Chapter 292: Btog 292 Birthday Live Stream Part 6: Armor
Chapter 292: Btog 292 Birthday Live Stream Part 6: Armor
“How do you aim when you do that? No matter what I try, the arrows don’t fly as I intend.”
“Well, that’s hard to explain. It’s mostly just a feeling for me.”
What Suu-chan is referring to must be the archery on horseback we did in the Oni-folk village. True, I shot two arrows at the same time during the finale. But as I explained during the stream, I don’t really have a structure or theory for shooting or sniping. I just see and feel, and if I move accurately according to that intuition, it naturally hits the mark.
That said, the simultaneous shooting Suu-chan talks about is really just a trick, nothing more. Teaching normal shooting is one thing, but teaching this playful stunt, which can hardly be called a technique, is difficult. Practicing it would be even more of a waste of time than practicing <Magic Bullets>, which at least have some logic to them.
“It’s more like a trick, so you shouldn’t try to imitate it. Don’t you have something similar in your Arts? Like, arrows that split after being shot?”
<We do>
<Yes, we do>
<Up to eight can split off>
“See, they do.”
“Well, it’s not really about that… Never mind, there are some things even I can’t reach, just like in MHKS.”
“Huh?”
<Suu-chan’s being realistic>
<Sometimes it’s better not to imitate>
<Sukuna looking clueless is just… lol>
<She doesn’t get the complex feelings of a maiden>
“Um… You might not be able to shoot two at once, but I can teach you a similar trick. Watch closely.”
“…Okay!”
Feeling a little awkward at Suu-chan’s hesitance but not wanting to outright dismiss her, I decided to teach her a more practical trick shot based on what I glanced at my system assist for.
I take out three arrows from the quiver. I nock one as usual and stock the remaining two between my free fingers.
The first shot, a gentle arc.
Quickly switching to the stocked arrows, the second shot is sharper. I purposely aim slightly to the right, letting the system assist add a small curve to the left.
The last of the three arrows goes straight, but with maximum pull.
All this in one second.
The three arrows I released pierced through the targeted rabbit’s head and body simultaneously.
“Like that.”
“Whoa…”
<Whoa>
<Amazing>
<Was that a trick shot…?>
<Crazy>
<Where did you get that skill?>
<Can you only perform miracles?>
<I couldn’t even see you switch the arrows>
<Is that magic?>
<With Sukuna’s current stats, she should be an instant kill, but she hit with all three. Is it a bug???>
<↑She probably aimed to hit them simultaneously (dead-eyed)>
“See? This is easier and more versatile.”
“…I, I’ll give it a try.”
<Man, Sukuna>
<Don’t give her impossible tasks!>
<It shows how much she trusts Suu-chan…>
<Suu-chan looks really put off lol>
<Even Suupaa is taken aback by her skill level>
<This isn’t something you can just chalk up to ‘intuition’>
“Everyone else should give it a try too. You’d be surprised; it’s not that hard with just two arrows.”
<Impossible>
<No way>
<Can’t do it>
“You’re always so flashy, aren’t you?”
“Ah, Haruru!”
Just as Suu-chan started practicing with her bow, Haruru arrived, sneaking into my awareness as she always does.
“Sorry to keep you waiting… I brought new weapons and armor…”
“Thanks, appreciate it.”
Today is a weekday. Konekomaru is self-employed but also a working adult, so it seems he got tied up with some unavoidable matter and couldn’t make it to today’s stream. I knew about this since he’d messaged me about it yesterday. He also mentioned that he would send my gear through Haruru.
Still, I’m sure he would have preferred to be here in person. His messages were filled with apologies, after all.
“Please share your thoughts on the equipment directly with him later… When I received it, I almost cried bloody tears, you know…”
“I will. Thanks for your thoughtfulness.”
“It’s no problem…”
While we were chatting, Rin-chan, who was talking to Touka-chan until a moment ago, walked over to us.
“Haruru, long time no see.”
