Translator: Cryus Editor: Weasalopes
As for this frog right in front of me…
It"s a little too huge for me to grab onto with both hands.
Its body is brown with black spots.
Only its eyes share the same green color of the slugs.
Normally you wouldn"t be able to tell if a frog was poisonous, but this one"s giving off an obvious vibe.
Now, what should I do?
Maybe I"ll watch Goki shoot some arrows from a safe distance.
I quietly tell Goki to attack the monster while putting Helix and Obsidian on Standby.
He shot an arrow.
But the frog has suddenly disappeared.
Looks like it"s leaped into the air within a split second.
I didn"t see it at all.
By the time my eyes caught up with it, it already landed on a branch above my head. It"s glaring at me from above.
That"s not all.
It"s sticking out its tongue and charging towards me.
Dammit!
It wasn"t too much damage.
But I was this close to falling off the ivy vines.
It"s seriously dangerous!
I managed to close the distance and punch it with my right hand.
I did that with the intention of just trying it out.
It didn"t feel bad.
But I didn"t cause that much damage.
I grab the push daggers with my left hand and deliver another punch.
As usual, I"m scratching the monster in the same spot that I stabbed.
How"s that?
I didn"t cause any abnormal status.
Oh well.
But it looks like punching it will work.
I guess I"ll get my monster summons to attack it.
We ended the fight in no time at all.
The frog did some tricky movements at times.
It was mostly jumping around, but its movements were somewhat dull besides that.
It was a little tough, and its HP didn"t drop too much at once.
I guess frogs are a little resistant to physical attacks since their bodies are soft.
I wonder if they"re the same as the skeletons in the west exit and the goblins in the south exit. They all seem a little weaker than the monsters in the forest dungeon.
It looks like I can actually get item drops from this monster, unlike the slugs.
I can kind of figure out what the GMs are going with.
【Material】Bag of Ivy Frog Oil Raw Material Grade C Rarity 2 Weight 0+
A bag containing Ivy Frog Oil. The oil has been converted to ointment.
Works well in skin care. Also has anti-rust properties when coated on metal surfaces.
It"s toad oil!
How would I even use it?
My weapons aren"t metallic, but I guess I could use it on the stuff that"s holding my weapons.
I could use it on Goki"s hatchet too.
I"m moving further onward.
There"s less forest around here, and the ivy vines are getting thinner as well.
I"m finally starting to see some solid ground.
I caught myself surveying my surroundings.
I look backward.
There"s a field of green in view.
It"s a sight to behold.
I just realized that I"ve climbed a considerable height.
I"m feeling a slight chill.
There are a few ridges that are almost vertical on the way up, but I manage to scale it somehow.
After climbing a few, there"s an info popup.
《【Grab】Level Up!》
Well, I"ve been grabbing onto the ledges while scaling them.
It"s logical that it leveled up.
We"ve been following the ridges for a while now. There"s a fork in the path.
The left path should take us to the peak of the mountain.
The ridges continue into the distance in that direction.
The path on the right leads to the bottom.
I take a look at where it leads to. It looks like a forest that"s not very thick.
This looks familiar.
That"s right.
It resembles the place that Master always brought me to.
The place where I fought the Snow Apes.
The place where we gathered Healgra.s.s.
It really looks like it.
What should I do?
I should probably choose a direction.
The obvious choice would be to descend.
After all, it would only get colder if I keep going up the mountain.
It looks like I can finally walk normally.
Even though there are dark green areas, most of it looks like a plateau.
It looks relaxing.
With the help of the compa.s.s, we"re heading further north.
I made Helix fly and scout the area. It looks like the same scenery extends for a while.
In that case, I should change my monster summons.
I recall Goki and summon Zangetsu in his place.
Soon enough, the area has become wide enough for us to explore freely.
We"re on the plateau now. The first monster encounter here is a bear.
It"s black and burly.
Is it a moon bear?
No, I don"t see any white fur around its neck.
I"ll take a moment to【Identify】it.
Black Bear Lv.5
Monster Enemy Target Active
Just like its appearance suggests.
Now, how should I deal with it?
I"m riding on Zangetsu.
There"s enough distance for me to use my rod.
I can expect Helix and Obsidian to provide aerial support.
Can I take it on?
Well, I guess I can only find out by trying.
I just have to do it.
The bear is much faster than I expected.
If I weren"t riding Zangetsu, I definitely couldn"t stand a chance to outrun it.
