v-rustl

#948 A Selfless Workaholic’s Ambush

I’m Neyote.

A plain village boy from the human race, turning sixteen this year.

Lately, everyone in the village has been telling me, “You’re a born workaholic, so you’ve got to learn to relax!”

What does that even mean?

I’m just living a normal villager life, as far as I can tell.

Speaking of which, I’ve heard that the Human Kingdom, previously under the rule of the Demon King’s Army, is being rebuilt into th...

#947 A Special Guest’s Descent

As for this season’s Orkubo’s Castle...

Stage One was wrapped up nicely.

Time to acknowledge those who made it happen.

First, let’s hear from Orkubo himself.

“That was a splendid execution of the new Orkubo’s Castle.”

“Your praise brings us orcs the greatest joy, My Lord!”

Really though.

Who would have thought I’d encounter a giant robot in a fantasy world?

And a transforming ...

#946 Shin-Alexander

It has begun.

Seasoned pros vs. an army of Orc Battlers (gigantic castle mechas).

There are about thirty Orc Battlers.

Opposing them are a few hundred pros.

The numbers are in favor of the pros, but each individual robot packs way more punch.

Well, they are giant robots, after all.

To stop them, one must hit the emergency stop switch on the back of their neck, but sprinting up to that spot is...

#945 Attack on Castle

“Ridiculous twists are what makes a good game great, right?”

So says I.

Here we are again at Orkubo’s Castle.

We’re starting off this season with quite the twist compared to previous ones.

A sudden lottery for the challengers.

The trend of increasing participants has been noted before, and we’ve handled it with multiple sessions or just plain scaling up until now.

But why the sudden ...

#944 An Arrogant Heavy User

I am Jungle Rasso.

The undisputed genius player of Orkubo’s Castle.

Known far and wide, I’ve played in countless seasons, clearing almost every one of them.

I’ve raked in every prize by the bucketload.

And every time, I’d flip them for a hefty profit.

Becoming a regular player even came with unexpected perks like high social standing and invites to dine on sumptuous feasts.

Thanks...

#943 Another Year, Another Season of Orkubo’s Castle

Winter.

It has come around again this year.

It’s the off-season for farming, so around these parts, it’s officially time to laze about.

But we make good use of this downtime by diving into various experiments and projects, which has become quite the tradition on the farm...

Among them, there’s one event we never skip.

Orkubo’s Castle.

We’re doing it again this year!!!

  2024-05-07 19:59:46 +0000 UTC View Post

#942 Another Shichi-Go-San

My name’s Dalkish.

I am but a humble man, a minor feudal lord of the Human Kingdom... I mean, the Human Republic, and am satisfied with living out my days in peace.

Today, I’m taking a break from official duties to spend some quality time with the family.

“Father, Fatherrr.”

“Right here, Fernod, son. Your father’s over here. Look at you, walking like a champ!”

Our eldest son, Fernod, is our long-aw...

#941 Kid-Bragging Contest

A delightful celebration of Shichi-Go-San was upon us...

When suddenly, the skies of festivity turned suspiciously murky.

“Please hold on a moment.”

Stepping into the fray next is Lampeye, the Witch of Hellfire.

Partner to Hendra, famously known as the Mermaid King’s Right Hand, and still the most formidable warrior among the Mermaid Kingdom’s women.

While counted among the Six Witches, she may not match the former m...

#940 Shichi-Go-San, Group Version

I’ve been keeping up with my diet for quite some time now.

The Ocean Jogging that Junior blessed me with is doing wonders, making aerobic exercise a delightful activity.

Initially, I had some trouble with local fishermen who mistook me for some mythical shapeshifter, but gradually, they came to understand, and now we exchange greetings whenever we pass by.

Platy often hits me with a dose of reality, asking, “Wouldn’t swimming have done the tri...

#939 Rumors of a Sea Lord

I’m Edrok, just a humble villager hereabouts. 

I’m a fisherman by trade.

On days when the waves are kind, I row out, fish a bit, and return to sell my catch.

Maybe it’s a natural talent, but I always manage to reel in a few, so life’s never been too rough for me. 

If I do say so myself, I’ve been rather fortunate in my life.

Though the world might be bustling, my quiet little fishing town is like a forgot...

#938 Marine Running

Otherworldly Diet Day Two.

