“So, if we head north from here, we’ll reach the territory of the Toadman, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
We were guided by the Lizardman fisherman we encountered for the first time and proceeded to the middle of the lakeshore. It seemed that the area from the slightly warped circular lake’s center to a little northward belonged to the Lizardmen species.
They said that they lived in that territory, hunting and gathering for their sustenance. The Toadman lived a similar lifestyle, and the two species apparently shared some of their food sources. Due to this, they had been aware of each other’s territories, avoiding unnecessary conflicts.
However, this incident was different. There must have been some problem, for sure. That’s why this quest was all about investigating the cause.
“Thank you for guiding us. Please be careful on your way back.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
To be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances, we had the Lizardman leave at this point. We couldn’t predict when a battle might break out from here on. It would be dangerous and challenging to fight alongside someone with whom we couldn’t coordinate well.
“He’s gone… Nevertheless, I never knew we could add an NPC to our party.”
“I haven’t had such an opportunity before.”
However, what surprised me the most was the ability to add an NPC to our party. I had never had a proper conversation with an NPC before, so I was unaware that it was possible to have them join the party with mutual agreement.
The system specifications regarding this aspect were probably posted on some bulletin board thread, but I ignored them as I had no interest. It was quite foolish of me.
“Anyway, the Toadmen monsters…. are tough, right?”
“Unfortunately for you, I heard they are weaker than the Lizardman.”
After conducting discussions with the Lizardman, it became evident that in a one-on-one battle with the same level of evolution against a Toadman, the Lizardman would undoubtedly emerge victorious. The only thing to be wary of against the Lizardmen was their [Ambush] skill. On the flip side, it meant they wouldn’t pose much of a threat in a head-on fight. It seemed unlikely to be the kind of battle that Jigoro would find satisfying.
“Tch, that’s boring.”
“Oh, come on, don’t say that. It’s precisely because of that we can expect an abnormal challenge, right?”
“Well, yeah, I guess so…”
Jigoro, the source of dissatisfaction, was being comforted and reasoned with by Genjuro. No, no, you are just secretly hoping for that kind of challenge, aren’t you?
As the situation unfolded, I couldn’t help but worry. W-what if the cause of this abnormality wasn’t as formidable as we thought? Would Jigoro go on a rampage? Oh, potential boss, please let the challenge be just strong enough to give us a moderate struggle. All I could do was earnestly pray.
“Hey, I sense something. Stay alert.”
During our conversation, it seemed Ruby had spotted something. Has the Toadman finally appeared?
“Look there!”
Ruby swiftly retrieved a throwing knife she had stored within her body and hurled it towards a muddy area. She initiated a preemptive strike, but what would be the outcome?
Clang!
However, to our surprise, the knife was effortlessly deflected. Did the creature have a shield or something? It appeared to be well-armed… No, something was off. That wasn’t a Toadman, was it?
――――――――――
Race: Mud Snail Lv10
Job: None
Skills:
[Hard Shell]
[Earth Magic]
[Water Magic]
[Spewing]
――――――――――
The creature that emerged from the mud was a ridiculously large snail. It was surprising to encounter such a monster. Frankly, it was quite weak and didn’t possess any remarkable skills, but its shell seemed incredibly tough. Even after Ruby, who had the [Throwing Technique], hurled her knife at it, the snail remained completely unharmed.
If we could defeat it without breaking its shell, we might obtain some useful materials. Somehow, I felt like flipping it over would be an easy way to take it down. So, I decided to use my Dark Arm to do just that…
“Interesting! Let’s see if my fist can shatter it!”
“Wait!”
Before I could convey my plan, Jigoro had already taken action. He seemed genuinely interested in facing such a tough opponent, wanting to test whether he could break through its defenses.
But hold on! I was just thinking of a method to defeat it without breaking its shell!
“Oraaa!”
Crack!
Jigoro’s right straight punch pierced the snail’s shell, causing a crack to form, but it didn’t shatter.
What resistance! It’s incredibly tough!
“Take this!”
Crack! Thud!
However, it seemed that the snail couldn’t withstand a second hit with the crack already present. Jigoro swiftly followed up with a left-handed attack, completely shattering the mud snail’s shell and, in the process, crushing its insides, leading to its demise.
“It had quite a satisfying toughness!”
Jigoro seemed pleased, and that’s good to hear, honestly. I suppose I’ll try to harvest its parts… Wait, nothing dropped? Well, even if something did, the shell was already shattered, and the insides were all mushy. The quality wouldn’t be any good.
“I’m not losing either. Let me cut the insides along with the shell.” Genjuro said.
“Um, if possible, could you defeat these snails without breaking their shell? There’s a chance the shell might drop intact.” Iris suggested
“W-What did you say!?”
Iris spoke on my behalf, conveying exactly what I wanted to say. Indeed, being a production-oriented player, she seemed to understand the importance of materials better than anyone else among us.
In reality, it was remarkable that a Level 10 monster could withstand Jigoro’s fist, even if it was just one hit. If that shell dropped and we could craft armor from it, it would undoubtedly possess outstanding performance. We couldn’t afford to miss such a possibility.
“That’s right, Grandpa! We must treasure materials!” Ruby added.
“Muuh…”
“Hahaha! Too bad for you, old man.”
Jigoro teased with a triumphant smile, while Genjuro sulked after being scolded by Ruby. Hey, shouldn’t you be the one not laughing?
“Jigoro, it’s the same for you.”
