Chapter 7

In the forest, Volf was in great form.

Mainly, he was finding the Wound-Healing Herb and the Agony Herb.

Having learned the scent of the herbs, Volf found the spots where they grew one after another in the forest.

When he found one, he would bite my sleeve and pull to let me know.

He’s quite capable.

While it wasn’t possible to collect them in large quantities like in a patch, we managed to gather a decent amount of Wound-Healing Herbs.

More than half of the borrowed hemp sack was filled.

As for the monsters, we were hunting a single Rampaging Silverwing (female) while avoiding stray horses.

We were trying various methods.

Using the rod as my main weapon, I would kick with my feet.

I was only testing this simple movement.

I also tried a leg sweep, a martial technique, which was sharp enough to be compared to a regular attack.

However, it felt very unnatural.

It seems that the movements of martial techniques, like spellcasting, are not automatically handled by the player’s skills.

After checking the help, I found that I could change the settings in the detailed settings.

The downside is that the possibility of fumbling, or failing, increases, but the potential for a higher effect also exists.

Still, I decided to turn off the automatic handling.

It felt too strange.

And there was one more thing.

I also felt a lack of impact when I kicked.

This was also resolved in the detailed settings.

The pain sensation was set to 90% cut by default.

It seems they didn’t want to cause too much pain to the player.

I changed it to no pain reduction.

After the change, my skin sensation changed dramatically.

The feel of attacking with the rod also changed.

I could feel the impact when I kicked, which made it feel more natural.

Of course, in exchange, I had to endure the pain.

I took a few hits, but the pain was a familiar sensation from reality.

I’m not a masochist, but it felt fresh.

I recovered the damage with a D+ quality potion.

It felt strangely satisfying to use a potion I made myself.

I also used a potion to heal Volf’s damage.

After hunting about seven Rampaging Silverwings (female), Volf leveled up.

I decided to increase his Dexterity by one point, in addition to the fixed increase in Vitality.

He also gained a new skill.

His stats are as follows:

Summoned Monster: Volf, Wolf Lv2 → Lv3

Dexterity: 9 (↑1)

Agility: 25

Intelligence: 12

Strength: 11

Vitality: 16 (↑1)

Spirit: 10

Skills:

Bite, Sprint, Intimidate, Keen Hearing, Danger Sense (New!)

The new skill is Danger Sense, which seems to act like an alarm.

As the sun was about to set, something unusual was happening in the forest.

The female Rampaging Silverwings were forming a group of about 15, centered around a few males.

The stray horses were also starting to form herds.

Naturally, it became impossible to initiate combat.

Just as I was thinking about returning, I encountered a monster.

Evil Ant Lv.1

Monster, Target for Elimination, Active State

It was a new monster.

The first insect-type I’ve seen.

As I was about to raise my rod, Volf pulled on my sleeve.

What is it?

I let him pull me.

The monster followed.

But it wasn’t just the one in front of me.

An unpleasant sound was also coming from behind.

We were surrounded.

The number of ants chasing us had increased to three.

I was saved from a surprise attack from behind. Good job, Volf.

I’ll give you the right to gnaw on a rabbit bone.

My HP bar had decreased slightly, but I still had plenty of room.

What I was worried about was my MP.

It had recovered to about 70% through natural regeneration.

Well, let’s do it.

“Let’s go.”

When I called to Volf, he stopped and swung the rod.

I thrust the rod under the head of the leading ant and flipped it up.

I used the momentum of its charge to throw it.

I did the same with another ant.

I then kicked the head of the remaining ant with all my strength.

Well, let’s try this in a real battle.

Today, I managed to cast a spell while strangling a Snow Ape.

If my prediction is correct, I should be able to cast spells while attacking with the rod.

I also know that spellcasting can be automatically handled and that there’s a delay before the spell is cast.

If I can combine these effectively, I might be able to fight multiple monsters effectively.

The spell I chose was Physical Enchantment - Earth.

Volf was trying to bite and swing the neck of the first ant I threw.

Another ant was about to attack Volf.

Not if I can help it.

