Chapter 47: To the Forest 2
Crackling branches disturb the quiet forest.
Grace lifts her hand slowly.
In response, we all grip our weapons, preparing for the incoming battle.
Then, a mangy wolf leaps out from the forest's shadows.
Raaaaak!!
Its mouth brims with razor-sharp teeth, capable of shattering bones with a single bite.
But, those fearsome fangs find no target to sink into.
"I've got it. Stand back!"
"Right!"
It's not a beast attacking, but a woman falling into my arms.
To prevent any reflected damage, I hold its gnashing mouth under my armpit and tightly grip its clawing front paws.
The wolf's hind legs kick the forest floor in desperation, but with its mouth secured, it's helpless.
A thin one-handed sword cuts through the rising dust, swooping in.
It pierces the wolf's front leg, scrapes a long line across its chest and belly, and moves past.
At the same time, an arrow whizzes from behind, slicing through the air.
The arrow pierces the moss wolf's nose right between my armpits.
Following it, slower than an arrow but with unrivaled destructive force, Han Se-ah's magic missile streaks through the air.
"...So, moss wolves are this easy to kill."
As the magic slams into the Moss Wolf's side, it lets out a dying cry, leaves behind a mana stone, and vanishes from my arms.
"It's not much stronger than a horned wolf. It merely possesses superior stealth abilities and enhanced intelligence due to the moss on its fur. However, its combat prowess is not particularly high. If we target their weak spots and work together as we just did, we'll breeze through these forest monsters."
"I understand."
With Grace's self-bought bow, Han Se-ah's staff, and additional skill points from the Full Moon Wolf hunt, plus Kaiden's skilled swordsmanshipbefitting a 4their combined strength can topple a named monster, not just the normal mobs.
Kaiden, who'd soloed up to the 14th floor, seems slightly moved.
When you're alone and your scouting abilities aren't strong, you end up falling into Moss Wolf ambushes, leading to intense fights.
Having a scout who can spot the Moss Wolf's stealth and a tank to physically stop its charge must be a whole new experience.
Han Se-ah nodded in agreement and continued the conversation.
"Then, there's no reason to stay on the 11th floor. We should aim to explore the tower slowly, with Grace as our focus."
"Indeed, this party doesn't seem suitable for the 11th floor."
Next to the 6, 5, and 4, Grace at 3 might seem weak.
But considering most players start with 2 party members, Grace is an above-average member.
Kaiden's lips twitched as she realizes that the party she joined, is elite.
Han Se-ah and Grace were also pleased at the effectiveness of their attacks.
"As I mentioned, I'll handle the Moss Wolves and Helmeted Deer. Of course, I'll let a few pass, so don't let your guard down too much."
"Yes! So I'll protect my sisters then?"
Irene, who had nothing to do, immediately responded to my instructions.
As a member of the temple, she seemed to dislike having it easy.
Yet, if we bump into a mob of kobolds or goblins and things get messy, she'll have her hands full.
After collecting the magic stone from the Moss Wolf, we resumed our exploration of the dense forest, with Grace leading the way with her scouting skills.
Unlike the plains, the forest's rugged terrain slows us down.
Roots trip us up, and branches block our view.
But it's not as steep as a mountain.
Furthermore, in the shadowy parts of the dense forest, Moss Wolves with camouflage lurk silently, and in slightly open areas, Helmeted Deer charge forward like cavalry.
"Oh Goddess, protect us!"
"I'll cover the back!"
Of course, even if a monster manages to sneak behind us, the miraculous protective shield of a 5 priest is there to block it.
Irene's divine shield, vastly stronger than Han Se-ah's, easily blocks the Helmeted Deer's sharp horns.
Frustrated that its charge has been stopped mid-air, the Helmeted Deer snorts angrily, headbutting fiercely, its horns thrashing.
Kaiden seizes the opportunity to slice through its hind leg while it's distracted.
The swift sword strike causes it to collapse, its large horns still swinging in the air.
Without needing a follow-up strike from Kaiden, an arrow finds its mark between its forelegs, hitting its heart.
"Ha, we took it down without even using magic this time. Grace, your arrows are stronger than I thought?"
"I upgraded my bow and arrows when we reached the 11th floor. Since the magic tower provided armor, I spent all my savings on them."
"They're definitely worth it."
Grace took the lead again.
We don't have a lantern to guide us through the 11th floor and above, so we're relying solely on Grace's skills to find the way to the upper levels.
No matter how thick the forest, Grace's skills as a ranger and as a scout shine.
After successfully detecting multiple Moss Wolf ambushes and locating nearby goblin and kobold groups, she confidently strides off in a certain direction.
As I trail behind, I glance at the 20th-floor lantern I carry, noting that she's heading straight for the 12th-floor.
Could a scout possess a unique sense similar to a mage's mana sense?
"...If we continue in this direction, I believe we'll soon come across the passage to the 12th floor."
