CH 68

Chapter 68: Fresh Adventurers

Henry: “Oh, found a Enicil Mushroom.”

I’m currently in the shallow parts of the Flowtier Forest.

I came alone today, and I found one of the ingredients that I was looking for.

It’s a blue mushroom that resides and grows nearby tree roots. If you were to accidentally eat this, you would grow an immediate addition to it, but I am not collecting this for food.

I carefully pick it up, and I place it into one of the many bags that I brought.

Henry: “Now to get the Haoma grass I found before…….and then I just need to find a sylphynium or a mandragora.”

I’ve only seen a mandragora once, so if I can’t find one, I’ll have to purchase it~

…….so, I’m not collecting these plants as part of a Quest.

I collect and use a variety of tools for Adventuring, but if I was to purchase everything, the cost would be significant, and I wouldn’t be able to customize it as much either.

There are some tools that would be very difficult to make, but there are some odor bombs and poison concoctions like the ones I used on the Fenrir that I can make myself.

You will need a license in order to legally make poisons, but I actually have a Bi-Hazardous Material Handling License.

It would take about half a day to make it at a rented workshop facility after all the ingredients were found.

As I was calculating the length of time it would take to make the supplies I needed, I caught a distant scream in the air.

Henry: “?!”

I immediately sprinted towards the direction of the sound.

Judging from the faintness of the sound, there is quite a distance to cover. I cast [Physical Enhancement] and maximized all my abilities as I ran.

I charge through the brush and weave through the annoying small trees standing in my path, but I was able to get there in less than 10 seconds to the location where I the sound originated from.

“Get away! Get away you stupid mutts!!”

“Els! Just leave me here and run!”

“You know I can’t do that! ーーYAH!!”

A girl and a boy who must have just reached adult age were surrounded by a pack of Killer Dogs.

The boy named Els tried to counter a Killer Dog with his sword, but his blade was not standing vertically. He hurt it, but the Killer Dog charged forward and pushed him to the ground.

“Els!!”

“Nina, run…..”

The Killer Dog opened its jaws to bite into Els when…

Henry: “That’s all for you today!”

I got to the boy’s side and kicked the Killer Dog on top of him.

The Killer Dog flew far and hit a tree, and as it was crushed by the impact, it turned back into corrupted mist.

Henry: “Hey, you okay?”

Els: “What? …..huh…..?” Henry: “Oh, I’m Henry, an Adventurer. I hope you don’t mind me intruding.”

The two seemed confused.

……...oh, and the girl named Nina has a wounded leg. That’s why she couldn’t run.

But I’m really glad I made it here in time.

I take out my Nyoiten Spear from my waist and change the form from a knife to a short spear.

I had my back turned on them, and the Killer Dogs eagerly took the opportunity to attack. To their misfortune, I was hoping that they would do so, and immediately countered with my spear with a thrust.

I pull out my spear and turn around. There are about…...2, 4…….approximately 20. It’s quite a large pack. This would be a difficult fight for two brand new, fresh-out-of-the-box Adventurers.

Henry: “Just wait here. I’ll take care of them.”

Alright, let’s do this~

Killer Dogs.

Alone, they are the Lower-Tier, Lower-Class Level, but as they gather into larger packs, they begin to coordinate their attacks, and at that point, they are classified as Lower-Tier, Middle-Class in the Demonic Creature Ranks.

Cyril and Jend were aiming to become Adventurers from the start and had trained accordingly since they were little, so that is the only reason why they were able to handle such a large pack from the beginning. But for Els and Nina, these were extremely dangerous opponents.

If you can defeat a pack of this size safely, then you can be considered a fully qualified Adventurer.

Nina: “Mr. Henry, allow me to express my gratitude….thank you. You even treated my wound.”

Henry: “Oh, don’t worry about it. This isn’t anything. Your wound wasn’t that deep, so it wasn’t any trouble.”

Nina bows her head politely, but I dismiss it with a wave of my hand.

Els and Nina. I think I remember seeing them at the Church. They were a couple who seemed to get along really well and took on Quests together.

But………

I verify Nina’s equipment.

