V2.C3 Cam’s Mistake, Nostalgic hunt?
Leo looked at Shea sleeping peacefully in Yue's embrace. Yue rubbed her rabbit ears gently with a smile. It's been a few hours since they departed with Haulias.
"So, Yue can care about someone other than me?"
"...I'm the most caring woman in the world."
He focused mana in his eyes and saw trees in the distance.
"Well, our destination is near. You should wake her up."
Yue shook Shea gently to wake her up. Shea rubber her eyes.
"...Haltina woods is near."
Shea looked confused for a moment before she apologized to Yue for falling asleep.
After a brief moment of silence, Shea asked, "...Can you guys tell me about yourself like where did you come from?"
"...Horaud Town."
"What's your purpose in going to the Sea of Trees?"
"Our goal is to conquer the Great Labyrinth there, then every other Great Labyrinth after that."
She went silent for a couple of seconds.
"...Why did you guys help us?"
Leo tilted his head a little, confused by her question before realizing her meaning. "Ah! You must be talking about them… Those bastards weren't humans in my eyes... I wish I could've come sooner," he whispered the last words and increased the speed of Drachen.
Shea asked in a low voice, "Can I travel with you two?"
Leo stared at her with a serious expression. "No, you can't."
Her bunny ears drooped down on her head in a pitiful way.
"...You are too weak."
He said in a straightforward manner to stop her from harboring any hopes to join them. He didn't want her to suffer more on his journey. Feeling a little regret to lose a reliable ally who could literally see the future if something bad happened to anyone close to her.
He stopped in front of what looked like a forest.
"Now then, Leo-dono and Yue-dono stick close to us when we are inside. You want to go to the center where the Grand tree is located?" asked Cam.
"Yes, that might be the entrance of the labyrinth."
According to Cam, the Grand Tree was a massive tree that sat in the deepest reaches of the forest. The beastmen called it as Sacred Tree Uralt, and the area around it was considered holy. No one entered there normally as it was like a tourist spot for beastmen.
Yue and Leo first thought that the entire Haltina woods is a labyrinth, they then realized beastmen won't even have a chance to live here with monsters that strong lurking there. So they decided to check the Grand Tree for any clues.
"Leo-dono and Yue-dono, can you guys erase your presence as much as possible. We are wanted from beastmen so we would like to not found by them."
A smile appeared on Leo's face. "Alright, we are really good at hiding ourselves."
He said and activated hide presence at a low level. Yue also used her magic to hide.
"Ah! Yes, good."
"Lead the way."
The party stepped inside to see a dense fog almost instantly, limiting their sight.
'So this is the reason humans get lost here.'
Cam still led them without hesitation. It was like he could see in this fog. Although it was not known why only demi-humans were able to understand their current location and accurately move around the Sea of Trees.
While advancing, suddenly Cam and his tribe stopped and began to look around their surroundings. Leo and Yue also sensed the monsters surrounding them.
Haulia tribe assumed what he thought as defensive formation. If it was normal, they'll just escape with their ability, but they can't do it now. Grim expressions appear on all of the tribe members.
Leo was about to use his magic when Yue stopped him.
"Wind blade"
A wind of blade shot forward and cut the head of a monkey like monster. It was 60 cm tall with four arms.
"KIII?"
The other monkey like monster screamed in panic before it was slashed in half by Yue wind blades.
Two monsters moved separately from others. One tried to sneak attack a child and others charged toward Shia. She closed her eyes when she saw the sharp claws attacking her… but nothing happened.
She opened her eyes to see the monster encased in ice like a statue.
"T-Thanks, Leo-san."
"O-Onii-chan, thanks."
He nodded his head curtly before walking toward Yue ignoring the stars in eyes of bot he saved. A gloomy look appeared on Shea face before a determined expression replaced it.
Cam smiled gratefully then continued to guide them again. Some monsters still tried to attack them, but Yue took care of them in high spirits.
After several hours, Cam suddenly halted. Leo and others also stopped.
"What happened?"
Every Haulia scratched their cheeks and avoided his gaze.
"L-Leo-dono, it seems we arrived at the wrong time. Fog is very dense near Great Tree during this time of the month. Even beastmen get lost in that dense fog."