“Well, well, if it isn’t the famous Rinne… Let’s cut the crap, shall we? It’s been a while…”
“Your annoying way of talking hasn’t changed. You’ve been pretty busy wandering around lately, haven’t you? Did you gather all that ‘Six-Star’ information or whatever?”
“Yes… I’ve collected all that can be grasped at the current progress level…”
I knew the two were acquainted, but their conversation seemed to imply they were more than just casual contacts.
“What are you talking about?”
“Strategy, of some sort. But it’s nothing you need to worry about right now.”
“Being told not to worry only makes me more curious.”
“Various routes are in motion… The liberation of the Sunken City, the doors of the Shrine at the End opening… Quests concerning the Seven Star Kings and the Deadly Sins are advancing, both publicly and behind the scenes… I’ll just mention it since you don’t seem aware… Sukuna, you’re the one involved in both, you know…?”
“Uh.”
She skillfully dodged the question, but if, hypothetically, Haruru was working on some special extra quest, I can understand why she’d want to keep it under wraps.
Anyway, Haruru had been living in Dualis until recently and had just moved her base to Griffith around the time I got accustomed to the Oni-folk village. Meaning, she must have made most of her progress in Dualis or gathered information while still there.
In the Shrine at the End, the [Furious Rage] is sealed and protected by the [Celestial Wolf King]. At the bottom of the lake in the third city, Trilia, sleeps the [Heavenly Water Dragon King]. And the more you progress, the more the world’s truth seems to unravel, but key elements might be sleeping early on. Maybe there was something more in Dualis, the second city that I breezed through.
“Shall we quickly unveil your new gear? Which would you like to start with, weapons or armor?”
“Let’s go with the armor. Knowing you, Haruru, you’ve probably ramped up the weapon specs based on race-exclusive gear boosting base stats.”
“Hehehe… You’re absolutely right…”
Taking into account my 1.4x physical stat boost from race-locked gear, and Haruru’s tendency to make the most out of stat restrictions to improve equipment performance, I probably couldn’t even pick up the weapon without equipping the armor first. My hunch was confirmed when she grinned mischievously.
“Then, let’s unveil it… This is your new gear, crafted by Konekomaru. It’s called <SouRou Soui: Akatsuki no Oni>…” {Twin Wolves Sonata Garment of the Dawnbringer Oni, more in tn notes, this one is hard}
How was that? Let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to explain or revise.
I’ve received the equipment and decided to wear it without looking at its appearance or specs for the time being.
The feather-like lightness, requiring less than 10 strength, remains the same. The spring in my step feels unparalleled to before, so there’s likely a significant agility boost.
As for the outfit, there’s no doubt that the base is the Red Wolf Attire. Or more like, its design as equipment hasn’t changed much at all.
The inner layer is the Oni-folk-specific Kikoku Tsumugi as a testament to its authenticity. The outer layer, originally from the Red Wolf Attire, has turned a deeper shade of red, but the shape seems unchanged. However, there’s a noticeably different aspect—the scarf. What used to be a black scarf based on Kikoku Tsumugi now has a delicate and elegant hue that lies somewhere between platinum and gold, likely made from Moon Wolf fur.
I was a bit underwhelmed, but this time it’s more of an enhancement rather than new equipment. Plus, I liked the original Red Wolf Attire, so this might be better. After all, when it comes to weapons, I’ve been using differently colored clubs the whole time.
“How is it?”
“It’s good, isn’t it? The color scheme has become quite bright.”
“Wow… it’s beautiful, Nana-sama!”
<Looks great>
<Whoa!!!>
<I like it>
<It’s comforting>
<It suits you>
<This is it>
Some praise it, but others are more skeptical.
<Saw it the day before yesterday, right?>
<Not much change?>
<2P color?>
<This is okay too>
<It’s lost some of its dark vibe, maybe?>
“From my personal perspective… it’s about as much change as a minor update on a smartphone…”
“Oh… seeing it up close, it’s actually quite revealing.”
Well, those honest opinions are pretty much how I feel about it.
