Chapter 93

The light rain had stopped, but the cloudy sky remained unchanged.

Just because I had seen the return from death, the ominous sky made me feel uneasy.

Oh.

First, I need to check.

I’ll use the Call Monster to check the surrounding situation.

It turned out to be a terrifying situation.

This is...

The situation has completely changed.

The Black Bears and Snow Apes were forming groups.

The number in each group ranged from three to seven.

There were no individuals acting alone.

This is bad.

I can only call one at a time for practice.

And there was something else strange.

There was a Snow Leopard.

With the Call Monster, I could only guide one individual and a group of three.

There was also a Blitz.

There was a group of four.

Was this the work of the administrators?

"Don’t stray too far from the shrine. Try to avoid consecutive battles."

"Eh?"

"The monsters’ behavior patterns have changed from before. They come in groups, so don’t let your guard down."

"Y-Yes!"

"Stop manipulating your status until the last one is left."

"Understood."

This has become a bit troublesome.

A group of dozens like the Rock Worms is also a threat.

But individually, they’re not that scary.

But these are different.

Though the number in each group is small, they are far more threatening.

I tried to guide one of the three Snow Apes in a group using the Call Monster.

All three seemed to be approaching.

Do they come as a set when in a group?

Well, there’s no choice.

Three is still manageable.

"I’ll leave one to you. Try to take it down with a chokehold."

"Yes!"

I’ll take on one of the remaining two.

And the other one will be handled by the summoned monsters.

There shouldn’t be a problem.

At first, that’s what I thought.

The unexpected happened suddenly.

Right after I took down a Snow Ape.

Just as Lambda had finally mastered the chokehold on a Snow Ape.

Jerrick had struck the Snow Ape, finishing it off with one blow.

The dying scream of the ape was the key.

It had called another group.

There were five of them.

Through Helix’s eyes, I could see the apes rushing over.

"Physical Enchantment: Earth!"

I cast a spell on myself to enhance my strength.

I had to be prepared to take some damage.

But I had the summoned monsters.

Helix and Obsidian would provide cover from the air.

Jerrick would act as a wall.

And Volpe could adapt to the situation.

Lambda’s player skills were still developing, but his stats were monstrous.

We should be able to manage.

About ten minutes later.

We managed to drive them off.

Snow Apes are really troublesome when they’re in a group.

Our party, consisting of me and the summoned monsters, killed a total of 36 Snow Apes.

Lambda killed a total of 8 Snow Apes.

There were about 8 groups.

They were calling the next group just before they were all killed. How cruel!

Well, they are apes, after all.

Our exhaustion from this consecutive battle was immense.

My MP bar, which was about 80% full at the start, was down to less than 30% by the end.

It wasn’t just a tough fight.

《Your victory in this battle has increased your [Time Magic] level!》

《Your victory in this battle has increased your [Water Magic] level!》

《You have learned the spell [Water Shield] in [Water Magic]!》

《You have learned the spell [Aqua Slash] in [Water Magic]!》

《Your victory in this battle has increased your [Lightning Magic] level!》

《Your victory in this battle has increased your [Ice Magic] level!》

《Your victory in this battle has increased your [Wood Magic] level!》

《Your victory in this battle has increased your [Summoning Magic] level!》

《Your victory in this battle has increased your [Cold Resistance] level!》

《Your victory in this battle has increased your race level! Please add 1 point to any status value of your choice.》

I immediately increased my Vitality.

I’m glad I had already decided on this.

I’m really worried about being attacked by another group of Snow Apes.

Base Stats

Dexterity: 16

Agility: 16

Intelligence: 20

Strength: 16

Vitality: 16 (↑1)

Spirit: 20

《2 bonus points have been added. The total is now 10 points.》

I don’t have the mental capacity to go through all the info.

The Summoning Magic has leveled up, allowing me to summon one more monster.

But that’s not the issue right now.

And the info is always long at times like this.

《Your victory in this battle has increased the level of your summoned monster ‘Helix’!》

《Please add 1 point to any status value of your choice.》

Helix has also leveled up after me.

I’ll decide immediately.

His Agility has already increased.

I’ll specify Dexterity for the other point.

Summoned Monster Helix Hawk Lv5 → Lv6 (↑1)

Dexterity: 12 (↑1)

Agility: 23 (↑1)

Intelligence: 20

Strength: 12

Vitality: 12

Spirit: 12

Skills

Beak Attack, Flight, Far Sight, Wide Area Exploration, Ambush, Danger Sense, Aerial Maneuver

Good.

The numbers are decent and sufficient.

"Let’s retreat for now."

"Let’s do that."

Lambda’s MP bar is also low.

It’s just a bit over 30%.

Groups are really scary.

We hurriedly stripped the items and retreated to the Earth Spirit Shrine.

It was a full retreat.

Not just a withdrawal.

Several miscalculations piled up this time.

Encountering them in groups was still manageable.

Calling for reinforcements was still within the acceptable range.

