SGB: Episode 51
Episode 51: Team of Misfits (1)
"Rotmiller, is there anyone nearby?"
I wonder if he had the same suspicion as me.
Rotmiller wordlessly closes and opens his eyes. And with his pupils contracted into ovals, he scans the surroundings.
「Braun Rotmiller has activated [Thermal Detection].」
'Thermal Detection', the ability of the Lizardman Scout.
Its function is similar to a modern thermal imaging camera.
For reference, it was a fairly useful skill even in the game. Whether they used stealth or whatever, as long as they were living beings, this ability could detect them all.
"There's no one nearby."
Rotmiller deactivates the ability and gives a short answer.
"But judging by the smell, it seems like someone was here until recently."
Since it's the judgment of someone who possesses two essences that enhance the sense of smell, the possibility of him being wrong is low.
I ask him a few more questions.
"By recently, how recent are we talking?"
"There's a margin of error, but with this much scent, it would be within 2 minutes at most, even if we're being generous."
"In other words, it's highly likely that they left after seeing us hunt?"
"...That's right."
As Rotmiller nods with a bitter expression, the dwarf, who had been listening silently, interjects in shock.
"Wait, you mean someone deliberately targeted us?"
"I don't think they were specifically targeting us. They were probably just waiting for anyone to come along."
Rotmiller doesn't deny it.
And he explains that luring monsters in front of portals is also a common tactic used by marauders.
It's considered a low-risk looting method among them.
'They're damn clever.'
Using monsters for a surprise attack.
And targeting the moment when explorers are most vulnerable, right after they come through the portal.
It's best if they wipe out the party, it's good if one or two get injured, and if they manage to survive unscathed, they just retreat and wait for the next prey.
"Rotmiller! Shouldn't we catch and punish those bastards? Don't marauders bring in money if you kill them!"
"Even if they do, it will be difficult to find them. We can't just camp here forever, and... most importantly, we don't have any evidence. If we're not careful, we might end up being falsely accused."
"Eek, dead men tell no tales!"
Misha, who has learned the whole story, hisses with a frustrated expression, but the dwarf makes a calm judgment as the leader.
"For the sake of ethics, we'll go down to the 2nd floor for a moment and just leave a warning sign about marauders in front of the portal before leaving."
"That's the right decision."
Afterwards, we fulfill our minimum duty as explorers and then leave the vicinity of the portal.
Naturally, our conversation continues on the topic of marauders.
However, the more I listen, the more strange things become.
"Rotmiller is amazing. I didn't even know such a method existed."
"I've only heard about it, this is my first time encountering it."
"Well, encountering marauders isn't a common occurrence!"
Uh, what the hell are these guys talking about?
I feel a sense of dissonance at their explorer talk, which I can't relate to at all, and ask a few questions.
And I realize something shocking.
"Me? I've encountered them about eight times in 5 years? One time it was a teammate, and the rest were all insignificant guys!"
Only 8 times in 5 years?
Damn, weren't marauders supposed to be something explorers encounter on a daily basis?
"It's true… I heard there was a time like that about 150 years ago!"
Misha says that after the death of the first king, also known as the Immortal King, the number of marauders decreased significantly due to various policies.
But I can't accept that.
There must be some kind of mistake.
Otherwise, it doesn't make sense.
'Once in the Crystal Cave, once in the Goblin Forest, and twice in a row in the Land of the Dead...'
Including today, I've encountered marauders 5 times in the past 3 months.
Then what the hell am I?
When I share this story to get their opinions, everyone, including Rotmiller, looks at me with a strange gaze.
"How many sins did you commit in your past life?"
"Hahaha! Maybe we encountered a marauder today because you're here!"
"......"
I have nothing to say.
What kind of life have I been living?
I have no energy to argue, so I just walk silently. Rotmiller sighs and speaks up.
"Everyone, stop teasing him. You all know that Miss Kaltstein is just particularly lucky, right?"
"Ah! So that's what it was—!"
"I also encounter marauders about once every 3 months. So don't worry too much about it."
Ah, uh, hmm...
I appreciate the consolation, but...
So five times in 3 months is not normal.
