Chapter 55

Glancing at the forest watchtower, Keith galloped down the road to Regias.

Immediately, he began hunting stray horses using the same procedure as yesterday.

Of course, he had already boosted his dexterity with the Physical Enchantment Aqua.

Furthermore, to gain an advantage in magical attacks, he had also boosted his intelligence with the Mental Enchantment Dark.

And then there was the Crescent Moon,

Boosting its vitality with the Physical Enchantment Earth.

Boosting its agility with the Physical Enchantment Wind.

With this, he could fight with a significant advantage.

In addition to this, there were Helix and Obsidian.

He had also boosted their strength with the Physical Enchantment Fire.

He had high hopes for their offensive capabilities.

It was a lavish use of spells, but the effects were more than sufficient.

In battles with stray horses, he often finished them off with joint techniques, but this time he managed to take them down while still on horseback.

What had he been doing?

He had only used spells to immobilize them.

This was how a summoner should fight.

But it felt a bit lonely.

Today, he found stray horses in better condition than yesterday.

He had successfully lured three in a row with the Call Monster spell.

And when he hunted the third one, the information he had been hoping for came.

《Your victory in this battle has caused the summoned monster 'Crescent Moon' to level up!》

《Please add one point to any status value.》

Crescent Moon had finally leveled up.

Its agility had already increased.

For the optional status boost, he chose to increase its strength.

Summoned Monster Crescent Moon Horse Lv3 → Lv4 (↑1)

Dexterity 7

Agility 21 (↑1)

Intelligence 7

Strength 21 (↑1)

Vitality 23

Spirit 7

Skills

Stomp, Gallop, Endurance Run, Sprint, Trample, Kick Up

In Crescent Moon's case, it seemed to be growing in a way that was close to ideal.

It felt good.

He then called the next stray horse.

Against this one, there was no need for joint techniques, nor did he need to use his spells.

Crescent Moon had knocked the stray horse over with a body check and trampled its front hooves.

And it did so repeatedly.

Helix and Obsidian's continuous attacks then eliminated the stray horse's HP bar.

The improvement in Crescent Moon's combat power due to its level up was quite impressive.

《Your victory in this battle has caused the [Earth Magic] to level up!》

《Your victory in this battle has caused the summoned monster 'Helix' to level up!》

《Please add one point to any status value.》

Just when Crescent Moon had leveled up, Helix also leveled up.

Its strength had already increased.

For the optional status boost, he chose to increase its dexterity.

Summoned Monster Helix Hawk Lv3 → Lv4 (↑1)

Dexterity 11 (↑1)

Agility 22

Intelligence 19

Strength 12 (↑1)

Vitality 11

Spirit 12

Skills

Beak Strike, Flight, Far Sight, Wide Area Exploration, Ambush, Danger Sense

Hmm.

The numbers are good, but maybe I should keep them from becoming too flat?

For now, I'll keep the minimum status value at 12.

It was already past 2 PM.

He was about to use the Call Monster spell to lure the next stray horse when it came to him.

He had just reinforced himself with spells again.

Good timing.

He then challenged it with the usual procedure.

Something was wrong.

He realized this as soon as the battle began.

Crescent Moon's body check had been deflected.

He could see that the monster's HP bar had been reduced, but it wasn't much.

It hadn't even decreased by 10%.

On the other hand, Crescent Moon's HP bar had decreased by nearly 20%.

Why?

Could it be that this one is...

When he identified it, it was as he had suspected.

Why does this kind of thing only happen when I forget to identify it?

Wild Horse Lv.4

Monster, Target for Elimination, Active and Agitated State

It was different from a stray horse.

Clearly different.

And its HP bar seemed to be gradually recovering.

This was a troublesome opponent.

His MP bar was already below half due to the lavish use of spells earlier.

He was glad he had used potions to recover HP and conserve MP.

He now had a bit more leeway with spells.

