The dust that had accumulated inside the building swirled up, making it difficult to see clearly, but most likely, that creature was the target.
“Heh, it finally showed up.”
“Heh, it seems like the Executive Toadman showed its face.”
“Grandpa, it’s not an executive but King.”
You guys… seem quite relaxed. Look at Iris. I can’t see her face, but her tentacles are moving more rigidly than usual. It’s a sign that she’s nervous.
The entity that caused the collapse of the building in the back was approaching straight ahead, destroying the dwellings of the Toadmen, one after another. Um, isn’t this nest coming to an end even if we do nothing?
“Gebbuu… GegoGo!”
“Eek!”
“Uwaa…”
It had a hideous appearance that made our female members involuntarily flinch. Its body was large both vertically and horizontally, indicating obvious obesity with its protruding belly and four folds of flesh on its lower jaw. Moreover, its mouth was filled with fangs that normal frogs shouldn’t have, so we had to be cautious of its bites.
If it was just that, then we were merely facing a fat-fanged Toadman. However, the real issue lay with its skin. Covered in numerous protruding warts of purple or murky brown, it oozed with mucus, a sight that would be particularly unpleasant for women.
From past experiences, I knew that larger foes were generally stronger, which meant we couldn’t afford to let our guard down. This one, much bigger than any other Toadman we had encountered before, might just be the strongest of them all. Time for an [Appraisal]!
――――――――――
Race: Toadman Prince Lv35
Class: Prince Lv5
Skills:
[Sharp Fang]
[Sharp Tongue]
[Fist Mastery]
[Kick Mastery]
[Earthen Magic]
[Water and Ice Magic]
[Strength Enhancement]
[Defense Enhancement]
[Intelligence Enhancement]
[Automatic Health Recovery]
[Aquatic]
[Roar]
[Deadly Poison]
[Command]
[Subordinate Strengthening]
[Poison Resistance]
[Pain Resistance]
[Gluttony]
[Night Vision]
[Mucus]
――――――――――
I-It was strong! Above all, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was truly a prince with that appearance! The name just didn’t suit it at all!
Anyway, its skill set seemed to cover both short- and long-range attacks. I was genuinely surprised to find that it had two types of magic skills that evolved.
As for its resistances, having [Poison Resistance] was quietly troublesome. It rendered the poison I had prepared with Ruby completely ineffective. And then there was [Pain Resistance]. Did that mean it could tolerate a certain degree of pain, just from the name alone? Perhaps I shouldn’t delve too deeply into that.
“Ge-goo!”
“Geroo-gee!”
“””Kero-kero!”””
Ah, so it had some minions after all. It was undoubtedly strong, but if it had been alone, we could have handled it just fine. That was to be expected.
The minions consisted of the Wartoadman and the Toadman Mages. As for the other unfamiliar ones… could they be females, by any chance?
――――――――――
Race: Toadman Singer Lv20～23
Job: Singer Lv0～3
Skills:
[Sharp Tongue]
[Water Magic] or [Earth Magic]
[Singing]
[Intelligence Enhancement]
[Keen Hearing]
[Aquatic]
[Night Vision]
[Mucus]
[Lightning Weakness]
――――――――――
There were four Toadman Singers, huh? What use could singers possibly serve in a battle? I couldn’t envision it at all.
However, since they bothered to appear alongside the boss, there had to be some meaning behind them. Ignoring them seemed risky.
“Gegogogogoo! Gerorooo!”
“”””Gegoo!””””
“”””Geroo!””””
Hmm! Did the Toadman Prince encourage his subordinates? It must be the effect of [Command] or [Subordinate Strengthening].
“Argh!”
“These guys suddenly got stronger!?”
I could hear the distressed voices of the Lizardman. It seemed that the morale boost had raised their stats, and now they were evenly matched. With their greater numbers, we were at a disadvantage! We had to deal with them quickly, or we’d be wiped out!
“Jigoro! Can you handle that big one!?”
“Of course!”
How reliable! Then I suppose I need to give him information about the enemy.
“He uses hand-to-hand combat and earth and water magic! Be careful of [Deadly Poison] and [Mucus] when you’re up close, and be mindful of its [Pain Resistance]!”
“Got it!”
After Jigoro listened to my explanation, he leaped at the Toadman Prince.
“Goooooaaaaaa!!”
