“Don’t drop me! Absolutely don’t drop me!”
“I won’t, so just be quiet!!”
Rather, Sahzan, who was clinging tightly to me while saying lines that made it sound like she’d drop me, was incredibly annoying. Still, in the end, I ended up complying with her request.
Well, it’s certainly true that I can move much faster if I carry her than if she acted stubborn or kept stopping.
However, now that I’m no longer participating in attacks, the enemy’s annihilation speed has visibly decreased.
Not only me, carrying Sahzan, but Mitsuki is also not performing well, Ringo can’t use her lightning attacks, and Kuma is inside the bag. It’s only natural, considering my party is barely functioning.
Amidst this, the only one shining was Maki. Maki would quickly dart out once she spotted an enemy, striking them down instantly with a weapon that looked like a magic staff. Her high level, stats, and sharp intuition allowed her to defeat monsters without any trouble.
Ringo, who had no problems other than not being able to use lightning attacks, followed suit. However, Ringo, unaccustomed to combat without lightning attacks, was constantly being outmatched by Maki.
(No, it’s not just that.)
Whether it was due to equipment differences or some sort of “Princess buff” favoring Maki, there was a clear disparity in their abilities. Maki’s speed, in particular, was overwhelmingly superior.
As I’ve mentioned before, Agility, like Stamina, is one of the base stats that doesn’t increase with leveling. It’s considered one of the most crucial stats for comparing character performance. Its influence extends to almost all actions. Individuals with high Agility move faster in all their movements and exhibit high performance in every situation.
The standard value is 100. In this Game, where stats can exceed 1000 at higher levels, this might seem like a modest number. However, over 80% of characters in “Nekoneko” have their Agility fixed at 100, and Players are naturally included in this group. Some characters, however, are given values above or below this standard.
The “Nekomeko Wiki” has a page that summarizes the speed comparisons of each character, and I recall a bit of it. Among the early-game characters, Ena had a high Agility, 120 even in her normal state. Her Agility in “Train” mode was 180, if I remember correctly. While a 1.8-fold increase might not seem like much, it’s easier to understand if you imagine someone running 100 meters in 18 seconds versus someone running it in 10 seconds. At the very least, it’s a speed difference comparable to a slow girl versus a sprinter.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Princess Shelmia’s data was available. Ringo’s movement speed is usually fast, and based on my perception, I’ve assumed her Agility is around 130. However, Maki is even faster than that. Her speed, in Agility terms, was around 160, or perhaps even 170.
According to verifications, using “Godspeed Cancel Movement” allows one to move about 1.7 times faster than a full sprint. This means Maki can achieve a speed comparable to that with just a normal dash.
For your information, the fastest character amongst all is, of course, Mitsuki, with an Agility stat of 250. Her speed is beyond the realm of “fast”; it’s on a level where she seems to be using a cheat code all by herself. Her nickname, “Cheater,” is not without reason. Looking back now, I was naive to think I could escape from her with just “Godspeed Cancel Movement.”
I mentioned before that Mitsuki is said to be the only one whose movement speed doesn’t decrease when using “Step.” That’s not entirely accurate. While Mitsuki’s movement speed is indeed much faster than a Player’s when stepping, Agility buffs also apply to Skills. Therefore, when Mitsuki uses “Step,” she actually activates a “Step” that is 2.5 times faster than a Player’s.
This also applies to attacks. If Mitsuki and I were to use the same Skill to attack, Mitsuki could unleash 2.5 attacks in the time it takes me to perform one. Similarly, if we were to chant the same spell, Mitsuki could finish chanting in less than half my time.
Furthermore, her other stats and swordsmanship are also top-notch, making her a genuine “official cheat.” Well, that “official cheat” is currently trembling like a wet kitten.
Getting back to the point, even a slight difference in Agility manifests as a significant gap. Ringo was trying her best, but the difference was insurmountable. By the time Ringo finally reached the enemies, Maki had already wiped them all out.
Ringo didn’t seem bothered by it, but Maki, aware of her own contributions, was more cheerful than usual. During our break in the bubbles, she approached me, puffing out her chest.
“Hehe. You’re impressed with me now, right?”
I thought she was getting a bit carried away, but in our current predicament where progress was stalled, Maki’s performance was genuinely helpful.
“Yeah. Honestly, I think we’ve gotten this far thanks to you, Maki. I’m really grateful. Thank you.”
I conveyed my gratitude truthfully, which was unusual for me. Perhaps not expecting to be praised, Maki suddenly became flustered.
“Huh? Wh-what? Y-yes. Uhm… T-thank you, too.”
“No, why are you thanking me?”
Their slightly awkward exchange soothed my frayed nerves, which had been somewhat damaged by Sahzan. As I formed a small smile,
“Ngh?!”
