Chapter 71: Underwater (1)

"Mmm······ Ah."

When he opened his eyes, he was faced with Maetel's smooth and dazzling white neck. He tried to twist away from her, but Maetel had imprisoned him with her two arms. His attempt was met without much success. It wasn't as if she had learned ground technique from someone, yet she had a perfect hold on him. He was once again surprised by her talent.

"How the heck did I sleep like this.... No way. I'm sleepy again."

Artpe couldn't escape, but it didn't feel tortuous or suffocating. The softest parts of her body was enclosed around him. It was such a perfect hug that he wondered if she had researched it.

'It'll be bad if I sleep too deeply.... Ah, great. The sun is up.'

It was slightly tortuous, yet it also felt good. He was stuck in a strange imprisonment. He was barely able to raise his head to check outside the window. The world was still dominated by darkness. It was possible that he had slept for a whole day, but that was unlikely. If he really slept for a whole day, he couldn't do anything about it.

"Wake up, Maetel."

"Mmm, Artpe.....? Eh-hee."

When Maetel's eyes were half-open, she checked Artpe's face then she let out a bright laughter It seemed she had been worried throughout the night that he would leave with Etna.

"Artpehhhh~"

"Stop acting like a baby and get up, you dolt."

Maetel continued to cling to him, so Artpe flicked her forehead. He was able to safely extract himself from the tortuous yet blissful imprisonment. It seemed Maetel was no longer angry. She looked to be enjoying herself even if she was was hit by Artpe.

"You guys should get up too. We have a lot to do in the morning."

"Oppa······?"

[M...master. I should have waited up for you. I apologize for falling asleep.]

[You don't have to apologize for that.]

Artpe watched his party members rub sleep out of their eyes. He sat them side by side then he emptied his Dimensional Pouch. Over 100 Skill Books and Spell Books fell out.

"What is all of this, Artpe!?"

"What do you mean what is all of this? These are Skills and Spells we'll learn. I acquired it after I sold the corpse of the Kraken."

He had used about 50% of the Kraken's body in creating the barrier wall, but it still meant he had a lot of parts left to sell. The Kraken's body had been very large, and he had claimed most of it. He set aside a portion that his party might need in the future, and he had sold a significant amount of Kraken parts.

Krakens rarely appeared in this world, yet one could always find buyers that needed ingredients from a Kraken. At that moment, Mycenae was trying to sell her share of the Kraken's corpse, so the entire Anywhere company was working on this task. This was why Artpe was able to sell it so easily.

Of course, Skill Books and Spell Books were hard to acquire even if one had money. However, Mycenae was his personal merchant, and she played a big role in the extermination of the Kraken. This was why she was able to acquire her level 200 high rank Class as a merchant, and the items she could acquire increased precipitously.

Artpe wasn't someone that would squander such an opportunity. He was successful in acquiring a large amount of Skill and Spell Books. He chose to receive these items instead of money for the Kraken by-products.

Since he had charged past level 200, he had the prerequisite needed to learn area of effect magic(AOE) spells, yet he couldn't purchase any from the Anywhere company. They weren't carrying any, and this was the only part of this venture he found wanting.

"I've purchased a total of 159 Skill Books and Spell Books. I have about 20,000 gold left, but the gold will probably used to buy Skill Books and Spell Books at a later date."

"Artpe, are you sure you weren't meant to be a merchant instead of a hero....?"

He might have given Mycenae a bigger cut, so he could sell his portion more easily. It was a high level tactic where he gave benefits to his opponent, so he could smoothly take what he wants.

"There's too many!"

"Most of the skills that has nothing to do with the Warrior Priestess is all yours, so you should learn all of them."

Maetel was in shock, so she picked and learned a Skill Book at random. There was a profound and mysterious expression on her face.

"Blacksmith's Efficient Blade Sharpening.... Why would my power grow from learning this, Artpe?"