“Gegooooooooo!!”
Roaring at each other, they began their frontal clash, exchanging punches that produced dull sounds that shook the air.
However, in order to disturb that battle, the minions and other small fry swarmed in. First, we had to reduce their numbers so that the Lizardmen could manage on their own.
“Genjuro, cover Jigoro! Ruby, take care of the Toadman Singers…. I mean those females in the rear!”
“Got it!”
“Leave it to me!”
As I listened to the responses of my two companions, I scanned the surroundings. Then I targeted the area with the highest density of enemies.
“We’ll wipe them out all at once! Star Magic Circle, standby activation! Iris!”
“Yes! Flash!”
“Activate, Black Sword!”
The intense light of the Flash spell and the Black Sword’s ability to cut through shadows and deal damage—this combo was something we had come up with ourselves… but it seemed many other players had the same idea. I was thrilled when I thought of it and rushed to the bulletin board, only to find it had already been posted, and that was disheartening…
However, the bulletin board did mention that while the combo was incredibly effective, it required precise timing, making it impractical. It was only natural, as we had to synchronize our actions perfectly.
Nevertheless, this was where the previous “standby activation” spell of the [Magic Circle] skill came into play. By putting my Black Sword on standby mode and activating it right when Iris releases her Flash spell, we could easily align the once tricky timing.
“Gege!?”
“Gekko!?”
The elongated shadows, caused by the Flash spell, were sliced through by five Black Swords. The Toadmen, who suffered damage from this unavoidable slash, collapsed with a thud.
The only survivor among those who faced the attack was a Wartoadman, but even it was on the brink of death. Leaving it to the Lizardmen, it was time to move on!
“Iris, take the right side! I’ll handle the left!”
“Yes!”
“Star Magic Circle, activate, Storm!”
To my left, five huge tornadoes materialized, sweeping up the affected Toadmen into the air, regardless of whether they had evolved or not. By the time the spell wore off, they would likely be lifted to a height from which there was no chance of survival. (Evolved Taodmen are Wartoadmen and Toadman Mages)
Meanwhile, on the right side, Iris wielded a variety of weapons in her tentacles: a hammer, an axe, and some thrown weapons she had prepared beforehand. Along with her custom-made throwing knives, there were also smoke bombs crafted by my [Alchemy] skill. Did you think I only made potions and poisons? Well, I’m capable of creating all sorts of things too!
Wrapped by tentacles, pounded by a hammer, cleaved with an axe, and bombarded with throwing knives raining down from above. Such a battlefield was undoubtedly hellish. It seemed like me and Iris could handle the Toadmen on this side.
“””Kerokeroke~ro, Keroke~ro♪”””
“”Gerooo!””
“Damn, they’re strong!”
“Is my concealment skill useless?! Can they sense me somehow!?”
While Iris and I were managing relatively well, it appeared that Genjuro and Ruby were facing considerable difficulties. The Toadmen, who had been unable to predict Genjuro’s swordplay until now, had somehow started to defend against his attacks.
Furthermore, Ruby had suffered an unexpected failure in her usual successful ambushes and was now locked in a direct confrontation with the incoming Toadman reinforcements. What was going on?
…. I see. The trouble with the Toadman Singers was becoming evident. It was likely that their singing had some sort of buffing effect on their allies, strengthening them in combat.
Considering the [Appraisal] results, it was possible to deduce that they were using their strengthened [Keen Hearing] to locate Ruby. It was disheartening that her efforts to disrupt them seemed futile. We needed to provide support quickly!
“Lord Dragon Bones! We will hold them off here!”
“Join your friends!”
Although the Lizardmen suggested that, I sensed that the enemies’ numbers were too great to handle, and it would inevitably lead to considering them as expendable pawns. What should I do?
“Isam, go! I’ll stay here!”
“…Understood!”
Feeling Iris’s resolute voice, I pivoted and flew towards the boss. She had also undergone various enhancements and was by no means a burden, as she herself had claimed.
However, even with her strength, the sheer number of enemies was daunting. Since we were about to face the boss battle, I couldn’t afford to deplete my magic power by using [Summoning Magic]. I had to find a way to manage with the current manpower.
It would be a grueling fight, but I resolved to bring it to a swift conclusion and return as soon as possible. Until then, I’m counting on you all!
◆◇◆◇◆◇
“Gekko!”
