Chapter 52

After the incantation ended and the transfer was complete, I immediately pushed through the forest on the other side and checked my surroundings.

...There were no footprints to be found.

Looking around, I noticed a rocky area.

Maybe they went that way?

Where are they!?

“...”

Then I continued to move forward across the river.

Thanks to the influence of my level, I didn’t get out of breath and tried to catch up with everyone quickly, but no matter how long I tried, I couldn’t catch up...

Damn! Am I making the same mistake again?

The thought of something happening to Maki and the others while I was distracted made my spine freeze.

“Get out of the way! Move!”

On the way, I encountered a group of monsters—large snakes called Amber Vipers—that attacked me.

“I don’t have time for this!”

Thanks to the Metal Turtle sword, I could take them down if I hit them, but there were too many.

If six of them appeared at once, it would take a lot of time to fight!

I could ignore them and continue chasing Maki and the others, but if I ignored them, the monsters would keep chasing me and might eventually cause trouble for Maki and the others.

That’s something I had to avoid.

Even though it was troublesome... I had to take them down!

After taking down all the Amber Vipers, I immediately resumed my pursuit, but in the end, I couldn’t find any trace of Maki and the others.

“Haa... haa...”

I applied the medicine given to me by Hagi to my wounds to recover.

I had been chasing Maki and the others for a few hours.

Since I had been taking down as many monsters as possible along the way, I was quite fatigued.

Thanks to the enhanced armor Maki gave me, I could withstand most monster attacks, but I still got injured.

If Shii were here, she could heal me right away, but since she wasn’t, I had to use the medicine Hagi gave me for emergencies.

If this is going to happen, I shouldn’t have gone on this shopping trip!

After muttering this complaint for the umpteenth time, I fought a Baby Blue Punching Bear, a marsupial-like monster equipped with a unique weapon, a pair of boxing gloves.

It wasn’t a boss, so no special battle occurred.

But...

“Ugh...”

Even though the Metal Turtle sword could cut through its tough fur if it hit, the monster was very agile and dodged my attacks, hitting me hard.

Fighting three of them alone was no easy task, even with my level.

“Gaaaaa!”

“Ugh—”

I had just killed one with the Metal Turtle sword when I was tackled and thrown back by a full-body attack.

I hit a tree with a thud, and the pain made my face contort.

If Maki hadn’t enhanced my armor, I might have died.

Shaking my dazed head, I quickly regained my footing and attacked the remaining two Baby Blue Punching Bears.

I don’t have combat-oriented abilities like the swordsmen in the combat group.

But, I still had to do this!

“Move! Move!”

“Gaa—”

I thrust the Metal Turtle sword into the chest of one Baby Blue Punching Bear and pushed it away, then jumped over it, holding the sword in reverse and thrusting it into the forehead of the last one.

“Gaaaaa”

The Metal Turtle sword pierced the forehead of the last one, and it fell.

“Haa... haa...”

After catching my breath, I checked my surroundings again.

Did I take a wrong turn somewhere?

This is strange.

Considering the number of people, they should be findable.

Not finding any traces makes me think I’ve made a mistake somewhere.

...Just to be safe, I used visual transfer to check the place where Maki and the others were.

Maybe they remembered and came back.

But... it seems they didn’t.

“Ugh...”

My spine and lungs hurt.

But, I need to find Maki and the others first.

At that moment, the medal Maki gave me started to glow and float.

“What!?”

At this time!?

Stakes sprouted rapidly from the ground around me, and vines formed a square ring.

At the same time, more than ten Baby Blue Punching Bears gathered.

“What the hell!”

Then, a much larger Baby Blue Punching Bear dropped from above and landed, glaring at me with a mocking look and waving its hand provocatively.

Its fur on the shoulders stood up dramatically, like a martial artist who had torn his sleeves.

It was chewing bubble gum, which made me wonder where it got it from.

What a joke! Die from choking on it!

“Gaaaaaauuuuuu!”

It’s a fight!

The boss of the Baby Blue Punching Bears let out a roar.

Should I consider retreating using transfer?

Going back for a moment might be an option...

The river is suspicious.

Thinking about it, I couldn’t track Maki and the others after passing the river.

There might be a clue around there.

“““Gau gau gau!”””

Do I accept or refuse?

The bears shouted, forcing me to make a choice.

Even if I tried to retreat, the incantation would take five minutes... and if I retreated during the battle, who knows what this boss would do?

The kangaroos were laughing at me, but they smelled more aggressive than before.

The boss of the Baby Blue Punching Bears threw the bodies of the subordinates I had taken down out of the ring and discarded them.

Its eyes seemed to have a regal air.

It seemed to despise the subordinates who had acted without orders.

The other bears ignored the bodies.

Considering the kangaroos, they seemed to enjoy the fight.

Fighting a large number of bears alone was impossible.

2:59

As I hesitated, numbers appeared in my vision.

A three-minute response time, perhaps?

I could escape using transfer.

But... if I escape, there’s a possibility that Maki and the others might be harmed.

...They might be looking for me too.

If they come to a place with so many monsters, even a five-minute battle could result in casualties.

I can’t let that happen!

I put away the Metal Turtle sword and equipped the kangaroo gloves, getting into a fighting stance.

I’m not sure if my level is sufficient, but the medal glowed.

There’s a good chance I’ve met the conditions.

“Fine. Let’s fight! If I win, you disappear quickly!”

I have no intention of fighting on equal terms like with the kangaroos.

No matter what, I have to win.

I need to do this to minimize the danger to Maki and the others.

“Gaaaaa!”

The boss of the Baby Blue Punching Bears grinned and gripped its gloves tightly.

The gloves... they looked like claws were protruding.

Are there claws attached to the tips of the gloves?

Either way, it’s not a proper boxing glove.

It looks very powerful...

A judge entered the ring and raised his hand.

“Gau gau gau!”

Huh? A Baby Blue Punching Bear without gloves was standing by, wearing a leaf like a towel around its neck and cheering me on.

Is it going to assist me during the intervals since Maki and the others aren’t here?

“Gau aaaaa gau?”

The judge bear waited for us to get into position.

“Gau!”

The judge Baby Blue Punching Bear waved its hand, signaling the start of the fight.

A bell rang somewhere.

“Gaaaaa!”

The boss of the Baby Blue Punching Bears launched a powerful punch right from the start.

It was a strong punch that seemed to slam me into the ground.

I used my footwork to maintain distance and avoid the punch.

“!”

As the boss punched the ground with its right hand, it tried to punch my face with its left.

At that moment, the ground shook, and I almost fell.

At the same time, a shockwave hit me.