Chapter 95

The inside of the forest labyrinth looked as usual.

I felt a little relieved.

Mumei had just been summoned.

Even though he has regeneration abilities as a skeleton, I don’t want to push him too hard.

That’s why I took the initiative to fight at the front.

The targets were Fungus and Branch Golems.

If I fight as usual, there shouldn’t be any problems even without Mumei.

Mumei’s fighting style was calm and collected.

Like Jericho and Bunraku, he didn’t convey any emotions.

I thought he might struggle against the monsters in the forest labyrinth, but he seemed to be able to fight decently.

I felt relieved.

After all, even if he takes some damage, it’s not a big deal.

He visibly recovers during battles.

This was different from Jericho.

I didn’t feel the need to use healing spells.

And the pickaxe of anger he was holding was working well.

Especially against Branch Golems, it steadily reduced their HP.

Of course, he often gets hit in close combat.

But because the skeleton is light, even if he gets blown away dramatically, he doesn’t take much damage.

What I need to be careful about is the attacks that come from above.

When a Branch Golem’s attack was blocked by a shield, I ended up crouching on the ground.

And the HP bar was reduced by about 40%.

It seems the damage got through.

Nothing is perfect, after all.

Still, the hunting was going smoothly overall.

Originally, the number of monsters here was less than what we were fighting now.

We could easily defeat the monsters one after another.

We wandered around the corridors of the forest labyrinth.

As the evening passed, the number of other parties we encountered decreased.

As a result, the probability of encountering monsters increased.

【Your combat experience has increased! Dark Magic has leveled up!】

【You have learned the spell Darkness Field!】

【You have learned the spell Dark Explosion!】

After using Noctovision several times, Dark Magic had also leveled up.

Darkness Field is a spell that turns a certain area into darkness.

Dark Explosion is an area-of-effect attack spell.

The key point is that it affects a certain area, not a specific monster.

There’s no resistance to it.

This could be useful.

Continuing the hunt, the fact that we could fight consecutively without using many spells was also a good point.

My MP bar was slowly recovering, and it was now over 60%.

It was only 7 PM.

There was still plenty of time left.

It was just a way to pass the time.

I retraced the route to clear the forest labyrinth.

I was progressing smoothly, but then a concern arose.

The logs that drop from Branch Golems.

Each one weighs 2, which is quite heavy.

There’s still room, but the pace of hunting is increasing, and the Item Box might get full.

I decided to burn the Branch Golems with Pyrokinesis.

It should help a bit.

【Your combat victory has increased the level of Fire Magic!】

【You have learned the spell Fire Wall!】

【You have learned the spell Fire Storm!】

After burning an unknown number of Branch Golems, Fire Magic also leveled up.

The new spells were a wall spell and an area-of-effect attack spell.

My magic skills were growing steadily.

I added up the levels of all the magic skills I had.

I had 14 types of magic skills.

When I added up their levels, it came to 71.

The spell catalog title suggested that the total of the magic skill levels should be 30.

If there’s a similar condition, there might be a higher title at a round number?

I had some hopes, but it seems 70 might not be enough.

The next target is 80.

It’s going to be a long road.

【Your combat victory has increased the level of the summoned monster 'Mumei'!】

【Please add 1 point to any of the status values.】

After defeating four Rush Fungi in the central corridor, I received the info.

Mumei had already leveled up, even though he had just been summoned.

We were hunting at a good pace.

Mumei’s status value that had already increased was agility.

I decided to add 1 point to strength.

Mumei Skeleton Lv1→Lv2 (↑1)

Dexterity: 14

Agility: 15 (↑1)

Intelligence: 11

Strength: 11 (↑1)

Vitality: 10

Spirit: 11

Skills:

Hammer, Small Shield, Block, Physical Resistance [Low], Self-Repair [Medium], Dark Attribute

Things were going well.

The current stats might not look impressive, but they will look beautiful in the future.

At least, that’s what the numbers suggest.

We reached the central hall.

This was the route where I encountered the Plant Golem and obtained the Forest Guardian title.

There was no event this time.

Of course, there wouldn’t be an event on the second or third playthrough.

I thought a monster might appear in the hall, but when nothing happened, I decided to go back.

But the exit was gone.

It had disappeared.

No, it was blocked.

The exit was covered by a wall of vines.

What about the other entrances?

There were 8 entrances in this hall.

When I checked, all of them were blocked.

I examined the wall of vines.

As expected, I couldn’t see through the wall of intertwined vines.

I tried poking it with a rod, but it didn’t work.

What about a machete?

I tried cutting it, but the vines grew back quickly and self-repaired.

What the heck?

What am I supposed to do?

The only option was to burn it.

I used the Fire Magic spell Pyrokinesis to set it on fire.

The fire spread quickly, but it was extinguished in an instant.

The next moment, a loud noise echoed through the hall.

Wait a minute.

Is this a trap?