The biggest miscalculation was that four of them were wielding axes.

It would have been much easier without them.

On the other hand, we gained a lot.

Perhaps because we used various spells, several magic skills have leveled up.

We also learned new spells.

I’ll check them later.

When we returned to the shrine, there was a different party there.

They looked quite battered.

They had just arrived.

We took a corner and sat down.

I used potions on Volpe and the others.

I fully healed Jerrick with Light Heal.

I also drank a potion.

"That was quite unexpected."

"It’s not just practice anymore."

Complaining with Lambda is unproductive, but psychologically, it’s natural to feel down.

"Maybe we should log out now, even though it’s early?"

"Yeah, I’ll do that."

While helping set up the tent, Lambda was thinking about what to do next.

We could return home with Return Home, but...

"I have a pickup request for crafted items tomorrow morning. I plan to teleport back today."

"Yes. I’ll hunt here tomorrow morning."

"Is that okay? You could return now if you want."

Lambda thought for a moment but made a quick decision.

"It’s fine. They’re good for gaining experience."

Indeed.

The risk is high when fighting solo, but the potential for growth is also high.

The problem is whether I can reach the Earth Spirit Shrine from the village of Legias tomorrow.

I’ll have to rely on Crescent’s speed.

The apes shouldn’t be able to keep up with Crescent’s speed.

Hmm?

Crescent?

Maybe I can handle the Snow Apes in groups.

An idea came to mind.

But not now.

I’m still worried about my MP.

"By the way, I have a favor to ask."

"Hmm?"

His concern was about the items he was carrying.

Indeed.

They should be quite accumulated.

He said that his Item Box had also increased in size due to leveling up.

But the items he was getting were also piling up.

It’s inevitable when on an expedition.

I decided to take the items he wanted to sell.

Just the bones and skins of the Snow Apes.

In return, I gave Lambda three meals of portable food.

They’re consumables, so it’s like insurance.

"Then I’ll log out for today. I’ll contact you by message when I log in."

"Got it. See you then."

"Good work today."

Lambda logged out.

Now I’m bored.

I’ll spend some time making potions to pass the time.

After making potions and recovery pills to fill the empty bottles, I considered the idea I had earlier.

A strategy for fighting groups of Snow Apes.

With Crescent’s speed and toughness, it should be possible.

How about the others?

Volpe can definitely keep up with Crescent’s speed.

Helix, Obsidian, and Jean, who fly in the air, can naturally keep up.

Hmm.

The lineup is limited, but it might be efficient to take down the groups.

The idea is to run and fight while using Crescent to escape from the Snow Apes.

I have area-of-effect spells in Wind Magic, Water Magic, and Earth Magic.

Can I deal damage while keeping my distance?

It seems possible.

But there are concerns.

Won’t it consume a lot of MP?

It all depends on how many hits it takes to take down a Snow Ape.

There’s another plan.

Using defensive spells.

I experienced this in the tournament.

The damage from crashing into a wall was significant.

How can I make the monsters crash into a wall?

I want to guide them into a trap.

No.

This plan might also work.

There are suitable spells in my spell list.

"Excuse me, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Hmm?"

The one who spoke to me was the warrior from the party earlier.

I recognized him easily.

He’s a Dwarf warrior.

Looking closely, he’s carrying what looks like a club.

Like the one a demon would carry in a Japanese fairy tale.

But it’s shorter to fit his Dwarf height.

Still, it’s impressive.

With a Dwarf’s strength, it must be terrifying to swing this around.

"Unfortunately, our party’s potions are almost gone. Could you sell us a few?"

"Sell?"

"Yes. I’d even pay extra for potions."

"No, I need to check first."

How many healing herbs do I have?

I counted the healing herbs in my Item Box and found 11.

That’s enough for 22 potions.

"I can make them, but I have a limit."

"I’d like as many as possible."

"The limit is 20 potions, in sets of 2. How many empty bottles do you have?"

"Great! Thank you!"

His party members were frantically taking out potion bottles.

Wow.

There seem to be at least 30.

"Only 20! Don’t panic!"

It seems this Dwarf warrior is the leader.

He looks like he’s had a tough time.

"How much did you buy the potions for?"

"About 60 dinars each, I think."

"Since you have empty bottles, 50 dinars each is fine."

"Eh?"

It’s not that surprising.

I’m not that attached to money.

After all, this is a game world.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

An unexpected potion-making request.

Well.

What quality should I aim for?

If I make them carefully, I can reach B- quality.

But the potions sold by the guild are all C quality.

Making too high-quality potions here might not be a good idea.

No, I won’t think too deeply about it.

Using the Alchemy Shortcut Reproduction should lower the quality appropriately.

I prepared 10 bottles of water with Liquid Water.

Using 5 healing herbs, I performed the Shortcut Reproduction and filled the empty bottles with potion liquid.

They are all C+ quality.

Not bad.

"Are they already done?"

"Not yet, only half."

"No, that’s not what I meant."

I ignored the question and moved on to the next batch.

