14xx/05/23 Johannes Calendar

23th days since arrival.

Guess what guys? I'm in Midas!

How? Teleportation via Harpy feather. All right, you must be wondering, how the hell did I do that? I mean, I never actually set foot on Midas before, how the hell did I end up there? Simple, a Centaur has been there, and she brought me along for the ride with the feathers.

Yesterday, the same Centaur that I met back in the mountain met me outside Richo's house. Apparently, she wanted to broaden her horizon more, so she wanted to go out and explore beyond the Ilias Continent. Problem is, she has nobody else to accompany her and she thought that tagging along with my adventure would be fun. I asked her why me specifically, considering that I've never met her in the first place.

She thought that I was one hell of a fighter, considering the body count I left in the caves. That kind of warrior is hard to find in this area, and she thought that she could offer her services as a guide and transportation in exchange for my semen, considering how strong I am in her eyes.

Having a guide that not only provide transportation is already a jackpot in my book. Now I can move everywhere I wanted faster than my two feet can carry, I can carry more stuff, and I have a guide with local knowledge regarding the area, all because she wanted some of that vanilla-coloured Sunny D.

The only thing I asked for her is to at least never use her horse pussy. Her human part looks beautiful I give her that, but I'll never live it down if I ended up being a real horse-fucker.

Latina Willowbee is the name of the Centaur I have as a guide. She is a white mare with a red pentagram symbol on her forehead. Unlike her blonde sister, she has a simple shoulder-length brown hair. She was an avid traveller, and she has travelled the length of the Continent with her friends across the years. So, she has already travelled to places I want to explore.

I can now fast travel between places because my guide has already travelled the whole place! Yay! All I need to do is to maintain contact with my guide, and I can go anywhere!

So of course, my first destination is Midas Village. I'm DYING to see their gold craftsmanship.

That pun became hilariously ironic once I got there. Let me tell you what happened. The village was just like Iliasville, but a little more spacious, bigger and a lot greener than Iliasville. What kind of village would build their place near a poison marsh?

Anyway, the population was having an annual clean-up of their village, which was suspiciously draped in clear slime. I recognized those slimes; those belong to the Slug Girls I've fought multiple times. Anyway, everybody was hard at work, cleaning anything that was covered in slime. I saw a group of men at a well in the middle of the village, scooping out buckets of slime from the well. Ew, I rather not drink anything from that…

I asked a man who was busy cleaning the exterior of his shop. He said that Midas was plagued by an infestation of slugs thanks to their queen copulating endlessly. The queen stopped copulating once the Hero Luka beat some sense into her. He said that the hero has left these places days ago, something about the Lost Wood or something. He also warned me to not go there unless equipped with one of his masterfully crafted gold armours.

While the idea of parading around in a suit of golden armour appeals to my trashy warlord sensitivities, I rather not have any more reason for bandits or Monsters to attack me. Being attacked for my semen is bad enough, but wearing gold armour is like ringing a bell every step I take and yell "ROB MY ASS!" at the top of my lung while unarmed and having a hot wife in her undies walking beside me in chains.

He also said that gold equipment was way stronger than any metal armour, and it would help me a lot in my journey. This is where I call bullshit. Yeah, I knew this fucker wants to sell me his stuff, but trying to fool me is laughable. Did he think I don't know the difference between metals?

Gold was one of the softest metals you can get as well as the most valuable. You can beat thin sheet of gold until it became semi-transparent. While gold was not as soft as aluminium, it is softer than iron, hence requiring imbuement with other metals to increase their own strength such as tungsten. Iron beats gold in hardness, but gold is much easier to work with due to their malleability. Plus, gold's melting point is lower than iron, which is around 1500 degrees Celsius. Gold melts around 1000 degrees.

Plus, I don't have the money to buy it though.

The shopkeeper laughed at me, saying that while I knew quite a good bit of metal, he says that gold just beat iron stats-wise and most gold equipment beat out iron in almost every form. Weight, density and even market price. He even says that with their superior craftsmanship, any gold sword can cleave through an iron shield easy.

