Chapter 56

After finishing my conversation with Glad, I came out to the courtyard of the fortress to look for Hima and the others. In the courtyard, soldiers were training, and their high level of skill was evident. In a corner of the courtyard, Hima and Lumin were facing each other with wooden swords, preparing to practice.

It seemed that Hima was letting Lumin freely strike and correcting her form while demonstrating the flow of water. The speed at which Hima swung the sword was very slow, apparently to match Lumin's pace.

"What do you think, Hima?"

"Yes, teacher. It feels good... Keep going, Lumin!"

"Y-Yes!"

While easily deflecting Lumin's wooden sword, Hima was carefully observing her movements. It's one thing to swing a sword precisely when standing still, but it's much more difficult to do so while moving. Even for me, this would be no different. The gap between the ideal and reality on the battlefield is often frustrating.

Lumin's movements were still clumsy. While her downward strikes were decent, her other movements were still lacking, and her form would break while moving. However, this was her first time practicing while moving. She could already perform attacks after getting into position from various stances, which was a good start.

"That's right... After an attack, you need to imagine how you will move and act accordingly. But don't overconfident. Your stance can be disrupted by your opponent's movements."

Lumin lost her balance and stumbled after her strike was deflected by the flow of water. To be able to withstand such an attack without losing balance, she needed to improve her weight shifting. However, she could already maintain her balance without falling, thanks to the weight shifting techniques Hima was teaching her. Lumin had a remarkable learning speed, and Hima seemed to be enjoying the training as well. When I started teaching Hima—Asuka, I was also impressed by her learning ability. Although, her talent lay in a different area.

"Hmm... When you're done with this, we'll head out. You've gained some experience, right?"

"Ah, yes. Lumin, let's do one more set and then finish."

"Yes!"

While Hima continued to teach Lumin the strikes from various stances, I planned out the day. We had four more days, including today, until the start of the World Quest in the real world. I wanted to maximize our growth during this time. Especially for Lumin, I wanted to avoid sending her into battle with half-baked skills. While reaching the level where she could claim the name of the Eternal Divine Flow was a bit too ambitious, she should at least be able to hold the front line. To achieve this, we needed to aim for rapid growth by utilizing her level-up traits.

(I don't know how long this growth will continue. It might last as long as she grows taller, but who knows how long that will be.)

It probably won't last forever. So, we should set a goal and make the most of the time we have. Therefore, we decided to actively hunt monsters until the event.

It was a bit exciting to see how much of a swordsman Lumin, who was once just a fairy, would become. When I mentioned this to Asuka in the real world, she sarcastically commented, "Why did the game's first tamed fairy end up like this?" But she was also a co-conspirator.

"Alright... That's enough for now. Good job, Lumin."

"Thank you!"

I nodded at the two of them bowing to each other and approached them. It took some time, but Lumin had learned how to move in actual combat. However, whether she could replicate this in a real battle was another matter. We needed to confirm this now.

"Alright, are you ready? Let's head out."

"Yes, teacher. Where are we going today?"

"First, we'll check the border checkpoint. After that, we'll hunt in a good spot."

The areas we had visited until yesterday were decent, but we wanted to find a place with stronger enemies. We didn't know what the checkpoint would be like, but it was worth checking. As we talked, we moved outside the fortress, greeted the gatekeeper, and stepped out. The sun was already high, and the weather was good, making it a perfect day for training.

"Let's go. I think it's to the east, right?"

"Yes, let's do our best!"

"Okay!"

Leading Lumin, who walked with a practiced gait, we headed down a path off the main road. Our destination was the mountain range that marked the border. We stepped into the area where the slope began.

* * * * *

"Your level has increased. Please allocate your stat points."

"The 'Sword' skill level has increased."

"The 'Dead Point Strike' skill level has increased."

"The 'MP Auto Recovery' skill level has increased."

"The 'Plundering Sword' skill level has increased."

"The 'Tame' skill level has increased."

"The tamed monster 'Lumin' has leveled up."

It seemed we were on the right path. The enemies we encountered as we moved towards the mountain range gradually became stronger. In addition to the Black Bears we had met before, there were Striker Bees and Forest Apes. These bees and apes were quite troublesome, as they often called for reinforcements, causing a continuous stream of the same type of monsters to attack us. However, they could only call for those within a certain range, so they didn't appear endlessly.

"This is a pretty efficient hunting ground."

"The drops aren't much, though... Bee stingers and ape fur. What can we use them for?"

"Who knows. The craftsmen at Eleonora's place will figure it out."

Eleonora's guild, the Eleonora Guild, employed many production workers without shops, forming a large market. Her reputation had spread not only among players but also among the locals, and the items in her main store were recognized as bestsellers. The main store had a showcase where the items stored inside attracted a lot of attention. Every week, the production workers would bring their best works for a competition, and the item that received the most votes would be displayed.

If we handed these items over, something interesting might come out of it.

"Maybe this is just right for training. Look, Lumin's level has already increased."

"It's already gone up by two levels. The efficiency is good, indeed."