But against this wild horse, a prolonged battle would be troublesome.

Its HP bar was almost fully recovered.

He needed to finish it off quickly.

"Physical Enchantment Fire!"

He used the prepared spell on Crescent Moon.

It was to counter the body checks they would be exchanging.

The wild horse charged at Crescent Moon, ignoring the restraining attacks from Helix and Obsidian.

This time, it wasn't deflected.

The damage they dealt to each other was about even, or rather, slightly in Crescent Moon's favor.

While choosing and executing the next spell, he observed the wild horse's movements.

Damn.

There was no opening.

After several body checks, they ended up crashing into the forest.

He had hoped it would collide with the roots of a tree, and that wish was partially granted.

A tree in the forest fell over.

Did that wild horse do it?

It would be good if it had taken some damage.

Crescent Moon, with him on its back, emerged onto the road.

The wild horse then charged at them with a body check.

He dodged while galloping, and they ended up running side by side, exchanging body checks.

"Fire Heal!"

Crescent Moon's HP bar recovered to about 90%.

And it was gradually recovering a little more.

This was going to be a prolonged battle.

They turned around before reaching the village of Regias, and the side-by-side running continued.

The wild horse and Crescent Moon's HP bars were both down to about half.

His MP bar was approaching 20%.

He was definitely running low.

He cast the Physical Enchantment Aqua on himself to maintain its effect.

He also cast the Physical Enchantment Earth and Physical Enchantment Wind on Crescent Moon.

Then he cast the Dark Heal spell to recover Crescent Moon's HP.

Crescent Moon's MP bar dropped by nearly half.

He didn't want to use it, but there was no choice.

He was reaching his limit.

Should he make a move?

But this wild horse was not showing any openings.

He had no choice but to launch continuous attacks.

"Stone Bullet!"

He cast the spell directly at the wild horse's head from close range.

Then Helix and Obsidian charged at the wild horse's head in quick succession.

Crescent Moon followed with a body check.

Finally, the wild horse lost its balance and went off the road, losing its footing.

It tumbled, kicking up a cloud of dust.

But it wasn't finished yet.

He turned Crescent Moon around and approached the wild horse.

Helix and Crescent Moon attacked the wild horse's legs as it tried to get up.

Thanks to their efforts, a valuable opening was created.

Crescent Moon's front hooves stomped down on the wild horse's belly.

Crescent Moon's hooves sank deep into it.

Finally, the wild horse's HP bar dropped significantly.

He dismounted Crescent Moon and approached the wild horse.

Holding hidden claws in both hands, he punched the wild horse's throat.

He pushed the claws into the skin and scratched to make the wound larger.

Then he dropped his knee onto the wild horse's throat.

All that was left was to keep punching.

When he finally finished it off, various notifications came in.

《Your victory in this battle has caused [Striking] to level up!》

《You have acquired the martial art Elbow Strike in [Striking]!》

《You have acquired the martial art Swing Strike in [Striking]!》

《A skill link has been established! The magic skill [Lightning Magic] is now available for acquisition.》

《A skill link has been established! The magic skill [Wood Magic] is now available for acquisition.》

《Your victory in this battle has caused [Mental Enhancement] to level up!》

No, no, no, no.

Where do I even start?

I need to calm down.

First, I need to check the current situation.

I need data to analyze.

I hard-copied the virtual windows showing the status composition and skill composition.

I pasted the content of the notifications into my notes and saved them together.

I need to calm down.

First, I need to stab the wild horse with a skinning knife to calm down.

The problem is growing.

I had already asked Saki to make armor, and now I've found better leather.

Ah, but I still have to fulfill the order for the previous customer.

What should I do, what should I do?

My head is in a mess and I can't think straight.

I might as well get what I can done quickly.

I'll throw the skinned items into the [Item Box].

I need to calm down.

Next, lightning magic and wood magic.

What should I do?

Of course, I should acquire them.

