Chapter 8

After finishing up some chores and logging in, I found myself enveloped in the scent of grass.

What is this? It smells like citrus or something.

It smells like oranges.

It's a refreshing morning, and it's going well so far.

I've already had breakfast in the real world, but breakfast is a must in this world too.

After greeting my master and finishing breakfast, I have some assistance to attend to.

Oh, there's something I shouldn't forget.

It's about what new summon monster to choose.

The stairs leading underground were closed, but when I placed my hand in the indentation of the pillar as instructed, the stairs appeared.

I went down the stairs and poked my head into the room with the workbench.

My master, the summoner Orenu, was already there.

He was lying face down on the table, reeking of alcohol.

He has a blanket over him, so I should probably leave him be.

While I have some time, I'll check which monsters I can summon.

I display the summon monster list on a virtual window.

Of course, the top entry is the wolf, Volf.

When I focus on the next line, a new window for selecting a new summon monster appears.

The list looked like this:

Wolf

Horse

Hawk

Owl

Wood Puppet

Bat

I've already decided to summon two new ones from this list.

I should read the descriptions of each monster again to decide which ones.

[Wolf] Summon Monster - Battle Position: Ground

Wolf. Main attack method: Bite.

Highly mobile, excelling in various situations such as combat and exploration.

[Horse] Summon Monster - Battle Position: Ground

Horse. Main attack method: Charge and trample.

Not specifically for combat, but highly mobile and tough with excellent carrying capacity.

[Hawk] Summon Monster - Battle Position: Air

Hawk. Main attack method: Beak and talons.

Excels in both combat and aerial reconnaissance, with excellent vision.

[Owl] Summon Monster - Battle Position: Air

Owl. Main attack method: Beak and talons.

Can fly without difficulty in forests and dungeons, has excellent night vision, and makes very little noise.

[Wood Puppet] Summon Monster - Battle Position: Ground

Wood Puppet. Main attack method: Hand-to-hand combat.

Not specifically for combat, but dexterous and tireless, making it a loyal servant for fine work.

[Bat] Summon Monster - Battle Position: Air

Bat. Main attack method: Bite.

Specialized for nocturnal activity, can fly even in pitch-black darkness.

I'll definitely choose a summon monster that can secure an aerial position.

My top choice is the hawk, with the owl as a close second.

I should probably consider the bat when I start delving into dungeons more seriously.

What about the other one?

I could always summon another wolf.

Master's Metal Skin is silently preparing breakfast.

This thing can only communicate with Master. I'd probably complain if I were in Master's shoes.

The breakfast laid out was impressive.

Bread, cheese, egg dishes, salad, and soup—a standard Western breakfast.

Even though this is a workshop and not a restaurant, it was the same as yesterday.

"Good morning, Master. It's morning."

I gently shook Master's shoulder, and he woke up.

He didn't respond, just gave a low-blood-pressure reaction.

Since he didn't move, I decided to eat breakfast first.

After all, Metal Skin was gesturing for me to eat first.

"Oh, it's Keith."

Master finally responded after I finished eating.

He didn't notice me while he was eating, I guess.

Maybe his blood pressure is low.

"Oh, that's right, I need to deliver potions to the Adventurer's Guild."

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"I finished the transfer yesterday. I'm fine for now."

He continued eating slowly.

"It'll take a bit more time. You might as well make some potions to pass the time."

"Okay."

The woundwort I collected yesterday had already been reduced to half a burlap bag.

Would I be going out to collect more with Master today?

I can't say no, but I might have to show off my combat skills against monsters again.

Maybe I should get the defensive skills [Dodge] and [Block].

It might be too optimistic to think I can get by with player skills.

I have 7 bonus points left.

While pondering, I prepared to make potions, lining up empty bottles and getting the pot ready.

I made potions using pure water prepared by water magic and all other steps done manually.

Two woundwort plants yield four potions.

Three were quality C, and one was surprisingly quality C+.

[Healing Item] Potion - HP +9% recovery - Quality C+ - Rarity 1 - Weight 1

A standard potion. It slightly recovers HP.

It leaves a slight bitterness on the tongue when drunk.

*Cannot be used consecutively. Cooldown is approximately 8 minutes.

The recovery amount was slightly higher.

Most importantly, the cooldown time was shortened, which is very helpful.

Thinking back to the battle with the ants yesterday, if I could recover earlier, the situation might have been different.

"Keith, you can't submit that one to the guild."

"Huh?"

"You can't submit items below a certain quality, or it will cause problems later."

I thought about it for a moment.

From an adventurer's perspective, it's natural to want the best items.

If it came to a fight over items, or if players started fighting each other, it would be better to avoid unnecessary conflict.

I put the quality C+ potion in a separate bag.

I made another batch of potions manually.

This time, all four were quality C. A bit disappointing.

Since Master was about to finish eating, I stopped and tidied up the equipment, waiting for him.

After finishing his meal, Master handed me a bag-like [Item Box] to carry outside.

I carried it out as a porter.

Outside, Master was already starting to summon.

