Versatile: Alternate World



The trip to get the item I was missing turns out to be much more fruitful than I expected. The material dropped a lot sooner than I thought it would drop and the item I got from the Yuki-Onna is something else entirely. That is something I would have expected to obtain. Getting is like getting the blessing of her powers entirely. Although she is not a god, she has one of the strongest abilities in the Yokais in the Alternate World as her ability can easily kill anyone without preparation.

After departing, I look back at the Everfrost Forest for the last time and spotted the Yuki-Onna on top of the tree that stood where I fought the Ice Haunt waving at me goodbye. Of course, if I called her, that also means she will be coming to my aid anytime. I left with a little salute before Leona left the boundary area of the Everfrost Forest.

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When I arrived, I thought the two would ask me where I went after that but it seems they didn't notice where I went as I didn't see them ask me or anything. Based on their conversations whenever they pass from where I was working the stuff, no one seems to have noticed that I disappeared for quite some time which is good as they should still think I am still in the process of making the item.

Now that no one knows that I left, I pulled out the [Skin of the Screaming Monkey] to start creating a leather that will act as the one that will stop any kind of music to be heard from any kind of source, even from weapons and other stuff that makes sounds. You can still hear sounds normally like if someone is talking but once something or someone sings, makes a tune, or makes any kind of beat, it will immediately mute that kind of sound helping anyone against a bard.

This is the best material out of all the music-nullifying materials I know as it will be automatic to stop those sounds from reaching your ears which nullifies the main purpose of the bard to fight.

Processing it as leather is easy enough as it needed only a few tweaks of heat from the Transmutation Table. Once done, the material is ready and the only thing left is to make the item that is needed to hold the leather that will cover the ears during battle.

Normal headphones can be removed if anyone moves around quickly and this is a bad thing for both myself and Queen Tanya who sometimes do some attacks that require us to dodge, roll, and move around the battlefield in various positions to dodge or properly fight back. Therefore, I needed a design that would act the same as the normal headphones but not that easy to remove by any kind of movement.

I thought of making some kind of helmet at first, but that can easily be destroyed by the enemies if they realized that was the main reason we will not be affected by the music of the bard so I needed a new alternative. Then I thought of something.

However, I didn't come up with anything good design so I scrap the idea but then, I realized that I have been thinking too much about the headphones that I neglected the earbuds. Earbuds are easier to conceal, and not that easy to fall off due to rapid movements done by the wearer and plug the holes of your ears without covering your whole ear, perfect for alternative headphones. Despite being small, they can still be attached to the material leather I got and make the item.

With that said, I better start building this stuff and finish this before the new morning comes.

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Around 6 hours passed after the building process, and I finally completed the Anti-Bard Earbuds. It's nothing special but it's not that normal either. Aside from putting the leather that stops music of any kind from entering the ears, I added different magic spells on it that will activate on certain occasions. It is some kind of a secret for now as they don't have any controls on what I put in there and will only activate if the conditions I set up were fulfilled, therefore, if not fulfilled, then the spell on the earbuds will not even activate.

Anyways, it's time to have some good sleep. I still have time before the showcase. I should get some good sleep and perhaps wait for the next day to come. After putting all of the items I used back in my inventory, I put down my head on the desk that I used to make stuff and started snoozing.

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Then I woke back up to the place dream world. The place where I always forgot whenever I wake up and remember once I return. All the other memories I had here are back as well. As much as it is very weird, I am not sure what is going on with this place, and as to why I am always back in here, I don't know. But one thing is for sure, if not for the girl in here, I wouldn't even be able to remember all those I had forgotten.

This time, I appear beneath the giant tree which I always call the World Tree, and frowned as this time, it has a different thing on its trunk now. The girl who was always greeting me every time I went into this realm is now inside a capsule-like chamber that is embedded in the tree.

I tried to scream and talk but I realized I can't speak. I frowned at this and I don't know what to do. Because I can't even get myself to speak loudly, then I decided to climb the tree. Using its thick roots to rise to the top, I slowly climb up making sure that I get there in time and rescue the girl.

"Don't waste your time. You cannot get me out of this place. However, you should hurry, time is not on your side anymore."