Chapter 99

《You have 2 messages from your friends.》

When I logged in, there were messages waiting for me.

One was from Adel, and the other from Lambda.

I had only summoned Bunraku to make breakfast, so I decided to read the messages while the food was being prepared.

‘I summoned another wolf! Her name is O-chan! I’ll work hard to level up U-chan!’

The attached screenshot showed Adel hugging a wolf’s neck.

There were also a wolf and a tiger pushing each other from either side.

She seemed to be enjoying herself.

Well, if it makes her happy, I won’t say anything.

‘I’m currently tailing a group of PKers. I managed to take down about seven of them with a chokehold, but I instantly killed four of them. I’ll keep working on it.’

It seems Lambda has gained more kill marks.

Not bad at all.

Well, he can’t be like a Snow Ape.

He probably realized that holding back is quite difficult.

Experience is the best teacher.

I sent a brief reply to both Adel and Lambda.

Well, keep it up.

Oh.

It looks like breakfast is ready.

The main dish is the leg meat of a thunder goat, with two stalks of agony grass as a side dish.

What did the finished meal turn out to be?

I left it all up to Bunraku.

The dishes that came out were a roasted leg and a soup made from agony grass.

The soup had finely chopped leg meat in it.

It was delicious.

The meat was lean, but the flavor was rich.

I thought about summoning more creatures, but the area around the shrine was already full of other parties.

They were arranged in a circular formation.

It seemed to be getting crowded.

But this might be for the best.

If we were too far from the shrine, the risk of being wiped out would be higher.

But with this formation, it’s easier.

With other parties nearby, it’s easier to deal with additional summoned groups.

As long as there’s no conflict between parties, it should be fine.

It’s troublesome and doesn’t seem like it would be profitable, so I decided to go on a longer journey.

A spot near the fork leading to the mountain summit would be good.

There, other players wouldn’t come in large numbers.

We could also retreat into the forest labyrinth if needed.

Until then, we’ll hunt while moving.

I returned Bunraku.

I summoned Voluf, Crescent, Helix, and Obsidian.

Well.

Let’s go hunting.

The combo of Steam Mist and Wall spells.

It was found that the Fire Wall spell was a bit ineffective.

No, they do come charging in without losing momentum.

But the ones at the back of the group don’t come in.

They seem to slow down when they feel the heat.

It seems that Wind Shield and Water Shield are better.

There are no wall spells for Light and Dark magic yet.

But there was a spell that could replace Steam Mist.

Darkness Field.

I tried it, but it didn’t work well.

They stop coming in.

They either stop or scatter in the wrong direction.

Worst case, they become passive and go somewhere else.

So I decided to stick with the original combination.

Next, which area attack spell is effective against the monsters that cross the wall?

Attacks can be made before they cross the wall, but the damage is greater when they cross and lose their balance.

As a result, there are fewer opportunities to attack with the rod, but this is more effective, so it can’t be helped.

Light magic area attack spell: Light Explosion.

Dark magic area attack spell: Dark Explosion.

Fire magic area attack spell: Fire Storm.

Wind magic area attack spell: Storm Wave.

Earth magic area attack spell: Gravel Blast.

Water magic area attack spell: Aqua Slash.

To summarize, all of them are effective.

Each has its strengths and weaknesses.

But the weaknesses aren’t that significant.

Voluf and the others will take care of it regardless.

We reached a spot near the fork leading to the mountain summit.

We had wiped out several groups of Snow Apes and Black Bears.

The elevation was high enough to overlook the plateau, so the view was good.

With Helix’s eyes, it would be easier to spot the movements of the monsters, and it would be easier to respond to changes in the battle situation.

I returned Voluf, Crescent, and Obsidian.

I summoned Jericho and Bunraku’s puppet pair and Goki.

We were positioned on higher ground.

Bunraku’s arrows would be advantageous against monsters attacking from below.

I’ll have Goki take the front line.

Hmm.

Maybe I should have bought another bow.

But it’s fine for today.

Well, I decided to try calling Snow Apes and Black Bears with the Call Monster spell.

It’s very advantageous when there’s a height difference.

The power of the arrows is different.

Just knocking them down buys time.

It was really easy.

Why didn’t I do this from the start?

There’s no need to use area attack spells on the monsters that cross the wall.

I’ll buy another bow.

As the equipment increases, the Item Box gets crowded.

It would be easier if the Item Box capacity increased sooner.

