Chapter 97

In the morning, I enjoyed hunting all day long.

Yeah.

I did enjoy it.

Saying it this way might be misleading, but with Lambda around, the battles become easier.

It's convenient for me too.

The burden visibly decreased.

When that happens, you start wanting to try out spells you haven't used before.

I gradually incorporated magic into my battles.

Of course, I left the Snow Apes for last and had Lambda practice the chokehold.

As I hunted more and more groups, several of my skills leveled up.

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of [Burning Magic]!】

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of [Melting Magic]!】

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of [Light Magic]!】

【You have obtained the spell [Illusion] of [Light Magic]!】

【You have obtained the spell [Light Explosion] of [Light Magic]!】

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of [Physical Enhancement]!】

【Your past actions have increased the level of [Cold Resistance]!】

【Your past actions have increased the level of [Identification]!】

When listed like this:

I tried to use the attack spells of various magic types as evenly as possible.

In the case of Snow Apes, it seems that the Ice Magic spell [Freeze Bullet] is not very effective.

I'm also starting to grasp other tendencies.

Force Bullet (Common)

Gravity Bullet (Temporal Magic)

Confuse Blast (Light Magic)

Darkness Stare (Dark Magic)

Fire Shoot (Fire Magic)

Wind Cutter (Wind Magic)

Stone Bullet (Earth Magic)

Water Needle (Water Magic)

Thermal Expansion (Dust Magic)

Volcanic Shoot (Melting Magic)

Steam Shot (Burning Magic)

Thunder Arrow (Lightning Magic)

Freeze Bullet (Ice Magic)

Branch Arrow (Wood Magic)

These are just the single-target attack spells.

I tried them in order, but there are quite a few.

It's truly a result of my own doing.

I finally realized how they work.

The ease of use, the long range, the high damage, and the status effects that occur at a certain probability.

There are various differences.

For ease of use, Thermal Expansion.

For long range, Wind Cutter.

For high damage, Fire Shoot.

For status effects, I would choose Gravity Bullet if I had to.

That's how it feels.

But Force Bullet has the advantage of a very short casting time.

Which one is the best?

It's hard to choose just one.

The question is whether I can use all these spells effectively.

Actually, I've been using Gravity Bullet a lot, and it's become my favorite.

I might end up favoring it too much.

And new spells from Light Magic have been added.

Illusion is a spell for creating illusions, which I saw at the tournament.

Light Explosion is the area-of-effect version of Confuse Blast.

I'm starting to have a full set of area-of-effect spells.

It's getting more and more confusing.

"Ah, my race level has increased."

It seems Lambda is also rapidly leveling up.

Considering how many monsters he's been killing, it's only natural.

I'm getting used to Snow Apes calling for reinforcements.

I'm starting to grasp the pattern.

I thought they would call for help when their numbers decreased, but it seems different.

It looks like the probability of calling for help increases after a certain amount of time has passed.

It only seems that way, though.

The priority is to finish them off quickly.

Today, I didn't have to deal with as many monsters as yesterday.

While it's not completely under control, I can fight normally.

It looks like the hunting in the afternoon will go well too.

Other players are also hunting without straying too far from the shrine.

It seems that avoiding consecutive battles is manageable.

If we can level up, the situation will improve.

If we can travel to other maps, this place will become a good hunting ground.

I decided to check the surroundings and then return to the shrine.

After finishing my meal and taking a break, I asked Lambda about his day.

At first, the players at the shrine were hesitant due to the frequent deaths.

But after forming a union and fighting together, that changed.

When multiple parties fight simultaneously around the shrine, the monsters don't concentrate on one party.

This seems to be effective.

The players at the shrine have become more proactive in hunting.

Currently, all the parties that came here are returning for lunch.

Just a quick look shows that there are more than ten parties.

Should I say there are more now?

Or should I say there are fewer compared to the total number of players?

Next, I confirmed today's plan.

I plan to stay at the area portal and have bought extra portable food.

"Then, we'll continue with the morning's activities in the afternoon?"

"Yeah."

Yesterday, I practiced with a small sword.

What about the sword?

In the case of a sword, especially a one-handed sword, the techniques should be quite different from what I've learned.

A small sword might be adaptable.

But what I've learned is a katana, not a sword.

Originally, the katana is a weapon designed to be used with both hands for cutting and thrusting.

It can be used with one hand, but it tends to become a swinging motion.

To use it with one hand, like Miyamoto Musashi, requires a lot of skill.

I can't do it.

A flexible wrist is absolutely necessary.

And you need to apply force at the moment of impact.

