Story III / Part XVI: Before The Red Dawn (IV) / Exploration (I)

We are going to western side of the mountains with hope of finding other parties. Along the way, the girls are chatting about latest fashion style in Northlandia while the boys are chatting about latest weapons and armors that have been sold in the market. But Julio isn't really interested with that and instead, he is carefully watching the surroundings.

Meanwhile, Erick would normally ignore the surroundings area, but I realized he carefully analyzed the surroundings around him. Perhaps he is looking a place to hide or a place that makes his work easier. Sometimes he told me to watch my step because there is [Treant's Trap] on the ground.

Well, Tim has ensnared four times by the same trap, because of that Luna smacked his head four times already. After one heverra walking to west, we take a small break under a big tree. On there, I started asking Ayumi about her combat style, which I haven't known or seen once until now since we often fought in different group.

I glance at Ayumi, "Could you please explain to me what are [Academist] Class and their special advantages?"

"Well…how should I explain it…do you still remember what Instructor Artesia told us about [Academist Class] that allows the user to create a "thaumaturgy" or "phenomenon" according to the user's logic?"

"Yeah I do. But I still don't understand about it at all. None of it makes sense to me."

"Well, yeah it's true. You must have at least 120 [INT] STAT to be able to grasp the fundamentals of [Academist] Class since it's complex and hard to understand with normal logic mind."

"Then, could you give me a simple example?"

"Yes. Let's see, if there is an enemy 3 Me in front of you and your weapon can't reach it, what will you do?"

"Hmm…run to it or throw my weapon…?"

"Yes, but would it reach your enemy? What will you do to make sure it reaches your enemy?"

"…I will activate skills like [Precision Targeting] or ability like [Keen Eye]."

"But don't you think it will take a long time?"

"What do you mean by taking a long time…eh…wait…"

Ayumi is right, activating skill or magic will take some time. In battle, every seckina is crucial and can decide the fate of the entire battle. Chanting spell or activating skill needs at least 1-3 seckina to finish the incantation or skill's name and it's silly to say a loud your magic spell or skill name in front of your enemy. What if they are disturbing your chant or concentration by attacking first?!

"Now, you have understood the basic fundamental, Haru-san. Then, what will you do?"

"Ngghh…make the enemy come closer to my weapon?"

"Yes. For example, my weapon is a spear with 2 Me length and my enemy is standing 3 Me in front of me. If I'm running to him, I will waste exactly 2-6 sec and under that time, he can do something to turn the table. So, in order to eliminate him fast, I need skip a few processes on the battle like chanting spell or activating skill, and running. Then, I merge them into one process."

I place my left hand under my chin, "Did you mean by "skipping process" is…"

"Yes. I can "think" either my spear has stabbed the enemy or "think" the enemy is standing in front of tip of my spear. Then, with my logic combined with [The Gods' Laws and Supremacies] and [The World's Laws], I can create a special "phenomenon" or "thaumaturgy" like that. Umm…do you understand what I said before…?"

I'm staring Ayumi with dumbfounded expression, trying to process the information that I just heard before.

"Don't worry My Lord! I also don't understand anything that Ayumi-dono just said before!!!!"

(How the fuck you can say that with so much confident, Julio) I shook my head and sighed.

"Silly Kaichou, you don't understand that?" Luna said that with confident expression while crossing her arms.

"What about you, Professor?" Erick asked at her with mocking tone.

"OF COURSE NOT!"

We are staring at Luna with "fed up" expression and shortly after that, Erick has wrestled Luna's neck while Zikiya gripping her face as if she is trying to crush her. In front of her, Tim has lit a small fireball on his hand while smiling widely with his cute face.

"NONONONONONO, I WAS JOKING, I WAS JOKING! OUCH, OUCH…ZIKIYA-SAN PLEASE DO NOT CRUSH MY FACE…!!!!" After five minerval punishing Luna, Zikiya released her grip as well as Erick's hold. She gasps a few times and then started explaining to us what Ayumi said before.

"Well, look the keywords here are "think" and "skipping process". If you want to stab the enemy, you need to chant your spell or activate your skill while running at them yes? Then, merge them into one process called "Teleportation". You can either teleport yourself to the enemy while thinking, "I want to stab him" or thinking, "My spear has stabbed him". The results will be two things that Ayumi-san said before, it's either you teleport the enemy near you or teleport yourself while piercing through the enemy. Meanwhile, the "thinking" word here has two meanings, is either "wishing" or "creating" for a "thaumaturgy" or "phenomenon" according to your "logic". If your logic matches up with [The Gods' Laws and Supremacies] and [The World's Laws], as well as your logic itself is "makes sense", your wish or parallel thought will be come true."

Tim rubs his neck, "But what about the merits and demerits, Luna-nee?"

