A Certain Middle-Aged Man’s VRMMO Activity Log - Chapter 88

Bow Maintenance and Consumable Replenishment

The next day after I’ve returned to a human city in a long time.
I immediately go to Nexia’s mine to mine ores; I’m wanting Light Metal and Exploding Ore, but …

I withdrew from the mine when I’ve excavated for 30 minutes.
Since the ore vein hasn’t recovered yet, if 1 person excavates a mountainous amount, the chance that you’ll trigger a fight from the people around is extremely high; I’m not the only one who wants ores, after all.
The result was that I got my hands on the bare minimum of Light Metal, quite a large amount of Exploding Ore, and some Steel and Silver, so let’s call that good.

Furthermore, on the way back, let’s go cut down several trees. Even though there used to be a ton of trees, recently it’s been sparse. Without needing to say it, it’s because the people who use bows have increased, though.
And also because magic user staffs also use wood as the foundation…
Now that resource depletion has become even harsher, no matter what kind of new methods developed for gather resources, if a new place isn’t found, the situation will become dire. It would be fine if the devs had plans to supplement things.

I warped back from Nexia to Faust, and with my usual wood processing, the maintenance for the X-bow began.
It’s been abused beyond how I’ve used it before, so it won’t do if I don’t have all sorts of different wood for repairs.
The wounds that were beyond my imagination harshly reduced the wood for repairs steadily; it’s not like the city blacksmith’s skill is bad, but because the weapon is too specialized, it’s too difficult to repair; this is a weak point, na…

Just managing to do it to some degree, the left over wood is fashioned into arrows.
After this, it should be fine once I go to the forge to make arrowheads, and there put them together.
The intensely used Twister Arrows in particular will have to be replenished in great numbers.
On the other hand, since I rarely used kicking attacks, the Fang Leg Blades haven’t lost durability in the slightest…
This time it practically didn’t need any maintenance, but since I walked on them, of course I will inspect them for form’s sake.

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Next is the Compounding workshop, to compound Enhanced Oil and Rare Potions.
Enhanced Oil is mass produced, while the Rare Potion is laboriously made one at a time.
I usually don’t have the opportunity to use Rare Potions much, but there are also things like that Lady Fenrir from before, so although I don’t have many medicinal herbs, it won’t do not to make them, I guess.
About 15 minutes gives 100 bottles of Enhanced Oil, and 15 bottles Rare Potions were produced; a person who is exclusively an alchemist would make them with even more efficiency, I suppose…
By the way, making the Enhanced Oils all together required me to have a large amount of MP, but thanks to the Pikarsha’s feather, I was somehow able to do it.

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And lastly, I headed from the Compounding Workshop to the Forge.

“Oo, Earth, it’s been a while!”

And, for some reason, Boss, who’s always there.

“It’s been a while; I went over to the Fairy Country.”

In response to that replay, Boss also smiled and said, “It’s about time that I should try heading over there, to sightsee.”
Boss has work to do, so we cut off the conversation, and I sit in front of the work area’s hearth.

“First off, if I don’t make the ores into ingots, I can’t get to work.”

I set the gathered Light Metal to melt in the forge, and removing the impurities, I make ingots.

Although you can say that I’ve gotten used to this work, this heat alone is something I still have to force myself to endure.
However, if I lose to this heat and remove my hand, the quality will mercilessly plunge, so it’s a crucial job.
And after some time had passed, I was able to make Light Metal ingots; now I just need to do the Steel and Silver … I work up my nerve and faced the forge again.

Finally making ingots, I used the Steel and made Twist Arrow arrowheads.
It’s a game system where, once you make it the first time it’s easy to mass produce, so this arrowhead manufacturing, as well as the production of Twist Arrows, steadily proceeded.
Anyway, this number is probably enough; about 4,000 Twist Arrows are produced.

After finishing the production of arrows, I checked the Fang Leg Blades just in case, but as expected, I cam to the conclusion that they wouldn’t need any maintenance.

From here on it’s new production, so I treat the Light Metal and make it thin, making 2 long armor slabs. I want to affix them to exterior of the X-Bow so that the resistance of the Bow would increase even more; so I’m basically aiming for an increase in fire power.
That said, increasing the weight too much will make the handling very difficult instead, so let’s only really use a little bit.
With this treatment, the appearance of the X-Bow will be 2 Light Metal branches intersecting, so looking at it, it looks like a metal bow, I bet … although the insides are still wood.

Hitting it several times, I check the weight. It’s just a little, but I think it’s not to my standards, so I hit it again.
If I screw up I can return to the forge again and make it an ingot, so I can challenge it however many times I need.
It took about half an hour of repetitive work…
Finally the Light Metal exterior veneer, or more like the cover, was finished.

Putting on the exterior onto the X-Bows bow parts, I equip it.
I check the final weight … As expected, it’s a little heavy … but it’s within the acceptable range, next is how the bow draws … after pulling it back several times, there’s no problems, and I confirmed that it’s not too difficult to draw, and that there’s no weird noise.

Composite X-style Hunting Bow (revised) Atk+46

↓

Composite X-Style Hunting Bow, Light Metal Coat Atk +55

Since the system also recognizes it as a finished product, I have a sense of relief.
However, the truth is it’s become a hell of a bow to maintain; even when right now, it’s become difficult to get resources.
— That said, I’m grateful that the firepower has increased; if I didn’t raise it here, I’ll hit a road block in the future.
So let’s clearly say that this product was necessary.

“Hou-, so the next weapon is reinforced like this.”

Because a voice so suddenly appeared from behind me, I raised a startled, “Uwhoa-!?”, and caused the other smith comrades working in the Forge to glance over. I apologetically bow my head.

“Boss, don’t suddenly speak up from right behind me, please…”

You might say that it’s because I was concentrating to such a degree, but it really gave me a scare.

“You made all sorts of things, from one thing to another. Oh, right, you have a customer; you should go handle that.”

Like that, where his finger was pointed, there was the Guild Master of the bow guild, “Apollo’s Bow”, Ayame-san, and a few others.
Since that time with Nether they hadn’t had any requests, but what in the world could they want me for … it would be good if it wasn’t something troublesome, but … my logout time is soon, too.

SKILLS
[Wind-Blown Hunting Bow]Lv16
[Assaulting Kick]Lv22
[Farsight]Lv53
[Craftsmanship]Lv55
[Small Shield]Lv 6
[Stealth]Lv41
[Physical Ability Reinforcement]Lv32
[Chivalrous Thief]Lv25
[Whip]Lv37
[Fairy Language]Lv99 (Forced Acquisition) (Unable to be moved to Reserved Skills)

Reserved Skills
[Woodworking]Lv36 ↑2UP
[Blacksmithing]Lv40 ↑1UP
[Alchemy]Lv43 ↑1UP
[Advanced Cooking]Lv11
ExP 4

Titles Possessed:  The One who Charmed Even the Fairy Queen, The One who Defeated a Great Foe Alone, Liberator, ???
Second Names: “Fairy King Candidate”(jealous), “Chef of the Battlefield-san”