It's too late now.

I need 3 bonus points to acquire each of them.

I acquired and activated lightning magic.

《You have obtained the title [Spell Catalog]!》

What?

What's happening?

I'll follow the same procedure as before.

I'll hard-copy the virtual windows that look like data and keep the skill acquisition screen open.

I'm curious about the lightning magic spells, but I'll acquire the wood magic first.

I acquired and activated wood magic.

《A skill link has been established! The auxiliary skill [High-Speed Chanting] is now available for acquisition.》

Stop.

Don't add to my problems.

I might have been in a state of confusion.

I thought I heard a dry laugh.

Who's laughing?

Is it me?

The acquisition screen for high-speed chanting is displayed in the virtual window.

I need 6 bonus points.

I currently have 9 bonus points left.

Somehow, I only have 3 bonus points left.

Strange things happen.

Who the hell acquired and activated [High-Speed Chanting]?

What a pain.

I need to calm down.

I need to calm down here.

I'll admire Helix perched on my shoulder and Obsidian on my left arm.

Crescent Moon is standing by my side, leaning its head against me.

You're so kind, you guys.

I'll follow the same procedure as before to keep the data.

I'll hard-copy the virtual windows showing the status composition and skill composition.

I'll paste the content of the notifications into my notes and save them together.

I'll go through the motions mechanically.

I need to calm down, so I might as well go into the village of Regias.

But before I knew it, the forest watchtower was in sight.

From here, my master's house is closer.

I'll go to my master's house for now.

I dismounted Crescent Moon in front of my master's house and took a breather.

From the highest point of the house, my master's magic owl seemed to be looking down at me.

Next to it, Obsidian perched.

Owls get along well with each other.

On the other hand, Helix perched on Crescent Moon's saddle like a statue.

The scene made me feel a bit better.

Now then.

Let's check the spells.

I displayed the list of lightning magic spells in a virtual window.

Electricity (Lightning Magic)

Magnetic Compass (Lightning Magic)

Paralyze (Lightning Magic)

There are three spells, just like ice magic.

There are no enchantment spells.

Electricity is a lightning attack spell that can be used by touching or pointing at the target.

It can deal damage, but it will be small.

Well, it's a level 1 spell.

Magnetic Compass is a spell that serves as a compass.

It's a handy little spell.

And finally, Paralyze.

It's a spell that aims to paralyze a single target.

It doesn't deal much damage, but if the target fails the resistance, it will be paralyzed for a certain period of time.

You can do whatever you want while the target is immobilized.

However, the range is a bit short.

There's a risk, but if it works, the effect will be significant.

Next, wood magic.

Branch Bind (Wood Magic)

Grow Plant (Wood Magic)

Root Snare (Wood Magic)

There are three spells, and no enchantment spells.

First, Branch Bind.

It's a spell that extends branches and leaves from the caster's hand to bind the target.

The range is a bit narrow, but it can deal some damage with the binding pressure.

The biggest advantage is that it can restrict the target's freedom of movement to some extent.

Next, Grow Plant.

It's a spell that forces plants to grow.

There are useful little spells for each attribute, and this is one of them for wood.

It might even make farmers unnecessary.

Finally, Root Snare.

It's a spell that creates a loop with roots on the ground to trip the target.

It's a trap spell.

It's at the level of a prank.

The thought of it working makes me laugh a little.

But if it's used in an ambush, it won't be a laughing matter.

Depending on how it's used, it could be a powerful weapon.

The range is also quite wide.

Okay, next.

The title [Spell Catalog] doesn't provide any information no matter how closely I look.

This is the same for other titles, so there's nothing I can do.

Finally, high-speed chanting.

It's a support skill that literally speeds up spell chanting.

The higher the level, the shorter the time it takes to complete a spell.

It's useful.

It will be a big advantage when I level up.

But,

How much can I grow it by the time of the tournament?