The appearance and shape are just like my previous equipment, so it feels familiar and fits well. And like Haruru said, even if it’s a minor change, the comfort level is entirely different. It’s like the difference between a high-end white shirt and a cheap one; they may look the same, but the quality feels entirely different.
“So, with that said, Minor Change Sukuna has been born.”
“I didn’t mean to tease, sorry…”
“It’s a joke.”
<Haruru apologizing lol>
<Well, it does feel like a minor change>
<The original design was so good, they couldn’t change much>
<Isn’t the scarf removable?>
“Yeah, it is. Like this. It can also serve as a weapon, but cloth spear techniques are more of a playful martial art that I’d only use for non-lethal crowd control. Not much point.”
<What’s that technique?>
<There’s a new mark hidden by the scarf>
<There are two wolves drawn on the back>
“Huh? Really? I can’t see from my angle.”
“The name ‘Twin Wolves’ does imply attention to detail. Look, here.”
The screenshot Rin-chan showed me had two wolves drawn facing away from each other. Well, it’s hard to imagine Aria and Nocturne facing each other amicably; if they did, they’d likely break into a fight.
“Anyway, being able to use it as before is a good thing. The performance should have increased as well. Let’s check out its actual specs next.”
Certainly, let’s proceed with the translation.
[Sorosoi: Akatsuki Oni]
Special Production: Full 4-piece set
Race-specific Equipment: Oni-folk
Rarity: Named·PM
MP: -180
Defense: +173
Agility: +249
Intelligence: -120
Magic Defense: +99
Required Strength: 10
Required Agility: 210
Equipment Limit Strength: 500
Named Skills: [Moonlight Domain: Total Eclipse], [Twin Wolf Dance: Akatsuki], [Songstress’s Protection]
Familiar Skills: [Oni Lament]
A decisive battle attire for the Oni-folk, infused with the soul of the Moon’s Wolf King and blessed by the two wolves. The sacred moonlight repels everything, and the lone tracks will never cease. The twin wolves’ blessings grant the wearer strong legs to traverse all terrains and resistance against magic, further amplifying the strength of the Oni-folk.
Note: Only equippable by Oni-folk.
Note: This equipment cannot be lost or transferred. Becomes <Broken> state when durability reaches zero.
Note: Named Skills and Familiar Skills are unique skills granted by the equipment. These can be utilized regardless of the wearer’s own skill slots.
“… Isn’t the agility stat insane?”
“… Yeah, no kidding.”
Rin-chan and I looked at the stats, and we were so shocked that it actually made us taken aback… There are several eye-catching points, but what stands out the most is the ultra-level agility stat boost of +249. If you don’t take into account the bonus stats, this equates to 249 levels’ worth of growth stats for humans, as they gain 1 in all stats per level. For Oni-folk, this is equivalent to 191 levels of growth. If you simply convert this into bonus stats, it’s roughly equivalent to 50 levels.
<The agility stat is higher than the defense, lol>
<I’m a bit taken aback>
<What kind of resource allocation created this armor?>
<Is this the true Named Armor?>
<It was already insanely strong when it was the Red Wolf Attire>
<It’s a level 150 rare Named, so…>
<Doesn’t the defense stat not even go up that much?>
<It even has three skills>
“Shall we compare it with the previous Red Wolf Attire, for which I saved the stats?”
“Oh, nice thinking, Rin-chan.”
For now, we skipped the descriptive text, and Rin-chan sent me a screenshot that only included the stats for comparison. When I projected it side-by-side for the listeners, the difference in the stats became even more obvious.
<Red Wolf Attire Alter: the Oni Lament’s Melody>
Special Production: Full 4-piece set
Race-specific Equipment: Oni-folk
Rarity: Named·PM
MP: -100
Defense: +121
Agility: +81
Intelligence: -50
Magic Defense: +55
Required Strength: 10
Equipment Limit Strength: 500
Named Skills: <Wolf King Rush: Alter>, <Songstress’s Protection>
Familiar Skills: <Oni Wail>
“Agility is almost up by 170, huh…”
“And defense only by 50… but that’s still almost a 1.5 times increase. They’ve allocated quite a bit to magical defense too, so in terms of pure durability, it’s a modest upgrade.”
