Chapter 46: To the Forest 1
The day after purchasing a composite bow made of Minotaur's horn from the rugged shop owner.
"...Excuse me, is this Miss Hanna's party?"
Even the kind Irene hesitated at the sight of this character.
Shrouded in his robe, the boy's face was nearly impossible to see because of his hood.
His peculiar outfit would have warranted a call to the city guard if it hadn't been for his youthful voice.
Adventurers usually don flashy equipment to showcase their physique and carve intricate designs on their gear.
A striking appearance brings popularity, which in turn, generates money through personal job requests.
That's why a figure wrapped in a cloak like this in broad daylight draws suspicion.
"Did Rebecca send you here?"
"Yes."
Leading the conversation was Han Se-ah, the party's modern-minded leader.
While the inhabitants of this fantasy world might associate his attire with wanted criminals or various types of outlaws, to Han Se-ah, it was simply another way to dress.
Only after sitting at the empty seat at our table did the boy lift his hood.
As his handsome face, adorned with curly brown hair and pale white skin, came into view,
Han Se-ah's expression oddly changed.
It was a peculiar look, displaying both delight and fluster, as if her facial muscles were malfunctioning.
Observing her unusual reaction, the boy, who had been hiding beneath his hood, questioned Han Se-ah.
"Why are you making that face? Is there something wrong...?"
"Oh, no. I was just surprised because you look younger than I expected. I heard that you made it to the 14th floor all on your own...."
Han Se-ah, not the best liar, responded in a somewhat dubious manner.
Glancing at the chat, I was surprised to see an unexpected uproar. The surprise wasn't because he was a surprising 4, but...
-Haha, BB Games' sure knows how to plot twist.
-Short hair: the classic disguise for a cross-dressing woman.
-See how the camera is positioned right at her neck
-A female with an Adam's apple?
-It's just the power of magic
The surprise was that the boy in front of us was, in fact, a girl.
As she raised her hood and revealed her face, I carefully examined her features.
Flawless, clear skin and strikingly beautiful, with an androgynous allure.
Despite her youthful voice, she resembled a high school student with a striking blend of youthful charm and emerging maturity.
A handsome young individual caught in the transition between boyhood and adulthood.
"Yes. I was recommended by Rebecca. I've personally scaled the tower up to the 14th floor. The only time I went to the 20th floor was not due to my abilities, but merely to accompany a mercenary group for a supply run."
"We are planning to start from the 11th floor of our party and gradually climb the tower as we get along. We plan to receive guidance from Roland here."
"If I can receive guidance as the vanguard of the party, then...."
From her appearance, there was no way to tell she was a girl.
It seemed more than a disguise, perhaps an intricate and costly magical tool that could deceive even a seasoned adventurer's senses.
However, it appears that the player's system window cannot be deceived.
So, 4 'Sword Princess' Kaiden naturally joined our party.
Whether it's a man or a woman in disguise, it doesn't make a difference.
Especially with the saint candidate among us, what's the big deal with a princess?
Thinking that way made me feel a bit more comfortable.
After all, this world is a game, the person in front of me is a player, and I am suddenly an NPC.
Why would cross-dressing women be an issue?
"Starting today, we'll use the gate to the 10th floor to directly access the 11th floor. As I've mentioned before, unless we encounter a significant threat, I won't actively engage in battles."
Four pairs of eyes turned to me in an instant.
The three party members to whom I had previously explained the plan and Kaiden, introduced by Rebecca, all nodded in agreement without any objections.
I had initially worried that her 'princess' title might imply naivety, but perhaps due to her experience hiding her identity while surviving in a mercenary group, she seemed to adapt quite well.
"In case of medium-sized monsters like Helmeted Deer or Moss Wolves charging at us alone, I plan to hold them back moderately. I won't completely pin them down, I might let some slip, so don't let your guard down."
After wrapping up the explanation, we got up from the guild table, grabbed a few requests that I had seen in advance, and headed for the tower.
To be precise, it was towards the gate created by the tower.
Although we had a late start waiting for Kaiden, thanks to the gate, our actual hunting time should see a considerable increase.
Leading the way, I was fully decked out in heavy armor, followed by Kaiden, a lightly armored one-handed swordsman.
Trailing behind us were Han Se-ah and Irene in their mage's robes and priestess attire, with Grace inspecting the string of her new bow.
Our party, with the aura of adventurers who have graduated from the novice level, garnered attention.
As a group of attractive individuals, we stood out even among the other adventurers.
"Roland, you just said you'll only defend against the attacks of helmeted deer or moss wolves."
"Yes, why?"
