'That was an interesting conversation. We'll meet again.

'Maybe next time when you reach Griffith.

'Hmm, I have a feeling we'll see each other at the upcoming event.

　After receiving a message from Toka-chan that she had finished her business, we decided to end our conversation and part ways.
　As we were leaving, she told me about the event, and I asked her what she wanted to know.

'Aa-chan, are there any spots around here where it's easy to raise your level?

　Even though Lin told me that I don't need to go any further for a while, I want to get to level 50 before the event if I want to reach Griffith later on.
　When I asked her about it, Aa-chan pondered a bit before answering.

'Leveling?　Hmm, I guess so. ...... If you're good at striking weapons, I think the Scorching Rocks Cave is a good place for you.

'Scorching Caves?

'It's a cave in a corner of the perpetual scorched earth area in the northwest, including the ancient ruins of the Flame. It's a cave in the northwest part of the perpetual scorch zone, including the Ancient Ruins of Flame. It's not suitable for swordsmen because of the many hard monsters, but it's perfect for Nushi.

　Aa-chan told me the name of the dungeon, which was full of flame-like properties, along with the rather intriguing word "perpetual scorched earth".
　In reality, though, it might just be a wasteland. Scorched earth doesn't mean a land that's burning, but rather a land that's been burned up.

'It's not a bad idea to use ancient ruins as a normal leveling spot. Or the Scorched Depths ....... No, I don't think that's advisable.''

'What's there?

'Let's just say you'll know when you get there. I don't recommend it, but you can go there if you want. The only thing you'll lose if you die is time.'

'That's true. I'll go if I feel like it.

　As we waved goodbye to each other, Toka-chan arrived just in time.

'Sis, Arthur-san, thank you for waiting.

'I'm not waiting that long...'

'Good, good. Miss Toka is a good girl.

'Let's play together again, Arthur-san.

　This time we greeted each other and went to the market in Fierce to get ready to head to the [Scorching Rock Cave].


☆☆


''[Cold Tomatton] ......''

"Tomatton.
"Tomatton.
"Twisted too tightly.
"Tomato.
"That's just English, isn't it?
"Tomatoes.



　When I saw the item for sale in a store in town, I was in an indescribable mood.
　The name of the item was "Cold Tomatton. It was nothing more than a large tomato chilled in ice water.

'Sister, this looks like the kind you take orally.

'Are you going to eat this?　It's not that I don't like tomatoes, but I don't want to carry around ...... anything!

'I understand how you feel, but it's something you need, so let's give it up.

　The perpetual scorched earth was once a wasteland created by a certain disaster. It is said that due to the high heat of the earth, plants could not grow and most of the living things died out.
　Instead, heat-eating monsters have taken up residence out of nowhere. They turn the heat they consume into energy and use it not only to live, but sometimes to attack.
　For this reason, heat resistance plays a very important role when going to the perpetual scorched earth or its vicinity.
　Since the scorching rock cave I was introduced to was located in a corner of the perpetual scorched earth, we naturally needed to build up our heat resistance.

　After hearing such a story, we came to the town's Yorozuya to buy an item that would give us temporary heat resistance.

'No matter how you look at it, it's just a chilled tomato.

'Do you not like tomatoes, Toka-chan?

'No, not really.

'It's a little bit voluminous, but that's okay. The duration of the ...... effect is two hours. That's quite a long time.

'Shall we buy two of each? Also, ...... I need to buy potions as well.

'The gorillas used them on me, didn't they?

　Yesterday's fight with the gorillas had taken a heavy toll on Toka-chan.
　She seemed to buy potions for the amount she had used.
　The potions were quite heavy, so Toka-chan's inventory could not hold that many.
　I guess that's why she has to replenish them every time she uses them.

'I think I'll buy some too, now that I have some to spare.

　Thanks to the money Kittenmaru gave me for the Mysteria Rabi, my pocket is now very well-fed.
　I'm sure I'll have some big expenses in the near future, but now that the number of magic-using enemies is increasing, it's time to buy some richer potions.
　The potion of choice is an intermediate potion. They're called middle potions.

'Hmmm, ......300 recovers 5000 Iris.'

'Isn't that reasonable for an NPC store?

'I guess so. I also want to buy some larger recovery items.

　There are two types of recovery items, numerical recovery and percentage recovery, and the higher level players tend to use the latter.
　The reason for this is that numerical recovery items lose their effectiveness as the player's level increases, while percentage recovery items always have a constant effect.

　This is why the difference in price between percentage recovery items with the same recovery rate is limited to the recovery speed.
　This is because players want to use items that heal faster if they heal at the same rate regardless of what they drink.

　So far, it may seem that numerical recovery items are only valuable in the early stages of the game, but that is not the case, at least in WLO.


　It is true that the recovery amount of the numerical recovery type is fixed for each potion, 100 for 100, 200 for 200. The amount of recovery is not tied to the user's HP.
　The amount of recovery is always the same, regardless of the user's level. Naturally, the price of the item goes up and down based on the amount of recovery, so it is easy to see the balance between price and effect from the outside.

　For low-level players, this type of Pokémon is much cheaper than the percentage recovery type, and it is much more beneficial unless you are a high level player.

　Furthermore, potions of the numerical recovery type take one minute to heal regardless of the amount of effect.
　This is one of the most attractive features of the numerical recovery type, and this one minute is based on the maximum recovery amount.
　For example, if a player with 100 HP is dying and uses a potion with a recovery amount of 500, his HP will rapidly recover in about 10 seconds.

　Because of this, potion producers are constantly improving their skills, and there are even factions.
　Whether to increase the recovery amount of potions of the numerical recovery type, or to increase the recovery speed of potions of the percentage recovery type.
　There are also other ways to improve the taste of the potion, to make it more profitable, to make it smaller, and so on. ...... Production seems to be fun.

　By the way, most of the potions in NPC stores are of the numerical recovery type. The effects are uniform and usually a bit expensive.
　Also, the recovery items are not necessarily only potions, but also other drinks, foods, and sweets, and it seems that we are still in the trial and error stage.

　By the way, the Raise Potion, which is a ranking reward for the upcoming event, seems to be the most powerful item that restores all HP and removes abnormalities when used, and it seems to be a universal recovery item that can be used even when you're not dead.
　It was certainly an exceptional item to be distributed at the beginning of the game.

'It's kind of strange to eat tomatoes while attacking.

'Maybe we'll see eggplants and cucumbers in the future.

'I hate tomatoes.
'I hate eggplants.
"I hate cucumbers.
"I hate peppers.
"I like green onions.
"Don't like or dislike!
"Isn't it safe to like? Bobo wondered.
'Who's Bobo?

'There's nothing better than being able to eat everything, you know?

　It's not uncommon to see monsters with vegetable motifs in games, but I think I'd be a bit nervous if they actually showed up.