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Chapter 299 Part 3

《【Physical Reinforcement】Level Up!》
《You may learn the following Support Skill(s):【Instant Death Resistance】》
《【Synergy】Level Up!》
《【Identify】Level Up!》
《【Balance】Level Up!》

The Info screen had some great news for me as well.
Although none of my Summoned Monsters leveled up.
That’s fine, though.

It feels like the other Summoners have all leveled up in one way or another.
Well, that’s also good to see.

Time to see what we can loot from these corpses.
This is also fun, though.
Where did the wartime atmosphere go?

【Item】　Judgment’s Lithograph　Grade A　Rarity 7　Weight 10+
　Effect: Installs a permanent transfer gate.
　A stone tablet depicting an angel blowing a trumpet.
　It is said to help travelers on their journey.

Enough about those Magic Crystals.
We got yet another strange item!
I’ll look after this one as well.

Now, 【Instant Death Resistance】?
It costs 10 Bonus Points to learn.
That’s quite expensive!
I have no way of getting it now!
At this point, I have no choice but to give up.
There are other skills that I would like to prioritize learning!

By the way…
Irina seems to be reacting differently than usual as she gathers information.
Until recently, she seemed to be hearing good news, but now she appears to be hearing bad news.

『I have a report for everyone. Both good news and bad news.』

Just as I thought.

Ok, so the good news….
A Slave Beast – Turtlesnake has been defeated.
This doesn’t refer to the one we just killed.
Rather, it was the other one, which was reported to be the last one.
It seems that they were able to finish it off just a while ago.
In addition to this unit made up exclusively of us Summoners, there also seems to be a mobile unit that can fight on horseback.
It’s good to know that they were able to get rid of the last one.

As for the bad news…
The Kimkui Slave.
As it approached, a fierce battle ensued, but it seems that the Silent Bamboo Woods have been overrun.
Apparently, the temporary defensive line has been breached.
The players there are now fighting in a state of disarray.
It seems that player characters that die in this battle are sent back to respawn at Twilight Castle.
And it looks like the forces that are still strong are retreating while taking down as many of those monsters as they can.

What are our instructions?
We are to keep moving and continue hunting Majins.
After that, we are to retreat to Twilight Castle.
That seems to be the case.

「Can all the Summoners here warp to the Silent Bamboo Woods?」

『There are quite a few people with Spacetime Magic, so I think it would be possible if we rearranged parties in the correct way.』

『I think the battle will be tough even if we return!』

「No. It would be more efficient to use Return Home to retreat to Twilight Castle.」

『Are we withdrawing?』

「Even if we don’t fight on the front lines, we can still contribute in other ways.」

『That’s true too.』

『Let’s rearrange!』

『But what about you, Keith?』

「I’m going to pay my respects to the Kim Kui Slave.」

The withdrawal battle will be tough.
For that reason, it would be better to have as many people on it as possible.
The Summoners here also have their MP bars at well below half.
Even Adele and Irina are at around 30%.
Even if we try to recover with Mana Potions, it’s gonna be rough.

Before we go, I’ll save my video in an external link.
I’d also like to record the Kim Kui’s face as I pay my respects to it.

I leave the rest to Haruna and Konohana, and my party leaves the union.
How’s my MP bar?
After using a Mana Potion, I still have about 60% left.
Even if I use another one while on the move, it won’t reach 80%.
That being said, I’m looking forward to the added benefits of riding Zangetsu.

I ride Zangetsu towards the north.
I still can’t see that Kim Kui Slave in the distance.
I’ve recalled Oma.
His MP bar was almost completely depleted, at less than 10%.
Well, I was the one who worked him too hard!
Heather as well.
Her MP bar was less than 20%.
I’ll recall her too.

I’ve summoned Ninetails and Kyokuya in their place.
We’re not done yet.
I have a total of 31 summoned monsters under my command.
We still have plenty of gas in the tank left.
This is one of the advantages of being a Summoner.
We can freely rearrange our lineup depending on the situation.
However, it is also advantageous when it comes to fighting continuously.
We can use other Summoned Monsters as backup in those cases.
Well, Zangetsu’s role cannot be replaced.

