Chapter 47
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You defeated the field boss, Hobgoblin.
You will receive rewards and 3 SP.
Your 【Scythe Arts】 level has increased.
Your 【Light Magic】 level has increased.
You have learned the new spells Flash and Light Wall.
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"I-I won...! And without taking a scratch!"
Whew, I'm exhausted! No matter how many times I experience it, I never get used to the tension of fighting on the front line. I really must not be suited for it.
I was forced to clear the area by myself, using only 【Light Magic】 and my great scythe, and it was insanely hard because of Jigoro and Genjuro, the battle junkies. How did I end up struggling this much in a beginner field when I'm nearly level 30!?
"Oh, not bad."
"Indeed. You are still putting too much strength into it, but you have learned to parry. Very good, very good!"
The two who had put me through this trial looked satisfied. S-so now I'm finally free from close combat, right...?
"D-did I... pass...?"
When I asked timidly, Jigoro and Genjuro nodded with refreshing smiles I had never seen them wear before. Ooooh... I can finally, finally return to the back line...!
"Izam... but if you passed, that means..."
Iris wriggled her tentacles weakly, looking worried. Hm? What was she worried about? I had finally been released from the hell of close combat, hadn't I?
"Um, you seem to have forgotten, but do you remember why those two trained Izam?"
"Why? It was..."
The reason they'd made me fight in close combat was for self-defense... No, wait! That was my goal. Their goal was... Ahh!
"T-to find... someone to spar with... that was... it... right...?"
Ruby confirmed it by remaining silent. S-so passing meant I'd acquired the minimum level of combat ability they needed from a sparring partner, right? T-then could it be...
"From now on, spar with us every once in a while, will ya!"
"Indeed. Count on it, our leader!"
Their refreshing smiles had transformed, before I knew it, into the predatory smiles of carnivores stalking their prey. It was surely a declaration that they would never let their new sparring partner—their new plaything—escape.
I had watched the two of them spar several times, and every fight had been so intense that it called to mind the climactic final battle from some battle anime I'd watched long ago. Despite fighting with such ferocity, the two of them looked like they were having fun the entire time. That was the moment I learned the true meaning of "battle junkies."
Was I supposed to join that? That? The fight between Jigoro, the martial arts demon whose movements made no sense, and Genjuro, the samurai bug who unleashed slashes too fast to see?
How did this happen?
"Ah... ah... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"
"Izam!?"
"He broke."
How did this haaaaaappen?!?!
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"Um... Izam? Have you calmed down?"
"Gyaaah!?"
"Ah, yes, I'm perfectly calm now. Sorry you had to see me like that earlier."
For some reason Iris still seemed worried, but I was fine now. I had clutched my head and screamed, but it had helped me switch gears mentally.
"Gegyaaah...!"
Still, since the only magic I'd used on the way here had been 【Light Magic】, I'd grown enough to learn new spells. First up was Flash. Put simply, it was a blinding spell. It could rob an opponent of their vision for an instant with a fierce burst of light. When I tried it, it was considerably stronger than a camera flash, so enduring it with the naked eye would be nearly impossible. Sunglasses might make a difference, though.
"Gogyaa!"
However, it dealt no damage whatsoever. Which was most useful—Flash, Dark Mask from 【Dark Magic】, or Sand Wind from 【Sandstorm Magic】—depended on the situation.
"Gegii!?"
The other spell, Light Wall, was a defensive spell like the other wall spells. It seemed slightly sturdier than the others, but it had absolutely no offensive power either.
"Gyaaah!?"
According to the forums, 【Light Magic】 excelled at defense, but the tradeoff was that it took a long time to learn offensive spells. In my case, I had more than enough means of attack, so I was actually grateful.
"Gyaaah!?"
So far, it had been a hellish Spartan training regimen for some reason, but from here on, both the environment and the monsters that appeared would change. According to the strategy board, the area around the lake was marshland and supposedly quite difficult to walk through. The monsters we encountered were apparently adapted to the marsh.
"Gegyaaah!?"
The ones we needed to be especially careful of were Lizardmen and Toadmen. Apparently, they used martial techniques and magic, and when there were several of them, they even moved tactically.
"Gii! Gegyaaah!?"
The field boss, meanwhile, was a Big Poison Frog, a gigantic frog standing two meters tall. If anything, did that mean the frogs had the advantage?
"Geggeh!?"
Speaking of Lizardmen and Toadmen, if they were rational opponents, our 【Linguistics】 might prove useful. If things went well, we might be able to avoid fighting them to some extent. Still, we shouldn't get our hopes up. We should act on the assumption that they're enemies.
"Gyaa! Gegyaaah!!"
"...What, are you running away? Light Ball."
Apparently, this whole mountain was the Goblins' territory, and they kept attacking us even after we'd defeated the Hobgoblin. It was a nuisance, but I'd been dealing with them.
Of course, with my great scythe.
"Um, you're definitely still confused, aren't you? You've only been using 【Scythe Arts】 and 【Light Magic】 this whole time..."
"I'm fine. I'm acting just like usual."
The Goblins had to be cut down... My magic had to be 【Light Magic】 only...
"Oh, you're getting pretty good with that scythe."
"Indeed, you have grown much quicker at moving your body after spotting an enemy. Keep it up."
Everyone was saying something... More importantly, the Goblins... I had to defeat the Goblins...
"Iris... I'm... sorry."
"I-Izam! Come to your senses! We're done with the mountain! We've left the Goblins' territory!"
The Goblins were done...? Ah!
"I have to go back..."
"Izaaam!?"
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Your 【Light Magic】 level has increased.
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Now truly back to my senses, my companions and I somehow managed to descend the mountain. I had no idea a completely untouched mountain could be this difficult to traverse.
