Chapter 75 of 100

Chapter 75

10 min read2,439 words

No one's "avatar" came down, and the fifth day of Lulubu's forest seclusion had dawned.

Last night, I was trembling after using my "psychic power," but I managed to make it through to the morning unscathed.

Nothing happening probably means that Reia must have explained the situation thoroughly.

Still, I'm a bit worried because she's not very good at speaking and sometimes misses the point in conversations...

But there's no point in worrying about it now, so I'll focus on hunting monsters as usual.

However, I was a bit puzzled about where to attack today.

By the end of the fourth day, I had almost completely cleared the area 500 meters east of the Syl River, from the forest entrance to my current base.

So, should I go deeper into the forest or start on the west side of the river?

Both options have their pros and cons, which is why I'm hesitating.

If I continue to attack the east side of the river, the first thing I can say is that my movement will be easier.

This is the biggest advantage.

I want to clear the nearby monsters as soon as possible to prepare the bath, so if I continue to clear the east side and around the base, it will be easier to have everything ready before Feilir comes.

What about the disadvantages? This would affect not me, but Mr. Alba and the others.

The deeper I go into the forest, the farther I get from the safe grassland, and there's a possibility that monsters could cross the river and enter the east.

If I leave the west side of the Syl River unattended, it could turn out that a considerable number of monsters are still wandering around, even though I thought I had cleared them.

Even after cleaning up the entrance to the Locker Plain, some monsters had moved in from somewhere the next day, so it's best to assume that the range of monster movement is quite wide.

I don't know how many people are currently gathering materials.

Since I haven't seen them since then, I'm worried about whether Mr. Alba and the others can defend themselves, which is a disadvantage of continuing to attack the east side.

On the other hand, if I attack the west side, the disadvantages I just mentioned become advantages.

If I clear the west side of the Syl River, the number of monsters crossing the river will decrease, making Mr. Alba and the others' material gathering more stable, and they can still gather materials in a position closer to the safe area.

However, I will be farther from the base.

It's only about 1 km, so it's not that far, but in terms of efficiency, it will be slightly lower, and most importantly, the safety measures for the bath will be delayed.

Another concern is my lack of knowledge about my "territory."

Amanda once said that the Syl River separates the territories.

This means that the base I'm currently in, which is built on the earthen wall across the river, is technically a different territory from Bezart.

Of course, I can relax knowing that there won't be any problems in a place where no one lives, but I'm not sure if it's okay to hunt monsters from other territories.

Honestly, I and Mr. Alba and the others are all hunters.

Hunters don't belong to a country, so I think there's a high chance that there won't be any problems even if we hunt in other territories.

In fact, reducing the number of monsters significantly might even be appreciated.

However, if trouble arises, it will be troublesome not only for me but also for Mr. Alba and the others.

This is the disadvantage of hunting from the forest entrance on the west side of the river.

(Hmm, maybe I should meet and discuss with them...)

I myself planned this with the involvement of others, so I have to decide the future plans together with everyone.

With that in mind, I decided to head to the forest entrance around 11:00 and started today's hunt.

---

(Hmm? I haven't seen these people before... nine of them?)

As I ran toward the forest exit from the already cleared area, I saw a group of unfamiliar people from a distance.

Judging from the fact that they all had baskets on their backs, they were probably the party that Mr. Alba and Mizuru had recruited.

It was so obvious that I couldn't help but chuckle.

(There doesn't seem to be anyone else nearby... but it's fine.)

With that thought, I approached and called out to them.

"Excuse me. Are you the people Mr. Alba and Mizuru invited?"

The group flinched for a moment but then relaxed when they saw me.

"Oh, that's right. Are you Loki?"

"Yes, that's me. I came to check how the already cleared area is doing... Are Mr. Alba and Mizuru here?"

"We're divided into four teams. Alba and Mizuru are probably collecting materials on the easternmost side, heading north."

"Four teams!?"

I suggested inviting more people, but it seems to have grown quite large.

The group in front of me is probably one team, so that means there are over 30 people?