And what were the conditions for obtaining the title [Spell Catalog] and the skill [High-Speed Chanting]?

The conditions for acquiring ice magic were also unclear.

It seems that the condition is that the elemental magic level exceeds 4.

But that's not all.

The timing was just right.

If I summarize the conditions I can guess, it would look like this.

Ice Magic = Water Magic Level 4 + Wind Magic Level 4 + ???

Lightning Magic = Wind Magic Level 4 + Earth Magic Level 4 + ???

Wood Magic = Water Magic Level 4 + Earth Magic Level 4 + ???

There seems to be some other condition that is added.

And when it comes to the title [Spell Catalog] and [High-Speed Chanting], I'm at a loss.

What's going on?

There are probably other things that are certain.

When fire magic reaches level 4, something similar will happen with other attributes.

There are three more, right?

It seems so.

Yes, there must be.

I need 9 more bonus points to acquire them.

Well, it's too late now.

I went into my master's house and went to the underground workshop.

I was going to replace my equipment.

A rod would be better.

The difference in reach was clear in today's battle with the wild horse.

I processed the timber I bought today into a rod.

After roughly shaping it in about 10 minutes, I finished it quickly.

I aligned the length.

I didn't stick to 52 inches, but made it a length that was easy to use.

I wanted to put a little more effort into it from here.

I boosted my dexterity with the Physical Enchantment Aqua.

My MP bar was less than 20%, but this was not the time to be stingy.

I adjusted it to a smooth feel by hand.

No compromises here.

I pursued smoothness by repeatedly feeling it with my hands.

I adjusted it finely with a file.

Oops.

The effect of the Physical Enchantment Aqua had worn off, so I used the spell again.

I wanted to make a good piece.

This is what I made.

[Weapon Item: Staff] Kay's Rod Quality C Rarity 2

AP+2 M·AP+3 Damage 2 Weight 1 Durability 80

A weapon that can be used for both striking and casting spells.

It has a moderate elasticity and is easy to handle as it does not slip in the hand.

It is a beautiful piece with a good feel.

It seems to be slightly lower in quality than what Reina made.

The durability is also a bit lower.

There's a difference even though it's just a stick.

I'll record it so I can reproduce it later.

Next.

I took a burlap bag of wound grass from the shelf next to the workbench.

I stored the wound grass I had collected.

I also replenished my potions and made two recovery pills.

I can get some work done.

The results are good.

I feel like I'm regaining my composure.

I took a pot of rosin from the shelf.

I was allowed to use the things on this shelf, so I'll use a little.

I intended to play a little prank with two Kay's rods and the leftover pieces I had just cut off.

I would connect them with a splice, just like making chair parts.

What I would make would be tonfas.

Why?

Because the essence of tonfas is a weapon designed to be used against an opponent.

It can be used by simply holding it in your hand, just like karate forms.

While it doesn't apply to everything, it is essentially a weapon to supplement attack and defense in karate.

The effectiveness of tonfas is that they are actually a very practical weapon.

They were first introduced to police and law enforcement outside of Japan.

Their power has been demonstrated in numerous riot control operations.

In fact, they were banned in the United States as "violent equipment" because they were too effective.

On the other hand, guns are okay.

Everyone would point this out, but it's a fact.

Oops.

Splice, splice.

I have to assemble it without compromising the strength of the rod itself.

It would be dangerous to just drill a hole and glue it together.

I'll reinforce the joint by filling the gap with a wedge.

The work for two was done quickly.

I'll record the process.

I'll leave it to cure for a while.

Ideally, I would like to tighten it with a clamp or something.

At least I shouldn't use this weapon right away.

While I'm at it, I'll make another Kay's rod.

I'll keep it as a spare in the [Item Box].

I have one piece of timber left, so I'll put it in the room with the bed on the second floor along with the newly made tonfas.

Is this good enough?

Still, woodworking is great.

It's fun to make things.

Eventually