「Killed Wormstone. EXP +2」
「Killed Iron Falcon. EXP +2」
「Killed Steel Hill Guardian. EXP +2」
___________________________________
The 3rd floor, 'Pilgrim's Path'.
It's the floor that all explorers eventually reach, regardless of which route they take – Land of the Dead, Goblin Forest, or Beast's Lair.
Since the starting point is different for each route, to meet explorers from other routes, you have to follow the path to the central area where the 4th-floor portal is located.
'They say it takes about three to four days on average to reach the central area...'
For reference, that's the time it takes if you only focus on moving. The 3rd floor is incomparably larger than the previous floors.
Therefore, in addition to the floor name 'Pilgrim's Path', each area also has its own name based on the monsters that inhabit it, and one of them is 'Steelrock Hill', where I am now.
"Then let's camp here today and move on to the next area starting tomorrow."
It's the border where one area ends.
We start preparing for camp in this awkward location. It's because there are relatively few monsters roaming around since the territories of different monster groups overlap.
"By the way, Dwarkey, are you alright? Your expression hasn't been good since earlier."
The dwarf, who has finished laying out his sleeping bag on the ground, speaks to Dwarkey.
At this, I, Rotmiller, and Misha all pretend not to be interested but listen closely.
Because we're curious.
Why this talkative guy has been making a constipated expression.
"...Did I look like that?"
"It might be my imagination, but that's how I saw it."
"I see..."
Dwarkey smiles bitterly and nods.
And after hesitating for a moment, he finally opens up.
"I know how my words will sound. From your perspective, I probably seem naive and immature. But... honestly, it was a shock."
"Shock?"
"No, it's more accurate to say that my illusions were shattered. I've always heard stories about explorers since I was young, but... I never heard anything like this."
Explorers killing explorers.
And in turn, making money by killing those explorers.
It's definitely not a reality filled with dreams and innocence.
"Eek, wh, what I said earlier was a jo, joke!"
"It's the same whether it was a joke or not. If I keep working as an explorer, won't I eventually kill someone too?"
Everyone falls silent at his words.
"......"
"......"
Any consolation here would be a lie.
The dwarf, Misha, Rotmiller, and I all have experience killing people.
And as Dwarkey continues in this line of work, the day will inevitably come when he has that experience too.
"So I made up my mind. While we were coming here, I kept thinking..."
Seeing his unexpectedly resolute mumbling, I ask one thing.
"So what was the result? Did you make up your mind that you can do it?"
"I did. But... I'm not sure if I can actually do it when the time comes."
Dwarkey's resolve is filled with confusion.
He lacks confidence in himself, and he's filled with fear of the situation.
But...
"That's enough."
I think this is actually better.
Compared to idiots who make promises they can't keep and then whine when they can't do it.
Rotmiller, who was listening to the conversation, seems to have the same thought as me and says,
"It's important not to overestimate yourself. To my ears, it sounds much more reassuring than saying you can do it."
"Is, is that so?"
Rotmiller smiles warmly as he looks at Dwarkey, who makes an awkward expression.
As if looking at a young man walking the same path as him.
"You know what you have to do, and you've made up your mind to do it. If that's the case, I'm sure you'll be able to do it when the time comes."
"I hope so..."
"Hahaha! Cheer up, my friend!"
The conversation ends as the dwarf slaps Dwarkey on the back.
However, just as we're about to decide on the watch order and lie down...
"Wait a moment, could you all spare some time?"
Rotmiller suddenly calls us together.
"I know it would be better for the team to get some more rest, but there's something I want to show you."
"What is it?"
At my question, Rotmiller says, looking at Dwarkey,
"That there are not only hardships and horrors in this line of work."
Rotmiller checks his watch and then moves towards the edge of the cliff near the campsite.
We follow him, not knowing what he's up to.
All we can see is the usual darkness.
The darkness of the labyrinth, which devours even light, always obstructs explorers' vision.
"You said you had something to show us?"
"Just wait, it will be just a moment."
Seeing Rotmiller's response while looking at his watch, I suddenly have a hunch and take out my watch.
[23:59]
It's one minute before Day 3 begins, when the number of monsters reaches its peak.
The second hand ticks.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...
