NOVEL NEXT Chapter 123
<123 - Joint Operation>
Antidote Shortage.
Students who find it a shame to spend a mere 1000 Points for a full antidote crawl into the forest to look for medicinal herbs when they get infected with contagious diseases, plagues, and various illnesses.
The problem is that the path to find these herbs is long, and the academy’s training schedule is merciless!
‘To get the herbs without losing grades, I have no choice but to go on an expedition on days with no lectures or on weekends!’
Even that requires gathering information during regular breaks from friends, seniors, instructors, and professors to find out the location of the forest.
Those who lack preparation end up wasting their precious weekend time gathering information and, in the end, return empty-handed after a short search, only to gorge on wild fruits and suffer from stomachaches.
At those times, the antidotes and herbal medicines are sold like hotcakes!
‘Antidotes fly off the shelves at 200 Points each, and medicinal herbs at about 20 Points each!’
Students with enough Points might casually pay 1000 Points upfront for treatment, but how many students can afford that?
With mosquitos rampant after the flood, even if the academy tries its best to implement sanitation measures, the spread of disease is almost a given.
Originally, I would have felt guilty about selling treatment to those poor kids, but my perspective has drastically changed, excluding those I’m usually close with.
‘Hmph. It’s your fault for getting on my bad side!’
With that in mind, even if I earn the label of a miser, is it really that bad?
I managed my reputation diligently, yet those who act annoyingly don’t deserve my efforts.
Even if I try to improve relationships, it’s not me who should bow; they should come to me first!
‘Players aren’t pushovers!’
This was just the beginning of a plan to show them the bitter truth.
That’s right, the Mosquito Fatting Operation.
And for this operation, I need comrades to beat back the mosquitos around the Blood Tree that the seniors haven’t cleaned yet with a generous amount of Dark Tonic, making them useless.
Of course, mosquitos would prefer to suck human blood over the Dark Tonic.
So, I need companions who won’t treat us as prey.
“Do you think I’ll send you alone to do something dangerous?”
“Ugh. Even if I filter out that serious guy, sending a marksman to catch mosquitoes, is that really okay?”
Only Jigoku called us, but for some reason, Hestia followed along after hearing the news.
“Who are these trembling weaklings?”
Jigoku strolled leisurely, glancing at the three who were shaking in one corner like sheep before a lion.
Those three were selected students for the Bloodstone Capture Operation.
“W-What do you want? I’m Rosgini, an apprentice mage of the Red Magic Tower. If you try any tricks, the tower won’t go easy on you!”
“Like I care. Your chest is as flat as gum.”
“Don’t sexualize me…!”
Rosgini tried to respond sharply, but Jigoku just laughed like watching a small animal flail around.
While she ebbed in confidence around the Dryad Professor Weird, who had a grass attribute, she could barely move in front of the water attribute Pirate Jigoku.
Rosgini’s appearance quivering pathetically like a maiden before the golden sun was utterly pitiful.
“You called us saying you needed help, and then you treat us like this—it’s unfair.”
“O-Oknoide. What on earth are you planning by gathering us like this? You’re not planning to set fire to the seniors’ warehouse, are you?”
Besides Rosgini, who had some previous interactions, the other two were fire attribute characters she had met before.
I asked to gather as many people as possible who could handle fire, and they brought a multi-class spearman who could spit fire from his spear tip with a light fire spell, along with an Administration Department hopeful.
The shy person stuttering behind Rosgini was the spear user Zilot, while the awkwardly quiet one was the Administration Department hopeful.
“Why did you bring Eco from the Administration Department when Zilot here can handle things?”
“Because they’re a notorious pot-stirrer. We’re friends because our personalities match, but I didn’t think we seriously needed fire.”
Hestia looked incredulous.
“It’s not my place to say this since I came to help, but isn’t this party doomed?”
On the way to catch mosquitoes, we had a long-range bug spray, a short-range fire starter, a sharpshooter, an axe-wielder, a notorious provocateur, and one cute little kid. How absurd does that sound?
Even I thought it looked a little hopeless, but after running the simulation in my head, it didn’t seem overly problematic.
“It’s fine!”
“…I really wonder if it will be fine.”
Ignoring Rosgini’s grumbling, I began explaining the operation.
If fiery enthusiasm defines the realm of fire mages, then Oknoide’s War Mage title was an outstanding claim as they suggested a baffling plan.
But listening to it, the possibility felt incredibly solid, even making me question my sanity.
“How about it? Can we do it?”
“…The plan is fiery, indeed.”
Pouring the Dark Tonic on water, they would spray on mosquito attractant and shoot fireballs, making the mosquitos plunge below the surface.