The weight of the leather quickly fills up the Item Box.

One of the two Item Boxes is almost full.

Then he came.

From behind.

Thanks to Helix, we weren’t caught off guard.

But nothing is perfect, I guess.

Sasquatch Lv.???

??? ???

This is bad.

He’s a higher level.

Moreover, the terrain is in his favor.

Of course, it’s a new opponent.

Even though it’s just one, it’s hard to gauge how strong it is.

I’ll continue to observe without making the first move.

To put it simply, it’s an upright gorilla.

But it’s covered in long white fur.

Only its face, fists, and ankles are exposed.

Its skin was black.

He was tall.

Definitely over 2 meters.

He was also broad.

His muscular build was evident despite the fur.

There was no emotion in his eyes.

He continued to glare at me.

What should I do?

Should I attack?

No, that’s not a good idea.

I slowly moved Bunrako behind Jericho.

I moved to Jericho’s right, and Goki to his left.

As long as Jericho is there, it’s better to choose to intercept.

How will the monster react?

We stared at each other for a while.

I don’t know how much time passed.

To be honest, I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.

In the end, the monster seemed to lose interest and left for the mountain summit.

To be honest.

I was relieved.

I immediately decided to leave the area.

We moved slowly for about 30 minutes on Jericho’s feet.

The terrain wasn’t as suitable for interception as the previous location, but it couldn’t be helped.

Let’s continue hunting.

《Your summoned monster, Bunraku, has leveled up!》

《Please add 1 point to any of the status values.》

Bunraku leveled up in the morning.

Perfect timing.

Should I have a meal a bit early?

But I can’t have Bunraku cook while worrying about monster attacks.

Oh.

I should focus on Bunraku’s status screen on the virtual window.

Bunraku’s dexterity has already increased.

I’ll assign the remaining 1 point to agility.

Summoned Monster Bunraku Wood Puppet Lv3→Lv4 (↑1)

Dexterity 26 (↑1)

Agility 9 (↑1)

Intelligence 19

Strength 12

Vitality 12

Spirit 8

Skills

Bow, Cooking, Magic Resistance [Minor], Self-Repair [Minor]

His dexterity is incredible.

What kind of tasks can he perform now?

Maybe I’ll have him help with some work next time.

《You have a message from a friend.》

I had eaten about half of my portable food when a message arrived.

It was from Fina.

It seemed to be a group message sent to the production player guild and the customer list.

What is it?

‘We have started the Wind Spirit Village Revival Project at the area portal of the W2 map. Participants are welcome!’

The attachment included a simple route to the Wind Spirit Village and a list of monsters that appear.

The name of the Brown Bear, which should be in the N1W2 map, was also there.

The name of the Stubby Butterfly, which I died to in one hit, was not there.

Is that monster not crossing the map?

‘We have started buying and selling items in the Wind Spirit Village, albeit on a small scale. We can provide minimal support to the raid groups.’

Oh.

That’s very helpful.

It will be convenient for hunting around the Wind Spirit Village.

There’s a Return Home, but it’s still a hassle to travel back and forth.

Let’s move.

It might be good to use the Wind Spirit Village as a base and explore the adjacent maps for a while.

It doesn’t seem like Lambda will be back anytime soon.

I returned Jericho and summoned Obsidian.

I decided to head for the route to the forest labyrinth at a slightly faster pace.

I returned Bunraku and Goki before the vine-covered slope.

From here, I wanted to move more efficiently.

I jumped down the slope with Helix and Obsidian.

Of course, I was using the Levitation spell from the time-space magic.

《Your [Jump] skill has leveled up due to your actions!》

Jump leveled up.

It’s been a while since it happened.

I didn’t pay much attention and continued moving forward.

I encountered some monsters, but most were passive, so I ignored them.

I considered summoning Rig to fight, but decided to prioritize movement.

When I entered the forest labyrinth, I summoned Voluf and Crescent.

I returned to a formation prioritizing movement and decided to hurry to the route to the W2 map.

When I passed through the cave with skeletons, it was around 1 PM.

It was faster than I expected.

But from here, I can move even faster.

It had been a while since I hunted Raptors, but the situation seemed a bit different.

There were fewer single Raptors.

Most were in groups of two or three.

They didn’t call for reinforcements.

I didn’t see any Angry Cranes.

I thought Raptors in groups of two or three would be troublesome, but attack spells are convenient.

I mainly used the Gravity Bullet spell from time-space magic.

