Chapter 90

The sun set, and everything was enveloped in darkness.

We are acting in secret, so we are not using any bonfires.

I can see a light in the distance. It must be the light from the Dacat army's flames.

But I can't see it very well.

"The Dacat army seems to be preparing dinner."

"Haru, can you see it?"

I knew he had good eyesight, but can he really see in this darkness?

"Yes. The White Wolf tribe prefers the night. As long as there is moonlight, we can see well in the dark."

Haru said this without boasting.

The moon and the white wolf are indeed a fitting pair.

"That's enviable. From here, I can barely see anything even with the light."

I'll have to rely on Haru for all the information about the Dacat army.

"Doesn't Master have the Eagle Eye skill?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I do have that skill."

...

Eagle Eye: Other Skill [Hunter Lv60]

Allows you to see from the air.

The maximum height can be set to 1 kilometer.

...

I decided to try it out.

Thinking this, I activated Eagle Eye.

I felt my body floating.

No, my body didn't change at all. It's just that my line of sight was rising.

When I moved my head down, my line of sight also went down.

And there, I saw myself looking down.

"It's like an out-of-body experience."

When I said this, my mouth also opened down below.

The difference from an out-of-body experience is that I can only move up and down.

I gradually floated higher and higher.

My and Haru's figures were no longer visible in the darkness.

However, when I looked at the army, I could clearly see the scattered fires from above.

Although the distance had increased, it was easier to see the army's movements from above.

"Huh? What's that—"

"Mr. Ichi, do you see something?"

"Wow... Oh, right, my vision is floating, but my body is on the ground, so I can hear Caro's voice..."

"Yes, everyone is here."

Saying this, Caro probably took my hand.

The gentle touch was transmitted to my palm.

Was it Haru who held my other hand?

... And I felt a slight tug on my clothes.

Marina must have read the situation and grabbed the hem of my clothes.

I'm alone up here, but I don't feel lonely at all.

And I saw it.

"I can see something moving from the northwest— it's a large group of monsters. Can you confirm, Haru?"

"No, the hill is blocking the view from here... Ah, the army is shooting arrows. They seem to be fire arrows."

"Oh, those are fire arrows... Wow, the grass is on fire."

The fire spread quickly, as if oil had been spread on the ground.

They probably cut the grass to prevent the fire from spreading to their own camp.

The fire spread to the west but not to the east.

The power of fire, which can be called the greatest weapon humans have, was terrifying. I thought it would burn the monsters to death all at once.

"Amazing..."

I heard Caro's voice.

Yeah, it's amazing... I thought we wouldn't need to do anything...

"No... way."

The group of monsters didn't slow down at all.

They charged straight into the fire, showing no signs of being burned, and continued moving east—towards the army.

The battle turned into a melee.

Some of the monsters, still on fire, crossed the wall of flames, and the fire spread to the army's camp.

"The retreat has begun—too soon!"

The battle had only lasted for about 10 minutes.

"If we lose too many troops here, it will give Collat an opportunity. They probably decided to switch to a siege strategy in Ferito. If we're lucky, the group of monsters might ignore Ferito's walls and move further east."

"Indeed... If the monsters have no clear purpose, that strategy could work."

The behavior of those monsters is abnormal.

The scene of them entering the fire— it's as if they are being controlled by something.

I deactivated Eagle Eye and returned to the ground.

I looked at Haru and Caro on either side, and Marina behind me.

I took a mask out of my item bag and gave it to Marina.

When she became Marina,

"It seems to be a serious situation... Do you need my power?"

"Yeah, Marina, and Haru, Caro, I need all three of your powers. With the four of us, we can do anything—though if things get too dangerous, we'll retreat to my world."

I said this with a smile and then looked at Caro.

"Caro, you've been tossed around by the Seducer skill, haven't you? You thought your skill was making everyone around you unhappy, right? But your skill will save Ferito."

"Uh... Yes! Um, Mr. Ichi, please don't put too much pressure on me."

I thought I was saying something good, but it seemed to make Caro even more nervous.

"Haru, I need you to provide support with Slash. Don't go into the enemy like before. We'll retreat if things get too dangerous for us, more so than for the Dacat army."

"I will handle it."

"No, you have to protect me."

Haru is scary because he prioritizes my life over his own.

Well, I would probably do the same for Haru if it came to that.

"Marina—"

"When my third eye opens, my magic bow will pierce all hearts, and destroy the hourglass of life, which measures the time of life—"

"Too long! Ah, so you're in top form, Marina?"

"Ichi, that's right. Even if you don't try to look good, our feelings are the same."

Marina pointed out a sore spot.

You're right.

This battle is absolutely safe, with no problems.

It's not a battle of four against thousands or tens of thousands of monsters.

It's a bonus stage where retreat is the default.

"Everyone, let's enjoy it!"

"Okay!"

"Then, let's go!"

I said this and changed Caro's job to Seducer.