They were also all C+ quality.

In terms of quality control, it’s better to avoid inconsistencies even if the quality is high.

Being all C+ is a satisfying result.

"Thank you."

"No, I’m not done yet."

"Eh?"

Yes.

I can still make recovery pills.

I performed the Shortcut Reproduction on the residue after extraction and made 2 recovery pills.

It might look like I’m faking it to an outside observer.

《Your experience in this action has increased your [Alchemy] level!》

I ignored the level-up info and spoke to the Dwarf warrior.

"Would you like these?"

"R-Recovery pills? But I don’t have enough money."

"No, it’s free. I have recovery pills myself."

"Eh?"

"In return, I’d like to hear your story. Is that okay?"

After receiving the payment for 20 potions, I decided to listen to their story.

It’s a good way to pass the time while my MP recovers.

I think I got some confirmation from their story.

It’s the effect of an event.

The suspicion is growing.

This party came here through a different route.

From the camp in the N1 map north of Remto town, they passed through the old Dwarf mine to get here.

Until noon, they only encountered one Black Bear or Snow Ape at a time.

But after noon, everything changed.

They encountered a group of five Black Bears in the forest.

They managed to drive them off, but then they encountered a group of four Snow Apes.

After that, the groups increased to five.

They were almost attacked by a group of four Blitz near the Earth Spirit Shrine but fled here.

Good judgment.

Dealing with those goats would be a hassle.

Especially four of them.

Four fast, lightning-attacking monsters are not something I want to face.

I also asked about the N1 map.

It seems they explored the old Dwarf residences and the cave that was a mine.

The gatekeeper was a Kobold Knight.

The regular Kobolds were like common enemies, but the Kobold Knight was particularly strong.

He used support spells, so a quick attack is recommended.

Hmm.

Indeed, it’s better to hear such information firsthand.

"We’re all logging out for now. We plan to challenge it again tomorrow."

"Got it."

The Dwarf warrior and his companions finished setting up their tents and logged out one by one.

Now I’m bored again.

My MP bar is about half full.

There’s a risk, but should I try the idea I had earlier outside?

Even if I fail and die, I should be sent back to my master’s house.

Yeah.

I’ll give it a try.

Main Character: Keith

Race: Human, Male, Race Level 11 (↑1)

Class: Summoner (Summoner) Level 10

Remaining Bonus Points: 10

Set Skills:

Staff Lv8, Striking Lv6, Kicking Lv6, Joint Techniques Lv5, Throwing Techniques Lv5

Evasion Lv6, Blocking Lv6, Summoning Magic Lv11 (↑1), Time Magic Lv4 (↑1)

Light Magic Lv5, Wind Magic Lv6, Earth Magic Lv6, Water Magic Lv6 (↑1)

Fire Magic Lv5, Dark Magic Lv5, Ice Magic Lv4 (↑1), Lightning Magic Lv4 (↑1)

Wood Magic Lv4 (↑1), Dust Magic Lv3, Melting Magic Lv3, Burning Magic Lv3

Alchemy Lv6 (↑1), Pharmacist Lv5, Glassworking Lv3, Carpentry Lv4

Coordination Lv8, Appraisal Lv7, Identification Lv7, Insight Lv3, Cold Resistance Lv4 (↑1)

Grasping Lv6, Horsemanship Lv6, Precision Operation Lv8, Jumping Lv3

Heat Resistance Lv4, Climbing Lv4, Dual Wielding Lv5, Disassembly Lv3

Physical Enhancement Lv3, Mental Enhancement Lv4, Fast Chanting Lv5

Equipment:

Kay’s Rod ×1, Kay’s Tonfa ×2, Anger Pickaxe + ×2

Silver Necklace +, Snow Leopard Hidden Claw ×1, Gale Tiger Hidden Claw ×2

Wild Horse Leather Armor +, Snow Ape Arm Guard, Wild Horse Boots +

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

Items:

Skinning Knife, Carpentry Tools

Titles:

Apprentice of the Old Summoner, Proof of Forest Guardian, Seeker of Moderation

Spell List

Stats:

Dexterity: 16

Agility: 16

Intelligence: 20

Strength: 16

Vitality: 16 (↑1)

Spirit: 20

Summoned Monsters:

Volpe, Gray Wolf Lv1

Crescent, Horse Lv6

Helix, Hawk Lv5 → Lv6 (↑1)

Dexterity: 12 (↑1)

Agility: 23 (↑1)

Intelligence: 20

Strength: 12

Vitality: 12

Spirit: 12

Skills:

Beak Attack, Flight, Far Sight, Wide Area Exploration, Ambush, Danger Sense, Aerial Maneuver

Obsidian, Owl Lv5

Jean, Bat Lv5

Jerrick, Wood Golem Lv4

Guardian, Demon Lv4

War Guardian, Beast Ape Lv5

Rig, Slime Lv4

Bunraku, Wood Puppet Lv3

Companion:

Lambda (Real Name: Omega)