"Summon Monster!"

A horse appeared. It was quite impressive, with a well-built physique and a glossy black coat.

I couldn't help but use [Identify] on it.

Battle Horse - Level ???

Summon Monster - On standby

Wow.

Not just a regular horse, but a battle horse.

When I focused on the [Battle Horse] entry, a simple explanation appeared in a separate virtual window.

[Battle Horse] Summon Monster - Battle Position: Ground

Military horse. Main attack method: Charge and trample.

Trained for combat. To fully utilize it in battle, it's recommended to acquire the auxiliary skill [Riding].

Master took horse equipment from his [Item Box] and began fitting it to the horse.

"It's not the Rock Bird from yesterday, right?"

"Yes. Using that in town would cause a commotion."

That's true.

I was the one who lacked foresight.

Honestly, I was thinking that if we could just withstand the cold, the journey would be easier, but...

"So, are you going to run alongside?"

He's looking at me with a playful expression.

It would be impossible to keep up with a horse all the way to Remuto town.

"No, I'll try a new summon."

I selected [Summon Monster] from the spell list and chose the second line, below Volf's name.

This should allow me to summon a new monster.

After watching Master's summon, I had a pretty good idea of what to choose.

"Summon Monster!"

A horse appeared in the magic circle on the ground.

My MP bar dropped significantly, but not as much as before.

The horse had a brown coat, with a mane and tail that were almost black, a dark brown.

It must be a chestnut.

Its eyes were large and black, and it seemed to be looking back at me lovingly.

While it didn't have the muscle mass of a battle horse, its slender form was even more beautiful.

What should I name it?

I thought about using kanji and managed to input it.

The stats were impressively uneven.

Summon Monster

Zangetsu - Horse Level 1

Dexterity: 7

Agility: 18

Intelligence: 7

Strength: 20

Vitality: 22

Spirit: 6

Looking at these numbers, they are quite straightforward.

"Are you planning to ride it bareback?"

Now that you mention it, I haven't thought about that.

I'm such an idiot for forgetting the essentials.

"I forgot."

"That's understandable. Don't worry, I'll lend you my horse equipment."

Master took out another set of horse equipment from his [Item Box].

It looked quite well-used.

I followed Master's instructions to fit the equipment on Zangetsu.

Zangetsu was very cooperative and didn't resist when I put on the saddle or bit.

The problem arose when I put my foot in the stirrup and mounted the saddle.

How do I ride this thing?

I have no horse riding experience!

I searched for the auxiliary skill [Riding] and found it was available.

I spent 3 bonus points to acquire it and activated it immediately.

Clumsily, I manipulated the reins and made Zangetsu walk.

My body moved naturally to maintain balance, and I felt a unique rhythm.

Oh, this is a fresh sensation.

The view is higher.

I made Zangetsu walk, turn right, turn left, and stop.

It seems to be working.

Riding is surprisingly easy to learn in a game.

"Shall we go?"

"Ah, Master, please wait a moment."

There's still something I need to do.

I want to summon one more new monster.

A hawk or an owl.

I've decided.

I selected [Summon Monster] from the spell list and chose the third line, below Zangetsu's name.

"Summon Monster!"

A hawk appeared in the magic circle on the ground.

My MP bar dropped significantly again, to about 60%.

The hawk looked more ferocious than the Step Hawk I saw before.

Its legs were surprisingly large, and its curved talons were sharp and long.

Its eyes were terrifying. It's said to have excellent vision, and I can see why.

I quickly named it.

Summon Monster

Helix - Hawk Level 1

Dexterity: 10

Agility: 21

Intelligence: 18

Strength: 10

Vitality: 10

Spirit: 12

As soon as I named it, it took flight.

It circled overhead and landed on my shoulder.

Whoa! The talons on my shoulder!

When Helix took off again, it landed on the tip of my rod.

It's quite dexterous, even on the tiny tip of the rod.

I need to think of something to use as a perch.

"Hmm."

Master was looking at me with a satisfied expression. His staff had a magic owl perched on it.

The magic owl seemed to be staring at Helix, the hawk.

Helix was also staring back, as if challenging it.

They don't need to compete, and I don't think Helix would win in a fight.

"Let's go."

I led the way with Zangetsu.

The narrow path leading from Master's house was quite rough, but Zangetsu didn't seem to mind.

The one suffering was me, being jostled around.

The auxiliary skill [Riding] was definitely helping, but it was still difficult to maintain balance.

In such situations, magic comes in handy.

I used Physical Enchantment - Aqua.

I thought increasing my dexterity for a certain period would make riding easier.

Bingo!

It was clearly easier.

I still need to be careful, but it seems manageable.

The effect wore off just before we reached the main road, and the difference in sensation was quite noticeable.

On the relatively smooth main road, I managed to ride without using Physical Enchantment - Aqua.

By the way, we encountered three wild silver hens (female) on the way to the main road.

Each time, it was a single monster.

In all the battles, I managed to defeat the monsters without dismounting.

Attacking from the saddle with my rod, both thrusting and striking, clearly dealt more damage to the monsters.

