A Certain Middle-Aged Man’s VRMMO Activity Log - Chapter 52

Toaru Ossan no VRMMO Katsudouki

Author: Shiina Howahowa
—

A/N: This time’s weapon was a challenge for Earth’s limits.
Like the title says, it’s a weapon that seems like it would be pointless if seen in reality.
That weapon is impossible, you can’t use it; if that opinion comes, “Just as planned (smug look),”and a dark grin will appear.

Because it’s a Game I’m going to Completely Ignore Common Sense

From mining, I’ve gathered together Light Metal and Steel. Finally, I can get serious and continue with the production of the shield+bow.

Before crafting I went out and defeated the final Rock Ants, collecting their carapaces for use and at the same time I also chose my Shield specialization.
Like I thought before the specialization, it has to be Small Shield; with this the pre-preparations have been taken.

First off, let’s try making a regular compound bow.
Since the blueprints from Real originally use wood as the main parts, I’ll try making it like that.
In the end it’s a prototype so the general crafting procedure is my maximum priority.
It’s not like it will cause a problem if it ends up being unusable, since it’s enough as long as I figure out how to roughly make its form.

—
Another World’s Bow

A bow that could not have been invented by any method thought of from this world.
It even uses pulleys; the principle is unknown.
However, the power and shooting accuracy is particularly high.

But, on the other hand, if the arrows used are not its exclusive arrows, then you can’t make use of it.

Quality 3     Atk +38
—

Somehow completing it with a Quality of 3, and finishing it with just the bare minimums, and it already has this much attack power, huh … it might be good enough to sell right now to the large crowd of people who are training with Bow … but that’s no good; the cost of the arrows is way too high, so in the end the threshold for them to continue forward would be too high.
Anyway, today we’ll just end it here.

No matter how many times I draft the transformation device, thinking of both making the degree of crafting difficulty as simple as well as the degree of difficulty, the most effective form would be to fold from the center, so when you pull it the bow will return to its default shape.
Since I’m not thinking about directly holding it, there is a transformation device I can use. This day was over after only thinking about what to do.

– – And then the next day. In accordance with the blueprints I crafted the transformation-style compound bow.
Along with that, in parallel with the bow, I also crafted a small shield of wood.
The finished form is a normal-looking small shield, but before it transforms it’s hiding a bow which, once transformed, will somehow or other appear to be a bow with the finished form of [being propped up by the right hand and shot with the left].1
Of course, once it’s done I’ll probably have to practice it well, but since the compound bow has a trait of being easy to aim, so when I think about it, this much ridiculousness is still possible.

The shield’s shape adopts a 5-sided shape, and through the middle it’s divided into two separate divisions.
Above this section is a board covering up the cut to hide it.
With this, during transformation, with the part around the wrist area as the origin and pivot point, the shield will split left-right and transform, and the board that hides that section will rise up.
The compound bow is prepared underneath the shield that has split left-right with the transformation device; after transforming the shield takes on the bow’s form.
After that turn it 180 degrees on the arm and grab the inner part of the bow to shoot!

The finished form will use mostly Light Metal and a portion of Steel, but since right now I’m making the prototype I’m making it completely out of wood.
But when it’s completed I want it has to be a quality item that can be used immediately, so of course I craft it seriously.
When I finish this, the blueprint’s true point will finally be finished.
Naturally this wasn’t finished in a day; it took 2 days for me to be satisfied with the result.
A handle with a built-in string is under the shield in order to make the transformation; to transform it; pull that handle with your left hand, and after you pull it, grab it with your right hand in order to preserve the transformation.

—
Transformation Shield Prototype Form

A shield furnished with a transformation device, its abilities compared to a pure shield has fallen.
However, it hides its true abilities that will appear after transforming.

Quality 4    Def+8
Ability to transform

↓

Underworld Bow Training Prototype Form

Hidden behind the Transformation Shield is the form that will expand into Another World’s Bow.

For the sake of training, there is a Hunting Bow on the small side attached to the back of the small shield, but Another World’s Bow’s abilities, and therefore its capabilities in bloodshed, is great.
It is only possible shoot with arrows designed for this use.

Quality 4     Atk +38
Def +3
—

For now it’s finished, but now I’ll have to work out the details.
I decided to stick Rock Ant carapaces on the left and right of the shield so that they jut out a little in order to protect the compound bow; I’ll probably have to squash out the other numerous defects or the Quality won’t rise.

That being said, the new dungeon addition is finally drawing closer, and I’d like to finish it by then.
To get it to this stage already took 4 days; it’s become quite the tight schedule.

