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Chapter 66: C-rank Magical Beasts (1)
It’s October and Allen is now nine years old. As usual, he was at the gate before six in the morning. He was wearing the cloak he bought at the armor shop the other day. The length of the cloak was perfectly adjusted.
“Oh! Boy. You’re wearing a nice cloak today.”
“Thank you very much. I bought it just the other day.”
The gatekeeper speaks to me as usual. We’ve known each other since last December.
(Then again, a cloak might have been a good idea. I just have to put it on my other clothes and it doesn’t hinder any of my movements as well.)
I move my hands to see if there is any discomfort in my movements.
Dong
Dong
With the sound of bells, the gates opened and I started running. Today, I’m going to hunt a C-rank magical beast that is three days’ walk away. It’s not the same place I’ve been hunting for the past, which is only a day’s walk away.
(Okay, so the cloak doesn’t get in the way of running. Well, I didn’t buy any weapons though…)
I bought a cloak, but not a weapon. After the armor shop, I also looked at the weapon shop, but I didn’t have enough money to buy the sword I had in mind. I’m the kind of person who would rather buy what I want than compromise and buy something a little cheaper.
But if today’s battle turns out to be difficult even with my summons, dagger, and iron balls, I’m willing to compromise and buy a cheaper one.
In addition, the Butler told me, “It will be one year since you came to the mansion this month. I know it’s a little early, but starting from this month, your salary will be doubled. 1 Gold Coin per month, the same as an adult manservant.” Together with the hunting guard’s salary, the salary I will receive from the end of this month will be 1 Gold coin and 50 Silver coins.
Hearing this, I wonder if it’s already been a year since I came to the mansion. I wonder if the Boar hunting has already started this year. With the passage of time, I remember my family and Kurena.
While running, I double-checked the status that had been raised on October 1. I can look at my status as many times as I want. I can eat three bowls of rice with just my status.
[Name] Allen
[Age] 9
[Talent] Summoner
[Level] 24
[Strength] 553 (615) + 140
[Mana] 846 (940) + 200
[Attack Power] 298 (332) + 140
[Endurance] 298 (332) + 20
[Agility] 560 (623) + 60
[Intelligence] 855 (950) +40
[Luck] 560 (623) + 200
Skills: Summoning <4>, Create <4>, Synthesis <4>, Strengthening <5>, Grimoire Expansion <3>, Inventory, Delete, Swordsmanship <3>, Throwing <3>
[Experience] 194,810 / 600,000 freewebnov(e)l
Skill level
[Summoning] 4
[Create] 4
[Synthesis] 4
[Strengthening] 5
Skill experience
[Create] 291,700/1,000,000
[Synthesis] 281,640/1,000,000
[Strengthening] 200/10,000,000
Summons unlocked:
[Insect] EFGH
[Beast] EFGH
[Bird] EFG
[Grass] EF
[Stone] E
Holder
[Insect] 2 E-rank
[Beast] 14 E-rank
[Bird] 4 E-rank
[Grass] 20 E-rank
[Stone]
In the past, while I was hunting Goblins, I would keep 30 mana as a precaution and consume the rest to gain as much experience as possible. But I haven’t consumed any mana since I woke up today, so I’m at my full power. If there are no problems with today’s hunt, I plan to gradually reduce the reserve.
Strengthening is now Level 5.
Effect: +200 to two of the Summon’s status that are blessings.
When Strengthening was Level 4, it gave +100. Now it is doubled. This was one of the reasons why I decided to hunt for a C-rank magical beast.
After a few hours of running, I checked to see if I had reached my destination.
(I have been running for quite a while now. Is it around here? Come on out, Eagles.)
“”Pee!””
Four Eagles appeared.
(Well, I think there are ants with round armor around here, called Armored Ants. Or I think there are bipedal pigs called Orcs, so go find them. The distance can be as far as ten kilometers. If not, search farther, but be sure to find only one of them.)
The four summons squealed a single word and dispersed.
The other day, Raven told me about C-rank magical beasts. There are other C-ranked monsters such as Death Spiders, but their population is low and they use Poison or Paralysis, so it seems to take a long time to defeat them. These Armored Ants and Orcs are often found in groups of two or three.
