Chapter 98

Jean spotted a moving object in the distance.

Gyokuyou also noticed its presence.

The Battle Ghost and the Guardian Ghost also braced themselves.

It was clear what was coming.

Lightning was coursing through the darkness.

It's a Blitz.

Blitz Lv.3

Monster Target Active

Another one was identified, but it seems to be at the same level.

"Resist Thunder!"

I cast a resistance spell on myself.

One might be enough, but there are two.

And not just any two.

From my senses, their lightning attacks seem even more troublesome than the Snow Leopards.

Most importantly, they are fast.

"Resist Thunder!"

I cast the resistance spell on the Battle Ghost.

The monsters will be here soon.

A rope made of lightning seems to connect the two.

They try to entangle us with that rope.

The Battle Ghost attacks the one on the right.

I head for the left.

The Guardian Ghost and Gyokuyou support the Battle Ghost.

Jean supports me.

I intend to take the lightning strike from the start.

This is a strategy only possible with Resist Thunder.

The lightning strikes my entire body.

It's working.

I take some damage, but it's not serious.

I don't become paralyzed and unable to move.

Can I do this?

The monsters attack without regard for our situation.

Come on!

A simple but effective attack.

Here it comes.

It charges at me head-on.

But I had already read that attack.

Having fought this type before is a big advantage.

Jean attacks the goat's head, grazing it.

A momentary opening appears in the monster.

A good opportunity.

I slightly dodge and hug the monster's neck with my right armpit.

I grab the horn with my left hand and twist it lightly, applying a joint lock.

I alternate knee strikes to the left and right.

Several times.

Several times.

The goat thrashes, but the moment it tries to shake its head is the best time to strike.

I suddenly shift my weight to the neck and roll it to the ground.

Of course, I don't let go of the neck.

I rotate with the monster, applying a joint lock to the goat's neck as I throw it.

Being able to sense the direction of the goat's force is a big help.

Using that force makes the throw easier.

From the light impact on the ground, I lift the goat's neck with my right hand.

I punch with my left fist.

The hidden claw is gripped in that fist.

The hidden claw from the belt of the Swift Tiger.

I tear the throat open.

That finished off the goat.

What about the other one?

No need to worry.

The goat that the Battle Ghost slammed to the ground died.

Several arrows are stuck in its body.

Impressive.

"Keh!"

"Keh!"

The Battle Ghost and the Guardian Ghost cheer happily.

The Battle Ghost's expression looks almost evil.

The Guardian Ghost probably has a similar expression under the helmet.

No doubt.

When I check the Blitz again, there are two pieces of thigh meat, just like before.

No rare items.

That's a shame.

Instead, I get one horn.

Can it be used for something?

Maybe.

[Material Item] Thunder Goat Thigh Meat - Raw Material - Quality C - Rarity 2 - Weight 1

Thigh meat from a Blitz. Muscular and lean, with a beautiful pink color.

[Material Item] Thunder Goat Horn - Raw Material - Quality C - Rarity 3 - Weight 1

Horn from a Blitz. Thick, light, and slightly curved.

Maybe the horn can be used as the tip of a spear.

I think so.

After skinning, I continue to be vigilant.

Being able to recover with potions is a big help.

This is a good start as the first prey.

But I don't think it will end with just the Blitz.

There should be other monsters.

I waited for about five minutes.

I was thinking about using a Call Monster, but Jean reacted.

But Gyokuyou doesn't seem to see anything.

What is it?

"Giki!"

Jean rarely makes a warning sound.

Warning.

Jean is facing my back.

What's there?

I turn around, but I can't see anything.

But.

Jean can see it.

No doubt.

It looks like Jean is attacking an empty space.

It seems to hit something.

The marker is still not visible.

What is it?

The Battle Ghost and the Guardian Ghost can't respond either.

Could it be?

A monster that can turn invisible?

What can be done about such a thing?

But there is a sign.