Dawn the next day; it’s already been 5 days since I began production; if I don’t finish it by today then I’m going to be in a bad spot for time.
The shield part is fundamentally Light Metal; the plate part that covers the divide is made out of Steel.
The compound bow is crafted completely out of Light Metal; if it weren’t for the existence of Light Metal with its elasticity, my equipment would probably be a lot poorer.

Since I’ve already finished the designs and such during yesterday’s time, making the parts took some time, but the assembly was fast.
I continue to pound out the necessary parts for assembly, and I also attached the treated Rock Ant carapaces to the left and right of the shield as reinforcements; with this the shield has become a size bigger and the compound bow is now completely hidden.
I dyed the Rock Ant carapace parts on the left and right blue, and with the Light Metal’s dull blue and blue light reflections, the shield has taken on the appearance of being decorative.

—
Secret Light Metal Shield

A small shield made of Light Metal with a hidden device.
It has more than enough abilities as a shield, but there is a hidden device built in.

Quality 6     Def+25
Possesses transformation abilities
Right-arm exclusive equipment

↓

Secret Another Bow1

The revealed form of a device that was hidden. It’s a bow that is smaller than a hunting bow, but its killing ability and accuracy is high; however it has the disadvantages of only being able to use exclusive arrows.

Ability Change    Atk+60    Def+5
Possesses transformation abilities
Right-arm exclusive equipment
Accuracy compensation (weak)

—

With this it’s finally completed … it took forever, seriously.

I check and repeatedly test it to make sure that the transformation device has no problems in its movements, and finally take a breath.
A new special ability came out; accuracy compensation (weak); this seems to be related to the compound bow’s pseudo-scope that I had reproduced.

Let’s hurry up and test-shoot. I’ve made a mountain of Light Metal, exclusive-use arrows, so let’s continuously try and shoot them.
At first, as expected, with the action of the right hand propping it up and the left hand drawing, the aim is largely off, but even so, with my experience, Skill Level, and the accuracy compensation all together from shooting mountains of arrows up until now all added together, even though it’s this ridiculous bow, I am still able to hit. This is an act that I definitely couldn’t reproduce in Real.
With this, even if I receive Break Arm, my ability to make long-distance attacks won’t be annihilated immediately; of course not receiving the status at all would be the best, but you can say that making preparations for this kind of thing wouldn’t be wrong in the slightest.

The more than satisfied me changed all the leftover Light Metal into crafted exclusive-use arrows and then logged out.
At long last the new dungeon addition called Challenge from the Dead is at hand.

SKILLS
[Wind-Blown Hunting Bow]Lv2 ↑1UP
[Kicking Assault]Lv17 ↑1UP
[Farsight]Lv47
[Craftsmanship]Lv50 ↑UP
[Small Shield]Lv 3 (NEW!)
[Stealth]Lv38
[Physical Ability Reinforcement]Lv18 ↑1UP
[Thief]Lv33
[Whip]Lv34
[Fairy Language]Lv99 (Forced Acquisition) (Unable to be moved to Reserved Skills)

Reserved Skills
[Woodworking]Lv33 ↑5UP
[Blacksmithing]Lv38 ↑5UP
[Alchemy]Lv40
[Advanced Cookin]Lv1

ExP 9

Titles Possessed:  The One who Charmed Even the Fairy Queen, The One who Defeated a Great Foe Alone

A/N: And so, a shield that hides a bow behind it, this ridiculous equipment has exploded onto the scene. With this there won’t be any new equipment crafting for the present … that would be nice, naa.

Let me explain the transformation once more;
When you need it, pull the handle on the shield.
↓
Once you do that, the shield will have a split left-right, and the hidden bow will expand.
↓
The pulled handle is held by the right hand, maintaining the deformation.
↓
Like that, turn the outer part 180 around on the arm so you’re now holding the inner part.
↓
After that you pull the bowstring with your left hand and shoot.

Is how it is; this thing, it’s definitely impossible in reality.

 
The bow is not held, it is just being held up by the hand (like, probably by the wrist) That is literally the name in katakana/English(rish), so I’m leaving it like that.

T/N: Thank you RiahW and Ed for the donations!
Good news: Next chapter we start the chapter the manga is on. (Not quite caught up yet, but closer.)
Bad news: Sht hit the fan in rl for me, so things are … not necessarily debilitating, but things are busy over here. During this time, I’m reducing my (already sparse) comic updates to give more priority for translating and stuff, but don’t look forward to the releases-in-quick-succession I sometimes do … My busy-ness should die down in a week or two.