“The required agility is something I can easily meet.”
“What’s your current stat?”
“Even without equipment and job bonuses, it’s around 300.”
“Then you’re good. Both the advantages and disadvantages have surged to an entirely new level, and it’s shaping up to be an impressive set of equipment stats, isn’t it?”
<Still no intelligence, lol>
<Looks like they’ve just erased your INT and MP at this point>
<Admirably, it’s all physical stats :)>
<But it’s consistent :)”
“At this point, if you worry about it, you lose. It’s fine; the stats won’t underflow or anything.”
“That’s one way to see it, it’s part of the character now.”
“We’ve got a handle on the equipment stats, then… According to the message Konekomaru left us, ‘I watched your fight with Melty. And I’ve decided that what you need most right now is speed. I’ve compromised a bit on the defense side, but I believe you can handle any attack.’ He’s really watching my streams closely. And Haruru, you’re terrible at impressions.”
“Give me a break… I’m not good at them…”
“Sorry, sorry. Now, let’s look at the Named Skills. They’re a bit different from what I heard… [Oni’s Wail] is because it’s a race-specific equipment, and [Songstress’s Protection] is due to the Ars Nova material. So the other two are new.”
[Twin Wolves’ War Dance (Sourou Senbu)・Dawn (Akatsuki)]
Named Skill
Struggle, that is the fate bestowed upon the Wolf King.
Both aloofness and exclusion are merely ways of being.
Grants extreme resistance against curses.
Grants large resistance against agility reduction.
Reduces damage due to terrain by 90%. If the reduced damage falls below 1, you take 1 damage with a 100% chance.
When fighting opponents with a higher level than the equipment wearer, grants a state of greatly reduced SP consumption.
※This skill is always active.
We pause, digesting the information.
The new skill seems to be an amalgamation of the original Named Skill [Wolf King’s Rush: Alter] and the Named Skill generated from Moon Wolf materials, [Exorcising Moonlight].
According to Konekomaru, the effects of [Exorcising Moonlight] are ‘strong resistance to curses and slight resistance to magic.’ And [Wolf King’s Rush: Alter] provides ‘resistance to agility debuffs and SP consumption reduction under specific conditions.’ So, it’s basically a blend of these two.
But then…
“Where did this terrain damage cut come from?”
“That would be the result of using materials from a similar Named Boss for strengthening, according to Konekomaru… It’s quite a hefty reduction rate, isn’t it?”
“The description is also a bit confusing.”
“It’s not that hard. What’s 90% of 1 damage?”
“Uh… 0.1?”
“Right. Multiply that by 100?”
“10.”
“Basically, you have a 10% chance of taking damage each time the terrain would hurt you. Think of it as a ‘maybe’ shield against small terrain damage.”
“That helps!”
<Calculating the ratio cut is mind-boggling>
<Use your brain a bit more>
<It would be easier if they just cut it by 100%>
“Well, true.”
“If you can cut 90% of the damage, it should be offset by regeneration. If you think about it, reducing 100 damage to 10 is a big deal.”
“The issue is that I haven’t yet encountered what you could call terrain damage.”
“The areas around Zenoa are volcanic, so it could come in handy…”
“Oh, that sounds lucky then.”
Poisonous swamps, lava-covered floors.
A countermeasure against what you’d call “damage floors” in old-school RPGs.
Being able to always secure safe footing is incredibly useful. Especially because these sorts of damaging terrains tend to increase as the story progresses. This will definitely come in handy later.
[Moonlight Domain: Total Eclipse]
Named Skill
The moon waxes and wanes without pause, yet there is darkness that contradicts it. This is the Moonlight Domain, another realm of darkness engulfed by shadow.
– Reduces all elemental damage by 33%.
– Reduces the power of all elemental attacks you emit, excluding Moonlight, by 30%.
