(096) Repel the approaching monsters!
Translator: Tseirp
I changed Carol’s job to Temptress.
The pheromones released by her rode the winds and headed to the north.
The smell would not reach immediately.
I wanted to blow it over instantly with Wind Magic but if I used my wind blade 「Wind」 poorly, I might end up dispersing Carol’s pheromones.
There’s no other choice but to wait patiently. The wind direction was correct.
I’ve also changed my jobs to my magic-based jobs including my Apprentice Magician job that I had already reached max level for.
Jobless, Apprentice Magician, Magician, Apprentice Pract.i.tioner and Pract.i.tioner.
My MP also rose dramatically.
… Eh?
When I looked to my side, Haru was acting strangely.
She was looking up at the north sky for some reason.
Is there something there? Just when I had that thought,
“Ichino, they’re coming!”
Marina called out.
The monsters that were advancing to the east all turned to our direction together.
It’s a success.
Carol’s 「Captivating Powder of the Night II」 showed its effect.
The battle starts from now.
“Master!”
Haru called out.
“Yeah, the battle is starting! Haru, lend ― ”
“It’s not that, there are bats flying in the north sky.”
“Bats?”
I looked at the north sky as I was told.
I couldn’t see them.
I totally couldn’t see anything.
Now that I think about it, I couldn’t even see the figures of the torch bearers, there’s no way I could see the figures of bats.
“Haru, I’ll take note of the presence of bats. I’ll be careful of attacks from the sky.”
” … The bats have left towards the northwest sky.”
They’ve left?
If they’ve left then it wouldn’t really be a problem?
“Monsters that are resistant to Carol’s ability … perhaps …”
Haru was hesitating as if she was thinking of some possibility.
“Perhaps?”
“Nothing, sorry, I’ll focus on the battle in front of us now for today.”
Haru lowered her gaze and stared at the looming monster herd.
The monsters have drawn closer.
A gray panther-like monster was charging over at the forefront.
“All right, let’s go! 「Fire」!”
The fireball I released fell within the monster herd and exploded. The herd was flocking over so I would hit no matter where I shoot. It wasn’t that different altogether from a bonus stage.
The next to take action was Marina.
She held the bow up and drew the string.
When she did that, it created the shape of a wind arrow.
The instant she released the string, the 5 wind arrows accurately hit the heads of the dark hairy cattle-like monsters running behind the panther.
“Marina, they all hit between the eyebrows.”
Not only did they all hit, they all even hit between the eyebrows?
“Of course. I’ll be troubled if you underestimate my ability.”
The cattle-like monsters that had arrows pierced between their brows disappeared.
“The monsters disappeared? Are they labyrinth monsters?”
“That seems to be the case, they dropped magic stones, 「Slash」!”
The 「Slash」 Haru released bisected the legs of the panther running ahead.
It didn’t disappear perhaps because it did not die. That panther became an obstacle that caused the movements of the front line to falter.
After that, Haru continued to sever the monsters’ legs with 「Slash」 as if to build a barrier of monsters.
All right, maybe I’ll mimic her too?
I aimed for the legs of the largest monster,
“「Slash」!”
and released a 「Slash」. It cut through the nose and face of the largest black elephant-like monster at the back and it died.
“As expected of master!”
“Ichino-sama’s Slash is powerful.”
“I will not be beaten.”
I was praised but I could not say that I didn’t intend to kill it.
Hn ‒, it seems like it’s impossible for me to aim with precision.
“「Charm」!”
Carol next to me released her first magic.
Immediately afterward, a black elephant like the one before suddenly went on a rampage and mowed down the monsters with its ma.s.sive nose.
The surrounding monsters looked like they did not know what to do with the sudden betrayal but monsters that fought back against the black elephant that was attacking with disregard appeared and a section devolved into a brawl.
Excellent, I must make sure to not attack that location.
A battle where we still had plenty of room for spare unfolded.
The battle with the ants was not a waste.
Carol’s Charm magic and Marina’s Wind Arrows were reliably decreasing the number of monsters.
We were dominating the flow of battle.
Haru’s eyes did not let that escape. In order to not let the flow of battle return to the enemy, she precisely cut down the monsters that would have an advantage in that situation.
I still had plenty of allowance for MP as well.
How many monsters would we be able to defeat until I run out of MP?
I was the most worried for Haru.
Maybe Haru was conscious of it too, she has only been releasing Slash when it was needed since a while ago.
In exchange, she was releasing arrows from the bow we obtained from the bandits.
When I looked at Haru, she silently nodded.
It seems like she can still continue.
I would actually want to annihilate all of them in one shot with a powerful magic but I wonder if there’re any good methods?
Initially, I thought of setting the gra.s.sland on fire like what Dakyat’s soldiers did to burn the monsters to death but the monsters would charge at us while clad in the fire.
“「Fire」!”
The flames that illuminated the darkness exploded within the monster herd.
However, the monsters totally did not look like they were faltering.
The power of Carol’s skill is truly amazing.
” …… Ah, now that I think about it, this scene ― 「Thunder」! 「Ice」! 「Stone」!”
Looking at the monsters disappear as the fireball and thunder descend onto them and they did not evade the clumps of ice and stone that flew at them, I recalled the behavior that the monsters exhibited before.
The figures of the monsters closely resembled the figures of the monsters determined on advancing eastward even when wrapped in a sea of fire.
Were the monsters aiming for the east because they were being attracted by something?
“Carol, I’ll change your job. I have something I’m curious about. Haru and Marina also, please stop attacking for a moment.”
“Yes, understood.”
I changed Carol’s job from Temptress to Farmer.
The next instant,
【Ichinojo Leveled up】
【Magician skill: 「Magic Attack Strengthening (minor)」acquired】
【Magician skill: 「Darkness Magic」has skilled up to「Darkness Magic II」】
【Apprentice Pract.i.tioner skill: 「Healing Magic II」has skilled up to「Healing Magic III」】
【Apprentice Pract.i.tioner skill: 「MP Strengthening (minor)」has skilled up to「MP Strengthening (small)」】
【There are no further levels for Apprentice Pract.i.tioner】
【t.i.tle: Peak of Apprentice Pract.i.tioner acquired】
【t.i.tle skill: Learning acquired】
【Pract.i.tioner skill: 「Healing Magic III」has skilled up to「Healing Magic IV」】
【Pract.i.tioner skill: 「Shield Magic」has skilled up to「Shield Magic II」】
【Pract.i.tioner skill: 「Magic Defense Strengthening (minor)」has skilled up to「Magic Defense Strengthening (small)」】
… My level went up.
In other words, combat had ended.
Combat ended even though there are that many monsters around?
“The monsters are leaving.”
“Or rather, it looks like they are aiming for Ferruit as before.”
Just like what Haru and Marina mentioned, the monsters really seemed like they had no interest in us and changed course to the east.
As expected, they are being manipulated.
It’s not as strong as Carol’s 「Captivating Powder of the Night」 but the monsters’ actions were being restricted by some strong power.
“Ku, kuhahahaha!”
Discovering that fact, I crumbled into laughter.
“Ichino-sama, my level increased too but … what happened?”
“This is not just a bonus stage, what’s this, I don’t know if somebody did this for some particular reason or that this is a natural phenomenon or a paranormal phenomenon but I thought of something incredibly awesome!”
Finishing off all the monsters in one go.
Thinking of the method, I gave a daring smile.