I close the watch and look towards the darkness beyond the cliff. Soon, I see silver orbs of light in the distance.
There are countless of them, all rising from the ground like dandelion seeds and floating towards the sky.
The darkness of the labyrinth gradually brightens.
Only then do I realize why this place is called Steelrock 'Hill'.
"It's a sight that only explorers who arrive early can see. It's quite a spectacle, isn't it?"
Hill.
In other words, this place is a highland within the labyrinth.
It was hard to realize because it was so dark, but with the numerous lights dispelling the darkness, the entire expanse of the 3rd floor comes into view.
Mountains and fields, and a river flowing between them.
A dense forest and a tall spire in the center, rising all the way to the ceiling.
It's a sight that I would never have seen if I had lived my whole life within the walls of Lafdonia.
Dwarkey, staring blankly, mutters,
"...I think I finally understand what explorers mean when they say the world is vast."
I raise my head and look at the sky.
Even though it's just a closed ceiling, at this moment, it feels like the real sky.
A vast night sky with the Milky Way spread across it.
Of course, that moment is truly fleeting.
The orbs of light that started from the ground reach the ceiling and disappear one by one, taking only about a minute.
"No one knows why this phenomenon only occurs on the 3rd floor."
There are many hypotheses.
That it's a release of magical energy when the labyrinth dimension becomes oversaturated on Day 3.
That it's a blessing from God.
Everyone interprets it as they want to believe.
But Rotmiller says firmly,
"Whatever the reason, one thing is clear. Once you see this sight with your own eyes, you stop caring about the reason."
"That's right! I've only heard about it, this is my first time seeing it! Normally, I would have been sleeping soundly in my sleeping bag!"
"Hahaha! I have a feeling that friend won't be able to sleep tonight?"
After the light completely disappears and the usual darkness returns to the labyrinth, all the team members except for me, who has the first watch, get into their sleeping bags and fall asleep.
However...
"......"
It takes a long time before I hear the sound of breathing from Dwarkey's sleeping bag.
"Rotmiller, is there anyone nearby?"
I wonder if he had the same suspicion as me.
Rotmiller wordlessly closes and opens his eyes. And with his pupils contracted into ovals, he scans the surroundings.
「Braun Rotmiller has activated [Thermal Detection].」
'Thermal Detection', the ability of the Lizardman Scout.
Its function is similar to a modern thermal imaging camera.
For reference, it was a fairly useful skill even in the game. Whether they used stealth or whatever, as long as they were living beings, this ability could detect them all.
"There's no one nearby."
Rotmiller deactivates the ability and gives a short answer.
"But judging by the smell, it seems like someone was here until recently."
Since it's the judgment of someone who possesses two essences that enhance the sense of smell, the possibility of him being wrong is low.
I ask him a few more questions.
"By recently, how recent are we talking?"
"There's a margin of error, but with this much scent, it would be within 2 minutes at most, even if we're being generous."
"In other words, it's highly likely that they left after seeing us hunt?"
"...That's right."
As Rotmiller nods with a bitter expression, the dwarf, who had been listening silently, interjects in shock.
"Wait, you mean someone deliberately targeted us?"
"I don't think they were specifically targeting us. They were probably just waiting for anyone to come along."
Rotmiller doesn't deny it.
And he explains that luring monsters in front of portals is also a common tactic used by marauders.
It's considered a low-risk looting method among them.
'They're damn clever.'
Using monsters for a surprise attack.
And targeting the moment when explorers are most vulnerable, right after they come through the portal.
It's best if they wipe out the party, it's good if one or two get injured, and if they manage to survive unscathed, they just retreat and wait for the next prey.
"Rotmiller! Shouldn't we catch and punish those bastards? Don't marauders bring in money if you kill them!"
"Even if they do, it will be difficult to find them. We can't just camp here forever, and... most importantly, we don't have any evidence. If we're not careful, we might end up being falsely accused."
"Eek, dead men tell no tales!"
Misha, who has learned the whole story, hisses with a frustrated expression, but the dwarf makes a calm judgment as the leader.
"For the sake of ethics, we'll go down to the 2nd floor for a moment and just leave a warning sign about marauders in front of the portal before leaving."
"That's the right decision."
