Chapter 33

Leaving the cemetery, I made my way back to the road where carriages passed, accompanied by Shuna.

I took the opportunity to recheck my status.

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Zelos Sylphide

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Crest: [Crest of Nothingness]

Level: 36

HP: 212/360 MP: 133/180

Strength: 66

Endurance: 50

Speed: 62

Intelligence: 36

Luck: 36

Status Points: 0

Skills: [Parry] Lv.2, [Slash] Lv.2, [Magic Arrow] Lv.1, [Dark Enchant] Lv.1, [Scout] Lv.1

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My level had increased by 6 due to the Dark Sorcerer's defeat, bringing my stats to a decent level.

Incidentally, Shuna had also leveled up from 30 to 34.

I must have received more experience points because I served as the damage dealer during the boss battle.

While I was thinking about this, we were on our way back, when suddenly—

"AAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

A scream suddenly rang out from a short distance away.

"Zelos, did you hear that...!"

"Yeah, it came from over there."

I instinctively tried to use [Scout], but quickly stopped myself.

At my current skill level, the range I could investigate was only a few dozen meters. It would be faster to go there directly.

(I just used a potion, so my HP and MP aren't fully restored, but I can't just leave them.)

With that thought, I turned to Shuna.

She seemed to be thinking the same thing, as she nodded when our eyes met.

"Let's hurry, Shuna."

"Okay!"

We ran in the direction of the scream.

As we entered the forest, a gruesome scene unfolded before us.

"Damn it, we're going to be wiped out!"

"Leader, what do we do...?"

"Someone, help us!"

There was a group of adventurers surrounded by multiple monsters.

I recognized the bear monsters from "Creon."

I checked their status just to be sure.

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[Hungry Bear]

- Recommended Level for Defeat: 31

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As expected, they were Hungry Bears.

While they were high-level monsters for this area, they were no match for us.

(But, this is strange. Hungry Bears, also known as [Cannibal Bears], are notorious for their lack of teamwork and usually act alone. They shouldn't attack in a group like this...)

Despite my doubts, there was no time to waste.

I raised my sword high.

"---Slash!"

I swung it powerfully, unleashing a series of [Slash] attacks.

The blue-white slashes cut through the air, mowing down the Hungry Bears one by one.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

"---Alright, that's the last one."

After defeating five of them, I turned to the adventurers.

They were injured, but none of them seemed to have fatal wounds.

I sighed in relief and approached the leader, a man who seemed to be in charge.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, somehow... Thank you so much. If you hadn't come, we would have been wiped out..."

The leader expressed his gratitude but looked puzzled.

"But those Hungry Bears... They were working together in a way that's unusual. Normally, they only appear alone, and we should have been able to handle them."

Hearing this, I rubbed my chin in thought.

(So, it's as I suspected... Is this due to the monsters gaining intelligence as a result of the game transitioning to reality? Or...)

A foreboding feeling crept over me, and I instinctively activated [Scout].

Something caught my attention at the very edge of the detection range.

(This is...!)

Right then, a fierce roar echoed through the area.

"ROOOAAARR!"

With the roar, a massive bear emerged from the forest.

Its body was covered in skin like steel, exuding an overwhelming presence.

(This must be the boss that was leading the pack. Its status is---)

I muttered a command, and a window appeared before my eyes.

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[Ironhide Bear]

- Recommended Level for Defeat: 46

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"Sure enough, it's an Ironhide Bear. The level is... 46!"

Shuna gasped in surprise at my words.

"What!? That's even stronger than the Dark Sorcerer..."

"Yeah, just slightly."

Shuna's expression tensed.

I, on the other hand, focused on the Ironhide Bear, thinking quickly.

(It's not just the level. This thing has a troublesome characteristic.)

As its name suggests, the Ironhide Bear has skin as hard as iron.

Its high defense means it can only be damaged by attacks with sufficient power.

Unlike the Dark Sorcerer, which had special mechanics, there's no clear strategy to defeat it, making it universally strong.

However, its iron-like body seems to affect its movement, making it slow for a beast-type monster.

If it was just Shuna and me, escaping would be easy.

But... I glanced over my shoulder at the injured adventurers.

(I can't leave them behind.)

The problem was how to defeat it.

Even if I landed a critical hit, it wouldn't deal much damage to this thing.

To take it down, we needed a high-damage attack to break through its defenses.

I made up my mind and shouted to Shuna.

"Shuna, how much MP do you have left!?"

"Um... enough for two Magic Missiles! If I want to add an attribute, I can only fire one!"

I frowned slightly at her answer.

(Two Dark Missiles with the darkness attribute might be enough to take it down, but that seems difficult. So, the only option left is... that.)

After a moment's thought, I made a decision.

I then looked at Shuna with a serious expression and said,

"To defeat that thing, we need your power. Will you help me?"

"Of course! What do I need to do?"

I explained the method to Shuna and then ran towards the Ironhide Bear to buy us some time.

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