I can see blood on the ground.

There is definitely something there.

I approach what Jean is fighting.

This won't get anywhere.

I hold tonfas in both hands, ready to guard my head.

Well, where will it attack?

The pain came to my leg.

It felt like something bit the lower part of my left knee.

Then I was lifted and rolled over.

Something heavy landed on my upper body.

If it's a beast that bites, where would it aim?

The throat.

I guard my throat with my left arm at the same time the monster bites.

It is indeed biting.

The pain in my arm is not too bad because I have the tonfas.

The weight pressing down on me is about the same as a human.

I let go of my right tonfa and touch the monster's body.

The fur feels surprisingly good.

Adele would be happy with this.

No.

That's not the point!

I touch other parts of the body, but it doesn't seem to have a human-like build.

It doesn't seem to be like a Snow Leopard or a Blitz either.

But one thing is clear.

It is a beast with a jaw and a definite head.

Jean attacks the monster's back.

The monster's jaw seems to have let go.

I can't let this opportunity pass.

I let go of my left tonfa and feel for the monster's head.

I grab it and trap it between my legs.

I seem to have been hit in the face by what looks like the monster's front legs.

Perfect.

I grab the legs and twist them up.

The monster's head is thrashing on my stomach, trying to bite.

I don't care.

I pull the legs up and apply more force with my legs.

Triangle choke.

I think it's working on the monster.

I hear a bone breaking.

The monster is still not visible, and the marker is still not visible.

Some special ability?

"Dispel Magic!"

I cast a counter spell just in case.

I thought it might be a magic-related ability.

Bingo.

A beast's body appears in front of me.

What should I say?

This monster looks like a werewolf.

A dog?

A wolf?

But when I identify the marker, the question is resolved.

Cobalt Assassin Lv.7

Monster Target In Combat

A Cobalt!

Now that the true identity is revealed, it's mine.

Gyokuyou and Jean attack the immobilized monster's back.

I also strangle the monster's neck.

The bone breaks.

The monster's arm is bent at an odd angle near the shoulder.

That finished off the monster.

I examine the monster again.

It's a Cobalt.

But an Assassin, meaning a killer.

Naked.

I don't know if it was due to a spell or a special ability.

Being unable to see it without touching and casting Dispel Magic is too troublesome.

For now, the only countermeasure is Jean.

Echo Location.

Glad I have it.

I stab the skinning knife into the monster.

And I got this.

[Material Item] Astringent Persimmon - Raw Material - Quality C - Rarity 2 - Weight 0+

Astringent persimmon. The variety is unknown.

What?

What is this?

A persimmon?

And an astringent one at that.

What can I do with this?

Eat it?

No, it's astringent, so maybe dry it?

Or plant the seeds and grow a tree?

There's a saying, "Peaches and chestnuts in three years, persimmons in eight."

I don't think it will be useful right away.

No, wait.

Is it telling me to use the Wood Magic spell, Grow Plant?

Probably.

I haven't seen persimmons in this game world.

I'm a little excited.

Gyokuyou, who was on alert in the sky, seems to have spotted a group of something.

Not good.

I quickly cast the recovery spell, Fire Heal, to restore my HP bar to about 80%.

The fact that the monster is visible to Gyokuyou means it's not a Cobalt Assassin.

What is it?

This is what I can see.

Cobalt Lv.4

Monster Target Active

Hmm.

What should I do?

There are about ten in the group.

They wield clubs or spears.

One of them has what looks like a stone axe.

That one doesn't seem to be a regular Cobalt.

Cobalt Fighter Lv.2

Monster Target Active

That's not all.

There is one with a staff.

Cobalt Shaman Lv.4

Monster Target Active

Well, what should I do?

Running away is not an option.

My head is hot.

The Cobalt Assassin from earlier, they were probably scouts or something.

Well, they're all Cobalts.

I won't let them get away.

I'll take revenge for the pain I suffered.