Afterwards, we fulfill our minimum duty as explorers and then leave the vicinity of the portal.
Naturally, our conversation continues on the topic of marauders.
However, the more I listen, the more strange things become.
"Rotmiller is amazing. I didn't even know such a method existed."
"I've only heard about it, this is my first time encountering it."
"Well, encountering marauders isn't a common occurrence!"
Uh, what the hell are these guys talking about?
I feel a sense of dissonance at their explorer talk, which I can't relate to at all, and ask a few questions.
And I realize something shocking.
"Me? I've encountered them about eight times in 5 years? One time it was a teammate, and the rest were all insignificant guys!"
Only 8 times in 5 years?
Damn, weren't marauders supposed to be something explorers encounter on a daily basis?
"It's true… I heard there was a time like that about 150 years ago!"
Misha says that after the death of the first king, also known as the Immortal King, the number of marauders decreased significantly due to various policies.
But I can't accept that.
There must be some kind of mistake.
Otherwise, it doesn't make sense.
'Once in the Crystal Cave, once in the Goblin Forest, and twice in a row in the Land of the Dead...'
Including today, I've encountered marauders 5 times in the past 3 months.
Then what the hell am I?
When I share this story to get their opinions, everyone, including Rotmiller, looks at me with a strange gaze.
"How many sins did you commit in your past life?"
"Hahaha! Maybe we encountered a marauder today because you're here!"
"......"
I have nothing to say.
What kind of life have I been living?
I have no energy to argue, so I just walk silently. Rotmiller sighs and speaks up.
"Everyone, stop teasing him. You all know that Miss Kaltstein is just particularly lucky, right?"
"Ah! So that's what it was—!"
"I also encounter marauders about once every 3 months. So don't worry too much about it."
Ah, uh, hmm...
I appreciate the consolation, but...
So five times in 3 months is not normal.
___________________________________
「Killed Wormstone. EXP +2」
「Killed Iron Falcon. EXP +2」
「Killed Steel Hill Guardian. EXP +2」
___________________________________
The 3rd floor, 'Pilgrim's Path'.
It's the floor that all explorers eventually reach, regardless of which route they take – Land of the Dead, Goblin Forest, or Beast's Lair.
Since the starting point is different for each route, to meet explorers from other routes, you have to follow the path to the central area where the 4th-floor portal is located.
'They say it takes about three to four days on average to reach the central area...'
For reference, that's the time it takes if you only focus on moving. The 3rd floor is incomparably larger than the previous floors.
Therefore, in addition to the floor name 'Pilgrim's Path', each area also has its own name based on the monsters that inhabit it, and one of them is 'Steelrock Hill', where I am now.
"Then let's camp here today and move on to the next area starting tomorrow."
It's the border where one area ends.
We start preparing for camp in this awkward location. It's because there are relatively few monsters roaming around since the territories of different monster groups overlap.
"By the way, Dwarkey, are you alright? Your expression hasn't been good since earlier."
The dwarf, who has finished laying out his sleeping bag on the ground, speaks to Dwarkey.
At this, I, Rotmiller, and Misha all pretend not to be interested but listen closely.
Because we're curious.
Why this talkative guy has been making a constipated expression.
"...Did I look like that?"
"It might be my imagination, but that's how I saw it."
"I see..."
Dwarkey smiles bitterly and nods.
And after hesitating for a moment, he finally opens up.
"I know how my words will sound. From your perspective, I probably seem naive and immature. But... honestly, it was a shock."
"Shock?"
"No, it's more accurate to say that my illusions were shattered. I've always heard stories about explorers since I was young, but... I never heard anything like this."
Explorers killing explorers.
And in turn, making money by killing those explorers.
It's definitely not a reality filled with dreams and innocence.
"Eek, wh, what I said earlier was a jo, joke!"
"It's the same whether it was a joke or not. If I keep working as an explorer, won't I eventually kill someone too?"
Everyone falls silent at his words.
"......"
"......"
Any consolation here would be a lie.
The dwarf, Misha, Rotmiller, and I all have experience killing people.
And as Dwarkey continues in this line of work, the day will inevitably come when he has that experience too.
"So I made up my mind. While we were coming here, I kept thinking..."