Okay, I just had to call out his bullshit. What the fuck? Is he trying to fool me, of all people? Seriously, I already deconstruct his statement that gold is much stronger than iron with scientific facts, and now he tries to save face by saying that superior craftsmanship trumps out any atomic composition of mineral just by craftsmanship? Gold and iron have DIFFERENT chemical, atomic and composition from each other. That composition is what makes them different from each other, no matter how skilful you are! Saying that a skilfully made gold sword can cleave through iron shield is like saying that a wooden pickaxe can break open a steel lock just because the pickaxe was made from a professional woodcarver!

That's where the logic of this world decides to show me whose boss. The shop owner simply pulled out a notepad and a gold knife. He touched the paper with the knife and presented the black sheet at me. Soon, several numbers start to appear from the paper like magic! Then, he flipped the notepad to get a new page, and then he proceeds to touch the blank page with my KA-BAR knife.

HOLY SHIT! That golden knife he brought? The stats shown that the knife was twice as fast as my KA-BAR knife and as twice as much damage dealt with! What the fuck?!

Hi de ho, life really likes to kick me in the balls. One second, I was trying to process that bullshit, the next a group of bandits just get into the village. They area mean bunch, each of them wearing a full plate armour and carrying lances.

"Greetings! We are the Cultured Gents Club, and we came here to purge a demon from this land" One of them yelled, which my mind quickly shuts down as he keeps on berating about their holy mission and shit. None of the villagers actually gave a shit; just giggling quietly as they silently walk back to their houses.

Looks like I left some alive. No matter, I still have some spare ammo left. I was bored by his incessant gloating, so I decided to test their armour durability with 7.92 Mauser round. The leader, which I assumed was due to his yellow plumed helmet fell off his horse, the bullet punched through the chink of his armour and through the chainmail, making him exit life on a quick notice.

The loud thunder from my rifle surprisingly does not scare their horses away, much to my amazement. Whoever trained their horses deserve a fucking medal. They were shocked, and then they quickly reined their horses to perform a counter-attack.

Latina then came to my rescue. She jumped high into the sky and landed hard in the middle of the group, spearing one of them through with her lance. I took the opportunity to shoot down 4 more bandits off their horses with clean headshots.

The remaining two soldiers woke up, shocked that I manage to take out 4 of them so quickly. They quickly throw their spears at me, which I dodged with a lazy sidestep. They quickly drew their sword, which flashes in gold as the blade leaves their sheath.

I'm not into chivalrous combat and shit, so I just finished them off with the Colt. The .45 punched through the exposed part of their legionaries' helmet, making a neat hole between the eyes. Don't fuck with the guy whose first weapon in Gensokyo is a 1911A1.

The adrenaline of battle worn off and I finally saw the villagers who were watching the battle. They were armed with gold weaponries. Jesus Christ, I even saw a crossbow with golden string! They smiled at me, saying that I was a true warrior and shit.

Latina was pissed at how loud my guns are and that I used it so many times. But at least we survived right? She just shook her head, saying that I owe her for that stunt. Fair enough I guess; I remember my first-time experience as an amateur shooter.

Anyway, I am intrigued by the so-called mechanical expertise of the village. And I still need to confirm one thing; his magic notepad. Yeah, you think I'm stupid? It's just simple chemical mixture on a fucking sheet of paper! He just pulled a fucking invisible ink on me!

Anyway, I returned to that dude again, asking him to review my weapon, but this time on the same pages for all my weapon. Unless he uses his invisible pen, there's no way he can write new message on the same paper, even if the chemical mixture used was the one that can dissolve in thin air after use.

This world really likes to mess with my sense of logic. He did it all without breaking a sweat and each of them were different, even on the same page. He just tapped it and boom; numbers appeared. Hell, they even display the correct name for my guns!

He told me that stats play an important role in deciding what kind of combat style a warrior used. A warrior with high dexterity and agility always hit fast and hard. But a warrior who prioritizes damage will always go for the axe, except that was slow and cumbersome, hence allowing most enemies to dodge the attack. A thief would always go for daggers and such as their high dexterity allows them to use them effectively. Nothing can escape their range, but don't expect them to put a scratch on any hard armour.