I thrust the rod into the joint of the ant’s body to stop its charge.

I then kicked its body.

I placed my left hand on Volf’s body.

“Physical Enchantment - Earth!”

The spell seemed to work without any issues. The marker above my head indicated the effect.

I then selected another spell.

Physical Enchantment - Aqua.

This spell temporarily enhances Dexterity.

As soon as the spell was completed, I cast it on myself.

“Physical Enchantment - Aqua!”

Without waiting to confirm the effect, I attacked the two ants one after another.

It felt easier to attack, and there were no fumbles.

The attacks were hitting perfectly, with no wasted shots.

While my class is a Summoner, a magic-user type, I’m starting to form a front-line fighting style.

Well, it is the playstyle I chose.

Volf was the first to kill an ant.

It seems that my rod and kick attacks as a beginner weren’t powerful enough.

I need to strengthen that area.

There are many challenges. Or rather, there’s no end to perfection.

The battle became much easier when it went from 2 vs. 3 to 2 vs. 2.

I didn’t feel like I was going to lose.

Volf was the one who killed the second ant.

I was going to finish off the last one.

But it didn’t happen.

Two more ants appeared, as if they had called for reinforcements.

It was 2 vs. 2 again.

But then another one joined.

While each ant wasn’t a threat, an opponent that could keep increasing in number was a bad situation.

I couldn’t hold back.

I engaged in close combat, using Force Bullet to take them down one by one.

In the end, we managed to defeat 13 in total.

My HP bar had taken some hits, but it was at a level where I could fully recover with one potion.

Volf had also taken quite a few hits, but his HP bar was fully recovered with one potion.

The increase in defense from the Physical Enchantment - Earth, which enhanced Vitality, must have helped.

The problem was my MP bar, which had decreased to about 20%.

It would be clearly difficult to go through the same battle again.

If the ants’ reproduction rate exceeded the rate at which I could defeat them, I would be in a tight spot.

There were some gains, though.

Volf had two critical hits, and I had one.

The attacks that hit felt different from regular attacks, dealing more damage.

[Your kick level has increased due to your recent victory!]

My kick level increased.

So far, it seems that no new martial techniques or spells are obtained at level 2 for any skill.

I’m looking forward to level 3.

The drops were appropriate for the strength of the ants.

[Material Item] Evil Ant’s Stinger: Raw Material, Quality C, Rarity 1, Weight 0+

The stinger of an Evil Ant. Non-toxic, sharp, and very light.

[Material Item] Evil Ant’s Shell: Raw Material, Quality C, Rarity 1, Weight 0+

The shell of an Evil Ant. Small, light, and fairly durable.

I got 13 stingers and 9 shells.

Did all the ants drop stingers? The efficiency is too high.

It seems that I’ll be dealing with troublesome monsters at night.

I should return to my master’s house.

On the way back, I was ambushed by a monster.

It’s understandable that Volf didn’t notice it.

It was an attack from the air.

My HP bar was halved in one hit.

I felt a sharp pain in my back.

Hunter Bat Lv.3

Monster, Target for Elimination, Active State

This is troublesome.

An opponent that attacks from the air is already troublesome.

Both Volf and I can only hit it when it’s in a vulnerable position.

That is, when it’s attacking.

We can only be on the defensive.

What about magic?

According to the help, the range of Force Bullet is about 20 meters.

But I’m not sure if I can hit it at that distance.

My MP is also low.

I need to hit it for sure.

I timed it.

Wasting a Force Bullet could lead to a total wipe.

It’s ideal to lure it as close as possible.

Here it comes.

The bat is diving at me.

The red marker above my head is getting larger, indicating its approach.

I started the spellcasting.

The spell is cast automatically.

It’s completed.

At that moment, Volf let out a roar.

“Gurau!!”

It was sharp, loud, and short, directed at the bat.

I was surprised.

It was a miracle that the spellcasting didn’t fumble.

The bat approaching me seemed to stiffen for a moment.

Its wings folded, lowering its altitude to near the ground.

In other words, it was right in front of me.

