. I've heard of various Number Quests, and unless you don't log in for several days or leave it unattended for a long time, that shouldn't be an issue. Well, if some PvP players or villains attacked NPCs, that would be a different story. But Phoebe is in my room, so that shouldn't happen."
Got it... Well, it's summer vacation, so I don't plan on leaving it unattended for a long time, so that's a relief.
"Seriously, if it gets really tough, don't hesitate to lean on me, okay? I'm willing to help out a bit if it means you and Phoebe can have a happy ending! And if things get really dire, bring me and the leader along. The fail condition would increase by 50%, and Lena's story could take a turn for the worse, but me and the leader would help cut through some of that despair... though that's really a last resort, since it might mean you can't reach a good ending..."
"Are you… scared, Yuna?"
What's going on? Has she been through this before?
At the end of a Number Quest, the percentage of the failed conditions is displayed, and if it gets too high, even if I complete the quest, it might not improve the situation at all, right?
Given Yuna's tone, that seems possible. No wonder she's calling it a last resort.
"I'm sorry for scaring you, big brother, but I believe that if anyone can use their items and equipment wisely to complete the Number Quest without fulfilling most of the fail conditions, it's you!"
"Why do you believe that? You know I don't play games much, so I'm not good at them, right? There's a real chance I could mess up, lose Phoebe, get crushed, and give up!"
"True, the worst-case scenario isn't impossible, but if you focus on that, you might trip up and cause it to happen! Besides, in Fantasy Freedom, willpower is surprisingly important. With your determination, I know you can make it work!"
Her reasoning doesn't fully address my doubt, though… what does she mean by willpower?
Lost in thought, Yuna suddenly asked, "Big brother, why do you continue to fight the bugs you hate?"
"Huh? Well, it's for Phoebe, of course…"
"That doesn't sound like the same big brother who, during that punishment game, screamed and cried after being overwhelmed by bugs while trying to defend Earth! You said you never wanted to do it again!"
"Ah, that's an old story..."
It's a bit of a dark past, so could you please not bring it up?
"But isn't battling insects in Full Dive Fantasy Freedom much harder than in video games? Despite hating bugs, you've been fighting all sorts of creatures, like big dragonflies. That takes a strong will, and with that determination, I'm sure you can win!"
"R- really?"
Well, having strong willpower can help you get back up when you're on the verge of collapsing thanks to the skill called Indomitable, but does that really relate to it?
"Maybe I don't fully understand, but I can just keep doing my best like I am now, right?"
"Yeah! Oh, but it's time to go. I have plans tomorrow, so I need to sleep early. Goodnight!"
With that, Yuna left the room to sleep.
I too needed to get to bed early to log in tomorrow in peak condition. I have to fix my staff.
The next morning, I logged into Fantasy Freedom and met up with Phoebe, heading to the Zero Order Workshop to repair my staff. The place was empty.
"Let's get started on the staff repair."
"Absolutely, Lena! We'll finish it perfectly and return it to Yuki!"
Following Lily's instructions, I set up the recipe with the broken staff...
'Repairable with a damage rate of 0% and no additional materials required. Would you like to proceed with the repair?'
Oh, so I can actually repair this... I can infuse blood using the cursed blood smithing technique, but I'll turn that off; I can't afford to overuse my blood and lower my maximum HP…
"Um, Lena, I'd like to help by swinging a hammer, not just pouring magical energy into support spells or weapons. Is there another hammer available? If we take turns swinging, it might enhance the effect!"
"No, let me handle the hammering. If we don't stick to our roles, we won't accomplish anything."
Phoebe's suggested method sounds incredibly complicated; it feels like we'd need to be completely in sync to pull it off.
"I see… understood! I'll focus on support!"
"Please do! I can't pour magical energy into support spells or weapons, so I'm counting on you!"
"Of course!"
Having decided to stick to our usual approach, I pressed the start button on the forge! Although it's called a repair, it felt quite similar to enhancement; all I needed to do was hammer away at the bright red metal shaped like a staff.
As I felt the effects of Phoebe's numerous support spells coursing through me, I began swinging the hammer. However, sparks of lightning, ice, and light effects randomly flared up with each strike, which was a bit alarming—even though I could tell I was hitting it hard enough.
What can I say? Even with the effects in play, the staff itself feels powerless!
"Damn it, how about this?!"
With a clang, the finish button appeared, and I pressed it to complete the repair... but the staff wasn't pure white. It looked dull gray, despite being newly restored.
*Sealed Teaching Staff*
*Attribute: Sealed*
*Status: Attack +1*
*Special Effect: Sealed*
*Special Skill: Sealed*
*A sealed staff can only reveal its true power if returned to its owner or if its seal is forcibly broken.*
*Lena has gained level 1 in Repair Skill.*
"I can't tell if I repaired it properly…! And visually, it doesn't look fixed at all!"