"Well, the merits are, you can cut your Mana and Stamina Consumption from 5% until 100%, but it depends on your skill and ability rank, as well as your STATs and level. Just imagine if you need 50 [Stamina Points] to run to the enemy and 10 points to stab him, plus activating skill at D Rank needs 10 points, that makes 70 points of [Stamina Parameter] usage. But if you combine them into one process, it only takes 7 points to do everything in one go. Other merits are short cooldown and casting time, short mana recovery time and so on."

"Ooohh…!!!" I nodded few times after hearing that. I didn't know [Academist] Class is that convenient even though the principals and fundamentals of magic and thaumaturgy are hard as fuck.

"But for the demerits…I can point out few…but the most annoying things are when you are facing dozens of enemies at once, fighting another [Prodigy], and fighting "thoughtless" enemy. I mean an "unpredictable" enemy that can do anything as much as they like without watching their surroundings. Well, even though they are kind of silly and stupid…but it would be dangerous for us, [The Prodigies] because we can't quickly think a countermeasure against them…like enemies with [True Neutral] Alignment…" Explain Ayumi with gentle smile.

(Hmm, [True Neutral] Alignment…Well, Ayumi is technically correct. They are so unpredictable and can do anything or siding with anyone as much as they want. They sure like "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing") But when I looked behind, Tim and Erick smirked frightfully while whispering to each other. Eh wait, wait...!

"Kaichou…I wanna take [Academist] Class lecture when we returned, may I?"

"Please don't." All of us except Erick grabbed Tim's shoulder together and looked at him with scared expression.

If Tim taking [Academist] Class and combined it with his [Warlord] Class, it will be super dangerous. Imagine if he thinks his [Fireball] Spell has [Anti-Continent] Magic Rank, he can erase a continent from the map in instant! Moreover, he also has unstable mental state that can "explode" anytime. Oh shit, I must do something after this.

After a short break, we continued our exploration to the west. On the way, Tim ensnared by [Treant's Trap] again that it made both of Luna and Julio fed up. Luna smacked his head thrice while Julio is scolding him. Well, it's my first-time seeing Julio angry with someone. Normally, he will stay calm and quiet, without much complaining. But considering our situation right now, even a calm man like him will be angry with Tim's recklessness.

We keep heading to the west until we reached a pond with a small river around it. We choose to take a break for a bit. Ayumi shared her lunch boxes to us. But before we eat them, a wild large [Fanged Ape] appeared and jumped from our left side. Ayumi quickly stood up, summoned her spear on her left hand and unsheathed her sword. Then, she is making a strange battle stance by lowering her body and pointing her spear to the enemy as if she wants to charge to the enemy. But strangely, she is lowering her sword under her waist and putting it on her right side. It's my first time seeing a mix battle stance between [Lancer] and [Saber] Class like this.

"Let me demonstrate how I fight, Haru-san. Please watch my back."

Before I can protest, Ayumi has charged toward the Ape. [Fanged Ape] is a demonic wild beast with two long and big sharp fangs that grow out from its mouth. It's has bulky body with 2 Me — 3 Me height and has two arms bigger than its legs. It's strong, has good endurance and movement speed, but it has low intelligence, [Magic Resistance] and [Physical Resistance]. It has C threat rank and it's not very dangerous for an expert adventurer. Just watch out when it starts to climb the tree and call its friends.

"Auooorhghh!!!" Oh, that must be the special voice to call its friends and shortly after that, ten little [Applejack Monkeys] and two [Burly Gorillas] appear from the tree. Let's see if Ayumi needs extra hands or not.

"Do you need help Ayumi?"

"I can hold these three at once. Could you help me on the little ones?"

From her voice, Ayumi is in full spirit right now. I don't hear any kind of fear or doubt from her voice. Then, I asked Luna and Julio to eliminate the Applejack Monkeys. It shouldn't be hard for them since they are just weaklings but for anticipation, I asked Tim, Erick and Zikiya to be on their guard.

Ayumi swung her sword, but the Fanged Ape blocked it with a trunk of tree. But when I blinked my eyes, the tree trunk and the Fanged Ape's lower left arm had sliced in instant. At the same time, two Burly Gorillas reach out with their arm and almost grabbed Ayumi's shoulder, but their arms suddenly bleeding heavily and then they are knocked off by an unknown force. Then, Ayumi lowered her spear and jumped back few times. Suddenly, I glimpsed something and when I looked closely, I saw two big holes on the Burly Gorillas' lower arms. Surprised, I raised my head, and on the same time, I saw a hole on the Fanged Ape's neck. Ayumi finished her attack by beheading the two Burly Gorillas' head when I'm still focused with the Fanged Ape's neck.

(Holy Light Dragon Gods! What the hell was those attacks before?!)

"Impressive wasn't it Kaichou? I had seen those movements before, but it still doesn't stop to amaze me." Luna approached me while dragging a claymore that has smeared with blood.