I"m swinging my rod and chipping off the bear"s HP while it"s charging at me.
Even with Helix and Obsidian getting the drop on it, we"re not doing much damage against it.
It"s a rather tough monster.
It may be even tougher than the Snow Apes.
I keep on hitting it while taking advantage of our speed and maintaining distance.
But that"s when I let my guard down.
The bear caught up to us while I was trying to steer away from a rock.
It pounced right onto my body.
I was knocked onto the ground.
I"ve also dropped my rod.
The bear is right in front of me.
It"s standing on two legs as if trying to threaten me.
It"s just a little bigger than me, right?
What should I do?
Without thinking, I charge straight for the bear just as its front legs land on the ground.
There"s no better way for me to counterattack.
Still, it doesn"t look like an opponent I can beat that easily.
I jump and manage to avoid its charge.
I grab the tonfas from my back.
I doubt it"s a fair fight even with these tonfas, but I have to try.
The bear has already turned around, but Obsidian is attacking it.
In the next moment, the bear has stood up. It"s swinging its front legs to intercept Obsidian"s attack.
But Obsidian quickly ceases its attack, and has gained some height.
And here"s my favorite combo.
Helix is pecking the bear from behind. He seems to have dished out the hurt.
From that single attack, the bear"s HP has dropped to half.
I"m closing the distance quickly.
Since it"s distracted, this is my chance.
I deliver an elbow strike to the side of its face.
Along with the tonfa I"m holding, of course.
That felt good.
I"m delivering a knee kick to its stomach.
I know very well that it didn"t do much.
But I"m following up with my favorite attack.
I drive the front end of my tonfa right into its eye.
I"m pushing it all the way into its eye sockets.
「Roaaaaar!」
It"s howling in pain.
I"m taking a few hits while it"s flailing wildly, but I can"t afford to care about it.
I"m casting a spell.
The bear hasn"t ceased its howling, even while I"m casting my spell.
Does it hurt?
Of course it does.
There"s a fierce glint in its remaining eye.
The glare is directed straight at me.
But there"s something it"s forgetting.
The fact that I have my monster summons.
Zangetsu is stomping on its back with her front hooves.
I unleash the spell while the bear is distracted.
「Paralyze!」
In a moment"s notice, the bear"s movements have completely stopped.
What about its marker?
There"s a tiny marker indicating a status abnormality.
I reverse my grip on my right tonfa and drive it straight into the eye that I crushed.
I kick the tonfa with the back of my foot and drive it further inside.
The bear"s HP is dropping rapidly.
But it hasn"t dropped to zero yet.
One more kick to drive it even further.
The bear has finally breathed its last.
《【Lightning Magic】Level Up!》
My Lightning Magic has leveled up thanks to the fight against the bear.
That"s good.
But there"s no item drops from this monster.
What the h.e.l.l?
Is it because of the way I finished it off?
I"m heading further north.
Since I managed to defeat the Black Bear, I"m using Call Monster to see if there are more here.
Yup.
There"s not that many though.
There are Snow Apes here too.
It looks like the territory of the Snow Apes are closer to the forest and the surface of the mountain.
I don"t see any Blitz in this area.
Oh well, I guess.
I"ll try calling a Snow Ape.
I"m picking the closest one.
I"m only calling one here.
Why?
Because I want to try fighting it 1v1.
Here"s the stats of the Snow Ape when I【Identify】it.
Snow Ape Lv.4
Monster Enemy Target Active・Guided
It"s probably just about as strong as the Snow Apes I"ve fought so far.
This one isn"t holding a Stone Axe.
As for me, I had already planned to fight unarmed from the beginning.
Why?
Because I"m already used to fighting Snow Apes this way.
There"s no doubt that it"s superior in terms of speed, power, toughness, and other physical attributes.
But I"ve increased my stats from level ups.
Still, my AGI, STR, and VIT aren"t that different from the time I last fought a Snow Ape.
I want to see how far I can go against this opponent.
Just to try it out.
I"m kind of setting a standard for fighting monsters of the same species.
I put my monster summons on Standby, and face off against the Snow Ape alone.
It"s the first time I"m challenging a Snow Ape on my own will.
It"s coming.
I plant my feet on the ground while watching the ape as it"s lowering its posture.
We"re not fighting on flat ground.
Normally I"d be at a disadvantage.
My grandfather used to tell me to take advantage of any disadvantageous situation.
There"s a rather large stone rolling on the ground.