Once we crossed the mountain where we'd fought the Hobgoblin, a lake spread out as far as the eye could see. It was still night. The beautiful moon was sinking, and its light glittered across the lake and marshes; the deep green of the primeval forest filled the air with its fragrance, while a chilly night breeze carried that scent and tickled my five senses. Though I only had bones.
"What a spectacular view."
"It feels like we've come to a tourist attraction."
It was more than mere visual beauty; could stimulating the other senses really make it this realistic? I remembered something that had been in the news a little while ago.
Apparently, it was about how the number of people traveling in search of spectacular scenery impossible in the real world but found within games—known as 'traveler players'—was on the rise. Since they could easily enjoy spectacular scenery without leaving home, it was apparently ideal for busy modern people, both in terms of time and money. I'd heard that tourist attractions whose only selling point was scenery were crying out in alarm, but seeing this, I could understand why.
Oh, right. Our goal wasn't the scenery. It was the summit of the mountain visible across the lake. We'd better get moving.
"This is Lizardmen territory from here on. Apparently, other monsters are lurking around too. Stay alert."
According to the information, the southern side of the lake belonged to the Lizardmen, while the northern side was the Toadmen's territory. Monsters lurking in the mud of the marsh had also been confirmed. Thank goodness for the strategy forums.
"If I remember right, they both emerge from the water, and Lizardmen are stronger in combat than Toadmen, but less stealthy and easier to spot, right? Then leave it to me!"
Saying that, Ruby slipped silently into the lake. I see, so staying underwater from the start made it easier to detect enemies. I hoped the Slime would make full use of its ability to move freely underwater.
For a while after that, we proceeded along the lake's outer perimeter. The muddy ground made walking difficult, and the other three struggled. Me? I'm flying low thanks to my equipment, if you must know.
We hadn't encountered any enemies yet, but as we walked while gathering the medicinal herbs growing around us, which were ingredients for mid-grade potions, the sky brightened. Dawn had arrived.
"Oh, the sun."
The sun in the game was no different from reality in either brightness or size. However, this was my first time paying respects to the sun in this skeleton form, and it moved me even more than overcoming 【Light Resistance Weakness】 had.
"Sorry to interrupt your emotional moment, but there's an enemy. In the mud!"
...Damn! What an inconsiderate monster. It wouldn't even give me time to get sentimental. Fine, then. I'd torment it with 【Curse Arts】 and 【Evil Arts】 before killing it.
After Ruby told me the general direction of the enemy, I observed the area carefully. Then I spotted a place where the mud was moving unnaturally. There! First, Appraisal!
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Race: Evil Fish, Loach Lv. 11
Job: Apprentice Thief Lv. 1
Skills: 【Fangs】
【Earth Magic】
【Water Magic】
【Aquatic】
【Stealth】
【Surprise Attack】
【Lightning Attribute Weakness】
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An Evil Fish, Loach—in other words, a loach that had become a monster, right? It was huge, probably a meter long. Its whiskers were proportionally long, too, and though they were hard to see, its mouth apparently bristled with sharp fangs.
A loach, huh... I love Yanagawa hot pot. Hell hot pot too. I won't kill it in any particularly gruesome way.
"Star Magic Circle, deploy: Thunder Arrow."
Five Thunder Arrows shot from my staff pierced the Evil Fish, Loach. It already had 【Lightning Attribute Weakness】, and there was no way it could withstand my magic with a level difference of nearly twenty. The Evil Fish, Loach was defeated with astonishing ease.
I had merely defeated an enemy far below my level, but I was trembling with emotion. Because...
"That's right. That's right! I'm a mage! I have to fight with magic!"
At long last, I had returned to my true calling! It felt like it had been ages since I'd used magic!
Ah, magic really is better! It's calming! Hooray for back-line classes! Hooray for mages! Fuhahahaha!
"Tch! We still haven't dragged that guy over to our side."
"Nonsense. We'll get another chance."
I thought I heard an ominous conversation behind me, but I ignored it. Ignore, ignore! For now, I would be grateful that no one was scolding me for using magic!
"Izam, we're done harvesting."
"Oh? Let's see..."
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Evil Fish, Loach Whiskers Quality: Poor Rarity: R (Rare-class)
Whiskers from a loach that became a monster. They deteriorated when it was defeated.
Extremely flexible yet tougher than they look, they are suitable for making rope.
They are vulnerable to drying, so care must be taken when storing them.
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Evil Fish, Loach whiskers, huh? Interesting that they're suitable for making rope despite being vulnerable to drying.
Still, "deteriorated upon defeat" concerns me. Could defeating it with its elemental weakness cause the quality of the material to drop?
Come to think of it, when I hunted Moving Skeletons—my own kind—in the western cave, defeating them with 【Light Magic】 made the bones themselves disappear, and the bones from the parts I'd destroyed didn't drop as Demon Bone. There must be a connection.
"Genjuro, if another Evil Fish, Loach appears, could you kill it without damaging its whiskers this time?"
"Hm? I don't mind, but is there something bothering you?"
"Yes, it's just that..."
That was when I was about to explain my theory.
"Look out!"
"!!"
Ruby leaped out of the water and batted away with her dagger something that came hurtling at us from the water at high speed. Despite my surprise, I looked at the object. It was a harpoon that appeared to have been made by combining wood and monster materials.
"It's an enemy! Lizardmen!"
In response to Ruby's warning, two armed bipedal lizards—in other words, Lizardmen—emerged from the lake. Having failed at their initial ambush, they must have realized there was no point in hiding and come out into the open.
Well, whether it's mountains or marshes, everyone's so welcoming! But I'll turn you all into materials at once!