Chapter 71

Summary of the previous chapter ------------------------------------------------------

The day after the rain stopped, we went back to the forest to gather more.

The Magic Mushrooms had grown surprisingly fast, and we were able to gather from two out of the three spots again.

On the way, the topic of orcs came up, but we learned that they don't attack people for reproductive purposes in this world.

We continued walking for a few hours, taking a break for lunch.

Even though it was usually around this time that we would start heading back, we hadn't made much progress with gathering Magic Mushrooms.

I had found four logs, but two of them had been completely eaten, one had only a few mushrooms over 5 cm, and the last one had a decent number of mushrooms.

"This... might not be very efficient, you know."

While taking a short break, Haruka sighed as she looked into her backpack.

At this point, including herbs, we probably had around 40,000 rares.

Considering the break due to the rain, it wasn't a good earning for five people.

"It's not bad if you look at it individually, but thinking about the future... you know."

"Should we consider going after giant salamanders?"

Haruka looked around at us.

Giant salamanders, huh. If we could catch them successfully, it would be profitable.

Yesterday, I made a larger Magic Bag, so it could handle a few up to about a meter.

The problem is the distance to the hunting ground.

"I recommend orcs."

"Really? That's unexpected."

Natsuki spoke up, and I was a bit surprised too.

I thought Toya would suggest orc hunting, and Natsuki would rather avoid combat.

"There are two reasons. One, we don't have enough preparation and it would be costly to go on an overnight expedition. Two, fighting monsters is also a way to ensure safety, you know. Like, leveling up our characters. We should do that too."

"…Yeah, that makes sense."

"I would have opposed if Toya suggested it, but it's different when Natsuki says it."

"Hey, that's harsh, isn't it?"

"Because it's Toya."

Haruka, Yuki, and I nodded in agreement.

Toya, on the other hand, looked at us with a critical eye, but it's about his usual behavior... or rather, his persuasiveness. We wouldn't oppose without a good reason.

"I was also thinking about leveling up, so it's hard to disagree. I was planning to focus on goblins for a while... Toya, what do you think?"

Toya, who had been pondering for a while, finally spoke with a slightly troubled expression.

"Umm... To be honest, it's hard to decide. But, logically, based on the information from the guild and the strength of the goblins and Viper Bears we've fought, one goblin shouldn't be a problem for me alone. It would be much easier with Natsuki, and with the support of the other three, it would be a breeze. Of course, that's in terms of combat analysis."

"How many can we handle without much risk?"

"If everyone can stay calm, up to three. Four would be dangerous. To be safe, two would be ideal."

Looking at Natsuki, she nodded, so her judgment was the same.

Well, Natsuki's spear level is 4. With my spear, she could probably one-shot an orc. Actually, I usually lend it to her. It might become her spear eventually.

I have magic, so in terms of party strength, it's reasonable, but it's a bit sad.

"Considering other monsters might join in, let's aim for two. Naoh's [Detection] should be fine, right?"

"I haven't missed anything so far."

We don't know if there are enemies that can fool [Detection], but so far, it has been accurate within the detection range.

However, for small animals like birds, it's hard to notice unless you pay close attention. If there's a dangerous monster at the level of a small animal, it could be risky.

"Let's venture a bit deeper into the forest, then? Everyone, are you okay with your stamina?"

"I'm fine."

"Me too."

I nodded too. Today, my bag is light, so I'm not tired at all.

This body is amazing; walking in the forest doesn't tire me much.

"Got it. Let's move deeper for about an hour. If we don't encounter anything, we'll turn back. It's too dangerous to be in the forest when it gets dark."

"Understood."

To increase safety, we returned to our usual exploration area before heading deeper into the forest.

After about 10 minutes of walking deeper into the forest, my [Exploration] detected three reactions.

They were larger than goblins but smaller than Viper Bears. It was the first time I had detected this reaction.

"Three reactions, about 80 meters away."

"Orcs, maybe?"

"Can't tell, but they seem weaker than Viper Bears."

"Should we avoid them if there are three?"

We decided to avoid orcs if there were two or more, but we don't know if these are orcs yet.

"Let's check it out. We need to identify them for future reference. With my [Appraisal], we can identify them from a distance."

"That's true. Even if they notice us, we should be able to handle them if they're weaker than Viper Bears."

"Let's proceed cautiously. Naoh, lead the way."

"Understood."

We changed our direction slightly and entered the forest. After a few dozen seconds, we identified the targets.

Fortunately, they hadn't noticed us yet.

"That's a Hobgoblin. Stronger than a goblin, but not by much. The magic stone is worth 600 rares."

"Is that from your studies?"