The HP bar would drop more significantly with a single hit, and sometimes the monster's actions would be hindered.

Zangetsu also joined in the attack.

Just trampling the monsters would reduce their HP more than my rod attacks.

However, it was easy for the monsters to avoid a direct trample.

I need to time it when the monster's movement is halted, perhaps with Helix's attacks.

It's a challenging task, but it's also interesting.

Stripping the drops from the monsters is a bit of a hassle, but I shouldn't worry about it, right?

Helix didn't get a chance to participate.

I intended to have it join if we were struggling, but Keith and Zangetsu managed to defeat the monsters on their own.

I'll let Helix shine once we reach the grasslands.

The travel speed increased significantly once we reached the main road.

Master took the lead.

We reached the watchtower overlooking the forest in just a short time.

The distance I walked for about an hour yesterday took only a few minutes.

While I'm familiar with the convenience of modern society in the real world, it's a fresh experience in the game world.

It seems we can move to the town quite easily.

However, I was too optimistic.

Master wouldn't allow such an easy journey.

The first thing he told me when we reached the main road was to have Helix fly overhead and accompany us.

He also tasked us with hunting monsters along the road.

In a way, it's what I wanted, but...

We hunted wild dogs and horned rabbits one after another until we reached the town.

We had a significant harvest.

Helix's preemptive surprise attacks were very effective.

When Helix spotted a monster, it would inform me in a mysterious way that I can't quite describe, but I understand it.

It would guide us to the location and launch a surprise attack.

By the time we approached the monster, the situation was already in our favor, making the battles much easier and shorter.

However, there were a few exceptions.

For example, the wild dogs.

But in a pack of five.

Zangetsu would charge into the pack, separating the dogs, while Helix would harass them from the air.

I also fought with my rod.

The dogs worked well together, making it difficult to overwhelm them.

Neither Keith, Zangetsu, nor Helix came out unscathed, but we managed to win without taking too much damage.

It was a time-consuming and troublesome opponent.

Next, the horned rabbits.

Helix would spot them with a high probability while circling in the air, but more than half were near their burrows.

Even if Helix informed me and launched a surprise attack, the rabbits would detect us and flee to their burrows.

While horned rabbits are aggressive against adventurers on the ground, they are sensitive to aerial attacks.

Still, we managed to defeat about 30% of them thanks to Helix's attacks.

Next, a horned rabbit.

It was the only one of its kind.

At first, I thought it was just a regular horned rabbit because my rod attacks didn't reduce its HP much.

But when I used [Identify], it turned out to be a horned *d* rabbit.

I needed magic to defeat it.

I used Physical Enchantment - Earth to increase Zangetsu's defense and countered the rabbit's charge with Force Bullet.

It was a tough fight.

Even against a single opponent, we couldn't come out unscathed, and we used potions after the victory.

I wasn't surprised since we had fought it before, but I was surprised at how much easier it was to defeat compared to yesterday.

Finally, the most troublesome opponent, the step hawk.

It makes sense that only Helix, another hawk, could fully handle it.

This step hawk attacked to steal the horned rabbit's meat.

Helix had warned me in advance, so I was able to counter with Force Bullet from close range.

However, another one joined the attack.

I used Physical Enchantment - Wind to increase Helix's agility, and it managed to restrain one while we fought the other.

It was a troublesome opponent.

The best strategy is to hope for Helix's level-up.

I could probably handle it with my magic alone, but my MP would run out quickly.

I also lack confidence in hitting the target with my magic!

Naturally, we earned a lot from defeating many monsters.

As usual, wild dogs didn't drop anything.

The new item was from the step hawk.

[Material Item] Step Hawk's Wing - Raw Material - Quality C- - Rarity 1 - Weight 1

The wing of a step hawk. Commonly used to make arrow fletching.

This is a clear hint.

The storage bag attached to the horse equipment was very useful for storing the many drops.

My backpack and [Item Box] were almost full with the drops.

While the [Item Box] is convenient, I haven't fully utilized its potential yet.

The capacity of the [Item Box] is the square of the race level.

There is no weight limit per item, but there is a volume limit.

For a cubic standard, the sum of the length (cm) + width (cm) + height (cm) = 200 (cm) is a guideline.

What kind of delivery service is this?

Additionally, the number of items takes priority over this condition.

Small items like potions, which are weight 1, are inefficient to transport in the [Item Box].

A larger backpack might be better, but it could be a hindrance in battle.

The best approach is to level up quickly and expand the [Item Box].

The most common drop was the rabbit skin.

I should negotiate with a production player to have them make armor.

My current simple clothes are already worn out.

When I have the means, I'd like to get a collar for Volf, horse equipment for Zangetsu, and leg bands for Helix.

I want to make various improvements within my capabilities.

Protagonist: Keith

Race: Human, Male, Race Level 3

Occupation: Summoner (Summoner) Level 2

Bonus Points Remaining: 4

Set Skills:

Staff Level 2, Strike Level 1, Kick Level 2, Summon Magic Level 3

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,