I saw something crawling out from the wall of vines.

It was a mantis I knew well.

Green body.

Inverted triangular head.

And in its hands were the scythes that gave it its name.

A mantis, but in human size.

Bloodsucking Mantis Lv.3

Monster, Target for Elimination, Active

The name gave me a bad feeling.

Is this going to be tough?

With the exit blocked, there was no choice but to fight.

I approached the monster with Jericho in the lead.

The mantis was in a crouched position and didn’t seem to be moving.

No, it was slowly and steadily approaching us.

But the time we gained was helpful.

I could use spells to enhance us.

"Physical Enchantment Earth!"

I reinforced Jericho to make him an even stronger wall.

It was a new monster, so I wanted to be cautious.

I continued to close the distance with the monster, matching Jericho’s pace.

I was on Jericho’s right flank, Mumei on the left.

Bunraku was in the rear, and Jean was waiting in the air.

We had decided on the timing to attack.

Bunraku’s arrow would be the signal.

Just a little more.

But the monster moved first.

It closed the distance with Jericho and attacked.

It was fast!

"Thermal Expansion!"

When the spell hit the monster, a sound like an explosion echoed around.

Was it due to the air around the monster expanding rapidly from the heat?

But there was no time to think about it.

I cast the next spell.

"Branch Arrow!"

Wooden branches rained down on the monster like arrows.

They hit the mantis directly.

It seemed to have been trying to attack Jericho, but its movement was hindered.

Jean attacked the mantis’s back from the air.

Then Bunraku’s arrow pierced the monster’s abdomen.

The monster’s HP bar was about half gone at that point.

Hmm?

Is it not that strong?

No, for a new monster, this is good.

I wanted to be cautious.

Jericho’s fist came down.

The mantis, which had a large opening from the spell attack, took a direct hit.

Still, it managed to attack Jericho with its scythes.

I thrust the tip of my rod into the monster’s abdomen.

Mumei also hit the monster’s abdomen with his pickaxe.

Jericho grabbed the mantis’s head with his left hand and slammed it into the ground.

Slowly, but surely.

He was going for the kill.

No emotions came from Jericho, but his methodical fighting style was very reliable.

It didn’t seem like he was doing it intentionally.

When he stepped on the monster’s torso and pulled out its head, I wondered who taught him this.

When did he learn this?

It was a mystery.

I was thinking about stripping items from the monster when I saw an unusual sight behind Bunraku.

Seven mantises were approaching us.

Seven at once? That’s a bit extreme, isn’t it?

Oh no.

Bunraku might be targeted for a concentrated attack.

I had to hurry.

We were still at a distance, which was fortunate.

I had enough time to cast one spell.

Jean went ahead to launch a restraining attack.

Even if we fought with Jericho as a wall, it would take some time.

What should I choose?

I decided to use the technique from the tournament.

"Stone Wall!"

A wall of earth stood in front of the mantises.

Bunraku was on top of the wall.

Would this avoid the immediate danger?

I approached the mantises from the side of the wall.

Three of the mantises were trying to climb the wall to reach Bunraku.

Four were coming towards me.

Come on.

Don’t all come at once.

"Storm Wave!"

I used a wind magic area-of-effect spell.

Thanks to the wide range, it seemed to damage all seven mantises.

The one that had its hands on the wall fell to the ground.

I wasn’t going to let that happen.

The four mantises approaching me were also knocked off balance by the wind.

Still, they attacked.

I blocked the scythe with my rod.

It was good that I stepped in before being surrounded.

The mantis had a large opening.

Its abdomen.

I kicked it with the tip of my foot, feeling something soft being crushed.

I must have crushed its internal organs.

The monster’s HP bar dropped sharply, and it was nearly dead.

I finished it off with a strike from my rod.

Hmm.

The abdomen seems to be a weak point.

Jericho appeared from the opposite side of the wall I was standing on.

He grabbed the mantis’s head and slammed it into the earth wall.

He held the torso with his other hand and pulled out the head with brute force.

Wow.

That’s scary.

Of course, he was taking damage while being attacked by the other mantises, but it wasn’t much.

The mantises seemed to be biting him, but it had no effect.

Jericho was tough.

He was fine.

I could leave it to Jericho, but I decided to support his dissection work.

Mumei had already taken a position next to me.

You don’t have to push yourself.

The earth wall, Bunraku on top of the wall, Jericho, me and Mumei, and Jean in the air.

The remaining mantises were completely surrounded.

I focused on deflecting the mantises’ attacks with my rod, not overexerting myself.

It was more of a support for Mumei.

The initial disadvantage of being surrounded was completely reversed.

The rest was Jericho’s job.

He slowly and surely killed the mantises.

After a bit of time, all the mantises were defeated.

【Your combat victory has increased the level of Dust Magic!】

【Your combat victory has increased the level of Fast Chanting!】

After defeating all the mantises, I received the level-up info.

