Chapter 89 of 100

Chapter 89

10 min read2,570 words

"Right there! The angle of your arm is a bit off!"

"Like this?"

"Yes! That angle! Loosen up and then do it again!"

"Got it!"

We've come to the forest area at the border with the adjacent map, west of the Flame Spirit's rock.

Currently, we're practicing the Sleeper Hold.

My opponent is an orc.

I'm demonstrating the chokehold in front of Lambda.

Lambda is also choking an orc in front of me.

He seems to be struggling to control the orc, who is thrashing around quite a bit.

"Imagine using your body weight to choke, not just your arms!"

"Like this?"

The orc is in a sitting position.

The challenge is to maintain the choke while controlling the struggling orc.

This is something you learn faster through practice than through explanation.

You can't really feel the opponent's reactions unless you do it yourself.

"Ah!"

"Did you finish?"

Lambda's orc's HP bar had disappeared.

The HP bar inevitably decreases as you choke and release the struggling orc.

He still can't use Dark Heal.

Well, that can't be helped.

I quickly twisted the neck of the orc I was choking and finished it off.

"Looks like you can now learn [Joint Locks]."

"That's great."

It's a solid achievement.

With this, we've wiped out four groups of orcs.

In the first group, I demonstrated the chokehold while leaving one orc alive.

It seems that I showed him what he wanted to do in practice.

I continued to choke the orc until it suffered for a long time.

The orc's MP wasn't much, and it was almost gone after two Dark Heals.

"Here it is!"

It seems to be the ideal way to take them down for him.

In the next group, I let him choke the last orc and gave him various instructions.

And that's how we got to the current situation.

It must be quite a nuisance for the orcs.

"Let's head west into the forest, shall we?"

"Understood."

It seems he has finished learning and activating [Joint Locks].

He looks pleased.

But this isn't the end.

The Sleeper Hold still has a lot of depth.

It would also be good to learn [Throws].

I've slightly changed the lineup of my summoned monsters.

It's now Wolf (Gray Wolf), Obsidian, Oni, and Bunraku.

I've instructed them not to wipe out the orc groups.

So far, so good.

Wolf, in particular, has become much more reliable.

He detected the orc groups without using a Call Monster.

He's become more convenient.

It's probably due to the enhanced Danger Sense skill.

The skill definitely feels stronger.

The most noticeable improvement is in speed.

His sprinting speed has improved significantly, more than just the 3 points increase in agility.

The benefits of class change are considerable.

As for myself, I've finally been able to confirm the effects of updating my equipment.

There's a clear difference when wearing the Silver Necklace.

Even unarmed, it feels good.

Even Force Bullet is dealing considerable damage.

Against orcs, the damage from a direct hit with tonfa is comparable.

A single Stone Bullet can kill an orc, and Wind Cutter can bring them to near death.

The effects of attack spells have definitely improved.

Oh.

Wolf seems to have detected a scent again.

He's leading us to the location of the monsters.

Very convenient.

But there's a bit of hesitation about the next group he leads us to.

Orc Leader, why are you here?

Orc Leader Lv.1

Monster, Target, Passive

When I [Identify] it, I can see the level.

It might be because I've leveled up since the last encounter.

Anyway, using this as a training tool isn't appropriate.

There are 9 other orcs.

Their levels range from 1 to 5, and they are armed in various ways.

Hmm.

Should I just wipe them out quickly?

I select a spell and cast it, then move forward.

Wolf, Oni, and Obsidian attack the orc group.

Bunraku provides support from the back with arrows.

What about Lambda?

He should be fine.

"Gravity Bullet!"

It hits the Orc Leader directly.

But the Orc Leader doesn't fall, even though it took the hit.

Is it muscle?

Or subcutaneous fat?

"Ugh!"

I can hear a strange scream, and the HP bar has decreased significantly.

It's not wasted.

Wolf is flying at the Orc Leader's throat.

Blood splatters as Wolf quickly moves away and circles around.

The Orc Leader's eyes follow Wolf.

It doesn't seem to notice Oni approaching from the front.

Oni's build is much bulkier than mine.

But the Orc Leader is even bulkier than Oni.

It looks even more so because of the extra weight.

Oni kicks the monster's knee and grabs its right arm with his left hand.

He tries to lift it by reaching under its crotch with his right hand.

It's a bit of a stretch.

I thought it was impossible, but he lifted it.

Wow.

"Raaaah!"

He roars loudly and slams the monster to the ground.

The monster writhes in pain, hitting the ground on its back.

No, no, no, no.

That's a waste!

I approach the orc in front of Oni.

I dodge the spear thrust and get close.

I pull back my arm and insert my neck under the monster's armpit.

Using the momentum of the monster charging at me, I hoist it onto my shoulder.

I then throw it to the ground.

However, I don't drop it on its back.

I throw it headfirst.

No rolling allowed.