This contradiction makes it difficult to train.

The more you train your grip strength, the less flexible your wrist becomes.

When it comes to one-handed cutting techniques, you mostly use the upper position and swing with one hand.

If all katanas were like Yasuhide Nagashima, you could just swing them around.

On the other hand, Western one-handed swords are designed to cut using the weight of the blade.

Or, you could say, to crush.

Actually, the one-handed sword Lambda uses is shorter than a katana.

But it has a different thickness.

The techniques can't be the same.

I'm not sure if it will be helpful.

So I just showed him.

I fought the Snow Apes with a wooden sword in hand.

"A katana. I want to try it."

That was Lambda's reaction.

If it's just about the in-game skills, it's fine.

But if it depends on player skills, it's a whole different story.

It's crazy.

"If you want to use it, a sword is fine. I showed you so you could learn something useful from it."

"Learn something, you say?"

A sword can be used as an extension of a small sword.

Especially for thrusting techniques.

It can certainly be used as a striking weapon.

But how about as a cutting weapon?

A downward cut is a bit reckless.

But simple counter techniques are worth learning.

The principle is simple.

Receive the opponent's attack with the sword held horizontally while moving your body to the left.

Lower the sword slightly to deflect the attack.

Then, strike the opponent with the sword.

The wrist movement requires a lot of strength, but Lambda should be able to do it.

This time, I switched to a wooden sword and demonstrated.

Since I can't do it with one hand, I showed it with both hands.

With that one strike, the monkey's head was split open.

"Without any skills?"

"It was a counter, I guess?"

That's not the case.

It's a counter technique.

Similar techniques exist in naginata and staff arts.

According to my grandfather:

"Strike from a reverse dragonfly stance, focusing your strength on the collarbone area."

"Preferably, use a double-edged blade."

It's an unusual technique, but it's a destructive move.

It's scary.

It's not about hitting, but striking, as I've heard many times.

For me, I can do half of it, but not the other half.

I'm sorry, Grandfather, for being an incompetent student.

That's why it was good to show it with a wooden sword.

The immature parts don't stand out.

Lambda's fighting style has changed a bit.

He stopped using the dual-wielding style and now fights in a half-body stance with a sword in one hand.

He alternates between the small sword and the sword.

It's a good trend.

If he suddenly mastered dual-wielding, it would be scary.

How many groups have we hunted now?

We didn't call any more monsters, but we encountered a group of Black Bears.

Of course, we defeated them, but it wasn't very satisfying.

They wouldn't be good for Lambda's chokehold practice.

But Lambda still used the chokehold to finish off the bears.

It's a brute force technique.

What a terrifying thing to do.

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of [Joint Techniques]!】

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of [Grabs]!】

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of the summoned monster 'Guardian'!】

【Please add 1 point to any of your stats.】

The Guardian has leveled up.

I thought it would happen soon.

The stat that has already increased is agility.

I'll assign the remaining stat increase to intelligence.

Guardian Oni Level 4 → Level 5 (↑1)

Dexterity 18

Agility 14 (↑1)

Intelligence 11 (↑1)

Strength 18

Vitality 18

Spirit 11

Skills

Bow, Hand Axe, Small Shield, Block, Dodge, Stealth

"Giig!"

The Guardian made a sound.

It doesn't sound happy, though.

But an unexpected situation arose.

Lambda is leaving early.

No, in this case, it's different.

He has an urgent matter to attend to.

"I'm sorry. I have something to do."

"Something to do?"

"It's about the PKK job board. I found something I can't ignore."

"Hmm."

Information.

Indeed, information is important.

No matter how strong you become, it's meaningless if you can't capture your target.

It's also important to have connections within the PKK job community for information exchange.

"I've also been asked for help. I might be away for a while."

"No, prioritize that."

"Thank you."

It's important to maintain good relationships with your companions.

I'm a loner, but I understand that.

I have plenty of time, anyway.

I thought about sending Lambda home with a Return Home, but it seems he has a meeting tonight.

If he leaves now, he can get there in time.

He doesn't need to be so polite.

I didn't push it, though.

He said he would send a message when he's done, so I let him go.

He should be able to escape from any monster groups he encounters.

I'm not worried.

It's 4 PM.

I continued to hunt Snow Apes using Call Monster, without changing the formation.

The number of monsters around has decreased.

How many monsters have we hunted in this area?

It's almost a massacre.

The number of monster groups visible with Call Monster has visibly decreased.

I moved a bit further from the shrine to continue hunting.

I've been using potions for recovery, so my MP bar hasn't decreased much.