I hold tonfas in both hands and charge at the group of monsters.

I select and cast a spell.

The Battle Ghost runs alongside me.

I'm quickly overtaken.

Gyokuyou and Jean overtake even the Battle Ghost and approach the monsters.

I hope they understand which monster to target first.

The troublesome ones should be taken care of first.

I can see Gyokuyou and Jean attacking the Cobalt Shaman.

Good, good.

The Battle Ghost charges into the center of the group and roars.

"Graaaaaa!"

The surrounding Cobalts rush to attack the Battle Ghost.

But the Battle Ghost is faster.

It grabs the legs of one of the Cobalts and starts swinging it around.

A Giant Swing?

Where did it learn such a technique?

But this is a good opportunity.

I'll take advantage of the confusion to reduce the number of monsters.

The Guardian Ghost's arrows provide support.

I'll take care of the troublesome ones quickly.

Something is appearing next to the Cobalt Shaman.

What is it?

Salamander Lv.2

Spirit Target In Standby

It seems to be a spirit when I identify it.

It has a lizard-like shape.

But I ignore it and close the distance to the Cobalt Shaman.

Jean bites the monster's head, and I arrive just as it tries to shake it off.

A front kick to the stomach.

I hit the staff with my left tonfa and the temple with my right tonfa.

The monster's HP bar disappears.

The Salamander?

It's still alive.

Salamander Lv.2

Spirit Target In Confusion

It says "confusion," but if it's not harmful, I'll leave it alone.

Next.

I dodge the spear of a Cobalt and close in.

A hit to the temple.

A hit to the jaw.

I trip it and kick it in the stomach.

I confirm its death from the HP bar.

It seems that regular Cobalts are quite weak.

About the same as Orcs.

Next.

I head for the Cobalt Fighter.

I thought it was a small fry because it was floundering against Jean.

But it's pretty strong.

I hit the jaw with the tonfa, but the HP bar didn't decrease much.

The stone axe didn't seem very threatening when swung.

But the bite attack is fast.

There are few martial arts that recognize bite attacks.

No, the premise of an effective bite attack is difficult.

There's little opportunity to bite an armed opponent.

There are some techniques like biting fingers or ears, but they're not really techniques.

Also, the Cobalts have dog heads and can make movements impossible for humans.

I can't let my guard down.

And this Cobalt Fighter is definitely stronger than me.

I try to trip it, but the sensation is incredible.

Muscles, bulging.

Its agility is probably higher than mine.

Judging from its stats, it's definitely better than me.

The only downside is that its movements are monotonous and easy to read.

That's a relief.

The large motions make it easy to counter.

I can see the Battle Ghosts taking care of the other monsters.

But I don't let them interfere with this one.

It's a good spot.

Don't get in the way.

I cross my tonfas to block the wrist holding the axe.

I trap it and knee the elbow.

It breaks cleanly.

Strength is nothing when it comes to breaking.

"Kurra!"

It barks, but I don't care.

The monster's HP bar is already below half.

And it only has one arm left.

The only thing to watch out for is the bite attack.

I gradually whittle down the HP bar by hitting and kicking the monster.

Hmm.

It was good practice.

When I finish off the Cobalt Fighter, something strange happens.

The Salamander.

It suddenly attacks us.

A fireball flies at the Battle Ghost.

A tongue like a whip attacks me.

Both hit directly.

Damn.

What's going on with this thing?

Salamander Lv.2

Spirit Target In Combat

It's a spirit summoned by the Cobalt Shaman, but is it going berserk because its master is gone?

Normally, wouldn't it just disappear?

I have questions, but since it's attacking, I have no choice but to fight.

I tried kicking it, but it had no effect.

And it deals damage to me.

This thing.

"Enchanted Weapon!"

I cast a spell to empower myself and attack.

I was able to reduce the HP bar by about half with one kick.

Seriously.

I don't know if it's strong or weak.

I tried Force Bullet,