I can"t.
My mind is completely blank.
The ape is charging straight at me.
I"m bending down lower than it did, getting ready to tackle one of its legs.
The ape"s arm barely missed my head, making a loud whooshing sound.
I use my left hand to support myself while delivering a kick to the back of its knee.
The ape is turning around and stretching out its arm in an attempt to grab me.
I counter and grab its wrist.
I twist it slightly inwards.
With my arm locking its joint in place, I perform a one-armed shoulder throw.
With the ape now on the ground, I"m twisting its arm the other way.
Its arm is now hanging uselessly.
I heard a dull sound.
It"s coming from the ape"s broken arm.
There"s some distance between us.
I should go on the offensive.
The ape can only use one of its arms now.
But that still doesn"t put me at a clear advantage.
I took a few grazes from the ape.
It really is fast.
But that"s why it"s a good opponent for me.
It"s a perfect opponent when it comes to punching and kicking.
No, it still has a slight advantage.
With only one arm left, the ape is now aiming for my neck.
It"s swinging its left arm at me.
It"s going to be bad if it hits me straight on.
I should deliver short but accurate punches.
I shouldn"t rely on kicking it.
The ground isn"t flat enough after all.
How many minutes has it taken so far?
The ape"s movements are starting to become dull.
Its HP has dropped by about 30%.
I"ve only lost about 10% of my HP.
I should finish it off soon.
Since it"s weaker now, it"s not a good practice opponent any longer.
The ape is swinging its left arm widely. I duck below it and get behind the ape.
I wrap my arms around its neck and jump onto its body.
I wrap my legs around the ape"s body and start suffocating it.
The ape is starting to thrash about wildly and pathetically, but it"s only speeding up its own death.
I just have to maintain my lock.
I aim for the ape"s throat while watching its HP ebb away slowly.
I use my arms to twist its entire head.
Slow and steady.
Slow and steady does it.
The ape is beginning to wheeze and gasp for air.
Its strength is draining away.
I put in more strength into my arms and twist its head again.
I can hear a slight sound.
The ape"s HP is dropping to zero.
With its head tilted to the side, the ape has finally died.
The way the ape"s head is tilted looks bizarre.
The only item drop I got from this ape was Snow Ape Bones.
It"s good enough for what it is.
As for the fight itself…
I could intercept its attacks well enough, but I"m still lacking on the offensive.
I can keep up with its movements with my eyes, so my speed should be good enough.
There are monsters like the Blitz that exceed the limits of human beings.
It was the same with the Black Bear that I fought.
And even for the slugs and frogs. Even though they were weak, they still put up a challenge in terms of fighting conventionally.
I should be more self-aware.
I have many fighting means at my own disposal, which is good.
But when fighting up close, my stats are just mediocre.
And on top of that, I tend to come up with ways to enjoy the fights.
It"s a little boring to simply rely on my monster summons, after all.
I get on Zangetsu and head onwards.
I command Helix to maintain a high alt.i.tude and watch our surroundings.
Obsidian is staying on guard while perched on my shoulder.
This is my scouting mode.
Right after beating a Snow Ape to death, Helix has spotted something strange.
Getting close to it, I can see that it"s a temple of some kind, surrounded with stones.
It"s rather large in size.
But the stone wall surrounding it has crumbled, making it look ruined.
It looks just like stereotypical ruins.
The entrance is closed. It doesn"t seem like it"ll open no matter how hard I push or pull it.
It doesn"t seem like anyone has used it recently either.
The trench around it is filled with mud.
It feels like an important place though.
I take a walk around the place. It just looks like ruins no matter how you look at it.
What"s up with this place?
I got Helix to survey the area once more, but this place was the only thing that stood out.
I"m using the Call Monster spell to check on the monsters around here.
There are Black Bears and Snow Apes roaming about in the distance.
I try calling a Snow Ape here, but it failed halfway.
Did I fumble the spell?
I"m trying it on another one.
Yet another failure.
The same has happened to one of the Black Bears.
Does this mean that I can"t call them here?
There has to be a reason.
An idea comes to mind. I"ll put it to the test.
「Sense Magic!」
It"s the spell that allows me to detect magic.
I gaze at the building instinctively. Bingo.
I can see traces of magic covering the entire surface of the door.
It looks like I"ll have to rely on that spell.
The Universal Resistance Spell, Unlock.
I"ve never used it until now, or its counterpart, Lock, for that matter.