Lumin had grown again with the two level-ups. Compared to before, it was about a year's worth of growth. She now looked like a middle school student, and her movements as part of the Eternal Divine Flow had improved significantly. She had learned how to swing a sword and use it in combat, reaching the level of a junior disciple.

"Hima, her body has stabilized. It's time to let Lumin fight next to you. Teach her about weight shifting in detail."

"Understood. Once that's done, can she fight on her own?"

"If she can use the flow of water by then."

The ability to use the flow of water would greatly increase her chances of survival. It was a lifeline for the Eternal Divine Flow. If this technique hadn't been developed, the Kuu family would have been extinct long ago. They had a history of constantly putting themselves in danger.

"Alright, we should be approaching the checkpoint—!"

I shifted my gaze from Hima, who was instructing Lumin, to the direction we were heading. At that moment, a shiver ran down my spine, and I instinctively leaned to the side. Immediately after, a water projectile flew past where my face had been. It was a magical attack. However, none of the enemies we had encountered before had used magic—

"Newcomer, I see."

I drew my sword and ran towards the source of the magic. At the same time, another water projectile flew at me, causing a stinging sensation. However, it wasn't a problem as long as I could see it.

"Magic-Slaying Sword."

Three water projectiles flew towards me in a curve. I accelerated and moved forward, cutting one of them that was aimed at me, and continued advancing. At the point where the magic had been cast, a small, humanoid creature was floating in the air. It looked very similar to Lumin's previous form.

■Mad High Fairy

Type: Monster

Level: 23

Status: Active

Attributes: Water, Dark

Battle Position: Air

Its name was the Mad High Fairy. For some reason, it had fallen to the level of a monster. In any case—

"Kukukuku!"

I scattered the magic with my Magic-Slaying Sword and approached the fairy, but it could fly. I didn't have any ranged attacks, so it was troublesome, but in the forest, I could do something about it. I kicked off the ground and then the tree trunk, climbing vertically to get above the fairy. The fairy's face, which had been twisted with evil, now opened in shock, staring blankly at me. I swung my sword with a full-body rotation, aiming to strike its face.

"Life Sword."

The sword, enveloped in golden phosphorescence, drew a trajectory in the air and struck the fairy's face. The single strike cleanly split the small body in two. Despite its high level, the fairy had weak health and couldn't withstand the attack. Its HP was completely drained. I rotated in mid-air and rolled on the ground to regain my balance and absorb the impact of the fall. I was cautious, but it seemed to be the only enemy.

"Magic-Slaying Sword skill level increased."

"Hmm... It's a troublesome opponent, but it's rare to find one that uses magic."

It was valuable to have an opponent that could help me train my Magic-Slaying Sword. While I could also cut magic from players, it wouldn't help the caster's skill level. I couldn't make them do that, so such opponents were precious.

"...So, our destination is over there."

When I jumped high earlier, I saw a building-like structure through the trees. It seemed to be the checkpoint we were heading to. I waited for Hima and the others to catch up while looking in that direction.

■Avatar Name: Quon

■Gender: Male

■Race: Human

■Level: 19

■Status (Remaining Stat Points: 0)

STR: 19

VIT: 16

INT: 19

MND: 16

AGI: 13

DEX: 13

■Skills

Weapon Skill: Sword: Lv.19

Magic Skill: Enhancement Magic: Lv.13

Set Skill: Dead Point Strike: Lv.14

MP Auto Recovery: Lv.9

Plundering Sword: Lv.11

Identification: Lv.13

Life Sword: Lv.12

Magic-Slaying Sword: Lv.5

Tame: Lv.7

HP Auto Recovery: Lv.7

Sub-Skill: Mining: Lv.1

Title Skill: Fairy's Blessing

■Current SP: 20

■Avatar Name: Hima

■Gender: Female

■Race: Human

■Level: 21

■Status (Remaining Stat Points: 0)

STR: 22

VIT: 14

INT: 19

MND: 17

AGI: 14

DEX: 14

■Skills

Weapon Skill: Sword: Lv.21

Magic Skill: Fire Magic: Lv.16

Set Skill: Aura: Lv.16

Spell Charge: Lv.10

Fire Attribute Enhancement: Lv.12

Healing Aptitude: Lv.8

Identification: Lv.13

Dead Point Strike: Lv.12

Martial Arts: Lv.14

Combat Skills: Lv.14

Endurance: Lv.12

Sub-Skill: Gathering: Lv.7

Mining: Lv.4

Title Skill: Crimson Sword Princess

■Current SP: 20

■Monster Name: Lumin

■Gender: Female

■Race: Sprite

■Level: 7

■Status (Remaining Stat Points: 0)

STR: 15

VIT: 11

INT: 28

MND: 19

AGI: 16

DEX: 14

■Skills

Weapon Skill: None

Magic Skill: Light Magic

Skill: Light Attribute Enhancement

Flight

High Magic Resistance

Low Physical Resistance

MP Auto Recovery

Wind Magic

Title Skill: Spirit King's Servant