Read Novel Full Vol 2 Chapter 3 Part 2
T/N: Changed the skill’s name: [Mass Mobilization] ⇒ [Group Action].
Enjoy the chapter~
Editor: Onihikage
Chapter 3 Part 2
Worried about the Great Bird coming out of its typical habitat, we checked the Great Borf Forest and confirmed that hordes of monsters were heading to Algria. If we left these hordes alone, Algria would be destroyed. Even though Goliath and the others were trained, a bunch of mere level 100s like them couldn’t stop that many enemies at once.
Killing monsters would be the ideal thing to level up Hannah and Sanya. But before that, there was something we needed to do.
Breaking their limits, of course.
As we walked through the Great Borf Forest, I managed to find a good candidate: An elephant-like monster called a silver elephant, whose body shone with a beautiful silver color. Contrary to its appearance, it had a wild temperament; it’s a monster that would charge and ram things, mowing down large trees when it got angry.
It was a level 230 monster, so it was suitable for Hannah’s third stage limit break.
“Hannah, attack that silver elephant on my signal.”
“Yes!”
I held up Black Mist and sliced at it with [Moderation] active.
(You’re always doing this lately. If you don’t find a stronger opponent, your combat instincts will dull.)
(I’ll be looking for a good candidate for that, so be patient.)
Black Mist grumbled, but Hannah and Sanya were my current priorities.
I drove the silver elephant until it was nearly dead, and held it in place with Dark Binding, a [Dark Magic] spell.
“Hannah!”
“Yes!”
At my signal, Hannah ran up to the silver elephant and activated [Body Strengthening], [Strong Arm], [Monstrous Strength], and [Acceleration], and attacked it with all her strength.
Her attack sent shock waves through her surroundings, and her entire right arm exploded. As a result of only raising her STR without increasing her HP, and the momentum from attacking while using [Acceleration], her body must not have been able to withstand it.
“Big sis!”
“Hannah-san!”
Hannah’s arm may have exploded, but the silver elephant also died. Blood poured from the stump of her arm, and her face was pale. She was enduring the pain while gritting her teeth. It was impressive that she didn’t even cry out from her arm exploding.
“Hannah, are you alright? Eat this.”
I cram a slice of grilled meat into Hannah’s mouth, who’s gritting her teeth.
“You don’t have to chew, just swallow it. Canaan, water.”
“Yes!”
I tried to pour water into Hannah’s mouth, since she couldn’t chew the meat, but it wasn’t going well. I got impatient, so I held the water in my mouth and forced it into her mouth that way.
“Master!”
Canaan and Sanya were saying something, but I couldn’t pay attention to them right now.
Hannah gulped the water down. Once the slice of grilled meat was forced into her mouth with aid from the water, her right arm began to regenerate. It was a familiar sight, but still grotesque. When her right arm finished regenerating, I got her to eat two more slices just in case.
“Master is so kind…”
Excuse me, hey! I’m always kind!
“It was so spartan when you trained me. As I thought, it’s because of ears, right!?”
“It’s not about the ears at all, Canaan! Look, I helped when you were surrounded by the monkeys, remember?”
“Mmh, you did, but…”
She somehow looked unconvinced. I was angry about her false accusation, but I’m a gentleman, so I won’t direct anger at a woman.
This is probably because I met Canaan. Her big heart and… natural airheadedness might be healing my heart, which was in a rough state after being abandoned. I have to thank her for that.
“I apologize for the inconvenience.”
Hannah, whose right arm and complexion had been restored thanks to the meat, lowered her head. Her face was a little red; maybe her blood circulation had improved.
“Don’t worry about it. My cooking can still heal you as long as you don’t instantly die, so don’t overdo it.”
“Yes, thank you very much!”
It would be Sanya’s turn next.
Her opponent was a monster called a sylferia, level 220. It looks like a fairy with a cute and charming appearance, but if you approach it attracted by that cute appearance, its mouth will suddenly open to an unexpected size and it will bite you with sharp and atrocious teeth. Its whole head opens up, as if the whole thing is one big mouth. I remember my spirit being seriously damaged when I saw it for the first time.
“I’ll weaken it, and Sanya will deal the finishing blow, just like Hannah. Use your HP-boosting skill to strengthen your physical body.”
“Yes!”
Since we saw Hannah’s right arm explode, I decided Sanya should use the skill to strengthen her body. It would be a terrifying sight if she threw her Emperor Dragon Fang Tomahawks along with her arms.
I immediately approached the sylferia and swung Black Mist. A screaming sound reverberated from the sylferia’s gaping mouth, and its hideous teeth were in full view, but naturally I didn’t get bitten.
I activated [Shadow Sewing] and restrained the sylferia’s movements.
“Sanya!”
“Yes!”
When I sent Sanya a signal to attack, a thunderous sound was heard, and the sylferia’s head (mouth) was severed. This may be attributable to the sylferia’s paper-thin defenses, and the high performance of the Emperor Dragon Fang Tomahawk that Sanya threw.
Hannah’s right hand had exploded, but her fist guard remained intact. The emperor dragon material’s weapons are quite sturdy.