Seeing his unexpectedly resolute mumbling, I ask one thing.
"So what was the result? Did you make up your mind that you can do it?"
"I did. But... I'm not sure if I can actually do it when the time comes."
Dwarkey's resolve is filled with confusion.
He lacks confidence in himself, and he's filled with fear of the situation.
But...
"That's enough."
I think this is actually better.
Compared to idiots who make promises they can't keep and then whine when they can't do it.
Rotmiller, who was listening to the conversation, seems to have the same thought as me and says,
"It's important not to overestimate yourself. To my ears, it sounds much more reassuring than saying you can do it."
"Is, is that so?"
Rotmiller smiles warmly as he looks at Dwarkey, who makes an awkward expression.
As if looking at a young man walking the same path as him.
"You know what you have to do, and you've made up your mind to do it. If that's the case, I'm sure you'll be able to do it when the time comes."
"I hope so..."
"Hahaha! Cheer up, my friend!"
The conversation ends as the dwarf slaps Dwarkey on the back.
However, just as we're about to decide on the watch order and lie down...
"Wait a moment, could you all spare some time?"
Rotmiller suddenly calls us together.
"I know it would be better for the team to get some more rest, but there's something I want to show you."
"What is it?"
At my question, Rotmiller says, looking at Dwarkey,
"That there are not only hardships and horrors in this line of work."
Rotmiller checks his watch and then moves towards the edge of the cliff near the campsite.
We follow him, not knowing what he's up to.
All we can see is the usual darkness.
The darkness of the labyrinth, which devours even light, always obstructs explorers' vision.
"You said you had something to show us?"
"Just wait, it will be just a moment."
Seeing Rotmiller's response while looking at his watch, I suddenly have a hunch and take out my watch.
[23:59]
It's one minute before Day 3 begins, when the number of monsters reaches its peak.
The second hand ticks.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...
I close the watch and look towards the darkness beyond the cliff. Soon, I see silver orbs of light in the distance.
There are countless of them, all rising from the ground like dandelion seeds and floating towards the sky.
The darkness of the labyrinth gradually brightens.
Only then do I realize why this place is called Steelrock 'Hill'.
"It's a sight that only explorers who arrive early can see. It's quite a spectacle, isn't it?"
Hill.
In other words, this place is a highland within the labyrinth.
It was hard to realize because it was so dark, but with the numerous lights dispelling the darkness, the entire expanse of the 3rd floor comes into view.
Mountains and fields, and a river flowing between them.
A dense forest and a tall spire in the center, rising all the way to the ceiling.
It's a sight that I would never have seen if I had lived my whole life within the walls of Lafdonia.
Dwarkey, staring blankly, mutters,
"...I think I finally understand what explorers mean when they say the world is vast."
I raise my head and look at the sky.
Even though it's just a closed ceiling, at this moment, it feels like the real sky.
A vast night sky with the Milky Way spread across it.
Of course, that moment is truly fleeting.
The orbs of light that started from the ground reach the ceiling and disappear one by one, taking only about a minute.
"No one knows why this phenomenon only occurs on the 3rd floor."
There are many hypotheses.
That it's a release of magical energy when the labyrinth dimension becomes oversaturated on Day 3.
That it's a blessing from God.
Everyone interprets it as they want to believe.
But Rotmiller says firmly,
"Whatever the reason, one thing is clear. Once you see this sight with your own eyes, you stop caring about the reason."
"That's right! I've only heard about it, this is my first time seeing it! Normally, I would have been sleeping soundly in my sleeping bag!"
"Hahaha! I have a feeling that friend won't be able to sleep tonight?"
After the light completely disappears and the usual darkness returns to the labyrinth, all the team members except for me, who has the first watch, get into their sleeping bags and fall asleep.
However...
"......"
It takes a long time before I hear the sound of breathing from Dwarkey's sleeping bag.
________________________________________
Day breaks.
Not that the surroundings actually get brighter.
It's just that it's morning in terms of time.
[08:10]
We pack up our campsite and walk down a long downhill path, leaving Steelrock Hill behind.
And we reach our first destination.
"Alright, this is where the Orc Encampment begins."
Orc Encampment.