"If you want to use the Efficient Blade Sharpening skill, it requires an exquisite amount of physical strength."

"The world of Skills is very mysterious......"

"Wow. There are an incredible amount of Skills I can learn, oppa!"

"Ajumma's authority to acquire items was broadened. We now have direct access to the corrupted parts of the temple!"

"There are really too many bad people in this world!"

However, Sienna was able to become stronger thanks to these bad people. It was a very ironic situation.

"This one and this one.... Wow. Battle Priestesses use these types of Skills!"

"You'll gain more in the future."

"Ooooh. My body feels nauseous when I try to learn them one after another."

Artpe smirked when he saw Maetel and Sienna quickly pick up and learn the Skill and Spell Books. He also started to learn the Spell Books. This was a bizarre sight that could only be seen with a hero's party. Sherryl looked on in a dumbfounded manner.

"You learned the Carpentry skill, so how will that skill make you stronger? I I really don't understand it, Artpe."

"I also don't know how it'll be of help. However, I think i'll aid me in my life as a dairy farmer."

They quickly learned the Skills and Spells. It took 30 minutes for the hero's party to clear the last of books that started out as a pile of books.

He had basically converted the Kraken's body parts into Skill and Spell books. This was why both Artpe and Maetel was able to increase their Status to level 50 in one sitting. They were slowly reaching a point where they had learned every single Skill and Spell they could learn at their level.

On the other hand, Sienna wasn't a hero, so there was a limit to which Skills she could learn. Even if one took that into consideration, he had purchased a massive quantity of Skill Books for a Warrior Priestess, and common spells that were shared with Priests. Her already monstrous Status had gone through a significant increase.

The defeat of the Kraken was also accepted as an Achievement, so she was able to advance to a level 200 high rank Class using the Crystal Ball of Blessing. Her abilities reached a whole different dimension compared to what she was before the fight with the Kraken.

"Oppa, are we going to leave immediately?"

"We have one thing left to do. It is time to see the most important loots."

[Nyaaaaaa.]

Roa sensed that it was her turn, so she let out a very tired cry. However, Artpe was merciless. He picked her up by the scruff.

"I won't drag this out. Spit out everything you acquired from the Kraken."

[Nyaa! Nyaa-ah? Nyaa-ah-ah-ah!]

"You can't."

[Nyaa-oooh······.]

'I like having numerous small items, but I also like big items! I want one for myself!'

Artpe coldly turned down Roa's request.

Roa sulked as she opened her mouth. Exactly four items fell out of her mouth. The amount of loot from the enormous Kraken was small, but this meant each one of them were incredibly valuable.

"The first one is the bastard's Magic Stone. If it is possible, I'll use it later as an ingredient for Reinforcement."

A level 267 Boss Monster Magic Stone was hard to come by. When the Magic Stone emitting a bright blue light appeared, he immediately placed it within his Dimensional Pouch.

The remaining items were metallic boots with the coloring of the ocean. The gauntlets were also letting out a similar luster... Then there was the Spell Book that was covered with a dark water colored leather. The leather binding was letting out a serious amount of power. It was confirmation that the book contained a high level AOE magic.

"It finally came out."

"I can feel an incredible amount of Mana from within······ I'm getting dizzy just looking at it!"

He became more sure when he saw Maetel's reaction. She became nauseous at just seeing the title of the high rank Spell Book. Artpe gave the boots and gauntlets to Maetel and Sienna. Then he picked up the Spell Book with an elated expression on his face.

In sequence, his face started to crumple.

"God Flush······."

"Artpe, what is it······?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

It was an AOE magic spell. It really was an AOE spell. The requirement for learning it was on the low side, and it was quite powerful. If he possessed the special requirements, he would be able to use it with relatively low Mana consumption. It was a mighty fine Great Magic, but......

"Why do you have such a sour expression on your face, Artpe?"

"Because......."

Artpe let out a sigh as he gave an explanation.