Suddenly, a loud crackling sound came from nearby, and I instinctively looked in that direction.
“R-Ringo?”
The sound came from Ringo. She was facing me, holding her Wakizashi out in front of her.
“…I just tested it. It works properly here too.”
As she spoke, a crackling sound echoed, and lightning shot out from the tip of her Wakizashi. It pierced through the air membrane and into the water, traveling through it at the same speed and trajectory as it would on land.
Seeing that, I finally understood the situation. Ringo must have tested her lightning attack just now. The bubble was filled with air, so there was no risk of electrocution. By firing it into the surrounding water, she could determine if her lightning attacks would work underwater. It was quite an idea.
From then on, our journey became smooth.
Ringo’s lightning attacks were several tiers faster than Maki’s movement speed. Combined with the fact that the enemies were weaker, Ringo’s contributions allowed us to progress without stopping for long.
“Ringo-chan, that’s so cool!”
Ringo’s performance after regaining her lightning attacks was remarkable, even earning Maki’s envy. Ringo seemed to hesitate for a moment after hearing that, but then,
“…Next time, I’ll teach you.”
She mumbled this suggestion to Maki. Come to think of it, Maki was the same character as Ringo in terms of data. It shouldn’t be impossible for her to use lightning attacks.
“Eh? Really?”
Whether she knew that or not, Ringo nodded firmly at Maki’s words.
“…It’ll be for Soma’s benefit, after all.”
“I see. Ringo-chan, you’re such a good kid.”
Ringo, who used to only talk to me, seemed to have truly grown. She was engaging in such conversations even while fighting monsters.
(Compared to her…)
I couldn’t help but glance at the load on my back.
“…W-what is it? Don’t look at me like that, I’m not getting down!”
Sighing, wondering when this person would ever grow up, I hurried towards our destination.
“We finally made it this far.”
It had been an hour and forty-five minutes since we teleported to the underwater city. We had finally reached the opposite end of the underwater city.
It was a strange place. There were several holes in the ground, from which small bubbles occasionally rose. Beyond them stood a statue in the form of a dragon, with the following inscription:
“May the Water Dragon’s Blessing be upon your finger.”
It was a rather pompous phrase, similar to Sahzan’s lines, but its meaning was simple.
“Mitsuki, can you give me the ring you’re wearing now and try putting this one on instead?”
I called Mitsuki over and asked her. Mitsuki tilted her cat ears slowly but complied with my instructions. After receiving the Ring of Four Elements from Mitsuki, I handed her a Strength-boosting ring purchased from a shop. Once she had put it on, I gave her the next instruction.
“Now, try touching the bubbles that come out from here.”
Mitsuki didn’t seem to fully understand the situation, but as expected of “Nekoneko’s” fastest, she managed to grab the bubbles well, even with her movements dulled underwater.
“Ngh?! This…!!”
The moment Mitsuki touched a bubble, the Strength-boosting ring she was wearing began to glow. Simultaneously, a small membrane enveloped Mitsuki’s body. Her drooping cat ears perked up.
This was the “Water Dragon’s Blessing.” If you touch the bubbles that rise from the holes here, one of your equipped rings will transform into a “Water Dragon Ring.” This Water Dragon Ring grants the wearer strong water attribute resistance and Aquatic Aptitude, and it also completely negates troublesome terrain effects like the poisonous sludge here, making it a super high-performance piece of equipment. However, due to its high performance, it’s a limited-time item. It is considered equipment that can only be used within this underwater city. To prevent players from taking it with them, it cannot be placed in a bag or Cooler Box and will always disappear when exiting the underwater city through the glass outer wall. Furthermore, even if the Water Dragon Ring disappears, the original ring does not return.
If a valuable ring was equipped, it would be a significant blow. Moreover, it could easily transform rings needed for quests, potentially leading to a game-breaking situation in the worst-case scenario. Well, such bugs are common in “Nekoneko,” so it’s not something to make a fuss about anymore, but caution was necessary.
“Everyone, if you’re wearing a valuable ring that would be problematic if lost, please entrust it to me. I’ll give you a substitute.”
Fortunately, I had purchased a large quantity of shop-bought rings, so I had no shortage of substitutes. I selected five rings that seemed unlikely to be used soon and took them out.
As I was thinking of distributing these, I noticed something odd.
“…Ringo? Where’s your other ring?”
When we went to the accessory shop before, I had bought two rings for her, and Ringo had been wearing them on her right hand. However, on Ringo’s slender fingers, there was only one ring.
“…Left hand. Both on the right would be unbalanced.”
Ringo replied, but for some reason, her left hand was hidden behind her back. I wondered if she had lost it, but,
“…Wait a sec.”
Ringo turned around and fumbled to remove her ring, then offered me both. They were indeed there, and they didn’t appear broken or damaged.