“Force Bullet!”

I cast the spell.

I ran forward at the same time.

But Volf was faster than me.

The bat, which had fallen to the ground and was trying to take off again, was pinned down by Volf biting its neck.

It was still trying to take off by spreading its wings.

I stepped on its left wing with my foot.

I pressed its right wing with the tip of my rod.

Volf then finished it off.

[Your summoning magic level has increased due to your recent victory!]

[The maximum number of monsters you can summon simultaneously has increased to 2.]

We’re leveling up smoothly.

But more importantly,

My HP bar is below half, and I’m in a pinch.

The cooldown for the potion I used earlier hasn’t ended yet.

I can’t use a potion right now.

I quickly stabbed the bat with my skinning knife and checked the drops.

[Material Item] Bat’s Fang: Raw Material, Quality C+, Rarity 2, Weight 0+

The fang of a Hunter Bat. Slightly flat and knife-like, with a sharp edge. Non-toxic.

I can’t afford to celebrate.

If I’m attacked by more monsters in this situation, I’m in trouble.

I quickly stored the items in my Item Box and hurried on.

Fortunately, I made it back to my master’s house without encountering any more monsters.

By the time I reached the gate, the sun had set.

I was saved.

Just as I was about to relax, Volf pulled on the hem of my clothes.

My blood ran cold.

Volf was sniffing the ground in front of the gate.

Looking closely, there were signs of a struggle on the ground and the surrounding trees.

The footprints on the ground were clearly larger than a human’s.

Something happened here.

Two strange lights were glaring at me from above the gate.

There was a yellow marker, but I was still startled.

It was my master’s summoned monster, the Magifalcon.

The gate opened when I touched it.

The mechanism is still a mystery.

When I entered the house, the stairs to the basement opened.

My master came up.

“Let’s have dinner downstairs. Come on.”

“Yes.”

Something must have happened.

The atmosphere was clearly tense.

“Did something happen at the gate?”

“A few unpleasant people came by.”

Oh.

I ended up listening to his complaints while enjoying dinner.

It seems that a party came to the house and tried to force their way in.

Probably a group of five players.

My master politely refused through the Magifalcon, but they tried to break in.

They tried to climb over the stone wall with a rope.

That’s when he switched to a more aggressive response.

The forces that defended the house were:

One Magifalcon.

Two Stone Golems.

According to my master, but it’s probably true.

“It was over quickly.”

The battle was one-sided.

It seems that the reason my master is in a bad mood is that the battle was too boring.

In my case, I also enjoy watching others fight.

Or maybe he’s just upset about the illegal entry, I thought to myself.

The meal was surprisingly luxurious.

It was a hamburger, right?

The meat was from the Horn Rabbit, apparently.

“I have Horn Rabbit meat. I can provide it.”

“Don’t worry about it. Instead, work for me again tomorrow.”

That’s more scary.

There’s no choice.

With my MP bar below half, I don’t have the courage to wander in the forest at night.

I’ll just go to bed for today.

When I entered the attic room, I returned Volf and logged out after lying down on the bed.

But I feel a bit uneasy.

The real world feels more uncomfortable to me.

Protagonist: Keith

Race: Human, Male, Race Level 3

Class: Summoner (Summoner) Level 2

Bonus Points Remaining: 7

Set Skills:

Rod Level 2, Blunt Level 1, Kick Level 2 (↑1), Summoning Magic Level 3 (↑1)

Light Magic Level 1, Wind Magic Level 2, Earth Magic Level 1, Water Magic Level 1

Alchemy Level 1, Pharmacist Level 1

Coordination Level 2, Appraisal Level 3, Identification Level 2, Cold Resistance Level 1, Grapple Level 1

Equipment: Beginner’s Rod, Simple Clothing, Cloth Shoes, Backpack, Item Box

Held Items: Skinning Knife

Summoned Monster:

Volf, Wolf Level 3 (↑1)

Dexterity: 9 (↑1)

Agility: 25

Intelligence: 12

Strength: 11

Vitality: 16 (↑1)

Spirit: 10