He also said that I can have a look at my own stats, allowing me to determine the route I can take. Jobs, personal stats, weapon stats, equipment, anything can be calculated and checked by the person. All you need is a simple notepad blessed by the head priest at Ilias Temple. He also said that there are several stats that determine my overall capability as a fighter during any combat. The notepad was usually called the 'Combat Note' as that was the only reason it was used, to keep track of your combative capability.

There are several types of stats actually. HP, MP, SP, Willpower, Agility, Dexterity, Magic, Defence and Attack. Those are what were called at 'Base stats. Base stats determined the raw volume of your combative capability, such as how hard you can hit an enemy.

HP is health point, it basically how much health I have in my body and how much I can withstand before dropping dead. Once it hit zero, you know what happens. MP is Manna points, it determines how much manna you have, and in turn determines how many magic spells you can cast as well as the capability of casting higher-tier spells.

SP is Skill Points, it determines the ability you can use during combat, as in combat techniques you learned. I've assumed at first that it was akin to Stamina, considering how heavy it focuses on skills and technique rather than blasting magics. Turns out, it was actually just the same like Manna, except instead of them fuelling the magic fireballs, they enhance the physical power of any techniques. For example, a roundhouse kick on its own might fracture a skull, but a roundhouse kick enhanced by SP skill will definitely crush skull!

Attack is straightforward; how much you can hurt people just by a single strike. Defence is how much damage that you can absorb, in turn decrease the overall damage received at your overall HP. Magic is how strong your spell casted. Willpower modifies the magic damage received and increases the power of most Holy Magic, whether healing or damaging.

Agility was the speed of your attack as well as your mobility during combat. But it was usually summed up as this: Whoever has the highest agility strikes first. Last but not least is Dexterity. It determines how fluent you are in the usage of certain weaponries. Some weapons might be naturally dexterous, making it very easy to use one. In short, the higher the Dexterity, the easier the operation of a weapon, which in turn increases the damage dealt with.

And then we got Rates. Hit Rates, Critical Rate, Evasion Rate, Magic Evasion Rate, Counter rate, Magic Counter Rate, HP Recovery Rate, MP Recovery rate, SP Recovery Rate, SP Charge Rate, MP Consumption, Recovery Effectiveness, Steal Success Rate, Item Effectiveness, Magic Reflect Rates, EXP Rate, Job EXP Rate, Gold Bonus, Item Drop Rate and finally, Recruitment Rate.

Holy Mother Theresa on a hood of a Mercedes Benz, That's a lot of rates. What is this shit, fucking DnD?! Why so many stats?

Hit rates determine the chance of you hitting the target in each stroke. The higher the Hit rate, the higher the chance of scoring a hit. Critical Rates is how much extra damage you may dish out when hitting the weak spot of an enemy or using an element they are weak to. Evasion rate means how fast your reaction is, which in turn allows you to have a higher chance of dodging certain attacks. Magic Evasion determines the chance of you dodging some magical attacks. Counter Rate is the chance you get to enact a counter attack against an enemy's physical attack. Magic Counter Rate is like normal Counter Rate, except magical.

HP Recovery rates are your ability to heal from the damage you receive in every second. MP Recovery rate is how much Mana you recover every second. SP Recovery is how much stamina you recover every second, but it is not as effective as SP Charge Rate, which is how much stamina you recover when resting. MP Consumption is how much Mana you consume in each spell casted. SP Consumption is how much stamina you used in executing certain moves, such as a choke hold.

Recovery Effectiveness is how effective a certain recovery effects inflicted on the user. Item Effectiveness is how effective item used by the user. Steal Success Rate is the chance of success when you are about to steal some shit from your opponent when they're not looking. Magic Reflect means that there are certain chances of the user to reflect any offensive magic casted on him/her back to the original caster. EXP rate is how much experience you can get after every fight, which allows you to learn a trick or two in future combat. Job EXP is how much experience you have in your job. Gold Bonus is how much money you can get after every combat. Item Drop rate is the chances of item gained from a defeated enemy. Last but not least, recruitment rate is the chances of your enemy to join your side.