She was wearing clothes that were no different than the girls in town and only had a very thin leather jacket. On the other hand, her staff was quite expensive looking and seemed to have the ability to enhance the Magecraft Spell effect.

Nina: “Hey, Els. Stop sulking and thank Mr. Henry for saving us.”

Els: “........thanks…….”

Henry: “Oh, um, yeah, you’re welcome.”

Els seems to be quite discouraged, and Nina had to poke him to say his thanks. He was reluctant, but he still bowed his head.

His attitude might be considered rude, but I don’t care. This is quite normal for boys his age, and just makes me feel older to see him as such.

Besides, when I was first starting off, I tried to do tasks that were way above my level and caused all sorts of problems to the people around me. I wasn’t friendly at all to anyone, and seeing how Els could at least say thank you is a whole lot better than me.

……...there are those who would complain that I took away their prey, and if they were really bad, they would not only demand the Demonic Creatures’ Drop Items, but also additional compensation. Of course, that wouldn’t have made a lick of sense, and I would just ignore them in that case. If they insisted, it probably didn’t occur to them that I was able to defeat something they couldn’t, and I would educate them thoroughly on that fact.

But comparing these two to those idiots is like comparing apples and oranges.

Henry: “So why are you two in the forest? I hate to say this, but looking at your gear and how you fought, it’s still too early for you guys to be this far into the woods.”

Nina: “Well, so we had some money saved up from Quests and were able to buy some excellent weapons…….so we wanted to test it out.”

Ohhhh, so that’s why the quality of your weapons alone is so high.

Nina’s staff is of great quality, but Els’ sword is a style made in bulk, but it’s still decent quality. But his armor is on par with Nina’s.

Els: “I was able to take down at least 2 Killer Dogs…...this time, we ran into some bad luck, but if they come one at a time…….”

Henry: “It’s rare to find a stray Killer Dog inside the forest.”

Els: “I know, but I finally got the sword I wanted…”

Oh, this isn’t good. He’s the classic type of Adventurer that heads into trouble and messes up.

Yes, an Adventurer’s main duty is to defeat Demonic Creatures, but taking on ridiculous amounts of risk for that purpose will end your career - usually in a pool of blood.

You need to select opponents that you can defeat with a large safety margin, and once your strength and abilities begin to grow, you need to carefully consider your next move.

……….I know our Party is an exception and not the general rule, but we still follow this iron clad rule.

These two are still not ready for the forest, and should remain in the plains taking down Crazed Rabbits, and get used to combat first.

And they’re also making a critical mistake in their gear selection. Of course, what takes priority differs between Adventurers, but you need to first and foremost make sure that you gather a defensive armor for your legsーーthere is a general consensus about this.

This is because any damage or wounds to your feet or legs will cripple your mobility. You lose the option to flee which could end in your death.

But looking at the two, I don’t see any leg guards and even their shoes are just normal ones. ……….this is incredibly careless and dangerous.

Henry: “You two, do you still have your Common-Class weapons as backup?” Els: “I do…….just in case.”

Nina: “Me too.”

Henry: “Then what I would suggest is to exchange your current weapons for a set of armor - especially for your legs. Ohhh, ummmm, this is advice from an outsider so you’re free to disregard it, but if you’re going against Lower-Tier enemies, Common-Rank weapons are more than sufficient.”

When you swear an Adventurer’s oath to the Grandes Church God, you are rewarded with a Common Weapon.

And it’s true that with today’s technology, there are plenty of other weapons that are superior to the Common weapon you receive, but humanity used these weapons to pioneer and expand their territories from ancient times. The quality of these weapons are not shoddy by any means.

And that’s another reason why Adventurers who are just starting off will prioritize armor over weapons.

Els: “But…..I just bought this….”

Henry: “You don’t have to rush into a decision right now. When you get back, discuss it between the two of you.”

Nina: “Yes, we will. Right, Els?” Els: “Fine….”

Hm, still.

I can’t shake off this bad feeling.

……...I guess my equipment and supplies can wait. I can poke my nose into their business a little.

Henry: “Do you two still have time?” Nina: “Huh…..um, we just arrived here, so yes, we do have time.”

Henry: “Then do you want to keep hunting Demonic Creatures while I watch?”