Their levels shot up. Hannah, now level 93, and Sanya, now level 84, were fighting some ogres led by an ogre general. The appearance of those two cooperating and annihilating the small-fry ogres really made them seem like a combat race.
Hannah was attacking in a rampage of kicks and punches at ogres, and Sanya’s tomahawk exploded through any ogres who tried to attack from Hannah’s blind spot. Because they were sisters, they could keep track of each other without even looking. They hadn’t even made eye contact.
Their cooperation is incredible. I wonder how they’re so good at it.
Come to think of it, I didn’t have a chance to use it, but I also had skills such as [Collaboration] and [Group Action]. It may not make much of a difference to them, but I’ll give it to them anyway after the battle. Maybe they can synchronize on an even higher level.
The ogre general’s attacks cut empty air, and Hannah threw out counter-attacks matched with its attacks. It’s a stunning hit-and-run combat style. Dance like a butterfly, sting like a bee! The ogre general couldn’t even touch her; Hannah moved her body expertly to toy with the monster.
Furthermore, Sanya threw her tomahawk from the ogre general’s blind spot and severed its femur. The ogre general screamed painfully and lost its balance after its thick leg was cut off, and Hannah didn’t miss the opportunity for a roundhouse kick from behind, landing a critical hit on the ogre general’s face.
The giant fang that protruded from its mouth was miserably broken, its consciousness was in tatters, and it collapsed spread-eagled on the ground. Sanya’s tomahawk caved its skull in, making doubly sure of its death.
Even if the ogre general was a higher level than they were, seeing the complete victory smile from those two, really does make them seem like a combat race.
I collected a large number of ogre corpses and headed towards our primary goal.
Right, the extermination of those monster hordes.
I headed north of the Great Borf Forest and came across a small herd from the south.
“Master, are those the ones?” Sanya asked to confirm while her animal ears twitched. When I turned to look at her, I only saw Ayumi’s face. I froze for a moment, startled.
(What are you doing? Even if those are small-fry, don’t let your guard down in front of the enemy!)
(O-oh… right…)
Damn, if I didn’t know it was Sanya, I’d think she really was Ayumi.
“Master?”
Sanya looked at me curiously. Canaan and Hannah looked at me suspiciously.
I shook my head and tried to seal Ayumi in the back of my mind. And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
“It’s nothing. That’s probably a herd that moved after being pushed away by the large hordes going south.”
(What are you worried about, Tsukuru? Tell me.)
(It’s nothing.)
(You and I are connected by our hearts. I can feel your heart screaming. Sometimes these things are easier if you talk about them.)
I was silent for a moment. That may be so, but now is not the time.
I looked at the three girls’ faces.
Canaan was worried about me and didn’t know what to do. Hannah looked uneasy about whether she’d made any mistakes. Sanya looked at me with sparkling eyes and seemed to have no anxiety. All three of them were my companions I had to protect… Yes, these girls are my companions.
I took a deep breath and looked at them again.
“The three of you will now proceed to annihilate those monsters.”
“Right!” they said in unison.
(It’s not a breakthrough, but it seems to have settled.)
(Sooner or later… I think I’ll be able to sort out this feeling.)
(Is that so? Then I’ll be watching.)
“Canaan, burn them.”
“Understood!”
Canaan held the red sage’s staff in both hands, and when she lifted it in front of her face, she opened her closed eyes.
“Burn them all! Flare Storm!”
Our entire field of view was dyed red by the vortex of flames. Canaan’s magic burned not only the monsters, but the trees, the ground, and the atmosphere in the forest.
“S-so hot!”
Sanya covered her face with her arms.
“This is amazing!”
Hannah was surprised to see the power of magic that exceeded common sense.
A mighty flame that burns your skin even from a distance was swallowing a horde of about a hundred monsters and fully massacring 70% of them in one shot.
“Okay. Hannah, Sanya, go!”
“Yes!” they affirmed.
Many of the surviving monsters were already near death, so a simple strike from Hannah was enough to turn them into corpses. Sanya’s Emperor Dragon Fang Tomahawk flew to cover Hannah, accurately hitting vital points on the sluggish monsters.
Even when Hannah was surrounded by monsters, Sanya followed her skilfully, and they were unscathed even though the monsters were above their levels. Within 20 minutes, the monsters were annihilated entirely, and the two returned.
“Thank you for your efforts.”
“No, this much isn’t a big deal!”
“Like big sis said! I’ll show you results that you won’t be ashamed of after giving me this equipment!”
They were terrifically excited for some reason. But if I only praise them, Canaan would sulk off, so I had to praise her as well. In truth, her preemptive strike killed off more than half of the horde, so of course I’d praise her.
“Canaan, you did well.”
When I patted Canaan’s head, she narrowed her eyes.
“T-thank you very much!”
She accepted my praise with red cheeks. So, it was already evening when we proceeded to annihilate some small-scale hordes.
“We’re camping here today. Canaan, set up the tent. Hannah, Sanya, set up the magic items to ward off the monsters around here.”
