After we leave this dimension, It's already a fact that my total stats which included the bonus I'm getting from the Heroes will be way higher than their average base stats. Even so, I feel like that will still feel short from catching up to them.
Maybe like Yumiko, every one of them was already at least Rank 5 Mortal if they added all the buff they're getting from the world they were in.
Anyway, once we return to Earth, I will be able to add 4 more Heroes to my Support List. That's another 20% bonus stats.
Err. Will it be enough by then? I don't know. I might take up Raiden's offer to spar to know how close or far I am to them after doing that.
Yuko will surely be overjoyed though. Especially if she finds out how much progress I got here in the 3rd World.
Ah. Now that I think of her, I wonder how is she in the World of System? She'll be fine right? She's also invincible after all. Plus there's Zerina, Reinys, Caila and Noelle helping her. A Peak Rank 4 was trivial against her. That incarnation of the Smoke Giant from before was a Rank 5 was defeated by them even if it's with the use of Hero's Awakening.
During my rest, I hope she won't get summoned so we can spend our time together again. I want to take her back home to check on my parents and investigate the past I seemingly forgot. I still see them as the parents who raised me, that fact will not change whatever outcome resulted from my investigation.
Yuko remembered what happened but was that really what happened? The Principal was purposely holding off information so I better use all my chips to know something from him about the past I couldn't remember.
Haa. Enough of that overthinking. Let's focus on what's in front of me here.
Jayna and I were already in the room which leads to the Ogre Shaman's underground room.
The Ogre Shaman. He's a necessary piece for us to steal that Pole. By disguising as him, those Ogres wouldn't be able to object if I took down the altar and pocketed the Totem Pole.
He's most possibly the leader of this tribe of Ogres as well. If I can kill him then it will be easier for us to leave after taking everything they have.
We already scoured and reorganized our information. There's only one Shaman here. It's possible that there were other lairs where the other Ogre stays but since the Pole is here, this one's their main lair. With their intelligence, I doubt that there were elite Ogres guarding him secretly. And even if he has, we just have to be swift if we want to kill him.
There's no ritual currently happening outside, that spells a huge chance that he's at his room. Maybe cultivating or something else.
Either way, if it really comes down to a fight. With the two of us complementing our skills, it will be easy to put him down but yeah, cautiousness should be monitored. I will never be too confident, no matter how strong I become.
If an ordinary Ogre was just an average Rank 3 then if I have to guess this Ogre Shaman was around Rank 4, late Rank 4 if that's off. That book of his and the way he collected the energy was too slow after all. However since we don't know what he can do, that unpredictability raises his danger level.
My only concern was for our fight to not draw any attention from the Ogres outside, if it did, we'll be swarmed in by them.
"Jayna, if there's ever a fight. Let's do it just like last time with the 4-leaf Dark Elf."
Jayna will distract the enemy to get all of his focus on her. When that happens I will swiftly attack the Shaman before he could even be aware that there's two of us.
But if that's not viable, we'll do our best to adjust to it. We both experienced progress here and this is where it will be put to a test.
Due to her improved disguise, even if she transformed to her Nature Nymph form this time, her disguise wouldn't be undone. Due to that, we would be able to at least surprise that Ogre Shaman.
"Un. You can count on me. With my Earthfire, it will be easy for us."
Jayna said confidently. If not for her Ogre disguise, I could probably see her puffing out her developed chest with that confident smile of hers.
Just like that time when she made my Ember disguise. Now that I think of it, even without knowing that she's the owner of the third Orb, she already caught my eye.
One thing led to another and now we're here.
"It's really nice seeing you this confident, Jayna."
I commented. I would've pat her head again if not for our similar heights this time.
"You made me like this, Daisuke."
Jayna even laughed cutely while saying it. And well, I blame the disguise again for not allowing me to see that silly smile on her face.
"It's still because of your own efforts, you know?"
Taking credit for her growth? I might've tried to support her but it's her own effort. She saw that Earthfire Essence first, no matter the result, she will acquire it. She's the main character of this world and that's her own fortuitous encounter. I only helped at identifying the use of it. Even without my help, she will find that out, sooner or later.
"Stubborn guy. There's always times like these where you're so stubborn."
Even with the disguise, I knew she was pouting behind it. With puffed up cheeks.
I only shook my head without replying as we started heading down the stairs.
My Orbs were already prepared. Activating it will be easy if the need arises.
Halfway through that unlit stairs, I trained my ears to hear if there were noises down below. And sure enough, the Shaman was muttering incoherent words. His mumbling was loud enough to reach where we were.
If we concealed ourselves this time, the Shaman wouldn't know what hit him or why he deserved it.
I looked at Jayna and gestured for her to huddle closer. When she did, I took out the Orb of Concealment and activated it.