There was a bit of an event-like atmosphere, but it seemed to be a good stopping point.

I tried to strip items from the mantis corpses with a stripping knife.

No harvest.

What a surprise!

And the crucial entrance was still blocked by the wall of vines.

What’s going on?

I came to the center of the hall, and there was the human soul.

But it looked different from the one I had seen before.

It was clearly larger.

【I am the Guardian. Therefore, I warn you.】

Hmm?

The atmosphere felt different from before.

【Do not approach the absolute truth.】

Then the human soul suddenly shrank.

It returned to the size I had seen before.

【We once sealed this place.】

【Those who are connected to us have also sealed other places.】

【Challenge us. That is your destiny.】

Hmm?

The sentences don’t seem to connect properly.

What’s going on?

【You have cleared the mini-event 'Granting of the Emblem'!】

【2 bonus points have been added to your bonus points. The total is now 12 points.】

According to the info, it was indeed an event.

I still had some doubts, but at least I earned some bonus points.

Oh.

First, I should check the entrance.

There didn’t seem to be any changes in the surroundings.

The 8 entrances in the hall were no longer blocked by the wall of vines.

I confirmed that they were all passable.

Monsters were also appearing normally in the hall.

I encountered a Branch Golem.

It seemed to have returned to normal.

No, I should check the status screen as well.

The title was suspicious.

The Forest Guardian title was gone.

In its place was the Forest Guardian Emblem.

It seemed to have been overwritten.

It was probably due to the event.

It was around 9 PM.

There was still plenty of time.

I decided to stay a bit longer to confirm things.

When I returned to the entrance of the forest labyrinth, I retraced the clear route and did another lap.

But there was no event on the third lap.

It seemed to be a wasted effort.

No, I shouldn’t think negatively.

I had caught a lot of Branch Golems, Fungi, and Rush Fungi.

I had earned a considerable amount of charcoal and mushrooms.

I would have to sell them in the morning.

It was past 11 PM.

I wanted to finish hunting at a good point, but the opportunity didn’t come.

Finally, just before the date changed, I got the opportunity.

I thought it was the end of the fourth lap.

【Your combat victory has increased your job level!】

【The auxiliary skill 'Song' has been added to your available skills.】

【Your combat victory has increased the level of the summoned monster 'Jericho'!】

【Please add 1 point to any of the status values.】

I didn’t expect Jericho to level up.

His strength value had already increased.

I decided to add 1 point to his vitality.

For Jericho, I wanted to keep his strength and vitality balanced.

Jericho Wood Golem Lv4→Lv5 (↑1)

Dexterity: 5

Agility: 5

Intelligence: 5

Strength: 34 (↑1)

Vitality: 34 (↑1)

Spirit: 4

Skills:

Strike, Kick, Magic Resistance [Low], Self-Repair [Low], Block

His two stats were exceptionally high.

I think there will be a class change for him, like for Voluf.

For Jericho, I imagine a Stone Golem like the one that guarded the master’s house.

If I could summon something like that, it would be terrifying.

Is there something in between?

The same goes for other summoned monsters.

It’s fun to imagine how they will grow with a class change.

I also had a new interest.

Voluf changed to a Gray Wolf, but what if I chose a different option?

There might be another class change in the future.

I can’t rest until I collect and complete everything.

But as a summoner, there’s a limit to the number of summoning spells I can have.

I want to summon all the tigers and foxes before collecting them.

Oh.

I was so lost in thought that the date had already changed.

"Return Home!"

I cast the teleportation spell and returned quickly.

I decided to log out immediately and leave the inventory sorting for tomorrow.

No, it’s already today in-game.

Main Character: Keith

Race: Human, Male, Race Lv11

Job: Summoner (Summoner) Lv11 (↑1)

Bonus Points Remaining: 12

Set Skills:

Staff Lv9, Strike Lv6, Kick Lv6, Joint Techniques Lv5, Throwing Techniques Lv5

Evasion Lv6, Block Lv6, Summoning Magic Lv11, Space-Time Magic Lv4

Light Magic Lv5, Wind Magic Lv6, Earth Magic Lv6, Water Magic Lv6

Fire Magic Lv6 (↑1), Dark Magic Lv6 (↑1), Ice Magic Lv4, Lightning Magic Lv4

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

Alchemy Lv6, Pharmacist Lv5, Glassworking Lv3, Carpentry Lv4

Coordination Lv8, Appraisal Lv7, Identification Lv7, Insight Lv3, Cold Resistance Lv4

Grapple Lv6, Horsemanship Lv7, Precision Manipulation Lv8, Jumping Lv3

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

Physical Enhancement Lv3, Mental Enhancement Lv4, Fast Chanting Lv6 (↑1)

Equipment:

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

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

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:

Apprentice of the Old Summoner, Forest Guardian Emblem (New!), Seeker of Balance

Spell Catalog

Summoned Monsters:

Voluf Gray Wolf Lv1

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