“Yes!” they said in unison.
The tent set up by Canaan looks like a small tent for two people, but when you enter it, it’s about 50 square meters wide, with four beds and a sofa. It was even air-conditioned, too. It made for a comfortable space.
This was a magic tent I bought at Sidele’s store and substantially improved with [Equivalent Exchange]. It’s easy to install and just needs supplied with magic when it’s placed. However, because of that second requirement, Hannah and Sanya can’t install it.
“I’m going to set up the tent!”
Canaan took out the magic tent from a cheap magic bag she’d purchased at Sidele’s store, and supplied it with magic power. Needless to say, this magic bag’s ability was also significantly improved with [Equivalent Exchange]. Not only was its capacity increased, but it even had a time delay function. I unfortunately couldn’t make it stop time, but if I needed that, it would be better to use my [Material Storage] skill instead.
“Master, we have completed the installation of monster wards.” said Hannah and Sanya. I asked them to install the wards in four places. I bought those monster wards at Sidele’s shop, but it doesn’t work on the high-level monsters which inhabit the Great Borf Forest. Therefore, these too were amplified with [Equivalent Exchange].
Apart from monsters on the level of the emperor dragon, it should be firmly effective on level 200+ monsters such as the hell bear. We were making camp in the middle of the forest, after all.
“Since I have troubled the three of you, today’s dinner is curry.”
When it comes to camp food, you gotta have curry. Curry is the ultimate camping food!
“Really? Yay, curry, it’s curry. Yay~yay~”
Canaan was delighted and jumping for joy. Are you a child? Suddenly I feel like the straight man in a comedy sketch.
Previously, I tried to make curry when I got some spices, and that was very popular with Canaan. Since then, she’d become captivated by curry. It seems to be Hannah and Sanya’s first time eating curry, so they didn’t understand the reason for Canaan’s joyful dancing.
The curry was cooked in a pot with several kinds of spices. When the aroma came out, I chopped onions and threw them into the pot until they browned. Add the ginger and garlic, then add the tomatoes, add the yogurt, and stir it again with low heat. Add the powdered spices here, and season with salt.
Mix lightly with the delicious Ellyn River water and boil under high heat to thicken it. Also add more spices to enhance the fragrance. The curry sauce was completed.
“Speaking of which, is it okay for wolf-beastmen to eat onions?”
“Even if we’re called wolves, we’re still beastmen, so it’s not a problem. I like cooking with onions.”
“For me, onions taste a little too strong…”
“So Hannah liked it, and Sanya doesn’t like the taste, huh.”
Onions won’t be a problem, then. Basically, they eat what humans eat. Rather, they might be more comprehensive than humans since they can also eat raw meat. I see, are people in this world not eating fresh beef, horse meat, etc…?
I sliced the rib meat off of a giant buffalo, a level 180 monster, diced it, fried it in another pan, mixed it with the curry sauce after it was moderately baked, and added more tomatoes and milk. Finally, I added the coffee powder for some hidden flavor, and it was done.
Since curry alone feels lonely, I combined it with some deep-fried food such as tonkatsu karaage, and some boiled eggs and cheese. After that, I put the rice cooked in Ellyn River water into the plate along with the curry, and the meal was complete.
Of course, the rice and the curry sauce were prepared in large quantities for Canaan, plus a large amount of deep-fried add-ons.
When I put so much food on the table, Canaan was staring at them with fierce eyes like a lion aiming for its prey. Hey, wipe your drool…
“Well then, let’s eat… itadakimasu.”
“Itadakimasu!” said the three girls.
Canaan started scooping spoonfuls of curry and rice into her mouth with tremendous speed.
“D-deliciouusssss!”
I’m glad you like it, but I don’t think you have to cry.
“It’s true! It’s so tasty!” said Hannah and Sanya. They seemed quite pleased with it.
“Master, this karaage 一 is also 一 very delicious 一 ” Canaan said while eating, munching, and chewing.
“Well, eat up, I made a lot of it just for you.”
You can’t talk while eating, Canaan.
“Yay!” She suddenly coughed and asked for water, no doubt having sent food down the wrong pipe. Hannah gave her some water and she gulped it down immediately.
“Ahhh, I’ve come back to life.”
“It’s because you’re talking while eating so quickly. There’s plenty of it here, so eat slowly.”
“Yes!”
Did she really understand? The food was getting vacuumed up by Canaan alone. The tonkatsu karaage was all piled up before, yet the plates were already bare. Even the large pot of curry was already empty.
I’m not the only one wondering where all that food goes in her slender body. The sisters, Hannah and Sanya, also opened their mouths widely at Canaan.
As I said before, if eating contests and championships exist in this world, Canaan would be a famous participant.
By the way, whether I make one serving of food or ten servings, the effects granted by that food will be the same. The only difference is how much of it is made and how much of the materials are used up, but the effects themselves don’t improve based on how much food is cooked. Well, that’s how it’s supposed to be, but… considering the power of Canaan’s magic, maybe its effects will actually improve if one eats more than a certain amount? Should I test that next?