Jesus, there's so many things I have to take factor in! And there's some part I don't really understand. How does Gold Bonus work? He says that the higher you're Gold Bonus rate is, the more gold you receive from your defeated enemy. What happens if the enemy is stone broke? Did they magically conjure gold out of their ass when I have over 300% Gold Bonus?

Didn't matter. Apparently, this world runs on DnD logic and I'm playing on easy mode, so I figured that I can try and go back to the Ilias Temple to figure out properly how all this work. Damn me and my scepticism! All I need is just a good supply of Harpy Feather. Buying it over and over will soon bite my ass in the future. I need a Harpy companion.

Why wait?

But before I do that, I'm going to explore the village. And that's what I did.

I already checked out the blacksmith's craftsmanship. To say I was impressed was an understatement. Every gold equipment's made was crafted with care, smelted and forged skilfully by expert hand. The golden blade was so sharp; you can split hair with it. It also shines like the sun when I brought it under the light. The decoration too, was masterfully crafted in each equipment. Minatour raced across the golden plain across a circular shield, which another Harpy was jumping toward the sword next to a breast plate, which was embossed by several tentacles that sprouted from a golden heart.

But they are exorbitantly expensive. So, I moved on to the other shop.

The convenience store was a bit more useful than others. I bought myself more Harpy Feather and Herbs. Due to my guide's insistence, I also bought several Full Moon Grass as she said that it was useful to cure many statuses effect, most notably the paralyze effect from a Mandragora's scream. I don't like being paralyzed, so I bought it. The question is whether I shall need it or not. Judging by the current trend of my exploration, this will come in handy.

I also notice that this place has a bad case of slug infestation. What the use of cleaning up if those slimes gonna make a mess anyway? Why not exterminate them like the pests they are?

One of the townsfolk said that while it's true that the Hero has defeated the queen, it only means that there shall be no more Slug Girls than the current number, which is still a lot. The good news is, most of them gradually moved back to the Slug Tower nearby to tend their queen, who was still sore after a massive beat down. He said that this is the only chance they can clean this place up and maybe pour salt across the village's border to prevent more from coming in.

The salt thing was a bust. I saw several lines of salt made throughout the village. But it only serves to infuriate the remaining Slug Girls, which I found has claimed several townsfolk and slimed them proper. Judging by their awestruck look on their face, I doubt it they'll try the salt thing anymore.

I also notice a single house which was surrounded by a group of Slug Girls. The concentrated amount of Slug Girls around the house arouses my suspicion, hence the reason why I decided to investigate. I manage to get close to one of the Slug Girl who was muttering something under her breath. Thanks to my experience in being a busybody, I can pick up what she said. "Must…Breed"

No two words have ever explained so much in so little time.

Anyway, not every Slug Girls was a pest. I saw a Slug Priestess holding a church mass with several other human and Slug attendant. I'm not Christian, nor am I a believer of anything major. Not after what happened back then. But considering that magic existed in this world, it's only natural to assume that maybe higher power existed as well. So, I prayed for Hito's safety just in case.

To my left, I saw three Slug Girls sliming a priest behind an overturned log. I walked over as I expected him to ask for help, but the ecstatic expression on his face state that the opposite is true. Disgusted by the amount of slime, I made my way toward the legendary Maid's house.

The maid lives in a twin story wooden house, which is quite a luxury among the other houses. The maid outside the house was her new apprentice I believe. She has a sharp and serious visage, which says that she means business. Her blue hair was short and sharp at the edge, giving her an impression of a blade maiden. A beautifully serious maiden with the skill to match.

She asked me whether if I am familiar with a gladiatorial match called Battle Fucking. I am curious about it, as my life was a battlefield which the amounts of fucks I have are the bullets I have to conserve and use sparingly. Then I realised that I have not enough fucks to care about something that stupid, so I just leave her be.

She said that the legendary old maid was inside the house, retired from duty. While old age has dulled her strength, her skill was still as sharp as her youth suggest. She said that the old woman has not lost her touch and I must show respect to her.

Well, she's old. It's just common sense that you must respect the elderly.