Whoa.
Let’s hurry now.

That Kim Kui Slave…
And the Majins that are probably around it…
I want to see how powerful they are.

If possible, I would like to use Boosted Power to attack.
Though I’m worried about the possibility of it being canceled by any Majins that may still be alive.
I have to try it out to see if it works!

The bamboo palisade that served as a line of defense had been completely destroyed.
And there’s monster corpses lying around.
It’s the remains of a fierce battle.
And if I turn my gaze to the west?
I can see what appears to be the Kim Kui Slave.
Probably a follow-up unit.
But that doesn’t matter now.

Now I turn to the east.
As expected, I can see what appears to be a Kim Kui Slave.
This one is close.

Then what should we do?
Let’s go meet that one at the rear of their formation.
Harassment?
That’s right.
We’ll go pester that group alright.

It’s huge.
This is just an estimation, but Kim Kui Slaves seem to be twice as tall as Slave Beast – Turtlesnakes.
It also looks to me that they’re more than twice as wide.
Slave Beast – Turtlesnakes are walking small forts.
But the Kim Kui Slaves are huge fortresses on legs.
That impression doesn’t change.
This is the first time I’ve gotten this close to one during the day.
I’m definitely nervous.

Oh, let’s start recording the video.

Then, once again.
The first thing to do is to go say hello to it.
Aim for its tail, which is short considering its large size.
That said, it’s still huge.
Moreover, its skin looks thick.

The only monsters accompanying it right now are Obsidian Beasts.
The other monsters must have gone to the vanguard to pursue the retreating players.

Well then.
What if this guy follows the same pattern as the Slave Beast – Turtlesnakes?
In that case, unless we take care of the Majins following it, spells won’t have any effect on it.
Let’s give that a try.
Obsidian Beasts are a nuisance, but I also have long-range AoE offensive spells.

「Force Blast!」

As expected, my attack did no damage.
It hasn’t even damaged the Obsidian Beasts.
Then that’s it.
There has to be a Majin blocking all spells.
If you can get around to the front, I might be able to see its face.

Still, I was able to activate the spell, and its effect did happen as well.
Should I assume that I can use spells at this distance?
I’ll stop trying to get closer to you then.

Well then.
Let’s overtake them by the side.

Of course, there’s a swarm of monster in the front.
Oh, these guys are such a pain!

「Ivy Whip!」

Ivy covers the ground.
The vines turned into whips that wildly whipped around, causing damage and restraining the movement of several of the Garms.
This should delay them a little.

However…
I don’t think I’ll be able to break through that easily this time.
There’s a swarm of Tri-horned Lizards blocking the way.

Don’t worry about anything.
This is a gamble.
I’ll leave recovery to Ninetails.
And I’ll take care of attacking.

The effect of Rider-Horse Union seems to be wearing off.
Now.
Let’s refresh it!

「Rider-Horse Union!」 「Boosted Power!」

Charging from behind?
Sounds like a plan.

As I manage to break through the herd of Tri-horned Lizards, I find myself before a temporary defensive line.
Several players are raising their shields to defend themselves.
This is definitely a line of defense.

Kyokuya stops and turns around.
Then he uses his Breath attack.
Then, his other head follows suit after a short delay.
This burns down an area of considerable size in front of them.
The approaching pack of Garms is wiped out in the blink of an eye.
Then Volff and Helix take care of the few that are left.
I hope we’ve managed to buy some time with that.

I accept an incoming union request.
The voice I hear sounds familiar.
Who was it?
No, it’s probably a player nearby.
That face looks familiar.
Is it Shelvie?

『Keith? I’m so glad you’re here!』

「Do we have to retreat?」

『Things may have gotten a little better, but we’re still in the middle of retreating!』

「There’s more coming right after these ones, you know?」

『I know! Everyone, let’s make a run for it!』

Equipped with heavy armor, the players run.　
But they’re slow.
The target location is in sight.
It’s a palisade made of bamboo.