Ugh...where am I? Craaaap...this title's the worst...

The stress coming from whatever social disorder I've developed, amplified with that disturbing title, made me create... something through alchemy. Not sure what the result was, but the process must have been the last straw for Revi. She didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes told me everything.

Geez, I stepped into the salad this time. Better said, I break danced in it. Oh, maaaaan...

Uh-oh. Why're they here?

I ran into the nearest building to hide. Those guys are already here? Is this a blessing or a miss?

...Am I still a little out of it? The building I'd taken cover in is the freaking arena D. There's gotta be lots of people watching the matches now, right? 

Going outside's not a good idea though. Let's keep on going deeper into the arena. It could double as training to overcome this stupid new title.

I was too panicked to notice back then, but didn't I get something when the alchemy blew up in my face? Let's see... "Extra Creator" and "Living Maker"? Their effects... Holy Moly!! 

"Extra Creator"'s damn good! 5 Skill Points is tasty enough but to improve my abilities to construct Ex-tier items? This must be one of the best titles I've obtained! Most of them are sketchy or simply weird, but still, this is impressive. And now that I think about it, every item created through cursed alchemy's never gonna be the same due to how unstable curses can be.

A "curse" in the sense of what I use through [Cursed Creation] is kinda like negative thoughts and emotions as what one would typically consider a "curse" back on Earth. The Curse attribute is partly this, but a real "curse" isn't something that can be catalogized into an attribute, even by the World System. That's the reason why there are so many demon races. They are the "representative"  of curses.

On the flip side, this also holds for the Holy attribute, the Celestial races, and the "divine". That's one of the reasons why the two species are normally at each other's throats. We're too similar to each other.

...I went off-topic there. Don't try distracting myself that hard, me!

The other title, "Living Maker", is making me anxious. Just what was it that I made back there? Should I go back? But, there's the crowd of people...

R-Revi was the one who wanted me to leave, so it's disrespectful to return this early. Yes, that's it! Back to the title! Ehm, it improves all creatures created by skills, I guess? The "whatever" I made before included, but other "living items" from now on...does this extend to living creatures birthed from skills like [Egg Laying]? Even the undead created through necromancy!? 

It's official. This title's broken.

As I was immersed in verifying the titles, I didn't notice that I had reached the stands for the arena. The arena's shaped like a baseball stadium, with the stands a level higher than the battleground where the fighters duke it out... too many people...

I kept hiding in the corridor and peeked out to watch the fight. This much should be fine, right? 

...oh? Something awesome's going on down there. The whole battlefield's covered in a massive, red-colored sandstorm. That's some AoE attack there.

[Competitor Wagarah did it! A massive storm made up of rust particles is assaulting the battlefield! Will this be enough to defeat that bastard?]

Large cheers could be heard from the audience, but my attention is on the commentator. Because they sound oddly familiar.

I looked across the arena and finally found her. On top of the walls surrounding the arena was a huge ostrich-like bird with orange feathers equipped with what looked like broadcasting tools. And riding on that huge bird is someone I know too well. 

[Wait! What is... oh, noooo! Competitor Hiiro is doing the usual thing!] - Lily

That hungry chimera. What's she doing up there and not helping with the cooking? And is something happening down there?

My attention was caught by something shining inside the sandstorm... correction, "rust storm" was it? A large "bang" was heard from inside the storm and something came flying outta it... and its trajectory says it's going this way. Greaaaat.

I ran deeper into the corridor while setting up spider webs as I ran. And just as I predicted, the unknown projectile flew right into the corridor. The several webs soften the projectile's impact, but they couldn't stop it until it reached the fourth web. Those are webs created with a maxed out [Spider Lord's Thread], you know? Seriously?

I removed the stickiness from the webs and the projectile fell to the ground... a girl? 

[Competitor Wagarah is out!! Another ring-out victory for competitor Hiiro! What-a-splendid-fight. Medics! Hurry up and help the loser!] - Lily

So, she was one of the fighters but was blasted off of the arena by this "Hiiro" guy? Who's that, a protagonist from a low-quality harem manga?

