Chapter 10 : The old man climbs a cliff.

We entered the hot and humid jungle in Grannel where squalls and heavy downpour occurred excessively.

Just as expected, a squall occurred just as we entered the dungeon. Thanks to the horrible weather, our visibility was effectively zero making it impossible to advance deeper into the jungle. Instead we looked for the largest nearby tree, hiding under its reach to seek shelter from the rain.

Despite this, Luna and Til were still in high spirits.

[Yuuya, Yuuya. Look at my cute raincoat!] (Luna)

[The rain is unexpectedly fun.] (Til)

The two of them enjoyed putting on their newly bought raincoats. Phil and Selene on the other hand, didn’t enjoy the rain in the slightest.

Their reactions were much more reasonable as heavy rains were disastrous for adventurers.

Firstly, at this level of downpour our vision is effectively cut off and rendered ineffective.

Second, the sound of the rain drowns out any nearby noises and even washes away any smell lingering in the area.

With our eyes, nose and ears being ineffective against our enemies, we may as well be defenseless.

[Luna, no matter the circumstances do not turn off your Presence Detection. This rain is extremely dangerous.] (Yuuya)

[Uhn? But I can’t sense anything at all. Wouldn’t the monsters be the same?] (Luna)

[What you just said is the most dangerous thing yet. Think about it from another perspective. In this situation where our eyes, nose and ears aren’t reliable, our actions are affected and limited. For monsters who live in this environment, they are likely unaffected by the rain. How much of a threat are they to us?] (Yuuya)

[That sounds dangerous.] (Luna)

[Yuuya-niisan, isn’t that dirty. In this rain even though I don’t have the confidence to shoot my bow. Even my lightning spells can’t be used. If I was as good as my sister then maybe I would be able to do something.] (Til)

[That’s not true. If it was just a drizzle then it should be alright but with rains this heavy, I think the maximum distance I can shoot is only thirty metres.] (Phil)

Although a distance of thirty metres is the distance a normal archer could guarantee to land in perfect condition in the perfect environment. Til and Phil were abnormal in retrospect as they could easily land arrows a hundred or two metres away

[Yuuya-ojisama, how would the monsters be able to see us in this weather?] (Selene)

[It’s simple. Using Presence Detection. There are also monsters capable of using it from time to time.] (Yuuya)

Monsters capable of using the same skills as us also exists. Albeit rare there are still monsters capable of using Presence Detection. Among those monsters, the most famous is the Silver Slime. It was a monster which gives an insane amount of experience once defeated, as if you had just defeated the boss of the dungeon.

Essentially everybody wanted to defeat this monster, however with Presence Detection it escapes from its predators with incredible speed whenever it senses danger. Furthermore, it’s much more difficult to defeat the monster let alone keep up with its speed while its escaping. The only known way to defeat the Silver Slime was to corner the monster by cutting off its escape route, chasing it into a dead end and attacking as hard as possible using your strongest skill with a critical hit. Without a party capable of using Presence Detection and Assassinate together, it’s pretty much impossible to defeat the monster.

[I understand! Luna will do her best using Presence Detection.] (Luna)

Although Presence Detection didn’t drain its user’s mana to activate, it does place a huge mental strain onto the user making it difficult to maintain for a prolonged duration. However in this rain we can only rely on Luna’s Presence Detection.

We’ll have to do our best.

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I began to feel drowsy as I continued to listen to the sound of the rain.

The water on the ground wasn’t being drained quick enough as the mud pools on the ground had piled up, merging into a gigantic shallow mud lake. Due to this, we had no choice but to switch to our waterproof boots. It was a lot heavier than our usual footwear and slowed down our mobility significantly.

[Yuuya, there’s a monster approaching us from the back.] (Luna)

[What kind of monster?] (Yuuya)

[Probably… a cat?] (Luna)
[The monster I was hoping wouldn’t appear is here. It isn’t a cat. It’s a Squall Panther.] (Yuuya)

It was a monster who utilized it’s Presence Detection and the frequent squalls to sneak up on its prey. It sneaks up within the storm, targeting its unsuspecting prey neck with its razor sharp fangs. It was an intelligent monster which hid in the shadows during the clear weather and became active once it begins to rain.