Flora has the eye of a hawk, which stared deeply into my soul as she greets me. Despite her unsettling gaze, her word and mannerism quickly put me at ease. She is a natural maid. Her gaze was surprisingly familiar, as if I was looking at my mother's eye again. I miss her…

She was an old lady; her hair was fully white due to age and she can barely walk without the aid of her exquisite black cane. Despite all that, my trained eyes can see the refinement in her movement, elegance dripping from every step she makes. I found myself wondering how she looks like when she was full in her youth. I reckoned that no lesser master would be able to hold themselves back when she was in her full bloom.

She said that she has the ability to look deep into anybody's trait, as in taking a look at my Combat Stats and dispense services according to my current need without the use of Combat Notepad. My mind was blown that day.

She said that she can tell me what trait do I have deep inside me, and she said that despite everything, I was a good man.

Was?

She said that I have faced too much in my youth; it was a miracle that I have not succumbed to the past. Many men have fallen from grace just facing half of what I have to do, but here I am, cracked, rough, dirty…Yet still the same diamond I was in the first place. She said that I have endured so many and returned with so many scars, yet my mind still belongs to me. She said, despite everything, I'm still Alex Armin.

She smiled bitterly as her gaze continues. She said that I have inner strength and conviction so rarely seen in this world; conviction that moves mountain and strength that shatters barriers between men. However, my method is heinous and dirty, and it has exacted a dark price on my soul. She asked me why would I go so far to reach my goal, my purpose in life in a world so alien and strange to me.

I told her that loyalty drives me forward, loyalty to my friends, family, brothers in arms, my countrymen, people who didn't fuck me over for the rest of my journey. It was their companionship that reminded me of the beautiful side of humanity, their kindness and love reminded me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel of this cruel world. Even if everybody hates me in this world, as long as I have a friend at my side, a friend that will accept me as who I am, a person who has my back, I will fight until my dying breath.

That is why I will never stop finding Sairento Hito. Even if he's a corpse or a scrap of fabric from his suit the last thing left in this world, I will find it, and I will bring it home no matter the cost. He deserves that much.

That, and the fact that I prefer to die of old age in my home rather than be a meal to some weird-ass eldritch abomination with mediocre pussy.

She smiled even wider; her eyes twinkled at my word. She said that it was very hard to find a man whose conviction mirrors my own. It's too easy for one to lose their faith in their journey to hell, hence why bandits even existed. To hold my conviction against overwhelming odds is already admirable enough. She said that if she was younger, she'll join me just to see who is this man who has earned my eternal loyalty.

Yep, this grandma was an action maid in the past. She also was the one who beat the living shit out of the Slug Queen some odd 60 years ago!

Anyway, I asked Flora if she can give me a copy of her Combat Notepad. She told me that I should ask the head priest of Iliasville himself, because she is only a maid in the end. So after saying my goodbye to her, I warped back to Iliasville once more.

The head priest was surprised that I have not blessed my notebook to become a Combat Notepad. He said that as I have quite a lot of experience already, he assumed that I already have one due to my extensive experience in the stats. Oh fuck me sideways, does every fighter in this world has their own Combat Notepad? What about the civilians? Do they have those notepads? What do they track anyway? How many times they feed their cows?

I told him to do his thing, and he fucking delivers. He even blessed my notepad so that the notebook will add more pages by magical means when I am running out of pages. I fucking need that. Thanks, Head Priest!

Anyway… Now I have got what I need, it's time for me to get to Harpy Village!

One Harpy feather used up and I am now back at the huge tree villages. I gotta find a harpy companion. I don't want to spend half of my gold in Harpy Feather all the time.

Nobody was up for adventure, and nobody actually wants to give up their feather for free. Oh well, it was a good try at least.

Now, where am I?

I am at Ilias Port under Latina's advice. I am resting at one of their inns as it was already night actually. The room was much better than the one in Pornof, but anything is better than Pornof. I have a proper bed, a proper drawer, and a bird's eye of the seaside. I'll explore more tomorrow.

There's a university nearby. I'll check it out tomorrow. Peace out journal.