Despite that, Ringo’s attitude was perplexing. However, obtaining the Water Dragon Ring was more important than pursuing this matter now. I distributed rings to the other three and then removed my own ring, swapping it with a shop-bought one I wouldn’t be using for a while.
In any case, we were almost there. Or so I thought…
“D-damn it! Don’t run! Fight me honorably!”
“……”
“Ah, hey, wait! I’m Sahzan!”
“…Hey.”
“Hmph, to defy me, you mere bubbles, you…!”
“Why can’t you catch a mere bubble, you idiot!!”
Once again, Sahzan proved to be a hindrance. Even though Kuma, who had poked his head out of the bag, along with Maki and Ringo, managed to catch the bubbles, Sahzan was still chasing them after five minutes. Since only one Water Dragon Ring could be obtained per person, I couldn’t do it for her.
Still, I patiently watched, but when Sahzan noticed me looking, she said shamelessly,
“Hmph! It’s not my fault! It’s this bubble’s fault for being cunning and running away!”
Her words finally made me snap.
(This guy—!!)
My patience reached its limit, and just as I was about to yell at Sahzan,
“—Soma.”
I came to my senses at the warm sensation on my back. It was Ringo. Ringo was embracing me from behind, stopping me.
“…Even if you get angry, that person can’t be saved.”
Her words struck a nerve as I was boiling with anger. For a moment, my head felt like it would explode again, but,
(No, she’s right…)
What Ringo was saying was the truth. Even with what happened with Ena, I might have been too impatient. If I thought about it calmly, I’d realize. Sahzan’s inability to catch the bubbles now wasn’t laziness, as it had been before, but simply a severe lack of athletic ability. It was crazy to think about yelling at someone who was trying their best. Besides, I had known from the beginning that Sahzan would be a nuisance. I should have come to terms with that when I brought her along.
(….Alright!)
Mentally steeling myself, I grabbed Sahzan’s shoulders from behind.
“Hyawa!”
Startled by my sudden grip and letting out a strange shriek, Sahzan looked surprised. I spoke to her in a calm voice.
“Sahzan, you’re being too greedy. Just calm down.”
“Hmph. I’m not being greedy… Fugu!?”
She pouted in protest, but I ignored her. While stuffing a Potion into her mouth to restore her HP, I said,
“Yes, you are. You’re clumsy anyway, so stop trying to look at all the holes from the start. Focus only on the ones closer to you. Aim for that half, and reliably catch the bubbles that come from there.”
“I-I’m not clumsy!”
Even as she retorted, I could tell Sahzan was focusing her attention on the nearby holes. What a stubborn person.
“Ah!”
At that moment, unfortunately, a bubble emerged from a hole further away. Sahzan instinctively tried to move, but I stopped her by pulling her shoulder.
“I told you not to go!”
“…Ugh. But I let it escape again!”
“It’s fine. Now, concentrate on the front.”
“Just this once!”
She spat out some nonsensical parting words and returned her gaze to the front. Then,
“It’s here!”
A bubble floated up from a perfect position within Sahzan’s reach.
“W-whoa! Th-this!”
Perhaps the pressure of being in such a prime position overwhelmed her, but Sahzan became completely flustered. However, her hand, flailing wildly, luckily hit the bubble.
“Ah!”
Her finger was enveloped in light. A moment later, Sahzan had a Water Dragon Ring on her finger.
“…You did it.”
I patted her shoulder as she stared blankly at her finger, looking as if she couldn’t believe it. Sahzan then exclaimed with joy,
“Y-yes! Thanks to you… I-I mean, don’t get the wrong idea! I just followed your advice this time, I didn’t suddenly start trusting you…”
“Don’t say tsundere stuff like that, it’s creepy.”
“C-creepy…!?”
Perhaps she was shocked by my comment, as Sahzan slumped down in dejection. But I didn’t care about her feelings. More importantly, we had accomplished our objective here.
Now all party members had secured their Water Dragon Rings. As an item that could only be used in this location, the Water Dragon Ring’s effects were undeniable. We no longer had to worry about losing HP underwater, and with this, we could advance through the dark water and red water without concern.
“Hmph! Well, fine. More importantly, aren’t we leaving soon? With this, we should be able to break through the cursed dark water around that treasure vault.”
Sahzan, who had been riding on my back until just now, suddenly became spirited and said that. It was good that she was motivated, but…
“Huh? …Ah, no. If I had time, I would have considered going, but it’s pointless now. We’re not going to the treasure vault.”
“……?”
Ignoring Sahzan’s bewildered gasp, I checked the time. It was almost two in the morning. For people in this world, it was the time they would normally be in bed, dreaming.
“As I thought. Unfortunately, it seems our time is up.”
Just as I finished speaking, I heard “that sound” at the perfect moment. “That sound,” of course, was—