It's the area on the 3rd floor with the highest number of monsters. Its characteristic is that only monsters of 8th grade or higher appear.
'If we're not going straight to the 4th floor, there's no better hunting ground than this.'
It's the second most difficult area on the 3rd floor.
But if my prediction is correct, there won't be much danger for us.
Our party composition is practically capable of operating on the 4th floor.
We have a mage, and even the other three members besides me are explorers who used to operate on the 4th floor.
"Then let's practice our coordination here for a while and decide what to do based on the results."
We first rearrange our formation and then step into the vast forest.
Well, the rearrangement is just moving Rotmiller to the back and replacing him with me and the dwarf.
"Murad, there's a group of orcs coming from the 1 o'clock direction."
As expected of a popular hunting ground with a high monster density, we encounter a group of orcs after walking for a while, even though we're still in the outer area.
"Kriiik—!"
It's a basic group of four orc warriors, one archer, and one shaman.
"Let's do it just like we practiced!"
We take formation as we practiced beforehand.
It's called Formation A.
The dwarf and I firmly hold the front line, and Misha, the melee damage dealer, freely moves between the shield wall, prioritizing and defeating nearby enemies.
「Liol Wobu Dwarkey has cast the 8th-grade attack spell [Ice Spear].」
Since curse-type magic isn't particularly effective against orcs, Dwarkey focuses on his role as a damage dealer.
And the same goes for Rotmiller.
He also focuses on rear support using his crossbow when battle breaks out.
However, he has one more role.
「Orc Shaman has cast [Frenzy].」
「Orc Warrior’s physical resistance increases by 3 times for 10 seconds.」
It’s to protect Dwarkey, the most vulnerable among us, in case a monster ignores the shield wall and heads towards the back.
“Frenzy spell! Be careful!”
“Dwarkey! Get behind me.”
“Alright!”
When one of the orc warriors under the [Frenzy] effect ignores us and charges towards Dwarkey, Rotmiller takes out his shield and blocks it.
Of course, he doesn’t have the physical strength to defeat an orc warrior in a one-on-one fight as a scout…
“Whew, that was close!”
…but he just needs to buy some time using his main weapon, crossbow, buckler, dagger, and Molotov cocktails.
Then Misha can provide support, or Dwarkey can use magic to attack.
「Killed Orc Warrior. EXP +2」
「Killed Orc Archer. EXP +2」
「Killed Orc Shaman. EXP +2」
And so, the first battle with the orcs ends without any problems. It took about 8 minutes in total, and although there were no injuries, the battle took longer than expected.
‘We’re definitely lacking in damage.’
We have a scout, and two shield warriors.
And orcs have relatively high physical resistance even among 8th-grade monsters.
Of course, we have a mage in the team, who is the undisputed top-tier damage dealer in this world, but…
Dwarkey is not from the Magic Tower.
The only 8th-grade attack spell he has is [Ice Spear], which only deals damage to a single monster.
‘Well, we brought him here for his curse magic rather than his attack magic anyway.’
The value of a mage isn’t just in their high-powered attack spells.
There’s compatibility between explorers and monsters.
However, if you have a mage in the team, you can actively fight against monsters with various compatibilities.
‘Although our speed is slow, our stability is high…’
There are some downsides, but all in all, this is a pretty decent team.
“Then let’s go deeper.”
Afterwards, we head towards the center of the Orc Encampment, engaging in battles along the way.
The number of orcs appearing in each group increases as we go deeper. We even encountered a group that included a 7th-grade ‘Orc Great Warrior’, but…
「Killed Orc Great Warrior. EXP +3」
…we were able to hunt it down without any problems.
However, shitty things always happen when everything seems to be going smoothly.
Just as we were settling in and hunting orc groups…
“Ihenruo Teuntain.”
Suddenly, we hear a low chanting sound from beyond the bushes in the distance.
And—
Kwaaang!
A flaming meteor falls from the sky and explodes the orc group we were about to hunt.
“…What the fuck?”
What the hell is this bullshit?
Day breaks.
Not that the surroundings actually get brighter.
It's just that it's morning in terms of time.
[08:10]
We pack up our campsite and walk down a long downhill path, leaving Steelrock Hill behind.