Rig's presence has been a significant help.

Snow Apes and Black Bears can't easily damage Jericho's toughness.

It's like having two walls.

I and the Guardian have been hunting comfortably.

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of [Kicks]!】

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of [Throws]!】

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of [Temporal Magic]!】

【Your recent battle victory has increased the level of the summoned monster 'War Guardian'!】

【Please add 1 point to any of your stats.】

I ended up fighting with my bare hands, and this happened.

I do remember throwing, but I only remember breaking joints.

Anyway.

The War Guardian has leveled up.

I've been noticing the War Guardian's fighting style recently.

It seems to be using a lot of throws.

Since it's paired with Rig, there's no damage, which is good.

Let's focus on the War Guardian's stats.

The stat that has already increased is agility.

I'll assign the remaining stat increase to intelligence.

War Guardian Beast Ape Level 5 → Level 6 (↑1)

Dexterity 10

Agility 20 (↑1)

Intelligence 6 (↑1)

Strength 25

Vitality 25

Spirit 5

Skills

Striking, Kicking, Throwing, Block, Dodge, Climbing, Throws

Let's return to the shrine for dinner a bit early.

The real challenge is yet to come.

I haven't experienced the night on the N1W1 map.

Let's see what happens.

After dinner, the dwarf warrior from yesterday approached me.

If it's to thank me again, it's not necessary.

"Good evening. Are you staying here tonight?"

"Yes. I want to try hunting at night."

I hear a voice from the dwarf warrior's companion: "As expected of a summoner."

Who is the summoner?

I am a summoner, but...

"You should be careful. There are fast goats, and there might be unknown creatures."

"Of course, I'll be careful."

I'll take the warning gratefully.

Blitz is a concern.

But for unknown monsters, I should reconsider the formation.

It's a good opportunity.

Let's change the summoned monsters.

I returned Rig and summoned Jean.

I returned Jericho and summoned Obsidian.

This formation balances early warning and combat capabilities.

Let's see if a demon or a snake appears.

We already have a demon on our side!

It was already dark outside.

High mountains are visible to the west.

The sun sets early because of them.

It's also getting cold quickly.

I instructed Obsidian to fly in the sky.

I had Jean patrol at a lower altitude.

I heard that Blitz will appear.

So, I should prepare for lightning attacks.

I created shortcuts for some support spells and placed them at the edge of my field of view: Resist Thunder, Root Snare, Branch Bind, Steam Mist.

I also prepared Gravity Bullet and Fire Wall.

I haven't used the shortcut function before.

I'll limit it to these spells.

If I know which spells I'll use, it might be worth the effort.

But if it's inconvenient, I can stop using it.

Come on.

My defense is ready.

I won't stray far from the shrine, so I can always retreat.

Don't say I'm not prepared to run away.

It's a good strategy to observe the situation.

Main Character: Keith

Race: Human, Male, Race Level 11

Job: Summoner (Summoner) Level 11

Bonus Points Remaining: 12

Set Skills

Staff Level 9, Striking Level 6, Kicking Level 7 (↑1), Joint Techniques Level 6 (↑1), Throws Level 6 (↑1)

Dodge Level 6, Block Level 6, Summoning Magic Level 11, Temporal Magic Level 5 (↑1)

Light Magic Level 6 (↑1), Wind Magic Level 6, Earth Magic Level 6, Water Magic Level 6

Fire Magic Level 6, Dark Magic Level 6, Ice Magic Level 4, Lightning Magic Level 4

Wood Magic Level 4, Dust Magic Level 4, Melting Magic Level 4 (↑1), Burning Magic Level 4 (↑1)

Alchemy Level 6, Pharmacist Level 5, Glassworking Level 3, Woodworking Level 4

Coordination Level 8, Identification Level 7, Appraisal Level 8 (↑1), Cold Resistance Level 5 (↑1)

Grabs Level 7 (↑1), Horsemanship Level 7, Precision Operation Level 8, Jumping Level 3

Heat Resistance Level 4, Climbing Level 4, Dual Wielding Level 5, Disassembly Level 4

Physical Enhancement Level 4 (↑1), Mental Enhancement Level 4, Fast Casting Level 6

Equipment

Kaya's Rod ×1, Kaya's Tonfas ×2, Anger's Pickaxe + ×2

Silver Necklace +, Snow Leopard's Hidden Claw ×1, Swift Tiger's Hidden Claw ×2

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

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

Held Items

Skinning Knife, Woodworking Tools

Titles

Apprentice of the Old Summoner, Emblem of the Forest Guardian