The orc, thrown headfirst by the judo technique, died instantly.

Throws don't require much strength.

If you can disrupt the opponent's balance, you can do it.

Oni approaches the Orc Leader again.

He narrowly avoids a punch and lifts the monster again.

Wow, impressive.

I can't do that because of the size difference.

Oni throws the monster face-first to the ground.

Nice.

Much better than before.

The Orc Leader's HP bar is now below half.

Oh.

An orc is approaching me, swinging a club.

I dodge the club by crouching and kick it in the legs.

The orc rolls over easily, leaving its neck exposed.

I instinctively apply a chokehold.

But this is a melee.

I can't afford to be choked while I'm choking.

I grab the back of the orc's head with my left hand and its chin with my right hand, then twist quickly.

Caught off guard, the orc is instantly killed.

It's too weak.

Too weak.

What about Oni?

He's on the back of the Orc Leader, apparently trying to choke it.

No need to copy that!

But it seems to have some effect.

Maybe the face-first slam earlier helped.

The Orc Leader's neck is at a strange angle.

Of course, the HP bar is gone.

Looking around, the ground is littered with orc corpses.

There's only one red marker left, but its HP bar is almost gone.

It's the orc Lambda is fighting.

But Lambda is clearly winning.

He's choking the orc as I taught him.

"Is this good?"

"Yeah, try twisting the neck now?"

"Eh?"

The orc's HP bar is almost gone.

Do it quickly.

I first explain the technique verbally.

Place the hand that was unlocking the choke on the jaw, and the other hand on the side of the head.

Then, with a quick motion, apply force to tilt the head.

But the angle should exceed the normal range of motion.

"Here goes."

The orc's face is upside down.

Of course, the HP bar is gone.

Well done.

《With this battle victory, [Throws] has leveled up!》

《With this battle victory, [Dodge] has leveled up!》

Finally, Throws has leveled up.

You have to use it to level it up.

And the fun part, item stripping.

No loot.

[Dismantle], do your job!

I try to suppress the urge to shout.

Actually, there's been no loot from orc hunting in this forest today.

I've been getting items from the fire-eating parrots, though.

It's a bit disappointing.

It's just before 3 PM.

We've already entered the S1W2 map.

It's a plain.

There are clusters of trees here and there, and tall grass.

It feels like a bush savanna.

"I haven't checked what monsters appear here, but should we move forward?"

"Is this a new map?"

"Yeah."

I've only seen it before.

I'm not lying, right?

Ideally, I'd like to move on the Crescent Moon.

It would be more convenient for finding area portals.

But Lambda is with me now.

He's definitely faster than me, but he doesn't have the endurance of the Crescent Moon.

We can't overdo it.

Besides, if we're hunting monsters, there's no need to prioritize movement speed.

Well.

What will appear?

The problem is the tall grass everywhere.

It's tall enough for even large monsters to hide.

Even Obsidian's eyes can't detect the presence of monsters.

Wolf is also on alert, so I don't think we'll miss any approaching monsters.

Still, it's better to have a well-prepared force.

I dismissed Bunraku and summoned Rig.

Right after that, it appeared.

Sturmiger Tiger Lv.5

Monster, Target, Active

A tiger.

In German.

A tank?

No, that's not the time for that.

Wolf and Obsidian couldn't detect its approach.

How did it manage that?

Questions later.

What kind of attack will it make?

The moment I brace myself, a gust of wind hits us.

The moment the wind stops.

The tiger is gone.

My HP bar is down by about 20%.

Where did the monster go?

Not there?

No, I can hear a struggle behind me.

It's Wolf.

He's locked in a bite with the tiger.

It seems impossible to intervene in the intense struggle.

They roll around, biting each other's throats.

They release and threaten each other.

They attack each other's faces with their front claws.

Is it an even match?

No, while Wolf matches the tiger in speed, the tiger's power is overwhelming due to its size.

I select a spell and cast it.

Support is needed.

But Obsidian intervenes faster than me.

He charges at the tiger's face.

But it's a feint.

A bit later, Oni attacks the tiger.

"Raaaah!"

The tiger growls low at Oni.

But it's not just a growl.

It's dealing damage to Oni.

There are several worm-like wounds on his skin.

A special attack like Wind Cutter?

Oni doesn't back down.

He forcefully grapples the tiger.

He wraps his arms around the tiger's torso and tries to pin it down.

The tiger's movements visibly slow down.

"Physical Enchantment Fire!"

The spell I planned to cast on Wolf boosts Oni's strength.

The battle situation changes as I prepare the next spell.

Rig is attached to the tiger.

Rig gradually envelops the tiger's head.

The tiger tries to peel it off with its front claws, but it's not very effective.

Is it trying to roar again?

Rig can't keep up.

Wolf bites the tiger's throat.

Oni uses his weight to hug and tighten around the tiger's torso.

"Delay!"