...

I’ve had enough of this.

To get my aerobic exercise, I tried hopping into a human-sized hamster wheel, thinking, “This is it; I’m the hamster now.” But it turned out to be a lot tougher than I imagined.

It’s not the running that’s hard, per se.

It’s the utter lack of change, the running in place that’s the real grind.

Thanks to this wheel, the ground just scro...

#937 Trying an Isekai Diet

At last, the hot-blooded adventurers have gone home, and peace has returned to our farm.

The party-like buzz is nice and all, but I find myself yearning for the calm of daily life after everything’s been topsy-turvy. It’s weird.

This year, too, the golden grains have ripened, and winter is nigh.

Amidst this, my wife Platy dropped a bombshell.

“...Dear, have you gained weight?”

...

Huh?

 ...

#936 Gold and Silver’s Rivalry

“But even if you tell me that...”

The words of  Golden Bat, the S-rank adventurer who suddenly showed up, leave Silver Wolf, another S-rank (just for today), half perplexed and half dismayed.

It seems he wants him to cancel Silver Wolf’s retirement.

“Retirement is a personal decision, not to be swayed by the opinions of others—not even if it’s the Guild Master talking.”

Silver Wolf, as always, reaso...

#935 Golden Bat’s Invasion

Yes, it’s me.

The one and only.

I imagine each participant in the S-rank promotion exam was stirred by various emotions.

Was their overconfidence shattered?

Or were they flabbergasted by the stratospheric realm of S-rank adventurers?

At any rate, some expanded their worldview and stoked their fighting spirit, while others, disheartened, drifted away.

Each made their own call, and it’s no one’s place ...

#934 The Incredible Human Race

I’m Beliard, a demon adventurer.

Once, I nearly achieved the rank of one of the Heavenly Four of the Demon King’s Army.

Given my formidable prowess, I thought becoming an adventurer would be a breeze, and I’d quickly climb to the top. Alas, it all seems like a distant memory now.

The recently held S-rank adventurer promotion exam utterly shattered my confidence!!!

What in the world is this?!

Even the army ...

#933 Those Who Are Truly Powerful

I’m Shabe, an adventurer.

We’re resurrecting that title just for today.

Seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I clumsily patched up my dream and took a leap for revival.

The S-rank adventurer promotion exam.

The venue: The Saint’s Farm.

It’s a battleground I ventured into, even at the cost of burdening my pregnant wife.

For her, who sent me off with belief in her heart, I must settle this linge...

#932 From Religious Decree to the True Body

It’s still me, Corey, the adventurer.

Blast it. I’ve botched it.

I missed the golden ticket to becoming an S-rank adventurer.

Still, those trials, the Saint’s Farm dungeons, are way too daunting for anyone to breach.

I started wondering if they’re even meant to be conquered when Lord Silver Wolf mentioned:

— “The crown of S-rank lies beyond unimaginable hardships.” (loosely translated...

#931 An Adventurer’s Impatience

I’m Corey.

A-rank adventurer Corey.

But damn, I’ve never felt as inadequate as an adventurer as I do today.

I was all fired up to ace the S-rank promotion exam, an event hosted by the revered Silver Wolf, yet I ended up achieving nothing.

The dread I speak of is the Saint’s Farm Dungeon.

When I was brought here, I thought it was just one dungeon. But three?

They cover all types, too: cave, mountain, ...

#930 Farm Army Joins the Fray Cont’d

The exploits of our farm’s forces aren’t just a one-time spectacle.

Further passing the baton, these ladies take on the responsibility of dungeon-conquering next.

“Discus, the Witch of Refrigeration!”

“Veiltail, the Witch of Flame Control!”

“Heckelii, the Witch of Fermenting!”

“Batrachus, the Witch of Orderliness!”

These are the four new-generation witches at our farm.

They have somehow become...

#929 The Farm Army Joins the Fray

Thus...

For reasons unknown, we, the farm members, find ourselves showcasing our dungeon-diving skills to a group of adventurers.

Have we not had enough field trip-y chapters?

The observing adventurers are bewildered and shaken by the turn of events.

“More spectating...?”

“No, no, if we get to see those farm residents in action, it’s rather fortunate...!”

“It’s a golden opportunity to gauge t...