[Everyone, do not turn back. It’s a cowardly monster. Once it realizes that we’ve noticed its presence it’ll definitely escape. It may be a difficult monster to deal with but we’ll definitely defeat it. It also drops desirable items for us.] (Yuuya)

Since it was a monster that only appears during the rain, adventurers would not encounter this monster often and even if they did, it was a monster that only appeared whenever it was confident of its kill.

[Yuuya, it is only 10 metres away from us. It’s slowly approaching us with silent steps.] (Luna)

[You’re lying. I can’t sense its presence at all. And I’m pretty sensitive to the presence of others.] (Til)

[We’re in this rain after all so it can’t be helped.] (Phil)

Although we were currently within a rainstorm, it was still impressive that the monster couldn’t be detected by Til and Phil who were elves with sensitive senses. That was its natural ability it possessed being born as a panther.

[Another 5 metres.] (Luna)

[Who is it targetting?] (Yuuya)

[Phil. It feels like its looking towards Phil’s neck.] (Luna)

[Understood. In that case, we’ll continue to move forward to hide our intentions. Selene stay next to Phil and the moment it pounces, you’ll intercept it using your spikes.] (Yuuya)

[I understand.] (Phil)

[I’ll make my preparations.] (Selene)

Selene seemed to be nervous as she began clutching her shield. Since we were unable to turn around, we had to focus our nerves behind us. It was likely too close for Luna to give us any signal since our voices could reach its ears. The moment it was within two metres, I finally caught a glimpse of the Squall Panther. However, what I noticed wasn’t it’s figure but it’s murderous intent as I was particularly sensitive to it.

Taking advantage of its body structure, it leaped into the air, masking its actions using the strong winds. Selene who was next to Phil turned to the side as she held Renoir’s shield into the air.

[Shield Bash!] (Selene)

Using the strength of her entire body, she stuck out Renoir’s Shield, releasing a spike into the Squall Panther who was about to bite into Phil’s neck, blowing it into the large tree we used to seek shelter.

The Squall Panther’s body began conversing as it laid on the ground, turning into blue particles several seconds later and leaving behind its pink skin.

[Fuu. Somehow I actually defeated it. I was worried that Phil-san would get injured to my incompetence.] (Selene)

[I knew that I would be safe since we’re talking about Selene after all.] (Phil)

Though it may sound like it, Phil wasn’t speaking words of flattery as she was a veteran explorer with a reliable sense of evaluation. She wasn’t naive enough to leave her life into the hands of someone she couldn’t trust.

[Yuuya, that was a vicious monster.] (Luna)

[Uhn. It look extremely disgusting too.] (Til)

[That was the result of evolving into a predator specialized in assassination.] (Yuuya)

The Squall Panther was covered in pink skin with a rubbery texture. Since it didn’t have any hair it wasn’t bothered by the rain and could move around easily in the rain and mud. Furthermore it didn’t have any eyes, nose and ears with a huge mouth. Since it evolved to rely on Presence Detection, its other organs weren’t necessary and had deteriorated severely.

[We’ve gotten a good souvenir though.] (Yuuya)

[What are we going to do with that rubbery skin?] (Til)

[If we use this to craft an armor, the end result is a piece of equipment highly resistant against the lightning element. Eventually among the three dragons, we’ll need specialized equipment against them. Against the Wind Dragon, we’ll need to have lightning and wind resistant equipment before we challenge it. Without it, it wouldn’t even be a battle.] (Yuuya)

The Coronoa Dragon which took us a difficult battle for us to defeat was actually the weakest among the three dragons. However it was still possible to defeat it without any flame resistant equipment. Unlike the Coronoa Dragon, the other two dragons were impossible to defeat without it.

[Yuuya-ojisama. I don’t really want to imagine myself wearing equipment made of that pink skin.] (Selene)

[Just as Selene probably imagined, the equipment will turn out as a rubber suit which sticks to your skin. Its colour will likely remain pink just like its ingredients. Well it’s look aside, its performance is excellent too.] (Yuuya)

Even during the game era, the equipment was also avoided due to its appearance however it was still worn despite that due to its good performance.