<<<<>>>>

Els’ sword cuts a Killer Dog in half.

Henry: “[Launch] Veros + [Restraint] Katerno”

But there was another one trying to attack him from behind, and Els did not sense its presence. I threw a restraining arrow to halt its movements.

Henry: “Els! Don’t just pay attention to the ones in front of you! And keep Nina protected!”

Els: “.........yes sir!”

He stabs the Killer Dog that was restrained, and Els readies his sword again.

Nina: “[Ice] Glacio + [Launch] Veros!”

And Nina, who was concentrating her Magic Power in the back, creates an Ice Arrow and pierces a Killer Dog who was observing them from a distance.

Henry: “Nina! Always give a signal before you fire off a Magecraft Spell! You’ll hit your own Party members if you don’t!”

Nina: “Understood!”

She doesn’t seem to understand how to use Magecraft during a battle, so I shout my advice towards her.

Nina also uses the same Kroseid Style Magecraft. She seems to be well trained and adept and her skills are more refined than mine, but she takes more time concentrating. But this isn’t something you can change overnight. She will have to continue to work on shortening her spellcast time.

She can only use two at once, but she’s already learned 9 different types of Spells. She has a lot of potential and a bright future ahead of her.

Henry: “Oh.”

I throw my spear at a Killer Dog who was trying to attack them from behind.

Els: “HAH!!”

Els parries a Killer Dog’s attack, and counter attacks.

His blade is still not straightened as he swings, but he attacked when the enemy showed an opening and crushed the Killer Dogs skull.

……...well, at this point, it’s not different than using a blunt weapon, but it’s all about the results for now.

Henry: “Alright! Let’s take a break!”

They defeated all the Killer Dogs, and I let them know that they can rest.

……..the two fall exhausted and lay on the ground.

Well, that’s normal. My Party would go through multiple battles from the very beginning, but usually, 2 or 3 battles would sap the strength from new Adventurers and leave them depleted.

This isn’t usually just a matter of stamina. During a battle, you have to keep a high-level of concentration for a long duration of time. This actually takes time to adjust and get used to it. Letting your guard down is out of the question, but veterans are able to manage times when you can ease the tension in your mind between the ebbs and flow of the battle.

Henry: "Okay, let’s collect the Drops and go home.”

Els: “Ye...s….”

Nina: “Yes sir….”

All I did was shout out a few pointers and things I noticed, and made sure that the two were not in too much danger and adjusted the threat the Killer Dog’s posed.

But “getting used to” fighting against Demonic Creatures is no easy task.

Even if they were under the supervision from a veteran, they defeated many Killer Dogs today, and they should have gotten a better practice and understanding.

Especially, they should now understand the Killer Dogs’ speed, toughness, and what kind of movements they do…..

Once you get an understanding of that and get their gear in order, they should be able to hunt Killer Dogs as their main target going forward.

Nina: “Um, Mr. Henry. Thank you so much for today. Unfortunately, we do not have much money to reward you with…”

Els: “If there is anything you need help with, we will do it.”

We were on our way back to the city.

They looked uncomfortable trying to tell me, but I waved my hand to dismiss their worries.

Henry: “Oh, don’t fret. I wouldn’t be able to help you often, but you don’t need to give me anything for something like today.”

Nina: “But…”

Henry: “If you insist, you’ll hear this a lot, but once you both get stronger and run into other new Adventurers who are having trouble, if you can pay your gratitude from today forward to that group, then I would consider the debt repaid. But just do what you can when the time comes.”

That’s how I was trained.

Having a veteran of the industry show the new guys the ropes…..is not unique to Adventurers. It happens all the time.

And well, it doesn’t feel bad to be thanked. And it won’t be a bad thing to look after the new recruits every once in a while. I’ll keep my eyes out for more opportunities in the future.

……..wait, wait. Think about this better, Henry.

If you approach people you never talked to with a “he he he, you want some help?”, wouldn’t that creep them out? ……….I hate to be annoying like that so I’ll just help out if the opportunity comes up.

Later on…

I saw a pair of Adventurers with a Common sword and Common staff along with leg armor equipped, and they were submitting Killer Dog Fang drops.

……...looks like they’re doing well. It was a relief to see that.