“Grrrrrrrr…”
“Von!”
After deciding to go on a hunting spree for the one-eyed cyclops, we began walking. Just a few seconds later, we found ourselves facing off against a different monster. The outcome of the [Appraisal] was as follows:
――――――――――
Race: Green Wind Wolf Lv42
Job: Elite Pack Leader Lv2
Skills:
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Sharp Claw]
- [Strength Enhancement]
- [Agility Enhancement]
- [Intelligence Enhancement]
- [Storm Magic]
- [Keen Sense of Smell]
- [Stealth]
- [Sneak]
- [Ambush]
- [Assassination]
- [Command]
- [Coordination]
- [Wind Aura]
- [Fire Weakness]
- [Wind Resistance]
Race: Wind Wolf Lv32～Lv36
Job: Elite Pack Soldier Lv2～Lv6
Skills:
- [Sharp Fang]
- [Sharp Claw]
- [Strength Enhancement]
- [Agility Enhancement]
- [Intelligence Enhancement]
- [Wind Magic]
- [Keen Sense of Smell]
- [Stealth]
- [Sneak]
- [Ambush]
- [Assassination]
- [Coordination]
- [Fire Weakness]
- [Wind Resistance]
――――――――――
There was one Green Wind Wolf and six Wind Wolves in the group. Though their levels were lower than that of the one-eyed Cyclops, underestimating the power of the pack would be a mistake. Moreover, the term “elite” was present in their job titles. They were surely about to employ a high level of coordination.
In the first place, had it not been for Ruby’s detection abilities, we would have been surrounded. None of us, myself included, noticed their approach. Truly, that’s the mark of a seasoned hunter.
Thanks to Ruby’s insight, we were able to take the initiative and turn the situation into a group versus group battle. This reminded me how crucial scout roles are for exploration in the forest.
As for the battle strategy, targeting their [Fire Weakness] deficit will likely be the key. Jigoro can wield flames in combat, so by supporting him, we could tilt the battle in our favor. It’s funny how things seem to be going just as usual.
However, I was particularly intrigued by the [Wind Aura] skill possessed by the Green Wind Wolf. Although its effect remained unknown, that was all the more reason to exercise caution.
“Jigoro, aim for the biggest one! Be careful of its mysterious skills, [Storm Magic] and [Wind Aura]!”
“Got it!”
“Genjuro and Iris, step forward and hold off its minions! Ruby, provide backup for the two! I’ll apply enchantments!”
“Understood!”
“Yes!”
“Alright!”
“Karl, support Genjuro and Iris. Do you understand?”
“Kyukyukyu!”
“I’m counting on you. Now then, fire enchantment…”
After giving instructions to everyone, I immediately started casting enchantments on them. I bestowed the fire element upon their weapons and layered on additional enhancements to raise their stats. Thanks to the five-layer enhancements, everyone should have been significantly strengthened.
I also applied enhancements to myself. In my case, Magic Boost, was the obvious choice.
However, using [fire magic] in the forest was tricky. If such a spell missed its mark and hit the nearby trees, it could easily lead to a real fire. That would reduce the forest’s resources until it naturally recovered. There was a post on the bulletin board about players causing a minor fire incident in the northern mountains of Firth, after all.
Nonetheless, there were magic spells with a low risk of causing fires. Perhaps I should base my tactics around those.
“Haha! You’re not bad, man!”
“Garuruaah!!”
…While I was wrapped up in complicated thoughts, Jigoro was thoroughly enjoying his battle with the boss. His level was 37, the highest among us. Despite being slightly inferior to the Green Wind Wolf, he seemed to have the upper hand in one-on-one combat.
“Eiiya!”
“Onon!”
“There, there, settle down.”
“Baugh!”
“I won’t let you go!”
“Grrrr!”
“Kyukyuu!”
The Wind Wolves sensed that their leader was in danger and moved to provide support, but Genjuro and the others held them off. The plan seemed to be working smoothly. So, now was the time to execute the next step.
“Spell Adjustment, Triple Trap Deployment…”
I placed the traps and waited for the right moment. No need to rush. All I had to do was remain composed, ensure I didn’t miss the opportunity, and execute the plan flawlessly.