"It is a Flush type magic. It's a legendary magic spell that had a big impact when the sewers of the Magic Kingdom of Aedia was being made....... Moreover, I've never seen a prefix added to this type of magic."

"Huh······?"

What did the magic spell have to do with the sewer system?

The party members didn't know the origin story, so they tilted their heads in puzzlement. Artpe let out a vocal sigh, and he learned the God Flush.

In the entirety of Artpe's past and current life, he had never seen this rare AOE magic. Just learning this single spell had increased his Magical Energy by 30. This fact actually made him feel more annoyed.

"Yes, if it was just strong, it would have been great. It is powerful, but......"

The boots took on the qualities of the Kraken, so it was possible to stick onto any surface. It was an incredible Artifact that allowed the wearer to move freely underwater and above water.

On the other hand, the gauntlets stored Mana, and it was able to imbue properties of a Kraken and its strength to a weapon being held by the gauntlets. The two Artifacts went through three Reinforcement in the hands of Artpe. After they were changed into entirely new Artifacts, they were given to Maetel and Sienna.

"This is fun!"

"I think I've double in strength, oppa!"

"Yes, you did become twice as strong."

They learned all the Skills and Spells. Moreover, the loots were distributed to the respective party members. If they met the Kraken from yesterday, they might be strong enough to face the Kraken in a direct confrontation.

Still, they needed to defeat the Kraken to have necessary power needed to defeat a Kraken in battle. It highlighted the absurdity of his life. It was akin to saying he needed to defeat the Demon King to be able to acquire a magic that will be able to inflict critical damage to the Demon King!

"I don't think there is another Kraken in this ocean....."

"Artpe, I'm hungry."

"The sun is about to come up, so we don't have time to eat. You'll just have to pray the Mermaid Kingdom has dinner that's tastier than seaweed."

If one considered the power of the party, it wouldn't be a problem to cross into Aedia. In fact, it made one wonder if they could break into the Demon world. However, Artpe tried to be patient. There was a change from his past life to his current life. The Chef's recipe had changed. It was more aggressive and bold.

After he removed all traces of his party, they immediately exited the inn. Of course, the Lunatic Wave was still ongoing, so each barrier wall was manned by soldiers. Still, if they couldn't trick the soldiers, they had no rights to call themselves the hero's party.

"Artpe, it feels as if you haven't told us all the important facts."

Maetel walked beside him as she firmly grasped his sleeve. It seemed she just had this thought. She tilted her head in puzzlement as she asked the question.

"We are going into the ocean?"

"That's right."

"How are we going to breathe?"

Artpe let out a refreshing laughter as he replied.

"That is a good question."

"If you tell me that you don't know the answer, I'll hit you. ....with my lips. I'll hit Artpe's lips with my lips."

"I'm sorry. It was a joke. I'll tell you now, so stay there."

Before he knew it, the number of threats she issued had increased. Artpe seriously mulled it over. He wondered if he had ruined Maetel. He had no choice, but to reveal the correct answer.

"There is a magic spell called Underwater Breathing. It's difficulty is unnecessarily high, but it allows one to breath underwater. However, the spell doesn't help with one's mobility within the water, so it doesn't sell well. It is an ambiguous spell. I was able to buy it cheap thanks to this fact."

"Magic is really incredible."

"I can't always rely only on my Mana Strings."

It would have been great if he was able to acquire a more proper AOE magic!

[Master.]

Sherryl the mermaid walked clumsily as she continued to follow after them. She grabbed Artpe's sleeve, and she spoke as if she was whispering her words.

[The Road of Mermaids will open soon.]

"All right. Let's go."

Artpe led his party past the 3rd barrier wall, and they arrived at the 2nd barrier wall. The monsters were unable to get past the 1st barrier wall, which Artpe had reconstructed during the night. The city guards were split between the 1st and 2nd barrier wall.

