Level 2
Seeing the variant slowly distancing themselves, Alex threw the rock balls in a fashion that started to enclose the variants. Shooting a few others in the clearing area, Alex turned to the variants. Alex rolls his arms; a throwing knife appeared in his hands. Ready, Alex reiterates his sequenced firing skill he used principally with his bow.
Correcting the posture slightly as he threw them, Alex started to found his form. As the numbers of shoot growth, so did his speed. The variants, trapped in the smoke circle, partially blinded and suffocate, started to grow restless as their brethren falls one after the others. No matter how much they called for help, they were too far from the still warring goblins and hobgoblins.
Using his storage as his clip and his arms as weapons, Alex fired the deadly blade silently like an automatic firearm. Plateau at a double shot every five seconds, needing only the smallest fingertips correction to aim, Alex rains a flurry of steel on the variant.
Were it not for the smoke, the blade's constant stream would have reflected the sunray and give away his position.
'I need to make a sort of film to darken the blades. I can't keep them that shiny; it would spell trouble later.' I thought Alex and CS agreed; what the use of being stealthy if you attract attention every time you use a weapon?
~~~
Switching for his guns as he threw his lasts blades, Alex seamlessly maintains his firing cadence.
Turning to his left, he momently held his hand before shooting the end of the ongoing scruffle. Entering the valley for the first time, still keeping in the smoke, Alex fire seamlessly at the tightly packed goblins.
Alex's tail would wrap around and unaware goblin head, covering his mouth while dragging it to the shadow where Alex waited.
The tactic may be tedious and slow, but he was slowly accumulating the kill while keeping the chaos ongoing. He didn't fear for it to stop any time soon. While the goblins were more numerous, it wasn't that easy for them to kill and hobgoblins. Their crafted tool were more bludgeoning weapons that cutting ones and not efficient. On the other hand, hobgoblins had a wider range, were stronger and more intelligent. All they needed was to swing their large and long wood club to deal a lot of damages.
Each of their strikes would at least break bones, create concussion or outwardly brain goblins in dozen. While surrounding the remaining five, the little critters had done nothing more than dealt some bruise on their legs and thighs. The other bloodlust drove each, and Alex potshot was keeping the flame burning.
Alex banished a plebe in a hobgoblin knee to not make the goblins retreat when he steps forward to deal with another strike. The sudden projectile had enough force to made the surrounding goblins heard a loud *crack* before it let go of its weapon and cradle the broken knee.
Immediatly swarming the opening, the goblins threw themselves at it, while the others used this breach to caught off guards the two flanking it. More than numerous enough, the three hobgoblins vanished under the dog-pilling.
Lossing three of their own would be detrimental to then, along with the fact that the last female had been caught in.
At this, the two other hobgoblins turned berserk and threw out all caution; their only objective was securing the female and the future progeny.
~~~
The berserk state triggered a last-ditch effort in the goblins, and the already forming mound only grew further as they participated in the mass effort.
Seeing the crawling stack, Alex didn't miss the occasion and started to fire ribbon cutter curse, shaving the fleshes' mass literally. Every freed space was immediatly covered by waiting goblins.
Alex was awed and perturbated at the goblins' depth had fallen when losing the little they had of reason.
-They genuinely act like rabid animals. Were they where to direct this attention on you in a dungeon, this would be a death sentence.- Grimly commented CS as he assisted at the disturbing sight of the moving flesh mound.
After shaving a good half of it, the top exploded, sending flying goblins everywhere. There, four hobgoblins surfaced, with different kind of bruises, cut bleeding. With them out, the mound finally crumbles, following the retreating hobgoblins. Alex, as the only spectator of the dead hobgoblin, immediatly discarded by its murderers.
Following the group, Alex runs first to the sole entrance behind the waterfall. Seeing the water sprout created by the falling waters, Alex deeply inhaled before releasing his breath. As soon as the fleeting artic blue mist connected with the water, icicle of ices formed. Banishing them as soon as they formed, the deadly frozen water needles peppered the incoming group.
After exposing himself to the forge's high temperature daily, brought further by the use of coke, Alex frost skill, the sole still available to him, had progressed by leap and bounds. Added to his short experience and exposure to the extreme fire before dealing with Herpo, he furthers his immunity to both elements.
With the high increase of those immunities came the increase of his ability to freeze thing upon contact. Using the water content in his breath was the best way to spread his skill in his immediate surroundings rapidly. Using the water of the waterfall as a medium, Alex had at his disposition a nearly limitless amount of ammunition to use.
And use he did. As a natural skill, all it used was stamina. A larger amount of ice was created with a colder breath, as less energy was lost fighting against the natural weather. If the water were to be falling slower, he might have literal blades of ice at disposition, but even the icicles were more than enough.
~~~
After partaking in a self-destructing slaughtering, both sides had been greatly diminished, both mentally and physically. So, When another foe appears, peppering them with ice, the monsters were left powerless.
Mowing through the gathering ruthlessly, Alex was left breathing hard two minutes later, drained from the attack. Slowly, Alex was starting to learn using every weapon at his disposition to fend-off monsters. Discovering that he had such potential and never realised it shamed him, making it even more grateful for his Mother to have sent him here.
~~~
Returning to the spot where the Variants died, Alex was stunned to see that the corpses were still present more than an hour previously. The meaning was clear; the valley between the two cliffs wasn't an integrant part of the Dungeon. While it means that Alex would have another eight hobgoblin skins, It also means that he would have to extract the cores by hand. Sighing, Alex took of a nearby wooden mace and started to work.