"A-ah…" I just nodded in agreement while staring at Ayumi with amazed expression.

It took few sec to make realized Julio and Luna had taken care of the Applejack Monkeys. Erick and Tim also showed same expression like what I made before. But I noticed something hiding in the bushes. I quickly threw my daggers behind me and I heard a metal sound inside the bushes. Julio and Luna who noticed that suddenly jumped back and guarded me. I unsheathed my longsword and stood up, while making a striking stance.

"Hoo…so, you have noticed us Ishizaki-dono?" said a man with muscular body and red hair.

I sheathed my longsword, "It was plain as day."

"How so?" asked Zack.

"…the big deer that you killed. It's stench and blood stench has been lingering around two of you."

"Heeh, I expect no less from [White Falcon] Party's Leader." He chuckled.

The man with red hair is none other than Zack, the [North Wind of Liberation] Party's Leader. A man with glasses that is none other than his Vice Leader, Daendles Rudelfort, accompanies him. We sat with Zack at the small pond and chatted for a long time. Then, he invited us to his hideout that located north from here.

"We have been walking for four heverra and now it's already 2.00 P.M.E, where is your party's basecamp?"

"If we keep following this river to north, we will reach a waterfall with big a lake. My hideout located behind the waterfall. But we need to climb it because there is no other way to that place."

"Umm? Then how can you reach that place?" asked Luna while fixing her gloves position.

"We stored the horses and carriages and then we used [Anti-Gravity Walk], [Vertical Walk] or [Acrobatic Walk] to "climb" the cliff. Look!" Zack pointed out a large cliff and waterfall far in front of us.

"By the way, glad you survived that attack, Zack-dono."

"Yeah, but it can't be said as "survive" since that shitty dragon damaged two of my carriages so badly."

"Did you have any causalities?"

"Yes, twelve of our members were badly injured, but not fatal. Thanks to The Healers, I guess. They did an excellent work yesterday and now they are good to go. Right now, they are exploring the area with their friends. Ah, other than that I repaired the carriages' wheels, thankfully we have plenty stock of woods here and Dwarves, so I can say everything went smoothly, more or less. Here we go…"

After spending four heverra walking, finally we reached a large lake and waterfall. But considering the size, this lake and waterfall are larger than [Miorus Lake] and [Miorus Waterfall] near Northlandia. Well, Zack had chosen a good place to make a hideout. Then, we walked to the right side of the lake until we reached a cliff behind the waterfall. To climb this place, we need to activate suitable spells like [Acrobatic Walk], but we didn't literally "climb" the cliff, we just walk vertically on the cliff until the hideout's entrance. Daendles walked to front, deactivated the barrier on the entrance, and let us in before he activates its back.

I can see they have flattened the cave wall and floor. They put light devices to illuminate the corridors and they had many rooms inside the corridors, similar like what we did yesterday. I realized Zack's party members have gone too far in terms of "rebuilding" the cave and their base doesn't has a hot spring like my base has.

"You said on your base, you have two natural hot springs, eh? How lucky you are."

"Yeah, you are right. Now if our base has two natural hot springs already, I wonder why we bother bringing the [Tentriutum] in the first place. Also, why bother with it if your party members can make a basecamp like a high-class dungeon." Then, I shook my head while closing my eyes.

"Oh! So, your party members went too far, weren't they? It goes same for me. On the day we arrived, we tended the wounded first and then I left with my comrades to hunt until almost evening. But when I returned, this cave has transformed into high-class dungeon, well maybe it's accurate to call it "High-Class Dungeon with a High-Class Inn?" BAHAHAHAHA!!!" Zack hit my shoulder few times while laughing hard.

Daendles fixed his glasses position, "By the way, Ishizaki-dono, why are you leaving your basecamp?"

"First I wanted to find your basecamp and now I have found it. Another thing is I want to find where the Guild Master is. He still hasn't sent a message yet, so I want to find him."

"Hmm, true…I remembered that Demon can use signal jamming spell to block the communication but it doesn't work on [Light] Attribute Communication Magic such as [Divine Voice] and [Divine Broadcast]. The Guild Master brought 200 adventurers and there are many of them who can use [Light] Attribute Magic on the first place. So, it's strange that he still hasn't sent a message to us."

I asked Zack about other party's condition and fortunately, they are fine right now. He invited me to visit other parties' basecamp after lunch and I agreed with that. We walked to the kitchen and had our lunch there. Then, while eating our lunch, we are chatting about [Istheris Sunaria] and [Holy Reign] Party's Basecamp. Zack said Viorelle and Nan built their basecamp in dangerous places with unexplainable methods, or so that what is written inside their message they sent to Zack yesterday. After we finished our lunch, Zack called Riona Delfazher one of his Vice Leaders to join him and we left his base to southwest, where [CST] Party's basecamp located.