The ones stationed on the 2nd barrier wall were all sleeping. The ones on the 1st barrier wall were quite loud as they moved around.

"Everyone be alert on your patrol! The Mermen might try to crawl over this wall at any moment!"

"Sir, it is strange. We haven't seen any mermaids for awhile. Moreover, the other monsters are fearful of making contact with the wall. They are staying back...."

"The magician-nim is really amazing. He rebuilt the barrier wall yesterday."

"I told you not to relax, you useless bastards!"

The party was moving carefully to avoid being seen by the knights. Naturally, they were able to see the 1st barrier wall, which Artpe had finished building in the night. It looked much sturdier than the 2nd barrier wall. It was impossible not to look at it.

The metallic barrier wall was letting out a subdued red light. No one knew why the barrier wall was metallic even though no metals were used in creating the wall. Fortunately, the water didn't cause the wall to rust.

"That's the new wall made by Artpe."

"It's incredible, oppa. It looks incredibly sturdy."

"Of course, it is. It better be if you consider the materials that went into it."

It was true that the Hellfire Sentinel was completely destroyed in the fight against the Kraken. However, the wreckage containing the boiling magical energy was left behind. While Artpe blocked the swarming monsters, he retrieved the fragments. Then he combined it with the ingredients gathered from the Kraken's body to make a new 1st tier barrier wall. He then used three consecutive Reinforcements. The barrier wall was inferior to the Hellfire Sentinel, but it was incomparably sturdier that the original 1st tier barrier wall.

The lord of Frate was present during the construction process, and he was touched by Artpe's work. He suggest they name the wall after Artpe, but Artpe rejected the idea with a single stroke.

"So we'll cross the 1st barrier wall, and we'll immediately enter the ocean?"

"Even if we put aside the monsters for now, we'll never avoid the gazes of the people. That is why we'll enter from here."

"From here······?"

Originally, the port was placed between the 1st and 2nd tier barrier wall. It had also been the location where the ships of the foreign nobles and merchants had been anchored. Of course, there were no traces of these ships left behind. The port was destroyed by the attacks from the Kraken, other monsters and Artpe's magic. It was just filled with water from the ocean now.

The monsters were unable to cross the 1st tier barrier wall, so an atmosphere akin to what one saw at a peaceful lake was formed. However, the traces of battle were within this body of water. It was filled with countless blood and tears of monsters and humans.

"Then there are the merchants ships filled with shipment buried within this water. Loots will also be present. They are all untouched."

"······Artpehh~"

"Even if you look at me with those eyes, you won't be able to trouble my conscience. You should give up on it. I'm not stealing anything. I'm just excavating the treasures buried within the ocean!"

Artpe was in control of the finances of the hero's party, so he was allowed to be shameless! Maetel looked as if she really wanted to argue with him, but she stopped herself. It seemed she had a rough idea on how much the Skill Books and Spell Books had cost him.

"I know Artpe isn't always good. I know this, and I'm also bad for tolerating it."

"I would go further than that. I'll be blunt. I'm a bad guy. If that is all, let's go!!"

Artpe casted the Underwater Breathing spell, and the party started walking. Of course, he didn't need to cast it on the mermaid Sherryl and the magic beast Roa. The fact that he was able to cast it simultaneously on three people was incredible. It was a waste of breathe to expound on how amazing it was.

"Maetel, you should throw a rock over there."

"Yes."

Maetel's powerful throw created a enormous ripple on the surface of the ocean. As a side benefit, several monsters nearby died. It wasn't even a Skill! She just threw a rock!

"······mmm? I heard something suspicious from over there!"

"Could it be another Kraken coming this way? What's going on!"

The plan to create a distraction with Maetel had created a result that was a bit excessive. All the knights on top of the 1st and 2nd tier barrier wall were looking towards the ocean. In that moment, the party entered into the artificial lake. They were able to make a clean escape, and the hero's party submerged into the ocean.