As the sun started to border the horizon, Alex lighted the different pyres made of the monster weapons and their corpses. The settlement's destruction had brought him another 1359 goblins cores, 137 cores of variants, and evidently 8 hobgoblins one, along with their skins.
While he would need to knit the holes back once processed, the global amount would have another eighteen metres squares of leather.
Unwilling to tempt fate, he passed the night outside, atop the rocks, if few goblins remained in the Dungeon.
~~~
Looking around the galleries, lighten by natural light seeping through the cracks of the rock, Alex only encountered twenty-eight goblins and four variants in his strolling. He found the nestling rooms, with goblins popping out of water bubbles of all things, growth his collection of gems by 14, 13, and 1, respectively.
Spotting the Dungeon core, Alex took a sadistic pleasure to rip it off the wall, earning him 7 news polished oval cores. Alex happily stored his newly supply, knowing that he would be able to enchant news runecores.
Exiting the dead Dungeon, Alex gathers the ashes and hops to the top of the rocks, only needing to craft a small step for him to climb, rather than looking for a way up like the previous day.
What he didn't expect was to came face to face with a group of five adventurers on horses, looking at the still raising volute of smoke from the bits of woods still present.
~~~
"Heu? Ah, right, the adventurers sent by the guild, Miss Eina did warn me that some should come after the first team failed to report back." Remembered Alex. From his memories, this group should be here for at least eight days or so.
Looking at them, he could see that they were of higher standing that Marron. All had crafts armours carefully, be it light leather one, to partial and full metal ones. Alex caught the sight of more than one finely forged blades, knives or swords on either their back or the side of their saddles. A sixth horse was following them, loaded with five large backpacks.
It was evident to Alex that those better prepared for their task, or at least be mindful of enough to realise that a missing team would mean greater danger.
The party was made of two men and three women, all seemingly in their twenty, with few tending toward thirty and human.
"Indeed, we are. I am myself Liam, Captain of our party, 'Erea', member of Athena Familia and level 2" Presented himself the archetype of the fighter class knight. He was the only one wearing full armour, along with a great sword and heater shield visible at his side. In some, he was also the older and typical features, an average man like those populating those land.
"On my right." Continue him, designing the nearest one. "Is Haufora, our archer." Alex gazed at her, giving back the brief nod she gives. Like Liam, she was the archetype of her class, armoured with metal greaves and vambrace. The breastplate and pauldron on her right shoulder made of leather.
"To he right is Driti, our scout."
The second male of the party, armoured entirely of leather, under a garment covering his chest, falling on his thighs, a hood shadowing his head partially. As his class would, those were of forest colour to better blend in.
"To my left, the delicious Isis, our Jack of all trade." Said Liam with more emotion in his voice, much to the rest of the party consternation, seemingly accustomed to the older man unrequired crush on the woman, seeing her frowning face. Like Driti, she was grabbed in leather armour, as she was mostly a support type.
"And finally, Syona, our trap specialist."
'In another world, thief.' Alex thought, amused.
The woman, the youngest of the three, before Haufora then Isis, was wearing small pieces of metal, protecting the vital part, above a complete leather one.
"All of us are Level 2 and generally dispatched after missing the first liner." Finally finished Liam, the presentation over. "And you are?" Then asked the man who seems to bore some noble mannerism. If Alex were to follow the trend of Danmachi, he would surely be of noble ancestry and either chose the life of adventurer or forced to follow its path.
"Alex." Presented him, himself.
"Ah, yes, the young therianthrope, lady Eina did share the news of one such as yourself, who chose to stay and valiantly partake in the slaying of the monsters besieging the picturesque settlement of Tiris. Such bravery all in your honour, youngling!" Liam inspired speech drawn Alex' eyebrow to rise while looking at the man companions. Seeing the crestfallen group, he had no doubt not to be the first to earn one and would surely not be the last.
"Hum hum." Liam' clearing throat, bringing his attention on him. "Would you be so kind as to share with us the reason for the sight granting our eyes, behind yours? From your coming at our side, it appears that this scene bears your hand, paws, whatever."
-Did the bastard discriminate against therianthropes?!- Holwed CS in Alex's head. He had already disliked the man from his pompous ways, but the last comment was rapidly turning it into ire.
'I think.' Alex responded tensely, also disliking the man behaviour toward him. Alex had never been the more tolerant kind, with the man clear ill sentiments toward therianthropes; he would need very little for Alex to act.
~~~
While Liam seems to be unaware of his words' effect on the young therianthrope, the rest of the party didn't; all caught Alex barely restrained sudden tensing. Driti and Syona where particularly aware of how close he seems ready to reach for something in his back, both easily guessed as knives.
Still completely unaware of the sudden tension in the air, Liam opened an eye, looking inquisitively at Alex.
Observing his mannerisms and dumb face, Alex concludes that he was a retard at best and a crafty schemer at worst. Unwilling to be the one starting a confrontation, Alex slowly retracts his hand from his back, lowering the built tension, making the other four relax, before glaring dagger at their moronic leader behind his back.
"Indeed?" uttered Liam, still completely lost at the actual situation.
-I start to think that the gods, in these words, have entirely different authorities. First, The four from Athena Familia, and now this moron who seems to be able to make everyone hate him in a few second?- State disbelievingly CS, an opinion Alex was forced to admit he shared with his friend.