Water...check. Poison...check. Rocks...check. Flames...HOT! Okay, that's a check, but I don't think I can use this one.

"I have to say, unexpected or not, we ended up getting quite the windfall with the last expedition." - Garami

While blowing my fingers as I sat in the corner of the Union Hall on Mayhem Island, I said my honest impression to Bloom as I looked at the strange "webs" I had created thanks to the new skill in my arsenal.

Skill: Nature's Webbing Skill Type: Active Skill Tier: 3 Attribute: --- Effect: Allows one to generate webs that have the same properties of whatever area the user is in, or by using any physical items one has on hand as a catalyst. Requires secondary web-creation skills. This skill cannot produce webs on its own. Items used as a catalyst are consumed. Only material-category items can be used.

[Nature's Webbing] is simply broken. Be it liquid or solid materials, it can allow me to create any type of webbing!

The only downside is that I need to hand over materials if I wanna make strange webs, like gold or silver. Oh, and that there seem to be extra costs for rarer webs, such as those made outta valuable materials like the gold I mentioned.

It's sorta weird that fire can be classified as a "material", but it worked, and it is the most expensive webbing of them all. Generating enough for a fishing net would cost more than a dozen blasts of the Zahhak skill. On the other hand, liquids such as water, HP potions, and poison seem to be quite cheap. Even cheaper than ordinary rocks. Maybe I have an affinity for liquids?

Also, I can still generate normal webs. These "nature webs" are the result of the new skill that acts as an extension to my [Demon Spider's Thread], so the old functions aren't messed with.

"I fail to see how useful this is." - Bloom

"Hey, being able to change the type of webs is a strong effect. Anyway, you got some explaining to do." - Garami

"Explaining? ...Oh. About the thing yesterday? Oomph..." - Bloom

Bloom made the Kigal-Note appear (without my permission again) and did her best in turning its pages. After a while of seeing the fairy struggle, she finally found the page she was looking for... WHAT THE HECK?!

"I-is this that lizard from yesterday...?" - Garami

"Yes. I trapped it." - Bloom

No, no, no, no, no. Even if you say it that plainly, I still don't get it! The assassin lizard from yesterday is plastered on the book pages, 2D style! And it even moves! It's looking at us with a confused look that practically screams "what the hell is going on!?"!

"Hmm? Why the confused look? Are you playing a game with the Hashamander?" - Bloom

"No, that's not it! Explain what is going on here already!" - Garami

"Oh, I didn't do that already? Excuse me, it completely slipped my mind. It was right after Glavras' defeat after all." - Bloom

"That's no excuse to..., hold on. Did you say 'Glavras'?" - Garami

That's a name I never wanted to hear again. Why did it come up now?

"Yes. Back when you defeated Glavras, you obtained your third 'Ultimate Proof'." - Bloom

"You mean when I got the [Liquid Control] skill? What's up with that lazy-ass naming sense? I mean, how's that related to the lizard turning 2D?" - Garami

If being the Darkness Champion qualifies as one of the "Proofs", then it, that "Water Proof" from defeating Glavras, and the "Order Proof" that came along with the [Gamemaster] skill, aka Bloom, make three of them. But I still don't see the connection between them and the Kigal-Note... Ah.

"Did it finally hit you? That is what your face is saying." - Bloom

"And I who believed I had a fool-proof poker face... The Kigal-Note, which I got for being an 'Ultimate Champion' or whatever, is related to these 'ultimate proofs', correct?" - Garami

"That's right~! And it is not only the Kigal-Note. All the Champions of the 12 primary attributes have one 'Ultimate Item', an extremely powerful item that consists of a separate item type and ability compared to each other-" - Bloom

"Hold it! How's this book supposed to be 'extremely powerful'? It's never saved my bacon in my entire life! ...Except for yesterday!" - Garami

"What did you expect from the Ultimate Item of the book-type and knowledge-ability?" - Bloom

"Grr... Even so, ain't most of the juiciest bits of info locked behind restrictions and authority barriers?" - Garami

"Would you like it to have all its powers available from the start? Just so you know, the other Ultimate Items include stuff like an armor of invincibility, a sword of destruction, and a cape of invisibility." - Bloom

Okay, those would be bad...to face. Let's be happy that there are restrictions on them and be done with that. But that cape sounds intriguing...

"However, the sealed abilities of the Ultimate Items are gradually unlocked when its Champion obtains 'ultimate proofs'!" - Bloom

"Hmm..., so, is it one new ability for every third proof or something?" - Garami

"Correct! How did you know that?" - Bloom

"I simply guessed it based on the flow of the conversation. But do you mind explaining what is going on to this guy?" I asked, pointing at the paper lizard who had gotten bored with our conversation and fallen asleep...HEY!