And we reach our first destination.
"Alright, this is where the Orc Encampment begins."
Orc Encampment.
It's the area on the 3rd floor with the highest number of monsters. Its characteristic is that only monsters of 8th grade or higher appear.
'If we're not going straight to the 4th floor, there's no better hunting ground than this.'
It's the second most difficult area on the 3rd floor.
But if my prediction is correct, there won't be much danger for us.
Our party composition is practically capable of operating on the 4th floor.
We have a mage, and even the other three members besides me are explorers who used to operate on the 4th floor.
"Then let's practice our coordination here for a while and decide what to do based on the results."
We first rearrange our formation and then step into the vast forest.
Well, the rearrangement is just moving Rotmiller to the back and replacing him with me and the dwarf.
"Murad, there's a group of orcs coming from the 1 o'clock direction."
As expected of a popular hunting ground with a high monster density, we encounter a group of orcs after walking for a while, even though we're still in the outer area.
"Kriiik—!"
It's a basic group of four orc warriors, one archer, and one shaman.
"Let's do it just like we practiced!"
We take formation as we practiced beforehand.
It's called Formation A.
The dwarf and I firmly hold the front line, and Misha, the melee damage dealer, freely moves between the shield wall, prioritizing and defeating nearby enemies.
「Liol Wobu Dwarkey has cast the 8th-grade attack spell [Ice Spear].」
Since curse-type magic isn't particularly effective against orcs, Dwarkey focuses on his role as a damage dealer.
And the same goes for Rotmiller.
He also focuses on rear support using his crossbow when battle breaks out.
However, he has one more role.
「Orc Shaman has cast [Frenzy].」
「Orc Warrior’s physical resistance increases by 3 times for 10 seconds.」
It’s to protect Dwarkey, the most vulnerable among us, in case a monster ignores the shield wall and heads towards the back.
“Frenzy spell! Be careful!”
“Dwarkey! Get behind me.”
“Alright!”
When one of the orc warriors under the [Frenzy] effect ignores us and charges towards Dwarkey, Rotmiller takes out his shield and blocks it.
Of course, he doesn’t have the physical strength to defeat an orc warrior in a one-on-one fight as a scout…
“Whew, that was close!”
…but he just needs to buy some time using his main weapon, crossbow, buckler, dagger, and Molotov cocktails.
Then Misha can provide support, or Dwarkey can use magic to attack.
「Killed Orc Warrior. EXP +2」
「Killed Orc Archer. EXP +2」
「Killed Orc Shaman. EXP +2」
And so, the first battle with the orcs ends without any problems. It took about 8 minutes in total, and although there were no injuries, the battle took longer than expected.
‘We’re definitely lacking in damage.’
We have a scout, and two shield warriors.
And orcs have relatively high physical resistance even among 8th-grade monsters.
Of course, we have a mage in the team, who is the undisputed top-tier damage dealer in this world, but…
Dwarkey is not from the Magic Tower.
The only 8th-grade attack spell he has is [Ice Spear], which only deals damage to a single monster.
‘Well, we brought him here for his curse magic rather than his attack magic anyway.’
The value of a mage isn’t just in their high-powered attack spells.
There’s compatibility between explorers and monsters.
However, if you have a mage in the team, you can actively fight against monsters with various compatibilities.
‘Although our speed is slow, our stability is high…’
There are some downsides, but all in all, this is a pretty decent team.
“Then let’s go deeper.”
Afterwards, we head towards the center of the Orc Encampment, engaging in battles along the way.
The number of orcs appearing in each group increases as we go deeper. We even encountered a group that included a 7th-grade ‘Orc Great Warrior’, but…
「Killed Orc Great Warrior. EXP +3」
…we were able to hunt it down without any problems.
However, shitty things always happen when everything seems to be going smoothly.
Just as we were settling in and hunting orc groups…
“Ihenruo Teuntain.”
Suddenly, we hear a low chanting sound from beyond the bushes in the distance.
And—
Kwaaang!
A flaming meteor falls from the sky and explodes the orc group we were about to hunt.
“…What the fuck?”
What the hell is this bullshit?
Nice, keepgoing
ReplyDelete