[It doesn’t just nullify the Wind (Lightning) attribute, but it is also light with high defensive properties. It has a high level of resistance against blunt attacks while providing some protection against sharp attacks. Very few equipment in existence were blessed with such properties .] (Yuuya)

[I see I see. But I’ll have to refrain from that. It isn’t just embarrassing but doesn’t that equipment classify as a piece of clothing? In that case, I think it’ll be better for someone who wears light equipment rather than armor to have it instead.] (Selene)

That was a rather blunt excuse but a sensible one as well.

I turned towards Phil.

[Ehh? Is it going to be me? For me.. Well. I have my highest ranked equipment that I kept from our previous adventures. My equipment is pretty amazing you know. I could live peacefully for the rest of my life if I sold this on the market.] (Phil)

What Phil said was true too.

Her equipment could be said to be the best set possible for a bow-user. In fact, the pink rubber suit was probably inferior by several levels compared to her equipment. The only person left..

[Uhm.. Yuuya-niisan, are you going to make me wear that!? I’ll look like a pervert!] (Til)

Til began shaking her head forcefully however unlike Selene and Phil, she had no reasonable excuse to avoid it. Since its already at this stage, should I just make her wear it?

[Uhn. Luna wants to try it! It looks interesting! Luna wants to try putting it on.] (Luna)

Luna began wagging her fox tail with shining eyes as if it was a lie that she felt uncomfortable looking at the Squall Panther. Actually, it would also be better for our party’s balance to have the front-guard wearing the Wind (Lightning) resistant equipment.

[I understand. In that case, the clothes made from this will be given to Luna.] (Yuuya)

[Hurray! Luna looks forward to it!] (Luna)

I’m looking forward to seeing Luna in a tight rubber suit, however what is this guiltiness rising up from my chest?

Just as we resolved the matter about the rubber suit, the rain began slowing down.

It’s about time for us to continue moving forward.

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As the weather cleared up, we decided to continue travelling deeper into the jungle.

After walking for a little while, Luna found another Paradise Bird as Til shot it down with an arrow, displaying her amazing learning ability.

Although the strength of the wind was different when compared to the previous squall, she had adapted well to the environment. This time however, we managed to obtain a lump of Paradise Meat as the two girls performed their usual mysterious dance.

The moment we reminded them that we needed to find a total of three Paradise Meats for the quest, they froze halfway through their performance with an extremely hateful look. The scene had made for an extremely interesting sight.

We continued forward until we reached a dead end, arriving at a cliff wall with a height of over 100 metres. Just then, Luna’s fox ears began twitching.

[The top of the cliff. Presence Detection is telling me that there are four Paradise Birds up ahead. Since there are four right up ahead, it feels like there will be many more up ahead.] (Luna)

[*Slurps* If that’s the case. Then we have no other choice! Since the sky’s getting darker, we’ll barely be able to complete the quest otherwise!] (Til)

Til was right. If we wanted to get enough meat to try it out for ourselves, we’ll have no choice but to overcome this cliff.

[The two of you. Please calm down. It’s fine for you to try your best but it’ll be a huge mistake for you to climb the cliff. Please take a look.] (Yuuya)

I placed my hand on the cliff and wiped the surface of the soil, revealing a steel wall. It was impossible to get a firm grip onto the soil and neither is it possible to stick a knife into a steel wall. Just as one would suspect, it was impossible to scale a steel cliff.

[Luna doesn’t want to give up. Just beyond this cliff is tonight’s dinner!] (Luna)

[I want to try the Paradise Meat and go to paradise~~. Even though the delicious meat is in our grasp, I don’t wanna eat more preserved foods!.] (Til)

The two girls continued to stand on the cliff with despair as if it was the end of the world.

It should be fine though as I’ll be able to teach them how we could overcome the steel cliff without much trouble. Truth is, this cliff could easily be overcome by using a gimmick utilizing the stormy weather. However, just as I was about to act, Phil nocked an arrow with a hook at the arrow head and at the bottom, a magic rope was tied to the arrow.

