Chapter 12: An Owner of the Small Island
Nith woke up to two surprises.
The first surprise was a floating screen over his face, informing him that he'd taken control of the small island where they had set up their tent. The second surprise was his teammate sleeping on his chest, despite him not having taken her pillow.
[You have become a temporary owner of the small island.]
[You have received access to the second level of The Danger Zone: Swamp Islands.]
After the disappointment of the summoning scrolls, Nith went to sleep. Kyouka had said she'd concoct potions and keep watch in case something unusual happened. Even though the islands were supposed to be safe zones in the heart of the danger zone, humans could still threaten each other's lives, and monsters could attempt something dangerous, too.
It was best to be prepared for any surprises.
That was why Nith stared down at Kyouka, his usual expression distorted. He wanted to grab her head and give her a noogie, but for some reason, he held back.
Instead, he simply stared at her sleeping face. Because of the sleeping bags, he couldn't feel any of her softness, except for her cheek rubbing against his shirt.
This produced a thought that Nith couldn't believe: a complaint that she wasn't inside his sleeping bag instead.
The worst kind of poison seemed to have taken root in him, and he was starting to develop feelings he had never expected to experience.
Slipping away from her adorable face, slowly but steadily to avoid waking her up, Nith contemplated the sudden system message. He hadn't heard about a second level before and had even checked the map prior to coming here.
There was no mention of an entrance to the second level anywhere on the map.
'The culprit must be the player title,' Nith muttered as he donned his birthday present—the black cloak—and unzipped the tent to get some fresh air.
Darkness had settled well into the heart of the danger zone, but the blue mushrooms, grass, and other foliage growing in the water shone brighter than the stars.
Nith gazed down at the fabulous scenery from atop his island before turning his eyes toward the other adventurers.
Not many owned tents on par with Kyouka's. Most of the other tents could only house two people and their backpacks, so teams with larger numbers had formed camps with their tents surrounding a bonfire.
Their teammates on guard duty sat on logs, adding wood to the bonfires and simply killing time by nudging the flames.
A few noticed his gaze and waved at him.
Nith waved back out of courtesy.
'We fought for half a day and didn't earn a single title. I know it's difficult to earn them, but spending months here doesn't fit into my plans. We earned summoning scrolls and items that we can sell or use in the store. No need to stay here for too long... but that second level changes everything,' Nith thought.
Now that he had the high ground, he could launch poisons at other life forms and work with Kyouka to take them down. It might take some time for them to earn titles, despite their talents in various areas, but it was precisely this expertise on which Nith placed his bets.
His poisons were superb, and Kyouka's potions were just as excellent—earning a title on this low level to become stronger shouldn't be too time-consuming.
An idea sprouted in Nith's mind.
He walked over to the edge of his island and shouted to the closest adventurers, who had already noticed him before he even opened his mouth. He engaged in casual conversation, sharing his name and occupation.
"You're not an adventurer? That's surprising!" a man with a Viking-like beard named Ramon exclaimed upon learning that Nith had come here to practice his concoctions on monsters without an adventurer's quest.
It was a half-truth to hide Nith's proficiency. There was no telling how these people would react to his skills, and Nith didn't like explaining himself much.
He told them that he worked at an alchemist store and that he'd come here to try his potions on living beings using The Reverse Mana Stream, which was a much more believable story than him producing toxins.
The other adventurer, a female with lean muscles no man would dare refuse, added, "You should sign up for the adventurers' guild and take quests. A few more coins wouldn't hurt, you know?"
"Netta's right!" Ramon laughed.
"Can't argue with that," Nith replied.
"I have a question, though," Ramon's tone suddenly became serious. "Do you have a problem with us or something?"
"…I don't," Nith replied, rolling his eyes at them. His natural expression softened after that, prompting a wave of boisterous laughter from the duo. "Could you tell me more about this danger zone? Or maybe about adventurers in general."
"Sure thing, buddy! It's best to have more than a single companion to pass the time while on watch! Haha!" Ramon grinned like an old uncle before sharing his experiences in the swamps.