One steps, two steps, twenty steps…
When we reached the last step, we found the Shaman in front of the book.
While murmuring, he's collecting the inherent energy of this world through his palms. He's cultivating.
If one will see this, they will probably think that he's doing an oracle but yeah, that's just him following the instruction of that stone tablet.
Now that I got this close to him, the pressure he's giving off was at most a Peak Rank 4. As strong as that 4-leaf Dark Elf who chased us.
I heard Jayna gulping her saliva down as she inched closer to me.
"He's stronger than we thought."
She commented. With the change in her, she also started to have an idea on how to gauge her opponent's strength.
"Didn't we also get stronger? Trust me. I won't let anything happen to you."
We could only helplessly escape from the Peak 4-leaf Dark Elf before but now, we'll be challenging one by ourselves.
Hearing my words Jayna nodded and got behind me. I took away the stone club we're holding and switched it with my sword. Jayna did the same by switching it with her staff.
Filling my sword with Flux Energy, I moved behind him.
Stabbing someone from the back? Of course, it's a better method. There's no honor to be gained here so…
As soon as I signaled for Jayna to start, my sword lodged itself at the Shaman's back. By doing so, my concealment was undone.
When the Shaman felt that, he reflexively turned around which led for my sword to fail to penetrate his body further.
But that's enough.
When he turned around, the Energy Explosion left behind the stab on his back was triggered.
"Guuak!"
A groan of pain came out from his lips.
Jayna already covered the entrance with her vines to prevent any sound from coming out. Though I wonder if that would really block out the sound, it's better than nothing.
The Shaman Ogre's face couldn't hide his surprise. For his fellow Ogre to attack him? It's a notion he didn't possibly imagine. But with us using some kind of energy, his surprised face turned to rage.
He opened his palm and that greyish black clump of energy materialized. It expanded and covered his body.
His hunched back immediately straightened and his aged face seemingly grew younger.
Is that some kind of ability to get him back to his peak?
His pressure really grew but only a bit.
"Jayna!"
I shouted to Jayna to start.
Hearing a clear language from us, the Shaman Ogre became more enraged. His muscles grew tighter and became thicker than the Ruin Dweller's, he swung his arm and tried to throw a punch at me.
Raising both of my Energy Shields and using the Sword Skill, Counter, it stopped his fist and stopped his whole body for a split second.
During that time, four types of vines came rushing through from behind that immediately restricted the Shaman Ogre's body.
For a Shaman to use physical attacks. I'm impressed.
Err… it was just me who dubbed him as shaman, maybe he's actually the Chieftain. As the only one who could make use of the inherent energy of this dimension, he's surely the strongest.
But yeah, with the two of us here. It's not in my record to have a drawn-out battle.
Opening the Energy Field, using the Orb of Enhancement, throwing him the Aura of Ailment and activating the Spiritual Twin Phantom. I boosted myself to the maximum. If this is not enough, I'll get more buffs in the future.
With Jayna's vines restricting him while slowly burning his body with her Earthfire, the Ogre Shaman tried to resist, pulling each vine off his body. But Jayna was trying her best to hold onto him.
Using the opportunity she created, I used the first Sword Skill, Flash Draw, creating a gaping wound on his chest. I turned around and shot consecutive Energy Slashes hitting his back and opening more wounds on it. His blood was already gushing out of him as he finally took off Jayna's vines.
Materializing more of his greyish-black energy, he tried shooting it at both of us. I sent an Energy Shield to Jayna while I rolled over to dodge it.
Using Energy Phantom, I moved back behind him again while his eyes were angrily watching the Phantom running in a different direction.
Filling my sword with more Flux Energy. I stabbed the Shaman Ogre again to the holes and wounds created by my previous attacks.
Leaving enough Energy Explosions, it all exploded simultaneously. With the continuous howl of pain from him, it eventually reached the peak before it suddenly stopped. He just howled the last bits of his life and fell down to the ground as a corpse.
Just to be sure, I push myself up to stab at him again. Seeing no reaction, I slumped down to the ground, exhausted.
Jayna immediately came over and supported me up. Both of our disguises were almost blown off by that energy ball he shot at us. Right now, our disguises were in tatters as if someone bit off of it while our real bodies were also peeking out from the holes.
"He's tougher than we imagined. Can we still make the disguise from that… corpse?"
He needed to be bombarded with enough explosions before he died. Just how tough is a Peak Rank 4? What about a Rank 5?
Ugh... It's really better to stay at the back than be in the frontline like this.
"Don't worry, I saw his body before this, there might be some imperfections but I'll use his corpse as a reference."
Jayna assured me while helping me stand up.
Now that we're about done here, I wonder what's happening on Yumiko's side?
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