Chapter 49

"Is this the hunting ground?"

"It's a rather desolate place, isn't it?"

Before them lay not a lush, tree-covered mountain but a rocky one with exposed rock faces. Large boulders were scattered here and there, and if one of them rolled down while they were climbing, it wouldn't be a laughing matter. In such a place, a creature with a rough, blue, scaly skin was walking.

"Is that the monster here? It looks more imposing than the ones we've seen before."

"Indeed, it seems quite sturdy for its humanoid size. It might feel good to punch it."

The creature had a face like a lizard, with very hard skin that was also spiky in some parts. Unlike the numerous Vulture Warriors, only a few Lizardmen with swords were walking around the rocky mountain. The distance was too great, and it didn't seem suitable for area hunting. I decided to check the status first.

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● Species: Lizardman

Level: 60

HP: 18,000

MP: 0

Attack: 600

Defense: 800

Agility: 150

Magic Resistance: 40

Special Ability: None

Skill: Roar

――――――

The level seems quite high. Since we are currently around level 50 on average, it might be a good opponent for leveling up. From the stats, it seems slightly stronger than the Vulture Warriors.

"Hmm... Can we hunt them with our usual pattern? Estel, use magic to—"

"Wait a moment."

"Is something wrong?"

I was about to have Estel attack with magic, but Noelle called for a halt.

"It's strange that there are so few. The rocky mountain makes it hard to see, and more might come from hidden areas."

"True, compared to our previous hunting grounds, it seems a bit unnatural. We should avoid using magic recklessly."

Indeed, it's odd that there are only a few in a hunting ground. There are blind spots due to the large rocks and uneven terrain. There might be more hiding in such places.

"Let's try to lure an isolated one and take it down. Do you think Noelle can handle the attack role with this monster?"

"I can fight too, and if Oogura-san protects us while leaving the rest to me, it should be fine."

This time, Noelle will be the front-line attacker, I'll be in the middle, and Estel will be at the back. If Noelle is in trouble, she can come to me, and if the monster heads towards Estel, I'll defend. With Sisha here, I think it will be fine, but I'll prioritize protection. Noelle should be able to handle one on her own.

"Noelle, do your best."

"Alright, let's go! Hey!"

Sisha and Estel cast support spells on us, and then Estel attacked a Lizardman that was isolated from the others. When the fireball hit the Lizardman, it staggered and noticed our presence, roaring and looking our way. Then, more Lizardmen emerged from the shadows of the rocks around the first one.

"What!?"

"Sure enough, they all came out at once. I'll take the front and handle the enemies, so Estel, please provide support."

"Okay, leave it to me."

The Lizardmen that emerged, including the first one, were eight in total, running towards us. They carried different weapons: swords, axes, spears, and bows, like a party. Noelle ran forward to intercept them. As the Lizardmen approached, two of them broke away from the group, drew their bows, and fired arrows. Noelle deflected the arrows with her sword and maintained her momentum, colliding with the group.

The first Lizardman with a sword swung at her but missed, and in return, she cut off its arm. The next Lizardman with an axe raised it behind Noelle, but before he could swing, she turned and cut off both his arms along with the axe.

This time, a spear flew from the Lizardman's abdomen. It seemed that the Lizardman with a spear in the back judged it useless and stabbed it. Noelle deflected the spear with her shield and kicked the Lizardman, sending it flying. At this point, Estel's support magic hit, and the three Lizardmen Noelle had attacked were engulfed in fire and couldn't move.

"Sisha is amazing, but Noelle is really incredible..."

"She's a pure melee class. Ah, Noelle is so wonderful... I'd love to have a heart-to-heart talk with her."

I couldn't handle such multiple attacks. The Lizardmen quickly surrounded Noelle, but she dodged their attacks as if she knew what was coming. The spear attack was from a blind spot, but she deflected it.

Sisha, watching this, seemed entranced. I wonder if she means a heart-to-heart talk or something else... Noelle, do your best.

"Huff, each one isn't that strong. It might be too early for Oogura-san."

"Those aren't monsters for a single front-liner to fight..."

Noelle quickly defeated the other Lizardmen, and the last one with a bow was also taken down. The bow-wielding Lizardman would have fled if the front-liners were all defeated, making it easy. Since Noelle did most of the work, I and Sisha didn't do much, just deflecting arrows to protect Estel. The dropped items were Lizardman skins and the weapons they carried.

"Maybe there are six melee and two ranged in each group?"

"Maybe we shouldn't attack the Lizardmen on patrol recklessly."

After fighting multiple groups, it seems the first Lizardman we attacked was on patrol. Attacking it triggers the Roar skill, summoning nearby allies. Each group has six melee and two ranged attackers.

"Hmm, this place isn't very suitable for collecting magic stones..."

"Your motivation really changes depending on the gacha. You can't lose your motivation so obviously."

Compared to the Northern Cave, where we could instantly kill monsters, this place is a bit more troublesome. The hunting efficiency for spawning rare monsters isn't great. The monsters' levels are high, so the experience is good, but it's hard to stay motivated. I decided to hunt at least the rare monsters and looked at the rocky mountain. Suddenly, a black Lizardman appeared.

"Huh? Something's coming out... Oh no!?"

"This might be a bit dangerous."

I thought it was a rare monster, but it wasn't just one; eight black Lizardmen appeared one after another.

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● Kepul (Species: Lizardman)

Level: 80

HP: 55,000

MP: 0

Attack: 1800

Defense: 2000

Agility: 240

Magic Resistance: 60

Special Ability: Control

Skill: Roar

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Ugh... It has both a special ability and a skill. Is it dangerous to fight eight at once?

"Oogura-san, can I use my skill?"

"Huh..."

I was thinking it would be tough and a bit of a hassle, but Noelle said she wanted to use her skill. She seemed excited to try her new skill. Hmm, it might be tough to fight like this, but I want to see what her skill is like.

"Sure, but come back immediately after you finish. It'll be dangerous if you collapse again."

"Understood!"

I allowed Noelle to use her skill with the condition that she returns before the effect wears off. She sounded excited, and a silver light enveloped her as she used the skill.

Then, she closed the distance with Kepul in an instant and swung her sword. The speed was so fast that I, Estel, and Sisha couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. The first Kepul didn't even realize she was there before it was eliminated. The shockwave from her attack blew apart the Lizardman standing in the extension of her sword. It seemed that a shockwave was emitted from the tip of her sword, causing part of the rocky mountain to collapse.

"Wow... Really?"

"I've never seen her use her skill before... It's amazing."

"It's not just enhanced; it's overwhelmingly powerful."

The remaining Kepul must have noticed their comrade was defeated and started to attack Noelle. However, the difference in strength was too great. Before the Kepul could move, Noelle cut off their limbs and heads one after another. The rare monsters and regular Lizardmen seemed almost the same now. The shockwave from her attacks started causing damage to the surroundings, and more Lizardmen emerged to charge at her. The initial Kepul were all gone, and other Lizardmen were being eliminated with a single swing of her sword, leaving no trace.

"Hehehe, I'm in top form! I don't feel like losing to anyone!"

●

"Ugh... It hurts, it hurts..."

"Sure enough, it ended up like this."

Noelle returned before the effect wore off but collapsed immediately after. I had Sisha cast a recovery spell, which restored her enough to speak, but she couldn't move. I had to carry her on my back.

"Even Sisha's recovery spell can't fully heal her."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more use..."

At first, she couldn't even speak, but thanks to the recovery spell, her condition improved to the point of muscle pain. It seems that the skill's evolution also brought an evolution in its backlash. It might still be difficult to use it effectively.