“Here it is! Activate Magic circle, Black Thread!”
And then, the perfect moment arrived. One of the Wind Wolves jumped backward to evade Iris’s attack. I seized the moment when its feet left the ground and ensnared it with the Black Thread spell.
Then, I tossed the captured Wind Wolf into the traps. Now, what would happen?
“Kyaiiin!?”
Whoa, it was beyond my expectations. Through spell adjustments, I had increased the firepower while narrowing the range of the Fire Pillar spell that was deployed inside the traps to its limit. With a diameter of around 10 cm, the three Fire Pillars, considerably amplified in power, pierced through the body of the Wind Wolf as it burned. It would be hard to believe if someone were to tell me that this was indeed the same Fire Pillar spell.
The Wind Wolf, with three gaping holes in its body, each the size of a fist, naturally met its demise. Witnessing their kin fall without resistance, a sense of turmoil swept through the other Wind Wolves.
“Do you have!”
“The luxury!”
“to face elsewhere?”
“Kyuuuu!”
Three humans and one beast launched an assault on the Wind Wolves who involuntarily turned their gaze towards me. Iris’s wooden hammer crushed one’s skull, Ruby’s short dagger sliced one’s artery, and Genjuro’s massive sword severed one’s head. Karl sunk his teeth into another wold’s windpipe and held on. It seemed only a matter of time before it succumbed to death.
Out of the six minions that had been present just moments ago, five had now been incapacitated. The lone remaining wolf was already showing signs of surrender. However, with the leader, the Green Wind Wolf, engaged in combat with Jigoro, escape was not an option.
“Come on, don’t wander off.”
“…!”
We weren’t foolish enough to overlook the opportunity presented by the Wind Wolf, which had become unsure of what to do. In the blink of an eye, Genjuro closed the distance, and his short sword sliced through its throat, leaving no chance for a final cry.
The Wind Wolf that had persisted until the end now lay motionless on the ground, unable to even utter its death throes. Only the leader remained.
“Gaargh!!”
“Gruooh!?”
Meanwhile, it seemed that the battle between Jigoro and the Green Wind Wof had reached a crucial point. Jigoro, covered in shallow cuts, grappled with the Green Wind Wolf, whose fur bore the scars of tearing in various places. Astonishingly, Jigoro sunk his teeth into its windpipe. Wait, wait, that’s not how humans fight, is it!?
The bitten Green Wind Wolf thrashed desperately. As if its body was cloaked in an aura of wind, it used this wind to harm Jigoro’s skin. Ah, so that’s the effect of the “Wind Aura.”
“Gr… Ga… Gohyu…”
However, such efforts were insufficient to disengage Jigoro. Despite his body being torn apart, he refused to release his bite, ultimately bringing down the Green Wind Wolf.
――――――――――
You have won the battle.
The race level of your familiar has increased.
The job level of your familiar has increased.
――――――――――
Oh! It seems like Karl’s level has increased! He made his mark in battles like the one against the Cyclops and, more importantly, earlier he accomplished the remarkable feat of almost single-handedly taking down one of the Wind Wolves. As expected of a dragon, his growth was remarkable!
“Hah! That was a blast!”
“…After a fight like that, it’s surprising you’d use those words.”
Jigoro, covered in wounds all over his body, expressed this with a genuinely content smile. I believe my reaction wasn’t mistaken. In fact, Iris and Ruby were both nodding and quivering their tentacles and slimy parts in their own ways.
“Hmm… Isam! When the next strong foe appears, would you mind putting me at the front lines!?” Genjuro said.
“Well… I suppose I can.”
“G-Grandpa…”
That’s right. Among the five of us, two were true battle maniacs who found joy in facing strong opponents. Watching Jigoro relishing the struggle of a tough battle, it seems like Genjuro couldn’t suppress his own desires.
Honestly, what a demanding old man. Even your grandchild is exasperated, you know?
“Oh, Isam. I’ve already skinned it for you. Some great items here!”
“Oh? Let me see…”
――――――――――
- Wind Wolf Fur – Quality: Good, Rarity: R (Rare)
thin, green fur from the Wind Wolf, a creature of the wind element. It’s likely to serve as material for armor resistant to wind.