They were easily knocked back, so I didn’t get surrounded.

When they fell, the summoned monsters finished them off with a barrage of attacks.

Usually, I would start by hitting a Raptor with Gravity Bullet, and Crescent would trample it.

Helix and Obsidian would attack, and Voluf would finish it off.

The MP bar didn’t decrease much.

Even if I took some damage, it was within the range of recovery with potions.

No problem.

《Your [Precision Control] skill has leveled up due to your actions!》

Precision Control leveled up during the move.

This is because riding for a long time not only improves riding skills but also Precision Control.

Riding Crescent has become much easier compared to the early stages of the game.

At first, I needed to use the Physical Enchantment Aqua to boost my dexterity to ride properly.

It has become second nature.

It’s the result of consistent effort.

If riding skills were player skills, it would be a different story.

I approached the Wind Spirit Village around 5 PM.

It took longer than expected because I was hunting Raptors and Brown Bears.

But it’s fine.

I have over 10 ancient stones from Raptors.

I also hunted a few Brown Bears and obtained fur and paws.

The results of hunting while moving are sufficient.

And there were other gains.

《Your summoned monster, Crescent, has leveled up!》

《Please add 1 point to any of the status values.》

Crescent leveled up.

Congratulations.

Voluf changed classes at level 8, so the next big expectation is for Crescent.

Crescent’s vitality had already increased.

I’ll assign the remaining 1 point to agility.

Summoned Monster Crescent Horse Lv6→Lv7 (↑1)

Dexterity 7

Agility 24 (↑1)

Intelligence 7

Strength 23

Vitality 24 (↑1)

Spirit 7

Skills

Stomp, Gallop, Endurance Run, Charge, Trample, Kick Up

Speaking of horses, there’s my master’s Battle Horse.

I think it’s the higher class of horses, but there might be other options besides Battle Horse.

It won’t level up soon, so I’ll figure it out as I go.

There were other gains during the move.

I confirmed that several parties were moving towards the Wind Spirit Village.

The village will likely change significantly from when I found it.

It’s a bit more exciting now.

It’s not just different.

The area around the Wind Spirit Village had changed significantly.

There were plots that looked like wheat fields.

There were also plots where vegetables were being grown.

The growth was clearly abnormal.

It had only been a few days since I left.

The village plots, though still showing signs of age, were being cleaned up.

The gate was made of new wood, though simple.

Inside, I was even more surprised.

Several old houses had been completely demolished and new ones built.

Tents were being set up in several places to prepare meals, as it was getting close to evening.

Hey, isn’t that Mio?

Looking closely, it seemed to be Saki standing by a table.

There were two tables in front of a rebuilt house, with various items displayed.

Brown bear fur, spotted fox fur, Angry Crane beaks, and several bows.

There were also a considerable number of arrows.

They were probably made by the woodworker Reina.

“Hey!”

“Ah, Keith, you’re here already?”

“Yeah, I’m here.”

I took off my leather helmet and greeted her.

There were fewer people around, but the place felt lively.

I often saw players moving around busily.

“Everyone will be back soon!”

“Well, I want to hear about what’s been happening first.”

“That’s what I wanted to say. The village has changed a lot, hasn’t it?”

Saki’s face looked strange.

She seemed very happy.

“Ah, Keith, you have wood magic, right? I’d like your help if possible.”

No.

It’s a request I can’t refuse.

It’s almost like a demand.

“The Grow Plant spell. The more players who can use it, the better.”

It’s over.

My fate was already decided.

First, let’s exchange information.

I managed to get a general idea through casual conversation.

First, what happened in the Wind Spirit Village?

The Stonemason demolished several old stone houses and rebuilt about three.

The Lumberjack surveyed the northern forest and secured some wood.

The Woodworker used the wood to make simple furniture.

The Farmer tidied up the surrounding fields, planted wheat and root vegetables, and used Grow Plant to speed up their growth.

Of course, this was possible with the help of other production players who came here.

What are they doing now?

They are working on various projects.

Surveying old stone water channels.

Repairing the well in the village.

Building log houses.

They even started preparing the sites for a forge and a glass workshop.

There was a large cave to the south where they could obtain stone.

And to the north, there was an Antman nest where they found high-quality clay.

Fina, the merchant, is leading the village revival project, adjusting and expanding various tasks.

I heard that Rick and the others are expected to arrive by evening tomorrow.

The message I received earlier indicates that they are putting a lot of effort into this