I left the girl who was knocked unconscious with the arena's staff and went for the roof. Hmm? "Leaving an unconscious girl behind is the worst thing a man can do"? Sorry, but I'm no saint. Plus I got a chimera to grill.

---

"Liiiiilyyyyy~?" - Garami

"Boss! You also want lunch?" - Lily

"No, you idiot!" - Garami

I finally found my way to the roof and was greeted by the sight of Lily and her birds eating. The newly added pelican monster and the little phoenix are still the same but the feather ball of a chick has evolved. I'm talking about the ostrich-like bird. He's grown! The Phoenix Hatchling shouldn't be too far off from evolving as well but we're participating in a festival that blocks us from getting EXP...tough luck, pal.

Lily herself has also gotten an image change. She's upgraded her red vest into a slim jacket in black and amber and a fur-trimmed hood, black pants, plus black boots which pack quite a kick. Quite literally, considering they're where most of the venom snake's skin went to. I only used the few remains earlier and they weren't explosive-free.

In addition...she's grown tentacles. A pair of black tentacles extend from Lily's back, just above her hips. They must come from one of those octopuses from the shrine. They can extend their length, so she's keeping them hidden in her jacket when she doesn't need them.

But that doesn't mean you should use them to hold several platters of food at once, young lady. Show some table manners. Even if there aren't any tables here.

"What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be helping at the kitchen?" - Garami

"I got hired as the commentator for this arena. And it's paying off. Just read this." - Lily

Lily took something outta the pelican's bill... can't she get some Storage ability that's easier on the eyes than that?

"...Is this here for real?" - Garami

"Cool, right? As the commentator, I got documents that tell of the various abilities of ALL the competitors that challenge this arena!" - Lily

"No, I'm talking about this guy here," I responded while pointing at the guy described in the document.

"...Oh, competitor Hiiro. That guy's a real cheat. He started making a name for himself just half a year ago, but normal people hate him already." - Lily

No kiddin'! I mean, what's this even about!? A 'normal guy' living in a secluded village, having female childhood friends in the dozens, suddenly 'awakening' to a [Divine Protection] Extra Skill that turns any situation, bad or good, into something even better!? That's broken!

"Also, due to having the skill mentioned, he's never needed to train anywhere near what's recommended for adventurers, but he's under the misinterpretation that he's earned all his wins with his powers." - Lily

"That's crazy!!" - Garami

"More like stupid. That guy doesn't believe it when people tell him that his powers are broken and unfair. And to top it off, he thinks it's the opponents who are the unreasonable ones. Even when he's the weakling with just two classes and less than 40 skills." - Lily

"WHAT THE ****!?" - Garami

"Boss, language. And about the previous matter, it seems that ladies have been gathering around him ever since... more than before he obtained that skill." - Lily

"THAT'S FREAKING UNFAIR!!" - Garami

"Boss, volume. Those girls are his biggest problem as well. Eyewitnesses say that it's the girls who convince competitor Hiiro that he's in the right and they are warping his common sense. Their praises are going to his head." - Lily

"...And this part about 'open sexual acts of affection camouflaged as accidents'-part here?" - Garami

"Just as it said. The girls don't mind, they're even encouraging him, but the wimp's got no guts to take it another step and acts like a wuss... is what's Store here wrote," answered Lily while pointing at the pelican, the apparent source for this extra information.

"...Hey, pelican. Where's that guy staying? I've got some assassination to do." - Garami

The pelican retrieved a note from its bill with a smile on its face that convinced me he... that Store was one of my guys. Okay, they're living in-

"Boss, don't forget the punishment for cheating." - Lily

DAMN IT ALL!! This stupid, no-good festival that doesn't allow killing!!

That damn harem protagonist! You're one festival away from getting butchered! And your sluts too!!

"If you're going after him, boss, then be careful. Weakling or no, that [Divine Protection] skill is bad news. It took Alf everything to get a draw, and that's considering that the rules were in the jerk's favor." - Lily

Why's the world's laziest vampire's name coming up here?