[It’s height is about 123.43 metres. My rope should be enough and so is my range. Although I’m unsure about my strength.] (Phil)

Phil fired three arrows into the air. Since all three arrows had hooks and were connected to the same rope, the arrows flew in a parabola over the cliff as Phil pulled down onto the rope causing it to stay taut.

[With this, we’ll be able to climb up with ease. Now then, let’s go ahead and collect our dinner.] (Phil)

[Phil is amazing! I love you!] (Luna)

[As expected of onee-chan! I’m getting goosebumps!] (Til)

[That is an amazing display of skill. It is incredibly difficult to fire and place the three hooks in place accurately while pulling down the rope at the precise timing.] (Selene)

Even before I got to explain the gimmick of the steel wall, Phil surpassed everyone’s expectations with her ridiculous archery skills.

[Since it’ll be dangerous for all of us to climb simultaneously, I’ll go on ahead. Once I arrive at the top I’ll reinforce the hooks to make it more stable. Looking at the weather, it shouldn’t rain for awhile longer. This is our chance.] (Phil)

Phil began climbing the rope and within the minute, she had already arrived at the top of the cliff. After arriving at the top, she continued to secure the rope as Luna and Til also displayed their excellent physical capabilities as they climbed to the top of the cliff within several minutes. Although Selene was following behind them, she wasn’t as fast and had the riskiest movements out of all of them.

[Yuuya could you please hurry up. Luna-chan and Til have already gone up ahead to hunt the Paradise Birds. They were afraid that the birds would escape if we took too long.] (Phil)

[Ahh. Is that so.] (Yuuya)

Although we still managed to scale the cliff, what is this sense of reluctance I’m feeling? It feels strange. Even though the gimmick I knew made use of the rain, I had expected to wait awhile for the rain to arrive however even without waiting for the rain, Phil managed to overcome the cliff immediately. What is this sense of regret that is welling up within me although we’re able to begin our hunt much earlier?

[Once the squall arrives, blowing away all the mud and soil on the cliff. There will be a hint that appears which will reveal a hidden door. Once you discover and solve the hint, it’ll be much easier for you to climb the cliff.] (Yuuya)

Even though there was no one around to hear it, I explained how the gimmick functioned. It’s a good thing though as there wouldn’t be the need to go to the trouble of solving the hint in the midst of the bad weather. This method was much easier too.

[After overcoming this cliff, the area will be filled with Paradise Birds. Although it was fairly difficult to get the Paradise Meat to drop, the birds themselves gave large amounts of experience that didn’t fit with their levels, allowing us to earn a large amount of experience points. After clearing the difficult entrance, we’ll be able to access a bonus stage with tons of experience and items that we can hunt.] (Yuuya)

However, there wasn’t a need for me to explain this as the two girls already had their hands full trying to hunt as hard as they can. After climbing the cliff, Luna and Til turned around and ran towards me.

[Yuuya, tons of meat! There’s already four that dropped!] (Luna)

[If we manage to hunt all of them then we’ll be able to eat as much as we want!] (Til)

With sparkling eyes and a face full of smiles, the thought of explaining the gimmick didn’t matter to me anymore.

[Yes, let’s eat plenty together tonight. Since the best place for the meat to belong to is the frying pan. It’ll make an amazing broth. This will be a great time for us to cook the freshly harvested rice we purchased at Grannel.] (Yuuya)

[Hot pot! Porridge!] (Luna)

[Uwa! Sounds amazing!] (Til)

Thus began the second mysterious dance. However this time, they wouldn’t be interrupted as they would be able to eat as much Paradise Meat as their hearts desired.

[Yuuya, will we be camping out here tonight?] (Phil)

[That’s right. It’s already the evening and we’re too far away to head towards the magic vortex to return. Since we’re already in a good hunting ground, trying to return to the inn is wasteful. Let’s just stay here tonight. Let’s hurry up and set up our tent since it’ll be dark soon.] (Yuuya)

[I understand. Then I’ll properly pick up the wild herbs in the area and make a delicious pot of soup for everyone.] (Phil)

I let out a smile as I wanted to try out the Paradise Meat too albeit not at the same level as Til and Luna. I’m starting to look forward to our dinner now.

<End of Chapter>