– Increases the power of Moonlight elemental attacks by 10%.
– From 5 PM to 5 AM server time, grants Moderate SP Consumption Reduction status.
※ This skill is always active.
“Wait, this is different from what I know.”
“Yeah… a 33% resistance to all elements is kinda ridiculous, isn’t it?”
Konekomaru told me that the Named Skill granted by the Moon Wolf’s soul was [Moonlight Domain: Armor]. That one simply reduced all elemental damage by 25%. Powerful but straightforward. But in terms of pure reduction rate, [Moonlight Domain: Total Eclipse] right in front of me surpasses it.
“Weakening all elemental attacks is pretty unusual gear, isn’t it?”
“It specializes in Moonlight attribute attacks, I guess. Do physical attacks count as elemental attacks?”
“They don’t. Even if it’s an elemental weapon, it has a base physical attack power, so all it does is remove the weak points.”
“With enemies that can nullify physical attacks, you’ll need to be careful…”
The downside of elemental attack weakening probably balances out the enhanced damage reduction. WLO is a game where merits and demerits are usually evenly distributed, so it’s fine. Plus, only Moonlight attribute attacks are strengthened.
I rarely use elemental attacks, so I think I get more benefits than downsides here.
“If it just makes it a bit tougher to get through, that’s fine. Worst case, I can just hit more.”
“You’re such a brute.”
“That’s what’s good about me.”
<Don’t be so stubborn>
<It actually works, so>
<Forcing it with IRL specs is kinda cheating, right?>
<She’s been super-enhanced, yet it doesn’t quite hit you because she’s already so strong>
<The woman who became the strongest player>
<It’s a good thing PvP is almost non-existent>
<Isn’t the casually included time-limited SP consumption reduction also crazy??>
<↑Good idea to do boss battles during night streams>
“Yeah, given my streaming schedule, I’ll probably tackle boss fights and important battles at night or on weekends. So, in that sense, it’s a tasty bonus.”
The little add-on of reduced SP consumption at night. That seems like a benefit I can actually use quite a bit.
I’ve been streaming since the morning today because I had a lot of things I wanted to do, but normally it’s best to schedule content that gathers an audience, like boss fights, for when it’s easy for listeners to watch: at night.
Last time I fought the Moon Wolf, a ton of people tuned in even before I revealed my specs. More people can watch at night, after all.
So, I think it will activate when I want it to.
“In terms of agility, I’ll need a little adjustment, but otherwise, it’s all nicely compact. It feels like a pure upgrade while keeping the existing features.”
“Given the curse resistance and the Moonlight attribute boost, it’s amusing to see how you’re kinda leaning towards the Priest stats.”
<A Priest()>
<Who can’t even cast a single spell>
<So, a brawler healer?>
<More like a warrior monk or something>
<Carrying a log and charging in>
<It’s honestly funny how Sukuna is gravitating towards the holy side>
“What the heck?”
“Well, you’re clearly more like a Barbarian, judging from your playstyle.”
“It’s all about how you live, you know…”
Author note:
Konekomaru is self-employed.
Haruru is currently unemployed.
tn notes
As you can see, at this point, I’ve given up on localizing her equipment names (lol). However, I will still localize her skill names, as it would be confusing for the reader if they don’t at least get a hint about what the skill does during battle.
双狼奏衣・赫月ノ鬼 : Twin Wolves Sonata Garment of the Dawnbringer Oni
Ok let’s break it down!!
双狼奏衣 (Sōrō Sōi): ‘双狼’ can be translated as ‘Twin Wolves,’ and ‘奏衣’ can be translated as ‘Sonata Garment,’ capturing the idea of playing instruments. Put together, the term becomes ‘Twin Wolves’ Sonata Garment.’
赫月ノ鬼 (Akatsuki no Oni): ‘赫月’ translates to ‘Akatsuki,’ but it includes a kanji for ‘radiance.’ ‘鬼’ is straightforwardly ‘Oni.’ Therefore, I’ve translated it as ‘Dawnbringer Oni.\'”