Chapter 31 - Giant Bees

After defeating the Goblin, I take a brief moment to catch my breath. I observe the scene around me and notice everyone is engaged in battle. Some abilities are obvious, like Ellen's, while others, like Leo's, are harder to understand at first glance. However, I can't let myself get distracted now. I turn my attention back to what's in front of me and prepare for the next monster.

All that stands out in my vision are endless hordes of monsters emerging from the forest. Sometimes, when enemies try to surprise me from the sides, they are mysteriously struck by attacks, clearly coming from Noelle. Her power proves incredibly useful, allowing me to focus my attention on the enemies in front of me without worrying about threats coming from my sides.

Spinning my scythe, I prepare for combat while activating [Etheric Pumping] in my feet. I feel the Ether flowing from my heart to my lower limbs, strengthening them. With a surge, I instantly disappear from where I was and reappear amidst the monsters.

Activating [Infusion] on my scythe, I allow the Ether to fully strengthen my body, a wave of power instantly filling me. Then, I deliver a precise blow, cutting a Goblin in half. Its body collapses to the ground, lifeless.

You have defeated [Goblin - Lv - 18] Experience has been gained.

My [Ecopulsation] was activated, and I quickly sense a surprise attack coming from the sky. Instinctively, I dodge by jumping backward. The attack came from one of those giant bees. I focus my sight on the creature and activate [Identify]. A translucent screen appears before me, revealing details about the monster.

[Giant Bee] - (Lv: - 21): A monstrous insect that inhabits giant hives, built within the depths of mountains, usually led by a queen. This monster species attacks in groups, coordinating their attacks and using their stingers, which contain a paralyzing venom. Special prey is brought to the queen, where it deposits its eggs inside them, giving rise to new bees.

Although I didn't possess comprehensive knowledge about all monsters, that one would certainly be challenging. Not so much for its strength, but for its cunning. This creature didn't seem to attack unless it found an opening, like now, when I got distracted by eliminating a Goblin. If I diverted my focus from it to concentrate on a single enemy, I felt like I would be stung instantly.

Moreover, according to my ability [Identify], there are not just one, but several of these creatures around me and close to others. Although I don't know how coordinated their attacks are, it seems these creatures have enough intelligence to strike when their targets are distracted.

Although Noelle's power is probably useful at this moment, I can't demand too much from her. As Ellen and I noticed, this power seems to drain her energy considerably, and being without her assistance now probably won't be advantageous.

(Seems like I don't have much choice other than this) I thought as I turned my gaze to one of the bees flying around me.

After that, I raised my arm towards it and activated [Kinetic Touch]. In moments, I felt the Ether obeying me, flowing smoothly towards the bee. As it enveloped the insect's body, I clenched my hand tightly. The bee then stopped abruptly, starting to tremble in the air.

Although it doesn't seem like it, I'm exerting tremendous force right now. If I had to make a comparison, it would be like trying to hold onto a car while avoiding falling off a cliff.

I probably couldn't keep it in place for long, so I decide to retract my hand in the hope of bringing the bee to me. However, to my surprise, my ability fails as a translucent screen appears before me.

[Error: unable to use (Kinetic Touch) on the selected target. Skill level is too low]

Although it wasn't entirely unexpected, it still surprises me that I can't use this ability now. However, I can't afford to focus on the bees at this moment. Even if I reach them somehow, they could easily evade. Furthermore, without support in the air, I'd be vulnerable to their stingers, unable to dodge in time.

So, I redirect my focus to something else, activating my ability [Identify], I begin to analyze all the monsters around me. Although several translucent screens appear, I concentrate my attention on some specific ones.

[Goblin] – (Lvl: - 21)

[Goblin] – (Lvl: - 20)

[Ogre] – (Lvl: - 22)

[Hobgoblin] – (Lvl: - 21)

[Ogre] – (Lvl: - 20)

[Goblin Rider] – (Lvl: - 23)

[Wolf] – (Lvl: - 19)

The reason I was targeting these specific monsters was none other than their levels. Among the monsters, there was a minority with higher levels, exactly what I needed at that moment. Normally, I would have to defeat as many of them as possible to increase my level, but thanks to the [Identify] skill, it wasn't necessary. All I needed to do was focus on the high-level monsters from the start.

With that in mind, I advanced towards the higher-level monsters. The first targets were the two Goblins, as they were the easiest to eliminate. As soon as I approached one of them, the monster tried to attack me with its dagger, but I easily dodged to the side and, in a quick motion, severed its head with my scythe.

You defeated [Goblin – Lvl - 20] Experience was gained.

Next, I headed towards the other Goblin, who was an archer and was further away from the battlefield. Along the way, I ended up eliminating some other monsters, although their levels weren't as high. However, this didn't change the fact that they would still contribute to increasing my level more quickly.

You defeated [Goblin – Lvl - 11] Experience was gained.

You defeated [Goblin – Lvl - 13] Experience was gained.

You defeated [Wolf – Lvl - 14] Experience was gained.

You defeated [Goblin – Lvl - 10] Experience was gained.

You defeated [Wolf – Lvl - 19] Experience was gained.

You defeated [Wolf – Lvl - 18] Experience was gained.

You defeated [Goblin – Lvl - 15] Experience was gained.

As I approached the Goblin archer, it immediately aimed its bow in my direction, letting out a guttural cry. Its crooked teeth were exposed, drooling with every word spoken. Frankly, it wasn't a very pleasant sight to see.

Raising my scythe, I hurled it towards the Goblin archer. The blade spun rapidly as it cut through the air at high speed, aiming directly at him. The Goblin, realizing the imminent threat, looked around in despair, unable to decide what to do. However, it was already too late. My scythe struck him with precision, cleaving him in half and separating his upper and lower parts in a single precise blow.

You defeated [Goblin – Lvl - 21] Experience was gained.

As soon as the translucent screen appeared, another one appeared immediately afterward, indicating that I had leveled up. I felt a twinge of frustration growing within me. With each level increase, it seemed that the difficulty of advancing increased exponentially. What kind of cursed game was this? Were they trying to make us die while we struggled to level up? Honestly, I hoped that wasn't the true intention behind all of this.

You leveled up [22] -> [23] and gained 5 stat points and 1 skill point.

With a slight smile on my lips, I received the message. There was something genuinely fascinating about leveling up - the notion of tracking one's own growth of power through statistics was captivating. However, I admit that as I progressed, a sense of greed began to creep in. I wanted more and more to raise my level as quickly as possible.

My brief moment of contentment was abruptly interrupted when my [Ecopulsation] warned me of a sneak attack. I rolled to the side with agility and immediately identified the enemy who had attacked me: the giant bees hovered around me, eagerly awaiting an opportunity to attack me.

(Just you wait, you giant mosquitoes. I'll rip off your wings so you'll never fly again) I thought, determined. With that thought in mind, I redirected my attention to the other enemies around me.

My scythe, resting where the Goblin archer had been, easily returned to my hand as I activated [Kinetic Touch]. It seemed that this skill still worked effectively when it came to my scythe.

Although this skill is still at a low level and not very powerful, it is likely to become a fundamental part of my arsenal in the future. Essentially, it's a rudimentary form of telekinesis, albeit limited. Anyway, my immediate goal was to maximize the level of this skill.