Those trying to sneak away to the side or escape before they get large enough would be handled by Zilot the spear wielder and Eco the provocateur.
Once the mosquitos gulp down water and get fattened, so they can’t fly, I would then climb the Blood Tree where the giant mosquitos stored their blood.
If we get the Bloodstone?
Operation Success!
“Don’t be too scared. Just know I can handle anything coming from below.”
Hestia wielded her hand axe and swung it like mad, the roaring sound was intense enough that even a teddy bear caught in its wake would lose its head.
“So when should I start shooting?”
“While I’m climbing the tree, if any mosquitos show up, cover me!”
“Confidence is great, but if you miss, you’ll be the one getting hit.”
“Please. Jigoku’s aim won’t miss.”
“Gahahah! I like your guts. Alright, let’s get started.”
The operation commenced swiftly.
Rosgini and Hestia punctured a hole in the drum filled with dark, ominous liquid and poured it into the fountain, now turned shallow lake.
As the fountain’s water darkened like a ritual for summoning demons, Oknoide pressed down on the mosquito spray, showering it all over the surface.
“Everyone, lower your heads and hide. Be careful not to let any skin show outside the bushes.”
Thanks to Hestia’s expert advice, even Zilot, whose arm holding the spear peeked out from the bushes, managed to remain hidden.
“What’s with this air…?”
“Shh.”
The bees gather nectar and return to their hives.
Just like them, the giant mosquitos were no different.
Choosing a tree to use as a storehouse, they would carve it out and stash the Bloodstones within.
Though the process is the same, the latter is much more disgusting.
Thud, thud, thud!
It sounded like helicopters above, but in reality, that was the sound of giant mosquitos flapping their wings.
With multiple mosquitos fluttering their wings together, the bushes swayed wildly.
“Light it up, Fire Flash!”
Rosgini, the apprentice mage, conjured magic by igniting flammable materials, combining fire with light attributes.
Thanks to the magic aimed at scaring off the mosquitos, the giant mosquitos were startled and plunged into the fountain water.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Though spectacular in light and sound, lacking substance, it resembled the fireworks of an amusement park!
Still, these flashy fire bombs contributed to the apprentice mages’ income and made the giant mosquitos thoroughly scared.
“Whoa, they really are getting bigger!”
“Don’t just gawk, Zilot! One of them is flying!”
As Rosgini’s magic began to lose its potency, mosquitos started unfolding their wings and trying to rise.
They tangled in their growing bulk, and Zilot’s fire spear and Hestia’s axe pushed them back.
“Eek! Don’t you dare fly over here!”
“Zilot, if you’re that scared, focusing on your spear won’t make any attacks hit!”
“Still, what do you expect me to do? It’s gross!”
Although I expected Zilot, the spear wielder, to take down at least one mosquito, he merely flailed around jumping in anger without hitting anything, while no one expected much from Hestia, who managed to slice through the mosquito’s heads and wings with her axe, handling two-thirds of Zilot’s expected share.
[Climbing]
[Daring]
[Stealth]
Using the chaos, Oknoide climbed the Bloodstone with no hesitation.
Jigoku, who was impressed, inwardly whistled.
Creak. Crumble.
The Blood Tree, with particularly dry branches and bark, seemed to have bled the sap into the mosquitos.
As the noise startled the mosquitos lodged in the fountain, they all raised their heads simultaneously.
Fwaka! Fwaah!
Although they flapped their wings desperately, the effect of the Dark Tonic made them plump and unable to float, merely splashing helplessly.
Screams of Zilot and Rosgini echoed in terror, but Jigoku merely made a disgusted face, letting out a “Ugh,” without crying out.
I occasionally see that kind of mosquito even by the sea.
“Yawn.”
With no need to shoot yet, Jigoku just yawned.
Beside him, a small dot gradually became clearer, flying towards the tree.
At first, I thought it was another mosquito arriving late to the feast, but instead of a mosquito, a group of students on brooms came into view.
What in the world is that?
As I stood there dumbfounded, Oknoide cried out from the tree.
“Whoa! Everyone be careful! Third Years are probably coming to steal the Bloodstone!”
Those attempting to execute the operation against the mosquitos now turned pale in fear.
“Eek! It’s the Third Years!!”
“What do we do?! Should we run?!”
Even Hestia was now restless, while Jigoku was excitedly shouting toward the tree.
“Third Years are dangerous creatures; it’s fine to shoot them down with a gun, right?”
“What if they fly over here?!”
Finally, a target was created.
Jigoku was all fired up after being bored while waiting for her turn.