"This is part of the Kigal-Note's new ability, as you guessed. 'Capture & Analyze'. That is the name of this effect." - Bloom

"Hmm? I get the capture part, but analyze?" - Garami

"The Kigal-Note can spend its owner's MP to trap a target inside itself, but the target may be able to resist the capture if its RES and stamina are too high. After being captured, the Kigal-Note will analyze the creature's abilities and generate an Ability Token that can be used for various purposes. Mostly for crafting." - Bloom

"Crafting..., oh! Does this mean they can be used for the Nightmare Demon items as well!" - Garami

"Yes, I would think so. By the way, the creature inside will not have their health values change. Neither HP, MP, nor even their SP. But they will probably die from boredom, so I would suggest that you set them free after the analysis is done." - Bloom

"Why didn't you tell me about this before!? Argh, I could have min-maxed in MP if I'd known this earlier!" - Garami

"Hold on, there are more limitations to this ability than it first seems! Starting with that there is a limit to how many creatures you can capture at the same time!" - Bloom

"Always with the constraints!" - Garami

"It is not as bad as you think. It was originally designed to consume much more MP for using this trapping ability, way more than even the Zahhak attack or creating flame webs with [Nature's Webbing], but they managed to reduce the cost by adding these constraints." - Bloom

"Tch..., well, can't say I dislike a discount. Better to be able to trap something than nothing at all. Anyway, what are those restrictions?" - Garami

"There is the fact that these 'prison slots' that are used to keep a being trapped are shared with the 'Ability Tokens', and the total limit is 3. This means that if you save 3 Tokens, you will not have any space to trap a new creature. Also, the Ability Token is only obtained after you have released the trapped creature after the analysis is complete. Oh, and it takes a month after you released a creature for the prison slot to be used again. The Ability Tokens does not have that type of time-based restriction though." - Bloom

Grr..., so the trapping ability isn't as great as I first thought. It feels more like a limited finishing move than anything. But the Ability Tokens seem useful. Maybe they work with plain old alchemy as well?

"Hey, what are you two...what is this? Some sort of paper art?" - Alf

Alf came to our table but paused when he saw the sleeping lizard that generated Zs over its head and a snot bubble. Is the Kigal-Note part comic book?

"Ah, it's nothing important. Anyway, how did the report go?" - Garami

"It went painlessly. The Union thanked us for discovering the underground garden's decrease in monster repelling-pollen and has started an investigation. They said we are free to leave, so I doubt they are suspecting that we're the culprits." - Alf

Phew. That was something I had been worrying about ever since we left the garden.

"We were even given a bonus for the trouble. It is probably enough for Noire to clear her debts." - Alf

"Why do you think so?" - Garami

"I mean, look at her," replied Alf as he pointed behind him. I took off my blindfold to see what it was and saw Noire clutching a sizeable moneybag with tears of happiness trickling down her face.

"Debts are horrible to have, aren't they?" - Garami

"Pray that you never end in her situation." - Alf

I wholeheartedly agree with that. And that I never start cuddling my money bag in the same fashion as Mira does. Is she planning on putting the whole Guild to shame? Well, whatever makes people happy, I guess.

---

The next day...

"Bwaaaa!! This is too muuuuch!!" - Noire

And where did yesterday's happiness go? Anyone, do you have a time machine? I wanna return to the good ol' days!

"Hey, the Union Hall isn't a place to be bawling your eyes out." - Garami

"Shut up! Why is it that you're lazying around in this place so early in the morning? Don't you have anything better to do?!" - Noire

"Nope." - Garami

"Such a straight and unfazed answer!!" - Noire

I mean, I could start developing my Zombie-type necromancy blueprints, as the [Create Undead: Zombie] skill got unlocked in the Mayhem Tunnel islands, but there is no place to do that here. The sewers are closed off due to renovation. Maybe it was too hasty to return to Velantas the first thing after we reported to the Union yesterday after all?

"Fine. If I ask you what happened, will you stop acting like an attention-attracting siren?" - Garami

"What attention?! This place is deserted!" - Noire

I wouldn't go as far as calling it "deserted", but she's right in that there are way fewer adventurers here today. I overheard the Union staff talking about something happening on Little Wasteland. Did the Life Disaster-sludge spill extend to someplace more populated than Alf's hidden fishing spot?

"But fine! I will tell you." - Noire

So she wanted the attention. I shot myself in the foot there...

"That four-eyed bastard Blot fired me!!" - Noire

"Wow. That-is-so-cruel." - Garami

"Not as much as your monotone replies!!" - Noire

"Fine, I'll be serious. Why did he fire you?" - Garami

"W-well...my debitors somehow found their way to Blot and showed him how much I owned them..." - Noire

"I see. He got so disappointed with you that he cut your ties to the organization just to be safe." - Garami

"*Sniff*, and here I have been working for those two ever since before Nequitas was formed..." - Noire

..."Those two"?

I wanted to ask Noire what she meant about that, but the doors to the Union Hall were kicked open and a certain someone came storming up to my table.

"Garami, it's a massacre! A witch hunt! A genocide!!" - Mira

"Calm down. What is going on?" - Garami

"SOMEONE STOLE MY MONEY!!" - Mira

Ah..., those poor thieves. Even I can't stop what is going to happen to them now.

"Th-that is not the real crisis!" - ???

Hmm? Is there someone else with Mira? ...Ain't that guy...what was his name again???