#928 The True Theory – An S-Rank Adventurer’s Mettle  

Silver Wolf’s steady advance shows no signs of stopping.

He conquered Veil’s mountain dungeon, divided into several levels leading to the ultimate summit, up to the second layer in the blink of an eye, with more energy to spare.

“HUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!”

He runs from an onslaught of monsters with a battle cry.

Yes. He ran.

In a real dungeon conquest, avoiding unnecessary battles is key.

#927 Passing it is Impossible

The S-Rank Adventurer Promotion Exam at the Farm.

The results are in!

It’s a unanimous fail!

Not a soul among them could conquer even a single dungeon!

To think conquering all three would promote you to S-rank is a bit of a tall order!

The difficulty settings are utterly broken!

It’s on the same level as throwing your controller to the floor, as if they don’t want you to clear the game. This controll...

#926 S-Rank Promotion Prelim Exams - Pyramid Arc

Ah, this is bad.

The S-rank adventurer promotion exam is underway at the farm today.

Having visited two out of the three main sites, here are my thoughts:

Bad.

Like, it isn’t even in the ballpark of what an exam should be.

All that’s happening is adventurers getting tossed about by the sheer madness of each dungeon.

Brutal, I say.

Because stationed in those two dungeons are Sensei and Veil.

#925 S-rank Promotion Prelim Exams- Cave Arc

Before even reaching the halfway point, everyone met their untimely demise at Veil’s dungeon.

It all boils down to the haphazard difficulty settings.

Can you really call it a fair test if it’s set up so that no one can clear it?

This realization only deepened my conviction to check out other dungeons as well.

“Junior, wanna come along?”

“Okieee.”

With my child in tow, we temporarily leave the m...

#924 S-Rank Promotion Prelim Exams - Mountain Arc 2

Not even two minutes had passed before Veil’s mountainous dungeon’s foothills were covered with adventurers’ bodies.

Though they may not be S-rank, they are undoubtedly among the tougher ones representing the Adventurers’ Guild.

To think they didn’t stand a chance even in the first stage...

“Lord Saint! Lord Saint!”

“We’ve finally become the hunters this time around!”

The victorious boar mons...

#923 S-Rank Promotion Prelim Exams - Mountain Arc 1

And so, the S-rank promotion exam on the farm begins.

The youth daring to take this exam can secure a glorious future by clearing three dungeons within our farm.

Each of them bears a look of fierce determination... or not.

Their faces are more akin to those who’ve had their spirits crushed.

Why?

“Well, having a Lifeless King and a dragon thrown at you right off the bat would kill anyone’s hopes of victory,” says Plat...

#922 More Slots Open Up

“Let me introduce another key figure in this event.”

“Meow, meow, meowwww! It’s me, the guild master’s wife, Black Cat, meow!!!”

From out of nowhere, a cat-headed lady leaps onto the scene.

That glossy black fur is the very epitome of a solitary, majestic black cat.

“And let’s not forget, I’m also an active S-rank adventurer, meow! Yes, I, Black Cat, am also announcing my retirement from adventuring, meowwww!!!”

 ...

#921 The Exam

Hi, it’s me again present on this memorable day.

Was there ever a time when the farm buzzed with this much excitement?

Today, we’re welcoming three hundred visitors (according to the organizers’ tally).

It’s the S-rank Adventurer Promotion Exam at the Farm Dungeon, co-hosted by the Adventurers’ Guild and our farm!

“Lord Saint...thank you once again for listening to our plea today...!”

...

#920 Those Who Responded to the Exam Part 4

My name’s Tamarim.

I’m a guardian from the whirlwind of distant times, keeping a watchful eye on adventurers from afar.

Most of my life has been dedicated to observing the exploits of adventurers, celebrating their achievements, and etching their history.

You could say my life is practically synonymous with the history of adventurers.

At this point, it's safe to say that I've transcended the mere realm of fandom to become something of ...

#919 Those Who Responded to the Exam Part 3

The name’s Corey.

I look human, but... not quite human.

I’m what you’d call a therianthrope.

There’s been a long-standing debate about whether therianthropes are human or not.

Therianthropes started a long, long time ago.

Hundreds of years ago, humans had this spell to fuse humans and beasts.

And that’s how therianthropes were born—folks with human smarts but with beastly features.

 ...