I checked the repair skill, which reduced repair difficulty and lessened MP and HP consumption.
"The seal is strange... Yuki shouldn't be able to use sealing magic, right?"
"Well, something must have happened. If it returns to its owner, it seems like the seal should lift. Maybe I should hand it to Itsuki?"
It was probably sealed due to the Number Quest...?
After opening the system screen, I checked my friend list and saw that Itsuki was online. I sent a message saying the staff was fixed and I'd like to meet.
After a while, I received a simple reply from Itsuki.
At the entrance of One Street, I want to meet.
"Itzuki is waiting outside the town. Let's bring him the staff."
"Um, Lena, can I ask one more thing? If we give Itzuki the staff, will we be able to see Yuki?"
"…That depends on Yuki. If the joy of seeing Phoebe again outweighs the sorrow of losing Caleb, then there's a chance. But Yuki has her own life circumstances to consider. If she's overwhelmed with her own issues, there's a possibility we won't be able to meet her."
"I see…"
Phoebe felt disheartened, but she couldn't lie.
"But we'll definitely see her! It's summer vacation now, a time when people are more likely to meet."
"R-really?"
Encouraged by the thought of summer vacation, we made our way to the entrance of One Street.
When we arrived, Itzuki was waiting there.
"Oh, there you are, little blacksmith! Were you able to repair the snow staff?"
"Itzuki, I've brought the staff... although it's still sealed."
I knew the friend request had revealed my name to him, but was calling me 'blacksmith' part of a role play?
Well, if it's role play, I wouldn't point it out.
"A seal? Can't it be broken?"
"It seems it can be released once it reaches Yuki's hands, according to my assessment, so there's no need to force the解除."
"I see... I'm not sure why it's sealed in broken things, but at least with this, I can talk to Yuki. Thank you so much! I'm heading out right now!"
"Please take care of Yuki! Tell her that Phoebe is praying for us to meet again!"
"Got it."
With that, Itsuki vanished. When I checked my friend list, his name showed as logged out. He must have gone to see Yuki in real life. I hope he managed to convince her. But seriously, why is she sealed away? Maybe deep down, she wants to come back but sealed herself so she wouldn't be used by anyone else…?
"Alright, let's head back to Lily's home, grab a bunch of snacks, and go distribute them in the Fairy Garden."
"Yes! Let's bring lots of food to Mom!"
Back at Lily's home, I loaded my inventory with the mountain of sweets and pastries I received from TT and Lily. The amount was clearly too heavy for both hands, and as I transformed the weightless items into reality, my body felt a sudden, overwhelming heaviness, causing me to nearly topple over.
"Lena!? Are you alright!?"
"…Just a moment…"
Summoning all my strength, I stood up and opened the system menu to materialize a hammer and some healing potions from my inventory. The weight on my body lifted instantly.
"Is there a weight limit for carrying items…?"
"No, it's just that I had too much food, and it was weighing me down. I need to sort through my belongings a bit."
"You had too much stuff? I'm surprised…"
I chuckled awkwardly; organizing my things isn't exactly my strong suit. Lily has told me that I can use some of the storage space, but…
For now, I'll put some leftover event items and unused materials from the summer event into storage. I'll leave a note for Lily saying she can take what she needs.
I'll definitely bring the bug-catching potion; it might come in handy. I debated leaving behind my swimsuit, but since it helps with underwater breathing, I decided to keep it. The beacon from TT is weightless, so I'll hold onto that too.
I managed to avoid exceeding my weight limit by putting some of the excess HP recovery potions into storage, allowing me to carry a good amount of snacks and pastries.
Actually, I had Phoebe help me carry a bit too.
"...Is this okay?"
"Are you sure, Lena? I've taken some things, but is it alright if we don't carry more?"
As I moved around to check if my mobility was restricted, Phoebe looked concerned.
"I'm fine! As long as I don't exceed the weight limit, I won't have any issues in battle. Now, let's get to the Fairy Garden!"
"Yes!"
So, we fully prepared ourselves and headed towards the Fairy Garden. Well, there was one thing I forgot to prepare... my MP regeneration gear.
I realized this when we reached the Earth Spirit Ruins, but I didn't feel like turning back. Besides, I didn't want to waste time gathering materials or crafting new gear. I decided to press on as I was.
Spending 200 MP, I activated the teleportation circle at the ruins and reappeared in the Fairy Garden.
As my vision cleared, I didn't just see the barren landscape; I was confronted by a massive spider the size of a small truck. On its head sat a giant golden ant, not as large as the spider but still imposing, seemingly waiting for us...
"Oh, just as I expected! A human has arrived! My predictions were spot on! It would have been ideal to destroy that magic circle, but since we couldn't even scratch it, ambushing humans is the best course of action!"
The golden ant let out a gleeful cackle!
"The ant can talk?! That's so creepy!"
"How rude for a human!"