I cast the spell, feeling slightly tense all the while.
「Unlock!」
Sense Magic is still active, allowing me to see the magic slowly dispersing from the door.
Looks like I can go inside now.
But I"m not physically strong enough to open the door.
I"m using some carpentry tools to get rid of the mud that"s clogging the trench right in front of the door.
Even then, the door still doesn"t budge.
Is it because the door itself is simply too heavy?
I should force my way through.
I recall Zangetsu and summon Jericho in her place.
We"re pushing on the door together.
It"s moving a little.
Are these double doors?
The stone doors are moving inwards slowly.
The sound of air being sucked inside went on for a while, but has stopped soon enough.
It"s pitch dark inside, as expected.
「Flashlight!」
With a light source ready at my side, I"m heading further inside.
It wouldn"t be strange if there were traps in here.
There always were in the tabletop games I played long ago.
I should proceed with caution.
I feel sorry for Jericho, but I need him to lead the way,.
He"s the toughest among all of us, after all.
The inside of the building is wide, just like the size of the outside suggested.
There"s an altar in the middle. It"s strangely bright at that spot.
It"s only natural.
It"s the famous ghost.
《Hail, traveler.》
《I shalt be thy guide.》
《If thy wish is to release the seal in this place, then thou shalt undergo a trial.》
《Conquer it.》
《I shalt provide my a.s.sistance to thee once thou hast done so.》
Now then.
What should I do?
I"m hesitating in the face of the virtual window with the options《Yes》and《No》.
I know at least that choosing《Yes》will result in a battle.
The problem right now is my team.
The place is wide enough for Obsidian to fly around in.
But it"s too cramped for Helix.
I"m recalling Helix.
After some hesitation, I decided to summon Goki.
Alright.
Let"s try it.
I choose the《Yes》option on the virtual window. A mysterious large figure has appeared.
It"s a giant.
It"s taller than me by more than one head.
It"s muscular.
It looks like a barbarian since it"s only wearing a loincloth, but that"s not what I"m concerned about.
It"s the weapons that are the problem.
Pickaxes.
It"s a tough one for sure.
In fact, there"s one more giant.
I use【Identify】on them. The info is completely different from the other monsters I"ve identified so far.
Abandoned Earth Spirit Knocker Lv.2
Event Monster ？？？
Earth Spirits?
Knockers?
They"re Lv.2, which gives me the impression that they"re weak, but…
Anyway, there"s no doubt that they"re event monsters.
And clearly, they"re heavy fighters to boot.
There"s no doubt about it.
It"s going to be a tough battle.
Protagonist Keith
Race Human Male Racial Lv8
Job Summoner Lv7
Bonus Points Remaining 7
Skill Sets
Staff Lv6 Punch Lv4 Kick Lv4 Joint Lock Lv4 Throw Lv4
Evade Lv4 Block Lv4 Summon Magic Lv8 s.p.a.cetime Magic Lv1
Light Magic Lv4 Wind Magic Lv4 Earth Magic Lv4 Water Magic Lv4
Fire Magic Lv3 Dark Magic Lv4 Ice Magic Lv1 Lightning Magic Lv2（↑1）
Tree Magic Lv2
Alchemy Lv4 Pharmacy Lv3 Gla.s.smaking Lv3 Woodworking Lv3
Cooperation Lv6 Appraise Lv6 Identify Lv6 Discern Lv2 Cold Resistance Lv3
Grab Lv6（↑1）Horsemanship Lv5 Precise Manipulation Lv6 Jump Lv3
Heat Resistance Lv3 Climb Lv3 Dual Wield Lv3 Mental Fort.i.tude Lv3
Speedcasting Lv2
Equipment Kaya Wood Rod ×2 Kaya Wood Tonfa ×2 Snow Leopard Push Daggers ×3
Wild Horse Leather Armor+ Snow Ape Armguard Wild Horse Boots+
Snow Ape Leather Helmet Rabid Horse Belt+ Rucksack Item Box ×2
Items Survival Knife Woodworking Toolkit
t.i.tles Old Summoner"s Pupil, Guardian of the Forest, Man of the Middle Path
Spell Archive
Monster Summons
Volff Wolf Lv6 Resting
Zangetsu Horse Lv4 Resting
Helix Hawk Lv4 Resting
Obsidian Owl Lv4
Jean Bat Lv4 Resting
Jericho Wood Golem Lv3
Goki Demon Lv3 Resting