Chapter 809: December 16th: Proof Complete
Author's Preface
Apologies for falling asleep
Dragon Destroyer Gear. The condition for acquisition is "possessing the weapon or armor used most frequently during the battle with a 'True Dragon Species' at the exact moment the battle ends in victory." It targets weapons and armor—with the exception of certain specific gear—and although the Dragon Destroyer Gear exhibits a certain degree of performance on its own, its true value is drawn out when used in tandem with the 【True Dragon Destroyer】 job.
The weapons we wielded when we struck down the True Dragon Species had their forms altered, having received the dragon's blessing — or wait, more like a curse? — the weapons we wielded... had their forms changed.
As for the reactions of the slayers who saw this...
"Ugh, wow, so it targets the weapon you used the longest!! Dammit, if I had known that I would have just stuck to the same weapon the whole time."
"Hmm, if that's the case, the Rod of Actualization should have been targeted too...... I wonder if special weapons are excluded?"
"Wait! For all intents and purposes, a Ritual Spirit Sword is a consumable item! Turning it into a Dragon Destroyer Gear is a disaster! Even pulling an all-nighter won't let me recover from thissssssss!!"
"Ah, so this means the item won't enter a 'damaged' state anymore? Hmm, I'm happy my gun turned into a unique weapon, but I feel like I'm going to be too stingy to actually use it."
A real mix of joy and sorrow... so to speak.
From what I can tell, Dragon Destroyer Gear functions just like standard weapons—if its durability reaches zero, it disappears. Given that the job also degrades into a mere title if that happens, it's a job where you really can't just charge in recklessly...... In the extreme, I feel like leaving it in storage is the smartest move.
But well, there are exceptions to everything. For instance, Deep Slaughter's Rod of Actualization? That utterly ridiculous unique weapon didn't turn into a Dragon Destroyer Gear. Probably Hero Weapons and the like are included in that category too, but Divine Age armaments are eligible...... What are the exact conditions? Nah, no point thinking about it since the chances of us stumbling into another True Dragon Species don't seem very high anyway. And human history has proven that demanding a rematch against RNG only leads to sinking into a swamp...
"Besides, I achieved my original goal anyway...!"
To begin with, my reason for coming here to defeat the True Dragon Species wasn't to get a job. Trace it all back, and I only dragged the others into this for the sole purpose of upgrading a single sword.
"True Legend Radiant Blaze Areadbhair..."
Having absorbed the dragon's aura, the momentary radiant spear that had been nothing more than a hypothesis has now seen its completion here. The name "Spear Flame Sword" has become a thing of the past in less than a day, which is a bit sad, but that's just how game upgrades go...... Like a "Nice-Looking Branch" becoming the "Genesis Tree Branch Yggdrangaia." And even at the eighth upgrade tier, there's still room to go higher.
No, seriously, because games increase the number of weapon types to an idiotic degree, we end up in situations where the strategy wiki teams have no idea who is talking about which weapon...... It's true that the greater serves for the lesser, but the greater isn't necessarily the correct answer, huh......... Mmm, philosophy.
"Ahhh, yes...... Looking at a completed weapon is the happiest moment in the world...... My brain is dripping wet with endorphins."
"Aha, Sunraku-kuuuun, did you just talk about drug-fueled sex!?"
Cigarette burn.
"Ah! N-nwooo! Getting my belly button burned feels like it's going to open a new door...!"
"I really wish your pupils would dilate."
"Oh, I can do an impression of a corpse with dilated pupils, you know?"
"Don't speak so casually while you're literally being burned."
"Well, I cast Regen, so......"
This is exactly the type of enemy that will just keep regenerating unless you incinerate every last cell. At this point, it's definitively clear that the Cigarette Burn Knife lacks the firepower...... I wonder if I can upgrade this thing? Oh right......... speaking of upgrades.
"DeepSlo, your staff was excluded from becoming a Dragon Destroyer Gear, right? (While pressing the Cigarette Burn Knife against her)"
"Yup. (While recasting Regen)"
"Which means..."
"You mean this, right?"
What DeepSlo pulled out to show me was something that looked like a silver pebble. Depending on how you looked at it, it wasn't impossible to mistake it for an unpolished gemstone, but you'd understand once you held it. It was kinda like... it was pulsating.
Hmm... if DeepSlo has one too, I guess the condition is "if the corresponding equipment slot is empty."
"How many do you have, Sunraku-kuuun?"
"Three."
"Getting three of them just for engaging in exhibitionist play, taking it all off was totally worth it! But since you have two balls in your crotch, that makes five in total, right!?"
"Cigarette burn (Stab)"
"A super hwot hard-wired connection is plugging straight into my belly buttonnnnnnn!"
Should I just sever the connection between your head and your torso to make you fully wireless, you love-crazed LAN port?
It genuinely makes me feel guilty that the First Blood to wet the blade of the New, or rather, True Areadbhair will be the bodily fluids of a pervert, but even so, there is an evil that must be destroyed...
"Now then... I guess I have to be the one to take the lead on this. Uhー, thank you all for your hard work gathering here today. Since we successfully beat Tomahawk-kun to a pulp and achieved the goal of forming this party, uhー, we'll be disbanding right here on the spot."
"You gotta be kidding me, this is a one-way ticket to the middle of nowhere."
"We have to report back to Catzeria anyway, so the field trip isn't over until we get home, Sunraku."
"It is a bit regrettable to part... I feel a mix of happiness that we managed to finish this in one all-nighter, and a lingering reluctance to leave."
"If we wait just a little longer, it'll be morning, Sunraku-kuuun! Let's have a morning after! A morning after!!"
Stab, and twist.
"Both my heart and body are unlocked! Love me down to my entrails...!"
"I actually locked it, though."
"Are you saying... I belong only to you!?"
This is hopeless, she's in invincible mode... Time for the last resort.
I bring my face close to her ear in a surprise attack, and...
"Chalcosoma moellenkampi..."
"Hyaaah."
It seems she really is weak to having things whispered in her ear. As DeepSlo cleanly collapsed at the waist, I wordlessly thrust my fist into the air in a victory pose.
By the way, Chalcosoma moellenkampi is the scientific name for the Moellenkampi beetle. The Moellenkampi beetle belongs to the genus Chalcosoma—the same as the Caucasus and Atlas beetles—and they all share a tendency for exceedingly violent temperaments. My mother doesn't really like making beetles fight each other, but when I was little and I made a Palawan and a Moellenkampi from her breeding cases fight, it was just so incredibly (omitted for length).
Author's Afterword
In the Hizutome household, if you memorize the scientific name of an insect, you get praised with tremendous enthusiasm, which fosters both self-esteem and a wealth of insect trivia. And if you learn how to write a fish's kanji, you get a dish made from that fish along with pocket money. Because of this, both the older brother and younger sister are absurdly knowledgeable about insects and fish, and they even know how to prepare eel.
On another note, the manga adaptation—whose latest fourth volume is on sale now to great acclaim—has incredibly been nominated in the Comics Category of the Next Manga Awards! The rivals are way too strong, and it feels like "You guys' era is already here! Right now!" But if there's anyone out there who still hasn't used their voting ticket, please, please cast your vote for us!!
I'm also doing my best to make progress on the newly written extra content for Volume 5...... (By the way, I stopped working on that extra content to write this update. Isn't that reversing root and branch???)
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