As the gate came into view, Han Se-ah asked from behind.
Knowing about my passive skill, she seemed a bit apprehensive.
To Grace and Irene, it may have seemed like a warrior, who had scaled up to the 37th floor, struggled to adjust his strength against a weak horned wolf.
However, from Han Se-ah's perspective, my mere passive skill was enough to bring down a monster.
"You killed the first horned wolf with your bare hands, but I was surprised to see how well you held back on the others. Are you really holding back your strength?"
She couldn't directly ask an NPC, 'Why doesn't your passive explode?', so she frames it indirectly.
Her brows furrow slightly in frustration as she asks.
Naturally, my ability to restrain a horned wolf while possessing a reflective damage passive would seem strange.
So, to quell her curiosity, I also answered indirectly.
"At first, I defended like a wall, reinforced with magic, and it died due to the recoil. So, from then on, I started to handle them gently, like holding a baby."
In truth, my passive triggers reflective damage when attacked. So, if there's no attack, there's no retaliatory damage.
If I capture a charging horned wolf as if cradling an infant, I can subdue it without causing harm.
"Is that actually possible...?"
"It's just a horned wolf, what's the big deal."
Even though it hailed from the 10th floor, the horned wolf's charge rivaled that of a motorcycle.
A charge that could easily skewer a person to death, as those poor streamers turned into GIFs discovered.
If I, the frontline, didn't stop it, Han Se-ah's shield wouldn't stand a chance.
She must have found it peculiar that I could catch such a creature as if it were a dodgeball.
Kaiden, who was eavesdropping on our conversation, also seemed intrigued and subtly joined in.
"You catch a horned wolf with your bare hands?"
"Are you surprised? That woman, Rebecca, can do far greater things."
"Well, I guess so."
A newbie mercenary named Kaiden and the mercenary leader Rebecca.
And myself, who used to be Rebecca's teammate.
Due to this intertwined situation, Kaiden naturally started using formal language towards us.
She feels like she should since we were introduced by her boss.
Despite Kaiden's 4s and her considerable talent and skills in swordsmanship, she hasn't ventured past the 20th floor.
This is likely why she hasn't fully grasped the caliber of superhuman high-level adventurers who have gone above the 30th floor.
Kaiden still hasn't fully comprehended the concept of superhumans.
Even those who aren't adventurers, such as famed knights of the kingdom, can wield magical enhancements to their physicality, going on rampages without the aid of game skills.
They can battle creatures towering over 5 meters highlarger than elephantsrelying solely on brute strength.
Faced with Wyverns, creatures heavy as tons that soar in the sky and spew fire, or Ogres that crush armored knights with their hands as if swatting mosquitos, and Giant Worms that can bury a small village by merely burrowing through the ground...
In this world, to battle such outrageously formidable creatures, humans have evolved to an extraordinary level of power.
And with Han Se-ah and the players crossing over introducing s, our strength was likely enhanced even further.
"If you look at our party composition, it's the most ideal for adventurers. Two vanguards handling attack and defense, a ranger to scout, a priest to protect our allies, and a mage providing varied support."
"Yes."
"Indeed."
A substantial crowd had gathered at the gate.
It was unlike the tower's entrance, where entry is unrestricted.
The congestion here is likely due to the requisite payment for passage.
We're not exempt from waiting even though we're exempt from the fee, so I continue my explanation while we wait.
"So don't just focus on improving your individual skills, try focusing on coordinating with your teammates. Since we have an ideal combination, there's a high probability that we'll all stick together as we ascend the tower's upper floors."
Han Se-ah wouldn't abandon me, a 6, and Irene, a 5.
Kaiden, a 4, given her unique background, is likely to stay with us for the meantime.
The only potential change could be Grace, who stands at a mere 3.
However, Grace was a scout, not a professional combatant.
If we were able to designate Grace's skills, like how mine were assigned, there was a possibility that Grace would also accompany us until the end.
After all, being a 6, I was capable of both tanking and dealing damage.
One extraordinary character fulfilling both the role of main tank and main damage dealer, with Irene as the secondary tank, Kaiden and Han Se-ah as secondary damage dealers.
Considering this composition, it would be best for Grace to focus on pathfinding skills, for both her passive and active skills.
Of course, this is merely my personal opinion, and Han Se-ah might have a different perspective.
[Adventurer 'Hanna's Party' Members Increased: 5/5 CLEAR]
[Reward: Permission to post on Streamer Han Se-ah's Forum]
...Perhaps, I might be able to guide her thoughts.
***
Haha well why am I not surprised... No other men allowed in this party. Nice guess by Light last chap!
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