Leo deadpanned hearing him. "So when will it clear?"
"At least a week. Let's go out before someone sees us here."
He rolled his eyes at them. "Go ahead."
He raised his fist a little to stop the giggling Vampire.
The group arrived back outside in a few hours.
He took out Drachen and caravans and searched for a place to spend the night.
He parked in front of what looked like a natural cave.
He entered the cave with others. The cave ceiling was quite high around ten meters. He covered his nose from the disgusting stench inside. His senses detected five presences here.
"Yue, you sensed it?"
"Nn."
"Everyone get behind me, there are some monsters here!"
Haulias trembled in fear before following him silently.
Screech~
The monsters also sensed the party and screeched in delight. They looked like a wyvern with two meters in length.
'Analyze'
[Hyveria]
Strength: 190
Vitality: 300
Defense: 250
Agility: 250
Magic: 230
Magic Defense: 190
'Weak.'
All of them charged at the party, he shook his head and used extreme focus. Time slowed around him, he couldn't help but chuckle at comical expressions on Cam and other's faces.
He summoned the long ranged weapon. It gave the impression of a sci-fi gun because of its pointed tip like a sword with a small grip in the middle and a ball shaped red orb fixed behind it.
He took aim at the Hyverias flying in slow motion and poured mana in it while activating ice breath. The orb glowed blue for a second and a tiny blue ball gathered at the tip and shot forward and blasted the head of a Hyveria into pieces.
Pushing extreme focus skill to the limits, he blew every other Hyveria's head. Their headless bodies crashed on the ground.
He slapped his cheeks to shake off the dizzy feeling from overusing extreme focus.
'I can use it for nearly six seconds if I push myself. That's a plus.'
"...Yue, use wind magic to clear the area."
"...Okay."
He went ahead and harvested the mana crystals which sold for 150SP per Hyveria and stored their headless bodies in inventory.
'I hope it is tasty.'
Cam stepped forward with a towel. "Here, Leo-sama."
He nodded his head and looked at Yue using wind magic to clean the area. He also fixed green glowstones on walls to lighten up the cave.
"Now we can stay here for a week."
"Nn."
He looked at Cam and asked, "What will you guys eat?"
Cam sheepishly scratched his cheeks as he replied, "We'll go and hunt something."
He shook his head and took out his magic oven and stuffed it with meat. "Yue watch it, I'll go out and hunt something," he looked at Cam. "Don't drool at this, it's a monster's meat."
"W-Won't it kill you if you eat it?"
Shea raised her hands and said, "Leo-san, I'll also come!"
"...Okay."
He went out of the cave with a cheerful? Shea. He couldn't comprehend her change, she was pretty depressed earlier.
Shea eagerly sneaked glances at him. After seeing no response, she asked, "Leo-san, can you train me? I don't want to stay weak anymore."
Her question surprised him. He turned to her and answered with a serious expression, "...Ask Yue, she is the best teacher (Sadist), but be ready for some pain (Hellish one)"
Her eyes shone with determination as she pumped her fist in the air. "I'll do anything!"
(Didn't you say the same words to your Uncle.)
'Yeah…'
He heard some rustling sound in the distance.
"Stay here."
He whispered and hid his presence and walked over to the sound. A bear munched on something behind a giant boulder. A nostalgic smile appeared on his face. He closed the distance with supersonic step and sucker punched the bear.,
He carried the bear on his shoulder and made his way over to Shea, who blinked in surprise before a wide smile formed on her face.
"It should be enough for today?" He asked while being unsure of the appetite of 41 people in her tribe.
"Yes!"
He went back to the cave and gave the bear to Haulias. They actually cried after killing the bear.
'These guys… I need to do something about them.'
He stuffed himself with not so tasty monster meat.
[+1 Strength]
[+2 Vitality]
He took out a luxurious tent made of monster skin giving it uselessly high durability, it was enchanted with [Auto temperature].
Haulias watched in anticipation as he set his tent.
He glanced at them and took out seven tents for them.
"Leo-dono, can you let Shea sleep with Yue-dono?"
He turned to Shea who hid her face with bunny ears. Her cheeks blushed red in embarrassment.
"Okay," Yue replied.
He shrugged and went inside the tent to sleep.