I set up quite a few conditions and waited for more than half an hour.
(I guess it’s rare to find a magical beast alone. They’re not back yet. I’m sure they are faster than before due to Strengthening.)
As I was thinking about this, one Eagle returned. It seemed to have found an Armored Ant, which was ten kilometers away.
Allen ran towards it and after some time found it. It was about three meters high. There was a magical beast with the head of an ant and the body of a dumpling.
(Is the round armor protecting its body? It’s not what I expected. Is the head the only thing that looks like an ant? It looks like it would be bad if I got caught in its jaws. Didn’t Raven’s party lose against them?)
It had a rather vicious jaw. The body part appeared to be covered with what looked like a salad bowl lying face down against it. It looked very sturdy.
(Now, how do I defeat it? I guess its weak point is its head, which is not wearing armor. I’ll just try to attack with the Iron balls. Come out, Tama.)
With Allen’s call, 14 Sabertooth Tigers appear around the Armored Ant. They surrounded the Ant and used their special skill [Scratch].
(There’s hardly any damage to the armor. Maybe it’s head is also pretty hard, my attacks aren’t getting through.)
Allen analyzed the battle between the Armored Ant and his E-rank summons from behind a tree. The Tigers couldn’t leave a scratch even on the Ant’s armorless head. The sound of hard objects being clashing echoed in the area.
The Armored Ant was not just taking the attack in a daze. With its meter-long jaws, it caught the Tigers. Perhaps unable to withstand the attack at all, the Tigers’ number dwindled, one by one.
Each time a Tiger was killed, Allen consumed magic stones and mana to summon another one.
(Hmm, this looks impossible. Let’s change our strategy. Come on out, Swallowtail! Use [Scales].)
I decided that I couldn’t defeat it at this rate. I left the E-rank Beasts as they were, and summoned 2 E-rank Insects Swallowtail that looks like butterflies but are 1 meter tall. It takes two E-rank summons to debuff a C-rank magical beast.
When the Swallowtail flapped its wings, yellow scales flew. The scales danced around the Armored Ant’s head and it stopped moving. It fell asleep as its head was hanging down.
(Oh! It worked. It worked on a C-rank magical beast!)
I approached the Armored Ant, which had fallen asleep and stopped moving. Its jaws looked quite vicious, so I avoided the jaws and looked at the whole Armored Ant. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝔀𝒆𝒃𝒏𝓸𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝙢
I checked the effects of my previous attack. There were quite a few claw marks on its round body. It was not unharmed by the Tigers attack, but the armor is definitely very strong.
(Now, let’s take him down before he wakes up.)
Allen put his hand on the bottom of the Ant, around the scrape of the ground.
“Mmm!”
He put enough force into it to make it scream. He flipped the Armored Ant over with all his might.
(It’s pretty heavy, but insects are light for their size. I thought its armor wouldn’t be that heavy.)
Raven told me that ants’ armor is very valuable and is used as armor by adventurers. He said it was very strong but light.
Balancing myself, I climb onto the edge of the upturned armor of the still sleeping Ant. Aside from it’s armor, it was a normal ant. Six legs sprouting from its chest. It also had a stocky abdomen. It was completely an insect ant.
I jumped onto its chest section and with all my strength, I slammed my dagger into the knot between its chest and head. I decided that this would probably be the softest part.
(It’s too hard. The dagger Dogora gave me is going to chip. The weapon is too weak. I’m up.)
I thrust the dagger vertically into the softest part of the knot. I can feel the impact in my hand. This 50 Silver dagger is not enough to damage the body of an Armored Ant.
And the Armored Ant, awakened by the attack, flapped its body. But I didn’t care and continued to slash at the knot with my dagger, trying to avoid hitting the thorn-laden leg.
After ten minutes of stabbing with the dagger, the dagger finally dug into the knot. It stabbed deeper, making it flap its feet more, but the movement of its feet also became slower.
Then five minutes pass.
[You have defeated 1 Armored Ant. You have acquired 3000 Experience Points.]
(I can’t continue like this. It takes too long!)
Allen was upset with the amount of time and effort it required to take down an Armored Ant. It was not worth it.