Chapter 104
18. North Island and South Island
The most efficient way for me to use my Mana was still with Kaiden.
So, before leaving the cabin, I decided to train with Kaiden in various methods of Mana injection.
Kaiden stood in the clearing in front of the cabin, drawing a magic circle on the ground.
“Can’t you use Magic without drawing a magic circle?”
“I can, but when Mana is unstable, there’s nothing more reliable than drawing one myself.”
However, there was no time to test his strength.
Thump! Thump!
A heavy roar echoed from a great distance. Kaiden and I stopped in surprise.
“Could that be…?”
Eunji, who was at my feet, made a fuss. He was constantly shooting out flames the size of fingers, warily guarding the direction of the bushes.
Then, the group came pouring out of the cabin, having packed their belongings. They all seemed to have heard the ominous sound.
Seeing Eunji’s appearance, the group looked at the silent bushes with uneasy faces.
“That doesn’t sound like a Tarantula monster.”
“It doesn’t seem like an Anaconda either.”
“Then is it a Wolf Monster?”
Kaiden, Luzef, and Yuanna said in turn. Then what is it? I tilted my head in confusion. At that moment, Asdal looked at me.
“Didn’t we say that Wolf Monster habitats aren’t this way? So it can’t be that.”
“No. Monsters have started to move out of their territories. I found Wolf-type Monsters on the way to the place where we found the Key.”
Kaiden resolved Asdal’s question.
The inference that Monsters have started to move out of their territories is not actually an inference, but an established fact. Evolution has already begun, so what can’t they do, including leaving their territories?
Kaiden and I had also encountered an Orangutan monster in the area where Wolf-type Monsters lived.
“Or it could be an Orangutan monster. If it’s an Orangutan monster, that’s a big problem because it’s more destructive than a Wolf…”
Everyone closed their mouths with serious faces at Kaiden’s muttering.
“But honestly, even if Monsters swarm, aren’t we worry-free as long as we have Banhwang?”
At Asdal’s words, everyone looked at Enoch. Enoch, who was fastening his sword holster to his waist, also raised his head.
A smile spread across Asdal’s face as he looked at Enoch, who showed no sign of agitation.
“Look how relaxed he is. See? If Banhwang goes into a Berserk state, what do we have to worry about even if Monsters swarm? There’s a reason why Banhwang has the nickname ‘War Demon.’”
Of course, I didn’t agree with his words.
“Are you saying we should make Enoch go into a Berserk state? He might end up slicing us up while he’s slicing up Monsters, you know?”
“Hmm. I misspoke.”
Asdal quickly admitted his mistake.
However, unexpectedly, Kaiden, who was holding me, added strength to Asdal’s words.
“If control is definitely possible, it might be a good method. Margaret, you can control him, right? Aren’t you holding the Crown Prince’s leash?”
“Leash? Enoch isn’t a dog.”
“From what I saw last time, it looked similar?”
As the argument over Enoch continued, Enoch finally let out an annoyed sigh.
“…I know very well what everyone thinks of me. And Monster subjugation is possible even if I don’t go into a Berserk state. It will take time, but. If you don’t get hurt and don’t catch my eye, I won’t go into a Berserk state.”
“As expected of Enoch.”
“As expected of Banhwang.”
“As expected of the Crown Prince.”
Asdal, Kaiden, and I raised our thumbs towards Enoch in turn. Enoch is undoubtedly the strongest in this world. Yeah, he’s not the main male lead for nothing.
“We should quickly take shelter while His Highness is keeping the Monsters at bay.”
Yuanna, who had been listening quietly to the conversation, opened her mouth.
“Ah, I have a good idea, would you like to hear it? I’m quite familiar with this kind of thing because I was dispatched to Monster subjugation missions a lot even while I was serving as The Saintess.”
Serving as The Saintess. It was a strange expression, but Yuanna hated being called ‘Saintess’ so much that I just let it go.
“There’s usually a pattern to the way Monsters come out in groups.”
There was a certain power in Yuanna’s words. Perhaps it was because she knew exactly when her remarks were necessary.
“Usually, there’s a leader-like Monster in the group. If you identify and eliminate the leader, the cracks will collapse and the remaining Monsters can be easily dealt with.”
“Hmm, that’s certainly true. I’m familiar with human warfare, but I don’t know much about the habits of Monsters.”
Enoch nodded with a face that said Yuanna’s words made sense. Asdal, who had been listening quietly to the conversation, also nodded in agreement.
“I’ve commanded a Monster subjugation squad before. I know what The Saintess is trying to say.”
“The problem is when a Monster that doesn’t form a group appears. There’s nothing we can do about these guys. We have no choice but to defeat them in individual combat.”
“That would be the worst case.”
Yuanna nodded at my words.
I glanced at Luzef for a moment. Luzef, who was holding a first aid kit in his arms, made eye contact with me with a puzzled expression.
“It would be good for those who are not helpful in combat to take refuge early and then go out to provide support. The Bishop and I will focus on treating injuries. The Saintess is fast and good at climbing trees, so please take on the role of reporting the situation.”
“Leave it to me.”
Yuanna smiled sweetly with a pure face and nodded. She even liked that she would be using her old skills - from her pickpocketing days - for the first time in a while.
“I’ll use weapons while watching the situation.”
I took out a Flares and loaded it with bullets.
Even with Flares and Bombs, it’s easy to be ambushed by a group of Monsters, so it would be perfect to take refuge far away and then play a supporting role at the right timing.
It would also be easier to send Mana that way.
As a result of operating Mana secretly from Asdal, I was able to inject my Mana into the other person even without physical contact.
Of course, in that case, the precision was lower and the amount of Mana scattered in the middle was quite large.
Should I attach a hose and fill a water tank with water, or should I gather water with my hands and move it to fill the water tank? You can think of it as roughly that principle.
“Well, we have Eunji, so we don’t have to worry.”
Kaiden smiled, saying he felt reassured. But even if he said that, he was the kind of person who would stop me if I said I would take the lead in battle.
He must be relieved that I said I would stay safely in the back.
Enoch took off his jacket, unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt, rolled up his sleeves, and glanced at us.
“Then let’s organize it that way, and I’ll take command of the battle. Asdal, you’ll be in charge of analyzing the Monsters’ behavior patterns.”
Asdal smiled, raising his thumb at Enoch’s words.
“Good idea. Lady Flone, would you inject Mana into me? I’ll grasp the flow of Mana and read the movements of the Monsters.”
At Asdal’s request, I took his hand with my ringed hand. Then his blue eyes began to sparkle brilliantly with green light.
“Judging by the fast movement speed and the large number, it seems to be a Wolf-type Monster.”
At Asdal’s words, Enoch, Diego, and Kaiden drew their swords in turn and took a defensive stance.