"Yeah, probably. It's the result of the [Appraisal], but it matches what I read in the materials yesterday."

Even if it's just a reminder, it's quite convenient. We haven't encountered many yet, but as we encounter more beasts and monsters, it would be hard to remember them all.

"Let's take the initiative. Haruka, Naoh, and Yuki, are you ready?"

"I can use [Fire Arrow] now, but I don't know the power yet."

As usual, I copied it, and it became easy to use. It's weaker than my customized [Fire Arrow].

"I'll back you up, so it's fine."

"Alright, from the left, Haruka, Naoh, and Yuki. If you can't kill them, we'll finish them off. Toya and Natsuki, please handle any that come our way."

"Got it."

"Understood."

Haruka, Yuki, and I nodded and prepared our magic.

Haruka and I supported Yuki, who was the least experienced, and our magic and arrows were almost simultaneous.

However, Haruka's arrow hit first. It penetrated the side of the Hobgoblin's head, causing it to stagger and fall.

Almost simultaneously, my magic blew off the top half of the middle Hobgoblin's head, and a moment later, Yuki's magic enveloped the face of the right Hobgoblin in flames.

It's clear when we fire simultaneously, but the speed seems to be in the order of Haruka's arrow, my magic, and Yuki's magic.

I was focusing on power, but maybe I should consider speed more? The power was a bit excessive for the Hobgoblins.

On the other hand, Yuki's power was weak. About the same as the initial [Fire Arrow] I used at the beginning.

"Ugh, I missed... Wait, it's running!"

The Hobgoblin, which we thought would attack, seemed to be scared by the quick death of its two companions and tried to run away, but it tripped and fell.

"Got it!"

Yuki shouted, and the Hobgoblin, unable to get up, was hit in the head by Haruka's arrow and stopped moving after a brief struggle.

"Did it trip because of Yuki's magic?"

"Yeah, it's hard to time it right when the target is moving, but it's enough to trip them."

It seems the ground under its feet sank slightly.

If the ground sinks even a few centimeters when you start to run, you'll trip. The power of [Fire Arrow] was low, but the ability to use magic instantly in that moment is impressive.

"Naoh's magic is amazing. It's the same spell, right?"

"Technically, yes, but in this world, the names of spells are just guidelines."

Spells don't automatically activate when you chant them; the power and consumption depend on the magic you put in and the image you have in mind.

Of course, fixing the spell name and effect to some extent makes tactics more stable in battle, so it's better to give different names based on power.

"It was the first time for Hobgoblins, but they don't seem very strong?"

"I'm not sure. If we hit a vital spot, Haruka's arrow can kill them in one shot... In my case, I can probably cast that spell three times in a row, or dozens with breaks, I think."

"If we add me and Toya, we should be able to handle about 10."

"Right, if we can take the initiative, Haruka and Naoh can eliminate about four before they get close, and the rest can handle close combat... Let's aim to kill 10 or fewer."

"Got it. ...Let's collect the magic stones first."

Toya split open the Hobgoblin's head and extracted the magic stone. I looked for the magic stone of the one I blew up... Ah, there it is. It's rolling nicely nearby. I was worried it might be damaged, but it's clean and unharmed.

It's a good method to blow off the head to avoid the gory work. Toya is having a hard time.

"Still not used to collecting magic stones... 6,000, 6,000..."

He's trying to mask the unpleasant task with money. Toya continued the work, collecting the magic stones from the ones I killed and having Haruka purify them.

Using Toya's sword is convenient, and it's impressive that he takes the lead and does it himself, rather than leaving it to the women. I would probably... use [Fire Arrow] to blow off the head and collect the stone. The magic stone seems durable.

"If we encounter Hobgoblins as often as in a game, it would be profitable, but considering the time for exploration and collecting magic stones, it's not worth it."

"Right. The location isn't good either."

The position of the magic stone varies by monster, but for most, it's either in the head, like a goblin, or in the center of the body, like the human sternum.

Naturally, the latter is easier to collect. If goblins were this type, it would be more profitable, but all normal goblins, hobgoblins, and other sub-species and higher species are the former type.

On the other hand, orcs are this type, but they also sell meat, so even if we kill two, we have to return to town, making it less beneficial.

Things don't always go as planned.

"Three killed, 18,000 yen. It's not worth the effort, so let's avoid them if possible. Naoh, can you identify them?"

"Umm, I can probably do it with practice, but I might make mistakes for a while."

"That's understandable. Right?"

"Right. But if possible, I'd like Naoh or Yuki to use magic to kill them for easier magic stone collection."

"Got it. Let's go."

With that, we continued deeper into the forest, searching for orcs.