“Guuh…”
Ruby said so in a chillingly cold voice. Oh, look, even Jigoro seems taken aback! From now on, let’s leave the task of dealing with these two battle junkies to her.
“Hmm… Looks like we have more enemies. Probably the same ones as before. …You ready?”
“”Y-yes!””
Both of them stood straight and answered firmly. They almost look like soldiers. Well, then, this time, let’s try flipping them over to defeat them. It seems like the most straightforward approach.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
After that, we went through several battles, but we never came across the Toadman. Wasn’t he supposed to be more active? There’s even a possibility that the village chief, Lizarman, was lying about it.
Anyway, since then, we have hunted Mud Snails and Evil Fish Loaches while advancing, so we managed to obtain some drop items. The Evil Fish Loach only dropped meat and whiskers, but the Mud Snail gave us something like this:
――――――――――
Mud Snail Shell – Quality: Good, Rarity: R (Rare Class)
The shell of the Mud Snail that inhabits the mud of the swamp.
It boasts considerable hardiness to protect itself from predators.
Processing is difficult, but it serves as an excellent material for shields and armor.
――――――――――
As expected, the Mud Snail dropped its shell. Getting such high-quality material made Iris really happy…Well, she doesn’t have a face to show it, but her excitement was evident through her demeanor.
“Seriously, all we get are loaches and snails. Not a single Toadman in sight.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
Jigoro grumbled, and I agreed with him wholeheartedly. It felt odd that the Toadmen, rumored to be more active, had not confronted us despite spending quite some time in their territory.
“…I just had a thought. Could it be possible that we’ve been lured here?” Iris mused.
“No way… but it’s not entirely implausible.”
I muttered while considering Iris’ observation. We had heard about the increased activity, but maybe it wasn’t as straightforward as we assumed. If her suspicion turned out to be true, we could find ourselves isolated deep within enemy territory. That’s dangerous.
“Alright, let’s turn back for now. We need to reassess our approach,” I declared.
“Ehhh~? Are you serious?”
Jigoro let out a deeply displeased voice. However, it was a bit too late to make this decision.
“?! W-Watch out! They’re enemies! There are so many! We’re surrounded!”
Ruby shouted, warning us of the sudden ambush. In response, as if realizing they had been spotted, two-legged frogs, or rather, Toadmen, emerged from the mud and the lake. There were at least twenty of them. This is bad!
“Geck! Geeroo!”
The Toadmen charged toward us, their voices filled with evident hostility and murderous intent. Here they come! We have to counter them!
“We’ll fight back!”
“I’ve been waiting for this!”
No matter how we decide to act from now on, there’s no way around dealing with this group. For now, we must engage in battle!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
――――――――――
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The level of [Scythe Mastery] skill has increased.
The level of [Light Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Summoning Magic] skill has increased.
The level of [Enchantment] skill has increased.
The level of [Spirit Channeling] skill has increased.
The level of [Witchcraft] skill has increased.
The level of [Linguistics] skill has increased.
――――――――――
When we ventured into the territory of the Toadmen, we complained that there seemed to be nothing unusual. However, in reality, a highly abnormal situation was unfolding, far beyond our imaginations.
“Gegegoo!”
“Gegegegegroooo!”
The two-legged frog-like creatures, the Toadmen, approached us with bare hostility. Their words were as incomprehensible as those of the Ratmen, filled with nothing but emotions. The Lizardmen, in contrast, had spoken normally. What set them apart?
“Take this, you pests!”
With Jigoro’s angry shout, his fist sent two of the Toadmen flying. Alright, enough avoiding reality. We were cornered, and it was time to face it.
The first twenty creatures were already taken care of. However, as their numbers dwindled, they started calling for reinforcements. Consequently, enemy reinforcements kept arriving, and we found ourselves in a relentless cycle of battles with no chance to escape.
“Gekoggeko!”
“Gero! Gegogego!”
From then on, we fought without a break for about twenty minutes. The constant influx of reinforcements meant that our experience points were increasing, but exhaustion was starting to show. It was no wonder that Jigoro was becoming vexed and venting his frustrations.
Moreover, with continuous combat, we had made absolutely no progress in our investigation. There was no room for such luxuries! … It’s hopeless. We should retreat after all.
“Everyone, let’s retreat! We’re not making any headway like this!”
“Retreat? Who’ll be stalling for time here? Those who stay behind will definitely die!”
“I will summon reinforcements! Star Magic Circle, summon the spirits!”
Through the art of [Spirit Channeling], a large number of spirits manifested in the mortal realm. Individually, they might be inferior to the Toadmen, but in terms of sheer numbers, they held the advantage. Just as we had been overwhelmed, it was possible to forcibly restrain the enemies using the power of sheer numbers.
“Summon! Skeleton Shield Warrior! Undead Boost!”
Using [Summoning Magic], I called forth Skeleton Shield Warriors, who were excellent tanks, and strengthened them with [Necromancy]. I summoned a total of five of them. My maximum magic power was reduced by half in an instant, but it was a necessary expense for our escape!
“Alright, let’s make a run for it now!”
“Oooh!”
We fled like startled rabbits. Genjuro and I took to the air, while Iris, who had slower mobility, was carried by Jigoro and Ruby, who ran at full speed.
In this way, the first investigation yielded no results other than the discovery that the enemy was numerous. I believe the lack of a sense of crisis and a well-thought-out strategy were the reasons for our lack of progress. We must plan properly before the next attempt!
“This seems to be turning into quite a troublesome problem…”
I muttered to myself as we ran, with our backs turned to the enemy.
Leave a Reply