I cast the spell at the tiger.

I need to slow it down as much as possible.

"Raaah!"

The tiger growls briefly.

Rig takes the hit, and its HP bar drops below half.

This thing.

Oni kicks the tiger's belly, which is pinned down by Oni.

The tiger glares at me with hatred in its eyes, even while its throat is bitten by Wolf.

Its yellow eyes are filled with wild ferocity.

Honestly, it's scary.

I thrust my rod at its eyes.

The tiger fails to roar in anger.

Rig is entering its mouth.

It looks like the tiger is drinking water.

That seems to be the finishing blow.

《With this battle victory, the summoned monster 'Oni' has leveled up!》

《The skill [Throws] has been added to the summoned monster 'Oni'.》

《Please add 1 point to any stat.》

Oni has leveled up.

But everyone, including Lambda, has taken significant HP damage.

What was that, so scary.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't do anything."

"No, that's fine."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Heal yourself."

"Okay."

Lambda only took damage from the first attack.

He was quite far from the tiger, yet he took more than 10% damage.

The tiger is formidable.

I give potions to Wolf and the others while checking Oni's status screen.

The agility stat has already increased.

I choose to increase the mental stat for the optional stat boost.

Oni Beast Ape Lv4 → Lv5 (↑1)

Dexterity 10

Agility 19 (↑1)

Intelligence 5

Strength 25

Vitality 25

Mental 5 (↑1)

Skills

Punch, Kick, Throw, Block, Dodge, Climb, Throws (New!)

Still, what did Oni learn?

Throws?

He was throwing around Lockworms and orcs, so I guess it makes sense.

Whatever.

I'll give Oni a potion too.

Rig has also taken significant damage.

I give it a potion, but I notice something.

Its body is slightly redder, right?

Is it absorbing the tiger's blood?

It's not just dissolving it?

If it can absorb potion liquid, it's possible, but it's a bit creepy.

I finish giving potions to Obsidian and drink one myself.

But the damage I took can't be fully recovered by that alone.

I cast healing spells on everyone one after another.

Honestly, that preemptive attack was vicious.

And the fun part, item stripping.

Skin, fangs, or claws?

I stripped a claw.

[Material Item] Swift Tiger Claw, Raw Material, Quality C, Rarity 4, Weight 0+

The claw of a Sturmiger Tiger. Sharp and very durable.

It's a bit larger than a snow leopard's claw.

It could be used as a hidden weapon.

With a high rarity, it seems to be a good item.

"That was a formidable opponent."

"Yeah."

Well, what should we do?

I still have some MP left, but the memory of death and revival lingers in my mind.

We decided to head back to the forest.

It would be better to level up a bit more before coming here.

Maybe I'm being a bit, or quite, cautious.

Yeah.

I'm definitely being cautious, or maybe even cowardly.

But we have a quest.

I won't push it.

Protagonist Keith

Race Human, Male, Race Lv10

Class Summoner (Summoner) Lv10

Bonus Points Remaining 8

Set Skills

Staff Lv8, Punch Lv5, Kick Lv5, Joint Locks Lv5, Throws Lv5 (↑1)

Dodge Lv6 (↑1), Block Lv5, Summon Magic Lv10, Space-Time Magic Lv3

Light Magic Lv5, Wind Magic Lv5, Earth Magic Lv5, Water Magic Lv5

Fire Magic Lv5, Dark Magic Lv5, Ice Magic Lv3, Lightning Magic Lv3

Wood Magic Lv3, Dust Magic Lv3, Dissolution Magic Lv3, Burning Magic Lv3

Alchemy Lv5, Pharmacist Lv4, Glassworking Lv3, Carpentry Lv4

Coordination Lv8, Appraisal Lv6, Identification Lv7, Insight Lv3, Cold Resistance Lv3

Grapple Lv6, Horsemanship Lv6, Precision Operation Lv7, Jump Lv3

Heat Resistance Lv4, Climbing Lv3, Dual Wielding Lv5, Dismantle Lv2

Physical Enhancement Lv3, Mental Enhancement Lv4, Fast Chanting Lv5

Equipment

Kaya's Rod ×1, Kaya's Tonfa ×2, Snow Leopard's Hidden Claws ×2

Silver Necklace +

Wild Horse Leather Armor +, Snow Monkey Arm Guards, Wild Horse Boots +

Snow Monkey Leather Helmet, Wild Horse Belt +, Backpack, Item Box ×2

Items

Stripping Knife, Carpentry Tools

Titles

Old Summoner's Apprentice, Forest Guardian's Proof, Seeker of Moderation

Spell Catalog

Summoned Monsters

Wolf Gray Wolf Lv1

Crescent Moon Horse Lv5

Helix Hawk Lv5

Obsidian Owl Lv5

Jean Bat Lv5

Jerrick Wood Golem Lv4

Oni Oni Lv4