Oh, oh, oh... Is the material I've gathered enough...?

"By the way, are you making a good profit?"

"Yeah, it's amazing! At first, I thought it was a joke, but I'm really grateful."

When the adults in front of me bowed, I felt a bit ticklish.

If they said they weren't making money, it would be a problem, but I'm relieved to hear they are.

"That's great. I'll discuss a bit with Mr. Alba and the others, so please share the results of the discussion with everyone later!"

With that, I left and headed east along the river, using the "Exploration" skill to check the monster situation as I moved.

(Hmm, as expected, a few monsters are still within 30 meters. There are clearly fewer than before, but monsters are still coming in from the west, north, and east. The large number of dead monster bodies is probably a factor...)

I leave the bodies of the monsters I kill and the bodies after material collection are also left as is.

I've seen Poison Mice eating each other, so it's possible that monsters are attracted by the meat of other monsters.

Otherwise, what are all these monsters eating?

However, removing the dead bodies of monsters is not practical.

Even if I could remove one or two, there are hundreds of scattered bodies, so I have to continue material collection while considering this situation.

As I moved further east, I saw another team gathering materials.

When I reached a group of about ten people engaged in battle, I saw several familiar faces—

This must be the team responsible for the easternmost area.

"Hello! Is everything okay?"

Alba and Mizuru, who were in the middle of the battle, responded without turning around, apparently recognizing my voice.

"Huh? Is that Loki?"

"It's a bit troublesome, but we're fine. Ah... but it would help if you could provide support!"

Which is it! I thought to myself, but looking at the monsters they were fighting, there was one Orc and four Small Wolves.

To make matters worse, a Rig Spider was floating in the air, and one hunter was wrapped up like a caterpillar on the ground, apparently caught by the "Sticky Thread."

(Wow! That's what happens when you get caught by a Rig Spider! But... I don't want to see a man all sticky.)

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

There are nine hunters fighting.

They can certainly defeat them, but it seems to be a bit troublesome.

So, I'll provide support first.

If I don't, I won't be able to discuss anything properly.

As I started running toward the monsters, I suddenly remembered a skill I had for situations like this.

(I'm sure I have it, right? Let's see... let's see...)

"Provocation!"

For some reason, I learned this skill in the Locker Plain, and although it's only level 1, I thought it would be useful to attract monsters.

I aimed at the Orc and used the "Provocation" skill for the first time.

To my surprise...

(Whoa! The Small Wolves are following too!?)

I intended to attract only the Orc, but three Small Wolves also followed.

Moreover, the Orcs' eyes seemed more bloodshot and aggressive... What? Are they angry? Really angry?

Is "Provocation" a range skill? Does it not only narrow the field of vision but also make monsters extremely angry?

I'm not sure because I've been neglecting it.

Since I move solo, all monsters come to me anyway, so I've never even looked at the detailed description.

(Well, it doesn't matter.)

Whether it's one or four, there's not much difference at this point.

I quickly switched to a style that emphasizes speed, with a short sword in my right hand and a knife in my left, and met the approaching Small Wolves.

(Swish, swish, swish!)

If I fight Small Wolves near the river, a wave of attacks will come.

I easily cut down the three Small Wolves and, while dodging the club swung by the Orc, used the Orc's knee as a base to jump up and slash its neck with my sword.

Thud...

(I've finally been able to consistently behead Orcs since yesterday.)

While thinking about this, I checked the remaining monsters and saw that they had also finished.

"Wow, I've never seen Loki fight before... It's amazing..."

"Wow... that's all I can say."

"...To face four monsters alone and be so calm, what's going on?"

"Maybe it's a skill that makes monsters target Loki?"

"Maybe we live in different worlds."

"Indeed, Loki is a god."

"..."

(...Awkward...)

I didn't mean to show off, but if monsters are coming to me and I'm asked for support, it's best to take care of them quickly.

I'm not to blame! I'm not to blame!!

"Ah, ahaha... Rather, shouldn't we help the person who's wrapped up?"

"..."