"Then let's conclude today by marking that passage."
"One floor per day, or rather, one floor every half-day. Grace, you're an even better scout than I thought."
Grace blushes at Kaiden's praise.
Given the circumstances - a person she just met today sincerely admiring her skills without a trace of malice or hidden agenda - it's not surprising.
However, to prove that her praise wasn't unfounded, after a few minutes of walking, we came across the tower passage nestled among dense trees.
Grace retrieved the lantern from her belongings, and the previously motionless magic stone inside the lantern began to float slowly.
"The passage to the 12th floor has been marked. Are we heading down instead of up, as you said?"
"Yes, sis. If we were to climb higher, we would have to consider camping in the tower. But for now, we should just get used to working together as a party."
"Having a gate certainly makes things easier. The moment you pass the 10th floor, you need to consider overnight stays in the tower. Completing a forest request within a day is impressive."
"Kaiden, you mentioned soloing up to the 14th floor, right? Did you camp in the forest?"
"Yes. There are a few safe zones in the tower where monsters don't appear. Rebecca's mercenary group has a base camp in one of those safe zones. Thanks to that, I could rest at night without keeping watch, even when climbing the tower alone."
Kaiden was referring to the existence of safe zones.
These spaces serve as temporary bases for mercenary groups or expeditionary forces from the Adventurer's Guild.
Rookies who are unaware of these safe zones often get attacked at night.
When I first learned about the tower, I thought it was like a game, from the randomly spawning monsters to the safe zones.
Even though I kept yelling 'status' and other commands, there was no response, so I moved on.
Thankfully, I didn't embarrass myself by yelling in public, only in my room.
"Then let's call it a day and return to the 10th floor."
Just as we can exit from the same location we entered on the 1st floor, we can now leave through the plains on the 10th floor.
So convenient.
I wonder if similar gates will be available on the 20th, 30th floors, and beyond?
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Raei Translations
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After spending the day in the forest, we emerged to find it was still evening, with the sun yet to set.
We exited quicker than anticipated since we only needed to return to the 10th floor.
Han Se-ah went on a city tour based on her viewers' suggestions, while Grace headed to the archery practice room at the Hunter's Guild to further adjust to her new bow.
That left only Kaiden, whom I had met for the first time today, and myself.
She departed swiftly, bowing her head as if eager to hide her cross-dressing.
I wonder if she realizes such behavior is unbecoming of a mercenary.
If she were a genuine mercenary, especially a new recruit of Rebecca's Mercenary Group, she would've been clinging to me and asking about attractive women.
So, left alone, I naturally purchased a bottle of alcohol and retreated to my room.
-Victim of the Full Moon Wolf
-The game seems too easy.
-Why am I the only unlucky one?
-BB Games, the worst game company of this era.
-Lol, who threatened you with a knife?
The purpose, of course, was to post on the forum which was one of my quest rewards.
Unlike usual, a button was added in the corner of the hologram of the forum in front of me.
Never thought I would be so glad to see the words 'Write Post' in my life.
Before writing my post, I glanced through the forum.
-Lol, who threatened you with a knife?
[Player riding a carriage.JPG]
[Village with a broken fence.JPG]
I'm wandering around the kingdom because I don't want to be stabbed to death by Horned Wolves.
Even if you don't go to the Adventurer's Guild and instead join a mercenary group to run errands, your level still increases.
The one who will reach the top will be a streamer anyway, so does anyone want to hunt goblins?
Does that pay well?
It's similar whether it's the lower floors of the tower or the mercenaries.
I know one guy went into blacksmithing, but this one escaped to outside the city.
Where do you respawn in the morning if you leave the city?
In my sleeping bag at the Mercenary camp.
The game, Heroes Chronicle, merely suggests climbing the tower as the main quest, but it doesn't enforce it.
As a result, players of all kinds, from perverts to explorers, are roaming the vast open world.
Some join the Mercenary Group and wander the kingdom, while others find employment at inns or become apprentices of blacksmiths or carpenters.
There are even those who voluntarily serve the Magic Tower after becoming mages.
One player even attempted to climb the tower from the outside, only to be caught by a guard.
It seems most people gave up after seeing Han Se-ah get a 6 and Kim Seok-hyun following right behind her.
After browsing around for a while, I pressed the 'write post' button.
***
Someone asked about why MC doesn't reveal he's from Earth last chap, I gave the author's note for that I think sometime ago, might have to go looking. But it was something along the lines of: he gets nothing out of it. She can't do anything for him even if she does know. If she knows, nothing changes, he still has to climb to the top of the tower with her.
There was more I can't remember but that was the gist of it. Probably meant to reflect his personality/mentality after 10 years of killing and people dying.
Hopefully the author expands more on his experiences as rookie/intermediate adventurer and how he became the womanizing, get drunk every day, benefits-calculating guy he is now.
2/5 Enjoy the chappy!
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