"Didn't you know? Alf's-" - Lily

*Riiiing!*

"Sorry boss! I'll get back to you later. It's time for the next match." - Lily

Lily jumped onto the big chicken's back again and started to prepare the broadcasting equipment. Let's give her some room for now...

[AND WE'RE BACK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!] - Lily

Gwaah!? My ears! Earplugs, earplugs... much better. Thanks again, [Spatial Storage] filled with so much junk.

[In the left corner, weighing way too little due to acute blood loss, the cold, the fearless, the lazy bum that refuses to move! Alfreeeed Loxleeeeeey!!] - Lily

Perfect audio control~. 

Alf came walking onto the stage wearing his new Frost Bat equipment. It's a black undershirt underneath a white, baggy coat and pants of a similar color scheme, plus metal-tipped boots. He's also wearing a black hat and round sunglasses. Countermeasures against the sun. And in his hands is a sinister, black halberd...

Okay, I lied. It's not sinister, just black. I mean, that fishing-for-brains got Flint to modify the halberd so it can be used as a fishing rod! What's the point in doing that!?

[And in the right corner, weighing too much for any scales to count, the terror of the highway, the hit-runner of souls, the guy who knows how to burn the rubber... WANDO THE WANYUDO!!] - Lily

Geh, I know that thing! It's that living wheel-thing! The burning oxcart wheel, the Wanyudo! A rank D+ Youkai!

Honestly, that guy would be a bad match for me. That thing's second name is the "soul taker". He's a literal anti-undead living weapon! Also, assassination techniques aren't that useful against a wheel. And yes, it's true even if it's got an old man's face plastered on one of its sides.

*Ding, ding!*

And the fight's on! The Wanyudo started to run... roll around the arena at high speeds. Alf didn't even try to block its charge. Not that he could. Even if he's obtained the Ocean Hunter class lately by merge-evolving the Angler and Hunter classes and gotten some 100 points in STR and 50 in VIT and DEX, that wheel's one nasty traffic offender. 

The Wanyudo started to release fireballs that flew around the stadium like will-o'-wisps. Alf started to smash the floating balls of fire by creating icicle pillars all over the stadium, creating weak shadows that he used as mediums for [Shadow Hammers] to swat the fireball. Not to mention creating great roadblocks... and the youkai crashed. 

Those ice pillars are something, seeing one withstand the crash from the Wanyudo. Lines of frost came at the youkai while it was confused, like snakes going for their prey. The Wanyudo got up before that and started rolling again...not. It's stopped by hands made of shadows. The ice started to cover the Wanyudo, but it made flames appear again to counter the cold. It didn't do anything against the hands though...

And during all this, Alf had snuck behind the side of the Wanyudo that has his face. Then he used an Art with his halberd and slashed at the youkai...no? He hooked the ax part of the weapon into one of the wheel's spokes and used the last part of the Art to throw the youkai out of the arena.

[And another victory for competitor Alfred!! As always, he's so good at incapacitating people that it's blood-chilling! This is his 12th victory in a row just today, with the draw against competitor Hiiro being the only thing that prevents him from having a perfect record!] - Lily

And the crowd goes wild...can't have him come and help at the kitchen now. The original plan was to have Mira compete in the arena while hiding large parts of her strengths so people would come flocking to the D-arena, thereby getting us some more customers since we've set up shop nearby, but suddenly replacing the champ with some new girl? Drop of popularity right there. I would have rooted for her...

I left the roof floor after giving Lily the thumbs-up to continue what she was doing. Alf's not showing off the new Blood Warrior class he's recently obtained, so I guess he's keeping his best cards hidden. He even used part of the [Fortress of Frost] skill to facilitate that attacking-ice move. People's prolly thinking the skill can only do that. They'll be sorry if they continue to think so later on in the festival.

Guess I have to make the guys quit the kitchen a little bit earlier than expected. Let's blame a lack of ingredients for that. 

Wonder if there are some stalls with few people. I wanna enjoy the festival too... as much as I...can...

My wallet's gone. Me. Outta all people and demons out there! This is so not my day...

---

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