“Gero!”
Isam went over there. With him there, the two others should be fine. He’s much stronger than he thinks.
But the real problem lies here. The toadmen were only strong enough that even I could defeat them, but there were too many of them, and we didn’t have enough manpower. At this rate, all we can do is buy some time.
However, the reason I asked Isam to go for reinforcements is that I have my own pride. I contribute by making items and potions for everyone, but I feel like I’m holding them back in battle. They all love fighting so much.
With those four as my companions, I wanted to show that I can be useful in battle too. That’s what I thought.
“Captured! Then, just like that, squeeze them tight!”
“Geh!?”
“Gyuge!?”
Though not as good as the other four, I had become accustomed to defeating the Toadmen. One of my methods was to “capture and squeeze” them tightly, and…
“Heavy Strike!”
“Geboah!?”
The second method was using my wooden hammer and the martial technique of [Club Mastery]. Normally, it would be difficult to hit with such a wide swing, but being different from humans, I could adjust the trajectory with my tentacles. It’s like a homing wooden hammer.
“Flying Slash!”
“Gegogo!?”
The third method was using an axe and the [Sword Mastery] skill. I couldn’t target vital spots like Genjuro, but it was more than enough. If I couldn’t finish them off, I could always use my other tentacles.
“Triple Throw, Power Throw!”
And the fourth method involved my self-made throwing weapons and alchemical items made by Isam. Individually, each one didn’t pack much of a punch, but there were plenty in quantity.
Everything had come together through our diligent efforts, as Isam and I found little pockets of time to craft these items for leveling up our skills. With a considerable stockpile still in hand, I was ready to go all out!
My fighting style consisted of attacks using my tentacles, a wooden hammer, an axe, and various throwing items. Until now, I had invested all my skill points into acquiring production-related skills. However, after the previous event, I decided to pour all the SP I acquired into combat skills.
I strengthened my tentacles with [Muscle Enhancement], acquired the martial techniques of [Club Mastery] and [Sword Mastery] to effectively wield the hammer and axe, and honed my accuracy with throwing items and launching martial techniques with [Throwing]. Although my skill levels were still relatively low, I managed to hold my own in battles. It was indeed a wise choice to have acquired these skills!
“Guah!”
“This damn frog!”
Ugh! As expected, the number of injured Lizardmen was increasing… However, we couldn’t afford to let them get closer to the other four. Somehow, we had to endure!
“Mr. warrior commander! I will take the front! Please use this opportunity to regroup!”
“M-Ms. Iris!? Please wait!”
I shook off the leader of the Lizardmen, Mr. warrior commander, who tried to stop me, and I stepped forward. The Roper, by nature, was a race that made use of its high defense to withstand attacks while skillfully manipulating its tentacles to defeat enemies. They possessed an extremely tough and heavy body.
Yes, heavy. Among the five of us, I was the heaviest in the party. W-Well, that’s okay! Well, maybe not so much for a girl, but anyway! I was suited to be the Tank!
However, as a racial drawback, I suffered from sluggish movement. Because of this, our marching speed had to adjust to accommodate me. But now, things were different!
“Hah!”
“Gero?”
I extended my tentacles and grabbed hold of a pillar of a nearby building belonging to the Toadmen. Then, with a little jump, I pulled it with all my might. As a result, I rapidly closed the distance towards the enemies!
“G-Gero!?”
“Eeeei!”
With all the momentum from closing the distance in an instant, I charged straight at the Toadmen and collided with them head-on. My momentary speed was akin to that of a short-distance athlete on land, and with my rock-like outer shell and being the heaviest among the party, what would happen when I collided with them at such speed?
“Gegya…”
“Gero!?”
“Gekoko!?”
It was like I had run over small frogs. Moreover, they were taken aback by my sudden and swift movement, as I leaped right into their midst. I seized this opportunity, just like Isam had done!
“Eeeiya!”
All around me, tentacles and weapons thrashed like a whirlwind! I had to defeat as many of the Toadmen, as possible!
“Geroa!”
“Uggh!”
Ah! One of my tentacles was sliced off! Naturally, it was done by a Wartoadman. As expected of a evolved race, they could handle attacks from a non-combatant like me.
However, I wouldn’t back down. I had decided to hold out until everyone else took down the boss. I absolutely would not let the Toadmen minions join in the Boss fight!
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