- Wind Wolf Fang – Quality: Good, Rarity: R (Rare)
Sharp fangs from the Wind Wolf, a creature of the wind element. These can become materials for weapons imbued with the wind element.
- Green Wind Wolf Fur – Quality: Inferior, Rarity: S (Special)
Green Wind Wolf Fur. It has the same wind element it had while alive, this fur could be transformed by a skilled craftsman into armor with unique effects.
――――――――――
Oh, impressive! Indeed, these are all excellent items. Especially the materials for armor with the resistance skill, that’s fantastic. I pretty much understand how to defeat these wolves now, and it’s worth hunting them down myself.
However, it’s a shame about the Green Wind Wolf fur. I think it got damaged due to Jigoro’s fiery fists, causing a part of the fur to be ruined. That’s likely affecting the quality. …From now on, even if there’s no specific reason, I’ll leave things to Genjuro.
What caught my interest was the part about “armor with unique effects” in the description. This probably didn’t just refer to simple elemental resistances. After all, the description of the Wind Wolf Fur clearly stated its resistance to the wind element.
Perhaps the armor crafted from the Green Wind Wolf fur comes with the function of enveloping the wearer in a [Wind Aura]? If that’s the case, it was definitely perfect for Jigoro. Being able to use fire and lightning naturally, and now even wind—what a cheat combination!
Anyway, let’s set that aside and speak seriously; our armor hasn’t undergone significant upgrades for quite some time. I’ve mostly just added supplementary parts to the armor that Iris crafted a while back and modified them with my skills.
In terms of defense, thanks to Iris’s skill, we maintained frontline-level performance. However, this was Vetus Floating Island. It’s a treacherous place where the lowest level of enemies encountered so far was 32. It’s safe to say that armor crafted from drops near the starting city wouldn’t cut it anymore.
And I was also interested in weapons with elemental properties. With those, I could allocate the magic power I spend on using [Enchantement] for imbuing elements into enhancing my stats instead.
Once we find a suitable place to settle down, I’ll ask Iris to engage in full-fledged weapon crafting. We’d all work diligently to gather materials, while Iris would experiment and refine our weapons. It’s quite an ideal scene.
However, right now, the main objective is to navigate through this perilous forest. Once we get out of the forest, there should be some kind of settlement nearby. So, let’s continue straight ahead…
“Kyaaaaa!”
“Huh? Was that a scream?”
…I had intentions to move forward, but something stopped me and everyone else. we heard a scream, and it sounded quite close by.
Now, what should we do? Is there really a need for rescue, or could this be a trap to lure in the kind-hearted? No, in this game, I’m convinced that there are definitely malicious creatures of that sort. After all, there are things like the illusions from the [Witchcraft] skill; they are the prime example, aren’t they?
“Let’s go help!”
“There’s a saying, ‘No good deed goes unpunished.’”
Oh, Ruby and Genjuro seem intent on helping. It seemed like they haven’t considered the possibility of a trap in the slightest. Well, that’s more straightforward and honorable from a human perspective, but…
“If it’s a trap, we’ll just break through it, right?”
Jigoro was on board too. While he seemed to be taking the potential trap into account, he might actually prefer being deceived, or so it seemed. It’s quite something to have a brother with such a troublesome thought process.
“For now, let’s go check it out!”
I had a feeling Iris would say that, even without asking. She’s a kind-hearted girl, after all. Even if everyone else said they wouldn’t go, she would surely insist that we should.
“Kyukyu, kyukyu!”
I think Karl was just mimicking what everyone else was saying, but the fact that he was tugging on the hem of my robe with his mouth might suggest he actually understood. If that’s the case, he’s quite an intelligent little creature.
“Alright then, let’s go!”
Everyone seemed to be fully committed to going. Well, I have no choice but to join them. What if this really was a trap? Then, just like Jigoro suggested, it would be just a matter of breaking through it. I just need to put my thin skull to work on figuring out how.
In stories, roles like this are a privilege of aspiring heroes. However, it’s also quite enjoyable for me, a budding villain, to do it! I feel bad for the ones who need rescuing, but hey, it can’t be helped!
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